7th March 2016 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,451

MONDAY, 7 MARCH, 2016

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Nigerian Tribune

How we kidnapped Ikorodu students —Suspect

•Victims undergo medical test, reunite with families —P8

@nigeriantribune

Nigerian Tribune

N150

Generations yet unborn will forever appreciate Awo's legacies —Cleric —P6

Yes, Nigeria in Islamic coalition against terror, says Buhari —P15 Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, flanked by Chief Mercy Ajayi (second left); Mrs Oluwawemimo Anifowose (second right) and other mothers, to cut the cake during the holy communion thanksgiving service for Mothering Sunday and 29th posthumous birthday anniversary of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, held at Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, on Sunday. PHOTO: D'TOYIN

Ese's abduction, a criminal not religious act —Soyinka, Falana

BLACK SUNDAY

—P40

Minister Ocholi, wife, son die in auto crash

—P10

•We've lost a key component of change agenda —Buhari •Gunmen behead APC chief, kill wife, son in Rivers

Doing business is difficult in Nigeria —World Bank —P12

Federal Secretariat: How Lagos State govt cost FG N54bn in damages —P15

Scenes of the accident involving the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Mr James Ocholi, on Kaduna-Abuja highway, on Sunday. INSET: Ocholi

Invasion of Ekiti Assembly: I can't be intimidated by DSS —Fayose —P14

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Monday, 7 March, 2016 PHOTOS: TOMMY ADEGBITE & Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;TOYIN

29TH POSTHUMOUS BIRTHDAY OF CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO

From right, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran (middle), Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu and her grandchild, Master Iyanuloluwa Anifowose, at the 29th posthumous birthday of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, at Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Ikenne, on Sunday.

From left, Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, ANN Plc, Mr Edward Dickson, Editor, Sunday Tribune, Mr Sina Oladeinde and the Sales Manager, Dr (Mrs) Omotayo Lewis.

Chief Dipo Jimilehin (right), Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu and Mrs Wemimo Anifowose.

Mr Olumide Oyediran with Master Iyanuloluwa Anifowose and Mrs Anifowose.

Prince Yemi Adefulu and Prince Sunday Awomuti.

Reverend Emmanuel Sesan Adebajo and his wife, Oyindamola.

Mr Seun Ajayi and his wife, Ronke.

Chief Accountant, ANN Plc, Mrs Oluremi Olufisayo and the Human Resources Manager, Mrs Bukola Ezeamaka.

From left, Controller Business Development, ANN Plc, Mr Fola Oke, Mr Ayokunle Olaoye and Associate Editor, Mr Femi Olukunle.

Mr Bukky Awolowo and Mr Oluwafemi Awogboro.

Monday, 7 March, 2016

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Monday, 7 March, 2016

‘Generations yet unborn will forever appreciate Awo’s legacies’ Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

OR his contributions to the development of Nigeria, the legacies of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, will continue to be appreciated by generations yet unborn. This was said on Sunday, at his 29th posthumous thanksgiving birthday service, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State. In her sermon, Layreader Alarape Olurombi, noted that Awolowo worked for the good of all Nigerians and that generations yet unborn would reap from his good legacies. She maintained that the late Premier of the defunct Western Region had laid a solid foundation for the growth and progress of the

country. Mrs Olurombi also added that people were still celebrating Awolowo 29 years after his exit because of his good deeds. “The children of Awolowo are reaping from the good works of their father. He, indeed, worked for the good of Nigeria. Generations yet unborn will still reap from the good legacies of Awolowo. “Will your children say good things about you and I after our departure from this earth?,” she asked. Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, children of Chief Awolowo, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, eulogised their father for the spartan training and unequalled discipline he gave his children. Oyediran, who is the

chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, promised that the family would continue to uphold the good name of their parents. She admonished Nigerian leaders to research and read books written by the sage, so as to learn more on his leadership styles and qualities. Also, Awolowo Dosumu, the Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, appreciated Nigerians for celebrating Chief Awolowo, even in death. In attendance at the service were Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Chief Dipo Jimilehin, the management staff of ANN Plc, led by its Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief, Mr Edward Dickson, and other dignitaries.

Boko Haram: Troops clear terrorists from Dure James Bwala - Maiduguri SOLDIERS of 121 Task Force Battalion, 26 Task Force Brigade, has carried out a clearance operation at Dure district, on Saturday, as a result of intensified efforts towards clearing remnants of Boko Haram terrorists from some hideouts in the North-Eastern part of the country. A statement from acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, said during the encounter, troops met stiff

resistance from the terrorists. The statement further read: “They, however, overcame and cleared Dure 1, Dure 2, Jango, Dibiye and other suspected Boko Haram terrorists’ hideouts within the district. Three soldiers sustained injuries from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED); they were immediately evacuated for medical treatment and are in stable condition. “During the operation, troops killed several terrorists and recovered two

Abia rerun: INEC declares Ohuabunwa winner Celestine Ihejirika - Umuahia THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Senator Mao Arukwe Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the Abia North Senatorial rerun, which held at the weekend. Announing the result in Ohafia, the INEC Returning Officer for the rerun, Dr Nduka Nwaankwojike, said six parties participated in the election. The election, which the Returning Officer had earlier declared inconclusive

as of 7.00 a.m. on Sunday, was later reverted after. The Returning Officer had consulted the INEC state headquarters in Umuahia, the Abia State capital. It was gathered from the result declared that Senator Ohuabunwa of the PDP polled 26,009; Dr Orji Uzor Kalu of PPA scored 25,814; Mrs Lancaster Okoro of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 916; Chief David Ogba of APGA scored 13,633, LP,147 and the UPP, 170. Meanwhile, details of reactions will come in full details in Tuesday’s edition.

hand-held Motorola radios, one of which was booby-trapped, aw well as materials for making IEDs and destroyed several grains storage facilities.” Meanwhile, a combined team of units under 26 Task Force Brigade based in Gwoza, also on Saturday, cleared Amdaga Makaranta and Amdaga Madachi of terrorists’ remnants, during which two terrorists were killed. According to a statement, the operation further revealed the new and desperate strategy of the Boko Haram sect was hiding its logistics, especially grains for the rainy season in dugouts and the use of hand-held radios primed with IEDs, as booby-traps. In another development, the GOC 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, with headquarters in Maiduguri, Brigadier-General Ezugwu, has assured that the military is confident that God, who gives victory, is helping the military to decode and frustrate all terrorists’ evil plans and machinations. Ezugwu further noted that it was the military’s determined objective to ensure the Boko Haram menace would be consigned to the dustbin of inglorious history in the annals of Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Lagos

From left, Emmanuel Arigidi; Akanji Seun and James Henry, during the parade of abductors of students of Babington Macaulay School, at the governor’s office, Alausa, on Sunday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

The abducted girls when they were brought to the school after their release on Sunday morning.

How we kidnapped Ikorodu students — Suspect

BolaBadmusandOlalekan Olabulo

HE only suspect arrested in connection with the abduction of three female students of Babington Macauley Junior Secondary School, Ikorodu, has opened up on how the operation was executed. Emmanuel Arigidi, who was arrested with two collaborators also disclosed in a confessional revelation how a disagreement among the 12-man gang members led to the eventual release of the abducted girls, who are said to have been reunited with their families. Emmanuel, who spoke with journalists at the Lagos House, Ikeja where he was paraded by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, said they went to the operation with three locally made guns and four rifles. According to the suspect, who named one Francis as the team leader, 12 people were involved in the operation and that the operation was planned at Majidun area of Ikorodu. “We went to Maya bridge to enter canoe and went to the school around 8:00 p.m. After we gained entrance into the school, we took away three girls and we took them to our hideout. Along the line, we had disagreement because I told other members of the gang that what we have done is not good and that I don’t like it.

•Victims undergo medical test, reunite with families •2 accomplices arrested •No ransom was paid — Police “I know that security in Lagos State is now tight and I was telling others that there was no way we would get away with this kind of job considering the level of security in the state. When I told them that we should end the assignment, other members of the gang threatened to kill me and then I took canoe to run away. “Three days after I ran away, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), then, arrested me somewhere in Majidun and that was how I told them how we planned the attack. One thing I will like to say is that if not for the fact that I was arrested, they would not have seen the girls because I was the one that revealed everything to the police,” he narrated. Addressing newsmen earlier, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode gave an assurance that his administration had the will and capacity to fight all forms of crime and criminality in the state, warning that there would be no hiding place for such acts of criminality in the state. Ambode spoke in company with the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, and Commissioner for Information, Mr Fatai Owoseni, State Commissioner for Information, Mr Steve Ay-

orinde, among others. The governor, while reading the riot act to persons who have taken to kidnapping in the state, “Let me warn that the State Government will not tolerate kidnapping or any forms of crime in the State. Our position is clear and unambiguous, “Lagos State has the capacity and the will to go after every form of crime and criminality in order to safeguard lives and property in the state.” The governor expressed relief and excitement at the rescue of the girls just as he commended the efforts of security operatives who led the rescue efforts. “The three girls have been safely re-united with their families and the government wishes to assure Lagosians that their security is top priority and it will not relent in ensuring that Lagos remains safe and secure,” he added. The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, in his address, said three suspects were arrested in the operation that led to the rescue of the girls. According to him, one of the suspects Emmanuel Arigidi, was actively involved, while two others – Seun Akanji and one Henry were conspirators who aided the kidnapping one way or the

other. The police boss disclosed that the girls were rescued around Imota in Ikorodu, but declined to disclose further details on where the suspects were picked in order not to jeopardize ongoing investigation. “With respect to the state of the girls, they are very well and they are stable. I can confirm that immediate medical attention has been given to them by the police medical team. One of the questions we asked the girls was whether they were molested in any way and the three of them stated unequivocally that they were not molested in any way,” he said. Speaking on whether a

ransom was paid, Owoseni said nothing of such happened as police deployed intelligence-led policing using the platform of technology and partnering with members of the community to put pressures on the kidnappers to secure the release of the girls. “When you talk about ransom in cases like this, you are glorifying kidnapping. We should not be talking about ransom anymore in this country because if you do, you are telling others that kidnapping is viable and you can be going and kidnapping people to collect money. “What was employed in rescuing the girls is more of application of intelli-

gence-led policing using the platform of technology, partnering with members of the community and putting pressures on the kidnappers. We also went for members of their families including their mothers, their fathers, and their children and with that pressure, they found out that there was no way again for them to keep on keeping the girls and that was what led to the success we recorded in rescuing the girls,” the CP explained,” the CP explained. Owoseni assured residents that Lagos remains safe and secure, saying that the state government and security agencies had the capacity to pursue any criminal who dared at all to come and disturb the peace or to commit crime in the state.

on February 26, 2016, at 2, Faith Mission Estate, Satellite Town, wilfully and lawfully damaged two buildings belonging to one Dr Mariam Iyabode Adeleye. The two defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Upon their plea, Mrs Imelda Adebambo, who was their lawyer urged the court to grant them bail in the most liberal term. Consequently, the Magistrate, Miss Ope-Agbe, admitted them to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two

sureties each. The sureties according to the magistrate must present to court evidence of three years tax payable to Lagos State government, means of livelihood and have their addresses verified by the court’s prosecutor. Ope-Agbe however ordered that the two defendants be remanded in prisons custody pending the perfection of their bail, while she adjourned the matter till April 18, for mention.

Lawyer accused of demolishing buildings, assaulting owner Gbemi Solaja A 34-year-old lawyer, Bayo Philip Adebowale, was on Friday arraigned before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrates’ Court, for unlawfully demolishing two buildings, and also causing grievous harm to the owner of the buildings. Charged along with the lawyer was 48-year-old Austine Izagbe. Police in the charge alleged that the two accused persons and others now at large had

Monday, 7 March, 2016

metro

Developer accused of forging colleague’s signature to secure contract

Edited by

Lanre Adewole

AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

23-yr-old man accused of bruising 3-year-old’s vagina with fingers AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin A 23-year-old trader has been accused of thrusting his fingers in the vagina of a three-year-old. According to the police, Obinna Obaji, allegedly committed the crime at 32, Orisumbare Street, Iyana Ipaja, adding that Obaji lived in the same compound with the victim’s mother. “It was when the victim, a three-year-old girl, wanted to urinate that her mother discovered that

she was finding it difficult to urinate and also crying. The mother saw marks on her daughter’s vagina and when she asked her what happened, the girl said it was the defendant that inserted his hand into it,’’ the Police prosecutor, Benedict Aigbokhan said. He was charged before an Ikeja Magistrates’ court on a one-count charge of sexual assault, but he pleaded not guilty. The Chief Magistrate, Tajudeen Elias granted him bail of N1 million, and or-

dered Obaji to produce two sureties in like sum as part of the bail conditions. Elias said Obaji should

deposit N100, 000 into the Chief Registrar’s Account, pending the determination of the case and adjourned

A 24-year-old lady, identified as Blessing Edet has been remanded in prison over the alleged murder of her boyfriend, Edet Ebong, who she allegedly stabbed with a knife on August

18, 2015. According to the police, the deceased and Blessing lived together in the same apartment at 1, Falana Street Ogbombo, Lekki. It was gathered that the deceased on the day of the incident had gone

From left, Lagos State Attoney General/Commissioner of Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode; Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni and the Commander, 9 Mechanised Brigade, Brigadier-General Bulama Biu, during the parade of the abductors of students of Babington Macaulay School, on Sunday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Court extends detention of NURTW chairman AN Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, has ordered that the chairman of Meran branch of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Wasiu Onibudo, 62, remain in prison custody. Chief Magistrate Afolashade Botoku (Mrs) gave the order following the non -availability of an advice from the office of Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The NURTW chairman was brought before the court by detectives from the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of Lagos State Police Command, Panti-Yaba, on January 31, on charges bordering on conspiracy and murder, following an

application for remand by the prosecutor, Mr Godwin Osuyi. Osuyi had informed the court that the accused was alleged to have conspired with others now at large and killed one Taiwo Ogunlaja, by stabbing him severally on the body, adding that the accused committed the offence during a NURTW’s meeting held on December 3, 2015, the Union’s headquarters situated at 365, Abeokuta Expressway, Abule-Egba, Lagos. In urging the Court to remand the accused, the prosecutor informed the court that the remand application is supported with a 10-paragraph-affidavit deposed to by Inspector Bartholomew Ali of IGP Monitoring Unit, Abuja, and attached

the case till April 13 for the Department of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) advice.

Lady stabs drunk boyfriend to death over sex Gbemi Solaja

with a charge sheet; a petition written to the police by Plenary Solicitors; the deceased photograph; medical certificate of cause of the death and a statement of a witness, named Ahmed Balogun. However, at the resumed hearing of the matter last Wednesday, the prosecutor, Osuyi, informed the court that the DPP was yet to issue an advice on the matter. He therefore urged the court to adjourn the matter to enable the prosecution find out why the advice was delayed. Consequently, the magistrate, Chief Magistrate Botoku, ordered that the NURTW chairman be returned to prison, pending when the DPP will issue an advice on the matter, while

adjourned the matter till April 8.

Nigerian Tribune

out during the day and got back home drunk. On getting home, he demanded to have sex with Blessing who denied him saying that she was tired. Ebong disagreed with her and tried to force her which resulted in a fight. In the process, the deceased allegedly got angry and broke the wall mirror picking out a slice from it. When Blessing saw this, she reportedly picked up a knife and allegedly stabbed him. Ebong was rushed to the hospital for treatment, where he died after a week. The offence is contrary and punishable under Section 221 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011. The Magistrate, Mrs Folarin Williams of an Ebutte Metta Magistrate’s court adjourned the matter till April 4 for advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

A 48-year-old Property Developer, Olorunfemi Bamidele has been arrested for allegedly forging the signature of one Ikolo Yusuf in order to secure a building project. Bamidele, who resides at No. 12, Efon Alaye Str. Ijaiye Ojokoro, allegedly committed the offences on June 25, 2011, at No. 64, Clem Road, Ijaiye. According to the police, Bamidele conspired with another at large and forged Yusuf’s signature and used his company’s forged letter-headed paper to secure the project. “In 2010, one Mrs Lasisi called Yusuf to develop a building for her but due to lack of funds he could not take the contract. “The accused then went to Lasisi in 2011 to secure the project without the complainant’s knowledge, using his company’s name, Muraine Projects. “Bamidele prepared an agreement, wrote the complainant’s name on it and forged his signature without his consent. “Unfortunately for the accused, the acceptance letter was sent to the complainant by Lasisi’s lawyer. “Yusuf reported the matter to the police who traced the forged documents to the accused,’’ the police said. The offences contravened Sections 318,363,364,380 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, when he was arraigned before an ikeja Magistrate Court. The Senior Magistrate, Mr. J.A. Adegun, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000, with two sureties in like sum. He adjourned the case till March 9 for trial.

A pile of waste in front of Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), Ojota dump site. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

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Monday, 7 March, 2016

Minister Ocholi, wife son die in auto crash Buhari, Atiku, Bello, APC mourn From Yinka Oladoyinbo, Soji-Eze Fagbemi, Clement Idoko and Leon Usigbe

INISTER of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi, his wife, one of his sons and one other person, on Sunday, died in an auto crash on KadunaAbuja highway. His wife died later, as she was initially in a critical condition, but others died on the spot. The accident was said to have occured when the minister was returning from a journey to Kaduna with members of his family. It was learnt that one of the tyres of the SUV conveying him burst on high speed and the car sumersaulted before running into another SUV in the convoy. The impact of the accident was said to be so severe that the minister and his son died on the spot, while his wife and the driver of his vehicle were initially rushed to Doka Clinic, a village near Kaduna. Confirming, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), through the Head, Media and Strategy, Mr Bisi Kaseem said, all the victims had been taken to National Hospital, Abuja. Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Siriki, who also confirmed the incident in a tweet, said the crash occurred on Sunday afternoon in Kaduna State. President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, expressed shock and sadness over the tragic death of Ocholi.

In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, in Abuja, Buhari described the death as untimely, regretting that Nigeria had lost a key component of the change agenda. “Barrister Ocholi was an accomplished and patriotic Nigerian, who was keen to accept the call to service at a time his country needed him,” he said. President Buhari added that in the few months he had been in office, the late Ocholi had already begun to distinguish himself through his commitment and dedication to his portfolio. The president also condoled with the government and people of Kogi State, which he described as having lost a distinguished and irreplaceable son.

Atiku mourns Former vice-president and chieftain of APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, expressed shock and sadness at the untimely and sudden death of Ocholi. A press statement from the media office of the former vice-president described the late Ocholi as “a wise and brilliant man, who was expected to impact significantly on the Buhariled administration and the lives of Nigerians in many positive ways.” Atiku lamented that the nation had lost a committed professional whose place in his profession, political party and the budding administration in place today, would be hard to fill.

The statement urged those who knew the deceased, notably President Muhammadu Buhari, his colleagues at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the generality of Nigerians to take heart and bear the irreparable loss.

It’s a monumental loss -Gov Bello Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, described the death of the minister as a monumental loss to the state in particular and the country in general. The governor, who expressed shock and devastation at the news, saying the deceased was a prag-

matic, dynamic, humane and brilliant law officer, who was known around the world for his dexterous approach to legal and political issues and “one of the most unswerving constitutional lawyers Nigeria has ever produced.” Bello, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Kingsley Fanwo, recollected with nostalgia, how the late minister joined other progressive minded individuals around the country to drive the intellectual pillars of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the late Ocholi as a complete gentleman who

How the budget was muddled up by NGO Taiwo Adisa - Abuja

FEDERAL Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have budgeted more than N40 billion for purchase of vehicles, buses and vans in the 2016 budget, a check through the budget has revealed. Details obtained from the budget proposals currently being worked on by the National Assembly indicated that the total allocation for purchase of motor vehicles, buses and trucks in the 2016 budget is about N41.41billion. It was confirmed that some big spending agencies, including the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central

Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) will be spending a total of N12 billion on vehicles and buses in the year. The sum of N24.38 billion is allocated for purchase of motor vehicles generally by some ministres and departments, while the same agencies allocated the sum of N1.67 billion for purchase of buses. The sum of N362.65 million is allocated for purchase of vans. But some MDAs, including the Judiciary and the National Assembly, did not include details of the figures meant for purchase of vehicles in the year.

•It’s an unacceptable sin –CP A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) at Omoku, in Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr Franklin Obi, was, on Saturday night, killed and beheaded by yet-to-be identified gunmen. The gunmen also killed his wife and 18-year-old son, Bestman, in the attack said to have taken place at about 9.00 p.m. Sources revealed to the Nigerian Tribune that some of the hoodlums were seen by some members of the community before the incident took place at the residence of the victims on Rutachi Street, Omoku. This was as the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Musa Kimo, confirmed the incident, describing it as a very sad and unfortunate

development. A teenage daughter of the deceased, Victory, who witnessed and survived the incident, narrated how the hoodlums cut off her father’s head and took it away. Victory, about 16-yearold, said she and her late brother were hiding somewhere in the room, from where they peeped through and saw how the gunmen were cutting off her father’s head. “Last night, I was inside when I heard my mum crying. We heard the sound of a gunshot and he was somewhere in the room. I opened the curtain of my room and I saw the men cutting off my father’s head. “They then came to our room and ordered me and my brother to come out. As we were coming, my brother was moving slowly and

We are in shock –APC The national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a

statement by its national secretary, Mai Mala Buni, described the deaths as a monumental loss. Buni, in a condolence message, said the late Ocholi, who was the party’s former deputy national legal adviser, would will be remembered for his selfless service to the country, party, legal profession and his home state, Kogi. While extending his condolences to the people and government of Kogi State, Buni prayed to Almighty God to grant Ocholi’s immediate family the fortitude to bear the painful loss.

2016 budget: MDAs to spend N40bn on cars

Gunmen behead Rivers APC chief, kill wife, son in Rivers Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt

was irrevocably committed to the advancement of Nigeria. He summed up his death as an irreparable loss to Kogi State, Nigeria, the APC and the legal profession, while he prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed. Ocholi was from Abocho in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State and the governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) during the 2011 election.

Nigerian Tribune

they shot him. They then left with my father’s head,” she said amid sobs. The state police commissioner, who visited the ancestral home and the residence of the deceased on a condolence visit, on Sunday, expressed sadness that some of the people of the area, having sighted some of the masked gunmen earlier, did not call the police. “I am here in Omoku this time on a sad note. It is sad in the sense that we are all bereaved. The governor, I and other security officers were in Omoku two weeks ago in search of peace. Unfortunately, violence has continued to pervade, dovetailing into kidnappings and murders. “Last night, precisely 2100 hours, one Mr Franklin Obi, APC chairman, Ward 4, Omoku, the wife and son were gruesomely murdered

in their house. This is bad, this is a sin and totally not acceptable. “I am here to commiserate with the deceased’s family and also to restrategise and put pungent security measures in place in order to forestall future occurrence,” he said. He also assured that investigation into the killings in Omoku, including Saturday’s murder of Franklin Obi, his wife and son, were ongoing, adding that no stone would be left unturned in unravelling those behind the dastardly act and bring them to book. Also, Eze Ogba of Ogbaland, Sir Chukumela Nnam Obi II, who spoke when the state Commissioner of Police visited him in his palace, expressed sadness over the killing in Omoku and the entire local government area.

Though the National Assembly has expressed its readiness to buy project vehicles worth N4.7 billion, the figures for the Ministry of Finance and the Judiciary were not provided. The Presidency had originally budgeted the sum of N3.6 billion for the purchase of vehicles in the 2016 budget, but the figures were changed to N360 million following outcry in the media. The balance of N3.2 billion on the original amount for the purchase of cars in the presidency was moved to other subheads, fuelling suspicion among the lawmakers that the money was being reserved for the original purpose. Details obtained from the budget indicated that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation would spend the sum of N400 million on purchase of vehicles in the year, while the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) will spend the sum of N1.7 billion. Ministry of Education is to spend N1.2 billion for purchase of vehicles, while it plans to spend another N54 million on purchase of vans. The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) will spend N26.6 million on purchase of trucks and the same amount on purchase of 4x4 Hillux vehicles, while the Presidential Air Fleet will spend N27 million on purchase of vehicles, another N154,000 on purchase of motorcycles. Other agencies which made provision for purchase of vehicles include Police Service Commission, which budgeted N101.8 million for vans; N4.4 million for utility vehilcles and another N97.4 million for utility vehicles. Ministry of Works, Power

and Housing has a budget of N74 million for purchase of vehicles in 2016, while the Federal Road Maintenance Agency has the sum of N1.8 billion for the purchase of some assests. Other ministries and agencies and their expenditure on vehicles included Transport (N29 million for vehicles and N65 million for buses; Water Resources (N24.5 million); Budget Office of the Federation (N170 million); National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (N42.5 million); Agricultural Reseacrch and Management Institute, Ilorin (N65.5 million); Federal College of Produce Inspection and Stored Products Technology, Kano (N10 million). Meanwhile, indications emerged on Sunday that a non-governmental organisation (NGO), with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) got the Consultancy for the compilation of 2016 budget, which eventually got muddled up. Sources said the NGO, named FEPAR, had managed the budget process in Lagos State in the years past but did not understand the template at the federal level, leading to the mix-up in the implementation of the Zero Budget system, which informed the serious padding seen in the budget. It was gathered that FEPAR developed a template which was not in conformity with the GIFMIS programme of the Federal Government. The development led to the collapse of the Zero Budget policy, and apparently forced the organisation to adopt in a hurry the incremental policy in operation before the Zero Budget arrangement.

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Monday, 7 March, 2016

NNPC unbundling: NUPENG expresses displeasure OlatundeDodondawa-Lagos

HE Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expressed its disappointment and displeasure over the intention of the Federal Government to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into 30 companies without following due process. The union stated in a statement, signed by Comrade Joseph Ogbebor, Acting General Secretary, and made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, that it believes it is an attempt to provoke the oil and gas workers and cause industrial unrest in the country. NUPENG stated that the restructuring in the oil and gas industry, especially the NNPC to achieve optimal performance cannot be gotten without due consultations with the Unions and stakeholders in the sector, or on a table of academic exercise. The union condemned the unilateral action of the Minister of State, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, as the decision is not in consonance with the laws establishing the NNPC. It stressed that the unbundling and rebranding of NNPC as announced by the Minister of State is another public policy change which is not consistent with the Act and Laws establishing NNPC and that it will be resisted by oil and has workers in the country. The Union added that the legality, appropriateness and timelessness of the whole exercise is condemnable. “We will not tolerate a situation whereby the planned unbundled companies will now hide under the cover to start disengaging its workers. Job creation and job security have been the change mantra of the current administration,” it said. The Union reiterated that the move is to kill the NNPC by all means but that they should know that the Corporation is a creation of law and that it will take the repealing of the original Act to effect the changes that they are planning to do. The Union states that those who want to destroy the oil and gas industry, want to destroy the country and call on President Buhari to call them to order. The Union warned that it will not fold its hands and watch NNPC being fragmented into pieces with no clear objectives on how the present manpower will be managed, and to make

NNPC perform better as an oil and gas company. NUPENG said it frowned at a situation whereby the new companies will have 30 Managing Directors which will tend to be too wieldy and unmanageable. “We will not condone a

situation like the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) into fragmented companies which led to serious job losses that the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) is still battling with till to-

day,” it said. The Union urged the Federal Government to desist from going ahead with this policy change in NNPC to avoid the wrath of the workers in the sector. “As earlier advised, the Minister of Petroleum and

the Commander-in-Chief of our great country should call all critical stakeholders, National Assembly, Stakeholder Unions, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, industry players to carry out a surgical operation in NNPC,” it stated.

From left, John Aboh, Chairman, Ecobank Nigeria; Ade Ayeyemi, GCEO, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI): Jibril Aku, Former Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria and Charles Kie, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria at the bank’s Board of Directors’ Dinner in honour of new and immediate past directors of Ecobank Nigeria in Lagos on Saturday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Manufacturers groan as govt’s forex policy takes toll on businesses

•Over 100 members may shut down businesses in the first quarter of the year Akin Adewakun - Lagos

OPERATORS in the real sector of the nation’s economy have, again, appealed to the federal government to prevail on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to review its policies on forex restriction, especially those that have to do with importation of raw materials since the policy, they argued, had begun to take its toll on businesses in the sector. Making this call in Shagamu, Ogun State, after inspecting the recently-commissioned multibillion naira Tomato paste plant, Sonia Foods, sited in the city, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr Frank Jacobs, argued that it had become imperative for the federal government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to revisit the list of 41 items affected by the new policy, by giving waivers to some of the companies whose raw materials are on the list. While throwing his weight behind the new policy, the MAN boss, however argued that companies affected by the policy should be given between 18 to 24 months for backward integration before the policy is fully

enforced. “The way it is now, a lot of companies might be forced to shut down once they run out of stock. For instance, you can see that this company now may not have the capacity to continue once it runs out of the consignment of raw materials that they presently have. “And, unfortunately, if that happens, what will happen to the hundreds of people working in the company? ‘Interestingly, this is not the only complaint I’ve received from members as MAN President. Other members whose raw materials are on the list are also complaining. In fact, I’ve

received complaints from about 100 of them, saying that they may have no option than to shut down by the first quarter of the year if the federal government failed to revisit the policy,’ he stated. Corroborating the MAN’s President position, the Managing Director of Sonia Foods, Mr. Nnamdi Nodibe stated that the company might shut down by July this year when its reserves of tomato concentrates must have been exhausted, if the policy is not reviewed.. “No doubt, it is a very good policy, but what we are asking for is to be given time. We are already working towards that, through

backward integration, but it is going to take some time, that is why we asking government to give us between 18 and 24 months for us to cultivate the tomato concentrates locally. “We’ve already acquired a land, but it is not something that you do over night. The challenge is about what will happen after we must have exhausted these raw materials that we presently have here by July this year. I think government needs to do something about it if it is really sincere about creating that enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” he stated.

Nigerian Tribune

‘ICT remains tool for employment generation’ By Gbenga Olumide

A former member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Honourable Adijat Adeleye-Oladapo, has described the knowledge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as one of the tools that could curb the high level of unemployment in the country. Adeleye-Oladapo, a two term member of the assembly, gave the charge while addressing the 9th Batch graduands of the Motunrayo -Adeleye Free ICT Centres at Akute in Ifo Local Government Area of the state. She urged the youth, irrespective of their socioeconomic background, to embrace the principles and practices of ICT to further reduce unemployment rate in the country to the barest minimum. The former lawmaker said that the establishment of the centre was part of her efforts to ensuring that everyone in Ifo Constituency II, especially the indigent ones, acquired necessary information and communication technology skills. “ICT knowledge is very important, especially for the youth both male and female and it is necessary in this 21st Century. “I want to pledge my commitment towards running the free training and I want to tell you that the centres has been affording youths in the area the opportunity to enhance their technological skills for meaningful impact in the society,” she said. In his remarks, the Director of the Centre, Mr Ademola Akintoye, stated that the centre had in the last three years produced over 1,000 graduands in Desktop Publishing and Computer Engineering.

Diversification: Skye Bank boss advocates investment in manufacturing GROUP Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Skye Bank Plc, Mr Timothy Oguntayo, has called for massive investment in the manufacturing, Agriculture and Extractive industries for the success of the diversification program of the government. Oguntayo disclosed this at a ‘roundtable session on the Manufacturing outlook for 2016’ organised by Dr Biodun Adedipe led BAA Associates in Lagos on Wednesday. According to the Skye Bank boss, who was a lead panelist at the roundtable;

the three identified sectors were critical for the success of the economic diversification agenda of the current government in view of the dwindling oil prices, low GDP growth, and rising unemployment in the country. Oguntayo who went down memory lane, said the manufacturing sector contributed 10 per cent of GDP before the oil boom of 1970s but lamented Nigeria’s overdependence on oil export and earnings from the 1990s to date. He said the over dependence on oil resulted in the

neglect of the manufacturing sector; just as low investment in public goods and infrastructure led to the decline in manufacturing activities. To reverse the negative trend, the lead Banker recommended the expansion of public infrastructure like road, electricity, among others to promote manufacturing. In addition, he advised manufacturers to access the earmarked N200 billion Central Bank of Nigeria and N200 billion Bank of Industry’s intervention funds to boost their operations. Noting that commercial

banks were not structured to provide long term funding but bridge finance, he said the Bank of Industry and NEXIM Bank should be strengthened to provide long term funding for manufacturers. The CEO who was applauded by participants for his candour and refreshing perspective on issues, also called for the creation of development and industrial clusters to enable manufacturers share some of the fixed costs of running their facilities with other manufacturers thereby reducing their operating costs.

businessnews

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Nigeria slumps in 2016 World Bank Ease-of-Doing-Business

Ranks 182 out of 189 economies Tola Adenubi - Lagos

IGERIA slumped backwards in the latest World Bank Ease-OfDoing-Business chart, as the nation’s economy slumped to number 182 out of 189 economies in 2016; a figure that was 20 places worse off than what the nation polled in the last quarter of 2015 when she was ranked 169 out of the same number of economies. According to the World Bank Doing business-Trading across borders report 2016, Nigeria economy is just better than six economies globally in terms of ease of doing business across trade border. Parameters used in the latest World Bank report are customs clearance and inspections; inspection by other agencies of government; port or border handling at most widely used port or border of the economy; obtaining, preparing and submitting documents during clearance, inspections and port or border handling, amongst others. Shedding more light on why there is a lull in cargo throughput at the nations seaports and vessels are being diverted to neighbouring ports, the World Bank document reveals that in Ghana, it will take an importer about 23 days (564 hours) to complete all necessary border and documentary compliance certificates to bring in goods into the country, while an exporter will spend eight days (197 hours) to complete all necessary documents for export. However, in Nigeria, for trade across border, an importer will spend 55 days (1327 hours) to complete all necessary border and documentary compliance certificates to bring in goods

into the country while an exporter will spend 12 days (290 hours) to complete all necessary documents for export.

On the cost to importers in Ghana, the report stated that it will cost an importer $1027 to import goods into the country while an export-

country sums up the low level of participation in export exercises at the nations seaport. On the African continent, the report reveals that Swaziland is number one in terms of Ease-of-DoingBusiness across borders, while Ghana ranks ahead of Nigeria in number 171.

Shola Adekola - Lagos

From left, Director, Financial System Strategy 2020, CBN, Mr M. D. Suleyman; Director, Consumer Protection Department, CBN, Hajiya Umma Dutse; Director, Banking and Payment System, CBN and Chairman of Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF), Mr Dipo Fatokun; Head, e-payments, GTBank, Mr Deji Oguntonade and Executive Director, UBA, Mr Femi Olalokun, at the general meeting of the Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum in Lagos.

Naira holds steady at N318 on parallel market Chima Nwokoji-Lagos

THE naira advanced by 9.14 per cent to close last week at N318 to the dollar from N350/$ at the Bureau de Change segment while the local currency appreciated by 9.86 per cent at the parallel market to N320/$ (from N355/$) as at Thursday, March 4. Although the local currency was quoted at N310 to the dollar by mid-day on Friday,it closed at the above rate, even as the naira oscillated between N330 and N310 to the dollar within the week to Friday. The unsteady exchange rate last week however, remained firmer than the N350 to the dollar last week at the parallel market. The CBN clearing rate and interbank rate remained sta-

ble at N197/$ and N199.10/$ respectively. “We have seen some resistance on the part of buyers not willing to pay more for the dollar,” one dealer said. Traders said that the dollar supply remains tight but markets will continue to trade within the prevailing band as long as buyers are not willing to pay more for the available dollars. Meanwhile the apex bank announced that about $20billion are held privately in bank accounts as speculators bet against the Naira. “This week,we expect relative stability of the US dollar/ naira pair as speculators continue to unwind their position,” dealers at Cowry Assets Management Limited said. The central bank intervenes once a week in the

As NNPC consolidates Operation ‘One Cargo per Day’ THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) over the weekend stepped up measures designed to eliminate the challenges experienced by members of the public in accessing petrol across the country. The NNPC, in a release noted that the intervention mechanism which is powered by the ‘Operation One Cargo per Day’ programme has enabled the supply and distribution of petrol, leading to the noticeable reduction in the length of fuel

into the country while an exporter will spend $1036 to export goods out of the country. The higher cost of exporting goods out of the

FAAN ready for international audit —Dunoma

Fuel Supply: Respite for motorists, commuters, others Ayodele Adesanmi -Abuja

er will spend $645 to export goods out of the country. In Nigeria, the indicators reveal that it will cost an importer $471 to import goods

queues across the country, especially in Lagos and Abuja. The corporation in a statement signed by Ohi Alegbe, the Group General Manager, Public Affairs, informed that “Under the `One Cargo per Day’ operation which teed-off effective 1 March, 2016, the Corporation takes delivery of one cargo of PMS everyday which is the equivalent of 45 million litres for onward distribution to fuel stations across the country in a labyrinth of massive motorised movement involving over 2000 fuel trucks daily.”

The NNPC noted that despite the challenges which are exacerbated by the inability of the refineries to function optimally owing to unrestrained attacks on vital crude supply lines, constant assault on the Arepo axis of the system 2B pipeline network, strikes at various agencies in Lagos, inability of major marketers to import fuel over a long time due to fiscal challenges and gaps from expected but undelivered volumes from the majors, the corporation is working assiduously to restore sanity to the fuel supply and distribution matrix.

official interbank foreign exchange market to provide dollars for eligible importers, while it requires commercial lenders to fund its naira account 48 hours ahead of the intervention. Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected calls by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to lift the foreign exchange curbs and allow a more flexible rate for the country’s currency. “No,” he told pan-Arab Al Jazeera television in an interview posted on the station’s website, when asked whether he would consider ending the fixed naira rate to the dollar and devalue the currency.

He said hard currency curbs were necessary as Africa’s top oil producer could no longer afford to import as much as it had in the past due to dwindling oil revenues. Last month, the IMF called on Nigeria to lift the curbs imposed by the central bank last year and let the naira reflect “market forces” more closely, as the restrictions had significantly affected the private sector. The naira trades versus the dollar on the secondary market some 40 per cent below the official rate as the central bank has limited access to hard currency to preserve its falling currency reserves.

THE Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engineer Saleh Dunoma confirmed yesterday that the Authority was set for the forthcoming International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Certification Audit of the aviation sector. This is coming few days to the commencement of the audit of critical ares in the country’s aviation sector by ICAO. He made this remark during his recent inspection tour of facilities at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in preparation for the exercise. In pursuance of safety and security at the airport, Dunoma inspected the newly acquired security patrol vehicles and also the Fire Service vans to ensure that they met required standards. He also inspected the new fully equipped Ambulance, Resuscitation Bay and observation Towers which has been given a face lift. He commended the effort staff have put in place so far in ensuring that all facilities are set, and conform to best practices in line with ICAO standards.

NIPOST to launch rural bank —Shittu THE Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) will soon introduce Post Bank to extend banking services to rural dwellers. This was disclosed on Sunday in Ibadan by the Communications Minister, Mr Adebayo Shittu, during an interaction with journalists. According to him, the NIPOST’s intervention would enable rural dwellers to have access to banking services. This, he said, would make it easy for them to transact business with people all over the country and enjoy fund transfer from relations in different parts of the world. Shittu also said there

were plans underway to partner all foreign postal services with a view to making the Express Mail Service (EMS) of NIPOST handle all internal distributions across the country. These, he noted, were part of the reforms the ministry had planned to make NIPOST viable, relevant and effective. Speaking on revenue generation, the minister said, “There is a law now on stamp duty. Every legal transactions above N1,000 would attract N50 levy as stamp duty”, the minister said. The minister explained that the ministry decided to advertise the vacant post of Post-Master General in

line with the transparency stance of the present administration. According to him, “From the advert, we had 47 applications of which 21 had been selected for interview. The 21 would have their interviews from Wednesday to Friday on the basis of seven persons per day. “I did not unilaterally choose an individual for reasons of due process and to uphold the present administration’s principle of transparency. “We have also ensured that our interviewers were drawn from all the ministries and agencies, including EFCC, ICPC and the Federal Character Commission.”

Monday, 7 March, 2016

INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF SOUTH-WEST STATES EXECUTIVE OF NIGERIAN ASSOCIATION OF ROAD TRANSPORT OWNERS (NARTO), HELD AT SAGAMU, OGUN STATE RECENTLY

10 1. Deputy National President of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Chief Ayoola Sadiku (second left); presenting certificate of office to the new Ekiti State Chairman of the association, Mr Omotoso Emmanuel, while the zonal Chairman, South-West, Alhaji Ganiyu Salami looks on, during the inauguration of the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new state executive, at Sagamu, Ogun State. PHOTO: TUNDE ADEGBOLA 2. Chief Ayoola Sadiku (second left); presenting certificate of office to the new Osun State Chairman of the association, Alhaji Rasheed Lamidi. With them is the zonal Chairman, South-West, Alhaji Ganiyu Salami. 3. The new Oyo State Chairman of the association, Alhaji Salisu Abdulahi (right); receiving the certificate of office from Chief Ayoola Sadiku, while the zonal Chairman, South-West, Alhaji Ganiyu Salami looks on. 4. Chief Ayoola Sadiku, presenting certificate of office to the new Ogun State Chairman of the association, Mr Olaleye Abiodun, while the zonal Chairman, South-West, Alhaji Ganiyu Salami looks on. 5. Sitting from right, South-West Coordinator of NARTO, Mr Adebayo Adekunle; zonal Patron of the association, Chief Badiru Bilau; Chief Sadiku; Alhaji Salami; Ondo State Chairman of the association, Mr Gabriel Adebusoye and the Chairman Electoral Committee, Mr Patrick Eromosele and other delegates from Ondo State, at the event.

6. Sitting from right, South-West Coordinator of NARTO, Mr Adebayo Adekunle; zonal Patron of the association, Chief Badiru Bilau; Chief Sadiku; Alhaji Salami; Ekiti State Chairman of the association, Mr Omotoso Emmanuel and the Chairman Electoral Committee, Mr Patrick Eromosele with the Ekiti State delegates during the inaugural ceremony. 7. Sitting from right, Zonal Patron of NARTO, Chief Badiru Bilau; Chief Sadiku; Alhaji Salami; Lagos State Chairman of the association, Mr Adetona Kaka and the Chairman Electoral Committee, Mr Patrick Eromosele and others. 8. From right: (sitting) South-West Coordinator of NARTO, Mr Adebayo Adekunle; zonal Patron of the association, Chief Badiru Bilau; Chief Sadiku; Alhaji Salami and Osun State Chairman of the association, Alhaji Rasheed Lamidi, with the Osun State delegates at the inaugural ceremony. 9. From right: (sitting) South-West Coordinator of NARTO, Mr Adebayo Adekunle; zonal Patron of the association, Chief Badiru Bilau; Chief Sadiku; Alhaji Salami and the new Oyo State Chairman of the association, Alhaji Salisu Abdullahi, and other delegates from Oyo State. 10. Sitting from right, South-West Coordinator of NARTO, Mr Adebayo Adekunle; zonal Patron of the association, Chief Badiru Bilau; Chief Sadiku; Alhaji Salami; Ogun State Chairman of the association, Mr Olaleye Abiodun and the Chairman Electoral Committee, Mr Patrick Eromosele, among other delegates from Ogun State.

14 news

Monday, 7 March, 2016

I can’t be intimidated by one million Buhari’s DSS —Fayose Says DSS going beyond its constitutional duties and North-Central zones in the country would have been nipped in the bud.” He said the same way President Buhari used the National Security Organisation (NSO), headed by Ambassador Mohammed Lawal Rafindadi from Katsi-

na State, was the same way the president was using the DSS, headed by Daura to harass, oppress and intimidate Nigerians. Governor Fayose said: “It is obvious that democracy in Nigeria is becoming unsafe in the hands of Buhari,

APC and those keeping silent now because of politics may also end up in the belly of this roaring lion that is threatening to consume our democracy. “Therefore, Nigerians and the international community should take special notice

of the use of the DSS and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to muscle opposition. “As for me, I wish to say once again that I am not among those Nigerians who are afraid of harassment by any agency of the Federal

Government. “I make bold to state that in the overall interest of democracy and the well-being of Nigerians, I will continue to speak my mind on issues bordering on governance in Nigeria. I will not be intimidated.”

...The invasion, return of military dictatorship —PDP Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti THE Ekiti State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the alleged invasion of the assembly by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) as “a return of military dictatorship the nation experienced during the rule of General Muhammaudu Buhari, from December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1984.” The party, in a statement by its publicity secretary in

the state, Mr Jackson Adebayo, on Sunday, said “the invasion of the Assembly complex has shown that Buhari has not discarded his dictatorial tendency, even when he was inaugurated last May as a civilian president.” The party said by the action, the president had shown that “he preferred to conquer Nigeria instead of governing it.” Adebayo said: “The secret agenda of the president and his party, the All Progres-

sives Congress (APC), is to conquer Nigeria with the instruments of the state instead of tackling the economic problems confronting the country and which have rendered it insolvent. “Buhari and his party believe that what they could not get through the court of law and election petition tribunal could be secured by naked, brute force and malevolent impeachment plan against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, by members of Ekiti State

House of Assembly,” he said. The PDP condemned the invasion, saying the APCled Federal Government was manned by people, who were dictators and economic illiterates. PDP stressed that Ekiti people were on the alert to confront any illegal political game from the Federal Government and the APC. The PDP further said that Ekiti people would resist any attempt to truncate democracy or cause confusion

in the state, adding that any attempt to continue to intimidate, harass and abduct members of the party in the state, would be regarded as an affront. “We are warning the APCled government to desist from the brutal attack on the state in the interest of peace, as we shall resist any attempt to continue the intimidation, harassment and abduction of people in the government of Ekiti State,’’the party added.

...Seek legal protection, lawyers urge Ekiti assembly Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti SOME legal practitioners in the country have reacted to the alleged invasion of the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Friday, saying it is advisable that the House of Assembly seeks judicial protection. Human rights activist and litigation expert, Bimpe Olatemiju of Citi Lawyers Chamber, Ikeja, Lagos, said the Nigerian Constitution said the Department of State Service (DSS) was only to come in when there was a threat to state security, “not when there is an alleged crime.” She added that following this, the alleged “invasion by the DSS of the Ekiti State House of Assembly is an illegal act. It is an outright illegality on their own part, because they do not have the power to investigate crime. It is only the police that has that power to investigate crime. “I will encourage the Ekiti State House of Assembly to be bold and courageous in fighting this illegality. They should approach the court and let the court spell out the powers of the DSS. They should also approach the court to seek a restraining order against the DSS, so as to stop them from disturbing them in the course of discharging their lawful duty inside the hallowed chamber.” Another lawyer, Abayomi Sadiku, said: “The Ekiti State House of Assembly does not have to be disturbed while

they are performing their lawful duty inside the hallowed chamber. If the law enforcement agents, which the DSS represents, have anything against them, they should invite them and not invade the House and disrupt their lawful duty as reported. But you know that the lawmakers do not have

immunity as members of the executive do. “I wasn’t there, I don’t know whether it was an invasion but if that is what happened and also there were gunshots by the DSS as it was reported, that is a reckless act on the part of the DSS and cannot be supported by the Law. The DSS

as a law enforcement agents have a duty of enforcing the law, but their duty cannot impugn on the duties of the legislative officers in the state. So, if it is an invasion, it is completely wrong and reckless.” A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Yusuf Alli, advised the Ekiti State law-

makers to go to court and seek legal protection, saying “I advise the Ekiti State lawmakers to go to court if they feel that their rights have been trampled upon. I don’t want to comment on the actions of the law enforcement agents until I have the facts. I don’t comment on speculative matters.”

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KITI State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has declared that even if the state is invaded by one million armed men of the Department of State Service (DSS) on the order of President Muhammadu Buhari, the government and the people of the state will never be intimidated to surrender governance of the state to political desperadoes, whose four years reign destroyed the state’s economy. The governor, who said the DSS under President Buhari was operating beyond its constitutional mandate, added that “the government of Ekiti State may have to reconsider the usefulness of men of the DSS in the Government House and other institutions of the state government.” In a release issued on Sunday and signed by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government was pursuing a clandestine agenda of truncating democracy in Ekiti State and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-controlled states like Rivers and Bayelsa. He said: “If Buhari likes, let him relocate all DSS men in Nigeria with the entire ammunition in their armoury to Ekiti, the will of Ekiti people can never be broken. They will only try and like they have always done, they will fail, because dictatorship had never triumphed over the people. Even Buhari’s dictatorship between 1984 and 1985 ended one day and Nigerians will also outlive his present dictatorship.” The governor said the DSS under Buhari’s kinsman, Lawal Daura, had abandoned its core mandate of providing intelligence for the protection of the internal security of Nigeria, as provided in the Security Agencies Act Cap. N74 LFN, 2004, adding that “instead of assisting the police, military and other security agencies with classified matters, we now have a DSS that is running after perceived opponents of the president, arresting goat and fowl thieves, as well as husbands who assaulted their wives. “If the DSS was alive to its responsibilities, we won’t be having Boko Haram insurgents killing Nigerians, all these kidnappings and Fulani herdsmen killings, raping and destroying farmlands in the South-West, South-East

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Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigeria in Islamic coalition against terror, Buhari admits Leon Usigbe - Abuja

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that Nigeria has joined the Islamic Coalition put together by Saudi Arabia, against terrorism. He made the disclosure during an interview which broadcast at the weekend on international satellite news channel, Aljareeza. He had been asked whether Nigeria was part of it and he answered: “We are part of it, because we’ve got terrorists in Nigeria who everybody knows claim to be Islamic. “So, if there’s an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, Nigeria will be part of it, because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism.” Asked whether he had suggested Nigeria’s membership of the coalition during his meeting with King Salman Bin AbdulAziz during their meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia recently, Buhari said “yes.” Asked to explain how such coalition would work for Nigeria, he said he could not disclose the details to the media. However, he added: “Well, that we mentioned under

Lake Chad Basin Commission, our regional grouping, compromising Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin and we dedicated a certain number of troops to be deployed in our own subregion and I don’t think we have to tell the press the details of that.”

Pressed further about where joining the Islamic coalition served Nigeria security interest, he declared: “Certainly. I’ve just told you it is the Boko Haram itself that declared loyalty to ISIS. “ISIS is basically based in Islamic countries. Now, if

there’s a coalition to fight Islamic terrorism, why can’t Nigeria be part of it, while those fighting in Nigeria as Boko Haram claim to be Muslims. But the way they are doing it is antiIslamic.” When his interviewer pointed out that since Ni-

geria was roughly evenly divided among Christians and Muslims and that some Christians were complaining that he was giving Islamic identity to Nigeria, the president wondered why such Christians had not gone to fight Boko Haram in the North or mili-

Wife of the vice-president, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo (third left) and other women, cutting the cake to mark the Mothers’ Day celebration at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja, on Sunday. PHOTO: NAN

Federal secretariat: FG to pay N54bn in damages to Resort Int’l Ltd THE Federal Government has been ordered to pay a total of N54 billion in damages to Dr Wale Babalakin’s Resort International Limited, in a decision handed down by an Arbitration Tribunal late last year, it has been revealed. The Arbitral Award is a major vindication for Babalakin, whose company was granted a lease to develop the Federal Secretariat Complex in Lagos, into residential properties, only for the project to be controversially stalled. It will be recalled that Lagos State government had stopped work on the site in September 2007, with the use of dozens of mobile po-

licemen deployed in the area. The stoppage was the culmination of a series of actions by an uncompromising Lagos State government that, many said constituted itself into a major impediment to the project, in its determination that it would not go ahead. The Tribunal heard that Babalakin “has been discredited by several banks and organisations as a result of the negative press which occurred as a result of failure of the project.” Finding in favour of Resort International Limited in a formal award, dated December 3, 2015, the Tribunal, chaired by foremost Nigerian architect, Fred Ad-

eniyi Coker, supported by a leading legal practitioner, Mr Yusuf Alli and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, declared that the Federal Government had failed in its obligations to Babalakin’s company under the Development Lease Agreement (DLA) entered into by both parties. Gbolahan Gbadamosi, lawyer and Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, said of the award that: “This is the beginning of the end of impunity.” It was gathered that the DLA, dated October 10, 2006, granted Resort International Limited a 99 years’ lease to redevelop the Fed-

eral Secretarial Complex, Ikoyi, into 480 luxury apartments. Work, it was learnt had started on the site when the Lagos State government suddenly stopped the redevelopment of the complex, with the company claiming at Arbitration Tribunal that it had suffered damages totalling N88 billion as a result of the breach of a clause of the DLA by Federal Government. In considering an award of damages to Resort International Limited in December 2015, the tribunal noted that: “It is the claimant’s claim that it suffered unquantifiable harm flowing from the failure of the

Kaduna plans to take over Peugeot —el-Rufai Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna KADUNA State governor, Mr Nasiru el-Rufai, has said arrangement to acquire the majority share of the Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN), Kaduna, was in top gear. He made this known at the weekend, at the ongoing Kaduna International Trade Fair.

According to the governor, the state had already submitted its interest to Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), which managed the liabilities of the company. “Our hope is that when we acquire the majority share of the company, we will restructure it to operate to full capacity of assembling of between 90,000

and 100,000 cars yearly. “We have the support of PAN, as well as the government of France in this drive. The governor maintained that PAN was a critical partner in Kaduna State’s industrial history and now had gone down from assembling 90,000 cars per annum to merely 200 a year. “We are determined to bring back all industries

related to Peugeot established in Kaduna, as part of plans to ensure that every youth in Kaduna State has something doing,” he said. He commended the organisers of the Trade Fair, Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), for bringing captains of commerce and industries to the state for the event.

respondent to fulfil its obligations under the DLA. These included damage to its reputation with subscribers and its relationship with finance partners.” The Arbitration Panel concluded that Federal Government “has not shown any extenuating circumstances for its flagrant violation of its covenant under the DLA. The respondent did not even try to address these points of the claimant as to its general loss of business, reputation, goodwill and credibility.” The tribunal awarded damages as follows: N12 billion as direct expenditure with interest at 17.26 per cent from September 2008; N9 billion as loss of expected income with interest at 17.26 per cent from September 2008 and N5 billion as special damages. The totality of the awards means that as at January 2016, the Federal Government owed Resort International Limited the sum of N54 billion, which continues to accumulate interest at 17.26 per cent per annum. The tribunal also confirmed Resort International Limited’s title to the Federal Secretariat property.

tants sabotaging installations in the South. “Why can’t those Christians who complained go and fight terrorism in Nigeria or fight the militancy in the South. It’s Nigeria that matters, not the opinion of some religious bigots,” he stated. On whether he was trying to change the religious identity of the country, Buhari noted: “How can I change the religious identity of Nigeria? “No religion advocates hurting the innocent and just because the Muslims are the ones that claim to be Boko Haram and they are killing innocent people, whether in the church, in the bus or in the market place, then I will just sit and look at them because I too am a Muslim? Islam is against injustice in any form.” The president’s admission of Nigeria’s membership of the Islamic coalition came a little under two weeks after an official Presidency statement seemed to suggest that Buhari had turned down the invitation to be part of the coalition. A statement issued by the Senior Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu, during the president’s trip to Saudi Arabia, had said that Buhari had pledged Nigeria’s support for the coalition even if it would not be part of it. The statement had said that two leaders, who engaged in extensive discussions over regional and global issues, also agreed that terrorism posed a common threat to their states and would require cooperation to prevail over the threats. It observed that President Buhari, who was making his first pronouncement on the invitation to join the coalition of Islamic states against terror, spearheaded by the Saudi Arabia, congratulated the kingdom on its formation. The statement quoted Buhari thus: “Even if we are not a part of it, we support you. I must thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the recent creation of a coalition to address the menace of international terrorism. Nigeria will support your efforts in keeping peace and stopping the spread of terror in your region. This is in consonance with our own commitment and ongoing efforts in seeking to stamp out Boko Haram terrorists from the West African sub-region and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).”

news Senate summons AG, ministers, over MTN’s N780bn fine 16

Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja

HE Senate has summoned the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, and Minister of Communication Technology, Adebayo Shittu, over their involvement in the claim that the Mobile

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Telecommunications Network (MTN), Nigeria Limited, has paid N50 billion to the Federal Government. Others summoned included the Executive Vice-Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, the Accountant-General of the Federation and

the Chief Executive Officer of Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN), Nigeria. They are to appear before the Senate Committee on Communication on Thursday, March10, 2016. This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman, Senate Com-

mittee on Communications, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, which was made available to newsmen on Sunday. The statement, titled “Urgent legislative intervention on the alleged controversial payment of N50 billion by Telecoms service provider, MTN, with regard to the fine of N780 billion imposed on

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi with the United Nations’ Resident Coordinator, Ms Fatma Samoura, during a meeting in Abuja, on Friday.

Oil prices at the global market will soon be restored —Yari Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

GOVERNOR Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State has expressed optimism that the glory of the oil prices at the global market would soon be restored. Yari expressed this at the weekend, shortly after he signed into law, the state 2016 Appropriation Bill, at the Government House, Gusau. The governor explained that members of the Oil Producing Countries were meeting soon in Australia to review the prices of the oil products in view of the global economic challenges. ‘I want to assure Nigerians that something good is about to happen. The oil prices which have suffered great decline will rise up and very soon oil prices at the global market will be restored. Yari, who is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum however, said states were ready for the diversification of the country’s economy through the exploration of abundant solid minerals resources and agriculture development in their respective states. “We are waiting for the Central Bank of Nigeria which has the master plan for the diversification of the economy. It is imperative

for our country to diversify our economy from oil sector to other non-oil sectors, more especially agriculture and mining. “It is therefore necessary for CBN to create funds for the diversification,” said Yari. On the state budget, he maintained that his government would ensure full implementation of the budget, and charged members of the state house of Assembly to be up to their constitutional responsibilities of oversight function. He said the era of total

dependence on oil funds for the implementation of state budget had gone, and called on all Nigerians to support President Buhari administration towards diversifying the economy of the country so as to explore other opportunities that would complement the oil sector. The budget, which was downsized by the Assembly during their appropriation proceedings from over N109billion to N100billion, with N59billion devoted to capital expenditure while N40billion was approved for recurrent expenditure.

According to the governor, the downsize of the budget was a good development considering global challenges facing oil industries. Earlier, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Sanusi Garba Rikiji, said some of the factors that led to the downsize of the state budget were unprecedented oil prices in the oil market, relevance of the proposed projects to the citizens of the state, duplications of projects or budget, and the status of the state internally generated revenue.

NASS on the verge of amending Electoral Act to accommodate card reader —Alasoadura Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

THE lawmaker representing Ondo North Senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, at the weekend, disclosed that the Electoral Act would soon be amended to accommodate the use of card reader to conduct subsequent elections in the country. Alasoadura, who stated this in Akure, Ondo State capital, said the National Assembly was committed towards making the card reader legally binding in the nation’s Electoral Act in order not to rubbish the record set by the

country on electoral reforms through the use of the card reader. He said, “we have said we cannot remain static, we must continue to improve and move forward and because of that, the National Assembly is trying to make an amendment in the electoral law that will make it mandatory for the Card Readers to be used for all elections in this country and in the next three months, the bill would have come to life. “During the last election, a lot of things happened. There are some places where Card Readers were not used

and at the end of the day, the candidate that benefited from the lack of use of the machine were declared winner. The bill is in the stage now and will be passed.” Alasoadura, who admitted that it was possible for the machine to malfunction said, “Human beings sometimes malfunction, people should expect that to happen, but one of the things the electoral umpire can do is to carry more than one card reader to every polling unit, if one malfunctions, they use another one so that at the end of the day, you would do what the electoral law has said.”

it by NCC” and dated March 3, 2016. The committee noted that in the course of its oversight function, specifically in relation to the sanction of N780 billion imposed on MTN, NCC could not offer any proof of receiving money from MTN. It said that curiously, it was reported that MTN was rather misguided to lodge the said N50 billion into the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Recovery Account, which is specially designated for recovered looted funds. The committee said that it was of the view that such payment, if actually wellintended, ought to have passed through NCC instead of circumventing the regulatory agency in the overall process. The committee expressed worry that “the rushed payment and subsequent withdrawal of the MTNinstituted legal action is not only suspicious but constitutes a grave economic and financial infraction as well as brazen breach of due process in relation to payment of fines.” The development, according to the committee called for a serious investigation in line with the zero-tolerance for corruption stance of the Federal Government, adding that it resolved to legislative intervention given the public outcry the transaction has continued to generate. The committee disclosed that as part of its statutory obligations, it has risen to the challenge of comprehensively reviewing the circumstances surrounding the entire process with a view to straightening the records and also ensuring that the country was not shortchanged. The statement read in part, “The attention of the Senate Committee on Communications has been drawn to widespread media publications, particularly quoting the Honourable Minister of Communication Technology, Adebayo Shittu, as claiming that the Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN), Nigeria Limited has made a down payment of N50 billion to the NCC, relative to the fine of N780 billion that was imposed on the service provider by the agency. “The Committee wishes therefore to state clearly that going by the records of NCC, whose constitutional mandate it is to superintend the mobile network operations in the country, and also in the prevailing circumstance, reserves the sole

Nigerian Tribune

right on behalf of the Federal Government, to receive payment of any sort; MTN has unfortunately not in any way complied or shown any commitment whatsoever in this regard. “For the avoidance of doubt and in the course of the oversight function of the Committee, specifically in relation to the sanction, NCC could not offer any proof of receiving money from MTN. “Curiously, it was reported that MTN was rather misguided to lodge the said N50 billion into the CBN Recovery Account which is specially designated for the recovered looted funds. “The committee is of the view that such payment if actually well-intended ought to have passed through NCC as against the criminal act of circumventing the regulatory agency in the overall process. This is a clear case of deliberate mischief. “As such, the Committee is worried that the rushed payment and subsequent withdrawal of the MTNinstituted legal action is not only suspicious but constitutes a grave economic and financial infraction as well as brazen breach of due process in relation to payment of fines which to all intents and purposes calls for a serious investigation in line with the zero-tolerance for corruption stance of the Federal Government. “The Committee also wonders why these willful contradictions would be orchestrated by those considered knowledgeable enough, especially in the business of democratic governance. “Furthermore the Committee, in strongly condemning this apparent national embarrassment recalls that only recently, NCC imposed fines variously on some service providers which included MTN; and of course such fines were paid to NCC for onward transfer to the Federal Government coffers as the laws stipulate. “Therefore, given the public outcry this crooked transaction has continued to generate, the Committee as part of its statutory obligations has risen to the challenge of comprehensively reviewing the circumstances surrounding the entire process with a view to straightening the records and also ensuring that the country is not short-changed. “Consequently, it has officially summoned all those concerned to appear before it to shed full light on their extent of involvement and or, respective roles in the unacceptable abuse of office.”

INSIDE LAGOS

Monday, 7 March, 2016

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From right: Sales Associate, Bestman Games, Oluwaseun Noibi; Chief Executive Officer, ACTS Professional Limited, Ignatius Adegunle, Founder, Ebi School Leavers Initiative, Dr. Ibifunke PegbaOtemolu; Principal, Lanre Awolokun High School, Gbagada, Abiodun Adams; Chairperson, Ebi School Leaver Initiative, Bolatito Adegunle, and a student of Lanre Awolokun High School, Ariyo Ayoade at a Financial Literacy Workshop organized by Ebi School Leavers Initiative, in partnership with Bestman Games and Junior Achievement Nigeria, held at Lanre Awolokun Junior High School, Gbagada, on Thursday.

From left: Executive Director, the Royal Masters School, Seniorba Olatunji; President, Women Arise (an NGO), Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin;Head of Marketing, Fan Milk, Wole Elusakin and Head Teacher, the Royal Masters School, Anugwo Olarenwaju, during the 9th inter house sports competition of the school, in Lagos, on Friday.

From left: Head, Youth Segment, Airtel, Omoyeme Effiong; Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmad Mokhles; Managing Director, Trace Music Star for Nigeria and Anglo-African countries, Sam Onyemelukwe; Manager, Youth Segment, Airtel, Emeka Adigwe at the press launch of Airtel Trace Music Star Season 2, in Lagos, on Wednesday.

From left: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dhamesh Gordhon,:President, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Mr Ganiyu Koledoye; first vice president, NIMN, Tony Agenmonmen, and registrar, NIMN, Sidney Ogodo, during a courtesy visit of NIMN to Nestle Nigeria plc, on Monday.

From left: Leader in charge, Cherubim & Serarhim Movement Church, Imole Ayo Circuit, Bariga, Dr. Stephen Adenikan; Minister in Charge, Ore ofe, Prophet Doris Akindele and Vice Chairman, Ore ofe, Ap. Moses Akindele, at the 1st Anniversary of the Ore ofe in Lagos, on Sunday.

From left: Nnamdi Anionwu, Channel Manager, Mobile Banking; Rob Giles, Head, Transaction and E- Banking all of Diamond Bank plc; Callistus Anowai, One Millionth Diamond Mobile app customer (rewarded with N1m) ; Nnenna Achife, Head consumer, Channels Transaction and E-Banking; and Sam Aneke, Head, Business Channels, Transaction and E- Banking, all of Diamond Bank Plc at the One Millionth Diamond Mobile app.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Monday, 7 March, 2016

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo.com or by sms to 08055001747 or 08054005323. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Unemployment, a time bomb

HE kidnap of students in a boarding secondary school in Lagos last week, and the subsequent demand for ransom by the abductors simply brings to the fore the effect of youth unemployment in the country. Many experts have said

it on several occasions that unemployment is a time bomb in Nigeria. According to a research conducted by a securityfocused organisation some years ago, over 60 per cent of crimes being committed in the country would not have happened if those involved had jobs.

We have heard stories of kidnappers, who spoke in fluent English, informing their victims that they were into crime because they could not find jobs after graduating from the university. The kidnap of the three school girls in Lagos is another dark chapter in our

history, while not forgetting the case of the Chibok girls abducted by the Boko Haram in Borno State. The crash in the price of crude is now giving our country another chance at being productive. We need to focus on manufacturing, agriculture and mining to reduce the high unem-

ployment rate. Nigerian youths are highly-talented and they can easily channel the creativity to negative use if they find it hard to secure legitimate means of survival. Now, the Federal Government must support our youths so that they can be gainfully employed. If the necessary policies are put in place to make it easier for businesses to be established, this will go a long way in reducing

unemployment. The most important area is providing uninterrupted power supply. The companies still functioning now are struggling under the cost of diesel, which they use in powering their machines. Government should also make it easier for companies to obtain loans. This will help in the establishment of more businesses. •Yakub Aisha, Kaduna.

Towards reducing poverty in Nigeria THE recently published Human Development Report on Nigeria by the United Nation Development Programme ( UNDP) has put in bold relief the need for the government to pay attention to the effects of its policies on the ordinary citizens. Entitled: “Achieving Growth with Equity,” the report observed that over half of the country’s population still live below the poverty line. Although agriculture witnessed growth, the manufacturing sector continues to lag behind. Hence, the value added to agricultural produce remains

minimal. Unfortunately, manufacturing capacity in the country has remained below 40 per cent and many firms have had to close down operations due to harsh business environment. Yet, the manufacturing sector should be both the stimulus and pivot of economic and social growth, if growth is to translate into jobs for the teeming and growing unemployed population of the country. •Omotayo Abiodun, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

NFF, do more for Nigerian football

Need for community policing THE spate of burglary in rural communities is compounding the problems of poor people, and the anxiety of city dwellers who have to lock down their village homes after each visit. Life never leaves one with an easy choice. If it is not one thing, it is another. Residents of Anambra State have been living happily since the excellent effort of Governor Willie Obiano to drastically cut down the high incidences of kidnapping. An atmosphere of security has since

prevailed in the state. Of late, it appears criminals have reverted to old time burglary tactics. Efforts by government to focus on wiping out kidnapping might have inadvertently opened a hole for burglars to sneak through. Perhaps, it is celebrating the success of reducing incessant kidnapping so soon that allowed security operatives to move their efforts away from vigilance on other crimes. For whatever reason, a reassessment of the pro-

cess is needed for calibration of security measures in rural areas. Now, if we truly want to reduce the rural-urban mass migration, then we need to to make the rural areas safe. If nothing is done in this regard, then the mass-migration will continue. As it is now, our cities are over-populated; this is one of the problems causing climate change. We have more people in an area who are releasing carbondioxide, while trees that take in this gas (car-

bondioxide) to give oxygen are being felled on a daily basis. The result of this is the deterioration of the environment; this is why are cities are becoming hotter. Government should, therefore, make the rural areas more safe and conducive for living. In the area of security, government should increase community policing in rural areas. •Pius Okaneme, Umuoji, Anambra State.

FORMER Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, shocked many Nigerians when he took to social media to announce his resignation. Before his resignation, he was having a running battle with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but nobody ever thought he would leave the team in the lurch by resigning. Although the NFF has replaced the former Super Eagles captain with Samson Siasia, the truth is that Nigerians will hold Oliseh responsible should Nigeria fail to qualify for the 2017 African Cup of Nations. I am glad that Siasia has been given the task to prepare the team for the upcoming matches, particularly the one against the Pharaohs of Egypt;

Siasia is a good coach, and he has an unfinished business with the team. This is, therefore, a great opportunity for him to showcase his qualities. I am now appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to order the NFF to give the necessary support to Siasia. Football is the only sport that unites us, and when our teams are not performing well, then the majority of Nigerians would not be happy. It is not even uncommon to hear of cases of heart failures when the Super Eagles lose some matches. Now is the time for the NFF to give more support for the development of our football. •Jimoh Mumin, Ibadan, Oyo State.

editorial

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Oil price and the Nigerian economy

HE latest foreign trip by President Muhammadu Buhari to Saudi Arabia and Qatar was obviously in relation to the continuing slide in the international price of crude oil. With oil as Nigeria’s major foreign exchange earner and with its price going down in the international market, Nigeria is urgently in need of an upward swing in oil price in order to stave off economic recession and stabilize growth. This objective is one requiring the support of other oil producers in the international system. The role of Saudi Arabia as the largest Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producer is key in this regard. Given that the current poor run of oil in the international market is reportedly owing to a glut, one viable way of nudging the price up would be to cut production, the hard task here being how to convince the biggest producers to do so. It is therefore probable that President Buhari was in Saudi Arabia to lend his voice to persuading the country and its neighbour, Qatar, on the propriety of cutting their massive production in order to help ignite an increase in the international price of oil. We believe that President Buhari’s trip is in order, as the health of the Nigerian economy is critically dependent on the international oil market at this point. It is also welcome news that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar, during the visit, shared President Buhari’s position on the need to curb production in order to arrest the declining price of oil. We are aware that nobody could logically deny the imperative of curbing and cutting production within a context in which decline in price is caused by a glut. However, the problem with the current situation of oil is that none of the largest producers is ready to embark on any production cut for now, both for national and strategic interest. Saudi Arabia had spoken against production cut earlier, not only to preserve its national revenue, but also as a strategy to control and protect OPEC’s share of the international oil market against the onslaught of shale oil, which has a higher cost of production. The thinking was that the decline of oil price would get to a state that would push shale oil producers out of the market, thus preserving OPEC’s share. And even when that seemed to have been achieved in a way, the lifting of international sanctions on Iran, a contender for regional power posture alongside Saudi Arabia, made the situation more complex, as Iran made it clear that it would not join in cutting production, as it was just returning to the market. The implication of this is that the politics surrounding the price of oil is a rather

complex one that would not be amenable to the simple case of cutting cost to improve price, as there are many interests lurking around the commodity. Indeed, it could be said that Nigeria, in spite of the critical nature of oil to the health of its economy, is not a major player in the international politics surrounding oil, which would limit the influence and the result of the trip by President Buhari on oil diplomacy in spite of the promises made and the sentiments expressed by both Saudi Arabia and Qatar. There is a sense, therefore, in which Nigeria needs to move beyond the criticality of oil in order to address the issue of proper development of its economy. The ill health of the Nigerian economy on account of the decline in oil price is principally because of its mono-cultural nature and the refusal to diversify the economy. Rather than the president spending much time bemoaning the decline in oil price, therefore, he should be working to remove the undue reliance of Nigeria on oil revenue. A country of an estimated 170 million people should not be depending on free oil revenue for survival. Again, it is important for the Nigerian government and Nigerians to realise that there are other developed and developing countries without the blessing of oil which nevertheless are able to rely on the productivity of their citizens to achieve remarkable growth. The government should see its principal task as freeing Nigerians from the betrothal to oil and making them to face other productive ventures that would ensure that the economy functions, grows and develops without the hiccups and tensions from the oil market. The Nigerian government has been mouthing diversification of the economy for a long time and it is surprising that the economy has remained tied to the apron string of the oil sector. The present administration must go beyond statements to pursue the actual diversification, through which other sectors would be energized and made to function for the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. The country would continue to experience economic dislocation if it remains mono-cultural in its economic architecture. The path to a viable future and healthy economy, therefore, is not to romanticize a return to higher oil prices, but to go beyond oil and make the Nigerian economy truly diversified in terms of being multi-cultural and multi-sectoral in its functioning and workings, such that it is sustained through the massive contributions from all its bourgeoning sectors and productions.

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opinion

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Lasisi Olagunju

Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

HE ordinary Hausa man that we grew up with was renowned for hardwork and honesty. He would buy your kolanut, pay you the right price, eat his kolanut, say his prayers peacefully and move on. His trade, his prayers and his food were cardinal to his being and he handled the three peacefully without disturbing his hosts. That was before strange things started happening and there were Boko Haram, suicide bombing, etc. But this Ese Oruru case appears to have radically changed the fundamentals of relationships. Now, when you have a neighbour that is a northerner you are afraid. Then, there was the Mile 12 mayhem in Lagos that had school children raising their hands as if they were in Aleppo, Syria. Everyone appears now to be very conscious that the enemy could be that smiling friend next door. Horrible. Northern Nigeria is our collective shame as a people. It is, in particular, the shame of the leadership of the region. Whatever challenges other parts of the country suffer simply pale when matched with blood-curdling acts from the North. When was the last time you heard news that gladdened your heart from the North? It has been either Boko Haram kills or Fulani herdsmen murder scores or, the very bizarre like the Ese Oruru case. Some of us gladly did our national youth service in the far North. How many of us would release our wards to do same there today? You get so riled that you are forced to ask what the problem is with that part of Nigeria. Is the problem from religion? No. Is it cultural? Not necessarily because it had not always been like that. So what is it? It is a failure of leadership. That region has been richly blessed with an elite that preys on the poverty and ignorance of their people. The logic is: may the ignorant remain without light so he can continue to serve us. The Ese Oruru story broke and refused to fizzle out simply because the girl is not from the North. If she had been from, say, Kano State or Zamfara State, would anyone have heard of her case? How many more Ese Orurus have suffered and are suffering same fate as you read this? And the situation is made worse by the fact that not many people, especially in the far North, have seen, and would see any big deal in this Oruru matter. It is normal. It is not unusual. It is the norm that a minor is forced out of infancy into motherhood. And when you and I cried out, the silent reaction was, what is the big deal in this matter? That could be the only explanation for

Ese Oruru: Northern Nigeria needs help!

the reported offer, last year, by the abductor’s people to pay the dowry of a minor. As a nation, we are all guilty for the state of the North. Now, it appears the chicken is coming home to roost. When you harbour someone who has stubbornly refused to stop misbehaving, one day you will become a victim of his misbehaviour. That is why an uneducated Kano man would go to Bayelsa State to abort the education of a 14-year-old girl. And, we have not seen anything yet. Check all major towns in the South; the beggars that you see, where are they from and how old are they? Are majority of them not children who should be in school? The statistics are just so scary that you get confounded. A UNICEF report on “Situation Analysis of Children and Women in Nigeria 2011” noted that the “Northern zones, particularly the North East and North West, significantly lagged behind the Southern zones in educational attainment.” Quoting a 2010 UNESCO report, UNICEF said “86 per cent of the lowest educational quintile in Nigeria was in two regions, the North West and North East, which accounted for 43 per cent of the population... poor Hausa girls face some of the world’s most severe educational deprivation. Some 97 percent of 17-22 year-olds had fewer than two years of

education and just 12 percent of primary school age Hausa girls attended primary school.” The report says 65.5 percent of girls, aged six and above, had no education at all in the North East while the figure is 67.5 percent in the North West. Even here, it says, the rich in the region take care of their own kids adequately as the report notes that only eight per cent of females of six years and above from wealthy homes had no education compared with above 74 percent among the poorest. “The pattern is also similar for males, with figures of 62 percent and four percent for the lowest and the highest quintiles respectively.” This situation regarding Hausa girls also reflects the effect of poverty intersected with social and cultural practices, beliefs, and attitudes regarding education as well as gender issues, UNICEF stressed. Of course, when you leave what ought to be done undone, you get the just negative results. Further statistics would further show that the lack of education has ensured that poverty level is highest in the two northernmost zones with attendant debilitating consequences: high rate of malnutrition, infant morality, maternal death, etc. Another UNICEF report released just five days ago warned that “as a result of malnutrition, 58 percent of children under five in these (five northern) states suffer from stunting, meaning their physical and mental developments have been impaired. An estimated 370,000 children with severe acute malnutrition in these states will require lifesaving treatment this year. Without such treatment, some 70,000 of those children are likely to die.” The states are: Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Yobe, and Zamfara. What the above means is that more than half of a whole generation of Nigerians under five years old in a strategic part of the country are already physically and mentally impaired. In 25 years time, these would be about 25 years old and some of them could manage to be husbands breeding another generation of Nigerians that would need even greater help. So, what am I saying? I feel for the ordinary northerner who still believes he does not need education. I feel for myself because I am condemned to live in the same country with the misgoverned man and woman whose circumstances of birth and growth may make them greater threats to everyone elsewhere. I call on all of us outside the North to see the problem of human development up there as a security problem down South.

On Nigeria’s mismanagement of the naira By Emeka Chiakwelu THE most effective indicator for measuring and evaluating the state of a country’s economy, apart from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is the currency. Most countries of the world keep their foreign exchange reserve in dollars. The United States dollar is the global currency of transaction and business dealings due to its effectiveness in retention of value and its readily convertibility. Nigeria has the ambition and desire to join the G20 countries but all of these countries have reasonably managed their currencies. United States and the G20 countries, with comparative stable currencies, still use their lower denominations unlike Nigeria. The US dollar did not become the dominant, primary and global reserve currency out of affinity for United States, but for its ability to maintain its value, stability and durability. Therefore, why could Nigeria, with oil as its major source of foreign exchange, not retain its smaller currency denominations of 1kobo, 25kobo, 5 naira and so on? With this prelude, let’s evaluate and analyse the present state of the naira. There was a time in Nigeria when smaller naira denominations, including one kobo, 5 kobo, 25 kobo, N1 naira, N5 naira were in circulation, used for business transactions. What happened to these smaller currency denominations? Let’s be logical and serious here, everybody knows that inflation and devaluation brought about the vanishing of kobo and smaller naira denominations. It is so sad that Nigerians of younger generation have never seen one kobo or five naira note. By bringing about inflation, the monetary and fiscal

policy makers failed the country. Nigeria, in the 1970s and 1980s, was spending excessively; the governors of the Central Bank of those years were poor guardians of monetary policy, with limited knowledge on how to maintain price stability and healthy macroeconomics immovability. Instead of them to be mopping liquidity, they opened the ‘water tap’ of liquidity to overflow the monetary base. By so doing, inflationary trend escalated and the value of naira began to depreciate. Another heavy blow to the naira was when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) compelled Nigeria to devalue her currency in the so-called Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), a mechanistic policy that brought the massive devaluation and subsequent fall of the naira. Therefore, on the IMF assessment of Nigeria’s liquidity management, I was not surprised on the analysis by the IMF assessors. Let me make this clear, I still hold the IMF

in high esteem, but when it comes to the devaluation and shock therapy which were administered by the organisation to struggling economies, they simply crippled emerging economies. Liquidity management assessed by IMF on Nigeria’s Central Bank was right on the money. It highlighted the inflow of the revenue from oil export into the economy and its volatility. Excessive liquidity and overspending were underlined as detrimental and overbearing to the economy. Since Nigeria‘s earlier lopsided fiscal and monetary policies contributed to the fall of the naira, there was no urgent need for the Herculean devaluation of naira to appease IMF in the 80s because the country did not have arrays of products to export in order to enjoy the advantage of lesser strong currency from competitive global market. Nigeria had oil to export, even with the artificial oil glut in the 1980s, the higher price of oil was bound to reemerge due to the rising demand from China and India. But the then policy makers and governing financial leaders were impatient and could not have the courage and patriotic instinct to say no to the masterly IMF. The big house and power of international financial institutions, including the World Bank , Paris Club, London Club and, of course, IMF, intimidated and overwhelmed our policy makers who probably lacked the intellectual and pragmatic capability to defend the emerging naira. The naira was not protected and it gradually and steadily lost its value and strength as a consistent medium of exchange for Nigerians. This is the situation we still find ourselves today. •Chiakwelu is principal policy strategist at AFRIPOL.

Monday, 7 March, 2016

tribune

business

Nigerian Tribune

Group Business Editor Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

Investment in power industry tied to appropriate pricing

Sunday Oduntan is the Executive Director, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, comprising of all the electricity distribution companies (Discos) in Nigeria. In this interview with SULAIMON OLANREWAJU, he speaks on the efforts of Discos to ensure the protection of their customers’ interests, among other issues. Excerpts.

HAT is the rationale behind this tariff hike? On the new tariff, what we have today is what we should have had since November 1, 2013. At the point of privatization, in the agreement, part of the things stated is that for the industry to be viable there must be what was called a cost-reflective tariff. The current minister of power calls it ‘appropriate pricing’, it still the same thing. What does it say? It says we should not undersell a product. If a bottle of Coca-Cola costs you N100 to produce, and you need to sell it for N60 and nobody is subsidizing N40 or N42 (because you need to add N2 on it as your markup) then your cost of production needs to reflect in the price you are charging. That is what we have done, we are not talking about profit, we are talking about meeting our production cost. Electricity is a product; it is not just any other thing. Electricity is a product and we should pay for it. The truth is that people don’t manage energy well and they are crying about tariff. People don’t even like paying, an average Nigerian pays only 40 per cent of his bills; give them N5000 bill, they go and pay N1000 or a maximum of N2000. Next month another N5000, they pay N2000, in 12 months it has mounted up and they will now complain that the bill is too high. There

are good Nigerians who are willing and able to pay and there are Nigerians who may be willing but are unable to pay. Things are especially difficult for a Disco like IBEDC. I’ll give you two examples; in Osun State, precisely in Ilesha, some customers are refusing to pay; we also know that civil servants in Osun State have challenges with their income. But under this same Ibadan Disco, at New Bussa, where they enjoy good electricity, because of the hydro thing there, they feel that they should be using free electricity. In fact, they were enjoying that in the past, but times have

As I speak with you, the Federal Government and its MDAs, state governments and local governments are owing us over N15billion and I’m talking about actual debt.

changed. Ibadan Disco pays to buy energy to distribute; people need to pay. Ibadan Disco offers to meter them free of charge but they refused to be metered; they even tried to beat up the staff. The same thing happened in Ikot Abassi in Akwa Ibom State recently when some staff of Port Harcourt Disco were beaten up. These are the challenges we face all over the country. The tariff is not being increased to punish people or to make good profit; we are not smiling to the bank. The tariff was actually increased to reflect the cost of production so that we can have a business that will grow steadily. And let me make this very clear, the reform process is a journey and a very long journey indeed. Without going into technical jargons, may I tell you this, if the journey is of five stages, we are still at the second stage. What we have is a population of 160million people, the rule of thumb in developed countries is to generate 1000 megawatt electricity for every one million population. If we had 160,000megawatt of electricity, there would be 24 hours of electricity everywhere. But that is a tall dream; it won’t happen in a long time, not in six or seven years, not even in the next 10 years. What can happen is that for those who are currently connected to the national grid, we can have such generation that can ensure uninterrupted power, we

can have 30,000 megawatt and it will not cost this country less than $40billion. We are not even saying the government should put down the money. Let me tell you what the government can do. The government must fight corruption and let the world see it that Nigeria has changed. This will encourage investors to come into Nigeria. Then, the Federal Government, through the CBN, needs to, as a matter of urgency because of the free fall of the Naira, come to the aid of the Discos. The Discos should be given priority of access to forex at the official rate so that we can buy equipment for our sector quickly and timely. This industry is import-dependent. When these new owners were coming up, they submitted a performance plan to the Federal Government. They have not fulfilled their part of the conditions and they are increasing the tariff. How does that go? Of course, as a lawyer, I can tell you that there is sanctity of contracts. When you have a contract to do things, it is always usually a two-way thing. May I say here clearly that everything we are expected to do depends on us having a cost-reflective tariff? This was clearly stated in the contract. I am not saying we are moving away from that and Continues on pg22

tribunebusiness

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Poor financing, albatross to regular power supply — Discos Continued from pg21

I’m not saying that the clearly stated milestones should not be followed. Why are we not still doing the things that we should do? For instance, people talk about metering. That’s one of the things we should do but what we met on the ground was a five million metering gap, (five million people without meters). It is our duty to meter them but we cannot meter them in two and a half years. What a government failed to do in 50 years, people are expecting us to do it overnight. I’m not blaming the people, they have a right to good service. What I’m saying in essence is that we have embarked on aggressive metering but it will take time. We are doing it neighbourhood by neighbourhood. In some Discos, feeder by feeder, in other Discos, unit by unit. We are not reinventing the wheel. What we are doing here has been done in so many other countries. The only problem is that what we have here is a culture of nonpayment, not only by individuals but even by the government. As I speak with you, the Federal Government and its MDAs, state governments and local governments are owing us over N15 billion and I’m talking about actual debt. If the Discos should be paid what they are owed by the government and its agencies, they would perform wonders. They would have been able to do a lot even before the Naira started falling. And every time the naira goes down, it costs us triple. You said earlier that you wanted government intervention… Intervention that I’m saying is that the Discos should be able to access forex at the official rate. I’m aware that last year, the government gave the Discos some money… The government did not give us any money; the CBN gave us a loan at the rate of 10 per cent payable in 10 years. Just a few Discos, not up to a half, have been able to access the fund so far and those that have accessed it used it for the purpose it was meant. What are the challenges in the industry? Why are we not able to have stable electricity? One of it is lack of access to financing. The loan CBN gave the operators last year, even the CBN knew the money was not enough at all; it was like a drop in the ocean. The major challenge in this industry is financing. I give you an example, the new tariff was approved on December 22, 2015, but the Almighty NERC, led by Dr Sam Amadi, in its wisdom said the new tariff would take effect from 4th of February. You may not know what that meant but that delay cost us billions in revenue in January 2016 but nobody is even talking about that. We call it MYTO 2015; that means it was supposed to have taken effect from January 2016. If the industry has access to financing and is allowed to do appropriate pricing, many of the challenges in the sector will soon become history. Let’s talk about generation now. NERC says Discos should also look into ways of improving power generation. What do you see to that? This is the electricity value-chain; generation, transmission and distribution. The three are interdependent. However, there is something called embedded generation. It is a situation of what we call a willing buyer and a willing seller. Discos do not ordinarily generate electricity but we can have a situation in which a Disco generates electricity

Sunday Oduntan and sells to some of its customers. But for this type of arrangement, the tariff is usually higher than the one from the grid. By law, we cannot force anybody to buy electricity at a higher tariff, but there are people or even companies that would want to pay more for electricity because of the situation that we find ourselves that we are still generating far below what we need. But like I said, it is predicated on a willing seller finding a willing buyer; it is a special arrangement. People say Discos deliberately resort to estimated billing to punish customers. It is said that you already have a specific amount as your revenue target for every area and you just spread this among your customers whether they consumed such or not. First of all, let me quickly say this, there is no Disco in Nigeria that just bills customers what they have not used. There is a methodology approved by NERC, which is what we follow. But sometimes there are instances of over-billing and under-billing. For over-billing they call it crazy billing. But for underbilling, they say it is not their business. More often than not, when we have overbilling, it is because there has been energy theft. Energy thieves are not only welders and battery chargers; there are also big men with 10 air conditioners in their houses who bypass the meter. They have a meter, but they bypass it to avoid paying for what they consume. When that happens, they transfer the bill to their neighbours. This is how it goes. A Disco knows that energy comes out of the transformer which serves a particular area. So, when the Disco takes account of the energy that goes out in the area and the bill paid by those that are metered, the rest is spread among those that are not metered. We do that because we know that whatever energy was put out in that area was consumed by people in that area. When people complain about this, we listen to their complaint and sometimes we reduce it. When we reduce it, it is our loss; it is part of what we call commercial loss. Commercial loss is a kind of energy that we put into an area that cannot be accounted for. So I’m saying that we are doing a very difficult job here, we are not complaining but we want people to see what we are trying to do.

But why should the consumers be the ones to pay for Discos’ inefficiencies? If a customer bypasses the meter why should it be another person that will bear the brunt? Like I said before, if there are no thieves in your area, you won’t have crazy bills. We need to change our attitude to public utilities. When somebody in your neighbourhood is tampering with the facilities of a Disco it is your responsibility to report him. Failing to do that is what leads to over estimated billing. But all of that will end with the aggressive metering that we are doing now. Ok, what time are we looking at for the completion of this? First of all, let this tariff remain so that the steady progress will continue, until then I cannot give you a time. Now that we have a tariff, only those with prepaid meters have started paying the new tariff, those with postpaid meters will pay the February bill in March, we wait and hope that people will be paying from March, until that happens, the investment in the sector will not happen. The fact is that if you have electricity in your house and you have a meter, we will collect more money. It is in our interest for you to have electricity and meter; those two

We have embarked on aggressive metering but it will take time. We are doing it neighbourhood by neighbourhood. In some Discos, feeder by feeder, in other Discos, unit by unit.

are key to us, they are central to our business. Our business will not succeed if we don’t have the two. Whenever there is a dispute on estimated or crazy billing, we are the loser because NERC has given a ruling and a kind of guideline regarding dispute resolution. If there is a disputed bill, the customer is only expected to pay the last one that had no dispute. Who is losing? The Disco. What should we do? Aggressive metering. How do we do it? We should have a viable business that can enable us to access fund from financial institutions. That is the truth. Now that the Senate has ordered that you should not go ahead with the implementation of the new tariff… With due respect to the Senate of the Federal Republic, the resolution that was given by the Senate is advisory. And we have not even done anything about that resolution as Discos, that matter is for the regulator. The National Assembly made the law for the establishment of NERC, stating the duties and obligations of NERC. One of the duties of NERC is to fix appropriate tariff; to reduce and to increase. Last year before the election, NERC froze R2, that is the bulk of our customers, that’s the residential customers. That cost us billions. They did it for the election but nobody spoke about that. This time around NERC, realizing that the industry would collapse unless the pricing is right, had to find appropriate pricing for the product. And now the Senate in its wisdom has gone ahead to pass a resolution which is advisory because it is not an act of parliament. Well, let’s see how it goes. What are you doing to get your money from MDAs? Well, I must say with all sincerity that the current government has given us a better body language than the previous government in terms of MDAs’ debts. They have established a communication link. We still had a meeting with them recently. We had a meeting with the representatives of the Federal Government, the office of the vice president and others, where we were trying to streamline and resolve the payment of MDA debts. I’m also using this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to please get themselves and their MDAs, particularly the military, that have not been paying electricity bills yet they receive money in their budget for utility payment, to pay off their debts, so that we don’t get to the point of embarrassing this government by cutting them all off. The law empowers us to cut them off. But we believe that negotiation and consultation is better. Is the business profitable? As of today it is not profitable. Then, why are you in it? We are here because we believe in it. We see it in other countries, at the initial stage, it is usually very hard but with time it becomes profitable. Have those who bought the Discos made investments in them? Yes, there have been a lot of investments and we are saying for the investment to increase, there must be appropriate pricing. Investment is tied to appropriate pricing. If you are a gas supplier, you are supplying gas to the power station but because people are not paying the Discos, you are unable to get money for gas supplied and there are people outside this country who want your gas and they are ready to pay, will you be supplying gas to the power station? So if people pay their bills, there will be more investments. But talking about the initial and ongoing investment, each Disco has invested billions and I have the figures.

Monday, 7 March, 2016

+ entrepreneurship quote

To know values is to know the meaning of the market — Charles Dow (capital)

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Ruth Olurounbi

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

5 ways you may be losing sales —P24

From left, Chisom Ebinama, Kwadwo Nyarko, Perry Ogwuche and Tochuksu Okoro, co-founders, Shypmate.

To be a successful African entrepreneur, aim for an idea that solves a problem — Shypmate Four young Africans, Chisom Ebinama, Kwadwo Nyarko, Perry Ogwuche and Tochuksu Okoro co-founded an international peer to peer delivery company, called Shypmate. Chisom speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE on their inspiration and business nuggets, among other issues.

What inspired Shypmate? HYPMATE was inspired by the need to make international delivery fast and affordable. We have experienced the issue firsthand while residing in the United States, where we were discouraged to send items down to our families in Nigeria and Ghana because it was expensive to do so. So we came up with Shypmate, which is a peer to peer delivery company that allows Africans to buy from any online store in the US. There are so many other delivery companies in Nigeria and even Africa at large. What sets Shypmate apart from these other companies? We are unique because we utilise travellers to expedite shoppers’ deliveries from the US

to Nigeria and Ghana in an average of three days, although we guarantee 510 days delivery. We make online shopping as seamless as possible for everyone Although we have been running the company for less than a year, overtime, we have consistently grown and showed great progress. Since the company orders, buys and even delivers items to its clients, does that mean you also partner with producers/ suppliers? Actually we don’t partner with any company. We simply help our customers shop from any online store of their choice. What do you deliver and who are your clients? We deliver legal items that can easily fit into a luggage space such as electronic,

clothing etc. Shypmate has evolved by consistently taking in feedback and integrating them into our strategies and our clients vary. They are small business owners, individuals and people who want to purchase items from online stores in the US. Shypmate was among the 32 companies selected into the Y Combinator (YC) Fellowship. How did you achieve this? The process was fairly straightforward. We applied through the online application which consisted of a written portion and a video submission. This was followed by an in person interview with several Y Combinator partners. The company received an invest-

ment of $120,000 from YC. What investments did the company do with this? So far, we have channelled the funds to marketing and development. We are constantly tweaking our process while building more features for our platform. How do you actually prioritise your logistics? Our priority is providing great customer service and meeting the five to 10 days delivery guarantee that we give our customers. This guides any decisions we make concerning our logistics, and figuring out how to continuously make the process of achieving that more efficient and effective. Continues on pg24

Monday, 7 March, 2016

+ entrepreneurship

interview

inspiration

‘What’s next for Shypmate’ Continues frompg23

What are the challenges facing your business? We understand that Africans often don’t trust online transactions due to their experiences or that of someone that they know. Hence, convincing people who are already sceptical about trusting an innovative online platform that relies on travellers to bring in verified packages has not been easy. What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who have great ideas, yet have no funding? Do you think money makes a project? Entrepreneurs need to determine the smallest version of their idea that they can begin providing the service and solving the problem that they seek to solve. This will help them get feedback quickly which will reveal crucial learnings and aspects to improve their business that they hadn’t considered. This also helps with raising funding. This might not be appropriate for some ideas, however, as some ideas must have some capital in order to begin providing a service. What do you think it takes to be a successful African entrepreneur? To be a successful African entrepreneur, aim for an idea that solves a problem. Once you have diligently researched and determined that there is a clear need for the idea, it is imperative to surround yourself with individuals that share your vision. What makes the idea valuable is the execution. What do you think is the most important skill of an entrepreneur? I think the most important skill of an entrepreneur would definitely be resilience. Getting a business off the ground is a rollercoaster of highs and lows and there will be many rejections. Many experiments that you run as you figure out your business will not be successful, so an entrepreneur needs to have a lot of resilience to keep pushing on and trying new strategies and ideas. Believing that you have a great product that will provide a great service to many individuals and understanding that whatever rejections you face is not a reflection of you as a person helps with being resilient. What exactly does it take to run Shypmate? It takes great team work, willingness to take risk and adapt, as well as technology/ customer service that is second to none.

What’s next for Shypmate? The vision is to not only provide access to goods from western countries to Africa, but to provide access to goods from Africa to western countries. We believe that there is demand for locally produced goods in other markets and Shypmate wants to help bridge international marketplaces. We also hope to expand beyond Africa. What is your business advice to young entrepreneurs? Do not be scared to take risks. Be willing to learn and adapt. Seek to solve problems first and then nar-

marketing

TEEP 2016: Elumelu writes African entrepreneurs

row your solutions in order to find the best idea. Do not give up and stay focused.

resources and support in terms of mentorship and funding that entrepreneurs elsewhere might receive.

Why in your opinion do you think African entrepreneurs do not succeed in their business endeavours? It’s not necessarily an African entrepreneur issue. Entrepreneurship is a hard endeavour anywhere as you are creating something that previously didn’t exist and startups are likely to not succeed. If I had to give one thing that could be very detrimental to the success of African entrepreneurs is the lack of

What thrills you most about being an entrepreneur? Knowing that I’m helping create something that is impacting and making people’s lives across the world easier. The excitement and gratitude we receive from customers when they sometimes receive their items from the US in the same week they ordered it definitely fills me with joy and makes it all worth it.

As the selection processes start for the second batch of 1,000 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) begins in a few days, the founder and intiator of the programme and chairman, Heirs Holdings and UBA Group, Tony Elumelu, writes an open letter to African entrepreneurs. We copied it from his Facebook page for an inspiration to you, our esteemed readers.

Tony O. Elumelu, Founder, TEF

To all of Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs, I commend your courage and determination to build a business in the face of constraints that inhibit the viability of your startup and significantly threaten its survival. Last year, over 20,000 of you participated in a series of surveys we conducted to ascertain the key challenges you faced as you doggedly pursue your entrepreneurial endeavours. The results are revealing - 87 per cent of you shared that you had no access to seed capital;

5 things entrepreneurs shouldn’t forget about social media By Jayson DeMers

SOCIAL media has become a popular (and profitable) marketing tool for new and experienced entrepreneurs. Establishing an account and building an audience organically costs only time, and most platforms offer reasonably priced advertising options for those who want a little extra push. What’s more, when used in conjunction with an SEO and content-marketing campaign, social media can be even more powerful than when used alone. And these platforms are especially useful for new, emerging, or changing businesses to spread the word quickly. However, social media as a marketing channel isn’t to be taken lightly, nor is it a guaranteed win for your business. To be successful, you need to be aware of social media’s limitations as well as its abilities, and to have a clear strategy throughout your campaign. Here are five considerations about social media that you shouldn’t forget when you’re focusing on the possibility of rewarding results. 1. This is a long-term investment. Social media makes things happen fast: People can communicate with one other instantly, and stories can go viral overnight. This fast pace might lead you to believe that you’ll see fast-paced results, but remember that the proper use of social media is a long-term investment. Your followers might not buy from you for a period of weeks, months or years, but the more time you invest in building a relationship with them and attracting new followers, the greater your chances for conversions. If you judge the success or failure of your campaign after only

a month of activity or invest only in short-term bursts of activity, you’ll compromise your potential longterm gains. 2. You’re not the only entrepreneur who’s thought of this. It’s good that you’ve realized the potential value of social media marketing, but you certainly aren’t alone. Many of your competitors are probably already involved in one way or another, and that means much of your potential online audience is likely already involved with a competitor. To overcome this, make one of your biggest responsibilities that of differentiating yourself. It’s not enough to be active, attentive, informative or entertaining (though those are important qualities). You also have to be different. Research your competitors to see what strategies and angles they’re using, and come up with a unique alternative strategy. 3. The numbers can’t tell you everything. The longer you invest in a social media strategy, the more fixated you’ll become on raw numbers. I’ve experienced this firsthand, and know it can blind you to more important truths. For example, you might start obsessing over your total number of followers, doing everything you can to increase this number and panicking whenever it drops. However, this number can’t tell you how loyal, active or even interested these followers are in your brand. Similarly, your social traffic numbers can’t tell you how engaged your visitors are, and your share counts can’t tell you the reputation value of your content. Numbers are useful, but remember that they can never give you the full picture.

4. It’s called ‘social’ media for a reason. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs neglect the “social” element of social media. People use these apps to interact with one another and engage in meaningful dialogue. They won’t tolerate any one-way conversations. If all you’re doing is syndicating your content, scheduling new posts or advertising your products, you’ll be neglecting the source of most social media success: audience interaction. Ask your audience questions. Answer theirs. Thank them for sharing. Reply to their comments. Treat them as you would your own friends or family members. Don’t think of social media as a podium for your own speech; instead, think

of it as an open table in a coffee shop. 5. Social media works best as a complement to other strategies. It is possible to see marketing success in a strategy exclusively focused on social media, but this isn’t common. Social media works best when used in harmony with other strategies that bolster your online reputation. For example, it can increase the visibility of your content strategy, while your content marketing campaign can increase the size and interest of your social audience as well as positively impact your SEO campaign. So, instead of trying to develop an exclusive social media strategy, look for social opportunities in each

of your other strategies, and weave them together into a unified online presence. Remember these key qualities and considerations about social media, and your campaign will be far more likely to succeed. Establish your goals early and work hard, but don’t get lost in the little details that drive most entrepreneurs crazy: follower counts, posting frequency and meticulous detailing. These things aren’t as important as building an invested community and keeping that community engaged and feeling loved. Simpler is often better in the world of social media, so don’t let yourself be blinded by your ambitions or misconceptions. This article first appeared on entrepreneur.com

80 per cent still sought business mentors after years of searching; 90 per cent desired additional training especially in business management and accounting to build capacity; and 93 per cent longed to be part of a network of entrepreneurs for support, encouragement and prospective partnerships. Despite the restricted availability of the aforementioned support systems, you continue to strive to transform your idea to reality, to convert your dreams to flourishing enterprises. As an entrepreneur like yourself, I know what it feels like to yearn for a lifeline, to hope for a ‘big break’, to look forward to enjoying some luck. I am unashamed to share that part of my success is owed to someone that believed in me, and was prepared to invest in my talents and take a bet on my future. It is for this reason that the Tony Elumelu Foundation decided to “institutionalize luck” and democratise access to opportunity, to empower more entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses that eventually contribute to the economic transformation of our continent. On January 1st 2015 when the Tony Elumelu Foundation launched the application portal for the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) to identify, fund, train, mentor and provide networking opportunities to 1,000 African entrepreneurs, the media hailed TEEP as “unprecedented”, “first-of-a-kind”, and a little too “audacious”. A few critics labeled our intent as “unachievable” because we were attempting to roll out at such a gigantic scale! But little did they understand the potential of Africa’s new generation of entrepreneurs – your ingenuity, your hunger for excellence, your dedication to results and your boundless capacity to constantly innovate. As I have traveled across Africa to meet with TEEP entrepreneurs in their countries, I am both humbled by their stories and invigorated by their passion. It has been twenty-five years since my mentor, Chief Ebitimi Banigo, and the board of AllStates Trust Bank appointed me as branch manager of the Port Harcourt city branch, though I was only 26 years old at the time. Chief Banigo trusted in me then just like I am trusting in you now. Are you up to the challenge? Yours, TOE

5 ways you may be losing sales

g client for their time and summin brush-off. para t shor a in ons up your discussi By Tom Ewer There are countless mistakes peoyou that (a) es prov two or h e when they’re not paying grap YOU made what you thought was ple mak e listening to what they said and wer com ires requ hes pitc All n. a great pitch for a project and the attentio e taken it on board, and (b) that ent and research, even if the hav for fit mitm ect perf a like ed seem t clien were enthusiastic enough to e client approaches you and seems you your talents. Yet just when you wer e it all down and take the time a really interested at the outset. If writ gearing up to do the work, you got your commitment. show to t give that level of attention, polite note saying that your services you can’ looks very professional also It make the pitch. ’t don . ired requ ’t aren (providing you get the detail right!). e Your big question has got to be Clients like dealing with someon ised om r-pr ove arYou this In e ng? hav wro t Why? What wen onstrates that they might be tempting to gild who dem it c ile Wh basi six over ents go to irem g requ goin r e ticle we’r understood thei s the lily and promise the earth to win fully reasons why seemingly good idea keen to act on them. is and two for take d a client, it’s a bad mis don’t get taken up, and how to avoi main reasons. First, if you win the them. You gave out too much inforcontract you’ll find yourself strugmation gling, and there’s nothing worse than The price wasn’t right Your client wants to know what you’re ptly abru ed being terminat The ‘wrong’ price can mean three a contract g to do for them. You go out of your client who’s realised that you’re goin things: you priced too high for that by a to provide a detailed plan of everyway job. the to up low not too ed pric you t, clien particular that will go into the project, and then nd, you may not win the con- thing epSeco perc ple’s peo ct affe can ich (wh don’t get the contract. , at all (which is actually the bet- you tion of the quality of your service) tract Next thing you hear, a rival is doing client will have te astu An . on!) opti e. ter pric r you ify or you failed to just ect – to your plan! Or even, if a tall tale, and while you the proj for ble, nose a ona reas t’s wha out k To wor explained well enough, the client t may pride yourself on your charm you wha on eye an keep to e hav you be doing it himself or herself. ty to lie convincingly, you’re may others in your line of business are and abili With the above in mind, one basic up red flags. ing send be to nd out bou way s long a ’re charging – if you golden rule is to answer the question put be will ts as ide clien , Prov . way er stop of line eith your client asks, then You didn’t follow through off. much information as your client rethan e mor ut Winning work is abo that once the projng a pitch. It’s quires, and explain veri deli or ing und send gro the do You didn’t ed and a contract is signed, r attitude towards the ect is agre you ut abo work will provide a full scope of works. and whether your potential you Sometimes you are up to your ears work, t way, you cover yourself as best understands that you’re as Tha in work when a new client comes client against this sort of theft. and committed to the you can along with a project proposal. You enthused as they are. t throw together a pitch in wha work Culled from bidsketch.com w-up email thanking the follo the A get you and e hav you time e spar

tribunebusiness

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

It’s about the economy, not Naira By Bakare Ademola

VER since 1982 when former President Shehu Shagari introduced the first ever austerity measure programme to the General Ibrahim Babangida’s Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of 19861990 and other policies by succeeding administrations in Nigeria aimed at evolving a sustainable economic development strategy, Nigeria, has been experiencing stalled economic progress. The reason for the persistent failure to diversify the economic structure is easily traced to the dead-easy philosophy of the thinking that crude oil sales will continually subsist as a source of foreign exchange revenue. That this wishful thinking has persisted for over four decades, even in the face of the fragile nature of the international crude oil market, underscores our collective naivety. Thus, the recent visit of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Managing Director, Ms. Christine Lagarde to Nigeria tells no new story, but a rehash of the aged fact that no one, but Nigerians and the various levels of government can help fix its economy. Lagarde noted that Nigeria can be one of the 21st century world economies, if only the government can tackle and fix some defective structural challenges noticeable in the economy. Often, many Nigerians bemoan the deteriorating Naira exchange rate, but fail to understand that it is the relative strength and structure of a country’s economy in terms of how broadly diversified it is and the quantum of exports vis-à-vis imports that gives relevance to the strength of a country’s currency. It is obvious that the reluctance shown by the CBN and the Federal Government to heed the call for naira devaluation apparently has to do with the near absence of a viable productive base of the Nigerian economy. We have not been able to deploy the vast arable land that is lying fallow to serious agricultural production. More than 50 years ago in the 1950s and 1960s, the country was a force to reckon with in commodity exports, which saw such development strides that made Nigeria as one of the fastest growing economy in the 1960s. Any effort at boosting the productive base of the economy in this 21st century must transcend mere commodity export of primary produce to upscale processing of these primary produce into semimanufactures and manufactured goods for both domestic consumption and exports. In addition, we should not limit ourselves to import substitution, but like the South East Asian ‘Tigers’ adopt a more aggressive export-led industrialisation strategy at least with a view to penetrating the West African coast and the East and Central African regional economies. The import of this approach is that it offers the country the opportunity to overcome the negative terms of trade (low export prices) associated with commodity exports relative to higher prices of imported manufactures from advanced economies. The export-led processing of manufactured goods would not only enhance the labour-absorptive capacity of the economy, but will provide a veritable platform for learning-by-doing-it process, which goes to fast track technology

CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele

acquisition and improvement of skills of the local labour force. This brings into focus a recent Emefieleled Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiative known as Produce, Add-Value and Export (PAVE), which seeks to reduce the country’s huge import bill in order to conserve foreign reserves and generate employment. To this end, the CBN has undertaken to provide funding to value chain operators in some selected commodities such as rice, wheat, oil palm, cotton and textile, sugar and fish with the aim of boosting exports. It is equally important to note that the unorganized private entrepreneurs in Aba have demonstrated capacity in the manufacturing of shoes, bags and other leather works and Nnewi in terms of autospares and allied accessories. Perhaps, what is required is the need to identify similar industrial clusters and take steps to enhance their operations. The government, especially at the subnational level, should get into the fray. Driving through South East and South West zones shows that most of the palm trees have become wild and not as productive anymore. It presupposes that these wild palm trees are begging to be replaced with younger and more productive trees. It is in this regard that the CBN Anchor Borrowers’ Programme should be appreciated. The programme seeks to collaborate with anchor companies involved in the production and processing of key agricultural commodities. The pilot programme in rice production was officially flagged off by President Muhammad Buhari in Kebbi State in November 2015. Similar

Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun

We should not limit ourselves to import substitution, but like the South East Asian ‘Tigers’ adopt a more aggressive export-led industrialisation strategy at least with a view to penetrating the West African coast and the East and Central African regional economies.

programme should be extended to oil palm, cocoa and cotton production. The same level of attention is also required to address the rot in the social services especially education and health care services. The effectiveness of these two sectors has remarkable impact on the quality and capacity of the country’s labour force and by extension its productivity. The increasing army of Nigerian students seeking university admissions abroad and people trouping to India and Dubai for healthcare services, when measured in monetary values, paints a frightening picture of the level of dependence on

foreign social services. Given the dire economic strait being experienced, it has become compelling that a strategy of domesticating viable research and development activities be put in place, which addresses research in critical areas such as industrial raw materials, engineering and technological innovation. Would it be out of place for Nigeria to adopt a common official dress made locally for work other than English suit? What stops the various levels of government from adopting the locally made Ankara fabric as school uniform in both the primary and secondary schools? This will instantly provide demand for the products of the local textile industries as well as create employment. The unintended lesson of the present economic crisis is the realization that the current level of economic resources can hardly sustain the present unwieldy political structure of 774 local government area councils, 36 state governments with a unicameral state assembly and the Federal Government with a bicameral legislature. The political class should bite the bullet and admit this reality in order to come together for the purpose of reducing the size of the political structure to sixgeopolitical zones with a unicameral legislature. This view will readily attract comments that suggest how impracticable it will be, owing to the rigour involved in constitutional amendment. There is nothing sacrosanct about provisions of the constitution that cannot be amended. It, therefore, becomes clear that our problem is simply the economy, not the Naira. Bakare Ademola contributed this piece from Abuja.

moneymarket

Monday, 7 March, 2016

N7.7trn stamp duty revenue not accounted for, SBH insists Stories by Chima Nwokoji -Lagos

HE School of Banking Honours (SBH) has called on the Federal Government to reverse the N50 stamp duty recently introduced on electronic transfers, insisting that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) did not remit N7.7 trillion Stamp Duty revenues for two years. Briefing journalists in Lagos, Rector, SBH, Mr Adetola Adekoya, said that the N7.7 trillion represented stamp duty collected by NIBSS on electronic transfers from 2013 to 2014 and impossing another stamp duty amounts to double charge. He said the School of Banking Honours (SBH) was appointed by NIPOST in 2012 to coordinate the

Bayo Shittu, Communication Minister

collection of the Stamp Duty charge. “SBH is alerting the Presidency and all good Nigerians to begin popular action for the recovery of the said

ACCA backs CBN in financial literacy campaign •Flags off 2016 finance summit THE Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has thrown its weight behind the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) in its campaign to made more Nigerians financially literate. The Head of ACCA Nigeria, Mrs Oluwatoyin Ademola made this known at the flag off of the 2016 finance summit held in Lagos on Thursday. According to her, based on research findings that revealed that about 43 per cent of Nigerians are not financially literate, we are interested in teaching more people about finance so that they would contribute to economic growth. “When people are not financially literate they would not contribute to the growth of Small and Medium scale Enterprises which in itself is the engine of growth in any economy,” Ademola observed. She blamed failure of most Nigerian SME businesses on the lack of ability of the owners to apply finance knowledge in their daily jobs. Apart from physical training of participants, ACCA she said, had earlier launched an online training platform to boost financial literacy. “The major reason there is poor SME growth in Nigeria is due to lack of understanding of basic finance. There is

no organization or firm that does not need the services of an accountant even on part time basis. Some of them want to make profit but they don’t have somebody to teach them,” she said. Every year, ACCA renews commitment to promote employability in Nigeria by Organising the summits in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. The body has taken a step further by putting together a virtual careers fair called Advantage, an online platform that brings together employers, tuition providers, members and recruitment partners. Candidates are able to log on to this portal and upload their curriculum vitae and have live chats with employers.

Fola Shonubi, NIBSS MD

N7.7 trillion from NIBSS/ CBN into the federation account while payment of agreed commission to SBH is effected.” “In 2012, NIPOST signed a Master Service agreement with SBH to coordinate collection of Stamp Duty on cash and cashless transactions. The CBN thereafter

issued approval and No-Objection letters to SBH , dated November 5 and December 3, 2012, respectively, to engage banks and other financial institutions on the statutory charge for government (through a two year services agreement signed with NIPOST). “Furthermore, NIBSS,

during a joint press conference with SBH on January 4, 2013, openly promised to support the statutory charges for government, in line with CBN approvals letters to SBH, and was engaged as official sweeping agent on the project immediately.” Adekoya regretted that though, the three year delay by CBN was then utilised by NIBSS to: Introduce new N70 charge on electronic receipts below N500, 000; and increase by 300 percent, charges on electronic receipts above N500, 000. Consequently he explained further, NIBSS is keeping N70 aggregate increased charges on electronic transfers for 2013 to 2015, against CBN financial inclusion policy, stated in CBN approval letters to SBH. NIBSS is also keeping N70 aggregate increased charges on electronic transfers against CBN directives for such charges to be remitted to government coffers on monthly basis, in CBN approval letters to SBH.

Fidelity Bank renovates hostels for internally displace persons in Benin

FIDELITY Bank Plc, has renovated and equipped blocks of hostels at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Benin, Edo State recently. Working under the aegis of the Fidelity Helping Hands Programme (FHHP), one of the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vehicles, staff of Risk Management Group of the bank, contributed money from their salaries to refurbish the hostel blocks and donate books, branded school bags, pencils, pens and other educational materials to displaced persons. Many of the IDPs are women, children and vul-

nerable host communities in Nigeria. A statement from the bank on Thursday said this is in fulfillment of the bank’s CSR objectives, which rests on a tripod: education, health and environment. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc. Nnamdi Okonkwo, said the lender remains determined in its efforts to advance the cause and wellbeing of communities where it does business. He noted that the bank takes great pride in its modest accomplishments of entrenching the culture of true and responsible citizenship

among its staff. “It is this passion for our country and our people that has motivated this Staff driven initiative, which we fondly call the FHHP.” Alluding to the fundamental role of government in fixing the myriads of problems facing every community, the bank chief said that government alone cannot solve the problems of mankind especially now that it is faced with daunting economic challenges. He called on private sector organisations and corporate bodies to lend their support to government, particularly as it relates to the provision of basic infrastructure and social amenities.

Uber offers free rides to UBA customers UBER, in partnership with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), has announced a synergy which offers UBA cardholders up to N6,000 worth of free Uber rides from March 1st until March 31, 2016. UBA cardholders who sign up for Uber will get up to N3,000 off each of their first two rides. To get this offer, a customer needs to sign up with any UBA card and enter the promo code UBARIDES. Uber is a transport system with network in over 400

cities in over 70 countries spanning 6 continents. Uber according to a statement from UBA gets passengers a ride at the push of a button without waiting on the street or walking through unfamiliar neighbourhoods to find reliable transport. Commenting on the partnership, Yinka Adedeji, UBA’s Divisional Head for Digital Banking says “It’s our pleasure to partner Uber on this initiative. We encourage all UBA cardholders to take advantage

of this offer and share their UBARIDES experience.” Ebi Atawodi, General Manager Uber Lagos, added “This is extremely exciting for us, UBA is one of the largest banks in Nigeria and we are thrilled to be able to offer their customers a free first two rides. We look forward to further growing this partnership with UBA across Nigeria.” Uber is the most convenient way to get a safe, reliable and affordable ride, the app detects your loca-

tion, tells you about your driver in advance, and means you can pay without using cash making it is easier and safer for both riders and drivers. It’s why more than one million people use the app globally every day Atawodi explained. To get this service, customers only need to download the Uber app, register with personal details, select vehicle option, Enter your pickup location and destination, use promo code UBARIDES and get N3000 off each of first two rides.

Nigerian Tribune

Diversification:

Skye Bank boss advocates investment in manufacturing GROUP Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Skye Bank Plc, Mr Timothy Oguntayo, has called for massive investment in the manufacturing, agriculture and extractive industries for the success of the diversification program of the government. Oguntayo disclosed this at a roundtable session on the manufacturing outlook for 2016’ organised by Dr Biodun Adedipe led BAA Associates in Lagos recently. According to the Skye Bank boss, who was a lead panelist at the roundtable; the three identified sectors were critical for the success of the economic diversification agenda of the current government in view of the dwindling oil prices, low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, and rising unemployment in the country. Oguntayo who went down memory lane, said the manufacturing sector contributed 10 per cent of GDP before the oil boom of 1970s but lamented Nigeria’s overdependence on oil export and earnings from the 1990s to date. He said the over dependence on oil resulted in the neglect of the manufacturing sector; just as low investment in public goods and infrastructure led to the decline in manufacturing activities. To reverse the negative trend, the lead Banker recommended the expansion of public infrastructure like road, electricity, among others to promote manufacturing. In addition, he advised manufacturers to access the earmarked N200 billion by Central Bank of Nigeria and N200 billion Bank of Industry’s intervention funds to boost their operations. Noting that commercial banks were not structured to provide long term funding but bridge finance, he said the Bank of Industry and NEXIM Bank should be strengthened to provide long term funding for manufacturers. The CEO who was applauded by participants for his candour and refreshing perspective on issues, also called for the creation of development and industrial clusters to enable manufacturers share some of the fixed costs of running their facilities with other manufacturers thereby reducing their operating costs. To enhance and optimise their capacity, the experienced Banker advised manufacturing firms to focus on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their sales force in order to create opportunities for incremental sales growth. This, he said will keep them in business.

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

anchor

capitalmarket

Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba

m:08057336640 e:kehinde_07@yahoo.com

NSE gathers momentum at 6.6% increase Stories by Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba -Lagos

QUITY trading on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed positively on a straight five trading sessions of the week having added N546 billion. The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation

appreciated by 6.57 per cent and 6.55 per cent to close the week at 25,820.10 basis points and N8.882 trillion respectively as against 24,228.79 basis points and N8.34 trillion posted at the beginning of the week. The pickup in the market returns was attributed to the impact of earn-

ings surprises from Dangote Cement and Africa Prudential Plc that had made some dividend paying stocks to witness break out as new positioning by investors are adding more momentum to the market. The continued bullish trend experienced in the market has thus reduced the All Share Index year to

date returns to -9.87 per cent while that of market capitalisation now stand at -N970.28 billion. Last week, A turnover of 1.476 billion shares worth N7.992 billion in 15,743 deals were traded by investors on the floor of the Exchange in contrast to a total of 4.476 billion shares valued at N11.742 billion

that exchanged hands last week in 14,124 deals. The Financial Services Industry led the activity chart, measured by volume, with 1.319 billion shares valued at N5.590 billion traded in 9,955 deals; thus contributing 89.36 per cent and 69.94 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value

From left, Mr Dele Afolabi, Head, Portfolio Management, Debt Management Office; Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Capital Market Division, The Nigerian Stock Exchange; Mr Dipo Omotoso, Head, Secondary Market, NSE and Titi Ogungbesan, Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers at the Annual Fixed Income Workshop at the exchange on Saturday.

TSA: SEC compliant despite challenges — Mounir THE leadership of the Security Exchange Commission has said since the inception of the Treasury Single Account initiative, the commission had been in full support despite the challenges faced. According to the commission, a notable challenge was inability of the commission to directly invest its savings as was the practice to generate interest in-

come to fund budget deficits, among others. In the commission’s website on Friday, it noted that “Without doubt, TSA will not only help Government unify banking arrangement but would give Government oversight on cash resources, promote efficiency, transparency, accountability, reduce overall cost of government borrowing and reduce idle

cash balances of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) funds in banks. All MDAs have a role to play in this laudable objective.” Adding that “SEC is supervised by the Federal Ministry of Finance and as an agency of the Federal Government is bound to comply with all directives, the TSA is one of such directives, hence the nexus

Champion Breweries posts N210.2m profit before tax CHAMPION Breweries Plc in its financial year ended 31 December 2015 records N210.2m profit before tax deduction. In its 2015 full year (FY) audited resulted released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Champion Breweries had 119.6 per cent increase in its profit before tax result when compared

to N1.1 million posted in FY 2014. Analysis shows that the huge increase in its PBT was as a result of 141.9 per cent decline in taxation from N317.2 million of FY 2014 to N133 million recorded for FY 2015. Revenue of the brewing company also increased by six per cent or N200 mil-

lion to N3.502 billion in FY 2015 as against N3.302 billion posted in FY 2014. For the profit after the deduction of tax, Champion Breweries Plc posted N77.14 million as its share per earning stood at one kobo. However, directors of the company did not recommend any dividend for its investors during the year.

between SEC and TSA. “As a responsible agency of Government, SEC, proudly and happily too is one of the first agencies to comply. The Management of SEC, under the leadership of Mounir Gwarzo ensured the verification of users and sponsored staff on workshops organized for the implementation of TSA.” Earlier in the week, The Director-General of the Commission, Mr Mounir Gwarzo, during the House of Representatives Committee on capital market visit to the commission had said the inclusion of the commission in the implementation of the Treasury Single Account was affecting its capital market operation. Mounir noted that what the commission generates from the market could not cover more than 50 per cent of our cost. “So more often we have to dip into

those funds saved by past SEC administrations. “But now with the TSA and other things, that flexibility is being cut off because some of the interest income that we derive from those investment, we don’t enjoy them any longer.” He stated that SEC now runs a “very tight budget, given that the market has gone down and given that there are aspirations to move the market up we have to set aside some amount of money.” The Treasury Single Account (TSA) is an initiative of the Federal Government being implemented through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) as part of its Economic Reform Programme. It is a unified structure of Government Bank Accounts – a single Account or a set of linked Accounts for all Government transactions.

respectively. The Conglomerates Industry followed with 50.809 million shares worth N108.297 million in 557 deals. The third place was occupied by the Consumer Goods Industry with a turnover of 49.655 million shares worth N1.376 million in 2,434 deals. Trading in the top three equities, measured by volume, were Wapic Insurance Plc, FCMB Holding Plc and Access Bank Plc. They accounted for 578.238 million shares worth N933.534 million in 1,424 deals, contributing 39.18 per cent and 11.68 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. Similarly, all other Indices finished higher during the week, with the exception of the NSE-Main Board Index, NSE Consumer Goods Index and NSE Oil/Gas Index that depreciated by 0.54 per cent, 1.36 per cent and 6.10 per cent respectively while the NSE ASeM Index closed flat 35 equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than 21 equities of the previous week. 24 equities depreciated in price, lower than 35 equities of the previous week, while 130 equities remained unchanged, lower than 134 equities recorded in the previous week.

Stock pick of the week UNITED CAPITAL PLC made an impressive return during the week aside from being among the lead gainers of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) The financial institution gathered 29.55 per cent increase in its share value having gained 39 kobo to each share to close at N1.71 kobo per share. United Capital Plc during the week was the most active to boost market turnover having turned an impressive volume of shares. At the end of the week, the quoted company turned in N110.6 million worth of 74,602,560 shares in 573 deals.

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

labour My experience in Togo:

Nigerians’ rights are taken for granted —Wabba, NLC President

Recently, on Monday, 22 February to be precise, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, was stopped from travelling to Lome, Togo from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, by officials of the Asky Airline. The officials of the airline denied Wabba from boarding even when he tendered the ECOWAS Travel Certificate duly issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria on behalf of ECOWAS, claiming to be acting on the instructions of the Togolese Government. Wabba, who was going to Lome to participate in an ITUC-Africa activity, speaks with SOJI-EZE FAGBEMI, on his experience and how the Togolese Government and people maltreat and disrespect the people and government of Nigeria. Excerpts:

OW Togolese Government refused my entrance into the country Our system can be made effective if government agencies respond promptly to issues. The Travelling Certificate by the ECOWAS protocol is a document I can use to travel around all of West Africa. I used the same document to travel in November to Dakar, Ghana. Nigerians take their rights for granted in most cases; I never knew that for more than one year, the Togolese Government had refused Nigerians entry into the country with that certificate and they have not made it official. In fact they have confiscated more than 1,000 Nigerians’ passports through that process. On landing, if you are using that passport, they will confiscate it. I was to travel that day and because I knew I had a valid document, I didn’t pick my international passport. It was at the point of check in that the Asky Arline said they cannot check in anyone with that passport, adding that the Togolese Government asked them to decline checking in anyone that has that passport. I said no, because first, it is not their document; this is a document of the Nigerian Government, it is about our sovereignty, the document is issued by the Nigerian Immigration Services and countries must respect the sovereignty of other countries. I went to the Immigration Comptroller at the airport and asked if the document had been withdrawn and he said no. It is a valid travelling document in the whole of West Africa. So, we went back to them and they insisted that it cannot happen. So I told them that I will ensure this will be the last time they will treat Nigerians that way. That was why I went to the office that day and directed that a petition be written to all relevant agencies. I also called the

ECOWAS Commission to inform them of this infringement of Nigerians’ rights. One of our heads of department in the NLC was also supposed to travel there and told that he cannot travel with the document. So many Nigerians have suffered under that bondage, yet people are not ready to fight for their rights. Response of Nigerian Government and ECOWAS I must commend the Minister of Interior, the Minister of External Affairs. They responded immediately to my letter and promised to follow up. They didn’t stop there; just yesterday, somebody came from the President of ECOWAS to interview me about what happened and said they have received a ‘Note Verbal’ and the President of ECOWAS has tasked them to find out what happened. As it is now, Asky has rescind their decision, Nigerians can now travel with that passport officially because as we landed at the airport, the airport officials besieged me and said that decision has been removed officially from their website and that Nigerians can now use that passport to travel. Alleged Togolese’s hatred and disrespect for Nigeria One thing that is important to me is the fact that the Togolese people have problems with Nigerians. In fact, they don’t respect Nigerians because on arrival, I made efforts to go to our embassy and I saw a letter, officially written by the Ambassador to the Minister of External Affairs complaining about confiscation of Nigerian passports at the airport. The fact also is that because of that issue, many Nigerians, I was told, 170 Nigerians are awaiting trials in Togolese prison. One, they said they don’t have the legal competence to prosecute them diligently and some of them have been awaiting trial for six years.

I had to call Femi Falana on arrival, who also spoke with the Ambassador. Already we are using the instrumentality of the ECOWAS Court because Femi Falana is the President of West Africa Bar Association. And we are also requesting for the list of those that have been incarcerated in those prisons so that we can also take up their cases. But it is so bad the way Togolese treat Nigerians. It is the only West African country that is treating Nigerians that way. Nigeria’s $2 million support for Togo elections I interacted with our community there and I was told that during their last presidential election, Nigerian Government donated $2 million and 15 Hilux buses to them. Up till now, it has not been acknowledged. It was cash at the border, they called them to come and collect it. Till now, the Togolese Govern-

ment has not actually acknowledged that. So, how long will we continue to be big brother Africa? What is our strategic interest in all of these when $2 million can be used to fix one hospital and those Hilux vehicles can be used for operational activities in Ministry of Agriculture? How long should we continue to waste our resources when people don’t respect us? How many are they? They are less than six million, and out of the six million, two million are Nigerians.

Yet they see Nigerians as enemies. They first assume that you are guilty until you are able to prove otherwise. This is the situation and this is what I have been able to establish. Those are the issues I am also going to officially communicate to the relevant agencies. But one thing that is more important is the fact that when people fight for their rights and the right of others, it is possible that we are going to win.

Crisis imminent as Lagos TOAN sets for showdown with RTEAN Soji-Eze Fagbemi- Abuja

A serious crisis likely to affect commuters and smooth running of the transportation system in Lagos State is imminent, as the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN) is already gearing up for a total showdown with the Road Transport Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), over the purported sack of the Executive of the Tricycles Owners and Driver Association of Nigeria (TODAL) of the Lagos chapter. TODAL has just metamorphosed to the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), with its recent registration as a trade union by the Federal Government and affiliation to the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria. However, while TOAN members were still celebrating their independence and the joy of becoming a legally registered trade union, the Lagos State chapter of

RTEAN dissolved its executive in the state and constituted a caretaker committee as replacement. In a swift reaction, the Deputy National President of TOAN, Comrade Babatunde Ayelogun, said the union will not take the development lightly, but will fight for the rights of its members. Ayelogun, who reacted angrily at what he termed the “confrontational and dangerous,” action taken by RETEAN, however, warned against “the purported sack of the Executive of the TODAL.” He also warned that the unlawful interference of Lagos State RTEAN in the activities of the tricycle operators will create anarchy, thereby endangering commuters and public peace. “The attention of the National Executive of TOAN has been drawn to the publication in some section of the media reporting that the Lagos State RTEAN

has dissolved the Executive of TODAL, and constituted a caretaker committee as replacement. “It is pertinent at the juncture to set the record straight. Having been dully registered by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as a registered trade union on 26 January, 2016 through the Registrar of Trade Union, and dully affiliated to the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), TOAN, formally known as Tricycles Owners and Driver Association of Lagos (TODAL) had severed all relationship with RTEAN. “Contrary to the statement by the Chairman, RTEAN Lagos Chapter that the tricycle executive was dissolved in commuters’ interest and to foster public peace, it is worthy of note that it is the chairman’s unlawful interference in the activities of the tricycle operators that is tantamount to anarchy, thereby endangering commuters and public peace.”

tribunebusiness

Monday, 7 March, 2016

8th Senate and redefining the nation’s business environment

Bukola Saraki, Senate President

By Mohammed Isa

T its inception in June 2015, the 8th Senate, under the leadership of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, left no one in doubt about its determination to use its constitutional mandate to stop the business as usual syndrome and move the country forward. Based on that firm resolve, the Senate fashioned out a well thought out, detailed plan and cohesive legislative agenda for renewed national cohesion and development. It is in fulfilment of the objective of the agenda that the Senate President in November 2015 initiated a discussion with development partners, professional bodies like the Nigeria Bar Associations (NBA) and the academia. The result was the formation of a committee of experts charged with the responsibility of providing a framework for holistic review and improvements of legislations and policies affecting business, so as to create a better business enabling environment, leading to increased and sustained private sector development and investment in the country. The legislative effort paid off when on February 29, 2016, the committee of experts, supported by Department for International Development (DFID) with the strong participation of Nigerian Economic Support Group (NESG) presented its detailed report to the Senate President. Presenting the168-page report titled, “Comprehensive Review of the Institutional Regulatory, Legislative and Associated Instruments Affecting Businesses in Nigeria,” the Team Leader, Prof Paul Idorni-

gie (SAN), identified eight Reform Bills currently pending before the National Assembly as of priority importance to doing business and overall private sector participation in Nigeria. According to Idornigie, “even if no other recommendation in this report is implemented, the enactment of these Bills will be a major achievement of the 8th National Assembly.” The bills are Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2015, Federal Roads Authority Bill 2015, National Inland Waterways Authority Bill 2015, National Roads Funds Bill 2015, National Transport Commission 2015, Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority Bill 2015, Nigeria Postal Commission Bill 2015 and Nigeria Railway

This is at the heart of the clamour for diversification; from agriculture business support, to credit, economic reform bills, to MSMEs, taxation, conflict resolution, regulatory reform bills, our agenda is firmly rooted on increased participation, diversification and capital formation

Authority Bill 2015. The team, he said, also reviewed 54 Acts and 50 Bills pending before the National Assembly, and rated them in order of priority to help the legislature focus more on areas that require urgent intervention. Some of the recommendations by the experts were; passage of the reform bills, establishment of federal legislative clearinghouse, access to finance and property, establishment of a national legislative forum, improving commercial dispute resolution and simplifying the payment of taxes. The report further recommended that the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives should collaborate to ensure proper coordination and implementation. It urged the Constitution Review Committee of the two chambers to take into consideration “constitutional challenges highlighted by the report, especially that of Land Use Act vesting the entire property in and control of all minerals, mineral oils and natural gas in the Federal Government, the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court and that of the Tax Appeal Tribunal and other matters that are in the Exclusive Legislative List - for example, railways”. The recommendation, they noted, will lead to the consequential repeal of the Petroleum Act, the Mines and Minerals Act, amongst others. Receiving the report, an elated Saraki said the present economic challenge facing the country presents an opportunity for her leaders to show leadership, courage and ingenuity. The nation, he said should use the present economic situation to set the stage for a post-oil era in which

the private sector will steer the ship of the economy while government provides the enabling environment. “The National Assembly through our legislative agenda seized on the moment to chart a new course for the nation’s economy. The legislative agenda we have adopted is one framed largely around good governance, accountability, opening up of the economy for greater investment, ease of doing business and security of lives and property,” he said. He added that the 8th National Assembly would give priority to the amendment of obsolete laws, noting that, “without these laws the Executive will be handicapped to drive the economy. This is part of the executive-legislative collaboration to move the nation forward”. While urging the Executive to ensure full implementation of such laws when they are eventually passed, the Senate President assured them that the relevant committees would be empowered to ensure effective oversight on such laws. Saraki said the collaboration with the private sectors, development partners, professional groups, like the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), as well as the academia in the ongoing process to review laws affecting doing business will give birth to a new business environment that will boost the economy, solve the problem of unemployment, curb social vices and restore the nation’s values and pride. He stressed that the Senate and the House of Representatives are on the same page with President Muhammed Buhari’s policy on diversification of economy, “our

Nigerian Tribune

President has laid out a vision to fully diversify the economy beyond oil and has been committed to the actualization of the project. “The overarching objective of the agenda targets private sector investment and business development as a major plank of the plan. This is because of our belief in the ingenuity, creativity, entrepreneurship of our people, and that in order to create jobs, give our people better opportunities, the private sector remains our best option. “This is at the heart of the clamour for diversification; from agriculture business support, to credit, economic reform bills, to MSMEs, taxation, conflict resolution, regulatory reform bills, our agenda is firmly rooted on increased participation, diversification and capital formation,” Saraki assured. The report, he said will in few weeks from now at a special economic and business environment roundtable, be subjected to further interrogation, validate its conclusion and get the buy-in of key stakeholders in the business environment, so that its final outcome will leapfrog the nation’s economy into the first 20 world economies. In his remarks, chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Bukar Kyari, who represented the private sector, commended the initiative of the Senate President in involving all the stakeholders in the preparation of the report. He said, “the collaboration marks a significance milestone in the nation’s democracy, as this is the first time in the history of the National Assembly that NESG and other stakeholders would be engaged to provide a roadmap that will assist the legislature in carrying out its activities.” The report noted the poor rating of Nigeria in “Doing Business Report” survey by the World Bank, a situation the committee of experts described as “worrisome, extremely poor and in need of urgent reform.” In his comment, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who was represented by Hon. Tijjani Yusuf lamented the non-optimal utilisation of specialised courts, such as Investment and Security Tribunal (IST) and Industrial Courts among others for business dispute resolutions and called for concerted efforts to make those courts function effectively. In their separate contributions, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweramadu, and Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, commended the committee of experts for the report and expressed confidence that the identified priority bills would make the Senate achieve the goal of its legislative agenda. Though Nigeria as a nation is not in short supply of such reports in the past, what makes this one different is its inclusive nature, the determination of the Senate President to give the legislature a new direction and the commitment of President Buhari to bring about change on how things are being done in Nigeria. Isa is Special Assistant to the Senate President on Public Affairs.

Monday, 7 March, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

Buhari’s govt still learning —Mohammed

Dr Junaid Mohammed, a frontline Northern politician and member of the National Assembly in the Second Republic, speaks with KOLA OYELERE on President Muhammadu Buhari’s perceived slow pace, the call for a national economic summit, and sundry issues. Excerpts:

oW would you analyse events in the country since the 2015 general election and why? I think it is very difficult to analyze anything within the short period of time this present government came into power. To me, eight months is too early to assess the success or failure of any administration. The reality we are confronted with is that, no matter how good your programmes are, no matter how competent the people you bring into government are, and no matter how sincere and wellmeaning they are, when you begin a new administration, you automatically inherit the good, the bad and the ugly. You inherit the consequences of mismanagement, corruption, impunity and what have you. What is confronting this administration is simply that there was division within the party, the government and the Presidency. However, when you are going into an election, it is not enough to plan to win, you have to prepare yourself very well, so that within a short possible time, you can take care of the garbage of the past and prepare to tackle your new administration. I think the government is learning; they are learning the hard way, and sadly. Even if there were no issues and no challenges from the government, the fact is that the emergence of this government coincided with oil prices collapse. Some countries are in recession and Nigeria is fundamentally an oil-producing country. We rely on oil for most of our internal dollar denominationatory revenues and when those who buy our oil cease to do so, the economy will not be favourable, coupled with the fact that we have massive corruption institutionalised in the system. Therefore, nobody should have expected anything different. As if that was not enough, we have a major security crisis in the North-East, and security challenges particularly in the North-Central and North-West, even down South, too. We have been taught that whenever you have prolonged security crisis, economic crisis will invariably follow. In addition to the Boko Haram problem in the North-East, we have a major economic crisis nationwide and the two are a very deadly combination. But, I believe that, with the goodwill and the cooperation of Nigerians, things will soon normalise.

Are you not disturbed by what some individuals perceive as the slow pace of the Buhari administration? Policy issues depend on the style of an individual. Buhari has his own style. It will not be all that right to say his administration is too slow. We are talking of a population of 180 million. If you want to rush, you will eventually rush yourself into a disaster. One thing you have to take into consideration is that when you are inheriting a government, you are not inheriting a plain or clean slate. And if you want to rush, you may find yourself in a complete mess. It is now eight months since this administration came on board, and we are just seeing slight changes, the removal of heads of some parastatals. Some of them have been given ample time to sabotage the programme of the administration. I have not seen or heard any convincing reasons why it needed to take so long to remove some of the head of the parastatals A lot of damage has been done through waiting for eight months before sacking those that were appointed by the past administration, because most of them were there simply to satisfy personal agenda. Closely linked to that, the president and his party must be seen to be reading from the same page. I am not persuaded that the president has been able to carry his party along; if he cannot convince his party, he cannot convince me, outside his party, and

When you are going into an election, it is not enough to plan to win, you have to prepare yourself very well, so that within a short possible time, you can take care of the garbage of the past.

Mohammed that is very important. As a senior citizen, what do you think is responsible for the culture of impunity, or if you like, corruption among public officials? My personal take off on this is that anytime you leave people who are corrupt without holding them to account for their atrocities, next time, if there is need to deal with such people, you will have a bigger and harder mess to clean up. I think a lot of what has been happening has to do with the coup-detat organised by General Ibrahim Babaginda in 1985. It was staged to protect some major officials and members of the political class who were very close to him. For 30 years, there had been no attempt whatsoever to get to the root of corruption and deal with it with a serious mind. If the present war on corruption is truncated, then next time around, whoever wants to try it will experience more difficulties. We have to do it right now, otherwise it is going to be very difficulty for us to deal with corruption in Nigeria in future, because it is becoming a institutionalised in the country. It is expected that whoever is getting into office is going to be corrupt, that he is going to steal, and unless something is done to reverse this, we are going to get into a bigger mess in the future. Besides, in the past, from 1979 to 1984, at least the judiciary could be relied upon. But at the moment, the judiciary is the number one enemy of the average Nigerian. I think we have one of the most per-

verse, one of the most shameless and too stupidly corrupt judiciary in the World. You can see that the task is seven times more painful to undertake simply because the so-called hope of common man is now the worst. The war on corruption has to be fought and if Nigerians can do it, President Buhari can do it. How best can the country tackle the menace, as some have advocated plea bargain for looters, while others canvassed for special courts to try suspects? I think those who invoke the American system and allow people who are privileged to plea bargain are asking for the destruction of this country. I don’t believe people who have been proved to have done something wrong should be allowed to get away, simply because they can part with money they stole. Plea bargain package is uncalled for. If that should be the case, there is no hope for dealing with corruption in Nigeria. There is no way somebody who has stolen billions of naira can be allowed to go scot free, simply by giving one billion or half of a billion, while somebody who steals a goat is sent to years imprisonment. Secondly, it is alien to the principle of English Common Law, which we inherited. As a former parliamentarian, do you believe the Legislature can absolve itself from the reign of impunity/sleaze in the land? Continues on pg32

politics&politics

Monday, 7 March, 2016

‘Afenifere, ACF, Ohanaeze working against

Nigeria’

Continued from pg31

We have a system, from my own observation, whereby corruption and impunity within the legislature are now the two basic problems that are facing this country. In fact, we can deal with the civil service corruption any day, because it operates with known rules. However, in the case of corruption in the National Assembly, it is covered by certain understanding. They blackmail the executive to collect money, and bribes from agencies of government. Everything about the National Assembly is optic, nothing transparent. Their salaries are not known, but their allowances are budgeted for and they also believe they have a divine right to collect money and to jack the budget up, or bring it down if it does not do their bidding. It is a very serious trouble and I don’t see how we can get to address this situation now. Getting to grips with the issue of corruption within the legislature will depend on how we can get an effective party system. For example, I believe the All Progressives Congress (APC) can do this by disciplining its own members, making sure that those who were not behaving well are sacked. Even if they can get by with this corrupt judiciary, at least they would know that they will never be able to get back to the National Assembly during the next election. As far as I am concerned, there must be a party system. I do not believe the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can ever be discipline because, by its definition, it is a party of big people and if you were there, it is like a company of equal contribution because nobody can hold you for any shortcoming. But I believe APC is a different political party. Therefore, it should be seen to be different by making sure it disciplined. In the case of the judiciary, it has to be the collective efforts of all Nigerians because what I am seeing now is something I have never seen in my life. A High Court Judge, not even a Court of Appeal Judge, holding the Supreme Court to ransom through ill-motivated judgment, and behaving as if they are above the law itself. I believe that next time if there is a violent of trouble in Nigeria, I will not want to see the judiciary spared. If blood has to be shed, it must include the blood of everybody who is corrupt. Would you advocate a reform in the existing party system in the country, given the experience of the 2015 polls and the aftermath, including the gale of defections by some politicians? I don’t believe we need any serious reform within the party system in order to curtail defection. No, you can still use the existing situation and bring about meaningful result, by making sure that anybody who under any circumstances decides to defect from one party to another party should vacate the office he is holding. We should not allow members of the National Assembly to simply legislate any law for their own convenience, whether to stay in a party or not. I think that is the only way to instill decency in the polity. I think that is the only way to curtail this. This does not require any major reform: all you need to do is to make sure that the laws are strictly applied and that they are also very fundamentally seen to be true and fair. On the other hand, we need to decide if

Mohammed we want to continue with the presidential system or not. The presidential system can be said to bring stability. But it has enormous negatives. The major negative is that it is much more prone to corruption than the parliamentary system. We have to look at very serious ways of curbing corruption, otherwise it will finish the system and finish the country itself. I am so persuaded that, in terms of accountability, bringing the Prime Minister who is the head of government from the legislature is very important, and we are more likely to call him to order as well call other ministers who misbehave to order. We need to discuss whether we can afford the presidential system, given the way the legislature has been behaving since 1999 to date. Are we sure we can leave the destiny of this country in the hands of these lawmakers? They need to be called to order at everyday. If those who are supposed to call the executive to order are themselves irresponsible, I think we have to take a hard look and see what is happening and see whether we can continue with this .

The person that is canvassing for the conference is not an economist . He has never managed anything in government. The only time Professor Soyinka was in government was when he was the chairman of the Road Safety Corps and he ended up in a scandal.

Is the principle of zoning still relevant after more than 16 years of civil rule in Nigeria since 1999? I am not sure if am the correct person to answer the question, because I have never believed in the zoning system. I don’t believe it can work for the country, nor solve any of the problems we have. Today, we have the problems of insecurity, economic mismanagement, problems within the political class and, most especially, that of the judiciary. All the problems this country is confronting, can you tell me which one has been solved by the zoning system? The zoning and rotational system did not start with this dispensation. It started with the Second Republic, but you can see all along from the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to the PDP, it has been marred by impunity, rascality, dishonesty. The power rotated from former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the South, to Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua in the North, and then went to the South again, with former President Goodluck Jonathan. I am yet to point out one thing the zoning system has done. The problem is that the political class is prepared to play with tribalism and religious intolerance, even creating and inventing constitutional crisis just to stay in power. The issue which the zoning system is meant to take care of has not been spelt out to me. Ask those people who believe in it to tell us what has been achieved by it. Nigeria has become a far more disunited country. What is your position on the existence of ethnics based associations? Is it not a confirmation that Nigerians need to take another look at those issues some stakeholders in the Nigerian project consider as grey areas making up the National Question? What is the grey area? Ethnic-based political association or pressure groups are there and they openly tell us what they do. Afenifere will tell us they want to have the unity of the Yoruba. In their own calculation, maybe the unity of the Yoruba is more important than the unity of Nigeria.

I think it will be much more cost-effective to have the unity of Nigeria instead of Hausas, Yorubas, Igbos, or some of middle-level ethnic groups. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) believes in the unity of Northerners. It is still qualitative superior, because the North is not one ethnic group. The largest number of ethnic groups in Nigeria is in the North. I can tell you that a state like Adamawa has about 82 ethnic groups, Taraba has about 72 ethnic groups, so you can see that if they were able to arrive at a formulation and allow them to have a pressure group, the ACF is nothing but a business pressure group. We, maybe, likely have a transition from ACF to a national unity forum , than just have a tribal unity forum. If you look at them critically, you will find out that the so-called Ohanaeze group is not for the interest of the Igbo. It is just for the interest of the Igbo elite, who believe that whatever they say, must be accommodated into the Nigerian situation, and that if they do not achieve this, they will go and pay out Nnamdi Kanu or Ralph Uwazurike, and blackmail the government . I believe that this is not an idea you can legislate on, saying that that you are banning Ohanaeze, Afeniferere or ACF. I think it requires time and education for people to realise that we are better off in this country if we remain one united entity. What is your view on the call for a national economic summit being canvassed for by Professor Wole Soyinka? I would have been more supportive and encouraged if Professor Soyinka is an economist. However, he has never been involved in the governance of any political party or any government of the part of this country. I am a bit unimpressed by the bogus call for an economic summit because, at the end of the day, what the team will do is to look for the various variables and variable economic alternatives. That can be done without forming a bogus summit or conference. I have been involved in this kind of conference in the past 20 years. This high falutin debating chamber has not added any value to development in Nigeria. The last national conference was a disgrace: people simply came with ideas, they stayed with the ideas, and after the conference, they constituted themselves into second sects. They turned many things upside down. The issues that were discussed and rejected were smuggled through the back door. That is not my idea of any economy summit. The national conference was a waste. Those who are calling for the implementation of its report do not know what they are talking about because, how do you implement a fraud? I thank God we were there; we will not allow that to happen. It will never be implemented. If they want another conference, let them go and call another one and spend billions of public money. There is no way we can have an economic conference. It is a disaster and the person that is canvassing for the conference is not an economist . He has never managed anything in government. The only time Professor Soyinka was in government was when he was the chairman of the Road Safety Corps and he ended up in a scandal.

33 politics&policy KUNLE ODEREMI examines the frenzy among All Progressives Congress (APC) gladiators jostling for the party’s ticket in the forthcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election.

S the preparations for the Ondo State gubernatorial election, expected to come up in October this year, gather steam, different aspirants have upped their games to pick the tickets of the parties expected to participate in the poll. However, there is much attention on the All Progressives Congress (APC), given the army of contenders for the ticket of the party. Whereas many APC faithful have described the large turnout of contenders as healthy for democracy, others perceived it as constituting a possible time bomb because of the acrimony and animosity associated with the choice of candidates by political parties In the country. No doubt, Ondo State ranks among the most politically conscious states in the country. Experience showed how the people of the state stood their ground against acts of injustice during elections in the past, just as they have promoted the culture of resolving all political differences to allow for good governance to take full swing at the conclusion of all electoral processes, including judicial interventions by politically aggrieved persons. It is for this reason that the incumbent governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, enjoyed massive support from across the different divides in the state in 2007 and up till the time he was declared the elected governor in 2009, though some of his traducers claimed he allegedly stabbed his erstwhile boss and former governor, late Olusegun Agagu, in the back to assume the mantle of power. However, a lot of things have since changed in the politics of the state. One of them is what the loyalists and supporters of Mimiko described as the transformation his administration has been able to carry out in the state since he became governor. Conversely, the critics of his administration say the people deserve more than they have got from the administration, against the background of the massive support they gave the governor. Another school of thought says that the people of the state want change in terms not just personalities but also in the political parties that have ruled the state over the years. Those who belong to such school of thought claim that the APC is the alternative, hence the scramble for its governorship ticket. According to them, this has led to the apathy which some stakeholders of the state have for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which partly informed by the fallout of the 2015 presidential election. Despite the assurances it gave, the South-West PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation failed to win the state for the PDP, it also lost two senatorial districts to the APC, all of which has buoyed some pressure groups such as The Salvage Group, a body of professionals within the APC to indicate its intention to play a key role in who becomes next governor in the state. But, it was learnt that the initiative came amid unbridled power tussle among forces within the APC in the state over the governorship ticket. One of the core challenges is the internal squabbles within the party. The party faithful are in disparate camps belonging to individual aspirants. The groups have been accused

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Ondo 2016: APC’s headache of separating men from boys

State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan. Others include Chief Jamiu Ekungba, Chief Segun Abraham, Barr Nat Adojutelegan and Hon Bode Ayorinde. From the Central senatorial district we have the senator representing the Central zone at the Senate, Tayo Alasoadura; Hon. Derin Adesida; Messrs. Wale Akingbade and Tunji Ariyo while former National Legal Adviser of the PDP and its gubernatorial candidate in the 2012 poll, Chief Olusola Oke, leads the pack from the South senatorial zone. Others from the zone are: Akinrinsola Odunayo and Chief Paul Akintelure.

Boroffice

Akeredolu

Oke

Ekungba

of being the ones behind various campaigns of calumny in the traditional media, as well as the social media against leaders of the party in the state by foot soldiers of rival leaders. One of the negative effects is that a number of people from other parties that would have joined the APC have become circumspect or resolved to tarry awhile. It is even speculated that some stakeholders are working on a Plan B, which includes revving up the machinery of say Labour Party, for example, which Mimiko brought to the state’s political equation in 2007. The TSG therefore called on the party’s leadership at both the national and SouthWest levels to take urgent and immediate actions, which include, but not limited to: holding solidarity rallies in the state; holding of ‘family meeting’ APC leaders and governors to bring to an end the internal squabbles in the party. Most importantly, TSG also suggested for a staggered primary at senatorial levels to pick an aspirant each to slug it out at the main primary of the party to pick its gubernatorial

candidate. Going by the zoning arrangement in Ondo State, the next governor, irrespective of political party, should emerge from the Ondo North senatorial district. At the advent of the ongoing democratic experiment, Ondo North produced the governor, in person of late Adebayo Adefarati, on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). After his first tenure, he was defeated by late Agagu, with Mimiko’s support, from Ondo South senatorial district, who contested on the platform of PDP. Agagu also was defeated by incumbent Mimiko, who is rounding off his second term; he is from the Central senatorial district. However, right now, there are no fewer than 14 aspirants jostling for the ticket of the APC in the state. From the North senatorial districts, seven aspirants have signified their intentions and they include: incumbent senator representing the North senatorial district in the Senate, Robert Boroffice; gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in the 2012 gubernatorial poll in Ondo

Senator Robert Boroffice He parades an intimidating credentials, both in the academic, administrative and legislative domains. As a serving senator for a second term, he has remained unwavering, despite stiff opposition, especially during his first stint at the Senate, when he abandoned the LP, on which platform he went to the Senate, for the defunct ACN. He also aspired to fly the ACN’s flag in 2012, but stood by the party when other aspirants then left the party for the PDP and LP; he campaigned and actually won his local government for the party. His critics say one thing some people in state have against the Professor of Zoology and former Coordinating Director for Science in the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure is that he cannot be easily influenced. Rotimi Akeredolu The former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has carved a niche for himself in the legal profession, earning the prestigious Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). His achievements contributed to the decision of many stakeholders rallying support for his aspiration in the 2012 gubernatorial poll, which did not go in his favour. Yet, many had expected him to leverage on his experience on the field in 2012 by providing a strategic marching forward template for the APC in Ondo State. Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan Perceptive stakeholders claim he appears to leave his imprint of positive impacts with every contact he makes, both in his public service and political endeavours. He is considered to enjoy a robust following across the state, which was recently upped by his kidnap on his way to Abuja in January. However, some old members of the APC in the state say he is new in the party, having defected from the PDP. Chief Olusola Oke The former National Legal Adviser of the PDP and gubernatorial candidate in 2012 is one of the politicians in the state who has a firm grip of their senatorial zones, but why he could not show this grip to ensure victory for the APC in the last election, which he joined shortly after the presidential election is the question begging for answers. Another albatross on his continues pg34

34 politics&policy

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Opponents of 2014 confab report are dubious —Kato Ndi Kato, Managing Director of Dinidari Empowerment Foundation, is a young Nigerian activist and humanitarian focused on preserving the lives, rights and dignity of Nigerians. She speaks with ABIODUN AWOLAJA on killings in the North Central, the 2014 National Conference and sundry issues.

OW does your background relate to your currnt activism? I have a background in Mass Communication from the University of Jos, Plateau State. My decision to study Mass Communication was based on my love for CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and her work in war-torn regions. While I am no longer a fan, my interest remains based on my experience in crisis-ridden Jos where I was a student. My background in Mass Communication has helped in the gathering of information from affected areas in the North Central. In the course of our work, we have reported news and sourced information ignored by the mainstream media. I am also involved in building capable young women into future leaders and encouraging them to participate actively in politics. As a discussant at the Ondo at 40 summit held in Akure, you stated that the Nigerian life has long been devalued. Can you be more specific on this? The ‘genocide’ in the North-Central proves my point. Boko Haram kills at least hundreds of people monthly and there is a new conspiracy of silence. Consider the murders during the Bayelsa elections, the massacre of over a 1000 Shiite Muslims; the senseless murder of Nigerians daily with very few convictions and the Nigerians dying because of poor health care. Think of the Nigerians rotting in various prisons in Nigeria for unending years because they do not have N5000 bail; and the slaughter of over 50 boys in Yobe State, not to mention the numerous deaths from badly managed Lassa fever. I can go on and on but in all this, there are two things involved. The first one is government’s negligence of these issues. Secondly, there is a lack of outrage on the part of Nigerians.

You claim that more killings go on in the North-Central than Boko Haram carries out in the North-East. Are you suggesting that there is a conspiracy of silence over killings in Plateau, Benue and other states? The fact is that the ‘genocide’ in the North-Central has been going on much longer than the Boko Haram insurgence. I was in Maiduguri in 2008; my hosts were very concerned about Jos and the unrest we were experiencing. They were still enjoying peace in 2008. The North-Central was already a war zone then. It has been a war zone for over a decade before 2008 with thousands and thousands of lives lost and villages occupied. This has gone on for so long because of Nigeria’s laxity in stopping this genocide. The genocide in the North-Central has not been prioritised in the media or any of the tiers of government, including the legislative arm where we have had representation since the inception of the democratic era in 1999. You pointedly accused the Nigerian military of genocide in Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Benue. Have you petitioned the Defence Headquarters or the National Human Rights Commission? My accusation was focused on the Shiite massacre and the brutality meted out on villagers in the North-Central over the years. In the course of my work, I have not petitioned any of these bodies but I have worked with people who have petitioned. The former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission also showed a lot of interest on the crisis in the North-Central How do we add value to the Nigerian life? By recognising that every Nigerian is equal irrespective

Kato of tribe, region or religion and promoting and respecting the basic human rights of the Nigerian. It is really not that complicated a solution. Some leaders of the North are opposed to implementing the report of the 2014 National Conference. Why is this so, in your own view? Any force working against the implementation of the report of the 2014 national conference is being dubious. The solutions contained in that report are common sense solutions to the quagmire Nigeria is in. The truth is, the status quo is obviously crumbling under its own unnecessary weight; anyone insisting on leaving things as they tragically are is obviously benefitting from the unfairness of Nigeria as we know it and is working against progress.

The gladiators in APC’s ticket chase continued from pg33

neck as he aspires to flag the APC flag is the news trending about his possible return to the PDP. This has definitely not put him in the right stead as APC flag bearer. Chief Paul Akintelure Akintelure was the running mate for the defunct ACN in the 2012 gubernatorial poll in the state. Since that election, according to some stakeholders, not much have been heard about from him until now when another election is around the corner. Some party faithful opined that he should join hand with his brother, Pius Oloye Akinyelure, who is the national vice chairman, South-West of the APC in building a formidable APC to control the politics of Ondo State rather than run. His brother, the elder Akinyelure has consistently declared that he cannot run for the governorship, saying that he has not displayed any sign of seriousness for such office. Senator Tayo Alasoadura His admirers and supporters say his popularity in the political landscape of the state is awesome, robust and grassroots-based. So, many political observers believe that perhaps what he has going for him now is the Akure Agenda, where the people of Akure in the Central zone are pushing to produce the next governor. This is as a result of his surprise victory at the 2015 National Assembly poll. However, rival political camps claim that sometimes, he could be too rigid. Some of his critics alleged that his decision to back

the camp in the National Assembly that refused to toe the APC line over the leadership crisis in the Senate could be played up by his opponents at a more auspicious period. Barrister Nathaniel Adojutelegan He is another touted name in the race for the governorship. He is from a famous family that commands respect in Ondo State. He is the son of a no-nonsense Magistrate in the Ondo State judiciary. His allies believe he has got what is required to lead the state. Apart from other attributes, they claim that his new appointment as the Special Assistant to the Minister of Niger Delta is capable of raising his profile, depending on his impact on the lives of the people by way of empowerment. Chief Segun Abraham He has been a consistent aspirant. His supporters describe him as a man with international connection. But his adversaries said his relationship with some powerbrokers in APC was too cold for comfort

because of the uncomplimentary public perception of the role of godfathers in the politics of the country. The Ikare-Akoko born politician is also said to have gone on a French leave after declaring his interest for the 2012 governorship in the media.. Dele Alade He is the APC leader in the United States. A native of Akure, the legal practitioner contested fir the same position in 2003 under the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD). He described himself as “a loyal and consistent follower of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande since 1999. I have been following their directions from AD to APC. I have, for this cause, been doing everything within my means to sustain the cause in the USA and even beyond the borders of USA to sustain and defend our cause and the leadership of Asiwaju Tinubu and Chief Akande.” Chief Jamiu Ekungba Ekungba is believed to have continued to be consistent politically from his days

Experience showed how the people of the state stood their ground against acts of injustice during elections in the past, just as they have promoted the culture of resolving all political differences to allow for good governance

in the defunct ACN up to the present APC. But some pundits claim one of his likely obstacles could be the availability or otherwise war chest to prosecute his aspiration to a logical end. Hon. Bode Ayorinde He is a first term serving member of the House of Representatives. The opinion among some stakeholders in the Ondo 2016 governorship project is that he ought to put his current ambition in abeyance pending the time he is able to leverage on his current term in the National Assembly, after which he would be considered for greater positions in the future. Another contender, Honourable Derin Adesida is a former member of the House of Representatives. Some alleged that his relationship with his former boss, Alasoadura rubbed opositively on his political career. On his part, Mr Wale Akingbade is seen as a new comer in the race but that he leverage on being the scion of an accomplished bureaucrat to spring surprises. Mr Tunji Ariyo, a suave and strategic young politician, is coming into the race with experiences he garnered from his political relationships with two former governors of the state: late Adefarati and Agagu. Many other aspirants may still throw their hats into the ring as the election draws closer, but the general consensus among stakeholders in the state is that for the APC to give the PDP a good fight in October, it must avoid the mistake of 2012 and not only create a level playing field for all aspirants, but also pick a popular and acceptable candidate to fly its flag. It must not approach that election with a divided house.

Monday, 7 March, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048

features Agatu/Fulani herdsmen crisis:

My husband was killed 3 years ago, now my 3 children are gone — Victim

Some mothers and children in one of the pavilions at Och’Idoma square in Otukpo, recently.

Johnson Babajide -Makurdi

OR people of Agatu local government, life has become an excruciating pain for those who by providence survived the recent attack of Fulani herdsmen on their communities. Many were not so lucky as they lost their lives to the attack. As at the time of filing this report accurate figures were not given on the number of those who lost their lives while several persons are still missing and properties worth several millions of naira were destroyed in the attack. Following the attack, many communities in the council area have been deserted with people becoming refugees in their own land. Incidentally, the displaced persons are passing through rough times as there seems to be no specific place to camp them. Impeccable sources say that over 10,000 persons were displaced in the wake of the recent attacks on Agatu communities. The

displaced persons are scattered; many were said to be in Ugbokpo, headquarters of Apa Local Government Area while majority of the displaced persons are found in Otukpo, the trado-political seat of Idoma nation.

I saw people shouting as they were running. Someone called me out that some Fulani were entering people’s houses and killing them. What I did was to join them.

As at the time our correspondent visited the camp of some of the displaced persons in Otukpo during the week, it was a sad tale of woes which indeed, would make the stony-hearted melt. Elder Sani Echioda, an indigene of Ayila community in the troubled Agatu, said nothing could have been worse than what they were already passing through in the make shift camp as there was no designated camp for the displaced persons. He explained that for some of them to find their ways to Otukpo where they are taking refuge ‘was divine intervention’, “because as I am talking to you now many have been missing without trace of them. “It was a terrible and unimaginable thing. Our communities are close to riverine area and had over the past few weeks become vulnerable to attack by this herdsmen. Since the beginning of this year, the herdsmen had invaded these communities up to five

times. Each time they attacked, they left tales of sorrow on the affected communities. “But we were told that the state government had intervened in the matter and was employing ways to restore peace permanently to the unabated crisis between our people and the Fulanis, so there was no inkling about the attack. In the past, there were always clues of the possible attacks by these invaders, but this one caught us unaware that is why we recorded so much casualties. “Some of the persons from the communities that were attacked earlier had taken refuge in our community, but on that fateful day, last Tuesday, it was as if we were in a war zone as sporadic gun shots rented the air and to compound this was the helicopter hovering around our community that made people to flee the area. “As I am talking to you now, I have not Continues pg36

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Monday, 7 March, 2016

Some pregnant women at the camp

Sani Echioda, displaced farmer

Will peace ever return? Continued from pg35

been able to locate my nephew living with me. All attempts to locate him have been fruitless. My prayer is that he should be in one of the camps in Ugbukpo, Apa counil area.” For Mama Hellen Musa, a widow, her story was heart rending. For her, how to get useful information about three of her children who are yet to be found is her major prayer as she spoke through an interpreter to our correspondent. Indeed, the constant attacks on Agatu communities by Fulani herdsmen have taken their toll on her life as she prayed for peace in the land she has lived all her life for the past 54 years. The widow said she lost her husband few years ago to Fulani herdsmen attack who invaded their community, saying, “I lost my husband to Fulani attack three years ago and now the whereabouts of my three children are still unknown. What is our offense? My prayer is that the boys should be in any of the neighbouring camps.” While explaining how the herdsmen invaded her Akwu village in the recent attack in Agatu, the widow who claimed she had 10 children said that she just came back from the farm with the her last three kids when suddenly, “I saw people shouting as they were running. Someone called me out that some Fulani were entering people’s houses and killing them. What I did was to join them as they were running away, only to discover that my children were not with me. I ran back to the house but did not find them. A neighbour told me to leave that he saw the boys fleeing. “With my age there is a limit to how far I can run. So on getting to a nearby bush, I started crying and shouting the names of my children,” which she put their ages at; 13, 11 and nine, adding, “my people said that the children might have run with some men who are our neighbours whom I learnt are in Apa.” When asked why the children were not in school at that time and how she escaped

to Otukpo, the elderly woman said that the constant attacks on Agatu communities in the past few weeks had truncated academic activities in the area. She added that with help of some people they were ferried out of the danger zone until they found themselves in Otukpo after three days of the attack. For Ann Inalegwu a pregnant woman, she was full of praises to God for sparing her life and that of her husband stating that, “With what I and my husband saw in our community, we survived the attack just by the grace of God. That fateful day we were just returning from the farm and we were approaching our house when we started hearing gunshots for more than 30 minutes nonstop. My husband quickly led me to a nearby bush; from there we had an advantage of seeing the happenings in the village because of its hilly nature. But I was half dead as fear enveloped me, watching how these herdsmen were killing and maiming our people. “We spent over two hours in that bush until things subsided. Then, my husband sneaked into our house which had been riddled with bullets and picked few clothes and from there walked through the night in the bush before we got to Ugbokpo. Going by what my husband told me, half of our Adagbo village might

We sleep on the bare floor since we don’t have mattress or mat. It is quite a difficult situation as we are exposed to mosquitoes and all kinds of insects at night.

have been eliminated.” These and other related stories are the agonies of those who survived the recent Fulani attacks on about 11 communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State. The council area has been vulnerable to attack in the last four years. Only this year, the herdsmen had invaded Agatu communities up to four times with death toll running to 400. In 2013, six local government areas of the state: Makurdi, Guma, Logo, Gwer West, Buruku and Agatu were nearly wiped out by the invading Fulani marauders. Former governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam and his entourage escaped the wrath of the marauders by the whiskers during the assessment tour of the troubled communities in Guma local government. Ironically, all the affected council areas have border with neighbouring Nasarawa State which fuelled the insinuation of possible collaboration of Nasarawa people in the attack. “We have been forced to suspect that it is the government of Nasarawa State that is fighting us. The peace Almakura claims to be making is a fluke. He is believed to be behind two helicopters which flew in to Abogbe and Okokolo to provide ammunitions to the Fulanis,” Echioda further stated. Victims say that the recent attack on Agatu was carried out from Loco in Nasarawa State, while two helicopters were sighted to be supplying food items to the marauders, fuelling speculations that the attack must have been orchestrated by powerful people. Nigerian Tribune gathered that the attack which started on Tuesday lasted for four days as the marauders moved from one village to another having a field day, killing and maiming without resistance from security operatives. Today, the herdsmen have taken over some of the deserted communities. Giving credence to this, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Paul Yakadi said that seven communities in Agatu have been completely deserted while 5,000 cows with fully armed herdsmen have now taken over some of the villages unchallenged.

While cows and the rearers have taken over the troubled villages, the affected villagers have now become refugees in other towns in Apa and Otukpo Local Government Areas of the state in a harsh environment with no shelter nor adequate food to eat. According to Echioda who spoke on the condition of the camp, “We sleep on the bare floor since we don’t have mattress or mat. It is quite a difficult situation as we are exposed to mosquitoes and all kinds of insects at night.” Echioda, however, expressed gratitude to former Senate President, Senator David Mark, Alhaji Usman Abubakar , Chief Peter Eikwodani and other well meaning Idoma personalities who have responded in cash or in kind to their plight. However, the displaced persons who were earlier camped at the palace of Ochidoma have been taken to Ugbokopo, Ojantele and Atangayin by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for proper documentation and supervision. Speaking on the crisis, the Idoma Communal Management Crisis Committee held a meeting last Tuesday in Otukpo and condemned in strong terms what it described as ‘genocide’ on Idoma nation by the Fulani herdsmen and called for immediate solution to the constant attacks on the people. In the press statement signed by its secretary, Mr Adoka Adaji, he appreciated the prompt directive by President Muhamadu Buhari to investigate the matter, just as he called on National Emergency Management Agency, as well as United Nations to come to the aide of the displaced persons, noting that the magnitude of the loss was beyond state and individual. The committee which commended the state government, groups and spirited individuals who donated to the displaced persons, however, dismissed the rumour doing the rounds that the displaced persons were forcefully ejected from the palace, saying that the SEMA moved the displaced persons to designated camps where they would be documented and adequately provided for. The release directed that all assistance to the displaced persons should henceforth be directed through the Catholic Bishop of Otukpo diocese, Most Rev. Dr Michael Akpochi.

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Monday, 7 March, 2016

Senate will uphold rights of disabled persons —Saraki

ENATE President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said that the National Assembly will prioritise bills aimed at protecting the rights of persons living with disabilities in the country. Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, gave the pledge when the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities led by its Executive Director, Mr David Anyaele, visited him in Abuja. According to Saraki, it does not speak well of any country where people living with disabilities are neglected or denied access to basic amenities including access to justice. Saraki said: “I want to assure you that the eighth Senate is truly committed to rejig and redefine the issues. I think what has happened in the past is the issue of not making the rights of people with special needs a priority. “I want to assure you that the eighth Senate will not stop. We are your partners. We are ready to work to protect your rights and to ensure there is a departure

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from what has happened in the past. “It is by providing those laws that we will provide the enabling environment that will redefine these types of challenges. It is not good for us as a country for our disabled persons to feel neglected and deprived and I want to assure you that we will work to change the narrative in the eighth Senate,” he said. Earlier, the Executive Director of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr David Anyaele, lamented that people with disabilities in the country find it difficult to access public infrastructure and justice nationwide. He decried a situation where about 25million Nigerians living with disabilities and their families are being caged as a result of inability to care for their loved ones. According to him, even the Ministry of Women Affairs which coordinates other line agencies for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the country has not made adequate provision for easy access to its building.

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south-westnews Ogoga/Olukere tussle: We followed due process —Fayose 38

Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

KITI State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said the state government followed due process and what the law and other official government documents say about who is the recognised ruler in Ikere-Ekiti in handling the recent tussle between the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado and the Olukere, Chief Ganiyu Obasoyin. He stated this in Ado-Ekiti when the Ogoga-in-Council visited him in his office. In a statement by the Chief

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the governor said all existing laws, documents and official gazettes in the state, starting from the old Western Region, only recognised the Ogoga as the traditional ruler of Ikere-Ekiti. He added that while he was not opposed to the agitation by Obasoyin, the manner the Olukere went about it was faulty. “The issue of obaship

in Ikere is clear. It was the position of the law that we followed. There are no two obas in Ikere and the only recognised stool is the Ogoga. I have discharged my duties and I have no power to do more than that. The Morgan Commission and others that followed, which looked into chieftaincy matters in the whole of the old Western Region, established that fact. “If anybody has another historical claim to enforce,

follow due process and produce all legal matters. What the Olukere is trying to do is to be a judge in his own matter. I am not against his agitation, but the due process must be followed and nobody must take the law into his hands. “Our father, Baba Bamidele Olumilua, was the governor of the old Ondo State of which Ikere and Ekiti State as a whole were part and he hails from Ikere, why didn’t he recognised

Olukere as a stool? “I urge the Ogoga to accommodate all and love everybody. This administration is for the development of Ekiti State and we are trying all efforts to improve on the living standard of the people. Within available resources, we will look into your requests,” he said. Earlier in his remarks, Oba Alagbado lauded the governor for his keen interest in the development of Ikere-Ekiti.

Osun Assembly to audit OSBC’s finance Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

OSUN State House of Assembly has said that external auditors would look into the finances of the State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC). The chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Honourable Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, stated this on Friday at the committee’s meeting with the management of the state Ministry of Information, Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism and the OSBC. The legislators maintained that there was the need to look into the details of the corporation, especially its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and expenditure to block all perceived loopholes. According to them, the paucity of fund in the state and Nigeria as a whole demanded that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the government pooled resources to finance its programmes and policies. Oyintiloye who commended the station in the promotion of government policies and programmes, said more efforts must be made to improve the level of IGR in the corporation. He also assured that the legislature would do everything possible to assist the corporation in tackling whatever factors militating against its optimal performance. Other members of the committee, Honourable Tajudeen Famuyide, as well as Honourables Gbadebo Ibrahim and Azeez Olanrewaju, representing Iwo and Ifedayo constituencies respectively also charged the officials to do more in the enlightenment of the people about the activities of government.

From left, President, Ibadan Progressive Union (IPU), Pastor Johnson Adeniji; Social Democratic Party candidate in the last governorship election in Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde and the national president, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Wole Akinwande, during a courtesy visit to Makinde in his house at Agodi GRA, Ibadan, at the weekend.

Our heavy investment in education to illuminate future of youths —Mimiko ONDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, said the reason for his government’s quick intervention and heavy investment in the education sector since taking off in 2009 was to provide the necessary illumination for the future of the youth. Addressing a stakeholders meeting at the weekend, Mimiko challenged youths in the state to take advantage of the provisions of the government in education to secure their future, adding that education is key to destiny fulfilment hence the decision of the government to make it a priority. “We know the importance of education in the life of our youths and upon assumption of office in 2009, we started to invest in education and knowledge,” the governor said. To give equal opportunity of accessing quality education to all and sundry, he said the government started building model primary schools, named “Caring Heart Mega Schools” to reflect the scope of learning

possibilities and the sheer capacity for intake of students. Avant-garde in outlook, Mimiko said the schools are however strictly proletarian in utility, adding that the mega schools are to serve as

models below which future public or private schools cannot fall. Mimiko mentioned further that “free shuttle buses are also provided by the state government for the school pupils,” which he

said lessens the financial burden of education on parents, improves school attendance and punctuality, promotes inter social/ class relations and make quality primary education accessible.

Amosun calls for more investors at Lisabi Festival grand finale THE Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has made a clarion call to the indigenes of the state to join hands to develop the state by bringing investments. The governor made the call at Ake Palace, Abeokuta on Saturday as he graced the grand finale of the 2016 Lisabi Festival, sponsored by Globacom. Governor Amosun called on Ogun indigenes, home and abroad, to avail themselves of the recent infrastructural development in the state to site industries and businesses that would help reduce unemployment. He urged the unemployed

to be productive by learning a trade or vocation to augment their educational qualifications in line with the theme of the festival, “Creating wealth through Small and Medium Enterprises.” The governor thanked Globacom for supporting Lisabi Festival in the last six years and urged other corporate bodies to support worthwhile initiatives that abound in the state. Speaking at the event, the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, described the 2016 Lisabi Festival as the biggest ever and urged Egbas to create small busi-

nesses and vocations that would speedily create jobs and help revive the nation’s economy. The Globacom Chairman, Dr Mike Adenuga. in a goodwill message, noted that Lisabi Festival has been a platform for the development of Egbaland and Ogun State. He said “this year’s theme is germane as SMEs are the engine of economic growth in the society. As a company committed to the well-being of Nigerians, Globacom has been at the forefront of empowerment efforts through establishment of thousands of commercial telephone operation centres.”

Nigerian Tribune

We’re proud of you, CCII president tells Makinde THE President General of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Wole Akinwande, has lauded the philanthropic projects and exemplary character of Mr Seyi Makinde. He disclosed this at the weekend when he led executive members of the umbrella body of all indigenous associations in Ibadanland to the palatial home of Makinde. “During my predecessor’s term, Seyi promised to renovate the Ibadan House which he completed in record time. On the day we were commissioning the project, he discovered that the edifice surrounding was not well lighted. He promised to provide light to the whole complex which he equally did in record time. These did not stop one form of philanthropic activities he is doing for communities and masses,” he said. Akinwande said the executive members came to thank Makinde and to advice him to continue with the good gesture. In his response, Makinde promised that he would continue to do as advised.

Oloko is Olubadan’s media director THE new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Olasupo Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1, has appointed Mr Adeola Oloko as his Director of Media and Public Affairs. The appointment takes immediate effect. Until his appointment, Oloko was the media aide to the then Olubadan-designate. A journalist of electronic and print media experience spanning nearly three decades, Oloko worked with Sketch Newspapers, Third Eye, Vanguard, Profiles and Dublin based Street Journal as senior editor among others. A 1987 graduate of English Studies from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, IleIfe, Oloko has participated in diverse seminars and workshop at home and abroad. He’s to be assisted by Yanju Adegboyega. Meanwhile, congratulatory messages have been pouring in to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Adetunji, over the media appointment.

south-westnews Ogun civil servants embark on indefinite strike 39

Monday, 7 March, 2016

OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta

GUN State workers have declared an indefinite strike beginning

from today over the failure of the state government to respect the Memorandum of Understanding signed by tripartite group some-

times in January, 2016. The strike was called at the instance of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC),

as contained in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Olusegun Adebiyi and made available to the Nigerian Tri-

From left, the celebrant, Professor Koyejo Oloso of Arabic and Islamic Studies Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan (UI); Vice Chancellor, UI, Professor Idowu Olayinka; the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun and Senator Soji Akanbi, at a reception in honour of Professor Oloso, on Sunday. PHOTO: NAN.

...As doctors begin one-week warning strike OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta DOCTORS under the umbrella of National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), Ogun State Chapter, commenced a one-week warning strike today to press home their demands. In a communique issued at the end of its emergency general meeting last Wednesday, the association said the strike became imperative having explored all opportunities to get the attention of the state government on issues affecting the health system in the state. The communiqué, signed by its chairman and secretary, Dr Oladunni Adetola and Dr Adetonwa Festus, respectively, noted that series of letters were written to Governor Ibikunle Amosun on the need to restructure health facilities; shortage of staff and relativity. The association explained that little or nothing could be achieved in the health sector in the state, considering lack of materials, equipment and good working environment. The body also identified shortage of staff across all cadres of the health workers, submitting that there was no new recruitment in the last two to three years,

despite the increasing demands from the sector. NAGGMDP also noted with dismay the refusal of the state government to respect a circular by the Federal Government since 2013 on the need for all states to effect the payment of corrected CONMESS. It said further that their colleagues in the state teaching hospital, the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, had been paid 10 months using the same circular.

The communique read, “After series of letters to the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, both official and personal, as well as sensitisation of all other stakeholders, the government has not seen any reason to attend to any of the aforementioned issues ravaging the health sectors. “Having fulfilled all necessary steps needed to ensure dialogue with the government and at the expiration of the 21 days ultimatum given to the state govern-

ment with no favourable response, the members of the association has therefore mandated the executive to declare a one week warning strike starting from March 7 to 13. “We are not unmindful of the inconveniences this might cause the masses which we greatly regret. We need to affirm our resolution to resolve these issues amicably through genuine dialogue so as to avert any prolonged industrial disharmony in the state.”

bune on Sunday, in Abeokuta. Adebiyi said that the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration had apparently reneged on the MoU signed by labour leaders, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and state governments last January 25. JNC said some of the issues raised included the suspension of the dysfunctional Contributory Pension Scheme, payment of at least two months deductions out of nine and resumption of payment of gratuity last paid in October 2012. The council said government failed to address these issues within the 21-day ultimatum earlier given. The statement said, “Following the apparent reneging on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the tripartite group of labour leaders, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the state government on 25th January, 2016 which includes: Suspension of the dysfunctional Contributory Pension Scheme; Payment of at least two months global deductions out of nine and resumption of payment of gratuity last paid in October 2012. “A 21-day ultimatum was given to the state government dated January 25, 2016 and the government failed. Labour has declared an indefinite strike effective from Monday, March 7, 2016. “The strike is under the auspices of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC).”

N1trn failed rail contracts: Why we discontinued probe of Eastern rail line project —EFCC Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel - Abuja THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the weekend, told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged manipulation of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) contracts between 2010 and 2014 that it actually discontinued with the probe of Eastern rail line project Mr Ike Okonjo, an operative with the commission who represented the commission’s chairman, Ibrahim Magu, at the ongoing investigative public hearing, chaired by Honourable

Johnson Agbonayinma, on Friday, brought an official memo which terminated the probe before the committee, stating the reasons why the commission took the action. According to the letter with reference No: PS/ FMOT//44/Vol. I/5, dated January 25, 2011, signed by P. J. Major (former Permanent Secretary) and addressed to Adeseyi Sijuwade, acting Managing Director of NRC, the investigation was terminated. “We noted that in the cause of the investigation, you have appeared several times before the commission for interrogation. The

Executive Chairman of EFCC has written to inform the Ministry of Transport that the commission has found no ground to continue with the investigation and the matter therefore has been terminated. “With this development, I wish to advise that you should refocus on your job by ensuring that all subsequent procurement processes in Nigerian Railway Corporation are conducted in full compliance with the Public Procurement Act of 2007,” the letter read. However, another letter with reference No: EFCC/ EC/NSA/04/33, dated January 18, 2011, signed

by former EFCC chairman, Farida Waziri and addressed to the National Security Adviser, stated that: “Out of the 13 pre-qualified companies, Syndicate Construction & Commercial Company Ltd and Esser Nigeria Contracting Company Ltd were recommended by NRC to the Federal Ministry of Transport for the award of the contract. “That the contract was eventually cancelled by the Federal Ministry of Transport with the instruction that the whole process be recommenced afresh as there were no tender notices placed in any international journal.”

Nigerian Tribune

Ondo election: NUJ cautions politicians, parties, others against fraudsters Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure AS Ondo State prepares for local government and November 2016 gubernatorial elections, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, has cautioned politicians, aspirants, political parties and groups to be wary of some unscrupulous elements parading themselves as journalists. This was contained in a communique issued by the union at the end of its monthly congress, held at the NUJ Press Centre, Alagbaka, Akure, where the leadership of the union expressed displeasure over reports about fake journalists going around collecting money from politicians. According to the communiqué jointly signed by the state Chairman, James Sowole and the General Secretary, Leke Adegbite, “the Ondo State council of NUJ had been inundated with series of complaints on some fake and unqualified journalists visiting politicians, especially governorship aspirants and their political parties, to ask for undue financial rewards. It noted with dismay that these unregistered journalists had been impersonating qualified media professionals and engaging in name dropping, thereby using that to defraud unsuspecting political class and other members of the public.” The communiqué said “as part of steps to curb the ugly trend, politicians, groups and other prominent people are advised to always hold their press conferences and other media related programmes at the NUJ Press Centre in Akure.”

Oyinlola loses sister FORMER governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, at the weekend lost one of his elder sisters, Mrs Betty Bakare. The deceased died in her Okuku, Osun State residence during a brief illness. Mrs Bakare, a devout Christian, was at various times, a member and later, chairman of the state’s Christian Pilgrims Welfare board. The family is yet to decide on the burial arrangements.

news

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Ese’s abduction, a criminal not religious act —Soyinka, Falana Bola Badmus - Lagos

OBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and activist-lawyer, Femi Falana, in Lagos, on Sunday, said what transpired in the case of Ese Oruru so far was “a purely criminal act,” with Soyinka warning: “they should take care not to worsen an already inexcusable situation by dragging religion into it.” The duo decried the defence put up in a national daily by one Ishaq Akintola on the raging controversy over the abduction of the 14-year-old Bayelsa girl, Ese, who was eventually forced to convert to Islam and married. They also called on the Federal Government to prosecute former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Yerima, who allegedly married a 13-year old Egyptian girl. Soyinka and Falana spoke at an open exchange, with the theme: “Justice at Bay: The Long, Twisted Road to Ese.” Soyinka, who said there was no way marrying an underage could be justified in the country’s constitution, as well as the United Nations Charter on Child Rights, pointed out that the Federal Government had well enough grounds to prosecute the former governor of Zamfara. To that end, he dismissed the excuse given by then Attorney-General of the Federation, Mike Aondoakaa, that Yerima could not be prosecuted by the government on account that the girl-child was not a Nigerian but an Egyptian. According to Soyinka, specialists in human physiology had declared that at a certain age, a girl-child is not fit for sexual inter-

course with “a grizzled, horny adult,” querying: “So, who exactly brings religion into issues of governance, of constitution, of law? “We’re saying that there’s something higher than the protocols of any religion and has to be higher simply because those who inhabit this border called Nigeria belong to more than one religion. “So, there has to be a commonality which directs our conduct, which organises our lives. As inadequate as

it is, it is the Constitution. “For me – I don’t know about you – the welfare of a child is even more important than money that is stolen. You can always retrieve the money, but when you damage a child with a fistula, which ruins a child for life, if you believe in God, you’re committing a crime against God.” “If you steal money, you commit crime against the circular society, but when you damage a child because of your own depravity,

FORMER executive secretary, Oyo State Agency for Adult and Non Formal education (AANFE), Mr Taiwo Kolapo, has called on teachers to regularly engage in self- development so as to be up to speed with best practices. Kolapo, who was the facilitator at a training organised by the Child Development and Concern Foundation (CDCF), for academic staff of Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan ,also called for adjustment in the mode teachers use in conducting continuous assessment of students.,

to flouting the laws of this nation and Egypt. “He took the girl from school and then announces his right to consummate the marriage – that his religion permitted him to do so,” Soyinka added. The Nobel laureate counselled that people should take religion out of issues that were purely criminal in nature. “So, let’s take religion out of this. We’re talking about pure criminality and it is my demand, and will al-

Professor Wole Soyinka (right) and Mr Femi Falana, addressing journalists, at Freedom Park, on Sunday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

US Marines prep West African allies to fight ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Qaida UNITED States Marines are operating in a West African country where the world’s most troubling terror groups have formed an alliance of sorts. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 6 recently wrapped up a five-week mission in Mauritania, where the Islamic State

group, Boko Haram and al-Qaida have teamed up to train new terrorists at terror camps. The Marines’ mission was launched at the request of the Mauritanian government as local troops fight terrorists operating along the borders. Mauritania shares bor-

Engage in self-development, ex-Oyo AANFE scribe tells teachers By Wale Akinselure

you ruin that child for life, you traumatise that child, don’t come and tell me that you’re religious and pious. “A governor, now senator, boasts that he has a right to marry and consummated a marriage with a 13-yearold, when it’s proven that he actually paid the father who was a driver in Egypt, and we screamed at the time that this was a crime, not only in Nigeria but in a Muslim country – Egypt; that this was cross-border sex trafficking, in addition

Rather than the usual paper-pencil mode of continuous assessment, Kolapo said assessment should comprise behavioural and impromptu assessment of students. He added that such assessment should be at the discretion of the teacher and should examine various aspects of the learner’s experience. “Many schools do not practice real continuous assessment. To be truly continuous, every teacher should determine when to assess students rather than the usual practice of designating a whole day for it. It should be impromptu. Behavioural assessment

should also attract marks and teachers should examine various aspects of the learner’s experience,” he said.

ders with Mali and Algeria, both of which have seen troubling terror attacks in recent years. Veryan Khan, editorial director for the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortiumm, a group that tracks international terrorism, told Fox News in 2015 that ISIS, Boko Haram and al-Qaida were working together in the Sahara Desert in Mauritania. “The situation in Mauritania is a powder keg very few people are talking about,” Khan told the station. The Marines in Mauritania were training local

logisticians on convoy operations. The Mauritanian logistics battalion supports its army’s infantrymen as they operate along the borders. At the conclusion of the course, the Marines ran the group through a final exercise to evaluate their progress. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, Mauritania’s porous borders leave the country vulnerable not only to terrorism — al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has a recent history of successful attacks — but also human trafficking and refugee movements.

Group converges on Asaba for empowerment scheme tomorrow WOMEN working in aquaculture, cassava, poultry and palm oil in the Niger Delta region will converge on Asaba, the capital of Delta State, on Tuesday (tomorrow), for information sharing and empowerment under a programme organised by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), to mark 2016 International Women’s Day. PIND, in a statement by its capacity building programme

manager, Mrs Bose Eitokpah, said the theme of the event designed in transforming women’s role in the sector and in empowering them economically is: ‘Pledge for parity: Support women in agriculture,’ adding that it is aimed at addressing the barriers that reduce the participation of women along the agricultural value chain, from production to processing and trade.” Eitokpah said that, “PIND

Foundation has been promoting gender equality in the Niger Delta region through its programmes and operations since its inception. PIND envisioned an egalitarian and peaceful society that guarantees equal rights and equitable access to and control of productive resources; ensuring that individuals are empowered to create wealth and overcome poverty, irrespective of sex and other demographic differentials.”

ways remain my demand that until you make an example of people like Yerima, there will be thousands of Yunusa, the man who abducted Ese,” Soyinka said. “I sympathise with his (Akintola’s) feeling that his religion is under siege. But he should look for other reasons. He shouldn’t try and suggest that people hate Islam. Don’t say that people are Islamophobic. That’s rubbish. “We’re against crimes, defined by the Constitution, the legal structure that bind us all together, and we say leave religion out of it. Any religious practice involves a continuous debate. But when we’re talking about crime, please don’t diffuse the subject. When we say Yerima should be prosecuted, don’t diffuse it,” Soyinka insisted. In his response, Falana, while speaking essentially on the issue of the abducted Ese, who was eventually forced to marriage and converted to Islam, maintained that under Section 38 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, no child of school age should be forced to convert to another religion without the approval of his or her parents. He said what Yunusa had allegedly done to Ese was a violation of Section 38 of the Constitution. Falana, who recalled that Yunusa’s father had revealed that he warned his son not to bring Ese to Kano, said the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had even directed security agencies to return Ese to her parents on learning of the incident. The fiery lawyer, who cited several laws and conventions, maintained that it was an offence not to allow one’s child to be educated. “In fact, under that law, it is a criminal offence not to allow your child to be educated. What Yunusa has done by taking that girl from her school in Yenegoa is a violation of that law. “About 24 states have adopted the Child’s Right Act, and under the law, which is applicable in Bayelsa State, what Yunusa did is purely criminal – kidnapping, forced marriage, rape, sexual assault on a girl who was 13 last year. Now she has been put in a family way. “You can imagine the danger to health of that girl. That is why all Nigerians must rise to retrieve all underage children that have been forced into illegal marriages. We need a national movement against child marriage in our country,” Falana said.

news Support Buhari 's war against evil, Osinbajo tells Nigerians 41

IGERIANS who believe in pursuing the good of the nation must come together with the Muhammadu Buhari -led administration in order to wage war against evil and those who perpetrate it in the country. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said this at the weekend, in Fadan Kagoma, Kaduna State, during the 2016 Khituk Gwong Day, where he was the special guest of honour. Restating his clarion call for a New Tribe of Nigerians drawn from all faiths, tribes and ethnicities to pull together, Osinbajo said there is the need to “separate light from darkness.” He said in too many instances, leaders drawn from different areas of the nation’s life, have tried to use religion and ethnicity to cause division in a bid to attain political and other selfish ends. “Sometimes, political leaders use religion to divide and use ethnicity to oppress the people,” he said. He said that a new Nigeria is now emerging that will include Christians, Moslems, people of all faiths and those who confess no faith. He said those Nigerians of the New Tribe are those who believe in truth, honesty and justice among other virtues that advance the right course for the country. “This New Nigeria must be based on love for each

Monday, 7 March, 2016

other,” and must value integrity, he said , He said that it is indeed, mandated in his own personal faith of Christianity to love everyone ,including “your enemy. “ According to him, those who have been stealing from and looting the nation’s coffers are drawn from all ethnicity and faiths but are united in their quest to steal. “When

they are stealing the nation’s money, they are completely united,” he said Praising both the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and the Kpop Gwong, Paul Zakka Wyom, the hosts of the Khituk Gwong Day celebrations, he said it is important that those who are doing good for the nation should also come together.

SIX senators, on Sunday said they and majorityof their colleagues are solidly in support of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki They are Senators:Rafiu Ibrahim,Peter Nwaoboshi,: Aliyu Sabi Abdulahi, lsa Hamman Misau, Samuel Anyanwu and Lanre Tejuoso In a reaction to a news story published by a national newspaper, the senators, in a statement, said there is no truth about claims that some senators are discussing about Saraki’s successor because there was no basis for that. They stated that they decided to issue the statement after consulting their colleagues, who said they have been bombarded with calls from their constituents demanding to know the veracity of the claims contained in the story. According to him, “The particular newspaper and their sponsors are simply undermining the judiciary by writing a story to pre-empt the outcome of a judicial process. “They are playing God, for-

served that the vice president, is indeed, “a true friend of the state in word and in deed,” adding that he had visited Kaduna State thrice after the 2015 election. Governor Rufai noted that the security situation in southern Kaduna had improved and promised that the state government will remain committed to APC manifesto.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (second left); Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai (left); Minister of State for Budget and Planning, Aisha Ahmed and the deputy governor of the state, Barnabas Bala, during the Khituk Gwong Cultural Day, in Fadan Kagoma, at the weekend.

They are harvesting our organs, Nigerians in China cry out AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin - Lagos A civil society group, Patriotic Citizen Initiatives (PCI), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to assist Nigerians incarcerated in China prisons. Speaking at a stakehold-

er’s forum in Lagos, at the weekend, which had in attendance representatives of family members of Nigerians in China prisons and recent returnees from China, the group said: “Many inmates have complained about the mysterious death of Nigerians in

We are solidly behind Saraki —Senators Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja

“Those who are determined to do good, we must encourage them and we must not allow any kind of division to blur our determination.” He also commended Mallam el-Rufai for completing the road projects started by the former Kaduna State governor, Patrick Yakowa. Earlier, the Kaduna State governor had ob-

getting that Saraki would not have been senate president if God did not wish it. He is the only senate president, who, in less than one year, had votes of confidence passed by 85 of the 109 senators. “ If we have a motion for confidence vote today, we are sure that 90 senators will endorse the senate president. “Let us make it clear, our position remains the same. The case against Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal CCT) is not a case of corruption. It is a case of political persecution. Again, he remains innocent until the case has gone through the final floor of the judicial architecture. We have no doubt that the mischief will fail and so, we are solidly behind him. “In the mischievous report aimed at prejudicing the CCT trial, a method typical of detractors ,who are behind this persecution called prosecution, they sought to present a case of division in the rank of the supporters of the senate president by mentioning a senator from

Kwara North, without giving the name of the senator. We have spoken with our colleague from Kwara North, Senator Shaaba Lafiagi and we can say that he remains a loyal supporter of Saraki. He also told us he has never heard of any discussion about having a replacement for the senate president.

various prisons in China. There is the grave allegation of organs harvesting from Nigerians by Chinese officials in the business of organ trading. According to the president of the group, Mr Osita Osemene, there are about 8000 Nigerians allegedly trapped in China prisons, who committed immigration offences, ranging from invalid travelling documentation, over-staying, smuggling among others. He added that despite the fact that some of the offences are drugs-related, most of the allegations are neither properly investigated nor proved, adding that a lot of innocent Nigerian citizens had been un-

fairly treated “An average of 40 Nigerians are being executed yearly. Nigerians are used for slave labour in prisons. “We are also calling on the government to look into allegations of lack of access to medical facilities, gross inhuman treatment and lack of fair hearing by Chinese government.,” he said. “We urge President Buhari to urgently intervene by setting up presidential inter-agency assessment delegation to China to investigate and ascertain the veracity of the experiences of Nigerians in China prisons and their alleged offences,” he said.

Nigeria to get 2 more $500m satellites soon — Shittu By Tunde Ogunesan THE Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, has revealed that Nigeria is currently working in partnership with some foreign agencies and Nigerian bank to launch two additional NIGcomsat, as part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s reform in the sector. Shittu made this known on Sunday, while addressing journalists at his Samonda residence, Ibadan. Oyo State. The minister, said a delegation from the ministry will be travelling to China

to negotiate a $500million partnership with a Chinese bank next week and lamented lack or non patronage of the country’s only satellite,NIGcomsat 1. He also revealed that some banks in Nigeria have also showed their interest in financing the project. “Nigerian companies prefer to patronise foreign satellite. So, I thought the best way to do it is to look for money to acquire new satellites. We will be leading a delegate of the ministry to China to negotiate with China import/export bank, who has

assured us that they would be willing to finance these new satellite. “I am also aware that some banks in Nigeria have indicated that they too could finance it. What we want to do now is to patronise where we can get the best conditions. We’ve asked the Nigerian banks to bring their proposal and also consider their terms to that of the Chinese bankers, whichever is soft enough for Nigeria, that will not cripple us as a nation, which will not create a situation that would look like the country had been be sold, that we will take.”

Ibadan North LG APC inaugurates office THE chairman, caretaker committee of Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State, Mr Oluyinka Akinbode, has commended the All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the executive headed by Alhaja Tinu Adigun, by securing a new office for the party in the council area. Akinbode gave the commendation during the inauguration of the party office at Yemetu, Ibadan, recently. According to him, the unity which existed among members of the party in the council area, made it easy for them to secure the office without hazels. “This is a befitting office we have been yarning for, we thank God that He has answered our prayer for accomplishing this.” Akinboade enjoyed other members to always embrace peace and unity among, adding that this, according to him, will help the party to win the forthcoming local government election. He used the opportunity to thank the Governor Abiola Ajimobi, for giving him the opportunity to serve his people in Ibadan North Local Government Area.

We'll continue to promote reading culture —Oyo govt OYO State government has said that it will continue to promote reading culture through the state Library Board, with a prgramme tagged: ‘Reading on the move”. The librarian, Oyo State Library Board, Mrs Adebola Akinlolu, said this during the 2016 World Book Day, with the theme “The importance of books in national development,” at the State Library Hall, Dugbe, Ibadan,on Thursday She urged children to read their books rather than playing on IPhone and chatting on social online media. Akinlolu said that the current administration in the state had put in place various strategies at ensuring that reading culture is given priority among students and embrace “Reading on the move programme.” She, however, commended Governor Abiola Ajimobi on his efforts on education sector in the state.

42 news

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Folarin, Makinde, Temitope, others to grace Easter fiesta IBADAN city will host its maiden Easter fiesta, on Monday, March 28 to commemorate Easter celebration this year. The programme, which is being organised by Cletcom Services, a media and advertising agency in the city, will have among other dignitaries gracing the occasion, former Senate Leader and governorship candidates, Senator Teslim Folarin and Mr Seyi Makinde, as well as the Federal House of Representatives member, Honourable Olatoye Temitope a.k.a Sugar. Commenting on the event, slated to take place at Mauve 21 Event Centre, the Managing Director of Cletcom Services, Prince Cletus Iloabanafor, explained that a gospel Easter fiesta would be an ideal programme for people to gather and give thanks to our maker, who has kept us alive and together, despite many challenges. The fiesta, according to him,will be an avenue to listen to inspiring music from invited gospel Artistes, and also a platform for upcoming talents in gospel music to showcase their God-given gifts. Notable among the artistes expected at the event are Mike Abdul, Kenny Kore, Damola Dipo, Babatunmise, and comedians, group dancers, among others.

Confirm Semenitari as NDDC MD, group urges Buhari Collins Nnabuife -Abuja

From left, All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu; Honourable Ifedayo Abegunde and Dr Babasola Shaba, at the thanksgiving service by the Minister of State for Niger Delta, Claudius Daramola, at Ode Aye, Ondo State.

Why we embark on staff auditing —Bello Yinka Oladoyinbo- Lokoja

OGI State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has explained to the people of the state that the ongoing staff verification exercise is in the interest of workers and the state government, saying the essence of the exercise is to ascertain the integrity of the government payrolls. The Governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Kingsley Fanwo, on Sunday, however, hailed the workers for their patience and cooperation with the screening committee, assuring labour of better days ahead. He said wage is the right of every worker, reiterating the commitment of his administration to ensuring that civil servants regularly earn

their wages. According to the Governor, no government could succeed without the cooperation of labour, saying the public service is “the most critical backbone for the implementation and execution of development plans and programmes.” “I want to commend labour for its patience and steadfastness in ensuring the staff verification exercise is successful. This has shown that both the gov-

THE Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has pleaded with owners of imaginary or real shrine in the roundabouts he demolished, to pardon him as his intention was strictly to give the state capital a facelift and not to trouble their gods. Bello spoke on Sunday when a delegation from the Maigarin Lokoja paid him a courtesy visit, over the recent election of the new Speaker, Honourable Imam Alfa, representing Lokoja State constituency 1 in the assembly. He said the state capital was wearing the status of a local government headquarters as a result of ne-

glect by previous administrations, arguing that there was the need for an improvement. It will be recalled that media was inundated with speculations that the roundabouts were demolished to unearth some charms allegedly planted for spiritual cleansing of the state. The governor, however, stated that bogus roundabouts were no longer in vogue in many cities of the world, hence the need to pull them down. “Let me quickly give a little insight into the issue of demolition of roundabouts in the state capital. If you travel round the world, not everywhere you see roundabout again, just go

determination of his administration to improve the standard of living of Kogi people in line with his electioneering promises, calling for continued support, prayers and collaboration from the people of the state, to enable his administration to achieve its lofty dreams for the people of the state. He said his government would continue to strive to ensure the resources of the state work for the greater number of her people.

‘Govt insensitive to environmental hazards’ By Kehinde Adio AN expert on environment, Ambassador Ayo Olukanmi, has stressed the need to rid Nigerian communities of environmental health challenges

Bello begs ‘shrine’ owners for forgiveness over roundabouts demolition Yinka Oladoyinbo -Lokoja

ernment and organised labour are on the same page in ensuring that we reposition public service and discourage corruption which has deprived our esteemed workers from getting their due pay. “My government will stop at nothing in enthroning a well-motivated workforce that will be ready to work with our government to take Kogi to a new pedestal,” he said. Bello also reiterated the

to Abuja you see junctions with many intersections where so many roads come together yet no roundabout. “It is not in anyway fetish to destroy the roundabout because there are certain things that are happening there. I don’t believe in that. Roundabouts are not mosques or churches, and if roundabouts are shrine probably the owners of the shrine should pardon me because our state capital must wear a new look.” He said a lot of developments would come on board, despite the meagre resources at his disposal, adding that with prudent management he would do a lot with it.

through environmental sanitation campaigns and discouragement of importation of electronic wastes into the country. Ambassador Olukanmi made the remark recently at a public lecture entitled: “Nigeria and the Politics of Global Environmental Enhancement and Climate Change”, organised by the Redeemer’s University Centre for Peace and Governance. He lamented that the Nigerian government was not sensitive to environmental hazards imported electronic scraps was constituting in Nigerian communities. According to him, the most visible environmental challenge is the municipal problem of solid waste materials made of satchets water, plastics and cans and clogged drainage. “It is sad to note that Nigeria remains a digital dumping ground. Scrapped ‘tokunbo’ cars, refrigerators, phones, computer sets and other electronic appliances are sources of hazardous electronic wastes in our com-

munities . “In view of this, the Federal Ministry of Environment will need to ensure that the National Waste Policy is given the required backing for its implementation. Also, it is necessary for each state in the federation to develop its own environmental policy to take care of their peculiar environmental problems. “Similarly, government should clear all abandoned factories and chemical dumps located in various communities in the country to safeguard the health of dwellers,” he stated further Speaking in the same vein, the Vice Chancellor, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Professor Debo Adeyewa, observed that afforestation is inevitable in our communities. According to him, Redeemer’s University has commenced the ‘plant a tree’ project in the university community, noting that the development would go a long way in minimising the effects of climatic change on lives and property in Nigerian communities.

THE New Initiative for Credible Leadership has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to commence the process of confirming Ibim Semenitari as the substantive Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The group also urged Semenitari to focus on repositioning the organisation towards meeting the target for setting it up. It also expressed confidence in Semenitari’s ability to mainstream the NDDC’s mandate with the Change Agenda of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The group, at a press briefing addressed by its Executive Director, Reverend Stephen Onwu, on Sunday, in Abuja, said it was unfortunate that sponsored groups were already issuing press releases on behalf of those desperate to succeed Semenitari, when she is still striving hard to reposition the commission.

Pardon detained Shiite members, group begs Army Collins Nnabuife -Abuja THE Arewa Youth Leaders’ Forum has appealed to military authorities to pardon and release detained members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shiite Sect, as it apologised to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant- General Tukur Buratai, over the incident of December 2015 when his life came under threat, as the sect members obstructed his convoy in Kaduna State. The forum’s decision to appeal on behalf of the detained sect members was reached at a roundtable dialogue held in Abuja. Isah Ocheja and Jonah Ali, President and General -Secretary, in a statement jointly issued on the outcome of the gathering, said: “we resolved at our roundtable in Abuja, on Saturday, March 5, 2016 to apologise to the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Government and beg for pardon for detained members of the (Shiite) sect to be released with a promise not to engage in further acts of terrorism.”

communitynews

Monday, 7 March, 2016

Otun/Aaye-Oja boundary disputes: Fayose appoints Oluyin to head panel Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti

OVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has constituted a panel of inquiry to look into the boundary dispute between Otun-Ekiti, Aaye-Oja and Ikosu-Ekiti communities in Moba Local Government Area of the state. The panel, which is headed by the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaiye, has three months to do its work and report to the state government. A government statement in Ado-Ekiti said: “the setting up of the panel followed a meeting with monarchs and community leaders from the affected towns with the governor in his office.” The statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, said “during the meeting, the governor expressed concern that security reports from the area always indicated that there could be a breach of the peace as a result of claims and counter-claims of ownership of parcels of land in the area. “The Alaaye of AayeOja, Oba Samuel Olatoye, who first briefed the gathering, said his forebears first settled in the area and that Otun, Ikosu and other communities came later and were given lands to settle by his people. “He added that inter-

tribal wars in the area led to the dispersal of his people and the taking over of most of the land of his people by other communities and called for a proper demarcation of boundaries between them. The Onikosi, Oba Joseph Adeoye, said Aaye people were only laying claim to areas not belonging to them because the Federal Government in 2014, came to acquire some land for its Cassava Initiative and AayeOja people thought huge sums of money would be paid as compensation. The Oore of Otun, Oba Adedapo Popoola,who is also the paramount ruler of Moba Kingdom, said though Aaye-Oja people settled in the area first, that nearly 300 years ago they lost their prime of place when they were conquered in a war by Otun people. He added that the Aaye people were completely driven out of the place and that it was decades later that some of them came to beg Otun people to return.

Oba Popoola stressed that their coming back to the area was at the pleasure of Otun and also agreed with the Onikosi that it was the Federal Government project that

made Aaye people to start laying claims to places not theirs. Governor Fayose, while acknowledging the need for all to live in peace, noted that since they had

AWARE that peace is necessary in the development of any society, the Nigeria Police and a non-government organisation, Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), have pledged to work together to engender peace in the crisisridden Ekpan community, in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. Area Commander, Warri Command, Muazu Mohammed, an Assistant Commissionner of Police and National Coordinator CEPEJ, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, after a meeting in Warri, recently agreed that peace was necessary in the crisis-torn Ekpan and environs in the state. Comrade Mulade informed ACP Muazu about the plan of the NGO to foster enduring peace in Ekpan community, which has witnessed intra-communal crisis in recent times. He said that without security agencies like the police,

ble and said Oba Ajakaiye was chosen to head the committee because he is vast in such issues by the virtue of the positions he had occupied in the past.

From left, the Elegosi of Egosi in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Daniel Dada, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi and Olori Comfort Dada, during a courtesy visit to the Ooni by Egosi community, recently.

Elegosi lauds Ooni’s move on peace, unity among Yoruba leaders Biola Azeez-Ilorin

THE Elegosi of Egosi, in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Daniel Dada, has commended the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye

Ogunwusi, on his recent efforts aimed at ensuring unity and peaceful coexistence among Yoruba leaders. Speaking when the people of the community vis-

ited the Ooni at his palace in Ile-Ife recently, Oba Dada described the Ooni’s peace and reconciliatory homage to prominent Yoruba leaders has deserving commendation.

Police, NGO to collaborate on peace-building in Ekpan community Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri

coexisted in peace for centuries, the issue of something that could bring money should not cause disaffection among them. He warned the people against fomenting trou-

the situation would have been worse. Mulade said security and peace-building were collective responsibilities which should not be left for the security agencies alone, adding that citizens must play their roles effectively to assist the police. Mulade called for cooperation from all stakeholders in order to return the oncepeaceful Ekpan community to its past glory. He expressed worries that residents and investors in the area are bearing the

brunt of the lingering crisis, stressing that “for us to foster peace, we need to engage the various stakeholders.” ACP Muazu, in his response, commended the NGO for taking the bold step to address the fundamental issues with a view to ensuring the return of peace and tranquility to the troubled community and its environs. The Police boss, who was a former Divisional Police Officer in Ekpan, said all over the world, emphasis was on community policing, saying

that the NGO’s peace advocacy would go a long way to easing the efforts of the police in the area. He stated that he would participate fully in the activities of the NGO so as to make the people in the community to understand the need for them to live in harmonious relationship as, according to him, peace has no alternative. He maintained that nothing can be achieved through violence means and lauded CEPEJ for being out to fight the decadence in the society.

Oba Dada, in his speech, read by the secretary of Egosi Descendants Union (EDU) Mr Dele Ashaolu, noted that Oba Ogunwusi had, by such efforts demonstrated his true identity as a child of history and legitimate son of Oduduwa, the father of Yoruba. The royal father said the recent appointment of Oba Ogunwusi as the new Chancellor of University of Nigeria Nsukka, by the Federal Government, was also a good pointer and testimonies of more goodies awaiting the Yoruba race. Oba Dada, who claimed that their forebears were direct descendants from Ife, described the visit the second of its kind by the people of the community as a homecoming. He said the visit was meant to felicitate with the

Three reps members mobilise to rehabilitate Obajana-Kabba Road Ayodele Adesanmi-Abuja

THE forty-three-kilometre Obajana-Kabba Road in Kogi State had been a nightmare to motorists and other road users as they are vulnerable to men of the underworld, who constantly attacked and raped their women. The day to day activities of the people have equally

been paralyzed as farmers could not transport their farm produce to the market. Succour, however, came recently when three House of Representatives members from the area after weighing the loss incured by the communities in the axis, put their resources together to give the road a facelift. They are Honourable Karimi Sunday, represent-

ing Yagba Federal Constituency, Honourable Tajudeen Ayo Yussuf, representing Ijumu/KabbaBunu and another indigene of the state, who represents Ikeja/Ojodu Lagos State, Honourable James Abiodun Faleke. Speaking on their behalf, Honourable Karimi Sunday disclosed that they were worried about the plight of

the people living in the area. He said: “We take the pains to study the situation due to to the complaints we receive on daily basis and we understand that if the road is put into proper shape, there would be less pressure on the Okene Road and it will improve the economic activities of the people of the communities in the area.”

new Ooni for ascending the throne of his forebears and to pledge their support and commitment to ensure that his reign was peaceful and eventful. Dada said the community had been maintaining constant and cordial relationship with Ife, saying that the community had in no small measure benefited immensely from Ife’s tourism, cultural and socio-economic potentialities. “As an offshoot of this ancient city, Egosi Kingdom does not toy with IleIfe and matters that pertain to it. “We rejoice with you over your recent installation as the new Ooni and appointment as the Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. “In Egosi, our interpretation of this development is that you are really living up to the connotation of your name “Eni-itan —which means a man of history,” he said. Oba Dada was accompanied by some of his chiefs, including the Odofin of Egosi, Chief Sunday Adetona; the Oloto of Egosi, High Chief James Akinola, the Esio of Egosi, High Chief Abiodun Dada. Others are the Ooye-Jojo of Egosi, the Ologuns, the Onigemo of Egosi and the Olukotun of Egosi.

communitynews

Monday, 7 March, 2016

NMEC brings community learning centre to Akinyele

By Kehinde Adio

RRANGEMENTS have been concluded for the take-off of the Community Learning Centre of the National Mass Education Commission (NMEC) in Otun-AgbaAkin village, Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State. At the foundation laying ceremony of the centre, the Executive Secretary, National Mass Education Commission, a Federal Government agency saddled with the responsibility of promoting literacy and skill development in the country, Jibrin Yusuf Palko, stated that the centre, when completed, would serve the entire villages within the axis. According to him, the commission is fully committed to the learning and skill empowerment of adults and youths in hardto-reach communities in the country. The commission’s executive secretary, who was represented on the occasion by Mr. John Edet from Abuja office of the commission and other senior officers from Oyo State Zonal Office, stated that all things being equal, the structure, which would comprise library facilities, two vocational halls, two demonstration rooms and

two classrooms for vocational programmes, would be completed in the next 12 weeks. Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Agency for Adult and Non-formal Education, Oyo State, Mr. Akinsanya Folarin, reiterated the commitment of Oyo State government to eradicating illiteracy in the state, while appealing to beneficiary communities to justify the establishment of the model learning centre in their domain.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Community Development Committee, Elder Banji Popoola, expressed

satisfaction with the Federal Government’s resolve to develop literacy and skill empowerment in the

area. He promised that the communities would leave no stone unturned in en-

Ondo NURTW appoints substantive chairman Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure

MEMBERS of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ondo State chapter, have appointed the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Comrade Folajimi Akin-

nifesi, as the substantive chairman of the union in the state. This decision was taken during an emergency meeting of the union at the union’s secretariat on Akure-Ado- Ekiti Road. Akinnifesi and other

executive members were picked to run the affairs of the union pending the election of the union The national body of the union had last month, extended the tenure of the interim executive by a month following the failure of the

Oyo State Zonal Coordinator, National Mass Education Commission (NMEC), Mrs Aderonke Oyetunji; laying the foundation of the community learning centre at Otun Agbaakin Village in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, recently, while members of the community and others watch. PHOTO: KEHINDE ADIO

WaterAid seeks stakeholders collaboration to eliminate open defecation WATERAID, an international organisation, has called for synergy among stakeholders to eliminate open defecation, especially at the grass roots and slum areas in Nigeria. WaterAid Programmes Support Manager, Wandoo Akosu made the call in Otukpo, Benue State, at a two-day workshop on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). Akosu noted that the practice was rampant at the grass roots and slum areas in most cities in the country. According to her, open defecation-free environment can be achieved when the people are educated on the importance of latrines in their homes. Akosu urged both the State Task Group on Sanitation (STGS) and the National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS) to live up to their responsibilities. On women menstrual hygiene, Akosu said that

it was a biological process like urination and defecation, and called for hygienic management of the process. She noted that about 50 per cent of the girl-child dropped out of school due to the shame of handling menstrual period. She decried inadequate water supply and lack of sanitation facilities in

schools. She said that 50 per cent of girls in one school missed between one and three days of school per month due to menstruation. Also, WaterAid Advocacy and Partnership Manager, Mr Saheed Mustafa, emphasised the need for stakeholders to work with relevant authorities at the grass roots to eliminate

open defecation. According to him, open defecation-free environment is the first ladder in achieving good and hygienic environment. Mustafa advised people to keep their environments clean, and stressed the need for behavioural change. “WaterAid in its effort to assist the vulnerable at the

grass roots has gone round to certify communities and educate them on dangers of open defecation and the need to have latrines,’’ he said. Participants at the workshop said curbing open defecation in Nigeria should be everyone’s concern, and called for continued campaign to end the practice.

OPC to reorganise to fulfil mandate Biola Azeez-Ilorin

THE new coordinator of Odua People’s Congress (OPC) in Kwara State, Comrade Oladipo Olayinka, has promised to reorganise the pan Yoruba socio-cultural group to fulfill its constitutional mandate in the interest of the sons and daughters of Oduduwa in the state. Speaking with journalists after an emergency meeting of the organisation in Ilorin, Comrade

suring the completion of the project within the stipulated time.

Olayinka said efforts would be made to rid the organisation of decadence. Comrade Olayinka, who eulogised the vision of Otunba Gani Adams, said the OPC leader had built the congress through the introduction of innovations and developmental programmes. “I commend Otunba Gani Adams for his vision in leading OPC worldwide. He has helped to disabuse the minds of Nigerians about OPC

and introduced several cultural and traditional issues into the congress such that Yoruba people now have the opportunity of knowing their culture better. It is in the light of this that I will work to uplift his pioneering efforts,” he said. Comrade Olayinka also commended Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for managing the state economy despite limited resources. He lauded the Emir of

Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari, for his fatherly role which, he said, had contributed to existing harmony and tranquility in the metropolis and the state as a whole. Also speaking, spokesman of OPC in the state, Comrade Abdulkareem Eleji, called for the support of members for the new state coordinator, saying that it is only in unity that any organisation could make progress.

union to conduct an election. The State Administrative Council of the union, however, rose from the emergency meeting to unanimously appoint Akinnifesi as the substantive leader of the union in the state for the next four years. The union hinged the appointment Akinnifesi on the peace enjoyed by members and unprecedented development of the union, adding that the body had been repositioned in the last three months. Speaking on the development, one of the NURTW branch chairmen, Pastor Gabriel Ojo, said the interim executive had been able to conduct elections in over 100 branches across the state without any rancur, maitaining the feat is unprecedented in the history of the union in the state. He said: “ We are appointing the interim chairman and his executive members to show the whole world that the NURTW has stepped up and has come of age. The union has been able to instill discipline among members and we want to maintain the tempo. “We are calling on the national executive of the union to come and inaugurate the interim chairman as the substantive leader of the union in the state. We have all appointed him and sent our position to Abuja office.” Speaking after his appointment, Akinnifesi appreciated members of the union and attributed the development in the state chapter of the NURTW to the cooperation of members and support from the state government. He promised to further reposition the union in the state by eradicating thuggery and hooliganism, saying that the era when members of the union were tagged hoodlums was over. He promised to organise periodic seminar and symposium to further educate members. Akinnifesi sought for the support of security agencies in the state, assuring that the body would continue to work hand in hand to ensure the peaceful coexistence of the people of the state.

Monday, 7 March, 2016

foreig naffairs

08116954632 with seyi gesinde foreignn ewseditor@gmail.com

US election: Cruz, Trump split wins, Clinton maintains lead

IVE United States states held primaries or caucuses late on Saturday to make their picks for who should represent the Democratic and Republican parties in the race to become the country’s next president. Republicans had events in four states, with frontrunner Donald Trump winning two – Louisiana and Kentucky – and Senator Ted Cruz winning the other two – Maine and Kansas. Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich trailed in all four states. VOA reported that Cruz actually picked up more delegates on Saturday than Trump, but Trump still holds the lead with 378 delegates, followed by Cruz with 295. On the Democratic side, Senator Bernie Sanders won the Kansas and Nebraska caucuses, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted an overwhelming win over Sanders in the Louisiana primary. Clinton actually won more delegates than Sanders and maintains a significant lead in the delegate count, with 1,121 delegates compared to 479 for Sanders. Still, Sanders said in a

Texas Senator Ted Cruz

Businessman Donald Trump

statement, “We’ve got the momentum, the energy and the excitement that will take us all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.” Trump, meanwhile,

former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders PHOTOS: AP/REUTERS/VOA

called his victories Saturday “an amazing night,” and said he looked forward to taking on Cruz one-onone in such states as New York, Pennsylvania and California. He congratulated the

first-term Texas lawmaker on his wins Saturday, especially in Maine, “because it’s very close to Canada.” Cruz was born in Canada, which Trump has suggested in the past makes the Texas lawmaker ineligible for the White House. Delegate Count Here is an updated delegate count for each candidate: Republicans Donald Trump: 378 Ted Cruz: 295 Marco Rubio: 123 John Kasich: 34 Democrats Hillary Clinton: 1,121 Bernie Sanders: 479 Total delegates needed for party nomination: Democrats: 2,383 Republicans: 1,237 * As of March 6, 2016 Democratic results

Iranian billionaire, Babak Zanjani, sentenced to death BILLIONAIRE Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani has been sentenced to death for corruption, justice officials said. He was arrested in December 2013 after accusations that he withheld billions in oil revenue channelled through his companies. He denies the allegations, according to BBC Zanjani, 42, was convicted of fraud and economic crimes, a judiciary spokesperson said at a press briefing. One of Iran’s richest men,

Zanjani (centre) arriving for trial in Tehran in November. PHOTO: EPA

A least 60 killed in Iraq suicide bombing A suicide bomb attack in Iraq has claimed the lives of at least 60 people. The suicide bomber was driving a truck when he attacked a security checkpoint on a strategic highway near Hilla, 90kilometres south of Baghdad. Another 70 people were wounded in the blast near the city of Hilla, police officials said. The responsibility for

Sunday’s attack was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in a posting on the website of the sympathetic Amaq

news agency. “A martyr’s operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, Another 70 people were wounded in the blast near the city of Hilla. PHOTO: REUTERS.

killing and wounding dozens,” the ISIL statement on Amaq said. Hilla is the capital of Babylon province, a predominantly Shia region with some Sunni presence. Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf, reporting from Baghdad, said: “It was apparently a suicide bombing that occurred at a checkpoint that is usually manned by Iraq soldiers and federal police forces.

otherNEWS Benin election: 33 vie for presidential seat

Presidential candidate, Benin prime minister Lionel Zinsou, left, casts his ballot during the election in Cotonou, March 6, 2016. PHOTO: AP

BENIN’S voters have gone to the polls to choose a new president, despite lingering concerns about the distribution of voter cards that have already forced the election to be postponed once. Polling stations opened on Sunday in the tiny West African nation of 4.7 million people. The first results are

expected within 72 hours of the vote. President Thomas Boni Yayi, who was elected with 75 per cent of the vote in 2006, but later tainted by corruption allegations and economic mismanagement, is stepping down after serving a maximum two fiveyear terms.

Voters will choose between a record 33 candidates to replace him, including a former prime minister and two of the country’s most powerful businessmen. Key issues in the election include job creation, tackling corruption, improving health and education and

boosting the nation’s economy. According to the World Bank, 36 per cent of people in Benin live below the poverty line. The frontrunner is Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, who is standing for the ruling Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) party.

Nancy Reagan: Former US first lady, dies at 94 FORMER first lady Nancy Reagan, who joined her husband on a storybook journey from Hollywood to the White House, died Sunday, according to John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation. She was 94. CNN reported that as

first lady during Ronald Reagan’s eight years in the White House, she was known as the “Just say no” spokeswoman of antidrug campaigns, and as a fierce protector of her husband, both personally and politically. When Ronald Reagan was shot in a 1981 assassination attempt,

Nancy Reagan never left the hospital where the president was treated until he was released, according to Nancy Reagan’s press secretary, Sheila Tate. After she and her husband left Washington, she became his protector again as he struggled with Alzheimer’s disease until his death

in 2004. Her official White House biography quotes her as saying, “My life really began when I married my husband.” Nancy Reagan maintained her political interest -- and stature -- even into the 2012 Republican presidential contest.

Zanjani was blacklisted by the United States and European Union for helping Iran evade oil sanctions. Two others were sentenced to death along with him and all were ordered to repay embezzled funds. The ruling can be appealed. Zohreh Rezalee, a lawyer for Zanjani, told the BBC the verdict was politically motivated and an appeal would be lodged. “We believe that Babak Zanjani in this case is just a debtor,” the lawyer said.

Nancy-reagan.

South Korea, US set for ‘largest ever’ war games THE United Stated and South Korea are set to begin their largest ever joint military exercises amid high tensions on the Korean peninsula. More than 300,000 South Korean and 15,000 US troops will take part in the drills, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a military official. South Korean defence minister Han Min-koo has said the exercises will be twice the size of last year. The drills start days after the UN passed new sanctions on North Korea. Security tensions have increased since the North tested a nuclear device in January, followed by a rocket launch. The North responded to the sanctions by saying it was readying nuclear weapons for ‘pre-emptive’ use, and firing short-range missiles into the sea. Military analysts doubt the country has the ability to put nuclear warheads on its missiles. The exercises, which began on Monday and run until 30 April, are intended to warn North Korea against provocations, Mr Han was reported as saying.

Monday, 7 March, 2016 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Lagos State government partners ABL on basketball league By Niyi Alebiosu

Quadri

ITTF Rankings:

Quadri’s displaces Egypt’s Assar as Africa’s best A

FTER months of dominance over Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri in the ITTF ranking, Egypt’s

Omar Assar has been displaced by the 2014 ITTF Star Player in the March 2016 ITTF ranking released yesterday.

RIO Olympics: DALUNG express

satisfation with facilities THE Minister of Youth and Sport, Barrister Solomon Dalung has described his delegation’s visit to Rio, venue of the forthcoming Olympic Games as indispensable just as he expressed satisfaction whith the facilities put in place by the host country. . Barrister Dalung made the remark after a three day visit of facilities in Rio to be used by Nigerian athletes during the games. A five man delegation comprising the minister, President and Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr Habu Gumel and Tunde Popoola, as well as the Director General of the National Sports Commission Alhassan Yakmut and the Director Federations and Elite Athletes Department Mrs Hauwa-Kulu Akinyemi had visited facilities and the games village where Nigerian athletes will be residing throughout the games. According to the Minister, the visit was necessary to enable the ministry to plan

ahead for the games. “Nigeria will be taking part in just a few sports and the venues are scattered all over Rio. Our visit to the various venues, some of which are ninety percent ready, was very essential to enable us to plan for our athletes. What we saw gave us a first hand information on what to expect in terms of movement, arrivals, accreditation and distance between games venues and athletes village as well as mode of transportation”. The delegation which was also scheduled for inspection of facilities with the Malaysian delegation visited the Riocentro Convention Centre which will host Badminton, table tennis and weightlifting events as well as the Carioca Arena 1&2 which will host basketball, judo and wrestling. The delegation also visited the Maracana Stadium which will host the opening and closing ceremonies and football matches and the Olympic Stadium for track and field events.

From the rating released, Quadri returned to top 30 in the world from the 37th position he was in February while Egypt’s Assar dropped to 36 following the defeat he suffered against Quadri at the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup in Sudan. At the just concluded ITTF World Team Championships in Malaysia, Quadri only lost a match to highly-rated India’s Sharath Achanta while Egypt’s Assar was defeated by lowly-rated players twice in Malaysia. The defeat suffered by the Egyptian affected his drop in the ranking. With this, Nigeria may be on his way to Rio Olympic Games in the men’s event as Segun Toriola also made a triumphant return to the ranking to become the third rated African player in the world. Toriola, who acted as player/coach at the ITTF World Team Championship in Malaysia played his heart out to be ranked 116 in the world ahead of Egypt’s El-Sayed Lashin who dropped from 127 to 135. Also, Nigeria’s Bode Abiodun continued his rise in the ranking as the Portugal-base star is rated

185 to be the sixth rated African player in the world. As it is Nigeria players are ranked higher than the Egyptians and this was also confirmed by the President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy, who said that it is May ranking of the three top players in Nigeria and Egypt that will decide the eventual team that will qualify for the men’s team event of the Rio Olympic Games.

Izu Joseph celebrating a goal against Giwa FC in the Week 5 league match at Lekan Salami Stadium.

AS part of effort to develop basketball among the youths of the state,Lagos State Government through the state sport commission has secured parnership deal with African Basketball League which tipped off over the weekend at the Landmark Event Centre with Dakar Rapid of Senegal in a good start defeating Union Bank Stallion by 7069 points. The new deal was announced at a press conference held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium by the CEO of ABL, Ugo Udezue and the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Sports, Deji Tinubu. Deji commended the efforts of the ABL, describing the partnership a worthwhile one which would provide employment and bring Lagos onto the world map for sports and entertainment. He further stated that

Lagos State is willing to partner with anyone who will bring positive light to sports in Lagos. In his reaction, the CEO of ABL, Udezue stated that “One of the ABL’s core value is to drive local content by producing all ABL accessories and merchandise locally thereby generating economic growth, sports tourism, employment and developing the African youth both in character and potentials’’. The Director General Lagos State Sports Commission, Ayo Agbesanwa, Chairman Lagos State Basketball Association, Babs Ogunade and the CEO of Wakanow, Obinna Ekezie amongst others were present at the briefing. The ABL is a pan African league that starts with three teams in Lagos, one respectively in Dakar, Abidjan and Libreville. The expansion plan of the ABL will have a minimum of one team in thirty (30) African countries within five years.

3SC records second win By Olawale Olaniyan SHOOTING Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan on Sunday recorded their second home win of this season with a 2-1 victory over Giwa FC in a match day five fixture of the Nigeria Premier League played at Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan. Izu Joseph put the Oluyole Warriors ahead barely a minute into the game as his header off Seun Akinyemi’s free kick caught goalkeeper Ojo Olorunleke helpless. Ojo after the goal made at least two saves in the half to keep his team-mates in the match. Izu, was replaced by Jimoh Ismail at the start of second half, while 3SC later brought in Ajani Ibrahim in place of Nojeem Olukokun. The Jos Elephant handled by coach Gbenga Ogunbote, introduced Isiaka Olawale and Bobby Abel in their bid to secure a leveller. Substitute Kabir Umar who came on to replace Ogbonna Paul in the 80th minute got the second goal for 3SC when he pounced on a loose ball off a cross and sent the ball beyond the reach of Ojo.

However, the defence of 3SC eventually caved in as substitute Olawale was on hand to connect a loose ball with a clinical grounder after goalkeeper Fabiyi Emmanuel had misjudged a cross during added time. Speaking after the match, Izu told Tribunesport said he was happy to hit the target, just as he thanked his team-mates for the victory. “This is my second goal for 3SC in the last two seasons and I still target four more goals this season. I dedicate my goa to our General Manager, Rasheed Balogun. Also speaking with Tribunesport, 3SC coach said it was fortunate they were playing with empty stomachs for month now,just as he urged the state government to see to their case. “I must commend my players even though we are not there yet because five of my regular players are injured and we are playing with empty stomachs for month now and we are calling the government to help us out.”

47 tribunesport

Monday, 7 March, 2016

schoolsport

Anchor: Nurudeen Alimi oladimejialimi@yahoo.co.in 08111847089

I will review school curriculum in Edo to elevate sports — Obaseki Abiodun Jimoh- Benin City

R Godwin Obaseki, a governorship aspirant in Edo State, has said he would raise the standard of school sport in the state if elected into office. Obaseki, who is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the next state governorship election later this year, told Tribunesport that one of the measures he will take is by reviewing the school curriculum. “We are going to review our school curriculum to ensure that it creates an enabling environment for sports participation among pupils, because that is the time and stage in life where you have most time to take part in sporting activities. “I could recall that when we were in primary school, we were involved in sports, played football with friends that is the level we need to make major investment in. There must be right investment both in human capacity and facilities and get it right. “We would create an enabling environment for our students to combine sports with academics effectively so as to make them to be resourceful in the near future. “In fact, when I went to the University of Ibadan in 1976, the admission list was large and accommodation for students was scarce and one of the factors they considered in trying to allocate rooms to students was if you are a sportsman, they will put your name on a priority list and because I was a swimmer and was part of the swimming squad, that gave me priority to secure accommodation on the campus. So what I am saying is that there are so many advantages that individuals and communities in a society can get through its investment in sports. It’s something that my administration in the state will lay more emphasis on as we have done in the past,” said Obaseki, who is also the Chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategy Team. He stated that he has designed measures to give school sport in Edo State a new lease of life. “As we need to manage our youths, we have to encourage sporting activities across the state. How do you encourage sports? Two main things will be involved. First, you begin to hire and manage our coaches properly, there is the need to identify the sports that we want to concentrate on, and then re-

cruit professionals who can handle it well, who can train teachers and subcoaches and even the students who may want to undergo such training. “Secondly, you also need to have good facilities in place because what I noticed is that even in our schools, when we build a school, there is always a play ground, but we have not taken time out to develop that into sports arena. “I am going to insist that Parent Teachers Association and governing councils should ensure that they upgrade the play grounds in most of our schools so that children can have fields to engage in sporting activities,” Obaseki, who is also a golfer said. He stated that pupils must be encouraged to partake in sports and be exposed to the rudiments of sports. “Specifically, we have to focus on sports at the grassroots particularly football. Fortunately, the current administration in the state had pioneered the initiative in that regard, what we need to do is to expand the scope if we must encourage school sport majorly football. “Remember at the last Channels TV Kids soccer championship, Edo Team came tops and this was an outcome of some of the work the state government has been doing at the grassroots in various schools, that

Obaseki

will be encouraged and strengthened. One reason we want to do that is to enshrine sports into our cardinal goals of creating jobs, so we want to train a lot of youths in various sports so that they can as a vocation, use that training to be able to be self-employed in life. “We also believe that sports must be part of the totality of training of a human being, we have to develop physically, mentally and spiritually. Government were rebuilding schools talk of the red roof revolution, but we now have to add to the quality of education in the state. Apart from academy training, we should also give these children training in sports. “I remember as a kid when Samuel Ogbemudia was the governor, I witnessed when they were renovating the swimming pool and that was how I learned how to swim and became part of the Mid-West Dolphin team at that time. They used to camp us for national events then. I feel government’s role is to create the atmosphere and opportunity for these youngsters to exercise and exhibit their talents and by the time you are involved in sports all day, you will be too tired to begin to roam about the streets at night. All you need is to have a good rest,” Obaseki, a product of Eghosa Anglican Grammar School, Benin, said.

Oladipo laments neglect of school sport By Olawale Olaniyan PRINCIPAL Assistant Registrar, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, Mr Jide Oladipo has urged the authorities in Nigeria to pay more attention to the development of school sport in order to discover new talents. He made the appeal while speaking with Tribunesport during the

inter-house sports competition of Praise Group of Schools, Ibadan, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan. He pointed out that in those days, many national team players and athletes were discovered from schoolorganised competitions saying the reverse is the case today. “I could recall when we were young, we used to feature in the Principal’s

Captain of the Red House, Agbor Precious lifting the winner’s trophy with members of her team. With them is the principal of Praise Academy, Mrs Ayotunde Oyekan, during the Praise Schools inter-house sports competition, held recently at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

Cup organised by the state and every student was always looking forward to having it annually. Through this competition, many talents were discovered for the old Oyo State then like Dimeji Lawal, Mutiu Adepoju, and the rest. But today, I wouldn’t know the major problem that is affecting the growth of sports in this country, but neglect of school sport is one of the factors that could be responsible,” Oladipo said. He noted that most youngsters in the country nowadays are carried away by the world of entertainment. “I know, show biz has taken shine off sports among many youths of today in this country and the earlier the government addressed this issue the better. Government at all levels need to see to the development of sports right from the primary to the secondary school levels. We hardly produced stars to compete and win at major international events even in Africa. We find it difficult to produce world-class athletes any longer because we didn’t pay

attention to developing sports from the grassroots,” he stated. Asked on why government focused attention more on football, Oladipo noted that Nigeria only jumped on the bandwagon effect as football remains the most followed sport in the world. “Football is a global sport which Nigeria must emulate and Nigeria has no choice but to follow the trend. So, it is good for the government to develop football, but we must start from the primary school,” said Oladipo, who also urged parents to encourage their children to participate in sporting activities. Meanwhile, Peace House emerged the winner of Praise Schools inter-house sports competition, as Joy House came second, while Love and Faith houses finished third and fourth respectively. In the Praise Academy, Red House won the competition, as Yellow House came second, while Green and Blue houses finished third and fourth respectively.

SIDELINES

NO 16,451

N150

MONDAY, 7 MARCH, 2016

N Sunday, February 28, 2016, I was reading my profuse collection of my usual and unusual weekend newspapers when the bold, lavish front-page story of Sunday Punch beckoned to me to read it first before my profluent thoughts branched off to other newspapers and stories. I read the story of course with the intense interest and love and passion that the story could not but generate in me. Clearly, I could see the religious, political and ethnic angles that Punch, one of our newspapers with an enormous circulation, tried to bring to the fore. In fact, these three dimensions of what I have since christened the Ese-Yinusa love story are so conspicuous in the Punch report that many readers of it could not but be filled with revulsive emotions at the end of their reading. (But not for me any dot of revulsionary emotion). Ese Oruru is Urhobo and a Bayelsa resident – like her parents and siblings – before her “abduction” by her loverman or lover-boy to Kano. We are informed that she is a little girl of fourteen years, but we are not told of Yinusa’s actual age. All we know - and this is so tiny a piece of information – is that Yinusa alias Yellow is an Hausa and a professional tri-cyclist who “stole” a well under-aged girl from her parents and “forced” her to journey to Kano where her name has since been changed to Aisha after her conversion to Islam and after her marriage, to boot, to Yinusa in accordance with Muslim rites. And Ese was a Christian, a very tight, unyielding one – at least until her lover-guy now her husband tied a tight knot around her grossly under-aged emotions. One more thing: Yinusa, Ese’s mother’s customer who used to buy food from Ese’s mother on regular basis, betrayed the little girl’s mother’s trust by doing to the little girl what he has done to her. Shege! Tufia! The story has me under lock and key from the outset. I refuse to see it as one in

A member of a robbery gang arrested by the police in Oyo State, one Wasiu Ganiyu, has admitted to stabbing a police officer in an escape bid, because he couldn’t bear a return to prison. Well, with his latest action, Wasiu is not likely to be heading to Mecca.

in&out with Tony Afejuku 08055213059

Ese and Yunusa which a Muslim faithful has stolen a little Christian girl from her parents. It must – in fact, it is – a story of the love madness of an under-aged girl for an elderly one whose true, genuine love has hypnotized her. The only problem and obstacle we can link to the fact of the tale is that she is under-aged, too enormously underaged to be Yinusa’s hearty wife. But they are already husband and wife – unless we divorce them now. Yet what do we make of their innermost feelings? The answer is complicated and must remain complicated. The outrage (from all and sundry especially from the South since the story reached our bewildered imaginations) against the Emir of Kano and all those allegedly connected with the matter of the love affair between the minor and “Yellow” will come to naught eventually. As expected, the Emir of Kano has denied the role attributed to him in the whole chronicle. But I can see a picture of the Emir’s emissaries and eminences grises, at the appointed time, arriving the residence of the Orurus in quest of the mesmerizing minor of love who shall cease to be in her now kingdom of minorhood when they come. Then, those of us who have been trying to halt the destiny of

Do I believe that Ese was abducted? No, is my answer. If Yunusa had evil intentions for Ese, their present story would not have been told. Ese and Yinusa will re-think our thoughts and re-feel our feelings of pure fallacies which suddenly have over-lapped reason in a matter of love. Then we will learn a-new that we must take pains not to get involved and entangled in a quarrel of lovers and disagreements between and among in-laws or would-be in-laws. And the way things are now, we cannot but say that in the love story of Ese and Yinusa we see the despairing theme of power- lessness that the two lovebirds cannot immediately do something tangible about. But there is the hope that in the long run Ese and Yinusa will triumph to live and enjoy their humanity – as wife and husband and as husband

and wife. Do I believe that Ese was abducted? No, is my answer. If Yinusa had evil intentions for Ese, their present story would not have been told. The light of day would not have seen it. I am itching to hear what the two of them will tell us soonest. (I am preparing this writing on Tuesday, 1st of March, 2016 in an afternoon of humorous humour). Yet I must avow thus: Because Mr. and Mrs. Oruru would rightly say no to their adventure of passion, no matter the good intentions of Yinusa, their would-be son-in-law, the bewitched lovers decided to “stow away” to Kano where they assumed they would get some meaning and order into their view of romantic destiny. But how wrong they were! And what would Ese know about love, passion, romance and destiny? But the minor is a Niger Delta denizen who certainly must have experienced the passion of romance shipped to the Niger Delta by Shell and Chevron and Mobil and the other multinationals. The Niger Delta is a world of shapeless chaos not strange to the indigenes that must always pay the huge prize of their exploitation in different guises and shapeless fragments, thanks to the multinationals and their Nigerian collaborators.

2016 ITF/CAT African Junior championships:

South Africa embassy finally grants Team Nigeria visas, departs today AFTER a delay by the South African embassy, Team Nigeria were eventually issued visas on Sunday and are scheduled

Dalung

to depart Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja in the early hours of today for the forthcoming ITF/CAT African Junior Championship in Pretoria. The seven-man team was originally scheduled to travel forthe championship holding from March 8-19 at the ITF High Performance Centre, Pretoria on Saturday but only two members were issued visas. National junior tennis coach, Mohammed Ubale, who was apparently relieved after what he termed a weekend off frustration, said: “a lady in the embassy called the Secretary of the Nigeria Tennis Federation this (Sunday) morning to

come for the visas. “Although she apologised on behalf of the embassy, she was abit disturbed that the issue was mentioned in the press stating we shouldn’t have gone that far but I don’t think the embssy should bear any grudge towards us for this because we provided all the documents they requested for on time only for them to derail our arrangements as well as preparations by denying virtually all the players visas for the championship. Ubale said the delay which necessitated a change of travelling arrangement cost an additional N25,000 each to the seven-man team but he was more worried by the

fact that the team will now have just a day to acclimatize due to the high altitude of the venue. “Surely, we will be the last country to arrive for the tournament because all the countries are expected to be in South Africa latest by Saturday which was what we planned for “Anyway, we will put in our best because the players are determined to do Nigeria proud. Aongiside Ubale, the players that will be aboard the South African Airline are Marylove Edwards, Angel McLeod, Michael Osewa, Gabriel Friday, Christopher Bulus, Christopher Itodo. Moroccobased Oyinlomo Barakat Quadri and Adetayo Adetunji,

who is based in South Africa are already at the venue.

NPLF RESULTS

El-Kanemi Shooting Stars Rivers United Heartland Pillars Wolves Plateau Sunshine Stars Ikorodu United

2 Enyimba 0 2 Giwa FC 1 1 Nasarawa Utd 0 1 Lobi Stars 0 3 Akwa United 2 1 Tornadoes 0 1 Abia Warriors 1 1 FC IfeanyiUba 1 0 MFM 0

EPL RESULTS

Crystal Palace 1 West Brom 1

Liverpool Man Utd

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