7th June 2016

nigeria’s most informative newspaper no 16,518

TUESDAY, 7 june, 2016

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Kogi guber:

Bello floors Faleke at tribunal •Kogi will be great again —Bello •We will appeal —Faleke —P4

NASS aware of my trip —Buhari

•Says there's no one who doesn't fall sick —P4

Prof Salami emerges new OAU VC

IBB in Germany on health reason —P2

Borno, Yobe, Adamawa not safe for return of IDPs —UN —P2

—P34

I'm being investigated for corruption –Jonathan •Says if Buhari met empty treasury he couldn't have given bailout to states —P2 •Suggests dialogue as solution to Niger Delta militancy

New policy on Oyo schools

Secondary school students on the rampage in Ibadan —P5

Secondary school students protesting at the Oyo State Secretariat, Ibadan, on Monday. INSET: The vandalised All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO-OKE.

2 news I’m being investigated for corruption —Jonathan

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

•Says if Buhari met empty treasury he couldn’t have given bailout to states •Suggests dialogue as solution to Niger Delta militancy

F

ORMER president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has said he is currently under investigation for corruption.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, in London, on Monday, Jonathan said he could not make comments about the investigations.

“Of course, obviously, I will be investigated. In fact, I am being investigated. Investigations are going on. I will not want to make certain comments, because government is working.

“It will not be proper for immediate past president to make certain statements. I will allow the government do the work. I wouldn’t want to make serious comments on that.

“After all the investigations, the stories will be properly documented. I have just left office and I should allow the president and his team to do what they think is best for the economy.”

Jonathan, the first incumbent of a ruling party to lose an election since 1999, disagreed with claims that his successor inherited an empty treasury.

“It is not true; there is no way he would have inherited an empty treasury and at the same time give bailout to the states. It’s not possible.

“Nigeria is a fairly-robust economy, but sometimes, we overpoliticise some issues and make it look so bad.

It was not that bad. Some people ask questions like I was the president of Nigeria since independence; I was the president for five years.

“It is routine in Nigeria from the collapse of the first

republic, people blamed corruption. When the second republic collapsed, the military blamed corruption. If there is a major change in government, one political party taking over from another one, there must be issues.”

He said his government could not tackle the corruption in the oil sector because of certain people.

“In the area of fertilizer subsidy, we cleaned up and the corruption was removed.

I wanted to do the same thing in the oil industry, but the same people who are accusing us of corruption are the very people that were frustrating it,” Jonathan added.

Meanwhile, Jonathan also expressed confidence that the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration can reach an agreement with militants in the Niger Delta to stop their attacks that had slashed production of Africa’s biggest oil producer.

Speaking in an interview at Bloomberg’s offices in London, on Monday, Jonathan defended his government’s record on fighting corruption and denied Buhari’s assertion that the country’s treasury was left empty when he handed over power last year.

“Definitely, it will be resolved,” said 58-year-old Jonathan. “Yes, government can always overrun restive movements and so on, but the Niger Delta is too delicate.

The level of damage will be too much for the government to bear. We used dialogue.”

Jonathan was vice-president when Nigeria’s government offered an amnesty

IBB in Germany on health reasons MR Nwa Kolo, an aide of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has dismissed rumours doing the rounds that the former Nigerian president was dead.

Kolo, responding to the widespread report, said Babangida was in Germa-

ny for a routine medical check-up.

The social media, on Monday, was awash with reports that the former president ruler was dead.

The rumour, which was published on Twitter, was, however, dismissed by the former president’s aide.

Court remands Benue gov’s aide in prison Johnson Babajide -Makurdi CHIEF Magistrate’s Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, yesterday remanded in prison, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Joseph Ikyagba, for culpable homicide which is punishable by death.

The special adviser was arrested last Friday in connection with the killings of a colleague, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security Matters, Honourable Denen Igbana, few weeks ago.

The prosecutor, Daniel

Swende, said the governor’s aide, was arrested for committing the offences, in line with sections 97 and 222 of the penal code law of Benue State 2004.

When the case was mentioned, no plea was taken for want of jurisdiction while the chief magistrate, Mrs Theresa Wergba, refused granting the accused bail.

She, however, remanded him in prison custody, pending the determination of the matter while the case was adjourned till August 3.

and monthly stipends to militants to end years of instability, which had cut oil output.

In February, Jonathan’s successor, Buhari, reduced the stipends and canceled security contracts with former military leaders.

A militant group, known as Niger Delta Avengers, has claimed attacks on facilities belonging to companies, including Chevron Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Agip Oil Co., caus-

ing Nigeria’s output to drop to an almost 30-year low of about 1.4 million barrels per day.

The violence has deepened the crisis facing Africa’s largest economy, which is already reeling from a slump in crude prices. Nigeria gets as much as two-thirds of its revenue and more than 90 percent of foreign income from oil.

Buhari had, upon assumption of office, accused the previous administration of looting billions of dollars and

leaving the country’s finances “virtually empty.”

“There’s no way he would have inherited an empty treasury,” Jonathan said “It’s not possible.”

He, however, explained that Nigeria might revisit a law that banned same-sex marriages.

“When it comes to equality, we must all have the same rights as Nigerian citizens.”

Jonathan in 2014 signed a law criminalising same-sex marriages, gay groups and

public displays of affection by homosexuals. The decision triggered condemnation by human rights groups and Western governments.

“In the light of deepening debates for all Nigerians and other citizens of the world to be treated equally and without discrimination, and with the clear knowledge that the issue of sexual orientation is still evolving, the nation may, at the appropriate time, revisit the law,” Jonathan said.

From left, Marketing Development Executive, NCUK, Andrew Straughan; Academy Administrator, Oxbridge Academy, Miss Oyinlola Odusola; Member, Advisory Board, Oxbridge Academy/ College, Folasade Adefisayo; Director, Business Services, British Council, Mrs Lucy Pearson; Member, Advisory Board, Oxbridge Academy/College and co-chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Dr Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; Founder/Managing Director, Oxbridge Academy/ College, Dr Femi Ogunsanya and the Director of International Liason, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom (UK), Mr Tim Crick, during the launch of Oxbridge Academy International year one programme, in collaboration with Northern Consortium of United Kingdom Universities (NCUK), at Oxbridge Academy, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, on Monday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Borno, Yobe, Adamawa not safe for return of IDPs —UN •Says 60% of affected population are children •Air Force expands military wing of Yola airport Chris Agbambu and Clement Idoko -Abuja OFFICE of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned the Federal Government that the volatile Northern states of Yobe, Adamawa, particularly Borno, are not yet safe for return of the refugees and the over 2.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

UNHCR Regional Representative for West Africa and Regional Coordinator for the Nigeria Situation, Ms. Liz Ahua, gave the warning on Monday, in Abuja, at the ongoing regional protection dialogue on the Lake Chad Basin.

She revealed that the Boko Haram insurgency and its spillover into Cameroon, Niger and Chad had led to loss of thousands of lives and caused massive displacement of over 2.7 million people in the region.

She added that the activities of the insurgents had impacted negatively on more than 20 million persons in the four countries, while expressing fears that another 50,000 persons had been dislocated from their homes in the town of Bosso in Niger, following an attack that took place June 3, 2015.

She acknowledged that the success achieved by military operations that had brought back a number of areas in North-Eastern Nigeria that had been occupied by Boko Haram, now under government control, as well as the insurgents, reduced capacity for military engagement.

She, however, said the success recorded by the military had not degraded the capacity of the Boko Haram sect for harassment, maiming and killing of defenceless civilians.

Consequently, Ahua said the conditions in much of the North-Eastern pert of the country were not yet conducive for the return of Nigerian refugees and IDPs to the affected states.

She noted that, alongside persistent threats from Boko Haram, the presence of mines and unexploded improvised devices, as well as the absence of basic services, posed acute humanitarian and protection risks for the affected populations.

Ahua added that similar situation of insecurity continued to prevail in the border regions of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, where Boko Haram attacked civilians.

“The context of ongoing insecurity and terrorism

threats pose particular challenges to ensuring an appropriate protection environment for refugees, IDPs and local communities,” she said.

According to her, about 60 per cent of the affected population were children, disclosing that at least 20,000 unaccompanied children had been displaced by the conflict.

She said: “The numbers in Niger will certainly increase to more than 180,000 internally displaced persons, while Cameroon and Chad report 160,000 and 54,000 IDPs respectively.”

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Interior,

Mr Bassey Akpanyung, in his opening remark, underscored the importance of the regional dialogue on protection of Boko Haram victims, given the progress Nigeria and other members of Lake Chad Basin Commission had made in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-Eastern part of the country.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), as part of preparations towards inducting new platforms, is expanding the apron at the military wing of Yola International Airport to enhance air operations against insurgency in the North-East.

RAMADAN MESSAGE O you who believe! Fasting is decreed upon you as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous - [Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers excess - it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew. The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.

—Surat Al-Baqarah verses 183 - 185

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

NASS aware of my trip —Buhari

•Pray for him —Spokesman •Osinbajo may become acting president today Leon Usigbe and Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

B

EFORE flying out of Abuja for London to seek medical treatment for his ailing ear, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, confirmed that the National Assembly had been informed about his 10-day leave.

Speaking to State House corespondents at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, he, however, fell short of saying he was seeking the transfer of executive powers to VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo to act as president in his absence.

In a short response to the question on whether he had informed the National Assembly, he said: “the National Assembly knows, they have been formally informed.”

Asked what he had to tell Nigerians about the trip, he said: “I have already told Nigerians that I am going for 10 days to get my ear checked.”

On how to calm the ten-

sion that may be generated over his sickness, he retorted: “Is there anybody that doesn’t fall sick?”

Also speaking, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, urged Nigerians to pray for the president.

He emphasised that he

was not ill as had been presented in the media, saying he had continued to perform his official functions while treating his ear infection.

The presidential spokesman said: “Rather than going into a frenzy, I will urge Nigerians to just show

goodwill and patriotism.

They should pray for him and wish him well.

“Things about health, life and death are in the hands of God, but I believe that all is well with our president and God will take care of him and take care of the country.”

Adesina rejected the notion that Buhari was ill, noting that he was only going to rest while using the opportunity to seek specialist medical attention for his ear.

He stated: “The buzz going round town is that the president is ‘ill’ but ‘ill’ will

President Muhammadu Buhari, travelling out of the country on Monday, to London, United Kingdom, for his 10 days vacation.

Kogi guber: Bello floors Faleke at tribunal •We will appeal judgment —Faleke •Kogi ‘ll be great again —Bello From Sunday Ejike and Yinka Oladoyinbo The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, dismissed the petition brought before it by James Faleke challenging the election of Yahaya Bello as governor of Kogi State.

The three-member panel, headed by Justice Halima Mohammed, held, in a unanimous judgment, that Faleke could not be declared governor of Kogi State, because he was not nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its substantive candidate in the 2015 Kogi governorship election.

Justice Mohammed, who read the judgment stated that the APC was right to have nominated Bello to replace the late Prince Abubakar Audu as its candidate in the December 2015 supplementary election.

She held that Faleke had no locus-standi to file the petition since he was not nominated by the APC as its governorship candidate in the said election.

Mohammed further said: “Votes cast in an election belong to a political party which nominates a candidate; hence it was lawful for the party to transfer votes

polled by the late Audu to Bello.

The tribunal further held that APC, as a political party, was legally empowered to nominate and sponsor a candidate for an election as the nation’s constitution did not recognise an independent candidate.

She, thereafter, dismissed Faleke’s petition challenging the legitimacy of Bello’s election for lacking in merit and further held that Faleke remained the valid deputy governor of the state, because there was no evidence to show that he wrote to his party withdrawing his candidature as deputy governor as required by law.

Faleke had petitioned the tribunal challenging the declaration of Bello as governor of Kogi State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He prayed the tribunal to declare him winner of the election on the ground that he had a joint ticket with the late Prince Abubakar who was the governorship candidate of the APC at the time of election.

Crisis started when the APC replaced Audu, the late standard-bearer of the party in the November 21, 2015 governorship election in the state with Bello.

Faleke, who was the running mate of Audu in the

election, felt slighted by the action of his party; he then asked INEC to declare him winner of the election, a request INEC declined to oblige him.

He contended that he ought to have inherited the late Audu’s votes, who was leading in the election before it was declared inconclusive, since he was his running mate.

The electoral umpire went ahead to hold a supplementary election with Bello as a substituted candidate for the APC. Bello’s argument was that he was duly nominated by his party to fly the flag of the party as its governorship candidate in the supplementary election, and that he scored the highest number of votes in the exercise.

Faleke, in his petition, maintained that Bello was unqualified to be governor of Kogi State.

Anthony Adeniyi, counsel for Bello applauded the verdict of the tribunal, saying the party remained one indivisible entity.

Idris Wada, former governor of the state and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state also petitioned the tribunal asking it to declare him winner of the election, following the death of Audu.

According to the former

governor, Bello was an interloper who had no business with the exercise.

The tribunal will deliver judgment on Wada’s petition today.

Meanwhile, Faleke has faulted the judgment of the tribunal, saying that the tribunal erred when it held that he had no locus standi to challenge the election.

He told newsmen that he would discuss with his team of lawyers and would challenge the decision of the tribunal at the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Governor Bello, had on on Monday, described the judgment of the tribunal that dismissed the petition filed by Faleke as an opportunity to make the state great again.

He said the judgment was victory for the people of the state, who had been yearning for meaningful development for many years.

The governor, who spoke in Lokoja, the state capital, after the tribunal’s verdict, however, said with the judgment, he would be glad to receive Faleke in the government fold to enable him to contribute to the development of the state.

Bello said: “Since my mandate is from the almighty Allah, I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to have this victory today. It is a victory for the people of

Kogi State, it is a victory for our party.

“It was a judgment between me and my brother, Honourable Faleke, he is not my opponent, we belong to the same party and it is just an explanation that he sought from the court and court has given its own explanation to him, he is my brother, he should come and join me. My advice is that those who want to cause division within the party should drop that idea, they should let us unite our party, they should let us unite the state.

“There are lots to be done in the state, he (Faleke) should come and join me.

He should join me by giving me certain ideas and advice that he has to contribute to the development of the state. I want to assure him that we will work together as Kogites, as party men. It is a general victory for all of us. The state is expecting a lot from me, a lot has been given to me, they should be patient because I am determined to work and I am going to work.

“A lot has gone bad in the past, we can’t fix everything in one day, it will take painstaking steps to make sure all that have gone wrong are corrected and place the state in a better pedestal.”

be a misnomer, it should not be the right word to use.

“The president is going for a 10-day rest and during that period he will see specialists who will look at his ear because he has been treating that ear locally for sometime.

“Nigerian physicians have looked at it, they have said now that you are going to UK, let specialists look at the ear.

“They have treated it locally, so it is not a question of whether the president is ill. If he is ill, it presupposes that there are certain things he cannot do.

“Till the very last minute that he is traveling, the president performed the duties and functions of his office as the president.

“So illness is not the issue, but as a human being, yes, he can rest. He has been president for one full year. You know that in February, he took five days leave, he is taking another 10 days now. That means 15 days leave in one year.

“You and I take more than that, So, it is natural that the president, as a human being, is taking 10 days rest, but he is not ill.

“We need to underscore that.”

Meanwhile, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo may from today become the acting president for the next 10 days.

This is as a result of the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to communicate the National Assembly of his absence.

The president proceeded on a trip to London, on Monday, a trip the presidency said would enable him to attend to his medical condition.

It was confirmed in Abuja, on Monday, that the president had already communicated Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, on his absence.

Sources close to the National Assembly confirmed, on Monday, that the letter had been delivered to the presiding officers and would be read on the floor of the chambers on Tuesday.

1999 Constitution as amended empowers the vice-president to act as president once the president communicates the National Assembly of his decision to go on holiday or is unavailable.

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New policy on Oyo schools: Secondary school students on the rampage in Ibadan

By Tunde Ogunesan, Wale Akinselure, Dare Adekanmbi

H

ELL was let loose on Monday, when secondary school students in Ibadan went on rampage, protesting proposed privatisation of schools by the state government.

The students, from various schools, came out en masse, heading to major locations like the Magistrates’ Court, Iyaganku, All Progressives Congress (APC) state headquarters at Oke-Ado and the state secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The students, while speaking, accused the state government of four offences, chiding it over the planned privatisation of schools, non-payment of the salaries of their teachers and other civil servants, and failure of government to account for their payment of N1,000 per term as Education Development levy, hence “our decision to openly come out to defend our future.”

Some of them said it was difficult for their parents to sponsor them during this economic crisis and wondered why the same government now want to privatise their schools.

One of them, who spoke with newsmen, said “my parents have told me that if the government goes ahead to privatise public schools, that it would be the end of my education and I should be ready to learn one skill or other.”

Earlier, men of the Oyo State police command had mounted surveillance within the axis of Magistrates’ Court, Iyaganku, to maintain peace and order.

The situation was, however, put under control, as the detained leaders were not brought to the premises, as their colleagues were running round to perfect their bail paper before their eventual release.

But the situation got worse when some members of the state arm of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), who came on solidarity to the court, were denied access to the court premises.

Following their denial of access, members of Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) showed up with various placards.

As soon as the police were successful in controlling that, students, notably from schools around OkeAdo, Oke-Bola axis went on rampage, chasing their colleagues out of the school environment to join in the call against the policy.

Charged with youthful exuberance, the students,

some with casual weapons, went on rampage, chanting anti-government songs, attacked the state secretariat of APC at Oke-Ado, destroying window glasses in the process ant the Mitv station within the Government Reservation Area (GRA) secretariat.

Despite that, the students refused to retreat and were still forging ahead to attack the more. As much as the security agents and party members gathered to chase them away, the students were deviant before police officers mounted guard against them.

At the state secretariat, students, in their hundreds and in batches trooped to the seat of power and occupied the area.

The three main gates to the state secretariat were, however, locked to deny them access to the government’s seat of power.

It took the intervention of Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, to disperse the protesting students, in front of the state secretariat.

We are being harrassed —NLC

Also, in obvious obedience to the order of the Nigerian

Labour Congress (NLC) to its members, hundreds of civil servants besieged the Labour house and Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, to follow up on their call for the release of the seven Labour leaders in detention since last Friday.

Speaking at the Labour House, some of the NLC members alleged that they were being harassed by certain members of the public in their several gatherings this morning (Monday), especially at the Magistrates’ Court, Iyaganku, Ibadan.

They said they had re-

solved to wait at Labour house in anticipation of the release of the detained leaders.

Oyo PDP condemns Ajimobi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oyo State chapter, has condemned the action of the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi over the recent privatisation of public schools in the state and the arrest of Labour leaders in the state.

According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the party, Honourable Kehinde Salawu, in an in-

terview with the Nigerian Tribune, the governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had let the masses of the state down with his latest ploy to privatise education in the state.

He condemned the APC-led administration for plunging the state to mockery for their inability to carry along stakeholders in his bid privatise schools in the state.

He also berated the governor for the way and manner he treated the Labour leaders after the fallout of the aborted stakeholders’ meeting last week.

Accord, APC trade blame over proposed privatisation of schools

Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, addressing the students at state secretariat, Ibadan, on Monday. Inset: Police van in front of the vandalised APC secretariat. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE AND YEMI FUNSO-OKE.

Oyo workers commence indefinite strike today •As detained Labour leaders released •Rethink your strike and report at duty posts —Govt

By Wale Akinselure National leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), led by Mr Ayuba Wabba, had directed all workers in Oyo State to begin an indefinite strike on Tuesday.

Wabba, represented by National Vice President, NLC, Mr Adelegan Solomon, handed down this directive while addressing hundreds of workers, who had converged on Oyo Labour House, Agodi, Ibadan, on Monday.

The “sit-at-home” order of the NLC was premised on the non-payment of six months outstanding salaries of civil servants, as well as pension arrears, while also calling on the state government to immediately withdraw all trump-up charges levelled against the detained Labour leaders granted bail.

In addition, the NLC called on the state government to rescind its “de-

cision to sell-off public schools in the state,” while calling for adequate funding of the education sector of the state.

Speaking further, Adelegan nullified a purported letter written by leader of the state’s Joint Negotiating Council, dissociating the council from the demands of the Labour movement.

Meanwhile, the seven Labour leaders detained for disrupting last week’s stakeholders’ meeting over the controversial education policy were released from Agodi prison at about 12.30 p.m.

The Labour leaders, Mr Waheed Olojede, Sikiru Sodo, Oseni Aderemi, Oparinde Kehinde, Falade Akinyele, Ogundeji Kofoworola and Adegbogun Titi, were welcomed to Labour House with loud applaud from members.

NLC chairman, Oyo State chapter, Mr Waheed Olojede, in his address,

aligned with the decision and demands of the NLC national leadership, noting that the Labour movement would shutdown the state from Tuesday.

He appealed to workers to remain calm and be of peaceful conduct, while directing all workers to resume at LabourHouse on Tuesday for further directives.

In the light of this, the Oyo State government ordered the immediate closure of all primary and secondary schools in the state.

The government, however, urged workers to rethink their decision to go on strike, but should report at their duty posts.

Furthermore, the statement urged parents to caution their children and wards against “unlawful gathering” or protest, noting that law enforcement agents had been empowered to disperse unlawful assemblies.

In the statement, the state government chided the decision of the leadership of the NLC to declare total strike, as contravening Labour laws and conventions, noting that there was no existing Labour dispute or ultimatum given to the government.

The state government reiterated that that government had no intention to privatise, commercialise or cede any of its public or secondary schools to any individual or group, but rather partner willing stakeholders “in the participatory management of a negligible number of the public secondary schools, which may not be more than 10 per cent of the existing 631 schools in the end.

“Workers, who have been directed to embark on strike over a matter that is still in the conception stage, should have a rethink and report at their duty posts, while the government intensifies efforts to clear arrears of salary.”

The Oyo State chapter of the Accord Party has condemned the plan by the state government to privatise the management and ownership of public schools in the state in the name of a public-private partnership initiative.

The party, in a statement by its publicity secretary, Dr Nureni Adeniran, said the policy, which ran contrary to the free education campaign promise of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, would add to the miseries of the people of the state, who would be made to pay exorbitant fees to educate their wards.

But ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday, countered in a statement by its publicity secretary, Mr Olawale Sadare, that opposition to the policy, particularly from “a section of the labour movement,” was informed by the “erosion of democratic values and rule of law” in the country by long years of military rule.

APC condemned what it called the open confrontation approach adopted by the Labour leaders “against the administration of Governor Ajimobi in recent times,” said the opposition parties might have crept into the labour unions to destabilise the state.

Accord Party, which described the policy “as a disservice to the Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s legacy in education bequeathed to the states of the old Western Region,” chided APC for blaming its failure on the opposition, asking if it was the opposition that was also responsible for the technical university on which a lot of state funds had been expended, but which could not be seen anywhere in the state.

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Lagos

Edited by

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Controversy trails alleged disappearance of 17 UNILAG female students •We are probing it —Police Opeyemi Owoaseye

C

ONTROVERSY has continued to trail the alleged disappearance of 17 female students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) who were said to have been tricked into a fake party in Lekki.

Twenty girls reportedly left for the party at Lekki, with only three returning after they allegedly escaped from the clutches of ritualists.

The other 17 are allegedly being held by some ritualists who invited them to a fake party.

The girls allegedly found themselves in a white house in the middle of nowhere, instead of the party they were to attend.

Three girls who allegedly escaped were said to have returned distraught and crying about their missing friends.

Students who spoke with Lagos Metro claimed the incident truly happened.

The school authorities denied it, because no formal report had been made on it.

It was learnt that the ladies were picked up from the Kofoworola Hall late Thursday night.

A female student from the hall, who pleaded anonymity, said she saw some of the stu-

dents leave for the club.

According to her, “it’s a normal thing here. Every Thursday and Friday night, you will see girls with their boyfriends preparing to go to the club.

“Last Thursday, I saw some of the girls take a vehicle.

But they are not just from Kofoworola Hall. Some of them also came from Madam Tinubu Hall and New Hall. Female students from a neighbouring poly-

•We are not aware —School mgt

technic were also there.

“The following day, Friday, I saw a girl pointing at Kofoworola Hall and saying something bad happened to those ladies that went out and only three of them returned alive,” she said.

Another member of the hall explained that students started vacating the halls from last week Friday when examinations ended, adding that it would be difficult

to know those involved.

She said, “I heard about the incident from a roommate on Friday. But it will be difficult for anybody to know those involved, especially as many of us have left our hostels. People have returned home and maybe until parents start showing up or when we resume next session that we will know those involved.”

When the Lagos Metro ap-

proached a female security guard in charge of the hall, she denied that any such thing happened, adding that she had been overwhelmed with enquiries on the incident as well.

“If anything like that happened, it is not here. It might be other halls, but not Kofoworola Hall,” she said.

The Deputy Registrar and Head of Information Unit, UNILAG, Mr Toyin Ade-

Security officers watch helplessly as some hoodlums popularly known as ‘area boys’ fight for money given to them by a governor at Lagos Island.

PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

bule, said any student of the school that went out without permission did so at his or own risk.

“As of today, if any student is going out of the school with a group, he/she should get the approval and permission of the management.

“But that was not done in this case. The identities of the missing students are not known. No parent has come forward to say that they are looking for their children. No student of the school has also come to say anybody went missing. We believe this is the handiwork of mischief makers.

“That notwithstanding, the school is currently on vacation now. Anybody that goes out of the school with a group without the permission of the authorities is on his/her own,” he said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, said the command had started investigation into the matter, adding that it had yet to get any clue.

“The Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area has enquired and he has not got any clue that such a thing occurred. But we still have our searchlights on and we will get to the root of the case,” she said.

How my friend died during our fight — Murder suspect •Court remands him Opeyemi Owoaseye ADEMOLA Wasiu, a murder suspect, has explained how his friend he had a fight with died.

He denied stabbing Lekan Omotosho to death.

The 21-year-old bricklayer alleged that it was the victim, in the course of the fight at a site on Lagos Island, that picked a bottle to stab him, adding that during their scuffle, the deceased fell on the splinter and died from the injuries.

Wasiu, an indigene of Osun State, allegedly stabbed the

30-year-old mechanic apprentice to death.

He explained that he fought the deceased after he challenged him for stopping a man from going to sleep on a construction site.

“I am a bricklayer and I am a professional at my job. I may be an orphan, but God is my defender. I don’t know anything about the death, I am just being framed up.

“Usually, we all sleep on a construction site and the owner of the building said we should stop sleeping there. I had stopped going there af-

ter I got another construction work. But once in a while, I buy noodles and eat there.

“On that night, a man attempted to sleep on the site and I stopped him from going there. But Omotosho, who saw me, challenged me for stopping the man. He asked why I did not mind my business.

“I slapped him in anger for talking to me anyhow but did not stab him to death and he went to grab a bottle which he smashed on the floor. He fell inside the gutter while we wrestled and

got stabbed in the armpit in the process.

“I took him to the first hospital where he was rejected before he was taken to the general hospital where he died. I did my best to save his life. I didn’t kill him and people are free to say whatever they want. I know that God will vindicate me,” he said.

A police source, however, said the suspect was tutored by some cell inmates.

The source said the suspect’s claim was contrary to the confessional statement

he made to the police at the Lion Building Division and detectives at the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.

The suspect was, however, arraigned before an Ebute Metta magistrate’s court on one count of murder on Monday.

The charge read: “That you, Ademola Wasiu, on May 26, 2016 at about 10.30 p.m., at Ajele Street, Lagos Island, Lagos, in the Lagos magisterial district, did kill one Olamilekan, aged 30 years, by stabbing him with

a broken bottle on his right armpit and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

The defendant’s plea was not taken.

The police prosecutor, G. Agoi, applied for his remand in prison custody pending the release of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

The magistrate, A.O. Ajibade, ruled that he should be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice.

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

metro Post-graduate students drown during beach birthday party Olalekan Olabulo It was a tragic birthday celebration at the Elegushi beach at the weekend as two Masters students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) were drowned at the beach.

The deceased ladies, simply identified as Funmi and Shola, had reportedly gone to attend a birthday party of one of their friends when the accident happened.

The National Emergency Management

Agency (NEMA) confirmed the death of the two young ladies to Lagos Metro.

The deceased, Shola and Funmi, were said to have been washed away by a heavy tide and their bodies were yet to be recovered as of Monday evening.

They both graduated from Covenant University in Sango Ota area of Ogun State and both enrolled for

their masters programme Shola and Funmi were, until their death, said to be masters students in International Law and Diplomacy and were said to be close to completing their programme when the incident occurred.

Some of their friends blamed the death on lack of emergency and medical staff at the beach and called on the govern-

ment to do something in that direction and save people’s lives.

Ibrahim Farinloye, South-West spokesperson of NEMA, while confirming the deaths to Lagos Metro, urged fun seekers to be careful at the beach.

He also added that efforts were on to recover the bodies of the drowned students.

Nigerian Tribune

Why Nigerians shun public hospitals —Minister MINISTER of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Monday, said poor environment and lack of modern equipment scare people away from the nation’s public health institutions.

Ehanire said this in Lagos at the inauguration of three projects at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the projects are Administrative Block, Amenity (Executive) Clinic and NHIS Clinic.

He said with good environment and modern facilities, people would be willing to seek medical intervention in the country instead of travelling abroad.

“In Nigeria, we have welltrained medical personnel.

“If we have modern equipment in place and good service delivery, we will not need to go abroad for medical treatment,’’ the minister said.

Ehanire also said that strike was not the best option for medical workers to resolve their grievances.

“One of the major challenges is unrest in the health sector, where the health personnel always go on strike to press for their demands.

“When medical workers go on strike, people will lose their lives and it will damage the reputation of this country.

“If there is any issue to be thrashed out, let us dialogue. The solution may not be immediate, but we will definitely find solution to it,” he said.

China national docked for unlawful wood trade Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin THE Nigerian Customs Service Board has arrested and charged to court, a Chinese national, Zhu Jinxin, for unlawful exportation.

The board accused Zhu Jinxin, who lives at Akura Estate, off Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja, of trying to export several logs of wood in a container with number MOAU 0066913/9 for the purpose of exportation to China, contrary to Export Prohibition Act. The NCS board further accused him of committing the offence contrary to Section 64(1)(b) of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap C45 of Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section of the Act. He was consequently arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for the alleged crime.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the crime.

The Judge, Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari, consequently granted bail to the accused person in the sum of N10 million with two sureties, who must be civil servants.

The court then fixed October 4 for trial.

Dirty, bushy Ikeja Police college dormitories.

Housemaid gets N.5m bail for stealing employer’s money Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin A 28-year-old housemaid, Anna Payaro, who allegedly stole cash sum and other items worth N3,142,500, from her employer, has been arrested and charged to court.

According to the police, Payaro and others who are still at large conspired to commit the alleged offences on May 27, 2016, at about 3.00 p.m., at Goshen Estate, Lekki.

Payaro is facing a threecount charge bordering on conspiracy, burglary and stealing preferred against her before the Igbosere magistrates’ court.

According to the police, Payaro broke into the house of one Olatunde Adepoju and stole $1,000, £500 and N300,000 cash.

Payaro’s offences was punishable under sections 409, 305(a) (b) and 285(10) of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Ni-

geria 2011.

Earlier when the charge was read to the defendant, she pleaded not guilt.

The presiding magistrate, A. T. Omoyele, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, adding that that sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of tax payment.

The magistrate adjourned the case till July 4 for mention.

Olalekan Olaiya, alleged land grabber kingpin at Makoko and its environs, on his arraignment in court, on Monday.

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news

Friday, 3 June, 2016 Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

2019: Senate moves to amend Electoral Act

Early primaries will enhance system—Ekweremadu We will complete all outstanding elections—INEC Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja he Senate, on Monday, commenced the process of amending the 2010 Electoral Act to pave way for early primaries and strengthen electoral process.

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who declared open a Summit on Electoral Reform, said Nigerians should soon expect an amended 2010 Electoral

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Act. The Senate President, who declared open the summit, organised by the Senate Committee on INEC in collaboration with Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), assured all Nigerians of the commitment of the Senate and, indeed, the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act in line with people’s expectations and with a view to strengthening the electoral process.

He said: “We must con-

clude the amendment by the end of the year. My view is that politics now start early, let us amend the areas we all agreed on because we may not agree on all the issues.

“For so long, our citizens in the diaspora have demanded inclusion in the democratic process; a right afforded in many other countries to citizens irrespective of location; and this current government agrees with them.”

Also speaking at the

event, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, urged his colleagues in the National Assembly to amend the electoral act to pave way for direct and early primaries.

He said such an amendment would ensure citizen mobilisation and better participation.

Also speaking, chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, assured that the commission would soon complete all outstanding elections.

NNPC’ll reduce impact of oil exploration, exploitation on environment —Minister Ademola Adegbite - Abuja MINISTER of State for Petroleum Resources and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Ibe Kachikwu, on Monday, said the NNPC would reduce the impact of its oil exploration and exploitation on the environment as a means of preserving and conserving wildlife resources to demonstrate its support for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on best environmental management practices.

Dr Kachikwu’s message was delivered by the Chief

Operating Officer, Corporate Services of the corporation, Mr Isa Inuwa, during the 2016 World Environment Day (WED), with the theme: “Illegal trade in wildlife” and NNPC adopted the slogan “Let’s go wild for life” held at the NNPC Towers, Abuja.

He explained that the Federal Government recognised the importance of wildlife resources and demonstrated its commitment to its preservation by establishing National Parks and Game Reserves for the protection and preservation of wildlife and their natural habitats.

In a statement by the Group Public Affairs Division, Mal-

lam Garba Deen Muhammad, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, in Abuja, the minister said the corporation’s determination to conserve wildlife made it to set up the Lekki Conservation Centre with the support of Chevron Nigeria Limited and Finima Nature Park in Bonny, with the support of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).

According to him, stopping illegal trade in wildlife would ensure the preservation and maintenance of population of useful species, conservation of wildlife for education and research, protection of

Youths avert bombing of flow stations in Delta

As OIC Sec-Gen condemns attack on Military base in Niger Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri Frantic effort by members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to blow up Otunana and Jones Creeks flow stations in Delta State was, at the wee hours of Monday, averted.

This was because youths from Kokodiagbene community and environs in Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area were said to have frustrated the effort.

Acting on a tip-off, the youth, said to be fed up with military invasion of the area in search of the miscreants, were said to have alerted the soldiers attached to the area.

The soldiers, assisted by some other groups, were said to have quickly cordoned-off all access routes to the flow stations.

Nigerian Tribune gathered from a source that the targeted oil facilities belonged to Chevron Nigeria Limited and Shell Petroleum Development

Company (SPDC).

The source said “you see that there was no bombing in Gbaramatu Kingdom axis in the past 24 hours, this is largely because we heard of the plans by the militants to bomb Otunana and Jones Creeks flowstation.

“So, our youths alerted the military and in turn mobilised to secure the facilities,” he said.

The development was confirmed by a security official, who added that the militants had shifted their attention to blowing up flow stations.

Meanwhile, ahead the planned launching of six missiles by Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), today, Nigerian Tribune gathered that more troops and military hardwares had been deployed to the creeks on red alert.

It was gathered that helicopter, gunships and fighter jets had been deployed to strategic locations in the creeks and upland to checkmate the threats.

In a related development, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the attack by the terrorist group Boko Haram, on 3 June, on a military base in Bosso, in South-Eastern Niger, which claimed the lives of 30 soldiers from Niger Republic and two from Nigeria. Sixty-seven other soldiers were also reported wounded during the audacious assault.

Secretary-General, Mr Iyad Ameen Madani, while expressing dismay at the continuing senseless violence by the insurgent group in the Lake Chad Basin, conveyed his deep sympathy and condolence to the authorities of the two countries, as well as to the families of the victims.

He reaffirmed the principled position of the OIC against terrorism as an enemy of humanity and assured countries in the region of the determination of the OIC to continue to support their counter-terrorism efforts.

the fauna and flora resources from over-exploitation for medicine, other economic products, expansion of the sphere for tourism and national development towards job creation through documentary research and supply of cellulose.

“The population of Nigeria wildlife is still evolving and growing and hopefully will be adequately managed to provide same benefit like those of other nations of Africa. The diversity of Nigeria wildlife has been ranked eleventh in Africa by Nigerian Environmental Action Study Team (NEST) with South and East African countries leading the pack in the African continent,” he said.

Also speaking, the COO CS of the NNPC, Mr Inuwa said although the practice of illegal wildlife trade was not common in Nigeria, the business of oil exploration and exploitation affected the environment where such creatures occupied, pointing out that there was the need for concerted efforts to safeguard the environment and wildlife from devastation.

In his goodwill message, the General Manager, Group Health, Safety and Environment Department, Mr Maduebo Mbakwe, said the significance of WED was to galvanise individual and collective power for positive impact on the planet and called for sustainable measures to ensure that the NNPC business activities did not impact negatively on the environment and wildlife.

Presenting a technical paper on the impact of oil and gas activities on conservation of wildlife in Nigeria, guest speaker, Millicent Ele said the activities of the industry impact negatively on wildlife and called on operators to adopt best practices with a view to preserving the fauna and flora for wildlife habitat.

disclosed that all pending rerun elections would have been concluded by July 31.

He said since the conclusion of the 2015 general election, INEC had conducted a total number of 129 elections which he listed to include: 49 rerun elections out of the 80 nullified polls by elections petitions tribunals; 10 bye-elections in various constituencies resulting from the death of members of state and national assemblies; 68 elections in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and two end of tenure elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States, among others.

He also said 23 election certificates were withdrawn in accordance with court rulings and such certificates re-presented to rightful winners of elections in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The INEC boss advocated the need for an amendment to the 2010 Electoral Act, with a view to ensuring that candidates whose elections are nullified as a result of improper nominations by their candidates should have their certificates re-issued to the runners-up adding that in doing so would save the nation the huge cost of

conducting fresh elections in such circumstances.

Saraki also stated that another germane issue was the question of voting opportunity for IDPs and people living in severely challenged areas, either due to security or other unforeseen challenges.

Ekweremadu called for early and direct primaries by political parties to make the nation’s electoral process more credible.

Ekweremadu stated that late conduct of primaries by political parties, owing mainly to constitutional restrictions, posed serious challenges to the electoral system, adding that political parties’ penchant for indirect primaries had also undermined internal democracy in the political parties.

He stated that early primaries would allow the winning candidates to raise sufficient campaign funds for the larger contests adding: “Early primaries afford parties and candidates the time to visit every part of the country/ constituency.

“It also allows them to initiate and shape the national conversation about their identity and future direction, defining ideologies and manifesto.”

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME AND CONFIRMATION OF DATE OF BIRTH

I, formerly Akinrujomu Mary A. now AKINRUJOMU MARY ADEMOLA. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Abolade Monsuru Adekunle am the same person as Abolade Monsuru Tunde. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as ABOLADE MONSURU ADEKUNLE. My date of birth is 8th January, 1991 and not 8th January, 1990. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Usman Abudul Hadibni now ABDUL-HADI USMAN. My correct date of birth is 15th day of May, 1978. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc and general public take note.

news ILO calls for preservation of environment to boost development, provide jobs

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Soji-Eze Fagbemi-Abuja

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he International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called on world leaders, especially the governments of its member states, to preserve the environment to boost development and provide jobs for the billions of unemployed persons around the world.

The Director-General of ILO, Guy Rider, who was speaking at the 105th International Labour Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, warned that illegal wildlife trade harmed the environment and risked jobs, development and livelihoods.

Ryder, who was speaking on World Environment Day, said this year’s World Environment Day 2016 came at a significant moment, as it was the first to follow the historic adoption of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

According to the ILO Director- General, both landmark agreements had propelled sustainable development to the centre of the global agenda.

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

He said: “The theme of this year’s observance, “Illegal trade in wildlife,” is important to the world of work in a number of ways.

“Wildlife, through a range of productive activities and industries dependent on it, such as nature-based tourism, supports numerous jobs. Also, workers such as park rangers and forest managers are vital to the protection and conservation of the world’s biodiversity.

“Many countries facing illegal poaching and trade in wildlife rely, to a significant extent, on industries and jobs based on biodiversity.

“Nature-based tourism is a fast growing segment of the global tourism industry.

It generates millions of jobs around the world and provides a huge potential for economic growth and poverty reduction. It is essential, therefore, that the important social and economic contributions of wildlife to jobs and livelihoods be preserved and protected. Furthermore, many of the world’s poor depend on natural resources as their principal means of making a living.

“Sustainable development also implies designing strat-

egies that create alternative employment opportunities for those trapped in exploit-

ative practices in forests, mines and wildlife hunting.

“On the occasion of World

Environment Day, we are reminded of our individual and collective responsibility

to protect our environment and to enhance environmental sustainability.”

Edo 2016: APC candidate already predetermined —Obaseki Banji Aluko-Benin City

AN All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Edo State, Don Pedro Obaseki, has announced his withdrawal from the party’s primary election slated for June 18, 2016, saying the outcome of the exercise is already predetermined to favour a particular aspirant.

He said he, stumbled on a document, on Thursday, that showed that apart from the favoured aspirants, other aspirants in the race were only wasting their time and resources, adding that he had lost faith in the primary process.

Obaseki, who spoke at a media briefing in Benin, the state capital, on Monday, however, said he hoped to contest the governorship election under an undisclosed new platform and that he would make known his next po-

litical destination in the days to come.

Obaseki, who is a relative of another aspirant, Godwin Obaseki, said the coming primaries of the APC would be the most expensive in the history of the state, as he alleged that the about 3,000 APC delegates would be bribed with N200,000 each.

He said: “As an academic and someone who is guided by thesis, an-

tithesis and syntheses, I withdraw my intention to contest the primaries of the APC. I will not tell you that I am no longer a member of the APC, but I am more interested in being an EDO (Empower, Develop and Opportunities) man than an APC man.

“I will rather be an EDO man than being a PDP. I am not running for the election as an APC candi-

date anymore; I am running for the election as EDO candidate on September 10.

“I have, therefore, elected upon wide consultations with my immediate and extended family, supporters, friends and well wishers, not to pay the unwholesome amount of N5,500,000 for the expression of interest and nomination forms of the APC.”

Nollywood loses actress, Henrietta Kosoko

By Rotimi Ige

The Nigerian film industry has been thrown into mourning after the news of the death of celebrated actress, Henrietta Kosoko, wife of veteran actor and former president of the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP), Jide Kosoko, filtered in on Monday.

The actress reportedly

slumped in her home before being rushed to the hospital, where efforts to revive her failed.

The actress, who was said to be diabetic, had survived a ghastly motor accident earlier in the year. She celebrated her 53rd birthday last week.

Meanwhile, her colleagues have begun to pay their respects to a woman that many described as a

heroine, who was a role model to many.

Jide Adegbite, an actor said: “She was one of my favourite actresses, she could translate any role perfectly. This is shocking.

May God grant her eternal rest and grant the Kosoko family the fortitude to bear the loss.”

Efforts to reach Jide Kosoko proved abortive at of press time.

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Photonews

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

2016 Children’s Day Celebration in Oyo State on Sunday

Chief (Mrs) Florence Ajimobi showing love to a girl at the event.

Cross section of dignitaries at the event.

Cross section of the children at the event

Cross section of the children at the event.

Her Excellency Chief (Mrs) Ajimobi and the children at the event with their gifts.

Chief (Mrs) Ajimobi cutting the cake with the children at the event.

Chief (Mrs) Ajimobi in a warm embrace with disabled children at the event.

Chief (Mrs) Ajimobi dancing with the children at the event.

Her Excellency Chief Mrs Florence Ajimobi in a warm embrace with disabled children at the event.

Chief (Mrs) Ajimobi saying ‘‘hello’’ to the children at the event.

Her Excellency dancing with a girl at the event.

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016 11 businessnews Osinbajo calls for deeping of capital market

Nigerian Tribune

•Says Nigeria needs market to mobilise finance •As Saraki urges relevant stakeholders to revive the market •Dogara assures new legislation will punish fraudsters Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawoel Daniel-Abuja with agency report

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ICE President Yemi Osinbajo says the capital market is needed for the mobilisation of finance to help grow the nation’s economy.

He said this on Monday in Abuja, while delivering a keynote address at a two day stakeholders’ forum on “Realising the Full Potential of the Nigerian Economy Through Proactive Capital Market Legislation.”

He was represented by Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters.

He said that for effective mobilisation of finances, there was need for enforcement of rules and regulations which were the bedrock of capital investment.

Capital will only flow to where the rules are clear.

It is also essential in the process of deepening the Nigerian capital market to review existing legislation, especially in the Investment and Securities Act of 1999. This is in order to give full impetus to the potential of the capital market,” he said.

Osinbajo said the capital market played a very important role in economic development, particularly capital allocation and effective management of risk.

He said this was because it also helped in meeting the physical needs of government and it was an arena through which monetary policy could be made effective.

“Also required are strong legal and regulatory frameworks to protect property rights and enforce contracts, good corporate governance and strong financial infrastructure. All of these are necessary for market depth and liquidity. At the same time the capital market requires strong fiscal and monetary policies to be aligned if they are going to generate growth and development,” he added.

The vice-president also said the capital market had a key role to play in helping to finance domestic borrowing plans.

In his remarks, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imuokhuede, President, National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) said 41 million Nigerians saved

From left: President, National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; Senate President Bukola Saraki and Seaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, at a stakeholders forum by the Senate and House of Representatives’ Joint Committee on Capital Market and Institutions in Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: NAN Saraki made the call at something fast to reverse money at home to the tune ate enabling environment of half a trillion naira. for the growth of the stock the opening of a two-day the trend, saying that it Stakeholders’ Forum on had lingered for too long.

He said the amount could exchange market.

According to Saraki, it is be mobilised and invested The objective of the work- Capital Market on Monday time for the capital market in the stock market for the shop was to provide a plat- in Abuja. form for key stakeholders The forum, organised to be strengthened to adgrowth of the market.

Aig-Imuokhuede said to examine and identify by the National Assembly dress the issue of economic youth population of the areas requiring debate and Joint Committee on Capi- growth, infrastructure deftal Market and its Institu- icit, job creation and conficountry was growing by legislative work.

This is to enhance early tions, is intended to evolve dence in the market. the day and there was need “To me, it is not time for to find ways of engaging achievement of the rec- ways to realise potential ommendations of the of the Nigerian economy talk. We have been talking them positively.

He said that the NSE Nigerian Capital Market through proactive capital for decades; the exclusive power lies in the National would continue to play Master Plan (NCMMP market legislation.

He said that trading activ- Assembly and the work lies its role in facilitating in- 2015-2025).

The Senate President, Dr ities at the capital market with you, the stakeholders. clusive economic growth by empowering Nigerians Bukola Saraki, also called had been on the decline, So, let us get down to work through financial literacy for strengthening of the adding that the develop- and let us get this done,’’ ment had adversely af- he said. for growth through corpo- capital market.

While calling on relevant fected economic growth in Menwhile, Speaker of the rate social responsibility.

The president said a sup- stakeholders to come up view of the role the market House of Representatives portive legislative frame- with ways to revive the played in the country’s de- Yakubu Dogara, on Monday said that the House is work for enhancing the capital market in the coun- velopment.

He urged experts to do in the process of tightencapital market would cre- try.

11 banks raise N94.90bn 5-year medium term facility for Oando A consortium of 11 banks has agreed to jointly provide N94.90bn 5-year Medium Term Loan (MTL) facility in favour of Oando Plc. The banks are Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, First City Monument Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, Keystone Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. Zenith Bank Plc, FBN and United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc may eventually join through an accordion.

This facility is coming on the heels of the investment of the Helios/Vitol Group (HVI) into the downstream

operations of Oando.

Oando Plc is an integrated oil and gas company headquartered in Nigeria and the largest integrated energy solutions provider in sub-Saharan Africa with primary and secondary listings on the Nigerian stock Exchange (NSE) and the Johannesburg Stock exchange (JSE) respectively.

At a signing ceremony which held in Lagos, on Monday, the banks confirmed that the MTL would bring an immediate cash flow injection of $195million and further repayment is expected to happen within 90 days from the proceeds of $130million

from the sale of Oando Gas & Power. This sale is to allow Oando strictly focus on its downstream activities in light of the recent deregulation. The company also expects to raise an additional $800million to N1billion within the next 18 to 24 months as it deleverages on its Oando Energy Resources (OER).

Speaking on behalf of the participating banks, the GMD/CEO of Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe, said MTL facility would allow Oando to optimize its balance sheet towards greater efficiency.

“As we all know, Oando is the largest indigenous oil

and gas player in the Sub Saharan Africa and this MTL facility would allow it to optimize its balance sheet towards greater efficiency and improve its working capital. This combined with the synergy of Investment by HVI into its downstream operations, will see Oando’s growth and development really take off,” Wigwe said.

The Group Chief Executive of Oando, Adewale Tinubu, commended the banks for providing the facility to the company noting that it would have significant development impact on Oando’s group operations.

ing regulations in the stock market to ensure that the investment of Nigerians and other players are protected from fraudulent operators.

Dogara said this while delivering an address at the Stakeholders Forum on the Capital Market and Nigeria’s economy at NAF Conference Centre, Abuja.

The Speaker added that this had become imperative in view of the fact that the nation’s in dire need for investors to bring in their resources to diversity its sources of income.

“We strongly believe that the Capital Market is a major tool for wealth creation and mobilisation of funds to grow and diversify the Nigerian economy. We want to emphasise that any proposed legislation must find a way to protect ordinary Nigerians, some of whom have invested their life savings in the market, from fraudulent market players.

“Many Nigerian’s have tales of woes from the irresponsible activities of these unscrupulous stakeholders in the market. The recent regulatory sanctions to some stock brokers and market players is, therefore, a step in the right direction,” he said.

Naira weakens further against dollar THE Naira on Monday weakened further against the dollar at the parallel market, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The currency exchanged at N357 for a dollar as against N350 it traded on Friday.

However, the naira maintained stability with the Pounds Sterling and Euro, trading at N505 and N397 to each of them, respectively.

Meanwhile, pending the release of modalities for the operation of the proposed flexible exchange rate, the official rate remained at N197 to a dollar.

Traders at the market decried the delay in the release of modalities as proposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

They expressed optimism that a flexible exchange rate would rejuvenate the market.

Nigerian Tribune Tuesday, 7 June, 2016 12 businessnews polo: FG, airline operators meet over forex restriction, Shield Access Bank donates N10m import waivers Clement Idoko-Abuja

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HE Federal Government on Monday met with both domestic and foreign airline operators on how to resolve the issue of foreign exchange restriction hampering effective operation of the airlines.

Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has accordingly constituted two separate teams including himself, ministry officials and members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), to dialogue with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emiefele and the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali, over restrictive foreign exchange and waivers on imported spare parts for domestic airline operators.

Sirika made the disclosure when the Chairman of AON, Noggie Meggison led the members on a courtesy visit to him in Abuja to complain that the lack of access to foreign exchange, high duty on spares and imposition of VAT were killing the sector.

The minister admitted that he had placed a call to Emefiele, over-restriction of foreign exchange, however adding that with a conducive environment, the aviation sector was capable of contributing 14 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), instead of its present dismal 0.4 per cent.

Sirika said government would play the role of creating a level playing field for both domestic carrier and their foreign counterparts the industry in tandem with global best practice.

The minister was however optimistic that following his meeting with the Minister of Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, the Jet A1, which operators badly need would be made available before the end of the year as soon as the Port Harcourt refinery begins to refine Jet A1.

On high import duty, he said: “The ministries of finance and budget have it as policy that airline operators should not pay duty on imported spare parts, but the customs misunderstood this for aircraft only.” He added that the planned visit to the CG would resolve the crisis.

The minister explained that government was reviewing most of the Bilateral Air Service Agreements, stressing, that government had signed that of Qatar, while request had been received for seven countries.

On high level of indebtedness by domestic airline operators, Sirika said government would raise a team made up of both operators and the agencies to look critically look at the books on the way forward.

In a remark, Meggison said the lack of foreign exchange allocation in

the industry is seriously impacting on local operators, adding that the entire industry might collapse within the next five years if the issue was not addressed.

While also lamenting the poor state of airports’ runway, lack of navigational equipment and other in-

frastructure, he said subjecting local players to pay VAT of 5 percent is killing the industry as the profit margin of the industry is small.

In another development, the Area Manager, IATA South West, Samson Fatokun, who also led members of foreign airline

operators to the minister said the non-repatriation of over $591 million home may force some of them to stop operating in the country.

Responding, the minister stressed that the issue was already with presidency and would be looked into with dispatch.

Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman flanked (fourth Left,) Group Head, Infrastructure Banking, Ehianeta Ebhohimen (right) and other staff of the bank, presenting cleaning items to the executives of the Ikoyi/Obalende LCDA in Lagos, after the nationwide Sterling Environmental Makeover (STEM) cleaning exercise organised last Saturday, to mark the World Environment Day.

Skye Bank sacks 175

By Sulaimon Olanrewaju and Sanya Adejokun-Abuja

SKYE Bank Plc has laid off 175 of its staff in spite of the directive issued by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, last Friday that banks should put on hold the current gale of retrenchment sweeping through the banking industry.

In a statement issued on Monday, the bank attributed the retrenchment of the affected staff members to their failing the bank’s appraisal exercise held in 2015.

According to the statement a combination of factors was taken into

consideration in the annual exercise which ranged from low productivity to disciplinary issues.

The bank also explained that the affected staff were duly exited in line with the bank’s staff exit policy.

The staff disengagement exercise is coming 18 months after the bank’s integration with erstwhile Mainstreet Bank, which it acquired in October 2014.

The bank said it extended its appreciation to the affected staff for serving the bank, describing them as “members of the family” who would always be accorded deserving respect in their future dealings

with the bank.

However, when Nigerian Tribune got to the branch opposite the PDP National Headquarters in Wuse Zone 5 where seven of the staff were affected by the retrenchment exercise, around midday, on Monday, some of the staff were seen talking in hushed tones while the cashiers attending to customers struggled to put up perfunctory smiles.

A staff, who spoke with our correspondent, lamented that those disengaged were paid only three months’ salary as parting benefits.

It was gathered also that another sack list would soon be released based on

GSK assures shareholders of sustained benefits, divest drinks Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

GLAXOSMITHKLINE Consumer Plc (GSK Nigeria) has assured it’s shareholders of continued profit just as it announced the acceptance to divest from its drinks’ bottling and distribution business, in a statutory filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

This is subsequent to a non-binding offer made in January 25, 2016, by Suntory Beverage and Food Limited (SBF), the global owners of

Oasis, Iced tea as well as the locally produced Lucozade and Ribena drinks.

Thus, the company assured it’s shareholders of sustenance of profit from its core business pharmaceutical consumable products.

GSK Consumer Nigeria’s Company Secretary and Legal Director, Uchenna Uwechia, in a chat with the Nigerian Tribune, disclosed that the release of assets to SBF, will enable the Pharmaceutical and Consumer Healthcare company to focus solely on its core areas which is the Manu-

facturing, marketing and production and distribution of pharmaceutical, oral care and nutritional products.

“In reality, we need to maximise our potentials, we are a Pharmaceuticals company and we believe we have potentials in our retained business. If you recall, last year our parent company entered into a joint venture with Novartis, another major global health care company, this has made available to us products like Calcium 101 which has beefed up our portfolio.” he said.

“age versus level”.

The source explained that “age versus” level means that the bank’s authority was presently matching the age of each staff with the grade level that the staff has attained to determine who would remain and who else to go.

Last week, the management of Eco Bank sacked over 1000 of its staff.

Ngige, in his reaction to the wave of sack in the industry had said in a statement that “Following spate of petitions and complaints from stakeholders in the banking, insurance and financial institutions, I hereby direct the suspension of the on-going retrenchment pending the outcome of the conciliatory meetings in the industry.

“This is as a result of the apprehension by my office of the various disputes in the sector in accordance and in compliance with the provisions of the labour laws of Nigeria,” it said.

“In this wise, all the retrenchments and redundancies done in the last four months and all proposed ones should be put on hold pending the outcome of the proposed stakeholders’ summit for the banking, insurance and financial institutions’ employers and employees, slated for the first week of July 2,’’ the statement read in part.

to UNICEF

Chima Nwokoji-Lagos THE prestigious Access Bank-United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Charity Shield international polo tournament came to a flourishing climax Sunday with the presentation of N10 million donation by the sole sponsor, Access Bank Plc to UNICEF. The donation was presented at the Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club in Kaduna by the Head Corporate Communication, Access Bank, Olubusola Osilaja to support UNICEF’s campaign against HIV/AIDS pandemic among Nigerian children.

Osilaja who led other top officials of Access Bank to the grand finale, expressed delight that the Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield is achieving its main objective of reaching out to the less privileged children in the society.

Executive Director, Personal Banking, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu had disclosed that the bank maintained its yearly donation of N10m in supporting UNICEF towards its projects for orphans and vulnerable children. In addition to that, the Bank is continually seeking avenues through which more resources can be pooled towards supporting the children.

‘Bank customers’ instant transfers hit N10trn in 4yrs’ Chima Nwokoji-Lagos FROM N307 million in the first quarter of 2012, instant money transfers through Deposit Money Banks has grown to N10 trillion as at February, 2016.

At a one-day interactive enlightenment session with stakeholders held in Lagos on Saturday, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said through the cashless policy,it has sought to transform both commercial and retail payments to increase the use of electronic (alternative to cash) channels.

NIP is the first and only point to point funds transfer service that guarantees instant value to the beneficiary.

Powered by the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), the Instant Transfer is a service majorly offered through bank’s internet banking, mobile and bank branch platforms for corporates and individuals as well as through the banks’ branch network.

13

editorial

F

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

The government/Labour face-off over schools in Oyo

OR the past one week, the relative peace previously enjoyed by all and sundry in Oyo State has been arrested by the confrontation between the organised labour and the state government following the latter’s new policy on public secondary schools. Citing what it called the “deteriorated state of our education,” the state government had unfolded an initiative which it said aimed at participatory management of public secondary schools, some of which had been taken over by the government from their original owners, including religious missions and private individuals, during military rule. The decision, coming on the heels of a fast approaching recession in the economy, general hike in the price of goods and services and festering unemployment, naturally aggravated the rank and file of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which mounted protests calling on the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration to reverse its decision.

Ironically, a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the government to iron out issues on Wednesday, June 1, was aborted by members of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the main umbrella body of teachers in secondary schools and an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Miffed by the action of the labour leaders, the state police command promptly charged them with unlawful assembly and assault on the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), following which they were remanded in Agodi Prisons, pending the application for bail. Those incarcerated are the state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Waheed Olojede; the NLC deputy chairman, Comrade Sodo; the NLC state secretary, Comrade C.K Ogundeji; the state chairman of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) Comrade Kehinde, and three others.

A medley of human rights groups and public commentators have since condemned the ordeal of the labour leaders. For instance, in a statement issued by Publicity Secretary of CDWR, Chinedu Bosah, the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), alleged that the detention of the labour leaders was a reminder of the dark period of the military dictatorship.

In a similar vein, renowned legal practitioners and activists

including Mr Femi Falana (SAN) and Mr Femi Aborisade, among others, called for the immediate release of the labour leaders.

On its part, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights said the protest embarked upon by the labour leaders was peaceful, and in pursuit of the public interest and the good of the generality of the people, while the National president of the NUT, Mr Micheal Olukoya and the national leadership of the NLC stormed the state to examine the ongoing impasse and dialogue with Governor Ajimobi on the crisis.

To be sure, education is a critical issue, particularly in the South-West geopolitical zone where the policy of free education initiated in the First Republic by the legendary Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his Action Group remains the standard political and ideological gospel. It is in this connection that issues relating to it demand greater delicacy, particularly in the context of the prevailing anomie in the polity, than has been demonstrated in the present case. We are indeed saddened by the rather physical approach deployed by Labour in pursuing its case. How does the assault on the Secretary to the Oyo State government and the abortion of a meeting called to iron out the festering issues advance the rightness of Labour’s cause?

Still, for a government widely acknowledged as fostering a climate of peace and virtually abolishing the violence and brigandage previously fuelled by members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Ajimobiled administration ought to have consulted more adequately with all the relevant stakeholders before announcing the new policy. We also condemn the orgy of violent disturbances unleashed on the state by students who were supposedly acting in solidarity with their teachers. They must be told in clear terms that mindless violence is not the democratic method of resolving conflicts.

Given the foregoing, therefore, we urge the state government and the labour unions to embrace dialogue and interface more productively on the issue. Needless to say, nothing can demonstrate government’s readiness for dialogue better than the immediate cessation of the ongoing litigation.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@tribune.com.ng or by sms to 08053412982.

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

Unemployment: Letter to Mr President

D

URING the presidential campaigns, one of the promises of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was to provide about three million jobs annually. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari is now a year in power, and I am yet to see any opportunity for employment, not to talk of securing any job offer.

I want to commend President Buhari for the manner in which he has

been tackling the issue of corruption in the country, therefore restoring the integrity of our country on the world map. Also, the president has handled the issue of security, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency, excellently, but more still needs to be done in other areas of the economy.

President Buhari needs to focus on the issue of unemployment. It is not a thing of joy for parents to fund a child’s education, only for the child to sit at

home doing nothing after graduating from the university.

I know there are many graduates today who still ask their parents for money to buy recharge cards; this is so painful. I know the government can not provide all the jobs to make unemployed graduates gainfully employed, and it is unfortunate that just a handful of private organisations are employing, and most of them are taking advantage of the high rate of unemploy-

FG, appoint minister from Kogi SINCE the late Minister of State for Labour, Mr James Ocholi, died in a road accident, the Federal Government is yet to appoint another minister to represent Kogi State.

I believe President Muhammadu Buhari is a man who is known for justice and equity, and he would not allow Kogi State to continue without having

Avengers: FG, seek foreign help THE threat by the Niger Delta Avengers to start using missiles to blow Nigerian military helicopters and jets should be taken seriously by the Nigerian government.

The militants are drawing Nigeria closer to a full-scale war, and it is high time the Federal Government approached the United States, United Kingdom and other friendly nations for help if we want to curb the activities of these militants.

Many people are of the opinion that the Federal Government should dialogue with the militants, but I wouldn’t agree with this; the Federal Government should use its military might to solve the problem of insurgency once and for all.

I think before it is too late, Niger Delta leaders should speak to their youths.

•Najim Kassim, balkazzy@gmail.com

a minister, who will also contribute to the development of the country.

The present Federal composition without anybody representing Kogi is not fair enough.

The state is blessed with men and women of integrity, and the president will not go far before discovering someone who he can

appoint from the state.

I am, therefore, calling on President Buhari to quickly appoint someone from Kogi to replace the late Barrister Ocholi, so that the people of the state can feel a sense of belonging in this current dispensation.

•Bala Nayashi, Lokoja, Kogi State.

ment in the country to give terrible employment conditions to unemployed graduates.

Personally, after my graduation and youth service, I made several attempts to get employed, and several times, I fell victim of fraudsters who asked for money for training before employment.

After finding it difficult to secure employment, I am thinking along selfemployment, but how do I raise the funds to start the interior decorations business I learnt while I was in the university?

It is as a result of this that I want to urge President Buhari to fulfill his promise of providing job opportunities for unemployed people.

The president can start by recruiting into all the ministries and parastatals in the country; at least this will take some people off the streets.

There is also the need for the government to ensure

that those in charge of the recruitment process don’t take undue advantage of the exercise by trading the slots, or even only employing their kinsmen.

To be unemployed in Nigeria is just so terrible, as one will not even know the next step in one’s developmental process. Those who have well-to-do parents simply proceed for their

second degrees, or even travel out of the country entirely, but those whose parents are not so financiallybuoyant suffer lots of untold hardship.

I hope this government will make a lot of impact in the lives of unemployed graduates by providing jobs for them.

•Babalola Abodunrin, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Joining hands with Buhari in tackling corruption I want to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for the country’s ongoing anti-corruption war. It is so shocking the manner in which monies which we could have used for legitimate national development were diverted into personal uses.

What the anti-corruption agencies should do now is to ensure that all those standing trial for stealing our commonwealth are convicted. If we

don’t get convictions, then we are only wasting our time.

Now, we must put in place structures that will make it difficult for corruption to thrive in the country. First, all government offices should have a billboard at the entrance with the inscription: ‘Should you notice or sense corruption going on in this office, EFCC is just a call away.’

This method will instill fear in the minds of corrupt people, as it is like encouraging whistleblowers.

Corruption has eaten deep into our lives, and we need conventional wisdom to tackle it. Let us just look at what we could have achieved with the $2.1billion arms fund which was allegedly mismanaged during the last administration. This money can conveniently complete the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as well as the IbadanOyo-Ilorin Expressway.

Do we know how many hospitals the money will equip? Or how many retirees it would pay their gratuities?

Corruption is just like Ebola, and it will wipeoff our country if we don’t take the necessary action to fight it. Preaching patriotism will definitely help us win the war against corruption too.

Would-be financial whistle-blowers should be encouraged, and made to realise that they are leaking such secrets for the survival of their fatherland.

•Felix Adjei, Lagos.

15

opinion

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

The oryel of self-destruction

W

with Vera Onana

veraonana@gmail.com 08052663362

tous on media outlets than tomato is in the market. These fine strategists are coming after the very soul of a crippled nation, they have resolved to eat its beating heart by these operations.

However, they claim it is their way of passing a message… I will not go into that today.

Fellow Nigerians, the engravings are crystal clear on the wall.

We do not need a soothsayer to decipher them for they are no longer conundrums. Our country is SICK, our economy is on life support. The atrocities of the yesterday, like Hades, have come to collect but before the plugged is pulled and life is snuffed out of her unequivocally, we must turn from our wicked ways so our land can receive healing.

A Yoruba rhyme says, ‘farming is the work of our land. Whoever does not farm, will steal’ There has been enough stealing, so much that our economy has been left in desolation. It is time to pick up the hoes and cutlasses. It is time to farm and go back to our first love, agriculture which gave us dignified earnings not these stinking loots.

The following statistics will surprise you. According to the World Bank data, agriculture (which includes forestry, hunting, fishing as well as cultivation of crops and livestock productions), contributed an average of 35.1 per cent to the nations GDP from 1981 to 1985. Between 1986 and 1990, it ascended to 36.2 per cent. Though it declined just a little from 1991 to 1995 (32.1 per cent) and between 1996 and 2000 (33.1 per cent), it picked up from 2001 to 2005 reaching an all time average of 38.4 per cent. Sadly however, from 2006 to 2010, it declined again (31.7 per cent) but plummeted four years ago, from 2011 to 2015 to a scary 21.4 per cent.

Agriculture is dying and a consequence of its death is the hunger Nigerians are experiencing at the moment which may fast morph into famine if something is not done and quickly so. My admonishment is this: pick up the hoe and cutlasses, it doesn’t have to be mechanised, so do not wait for the government. If you ask me, this government already has too much on its plate and does not even seem to have a clue as to where to start from.

Save yourself, save your family, cultivate a vegetable farm… at least you will save yourself the kind of indignation I felt last week when I was told a bunch of insect eaten, rotten vegetable that in the past sold for N20 was N100! With our ‘oryel’ booming in the past, we behaved like the prodigal son. So, we may have to eat with the swine to clean-up this self-inflicted decadence. However, there is yet a flicker of hope at the end of this dingy meandering tunnel. When all this is over, we will get our country back and it won’t matter if the life support is removed because Nigeria will be healed. God bless Nigeria.

RE: BEFORE MARRIAGE KILLS YOU Thank you for your thought provoking piece of 31-5-16, titled before marriage kills you. Crisis in marriage is not a new phenomenon and there is no evidence that it would be abated because most couples do not take time to properly study one another before rushing to the church or the mosque. The shame attached to divorce and the failure of parents to read the handwriting of violence on the wall and promptly withdraw their children from collapsing marriages is also another reason why this phenomenon may endure.

Sadly, the admonition of some men of God, that God does not sanction divorce, so people should endure terrible marriages has led to the untimely death of wives or husbands. I think pastors should carry out investigations on collapsing marriages before forcing couples to co-habit.

Also, family members of brutalised people should be proactive enough to withdraw their child or sibling before it reaches the point of death. If they settle their differences, they can come back together. If not, let them live separately and fulfill their destinies — Adewuyi Adegbite Help for abused women I just read your article (Before Marriage Kills You). Thank you for that master piece. I run a home that is a temporary shelter for abused and battered women called ‘Another Chance Women’s Home’. Help is here for them while they sort out their lives.

— Funke Felix-Adejumo

,—

ITHOUT necessarily sermonising, I would like to hinge today’s discourse on a verse of the scripture. The holy writ explicitly admonishes believers thus: “if my people… will humble themselves… and turn from their wicked ways, then… I will heal their land.”

Our Nigeria is stricken with unending maladies. It seems as though our nation has become a cornucopia not of freshness but of horrendous happenings, hunger, dissension and sedition.

Anarchy seems imminent as wars and rumours of wars permeate the atmospheric. An ally of mine recently constructed an apt similitude between the current woes of Nigeria and the heinous ten plagues of Eygpt. He was distraught on the phone as he lamented “this country is brimming at the edge of monumental tragedy…our farm produce are being consumed by voracious fiends in the guise of maggots and insects…I hope we do not become the 21st century plagued Egypt,” he concluded in exasperation. While the optimist in me chided him for such gross negativity, the realist in me sadly was left with no other choice than to concur with the genuine quality of his assertions.

These are dark times and the unparalleled reality is this- it is not only the devastated waters and soils of the Ogoni land that need clean up, Nigeria needs remediation as well. While the Ogoni people, like other oil producing communities of the Niger Delta, have physically and environmentally experienced the fury of oil spillage on their ecosystems and communal development, Nigeria, in this same regard, suffers from an oil inflicted self-destruction syndrome that is sinking our national ship an abyss of woes.

Elders in my hometown, grayed with wisdom, will often tell the tale of the boy who suddenly came into affluence and wealth but lost it all and died in penury because he could not handle it.

This tale recently begins to look to me like the story of Nigeria post oil discovery. We cast aside all other means of economic growth and depended solely on our ‘oryel’. But that was not the harrowing part; we acted like come hell or high waters, our ‘oryel’will never run dry and so we drank… public office holders ‘oryelled’ their Swiss bank accounts from the earnings of our ‘oryel’ after all, our ‘oryel’ was booming. Everyone wanted a piece of the national cake that was baked with ‘oryel’ money.

I often heard Nigerians say in the heydays of our economy, “I must eat of the national cake” forgetting that every natural resource, which is unsustainably managed, faces depletion.

Today, all that is left of the national cake is crumbs, not even fit for dogs and our ‘oryel’? Gone like the last barrel of rum in a pirate ship as we face not just threats but meticulously orchestrated and swiftly delivered vandalisation of the little that is left of our ‘oryel’. Sad stories of pipeline vandal are more ubiqui-

veracity

One year of Buhari’s foreign policy

By Aliyu Abdullahi

S

INCE Nigeria gained its independence in 1960, the country has pursued a foreign policy with an alignment to the West, with the exception in the periods of both late Generals Murtala Mohammed and Sani Abacha, which saw the country moving to the East. President Muhammadu Buhari, who assumed office about one year ago as a democratically-elected president of Nigeria, has taken some new directions in his administration’s foreign policy, largely in line with his party’s campaign manifesto, which promised the electorate that Nigeria’s national interest will guide his foreign policy, after which his administration will focus on the sub-region of West Africa.

True to the words of the president, immediately after taking oath of office, he wasted no time in embarking on a high level diplomatic mission to the Lake Chad countries to drum up support for the fight against insurgency, that nearly overwhelmed his predecessor’s administration. Worthy of note is that the president has not deviated from his three cardinal agenda (fight against insecurity, corruption, economy/job creation) even in his foreign policy implementation.

This can easily be tracked from the president’s foreign travels, which have to do with the fight against corruption and negotiations to repatriate Nigeria’s money stashed abroad back to the country, which have since been yielding results, to securing international commitment in the fight against terrorism, that has become a global phenomenon. And finally, to finding ways of making Nigeria an economically viable country through diversification from oil dependency, and the increase in its technological advancement.

For all these efforts, the president was heavily-criticised by

the opposition party and some pessimists, who do not seem to understand the importance of high level diplomacy. But he knew too well that a call to serve as the highest officer in the land would entail personal sacrifice of his comfort and that of his home. So, the president, for the first time in Nigeria’s foreign policy history, decided to try winging it from the left and to the right by embracing the West and the East (China) in order to achieve those three cardinal agendas he promised the country, hence the double edge sword of the foreign policy unleashed.

Missing in the criticism of President Buhari’s management of foreign policy is an analysis of the lessons learned, if any, from the interactions so far with the outside world. Without doubt, there is a surfeit of lessons to draw from these interactions.

Take China, for instance, a country that has transformed itself from an agrarian economy to the second largest economy in the world in the past 30 years.

In 1978, China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita stood at a mere US$200. By 2015, and with a population of about 1.3 billion, the country’s GDP per capita had jumped to US$18,000. How has China managed to achieve this quantum leap? It is a product of a combination of factors, such as purposeful leadership, clarity of vision, among others.

The unwavering commitment of President Buhari to the three priority areas that defined his electoral campaigns and now his first year in office is not in doubt. Needless to say, it is too early

in a four-year term to subject this commitment to a negative analysis when he has only done a quarter of his journey as president.

China’s experience points to the invaluable role of national dedication to a defined goal, at the level of leadership and followership. National development cannot take place as a stop-go undertaking. All hands must be on deck and all eyes on the ball at all times. Failing this, there are bound to be bumpy or disastrous crashes along the way.

Again, we can see in China the place of discipline in all facets of national life. A strong leadership, coupled with a clear vision, commitment and dedication can, however, be undermined by the absence of discipline. No society can grow or thrive on the back of indiscipline.

President Buhari has the onerous task of ensuring that in managing Nigeria’s affairs, he strikes the right balance between the domestic scene, that is characterised by myriad challenges, and what some analysts call internal contradictions, and an external environment that is competitive, dynamic, fluid and volatile at the same time. President Buhari does not cut the image of a movie or show-business star. But the adulation he receives wherever he goes stands him out as Nigeria’s authentic and best brand in terms of character, integrity and truthfulness.

In this environment, Nigeria can ill-afford the luxury to remain in a cocoon or turn her back on the rest of the world in order to give comfort to critics whose appreciation of global geo-politics is either myopic or coloured by the sheer penchant to curtail a journey that has started so well and is yielding inestimable results.

It should be noted that under President Buhari’s watch, Nigeria’s foreign policy has reclaimed its traditional vibrancy, dynamism and purposefulness.

•Abdullahi, a legal practitioner, lives in Abuja.

16

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

agriculture Cassava can inject N10tn into the economy if... —NCGA President Collins Nnabuife -Abuja

THE President of the National Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), Segun Adewunmi, has disclosed that cassava could grow the economy of Nigeria to the tune of N10 trillion if properly harnessed.

At a presentation he made on behalf of the association to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, he

said cassava would guarantee employment, food security and generate electricity for the country.

Adewunmi said cassava has the answers to the economic problems of Nigeria, adding that “from the over 84 million hectares of arable land available in Nigeria, only 5 million hectares was devoted to the production of industrial cassava.”

Highlighting the commercial value of cassava, he stated that cassava industrial

products like ethanol could be used as industrial solvent in pains, printing inks, wood finishers and pharmaceuticals.According to him, ethanol could be used for making brandy, beer and a host of other beverages.

He maintained that cassava could trigger massive industrial revolution in Nigeria, adding that such revolution can solve Nigeria’s challenges in electricity.

He said industrial starch, cassava flour

and sweetners are now areas that Large beverage companies are very anxious to invest in , especially in sweeteners.

Adewunmi explained that the market of ethanol in food grade and bio-fuel is limitless, stating that Nigeria imports over 97% of her ethanol.

According to him, for cassava prosperity to happen, there has to be two cassava programmes namely; cassava for food security and cassava for Industrial use.

FG rolls out plan for dairy production IN line with its goal of attaining self sufficiency in the provision of animal protein, creating jobs for millions of youths and contributing to the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP) optimally, the Federal Government has mapped out programmes aimed at improving livestock production in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this during a press briefing on the forthcoming two-day retreat on Livestock and Dairy Development in Nigeria slated for June 7-8, 2016 in Abuja.

The minister said the present administration was ready to embark on various agricultural programmes that would develop the nation’s livestock industry.

These programmes according to the minister, include the establishment of ranches to be planted with high quality improved tropical grass and legume species;provision of irrigation for all year commercial fodder production to enhance settlement of pastoralists; cattle, sheep and goat improvement through an expanded breeding programme that will be aggressively pursued using artificial insemination; establishment of clusters of dairy farmers which would be equipped with milk collection facilities; capacity building programmes for livestock farmers and introduction of single credit facility for livestock and other farming activities.

Ogbeh lamented the huge import bill of milk which he put at $1.3 billion said the Federal Government was determined to intensify efforts in increasing livestock production along its value chains.

Economy: Agriculture, mineral deposits as DMO’s elixir for recovery Chima Nwokoji -Lagos

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, while declaring open the 55th Annual General Meeting of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) said,“Agriculture must cease from being treated as development programme; Agriculture must be treated as business.”

Buhari, represented by Umar Farouk, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, said the Federal Government was focusing on the development of agricultural value chain which allows the intervention of segments of the value chain such as production, processing, storage and marketing.

“Our goal will be to pursue government supported private sector agriculture value chain to make agriculture more productive, efficient and competitive.

If allowed unchecked, the worsening state of Nigerian economy will set the tone for a full blown economic recession by the end of June 2016, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, who was at the event, said.

Indeed, there are ominous signs of an economy on the brink of recession as recent data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as well as other macro indicators show.

The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter (Q1) of 2016 was negative -0.36 per cent. Unemployment rate stands at 12.1per cent, April inflation rate is 13.7 per cent, even as there is sustained pressure on parallel market for-

eign exchange (FX) rate: N350/US$1.00.

The reserve remained low, closing at $25.50 billion as at May 23, a $1.06 billion decline from $26.56 billion level as at May 20, the CBN data showed.

All these, according to analysts, reflect the impact of the delay in the budget passage as well as the weak monetary policy response on macro-economic aggregates. “The lack of economic impulse for most of first half (H1):2016 signals that recession stares the economy in the face,” says analysts at a Lagos based investment research company Afrinvest.

DMO’s elixir Not worried by the gloomy picture being painted on the economy by the above disappointing figures, Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO) Dr Abraham Nwankwo believes that in agriculture, Nigeria has a whole lot of opportunities to ensure internal food security and opportunity to export.

“By growing more food in Nigeria, mainly rice, wheat and sugar we will save billions of dollars in foreign exchange and drastically reduce our food import bill. Imagine the variety of cash crops and food crops that exist, from the mangrove swamps through the forests savannahs to the deserts. These are in thousands and belongs to Nigeria alone,” he said.

To him, foreign exchange reserves will recover in the coming years as the impact of government’s economy diversification plan begins to crystallise in the economy.

Speaking at a Breakfast Meeting with Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Lagos, Nwankwo said government’s efforts at revalitalising the agricultural sector, solid minerals, manufacturing and taxation would have massive impact on the economy in the next three to five years.

His views were in line with president Mohammadu Buhari’s diversification agenda, which was re-echoed in his democracy day speech.

“The economic misfortune we are experiencing in the shape of very low oil prices has provided us with an opportunity to restructure our economy and diversify. We are in the process of promoting agriculture, livestocks, exploiting our solid mineral resources and expanding our industrial and manufacturing base. That way, we will import less and make the social investments necessary to allow us to produce a large and skilled workforce,” Buhari said.

Right diversification The DMO DG believes it is possible that in the next five to seven years, the whole picture of Nigeria would be a complete turnaround because of government’s economy diversification plan. The difference between Nigeria and other countries facing similar economic challenges is that those countries do not have the same opportunities we have in Nigeria said he.

Idle/untapped resources Nigeria has strong diversified resource base.

There are speculations that Nigeria loses about

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

GES scheme undergoing reforms

N50 trillion from untapped resources. Although companies are already tapping into agriculture, there are natural resources in the country that are capable of turning the Federal Government’s plan into reality, if properly explored.

In 2010, the federal government identified commercial deposits of a total of 37 minerals but there has not been a full scale exploration of these minerals.

The DG regretted that Nigeria is near 100 per cent idle capacity, meaning that almost all resources that abound in the country are not being put to use and that the flexibility to grow the economy is high.

Budget and taxation On the 2016 budget, he said focus is to address structural challenges in the economy, while providing the enablement to create diversification and self-sufficiency growth.

According to him, out of the N2.2 trillion budget deficit, N1.84 trillion will come from borrowing from both local and international markets.

“This is the first time that the budget specified that all borrowed funds will be for capital expenditure. The sharing of internal and international borrowing is almost 50/50. We have been borrowing locally, but we have to take advantage of the relatively low cost of funds externally. We do not want to borrow too much from the domestic economy, so that we do not crowd-out the domestic environment,” he said.

He said that given the challenges the economy is going through, much depends on what the media reports. “The media is critical, because what the media tells the international community will determine investment flows into the country. It is our responsibility to continue working hard to ensure the resilience our economy exhibited is sustained, until we achieve the turnaround that will come with diversification,” he said.

On taxation, the DG emphasised: “Indeed in other countries, the major source of revenue is taxation. Taxation should also be explored.

Government should be able to sustain itself with taxation revenues. Now with the better tax compliance, and effective sanctions for defaulters, we have a room to boost public revenue from taxation.”

Nigerian Tribune

—Official

Collins Nnabuife -Abuja

From right, Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai; deputy governor, Barnabas Bantex and Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, during the launch of 2016-2017 fertilizer, in Giwa local government area, Kaduna. PHOTO: NAN

Speaker House of Representative, Yakubu Dogora (left) presenting farming equipment to one of the beneficiaries of the empowerment scheme programme of 4, 540 beneficiaries organised by Ali Isa, member representing Billiri/Balanga federal constituency at Billiri, Gombe. PHOTO: NAN

Nigerian chef displays skills at GTBank’s maiden Food and Drink Fair A Nigerian born Chef Patron, Raphael Duntoye, was one of the international chefs who displayed at this year GTBank’s first annual Food & Drink Fair.

It was a two-day food exhibition and sales event aimed to project the diverse angles of food industry by connecting various businesses involve in the production and sales of food related items to a cosmopolitan audience of food enthusiasts.

At the food and drink fair, there

were wide variety of food exhibitors showcasing and selling food products ranging from fresh organic groceries to dry foods, confectionary and pastries, ready to eat consumables, top quality crockery and wine & champagnes.

The GTBank Food & Drink event also offered culinary experiences such as food and wine tastings, cooking master classes with renowned International and Nigerian chefs,

outdoor grills and thrilling entertainment.

Among the dishes he prepared at the fair were grilled aubergine with mozzarella, prawns and pesto; baked gratinated potatoes; homemade pasta with prawns and broccoli; grilled lamb cutlets with smoked Aubergine; roast baby chicken marinated in lemon, whole roast black leg chicken; whole red snapper with pickled peppers and french toast.

AN official of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has said that the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme is currently undergoing reforms for effective subsidy delivery to farmers.

Mr Badams Jatto, Director, Farm Input Support Services Department in the ministry, made this known in Abuja on Wednesday at a round table organised by Propcom Maikarfi, an NGO. Jatto said the ultimate goal of the ongoing reforms was to make good and quality input available, affordable and accessible ?to farmer’s all-year-round.

“May I draw your attention to the fact the GES scheme as a model for input subsidy delivery? to farmers in a completely private sector driven environment is still undergoing some reforms.

“The Introduction of the Nigerian Payments Initiative (NAPI) is another strategy to improve the efficiency of the delivery system.

“The idea behind the NAPI is to capture the biometrics of all farmers into the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database.

“This is a way of reducing some of the challenges faced in the registration of farmers and redemption of inputs through the e-wallet system,” he said.

He explained that the captured farmers would be issued identity cards that had chips like ATM cards.

The director added that with NAPI the cost of subsidy administration would be reduced to barest minimum.

While commending the organisers of the event, Jatto said the agricultural input sector was very crucial; adding that no amount of roundtable geared at seeking a way forward would be too many.

The GES scheme is a flagship programme of the Federal Government through which registered farmers have access to farm inputs like fertiliser, seeds and agro chemicals at subsidised rate via e-wallet.

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016 With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

From left, former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Mr Bola Adeyemi (celebrant); Deaconess Gbolahan Adeyemi, Mr Oluwadamilola Adeyemi and Chief (Mrs) Omolola Oyinlola, at the thanksgiving service to mark the 50th birthday of Deaconess Adeyemi, at RCCG, Mount Zion Parish, Ogo Oluwa Area, Osogbo, Osun State, on Sunday.

From left, past chairman, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Alhaji Kunle Ogunsola; Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Alhaji Olalekan Alli; Oyo State chairman, APBN, Mr B.O. Ilori and the immediate past chairman, APBN, Mr Folu Bademosi, at the 2016 professional summit of APBN, Oyo State branch, held at Jogor Events Centre, Ibadan. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Sir Kola Adegbola (right), congratulating Bishop Joseph Akinfenwa on his 60th birthday, recently.

With them is bishop’s wife, Comfort.

Mrs Moyosola Olonisakin, who clocked 50 recently, cutting her anniversary cake and surrounded by her husband, Gbenga and the children, from left, Ifeoluwa, Oluwatosin, (right), Omotoke and Oyinola (right), in Lagos.

Pastor Gabriel Onifade with his wife, Ruth, during the 50th birthday ceremony of Mrs Onifade, at their residence in Sanyo, Ibadan.

From left, Mr Sunday Onibudo, Mrs Fagbemi, Mrs Anike Okelabi, the couple, Mr and Mrs Kayode Okelabi; Mrs Funmilayo Onibudo, Mr Olanrewaju Okelabi and Mr Gbenga Fagbemi, with Master Olanrewaju Omotunde, during the wedding of Mr and Mrs Okelabi in Ibadan, recently.

Secretary to Alhaji Dawud Akinola, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Kamoru Aderibigbe, with his wife, Kudirat, during the celebration of his 60th birthday anniversary/thanksgiving on his retirement from the Oyo State civil service, recently.

The newly wedded couple, Pastor and Mrs Samuel Awogoke, with the bride’s parents, Elder and Mrs Ogedengbe, during their wedding held at Ibadan South-West Local Government Registry, recently.

For bookings, contact ’Laolu Afolabi on 08054681741 or Tommy Adegbite on 08116954631

19

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com

Why the judiciary is handicapped —Mahmoud Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) was called to the bar in 1980 and is a candidate for the presidency of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He speaks with VERA ONANA on the issues facing the judiciary, the Nigerian economy, pipeline vandalism and sundry issues. Excerpts: expected standard. So, I think, we have a sort of mixed situation in the legal system now.

You are a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, what was the ascension like?

Senior Advocate is an award that is given to lawyers that have distinguished themselves in the practise of law and there are quite stringent criteria for that award. Any person who has attained that rank must have obviously contributed significantly to the development of the legal profession and must have excelled in the practise of law especially in advocacy skills. So, it was not easy. It still is not easy and very highly competitive.

Each year, not more than 25 lawyers become senior advocates out of several hundred that apply. At the time I became a SAN, the figure was even lesser, it was about 10-12 lawyers in a year and the selection process was rigorous.

C

OULD you appraise the legal system that exists now compared to what obtained over three decades ago?

There are huge differences. The law faculties were fewer in those days and the quality perhaps different. Now, we have so many law faculties and many of them tend to be overstretched in terms of facilities and teaching staff. This will definitely reflect in the outcome or in the output of those faculties. There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of lawyers over the years but that is not to say that there are no good quality graduates. In terms of the quality of legal practice, I think, it’s also fair to say that there are many good law firms, very highly re-

sourceful and very competent but there are also many that do not meet up to the

You are a candidate for the NBA’s presidency and in one of your speeches; you said you would redefine the bar, what exactly does that mean?

I am a candidate for the position of NBA president and as a candidate, you have to tell your colleagues what your mission is and what you intend to do.

When I talk about redefining the bar, basically, there are certain fundamental tenets that we are looking at in the legal profession. One, of course, is the independence of the bar; another is the level of integrity and competence of the Bar and also, the role the bar is expected to play in national development. When we look at the situation at the moment, we see that the bar is held in fairly low esteem. There are a lot of criticisms of the bar and some of these criticisms are quite justified because of the level of

Yes, there is a high level of dissatisfaction in what is happening in the judiciary, but there is also a responsibility on the Bar to try and improve on this and draw attention to these issues.

standards that currently exist.

So, the idea of redefining it is to work towards raising the standards of practise, the standard of legal services being offered and the standard of integrity of the profession and also the quality of the work lawyers do generally. Also, redefining includes helping to promote the independence of the judiciary which is another major responsibility of the bar.

This is not your first shot at the presidency of the NBA. What makes 2016 different from the other times?

You are right, this is the second time.

The first time was in 2004. Earlier on in 2002, I made an attempt but I didn’t quite come up as a candidate because I withdrew before I became a formal candidate.

Why? It was historical. At that time, there was a meeting of Bar leaders and I was persuaded to step down with understanding that going forward, the position of the president of the Bar will then rotate around the country. That was the understanding reached in 2002 and it has been implemented since then. It is now part of our constitution. There is a constitution requirement that the presidency of the bar will rotate from one part of the country to the other to promote inclusiveness and a sense of belonging.

That understanding reached in 2002, formed the basis of my stepping down.

In 2004, we ran election with Chief Bayo Ojo, Mr J.B. Daudu and I but Chief Bayo Ojo won the election.

However, 2016 is different in many ways. There is consensus amongst most of the leaders in the Bar that I should contest. They must see some qualities in me to make them queue behind me.

The general feeling appears to be that we need to chart a new direction in the bar.

We need to salvage the image of the bar, rebuild the institution and rebuild public confidence.

Could you assess the state of the nation’s judiciary and what do you think is responsible for its perceived rot?

There are many complaints about what is happening in the judiciary. There is a high level of dissatisfaction with the quality of justice that is being administered. This is not to say that the situation is completely hopeless. I think majority of judges are hardworking men and women who are discharging their responsibilities in credible manner. But there also quite a large number that we can say do not meet up to the standards.

So, what this calls for, in my view, is to recognise this fact and then to clearly device a means of doing something about it. Obviously, the responsibility is primarily on the leadership of the judiciary.

But I think the legal profession, widely defined, including the NBA, should be able to champion the course of enhancing the quality of justice in the country.

This includes not just issues of discipline, integrity of the judiciary but also issues of welfare, resource allocation

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‘Niger Delta crisis can be resolved through dialogue’ Continued from pg 19

and general independence of the judiciary. To answer your question more directly, yes, there is a high level of dissatisfaction in what is happening in the judiciary but there is also a responsibility on the Bar to try and improve on this and draw attention to these issues. I intend to do all of these.

There is no foolproof strategy for doing anything. There is only good intention to do something and we will put in all that we can in terms of the resources available to us, knowledge and skills that we have on how to influence policies, rules. We intend to put all our weight behind the efforts to reform the judiciary and more widely the legal profession.

Most young lawyers are dissatisfied, what is your plan for the younger generation of lawyers?

We recognise the problem of young lawyers as one of the major challenges facing the association. They constitute a large majority and many of them are unhappy because they came into the profession with high expectations and a lot of those expectations appear to be dashed or not

realised. This is a challenge which the profession must face squarely. It is not a simple, straight-forward matter. There are many factors responsible, including the exponential growth of lawyers. We are now about a 150,000 and every year, another 6000 to 7000 join the profession, but the economy doesn’t seem to have the capacity to support this.

Also, the quality of the graduates is not as what one would expect. These are some of the factors responsible but we will ensure that we raise the standards and lawyers are being properly treated, properly employed with minimum standards. We are also looking at the capacity building aspect of it, ensuring that lawyers receive the requisite training and improve on their skills.

What is your take on the current state of the Nigerian economy and the issue of pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta?

The economy is in a bad shape—declining oil price, value of the currency, rising unemployment. But I see this also as an opportunity in the sense that for a long

time we have operated a model which relied solely on oil revenues so now, I hope we will begin to look seriously at diversifying the economy; investing in agriculture, mining and tourism. Nigeria is a very rich country.

On the Niger Delta situation, everyone knows that there are serious problems in the Niger Delta- environmental pollution, degradation and there is a widespread feeling that the region is not benefiting enough in terms of infrastructure development and social programmes.

But over the years, one has to admit that several administrations have done quite a lot to draw attention to some of these problems and also try to address them.

Recently, the current administration launched the programme for the cleanup of Ogoni land. This is a laudable initiative that has been sitting on the drawing table for many years. But all of these issues cannot be addressed in an atmosphere of violence and uncertainties.

So, grievances should be pursued through legitimate constitution means not through vandalism which in effect, only goes farther to damage the environ-

ment. We hope that whichever group is behind this will come to reason and lay down their arms and take up appropriate strategies of addressing grievances.

How efficiently has the bar been in collaborating with the federal government on its anti-corruption war?

The anti-graft war is commendable.

These are problems we all know but sometimes, we don’t know the extent or the magnitude. But I think given what has been coming out, we can see it is more serious than many of us understood.

Corruption is a major challenge facing the country and it is a development bottleneck. Without tackling it, there is no way we can unleash the resources of this country and deploy them productively. So all institutions and all associations have a responsibility to contribute to this fight and the Bar Association is clearly one that has a major role to play and we do hope that it will play this role. If I get elected, some of the things we will be looking at very closely will be how to support the current initiative to stem the tides of corruption.

It’s easy to criticise in govt but ... —Itesiwaju LG boss Today marks three months since the Oyo state government appointed caretaker chairmen for the 33 local government councils in the state. Honourable Niyi Adeagbo, is the caretaker chairman of Itesiwaju Local Government. In an interview with TUNDE OGUNESAN, he shares his experience. Excerpts:

W

HAT has been your experience so far as a caretaker chairman?

It’s been a very interesting ride thus far.

When you occupy such a position, especially in a local council with various of challenges like Itesiwaju, the expectations of the people are unbelievably great. You are equated with a saviour and they expect miracles and they expect things to happen instantly!

You were known to be a social critic, now as chairman of a local government, what is your perception of governance?

I must confess, it is a different world entirely when you are inside than on the outside. As an outsider, you tend to be an idealist. But when you get inside, reality dawns on you. As a politician, your must be able to play the balancing game. There are internal and external stakeholders that one needs to put into consideration. The complexity goes further into varying opinions and expectations among the external stakeholders. In all, you have to be focused on your vision for the Local Government with a view to delivering dividends to the people. The truth is, one has to learn how to employ compromise while keeping things within the bounds of ethics and the Law. It’s been 90 days of your administration, how have you fared so far?

It has been very hectic I must say. We hit the ground running by taking stock of what was on ground, engaged all the necessary stakeholders and formed an assessment that was to be synchronised with our agenda for the council. We have sorted a lot of the immediate issues that we met. And work is continuing.

So far, we have been happy and unhappy. I have shed tears on two occasions; one when I visited the house of a young lady who lost her husband to the lone petrol tanker accident in Okaka and the other at the state hospital at Okaka, where the victims of the insane mayhem which happened after the third place march of our much

Adeagbo celebrated Unity cup. For us, we have a choice and of all the choices, we will stay on the path of greatness, unity of purpose and a dream of a better tomorrow for our good people.

We thank Almighty Allah who has kept us thus far. Also we thank our dear father and leader, Governor Abiola Ajimobi for his support, trust, fatherly advice and rare privilege given to me to serve my people. We came with so much plans and determination, although we are not where we envisage but we have been able to record little successes. We are undoubtedly committed to the progress of our land, the council of our dream.

In terms of governance, what can say you have been able to put in place in the last three months?

Believing that health is wealth, we are not relenting in

As an outsider, you tend to be an idealist. But when you get inside, reality dawns on you.

our bid to make sure anything relating to medical care is given special attention. In fact, it was one of the areas we started from. We can confirm that we have been able to redirect and reposition the working attitude of our medical staff as they are now responsive and responsible, more than ever before.

Added to this is the fact that we have been promised additional medical doctors by the National Youth Service Corps, Oyo State. In Itesiwaju, as of now, we have just one doctor each at our primary and secondary health centres. This was made possible courtesy of the NYSC. Also, the attitude of our people has changed; they now visit our medical facilities and the feedback has been tremendous.

They don’t need to buy exercise book anymore before they can be registered; we have provided needed cards for such purposes as we have printed and donated medical cards to all our maternity centres.

On a monthly basis, just like before, we have not failed to buy and distribute drugs to all our maternity centres, for free use of our people. We have also purchased 10 rechargeable fans for five hospitals that are located in areas without adequate supply of electricity. We have taken personal responsibility for many secondary medical bills that are beyond our primary health care facility.

The incinerator donated by UNICEF for the purpose of disposing medical wastes- for the use of medical centres in Iseyin/ Iwajowa/ Kajola and Itesiwaju Federal Constituency has been successfully installed at our medical centre in Otu, the council headquarters. For the purpose of monitoring and distribution of drugs and other medical needs, we have bought a motorcycle for the health department.

Under our watch, through Senator Fatai Buhari, free health service was carried out in itesiwaju and about 500 citizens benefited from it. In a few days, we will commission seven out of the newly built block of three classrooms by the last administration which we have furnished with chairs and tables in seven communities of Itesiwaju Local government with chairs and tables. Overtime, we have always been faced with dearth of teachers in compulsory subjects like Mathematics, English and some other Science subjects. To solve it in the immediate as the country is in financial crisis, we approached NYSC and graciously, they granted our request. Skilled corpers in those subjects have been posted to our council as I am talking to you.

Already, we have distributed about 10,000 free exercise books to our students in Itesiwaju. And For the first time in 10 years, history was made. We hosted Children’s day with our best students - a male and a female becoming one-day chairman and chairperson respectively. They were made to preside over the match past and fanfare.

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048

features

Spousal murder: From the altar to the grave From stabbing, strangulation, blunt force trauma, burning to murder by suicide, PAUL OMOROGBE examines issues surrounding the seeming increase in spousal murders.

A

nanny makes her way to an apartment in a Lagos suburb called Egbeda. She arrives on time at 7am, the time agreed with her employers, the parents of the children she would baby-sit.

She knocks on the door expecting to be ushered into the home so she can resume her duties. But this time around, the door remains locked. No one comes to the door.

Instead, she hears the sound of children wailing. She peeps through the window to find her wards, shaking the body of their mother begging her to wake up. But the woman in her 30s does not.

By the end of that day, the media reports told what happened: Ronke Shonde was said to have been allegedly murdered by her own husband, in their home at 5, Tiemo Crescent, off Awori Street, Ile-Epo Alhaji, Egbeda. Her husband, Lekan Shonde, an Apapa dock worker, who had absconded after the incident is currently standing trial before an Ebute Metta Magistrates’ Court.

Barely three weeks later, at Oshodi, ‘the centre of Lagos,’ a crowd gathered at Araromi area, where a 49-year-old man, Jafaru Sougie, allegedly killed his wife of 26 years in the wee hours of the morning of Children’s Day. In Ibadan, Oyo State, a lawyer, Mrs Yewande Oyediran, allegedly stabbed her husband, Oyelowo, an incident that led to his death in February, 2016.

These recent events are just a few of the many incidents that have raised the public’s awareness of abusive relationships that can turn deadly.

Mrs Funke Felix Adejumo, a marriage counsellor, and the president of Funke Felix Adejumo Foundation, in an interview with Nigerian Tribune on the subject said, “We know that in the olden days, a man would beat his wife and threaten her and all that, then the relatives would come in; but not to the extent of killing her. It is amazing how it’s getting out of hand these days.”

Speaking on what may trigger such behaviour, Mrs Adejumo noted that “People change! People change for various reasons: family pressure, peer pressure, and the kind of things they watch. I think the entertainment world has a lot to do with this. Some of these people watch murders and kidnappings in movies, imbibe what they see and then change. Sometimes, the signs are there from the beginning. If a man keeps slapping you while you are dating him, and you still go ahead, one day he may kill you. If a man gets drunk, beats and insults you and you marry him because you say love is blind, marriage is the eye opener. Marriage is not a weekend affair, it is a life-long event. Therefore, people must learn to close one eye in prayer and open the other in watching. The signs are there. Better stay single and be

alive than die in an abusive relationship.”

Mr Olusola Matthews is also marriage counsellor. Speaking on why women may kill their husbands, he noted that “there are many reasons, and believe it or not, sometimes, it can be spiritual. When the devil takes hold of a woman, then you will know she can be the stronger sex. Apart from that, temperaments differ for the female folk and not everybody responds well to provocation. The interesting thing is that, and many men do not even know this, women can store up so much information. Even if they may forgive a hurt, they rarely forget. Why do you think a woman can remember at the snap of a finger the exact date and time of the first time you met her. That’s how wonderful God has made them. And it was in no isolation that it was stated that ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’ So much is a woman’s threshold for endurance, and that’s why it could take years, and out of the blues, a woman could murder her husband.”

“Marriage thrives on good communication which builds love and understanding.

Of utmost concern is the fact that unlike men, where a man may present some signs,

We know that in the olden days, a man would beat his wife and threaten her and all that, then the relatives would come in; but not to the extent of killing her

women who murder their husbands seldom show signs. The man may never see such disaster coming.”

Various reasons have been given by experts for why spouses would rather stay in abusive marriages. According to Adejumo and Matthews, for women, there is the stigma that comes with single parenting. For men, there is the fear of what society would think, sometimes a function of the male ego, especially if it is perceived that he can’t keep a woman or a home.

In Matthews’ words, “Men like to feel in charge and if a woman succeeds in ridding him of such power, he may not leave the marriage, but a murder might be in the offing. Backgrounds matter too. If either of the spouses is determined to stay married, especially as a statement of improvement on his/ her parents’ marriage, then that might be a breeding ground for discontent on the side of one partner, which may eventually lead to murder.

“Also, society breeds a culture of silence in which a spouse is asked to endure, even if there are reports to the in-laws and even religious leaders of situations that have resulted in violence against one partner. This culture has led to the murder of many spouses.”

“In our society we look down on people that are not married and some of them are more responsible than those who are married. Even pastors will tell you stay continue to pray. However, I think you can pray from afar. That is why I founded Another Chance Women’s Home, a temporary shelter in Ondo State, for women. My point is safety first. We have lawyers helping us with advocacy, the police are involved. We make reports to them saying such and such is with us so no one says we abducted the person.

Then we call for the parents, the husband and work to resolve things. People in public and private sectors must speak up for these

women that are being abused,” Mrs FelixAdejumo concluded.

On the possibility of a killer spouse’s actions being excused on the grounds of mental illness, Dr Awajimoror Isotu, a resident doctor specialising in psychiatry said, “The law holds every person responsible for their own actions. However, if there has been documented history of mental illness or it is has been observed in the personality of the perpetrator, the court may call a doctor in who will test if indeed the subject is mentally ill. Any case of mental illness must be clinically proven. When invited as an expert, the psychiatrist only advises the court after his assessment of the offender. Not all mental illnesses constitute legal insanity.”

The law on domestic violence Chinedu Anarado works for the British Council’s Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP). Speaking on the subject, he noted that: “The police often dismiss cases of domestic violence as a ‘family affair’ and are reluctant to intervene even if the woman has sustained serious injury.

“Some states have laws in place to address domestic violence, such as the Prohibition Against Domestic Violence Law No 15, 2007 of Lagos State and the Gender-Based Violation (Prohibition) Law, 2011 of Ekiti State.

But, until the VAPP Act, there was no federal law specifically addressing sexual harassment and domestic violence in Nigeria.”

The Violence Against Person’s Prohibition Act (VAPP Act) was among the Bills passed by former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 28, 2015.

As it is with several laws in Nigeria, implementation is the bane of the VAAP Act, so also is its limitation to the FCT. “Currently, the applicability of the VAPP Act outside the FCT is a matter of legal debate,” Anarado pointed out.

22

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

arewa

Femi Olukunle Co-ordinating Editor 08158610216

Illegal felling of trees: Nigeria loses 400,000 hectares of forest annually Isaac Shobayo - Jos

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IQUED by the illegal felling of trees for domestic use in Nigeria, former member of House of Representatives, Honourable Emmanuel Goar, said the demand on firewood has put the rate of rapid deforestation in Nigeria to 3.5 per cent annully, saying this translated into a loss of 350, 000 to 400,000 hectares of forest every year.

The former legislator, who stated this at the commissioning of Zazuk Investment Service Limited in Jos East local Government Area of the state, said the habit of felling trees must be discouraged because the habitat was being threatened, adding that one of the steps to curb this was to encourage the idea of gas cooking.

Honourable Goar, who is the Managing Director of the establishment, further said this was the reason for going into the business because gas is clean, cheap and environmental friendly.

The former federal lawmaker said the current level of demand for firewood outstripped the level of supply, adding that about a million tonnes of firewood were being burnt daily.

Said he: “Statistics have also shown that average firewood consumption per family of five is 400kg per annum. The demand on firewood has put the rate of

Plateau govt moves to revitalise moribund firms Isaac Shobayo - Jos

AS part of efforts by the Plateau State government to resuscitate moribund industries, the government has signed a partnership agreement with an indigenous beverage firm for the revitalisation of Highland Bottling Company, Barkin Ladi, owned by the state government.

At the signing of the agreement in Jos with Hummer Drinks, the Chairman of the Technical Board of the Plateau Investment and Property Company, Mr. Ezekiel Gomos, said that it was the realisation of one of the campaign promises of Governor Simon Lalong to revitalise moribund and non-functional industries in the state.

According to him, it is also a culmination of years of long search for a technical partner for the company since 1995 when the fortunes of the company went down the drain.

Gomos said that the signing of the agreement, though a small step, was the beginning of a big journey ahead, stressing that it was an opportunity that the state would not like to miss.

He said that by the agreement, the company would have 67 per cent equity holding while the PIPC would have 33, adding that it was a deviation from the former practice where the state would attempt to have everything, but at the end have nothing at all.

rapid deforestation in Nigeria to 3.5 percent annually, which translates into a loss of 350,000 to 400.000 hectares of forest every year.”

He further pointed out that the dedica-

tion of the gas project was part of his contribution towards poverty alleviation, environment protection and socio-economic development of Plateau State.

He called on investors to come and invest in Plateau State, especially the indigenes, to support efforts of others towards economic recovery of the state and Nigeria as a whole.

A logger felling a tree in the forest.

Untold story of Kaduna Almajiri school that produces graduates, NCE holders Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna MADARASATUL-HILANATU-AULADIL-MUSULIMINA (School for the Muslim Children) was established over 100 years ago. Musa Liman Zakariya, who is the proprietor of the Almajiri school, told Arewa that his paternal great grandfather started the school somewhere in Zaria during the reign of the then Emir of Zaria, Mallam Ahmada.

He remarked that the then Emir appointed his great grandfather one of the Imams in Zaria. “At that time, my grandfather saw the wisdom in establishing the Almajiri school which is common in the Northern Nigeria”, Zakariya declared.

Thus dozens family members later succeeded the founder of the school until the onus fell on Zakariya now to run the affairs of the Almajiri school around. For almost half a century, he has been in charge of the school impacting Islamic knowledge and teaching the young ones the Koran.

He told Arewa that like any other Almajiri schools in the North, children from neighbouring towns of Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Abuja and Niger etc still came to the school to seek knowledge.

He maintained that, today, there were over 100 Almajiri under his supervision and guidance. However, he revealed that he was a fulfilled person as the Almajiri school

Don’t limit overseas scholarship to first class graduates —NAKASS Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna THE National Association of Kaduna State Students (NAKASS) has called for the immediate review of overseas students scholarship which is open to only first class graduates, saying it is denying others the opportunity to pursue their career.

This was disclosed by the National President of the student body, Comrade Umar Balarabe, in a news conference in Kaduna.

He said: “It is very unfortunate that overseas scholarship scheme has been limited to graduates with first class degree honours only.

“This, we perceive, is a deliberate attempt to award the scholarship to wards

of political allies who attend private or foreign universities where first class degrees are up for sale.”

The student umbrella body has demanded, in the interest of peace, that “the governor, as a matter of necessity, appoint a special adviser on student affairs who must be conversant with students’ struggles and plight and that the scholarships, all rights and privileges entitled to students be fully paid as and when due to motivate the students.

“Just as the governor avails himself of town hall meetings with other stakeholders, he should also create an enabling environment to meet with the students’ constituency too.

had metamorphosed into one of the few schools that are today serving as centres of knowledge where both Western and Islamic educations were taught simultaneously.

Throwing more light, he said this model of Almajiri school started during the time of the then governor of the state, Architect Namadi Sambo (who later became the vice president). According to him, the Almajiri schools were categorised into two models. He explained that the first model was essentially a boarding school built to have staff room, staff quarters, hospital, security post, head master’s quarters etc . The schools were established in each of the three Senatorial zones of the state i.e Hunkuyi (Zone1),Birnin Gwari (Zone2) and Jere (Zone3).

Musa Zakariya

23 thesouth-west Tunde Busari 08127593530 Yejide Gbenga - Ogundare 08116706853 Tunde Ogunesan 08116954634

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

The

South-West Editor Wole Efunnuga 08111813056

Got news for us; contact: southwesttribune@yahoo.co.uk or southwesttribune@gmail.com

A flooded St. John’s African Church Primary School, Itoki.

If it were possible, we would have begged God to stop this rain —Ogun communities ravaged by flood lament

OLAYINKA OLUKOYA was at some communities in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State where residents had to struggle with a raging flood which forced many to seek refuge elsewhere. Her report.

T

HE arrival of the raining season to residents of Gasline, Itoki, Agbado, Agbado crossing, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, was a far cry from their expectation.

No thanks to the perennial flooding that has sacked house owners numbering over 200 from their abode. This development, Nigerian Tribune learnt, had become a major issue in the affected areas in the last four years.

Many of the residents have abandoned their houses to avoid being washed away by the flood which has become an unpleasant visitor in their community.

A visit by our correspondent to the affected

Inside

communities, last Thursday, revealed the living condition of the people at this period.

The areas were flooded after a heavy down pour that lasted for more than an hour. The road from Ogba Ayo to these areas was filled with water while few commercial buses plying the area took advantage of the situation to hike transport fare.

Many residents were seen atop of their houses watching helplessly. As some sighted our correspondent, their joy knew no bound because they believed that the situation of their areas would be brought to the attention of government for action.

They made the assignment of our correspondent much easier as they offered to take her to areas adversely affected by the flood. Some were skeptical that nothing

meaningful would come out of the exercise, citing past experiences which yielded no positive result as factors for this position.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the Sarumi of Itoki, Alhaji Kolawole Akanni said the flooding had become a source of worry to residents of the area noting that all efforts deployed by them had not yielded any meaningful result. ‘We have suffered a lot. If it was possible, we will beg God to stop this rain’, he said.

“This is what we have been experiencing during rainy seasons, for four consecutive years now. We have made efforts at different times as a community to address this flood issue. It has become a maContinues on pg27

Why persistent flooding may continue in Ibadan

24 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

‘Amosun must act now’

A flooded compound

A submerged road at Itoki .

Continues from pg26

jor challenge to us. Sometime ago, we hired a caterpillar to open up drainages for water to flow freely. But each time the rains come, our efforts become futile.

“We, as a community, had called on government to assist us but nothing has been done. That is why so many residents have abandoned their houses. The water is diverted into our community from Opo Suuru and Folarin areas. Our expectation is that if government commences the road construction in our area, probably they will help us with gutters that the waters can be channeled into.

“We have resorted to the use of pumping machines to drain the waters with no difference. This challenge is a yearly one for us in this area.

“We are appealing to the state government for assistance in the area of constructing deep drainages that would contain the volume of water that flows into our area. There is a big canal at Olaogun where the water can be directed to. If this can be achieved, I am sure the challenge will be a thing of the past. We cannot do this project by ourselves. It is a major project.

It was the same position with the Vice chairman, Ire Akari Estate, Alhaji Hassan who said”the community had spent a lot of money on drainages. We need the support of government in constructing a big drainage along the main road in this area. It was our thinking that we could wait until government starts the road construction, but I don’t think we can wait again. The project can not be done through communal effort unless government comes to our aid. We need help from government.”

The traditional head of Itoki, Chief Amos Abiodun, also added that a lot had been done by the Community Development Association (CDA) to prevent the area from being washed away by flood.

“We have done a lot to prevent our community from flood. Through communal effort, we contributed money towards construction of drainages. Different CDAs within the entire Itokiland also contributed towards the project. When we learnt that our governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had awarded our major road linking Agbado and other areas to a contractor, we heaved a sigh of relief that drainages would automatically be constructed by government.

“We are hoping and still expecting that the road construction work will start very soon. With this step, our fears would be over. We have an assurance that the state government will come to our rescue,” he added.

The Patron of Gateway Area Sharp Corner , Mr. Omotayo Agunbaka, also lent his voice to that of the early respondents, maintaing that over 200 houses have been submerged with flood.

He attributed the blockage of waterways into the area by a major company (names withheld) operating in the area, stressing that water from Ijoko, Lemode axis could not access the waterways because of the blockade.

Agunbaka said, “We have never experienced a situation like this where people will abandon their residences as a result of flood. The June rain(s) is yet to begin and as you can see, everywhere is full of water.

“This development has brought about economic loses to

A flooded house

Baale of Itoki, Chief Amos Abiodun us. Many goods have been destroyed by the flood. I am joining others to beg the state government to assist us by moving to site and begin the road project in our axis.”

The chairman of Itoki Community Development Association (CDA), Mr. Tunde Clement, said his property was submerged by flood and that his family had to abandon the home to seek refuge elsewhere pending when the

We, as a community, had called on government to assist us but nothing has been done. That is why so many residents have abandoned their houses.

rains would be over.

He recounted that there was loss of lives as a result of flooding in 2015 and that necessary steps should be given to address it.

The CDA chairman said that the community had written letters to Governor Amosun, to intimate him of the problem confronting the area.

He was optimistic that different letters written to government were receiving attention.

Also, the General Secretary of Itoki Area Community Development Council, Mr. Spencer Omoviro, said that flood has taken over many houses in the area.

Omoviro who corrobated Chief Abiodun’s position that the water was diverted noted : “Flood has taken over our area. Most of the houses here have been submerged as a result of flooding. Flood into this community flows from Lemode into Itoki through Omo Aje bus stop. This erosion ought to be directed to a big canal at Olagun, but because there is no proper chanelisation, this is the result.

“Concerned efforts to bring the attention of government to this problem are still awaiting their response. The CDC has tried. Last year, we constructed a big gutter but the volume of water travelling from those areas earlier mentioned cannot contain it.

“Last year, we recorded casualties. Some people lost their lives. If the rain is more than this, I wonder if people will be able to come out of their houses,” the General Secretary said.

For Mr Ganiyu Ogundeyi, a resident of Agbado Crossing, roads leading to their community had been further damaged as a result of flooding.

The story is not different with residents of Ope-Ilu, RAFCO, Agbado and Agbado crossing as they looked forward to government coming to their aid.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Biodun Oyeleye, said government was aware of the flooding situation in the affected communities and that the challenge will soon be a thing of the past.

He explained that his ministry and that of Works and Infrastructure, had identified areas where water would be directed to, saying this would materialise by the time government completes work on the road construction that passes through the communities.

Oyeleye said, “We are in the know that residents of these areas are experiencing the problem of flooding. The state government is constructing road from Ijoko through those areas, and it is very certain that drainages will be constructed to accomodate water and with this, the problem will be over.

“We are appealing to the residents to exercise patience with government, as work will soon starts on the road and the necessary things will be done.”

25 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Charting new course for Agric development in South -West

The Kakanfo Inn in Ibadan came alive on Sunday, May 29, when people from diverse walks of life came together with the Olubadan of Ibadan land, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Ogungunniso 1 to chart a new course for the development of Agriculture, entrepreneurship, commerce and services in the Yoruba Society. TUNDE OGUNESAN reports.

From left; Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Chief Convener, “lunch with Olubadan”, Chief Ayoade Babajide and the Lecturer, Babatunde Ogunyemi of Thelma Farms Limited at the occasion.

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HAT the economic situation in the country needs urgent attention is no more news to the people as the country can no longer depend on oil for sustenance based on the myriad of challenges facing the country; bickering and internal politics, resource control and pipeline vandalism. For this reason, friends of the palace and other stakeholders came together to deliberate on ways to re-engineer and re-produce the consciousness of a South Western business group in today’s youth in a programme tagged, “Lunch with Olubadan”. The sitting came up with techniques of moving the south west forward agriculturally with the aid of a “Yoruba practical farmer” to share from his world, how he has been able to use agriculture to sustain himself and create a viable business.

First to bell the cat was the facilitator of the programme, Chief Babajide Ayoade, who stressed the need for the Yoruba to come together and collectively channel a new economic course for the region through agriculture.

According to Chief Ayoade “This programme is part of our contribution to contribute our own course to the economic development of Yoruba nation. It was targeted at brainstorming on the way forward for the Yoruba people in the face of the dwindling economic fortunes being experienced in the country.

“You will agree with me that apart from the economy of our great country that has continually call for diversification, the Yoruba need to urgently find a way

of being contributors not managers of Nigeria’s economy, and the only way to do that is to go back to our best, which is agriculture. Farming is our business, we understand it and that is what we know how to do best.

With this, we can really position ourselves as a veritable option for the diversification of Nigeria’s economy.”

Ayoade further called for the diversification of the nation’s economy through agriculture, adding that it was the only sustainable, profitable and economic-propelling sector.

Today, we export four tonnes of `Ewedu’ to Europe on a weekly basis. When you plant vegetable, it grows in 45 days and N1000 seeds of vegetable can plant an acre of farmland.

In his charge, Prince Raimi Adetunji, on behalf of the Olubadan, called on Yoruba sons and daughters to return to agriculture in the face of the lingering economic downturn.

Oba Adetunji revealed that the Yoruba region had, in the past, blossomed with Agriculture as the major source of its economic earnings, describing it as a great source of livelihood bequeathed unto them by their forefathers.

He noted that past leaders of the region had also achieved tremendous infrastructural and socio development because they embraced agriculture with their utmost desire to transform the region.

He stressed the need for the Yoruba people to collectively return back to their farmlands, which he said was more profitable and comfortable in the face of economic crisis.

“We must collectively ensure that the region does not go backward. We are known for playing the pacesetting role in all. We have a rich culture, tradition that is cherished across the globe.

“We are known for being creative, knowledgeable, hardworking, honest, accommodating, enterprising, and with the display of high level of morals and humility. All these are virtues bequeathed on to us by our fore fathers as what the Yoruba culture and tradition teach and upheld,’’ he said.

The Chief Executive Officer, Thelma Farms Limited, Mr Babatunde Ogunyemi, in his lecture, “The dynamics of channeling. New course for Yoruba entrepreneurship”, noted that with the teeming population in the region, there is need to go back to farm.

He also lamented the dearth of skilled manpower in the region, saying the attention that has shifted to Okada business is more of a curse than a blessing to the region.

Ogunyemi, a banker, who returned from the United Kingdom (UK) to embrace farming, said he never regretted the decision. He said that the region was blessed with arable land and favourable weather condition to match, apart from other mineral resources it is blessed with.

He then added that Agriculture as a profession is not for the poor again, a reason, he said has consistently discouraged youths from pursuing a career in the farm.

He however advised that with the current situation in food production in the world, no community is food sufficient, hence, a reason which makes all agriculture produce disappear in the market.

“I am using 150 acres of land for farming and I have been supplying my produce to corporate bodies and multinationals. Okada business in the region’s business sphere has eroded the interest and commitment of the youths to agriculture because it is no more enterprising to them,’’ he said.

The Ijebu-born farmer said that there was no community in the country that is food sufficient, urging the people to go back to the farms for guaranteed food security and improved living standard.

Ogunyemi said that the demand for the local `Ewedu’ and `Soko’ vegetables in the UK cannot be met, saying the local vegetables now has high foreign value.

“Today, we export four tonnes of `Ewedu’ to Europe on a weekly basis. When you plant vegetable, it grows in 45 days and N1000 seeds of vegetable can plant an acre of farmland. It is good to note that vegetables harvested from an acre of land have a foreign value of £2,300 when exported,’’ he said.

He advocated the establishment of the King’s farm (Oko Oba) in Ibadan, saying he would be willing to give necessary support as a motivation to the subjects to return to their farmlands.

The event was attended by Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, Asiwaju of Ibadanland, Chief Akinade Fijabi, Asiwaju, and a host of others.

26 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Dredging site at Ologuneru. PHOTOS: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Ibadan floodplains, rivers, collapsing bridges

Ibadan, the Oyo State capital appears to be a synonym for flood going by its record of flood and the attendant havoc in the past few years. LAOLU AFOLABI examines, in this report, whether this is an act of God, human factor, environmental factor or a combination of the points. His report.

O

H! Who have I offended? Why did this happen to me? All my belongings are gone. Why must this happen at this time?” were on the lips of many of victims of Ibadan flood while recounting their ordeals at Gbekuba, Apata, Ibadan and Omi-Adio area in Ido Local Government Area of the state, last week. It was, indeed, tale of woes. Many people were rendered homeless; some had their properties destroyed while valuables and wares of many others got lost in a ravaging flood that followed a “gentle” rain of that fateful Wednesday night.

To many, the gods must actually be angry, at least to have unleashed such unfortunate calamity on the people at this time of economic distress. Residents of Gbekuba area of Apata had many of their houses pulled down by the flood. Some perimeter fences gave way for the floodwater, cars and others valuables got destroyed. A popular farm in the area lost undisclosed number of birds and fishes to the flood. Traders in Omi-Adio would not recover from the shock in time, as they also lost fortunes to the incident. They never dreamt that their meadow would be engulfed by ravaging floodwater, emptying their goods into the furious Omi River.

In 2011, there was a similar occurrence. The flood at the time also followed a “gentle” rain which was on for almost a day. The resultant effect was the flooding of some areas in the town. Houses were submerged, vehicles damaged and washed ashore. Houses along Ona River and Ogunpa River, from Ibuko end were affected. Those at the Eleiyele plain also suffered blows. Many bridges on some of the rivers collapsed, giving way for whatever on them to become submersible. Some people got drowned and there were many casualties.

The incident of 2011, though fresh in memory, was, however, not the first in the city. In 1960, more than 1,000 residents were rendered homeless when the Ogunpa River exceeded its banks. More than 500 houses were damaged in 1963 when the river again flooded the city. In 1978, official record confirmed that 32 bodies were retrieved from the ruins of the flood, even as more than 100 houses were destroyed. It was, however, the flood of 1980 that gave

“Ogunpa” a national and international notoriety. After about 10 hours of downpour recorded as four times heavier than it was during the 1978 flood, Ibadan was virtually left in ruins. More than 100 bodies were retrieved from the debris of collapsed houses and vehicles washed away by the deluge. Alas! The days of Omiyale may be here again, God forbids.

A pertinent question to ask is: Why is the resurgence of flooding in Ibadan? The trend from 2011 showed that the days of 70s spanning to its submersible state in 1980 may be here. From 1960 to 1963, 1978 and finally the catastrophe of 1980 seems to follow the pattern of 2011 to 2016 and who knows when again. Until 1970, Ibadan was the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa. The developed land area of Ibadan increased from 100 hectares in 1830 to more than 400km2 at present. The reasons for growth, according to Professor Samuel Babatunde Agbola in his 2013 Adegoke Adelabu Memorial Lecture, with the title: “Masterplan for Ibadan,” were the presence of railway station in Ibadan at that time; the city itself being the administrative headquarters of the Western Nigeria and later Western Region; the 1948 founding of the University College, which later became University of Ibadan; the presence of the University College Hospital, the first in West Africa and many others.

Despite growth in population, the rate of urbanisation in Ibadan is, however, very low. The population was over

Today, rolling hills and intervening waters are continuously being decimated, while forest reserves are being misused, vandalised and even destroyed.

60,000 in 1856, over 200,000 in 1890; 238,094 in 1921; 386,359 in 1931 and, according to 2006 census estimates, the population was 2,550,593. The projected estimate for 2010, using 3.2 per cent growth rate is about 2,893,137 and 3,191,339 for 2013. Ibadan continues to expand in land mass and population. In its anthem, it is concluded that Ibadan is a city filled with migrants and the development had led to exponential increase in its population. As the population increases, therefore, the hydrological system of the town is continuously being tampered with.

Speaking on the development, the Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer, CENRAD, Ibadan, Dr Jide Ladipo, an expert on forestry, said destruction of hydrological system, deforestation, dredging of hills without recourse to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), dumping of wastes on water courses, among others, are reasons flood will stay longer in Ibadan. Topographies, he noted, are created over thousands of years and it is part of the hydrological system of the environment. Changes and dislocation of hills, mountains and stabilised topographies through dredging for sand, according to him, will result in total destabilisation of the hydrological system which the forest had been created by the nature to control.

After massive deforestation earlier by the people, the colonial government restored the watershed in 1958, with the conservator of the forest, Mr Thompson, seeing to massive planting of trees on all water courses in Ibadan. Gene bank was cultivated and established to combat flooding and degradation of the topography. The development, Dr Ladipo said, was to restore the hydrological system in the city. Among the water courses he listed were Eleiyele Lake, which was established in 1941; Alalubosa Lake; Agodi Lake, etc. These days, however, he lamented that rivers are disappearing with indication of massive erosion going on, leaving many rivers with red earth water, instead of clean water.

The Eleiyele lake has lost 60 per cent of its depth. The remaining 40 per cent cannot take the water it was originally Continues on pg27

27 thesouth-west Continues from pg26

designed to hold.

The British colonial government had established forest reserves between 1916 and 1941. They were Alalubosa forest reserves in 1916; Ogunpa forest reserves in 1931; Oke Aremo forest reserves in 1932 and Eleiyele forest reserves in 1941.

Trees like cassia, teak, lagerstroemia, among others were planted to populate the forest. By 1984, however, the vegetal cover of the land mass of Ibadan had reduced drastically, giving way to urban development. In 12 years, between 1972 and 1984, according to Professor Agbola in his article, about 17.14km2 of vegetal cover disappeared yearly and by 2012, total percentage of land use for settlement was 72.5; vegetal cover, 26.2 and water body having 1.4 per cent. Between 1984 and 2000, there was great urban development as a result of influx of people into the town. This shows that the city is being taken over spontaneously by anthropogenic activities but it is regrettable that the town has no functional master plan.

Ibadan is surrounded by seven hills. There is the Oke Mapo, Oke Aremo, Mokola, Oke Ado, Oke Are, Oke Bola and Oke’badan. All these hills form the topography of the town.

Also with the hills are rivers, streams and lakes. Aside the Eleiyele and Agodi lakes, there is the Omi River, Ona River (popularly called Odo Ona). There is also the Alalubosa river, Onireke river, Oniyere river, Ogbere river, among others.

Those who founded the city actually thought of water, as it is essential to their survival. So its natural water courses are part of the hydrological system stabilising the topography.

In the words of Dr Ladipo, the hydrological system had been traumatised, especially with the impact of dredging by tippers, leaving rivers in the town silted and reduced in size and volume. Eleiyele Lake, for instance, he said had lost about 60 per cent of its depth to silt. What it could only contain is 40 per cent of its original volume of water. With the level of disruption, according to him, it will take another 500 years to stabilise the topography.

Today, rolling hills and intervening waters are con- Eleiyele/Ologuneru river. tinuously being decimated, while forest reserves are being misused, vandalised and even destroyed. According to Professor Agbola, Aremo forest reserves have given rise to residential buildings; Ogunpa forest reserves host Oba Akinbiyi schools; Eleiyele forest reserves now being used for industrial, commercial and residential activities. A visit to the once famous reserves showed humans daring the nature. There is illegal fishing exercise at the Eleiyele and Agodi lakes. Residential buildings around Eleiyele had their wastes dumped into it, thereby increasing its silt. A dangerous trend will likely occur in case of persistent rain. There is the likelihood of overflowing its bank by the lake, resulting in the flooding of surrounding residences, since there are no grasses and trees around, as they had been felled. The reddish colour around the Oke’badan, near the Eleiyele water works showed that if given to be furious again, the water may overrun its bank and surrounding houses and even floodplain of Ologuneru may suffer the consequences.

Also at the Alalubosa reserves, the trees are gone, with residential buildings sprawling the entire landmass. The river managed to run its course amidst residences sprawling the environment. The lake was established to cater for railway steam engine at that time. Alalubosa is the waterheads of rivers in Ibadan and it flows into the Ona river. It is also a tributary to the Omi River. The lake was destroyed as a result of anthropogenic activities, but the Alalubosa river

Agodi lake, also reduced in volume capacity

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

‘Why persistent flooding may continue in Ibadan’

Building on the water course at Alalubosa Estate.

Dilapidated bridge at Soka. PHOTO: OLAWALE OLANIYAN is not being given attention. The floodplain of Alesinloye Market and its surrounding buildings may be the recipients of its fury. Water will always find its courses and in doing that, any obstruction may be submerged. The development was partly the reason for the recent flooding of Gbekuba and Omi-Adio.

Corroborating this, the Executive Director of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Dr Sola Adepoju, said the lake at Alalubosa must be re-established to serve as buffer for the sum waters in the area. According to him, the lake would be able to accommodate more volume of water which had hitherto been causing flooding in Gbekuba and Omi Adio areas of the town.

Most of the Ibadan hills had been turned to plains as a result of consistent dredging and quarrying of the earth, sand and gravel in the reserves. Physical developments have devastatingly wasted most of the city’s natural resources, including the water bodies, the hills and the forest. The Mokola hills had the Agodi lake to contain its sum water.

The lake as it is presently, had enough silt and had reduced in its volume capacity. There is the natural tendency to overrun the bridge and surmount nearby barriers. The reserves of Oke Aremo are completely gone. A visit to the place showed enormous human activities without a recourse to nature. The reserves in front of the University College Hospital had also given ways to buildings, including the famous Professor Ogunlesi Hall.

“Ibadan should be thankful for the sustenance and continuous dredging of the lake at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), which had sustained Shasha and its environs. IITA created about 50 hectares of land for its dam.

People from Oyo, Iseyin and others adjoining towns have to thank IITA. The lake is a respectable of waters from towns around the area. It absorbs flood water andeleiyele sum water and saves the environment from flooding and distortion of its topography. Deforestation has cost us a lot of problems,” he stressed.

There are also collapsing bridges across rivers in most areas in the town. Since most of the rivers are filled to brim whenever it rains, bridges on the rivers are being washed off, exposing passers-by, including motorists, to dangers.

A man met his untimely death after he attempted to cross

over the bridge on an extension of Odo Ona in Soka. He had thought the bridge was still intact, not knowing it had been washed off by the erosion. He stepped in and was drowned.

Most bridges across rivers in the town may not stand the test of time, as they may collapse anytime soon. To know if erosion is happening in Ibadan whenever it rains, a drive around the town showed that many rivers have murky and brownish water, an indication of erosion.

To remedy the situation, Dr Ladipo suggested dredging of all water bodies and lakes. He said the Alalubosa river should be allowed to run its course and should, therefore, be dredged to maintain its course as it was before the establishment of the lake. The lake, he said was established to serve the locomotive engines of trains, but since it is now derelict, the government could have established a park around it, just like Agodi Garden. Since the lake is now no longer used, the water course should be allowed to run and the river dredged and linked to River Ona. The government, according to him, should ensure penalties for defaulters who engage in quarrying without permit. They must be ready to carry out the EIA and adopt the United Nations standards that every mining must go with re-grassing and reforestation of such areas. There should be massive river shed development, while buildings along the water courses must be pulled down. All channels and courses of water receptacles must be free from obstacles.

Government must put in place an enforcement system, no land must be dredged or break up without evaluation by the ministry of environment. No permit must be given to cut the forest. The World Bank project must address issues, including dredging of Eleiyele, Odo Ona, and other water bodies. There must be re-vegitation and re-grassing on the water line and reforestation of Ibadan hills. The invasion of Aladura churches of the hills in Ibadan is also affecting the hydrological system.

To combat the flooding, Dr Adepoju said even if the gene bank were to be restored, it may take another 50 years for the trees to grow, adding that the immediate solution to the perennial flooding is the re-establishment of the lake at Alalubosa. To do this, however, most of the houses that were constructed on the water courses would have to give way for the re-establishment of the lake.

28 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

This garment from my grandfather exposed me to kingmakers —Oba Daramola

The Olora of Oke Ira, Ekiti State, Oba Peter Ojo Daramola speaks with SAM NWAOKO on the history of the town, circumstances surrounding the emergence of Olora, relevance of Oke Ora festival among other issues. His report.

I

N the Oke Ora palace is a list of the monarchs that had ruled the community from the 16th century. Oba Peter Ojo Daramola, the current Olora of Oke Ora, had built a colourful board he called “Roll of Honour of Oloras from 1730 to date”, which he has placed in a conspicuous corner in the palace forecourt.

Oba Daramola, during an interaction with Nigerian Tribune in his palace, in Oke Ora, explained that the list of his predecessors gives a unique summary of the Oke Ora people: “Tidy, united, tenacious and hardworking with a rich sense of history.”

Oba Daramola said “I am the 13th Olora Oke Ora since we began to keep records.”

And he has made the best of the throne since he formally became the Olora on February 22, 2009.” Among other things, he has expanded the palace and given it a form of modernity. The story of Oke Ora community in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State is unique in several ways. Beginning with its monarch, who is the senior of the trio of Oke Ora, Ilogbe and Orin and its affiliates in the Ejio fraternity, Oke Ora-Ekiti has a rich history which places it atop as a historical power.

Oba Daramola said he was divinely picked to rule over the people of Oke Ora while he had no material means, nor was he in any way in contention for the throne. “Those who went in search of who would be the new king were told that none of the names they had brought was their king and that their king is a young person who is literally

just starting life. He had been chosen by the ancestors of the land but you wouldn’t know. He usually wears the garment of a king which you wouldn’t notice. And I happen to have been occasionally wearing the clothes of my grandfather, who reigned as the Olora of Oke Ora between 1934 and 1953, which was inherited by my father.”

On the history and uniqueness of his community, Oba Daramola narrated: “We migrated from Oke Ora, an extant community in Ile Ife. The man that led us from Ile Ife was said to be Obagbua, who was also described as a very powerful and highly revered priest. He was so close to the Ooni that the Ooni was said to have given him a crown. Obagbua was the priest of Oban-

The Ikosun was a veritable way of curbing social vices in the community. People who had acted in various bad ways or committed vices would be hearing of their seemingly hidden deeds being sung by the various groups.

ifon. At some point, he was said to have informed the Ooni that Olofin had said it wanted to migrate, and he notified the Ooni, who was said to have given his blessing since the Obanifon had decided to migrate.

Obalogbe, Ilogbe in Ifaki; the Oba Oye of Orin, and the Olora of Oke Ora are related.

Obalogbe in Ifaki is the only one that can announce the passage of an Olora, his elder brother and Olora.

“Afayun or Oro Ereju is the mother of all our celebrations in Oke Ora. It is usually celebrated in August and all the 21 affiliate communities to Oke Ora participate in the celebration. The communities send their representatives. They are the Ilogbo in Ido, Ifaki, Aaye, Orin, Ilogbo, Usi, Osi, Ifishin, Igbole, Ayegbaju, Ilupeju, Esure ... Let’s say all the communities in Ido/Osi except Ayetoro. All the communities in Ido/Osi are affiliated to Oke Ora when it comes to the issue of Oro Ereju. Traditionally we are so big. It is even sang during the festival that “when it comes to the issue of Ejio, Oke Ora is the father.” Thus, Ejio or the Oro Ereju is a unifying organisation and you must be initiated before you can be called Ejio. The Olora Oke Ora is the head.

“In those days, it was a potent method of easy governance of the community. It is a way to control social vices because whatever the community places a ban on or what is viewed as wrong, all must abide by that. It was also a means of solidarity because those communities in Ejio do not fight one another, I never heard that and they don’t steal from one another. It is a taboo. This is because they see themselves as one family.

“However, the advent of Christianity has greatly reduced the number of those in the

Nigerian Tribune

fraternity. Some communities even have their kings saying that they don’t want to belong to Ejio any longer but their people have insisted that they would still do it.

Apart from the Ejio, we have the Ode Festival celebrated by my second in command.

His dance is warlike and he does it with swords. There is also the Olofin (which we brought from Ile Ife), celebrated by the Odogun, the third in command in the community. The fourth in command celebrates the Elefon Festival. My own festival is known as the Ikosun Festival.

“The Ikosun Festival sets us apart as a people. When you look at the chart of the Oloras before me, you will see dates of their reign and not a few people had asked me how we arrived at the dates and they think that we just gambled to arrive at the exact dates as we have stated them. No, we didn’t. And that’s courtesy of the uniqueness of the Ikosun Festival of the Olora of Oke Ora. “For each annual Ikosun, they would weave a new garment for the king and dye it with osùn (camwood). So, for every annual Ikosun celebration, the Olora wears newly-dyed clothes to the arena (òde Ìkòsùn).

Upon returning from the arena, he would remove the clothes and store them in the òke) chest in his chambers known as “Akodi Imoyun”. The following year, he would also appear in new clothes, which he would also store in that chest afterwards. So, when that king exits, they would count the number of Ikosun Festival clothes in the chest in his chamber and that would easily give the number of years he had reigned.

“Another unique aspect of it all is that the clothes are well-preserved. They did not get spoilt. Meanwhile, before the ascension of another king to the throne, the Ikosun festival is celebrated by a regent. For the regent, they made a white garment instead of the red for the king, which is the natural colour of osùn (camwood). After each year, the white clothes worn by the regent to the arena (Òde Ìkòsùn) are placed on the chest containing the clothes worn by the departed king, because the regent is forbidden from entering the king’schamber (Akodi Imoyun). That way too, we knew how long the regent stood in for the king.

That was the tradition until Oba Adetumbi Arejeregbe I ascended the throne in 1928. Oba Adetumbi, who reigned till 1933, had a son who attended a missionary school in those days. His son, who also later became the king and had reigned between 1979 and 2000, was taught the essence of all the chests in the kings’ chambers. That is what happens in the “Ìpèbi”, they teach the princes the history and traditions of the community. So, the son of Oba Adetumbi Arejeregbe I, Oba Raphael Adekunle Areje Arejeregbe II, was shown each of the boxes or chests of clothes and was told their owners as they were arranged in the chambers.

He wrote them down and calculated their years of reign based on the number of the red clothes. He counted from his father backwards to 1730 when Oba Onileogun reigned. That is how he came out with the records.

“Following the advent of records, we stopped the making of new clothes annually. I have a red garment I have made for the Ikosun festival and since they are records of my ascension to the throne, we felt there’s no need for yearly new clothes because that’s one of the purposes.

“Secondly, the Ikosun was a veritable way of curbing social vices in the community.

People who had acted in various bad ways or committed vices would be hearing of their seemingly hidden deeds being sung by the various groups. Some people had even been said to have run from town when the deeds became blown open. A man told his son this morning that was making so much demands of him that he could not steal and therefore become a subject of Ikosun songs. That’s how effective the Ikosun can be.”

29

Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

with Soji-Eze Fagbemi m:08179047919 e:sojiezek@yahoo.co.uk

Why TUC gave Kaigama another term Soji Eze Fagbemi and Olatunde Dodondawa

T

HE Trade Union Congress (TUC) has just concluded its historic 10th Triennial Delegates Conference where election of new officers that will steer the affairs for another three years took place.

However, it was unanimously agreed by all delegates present that the outgoing President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, should be given another chance to steer the affairs of the Union for another three years.

The over 2.5 million members represented by their delegates and affiliates said Kaigama has transformed the TUC from being spectators to investors in the Nigerian economy. This he has achieved through his leadership qualities and dedication to them selflessly.

Among his achievements in last three years is the acquisition of 57 per cent stake in Unity Bank Plc which has transformed the TUC to the majority shareholders of the bank.

When asked why he did it, Kaigama explained that for too long, “we have left our future in the hands of others. We have watched helplessly as government organisations have been bought by private individuals who single handedly decide the fate and future of our members.”

Another milestone achievement is the setting up of $1billion TUC Economic Development Fund as a vehicle to actualise TUC Economic Development Plan.

According to him, “The TUC leadership has worked with seasoned investors and globally respected consultants to develop a TUC Economic Development Plan. When the plan is fully implemented, the TUC will become an economic force to reckon with.

“We believe by becoming an economic power force we would have a stronger voice, we can negotiate better working conditions for our members, own businesses that will create employment for our members, provide loans to our members when they are in service and after they retire from service, provide additional income streams for our members and affiliates, and also help the government and people of our dear country achieve the much desired but elusive economic development etc.

“Through this plan, the TUC will mobilise resources from its members, affiliates, its partners and other investors to invest in a number of critical assets across different sectors of the Nigerian economy.

By so doing, TUC and its members can take advantage of existing in-

vestment opportunities in lucrative areas such as financial services, power, housing, agriculture, oil and gas, infrastructure, etc.

“TUC has set up a $1 Billion TUC Economic Development Fund as a vehicle to actualise the TUC Economic Development Plan. This fund will be used to make strategic investments into the different sectors of the economy. Part of this fund will be set aside to provide loans and the required technical assistance for our members to set up and run bankable businesses when they retire from service.

“TUC and its members will be given the opportunity to invest into and benefit from these various businesses by subscribing to the TUC Economic Development Fund. I am delighted to announce that from this month of June, each member will be given an opportunity to invest at least N50, 000 into this fund. There is an incredible interest in this fund already but our members and their families will be given priority to invest. By so doing, our members will be joining the TUC movement of “taking our future into our own hands.”

Kaigama is also at the fore front of the agitation for new minimum wage for Nigerians at large. He argued that present minimum wage was due for review and he and his partners have forced the government to commence negotiation on the new minimum wage.

He frowned at huge salaries being given to former governors and other government officials while in service and after service. He stated that times are hard,’ ‘the economy is not doing well,’ ‘the price of crude has nose-dived’ and ‘my state is not an oil-producing state’ are some of

the tales we hear whenever workers make demands for better wages.

The congress is pained by the fact that over 20 former governors, their deputies as well as former senators and ministers in the present dispensation still earn fat salaries and allowances from their states and the Federal Government even at this time when many states claim to be struggling to pay salaries.

NLC writes Fayose, Mimiko, Ajimobi over unpaid salaries, arrest of Labour leaders Soji-Eze Fagbemi

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and the President, Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, Comrade Bobboi Kaogama, at the 10th Triennial Delegates Conference of TUC, held in Abuja. Photo: Soji-Eze Fagbemi.

AUPCTRE laments FG, State Govts failure to implement New Pension Act 2014 Calls on govt to comply with Act Soji-Eze Fagbemi THE Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical And Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), has lamented the failure of the Federal Government, states and local government to implement the New Pension Act 2014, in favour of Nigerian workers.

The union has, therefore, called on all tiers of government to fully comply with the provisions of the Act and implement it for all workers, so that the workers can have something to fall back on after retirement.

General Secretary of the Union, Comrade Yusuf Lekke Zambuk, who gave the AUPCTRE position, while setting the direction of the 20th Plenary Session of the National Governing Council/AUPCTRE Week in Abuja, regretted that this, and other factors have no doubt posed grave challenge to the

survival of an average worker and common man and therefore calls for serious concern.

Comrade Zambuk said “The New Pension Act 2014 part 11 Section 5 has provided for group Life Insurance Policy in favour of each employee for a minimum of three times the annual total emolument of the employee and the premium is expected to be paid not later than the date of commencement of the cover.

“But as at date, neither the Federal Government, states nor local government in Nigeria have implemented this policy in favour of employees. It is surprising however that the political office holders enjoy retirement benefits inclusive of medical, car, furniture etc after serving their four-year tenure but nothing is being said about serving public officials by the Federal Government, states and local governments.”

However, the NGC-in-session

has called on the organised labour, which is a Pan Nigerian Organisation and a defender of democratic values, to unite and rise up to effectively engage the political class to ensure that the dividends of democracy are not lost.

President of AUPCTRE, Comrade Solomon Adrlegan, said the NGC-in-session has resolved that, the engagement between the political class and the organized labour will be on a continuous basis in order to achieve this basic objective.

Reading the communiqué issued after the session, he said the union has further resolved and called on the political class to reduce cost of governance at all levels.

On the security challenges in the country, the AUPCTRE President said the union has resolved and called on the Federal Government to use dialogue with a view to resolving the perceived grievances of the Boko Haram and Niger Delta Avengers.

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has written the governors of Ekiti, Ondo and Oyo states, calling for their urgent intervention over unpaid salaries and pensions in their states, which has led to strike action in the state.

In different letters signed by the President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, and addressed to each of the governors, the congress requested for the governors “urgent re-consideration and intervention in the matter of non-payment of salaries and pensions.”

Wabba said “We are not unaware of the present socio-economic challenges in the country. However, in our estimation, this should not be an acceptable reason for not paying five months salaries and pensions at the level of the state, and four months salaries and pensions at the level of local government and teachers.

“You do not need a lecture from anyone, to know that non-payment of salaries and pensions for months on end, constitutes a crime against the workers, pensioners and their families whose lives and obligation to man and God and their sense of self-worth have been put in jeopardy.”

In another letter to the Oyo State governor, the congress expressed outrage at the “harassment, arrest and detention of our members in Oyo State by the Oyo State Police Command for peacefully protesting against the sale of public schools in the guise of Public-Private Partnership (PPP).”

He added: “The right to peaceful protest against a wrong is guaranteed by the 1999 constitution (as amended), Labour/ Trade Union Laws, ILO Conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory and Human Rights Laws and cannot be abridged by the Police or any agency of government.”

30

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

with Bode Adewumi

m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

Unsolicited calls\SMS: NATCOMS wants

NCC to ensure total compliance Stories by Bode Adewumi

A

S the countdown to the June 30 deadline issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to telecommunications operators in the country to stop the barrage of unsolicited text messages (SMS) and calls to subscribers’ lines draw nearer, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) has called on the NCC to ensure total compliance by the operators so that subscribers would have reprieve from the menace.

According to the association in an interview by its president, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, the call became imperative in view of the shoddy handling of past directives to the operators, saying the subscribers are not usually the beneficiaries of past sanctions by the NCC against erring network operators.

The NCC had last month warned telecoms operators to desist from sending subscribers unsolicited text messages and calls or risk severe sanctions, saying they have till June 30, 2016, as the deadline for compliance.

Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, gave the warning at the 77th Edition of the Telecoms Consumer Parliament in Abuja, saying that based on the general complaints of subscribers over unsolicited text messages and calls, the commission issued a directive to telecoms operators to dedicate a short code 2442, on their networks for use by subscribers to opt-in to a “Do- NOT-DISTURB” database to register their numbers against unsolicited text messages.

A report quoted a source which said the NCC has prescribed a fine of N5 million fine and a further N500, 000 per day also for erring operators for as long as the contravention persists.

The affected Mobile Network operators (MNO) (13 in all) were issued with the directive and include, MTN, Airtel, Smile, Etisalat, Globacom and Visafone. Others are Starcomms, Megatech Engineering Limited, Gicell Wireless Limited, Danjay Telecoms, Gamjitel, Multilinks and Natcoms.

But Ogunbanjo, who said subscribers had been treated unfairly for a long time by the telecoms operators, said more often than not, the operators were very heady and usually do not heed the regulator’s directives.

According to him, a case in point was when the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu hosted Chief Executive Officers of telecoms operators in his office in Abuja where he sounded a note of warning to them to desist from sending unsolicited text messages

and calls through their networks, or face sanctions.

He said the minister also told them to stop from under-declaring their revenue and profit, as this criminal act short-changes the government in its revenue generation. Ogunbanjo said the minister also warned them to ensure they roll over unused data from previous month to the following month, but that up till now;

the operators were yet to comply.

He posited that it was on this basis that the association is calling on the NCC to ensure total compliance to this latest directive, adding that it was a good step in the right direction.

He stressed that it was not out of place for operators to send text messages about their services but that the NCC must ask them to

limit such windows to two. He explained that those two windows should be when a subscriber loads an airtime or ask for account balance, saying such information could be passed at these two times.

The NATCOMS boss also carpeted the Value Added Services (VAS) providers insisting that they are partners in crime with the telecoms operators.

From left, President, Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria, Mr Remi Afon; Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa, Mrs Nkemdilim Nweke; Chairman of the Occasion, President, Nigeria Computer Society, Professor Adesola Aderounmu; Manager, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Social Media, Mr Ifeanyi Aniagoh; Manager, Broadband and Converged Solution Phase3 Telecoms, Mr Yemi Adedoyin; DigitalSENSE Lead Strategist/Group Executive Editor, Mr Remmy Nweke; during the closing ceremony of the 2-day 2016 DigitalSENSE Africa Forum in Lagos, last week.

Economic downturn worked against sale of 2.6Ghz spectrum—ATCON boss THE apathy that greeted the recent auction process of the 2.6 gigahertz (Ghz) spectrum carried out by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was due to the current economic downturn in the country.

President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr Olusola Teniola, disclosed this at a media interaction held in Lagos at the weekend.

According to him, the NCC’s recent spectrum sales, the lack of interest expressed by both local and foreign investors in the auction was not as a result of any ‘unfriendly regulatory matters’ but rather due to the economic situation in the country.

He said “The timing of the planned spectrum came at the time most investors were monitoring the unstable economic situations in the country, especially the variation in the exchange rates of Naira to dollars.

“The volatile economic situation in Nigeria has not given the investors the confidence to bring in their money into the telecoms industry regarding the recent sales of 2.6Ghz spectrum.

“It is the environment and timing of macro economics that have caused the poor interest expressed

in the spectrum auction. The uncertainty that we had and still have around the monetary policy has been discouraging and no investor would like to invest in a market and see his investment value down by almost 10 per cent in few months.”

Teniola, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Internet Solution Limited, also lamented the current forex resection to telecoms industry.

“The sooner we are able to address the issue of forex availability to telecoms players, the better for the industry. Telecoms should be put on priority list in terms of forex accessibility and this should be adopted as parts of a strategic vision of the government because IT has become an enabler of economic development,” he added.

It would be recalled that the NCC had on May 20, explained why the 2.6Ghz spectrum auction slated for May 17 to 19 did not hold, as earlier planned.

Director of Public Affairs at NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo, said it was because only one company bided a development which, he said, had foreclosed the need for an auction.

Meanwhile, Teniola has challenged rich businessmen to invest

in the nation’s telecoms industry instead of taking their money abroad, saying the only major source of investment, which has grown the industry is from abroad.

He, however, said that while the country is targeting a 30 per cent broadband penetration in the country from its current 10 per cent, greater investment is needed to support national backup infrastructure to accelerate the attainment of the target.

The ATCON President also harped on the need for adequate local contents to drive broadband access in the country, as according to him, “We need contents to drive broadband because content is issue today. In Denmark, you can get 1GB of broadband speed but content is an issue. So, we need to develop enough local contents to move through the big broadband pipe.”

He also called on the government to work with the industry players in order to overcome the problem of last-mile connectivity, saying there was a need for government to create more enabling environment, where competition brought about by interaction between demand and supply will bring about service affordability of consumers.

Nigerian Tribune

New Internet protocol version to address future internet population —Stakeholders

THE Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) late last week announced that the Internet Protocol Version Six (IPv6) would address the future population on the internet worldwide.

Mr Muhammed Rudman, the Managing Director, IXPN, disclosed this during the 2016 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Africa Forum with the title “Creating Opportunities for all Nigerians with IPv6.”

Rudman, while discussing on the topic: ‘Status update of IPv6 in the spectrum’ added that the country had adopted the version but that regrettably internet network operators had partial usage of the version.

He said that the new version came into existence when the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) in 2011 disclosed that the IPv4 was going into extinction and as such would not be enough for global use.

He defined Internet Protocol as the method by which “data is sent from one computer to another on the internet.”

“Out of the 115 networks in the country, 35 of them have adopted the IPv6 and of which about two to three networks are partially using the version.

“The IPv6 will enable billions of new users, billion of new devices, register over 300 million domains and will accommodate more Top Level Domain.

“Internet protocol allows all connection to the Internet having sufficient addresses.

IHS to spend N197b on renewable energy solution to power BTS

IHS Towers, one of the largest mobile telecommunications infrastructure provider in Africa, which currently controls all the 16,000 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), belonging to all GSM companies in the country, has revealed that it spends N2.6 billion monthly on diesel, to power the base stations.

The Co-founder and Interim Chief Executive Officer, IHS Nigeria, Mr Mohamad Darwish, who made the disclosure in Lagos recently, said: “the company now controls 16,000 BTS belonging to four GSM operators in the country, having recently acquired the majority shares and operations of Helios Towers that hitherto controls some BTS of GSM operators, alongside IHS.” According to Darwish, IHS now spends a minimum of 20 million litres of diesel every month to power all the 16,000 BTS belonging to GSM operators that are located across the country, given the cost of diesel, which currently sells between N130 and N135 per litre.

Based on the huge spending on diesel alone, Darwish said IHS is considering investment in renewable energy solution, where it plans to spend N197 billion from 2016 to 2017 for the upgrade to renewable power system across its five locations in Africa, which comprises Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda and Zambia. IHS currently controls 23,300 BTS across the five African countries, where it currently operates.

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

with Chukwuma Okparaocha

m:08038984495 e: chukscop2005@gmail.com

Concrete roads use will help save $1bn annually

—Dangote

Stories by Chukwuma Okparaocha - Lagos

The NIESV 22nd president, Dr Bolarinde Patuonla-Ajayi (2nd left); his wife, Mrs Linda Patuonla-Ajayi and other NIESV council members, during the NIESV president’s investiture ceremony in Lagos, last week

RONTLINE business mogul and chairman of the Dangote Industries Ltd, Aliko Dangote, has said that Nigeria records economic losses estimated at about $1bn annually due to poor condition of the nation’s roads, a situation he said can be remedied through the use of cement in road construction instead of the conventional bitumen.

The renowned businessman made this known last week during the commissioning of the all-concrete 26-Km Itori-Ibese Road, in Ogun State, built by AG-Dangote Construction Company Ltd, which is formed as a result of the partnership between leading construction company in Brazil, the Andrade Gutierrez Group and Dangote Industries Ltd. The 26-Km road was built as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the Dangote Industries Ltd to the nation, and it was gathered that more plans are already in the pipeline by the company to build more of such roads not only in Ogun State, where it has a huge investment pres-

ence, but in many other parts of the country.

The road which was commissioned by the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fasola, is expected to serve more than 10 adjoining communities and help usher in an era of booming business activities in that axis.

While reeling out some of the benefits of cement roads over bitumen/asphalt, Alhaji Dangote said cement roads, with a lifespan of over 40 years, and with very low maintenance cost, had been found to last far longer than bitumen roads, which have been estimated to have very short lifespan of 7-8 years.

He said, “An advantage of concrete roads is that cement, the basic raw material for construction is available locally and it is cheaper to use in the long run than bitumen, a petroleum-based product that is presently imported. As a matter of fact, in Nigeria, economic losses due to poor condition of our roads are estimated at about

F

$1bn annually. I believe that the introduction of concrete roads will enable the government to find lasting solution to the poor road network in the country, and also reduce the burden of constantly sourcing for funds to repair roads.”

“The Nigerian cement industry, as our contribution to finding a cost-effective and lasting solution to this problem, has been advocating the construction of concrete roads as a more viable alternative to asphalt roads. That is why we at Dangote Industries Limited, are venturing onto the construction of concrete roads. We will soon embark on the building of more concrete roads in other states of the federation,” he further stated.

According to him, the major infrastructural challenge that is faced in Nigeria today is lack of good and quality road, while noting that indeed, most of the nation’s highways are currently in a very deplorable condition due to lack of proper maintenance. “That is why travellers on our inter-state routes often spend longer hours on the roads than they

NIESV warns against incursions into estate agency profession THE management of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has raised the alarm over incursion of many professionals and individuals into the practice of estate agency; a development it says is giving the institution a bad name.

Led by its national president, Dr Bolarinde Patuonla-Ajayi, the institution has however warned that the institution would not sit by and watch its reputation smeared by unlawful practices of unrecognised estate agents, saying the institution was however ready to adequately equip anyone interested in practising estate agency with the right trainings and skills so that they could be certified to do so legally and professionally.

The NIESV President, Dr Patuonla-Ajayi, made this stance known on the occasion of reception luncheon of his investiture as the 22nd president of the institution in Lagos, last week. The event brought together many past presidents of the institution, where all stakeholders discussed on ways to move the profession of estate management forward.

Addressing his colleagues and others who graced the event in their scores,

Patuonla-Ajayi also gave the danger involved in patronising non-professionals when doing a deal on land or property, saying quite often, lands bought without the involvement of certified estate surveyors and valuers end up with different kinds of legal, communal and family problems sooner or later.

“When you think of acquiring land or property for a living house, farmland, office space, industrial projects, road network, airport/seaport, power lines, pipelines, tourism, site, and any type of use, it is always a better choice to approach the Estate Surveyors and Valuers to handle the acquisition for you. Reason; he or she must ensure that what you are acquiring has a good title. Whenever you have problem with our members, you can always seek redress from us to assist you to get them conform to the norms and code of conduct which protect the client from unprofessional practices which can adversely affect their clients. However, when you approached the owner directly or any agents down the road, the consequences are usually disastrous with unprofessional service and loss of resources,” he said.

On the issue of incursion into estate

agency practice, Patuonla-Ajayi said, “the incursion of many professionals and individuals into estate agency practice is giving the profession of estate agency a bad name. Estate agency is an important service, and should be practiced with full adherence to the code of conduct. We have commenced the programme to control Estate agency in Nigeria with the establishment of Association of Estate Agents and collaboration with Lagos State Government on the commenced. At the end of the day, Estate agency will become regulated and gives room for practitioners in the new Association to receive the training and start to practice.”

In his remarks, the president of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Mr Gabriel Fasoto, called for more ethical practices among all professional bodies in Nigeria, including NIESV, which is a member of APBN, while also assuring NIESV of APBN’s support to rid it of unwanted practitioners.

According to incursion into another person’s profession in itself is ‘corruption’ and this should be discouraged, not just in estate management practice, but in all spheres of the economy.

should. Obviously, this calls for a review of our existing method of building roads in Nigeria. Roads play an important role in the social and economic development of any nation,” the respected businessman said.

In his remarks, the Ogun state governor, in whose state, the project was sited, lauded the efforts of the Dangote Group, saying the state government was always ready to partner with any group or company who are ready to not just make money in the state, but also give back to the community in the form of CSR. While calling on Dangote to do more in Ogun State, where the company has multibillion dollars investments, the Governor premised his strong stance on the report that Ogun State is the one leading investment states in Nigeria, as it currently attracts about 75 per cent of all foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country.

“Ogun State is the home of investment in Nigeria, as it currently ranks in the top five in ease of doing business in Nigeria. Other companies doing business in Ogun State should emulate Dangote Industries Ltd’s initiatives,” Amosun stated Similarly, when commending the initiative to build the road, the Minister of Works, Mr Fashola posited that as a result of the newly constructed road, all adjoining lands and communities would never be the same, as a lot of economic activities and developments were set to follow.

“We also commemorate the preservation of the environment and the use of cement roads is one way to achieve this, as it helps reduce the frequency of bitumen maintenance.

“This is the season of Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). PPP is where companies get compensated monetarily for their investments, but in CSR, companies give back to the community, and Dangote Industries Ltd has done well in both regards,” Fashola said.

Meanwhile, one of the board members of AG-Dangote, Mr Ashif Juma, when reeling out more details of the project, noted that the construction of the road took a record of eight months to be completed. He described it as “absolutely Nigerian-made road,” saying it was built in obedience to the Nigerian Local Content law. “95 per cent of the workers that built it were Nigerians, while only Five per cent were expatriates,” he stated.

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FG minimising N/Delta militants’ damage —Osinbajo Leon Usigbe - Abuja

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ICE President Yemi Osinbajo has stressed that the Federal Government was adopting a twin approach of engaging with Niger Delta stakeholders and beefing up security in the region to minimize losses caused by damage to oil and gas installations.

The vice president gave the assertion at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, during a meeting with a delegation of the European Union (EU) led by the EU Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr Michel Arrion.

He said government was working round the clock to minimise the losses arising from the attacks, adding: “we are talking, we are ensuring that we minimise losses and we are stepping up security. We are also engaging the international

oil companies, IOCs, to see what options exists.

“Government is adopting twin strategy in dealing with oil installation attacks, wants average Nigerians in Niger Delta to benefit from resources.”

Noting that attacks on oil installations were an act of economic sabotage, he said government was reaching out to the people in the area and beefing up security.

He said the focus of government was “to ensure that the man on the street in the Niger Delta receives the benefit from all that is available there.”

Osinbajo called on the leaders in the region to be accountable to the people.

On the decision not to publish the names of those who refunded looted money, he explained that releasing the names would jeopardise ongoing investi-

JNDLF changes gear, threatens to bomb Aso Rock, others Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

THE new Niger Delta militant group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), on Monday, threatened to bring down with missiles, the Presidential Villa and the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

The group said the offensive begins tonight (Tuesday) and would bring to pass the doomsday prediction of the final break-up of the country.

The militant group said: “We shall fire these missiles simultaneously at the night, as this will enable every Nigerians to see the movement of the missiles and equally to believe in the seriousness attached to the final breakup as predicted by the United States of America (USA).”

These threats are, however, at variance with the group’s earlier statement, issued last week, where it warned international oil companies and indigenous oil companies to put on hold production for three days starting from today (Tuesday) as they would be testrunning six missiles capable of bringing down aircrafts no matter its size.

The statement said the test-running could destroy oil installations and other oil facilities, hence they should shut down or risk their investments and equipment.

But in a statement issued and sourced from www. theeagleonline.com.ng, on Monday, the new militant group listed its targets for missiles attack to include the Department of State Services structure in Abuja; the National Assembly, Abuja and the Nigerian Na-

tional Petroleum Corporation Towers, Abuja.

Others, according to the statement, include the Police Headquarters in Abuja; Central Bank of Nigeria; headquarters of some multinational oil companies; and the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal headquarters all in Abuja.

According to JNDLF, it has also marked out headquarters of Shell, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, NLNG, and all military formations in Lagos and Abuja and other parts of the country for annihilation.

The group advised people occupying these buildings to vacate them as its rule of engagement does not include destruction of lives.

The statement was allegedly signed by Commander, General Duties of the group, General Akotebe Darikoro; Creeks Network Coordinator; General Torunanaowei Latei; Pipelines Bleeding Expert, General Agbakakuro OweiTauro and General Pulokiri Ebiladei, who is in charge of the Intelligence Bureau.

The group said the targeted structures for destruction were all built with proceeds from the nation’s oil and gas sourced from the Niger Delta region.

It also stated that in line with its earlier promise last week, the Nigerian Communication Satellite Orbit would be shut down, during the missile offensive, to prevent casualties as a result of electronic radiation.

It, however, vowed to inflict, in retaliation, irreparable and pain and anguish on the Federal Government and oil companies whom, it said, have deliberately impoverished the region over the years.

gations.

“We have released the list of recovered loot. We know people are asking for the names, but releasing the names may jeopardise ongoing investigations,” the vice president said.

He also spoke on government’s effort to diversify the economy and attract foreign investors to take advantage of the situation especially in the agro-allied/ processing industry.

Osinbajo restated the de-

termination of the administration to ensure that the ranking of Nigeria in the ease of doing business was enhanced, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of a Presidential Com-

Nigerian Tribune

mission on the issue, assuring that “In the next few months, we should be seeing some changes.”

Earlier, Ambassador Arrion noted that Nigeria has a huge market worthy of investing in.

From left, Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr Waheed Olagungu; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Aminu Aliyu Bisalla; Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr Umaru Dikko Radda and the Executive Director (Corporate Services), BoI, Mr Tobin Jonathan, at the bank’s 56th Annual General Meeting, held in Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI.

FG closes case against ex-Governor Dariye Sunday Ejike - Abuja

THE Federal Government, on Monday, closed its case in the trial of former Plateau State governor, Joshua Dariye, on charges of alleged diversion of about N1.162 billion Ecological Fund meant for Plateau State in 2004.

Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), prosecuting the

former governor on behalf of the Federal Government, told the trial judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko, of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Gudu, Abuja, that the prosecution has closed its case after calling the tenth witness in the matter.

The witness, Mohammed Kawu Mohammed, an operative of the EFCC, told the court that the commission seized one of Dariye’s prop-

erty at Asokoro District of Abuja.

Mohammed, who is attached to the Assets Forfeiture and Recovery Section of the EFCC, revealed that his team took over the ownership of the property in 2012 following an interim forfeiture order from a High Court.

He further said the EFCC leased out the property and raked in the sum of N67 million as rent.

Kumuyi in Warri, seeks dialogue to end Niger Delta crisis Ebenezer Adurokiya and Wisdom Alokpa - Warri

FOLLOWING the ongoing onslaught on national economic assets in the Niger Delta by militants, the General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, has called for a dialogue between the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and the Federal Government in order to resolve the debacle.

This is just as the man of God called for restructuring of the country, noting that such move won’t break up the country as being bandied in some quarters.

Kumuyi made the call on Monday while speaking with journalists in Warri on the occasion of a oneday programme tagged: “Following a Life Transforming Example,’’ held in Warri Township Stadium,

on Monday.

He warned that the situation in the volatile oil-rich, but impoverished region, should not be a ‘“win win affair.”

The programme was at the instance of the Deeper Life Bible Church.

“The solution to the crisis in the Niger Delta is dialogue. Stakeholders should reason together and see a way forward, instead of accusing each other.

“What we are interested in is how to solve the problem. What are the expectations of both sides so that we can move forward,’’ he said.

Kumuyi, who was in company of his wife, Pastor (Mrs) Esther, also said that the present administration, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, had not done badly.

“President Buhari has another three years in office,

sometimes it depends on somebody’s approach, so let us not build the evaluation on his one year in office,’’ he said.

According to him, people’s verdict on the slowness of the country’s economy smacked from the fact that Nigerians believe the nation should have faired better than it has done at present.

The cleric, however, expressed hope that soon the tide would turn for good with persistent prayers and endurance.

“I do hope we are not going to stay at our present position; we want to move forward as a nation, that is what people are saying.

“I join our people to say the economy is being low, but I know that our country is going to move forward from where we are now with prayers and being responsible,” Kumuyi submitted.

While under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Garba Pwul, Mohammed said he was not part of the investigative team that probed the former governor in 2007, saying that: “I did not participate in the investigation of Dariye. Therefore, I have no idea of how the charges came up.”

Dariye was governor of Plateau State between 1999 and 2007, his tenure was interrupted by an impeachment in November, 2006, which lasted for months and was reinstated by the Supreme Court in April, 2007.

The former governor, who is being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency, is now the Senator representing Plateau Central in the National Assembly.

The ninth prosecution witness who is a retired detective with the Metropolitan Police in London, Mr Peter Clerk, at the last adjourned date told the court how the former governor was arrested in September 2004.

He gave details of Dariye’s alleged extravagant spending, including the purchase of a pen for £7,000 in London, before he (Dariye) was arrested.

“From the examination of Mr. Dariye’s account, he travelled all over the world.

From his passport, we saw stamps of several countries.

We found seven pairs of shoes which cost £700 per pair. He paid £7,000 for a pen. He purchased a lot of things in high luxurious stores,” the witness had told the court.

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Deploy recovered funds to critical infrastructure development, NLC tells Buhari Soji-Eze Fgabemi - Abuja

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HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Monday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the recovered funds are deployed to critical infrastructure such as roads, power, key industries and other sectors capable of stimulat-

ing the economy and development.

Besides, the congress commended the president over the huge recovery, but swiftly called on the Federal Government to establish special courts to try corruption cases.

In a statement signed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the

congress commended the government for rendering a transparent account of the recoveries it had made of looted funds.

Comrade Wabba said the quantum of these recoveries had vindicated labour support for the fight against corruption and their insistence that more stringent punishment be prescribed

for corruption cases.

The NLC president said: “It has similarly exposed the extent of the rot in the system and why virtually everything in the polity failed to work. We recall that in our national rally against corruption, we made the point that we must look at the bigger picture of national recovery by ensuring that re-

covered funds be deployed to critical infrastructure such as roads, power, key industries and other sectors capable of stimulating the economy.

“Accordingly, we find it necessary to once again urge the government to deploy these recovered funds to the aforementioned key infrastructure or sectors.”

He, however, pointed out that in addition to strengthening the anti-corruption agencies, there should be establishment of special courts to try corruption case.

Wabba said: “The judiciary has a big role to play by ensuring timely and speedy disposal of corruption cases.

Finally, as more recoveries are made, we expect more disclosures on not just the funds but how they are used or to be used.”

He added: “We also call on the government, in spite of overwhelming challenges, not to relent in its recovery drive and its general fight against corruption, as information reveals that the recovered funds so far are just the tip of the iceberg.

“We at the Nigeria Labour Congress believe the importance of the fight against corruption cannot be overstated for a couple of reasons.

“Certainly, we as a people cannot continue to live like this, except we want to be the laughing stock of the rest of the world. Similarly, our teeming youths and the army of the unemployed who look onto their country for their means of livelihood, will not fold their hands while a few privileged individuals corner the national resources.

Former NIMASA DG granted bail pending appeal of 5-year jail term Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin - Lagos

From left, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and the President/Chief Executive, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, at the commissioning of 24-kilometre Itori-Ibese concrete road in Ogun State.

Reps bar private colleges of education from accessing TETFund Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel - Abuja THE House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education and Services, on Monday, rejected the request of the proprietors of the nation’s Private Colleges of Education to allow their institutions access funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

The committee, chaired

by Honourable Aminu Suleiman, turned down the request in Abuja yesterday at a one day public hearing organised to get the input of education stakeholders on: a Bill for an Act to Amend the TETFund Act 2011; a Bill for an Act to upgrade the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano to a degree awarding institution among other education related bills.

It stated that it was wrong to be using Federal Government money to finance private business, arguing that the private colleges of education were set up as business ventures to make profit.

The committee also promised to look critically into the positions canvassed by TETFund on why the act setting it up should not be amended as being canvassed by the Provosts of Federal Colleges of Agriculture and some interest groups.

The committee gave the Ministry of Interior three weeks within which to submit before the House an executive bill seeking to upgrade the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano, to a degree awarding institution

failure which it threatened to begin legislative work on the private ones already before it.

“We are urging you to speed up the process of the bill so that we don’t continue to operate in conflicts. We

have to create a standard for the institution. If by three weeks also you failed to come up with it, we will have no option than to go ahead with the one we have already,” the committee chairman declared.

...As lecturers storm NASS, demand research funding for Colleges of Agric Christian Okeke - Abuja LECTURERS under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), on Monday, stormed National Assembly in Abuja, to press for inclusion of Colleges of Agriculture and other research institutions in the country as beneficiaries of research funds by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

The lecturers, who carried placards with various inscriptions, lamented that all the colleges of agriculture and research institutions in the country put together have not received the budgetary capital allocation that a university or polytechnic receives from same TETFund in a year.

Some of the placards read, “Universities are saturated with TETFund while Colleges of Agriculture are dying; TETFund act now,”

“To change Nigeria, fund research now,” No research fund, no development, no future” and “Amend TETFund Act now; 70 per cent of Nigerians are farmers yet Colleges of Agriculture are denied funding.”

Speaking on behalf of the lecturers, the union’s secretary general, Dr Theophilus Ndubuaku, said the union was in support of the move by the House of Representatives to amend the TETFund Act to expressly provide that Colleges of Agriculture benefit from the fund.

He lamented that whereas TETFund was established specifically for rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of tertiary education in the country, Colleges of Agriculture were unfortunately not included among tertiary institutions that TETFund was supposed to fund.

He expressed disappointment that former Presi-

dent Goodluck Jonathan’s administration could not make good its promise to run the economy based on science and technology, just like the other governments before it.

RELIEF came the way of a convicted former Director-General of NIMASA, Raymond Omatseye, yesterday, as a Federal High Court in Lagos granted him N500,000 bail while he appeals his five-year conviction.

Omatseye was sentenced to five years in prison by the court on charges bordering on contract scam.

Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia granted the convict bail pending the hearing and determination of his appeal at the Court of Appeal.

“I have looked at the processes filed by appellant, but I have a discretion which must be exercised judicially and judiciously.

“In the applicant’s affidavit, he deposed to the fact that his child suffers from a severe medical condition, which is an uncontrollable epilepsy seizure which has

put the family under serious strain.

“I will admit the appellant to bail on the single ground of being a mother.

“Even a mad woman will come after you if you toy with her child.

“The applicant is hereby admitted to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each in like sum; one of the sureties must be a Level 16 officer in the civil service who must deposit his international passport with the court’s registry,” she held.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia had found Omatseye guilty of 24 out of the 27 counts preferred against him.

She, however, discharged and acquitted him of three out of the 27 counts bordering on bid rigging.

Ajumogobia found Omatseye guilty of the offence of awarding contracts above stipulated threshold, and accordingly convicted him on counts one to 20, 24, 25, 26, and 27.

INEC reinstates 20 staff, dismisses 1 THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it had reinstated 20 members of staff, who were unduly retired or dismissed or whose appointments were terminated by it.

This is contained in the commission’s daily bulletin issued on Monday, in Abuja.

It stated that the affected officers were reinstated in compliance with the order of the Industrial Court, regular courts or the Court of Appeal, respectively.

The reinstated officers, according to the publication, were Michael Nwankwo,

Chineye Amakiri, Benjamin Nwajagu, James Ukaba, Dennis Ogbu, Henry Mbonu, Obinna Nwosu and Friday Mgbere.

Others were Dayan Moore, Cordelia Modeme, Asuquo Affia, Ifeyinwa Umeadi, Osunlola Akinyinka, Emmanuel Owette, Alex Ejesieme and Chukwujekwu Okeke.

Also reinstated by the commission were Mr Emmanuel Bassey, Akao James, Oni Babajide and Gbenga Ajayi.

It added that the commission had approved the dis-

missal of Agudosi Maryann from its service for absenteeism “in line with INEC Staff and Condition of Service.”

The commission said that it had also sanctioned three other members of staff for offences bordering on misconduct.

“INEC also approved the reduction of the rank of Ameh Onoja, and his posting out of Kogi State for misconduct (dereliction of duty) in line with Public Service Rules (PSR) Part V, Rule 15(i), and INEC Condition of Service.”

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016 34 south-westnews Professor Salami Court adjourns hearing into alleged forgery, emerges new OAU VC perjury against Ogun lawmaker Olayinka Olukoya-Abeokuta

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Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta has adjourned hearing into a case of forgery against a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Honourable Adebiyi Adeleye, till June 28.

Adeleye, representing Remo North in the House of Assembly, was dragged before the court in a suit no: FHC/AB/05/34/16 for presenting a forged school certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and age falsification.

The plaintiffs, Messers Wasiu Gbadebo and Olumuiya Onamuyiwa, had approached the court through their counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), claiming that Honourable Adebiyi said he attended Ode-Remo Community High School between 1986 and 1993 and that he earned an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) from the Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology, New Bussa, Niger State.

They argued that the defendant allegedly at-

tached a false school leaving certificate and National Diploma Examination result to the CF-001 form to INEC than the OND result.

In a 10-page written address attached to the suit, the plaintiffs asked “whether by the virtue of the provisions of Section 107(1)(i) and 109(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution as altered, Section 118 (1) (k) of the Electoral Act,2010 (as altered), the second defendant is a fit and proper person to represent Remo North Constituency and honourable member of the

Ogun State House of Assembly, having presented a false School Leaving Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as contained in Form CF001 (Personal Particulars of Candidate) and by giving false information to INEC on oath; by swearing on Oath that he was born on the 16th of July, 1974, contrary to his true date of birth which is 17th of December, 1974.

“Also, by presenting a questionable OND (Ordinary National Diploma) in

fisheries technology, as an Arts student, with only one credit in his WAEC result, which fell short of the requirements into a science oriented school such as Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology, New Bussa, Niger State, contrary to Section 107 (1) of the Constitution of the Nigeria and other extant Laws.

“That whether by virtue of the provisions of Section 118 (1)(k) of the Electoral Act, 2010, (as altered) the second Defendant can be restrained from further parading himself as Honourable Member of the Ogun State House of Assembly representing Remo North constituency, having regard to the false presentation of himself to the good people of Remo North constituency of Ogun State, as candidate for the Ogun State House of Assembly.”

It is criminal for Ondo to owe salaries —APC guber aspirant Chukwuma Okparaocha-Lagos

From right: Acting Registrar of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Sunday Ayeerun; wife of Ondo State governor/guest lecturer, Olukemi Mimiko; AAUA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun and Governor Olusegun Mimiko, during the fourth Research and Development Lecture of AAUA, at the university campus, in Akungba-Akoko, on Monday.

Mrs Mimiko advocates establishment of office of first lady Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure

WIFE of the Ondo State governor, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, on Monday, advocated establisment of the office of the First Lady for the president and governors’ wives.

Mimiko, who stated this in Akungba Akoko, during the fourth Research and

Development lecture of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, said the creation of the offices would go a long way to promote the economic role of women.

“It is a wrong notion that the office of the wife of President and governor should not be recognised.

“While it is being argued that the offices of the wives of president and governors should not be recognised in the country, yet they still received piles of mails in their offices, mainly requesting for financial assistance,” she said.

The wife of the governor, while delivering the lectured titled “Women and Development,” noted that

CAC wages spiritual war on Nigerian woes IN order to solve the hydra headed problems confronting the nation, the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) worldwide, has announced an open air prayer and crusade holding from June 8th to 10th (Wednesday to Friday), this week.

Announcing the programme, the General Evangelist of the church, Prophet S.K. Abiara, said “this is the contribution the church can make to solve the problems of insurgency, vandalism of pipeline by militants, drumbeat of secession by IPOB, the economic downturn which

has impoverished states to the extent that workers salaries are in arrears and the general insecurity in the country.”

Prophet Abiara pointed out that the programme would also include prayers for individuals, businessmen, politicians, travellers, women expecting fruits of the womb and there would be special session for deliverance of people from the bondage of poverty and diseases.

Prophet Abiara said the prayer programme was divinely instructed and that was why the authorities of Christ Apostolic Church

were not sparing the cost as they have lined up many anointed ministers, who God would use to impart blessings on everybody who attends the prayer programme.

Leading the anointed men of God for the crusade tagged: “He will do it again” with signs and wonders, is Pastor Abraham Olukunle Akinosun, the President of Christ Apostolic Church worldwide and Pastor Segun Oladele, the General Superintendent of the church and other eminent ministers of the gospel.

women folks from time immemorial have been relegated to the background under religious bigotry, social stigma, narrow mindedness and discrimination in a male dominated society.

The Ondo State First Lady, however, advocated for family friendly policies that would increase the labour force participation of women to reduce the number of people living in poverty, saying Nigerian women should be more engaged, educated and empowered to reduce poverty in the land.

She, however, noted that despite being subdued by male authority, women remained great participants in commerce, production and agricultural sectors.

Mrs Mimiko said the need to improve the lives of women and bring about the turnaround made her aligned with the work plan of her husband as the governor of Ondo State, which included building capacity and empowering the women folks under the aegis of MaternalPulse Foundation.

AN All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in Ondo State, Mr Boboye Oyewumi, has insisted that owing of salaries by any government, including Ondo, was a criminal anomaly, which he hoped to change when he becomes the next governor of the state.

He said one of the ways he would solve this problem if he emerged the governor of the state, would be to pay civil servants first before a penny could be paid political office holders as salaries.

He, therefore, said he was joining the gubernatorial race in the state to correct many anomalies in the state, and that the main thrust of his campaigns would be to “take back Ondo,” and relaunch it to the dream heights of its founding fathers.

Oyewumi, who is an exmember of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), said this in an interaction with selected media men at the weekend, when making an xray of the state of things in Ondo State.

He said it was sad that despite the array of resources at the disposal of the state, it was indeed sad, that the state ranked high among Nigeria’s salary-owning states, while noting that Ondo as a state had far deviated from the dreams of its founding fathers.

A new vice chancellor for Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has been appointed. He is Professor Ayobami Salami.

The new vice chancellor, until his appointment, was the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the institution.

He succeeds Professor Bamitale Omole, whose tenure ends on June 23, 2016.

Catholic Church organises seminar for nuns on technology THE Centre for Media Development, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, organised a seminar to keep nuns abreast with recent developments in media.

The event, took place at the Catholic Church of Ascension, Lagos, with the theme ‘The Catholic Nun in a Digital Age.’ In the keynote address delivered by His Lordship, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, he urged nuns to engage the media because of the freedom of expression that exist therein; charging nuns to take advantage of this liberty to bring about a positive change in the media.

Badejo said: “The digital world is a democratic environment. It is a forum like other media platform where attitudes are being formed, cultures are being shaped and consciences are being tinkered with. It is a space that often defies regulation, so there is ample space for us all, even for nuns who are used to being told what to do and how to do it.

“To infuse the new media with positive and moral values is a task that must be done, but we need skilled and interested people who understand and are committed to the values of the gospel. Nuns are capable of doing this and even of leading the way as the recent history of the church indicate.”

A guest speaker at the event, Mr Cletus Ilobanafor, founder, CEOFRICA, spoke on engaging the tools of social media for effective apostolate, he cited the misconception by nuns and priests that the social media is for sinners, therefore, refuse to engage it.

He said: “If you must be effective in evangelisation, you must engage the social media. The social media has come to stay and it’s an integral part of our system.”

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Kwara gov, speaker charge Muslims on rededication Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has called on Muslims to use the 2016 Ramadan fast to pray for speedy national economic recovery and peace across the country.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary(CPS ), Abdulwahab Oba, Governor Ahmed preached rededication to the service of Allah and display of abundant love to all, irrespective of religious differences.

“These are trying times for Nigerians and Nigeria as a country due to the prevailing economic challenges. Our Muslim brothers and sisters should fer-

vently beseech Allah in this holy month of Ramadan for better fortunes in the economy of the country and the sub-nationalities as a whole”, he said.

Governor Ahmed reiterated government’s commitment to the welfare of

the people while pursuing the infrastructural and economic development policies of the state in a peaceful atmosphere.

The governor congratulated Muslims across the state for witnessing yet another Ramadan and

prayed for a blessed and fruitful Ramadan.

Also, the speaker, state House of Assembly, Honourable Ali Ahmad, has enjoined Muslim faithful to use the opportunity of Ramadan to re-dedicate themselves to the true

Pray for peace, Edo election, Oshiomhole tells Muslims Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has urged Muslim Ummah to use the holy month of Ramadan to offer prayers for continued peace in the state and the success of the 2016 governorship election in the state

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Peter Okhiria, the governor said Ramadan offers the faithful the opportunity to reconnect to their maker.

“I congratulate the Muslim faithful as they begin 2016

Ramadan fast, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

The Ramadan offers the faithful ,the opportunity to undertake personal restitution, piety and renewed commitment to Allah, they should also continue to do good to all men, especially,

Niger gov advises Muslims Adelowo Oladipo - Minna As Muslim faithful across the world commenced the 2016 Ramadan fast on Monday, Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger

State, has enjoined them to get closer to Allah by engaging in acts that would earn them eternal salvation He said Ramadan is a unique month in which

Residents call for review of curfew on Maiduguri

Some residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Monday, appealed to the state government to review the 9.00 p.m. curfew imposed on the state to 11.00 p.m. during the ongoing Ramadan.

Those who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the review would enable them to perform their supplication and ‘Taraweeh.’

Malam Abubakar Terab expressed hope that the Borno State government would be considerate enough during Ramadan to allow enough time for ‘Taraweeh.’

“The time for Isha’i eventually changes in the whole country from 7.00 p.m. to 7.50 p.m. during Ramadan, which means many people, especially, tricycle operators, will miss out in prayers if allowed.

“There is already curfew from 7.00 p.m for tricycle operators while vehicular movement stops at 9.00 p.m.

Modu Muhammad expressed the same sentiment.

He said the curfew should be lifted because security has improved in the last one year.

“Unless there is another reason for the curfew. If the six years dusk to dawn curfew is for restoration of peace in Maiduguri, it should be lifted,” he said.

Malam Bamus Muhammad

said the imposition of the curfew had negatively affected the socio-economic activities in the state.

Muhammad said most shop owners were forced to close around 6.30 p.m. to avoid being caught up in the 7.00 p.m.

prayers are answered and sins forgiven, hence, the need to engage in deep personal worship and supplications in other to seek the favour and blessings of Allah in this world and hereafter.

“The period of Ramadan brings all Muslims closer to Allah in purity. And to attain high spiritual value in the eyes of Allah, we must remain firm, honest and committed to goodness because it is a time of giving to the less privileged so as to get eternal blessings from Allah.

The governor’s mes-

Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland congratulates Muslims

By Saheed Salawu Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Dawud Akinola, has congratulated Muslims in the South West as well as Edo and Delta states and, indeed, the entire country on the occasion of 2016 Ramadan fast.

Alhaji Akinola, in a message, emphasised the need for members of the Ummah to use the opportunity of the holy month to increase their devotion to Allah and pray for the unity and progress of Nigeria.

He admonished the faithful to qualify themselves for the bountiful blessings in “this Month of Mercy” by engaging in virtuous acts and doing away with all manner of sins and actions that invalidate one’s fast.

The Aare Musulumi also urged them to make use of most of the season by increasing in supplicating Allah for assistance, relating more with the Holy Qur’an and be-

ing more charitable towards the underprivileged.

“As we enter Ramadan, the Month of Mercy, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, let us avail ourselves of the opportunity that Allah has provided for us in the form of forgiveness of sins and bestowal of His bountiful blessings and infinite mercies.

able to newsmen in Ibadan, to mark the beginning of 2016 holy month.

Makinde said that people at the helm of affairs at all levels of government need divine intervention to steer the ship of the country to a promised land.

“I want to use this oppor-

sage was contained in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Malam Jibrin Ndace, urging them to use the period to also seek everlasting peace in the state and across the country.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, has directed police commands across the country to ensure that key and vulnerable points, places of worship and recreation centres are adequately protected during the Ramadan.

Arase gave the directive in a statement issued by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) at Force Headquarters, Olabisi Kolawole, an acting Com-

tunity to urge our Muslim brothers and sisters to remember our country in their prayers as the country is passing through difficult time as life has been extremely difficult for Nigerians and no-one is immune to the economic crisis bedevilling the country.”

the less-privileged.

“I appeal to the Muslim community to offer special prayers for the continued peace and progress in the state as well as the peaceful conduct and success of the governorship election holding later in the year.

“In Edo State, I am proud to say Muslim faithful have been exemplary in word and action in exhibiting that, truly, Islam is a religion of peace. “ The governor assured that the state government is committed to the sustenance of peaceful co-existence that exists between people of all faiths in the state.

Pray for unity —Emir of Ilorin The Emir of llorin, Alhaji lbrahim Sulu Gambari, has urged Nigerians to use the Ramadan period to pray for peaceful co-existence and an indivisible country.

This was contained in a Ramadan message issued on Monday, in Ilorin, by the secretary of the Sheikh Foundation for Peace and Development, Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arowona.

Gambari said that prayer was imperative for harmonious working relationship in the face of the numerous challenges threatening the unity and good governance of the country.

IGP directs police commands on adequate security

Pray for Nigeria, Makinde tells Muslims

A chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, has urged Muslims to pray fervently for the country during this holy month as the country is passing through a difficult period.

He said this in his Ramadan message made avail-

ideals of Islam.

The speaker, who congratulated Muslims worldwide, for the commencement of Ramadan, admonished them to use the holy month to further move closer to Allah and seek for His forgiveness.

missioner of Police, in Abuja, on Monday.

It said that the directive was to enable worshippers and the general public to enjoy maximum fulfilment during and after the period, including the Eidel Fitri celebration.

The statement said that Arase extended greetings to all Muslims in Nigeria as they welcomed this year’s holy month of Ramadan.

Arase expressed the belief that Almighty Allah would, in His infinite mercy, answer the fervent prayers of Muslim faithful and resolve Nigeria’s numerous challenges.

He solicited the prayers, support and understanding of Nigerians, and assured that “by God’s grace, the battle against crime and criminality will eventually be won.’’

The traditional ruler appealed to Muslim faithful to take advantage of the sacred month to move closer to God and pray for the nation.

“The holy month of Ramadan is so significant that all the supplications forwarded to Allah in good faith will be accepted without any hindrance,’’ he said.

He described Ramadan as a period for sober reflection for the entire Muslim Ummah.

“As Nigeria continues to face numerous challenges ranging from socio-economic to political and insecurity among others, it becomes pertinent to utilise the glorious blessings attached to this month,’’ the monarch said.

MURIC urges Buhari to pardon 54 soldiers

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to pardon the 54 soldiers serving a 10-year jail term for refusing to fight Boko Haram insurgents.

The organisation urged the president to pardon the soldiers in the spirit of the Ramadan.

The appeal was contained in a statement issued on Monday by MURIC’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

It will be recalled that the 54 soldiers were sentenced to death in December 2014 for refusing to take part in the fight against the insurgents.

The sentence was, however, commuted to 10 years imprisonment in December2015.

The statement quoted Prophet Muhammad as saying: ``The beginning of Ramadan is a blessing, it’s middle is forgiveness while its end is freedom.’’ ``We appeal to the president to allow these three qualities of Ramadan (blessing, forgiveness and freedom) to reflect fully in his actions and utterances during this Ramadan, particularly ,regarding the case of the 54 soldiers. ``There is no gainsaying that Nigeria is in dire need of prayers today. `` We are plagued with the problems of insecurity, insurgency, militancy and separatist propensities. ``Our leaders always ask religious leaders to pray for the country. Our Imams are praying. Our pastors are also praying. ``But the best assurance that Allah will answer this country’s prayers is for our leaders to show remorse and seek Allah’s forgiveness for our collective trespasses,’’ the statement said.

Senator Adeola sues for peace As Muslims worldwide, commenced mandatory fasting as required by their faith, the senator representing Lagos West senatorial district, Senator Solomon Adeola, has called on all Muslims in his district and the country, to use the Ramadan period to pray for peace in Nigeria In his Ramadan message to Muslims in his senatorial district, Senator Adeola said he had no doubt of the efficacy of Muslims’ prayers to Allah, particularly, during the month of Ramadan, adding that the period should also be used to reflect on their faith and relations with their creator.

“At this time of our history with many socio-economic

challenges, divisive tendencies in the South East, economic disruptions of oil facilities by the Niger Delta militants , herdsmen attacks on communities and other vices, we should all look up to the divine intervention for positive change through prayer and fasting encapsulated in the Ramadan,” he said.

The senator called on all Muslims to continue to live in harmony with members of other religious faith as brothers and sisters, adding that Islam is a religion of peace.

Senator Adeola further urged Muslims to use the period of Ramadan to move closer to Allah through strict discipline.

36 news

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Northern Coalition condemns murder of 74-yr-old Bridget Agbahime Dares Niger Delta Avengers on ultimatum Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna

A

coalition of Northern activists under the aegis of Northern Consensus Movement (NCM) has condemned the recent murder of a 74-year-old Bridget Agbahime in Kano, over alleged blasphemy, even as it dared the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) on their threat to attack places in the northern part of Nigeria, saying northerners are not cowards.

In a press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jibrilla Gadzama, in reaction to the gruesome murder of the woman, expressed dismay over the unfortunate incident, describing it as a barbaric act of wickedness and ignorance.

The group while lamenting the use of jungle justice by the misguided youth, as against allowing the rule of

law to take its course, said all forms of grievances should be reported to the constituted authorities.

According to the statement, “This unfortunate act is uncalled for, especially at this crucial period of our national existence, when inter and intra personal relationships between Nigerians from all regions, remain increasingly fragile thereby negatively affecting the peaceful coexistence of citizens in various parts of the country.

“Islamically, if any Muslim or non-Muslim commits such an offense, it is not the prerogative of any person or group of persons to take laws into their hands but to direct to the custodians of the law to ensure that the rule of law takes its course.”

They stressed the urgent need for religious leaders to embark on sensitisation of the public, especially those in the northern part of the country and, particularly the youth, to the dangers of

taking laws into their hands when similar events occurred in future.

“We are therefore, calling on the authorities concerned to immediately intervene in the issue, in order to avoid possible escalation of violence as a result of the terrible incident,” it stated.

Commenting on the seven days ultimatum given by the dreaded Niger Delta Avengers to attack places in the northern part of Nigeria, NCM said Northerners are

not cowards.

“Northerners are not cowards and no amount of baseless threats and the brutal or unnecessary killings of our people will deter us from protecting the interests of Northern Nigeria.

“Enough is enough of this IPOB madness in the form of killing, intimidation and harassment of northerners residing in the South Eastern part of the country as we shall no longer accept such nonsense.”

PTAD staff grumble over imbalance in promotion, abandonment of verification

Isaac Shobayo-Jos The Nigerian Police Force Pensions (NPFP) has called on retiring officers and men to see retirement as a new chapter in life and therefore should not be nervous about it.

Managing Director of the Nigerian Police Force Pensions Limited, Hamza Wurobokki who gave the advice during the pre-retirement workshop for retiring officers in the next six months, in the North Central zone of the country, said the aim of the workshop was to enlighten the future pensioners on how to be properly documented.

According to him, the pre- retirement workshop was aimed at laying a solid foundation for the officers, and to educate them on the need to be engaged in doing something, rather than staying idle.

NHRC lauds FG over disability matters office Sunday Ejike-Abuja

Christian Okeke - Abuja Nigerian Tribune, on Monday, gathered from sources at the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) that there has been discontentment among professional staff members of the agency over issues bordering on promotions.

It was gathered that the staff complained that they were relegated to the background while only core civil servants seconded from the parent ministry got promoted.

Apart from that, sources equally alleged that the agency had been rendered redundant in the past three months since the former Director-General, Nellie Mayshak, was suspended from office A source told the Nigerian Tribune that civil service verification exercise commenced by Mayshak had since been stopped after only those of North West and South East zones were carried out.

Although Mayshak, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance, was suspended to pave way for investigation into an alleged fraud in management of operational funds of the agency, the ministry, however, stated that the former DG was not being probed over mismanagement of pension funds.

Don’t be nervous about retirement, NPFP advises police officers

Miss Feyisayo Ogedengbe flanked by Damilola Ogedengbe (left) and their mother, Monica Taiwo, Deputy Editor of the Nigerian Tribune, during Feyisayo graduation ceremony at Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, on Sunday. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO - OKE.

$2.1bn Arms Deal: Dasuki asks Abuja courts to consolidate charges

The former National Security Adviser, Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, has asked an Abuja High Court to consolidate the two criminal charges bordering on alleged corruption and breach of trust in the course of his official duties, brought against him by the Federal Government.

Dasuki who had been granted bails in three different high courts where criminal charges were slammed on him, had been rearrested and kept in custody since 2015.

He told the court that he was not scared of trial on the alleged fund misappropriation but insisted that the right thing in law should be done.

The former NSA in a fresh motion on notice filed by his counsel, Mr Joseph Daudu, claimed that the trial at two different courts on the same issues and facts,is unconstitutional and prejudicial to his right to fair trial by the court.

Dasuki who is standing trial on allegation of alleged misappropriation of $2.1billion along with four others

before Justice Baba Yusuf, insisted that the charges preferred against him by the complainant on the same issue constituted a gross abuse of court process.

In the motion brought pursuant to Section 6 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 1, 208, 396, 491 and 492 of the Administration of

Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Dasuki claimed that the two charges revolved around the same set of transaction and facts on the alleged funds misappropriation and the breach of trust.

He claimed that the two charges with NO FCT/ HC/CR/43/2015 and another one with FCT/HC/ CR/42/2015 pending before

Justice Baba Yusuf of the High Court No 4 and Justice Peter Affen of High Court No 24 are identical charges emanating from the Office of the National Security Adviser, and as such must be consolidated in the interest of justice and fair trial to avoid double jeopardy. The case has been adjourned till June 15, 2016.

Decent employment, panacea for socio-economic, political challenges —ILO DG Soji-Eze Fagbemi, Geneva The Director-General, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Guy Ryder, has told government across the world that gainful employment and decent jobs are the only key to tackling socio-economic and political challenges facing humanity.

Speaking at the ongoing 105th International Labour Conference (ILC), in Geneva, Ryder told more than 5,000 government workers and employer delegates from the ILO’s 187 member states, that world leaders must assume the

responsibilities of the ILO’s social justice mandate if the benefits of transformative change at work were to be realised.

He warned them that, inequality, marginalisation and division were not phenomena to which the world of work must react but “the consequence of what we do, how we behave, what we decide.”

Ryder noted that the world had entered an era where technology was generating innovate disruption of productive life, adding that the debate among those celebrating and those dreading “such developments takes

place against a background of inequality, marginalisation, and division.

“If current trends towards and beyond already unacceptable levels of inequality are allowed to continue, ultimately all will be losers,” he warned.

Introducing his report to the ILC titled: “The End to Poverty Initiative: The ILO and the 2030 Agenda”, Ryder warned that, “The very wealth creating capacity that offers the prospect of consigning poverty to history also risks taking us further away from social justice, rather than carrying us towards it.”

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commended the Federal Government’s initiative in establishing an office on disability matters in the Presidency.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Angwe made this commendation when he received the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Disability Matters, Dr Samuel Ankeli who paid a courtesy visit at the headquarters of the Commission in Abuja.

Angwe noted that the absence of concrete government policies in the past to address the plight of people with disabilities (PWDs) had resulted in dehumanising conditions in which some of them find themselves.

He said the result of an audit of public buildings recently conducted by the Commission, revealed that only less than 10 per cent of public buildings in Nigeria provided access to persons with disabilities.

While pledging the Commission’s commitment to promotion, protection and enforcement of the rights of PWDs in the country, Professor Angwe said the Commission would hold government at all levels accountable to their responsibilities for these vulnerable people.

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Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Erdogan, Clinton, others to attend Muhammad Ali’s funeral Tributes at the Ali Centre in his hometown of Louisville. PHOTO: REUTERS

T

HE President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and King Abdullah of Jordan are among the dignitaries scheduled to speak at Muhammad Ali’s funeral on Friday, a family spokesman says.

Thousands of people are

expected to join the funeral in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

BBC reported that former United States, President Bill Clinton and actor Billy Crystal are also set to speak.

Ali died last Friday at the age of 74 in hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

A spokesman said his death was from “septic shock due to unspecified natural causes”.

The the three-time world heavyweight champion had been suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease.

Ali’s funeral will take place at a large concert and sports arena, the KFC Yum! Center, from 14:00 (18:00 GMT). The service will be open to the public.

California imam and scholar Zaid Shakir will preside over the service, family spokesman Bob Gunnell said.

Before the ceremony, at

9:00 (13:00 GMT), the coffin will be taken on a procession through the streets of Louisville, passing by locations historically important to Ali. “Everything that we’re doing here was blessed by Muhammad Ali, and was requested,” Mr Gunnell told journalists.

“He wanted the memorial service to reflect his life, and how he lived. He wanted everyone to be able to attend.

He was the people’s champ, and he wanted the memorial service to reflect that.”

On Thursday, a traditional Muslim funeral service will be held at Freedom Hall, also open to all.

Maldives jails ex-vice president for 10 years A Maldives court has convicted the country’s former vice president on a terrorism charge for possession of firearms and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

The decision by the Criminal Court on Sunday made Ahmed Adeeb the fourth high-profile politician to be jailed on a terrorism charge since President Yameen Abdul Gayoom was elected in 2013.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed, the former Defence Minister Mo-

hamed Nazim and the head of a leading political party, Sheikh Imran Abdulla, are the others to get lengthy prison terms. Nasheed has since been granted asylum in Britain.

The cases have been criticised for a lack of due process, Al Jazeera revealed.

Adeeb still faces charges of trying to assassinate Gayoom, after an explosion hit the presidential speedboat last year.

Gayoom made his trusted protégé Adeeb vice presi-

AhmedTributes Adeeb at the Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville. PHOTO: REUTERS dent last July after sacking his running mate in the 2013 election.

However, Adeeb was arrested only days after the

September blast on Gayoom’s speedboat. The president’s wife, an aide and a bodyguard were injured in the explosion.

3 Jordan officers killed in attack at Baqaa camp FIVE people have been killed in an attack on Jordanian intelligence officers at a Palestinian refugee camp near the capital, Amman, government officials say.

They described the incident, rare in Jordan, as a “terrorist attack”.

Three of the five people killed were intelligence officers, the officials said.

According to BBC, the attack took place at the sprawling Baqaa camp

north of Amman at about 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT).

The Baqaa camp was one of six set up in 1968 for Palestinian refugees fleeing the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 ArabIsraeli war.

Jordan is a key member of the United States-led coalition fighting so-called Islamic State in neighbouring Syria and Iraq, and its air force has carried out strikes

in both countries.

No-one has yet said they carried out the Baqaa attack.

Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed Momani said the “cowardly” attack targeted the intelligence agency office at the camp.

He gave no details of the attack but said it was carried out by those with the “criminal behaviour of people who are outside of our religion.”

Richard Huckle.

PHOTO: BBC

Briton gets 22 life sentences for Malaysia sex abuse A British man has been given 22 life sentences after admitting 71 charges of sex abuse against children in Malaysia aged from six months to 12 years old.

Police believe Richard Huckle, 30, from Ashford, Kent, abused up to 200 children from mainly poor communities.

The Old Bailey judge described a 60-page paedophile manual Huckle wrote as a “truly evil document” and said he must serve at least 23 years in jail.

A woman in the public gallery shouted: “1,000 deaths is too good for you.”

In online posts, Huckle had bragged: “Impoverished kids are definitely much easier to seduce than middle-class Western kids.”

He presented himself as a practising Christian and first visited Malaysia on a teaching gap year when he was 18 or 19. He then went on to groom children while

doing voluntary work.

The BBC has learned that the National Crime Agency (NCA) only contacted two churches Huckle attended in Kent and London - which cannot be identified for legal reasons - last week, almost 18 months after Huckle was first arrested.

It says it has now referred that aspect of its investigation to the Independent Police Complaints Commission to see if it could have improved its response.

Judge Peter Rook QC said Huckle’s sentence reflected the “public abhorrence” over his “campaign of rape”.

He said: “It is very rare indeed that a judge has to sentence sexual offending by one person on such a scale as this.”

He added that Huckle’s life “revolved around your obsession with your own sexual gratification by child sex abuse.”

otherNEWS

Protests in Kenya as opposition marks ‘Day of Rage’ AT least two demonstrators were killed in police firing on Monday, as opposition supporters in Kenya blocked key roads and set fire to tyres in a “Day of Rage” protests aimed at overhauling the country’s election commission.

Protests took place in several towns but in Kisumu, an opposition stronghold in western Kenya,

police opened fire before using tear gas and water cannon to quell the protests, Al Jazeera stated.

Word of the shootings fuelled heavy clashes in

the centre of Kisumu and the working class district of Kondele. There were widespread scenes of looting and two supermarkets were destroyed.

Kenyans protest against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

PHOTO: Al Jazeera

Kazakhstan: 17 killed in series of extremist attacks At least 17 people, including 11 “extremists,” were killed during a series of attacks in oil-rich Kazakhstan, an increasingly authoritarian exSoviet nation that has largely avoided violence by religious zealots, officials said Monday.

Groups of gunmen attacked two arms shops to seize weapons and rammed a minibus through the doors of a National Guard base in the

north-western Kazakh city of Aktobe on Sunday, Interior Ministry spokesman Almas Sadubayev said in televised remarks.

He said the attackers killed three civilians and three security officers and wounded scores more, but were repelled in a counter-terrorism operation. Eleven assailants were killed and seven more captured.

Sadubayev said the attackers followed “radical, non-traditional religious movements”, a euphemism used in Kazakhstan to refer to hardline Muslim fighters.

However, one analyst expressed doubt over the official version, saying law enforcement agencies often imitate counterterrorism operations by accusing average criminals of siding with religious fighters.

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communitynews

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016

Utagba-Uno Youths Association gets new executive alphonsus agborh-asaba

A new executive has been inaugurated to run the affairs of Utagba-Uno Youth Association.

Inaugurating the newly elected members of the executive at the community town hall in Utagbauno, the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ndokwa West Chapter, Comrade Chukwudi Ojugbeli, advised them to lead Utagba-Uno youths aright and shun acts capable of tarnishing the image of the NYCN Comrade Ojugbeli also appealed to the leadership of the community to support the new executive with a take-off grant to enable them discharge their duties effectively.

Earlier, the OnotuUku-in-council comprising the seven quarters of the community, gave the executive members its blessings and urged them to be above board in the discharge of their duties in order to retain the trust and confidence reposed in them.

The Onotu-Uku-incouncil also advised the executive members to be courageous, honest, stand by the truth at all times and respect consti-

tuted authorities.

In his post inaugural speech, the chairman of the association, Honourable Ifeanyi Eze, commended the people of the community for giving them the opportunity to serve, assuring that the executive would work for the unity, peace and progress of the entire community.

Dignitaries who graced the occasion included the member representing Ndokwa West in the state House of Assembly, Honourable Azuka Azaka; the immediate past chairman of the association, Chef Robinson Izuh, among others.

Highlights of the ceremony were the presentation of certificates of return to members of the executive and cultural display.

From right, the senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari; Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo; Senatorial District Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Goke Olatunji and others, after the presentation of a car to Olatunji at the empowerment programme organised by Senator Buhari in Saki. PHOTO: TUNDE BUHARI.

Buhari’s empowerment programme receives commendation by tunde busari

T

HE senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Abdulfatai Buhari, recently distributed empowerment tools to 1,500 beneficiaries at the OYSADEP football field in Saki.

At the event, 16 cars, 300 motorcycles, 12 tricycles, 637 grinding machines, 25 deep freezers and 237 sewing machines were distributed. Also, 250 widows went home with cash.

Oyo State deputy governor, Moses Adeyemo, who represented Governor

Abiola Ajimobi at the event tagged: Senator Abdulfatai Buhari 2015 Empowerment Programme said: “I have never seen such an elaborate empowerment programme.

Senator Buhari is really showing the change which our party is known for. Is what Senator Buhari doing

Rotary presents renovated hall to community in Kwara biola azeez-ilorin

ROTARY Club GRA, Ilorin has presented a 500-capacity examination/assembly hall renovated at the cost of N3.5 million to Community Senior Secondary School, Isolo-Opin, Ekiti local government Area of Kwara State.

The presentation ceremony was witnessed by scores of members of the community.

Speaking at the event, outgoing president of the club and former military administrator of Bauchi and Osun states, Colonel Theophilus Bamigboye (retd), painted a deplorable picture of the building before the club’s intervention.

Bamigboye, who said that the club had adopted the community as a global village, added that “the next project is your health centre. We will rehabilitate it to world standard for other communities and villages to envy and emulate.”

The former military administrator further said, “I recall that the first time we came here, everywhere was dusty. The ceiling of the hall had been blown off, the

walls were not plastered and there was no door or window.

Today, we are celebrating Rotary and humanity. I, therefore, urge the students to take good care of the facility.”

In his remarks, the Asolo of Isolo-Opin, Oba Raphael Are, was full of praise to the almighty God for making the event happen in his time.

“Only God knows why Rotary adopted our community as a global village. But for the club, many things would have happened negatively. Now, I can proudly invite people to my community’s school. Interestingly, the community made no financial input in all the projects so far executed in the school,” the royal father said.

Also speaking, the Vice President of Isolo-Opin Development Association (IDA), Mr Michael Adewunmi, appreciated the humanitarian gesture of the club, adding that but for the club’s intervention, the community secondary school’s laboratory would have been complete a write-off lacking in facilities and reagents.

Earlier, the school’s principal, Mr Ayo Abegunde, said the “club’s intervention in the school was divine and timely.

Said he: “Were it not for the club’s intervention, this place would have been an eyesore; hitherto the laboratory was no laboratory at all.

For all this, we are grateful

and indebted to the club.

We pray and hope the plan by the club to build an administrative block for the school will be realised very soon.”

today not a change from what you used to know? I am appealing to other senators to emulate Senator Buhari.”

Mindful of the people who are yet to benefit from the gesture, Senator Buhari promised to continue from where he stopped with a view to ensuring balance and harmony.

“I want to reiterate my commitment to you all and to urge all the local government areas in our senatorial district that have not benefited to be patient as we have everybody in our plans. This programme will soon go round.

“I still remain the Abdulfatai Buhari you voted for. I have retained all my

mobile phone numbers for easy accessibility. My doors are widely and open. All I need is your support and patience.

“I will continue to identify with my people in order to radically reduce poverty in our district,” he said.

Community News learnt that the senator has distinguished himself in the National Assembly with bills and motions such as the Traffic Warden Commission Bill, Constituency Development Catalyst Bill, Nigeria Political Party Debate Commission Bill, Police Task Force Development Bill, among others.

Ikoyi/Obalende LCDA warns against violation of environmental laws yejide gbenga-ogundare

THE Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, has cautioned residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse, open defecation and other violations of environmental laws in the council area.

The executive secretary of the LCDA, Mrs Toyin CaxtonMartins, gave the warningduring a recent stakeholders meeting at the council secretariat to sensitise and enlighten residents on the benefits of maintaining a clean environment at all times.

Caxton-Martins expressed disappointment that all her efforts to make the council area a clean place had proved abortive due to the adamant nature of residents and warned them to desist from such acts or face the consequence.

Also at the event, a repre-

sentative of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mr. Williams warned that the ministry was now more determined to implement the state government policy on clean environment through Operation Rescue Obalende to keep the environment clean and safe enough to attract investors and boost the economy of the state.

He further disclosed that the state government had given the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) brigade, with the backing of relevant law enforcement agents the marching order to clamp down on violators of environmental laws, especially hawkers, operators of illegal motor parks, unapproved mechanic workshops street traders and those who dump refuse in unauthorised places.

Also commenting, the Chairman of Obalende Land-

lords Association, Prince Soji Ladejobi, lamented that residents had violated the state environmental laws, saying that any outfit or individual that violates the environmen-

tal laws should face the music as they are solidly behind the local government boss in the quest to restore the lost glory of the council area as a former seat of power.

NGO donates hospital to Agatu community johnson babajide-makurdi

A non-government organisation, Kelly Izuwa Nwogu Vanguard, has donated a hospital built at the cost of N30 million for the medical needs of internally displaced persons of communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State that were recently attacked by Fulani herdsmen.

The hospital is located in Aila community, one of the worst hit villages.

The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Mr. Kelly Nwogu, explained that the project was informed by his desire to identify with the pathetic conditions of community members.

According to him, the hospital was also built in memory of those that were massacred by the Fulani militia, saying that many of the IDPs were suffering from health challenges that needed urgent medical attention.

39

Tuesday, 7 June, 2016 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

18th Milo secondary schools b/ball final begins today THE grand finale of the 18th edition of the Nestle Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship will begin today at the Indoor Sports Hall of Asaba Stadium, Delta State and end o n

Yobo

Federal High Court disowns ‘writ of execution’ from Giwa camp

T

HE latest antic by Chris Giwa and his group to continue to lay some claim to leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has been blown to smithereens, after the Federal High Court, Jos disowned the ‘writ of execution’ being bandied by the group.

In an interview in his office in Jos on Monday, the Registrar of the Federal High Court, Jos, Mr Nasiru Gusau said the document did not emanate from the court.

“We did not issue any writ of execution on this matter. What you are saying is strange to me,” Gusau told thenff.com on Monday.

Gusau explained further: “The Giwa people made an application for writ of execution, which the court declined. The court cannot execute a declaratory judgment or an interlocutory order.

“Moreover, if the case is on appeal, how can the High Court issue a writ of execution?”

It has now become clear that in their desperation to attain some relevance in Nigeria football, Giwa and cohorts would stop at nothing, including the ridiculing of the judiciary.

An undated and completely invalid ‘writ of execution’ was submitted at the NFF sec-

retariat on Friday, by a n Executive Officer (Accounts) with the Federal High Court, Jos, Langmbweng Enoch Wupeh. The ‘writ of execution’ was, strangely, prepared and signed by Plaintiff Counsel (Giwa’s lawyer), and to it was attached only the first two orders made by the court, leaving out the most recent orders that struck out the first two, as well as the Honourable Judge’s clarification. The signature

of a ‘Judge’ (no name) was poorly forged.

Gusau had earlier clarified the interim order made by the court on 8th April, saying the court only re-listed the Giwa case for hearing and never said Giwa should assume leadership of the NFF. The Honourable Judge M. H. Kurya himself clarified the order he gave, dated 14th April 2016, while delivering his ruling on the applica-

tion by NFF for leave to appeal.

Giwa and members of his group, emboldened by the sham document, invaded the NFF secretariat on Friday afternoon with a number of thugs, but were repelled by NFF staff and sent away by the police.

June 11.

Six male and six female teams, representing the country’s six geopolitical zones, will feature in the final.

Speaking at the draws ahead of the final round, president of the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF), Malam Ibrahim Muhammad, who was represented by the NSSF first vice president, Mr Monday Obi, commended Nestle Nigeria PLC for supporting basketball development from the grassroots in the country.

In his remarks, the secretary, National Collegiate Sports Foundation (NCSF), Mr Lanre Balogun, expressed satisfaction with Nestle’s contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria.

He said that the company’s unflinching support showed that it was worthy of praise and Nigerian basketball has benefited im-

10 Nigerian players for World Chess Olympiad

INTERNATIONAL Master Oladapo Adu (2314) and FIDE Master Bomo Kigigha (2328) are among eight other players who will represent Nigeria at the forthcoming 42nd World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan later this year.

According to a statement from Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF) on Monday, the duo alongside three other male players namely; the rave of the moment and FIDE Master Daniel Anwuli (2338), Candidate Master Adeyinka Adesina (2286) and Ochuko Emuakpeje with elo rating of 2272.

The five female players who qualified for the tournament are: Omolola Sadiku (1910), Deborah Akintoye (1856), Toritsemuwa Ofowino (1779), Olufun-

milayo Akinola (1751) and Mandy Enarevba (1710).

The top players who however, missed out in the Olympiad train are; Adebayo Adegboyega (2271), Olufemi Balogun (2262), Odion Aikhoje (2253) and Ademola Sorungbe (2246).

Some top female players who missed out are Omolabake Coker (1660), Sandra Aramide (1648), Doris Adebayo (1612) and Olabisi Rabiu (1609).

The tournament will hold in Baku, the birth place of former world chess champion, Gary Kasparov, from September 1-15 this year and most pundits have seen the method of selection by NCF as a clear departure from the past when a traditional Olympiad trial holds sway.

However, the Technical Director of the federation, Alhaji Bode Durotoye, explained that the qualification process of the team was based on the current

FIDE ratings list released on the 1st of June and the activeness of players in tournaments in a stipulated calendar year.

mensely from the competitions.

“We are happy about the steady growth of graduates of the competition, they have helped to raise the profile of the championships,” he said.

Ita-Giwa showers encomiums on Yobo FORMER Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Dr Florence Ita-Giwa, (OON), has showered encomiums on the retired ex-Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, who bowed out of active football with a testimonial in his honour last week.

In a statement she signed in Lagos, Ita-Giwa also congratulated the former Everton captain on his appointment as Senior Special Assistant on Youth and Sports Development, by the Rivers State government.

According to her, Yobo served the nation meritoriously and was unquestionably dedicated especially when called upon for national duties.

She added that, his appointment is another opportunity to impact tremendously on the youth especially those who look up to him as a role model.

“I join millions of Nigerians in celebrating a patriot and a dynamic youth and sports man, Joseph Yobo, as he retired from active football and his appointment as an adviser to the Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike.”

I made schoolboy error not to collect Barca shirt as souvenir —Iwobi Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja ARSENAL youngster, Alex Iwobi, has said that he regreted not collecting a shirt from any FC Barcelona player after his team lost 0-2 at Nou Camp to exit from the just-ended UEFA Champions League 5-1 on aggregate.

“I was buzzing after the game. I train with some of the best players in the world at Arsenal, but to play against Barcelona could be a once in a lifetime

opportunity, and the fact I thought I did all right made it even better.

“My only regret is that I didn’t get a shirt from a Barcelona player afterwards - I wasn’t sharp enough on the final whistle. Schoolboy error. But don’t worry I’ve got plenty of pictures - they are all saved on my phone!”, he told the Gunners website.

Iwobi, who had his full international cap with the Super Eagles against the Pharaohs of Egypt in Kaduna in

March this year, stated that Arsene Wenger had shown a lot of faith in him to play against Barcelona.

“Also I thought I did all right in the game as well, so that’s my favourite performance, even though we didn’t win.

“The manager (Wenger) has shown a lot of faith in me to pick me for a game like that, but I also proved something to myself that day when I realised I can perform at that level,” Iwobi said.

SIDELINES

NO 16,518

TUESDAY, 7 JUNE, 2016

Dr. Chris Ngige, Labour and Employment minister, last Friday, directed banks to halt workers' retrenchment. While the minister's statement was well intentioned, he was merely playing to the gallery as banks will defy the directive. The solution is in fixing the economy. Once the economy is strong, retrencment will stop.

N150

Dream Team not ready for Rio Olympics —Siasia

Muhammad Ali's body arrives in Louisville as huge crowds expected for funeral procession through boxing legend's home city. (Inset) Ali in his heyday.

Ali's body arrives hometown ahead Friday's burial M UHAMMAD Ali's body on Monday arrived in his home town of Louisville, Kentucky, where he will be laid to rest on Friday.

The boxing legend's coffin was flown to an airport in the city before being carried into a hearse and driven away.

His family have said a public memorial will be held at a sports arena in the city later this week, with thousands of mourners expected to attend.

Louisville mayor, Greg Fischer told Sky News he expects an "outpouring of love" for the threetime world heavyweight champion, who died on Friday aged 74.

"When a global icon is from your own home city, everybody has got a story, everybody has been touched by him - one way or multiple ways," he said.

"Our city, Louisville, is going to be sending him off with great class, dignity and

respect.

"We hope the world will be inspired to live up to the values of Ali, which were compassion and unity and bringing people together, lifting people up."

Former US President, Bill Clinton and comedian Billy Crystal are among those delivering eulogies at the ceremony, which will be led by an imam in line with Muslim tradition.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also attend the service and

has asked to speak, family spokesman, Bob Gunnell said.

Representatives of other faiths will also attend, and Mr Gunnell said: "The celebration will reflect his devotion to people of all races, religions and backgrounds."

A private service will be held a day before the public memorial, which will be streamed online.

Flowers, cards and signs have been placed outside

PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has accused Chris Giwa and his group of trying to make sure Nigeria does not qualify for the 2018 World Cup. It is believed that Giwa and his group proved a major distraction for the Super Eagles' inability to qualify for

the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon.

Giwa has for the past two years laid claim to the leadership of the NFF and last Friday, he forced his way into the office of the football federation, claiming he has a court order to take over the leadership of NFF. Pinnick has now hit out

his childhood home in the city, and flags have been flying at half-mast.

Tributes have been paid to Ali from countless figures in sport, showbiz and politics, with President Barack Obama saying the boxing icon "fought for what was right" both inside and outside the ring.

According to Mr Gunnell, Ali's official cause of death was septic shock "due to unspecified natural causes".

NIGERIA'S U-23 coach, Samson Siasia has declared that the Dream Team is not yet ready for the Rio Olympics scheduled to hold in August this year, following an uneventful performance at the just-ended Suwon Invitational tournament in South Korea.

The Nigeria Olympic team lost 0-1 to the hosts, South Korea and 2-6 to Denmark's U-21 before posting a 3-1 comeback victory over Honduras on Monday.

"The tournament was preparatory to helping us get ready for a successful outing in Rio. We know from this four-nation tournament that we are not really ready yet. It was an eye opener for us to see the players we have and their ability to perform on a high level like the Olympics.

"Why should I be disappointed when the real challenge has not started yet. It will help us to prepare better not to get disappointed in the future. We have a lot of lessons

from these matches. I cannot share them with you but with my coaching crew as we leave Korea to continue our preparations. It will help us prepare better for the Olympics," Siasia told Goal.

The former Super Eagles handler however, maintained that funding remains one of the obstacles before his team which is as a result of the poor financial status of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

"I have said enough about poor financial support because nothing good will come out of all this talk. No need to talk about it anymore because it will never change we will continue to suffer till the Olympics are over," Siasia said adding "There will be changes of course to make the team a better one".

Meanwhile, goals from skipper Azubuike Okechukwu, Godwin Saviour and Saturday Keigho gave the Dream Team its only win after Honduras early lead by Alberth Elis.

... As Iwobi's release gets greenlight ARSENAL and Nigeria have reached an agreement for Alex Iwobi to join up late with the country’s Olympic team to the Rio Olympics after his pre-season with the English Premier League club.

A source told AfricanFootball.com that Nigeria's U-23 coach, Samson Siasia has agreed that the attacking midfielder, Iwobi should join up late with the rest of the squad after his pre-season with the Gunners.

“Iwobi will be involved with Arsenal pre-season and it is only after that

he will join up with the Nigeria squad for the Rio Olympics,” a source informed.

Giwa wants to dash Nigeria's 2018 W-Cup hopes —Pinnick at Giwa, saying he and his group aim to sabotage Nigeria’s quest to qualify for a sixth World Cup. “Giwa is a major distraction and their main aim, from A to Z, is to ensure Nigeria do not qualify for the next World Cup after we promised Nigerians we will,”

Pinnick said at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.

“It’s a shame!”

The draw for the qualifying tournament for the World Cup will be staged on June 24 in Cairo, Egypt.

The qualifiers begin in October and will run till November 2017.

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 7/6/2016.

Iwobi