4th April 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,471

MONDAY, 4 APRIL, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Bakare to Buhari: Set up commission to midwife new constitution —P39

Nigerian Tribune

Osun doctors call off 7 months strike —P35

@nigeriantribune

Afe Babalola drags former Lagos Solicitor General before ICPC —P6

Nigerian Tribune

N150

Power sector: Investors have arrived —Fashola —P30,31

Amosun absent as APC govs welcome Osoba back to party •Wike heads PDP national convention committee —P2,6 •I am not aspiring to be vice-president, not even senator —Fayose

4 dead as suspected cult members clash in Ilorin —P6

Alamieyeseigha for burial April 9 —P6

Former Ogun State governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba with the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, at the meeting where Osoba returned to APC, in Lagos, on Sunday. PHOTO: NAN

South African Parliament to debate Zuma's impeachment tomorrow —P37

Kogi uncovers massive fraud in civil service •500 ghost workers on payroll

—P36

2 news

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Amosun absent as APC govs welcome Osoba back to party Chukwuma Okparaocha - Lagos

F

ORMER Ogun State governor and chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olusegun Osoba, has defected from the party and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

This was formally announced by the Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who made this known on Sunday to newsmen, who had stormed Osoba’s Ikoyi residence after getting wind of the ex-governor’s plan to switch allegiance to the ruling party.

Conspiciously absent at the reconciliation meeting was the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Osoba had dumped the APC at the height of his disagreement with APC leadership in Ogun State, which culminated in the emergence of two factions of the party in the state.

Before the defection, all efforts to reconcile the arrow-heads proved abortive, as the factions conducted parallel primaries to produce standard bearers for the 2015 elections.

He led his faction to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), along with APC members in the National Assembly.

To be precise, the three serving senators representing state then: former deputy governor, Alhaji Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East) Akin Odunsi (Ogun West); Gbenga Obadara (Ogun Central); as well as former deputy governor, Segun Adesegun; seven out of the nine House of Representatives from the state and a sizeable number of the state House of Assembly members left for SDP. However, all the candidates fielded by the SDP for the 2015 elections were unsuccessful.

Before formally announcing his decision, Osoba, as well as some chieftains and the South-West governors of APC were engaged in a closed-door meeting, which lasted hours.

Among those that were physically present in Osoba’s residence for the meeting were the APC chieftain and former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, as well former Osun State governor, Chief Bisi Akande and that of Ekiti State, Mr Niyi Adebayo.

The current serving governors present were the Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola; his Oyo State counterpart, Mr Abiola Aji-

mobi, while the Lagos State government was represented by the deputy governor of Lagos State, Mrs Idiat Adebule.

Speaking on behalf of other governors and APC chieftains present at the meeting, the Osun State governor, Mr Aregbesola, said everyone was happy with the outcome

of the meeting and that it would spell a new dawn in the history of APC leadership and politics in western Nigeria and the nation as a whole. “l can tell you that with the outcome of this meeting, that all differences have been resolved. We are happy to announce that the

leadership of APC is ready and united to jointly prosecute the agenda for growth and purposeful leadership, development and good governance in western part of Nigeria and the entire nation.

“We will also work together to support the efforts at the national level to revive

the Nigerian economy and put the Nigerian people in a better stead than they were when we took over,” he added.

When answering questions from the newsmen about the focus and direction of Osoba’s new move, Aregbesola said: “Yes, Chief Osoba was with SDP, but

From left, Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo; Rauf Aregbesola of Osun; former Ogun State deputy governor, Segun Adesegun and Senator Gbenga Obadara, at a meeting where Osoba returns to APC, held at Osoba’s home, Lagos, on Sunday. PHOTO: NAN

now back in APC.” Meanwhile, Chief Osoba, when accosted by newsmen, merely burst into a Christian Yoruba song, which he termed Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s political song, saying “ija dopin, ogun ti tan...”, meaning “the strife is over and the battle has ended.”

In his remarks, Senator Tinubu described the development as “a reunion to further strengthen the course of a progressive party.

“I am an unapologetic progressive and whenever progressives unite for a noble cause, I am for such,” he said.

He debunked insinuations in some quarters that the absence of the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, at the event was an indication that all was not well yet.

“I can assure you that nobody is left out. All the SouthWest governors are well represented here. Don’t forget that the Ogun State governor contested and was elected on the platform of APC, so he is for APC. We are not leading a leaderless revolution, we are all one,” he said.

Wike heads PDP convention committee

Modu Sheriff visits Lagos PDP, moves to reconcile George, Obanikoro From Leon Usigbe and Bola Badmus NATIONAL chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has set up special committees in line with the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) towards the planned national convention of the party.

The committees were the National Convention Committee, Reconciliation Committee, Zoning Committee and the Finance Committee.

A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, in Abuja, on Sunday, said Modu Sheriff constituted the four special committees in preparation for the PDP national convention and the overall rebuilding and the repositioning of the party.

The National Convention Committee has Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike as chairman; Taraba State governor, Dairus Ishiaku as deputy chairman and the governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi as secretary.

Similarly, the Reconciliation Committee has the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson as chairman and Senator Ibrahim Mantu as deputy chairman, while the Finance Committee has Gombe State gover-

nor, Ibrahim Dankwambo as chairman and Senator Godswill Akpabio as deputy chairman.

In the same vein, the Zoning Committee has Akwa Ibom State governor, Emmanuel Udom as chairman and Mr Kelechi Igwe as secretary.

The committees will be inaugurated on Tuesday, April 5, by the national chairman at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja.

The setting up of the committee is coming at a time the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party raised the alarm that there might have been pressure on Modu Sheriff to extend his tenure as the party boss, against the threemonth tenure he had been given, within which to organise the national convention to elect new National Working Committee (NWC) of

the party.

Meanwhile, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, has enjoined various interests groups in the Lagos State chapter of the party, supposedly led by party’s former deputy national chairman, Chief Olabode George and the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, to close ranks ahead 2019 governorship election in the state.

Modu Sheriff was in Lagos at the weekend, to meet with leadership and members of the party, noting that the rift between the various gladiators in the state was responsible for the failure of the party to win the 2015 governorship election in the state.

While harping on the need for the camps of

Chief George and Obanikoro, to close ranks, the PDP chairman called for high level discipline and togetherness to move the party forward.

“I don’t want anybody to blame anybody. What we want now is what we will do to move the party forward.

Lagos is important to our party and we must ensure that we put our house in order ahead of the congress.

“The actors are not complete but in order to avoid mistakes, all those that are not available for this parley, I will meet with them in Abuja. Before the congress, we will talk heart-to-heart and get their commitment that Lagos PDP will be in peace.

“What we need to do in Lagos, we cannot complete it unless those actors that are causing troubles are

back. I won’t allow They are my friends if they allow Lagos to move on,” he said.

The PDP national chairman said following the failure of the party in the gubernatorial election, he called both George and Obanikoro to inform them that their acrimony contributed to the loss of the party.

Modu Sheriff, who was accompanied to the meeting by the South-West chairman of the PDP, Makanjuola Ogundipe, said the strength of the PDP was more than that of any party in Nigeria.

Present at the gathering were the two factional chairmen of the party in the state, Captain Olatunji Shelle and Mr Kamal Olorunoje; Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Chief Mrs. Kofoworola Bucknor, Mrs Onikepo Oshodi, among others.

Buhari sold his house to get his child forex —Adesina SPECIAL Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, has said the president sold his property to access foreign exchange (forex) for his child’s education.

According to The Cable report Adesina, who could not confirm if the president got forex from official sources or the parallel market,

said one would have to ask the president himself.

The Cable quoted Adesina speaking in an interview with Osasu Igbinedion, on The Osasu Show, as saying that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was experiencing paucity of forex.

Corroborating Adesina’s stance, the president himself had earlier said in an interview

with Al Jazeera that it would, henceforth, be “tough luck” for those who are (or wish to school abroad) to access forex.

“Those who can afford foreign education for their children can go ahead, but Nigeria cannot afford to allocate foreign exchange to those who decided to train their children outside the country,” he said in March.

Asked if the president could afford the education of his children abroad, Adesina said: “You will need to ask him.

“Don’t forget it was in the public domain even before he became president that when one of his children needed to go abroad, he had to sell his property; maybe it was his house in Lagos or somewhere.”

3

Monday, 4 April, 2016

THE GOVERNMENT OF OYO STATE

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT This is to announce a stakeholders' meeting between His Excellency, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Chairmen of Caretaker Committees of the 33 local government areas of Oyo State.

Also expected at the crucial meeting are all Obas and Baales, especially the traditional rulers of the 28 agrarian local governments of the state.

DATE: 11am on Monday, 4th April, 2016 VENUE: House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan.

AGENDA: The Oyo State Agricultural Initiative.

This is a critical aspect of the Oyo State Government economic diversiďŹ cation project.

All other stakeholders will soon be invited to play their part.

This stakeholder engagement forum is for the 33 Chairmen of Local Government Caretaker Committees as well as Obas and Baales of the 28 agrarian LGAs in Oyo State.

Announcer Yomi Layinka Special Adviser to The Governor (Communication & Strategy).

4

Monday, 4 April, 2016

5

Monday, 4 April, 2016

NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (NDDC) 167 Aba Road, Port Harcourt

2016 NDDC POST-GRADUATE FOREIGN SCHOLARSHIPS

A

s part of our Human Resource Development initiatives, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is commencing the 2016 Post-Graduate Foreign Scholarship Programme, to equip Niger Deltans with relevant training and skills for effective participation in the Local Content programme

of the Federal Government, as well as compete globally in various professional fields. The Scheme is for suitably qualified applicants with relevant Bachelor's/Master's Degree(s) from recognized universities in the following professional disciplines:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Engineering Medical Sciences (M.Sc. Public Health excluded) Computer Science/Technology Geology Geosciences Environmental Sciences Agriculture Environmental or Gas/Oil Law Project Management

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS nd 1.

First Degree with minimum of 2 Class Lower Division for those wishing to undertake a Master's Degree programme and a good Master's Degree for PhD candidates from a recognized university.

2.

Applicants must have gained admission for a Post Graduate Programme in any of the listed disciplines above, in a foreign University.

3.

Applicants who have already enrolled in overseas' universities are NOT eligible to apply.

4.

Guarantor's written consent of good conduct of the applicant from any of the following persons from the applicant's community/clan. a.

Member of National Assembly b.

Chairman of the LGA. c.

First class traditional ruler. d.

High Court Judge 5.

Persons with evidence of cult membership or criminal record shall not be considered for the award.

6.

Applicants must have completed the mandatory National Youth Service (NYSC).

7.

Applicants must have a valid Admission Letter from a Foreign University.

MODE OF APPLICATION 1.

Application must be made on-line at the Commission's website: ( www.nddc.gov.ng) with the following attachments: i Recent passport photograph ii Local Government identification letter. iii Post Graduate (PG) admission letter from Overseas University. iv Relevant Degrees from recognized University. v N.Y.S.C Discharge Certificate.

2.

Successfully completed application form will be assigned a registration number automatically.

3.

Print the hard copy of the on-line generated acknowledgement for ease of reference.

4.

All shortlisted applicants will be posted on NDDC website, ( www.nddc.gov.ng ) 5.

For further enquiries please contact:

Director, Education Health and Social Services (NDDC) Mobile: 08034534598; 084668158 E-mail: victor.seigha@nddc.gov.ng DEADLINE: All completed applications must be submitted on or before Friday, April 22, 2016.

Signed:

MANAGEMENT

6 news I’m not aspiring to be vice-president, not even senator —Fayose Monday, 4 April, 2016

Says Buhari can’t sign budget because no money to implement it Bola Badmus -Lagos

E

KITI State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday, said he was not contesting any joint presidential ticket with the national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, describing the report indicating that as cheap blackmail.

Governor Fayose was reacting to a newspaper publication that said he was warming up to be the running mate to Sheriff in 2019 presidential election.

The governor, who declared that he remained the most senior serving governor in the country, said he was a man of principle, maintaining that nobody should bother to arrange such position for him if they were doing so now, as he was not interested in it.

Fayose vowed that he would even oppose Sheriff if he dared to contest as president of the country.

The governor, who said he was still serving as governor of Ekiti and had more than two years to go, stated that he was not a character that he was being portrayed.

“It is like a man still chewing something and still looking for something inside somewhere to chew again,” he said, adding that “I am not a character like that.

“Even if Ali Modu Sheriff is contesting as president in 2019, I won’t support him. I will oppose him because he wanted to be chairman of the party.

“We must have principle.

This is cheap blackmail.

It is to give a wrong impression about me. I am the most senior governor in this country. If I am in APC, they will celebrate me. I still have two and a half years to serve as governor. If anybody is arranging me for that, tell them that they should not arrange me.”

In another development, Fayose has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign 2016 budget into law was because he had no money to fund it.

During a media interaction in Lagos, he further noted that President Buhari had been overtaken by global event, adding that “Mr President is challenged by old age, lack of exposure and posture.”

He stated further that “Buhari cannot sign it (budget) because he has

no money to fund it. His trip to China is to borrow money to fund the budget, 50 per cent of which is for debt servicing.

“What magic could he perform at older age? Nigerians should stop bring-

ing into power old people, who are not in tune with the global trend of doing things.”

The governor declared that Buhari had failed in putting the economy on its right footing, while he

expressed fear that the country’s economy could collapse under him.

Speaking further, the Ekiti State governor insisted that criticising the president constructively would not make one his enemy.

He lamented that what the president had been busy doing apart from jetting round the world was intimidation of the opposition, noting that no foreign investor would come to invest in a country where

4 dead as suspected cultists clash in Ilorin Biola Azeez -Ilorin FOUR persons, including a 20-year-old man, were reportedly killed in Ilorin, at the weekend, when two suspected rival cult groups engaged in supremacy battle.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the incident happened at Baboko, ItaAmodu and Agbo-Oba

areas of the state capital, between 9.30 p.m. on Saturday and 4.00 a.m. on Sunday.

It was also gathered that weapons like cutlasses, dane guns, dagger, among others, were freely used by the suspected cultists during the melee.

The development, which reportedly created anxiety around the affected com-

munities, saw residents running for safety.

An eyewitness said four people were allegedly shot by the suspected cultists at the end of the different operations.

It was also gathered that the members of “Aiye” fraternity had first struck at Baboko area of Ilorin around 9.30 p.m on Saturday and allegedly killed

two persons.

Sources said that after that operation at Baboko area, another cult group went for revenge at ItaAmodu and Agbo-Oba areas of Ilorin, where they also allegedly killed two persons.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident.

fear and intimidation were the order of the day.

On the economy, the governor urged the president to devalue the naira, to allow people’s money guarantee adequate purchasing power in the market, even as he lamented that “the economic situation in the country now is killing.”

He commended former Lagos State governor and national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, for crying out loudly recently over the issue of fuel scarcity.

Fayose warned those promoting President Buhari for a second term in office to desist from doing so, describing such a venture as “criminal.”

Afe Babalola drags former Lagos Solictor-General before ICPC Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin -Lagos CHIEF Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has dragged former Solicitor-General of Lagos State, Mr Lawal Pedro, before Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for allegedly taking briefs which resulted in his law firm losing $10 million

in professional fees.

Babalola asked the ICPC to investigate how the family of Gbadamosi Eletu of Osapa Village, Lagos, substituted his law firm for that of Pedro, thereby depriving his firm of the professional fees.

He made the request in a petition he addressed to the chairman of ICPC, Mr Ekpo Nta, detailing how the former solicitor-gener-

al allegedly abused his office and hijacked the briefs he handled for the family of Eletu in Supreme Court while his professional fees had not been paid.

As contained in the petition, Babalola asked the ICPC to investigate what he termed corrupt practices in respect of the settlement of some lawsuits, which he said Pedro allegedly concluded in conniv-

ance with the Eletu family and other parties to allegedly defraud his law firm of its professional fees.

He also alleged that Pedro used his private law firm to hijack the negotiation of Suit No: LD/4897/2014 between Beach Resorts and the Eletu family, adding that the Eletu family, as a result of the development, deprived his law firm of its professional fees

Boko Haram: Osinbajo advocates continuity in governance Leon Usigbe -Abuja VICE-PRESIDENT Yemi Osinbajo has identified continuity in governance and political stability in the West African sub-region as an important element in the fight against Boko Haram and insurgency.

Speaking at the weekend in Niamey, Niger, at the inauguration of President Issoufou Mahamadou for a second term in office, he said the re-election of the Nigerien leader was significant for the sub-regional coalition against insurgents and terrorists.

According to him, “as you know, Niger is an important partner and also an important ally in the war against terrorism and we are good

neighbours.”

He noted that Mahamadou’s investiture “has great significance because first, Nigeria understands President Issoufou well. He is an old hand and Nigeria has worked well with him as a partner. So, his re-election brings continuity and is good for the fight against Boko Haram and the insurgency in general.”

Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the ceremony in Niger Republic, remarked that Nigeria holds the Nigerien president in high esteem, adding that “he is an old friend of President Buhari.”

He stated that the Nigerien president’s inauguration was also an opportunity to honour a strong ally and

“to reinforce all our important diplomatic and military ties.”

A statement issued by the vice-president’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in Abuja on Sunday, said in his inauguration address after he was sworn in at the ceremony, President Mahamadou had noted that current worries regarding insecurity is global, transcending boundaries.

will be a youth/student activities in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital; public lecture on Federalism and Development in Nigeria, by Professor G.G. Darah at the Banquet Hall, Yenagoa and the night of songs and tributes at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, Yenagoa.

“On Friday, April 8, there will be a valedictory state executive council session at the Banquet Hall, Yenagoa

and wake keep at his country home in Amassoma.”

Jonah said commendation service would be held on Saturday, April 9, to be followed by his interment at Amassoma, his country home.

The burial ceremony, according to him, would be concluded with a thanksgiving service on Sunday, April 10, at St. Peters Anglican Church, Yenagoa.

Buhari, governors agreed on ranches to end herdsmen/farmers clashes —Lalong PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and state governors have agreed that ranches should be established to address incessant farmers/ herdsmen clashes instead

Alamieyeseigha for burial April 9 THE first civilian governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who died on October 10, 2015 at the age of 62, will finally be buried on Saturday, April 9, at his Amassoma country home, Bayelsa State.

Announcing the burial arrangement, chairman, central burial committee and deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd), said “there

The Niger president restated renewed commitment of the country to join forces with Nigeria and other neighbours to fight insurgency at the sub-regional level.

Among dignitaries at the event were the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu and several governors, especially from the northern states.

of grazing reserves, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, has disclosed.

Lalong, who made the disclosure in Jos, on Sunday, at the dedication of the new headquarters of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), said grazing reserves would not address the clashes and the killings.

“The president and governors agreed that there would be no grazing areas; ranches would be established by government where the cattle would be kept in one place and fed.

“Government will provide facilities like medical, schools and other needs in the ranches,” he said.

of $10 million.

Explaining how the Eletu family approached his law firm through a lawyer, Mr Ademola Koko, in 2005, asking him to appeal against the decision of a Court of Appeal involving 254 hectares of land, Babalola said after he agreed to handle the appeal at the Supreme Court, he asked the Eletu family for a professional fee of $20 million, which he said was reduced to $10 million after the family pleaded.

But when asked to pay part of the professional fees, the senior advocate noted that the Eletu family offered to give him land to cover the payment, which, he said, was rejected in favour of a cash payment of fees.

Upon agreement, the senior advocate requested an agreement on his professional fees to be in writing and that the agreement should be executed before a magistrate, to which the family complied with as proof of good faith.

He added that his law firm prosecuted the appeal for eight years before the Supreme Court delivered judgment on July 12, 2013 and awarded 216.7 hectares of land in favour of the Eletu family.

Babalola said the attempt by his law firm to pursue the execution of the Supreme Court judgment stoked diverse litigations and protests, which perhaps compelled the Lagos State government to intervene in the dispute.

He noted that the suits, which arose from the decision of the Supreme Court secured by his law firm for the Eletu family, were settled without his knowledge and with the involvement of Pedro.

7

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Lagosmetro

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

15 petrol ‘black market’ hawkers, 60 okada riders, arrested

Bola Badmus

F

OLLOWING its earlier warning, Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) said it has arrested and detained 15 miscreants, including those hawking fuel by road sides around filling stations located in the state.

Chairman of the Task Force, Olayinka Egbeyemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to Lagos Metro, saying the arrest took place on Sunday, during an operation to clear traffic around filling stations in order to bring about “vehicular sanity around at filling station across the state irrespective of the fuel situation.”

According to Egbeyemi, 25 people were initially arrested but 10 were screened out, leaving 15 that would now be charged to court for various environmental offenses in accordance to the

law.

The Task Force boss said his Agency was battle ready to enforce the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws of 2012 around all filling stations across state, declaring that the government would no longer condoned parking

at an obstruction zones around filling stations causing traffic gridlock on Lagos roads.

He warned that any motorist, who parks illegally at any locations thereby causing obstruction to other road users or free flow of

traffic especially around any filling stations across the state would have his vehicle impounded and charged to court.

Speaking further, Egbeyemi disclosed that over 60 motorcycles plying restricted routes were on

Sunday impounded during an operation carried out around Ikeja, Local Airport Road, Oshodi and Mushin.

He warned members of the public to stop paying touts for illegal parking of their vehicles road side kerbs and walkways, saying the Lagos

AS part of the measures to curb the spread of unwholesome processed meat and meat products in Lagos, the State Government, over the weekend, shut two illegal slaughter slabs in Okeafa and Ejigbo; both located in Oshodi-Isolo local government area of the state.

According to the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Toyin Suarau, government’s ultimatum to operators of unauthorised abattoir within the state to close down operations had lapsed, and the government could no longer tolerate such illegal practice.

Suarau also said the state government had ordered an immediate stop to all slaughtering activities in Idiaraba, Ashimowu (both by Lawanson in Mushin Local Government Area) and Ilupeju-Oshodi illegal sheep/ goats slaughter slabs. “Any butcher or group of butchers caught at any of these illegal and unlicensed abattoirs and slaughter slabs or violate this order will be prosecuted and henceforth have their meat confiscated,” he warned.

Food vendor in trouble over missing N40m jewellery Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin

Fuel hawkers and others, arrested by Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force), on Sunday.

Illegal abattoirs shut in Oshodi, Ejigbo, Idi Araba Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba

Mobile Courts now move across the state to dispense judgement on any contraventions to both Lagos Road Traffic Laws of 2012 and Lagos State Environmental Laws.

•Food marshals set to monitor foodstuffs in markets The Commissioner noted that for butchers and residents of the aforementioned areas where these illegal and unlicensed abattoirs and slaughter slabs operate, only Matori Modern Abattoir is the approved slab by the State Government for any slaughtering activities, adding that Central Okooba Abattoir is also open to

all for all slaughtering activities.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has made known intentions to set up Food Marshal Corps to enhance its zero tolerance against distribution of unwholesome foods and all forms of food poisoning in the State.

Speaking at a special lec-

ture/Induction and awards presentation organised

by Institute of Security at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Main Auditorium recently, the Special Adviser to the governor of on Food Security, Mr Ganiyu Okanlawon, said government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring wholesomeness in the

process and distribution of foods that residents of the state consume.

He explained that to monitor the whole process of food handling and distribution until it gets to the final consumers, the proposed Food Marshals Corp would be positioned in various market across the state for proper monitoring.

A 42-year-old food vendor, Janet Kenu, has been accused by the police of burgling a residential house and stealing jewellery worth N40 million.

Kenu, who is from Cotonu, Benin Republic, allegedly committed the offences on March 10, at A10, Nicon Town, Lekki, Expressway, Lekki.

Kenu, allegedly broke into the house of one Ajisola Yomi, and stole jewellery worth N40 million. She is being tried on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and breaking and entry before an Igbosere Magistrate’s court.

Her alleged offences are punishable under Sections 285 (8), 305 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Kenu however denied the theft. Consequently, the Magistrate, Mrs A. G. Omoyele, granted her bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till April 26 for mention.

‘Light-Up’ project vandal arrested with stolen cables •I am innocent — Suspect Olalekan Olabulo A suspected member of a three-man-gang, which specialised in vandalising and stealing the cable of the Light Up Lagos Project of the Lagos State government has been arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

The suspect, Lucky Udeagwu, was sighted alongside his two accomplices, now at large, coming out of the bush towards Ogudu bus stop by RRS operatives on routine surveillance around 3:00 a.m. carrying a big sack containing the stolen cable.

According to the RSS In-

spector, “Immediately, they sighted RRS vehicle, they dropped the bag at the Bus Stop and ran in different directions but we caught Lucky. We were suspicious because they ran on sighting. We checked the bag and saw a 35 meter long armoured cable. Beside the bag was a camouflage cap.

“We are under instruction, as RRS operatives to monitor cable installations of ‘Light-Up’ Lagos Project.

There were reports of cable theft in some parts of the metropolis, particularly, in the area, where the suspect was arrested. We searched the suspect on the spot and found in his small bag,

screw driver, 10 spanner and a T-shirt. The 10 spanner is the size of the bolts covering the street lights in this area.”

It was revealed through further investigations at the RRS headquarters that the supposed employer of Lucky saw him last before the Easter Break. “Nobody could identify him in the three houses he said he lives. One of them is even an uncompleted building,” the police said According to Udeagwu, who claimed innocence, “I got to Ogudu Bus Stop around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday. I got out early because I was searching for work.

I wanted to get to Ikorodu early so that I can get site job. I saw those two boys brought that bag from a nearby bus and as soon as they saw the police, they ran and I followed them. Those working tools in my bag are what I use to service my generator but it has been up to a year I sold that generator. It is true that I was arrested at about 3:11 a.m. because the officer showed me the clock in his car. I am not one of those boys.”

The image maker in charge of the state police command Dolapo Badmos confirmed the arrest of the suspect to Lagos Metro and added that police were on the trail

of the other two members of his gang. She also assured that the police in the state would ensure that all government and private properties are well protected.

Udeagwu

8

Monday, 4 April, 2016

9 RCCG LP 42 gets new evangelists

A

S part of plans to double its membership in the second quarter of the year, The Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG) Lagos Province 42 has appointed new evangelists and partners.

Performing the official inauguration of the evangelists numbering 29, at the headquarters of the church recently, the Pastor –In-Charge, Ola Erogun urged them to see their appointment as a divine call to serve God with renewed commitment.

He told the new team, under the leadership of the Province Evangelist, Pastor John Folorunso Okunola, to see the whole world as their constituency, in line with the mandate of Jesus to all Christians to preach the gospel everywhere. He urged them to be part of Project 75, meaning (trusting God for 75,000 souls from now till 2nd March 2017) when Daddy GO will be 75 years.

“I urge you to deploy your resources, both intellectual and financial, in this good cause of reaching out to the lost souls.

By doing this you would be able to pursue one of the core objectives of the church which is to have at least one RCCG member in every household all over the world,” he added Among the partners ap-

pointed as special evangelists, were wife of former Chief of Air Staff, Deaconess Olajumoke Nurenni-Yussuff, Pastors Olubunmi Akanle and Pastor Babatunde Olawore.

Monday, 4 April, 2016

10

Monday, 4 April, 2016

11

Monday, 4 April, 2016

12

Monday, 4 April, 2016

13

editorial Rivers’ violent rerun election

Monday, 4 April, 2016

N

IGERIA is not new to political violence, but the violence in the Rivers State re-run elections held on Saturday 19 March, 2016 stood out. Violent incidents preceded the elections, with reports about beheadings and rival cult clashes. During the elections, some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a large number of voters were prevented from performing their duties because of the outbreak of violence in several locations. Thus, the violence had severe consequences on voters, election officials and party supporters. The INEC, police and the military were simply overwhelmed by the breadth of violence and intimidation.

Election officials were assaulted and abducted in incidents across the state. Elections had to be suspended in at least eight local governments. In the event, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and two soldiers on election duty were killed.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who described violence as “barbaric and unacceptable,�ordered security agencies to deal with those involved. In the same vein, Governor Nyesom Wike has set-up a six-member judicial commission of inquiry, headed

by Justice Monima Danagogo, to investigate the violence, killings and other related acts during the rerun elections. In particular, the killing of a corps member in the election has provoked debates about the appropriateness of deploying members of the NYSC to election duties. It is believed that they are too vulnerable to electoral violence and that they lack familiarity with the political terrain in their places of assignment.

We condemn the activities of those involved in the violence. For us, however, the problem is not with the deployment of members of the NYSC as election officials. The NYSC members have largely proven to be neutral and patriotic in discharging their duties during elections. Thus, they should continue to serve in that capacity. The real challenge is to find ways and means of curbing violence. The government must ensure that perpetrating violence during election is costly to the perpetrator. Anyone involved in instigating, supporting or sponsoring violent acts before, during and after elections must be prosecuted and punished. The failure of government agencies to bring the promoters of past election violence to justice largely contributed to the needless and destructive violence recorded during the rerun in Rivers State.

INEC, on its part, faces a great challenge in conducting elections in areas such a Rivers State where political actors can muster resources to sponsor violence and intimidate both voters and officials in order to manipulate the polls. It has declared that elections would not be conducted in places where they were

Nigerian Tribune

suspended until an atmosphere of safety is guaranteed. The security agencies must strategize, train and organise to provide special coverage for such flash points. The violence that occurred during the re-run must not be allowed to recur. Importantly, too, efforts must be made to ensure that the remaining rerun elections are not unduly delayed.

The foregoing notwithstanding, politicians must find new ways to dialogue over the challenges posed by violence. Inter-party and intra-party mechanisms must be deployed to build consensus on, and promote, the observance of the rules that guide internal party processes and campaigns, electoral offences, access to government media and voting procedures. It is in the enlightened self-interest of politicians to protect and preserve democratic stability in the state. The two political bigwigs in the state, Governor Nyesom Wike and Mr Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transport, cannot be completely absolved of responsibility for the intensity of violence in the state. The election was an opportunity for a show of relative strength between these two prime actors from the two major parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress. They must ensure that a peaceful environment is created for free and fair elections by cautioning their followers.

The implications of electoral violence, especially when allowed to escalate and spread, had been demonstrated in the First and Second Republics. We recall the violence that followed the 1964 elections and the generalized violence that attended the 1983 elections. Both elections presaged the eventual demise of democratic rule. Thus, Nigeria has had sufficient experiences of political violence with very grave results, and it is a shame that politicians have refused to learn from the past.

As we have always cautioned, election-related violence must be avoided by all means. The resort to violence portends grave danger to the sustenance and consolidation of democracy.

Elections that are characterized by violence lack credibility. The governments that come out of such elections are illegitimate and therefore do not enjoy the support of the people or the recognition of opposition parties. Such elections are contested in the courts.

Time and money get expended on litigation, instead of being deployed to development initiatives. Elections are supposed to be non-violent means of constituting government and of changing them, and instituting accountable governments. Elected governments are expected to be responsible. With the dispersal of power within civil society, democracy is expected to provide organised protection from the fear or fact of injury or loss of life.

Thus, political violence turns democracy on its head.

AFRICAN NEWSPAPERS OF NIGERIA PLC Founders: Chief Obafemi Awolowo GCFR, SAN (1909 - 1987)

Chief (Dr) H.I.D Awolowo CON (1915 - 2015)

Chairman Rev. (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran Co-Chairman Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Edward Dickson Controller (Business Development) Fola Oke Chief Accountant Oluremi Olufisayo, ACA

Ibadan Office (Advert Hot Lines): 08077227269; 08034135733 Lagos Office (Advert Hot Lines): 08055333067; 08033013177 South South Regional Office: No. 50 Ikwerre Rd., Mile 1, Diobu, P/Harcourt, Rivers State

Snr. Manager (Advertisements) Kayode Titiloye Sales Manager Omotayo Lewis, Ph.D Consultant/Director Segun Olatunji, Ph.D

GOT NEWS?

Abuja Office: Suites G2. 05-07, PEB04 Plaza, Plot 2027, Dalaba Street, Beside NAPTIP Headquarters, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja Advert Hot Lines: 08033199716; 08078891797 Kaduna Office: AN 20, Lagos Street, by Keffi Rd., Kaduna.

Ikeja Marketing Office.

Block C, First Floor, Motorways centre, Opp., 7up Alausa, Ikeja.

Contact: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com or call:08055069471, 08116954630

14

Monday, 4 April, 2016

LETTERS TO THE

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@tribune.com.ng or by sms to 08078891826.

It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

What is wrong with Nigeria?

W

E don’t need to start crying to high heavens before we know that Nigerians are suffering; we basically struggle to get those things that make life

worth-living — electricity, water, housing, among others.

Fuel scarcity in Nigeria is now becoming the new normal, as people are being made to start thinking that struggling for fuel is

part of our lives.

Looking at how Nigerians struggle to buy fuel at filling stations shows that those in positions of leadership have failed the masses.

Why is it really hard

NFF, Super Eagles have failed us FINALLY, the Super Eagles have crashed out of the 2017 African Nations Cup. It is so unfortunate that we did not learn our lesson when we failed to qualify for the tournament two years ago. I am pained by the fact that Nigerians, who have been burdened by the nation’s economy,

Kachikwu’s statement caused fuel scarcity WHEN a government comes on board, it is expected that the President, who is head of that government, appoints ministers who will add value to such government. In the case of President Muhammadu Buhari, he has done well in appointing professionals to man each ministry.

Hoowever, the recent scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) can be traced to the series of statements attributed to the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachukwu. There could have been scarcity in the real sense, but the statement of the minister encouraged independent marketers to capitalise on such to hoard and increase the price of the commodity.

If the minister does not have a way of alleviating the suffering associated with the purchase of PMS, I feel he shouldn’t have added to people’s suffering through his statement.

At the moment, Nigerians are buying PMS at N170 per litre, and we now know who to hold responsible for the chaotic situation.

•Adewumi Tope, 1, Eluomi Street, Omuooke-Ekiti.

will now further endure having to watch a competition without the Eagles.

I want to lay the blame of this failure at the feet of the former coach, Sunday Oliseh, as well as officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), particularly the President, Mr Amaju Pinnick.

The only thing that can assauge the feelings of Nigerians is for the leadership of NFF to resign, while a new coach is appointed.

I also want home-based players to make the bulk of the future Super Eagles.

There is no doubt that foreign-based players don’t

give their best when they play for the country; they already have the fame, and don’t really need to prove anything to be noticed by scouts.

Finally, the new NFF leadership should sign a world-class coach for the team; we could have defeated the Pharaohs of Egypt in Kaduna, but lack of concentration cost us that match.

We need a coach who is technically-sound to take the team to the next level; we must not miss the world cup in Russia in 2018.

•Vincent Kadiri, Benin, Edo State.

to make Nigerians more comfortable when citizens of countries that are not as prosperous as Nigeria live in comfort.

I am really thinking this country is cursed, and we may not have the solution to save it unless each of the regions go their separate ways.

For those who are spirit-filled, we should know that the foundation of this country was built by the powers of darkness, and that is why we struggle to make things work here, while the same policies work in other countries.

The solution to our problem is simple, yet hard to accept; let all the regions go their separate ways so that we can destroy the foundation of evil on which this country was built on.

I am sure other countries are already tired of our situation, and would be wondering what is really wrong with Nigeria.

I am, therefore, appealing to all Nigerians to wake

up to the reality, and not continue to say ‘One Nigeria.’

This country is a grave yard for ideas, and I don’t think hell can be as terrible as what we have in Nigeria.

In the alternative, let our religious leaders come together, including leaders of the traditional faith, and let us embark on a one-

month prayer to change the fortunes of this country. We will then look at the situation for another two years, and if nothing positive happens, then my first solution is what we should return to, that is, letting all the federating units go their ways.

•Nelson Ekwale, Benin, Edo State.

Fashola, don’t forget Lagos-Ibadan Expressway I want to call on the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, to do everything possible to ensure that the Lagos/Ibadan expressway is completed.

Although the country is experiencing some economic challenges at the moment, the little resources we can raise, particularly those seized from corrupt people, can be channelled to the project.

Apart from the monies being seized from politicians, which run into bil-

lions of naira, I also understand that Switzerland is also sending back hundreds of millions of dollars of Abacha loot. We can use these to complete the Lagos-Ibadan expressway project, as well as the Ibadan-Oyo-Ilorin Expressway.

Why I am concerned about these expressways is because of the ever increasing accidents on them. Just last week, the band boys of musician, Yinka Ayefele, had an accident on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. According to report, the vehicle in which the band was travelling entered a ditch on the road and veered of the lane.

It was a lone accident which happened because of the terrible condition of the road, and unfortunately, a life was lost.

Government should be concerned about the number of people being killed on our roads; these are needless deaths which would not have happened if our roads were in good shape. We have lost so many promising Nigerians; people who would have contributed to national growth have been killed in road accidents.

The loss of the Minister of State for Labour, Mr James Ocholi, is a pointer to how road accidents are robbing us of people who would have given their best for the country.

I am, therefore, appealing to Mr Fashola, who incidentally is the immediate past governor of Lagos State, to ensure the speedy completion of the road, which is definitely the busiest in the country.

•Debo Adisa, Ogere-Remo.

15

opinion

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Lasisi Olagunju

A

Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

LMOST everything about Nigeria defines eccentricism — leadership, followership, economy, politics. Abundantly blessed but miserably poor; the poorer the nation, the richer the elite; the higher public debt grows, the wealthier the managers of the debts become. It is so difficult to understand.

Throughout last week we all queued, struggled and fought to be counted worthy of some litres of petrol at about N200 per litre. We do not know what this week will bring although the minder of the system has promised deliverance from the fuel ailment by April 7. We wait.

As a child, I remember we were told that one of the signs of the end of the world would be plenty of money in many hands chasing goods that won’t be available. How would that happen? That question occupied my mind the several times I listened to end-time messages. Now, across many homes, it is sparse money chasing scarce goods. Is the world coming to an end?

We are a nation of proud kings and stubborn generals; talking prophets and singing pastors. Somewhere hanging in the sky of these owners of the land are poets, musicians and the general rabble. The big men enjoy trading with Nigeria and counting cool cash. They don’t read what warners write; they don’t listen to the songs of the bard. The voices of warnings are mere distractions to an elite with missions of ruination. But the bard exists to warn. And most of the red flashes from the poet’s lines are about the house that is falling. And truly, this house is falling and everyone appears too drunk to notice. The warnings are not creeping droplets like an inexperienced woman’s first period. They were shrill, decades ago, when today’s sandstorm was peeping through ominous clouds. One of the early warners was a Yoruba musician who saw pains overtaking gains and read apocalyptic finality into the emerging realities. He sang: “Ile aye nyi lo s’opin (the world is rolling to an end).

If you are younger than 50 or thereabouts, you are not likely to understand why your father listens to the music of old. He tries to reconnect with a world long dead.

Again, if you are a male Yoruba of 50 years or above, it will be strange to see you hissing at Yoruba musical won-

Ile aye nyi lo s’opin (The world is rolling to an end)

ders of the 60’s through the 70’s to the 80’s. A major lyrical voice of that era was the mercurial, avant-garde Ayinla Omowura. If you spent the whole of last week queueing at mega petrol stations for your ration of the essential commodity which fuel has become, I will be surprised if you did not lighten your burden with his great music that appears to have warned that one day the land would become so unmanageable that a litre of petrol would sell for N200.

Years ago, Omowura, like others who lived the period, thought it was the end of the world. He sang: “The world is rolling to an end/ Son of man, can you see the eyes of the earth?/ From about eight years ago/ Things have not been normal/ And everyone knows/ Everything has become costly/ Two naira gaari will feed not more than two persons/ Let us cry onto the Lord for this famine to go/ So that the world can know peace.../ Forty two kobo is the official price of beer/ But N1.20k is the price they’re selling it/ As I’m saying, the world is coming to an end/ Those who have many wives and 20 children are the ones who know what the world has become.../ Let us cry onto the Lord/ So that all we lost can be recovered...”

The figures in Omowura’s song are interesting. They tell us where our world is coming from and possibly where it is headed: Two naira gaari feeding just two people; forty kobo per bottle of beer becoming N1.20k? That time, the musician thought the situation just couldn’t be worse - and he cried out: Ile aye ma nyi lo s’opin (the world is rolling to an end). The figures weren’t just adding up again. More than 30 years after the wailing song, the rolling to the apocalypse appears even accelerated.

If he were around, what would the musician be singing about today’s Nigeria of N200/litre fuel; N320/dollar?

Music is prophecy. Musicians are prophets. Their lips see tomorrow. Their fingers knit the rent garments of yesterday and today to clothe an unsure tomorrow. And so, they warn presidents and governors; lawmakers and law givers, to stop the wrong things they are doing and listen to those who know the way. But, Omowura sings again: The one we counsel, it’ll be nice if he listens / (but) he won’t listen, he is eletikunkun...

Eni a wi fun o ( the one we counseled) T’o ba le gba a dun pupo o (it will be nice if he listens) Ko ni’gba, omo eletikunkun (He won’t listen; he is strong-headed) Ko ni’gba, omo eletikunkun ....(he won’t listen; he is hard-headed) Nigeria is approaching this end, arriving at this bus stop of misery because its power elite are ear-dead... They appear lost but they won’t listen, they won’t see; they are stubborn, they are recalcitrant... They are lost.

Making gender equality a priority in Nigeria

By Abang Dove IN the past few weeks, a lot of things trended in Nigeria, including the unsuccessful passage of the Bill for an act to incorporate and enforce certain provisions of the United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women.

This gender equality bill was sponsored by Senator Biodun Olujimi, representing Ekiti-South Senatorial District, with the aim of achieving equal treatment legislation, gender mainstreaming (integration of the gender perspective into all other policies), specific measures for the advancement of women, equal access to education, the strengthening of laws on violence against women, ending abduction of girls, sustenance and promotion of entrepreneurship opportunities among others.

Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviours, aspirations and needs of women and men are equally valued and favoured.

When this bill was turned down as a result of disparities exhibited with the votes, only a few legislatures stood their ground to make sure it was stated clearly to their colleagues and the general public that their position was not totally in line with the decision made by the Nigerian Senate.

The Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Princess Stella Oduah, who happens to be the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, also made her points clear on the gender equality bill.

The Senator released a statement analysing the importance and value of women in the society, listing out

points in support of the bill and also insisted that the bill had to be represented in the Senate.

As an observant Nigerian lady, I was really impressed by this profound support given to Senator Olujimi by her colleague and friend, Senator Oduah. This togetherness and spirit of cooperation should be imbibed and encouraged by women from other sections of the society, and I believe Nigerian women will see the realisation of this gender equality bill if they work together, support each other and chant ‘Equal Rights’ with the same voice for the future of Nigerian girls depend on it.

Meanwhile, the number three citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senate President Bukola Saraki, also went ahead to call a private meeting with the sponsor of the bill, Senator Olujimi, and the number one critic of the same bill, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South).

The aim of the meeting was to come to a reasonable conclusion and find a mutual ground for both parties.

The Senate President came to the aide of women by making sure the decision was made and agreed upon by both parties for the gender equality bill to be represented in the floor of the Upper Chamber.

Equality between women and men is one of the European Union’s founding values. It goes back to 1957 when the principle of equal pay for equal work became part of the Treaty of Rome.

The European Union’s achievements in fostering equality between women and men have helped to change the lives of many European citizens for the better.

Nigeria, which is the giant of Africa, just like most countries of the world, needs to make gender equality a priority. Women need to be adequately represented in the Upper and Lower Chambers, and in every other arm of government and government institutions. Womens voices need to be heard.

Although inequality cannot be totally abolished, Nigeria can still make significant progress in bettering the lives of women in years to come if we can start now.

This progress will be seen in the increased number of women that will then be in the labour market and also increased chances in securing better education and training.

Gender equality can be measured by looking at the representation of men and of women in a range of roles. This will help the nation understand the number of women represented at only low income jobs, number of women that are illiterates and so much more.

A country where women and girls are discriminated against in health, education and the labour market with negative repercussions for their freedom is no giant to me.

•Dove writes from Abuja.

16

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

Jonathan:

One year after 2015 presidential poll LEON USIGBE looks back to one year ago when former president Goodluck Jonathan unexpectedly conceded defeat before the conclusion of the collation of the 2015 presidential election results.

A

year is a very short time in the life of a nation and so, it looks just like yesterday that Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan lost his election as an incumbent president of Nigeria and wasted no time conceding defeat.

That was unheard of in the chequered political history of the counytry. Yet, he was prepared for the defeat, prepared for the outcome of the presidential election and made sure he told whoever cared to listen.

Beyond his oft-repeated phrase, ‘my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian,” he never shied away from apprising his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian people and the international community that he would accept the outcome of the poll no matter what it was.

On the eve of the 2015 presidential election therefore, Jonathan took to the airwaves to assure the country that he was grateful for the opportunity he had been given to serve and the support enjoyed by his administration without which what he said was the significant progress it had made would not have been possible. Jonathan spoke of the many challenges Nigeria had to contend with since 1999 but its democracy continued to endure and grow stronger. “We have all worked very hard to nurture and strengthen our democratic institutions and promote the good governance practices which they were designed to deliver for the better well-being of our people. I believe I can say without fear of contradiction that we all clearly cherish the democracy we now have and will never

willingly give it up for any other form of governance. This much-cherished democracy of ours is about to be put to the test once again,” he said that night as defeat stared straight into his face.

Undaunted though, he wanted Nigerians to go out en-masse to peacefully perform their civic duty of voting for leaders of their choice the next day and also admonishing political party leaders, contestants, party members, party agents, supporters and ordinary voters alike to be very conscious of the fact that the eyes of the entire world were on Nigeria. He recalled the commitment he made on assumption of office to progressively deliver freer, fairer and more credible elections in the country, noting that it was in keeping with that commitment that his administration gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) all necessary support to ensure that it conducted very successful general election.

The former president had justified the rescheduling of the presidential election from February 14 to March 28, 2015, by pointing out that the shift gave INEC the time to be better prepared for the exercise, while millions of Nigerians who were yet to receive their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) as at February 14, and would therefore have been unfairly disenfranchised if the polls had gone ahead on that date, seized the opportunity of the re-scheduling to collect their cards to exercise their franchise. Beside that, he was glad that the nation’s gallant Armed Forces used the extra period to successfully stem the sei-

zure of Nigerian territories in the NorthEast by Boko Haram.

Jonathan wanted all political parties and politicians in the country to allow the free, unfettered will of the people to be expressed without any hindrance in the elections in keeping with the hallowed principles and tenets of democratic governance. He was to harp on the will of the people freely expressed through the ballot, being the bedrock of all democracies and Nigeria’s could not be an exception. “Let us all therefore be prepared, as true democrats, to graciously accept the outcome of the elections as the rightful choice of our people from whom all political powers in our democracy must emanate,” he had im-

Many people continue to maintain diverse opinions about him and what might have been. But there seems to be a consensus on his positive contributions to the entrenchment of genuine democratic values in the period he spent in office.

plored.

Two days after the election even before INEC concluded the collation of the the results, Jonathan called Major General Muhammadu Buhari, then the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate to concede defeat and congratulate the projected winner. This opened a floodgate of adulation, starting with the General Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee on the 2015 Elections which rushed to the Presidential Villa to thank Jonathan for the unique gesture. That committee was keen to ensure that the situation was calm in the period leading to, during election and after the elections.

Abubakar himself revealed that his committee was shell-shocked when it learned of Jonathan’s unexpected call to Buhari.

The former head of state told State House correspondents: “We were at the middle of a meeting with the international observers to try to see how we can still water the tension down, when gladly I called Gen. Buhari that we are going to see him. He told me that Mr. President has called him at about 5:15 p.m. and congratulated him and conceded defeat. We were spell bound and the reason we have come here is to thank President Jonathan for this statesmanship. In the history of Nigeria, I think this is the first time where a contestant has called his rival to congratulate him and through this point, President Jonathan maintained a point that the blood of Nigerians is not worth his presidency and by his action he has proved that. He has proved that he is a man of his word because during our interactions on this peace committee, he has always maintained that he is going to accept the result of the elections which ever way it is done. And he has proved this...On behalf of Nigerians I want to thank President Jonathan for being the statesman that he is. He has proved that he is a statesman and he has the love of this country in his heart.”

On the day he conceded defeat, Jonathan again addressed the nation, recalling his promise of free and fair elections. “I have kept my word. I have also expanded the space for Nigerians to participate in the democratic process. That is one legacy I will like to see endure,” he declared. Conscious of the mood in his camp, he advised his colleagues in the PDP to celebrate rather than mourn. “We have established a legacy of democratic freedom, transparency, economic growth and free and fair elections. For the past 16 years, we have steered the country away from ethnic and regional politics. We created a Pan-Nigerian political party and brought home to our people the realities of economic development and social transformation. Through patriotism and diligence, we have built the biggest and most patriotic party in Nigerian history. We must stand together as a party and look to the future with renewed optimism,” he maintained.

One year after Jonathan lost the election, many people continue to maintain diverse opinions about him and what might have been. But there seems to be a consensus on his positive contributions to the entrenchment of genuine democratic values in the period he spent in office as the president.

17

politics&policy

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Delta and politics of peace process

Against the backdrop of the recent electoral bloodbath in Rivers State, EBENEZER ADUROKIYA takes a retrospective look at how peace was achieved in neighbouring Delta State, and the sacrifices of the last administration in the state.

T

HE ongoing bloodbath ravaging Rivers State, now mockingly tagged “Rivers of Blood” or “Rivers of millions of demons,” should be an eye opener to others states in the federation.

It will be recalled that the bloodletting started before and during the build-up to the 2015 general election with two “warlords”, Mr Rotimi Amaechi and Mr Nyesom Wike, spearheading the two opposing forces now holding the state hostage.

As more souls are still being sent to their early graves in Rivers, stakeholders would wonder if neighboring Niger Delta states, such as Delta, Edo, Akwa-Ibom, Cross-River andBayelsa, are learning some lessons from the debacle, positively or negatively. The nearest future will prove this right or wrong. Delta State, which by all projections and permutations was penciled in as one of the flashpoints to take the lead in the arena of electoral violence last year, given its antecedents, miraculously averted the doomsday prediction. Most Deltans largely attribute this to sheer benevolence and some ingenuity and sacrifices of the last administration in power.

Delta State was and still perhaps is one of the deadliest hotbeds of violence in the country. The number of cultists are innumerable among the various aggrieved ethnic nationalities whose political satiation can be likened to a hollow grave. A witness of the communal bloodletting that characterized the Ijaw/Itsekiri war in the late 90s, for instance, would recall gory tales and never pray to be alive to witness such again. Such tales will also reveal how sophisticated the people may have become today if such war should be reenacted.

Certain denominators that often orchestrate violence in the state, often referred to as “The Big Heart and Finger of God,” for instance, include dispute over land, ethnic bigotry, oil exploration fall-outs, imbalance in political appointments, political party affiliations and perceived marginalization, among others. The oil-rich state certainly has a history of crises that almost brought down its knees. It will be recollected that the Warri crisis lasted from 1996 to 2004 and was sparked off by the relocation of the headquarters of Warri South West Local Government Area from Ogbe-Ijoh to Ogidigben at Escravos. Relics of the communal war still dot some of the villages till date.

The Ijaws and the Itsekiri are the main ethnic groups in the local government area. So, election in the Warri area, till date, has always been a thorny issue between the two

dominant nationalities.

It will also be recalled that in the 1999 general election into the Warri Federal Constituency, the election which was won by Honourable Temi Harriman, led to clashes in Warri metropolis, leading to violence. A similar electoral crisis was sparked off in 2003 when Senator James Manager, who is still in the Senate chambers today, won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) ticket for Delta South Senatorial District. The Itsekiris, like the Ijaws did in the case of Harriman, protested the result violently. Sadly, each of these crises led to mindless loss of lives and burning of houses.

The crises occurred during the tenure of Chief James Ibori (1999 to 2007). Ibori was able to quell the Warri crisis through the ingenuity of his Commissioner for Health and later Secretary to the State Government (SSG), former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who led the reconciliation committee and practically navigated the nooks and crannies of Itsekiri and Ijaw villages to calm frayed nerves. He made it a case of win win for the two warring ethnic brothers to avert further bloodshed.

From 2003 to 2007, Uduaghan, an Itsekiri, was a key player in the peace process between the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups. He was said to have first-hand knowledge of the crisis; suffered personal losses as an arbiter and was a subject of constant threats from Ijaw militants who held sway in the creeks then.

The PDP primaries Ahead of the 2015 general election, a titanic battle was fought between the PDP, still holding sway since 1999, and the Labour Party (LP), led by an old war horse, Chief Great Ogboru and the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by no other than the business mogul, Chief Otega Emerhor. But the real epic battle was not the inter-party one. It was the intra-party one building up in the ruling PDP ahead of the governorship and senatorial primaries. Governor Uduaghan, then in the twilight of his second term, was expected to make some efforts to throw up a successor.

According to reports, he wanted a man that could sustain his legacy of peace and security, Delta beyond oil policy as well as infrastructure development in the state. His fears were commonplace and it was not astonishing when the media was awash with the choice of a seasoned civil servant and permanent secretary, Sir Tony Obuh, as the “anointed” candidate. With his foot-soldiers like business mogul and It-

sekiri chief, Chief Ayirimi Emami advancing his choice, the camp of the present governor of the state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, who was then the senator representing Delta North Senatorial district, was poised for a real showdown. The Urhobos, the largest ethnic nationality in the state controlling about eight local governments, were intent on the Asaba Government House.

At another level, Uduaghan had his personal ambition to replace Ijaw-born Senator Manager at the Senate based on the unwritten, gentleman’s rotation agreement between the Itsekiris and the Ijaws of Delta South Senatorial Disctrict.

Senator Manager was then rounding off his second term and based on this, Dr Uduaghan, an Itsekiri whose turn it was to take the shot, was warming up to replace him at the senate. Ahead of the primaries, however, Senator Manager had declared his third term ambition, and this inadvertently set the Ijaws and Itsekiris against each other. Unfortunately, the period coincided with the Itsekiris/Ijaw crisi over the multimillion-dollar Gas City Project at Ogidigben.

With the Itsekiri house already divided, the Ijaws, ably led by a former militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo who had reached “maturation” politically in the state with much wealth garnered and immense backing from the presidency, mapped out strategies to grab the deputy governorship candidate slot and Delta South Senatorial candidate for his kinsmen. This was besides the already taken Warri South West PDP chairmanship slot for his younger brother during the October 2014 local government election. It will be recalled that the 2014 PDP local government primaries in Warri South West LGA, ticket was won by Bobby Omadeli, an Itsekiri, before it was allegedly overturned and victory given to George Ekpemupolo, younger brother of Tompolo.

This situation set the tone for the battle royale between Uduaghan and Manager (an Ijaw) for the Delta South Senatorial district ticket. There were palpable fears that a bloodbath with a new dimension was brooding between the a Ijaws and Itsekiris if Uduaghan had his way. Of course, Uduaghan had to abandon his ambition, according to him, to let the peace and security he had so laboured to entrench in the state to subsist and outlive his administration.

But some of his close associates, party and cabinet members, who were freely disposed to this option, described Uduaghan’s action as a weak, and a cowardly way of relinquishing one’s mandate to someone who had exhausted his mandate as a senator. However, speaking with reporters in Asaba, Uduaghan insisted that he had to step Continued on pg18

18

politics&policy

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Lessons from the past Continued from pg17

down for Senator Manager so that peace could reign in the state. According to him, he had a meeting with the then President Goodluck Jonathan and the then PDP national chairman, Adamu Muazu, where the political situation in Delta was critically xrayed and that after the meeting, he decided to make the huge sacrifice by stepping down.

“I have to offer myself as a sacrifice to ensure that the political and security tension that had built up in recent times is reduced.

In doing that, I am aware that a lot of my followers will be very unhappy, but I want to appeal to them that I have to do this for the sake of this state,” Uduaghan reiterated then.

He denied the reports that he was forced by the various threats of violence and the powers that be to step down, adding that quitting the senatorial race was not the end of his life and would enable him to maintain the peace in the state which he said was much more paramount to him than electoral victories. However, Uduaghan’s traducers never saw any wisdom in his decision.

Of course, Senator Manager eventually rode on an unopposed victory, just as the ethnic and the brand of politics that eventually played out during the governorship primaries that was held on December 7, 2014, saw the then Senate Committee Chairman on Health, Okowa, garnering 406 votes to

beat Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s lastminute candidate, Mr. David Edevbie, who polled 299 votes, followed by Mr. Victor Ochei’s 185 votes and Uduaghan’s earlier anointed candidate, Mr. Tony Obuh, who scored five.

A security source informed this reporter that but for the victory of Senator Okowa that December 7, Monday night, hell might have been let loose on Delta State. So, unlike the case of Wike and Peterside Dakuku, the PDP and APC aspirants who held unto their ambition to govern Rivers State even at the seeming expense of the blood of the electorate, Uduaghan, perhaps with some greater hindsight, laid down his pride and ambition for the lives of his people who would have been ‘slaughtered’ in cold blood in the creeks if he had insisted on going ahead with his senatorial ambition or set the entire state ablaze if he had insisted in “smuggling” in his godson, Sir Obuh as the PDP governorship candidate.

Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja crisis The ongoing communal clash between the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh, headquarters of Warri South West Locla Government Area and Urhobos of Aladja of Udu Local Government Area of the state has become a source of serious concern to stakeholders and lovers of peace in the state. The crisis, which began in 1996, has always been hinged on land, intertwined with the as-

sumption of local government headquarters by Ogbe-Ijoh said to be tenants to Aladja.Uduaghan was described as being instrumental to the peaceful coexistence that has been existing between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh community, especially during his tenure.

The immediate past governor, in finding a lasting political solution to the debacle, set up a committee headed by Ijaw-born Tunde Smooth which came up with a white paper that is still gathering dust at the Government House in Asaba.

Pockets of kidnappings, especially the abduction and murder of the monarch of Ubulu-Uku, HRM Edward Akaeze Ofolue III, the recent bombings of oil and gas pipelines in the creeks, increase in various criminal activities in the state, particularly in Warri and environs, which streets have been left in total darkness since the exit of the last administration, and more are likely issues for the present government to proactively ponder on.

The present state government, described as slow in action given how the late HRM Akaeze Ofolue III, was kidnapped and murdered, should humbly seek ways of managing future violence and criminal activities including those of cultists in the state by taking a cue from how the last administration managed the situation that averted the Rivers State kind of electoral bloodbath in the state.

Uduaghan insisted that he had to step down for Senator Manager so that peace could reign in the state.

It should be noted that the taking over of the central government by the APC about a year ago has left many Delta political jobbers who lost their political appointments in Abuja scrambling for appointments from the present government in Asaba such that the government has, in recent times, done more appointments than any of his predecessors.

The implication of this trend is that the polity is palpably saturated, thereby increasing the volatility of the political landscape as more desperate individuals are surreptitiously doing everything possible to create a space for themselves ahead of the 2019 election.

Braithwaite: When dreams no longer make meaning

By Moshood Oshun

I

T was on Easter Monday, a public holiday, for Christians around the world to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That same day, in the morning, a prominent Nigerian whose voice echoes throughout the country anytime he spoke, was at the St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos. Dr. Tunji Braithwaite breathed his last on a bed where he must have battled, with the usual vigour in him, to stay alive.

The 82-year old dreamer and his dreams faded away.

This is not an attempt to eulogise him, but my own little way to dissect his belief in a strong, virile democracy as well as a developed Nigeria that would be the envy of other countries of the world. It is also an attempt to find out if he left this world a happy and fulfilled man, how many Nigerians believed in his opinions, suggestions and solutions to problems facing the country without seeing him as a noisemaker, the way some citizens see many true Nigerians still alive.

I was not close (in the real sense of the word) to him. I only admired him from afar and was always interested in what he, like other notable and serious-minded activists, had to say concerning national issues. He was not my lecturer, yet he taught me; I always got a message from his comments. He taught me passion, sincerity, carriage, love for oneself, neighbour and country. Then, he taught me fashion.

I remember clearly in 2012 just after the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered soldiers to take over the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in the Ojota area of Lagos in the aftermath of the fuel subsidy protest. Braithwaite, with other old men like Professor Ben Nwabueze and younger men too, met in front of the Lagos State House of Assembly for a protest against the decision of Jonathan’s government to detail soldiers in Lagos in a democracy. They were received my some of my colleagues in the House. While Braithwaite said the deployment of soldiers in

Braithwaite Lagos was totally unwarranted, Nwabueze said it was unfortunate.

With the title: Defy The Dictator, these men, who though could afford the luxury of life, but decided to fight for the downtrod-

den, began a march to the Park in Ojota.

They were however stopped by fierce-looking security agents who teargassed them around the 7Up Bottling Company area on the Secretariat Road. What caught my fancy was that rather than run, the protesters sat on the road, refusing to move for many minutes. The protest was scuttled, but they made their point against the government.

His battle for the emancipation of Nigeria did not start today. Over the years, he was an enemy to the successive military governments, standing his ground on issues that affected the masses. He could have kept quiet and allowed Nigerians suffer. No, he did not. One of those who benefitted from him was the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Braithwaite was Fela’s lawyer in the 1970s and represented the late singer in 1977, when then Lagos Military administrator, Commodore Adekunle Lawal, set up an Administrative Board of Enquiry, headed by Justice Kalu Anya, to look into the circumstances that led to the burning down of Fela’s Kalakuta Republic by soldiers. He, leading others like Mr Alao Aka-Bashorun, Dr Olu Onogoruwa, Oba Ayodele Kale, Mr Tunde Sanu and Mr Femi Delumo, also helped Fela fight the case till it reached the Supreme Court but his bid to secure compensation for Fela and his family was turned down by the Supreme court on 28 June, 1985, according to an extract from Judge Don Beg ME

While many politicians and presidential aspirants sold themselves to the bid by Abacha to hold on perpetually to power and publicly endorsed him, Braithwaite and late Alhaji MD Yussuf stood against him at the primaries.

- The Odyssey of Fela Anikulapo - Kuti’s Encounters With The Law. Braithwaite’s love for the rule of law and justice are also seen in his refusal to stand with Fela when the latter married 27 wives.

Braithwaite’s argument was that the Afrobeat musician was still legally married to his wife and as a result, he would not support an infringement on the law. Fela then made an Ifa priest conduct the wedding.

The lawyer is reputed to be among those who defended the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in the celebrated Treasonable Felony trial of 1962/63, stood for his client in the case of the State vs Fashoyin and successfully defended his client who faced four separate judges on different counts.

He also won in the case of the State vs Olabisi Ajala despite threats and intimidation by members of the military junta.

Even though he contested and lost the 1983 presidential election, he remained a strong advocate for an egalitarian society, defended women and loved his fellow human rights activists. He is known to have played a major role for the rule of law to prevail, just like the Save Nigeria Group, when the country was at a crossroads during the illness that led to the death of former President Umar Yar’Adua. Bratithwaite was also a major mouthpiece against the reported third term ambition of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

History will not forget how Braithwaite fought the late military dictator, General Sani Abacha, to a standstill. While many politicians and presidential aspirants sold themselves to the bid by Abacha to hold on perpetually to power and publicly endorsed him, Braithwaite and late Alhaji MD Yussuf stood against him at the primaries. Even Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, affirms that Braithwaite constantly kept successive governments on their toes.

Oshun, representative of Lagos Mainland Constituency 2, is the chairman, Committee on Public Account (State) at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

19

Monday, 4 April, 2016

+ entrepreneurship

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Ruth Olurounbi

m:0811 695 4637 e:ruth.olurounbi@tribuneonlineng.com t:@Olurounbi

inside

Meet WEF’s 12 social entrepreneurs changing the world —P20 How entrepreneurs can turn their employees to brand evangelists

—P21

As Heritage Bank doles out N500m grants to boost Nigeria’s entrepreneurship Ifie-Sekibo, MD, Heritage Bank

By Ruth Olurounbi

R

ecently, Heritage Bank Limited upped the ante of its support for entrepreneurship and education in the country by launching a N500 million Young Entrepreneurs and Students (YES) Grant in Lagos.

The initiative, which is in partnership with the Nigerian Youth Professional Forum

(NYPF), will, according to the bank, support students and young entrepreneurs toward socio-economic freedom.

Ifie Sekibo, the bank’s Managing Director, in his remarks at the occasion, explained that the bank’s support for the programme arises from the fact that the initiative aligns with the vision of the bank which is to help create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations.

Now, analysts are of the belief that this will

in a great way, boost entrepreneurship growth in Nigeria, especially as the grant targets the young entrepreneurs.

On the other hand, some analysts are worried that funding alone may not necessarily help the entrepreneurs as key infrastructures such as power; road and access to fundamentals to development are deprived off them.

However, Heritage Bank, through its manager, says it is providing a critical foundation

on which Nigeria’s entrepreneurship growth is laid and that is, education.

Through this N500 million grant, bank aims to not only provide funding, but to also support the project in terms of training the beneficiaries, disbursement of the grant as well as in the monitoring and evaluation of the project’s milestones as agreed with the beneficiaries.

Continues on pg21

20

21

Monday, 4 April, 2016

+ entrepreneurship

T

welve social entrepreneurs from around the world have been recognized by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship as the 2016 Social Entrepreneurs of the Year. Social Entrepreneurs are active where traditional markets have failed, and apply the latest business thinking in a practical and sustainable way to benefit the marginalized and poor. They are closing gaps in products and services that would otherwise not be filled for these underserviced communities.

“Their success rests upon combining the financial disciplines of market capitalism with the passion and compassion required to create a more fair and just world,” said Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairwoman of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

“This year’s awardees are experimenting with business models and new distribution and replication methods, and holding themselves accountable for results. They are changing society for the better in the process,” she added.

The winners were selected by the board of the Schwab Foundation, which includes Mohammad Yunus, Chairman, Yunus Centre (Bangladesh); David Gergen, Director, Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (USA); Zanele Mbeki, Chairperson and Founder, WDB Trust (South Africa); and H.M. Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Honorary Board Member, in recognition of their innovative approaches and potential for global impact.

The 2016 awardees are particularly active in providing access to the internet and various low-tech solutions to help underprivileged communities to participate in the Sophi Tranchell fundamental changes of different products in 12 countries. the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Several awardees are using Jean-Marc Borello of Groupe new technologies in marginalised SOS (France), which is arguably and poor communities to provide the world’s largest social enterprise, jobs, skills training and education overseeing 330 organizations that in innovative new ways. address social needs with 12,000 The Social Entrepreneurs of the employees across these organizaYear Award 2016 goes to: tions. Groupe SOS’s family of social enterprises directly impacts over Sophi Tranchell of Divine 1 million people annually in 20 Chocolate (UK), which pioneered countries.

Fairtrade chocolate and is coowned by the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa Sergio Andrade of Agenda farmers’ cooperative in Ghana with Pública (Brazil), which coordi80,000 members. The cooperative collectively produces 6% of Ghana’s nates governments, civil society and companies to provide technical ascocoa harvest and Kuapa Kokoo sistance and training for public adfarmers receive 44% of distributed ministrators. So far, Agenda Pública profits. Divine has built partnerhas trained more than 5,000 adships with major retailers such as ministrators in basic infrastructure, Starbucks, Tesco, and Marks & Spencer’s, selling more than 30

Sterling Bank to empower 1,500 MSMEs Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba - Lagos In furtherance of its commitment to help build capacity for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and solve unemployment challenges in the country, Sterling Bank Plc targets to equip 1,500 entrepreneurs to succeed.

The Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Bank, Abubakar Sullaiman, on Thursday, while briefing journalist on its MSME Academy, said the bank is poised to empower entrepreneurs in the country to succeed in their businesses by training them on core principles.

According to Sullaimon, instead of giving out money to SMEs to watch them fail, the bank is dedicated to growing business by helping entrepreneurs manage other key areas aside their specialisations.

“In a country where a lot of infrastructure, the regulatory processes,

Meet WEF’s 12 social entrepreneurs changing the world

How entrepreneurs can turn their employees to brand evangelists Sergio Andrade of Agenda Pública

orello Jean-Marc B

an-

other 5,000 administrators in policy development, and 600 municipal officials in working groups for the extractive industries.

Tracey Chambers of The Clothing Bank (South Africa), which provides unemployed single mothers from South Africa’s townships with two years of training to become self-employed business women. The Clothing Bank counts 829 women as graduates, with another 800 women currently enrolled in the two-year programme.

Since 2010, these women have collectively generated income for their families of more than $2 million.

Luvuyo Rani of Silulo (South Africa), which operates IT stores and training centres in townships and rural areas of South Africa, and

the legal processes, administrative processes are complex, it becomes SMEs to succeed because not only do you have to be good in what you’re doing but you have to be good in other areas such as distribution, procurement, administrative processes, taxation in other to keep the business together,” he said.

millions of people who have small businesses across the country, who, when the environment is positive, will begin to expand their businesses and hire more people.”

With the success recorded in the inaugural Sterling MSMEs Academy, last year in Lagos, the bank has widen the horizon with plans to hold the training in five states across the country.

According to Omolara Akinfolarin, the Head, MSME, Sterling Bank Plc, in April, the first training will be held in Port Harcourt; Kaduna Adeyemi Adeola, MD, Sterling Bank in May, Onitsha in July; Ibadan in September, while in October, the He added that aims to create training would be in Lagos.

“SMEs that finds it’s way around She further explained that the this problems. Altimately, our ambank targeted 300 participant from bition is to create an environment each zones so as to make more imwhere SMEs do not have to go pact, as businesses fail not because through this very difficult process entrepreneurs want it to fail but to do basic things.”

He explained that as SMEs are the “because they are no prepared to encounter numbers of things as foundation for employment, “unthey go on.” employment can be solved through

provides job opportunities for unemployed youth. Silulo has 33 operational branches in and around the townships, and works with companies like Tsiba, Microsoft and Vodacom.

900,000 stoves and impacted 4.5 million users, reducing CO2 emissions by 15.3 million tons.

In the aggregate, they have saved their customers $124 million in fuel costs.

Yasmina Filali of Fondation Orient Occident (Morocco), which provides job training to underprivileged Moroccans, sub-Saharan migrants and refugees.

It also helps migrants and refugees to integrate into Moroccan society. Ninety-five per cent of graduates from the IT courses and 60% of hospitality graduates find regular employment.

Nina Smith of GoodWeave International (India, Nepal, Afghanistan), which prevents child labour in the global carpet industry by building market demand for rugs certified as child-labourfree and preventing child labour in production sites. The number of child labourers in carpet supply chains has been reduced by 80% to an estimated 200,000.

J. David Risher and Colin McElwee of Worldreader (69 countries, predominantly African), which distributes digital books, offering a collection of more than 28,000 books from over 150 publishers in 44 languages.

Worldreader makes these books available to over 6 million readers in 69 countries with an emphasis on students in Africa and Asia. As a result, 7 out of 10 primary students and 8 out of 10 library patrons report reading more.

Ron Bills of Envirofit (USA), which sells affordable biomass cookstoves that significantly lower exposure to indoor air pollution.

Since it began, the company’s largely female sales team has sold

Poonam Bir Kasturi of Daily Dump (India), which encourages urban Indian households to segregate and compost their wet organic waste through sales of aesthetically designed composters and advisory services. As of 2015, 25,000 families and 120 institutions use Daily Dump products, collectively keeping 22,000 kg of wet waste out of landfills at no cost to the government.

Simon Bakker of Kennemer Foods International (Philippines), which grows, sources and trades in high-quality agriculture produce such as fermented cocoa beans through a contract farming programme with smallholder farmers in the Philippines.

In just five years of operations, Kennemer has achieved signifi-

cant scale, sourcing from 10,000 Filipino farmers who have seen an average income increase of 340%.

By 2020, the company aims to integrate 35,000 farmers into its value chain.

The awardees will become part of the broader Schwab Foundation community of Social Entrepreneurs, which includes over 320 outstanding social entrepreneurs from 70 countries. Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurs are fully integrated into the events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum. They contribute to and benefit from peer-to-peer exchanges with other social entrepreneurs as well as interactions with leaders in business, government, civil society and the media.

Mark Essien, CEO, Hotelsng Brand evangelists are people who speak consistently, frequently, passionately and positively about your business. They aren’t paid spokespeople. The best evangelists are people with a personal connec-

tion to your company and nothing to gain by spreading the word.

In public relations, real brand evangelists are very powerful messengers who can do amazing things for the image and growth of your enterprise. Evangelists work because they have genuine energy and enthusiasm around what they are saying -- they believe it. The public can spot false (or paid) evangelists pretty easily so finding the real thing is as important as it can be potent.

In other words, authenticity matters. While evangelists may benefit from advice about how to tell their stories, they almost never need to be told what to say. If you’re telling someone what to say, they are not an evangelist, they are a spokesperson. That’s a big difference.

So how do you find employee brand evangelists? Here are four tips on how you can find, direct and unleash them:

Give employees a space to share, then listen Because authenticity is the hallmark of brand evangelism, start by finding employees who already have real passion and good, personal stories to tell. To do that, make sure they have the internal space to share their thoughts and insights about the company, their co-workers, and managers – whatever is on their mind.

Creating that space doesn’t have to exist on its own. Companies like Chairlift - a cloud based talent management platform, offer that type of opportunity as part of their HR/ performance review and employee feedback system. As such, Chairlift is a great place for managers and PR teams to look for employees with the passion and voice to become evangelists. When employees post often and share great, unique stories about their personal experience at work, flag them – they are strong evangelist candidates.

What Heritage Bank’s N500m grant means to Nigerian entrepreneurs Continues from pg21

“We have been playing strongly in the education and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME) sectors of the economy. This project syncs with our mission and vision as a bank. The age bracket of 18 to 40 years for the beneficiaries also aligns with our corporate goal, just like the key sectors which include agriculture, ICT and creative industry, identified for the project are pivotal for economic growth,” Sekibo said through Obioma

Emenike, Group Head, Market Strategy, who represented him on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the NYPF Chairman, Moses Siasia, believes that the programme, geared toward assisting both aspiring and existing young entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses, and ultimately create jobs and distribute wealth in the economy, will improve entrepreneurship practise in the country.

According to him, through his organisation, non-governmentl organization conceived by a

group of young professionals with the mission to promote innovative ideas for socio-economic development, student entrepreneurs can access the grant for tuition fees to help low income students and technological research and innovation.

“Students in Nigeria can access up to N500,000, while Nigerian students in the United Kingdom can access up to £3000 and those in the United States can access up to $5,000.

Young entrepreneurs in agriculture, creative industry, Information and Communication

Technology sectors can access up to N2 million each.

It will be recalled that the bank had packaged a N200m loan facility for young graduates willing to advance their dreams in small-scale businesses.

Through its collaborative ventures with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the CBN initiative, Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP), it is believed that the country’s entrepreneurs can flourish.

Give them external space After you’ve identified a few potential evangelists, ask them if they’re willing to start sharing their thoughts outside the company – on their own. If they are willing, help them get set up. There are oodles of free, influential places for employees and others to share their stories including the well-regarded Medium (which works especially well with Twitter) and LinkedIn. In fact, the Daniel Roth, the executive editor at LinkedIn wrote a lengthy piece last year about how vocal employees were changing conversations. “The best [companies] are actively encouraging their employees to get their voice out there…” he wrote.

Raise their profiles – make them part of the brand If an employee really connects with sharing their stories and experiences at your company, elevate their works and words. Be assertive in finding new and higher-profile opportunities for them to engage the public.

Internal, employee brand evangelists make excellent speakers at conferences and guests on radio and television shows. As they get more comfortable telling their stories, these vocal and passionate leaders should make their way to the front of your public relations efforts.

Keep in mind, it’s their real voices and personal stories about working with you -- meeting your company and social missions -- that resonate with the public. As such, they can be far better at elevating the reputation and visibility of your company than even you are.

Culled from entrepreneur.com

22

Monday, 4 April, 2016

tribune

business

Nigerian Tribune

Group Business Editor Sulaimon Olanrewaju

m:08055001708 e:lanresulaimon@yahoo.com t:@lanresulaimon

By Wale Bolorunduro

I

T is good to be in the beach or camp, when it is not rainy. The rainy day is here because the international price of crude oil (the mainstay of our economy) has fallen by more than a half, to about $35 a barrel, since President Muhammed Buhari came into Government. Income for the last quarter of 2015 was almost 35 per cent lower than the income for the same period in 2014 and foreign reserves have dwindled by almost $10 billion since March 2014. The depletion of the foreign reserve continues as a result of unbridled appetite of Nigerians for imported items and the lack of buffers from the previous oil windfalls, which could have been deployed to ameliorate the “double whammy” effects. Definitely, the handlers of the economy under President Mohammed Buhari have their jobs well cut out for them and their economic policies have come under serious attack by some groups of Nigerians.

The first group is complaining that the Federal Government has not come up with the policy thrusts and that the government has not communicated the roadmap for economic recovery. The second group is apprehensive of the policies that are being “churned out” and even, when these people cannot place their hands on it, they are worried that the pills may not be right for the ailment. The third group can read, assimilate and regurgitate the economic policies of President Buhari but these people condemn them, vehemently and they use the exchange rate of naira to US Dollar in the “black market” as a basis. The fourth group believes the economic policies are out there, but there are no linkages, especially economic linkages to make them deliver on the overall economic objectives of the government.

The second and the third group of stakeholders are entitled to their opinions and the debates generated so far by their concerns are good for the system because superior argument will always prevail. The main focus here is the first and the last group of Nigerians and in the process, the arguments and concerns of the other groups shall be examined.

The first group is interesting because these people are yet to adjust to the communication style of the new administration, which is a clear departure from Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in which one person assumed a role of Coordinating Minister of Economy to dish out economic policies and when asked to drill down, the minister would point a finger to “someone else, who has done it”.

President Muhammadu Buhari Administration has told Nigerians that nobody will assume the role

Dissecting Buhari’s economic policies Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian President of Coordinating Minister of Economy, but rather the President will allow the various institutions to carry out their jobs and that all the economic agencies of government will be allowed to function properly. These institutions also include the National Economic Council chaired by the Vice President, who will also help to “bring together” the economic policies of the administration and coordinate the key economic agencies and the economic relationships with the states.

The President has always set his priority to be the economy, security and war against corruption. The three require that the President builds coalition of supports “within the country” and “outside the country”, and hence the need for his frequent trips outside the country to get the supports of the neighbouring countries and foreign partners.

The economic policies are out there and it is high time Nigerians rallied around the President to commence the rebuilding of the Nigeria we all desire. The private sector should take the opportunities these economic policies offer and change their “ways” of doing businesses.

The federating units (states) should identify their growth sectors and engage the federal economic agencies at the centre to appraise the programmes, the plans and the actions. Then, the states should organize their resources, position their people to harness, receive and to add value to the economic activities, being generated by the economic policies and programmes of the central government. More importantly, the federal government and states will need to organize their private sectors to be the drivers of the economic activities.

The first policy of the Federal Government is to stimulate the econ-

omy with a mildly expansionary 2016 budget. This policy was communicated during his budget speech to the National Assembly. President Buhari made it clear that his administration ought to stimulate the economy, making it more competitive by focusing on infrastructural development; delivering inclusive growth; and prioritising the welfare of Nigerians.

Infrastructural development is known to generate sufficient economic activities that will boost direct employment, but more importantly there should be a linkage between this and the agricultural programs and the growth drive of the commercial sectors. The government should open up and reform certain sectors that can attract foreign investments to develop infrastructure, especially

The infrastructure development, agriculture and manufacturing are the real sectors that Buhari administration is targeting to stimulate the economy and to reverse the economic recession, inherited from the previous administration.

the commercial infrastructure under private participation or public private partnership. This will impact positively on the foreign currency reserve and the real economy.

The Federal Government will still have to take care of the hard core, physical infrastructure, which are less attractive to the private investors. The Ministry of Transportation has come up with the specific infrastructure such as Lagos-Benin-Calabar high speed rail line and the Lagos-Kano high speed rail line with corridors to be located in Benin, Sapele, Warri, Yenegoa, Port Harcourt, Aba and Calabar. These will open up economic activities for small and medium enterprises, manufacturers, agriculture produce aggregators, distributors, etc.

The infrastructure development, agriculture and manufacturing are the real sectors that Buhari administration is targeting to stimulate the economy and to reverse the economic recession, inherited from the previous administration. The construction works will employ thousands of youths, artisans, labourers, professionals, engineers, etc. Federal Governments should come up with the number of jobs that these projects will create and this can be simulated using input-output model or any other models that are readily available.

We hope the Federal Government will use the existing terminals such as Shagamu, Ibadan, Iwo, Osogbo, Kafachan, Kaduna, Kano, etc to expose the adjoining states, agricultural and commercial centers to the transportation opportunities created by the infrastructure.

In defending the 2016 budget before the National Assembly, the Minister of Agriculture said his ministry’s initiative is to increase the national food supply by adding 20

million metric tons of food annually and create three million sustainable jobs annually. This will be a quantum leap considering the fact that agriculture absorbs about 70 per cent of the workforce in Nigeria. On critical projects and programmes, the ministry plans to concentrate on import substitution commodity value chains, labour intensive family enterprise (life) programmes, agricultural mechanization and grazing reserves/stock routes development.

The Federal Government through the ministry of agriculture promises to continue the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) programme as a platform to deliver inputs such as fertilizers, seeds and agro-chemicals to farmers.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has put together 300billion Naira to support agriculture under its “Easing” of real sectors. The bank has launched the scheme in the North West for dry season grains farming and this scheme will be extended to other regions to support their competitive crops. The ministry of commerce has many laudable programmes and the minister has the global exposure required, to position the country and to take advantage of its bilateral relationships.

This will boost exports and improve domestic industrial growth.

The scheme on local assemblage of automobiles and spare parts manufacturing will have to be reviewed to make it more effective and to promote import substitutions. The local automobile industry has potential to employ a lot of Nigerian youths and to contribute to the national output.

It is believed that the 2016 budget, while helping industry, commerce and investment to pick up, will, Continues pg23

tribunebusiness Buhari and efforts to reinvigorate economy 23

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Continues from pg22

as a matter of urgency, address the immediate problems of youth unemployment and the terrible living conditions of the extremely poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

The Federal Government believes that the growth and development at state levels are imperative for overall national economic growth and therefore, intervened immediately to support states in navigating their fiscal challenges by restructuring their short term commercial bank loans into FGN bond and by providing bail out facilities to enable them pay salary arrears. The bailout funds released to the system in September 2015 was to drive consumption side of the internal growth, as many of the companies in the fast moving consumer goods industry were already suffering from poor sales and capacity constraint before the injection of such funds. Bailout of states by the central government is not new as many states in the United States of America had been previously bailed out to prevent economic disaster, so Nigeria’s case is not an exception.

The restructuring of the commercial loan to FGN bond also freed the cash flow of the states for better fiscal positioning and to enable them channel free cash towards critical expenditures of government, which will also continue to sustain the economies of the states. The fact that more than 30 states got the salary bail out and about 32 states had their commercial loan restructured mean that it was a general fiscal issue. The bailout was provided as single digit long term concessionary loan at 9 per cent per annum. It was an on lending facility provided by the commercial bank but backed by the cash reserve, previously kept at the Central Bank of Nigeria. The apex bank should be commended for this creative inward thinking approach to quantitative easing of the economy.

Pundits have argued that the 9 per cent per annum is high but Nigeria banking environment is a high cost operating environment and with average indirect cost of funds hovering around 6 to 7 per cent per annum, the 9 per cent per annum single digit is justified.

The Debt Management Office should be praised for the speedy restructuring of the short term commercial loan into FGN bond and the liquidity created in the banking system after the exercise as money market rates went down to 2 per cent per annum for overnight interbank placement and this contributed to the price stability achieved in the last quarter of

Godwin-Emefiele, CBN governor

Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance

the year. This also helped prevent public sector “bad debt overhang” that could have precipitated other systemic risks for the banking industry. Unfortunately, some states did not disclose fully their loan portfolios and couldn’t get the total relief associated with the restructuring. It is expected that similar restructuring will be extended to the existing developmental bonds issued previously by the various 27 states to free their cash flow for further fiscal intervention on their local economies.

This will not increase the aggregate debt level of the country but rather reduce the cost of domestic borrowing, when the substituted bonds are “availized” by FGN or totally replaced

by FGN bonds. The market exists for this initiative since pension funds administrators are in need of such instruments for matching of their liabilities and for better portfolio management. The states will have to align its economic programmes with that of the central government to take

advantage of the growth initiatives in the agriculture sector, however, the key success factor is how to redirect the unemployed youths and “okada riders” into agriculture.

The second major policy is the conservation of the dwindling hard-currency reserves by encouraging import substitution to blunt the effects of the declining oil receipts. While waiting for cabinet formation. The CBN assumed significant role in implementing economic policies in 2015 and it restricted some import items from accessing foreign exchange through official source. The restricted items are mainly goods that can be produced locally or substituted locally. The apex bank continued to restrict their access in 2016, limiting sales to Bureau de Change operators or autonomous sources. Such items range from toothpicks to wheelbarrows.

Dr. Bolorunduro is a former Osun State finance commissioner.

Emefiele as a recurring decimal

By Abdulkadir Samaila In recent weeks, the media, particularly the online platform, have been awashed with spurious news items either calling for the sacking, or stoutly defending the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele. Some of the headlines read ‘Buhari May Sack CBN Gov Emefiele any moment from now’, ‘Naira Depreciation, Emefiele Must Resign’, ‘President Buhari Must Sack Emefiele Now’, ‘Saboteurs Behind Calls for Emefiele’s Sack as CBN Gov’, ‘Plunging Naira – Before You Blame Emefiele, Look At Yourself’, etc.

It has even been insinuated that President Muhammadu Buhari has made up his mind to sack the governor, but only waiting for the right time to strike. Though one does not know the mind of the president, as strident as these calls are, one would have expected their wishes to be carried out if there was merit and justification for the calls.

It has been variously alleged that Emefiele opened the treasury to the former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan PDP-led administration to fund the 2015 general election, and that investigations have been concluded on how he gave unfettered access to the treasury for the campaigns. Not only that, he was alleged to have printed new currencies when the vault was emptied by the former regime. Emefiele’s supposed sins did not end there. He was also accused of complicity in the Col. Sambo Dasuki’s $2.1billion arms deal scandal.

Emefiele has been held responsible for the plunging of the naira, and his seeming

helplessness to check the drift. To them, it is enough to earn him a sack. According to Emefiele’s enemies, it is the only puzzle the President needs to address in order to have his complete economic team constituted.

Desperate as those in arms with him are, they want the governor out at all cost to pave way for a more amenable crony to serve as a ready tool for their diabolical whims. Emefiele was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan and is presumed to be an apologist of the old order. But be that as it may look, Emefiele still has about three more years to spend in office. He is apolitical, and has never been seen identifying overtly with any political party in Nigeria.

For people to have therefore insinuated that President Buhari is looking the other way by not giving Emefiele the boot impugns on the integrity of the President and his exalted office, knowing his consistency and demonstrated commitment to fighting corruption.

Though, some people have stood up in defence of the governor, calling those campaigning for his sack saboteurs. But what are the trespasses of Emefiele – An astute banker of note, who on assumption of office at the apex bank pledged to make CBN more alive to the developmental needs of Nigeria and the Nigerian people. He unveiled a focused 10-point agenda to redirect the course of the Nigerian economy. He initiated several interventions to fix the economy and create jobs, even when the fiscal structure was not yet in place.

He reformed the Bureau de Change sub-

sector when he observed they had drifted from the role they were expected to play in the financial sector. The operators had become rent seekers and currency speculators. He enhanced the BVN policy to check abuses of looters and fraud in the banking sector, among other many laudable programmes he initiated.

What would the sack of Emefiele benefit these sharks lurking around the seat of power? It is not the fault of the governor that FOREX inflow into the country has dwindled; rather it is as a result of the steep in the price of international crude, while FOREX demand kept increasing. That Emefiele envisioned this, and decided to arrest the drift by suspending 41 items from accessing FOREX from the bank and save it for the critical sectors is not something he should be crucified for.

The bank’s eventual decision to stop the sale of FOREX to BDC operators is the main reason for this pull-him down campaign.

But for how long would we continue, considering the gravity of our current situation, which evidently is illustrated by the fact that we risk complete depletion and total disappearance of the country’s foreign reserves, if this drift is not checked, and the economy managed as envisioned by Emefiele?

It is however sickening that those calling for his sack are blind to read the body language of Mr President. They have failed to notice the unprecedented support the President has given to the current management of the CBN with regards to the management of the Nigerian economy. The President has

said ‘No’ to devaluation when the enemies of the Nigerian people clamored for it. He has called for more CBN support for the critical sectors of the economy to assist his government in delivering on his campaign promises.

Mr. Emefiele’s creativity and doggedness in the face of the current economic reality has saved the country from a devastating heavy blow from the crude oil price crash, which has equally earned him presidential pat on his back. These misguided elements, who have looted the country dry and stocked their illicit foreign currency, are the ones bankrolling this callous campaign, trying to use the back door to buy the country when the Naira is finally devalued.

It is, therefore, a paradox that, in spite of Emefiele’s good intention to change the course of the economy by urging Nigerians to look inward, produce what we need, what we want and buy what we produce, these criminal elements are plotting to thwart this economic renaissance.

These strident calls are unpatriotic, distractive and destructive. If Emefiele does not have the confidence and competence of the office he occupies, I do not think the President would have kept him till now despite the loud campaigns for his sack. Emefiele’s economy recovery policy may have hurt some vested interests, but commonwealth interest is paramount and this is why the President has to turn his ears to this unnecessary and distractive campaign.

Samaila contributed this from the University of Maiduguri.

24

Monday, 4 April, 2016

moneymarket

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Chima Nwokoji

m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com

weeklyreview

From left, Chief Executive Officer-designate, Deloitte Nigeria, Fatai Folarin, Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings Plc, UK Eke, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte Africa; Lwazi Bam Outgoing Transitional Leader, Deloitte, Tawanda Gumbo during a courtesy visit by the Deloitte team to FBN Holdings Plc office on Thursday in Lagos.

Rates to remain flat as expected N218.9bn T-Bills maturity offsets action Chima Nwokoji -Lagos

M

oney market rates are expected to remain flat this week as there are no anticipated major inflows save for the N218.9billion treasury bills (T-Bills) maturity which would be offset by an auction of the same amount

dealers have said.

The central bank of Nigeria retired about N179 billion ($900.40 million) in matured treasury bills through open market operations (OMO) last Thursday.

On Wednesday the bank refunded about N500 billion in unused balance of cash deposited by commercial lenders for foreign exchange

(forex) purchases, swelling liquidity in the market and forcing down cost of borrowing among banks.

“In the week ahead, we expect money market rates to trend in a similar weekly cyclical pattern dictated by provisioning for forex auctions and refunds. We do not anticipate major inflows save for the N218.9billion T-Bills ma-

CBN Exchange Rates 2/10/2015

Government Securities

Currency US DOLLAR POUNDS STERLING EURO SWISS FRANC YEN CFA WAUA YUAN/RENMINBI RIYAL

Buying(NGN) 196 281.7304 223.2244 204.2305 1.7444 0.3153 273.467 30.3401 52.2416

Central(NGN) 196.5 282.4491 223.7939 204.7515 1.7488 0.3253 274.1646 30.418 52.3749

Selling(NGN) 197 283.1678 224.3633 205.2725 1.7533 0.3353 274.8622 30.4958 52.5081

DANISH KRONA SDR

29.9575 276.1248

30.0339 276.8292

30.1104 277.5336

1/22/2026 FGN Bonds 10 Year 20-01-2016-10 Year Primary Market 1/22/2016 74.99 35 5.7856 - 15.0000 5.7856 - 12.5000 Maginal 12.5 0 40

NITTY April 1, 2016

FGN Bonds Date of Auction 1/22/2026 3/16/2016 Security Type FGN Bonds FGN Bonds Tenor Maturing On 10 Year 5 Year

1/22/2016 2/13/2020

1/22/2016 2/13/2020 Amount Offered (N mn) 40 20 Subscriptions (N mn) 74.99 72.56 Tot. Successful (N mn) 35.00 20.00 Net Sales (N mn) Range of Bid Rates 5.7856 - 15.0000 8.0000 - 15.5400 5.7856 - 12.5000 8.0000 - 11.3340 Successful Bid Rates 12.5 11.334 Marginal Rate

Auction Date Security Type Tenor Auction No Auction Maturity Date Total Subscription Total Successful Range Bid Successful Bid Rates Description Rate True Yield Amount Offered (mn)

Tenor 1M 2M 3M 6M 9M 12M

3/16/2016 FGN Bonds 10 Year 1/22/2026 1/22/2026 40 89.36 40.00

Rate (%) 6.9949 7.2368 8.0819 9.2061 9.5872 10.5042

Change (%) ▼ 1.12 -0.27 ▼ -0.17 ▼ -0.11 ▼ ▼ 0.03 ▼ 0.42

NITTY April 1, 2016 Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

11.0000 - 13.7459 11.0000 - 12.0900 12.09

Rate (%) 4.4583 9.1071 11.0102 12.3790

Change (%) -2.50 ▼ -0.74 ▼ -0.65 ▼ -0.68 ▼

CBN Bills Date of Auction Security Type Tenor Maturing On 11/13/2003 2/20/2003 11/21/2002 Amount Offered (N mn) Subscriptions (N mn) Tot. Successful (N mn) Net Sales (N mn) Range of Bid Rates Successful Bid Rates Marginal Rate True Yield

5/15/2003 CBN Certificate 91 91 180 180 180 82227 37767

2/25/2002 CBN Certificate 180 2/20/2003 15000 4161

11/26/2001 CBN Certificate 180 11/21/2002 5000 2740

15000 4161

5000 2740

17019

4161

2740

0

20.5

20.5

9/24/2001 CBN Certificate 180 9/19/2002 1155 1155

1155 1155

19.5

turity on Thursday which would be offset by an auction of the same amount,” dealers from an investment research company, Afrinvest stated in a note to investors.

Meanwhile, Nigerian overnight interbank lending rates fell more than half on Friday to around 5 percent from last week’s 13 percent after the central bank injected fresh liquidity into the system, traders said.

Overnight placement rose sharply week before last to around 20 percent after the central bank recalled some N400 billion from the banking system to meet a new cash reserves ratio (CRR) on deposits.

The market closed at 13 percent the previous week after cash payments from international oil companies operating in Africa’s largest crude producer under a joint venture agreement hit the system.

CBN raised its benchmark interest rate from 11 to 12 percent week before last, and the cash reserve ratio for commercial banks to 22.5 percent from 20 percent, to try to curb an increase in inflation, leading to fears of higher interest rates.

The total commercial lenders’ credit balance with the central bank rose to N564.35 billion, up from N320.9 billion the previous week Thursday, just as the central bank floated N50 billion in 209-day OMO bills on Friday, but was yet to release the auction results.

Some traders expect to see interbank rate inching up slightly this week as banks make provisions for foreign exchange purchases and possible sales of more OMO bills by the central

Money Market Review and Outlook Money market activities resumed on Tuesday after the Easter holiday with system liquidity at the same levels as Thursday’s close. Liquidity levels inched lower as Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) provisioned for the weekly CBN foreign exchange (FX) intervention auction on Tuesday, but rates were barely changed at market close with the open buy back (OBB) and overnight (ON) flat at 12.7 per cent and 13.3 per cent respectively. Liquidity levels remained at low levels on Wednesday, OBB stayed flat at 12.7per cent and ON rose 0.5 per cent to 13.8 per cent.

Dealers from Afrinvest West Africa Limited however, noted that on the back of an open market operation (OMO)-bills maturity worth N179.0 billion and the refund for unfulfilled bids at the FX auction to the DMBs which hit the system on Thursday, liquidity levels rose while OBB and ON rates declined 7.1 per cent and 7.3 per cent to close at 5.6 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively.

OBB and ON rates declined 1.8 per cent and 2.1 per cent on Friday to close at 3.8 per cent and 4.3 per cent , down 8.9 per cent and 9.0 per cent WTD. The T-bills market was broadly bearish last week as average T-bills rates increased on all trading days reflecting market expectation of tightening monetary policy. On the back of low system liquidity at week open, average T-bills rates increased 0.3 per cent to close at 8.0 per cent on Tuesday.

Average rates continued its northward march on Thursday, closing at 8.4 per cent, even as liquidity levels rose, on the back of the OMO maturity of N179.0 billion. Average T-bills rates inched higher by 0.2 per cent on Friday to close at 8.6 per cent, up 0.9 per cent WTD. Foreign Exchange Review and Outlook Activities in the foreign exchange market last week mirrored penultimate week’s stability. The Naira/ Dollar exchange rate remained unchanged at N197/$1 at the CBN and N199.50/$1 at the interbank market. At the Bureau-De-Change, the naira appreciated against the dollar marginally on all trading days of the week, with the Naira/Dollar rate trending lower from N322.00/$1.00 on Tuesday (appreciating N1 from Thursday) to close at N320.00/$1.00 on Friday.

The parallel market was also stable as Naira/Dollar traded for N323.00/$1.00 on all trading days save for Wednesday when it rose marginally to N324.00/$1.00.

Meanwhile, gross external reserves stood at $27.8 billion as the Apex bank maintained its stance on the local unit while crude oil prices (Brent) declined 4.0 per cent week-on-week (W-o-W) to settle at $38.6 per barrel (pb) on Friday, April 1. As policy status-quo remains, dealers believe the spread between the official and unofficial exchange rates will remain.

Bond Market Review and Outlook Activities in the bonds market was slightly bearish last week. The market was flat on Tuesday as average yield across benchmark bonds were unchanged but expanded 5bps on Wednesday. Traders said there was an increased activity on the FGN June 2019 and FGN February 2020 bonds by foreign portfolio investors on Thursday leading to a moderation of the bearish tone set at the start of trade on Tuesday. However, the market still closed bearish with yields increasing across longer dated instruments. There was bargain hunting on Friday which pared losses; average yield settled at 11.6 per cent, up 8bps week to date (WTD).

Whilst the bonds market remains more attractive to investors against the volatility in other asset classes, “We expect average yields to decline as institutional investors and Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) reposition their portfolios for the second quarter of the year,” Afrinvest stated.

25

Monday, 4 April, 2016

capitalmarket

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba

m:08057336640 e:kehinde_07@yahoo.com

CCNN posts 37% decline in EPS for FY’15

From left, Mr Goodie Ibru; Dr Raymond Obieri; Dr Oba Otudeko; Mr Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Current President, NSE; Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Alhaji Aliko Mohammed; Mallam Ballama Manu, at the closing gong ceremony in hounor of the all past presidents at the exchange.

Investors moved 16.63bn shares worth N48.16bn in March Stories by Kehinde Akinseinde -Jayeoba

I

nvestors in the Nigerian capital market in the month of March traded 16.629 billion volume of shares worth N48.159 billion in 73,155 deals.

According to reports, financial service segment on the Nigerian Bourse contributed 50.34 per cent to value turnover as it traded shares worth N24.24 billion within the month under review, as well as 87.01 per cent to the equity turnover volume with 14.47 billion shares.

Stock trading on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in three months dipped by 13.2 per cent as market capitalisation for the first quarter closed at N8.704 trillion against N9.850 trillion it began the year with in January.

All Share Index also shed 3,336.03 basis points to close at 25,306.22 as against 28,642.25 basis point recorded at the opening of trading for the year 2016, as the Yearto-Date (YTD) returns currently stands at -11.65 per cent.

Last week, the market opened for four days, having observed Monday, March 28, 2016 as public holiday declared by the Federal Government of Nigeria to mark Easter celebrations.

Meanwhile, a turnover of 1.262 billion shares worth N6.427 billion in 12,274 deals were traded this week by investors on the floor of The Exchange in contrast to a total of 1.552 billion shares valued at N10.453 billion that exchanged hands last week in 14,994 deals. The Financial Services Industry, measured by volume, led the activity chart with 1.022 billion shares valued at N3.734 billion traded in 8,227 deals; thus contributing 80.95 per cent and 58.11 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Agriculture Industry followed

with 105.069 million shares worth N129.307 million in 155 deals. The third place was occupied by the Conglomerates Industry with a turnover of 40.758 million shares worth N58.455 million in 361 deals. Trading in the top three equities; FCMB Group Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and Livestock Feeds Plc, traded in the top three equities when measured by volume. They accounted for 382.145 million shares worth N424.424 million in 1,019 deals, while contributing 30.27 per cent and 6.60 per cent to the total equity turnover vol-

ume and value respectively The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation depreciated by 1.52 per cent to close the week at 25,507.09 and N8.774 trillion respectively. Similarly, all other Indices finished lower during the week, with the exception of the NSE Premium Index, NSE Oil/Gas Index, NSE Lotus II and the NSE Industrial Goods Index that rose by 3.16 per cent, 2.06 per cent, 0.76 per cent, and 0.25 per cent respectively, while the NSE ASeM closed flat.

NAHCO ups revenue to N8.5bn, as shareholders get N324.8m The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, (NAHCO aviance) has increased its revenue by five per cent for the 2015 financial year grossing N8.5 billion as against N8.1 billion declared for the 2014 financial year.

The results released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), showed that the company weathered the unfavourable operating environment to post a result which analysts described as encouraging. The performance compares favourably and is above market average for publicly listed companies.

The company, on the basis of this result, proposed a dividend of N324.8 million to its shareholders. The amount is an increase of N29.5 million over the N295.31 million figure for 2014.

The results show an increase in Profit Before Tax (PBT) which moved to N796.8 million as opposed to N769.5 million for the 2014 period.

The Chief Financial Officer of the Company, Mr Bamidele Adelaja, said the 2015 political transitional programme, the reduction in cargo volumes, the increasing infla-

tionary trend, unfavourable dollar exchange rate for importers, unsteady power supply and security challenges contributed in no small way to the low margin.

He disclosed that the company also invested the sum of N2 billion on re-fleeting of ground support equipment (GSEs) and commissioned its warehouse in Enugu, Enugu State during the period Although the combined effect of these investment activities has impacted on profitability in the short term, forecasts for the future is projected to show a strong positive in earnings and dividend payout.

The company continued to nurture its investment in Nahco Free Trade Zone which is showing improved signs of business activities even as it continually scout for more opportunities in a diversifying economy.

NAHCO, a leading ground handling company in Nigeria, has remained committed to offering first-class ground handling and ancillary services to its clients in seven airports across the nation, as its clientele cuts across local and international airlines.

Cement Co of Northern Nigeria Plc has reported that its Earnings Per Share (EPS) had decline by 37 per cent to 96 kobo in its Full Year financial result for 2015.

Revenue of the company went down by 14 per cent y/y to N13.0 billion, while its Profit After Tax (PAT) declined by 37 per cent y/y to N1.2 billion.

However, the company’s Board of Directors proposed a dividend of N0.10 kobo per share on the results as against 35 kobo per share declared in the preceding financial year.

Analysts at Vetiva Capital Management Ltd believed that LPFO (for kiln firing) supply would have been significantly disrupted over the quarter. “We note that whilst petroleum product production remained challenging at the Kaduna Refinery (CCNN’s main LPFO supplier) over the Q4 period, tight Foreign Exchange supply would have also constrained imported LPFO supplies from other sources.

“Whilst the outlook on local refineries remains bleak, we note that Foreign Exchange supply remains tight and could further constrain the supply of imported LPFO going forward. Although CCNN’s Board of Directors has said it has resolved to explore alternate energy options, we await clarity on this front,” they said.

They added that “the weak Q4’15 revenue could be a reflection of what to expect. Coupled with the tougher outlook on energy supply, we cut our FY’16 revenue estimate to N10.1 billion (Previous: N13.3 billion). After updating our model to reflect the tighter operating environment, we revise our 2016 PAT forecasts to N0.9 billion (Previous: N1.8 billion).”

Analysts at Vetiva Capital Management Ltd in Victoria Island revise their target price to N 8.56 (Previous: N10.58). Stability in LPFO supply to CCNN could provide upside to earnings.

UACN profit dips by 40% UAC of Nigeria’s (UACN), in its 2015 full year financial result, reported 40 per cent decline in its profit after the deduction of tax.

Profit before tax declined by 31 per cent to N7.9 billion as a result of poor performance in UACN’s foods segment which was down by 42 per cent y/y. PBT for CAP and UPDC, UACN’s paints and real estate businesses respectively declined by around -18 per cent y/y.

Based on UPDC’s Q4 2015 released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Analyst at Proshare infers that UPDC booked a writeback of around N2 billion in Q4 while awaiting the management’s comments on this line.

Sequentially, sales were up eight per cent q/q while PBT was up significantly q/q.

UACN proposed N1.00 kobo dividend per share as against N1.75 kobo of the preceding year.

Based on the result released, analysts expect negative response from the market. “ “Given this, we expect slight downward adjustments to consensus 2016 estimates.

We expect the market to react negatively to these numbers and expect a possible sell-off in UACN shares in the short term,” they said.

26

Monday, 4 April, 2016

labour

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Soji-Eze Fagbemi

m:0803 604 4077 e:sojiezek@yahoo.co.uk

Ngige, NSITF move to ensure full implementation of Employee Compensation Act The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, recently visited the NSITF’s regional offices in Lagos, , its abandoned projects and property.

SOJI-EZE FAGBEMI, who was part of the working tour, reports on the move by the minister and the NSITF management to reposition the fund and ensure effective implementation of the ECA.

T

HE Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and the management of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) have taken a decisive move to ensure full implementation of the Employees Compensation Act (ECA).

The activities of NSITF, especially the implementation of the ECA had been severely criticised due to the abysmal way the former board of the fund, under the chairmanship of Mrs Ngozi Olejeme, ran the place.

While staffs were lopsidedly recruited, the tools, infrastructure and required offices to operate for effective implementation of the scheme were not provided. Staff allowances were owed for months, while simple induction trainings and courses to prepare the newly recruited workers were not provided.

This and many more impediments affected the operations of NSITF and as a result, the fund was only able to achieve below 15 per cent of its major functions under the ECA. To this end, and determined to effect a change in its social security drive, Dr Ngige, led the Acting Managing Director, Mr Ismail Agaka and few other management staff on a working tour of the NSITF regional office and its branches in Lagos.

The Lagos region office is the most important to the fund and according to the minister, it is the goose that lay the golden eggs.

Like a disciplinarian boss and a loving father, Ngige combined the two during his tour in his interaction with the workers, as it was not just a visit by a politician to one of its parastatals where workers

would hear what they wanted to hear and management rains commendations on him.

From the regional office at Anthony Way in Ikeja to Apogbon in Marina and the abandoned edifices at Ijora and Ijanikin, Dr Ngige took on the staff on all aspects of their job responsibilities and what NSITF stands for, most especially the on the implementation of ECA. At both regional offices in Ikeja and Marina, the staff gathered to receive the minister, where he addressed them on the new focus of the fund. The Regional Manager, Mrs Sade Aleshinloye, while introducing the minister said the Lagos region is responsible for about 60 per cent of the total collection under the ECA. Concerning claims and compensation clearance, she also hinted that the Lagos regional office is running at pal with the FCT region.

“You have walked through our offices; our major problem is accommodation and other infrastructure that are required. We hope that you will go away not only with impression of what you have seen sir, but with what we do, which is to promote the Employees Compensation Act, ensure compliance and proclaim the scheme around Lagos, and reach out to the citizen of this country,” she told the minister.

Addressing the management and staff, Dr Ngige asked for a minute silence for the late Minister of State, James Ocholi and family, who died in a ghastly motor accident last month. Ocholis’ death, actually delayed his tour of the region for two weeks.

The minister said: “I have to be in Lagos because Lagos is the goose

This building served as the National Headquarters of NSITF in Ijora Lagos, and was abandoned after Federal Government agencies and parastatals were asked to move to Abuja during the regime of former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida in the early 1990s.

Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Chris Ngige ( left) and the Acting Managing Director, NSITF, Mr Ismail Agaka, inspecting the abandoned former Headquarters of NSITF in Ijora Lagos, during the minister ‘s tour of Lagos region of NSITF. PHOTOS: SOJI-EZE FAGBEMI. that lays the golden eggs. As your General Manager for Lagos region has said, you generate 60 per cent of the total collection. Without you and Port Harcourt, the NSITF would have collapsed. It is something we have to thank you for.

“The statistics shows that you have about 9,400 employers registered with you. And out of these 9,400 employers you have only 15 per cent of them complying with ECA and 15 per cent is not a pass mark.”

The staff also agreed with the minister that 15 per cent is an abysmal failure, and promised to improve on their performance.

Dr Ngige added: “45 per cent or 50 per cent are pass marks. I want you to score a credit pass which is 60 per cent upward. If you you score 75 per cent which is distinction, then you a deserve price.

“The Act empowers me, so if you score anything above 75 per cent, I promise that you will take 50 per cent of it. It could run into billions and when you share that, I am sure that some of you will go and buy Tokunbo vehicles. Half bread is better than none.”

To assist them in their performance, the minister promised to provide them with working tools and equipment, while also promising to purchase good vehicles for those going to establishments and companies for marketing and enforcement. He also assured them that they would undergo induction courses and training.

He also promised to complete

the office in Lekki while the staff for Lekki branch would be moved there from Apongbon by the end of May. Other abandoned buildings and uncompleted projects in Ijora and Ijanikin will also be rebuilt and or completed.

“I promise good vehicles with air condition to those who are going to establishments for enforcement.

I can also assure you that as long as I am the Minister of Labour and Employment supervising NSITF, nobody will divert people’s sweat.

The greatest news came to the staff when the minister revealed his plans on the various allowances owed them.

“I am also aware, through the

When I look at the statistics proper, it shows that you have about 9,400 employers registered with you. And out of these 9,400 employers you have only 15% of them complying with ECA. 15% is not a pass mark.

handover reports that a lot of you are owed money, dressing, housing, furniture allowances. The allowances will be paid in installments. The first installment will be paid by the end of June, so that they will pay their children’s school fees. And by September after the long holiday, I want them to be paid the second installment,” Dr Ngige said.

The minister said the 9,400 employers captured in the whole Lagos area is not a good number for ECA and told them that each staff would be given a target. To the region as a whole, he gave them a target of 100,000 employers; which should be captured under the scheme.

“I expect about 100,000 minimum as basement. NSITF has many responsibilities. You are only working on ECA now. To whom much is given, much is expected. We will start giving target, promotion will be based on performance and this will carry up to 50 and 60 per cent, while others like punctuality, dressing e.t.c will carry 40 to 45 per cent.

Speaking with journalists, Dr Ngige stated that what the NSITF does for now is to implement the ECA, the law which is made to protect the workers, insulate them from misery, and from hardship.

The underline principle according to him is not to abandon them when they sustained injuries at work.

27

Monday, 4 April, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 0811 184 5048

features

Arson, death trail land dispute

•Community sacked

Banji Aluko - Benin

P

LUCKING mangoes is not supposed to be a harmless exercise.

Get to the tree and decide if you will use a long stick to pluck it or throw stones at them. This was what four men in Uneme-Ekpedo had in mind last Wednesday when they went to the bush to pluck mangoes. They, however, met more than what they bargained for that day such that not all of them who, had strolled into the bush returned alive.

As the story goes, they were ambushed by some unknown men, who fired shots at them, killing one of them in the process.

The remaining three, however, made it home and narrated what had happened to members of their communities. The people of the neighboring Bekuma-Okpameri became the instant suspect. It was gathered that the bush the four had gone to pluck the mangoes was controversial as the two communities of Uneme-Ekpedo and Bekuma-Okpameri had quarreled over it in the past.

Without wasting time, the youths of Uneme-Ekpedo were said to have mobilised and stormed Bekuma-Okpameri, leaving behind sorrow, tears and blood. By the time dust settled, properties including houses, vehicles and other valuables had been destroyed. Off course, the residents were not spared. One person was feared killed, while scores were reportedly wounded.

Following the attack, residents of Bekuma-Okpameri abandoned their community and took shelter at a makeshift camp for Internally Displaced Person (IDP) in Lampese in the same AkokoEdo Local Government Area. More than forty houses including the palace of the Oba of Bekuma-Okpameri, HRH Oba Moses Alabi, were reportedly set on fire, while many people, who were wounded are now

receiving medical treatment in different hospitals and the IDP camp in Lampese.

“As I’m talking to you now, there is nobody in Bekuma-Okpameri. It was unbelievable.

The youths have completely sacked the community and residents are now camped in Lampese,” a member of the fact finding team sent to the communities said.

He said from the information available to them, the persons who committed the crime that led to the arson on the Bekuma-Okpameri was neither an indigene of Bekuma-Okpameri nor from any of the Okpameri communities.

Meanwhile, the Edo State police commissioner, Chris Ezike, confirmed the incident on phone, saying five police teams have been dispatched to the affected communities to unravel the cause of the trouble and to arrest the perpetrators. He added that an assistant commissioner of police, operations, on Friday visited the communities and held talk with the two traditional rulers.

The Okpameri nation, the ethnic clan of the people of the area, has also condemned the attacked on the Bekuma-Okpameri Community leaving many injured and properties worth millions of naira destroyed, including the palace of the Oba of Bekuma-Okpameri HRH Oba Moses Alabi.

According to a statement issued by

Burnt houses

More than forty houses including the palace of the Oba of Bekuma-Okpameri, HRH Oba Moses Alabi, were reportedly set on fire, while many people, who were wounded are now receiving medical treatment in different hospitals and the IDP camp in Lampese.

the leadership of the Okpameri nation, the problem might not be over as it was

gathered that some people are gathering to launch another attack. In the statement signed by Mr. Omokagbo Afe, the Okpameri nation warned the Ekpedo community to put the Bekuma-Okpameri community back to its normal state within two weeks or be ready for a showdown with the Okpameri nation.

“We reliably gathered that as at the time of filing this report the Ekpedo community was still regrouping to attack the camp of the Bekuma-Okpameri at the IDP camp in Lampese. According to the information available to us, the persons who committed the crime that led to the arson on the Bekuma-Okpameri is neither an indigene of Bekuma-Okpameri nor from any of the Okpameri communities. We also want to use this opportunity to call on the State and Federal government to quickly come to the aid of the internally displaced persons who are currently camped in Lampese Community.

28

features

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Nigeria can’t conquer terrorism without help —Ilonze, UK-based security expert A United Kingdom-based security expert, Mr. Hyman Ilonze, has taken a hard look at the security challenges facing Nigeria, and concluded that the authorities cannot conquer terrorism without professional help from those with the capacity to deal with terrorism. Ilonze who is the Managing Director of Euroguard Security Services Limited, a United Kingdom-based firm, recently led his company to sign a memorandum of understanding with Stream 4S, a security company also based in the UK, on offering solutions to terrorism and other security threats in Nigeria. In this interview by CHIMA NWOKOJI, the Euroguard boss speaks on Nigeria’s war against terrorism among other security concerns.

Excerpts:

Joshua

Y

OUR company is a major stakeholder in the UK security business. Can you tell us how this started?

We specialise in real estate security, schools and retail markets. We also market covert video resolution products. We started operation in 2001 in partnership with an East African national. It grew to an office in a business centre after 10 months.

What is your take on our security challenges?

With regard to the current security situation in the country, I want to say that what is happening now is very strange. Why I said that it is very strange is because Nigerians as a people are not volatile. We really love our lives. We don’t want to die unless forces beyond our control kill us. Unlike people from the other climes, we know how to take our pains, sorrows and sufferings in our strides and continue to live as if all is well. Nobody in his wildest imagination would think that a time would ever come when these Nigerians that so much love life would begin to engage in suicide bombing of all crimes in the world. There were no measures put in place to counter that and that is the reason we were caught unprepared.

Now that the problem lives with us, what is the way out of it?

As I said earlier, terrorism, especially suicide bombing, is alien to us and as such we don’t have the solution to it. It is because of this that I decided to get one of the most experienced security outfits in the United Kingdom, Stream 4S to come to our aid.

For many years now, I have been coming to Nigeria on a regular basis from my base in London, meeting stakeholders in some states where security challenges are higher and trying to have a firsthand information of general security challenges that our dear country faces and then figure out the best British firm that would be suitable for it, talking about putting a round object into a round hole.

Stream 4S has provided security solutions to many countries in Asia and Africa that have similar security challenges with

Nigeria and they have startling records of success in the countries they have worked in. I discussed my country’s security problems with them and they showed their willingness to come to our aid and we signed a MoU. Again, when I came down to Nigeria in December, I discussed with some state and local governments and they told me that they were in dire need of the services of the security company. So, in no distant time, the technical team of Stream 4S would be coming to Nigeria for risk assessment and other relevant discussions on the modalities of their operation after an agreement has been signed.

How do you think this project would impact Nigeria?

Well, it is going to be a win-win situation for the two countries. The greatest problem plaguing Nigeria at the moment is insecurity. You will agree with me that there can be no development in the midst of insecurity. It can take 10 years to build but only one hour to destroy the labour of a decade. So, if the UK can help to bring back peace and orderliness in the country, it would be a very good one.

If you take a trip to the North East and South South parts of the country, you would see that all hands need to be on deck to defeat these insurgents. We are not talking about dearth of infrastructure but destruction of lives. On the other hand, helping British firms to be getting businesses in Nigeria will give me a great deal of fulfillment because they took care of me when I ran to them as a refugee during the dark years of Nigeria’s history, that was under the military regime. So, I am strongly attached to both countries

The greatest problem plaguing Nigeria at the moment is insecurity.

You will agree with me that there can be no development in the midst of insecurity.

and I want the best for them. Without the hospitality of the British government and its people, I would not have been what I am today. I came and saw an enabling environment which enabled me to launch Euroguard Security in 2001.

And not only that, I also received business startup grant of £25,000 from my Borough Haringey Council, which does not happen in Nigeria; the Nigerian factor would demand collateral from applicants.

What differentiates Stream 4S from others in terms of security services delivery?

From the little knowledge I have gathered about Stream 4S, it develops custom digital surveillance and video management software for the security and defence industries.

Leading security, defence and transport organisations in the UK and elsewhere rely on their experience, quality, strategic

insight and efficient services. Right from project-value definition through postexecution support, you can count on the firm when security matters most.

From inception, the firm has been driven by a vision of the seamless integration of live streaming video into fully accessible products. It has demonstrated relentless focus on performance, cost-effectiveness and creating new value for clients.

In terms of commitment, the firm has distinguished itself in creating business value for clients, bringing innovation and supporting global collaborative partnerships, responsible behaviour, community-building and improving safety of society. You can see that Stream 4S is by far different from other security firms because it doesn’t just deploy technology but manufactures best in class, cutting edge surveillance technology which are suited for addressing insecurity challenges of a particular geography and society.

This solution is capable of monitoring troubled insecurity hotbeds 24/7 non-stop and capture with precision images and movements of people and objects in such environment.

How far have you been able to convince government in appreciating the solution you’re bringing?

We have not engaged the Nigerian government on this, but we have plans to do so because the solution, no doubt, will be of immense value for Nigeria.

We hope that government at different levels will buy into the project which the firm is going to market to them when they finally arrive in the country.

29

Monday, 4 April, 2016

30

interview

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Power sector:

Investors are here —Fashola Frequently asked questions about the Nigerian Power Sector answered by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

Excerpts.

What are the features of reforms in the Power Sector?

ELL, l think before we go into reforms, let us also understand why reforms? Until about 2013, which is over 60 years ago, Government was the provider of electricity. Nobody else but Government except for a few gas-to-power initiatives by our Joint Venture partners like Chevron, Exxon Mobil and some other Independent Power initiatives, in order to convert the gas that they were producing. It was government in generation, in transmission and in distribution. And then the people of Nigeria said that government was not efficient, that government must change the system and that government must hand it over to the Private Sector. That was what the people of Nigeria said and in 2005, our elected representatives came together and passed one law called, the Electricity Sector Reform Act of 2005 and that was the beginning of reform. That reform was concluded in November 2013.

That was the privatization that the last administration did and it ended in the sale of 17 companies comprising six generation companies called the GenCos and 11 distribution companies called the DisCos sold to private organizations with government retaining certain levels of equity and ownership. But majority interest has been sold to private owners. The only one government kept was the transmission line. The Transmission System is the one we colloquially call the “high tension.” That is the transporter in the whole value chain.

I will now go to that value chain. In that value chain, it is important to talk about the fuel source because it defines the cost of electricity. Today we have power produced from two principal sources – Gas and Water which is hydro. Now before you get gas, you will either get it directly from production, which is called associated gas or from natural gas fields that has no association with oil.

So you need to set up a gas production and processing facility to set up. That is a very big machine that you must raise money in order to construct. People must understand this.

After you have produced the gas, you must now pipe it out and pump it into the generator. It is like building your fuel tank at home and now using pipe to connect it to your generator.

From the time the gas is going out, there is a meter saying how much gas I am sending to you the generator owner. At the point of intake, when you are receiving the fuel, which is the gas, you also have a meter measuring how much you are receiving. So just as your generator at home is measuring how much fuel it can take, it is measured because you have to pay for that fuel. And when you use it and turn the machine on to produce

That is my sense of it. Now the interesting thing is that in the last few weeks there has been enormous appetite for investment in the power sector. International brands that I worked with when I was Governor have come and they are seeking to invest in buying equity in some of the existing distribution companies and generation companies. That means Capital is coming into the Sector.

Also some people are wrongly directing proposals to government to supply electricity accessories. Such proposals should be properly directed to the GenCos and DisCos and not to government what government does now through TCN is building transmission lines. For those who want to generate power, their proposal and license applications should be directed to NERC. We are now just supervising the architecture of power. But indeed there is a lot of appetite for investment in the power sector.

We just approved about 14 different solar projects to generate a combined capacity of 1,286 MW and that is the biggest aggregation of solar project that the country has ever undertaken but those projects would not be delivered for another 12 to 18 months depending on how quick they come through with the agreement on tariff and the price which has made it difficult to close the agreement.

I think it is important for the information of the public, to underscore that when you get a license to generate power, the journey has just begun. If you are using gas, you have to close agreement to guarantee the supply of gas otherwise you will have some of the projects we have today in Geregu Omotosho, and Olorunsogo where the gas is not enough because it wasn’t well planned.

W

energy, when you are sending it to a transmission company, the transporter, there is also a meter at the generation end saying, “Ï am sending you so much power”.

So, he too knows what he is carrying. And when the transmission system is receiving it, it is also measuring and saying, “0 l got 10 ”, and then it is delivering it to the DisCos. At the point the DisCos take the Power in, they too have meters which measures how much was received. The DisCos may say, you said you sent me 10MW of Power, l received 9.8 and that’s what l am going to pay for. It is now the Disco at the last end that does the hard business of distributing to hundreds of thousands and millions of homes.

At the point when the DisCos are pushing out Power from the substations, if you go to those substations, you will see meters of what is going out from each substation as bulk power and then it is metered at the transformer end into our individual homes so that it can be measured, the money collected and paid back to everybody.

Now, the impression has been created, perhaps, that the DisCos collect all the money.

It is not true. The maximum that the DisCos collect is about 25 or maximum 30 percent of what they collect from consumers because they must now pay the transmission company, they must pay the generation company and they must pay the gas company.

Once there is a default on that value chain, the power system is in trouble. Because there must be continuous supply of gas and continuous wheeling of energy. So if you are an operator or a transporter in that system and

you don’t get paid will you continue to render service?

Power is a capital intensive venture that requires foreign investors. Why is government not looking in this direction?

Power is too strategic, just like fuel, to leave entirely in the hands of foreigners. And as a matter of National Security, we can’t leave all of our power to foreign investors. They can play in the environment as they already are, there are investors from different parts of the world now. But listen, Power is a strategic security asset. That is one side of it, the other side of it is that, we complained that most Nigerians don’t invest in their country, they keep their assets abroad; they have invested here now and we must give them some support. We must give them some token acknowledgement. They could have refused to invest at all or they could have even taken their money abroad.

When you look at economies like the United States today, you can’t talk about the prosperity of their economy without talking about people like Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, the Carnegies and so on that built that economy. They built the first oil wells, the first rail lines, the steel plants and other big projects.

J. P Morgan financed the production of electricity although he is much more known for Banking and Finance. And l think that, in my own little way I am beginning to see that generation of Nigerians beginning to emerge, funding infrastructure, strategic national assets and venturing into entrepreneurship.

If the Government has sold the DisCos and GenCos, why is it still in charge of increasing tariffs?

Let me say first that as Minister, I have no power over tariff. Any interference that I make on tariff would be an unlawful one.

I have no powers over tariffs, but an opinion and I think it is important to make that point. The authority vested with deciding tariff matter is the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). It was created by the 2005 law which the people of Nigeria, through their representatives passed and I think it is a good law. The power to review tariff is vested in provisions of that law. Of course, they will not set tariff without notifying the Ministry.

The important thing to say about this last tariff is that when privatization took place, the last administration knew that they were not doing market tariff. It is important to say this and I think they should have been honest and open with Nigerians to say this is the price. But they sought to inch the price along, especially because of the advent of elections.

And so people had already began to get an impression that tariffs were just going up every time. So instead of taking us to that tariff once, they were inching us towards it.

So the impression was created that the thing was going up every day. So I understand the frustrations and the reactions that trailed the last tariff.

But there are two broad lines between the two tariffs. The old tariff was going to continue to go up. How did I know? I was the first person to oppose the review of the tariff when I was briefed. Why are you reviewing upward? Why can’t we have Power? These were my initial reactions when l first became Continues pg 31

31

interview

Monday, 4 April, 2016

‘I have no power over electricity tariff’ Continued from pg 30

Minister. Then, I was taken through all that had happened before, in my opinion and I saw in fact that the tariff was reviewed upwards but was reversed by the last administration because of the elections and during that reversal liabilities had accumulated; about N200 billion liabilities had accumulated.

In order to validate what they were telling me I called a meeting of all the DisCos and the DisCos took me through all the challenges that they were facing. It wasn’t that they were without blame, but these were the realities and if we kept the tariff going like that, every two years, Nigeria would be indebted to them to over a trillion Naira for an asset we had sold. So we were going back to an era of subsidy for people who are supposed to be operating commercially. I couldn’t recommend that. If we had a trillion Naira to spend on Power why didn’t we give it to PHCN. If we had done that we won’t be where we are today. So this was what changed my thinking, because without a doubt as I have always told people there is problem with gas. Gas production for local use was low because the price was not right. Local gas use was selling at $1.30 and for export it was $4. If you were producing gas where would you sell it? So we needed to raise that price to get more gas to our idle power plants. So by the time I became Minster that decision had been made to add two dollars to the price of Gas to take the price of Gas to $2.50 and to allow for 80 Cents transportation which came to $3.30 from $1.30.

If gas was the major material for producing power, how sensible is it to expect that the major component, the palm oil that you would use for cooking your soup, the price would go up and the price of your stew would not go up. So that was the basis when l surrendered my objection to tariff review.

With the increase in tariff will Nigerians now have stable power?

There is still a lot of work to do. What I can tell you is that if we can get the cases out of court against the tariff, we get the cases out of Parliament against the tariff, because I believe that business men like to deal with their regulator not with politicians, they understand business rules they don’t understand political rules, then you create stability in the market.

Business men are confident; they know that the game won’t change. They will take position and in that way, you will see first incremental power. If you don’t have incremental power, moving from 5,000 to 8,000 and upwards like that you can’t equitably distribute what is not enough. The logic behind it is like ten people are thirsty and there is one bottle of Ragolis water and they ask the seller to buy more Ragolis water when the cost of production has increased and they are not ready to pay for the difference, they won’t get enough Ragolis water to quench their thirst.

Electricity is compounded by the fact that you cannot store it. Once it is produced, it must be used. But the more power we produce the more stability we will see. I can guarantee that but I cannot guarantee that people will not go and cut gas lines. I can’t guarantee that people will not go on strike and go and shut down distribution companies or transmission facilities or the Control Centre in Oshogbo because they want some of their colleagues to be kept at work. Is it profitable to discomfort a whole nation in order to protect 200 people?

Because that is what happened in Ikeja DisCo. If there is a dispute about policy in the NNPC about restructuring, is the answer to a welfare issue that can be negotiated, resolved or even litigated upon in a court or before an arbitration panel a shut down? Instead of choosing those options, the chosen option was to shut down the gas pipelines. As a result, 13 generation plants were shut down. Was that the best answer? I can’t guarantee people’s behaviour. So it is actually the people who are supposed to be producing the energy that are shutting down production in both the gas companies and DisCos. It is not the President or the Minister. So we need to

have a rethink about the productivity of that workforce. What are they doing? What are they contributing to our national productivity? Because, as I said, I am a lawyer and I do not know about the technical side of electricity except what I am learning. But you know what; very highly educated engineers like Engineer Makoju and Prof. Barth Nnaji have operated in this Ministry. It wasn’t that they were not good enough; it was because of some of these attitudes.

So, as far as technical capacity lies, we have it. In terms of technical capacity, Engineer Makoju can fix things but he cannot run a power plant on his own, people were employed to do that. I know that Prof. Barth Nnaji knows much more about gas than me but he won’t operate a gas pipeline on his own. The job of a Minister is to coordinate all these activities together in order to engender productivity. If there was a war today, President Buhari, with all his military might would not be the one to carry the gun. His role would be to coordinate.

So that is the productive force. What are we getting out of it?

That is a question we need to ask. It is, therefore when we all sign up for qualitative and uninterrupted power supply that we can then guarantee what you are talking about.

Will the Power sector not be better off with the spread of metering and bringing more consumers into the meter net than increasing tariffs?

Deregulated, privatized, regulated; they are terms of art.

The real purpose is to allow business operate on a commercial basis, in order to create competition, in order to engender productivity. Now meters in electricity production are not as freely sold as the readily available telephones, because there are codes, there are standards, and because of safety as well.

Improperly installed meters may become a potential source of danger- fire; using cheap meters can cause accidents. There is a regulatory agency which regulates the types of meters you can use. Installation of meters is a very technical things because the Operators are saying that some people even by-pass their meters.

But what is the meter when stripped of its technicalities? An electricity meter is basically just a measuring device to measure how many units of power you use. Meters on a basic level are comparable to measuring devices such as fuel pumps, plastic water bottles and mudu cups for measuring garri. But we can’t leave meters without going back to tariff.

We have about 180 million people. But all the DisCos combined have just about six million consumers in their database combined for Nigeria. Are you telling me in reality that it is only six million people that use electricity in Nigeria? So you can imagine the number of people that are using electricity that is not measured, that is not metered, that is free. Out of that six million that they have, they have metered about three million, inherited and added on. So there is still a gap of close to 50 percent of that six million that need to be metered. Now, in deciding that tariff what did we seek to achieve? It was to say, “stop giving people fixed charges, it’s unfair… Take it out,” because there is no fair basis for doing so.

In deciding tariff again what people must understand is that consumers are classed in different categories. R1, for example, is the most vulnerable class of consumers, their tariff is about N4 per kwh or something like that. It remains unchanged. It wasn’t changed; there is a protective policy for the poorest of the poor that if we get power to them they must not pay more than this. These are people who use not more than a light bulb and radio. They don’t have fridge or any big appliances. Then there is R2 one phase; these are people who have the basic one fridge, television and radio. Then there R2, 2 phase and R3, these are those with big appliances, DSTV, air conditioners and all of that. Those are the people whose tariff really went up because they form the real bulk of those who pay for electricity. When you flip it around, it is almost like a type of cross subsidy, let those who can afford pay more and let the poorest of the poor stay where they are, don’t change their tariff.

Then we removed, through NERC, the fixed charge, don’t pay the fixed charged any more. We now told the DisCos “If you get this new tariff, if anybody complains that his bill has gone up, and he disputes that bill, that person is only liable to pay his undisputed last bill”. You cannot say because your bill has gone up so you won’t pay; pay your last undisputed bill so we know you are complaining in good faith; you are not trying to game the system. From that point on, the DisCo cannot disconnect you. If he insists you used the power, let him come and prove it. The only way to prove it is to measure it. That was the first incentive to force the DisCos to meter. But we also had to give them the incentive because people should not forget that meters cost money.

On the average, some of the DisCos that I know used to have about three to four hundred thousand consumers that they have to meter and given some of the numbers that I have seen, those run into no less than seven, eight to ten or 18 billion Naira to cover. You don’t keep that kind of money in your pocket, you must go to a bank. Now if a bank wants to lend you that kind of money it wants to see that you can pay and if you are doing it with the old tariff clearly no bank will lend you money because it is an unsustainable business.

With widespread complaints relating to issues of load shedding, ageing or non-existent transformers in some areas and estimated billings: Why is there poor customer service instead of improved service in the power sector?

We have talked about how long privatization has taken, nearly two years. I’ve talked about the transition in knowledge and capacity. Most of the power plants are very old.

Most of the transformers are very old, 30 to 40 years and they are being refitted slowly.

I was in Jebba Hydro Power Plant which was built and commissioned by President Buhari when he was Military Head of State. Part of the maintenance schedule for Jebba was a full turn around service scheduled every six years after commissioning. It was not done until 2013, almost 30 years later, so how do you expect that to deliver efficient power?

The same thing happened in Egbin, turbines were down; parts were being cannibalized and so on and so forth. At Oji River Power Station, after cannibalizing the old coal plant one turbine at a time, in order to save the other turbines, the whole system finally collapsed and somebody suggested that it should be scrapped.

So that is what the businessmen have bought. In the same vein, similar to the same backbone that the GSM operators had of 250,000 lines prior to expansion to the current 100 million lines.

So that’s another analogy. So you will have epileptic power supply from time to time until all the equipment is refurbished, changed, upgraded and more power is built in. But as I said, the focus is incremental power. Now why is that important?It is important because all over the world, machines and turbines break down. The reason you do not notice them in those parts of the world is that they have enough and they have redundancy.

When one is down they switch to another because they have enough and they have time to carry out routine maintenance on the broken down machines. If you have only one generator in your house, it will not generate power for you while it is being maintained if it breaks down. If you have two, you have a backup. This is just a context for you to see all of this.

But customer service must improve. At our meeting in Enugu I said to the DisCos “you have to lead this reform now by taking ownership. You have to have complaints officers that people can reach to explain why they could not have service and how long they have to wait to get it”. That is customer service. They can wait out a problem if they know what the problem is and how long it will take to solve it. But it becomes frustrating if they do not know what’s going on.

They need to open more customer service outlets just like the TELCOS have done. Some of them are already opening up portals on the internet which we must also use because they are trying to cut cost. The more customer care centres they open the more rental they pay and you see when they are going to pay rent nobody wants to accept one year rent they all want 3years rent in advance.

So these are part of the cultural issues that you and I must also change because they can’t build all of those facilities, they will need to rent. Well,I am sure that their business will be assisted if they see someone who will accept 6 months rent rather than 3years rent in advance. But as the equipment get upgraded they will get better. As I pointed out, all of the lines that come to our homes now don’t belong to NEPA again but belong to the DisCoS. As they age they must change them. They must change within that bandwidth of money they get. Bulk power today for gas is about N13.50kobo per kilowatts, N2.50kobo for transmission to carry it, you are at N16.

32

news

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Navy seizes stolen N20.4m diesel-laden boats in Rivers As Nigerian Army conducts range classification exercise Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

T

HE Nigerian Navy has announced the seizure of two wooden boats ladened with about 100,000 litres of suspected illegally refined diesel in Rivers State and which value was put at N20.4 million.

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder’s Base Operations Officer, Commander Ugochukwu Ajulu, made this known in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, adding that three suspects were arrested on board one of the boats.

He further disclosed that the boats were seized at Akuku-Toru Local Government Area during routine troop patrol of waterways and creeks in the state.

“In-line with strategic directives from naval authorities, on March 31, our troops on routine patrol impounded two wooden boats carrying suspected illegally refined diesel in quantity of about 100,000 litres.

“The first wooden boat, transporting about 60 drums fully loaded with suspected stolen diesel, was impounded along Bakana waterways with three suspects

onboard.

“The second boat, which had over 100 drums laden with illegally refined diesel, was seized while it anchored at Aiteo Jetty, near Abonema. About 5,000 litres of diesel was also stored in a compartment on the boat,” he said.

Ajulu said naval operatives were unable to make any arrest from the second boat as its crew members had fled the scene on sighting advancing naval patrol gunboats.

The naval commander said that preliminary investigation was ongoing to un-

ravel the source and supply chain of the products, adding that the suspects would be handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and possible arraignment in court.

One of the suspects, Tim-

othy Williamson, an indigene of the state who admitted to the crime before newsmen and pleaded for leniency from authorities, said he was recruited into oil bunkering in January by a woman simply identified as “Mama,” who distributed the product to some

Officers of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, guarding wooden boats loaded with 160 drums of illegally refined diesel, which they seized in PortHarcourt,Rivers State, on Sunday. PHOTO: NAN

Marketers to import 58% of Q2 fuel allocation Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos

PETROLEUM marketers in Nigeria have been entrusted with importation of over 58 per cent of the second quarter allocation of petroleum products to cushion the effects of fuel scarcity as experienced by Nigerians.

This is in contrast with the first quarter allocation where marketers were allocated a paltry 12 per cent while the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was responsible for 78 per cent.

This has resulted into the Corporation being the sole importer of the commodity due to foreign exchange challenges faced by the marketers and the Corporation’s lack of capacity and capability to be the sole importer of petroleum products in Nigeria.

According to the statement, the Acting Executive Secretary of PPPRA, Mrs. Sotonye Iyoyo, said the agency will retain the retail prices of N86.00 for the NNPC and N86.50 for the other marketing companies.

“Therefore, marketers are advised to ensure that there is no price distortion in their respective retail outlets,” it stated.

On the news making the rounds that the agency was planning to increase the pump-price, it urged members of the public to ignore such rumour, as prevailing market indicators did not support such.

“PPPRA is resolutely committed to the sustenance of its reform initiatives, in order to further guarantee adequate supply of products nationwide.

“We therefore assure Nigerians of our total commitment to service delivery, in the quest to deliver on our mandate to the people of Nigeria,” the statement said.

It urged motorists to desist from panic-buying, as PPPRA was working hard with other sister-organisations to ensure that the current supply and distribution challenges were resolved within the coming days.

It further added that PPPRA would continue to monitor the global oil market performances and make reasonable changes consistent with the newlyadopted price modulation principles.

It appealed to depot owners to strictly adhere to the prevailing truck-out policy

made by the agency, to ensure that petroleum products got to their designated retail outlets nationwide.

Meanwhile, the PPPRA has stated that the new price modulation for the second quarter of 2016 has resulted into introduction of subsidy of petrol which is N5.84 per litre.

This is contrary to the calls by industry stakeholders who are calling for total deregulation of the downstream sector to allow for efficiency and transparency.

According to the PPPRA, the Expected Open Market Price of petrol for marketers is now N92.34 per litre, against an official pump

price of N86.5 per litre, leaving N5.84 as subsidy per litre.

The pricing template for NNPC retail stations showed that the government was paying N5.80 per litre as subsidy, as the EOMP for NNPC stations was N91.80 per litre as against an official rate of N86 per litre.

companies in the state.

“We work for our madam (mama) who we usually cook the product for at our operating base in Snake Creek in the state.

We supply the product to our madam in the city who in turn supplies the product to Peace Oil located at Elechi Beach area of Port Harcourt.

“Please forgive me as I only indulged myself in this business (oil theft) because I had no job and money to feed myself and cater for my family,” he pleaded.

Meanwhile, the 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Bori, Port Harcourt, will, today, commence its fiveday Annual Range Classification Exercise at the Igwuruta Range, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 2 Brigade Nigerian Army, Captain Eli Lazarus, on Sunday.

According to the army image-maker, the range classification was an exercise involving the firing of different calibre of weapons and live ammunition.

He also added that “the exercise is conducted to enhance the proficiency of military personnel in marksmanship and weapon handling.

“In line with this, residents of Igwuruta community and environs are advised to stay away from the range area during the period of the exercise for their safety. They are equally enjoined to remain calm when firing is ongoing.”

Defaulters of Employees’ Compensation Act to face trial Ngige directs NSITF to commence court action THE Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has directed the Operation and the Legal Departments of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), to immediately commence court actions against employers who have defaulted under the implementation of the Employees Compensation Act (ECA).

The minister gave the directive during a working tour of NSITF regional office and its branch offices in Lagos.

Ngige, who frowned on the below average performance at the Lagos region and the level of non-compliance by employers captured under the ECA, said the management should immediately serve a pro-action notice for litigation against them.

Besides, he said all the em-

ployers of labour who have not been captured, should be identified and served as well.

Despite the poor performance in the Lagos region, the minister described the region as the goose that lays the golden eggs, adding that the region was still the best across the country with the 9,400 employers already captured.

However, he regretted that only 15per cent of the 9,400 employers were paying the 1per cent of their employees salaries as stipulated by the Act. According to him: “Reading through their books, I can only see that only 9,400 entities, companies, individuals, small enterprises and medium enterprises have so far registered. The number

is very infinitesimal. Out of this 9,400 in Lagos area as a whole, only 15per cent are complying by paying 1per cent of the money of the employees so registered.

This is not a passmark.”

He added: “As the person authorised by the Act, to make regulations for the enhancement of the Act, I have directed them to look for the other 85per cent of that 9,400 and give them pro-action notice for litigation.

“There are penalties, the companies, the directors of these companies and for individuals who default in being captured by the Act. There are also penalties, for those who have been captured and who also have defaulted in their payment.”

He explained further that

under the ECA, all employers of labour with at least one employee ,is mandated under the law to contribute 1per cent of the employee salary to the scheme, adding that this will form a social security net to take care of the employee in case of any injury sustained at work.

The minister gave a target of 100,000 employers to be captured in the region, while he stated that all staff will henceforth, be given a target to meet as their promotion should be based on performance.

He promised improved welfare services and conducive working environment, while he directed that all the allowances owed the workers will be paid in two installments by the end of June and September.

news Niger govt, 25 LGs owe AEDC N1.4bn 33

Adelowo Oladipo - Minna

N

IGER State government, in conjunction with the 25 local governments in the state, is currently owing the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, a sum of N1,422,509,325.

The chairman of the company, Ambassador Sheu Malami said this when he led a management team on a courtesy visit to Governor Abubakar Bello, at the Government House, Minna, while soliciting the assistance of the governor for the settlement of the debt.

He stated further that over N3billion had been injected into the network with almost equal amount currently being spent on the improvement of infrastructure inherited from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria{PHCN}, which had resulted in the provision of modern business systems and acquisition and distribution of over 700 electricity transformers.

Malami, said arrangements had commenced for the enumeration of all the company’s customers in parts of the state with a view to installing more than 5,000 prepaid meters at no cost to some customers, specifically in Minna, Mallami, however, acknowledged that: "the recent approval of a new tariff by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission

(NERC), gives a new ray of hope".

He also frowned at the recent position of the National Assembly, some organised labour unions, freelance commentators and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), stressing that their positions portend danger for the industry.

The AEDC board chairman, insisted that the appropriate pricing of electricity is a key issue in the survival matrix of the industry.

Governor Bello, in his remarks, said that the recent introduction of new electricity tariff by the NERC and other players in the industry, was wrong, ill-timed and meant to inflict more pains on Nigerians.

He said, it was more annoying that Nigerians were made to pay for what they did not enjoy, saying that "to ask Nigerians to pay more for electricity they don't see is very unfortunate".

He informed his visitors that he has been under pressure from the people of the state over the poor condition of electricity supply to the state, explaining that the timing of the increase in tariff was wrong because most Nigerians were grappling with serious economic predicament.

Governor Bello noted that since the Federal Government sold PHCN, the electricity distribution agencies across the country have not been able to serve the people to their satisfaction that would make them to want to pay the new tariff.

Monday, 4 April, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Abdulsalam Mustapha Owolewa now SALAMI OLAWALE MUSTAPHA. All former documents remain valid.

Nigeria Immigration and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Sikiru Sherifat Ajoke now MRS SAKA SHERIFAT AJOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Victoria Olatunji now EDENIH VICTORIA OLUBUNMI ‘DELE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adegbaye Boluwatife now ADEGBAYE FATIMOH ARIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oyelahan Funmilayo now MRS OROGUN FUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Adeyefa Kehinde Titilayo am the same person bearing Adeyefa Kehinde Dorcas. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as ADEYEFA KEHINDE TITILAYO. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olabode Esther Taye now MRS OLA ESTHER TAYE. All former documents remain valid.

Osun State University and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olufunke Ayilara Aje now MRS OLUFUNKE AYILARA AJEFAMUYIDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Abubakar Adamu now ABDULLAHI MUSA ANGO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Julius Mezina Osumili now MEZINA FORCADOS CHINELO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Jeleel Abdul Hammed now JELILI IJAOYE ADEMOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Alamu Omotola Oluwafisayo now MRS AKINBOWALE OMOTOLA OLUWAFISAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Odogun Abigail Lucy now MRS LOUIS LUCY ABIGAIL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Blessing Ekwu Attah now MRS BLESSING EKWI BAM. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

I, Destiny William John hereby state that my name was written as Ofonime Asuqo Sambo instead of Destiny William John. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as DESTINY WILLIAM JOHN. All documents bearing these names remain remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akande Adetobi Jeminat now MRS. OMILEYE ADETOBI JEMINAT. All former documents remain valid.

Italian Embassy and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Ezeh Romanus Chiemezie am the same person bearing Nwanze Romanus Chiemezie. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as EZEH ROMANUS CHIEMEZIE. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Fidelity Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Mary Modupe Adebiyi now MRS. MARY MODUPE ABIMBOLA. All former documents remain valid. Obafemi Awolowo University, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Limited and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adebayo Eunice Funmilebun now MRS. AKINPELU EUNICE FUNMILEBUN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Kassim Opeoluwa Balogun now OPEOLUWA ALLI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Bada Aishat Olatanwa now AWOLESI AISHAT OLATANWA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Raman Oladele Sanusi wish to confirm that I am the same person bearing Raman Oladele Sanusi as well as Afolabi Ramoni Olanrewaju.

All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Otukoya Abosede Modupe now MRS OLORUNFEMI ABOSEDE MODUPE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Olawuyi Janet Omobolanle now MRS OLADEPO JANET OMOBOLANLE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ajayi Yetunde Omotoyole now MRS ADENIYIALUKO YETUNDE OMOTOYOLE. All former documents remain valid.

Ondo State HMB, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Akindele Morili Eniola am the same person bearing Akindele Moriliat Arike. Henceforth, I want to be called and addressed as AKINDELE MORILI ENIOLA. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Odelola Grace Titilayo now MRS ODETOLA GRACE TITILAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Edeke Babatunde Bamidele Sunday now EDEKE DANIEL EDIDIONG SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Salako Samuel Adewale am the same person as Salako Samuel Sunday, but my full name is Salako Samuel Adewale Sunday. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as SALAKO SAMUEL ADEWALE. All documents bearing these names are mine and remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, Mancha Donald Pam wish to state categorically that am the same person bearing DONALD DAVOU PAM. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

RECONCILIATION OF NAMES

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Dauda Kareem Muri now DAUDA KAREEM KAYODE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adejonpe Mojisola Victoria now MRS. OLUGBUYI MOJISOLA VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Iwaloye Toyin now IWALOYE SAMUEL BABATUNDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Aremu Oyewumi Bolanle now MRS. ISHOLA OYEWUMI BOLANLE. All former documents remain valid.

Authorities concerned and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Asinta Conleth Conleth now ASINTA IMOH CONLETH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Chibuzo Victor Okpara now CHIBUZO VICTOR OPARA. My correct date of birth is 23rd May, 1975 and not 20th of May, 1976. All former documents remain valid. Sumal Foods Limited, Zenith Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, FUNMILAYO SHADE ODUBIYI am the same person bearing FUNMI ODUBIYI. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Patrick Samuel now OKPOKAM OYAGATIM SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mr. Soliu Hameed Adisa now MR. OGUNSEYE SOLIU ADISA. (The name was changed due to family reason). All former documents and certificates remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Adeyemo Olabunmi Fatimoh now ADEYEMO-ADEGBOYEGA FATIMOT OLABUNMI. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc and general public take note.

I, Miss Lateefat Modupe Haruna am the same person bearing Mrs. Lateefat Abiola Modupe Mohammed, Mohammed L. A., Mohammed Lateefat Abiola. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as MRS. ISAIAH MERCY ABIOLA MODUPE. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Joseph Joshua Samuel now NDIFREKE JOSHUA SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Olalere Ayo am the same person bearing Olalere Ayo Taoheed. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLALERE AYO TAOHEED. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Amuda Riskat Omobolanle now MRS. OJO RISKAT OMOBOLANLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Kolawole Victor Tope now KOLAWOLE VICTOR TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Adepoju Sakirat Adeola now MRS. OYADINA SAKIRAT ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs. Iheanacho Uche Jane now UGAR JANET NKARRISHOR. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Adefisan Omolola Ramot now AKINSANYA OMOLOLA RAMOT. All former documents remain valid. FCMB Limited, Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Zuwerat Oiza Karaku now ZUWERAT OIZA MUDI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Miss Joy Odufa Adelebe am the same person bearing Mrs Joy Odufa Omokayode and Mrs Joy Omokayode.

Now, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS ISHOLA JOY. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. FCMB Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ejikeme Blessing Nwakaego now MRS ODIJIE BLESSING NWAKAEGO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olufayo Bosede Jolaade now MRS AKANMU BOSEDE JOLAADE. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc, Oyo State TESCOM and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adeyemi Olukemi Juliana now MRS AYANFEMI OLUKEMI JULIANA. All former documents remain valid. Oyo SUBEB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CORRECTION OF NAME

My name was mistakenly stated as Adanu Mathew Agbagwu in my BVN details instead of Adanu Mathew Prince. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADANU MATHEW PRINCE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. CBN, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

south-westnews Drop charges on certificate verification, organised labour writes Amosun 34

Monday, 4 April, 2016

As govt sets to pay salaries with BVN Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

T

HE leadership of the organised labour in Ogun State, under the auspices of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC), has written a letter to Governor Ibikunle Amosun urging him to drop various price charges on certificates verification, submission of additional qualifications and inter-cadre transfer.

This was contained in a letter dated 31st of March and

signed by the state chairman of the JNC, Abiodun Olakanmi; Secretary, Olusegun Adebiyi and state chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, Akeem Ambali and Fajobi Olubunmi respectively.4 The JNC said the various charges from N7,500 and above was an open invitation for those financially weak and vulnerable workers to engage in corrupt practices.

The body said that work-

ers annual incremental do not commensurate with the various payments requested of them to have their credentials verified.

It said: “Inasmuch as we are not opposing verification of academic claims and credentials of officers by the Civil Service Commission or by other statutory agencies empowered to exercise same, we, however, have to instructively remind the officiating body to implement the verification process with strict compliance with the

various extant regulations as spelt out in the Public Service Rule.

“The price of N7,500.00 is too high, most especially for those considered rather most vulnerable and financially weak to comply. Pursuance of this policy with so high an amount constitutes an open invitation of officers to embrace corruption.

“We thus strongly submit that the various price tags on certificates verification, submission of additional qualifications or inter-cadre

From left, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Chairman, Ondo State Council of Obas and the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo and his wife, Olori Olayinka, when the Ooni visited the monarch at his palace in Ondo, on Sunday.

Mimiko gets tough with oil palm plantation vandals ONDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has warned illegal occupants of the adjudged largest oil palm plantation in West Africa, the Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc, to steer clear of the plantation, declaring that the endgame has come for them.

Giving the warning at the weekend, Mimiko said with the 27.5km Ajagba-Iyansan road commissioned earlier in the week, sanity would be restored to the plantation, as the availability of the road would put paid to the activities of the illegal occupants who have been thriving on the limited access to the plantation through the waterways.

Mentioning some of the advantages of the newly commissioned road to the host community and the environs, Mimiko said the largest plantation of the Okitipupa Oil Palm is sited along the Ajagba-Iyansan route.

Mimiko said transportation from the plantation, which was limited to the waterways, had been a major issue militating against the smooth operation of the

company.

“One of the factors that have over the years affected the production cost of this company is the cost of transportation of harvested palm fruits through the waterways.”

Mimiko warned that illegal occupants should steer clear of the plantation.

“Let me sound it loud and clear to those occupying the plantation illegally that the

endgame has come and that it would no longer be business as usual,” he said.

Counseling the unwanted occupants, the governor said they would need to engage themselves in other legal and productive activities “as no responsible government would fold arms while the people’s collective patrimony is being brazenly and wantonly occupied with a dangerous level of desecration by

criminals and vandals.”

Promising that the new road would be maintained, Mimiko acknowledged the various issues associated with frequent damage to roads such as high water table especially in the southern senatorial district, adding that government has come to terms with the imperativeness of a strong, virile, tractable and proactive direct labour agency.

Prevail on govs to set priorities right, Akinfenwa tells Buhari THE Bishop of Ibadan Diocese, Anglican Communion, Most Rev (Dr) Joseph Akinfenwa, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on state governors to set their priorities right.

Bishop Akinfenwa said that many state governors owe workers not as a result of absolute lack of funds but because they do not prioritise payment of salary.

He said there is no way the government could fight corruption and effectively implement the change agenda of the current administration, if civil servants were not paid.

Akinfenwa made the submission during the 21st Synod of Ibadan Diocese, Anglican Communion, held at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Oke-Bola, Ibadan, tagged “Established on high consolidation.”

He said that the budgetary allocation to education sector is still below the international benchmark, despite the consensus that the sector needed radical reformation.

He advised government to return mission schools to their owners, as well as stop perpetuating the decline in education standard for political expediency.

While appreciating that terrorism is a complex and intricate crisis which has international dimension and required time to revolve, he appealed to President Buhari to remain focused, determined and to continue to act with urgency.

He urged the Federal Government to act swiftly by ensuring that electricity supply improved in all the nooks and crannies of the country, so as to boost industrialisation, adding that the government needed to muster the courage and political will required to transform power sector.

transfer be dumped outright.”

Also, the JNC appealed to Amosun to ensure that a fraction of the fund for the March salary be appropriated for the immediate payment of three months deductions out of the seven months for both state and local government council.

The organised labour suggested that the balance, after payment of the global deductions, be deployed to the payment of March salary for the most vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the state government has said that workers’ salaries would henceforth be paid with Bank Verification Number (BVN) from the end of April.

This was disclosed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, as one of the resolution reached at the end of a follow-up meeting between the leaders of the organised labour and government over unpaid of various deductions, gratuities and suspension of the Contributory Pension Scheme.

Ondo 2016: We’ll transform agriculture —Ade Adeogun Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure AN aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, Ade Adeogun, has pledged to give priority to the agricultural sector, if elected as governor of the state.

Adeogun, who stated this in Akure, the state capital, noted that the agricultural sector had been neglected by past leaders after the discovery of oil in the state, saying his government would lay more emphasis on the sector.

He noted that prior to the discovery of oil, cocoa, which has been a major source of income to the state, had been relegated to the background and stressed the need to revive cocoa industry to create employment opportunities.

He said: “We will turn the Sunshine state into the cocoa and cassava capital of the world. We will strengthen the ministry of agriculture and its extension services.

“We will encourage the formation of farmers’ cooperative associations so that risk and resources can be shared among farmers to lower the cost of production.”

Nigerian Tribune

Wives of Ondo exco donate items to Akure hospital

By Victor Ogunyinka TOWARDS complementing government’s effort at providing qualitative healthcare to all and sundry, wives of the Ondo State Executive Council have donated items worth thousands of naira to the state specialist hospital in Akure.

The items, which included 200 bedsheets, 200 pillow cases, pillows and mattresses, were received by the Chairman, Hospitals Management Board, Dr Niran Okunrinboye.

Speaking on behalf of the exco’s wives, Mrs Iyabo Ademujimi, explained that the gesture was to promote the health sector in their little way, noting that government alone cannot develop the sector.

While expressing appreciation to the present government for its various laudable achievements, she assured that they would continue to impact lives through their donations where necessary.

The chairman, Hospitals Management Board, Dr Niran Okunrinboye, thanked the exco’s wives for the gesture.

He, however, appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians to emulate them by touching lives positively.

Also, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), State Specialist Hospital, Akure, Dr Victor Koledoye, assured that the hospital would make good use of the items.

Army organises competitions in Ogun Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta AS part of its fitness exercise for troops, the Headquarters of 81 Division, Nigerian Army, is organising an Inter-Brigade Corporal and Below Competitions in Ogun.

The competitions, according to a release issued by the Army Public Relations Officer, Major Rilwanu Hassan Ishida, will be hosted by the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta.

Ishida said the annual event in all the Nigerian Army formations would feature events like drill competition, stripping and assembling of rifles, obstacles crossing, combat swimming, shooting and map reading.

The event, expected to hold from April 4 to 8, will hold at the 35 Artillery Brigade Parade ground.

The General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major General Henry Edet, will be the special guest of honour.

35

south-westnews

Monday, 4 April, 2016

We did not apologise to Oyo govt over 7-day ultimatum —Labour

By Wale Akinselure

T

HE labour movement in Oyo State has described as cheap blackmail, big lie and unwarranted misinformation of the unsuspecting public claims by the state government that labour leaders, at last Friday’s meeting, apologised to Governor Abiola Ajimobi for being insensitive and confrontational in issuing a seven-day ultimatum to the government.

Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Waheed Olojede, reacting on behalf of the labour movement, on Sunday, wondered why the state government considered itself worthy of apology amidst non payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlement for between five and 35 months.

Leader of the government’s team in the renewed negotiations, Mr Olalekan Alli, had in a statement on Saturday observed that the conduct of labour in issuing a seven-day ultimatum was “at variance and in total disregard to due process, labour law and practice,” noting that “the labour centres were being insensitive and confrontational.”

Ondo LG poll: PDP lauds Mimiko over successful congress THE Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has been applauded for allowing internal democracy in the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Chairman, Ondo PDP ward congress from the national secretariat, Abuja and member representing Kaba-Jumu federal constituency in the National Assembly, Honourable Tajudeen Yusuf, gave the commendation following the successful and a hitchfree ward congresses held across the 203 wards in the state, preparatory to the local government election billed to hold later this month.

The House of Representatives member, who led a delegation to monitor the congresses which held at ward level across the 18 local government areas of the state, noted that PDP in the state had the depth capacity to contest any election and come out victorious, calling on other PDP state chapters to emulate the Ondo example.

The government’s statement had held that the labour leaders denied such allegations, apologised and further assured government of its cooperation and main-

tenance of industrial harmony in the state.

Reacting, Olojede said an ultimatum was a veritable instrument of industrial relation practice which de-

manded no apology from labour.

“Contrary to the claims of the Oyo State Government saying that labour has agreed to the 10 months MoU as

subsisting, I wish to state that much as another round of negotiation between government and labour has commenced, it has negated the one under reference.”

From right, Chairman on the occasion, Justice Emmanuel Olayinka; Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola; the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran and the guest lecture, Professor Oye Gureje, during the presentation of award of excellence for courage and perseverance on Governor Aregbesola, at the 30th anniversary and official commissioning of the Root Club House, Ilesa, recently.

Osun doctors, medical workers suspend 7-month strike Govt dismisses secondary school students over riots in Ife Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

REPRIEVE came the way of people seeking medical services in Osun State owned hospitals over the weekend as the doctors and other medical workers, who had been on strike since September 2015, suspended the industrial action.

The striking medical workers under the aegis of the Osun State Association of Medical and Dental Officers (OSAMDO) said their resolve to suspend the strike was informed by the need to halt rising cases of avoidable deaths, the intervention of the Speaker, state House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam and other stakeholders in the medical profession.

In a letter dated 31st of March, 2016 and signed by the chairman of OSAMDO, Dr I. A. Adekunle, the association said despite the failure of the state government to accede to our demands, “we have decided to review the current situation vis-a-vis the rising cases of avoidable deaths among the indigenes of Osun State.”

Confirming the suspension of the strike during a telephone chat with the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, the state chairman of the Nigeria Medical Associ-

ation, Dr Suraj Ogunyemi, said: “The OSAMDO members decided to restrategise and part of the new strategies is the suspension of the strike with effect from tomorrow, Monday, 4th of April, 2016.”

“The OSAMDO members held their meeting last Wednesday and part of the decisions was the suspension of the ongoing industrial action. This development is coming despite the fact that govern-

ment had not paid them their outstanding dues and failure to accede to their demands. But, in the interest of the good people of Osun, we cannot continue to ignore the intervention of the Speaker and other critical stakeholders. We just have to give them that honour,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Osun State government on Sunday announced the dismissal of unspecified number of secondary school pupils, who

were allegedly involved in violent protest, which led to the vandalism of a radio station in Ile-Ife about four months ago.

It also announced the immediate reopening of four secondary schools located within Ife metropolis, namely Oduduwa High School, St. Davids High School, St Johns High School and Seven Day Adventist High School, which were shut in the wake of the demonstration.

Obedience to God’s commandments kept me thus far —Mrs Ajimobi

By Wale Akinselure

IT was another festival of prayers for the nation, political leaders at all levels of government and all Nigerians at the April edition of the Oyo Women Breakthrough Prayer and Fasting Rally, on Saturday.

The event, held at Government House Arcade, Agodi, Ibadan, also saw wife of the Oyo State governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, marked her 57th birthday which she clocked on Tuesday.

Ajimobi said obedience to God’s commandments had been her sustaining grace.

She avowed resolve to a

better relationship with God as she progresses in life, charging Nigerians to be closer to God in their dealings.

“We should move closer to God and that is the way to make heaven. I thank God for his goodness in my life. I know I have love and obey the commandments of God, and that is why he has seen me thus far. I am very grateful. Great is God’s faithfulness.

“It has been a very joyous journey. It has been a peaceful journey. It has been a journey with memories I can never forget. It has been a journey filled with thanksgiving to Al-

mighty God.” The homilist of the event, Mrs Omoniwura Fambegbe of Agape Prayer Ministry, London, asked Nigerians to be relentless in their prayers for restoration of good times in the country.

She prophesied that the current trying times faced in the nation would only last a while, urging Nigerians to continually pray for a turnaround and remain hopeful.

Mrs Ajimobi said: “It’s a day of thanksgiving. God has remained merciful. I am so happy. We began this prayer session about five years ago and it has continued to grow in leaps and bounds.”

Nigerian Tribune

Ekitis living abroad not ‘aliens’ —APC aspirant Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

A governorship aspirant in Ekiti State in 2018, Dr Wole Oluyede, has charged politicians in the state not to see those living abroad as ‘aliens’, a development that arose from thoughts in some quarters that politicians who don’t have “a base in Ekiti” cannot be their governor in 2018.

Oluyede, an Australiabased medical practitioner, who is aspiring to the governorship of Ekiti State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said that Ekiti people must stop those he described as “mediocre”, from hijacking power in the state.

Oluyede, who addressed newsmen in Ikere Ekiti, on Sunday, said: “It is wrong for the home-based politicians to see Ekiti indigenes living abroad as aliens that are not suitable to hold any political position in the state.”

He said: “I want to say that we are all Ekiti indigenes. Those at home and those based abroad should join hands together to help our state by preventing the mediocre from hijacking powers.”

LAUTECH ASUU warns against poor funding THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso branch, has condemned the lackadaisical attitude of the two – owner states on release of subventions to the institution.

This is part of the resolutions of the union at its congress, held on Tuesday.

“The non-release of subvention for a total of 17 months (12 and 5 months owned by Osun and Oyo respectively) has constituted a serious clog in the wheel of progress of the institution.

“The unsustainable payment of salaries through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is seriously affecting other activities of the institution which are not supposed to be compromised under any guise.

“Non-release of subventions has led to backlog of various allowances -Earned Academic Allowances and promotion arrears because IGR that was supposed to be used for these allowances were been diverted to pay staff salaries,” the union noted.

36 news

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Massive fraud in Kogi civil service —Bello

As committee uncovers 500 ghost workers on payroll Yinka Oladoyinbo- Lokoja

T

HE Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has revealed that the committee set up on the verification of civil servants in the state had uncovered a major fraud where 300 ghost workers were smuggled into the payroll of a local government in the state.

Apart from this, the committee also uncovered another 200 names injected into the payroll of one of the government’s organisations by a top civil servant in the establishment.

The governor has, however, vowed to punish those behind the ghost workers syndrome in the state as they had been ripping the state of the resources that would have been used for its development.

Speaking at Okene, headquarters of Okene Local Government Area of the state, at a grand reception organised in his honour by the people of Central Senatorial District of the state, where he was welcomed by a mammoth crowd on Saturday, Bello noted that startling revelations would be made after the completion of the verification exercise.

According to him, the exercise became necessary when it was discovered that more than 90 per cent of the revenue accruing to the state was being used for overhead before the complete fall in the allocation from the federation account.

The governor noted that government directed permanent secretaries and top civil servants in the state, Directors of Local Government Administration, cashiers and treasurers at the local government level to embark on compulsory leave to enable it have a hitch free clean up exercise of the civil service.

Bello said, “We have started cleaning up the civil service. You will not believe the level of subversion of the state’s loyal workforce that our screen-

ing team has uncovered.

We found one person putting as many as 300 ghostworkers on the payroll of a local government some-

where. And he is just one of many.

“The temptation to use the money available for other things was great,

Johnson Babajide- Makurdi

“We thank the IGP and his Management Team for keying into the Change Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari with the commencement of the part payment of the over N7 billion which was stopped since 2009 due to what the then IGP, M. D. Abubakar, described as lack of funds.”

were compromised.

This was to help actual workers who needed money to handle their responsibilities.

“The second batch we paid with the personal guarantee of the Head of each MDA because we reasoned that change begins with each of us, and a leader should know those working under his immediate supervision. By the time we conclude the screening, it is our intention that only actual workers will be taking salaries from the state.”

He however, disclosed that those behind the fraud in the nominal payroll of government would not go scot free, saying “we will also let the law take its course with those suspected of putting ghost workers into the system.”

The governor told the crowd that he met the state that was severely challenged in many ways like backlog of salary arrears to civil servants, huge debt burdens, insecurity and deteriorated infrastructure.

He said his administration decided to embark on a quick win solution to some of the challenges which have started yielding results while others will take a little time to mature.

He however, said the construction and rehabilitation of roads and drainages were ongoing in the state, adding that his administration would strive to place the state in a good stead than he met it.

sues and I think that government must look at the policies and tackle the situation head long,’’ he said.

He said government must fashion out medium and long -term measures that would fixed the problem holistically.

He noted that the issue of fuel scarcity had been on since 1999 and there was th e need for drastic action to be taken.

“It means that the prescription for solving the fuel situation cannot take us to the promise land.

He said that the NLC had done an extensive research on the four refineries and findings revealed that the refineries could still be classified as new ones.

According to him, some of the refineries around the world are built in 1981, notability an India refinery that has stayed for over a 100 years.

“The argument that the four refineries in the coun-

try cannot meet our domestic needs is false.

“We have seen refineries that have lower capacity but through the process of upgrading and upgrading the capacity of refining were able to meet locally and international needs.

“So, if Kaduna refinery can be upgraded, Port Harcourt refinery, among others, their capacity of refining can also be upgraded and with adequate maintenance these refineries can work for over a 100 years.

“It is just that we are not doing what is right. That is why they are referring to our refineries as scrap.

“They want to buy and upgrade them in that way monopolising them.

“So, the argument is flat that is why we have remained consistent on our position that once we get the policies right, then, it will be okay for us to move forward,’’ he said.

We paid the first batch of salaries across board and without asking too many questions even though we knew the nominal rolls

Crowd waiting and hoping to buy fuel at a filling station at Berger, Lagos State, on Sunday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

N7.4bn debt: Police commence part payment to contractors As contractors return to sites Jacob Segun Olatunji-Abuja

THE Nigeria Police has commenced the part payment of the over N7.4billion debts incurred over the years by its Works Department which led to the abandonment of over 6,000 projects located in the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Following this development, all the contractors, under the umbrella of the “Association of Contractors for the Nigeria Police Force” (ACFNPF), have resolved to return to sites for the speedy completion of the projects.

The chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the ACFNPF, Chief Patrick Ojo, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja, at the weekend, shortly after the emergency meeting of the association.

Chief Ojo, who commended the Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Aranse, for approving the part payment for the contractors, assured that all members would return to sites immediately but pleaded with the IGP to sustain the tempo of the payments in order to ensure speedy comple-

country, explained that such move was tantamount to threat of extinction against Fulanis in their own country.

Tsav, in a statement he circulated to newsmen in Makurdi, a copy of which he made available to the Nigerian Tribune noted, ‘declaring Fulani herdsmen terrorists is farfetched and unreasonable, doing this means a threat of extinction against the Fulanis, who like other

tion of the projects.

According to Chief Ojo, “most of the projects which are either completed or ongoing include renovation and construction of Police barracks, Training Schools, renovation and construction of Police Stations, procurement of kits, vehicles and supplies among others.”

Recurring fuel scarcity has adverse effect on workers productivity —NLC THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that the reccurring fuel scarcity in the country has affected workers’ productivity adversely nationwide.

The NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja, on Sunday.

Wabba said that the inability of the Federal Gov-

Tsav calls for commission of inquiry into Fulani/farmers crisis FEDERAL commissioner, Complaints Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, has called on the Federal Government to set up judicial commission of inquiry into the heinous activities of Fulani herdsmen in the country.

Tsav, who was reacting to the communiqué issued by Benue elders in Makurdi, last week, to declare Fulani herdsmen ‘Terrorists’ in the

but we have chosen to prioritise the welfare of our workers. In that regard, we have paid two salaries in less than two months.

Nigerians have a right to carry out their business of cattle rearing.’

The former police commissioner, who regretted the murderous activities of Fulani herdsmen against farmers across the country, however, advocated the constitution of judicial commission of inquiry by Federal Government to unravel cause(s) of the incessant killings of farmers.

ernment to consistently handle the fuel scarcity, had affected the economic development of the country.

“If you look at the scenario, it is a reccurring decimal, people are facing serious fuel challenges from one day to the other.

“This is affecting productivity, it also put workers under unnecessary and undue pressure because you know that the salary is fixed.

“Anytime there is an increase in any commodity either power or petroleum product, certainly, it deplete that available income at the disposal of workers.

“So, it is workers that are at the receiving end and in that way, you can see that the workers will begin to come late and the management will say you are coming late without making a redress on the alarm factor.

“Those are the clear is-

37

Monday, 4 April, 2016

foreig naffairs

08116954632 with seyi gesinde foreignn ewseditor@gmail.com

Flights resume at Brussels airport after terror attacks A passenger flight headed to Faro, Portugal, took off from Brussels Airport on Sunday, the first passenger flight to depart from the airport 12 days after suicide bombings killed more than 30 people in the Belgian capital.

According to the airport’s website, flights to Turin and Athens were also due to take off later in the day, with a longer list of departing flights scheduled for Monday.

Belgium’s biggest airport should be back to about 20 percent capacity from Monday and able to process 800 passengers an hour, Arnaud Feist, the CEO of Brussels Airport Co, said earlier.

The airport has been closed since March 22, after suicide bombings hit the airport’s departure

hall and a Brussels subway train, killing 32 people and wounding 270.

Feist called it “a sign of hope” and a demonstration of “shared will” that even partial passenger services could resume so soon after what he called “the darkest days in the history of aviation in Belgium.”

The attacks, in which three suicide bombers also died, were claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.

Since then, new security measures have been ordered at the airport, including spot checks of vehicles before they arrive and the closing of a dropoff parking area outside the terminal, according to Belgian Federal Police spokesman Michael Jonniaux.

South African parliament to debate Zuma’s impeachment motion Tuesday

OUTH Africa’s parliament will debate a motion to impeach President Jacob Zuma, the National Assembly Speaker said on Sunday days after the country’s top court ruled the president had violated

the constitution.

“The debate on that motion has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon,” Baleka Mbete said a day after anti-apartheid veteran Ahmed Kathrada joined opposition leaders in calling for Zuma’s resignation.

The South African president had ignored orders from the public prosecutor to return some of the $16m in state funds that he used to renovate his mansion in Nkandla situated in KwaZulu-Natal province.

On Friday, 73-year-old Zuma in a televised address apologised and said he would pay back some of the money, as ordered. He said that he never knowingly or deliberately set out to violate the constitution.

Mmusi Maimane, leader of the opposition party Democratic Alliance, tabled the motion to impeach Zuma, who is facing arguably the biggest scandal since he took office in 2009. He has fended off accusations of corruption,

THE leaders of more than 50 nations who met in Washington about nuclear security and terrorism agreed on the actions they will take together to reduce the risks facing the world, but President Barack Obama says the hard work starts now, building on the summit’s accomplishments.

The global effort to keep nuclear materials secure has made important progress, Obama told Americans Saturday. “As terrorists and criminal gangs

look around for the deadly ingredients for a nuclear device, vast regions of the world are now off limits.”

Summarising the sum-

mit, Obama said “no terrorist group has yet succeeded in obtaining a nuclear device or producing a dirty bomb using radioac-

South African’s President Jacob Zuma.

S

influence peddling and rape in the past.

The impeachment proceedings are unlikely to be successful because of the Africa National Congress party’s strong majority in parliament, but the judicial rebuke may strengthen anti-Zuma factions within the ruling party to press for change.

The unanimous ruling by the 11-judge constitutional court also criticised parliament for passing a resolution that purported to nullify Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s findings on Zuma’s private residence.

“The judgement makes sound, balanced and critical findings,” Speaker Mbete told journalists.

tive materials.” However, he added that al-Qaida, Islamic State and other terror groups certainly have tried to do so.

Guinea plans to vaccinate contacts of Ebola survivors Obama hails summit accord, says nuclear terrorism still a risk GUINEA will soon vaccinate people who have come into contact with more than 500 men who have recovered from Ebola, a senior health official said, the first time it has vaccinated the contacts of survivors.

The decision reflects research that indicates Ebola can remain in the bodily fluids of survivors for months. The contacts will include but will not be limited to sexual partners, said Fode Tass Sylla, the spokesman for the West African na-

tion’s centre for the fight against Ebola.

“We know the virus can stay in the sperm of a healed patient for a certain period of time,” Sylla said. “That’s why we want to vaccinate the circles of 501 men, to avoid all risk of spreading the disease.”

The vaccinations will begin in the next few days, Sylla said. The centre also plans an awareness campaign to warn mothers who have recovered from the virus against breastfeeding their newborns, he said.

President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference at the Nuclear Security Summit, in Washington. PHOTO: AP.

otherNEWS

US elections: Trump facing new doubts in presidential nomination race

Donald Trump.

BILLIONAIRE real estate mogul Donald Trump is drawing new attention for his views on abortion, NATO, nuclear arms and his treatment of women as his political challengers try to cut into his lead as the front-running United States Republican Party presidential candidate.

Political analysts are suggest-

ing his unexpected surge to the nomination has been slowed as Republicans and others begin to question his views and say that his chances are bleak of winning November’s election against the expected Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In recent days, major news out-

lets have reported he would be the candidate with the worst national favorability ratings to win a major party presidential nomination in three decades and political surveys show him losing badly in the national contest to replace President Barack Obama, who he leaves office next January.

Trump, who has never held elec-

tive office, has a significant lead in winning delegates to July’s Republican national convention, where the party will pick its 2016 presidential nominee. But Trump could end up short of winning a majority of delegates before the start of the quadrennial gathering, throwing the contest to a contentious second ballot or perhaps more.

Niger ministers resign after presidential inauguration NIGER’S government ministers have formally resigned to make way for a new cabinet after the re-election of President Mahamadou Issoufou, according to a statement from the government’s secretarygeneral read on public radio on Saturday.

Issoufou was re-elected to a

second five-year term in March polls boycotted by the opposition and was sworn into office on Saturday, vowing in a speech to continue the West African nation’s fight against terrorism.

The former French colony has deployed troops against the Nigeria-based extremist group

Boko Haram and has also contributed to a regional offensive against the militants.

The president named Brigi Raffini, his current prime minister, to serve again in office.

The prime minister submitted the cabinet’s resignation to Issoufou after his inauguration ceremony.

“The resignation was accepted,” the statement read. “While waiting for the nomination of ministers, the secretariesgeneral of the ministers are responsible for current affairs.”

The prime minister is responsible for nominating a cabinet, which the president must approve.

Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou.

38 THIRD SESSION OF THE TWENTY-FIRST SYNOD OF IBADAN DIOCESE HELD AT ST PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, OKE BOLA, IBADAN PHOTOS: D’TOYIN

From right, Diocesan Bishop of Ibadan, The Most Reverend (Dr) Joseph Olatunji Akinfenwa, the Chancellor, Ibadan Diocese, Justice (Mrs) Helen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju, Right Reverend Chijioke A. Aneke, Diocese of Udi, Enugu State, Right Reverend (Dr) Titus FaJemirokun, All Soul’s Church, Bodija, Ibadan and Right Reverend (Dr) Isaac Nwaobia, Isiala Ngwa South Diocese, Owerinta, Abia State (left) when Bishop Akinfenwa delivered the bishop charge during the third session of the twenty first synod held at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Oke Bola, Ibadan.

The Provost, The Cathedral of St James The Great, The Very Reverend (Dr) David O. Olagbaju (middle), Venerable (Dr) Cornelius Adagbada (right) and The Right Reverend Professor Matthew Ademoyegun Osunade (left).

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

SYNOD CLOSING THANKSGIVING SERVICE HELD AT ST PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, OKE BOLA, IBADAN PHOTOS: D’TOYIN

Diocesan Bishop of Ibadan, The Most Reverend (Dr) Joseph Olatunji Akinfenwa (second left); Right Reverend (Dr) Isaac Oluyemo, Bishop of Ijesha, North Diocese (left); Right Reverend (Dr) Obijole (third right), Right Reverend Kemi Oduntan, Ajayi Crowther Diocese (second right) and Right Reverend Rufus Okeremi (retd) (right); during the Synod closing thanksgiving service, held at St Paul Anglican Church, Oke Bola, Ibadan.

From right, Mrs Comfort Oluyemisi Akinfenwa, wife of Diocesan Bishop of Ibadan; O.O. Obijole, Mrs Margaret Oluyemo Ijesha North Diocese, Dr (Mrs) Felicia Oduntan Ajayi, Crowther Diocese and Mrs Esther Olajide.

Venerable Wole Ogunsehinde (middle), Venerable Babatunde Obaweya (left) and Venerable Abiodun Bolaji (right).

Diocesan Bishop of Ibadan, The Most Reverend (Dr) Joseph Olatunji Akinfenwa (middle), Venerable Barrister (Dr) Lyke Ozigbo (second right), The Chancellor, Diocese of Ibadan, Justice (Mrs) Hellen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju (second left), Barrister Prince Diran Adeyemo (left), Diocese Registrar, Ibadan and Barrister Tunde Olupona, Deputy Registrar, Diocese of Ibadan.

Right Reverend Titus B. Olayinka (right), chairman on the occasion, Barrister Sunday I. Adugo (middle) and Chief Ephraim Okorie.

Cross section of clergy wives.

The cross section of the venerables.

Bishop Akinfenwa and his wife, Comfort, flanked by Mrs Caron E. Grigsry Arthur from Liberia (left) and Brother Bola Ogunkoya from Liberia.

39 news

Monday, 4 April, 2016

Rivers rerun: INEC lied over disqualification of our candidate —PDP chairman •It merely allocated votes to PDP —APC chairman Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

T

WO weeks after the legislative rerun, Rivers State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are putting the blame of the outcome of the inconclusive exercise at the doorsteps of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Firing the first salvo, the ruling party in the state put a lie to a statement credited to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, that the commission excluded a candidate of the party from the election, only in compliance with court judgments in respect of the exercise.

Rivers PDP chairman, Mr Felix Obuah, in a statement, on Sunday, said INEC was far from the truth in the reason it gave for disqualifying Mr Tonye Alalibo of AkukuToru Constituency 2 from participating in the rerun.

According to him, the national electoral body lied and was only making efforts

to deceive the public when it did not have any evidence to justify its action.

Obuah said the action of INEC was an obvious case of compromise on the issue, claiming that there was no court judgment to show that both PDP and its candidate were excluded from participating in the election as

claimed by Ikoiwak.

He, therefore, challenged the Rivers REC to make public any of such evidences to justify his action or otherwise; INEC should revert its decision and declare the PDP candidate, who scored the highest number of votes winner, to demonstrate its professed neutrality and up-

rightness.

Obuah maintained that no election petition tribunal or Appeal Court had any right to disqualify any candidate, when the issue of disqualification was not part of the subject matter before them.

He added that INEC, on its part, lacked power to disqualify PDP candidate,

wondering where such disqualification came from, if not being induced, allegedly

by APC. He also alleged that the commission took the decision in bad faith, having been pressured to do same by the APC higher authorities, adding that it would be honourable and also save

Minister of Solid Minerals Development/guest lecturer, Dr Kayode Fayemi (right), being introduced to college officials and staff by the Commandant, National Defence College, Rear Admiral S.I . Alade, shortly before he delivered his lecture, “Solid Minerals and National Development in Nigeria,” at the NDC, Abuja, last Friday.

Bakare to Buhari: Set up commission to midwife new constitution Bola Badmus - Lagos SENIOR Pastor, Latter Day Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to institute a presidential commission for national reconciliation, reintegration and restructuring that will midwife a process of constitutional rebirth, culminating in a new constitution.

Bakare said this on Sunday, in his state of the nation address to mark the 27th anniversary of the church’s establishment, pointing out that the time had come, once again, to ask whether Nigeria was appropriately configured to survive current and coming upheavals, talk less of fulfilling her great destiny.

This was just as he contended that the 1999 Constitution was hurriedly put together by the military without the input of people of Nigeria, recalling that the clean copy of the document was only ready after President Obasanjo and governors who served under him had long been sworn into office.

Bakare said the presidential commission, which would comprise of a team of highly respected national influenc-

ers of high moral standing and unquestionable integrity, and having bridge-building antecedents should also be mandated to undertake other critical assignment for the country, while working closely with stakeholders and power blocs, as well as legislative houses.

According to him, the commission should be mandated to “create a new national identity for the Nigerian people; promote forgiveness and reconciliation among contentious interest groups in Nigeria; foster the integration of the diverse sectional groups in Nigeria into true nationhood; facilitate the creation of an acceptable functional governmental structure for Nigeria; and midwife a process of constitutional rebirth that will culminate in a referendum by which the people will adopt a new constitution.”

This was just as the man of God suggested that the report of the 2014 national conference, with its Nigerian Charter for National Reconciliation and Integration, which will provide a ready-made operational springboard for the team to work on.

The senior pastor of the Latter Day Assembly, while

maintaining that Nigeria was currently squarely in the midst of the predicted socio-economic and political quagmire, warranting a re-examination of the configuration of its nationhood, among others, said the national rebirth process could go on seamlessly alongside socio-economic development.

He said socio-economic development should be championed by the vicepresident, Yemi Osinbajoled economic team, while the national security and anti-corruption strategy should be headed by the president himself.

“However, within the allowance provided by the current constitution until it is replaced, socio-economic development and national security strategies will be channeled in line with the cutting-edge national philosophy from which the new constitutional order will emerge.

“Very importantly, this process will also result in the adoption of a longterm constitutionally backed national vision, which will subsequently guarantee accurate succession, as well as guide policy-making for many generations, irrespective of the party in

power. Partisan elections and leadership selection will then be based on determining which political party and which candidates have the best strategies to achieve the national vision.

That is the pathway to the New Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking on the current power configuration in the country, Bakare stated that power must be devolved to the levels of government that were closest to the people at the grass roots, maintaining that was best way to deliver public goods to the people.

“Central to the delivery of public goods is the devolution of powers. Political power is the vehicle through which economic value is allocated.

Therefore, power must be devolved to the levels of government that are closest to the people and that can best deliver public goods.

“Political power must then be used to facilitate the development of clusters. Clusterisation arises from the need to factor into the value creation process the cultural, geo-economic and biogeographical peculiarities of the various subnational entities, as well as the need to create competitive economies of scale. This necessitates the formation of zonal

or regional structures.

“The zonal blocs will become distributors of governance, channeling good governance to states which will act as wholesalers. Local governments, functioning as retailers of governance, will deliver public goods directly to the grassroots,” he said.

While recalling that the idea of a new Nigeria, built on the pillars of righteousness and peace, among others, had always been canvassed by successive leaders, but had failed to materialise up till now, Bakare said President Buhari had the opportunity now to leave a legacy of a new Nigeria, even as he prayed he got the priorities and strategies right.

“President Buhari has the opportunity to leave a legacy of a new Nigeria. I pray he gets the priorities and strategies right.

“It is obvious to all that there is a new sheriff in town and that this is not an era of business as usual. Now, all that is required to give Nigeria a national rebirth is the political will of a president, who enjoys a great deal of respect from the Nigerian people, including those who do not support him,” Bakare said.

public resources if INEC rightly declared the authentic winner in the election, following its poll’s records.

However, his APC counterpart, Dr Davies Ikanya, in another statement, insisted that the only a fresh rerun would be acceptable to the party, accusing INEC of allocating votes to PDP candidates in the earlier election held on March 19.

Ikanya, who claimed that he came to the conclusion after a careful study of the facts on ground in respect of the inconclusive rerun, further accused INEC of allocating votes to PDP to avoid being killed, allegedly by the state governor and PDP. He said APC outrightly rejected the results so far announced by INEC, saying that nothing, but total cancellation of the process and the holding of fresh rerun would be acceptable to it.

“We wish to put on record our total and uncompromising rejection of the results of the March 19 rerun so far announced by INEC, as these do not in any way reflect the current political realities on ground in Rivers State.

“These results, which indicate a mysterious landslide victory for PDP were allocated to the ruling party in the state, following unrelenting threats by Governor Nyesom Wike to the effect that anybody coming to conduct any election that would not favour PDP should first write their wills before coming to the state.

“The effect of these threats and their practical demonstration as seen in how people were burnt, beheaded and buried alive during the rerun election can clearly be seen in the shameful manner INEC is awarding victory to PDP,” he said.

He claimed that there was no difference between what happened on March 19 and during the elections of March 28 and April 11, 2015, which were cancelled by the courts.

“This was not a coincidence, considering that the apparatus used for both elections were basically the same. From the police leadership to most of the INEC officials and INEC ad hoc staff, the characters that organised the 2015 general election were the same characters that organised the March 19 rerun.

“It will be foolhardy to expect any different result. All these characters were set up by the former disgraced PDP administration rejected by Nigerians during the 2015 polls,” he added.

SIDELINES

NO 16, 471

N150

MONDAY, 4 APRIL, 2016

I

T is stale news that the Edo State Government demolished buildings owned by the University of Benin.

The demolished buildings situated in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) in Benin-City, the ancient city and capital of the great Kingdom of Benin in the present Edo State that I recently christened a state of broad daylight that is no more dispelling darkness. (The day shall come when you shall acquire the knowledge relating to my so christening of Edo State, a state that has produced more than numerous rousing, radical voices equally balanced by liberty-minded eggheads and personages of high distinction).

The said Uniben buildings were all occupied by eminent staff, high profile academics of this great citadel of learning, one of the best in the world, at least on account of its many graduates that are flying high the colours of the institution in and outside Nigeria. In fact, go to the UK, U.S.A., South Africa, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere even up to Japan and see and hear what it means to be an ex-Uniben. Maybe I am digressing, but it is an informed digression that is pertinent to draw your attention to the insolence of the oppressor and the insolence of his oppression relating to the Uniben scholars and administrators of distinction including two ex-vice chancellors, the immediate past vicechancellor of Uniben and a former female vice-chancellor of Benson Idahosa University, who have been obscenely thrown into the misery of shelterlessness through the actions, tactics and lawlessness of the “vanity” of the “trespasser,” as the current registrar of Uniben coined it, although not exactly as I put it here, in a recent “Press Release” published in Vanguard of Thursday, March it, 2016, page 32. When the news of the demolished buildings hit all and sundry, including our voiceful media, several months back this columnist deliberately refrained from uttering any word in the manner of the present enterprise on it. The reason for the abstinence then was simple. The columnist wanted the parties at war to make their distinctive positions and claims public in order

Due to the persisting fuel crisis (or, bluntly put, lack of cash!), many Nigerians who used to ride motorbikes to the shortest of distances have suddenly realised that trekking is good for health. Talk of philosophy in adversity!

in&out with Tony Afejuku 08055213059

UNIBEN and the vanity of the trespasser to be in an enormous state of mind to make an informed and unsentimental pronouncement devoid of an impulsive verdict. Of course, there was also his deep contemplation and consideration of the fact that the dispute was (and still is) in the world of our courts. In fact, the public world is aware of this.

Clearly, I have read and digested the various positions, including those of ASUU – local and national - and counter-replies of insults and abuses from the oppressors of Liberty, Equality and Property Rights of the violated academics. I have also heard of concoctions – which I dismissed as puerile hear-says - from certain quarters regarding the enthusiasm with which the “trespasser” demolished the buildings in dispute. Regardless of what the Court of Appeal will say eventually, the posture of the Edo State Government and its cohorts is intriguingly defective.

Why the speed, hurry and distinctive eagerness with which the Government of the “comrade-” governor of Edo State go about the “dispute” the way it did? Why is the “comrade”-governor allowing his cohorts of Falsehood to be “engaging the rumour mill with deliberate falsehood” regarding “the case involving the University of Benin and the Edo State Government”? Do I need to remind the “comrade”-governor that we expected him to run an ergatocracy the very day he assumed the throne of governance in Edo State? Obviously, a government

And now is time for ASUU to bare its fangs, ASUU that never shies away from battles and wars.

of workers and of the people will not, constitutionally or unconstitutionally, conspire with conspirators to demolish the houses and buildings of citizens the way the Edo State Government has done, no matter the merits of the government’s case. Many books and research materials and documents, aside personal effects, of many years’ standing and effort yielded to the extravagant display of the reckless enthusiasm of the governor’s demolition squad. No genuine comrade-governor in the saddle of government will do to any worker or citizen what Governor Oshiomhole has done to Uniben and its cherished and front-line academics.

Now, ASUU – Academic Staff Union of Universities – and several labour and civil organizations must be resenting and querying their now flawed judgment that availed the governor their dignified support in times past.

Let me state it loud and clear now: the eloquence of the afore-said “Press Release”

of Uniben’s registrar (who incidentally was/is a victim of the alleged “tactics of the Edo State Government of spreading fear and terror with their bulldozers of vandalism and lawlessness”) and the compelling reply (on page 21 of Vanguard of Tuesday, March 29, 2016) by the Edo State Government through its Information Commissioner induced and persuaded me to do this writing at this point in time.

And because the dispute between the parties is in court, I must keep dry my gun-powder and hold in abeyance any sentiment or submission that may affect the eventual ruling of the Court of Appeal now in possession of the case. But let me state as follows: the points of law raised in the Edo State Government’s “Press Release” are intriguing; I aver this from the perspective of a lay follower of law, yet as a literary detective I am un-swayed.

My explications de texte stand me in good stead. If the government is imperturbably sure of its case, why is it not ready to wait till the dead end of the dispute to start doing what it is doing?

In any case, I don’t see how at the end of the day, the vanity of the trespasser can cow the Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court from decorating justice with the garment of justice – even if the heavens fall and even if the judges are flattered “with the notion of doing great things by feeble or foul means.” And now is time for ASUU to bare its fangs, ASUU that never shies away from battles and wars, in out or courts.

6 more Nigerian wrestlers win Rio Olympic tickets

By Ganiyu Salman SIX more Nigerian wrestlers have qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics scheduled to hold in August this year in Brazil.

Odunayo Adekuoroye, it will be recalled, was the first Nigerian wrestler to pick up the Rio 2016 ticket after she won a bronze medal at the 2015 world championship in the United States.

Six wrestlers made up of four female and two male freestyle wrestlers out of the 10 wrestlers paraded by the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) at the Africa/Oceanic Olympic qualifiers which ended on Sunday in Algiers, Algeria, came back with Rio 2016 tickets.

The female wrestlers who join

Adekuoroye to Rio 2016 are Mercy Genesis (48kg), Aminat Adeniyi, (58kg), Blessing Oborududu (63kg) and Hannah Reuben (69Kg).

All Africa Games champion, Genesis who did not win any medal at the 2016 African Championship won all her three fights against Hanene Salaounandji of Algeria by Technical Fall, 10-0; Rebecca Muambo of Cameroon 7-2 and Jessica LaversMc Bain of Australia by Fall, (10-0) to emerge victorious in her category.

In the 58Kg, Adeniyi settled for the silver medal after she lost to Tunisian Marwa Amri by Technical Fall, while seven-time African champion, Blessing Oborududu also narrowly lost 7-8 to another Tunisian wrestler, Hela Riabi.

Reuben made up for her absence

at the 2016 African Championship, as she won a gold medal in Algiers after defeating Egyptian Enas Ahmed by 8-2.

In the male freestyle category, reigning African champion in the 65kg, Daniel Amas maintained his awesome form by defeating Australian Sahit Prizreni to qualify for Rio 2016.

Amas is not the only male wrestler to represent Team Nigeria in Rio as African bronze medallist, Soso Tamara who fought in the 97kg also qualified for the quadrennial Games.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian wrestlers who missed the party to Rio 2016 are female wrestler Blessing Onyebuchi (75Kg), male freestyle, Welson Ebikewinimo (57Kg), Melvin Bibo (74Kg) and Emmanuel Nworie (Greco Roman 66Kg).

Genesis

EPL results:

Leicester City Man utd

1 1

Southampton 0 Everton 0

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. Telephone: 08165728976; 08073598322. 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. 04/04/2016.