9th March 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,453

WEDNESDAY, 9 MARCH, 2016

18 dead, 50 trapped as 5-storey building collapses in Lagos •We detected structural defects before now —Developer —P8

Boko Haram

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Lagos sets up revenue el-Rufai to CBN: Reduce interest rate or court to tackle tax govs will do it for you evaders, defaulters —P10

—P9

Nigerian Tribune

N150

We are not hopeless, Ocholi's children tell Osinbajo •Burial holds next week —P4

MTN contributed to killing of 10,000 Nigerians —Buhari •Why $9.3m seized arms fund has not been refunded —Zuma

—P2

Ekiti Assembly invasion:

Reps summon DG DSS —P41

FG unbundles NNPC, names new unit heads —P11

Aregbesola creates 31 LCDA, dissolves caretaker committees President Muhammadu Buhari and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

Ese Oruru's abductor admits responsibility for her pregnancy —P6

—P40

Rickey Tarfa: NJC queries Justice Yunusa —P16

2 news

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Boko Haram: MTN contributed to killing of 10,000 Nigerians —Buhari •Why seized $9.3m arms fund has not been refunded —Zuma •Nigeria, South Africa sign 30 agreements Leon Usigbe -Abuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has accused MTN of contributing to the killing of over 10,000 people by Boko Haram, following its slow pace in registering its subscribers.

He made the remark while responding to questions during a joint news conference with visiting South African President, Jacob Zuma, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

President Buhari, who was speaking publicly on the issue for the first time, explained that government was more concerned about security rather than the fine imposed on the telecoms provider.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has imposed the fine of $5.2 billion on MTN for failing to register thousands of active mobile telephone lines.

Buhari observed that Boko Haram had relied on unregistered SIM card to perpetrate their atrocities, leading to the death of thousands of people.

President Buhari said: “The concern of the Federal Government was basically on the security and not the fine imposed on MTN. “You know how the unregistered GSM are being used by terrorists and between 2009 and today, at least 10,000 Nigerians were killed by Boko Haram, at least 10,000.

“That was why the NCC asked MTN, Glo and the rest of them to register GSM subscribers.

“Unfortunately, MTN was very very slow and contributed to the casualties. And NCC looked at its regulations and imposed the fine.

“Unfortunately for MTN, they went to court and once you go to court, you virtually disarm the government because if the Federal Government refuses to listen to the judiciary, it’s going against its own constitution.

“Therefore, the government has to wait. I think MTN has seen that and decided to withdraw the case and go back and negotiate with government’s agencies on what they consider a very steep fine to be reduced and maybe given time to pay gradually.”

Also responding to a question, President Jacob Zuma explained why the $9.3 million cash meant for arms purchase confiscated by authorities in his country from Nigerian officials was yet to be released.

He said relevant departments were still carrying on investigation into the matter.

Part of the money had been ferried with a private jet to South Africa in what government at the time said was an attempt to procure arms through black market to fight Boko Haram.

Responding to a question on why South Africa was yet to remit the money back to Nigeria, Zuma expressed the willingness of his gov-

ernment to recover the money for Nigeria.

He said: “With regards to the things that were either confiscated or went to South Africa, the two governments are working on those matters, the relevant structures are working on it, but there are some that have been discovered and recovered and there are some the necessary departments are doing the investigations.

“We will certainly appreciate if we succeed in re-

covering all other issues or all other things that will be in South Africa illegally, so that they will be returned.”

The South African president also spoke on the possible payment of compensation to Nigeria victims of the recent xenophobic attacks in his country, saying that once victims were able to report and identify what had been taken from them, solution could be found.

He said: “With regards to things that could have been

destroyed at that time, I’m sure that that is a matter that relevant departments will be dealing with particularly if people have reported what happened.

“We know that during the attacks, a number of articles were taken by people as it always happens when there is a conflict but we hope that people could identify and indicate. Then, I’m sure the collaboration of how to solve those problems will certainly be found.”

President Muhammadu Buhari and his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, being welcomed by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, during President Zuma’s visit to Nigeria, on Tuesday.

Africa must break away from colonial legacies —Zuma ...NASS calls for stronger ties Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma, on Tuesday, declared that time had come for Africa to break away from colonial legacies, saying that such move would help in the economic development of the region.

Zuma, who dropped the hint while addressing a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja, as part of programmes for his visit to Nigeria, said: “we must strive for the diversification of our economies, so as to cast the net wide enough to create more job opportunities for our people, to improve their living conditions and grow our economies through domestic resources in the first instance.”

According to him, “In doing this, we would break away from the colonial legacy that turned Africa into providers of primary

commodities and recipients of processed goods.

This is important because the current state of affairs makes Africa vulnerable to the volatilities of the international economy that sustains the uneven terms of trade.”

Speaking further, he said, “This diversification will go further to improve the impact that Africa can have in the global economy and to reconfigure the terms of trade.

“We must strive to bring the manufacturing plants closer to the sources of raw materials. South Africa and Nigeria can, to a large extent, complement each other towards the achievement of this.

“The current global economic climate, as the previous global economic crisis, has exposed the vulnerability of our economies and currencies and thus, calls for concerted efforts toward South-south and intra-Afri-

ca cooperation,” he stated.

To this end, he said that, “Economic cooperation between our two countries can therefore serve as bedrock of the continent’s economic cooperation and intra-Africa trade. This is the kind of leadership Africa expects South Africa and Nigeria to provide.”

While commending the role Nigeria played in the liberation of South Africa from the apartheid, he said that, “I will like to remind, especially the youths in our two countries, of the role that Nigeria played in the struggle for liberation in South Africa.

“It is within this context that our hearts and prayers are always with the Chibok Girls who were abducted from their dormitories in April 2014 by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, here in Nigeria.

“We remain hopeful and trust that your efforts to find and rescue those children

will bear positive results,” he maintained.

On bilateral relationship with Nigeria, he said that, “A total of 34 Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding have been concluded since inception of the Bi-National Commission (BNC), thus, demonstrating the extent and depth of our bilateral cooperation.

“While we appreciate the existence of so many agreements and memoranda of understanding, we would appreciate more if their implementation could be intensified for the mutual benefit of the respective countries.

“More than 120 South African companies operate in Nigeria currently, a huge growth from a mere four companies in 1999.

“Nonetheless, there is room for greater business to business engagements particularly in the areas Nigeria has identified as potential growth sectors.

He regretted the xenophobic attacks, stressing that all Africans were the same.

Zuma revealed that both countries have signed over 30 bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding covering a wide range of cooperation areas including trade and industry, transport, energy, defence and security and immigration among others.

He said the leaders had directed the relevant ministers to move with speed in implementing all signed agreements.

They have also directed ministers to identify joint projects in the key high impact strategic development areas, which will have socioeconomic benefits such as employment creation to our peoples.

According to him, both leaders welcomed the increased economic cooperation and trade relations between our two countries over the past decade. Nigeria is South Africa’s key trading partner on the continent.

He added: “Prior to 1999, there were only four South African companies in Nigeria. Since 1999, the situation has changed dramatically.

“Over 120 companies are currently doing business in Nigeria, in various sectors, mainly telecommunications, banking, retail, property, entertainment and hospitality.

We welcome this significant development.

“We also see great potential in boosting tourism between the two countries. According to Statistics South Africa, an average of 4,000 Nigerians travelled to South Africa on a monthly basis in 2015.

“In order to promote South Africa as a tourist destination in both the vast Nigerian market and in the West African region as a whole, a Tourism Office was opened in Lagos, in January 2014, by ministers of Tourism of both countries.

“We also encourage South Africans to tour Nigeria so that we can improve understanding and the appreciation of one another’s culture and way of life.

“It is important for us to structure our economic cooperation. In this regard, the South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum has been organised, comprising of high level business delegations from both countries.

“We urge our private sector to invest in the respective countries and help create job opportunities and improve the quality of life.”

4 news

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

We’re not hopeless, Ocholi’s children tell Osinbajo Burial holds next week —Family Soji-Eze Fagbemi and Ademola Adegbite - Abuja

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HILDREN of the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, told the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday, that despite the sudden death of their father and mother in a ghastly motor accident, they were not hopeless.

The children made this declaration as Nigerian Tribune confirmed that the burial of late Ocholi, his wife and son will take place between Wednesday and Saturday next week.

Osinbajo led a number of prominent Nigerians to the Dagash Street Kado Estate, Abuja residence of the late minister, to pay a condolence visit to the family.

The vice-president, who organised a prayer session for the family, arrived at the residence around 4.45 p.m. and was met on arrival by the children of the diseased, who were led by a confidant, special assistant and a very close family friend to the deceased, Dr Dan Ogun.

First son of the deceased, Aaron, who spoke on behalf of the children, said with the calibre of Nigerians who were coming to identify with the family, they were not feeling dejected, but proud to be Nigerians.

Aaron only prayed that God would give them the grace to become what he taught them to be.

Dr Ogun, who worked very closely with the late Ocholi, spoke with Nigerian Tribune on the position of the children on the vice-president’s visit.

He said: “As you have heard the son say on behalf of the children, though they are mourning, they are not hopeless. I think that is a message from the scripture, because some day, they are going to see their parents, Some day, they are going to see their sibling. Once they have the Lord Jesus as their Lord and saviour, even though they are mourning, the temporary departure and separation of theirs, they are nonetheless hopeless. They are never hopeless because there is hope after death, there is resurrection and the future belongs to God, so their destiny is in His hand and he will secure it for them.”

He stated that with the calibre of people coming, the vice-president and other prominent Nigerians, he felt sorry and challenged, adding “sorry, because here was

somebody that had great potential to be part and parcel of the committed change agenda for Nigeria and his life was cut short. I felt sorry because he did not have a longer period to actualise this change agenda with a team led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I feel excited and inspired because it shows that even though he lived a short life, he lived well and for that time he lived, he made a mark.

I think that is the greatest challenge to me. He made a mark in the church, he made

a mark at the Bar, he made a mark in public service, he made a mark all round.

“The burial takes place next week. I can’t be exact of the day, but between Wednesday and Saturday.

The activities will begin about Wednesday.”

The vice-president told the family to take heart, as God is the author of life and Him alone can comfort them, adding that they should, however, seek the face of the Lord as they go through the pains of losing both parents and a brother to a single

tragic incident.

The other children of late Ocholi are Ojone, Aaron, Blessing and Ele. Other prominent Nigerians who paid a condolence visit were the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmadu Ali; former Ekiti State governor and Minister of Mineral Resources, Kayode Fayemi; Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malani; and the national president, Association of Market Wom-

en in Nigeria, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. The late minister’s house on Dagash Street, in Kado Estate, Abuja had been playing host to sympathisers since his demise on Sunday.

The Senate President, who led other members of the Senate, wrote in the condolence register opened for the late minister: “I’m here leading a delegation of my colleagues in the Senate to commiserate and condole with the family of James Ocholi, particularly the children, who suddenly lost their parents.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, with the children of the late James Ocholi, at their residence in Kado Estate, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Ocholis’ death not natural —Family

•Be strong, uphold your father’s legacies, Saraki tells his children •His death, personal tragedy to legal profession, Nigeria —Bayo Ojo •His last words in Kaduna church From Lanre Adewole, Yinka Oladoyinbo, Ayodele Adesanmi and Muhammad Sabiu MEMBERS of the family of the late Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Productivity, James Ocholi, on Tuesday, said the death of the minister, his wife and son in an accident was not natural.

This was just as the traditional ruler of his community, the Onu Abocho, Dr Tijani Okutachi, said the entire community was devastated by the news of Ocholi death.

Speaking with newsmen in Udanebiomi, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Mr Jonah Paul, cousin to the late politician, said the circumstances surrounding Ocholis’ death was beyond the ordinary.

He, however, said as Christians, the family members had resolved to take the development as an act of God.

He described the late minister as a rallying point in the community and the family, whose demise had left a vacuum.

According to him, the deceased died one week to his thanksgiving service over his recent appointment as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Paul said: “It is unfortunate that this has happened to us in this family. We had expected that we will join him in praising God for his appointment as a minister, but that is not to be. He had earlier fixed the programme for last Sunday, but had to shift it to next Sunday, because he said the president wanted to see him last Friday.

“His death is a great loss to us, as we lack words to express our feelings over his death. He was very good to the family, he didn’t discriminate, as he carried everybody along.

Also speaking, the Onu of Abuchi, who is the paramount ruler of Biraidu, said

the death of Ocholi was shocking to the community, describing it as a disaster.

He said: “The death came to us as a rude shock; it is very unfortunate that he died like that, the minister was a man of his words. He was always on his feet. He participated in all the activities of the community.

“The demise has created a lot of setback to my district, Dekina Local Government Area and the country at large.

He was a community leader.

“Whatever death that comes always come from God, we just take this as a disaster, it is a real disaster to the entire Igala nation and only God knows why this is so.”

Meanwhile, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, told the four surviving children of late Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi— Ojome, Aaron, Blessing and Elle, to remain strong and work towards sustaining the

good legacies the late Senior Advocate left behind.

Saraki, who led a 16-man delegation of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly to the Abdulrahman Mora Street, Kado, Abuja home of the late Minister of State, said Ocholi was a hardworking and devoted family man, who worked alongside late Abubakar Audu to take the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the nooks and crannies of Kogi State.

He said: “We worked closely together during the teething days of the APC, having come from the same North Central zone. He did a great job and demonstrated his brilliance, dedication and commitment. Now, he is gone, we cannot question God. He sets his own time for all of us.”

The lawmaker promised that the close associates of the late minister would not forget the family and they would continue to support them.

continues pg5

Those who accompanied the Senate President on the visit were Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na Allah, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim and Senator Philip Aduda.

Also paying tribute to the late minister, former national chairman of PDP, Colonel Ahmadu Ali, said after condoling with the family, that his demise was a catastrophy for the Igala Kingdom and Nigeria.

Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Almakura, who led members of his cabinet, prayed for the repose of the soul of the late minister and asked God to strengthen the family.

He said: “It is a serious loss to this country. It is a personal loss to me, because we have come a long way.

Among all the governorship candidates in the last election, he was my closest friend. He is someone with a sound legal influence in this administration.

“We have been so close, even when I have events, I don’t need to invite him before he attends my functions. We were together two weeks ago.

“I feel pained. We would continue to pray for the family, because it is a devastating loss and quite tragic. We feel for the children, but we know that the Almighty God will continue to be with you. Though you lost your biological father, you have fathers in us” In his tribute to late Ocholi, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said the demise of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment had created a vacuum in their longstanding political family.

He said: “We remain in pains, but with greater submission to our Lord, in whose abode we pray for your rest in peace. Our tears keep flowing, despite consolation of the loved ones. Rest in peace Ocholi.”

In the condolence register, the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita wrote: “My dear brother, I received this terrible news with great shock.

We were together just last week Thursday. The short time we spent together in the cabinet, I saw you as a perfect gentleman, a consumate professional, truly patriotic and loyal to our principal and this great nation.

“We cannot question God. He alone knows why. I promise you and your darling wife and son that your children shall never be alone. Rest in perfect peace. Amen.”

5 news

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

APC NWC wants Ocholi immortalised Decries killing of APC members in Rivers State Kolawole Daniel - Abuja

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday called for the immortalisation of the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, who died in a ghastly road accident, which also claimed the lives of his wife and son.

This was a fallout of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) special session convened and chaired by the acting national chairman, Mr Segun Oni, in honour of the deceased minister, who was also the party’s former interim Deputy National Legal Adviser.

The APC flag was flown at half mast as a sign of mourning at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Giving tributes at the special session, Oni said: “The late Ocholi was a very passionate and concerned party man and somebody, who was professional to a fault.

He was somebody, who was also passionate about progressive politics. He was driven and motivated more

by service and what he could contribute to society.

National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni said: “He lived a fulfilled life, he was a committed party member. His demise is a great loss to this party, this nation and the people of Kogi State. We must take solace in the fact that death is inevitable end and is one thing that cannot be predicted. We, as a party,

must do everything possible to ensure that Chief James Ocholi is properly immortalised.”

National Treasurer, Alhaji Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa said: “The late Ocholi was a great party man and a frontline agent of change. We lost a friend in a time he was needed the most.”

National Women Leader

of the ruling party, Hajiya Ramatu Tijani Aliyu said: “We lost an illustrious son, who had always stood for progressive ideas.”

Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu said: “He was a passionate and committed party member.”

On Rivers killings, the NWC special session, the APC Acting National Chair-

man, Mr Oni, while decrying the recent spike in violence ahead the forthcoming rerun in Rivers State, chided the media for not giving adequate reportage of the attacks against members of the APC in Rivers and other parts of the country.

He called on the security agencies to rise up to stem the tide of violence in Rivers State, calling the situation

“tragic and a huge embarrassment and a source of worry to the party.”

Oni said: “The police and other security agencies should take responsibilities for what is happening in Rivers State, this is a very serious issue and you as members of the press should see what is happening as a real emergency that should not be treated with kid gloves.”

good family man. His story of forthrightness and upright conduct in politics would surely endure alongside his memory that is bound to be eternal.”

Ocholi actually attended a church service in Kaduna, on Sunday, where he made some spiritual and political statements.

It was learnt the late Minister was invited at the instance of the General Overseer of Restoration Bible Church, Bishop Tunde Bolanta, to partake in the final day of a week-long activities of the church in Kaduna.

According to some of the church workers and worshippers, who pleaded anonymity, they said when it was the turn of the late minister to speak, he advised members of the congregation to beware of the end of time because of high rate of abnormalities happening in the society nowadays.

Ocholi was also quoted to have used the church event to appeal to Nigerians to be patience with the government of President Buhari, adding that hardship being experienced in the country would soon be a thing of the past.

Ocholis’ death not natural —Family continued from pg4

In the condolence register, Saraki described Ocholi as “a committed party man” and prayed to God to grant him, his wife and son eternal rest.

Personal Assistant to the late minister, Dr Hammond, who spoke on behalf of the family, said it was true that Ocholi had a personal relationship with the Senate President, as both men worked hard to entrench the APC in the North Central zone.

He thanked the Senate on behalf of the family, for

deeming it fit to pass a resolution and follow it up with a visit.

The Senate had earlier passed a resolution, moved

by Senator Dino Melaye, urging it to observe a minute silence in honour of the deceased persons, as well as urged the Federal Government to immortalise him, prayed the Kogi State government to grant scholarship to the children still in school and finally send a delegation to condole with the family.

Reacting, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Jus-

tice, Chief Bayo Ojo, has described the passing of Mr James Ocholi as a personal tragedy to the legal profession in particular and the country as a whole.

Ojo, who is a past President of the Nigeria Bar Association, recalled Ocholi’s passion for the legal profession both in public and private life.

According to him, “the country is mourning today.

It just lost one of its most passionately-committed individual. Ocholi was a rare breed in defining commitment to the Bar. He was a consummate lawyer and a

6 news

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Ese Oruru’s alleged abductor, Yunusa, admits responsibility for her pregnancy •Remanded in prison custody From Austin Ebipade and Kola Oyelere

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UNUSA Dahiru, a.k.a. Yellow, the alleged abductor of 14-year-old Delta-born Ese Oruru, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Federal High Court on a five-count charge of abduction, kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation.

He appeared in court in a relaxed mood and was arraigned before Honourable Justice H.A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa at about 10.00 a.m. on Tuesday, in a case with Charge No FHC/ YNG/17c/2016, which was between the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP) Vs Yunusa Dahiru, aged 18 years.

Prior to his arraignment on Tuesday, a special prosecutor from the Police Force headquarters in Abuja had arrived Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital ahead preparations for the formal arraignment over his alleged mastermind of the abduction of Ese Oruru from Bayelsa to Kano State and forcefully marrying her and converting her to Islam.

The special prosecutor, who arrived in Bayelsa on Saturday, was reported to have met with the Suspect, Dahiru and the victim, Oruru for official obtaining of statements.

The charges read: “That you, Yunusa Dahiru, male, of Opolo-Epie, with Dankano Mohammed, Mallam Alhassan, presently at large, between the months of August 2015 and February 2016 at Oplo-Epie in Yenagoa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court did conspire among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: Abduction and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 27 (a) of the Trafficking in Persons (prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

“That you, Yunusa Dahiru of Opolo-Epie, between the months of August 2015 and February 2016 at Opolo Epie,Yenegoa, in the Yenagoa Division of the Federal High Court abducted one Rita Ese Oruru, aged 14 years, by means of coercion, transported and harboured herein, Kano State and thereby, committed an offence punishable under section 13 (2) (b)of the Trafficking in Persons (prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act,

2015.

“That you, Yunusa Dahiru of Opolo-Epie, between the months of August 2015 and February 2016 at Opolo-Epie, Yenagoa in the Yenagoa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, induced one Rita Ese Oruru aged 14 years by the use of deception and coercion to go with you from Yenagoa to Kano State with intent that she be forced or seduced into illicit intercourse and thereby, committed an offence punishable under section15 (a) of the Trafficking in Persons (prohibition) Enforcement Ad-

ministration Act, 2015.

“That you, Yunusa Dahiru of Opolo-Epie, between the months of August 2015 and February 2016 at OpoloEpie, Yenagoa in Yenagoa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court procured one Rita Ese Oruru, aged 14 years and subjected her into sexual exploitation in Kano State and thereby, committed an offence punishable under section 16 (1) of the Trafficking in person (prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

“That you, Yunusa of Opolo-Epie, between the months of August 2015 and

February 2016 at OpoloEpie, Yenagoa, in Yenagoa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court had unlawful carnal knowledge of one Rita Ese Oruru, aged 14 years, without her consent and thereby, committed an offence contrary to section 357 of the Criminal Code Act and punishable under section 358 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C. 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigerian, 2004.”

After reading the charges, the accused person, Dahiru, pleaded not guilty before the court, while the case was adjourned till March 14 for hearing on the bail

application by his counsel, Kayode Olaoshebikan.

Speaking with newsmen later after he left the court unruffled, Yunusa said he had been dating Ese before they both left for Kano, saying his mother was aware of the illicit relationship.

He admitted being responsible for Ese’s fivemonth-old pregnancy, but said she did not know how old the pregnancy was, as he started sleeping with her months before they both left for Kano.

When probed further, he said it was only the father that was not aware of their relationship, but the moth-

er knew that they were both seeing each other.

Speaking, the counsel for Yunusa, Olaoshebikan said there was no case, “it is easy for the prosecution to bring up charges, but Yunusa has pleaded not guilty and it is left for the prosecution to prove their case beyond every reasonable doubt.

“It is a case of two love birds and in our social parlance, we call it elopement, but government and the state preferred to call it abduction and it is left for the court to decide whether it is abduction or elopement of two minors.”

Prosecuting counsel, Kenneth Dika, said the state was ready to prove its case against the accused with its six witnesses.

Emir of Kano expresses dismay over Ese saga’s reportage

Wife of the Oyo State governor, Chief (Mrs) Florence Ajimobi (third left); Mrs Janet Alake (second left) and others, during an endurance trek from the Government House, Agodi, to Bodija market, during the International Women’s Day celebration, on Tuesday. PHOTO: D’TOYIN

FG reduces charges against former minister, Orubebe, to one Sunday Ejike - Abuja THE Federal Government, on Tuesday, withdrew the four-count charge slammed against the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Peter Orubebe, replacing it with a one-count charge.

The Federal Government had, in October last year, preferred a four-count charge, bordering on false assets declaration and demanding and collection of bribe of about N 70 million against the former minister.

However, at the resumed hearing on Tuesday, counsel for the Federal Government and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed Diri, in oral application, withdrew the charge sheet earlier filed against Orubebe and replaced it with an amended one-count charge.

He told the court that the application to amend the

charge against the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was brought pursuant to section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

Orubebe’s counsel, Selekeowei Larry, did not object to the amendment of the charge, reducing it from four to one-count charge and the Tribunal chairman, Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, consequently struck out the charge filed on October 8, 2015 and replaced it with an amended charge filed on Tuesday before the Tribunal.

The amended one-count charge against Orubebe read: “That you, Godsday Peter Orubebe, on or about June 29, 2015, while being a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Tribunal, did make a false declaration of

assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) when you failed to declare Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja on assumption of office on September 26, 2007 and on leaving office (at the end of your tenure on June 29, 2011) and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 23 ( 2) of the same Act.” Orubebe pleaded not guilty to the single count charge when it was read out to him and the prosecution counsel asked the court for a date to commence trial, adding also that the prosecution intended to call three witnesses to prove the allegation against the former minister.

It will be recalled that the Federal Government arraigned the former min-

ister over alleged N70 million bribe and false declaration of assets, to which he pleaded not guilty.

He was also alleged to have, while in office, asked for and accepted a bribe of N50 million from one Pastor (Dr) Jonathan Alota, for the contract awarded in favour of his company.

In the fourth count, Orubebe was alleged to have while being the minister, in 2013, asked for and accepted N20 million from one Pastor (Dr) Jonathan Alota as additional bribe for the contract awarded in favour of his company for the construction of skill acquisition Centre at Edo State for 1,799,914,251.88 and thereby, committed an offence contrary to section 10 of CCB & T Act as incorporated under paragraph 18 of part 1 fifth schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II, has expressed dismay at the way some sections of the media have been reporting Ese Oruru’s incident, warning that the “dangerous trend” was capable of threatening national stability.

He then called on individuals and groups, who are trying to create disunity among the various ethnic groups in the country to stop, in the interest of the nation.

Sanusi, who also reiterated the commitment of his palace to ensuring sanity be restored to Islam, urged Nigerians to desist from any move that could cause disharmony in the country.

Emir Sanusi made the submission when he received a delegation of Halleluyah Assembly International Church, led by its General Overseer, Pastor Victor Majekodunmi Akure, at his palace.

The Emir, who once again used the occasion to exonerate the palace and the entire Kano Emirate Council from the ugly incident, described the incident as unfortunate and cautioned those promoting disharmony with the ugly development, to desist.

However, Emir Sanusi commended Pastor Akure for championing peaceful co-existence among Christians and Muslims in the country.

Pastor Akure, however, thanked the Emir for receiving him and disclosed that his visit was primarily conceived to pray for the peace and progress of the state.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016 Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

ArmylosesGeneraltoroadaccident

As troops repel attack in Pulka, Bitta Chris Agbambu - Abuja

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HE Nigerian Army has confirmed the death of Chief of Training and Operations of the army, Major-General Yushau Mahmood Abubakar, in a road accident, along MaiduguriDamaturu Road, on Tuesday.

He was the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, before his recent deployment to Army Headquarters, Abuja.

The road accident also involved the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Brigadier-General MSA Aliyu, who sustained injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.

The director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Usman Kukasheka, confirmed the development.

Meanwhile, the troops of the 26 and 28 Task Force brigades, again, repelled another attack by fleeing Boko Haram terrorists on military locations at Pulka and Bitta in the fringes of Sambisa Forest.

The troops of 114 Task Force Battalion, were attacked by Boko Haram terrorists fanning out of Sambisa Forest from Damboa, Tokumbere and Pulka axis.

In a statement issued by the acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman Kukasheka, in Abuja, on Tuesday, two Boko Haram insurgents were killed, while several

others sustained gun shot injuries.

At Pulka, it stated that 16 attackers were killed while one of them was captured alive.

It further revealed the recovery of 11 AK-47 rifles, three General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), one Browning Machine Gun (BMG) and two Toyota Hilux vehicles.

“It is gratifying to state that there were no casualty on our own troops, except for three soldiers that sustained minor injuries.

“The troops remained on maximum alert and are equally busy consolidating and continuing with their clearance operations with high morale,” the statement reads

FCT judges have 1,500 pending cases, says CJ Asks senate to increase number of high courts

From Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja THE Chief Judge of the High Court, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Ishaq Bello, on Tuesday, asked the senate to immediately increase the number of High Courts in the territory from 37 to 75 to help reduce the over 1,500 pending cases in the courts Speaking during a public hearing on a bill seeking to increase the number of judges in the FCT High Courts, the CJ said that the bill was necessary following the astronomical growth in population of people in FCT. The public hearing, was organised by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters ,following the referral of the bill to it for further legislative action.

The CJ said that the territory is suffering from effect of population growth in the FCT, adding that this has led to the increase in the number of cases pending in high court.

Bello noted that between 2003 and 2016, “the public that expects the services of the court in the FCT is on the increase hence, the need to ask for more hands for speedy dispensation of cases.”

He noted that though, 37 judges were approved for FCT High Courts, only 36 judges are currently operating, lamenting that judges on ground are being overstretched.

He said: “It has become necessary to give the true picture of things so that you can understand. I, therefore, crave your indulgence and pray that you will be so moved to consider the bill in our favour.

“Seeing the torment judges go through, I decided to take up the challenge to ask for more judges. It is not

open for any court to decide on its own without resort to the National Assembly.”

Representatives of the National Industrial Court, Nigeria Law Reform Commission and National Judicial Institute who also attended the hearing supported the bill.

A representative of the National Industrial Court said at the end of the legal year 2011, a total of 9,083

cases were pending in FCT High Courts.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator David Umaru, said that the purpose of the hearing was basically to obtain the view of stakeholders on the Bill.

Senator Umaru underscored the need for speedy hearing of cases in court and assured that the Senate will do the needful to work on the Bill.

Ilaje RDC gives financial assistance to students THE Ilaje RDC in Igbokoda Local Government Area of Ondo State, has given financial assistance to over 400 students in secondary and higher institutions in the area.

While higher institution students went home with N50,000 each, the secondary students were given N20,000 each to boost education standard in the area.

In his address, the RDC chairman, Mr Henry Ehinmola, said the RDC initiated the annual event different from the NNPC/CHEVRON scheme, to assist indigent students of the area.

He said the scholarship scheme was put in place to compliment the efforts of the state government so as to raise the standard of education of the students.

The chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, who was represented by Honourable Jossy Ehimore, said the programme is a laudable one as “Every programme on education is a programme of humanity”.

He appreciated the management of RDC for the initiative and implored the beneficiaries to utilise the gesture properly.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Lagos

Scenes of the collapse of a five-storey building in Lekki Garden, Ikate Elegushi, on Tuesday. PHOTOS: SYLVESTER OKORUWA, NAN

18 dead, 50 trapped as 5-storey building collapses •We detected structural defects before now — Developer Lanre Adewole and Olalekan Olabulo

N

O fewer than 18 people have been confirmed dead and 11 others rescued as a five storey building collapsed in Lekki area of Lagos State, at about 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

About 50 other persons were feared trapped under the debris of the collapsed building as some of the rescued victims told emergency workers that there were still people under the collapsed building.

Tears cascaded the cheeks of sympathisers at the scene as the dead body of a woman and her baby were recovered from the debris of the collapsed building. The dead and rescued people were construction workers, who spent the night in the uncompleted building.

Over 10 nationals of the Republic of Benin, who were reportedly contacted to help in the building,

were part of the victims of the early collapsed building.

The owners of the building, Lekki Gardens confirmed the incident but insisted that construction work had been stopped on the now collapsed building, since January.

Information available to Lagos Metro had it that there had been a notice of defect in the collapsed building.

A yet-to-be identified woman and her two children as well as her husband were also part of the victims of the collapsed building. The woman escaped but her husband and two children were yet-to-be rescued as of the time of filing this report. The woman had reportedly come to Lagos to verify the claims by her husband that he had not been paid for months, when the accident happened.

According to one of the workers at the site, who identified himself as Anjolo Fidelis, the woman had told some of them that the

husband had not come home for about three months. “She thought her husband was lying that they haven’t paid them for three months so she decided to see for herself.

They are trapped in there. Before the rescue team came, we have personally removed the bodies,” Fidelis, who is a welder, said.

He added that “they usually sleep outside but on Tuesday, because of the rain, they went into the building and that was the end. It is because of the lack of management that is why people sleep here.”

A relative of one of the victims of the collapsed building, who simply identified herself as Remi said that, “my brother is a bricklayer.

He lives in Alagbado with his wife and children but he couldn’t go home everyday because of transport fare. I don’t know what to do.

I have checked the bodies but he is not there. This is pathetic. He has been taking care of our needs since

the death of our parents. What will be our fate if he dies?” she lamented.

One of the workers, who identified himself as Mathew Ademola told Lagos Metro that seven new workers from the Republic of Benin joined the construction work on Monday.

The South West spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed the casualty figure and added that the rescue operation was still ongoing.

Policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit and others took part in the rescue operation.

Meanwhile, developer of the

collapsed building in Lekki, Lekki Gardens, on Tuesday said it was against the company’s rule for those working on its sites to take shelter there.

In a statement confirming the incident, the management noted that “in line with our usual safety standards, all sites are closed off by 6:00 p.m. daily and it is mandatory that every worker leaves at that time.

“Investigation is already underway to ascertain the identities of those affected as it is not company policy for site workers to take shelter in uncompleted buildings.”

The company also explained that work had to be stopped on the collapsed buildings after structural defects were detected adding that, “The building which was under construction was meant to house a number of apartment units but construction work had been suspended in January 2016 over reported structural defects.”

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

metro Babington abduction: We were not prepared — Anglican Primate Olalekan Olabulo THE primate of the all Nigeria Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, on Tuesday, said that the church was not prepared for the abduction of the three students at Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School.

The clergyman stated this during a visit to the Lagos State commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, appreciating the prompt response to the abduction of the school children.

The cleric said, “We used to hear of abduction of school children in the North East and not in the South west.

Now that it has happened, we have fortified our school security wise.

“We are cooperating with security agencies, especially the Police, who have resumed duty in the school.

Apart from the Police, we have also made arrangement for private security,” he stated.

Most Reverend Okoh also said, “The effective result recorded by the Police has changed the perspective of people about the Police. Everybody will now agree that police is truly our friend.

“On behalf of Anglican communion, I say a big thank you to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, who dispatched his Intelligence Response Team to Lagos Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni and his subordinates in their respective roles to seeing that our children were rescued alive,” he

said.

Owoseni in his remark said, “we have just started our duty as we are going to arrest those who participated in the kidnapping of the school girls.

“We will fish them out not only to face the law, but to rehabilitate those we can and to stand as deterrent to others.”

The police boss also said, “We have learnt a lot of lesson from the abduction saga. We are going to provide adequate security for schools in isolated places like Ikorodu.

“We are going to start orientation and education of schools on the need to put security measures in place.”

Edited by

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Lagos sets up revenue court to tackle tax evaders, defaulters Bola Badmus THE Head of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, has on Tuesday, said the agency had begun the process of tackling tax evaders and defaulters.

He spoke at the LIRS press conference held in

Chairman, Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr Olufolarin Ogunsanwo (middle), addressing journalists on Tax Reforms in the State. With him is the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Mustapha Akinkunmi (right) and the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde (left), during a press conference by LIRS at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday.

65-year-old accused of stealing phone, N4,000 Gbemi Solaja MARTIN Nnaemeka, a 65-year-old man, has been remanded in prison over alleged theft of an Infinix phone valued at N29, 000.

The suspect, according to the Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Jimah Iseghede, stole the phone and the sum of N4000 from one Elvis Recent

Nathaniel. He added that the suspect who was with a gun and other offensive weapons stopped and robbed the victim of the items, on January 26, along Ibe road, Ile- Iwe bus stop, Isolo.

The offence is contrary to, and punishable under Section 295(2) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

Miss Okpe Agbe the Magistrate of the Ebute- Metta Magistrate Court, where the suspect was arraigned, rejected his not guilty plea and ordered that he be remanded in prison.

The Magistrate, however, adjourned the matter till April 12 for Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP)’s legal advice.

Lagos.

Ogunsanwo sated that Lagos State governor, Akinwumi Ambode, “has also recently approved the upgrading of this function of our operations to a full Directorate in appreciation of the enormity of work to be done and importance attached to it.

“To this end, we have identified three categories of tax payers in the informal sector. These are: market men/women and artisans; micro, small and medium scale enterprises (including professionals); and household domestic staff,” he said.

While responding to questions, Ogunsanwo said the low income earners being targeted for taxation are those earning N300, 000 annually or less, which include household security men, cooks, nannies, and others.

“We are targeting domestic helps who are self-employed, whose income come to them directly, they are actually taxable. If you are earning N300, 000 or less per year, the law says that it is taxable by a minimum of one per cent. If your income is N300, 000 per annum, you will pay one per cent, that is, N3, 000 per year or N250 per month,” he said.

The LIRS boss added that the agency had mandated its partners to commence the production of electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (eTCC) within 72 hours.

“Taxpayers are enjoined

944 crime suspects arrested in 17 days — CP Olalekan Olabulo NO fewer than 944 suspected criminals have been arrested by the police in Lagos State.

Some of the suspects were on Monday paraded before newsmen by the state commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, who reiterated the commitment of the police to rid the state of criminals.

Those arrested in different parts of Lagos include: suspected cult members,

armed robbers and social miscreants.

The Lagos police boss said, “Following the successful rescue of the abducted schoolgirls by the command, and the quick resolution of the Mile 12/Ajiliti crisis, the command wishes to inform members of the public that it made modest achievements in other areas. Apart from the above incidents which ruptured the serenity of the state, the state has been relatively

peaceful and safe.”

CP Owoseni added that, “The strategies emplaced are being sustained and constantly reviewed with a view to denying them freedom of action and further stem the rate of crime.

“Thus, from February 19 to March 7, 2016, the following arrests were made in respect of the following effects. Armed robbery suspects arrested were 26, and 50 suspects were arrested for cultism. One suspected

Nigerian Tribune

armed robber was shot dead during shootout with policemen.”

The Lagos police chief continued that, “11 different types of arms, 49 different calibre of ammunition were recovered during the period under review. The police also recovered 20 vehicles snatched from their owners at different points in Lagos.

“About 981 social miscreants were arrested. They include members of the notorious Awawa cult group,

who were arrested from various hideouts.”

The Lagos State Police boss further said that about 113 persons were allowed to go after they had been screened and found that they have genuine means of livelihood.

“The remaining 868 of the miscreants were later charged to court, while 313 were convicted. 57 of them were discharged while 289 others were still awaiting trials,” he said.

to contact our help desk and hotline if this service delivery standard is not met,” he added.

Earlier, Adeniji Kazeem, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, said the challenge had always been how to ensure people willingly pay their taxes to reduce the cost of its collection.

“I want to assure Lagosians that the era of tax evasion and indeed avoidance is coming to an end under the administration of Governor Ambode. We are going to aggressively pursue tax avoiders and evaders. The Lagos State Ministry of Justice will provide adequate support to the LIRS in its quest to ensure that tax payers are complying with our tax laws,” Kazeem said.

Also, Lagos residents have been advised to pay their land use charge promptly and take advantage of the 15 per cent discounted rate given to tax payers that pay within 15 days of bill delivery.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Mustapha Akinkunmi, gave the advice on Tuesday, stating that even if the bills were delivered late, tax payers are still entitled to take advantage of the discounted rate if payment is made within 15 days of bill delivery as shown in their records.

While commending property owners who had been reaching out to the Ministry to effect timely payments of their Land Use Charge fees, Akinkunmi affirmed that the State Government has provided complaint centre to resolve tax payers’ complaints on the land use charge.

According to him, the complaint centre is located on the ground floor of the State Ministry of Finance, Block 12, the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

He further disclosed that people can also lodge their complaints on the State Government hotline dedicated to land use charge 767 which is available 24 hours, seven days a week.

businessnews Reduce interest rate or govs will do it for you, El-Rufai tells CBN 10

Chima Nwokoji-lagos

K

ADUNA State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to either bring down interest rate or one day, he and other Governors will do it for the apex bank.

Speaking at the State Governors’ panel at the just concluded Nigeria Economist summit in Lagos, the Governor said the biggest problem destroying the Nigerian economy is the level of interest rate.

His words: “With the level of interest rate, no one can borrow at 20 percent and have real business.

We must make policy decisions that will make interest rate to near zero. The CBN should either bring down interest rate or one day we will do it for you.”

However, the Governor did not support devalua-

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

tion of the Naira.

He said he has seen three rounds of devaluation and and that he used to be in support all because of what he was thought in school.

But today, he no longer support devaluation as an economic policy for the country.

“I am against devaluation now. I have not seen the benefit to the economy. We export nothing and import all.

We have foreign exchange scarcity but devaluation is not the only solution.

“It has not worked. I have seen inflation imported, but no benefit of devalu-

ation to Nigeria. The only benefit is the removal of corruption in the system,” he stated.

According to him, States and Federal Government intend to have retreat to look at options other than devaluation. He explained that during the retreat, participants will look at other options that will keep economy going, stressing that Government cannot continue to subsidize for the elites.

On Kaduna state, the Governor disclosed that the state is largely an agriculture-based state.

The only challenge ac-

cording to him, is that farmers are too old. To this end, he said his government is focusing on grooming the young. His government also, wants to ease access to land, issue titles to every square meter of land, so that in the middle of next year, all farmers will have titles to land.

On women enpowerment, he said another thing Kaduna state is doing is that “we are investing a lot in extension, advancing women for agriculture.

I believe more in women than men. Our head of service is a woman and our at-

torney general is woman,” he disclosed.

He said free education is working in Kaduna and that the state is giving three square meal a day.

“We have deliberate policy to engage women. We are launching tree planting over the four years and we are engaging the women,” El-Rufai stated.

The Governor also said there was need to amend the constitution to give greater freedom for mining, adding that the constitution needs to be amended to have a true federalism.

IWD 2016: NSE signs parity pledge

Diamond Bank unveils investment opportunities in Nigeria DIAMOND Bank has unveiled viable investment windows that will help restore investor confidence and shore up asset value and return on investment in Nigeria.

This was disclosed recently in Lagos at Diamond Privilege seminar with the theme: ‘Investing in 2016, riding the storm, unearthing the opportunities.’ The seminar was attended by top investors, industry captains, monetarists, financial analysts, entrepreneurs and policymakers among others.

Diamond Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Uzoma Dozie, in his address of welcome, noted that although the investment environment has remained volatile, there was hope as one of the bank’s strategic focus is the commitment to help investors navigate to other sectors that would yield optimum return on investment.

MMTC: ABS, ITF to certify certificates from Nigerian maritime institution

Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

THE leadership of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has signed a parity pledge empowering women in the institution.

Chief Executive Officer of the Exchange, Oscar Oyeama, made the commitment during a symposium organised by the Exchange in commemoration of 2016 International Women’s Day on Tuesday.

“Today, we are reiterating our support by committing to provisions of women’s empowerment principles produced and desseminated by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment for Women and United Nations Global compact.

He observed that full participation of women in the nation’s capital market and the Exchange made good business sense, while noting that 33 per cent of workforce at the institution were women as the issue of gender equality and balance is taken serious.

He added that deliberate steps are taken to employ more women in the organisation and into leadership positions, while encouraging all quoted companies and dealing members to follow suite by using the principle as guidelines to empower women.

He further said the institution had various initiatives to support women to enable them perform efficiently such as the availability of a creche for babies below 18-month old at the Exchange, four-month maternity leave, among others.

Nigerian Tribune

From left, Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa) and the Africa Editor, The Economist Magazine, Jonathan Rosenthal at the State Governors Panel Session of the Nigeria Summit, organised by the Economist Magazine in Lagos.

Investors, govs hopeful on Nigeria’s growth potential Chima Nwokoji-lagos

DESPITE challenges of dwindling revenues from oil, security, poverty and governance, the opportunity is still there for Nigeria to continue to grow and take its place among the world’s top emerging markets.

This was the centre of about 8 panel discussions, interviews and conversation at the two-day Econo-

mist Nigeria 2016 summit which ended on Tuesday.

Some State Governors and other stakeholders emphasized the need to implement consistent policies across sectors to ensure that Nigeria attracts needed investment into the areas that still present great opportunities.

Speaking on what should be done to increase investment and sustained growth in the 36 states of the federation, 4

Governors who featured in the panel discussion agreed that policies should become consistent, not changing at every minute.

Specifically,the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai called on the Federal Government (FG) to look into interest rate policy because “reducing interest rate will boost small businesses.”

He also believes that the government should stop

Manufacturing sector needs bailout —NISER

By Wale Akinselure

IN view of current economic challenges, Director, Economic Management Centre for Management Development (CMD), Mike Onodje has called on the federal government to provide economic bailout for the nation’s manufacturing sector.

Onodje speaking at the March edition of the monthly Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) Series, held in Ibadan, on Tuesday, noted such bailout programme was expedient

to hasten the needed improvement in the manufacturing sector which continues to suffer from the current macroeconomic instability.

While calling for a diversification from oil to manufacturing, he decried that the current financial upheaval negatively affected the performance of manufacturing firms.

Onodje who spoke on, “Capital Structure and Performance of the Nigerian Manufacturing Sector”, said the manufacturing sector could only thrive if the government, through

the Central Bank of Nigeria, adopted credit control measures which ensured that manufacturing companies do not carry excessive leverage ratios.

He added that the there was a negative relationship between capital structure and manufacturing performance in the country.

Onodje therefore urged manufacturing companies to adopt effective capital structure policies which target optimal leverage ratios while investing more on tangible assets that enhance their collateral positions for viable loans.

subsidizing the rich at the detriment of the poor.

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun feels that there should be no tolerance for corruption and that Nigerians have to personally decide if they want to be corrupt or not in the world of today.

Agreeing with El-Rufai, he said there is need to liberalize interest rate and industrialize the nation.

On state and local government autonomy, he said the Federal Government should let state and local governments take charge of their affairs, stressing that “somebody cannot sit in Abuja and decide for me what to do.”

The governor also threw his weight behind President Mohammadu Buhari who has insisted that the Naira will not be devalued.

“I will support President on no devaluation until we stop being consuming nation. Tough decision must be taken now,” he said.

He also believes that there should be a different market as a source of foreign exchange for certain items.

THE Academic standard at the Matral Maritime Training Centre (MMTC), Calabar, received a significant boost on Monday when a group of marine Engineers and master mariners offered to serve as faculty instructors at the institution, in order to sustain the vision of its founder, the late Capt. Solomon Omoteso.

The MMTC which has received accreditation from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is currently concluding accreditation exercise of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Bureau Veritas (BV) in order to internationalise its training programmes.

The Chairman of the institution, Chief Adebayo Sarumi said apart from IMO recommended courses for seafarers, the centre is also out to train dockworkers in line with the recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Transport Federation (ITF).

“Nigerian dockworkers have never had any kind of structured training in this country before now.

All over the world, this is a career where people are trained in many areas. We have secured facilities and we have foreign partners for this programmes. This is a program that has been suggested by the ILO and ITF for dockworkers.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

FG unbundles NNPC, subsidiaries •Fuel importation to continue for 18 months —NNPC GMD Taiwo Adisa and Chris AgbambuAbuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday approved the immediate unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, into seven independent operational units.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, who announced the unbundling of the national oil company in Abuja, said five of the seven operational units will be strictly business-focussed in line with global best practices of national oil companies.

The new units include those for Upstream, Downstream, Gas & Power, Refineries, Ventures, Corporate Planning & Services and Finance and Accounts.

The units would be headed by chief executive officer, namely Bello Rabiu for Upstream; Henry IkemOnih (downstream); Anibor Kragha (Refineries); Saudu Mohammed (Gas & Power), and Babatunde Adeniran, Ventures.

The Group Executive Director in charge of Finance and Services would be Isiaka Abdulrazaq, while the Executive Head, Corporate Services will be Isa Inuwa.

All appointments take immediate effect.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Petroleum, who is also the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Peteoleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Ibe Kachikwu, said on

Fayemi to guest speak at WIMBIZ lecture THE Minister of Solid Minerals Development and former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, will be the guest speaker at the 2016 Annual Lecture of Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ) which will hold on March 10, 2016, at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

The lecture, themed, “The Crisis of Values: Reclaiming our Society” is expected to serve as a catalyst for national re-awakening, by stimulating discussion around the erosion of indigenous values and its effect on the society.

According to Aishah Ahmad, Chairperson, Executive Council Women in Management Business & Public Service (WIMBIZ) the 2016 Annual Lecture will challenge Nigerians to reassess the definition of success and the value of money relative to social good.

Tuesday that Nigeria will continue to import finished petroleum products at least for the next 18 months.

The minister, who spoke during an interaction with the media in Abuja, said private refineries that were expected to come on stream won’t begin operation until the next 18 months.

He also said while the four refineries were getting close to full operation, the four could not also satisfy the fuel needs of Nigerians.

“We must target 12 to 18 months to get out of importation. We are trying to

get joint venture partnership in the area of building refineries.

“Even if the four refineries are working at full capacity, we still have about 59 percent gap to meet and that will only amount to 20 million liters instead of 40 million liters being consumed daily,” he said.

According to him, “we apologise to Nigerians (on the fuel scarcity) but we are doing everything to cushion the hardship. We are now lifting crude oil by vessel to Warri refinery because of the bomb blast that

destroyed Escrafos pipeline and the cost is very expensive. That is the only thing we can do for now.”

He also said the President has finally approved the final phase of NNPC restructuring, adding that the exercise would see the subsidiaries unbundled with each of them having a chief executive officer.

According to him, the reform would make the subsidiaries more productive and profit oriented.

On the subsidy on petroleum resources, he said that subsidy had not been

removed, adding that what he did was to enforce price modulation, which removed some figures from the imports. “We are recovering money rather than pay subsidy,” he said.

He said that the unbundled subsidiaries would be empowered to go into partnerships in their areas of competence.

He also said his management had been able to get back the Port Harcourt pipeline after six years, adding that the development had helped a great deal.

From left: Partner and Chief Operating Officer, KPMG Nigeria, Yomi Sanni; Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah; Head, Sales and Marketing, Nike Oyewolu and Partner, Tax and Regulatory Services, Wole Obayomi both of KMPG Nigeria, at the annual KMPG Alunmi Cocktail evening with the minister, held at Civil Centre, in Lagos. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

You lack power to unbundle NNPC, Reps tell Kachikwu Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawoel Daniel-Abuja

THE House of Representatives, on Tuesday, condemned the planned unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as proposed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director (GMD) of the corporation, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, this week.

The Green Chamber declared that the minister or any individual lacked the constitutional power to do so without recourse to the National Assembly since corporation was created by the Act National Assembly.

It pointed out instead of embarking on an unconstitutional venture, President Muhammodu Buhari should send an executive bill to the National Assembly as soon as possible, if he had the intentions to unbundle the corporation or carry out fundamental restructuring or reforms in the oil and gas sector and not for the minister to

usurp its functions.

This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored

by Honourable Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, entitled: “Urgent need to investigate acts of procedural breach by the GMD of NNPC.” The lawmaker, in the motion, noted that the minister, on Thursday, March 3, was quoted as saying that for the national oil company, a lot of work was going on, adding “I am sure some of you have seen the effects, but within the next one week, we are going to be announcing some real major overhaul of the system, one that hadn’t been done in over 20 years.”

He also stated that the minister also added that “the effect of that will be to quite frankly unbundling the huge company into four to five main operational zones— the upstream, downstream, midstream, refining and of course, every other company that is trending to the venture group.”

He further quoted the minister as saying that “but what is more important is

that at the same time, we are also unbundling the subset of these companies to close to about 30 independent companies with their own managing directors.

“And so, titles like the group executive directors, which you have been used to in the last 30 years, will disappear and in place of those you are going to have Chief Executive Officers.”

He pointed out that the NNPC was established through the NNPC, CAP N123, laws of the Federation, 2004 and that as a creature of legislature, the NNPC Act or any part thereof can only be altered, changed or otherwise amended only by an Act of the National Assembly.”

According to him, “the legislative powers of Nigeria is vested in the National Assembly with power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the federation or any part thereof with respect to matters included in the exclusive legislative list.”

He said the petroleum and

natural gas was included as item 39 on the exclusive list and it was only by an Act of the National Assembly that the NNPC could be unbundled and not by the fiat or administrative pronouncement of the minister or even the president.

He further expressed worry that the minister’s pronouncement preempted the provisions of the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill, which had not been introduced in the eighth assembly.

The House, presided over by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, then adopted the motion and mandated the Committees on Petroleum Upstream, Petroleum Downstream, Gas and local content and legislative compliance to ensure that the Minister of State for Petroleum and GMD was prevented from usurping the functions of the National Assembly and desecrating the Constitution of Nigeria, by not allowing him legislate for the National Assembly in the unbundling of NNPC.

Equities market dips by 0.53%, sheds N46.8bn Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

TRADING on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, on Tuesday, closed on a bearish note after days of persistent increase in indices.

All Share Index of the Nigerian Bourse closed at 25,755.01 basis points having shed 135.93 or 0.53 per cent, leaving its Yearto-Date (YTD) returns at -10.08 per cent.

Also market capitalisation lost N46.8 billion to close at N8.86 trillion as against N8.91 trillion it recorded on Monday.

Market breadth, however, closed positive as Oando Plc led 24 gainers against 13 losers topped by United Capital Plc at the end of trading, an improved performance when compared with Monday outlook of 20 gainers against 12 losers.

Market turnover also closed positive as volume moved up by 25.24 per cent against 27.49 per cent decline recorded in the previous session.

Zenith Bank Plc UBA and FCMB were the most active to boost market turnover, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc top market value list.

Traffic hike: NERC calls for restraint among consumers DR Anthony Akah, Acting Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), on Tuesday called for restraint among electricity consumers on the new tariff increment by the commission.

Making the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Akah said there are multiple court cases over the new tariff increase.

He advised consumers to exercise patience until the courts give their final verdict on the cases.

He said the commission would not be hasty to do anything now until all the cases had been settled.

NAN recalls that protests trailed the new electricity tariff increment approved

by NERC on Feb. 1.

NAN also recalls that Mr Toluwani Adebiyi last year in a Federal High Court in Lagos sought for a perpetual injunction restraining NERC from implementing any upward review of electricity tariff.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

By Ruth Olurounbi “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” – St. Augustine EALISING how apt the above quote was, I went on a familiarisation tour of Kenya, Nairobi, toward the end of last year. Although I had travelled extensively prior to this, and had even been to Kenya, albeit in a more restricted situation, this familiarisation tour, which exposed me to Kenya’s rich wildlife attractions, exciting shopping experience, and delightful beaches drew my attention in an almost rude manner to how oblivious many Africans are to the beautiful continent they call home.

Apart from the direct experiences in Nairobi, the Majestic Maasai Mara and Mombasa, the tour guides and Kenya Airways officials who were on the trip gave extensive information about great attractions that other African countries had, quite a number of them unique to the wonderful continent.

On returning home, after an extensive research and dialogues with Africans on their preferred holiday locations, I came to a realisation that many Africa probably do not have an idea how beautiful the continent is. So this year, I decided to write something on my experience traveling the Kenya, and hopefully, more Nigerians and Africans generally would choose to pay a visit to the beautiful country as Kenya.

Over the past five years, about 1,650,000 million people have visited Kenya every year. Only a tiny fraction of this figure is represented by other Africans, with the overwhelming majority of the tourists come in from Asia and Europe, a Kenyan tour guide, Consaga Khisa, said.

The question then is, what could those in the East and West have seen in the country to have driven such number of visits annually?

Africa is known for its exotic and breathtaking destinations and the wildlife play a significant part in the continent’s travel industry. Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi or Zambia are all homes to exotic wildlife, and in Kenya specifically, travelers are exposed to lions, leopards, buffalos, hyenas, elephants, rhinos, zebras, gazelles and many more in their natural habitats.

“There’s nowhere where this experience is felt to the core than at the Maasai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania. The annual migration of wildebeests between the Maasai Mara in the north and Tanzania’s Serengeti in the south is an experience like no other,” Khisa told me was we toured Massai Mara.

For those who have a particularly soft spot for gorillas, Uganda,

R

What Africans don’t know about Kenya’s tourism

Burundi, Rwanda and The Democratic Republic of the Congo are the places to go.

Contrary to what may have been said, it is not at all complex traveling within Africa; especially if travelers plan well and choose the best means. We might not have sophisticated tube and rail systems across countries, but air travel is pretty much straightforward. Not to mention affordable airfares.

Kenya Airways’ Sales Representative for Abuja, Abiola Bakare, boasts that the clearly leads the pack in Africa’s travel industry, as it provides 500 connections across 52 African destinations ev-

ery week. For example, Kenya Airways flights depart from Nairobi at different times every day for Johannesburg.

That means that for potential travelers from Abuja or Lagos in Nigeria, they would have a total of 13 opportunities every week to depart Nigeria (three times a week from Abuja and 10 times a week from Lagos) for Nairobi and four options to choose from when they connect from Nairobi to Johannesburg. That is a lot of options and opportunities.

Even more options are available when the trip is to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania or several other great holiday destinations.

On the trip, Nigerian Country Manager, Kenya Airways, Hafeez Balogun told me that the company “is so committed to making Africa accessible to Africans that it has an entire business unit dedicated to holidays called KQ Holidays.

This unit is based in Nairobi and so far has only two branches outside of Kenya.

“There is KQ Holidays Lagos and then there is KQ Holidays Kaduna.

Aside its gorgeous wildlife, breathtaking cultural masterpieces, Kenya’s food and weather stood out for me. Like most African countries, some of the tastiest, hygienic and nutritious meals in the world where found in Kenya.

And to ensure that a combination of the airfare and the holiday rates is still within reach, KQ Holidays has partnered with hotels and tour operators in all these holiday destinations to negotiate significant discounts. For example, a threenight vacation at the awesome beaches of Zanzibar, including airport transfers, three-night accommodation, breakfast and dinner as well as exciting tours at really affordable rates,” he said.

For those ending their trip in Nairobi to enjoy the wildlife, nightlife and beaches, the current Kenya Airways schedule is perfect.

Beach lovers have several options to choose from. In Kenya alone,

you are spoilt for choice between Diani, Nyali, Lamu, Tiwi and several other beautiful beaches. Then, there is the option in several other African destination including Zanzibar, Seychelles and South Africa.

One of the many attractions of Kenya tourism is the golf holiday, which creates the ambience for players to meet business contacts from East Africa’s biggest economy and still get to do a brief wildlife tours.

Most Africans travelers don’t even require visas to travel to other African countries. In most cases, those who require visas can easily acquire them inexpensively online prior to travel. If both cases do not apply, you can purchase visas on arrival at point of entry for a nominal fee, something I experienced while traveling to Kenya.

Aside its gorgeous wildlife, breathtaking cultural masterpieces, Kenya’s food and weather stood out for me. Like most African countries, some of the tastiest, hygienic and nutritious meals in the world where found in Kenya.

Dining on a cruise underneath the spectacular mood sets off an even greater romantic evening for couples honeymooning in Kenya or are just there on a short visit.

From golf holiday to a romantic evening walk on the beach, a crazy wildlife adventures, shopping and dining, Africa has it all, and so do Kenya.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Framework to recover $321m Abacha loot ready soon —Osinbajo As Switzerland offers repatriation Leon Usigbe -Abuja

N

IGERIA, on Tuesday, welcomed an offer of the Swiss government to return $321 million stolen funds from Nigeria under the Sani Abacha government, and is now developing a framework that will aid the repatriation of such stolen assets.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo made this declaration during a meeting with a Swiss delegation at the

Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The delegation were led by the country’s Federal Councillor and Head of its Foreign Affairs Department, Mr Didier Burkhalter and the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Eric Mayoruz.

“We guarantee that recovered assets would be put to uses for which they have been intended,” Osinbajo said, adding that the framework being developed would ensure exactly that.

He added that the frame-

work, once finalised, would cover the whole spectrum from the source of the stolen asset to how it would be managed once recovered.

“The framework will guarantee that returned assets will be used in the interest of the people of this country,” he said.

Commending the Swiss government on its assistance in repatriating the country’s stolen assets, the vice-president said the Federal Government appreciated the Swiss gov-

ernment for the laudable efforts, noting that the “Swiss has always been at the forefront of returning stolen assets and ensuring that the people of Nigeria gets the benefit.”

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Mr Abubakar Malami, signed an agreement described as a “Letter of Intent” between the Swiss government and the Nigerian government on the restitution of illegallyacquired assets forfeited in

From left, Chief of Staff to the Switzerland Foreign Minister, Mr Daniel Cotter; Switzerland Ambassador to Nigeria, Eric Mayoraz; Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister of Switzerland, Mr Didier Burkhacter and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, during a courtesy call on the vice-president by Switzerland Foreign Minister, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja , on Tuesday.

Commotion ends Edo assembly sitting Banji Aluko -Benin City TUESDAY’S plenary of the Edo State House of Assembly ended abruptly, after sitting drifted into a rowdy session.

The lawmakers, at about 10.00 a.m., had assembled to begin the day’s sitting with the traditional roll call of members when some lawmakers raised their voices against that of the speaker, Honourable Victor Edoror.

The raised voices gradually turned into noise and shout, even as some of the legislators turned the tables to drown the voice of the speaker.

Efforts by the speaker to calm the lawmakers failed as the member representing Owan West constituency, Honourable Ojo Asein, quickly moved a motion for the assembly to adjourn sine die.

The motion was adopted by the assembly, with the speaker adjourning plenary for two weeks.

None of the lawmakers, who hurriedly left the assembly complex, disclosed the reasons behind their

actions, but it was gathered that the major grievance was their welfare.

It was gathered that the lawmakers were unhappy with the speaker for his inability to liaise with the executive in order to secure certain operational logistics such as official cars for

members.

Apart from this, it was gathered that some lawmakers were accusing the speaker of relinquishing the control of the assembly to the executive arm of government.

Speaking with newsmen later, the speaker said he

would convene an executive session to unravel the reason behind the lawmakers’ revolt.

“I was caught unaware.?

We are heading for an executive session to find out their grievances and resolve the crisis. I believe the issues are resolvable,” Edoror said briefly.

Switzerland.

Mr Burkhalter signed the letter for the Swiss government.

Under the agreement, the Swiss government will award to Nigeria $321 million “of funds illicitly

Why I took to robbery —70-yr-old man Kola Oyelere -Kano A 70-year-old man who married a 13-year-old girl and got arrested for robbery, Alhaji Muntari Nasiru, has said he was engaged in the act to take care of his wives and 11 children.

Disclosing this in Kano, on Tuesday, while he was being paraded alongside his accomplices by the police, the man said he had been in robbery business for three years.

Speaking with newsmen, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Magaji Musa Majia, said on February 22, at about 9.45 p.m., a victim reported to the police that a gang of four armed men robbed him of his possession.

The PPRO said the “Ambush Squad” immediately went into action and arrested one Nura Aliyu and Alhaji Nasiru, who actively participated in the operation.

According to the command’s spokesman, they confessed to the crime and mentioned other members of the syndicate whom he said the command would soon arrest.

The PPRO noted that the 70 year-old-man managed a farmland in the area where members of the gang took hard drugs, planned their operations and proceed to perpetrate their heinous acts.

Arms deal: Dasuki’s ex-aide seeks bail on self recognisance Sunday Ejike -Abuja COLONEL Nicholas Ashinze, Special Assistant to the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), on Tuesday, asked Justice Yusuf Halilu of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to grant him bail on self recognisance.

At the hearing of the enforcement of fundamental rights Ashinze filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Chief of Army Staff and Nigeria Army by his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, the defendants were neither represented nor did they file any counter affidavit to the application.

Pursuant to Order 2 Rules (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the fundamental rights (enforcement procedure) rules, 2009, Ashinse sought the court for a declaration that his arrest and continued detention from December 23, 2015 to date by combined operatives of the EFCC and the Nigeria Army, without being given any reason and without granting him administrative bail within 24 hours, or 48 hours of his arrest and detention, were illegal, wrongful, unlawful and constitute a blatant violation of his fundamental rights as enshrined in Sections 34 (1), 35 (1), (3), (4) and (6), 36 (1), 37, 41 (1), 44 (1) and 46 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal

Republic of Nigeria, as altered, Sections 1 (1), (2), 30 (1), (2), 31 (1), 32 (1), (2), (3), 159 (1) & 314 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and Articles 2, 3 (2), 5, 6, 7 (1) (a), (b), (d), 12 (1) & 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Counsel for the applicant, Ozekhome, urged the court to entertain the matter in the absence of the respondents as it was ripe for hearing.

The court observed that the matter could not be adjourned as a result of the absence of the respondents, stating that the court had always wanted the law agen-

acquired by the Abacha family, initially deposited in Luxembourg and confiscated by the Judiciary of the Republic and Canton of Geneva pursuant to a Forfeiture order dated 11th December 2014.”

cies to appear on matters of fundamental rights, having noticed the arbitrary detention of citizens within the caprices of government.

Having heard submissions of the applicant, Justice Halilu adjourned the matter till March 14.

The applicant is seeking an order of the court directing the respondents to release him forthwith, alongside his personal effects, documents and properties which, he said, were illegally, wrongfully and unlawfully seized from him without any warrant.

In the alternative, he sought an order granting bail to the him on self recognisance or in the most liberal terms as the court may deem fit.

The command equaly paraded six armed men who invaded a resident at Yan Awaki Unguwa Uku, stole away property and cash valued at N1,286,000.

The PPRO said immediately the case was reported, the Ambush Squad swung into action and effect the arrest of one Sunmaila Adamu, the recipient of stolen valuables, who led the detectives to arrest five members of the robbery syndicate, including one Abba Yusuf alias Dunguz and Rufai Lawan.

Bread scarcity as bakers commence warning strike in Rivers Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt PEOPLE of Rivers State face imminent bread scarcity as the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, commences a oneweek warning strike.

This was as members of the association called on the Federal Government to intervene in the high cost of materials used for baking, occasioned by the continued rise of the dollar, saying the situation was threatening their business.

Rivers State chairman of the association, Mr Kolawole Adelegan, made this known while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, adding that the warning strike was meant to press home its demands.

There has been a noticeable slight increase in the price of bread in most parts of the state capital and its environs, due to reasons not unconnected with the warning strike.

Adelegan, while reading out the resolution of the association from a text he jointly signed with the secretary, Bartholomew Nkachi, said Tuesday’s meeting was in continuation of its congress held on March 1, where the body considered withdrawing its services.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Double efforts on rescue of Chibok girls, Senate tells FG Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja

T

HE Senate, on Tuesday, asked the Federal Government to expedite action on the rescue of the over 200 female students abducted from Chibok in 2014.

The Senate, which adopted a motion moved by the Chairman, Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, also urged the Federal Government to secure schools across the country.

The Senate also stated

that the legislature would be ready to reform all laws militating against women in the country.

While presenting the motion, Senator Tinubu decried the growing gender inequality in the country in spite of what she called several gender friendly laws, insisting that Nigerian women have suffered several forms of discrimination ranging from abduction, rape to male dominance on inheritance.

She said: “I am concerned that rape is on the increase in the country and this is with little prosecution.

“There is therefore a need for re-orientation, on the gender equality, women’s rights and adequate allocation of resources.”

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in his contribution said: “The role of women is as old as creation. When God created man, he discovered that there was a gap in the man’s life and so he created the woman and since then the woman has been a helper.”

Ekwremadu further said: “The African woman, indeed Nigerian woman, have been very caring, loving and

submissive.”

Senator Biodun Olujimi, Deputy Minority Whip, congratulated the chairman of the Women Affairs Committee, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who brought up the motion.

She said: “We want the whole world to put on the front burner the issues of gender equality, children, rape, abduction and child marriage. We have to put all of them on the proper perspective for the country to be able to reap from the benefits that are abundance in having a girl-child as a daughter, as a wife, a sister

or niece.”

In his contribution, Senator Shehu Sanni believed that women have played an outstanding role in the nation’s socio-economic and political development.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in his remarks after the passage of the motion, said that the eighth Senate would ensure the amendment of relevant laws to ensure that women are more involved in governance.

He said: “We felicitate with all women, particularly Nigerian women on this special day.

“We know that times are changing and the world, particularly Nigeria, should take cognisance of that. We must all play our roles to recover the Chibok girls and other abducted girls, protect women from domestic violence as well as make the education of the girl-child a priority and the eighth Senate would play its role in all of these.”

Atlanta City partners Ozolua to assist IDPs Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

From left, MTN Nigeria Director, Mr Tunde Folawiyo; another director, Chief Victor Odili; Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu and the MTN Nigeria Corporate Services Executive, Mrs Amina Oyagbola, during the minister’s working visit to MTN Nigeria head office, Lagos, on Monday.

EFCC arrests Oronsaye for obtaining N240m by false pretence Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja A one time Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Steve Oronsaye, was on Tuesday evening arrested by the country’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for allegedly obtaining money by false pretence and corruption.

A source at EFCC informed that Oronsaye, who was enjoying an administrative bail from the commission, was recalled by 4:30p.m. on Tuesday.

He was said to have allegedly obtained a sum of N240 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), using his position as the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force, on the pretence of giving assistance to the committee without the knowledge of other committee members.

The source added that the former Head of Service, who is already being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 24-count charge of money

laundering before a Federal High Court, Abuja, converted the said amount to his personal use.

“Investigation is almost concluded and the suspect will be charged to court any time from now,” said the source who would not want to be mentioned.

The source a dded that a two-count charge had already been filed against Oronsaye at the Federal Capital Terri-

tory (FCT) High Court.

The two-count charge filed against the country’s former number one civil servant reads: “Stephen Oronsaye a.k.a. Mr Steve Oronsaye, on or about 12th June, 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, whilst being the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and in such capac-

ity entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N90,000,000.00 (Ninety Million Naira) committed Breach of Trust in respect of the said sum by converting it to your personal use through the investment of the said sum of N90,000,000.00 in Access Bank Plc’s Bankers Acceptance for a tenor of 90 days at 9.0% interest rate in violation of the extant financial regulations.

Don raises the alarm over cases of exhumed body parts in llorin Biola Azeez - Ilorin A don in the Department of lslamic Studies, University of llorin, Dr Abubakar Aliagan, has expressed sadness over what he described as “increasing cases of exhuming body parts of the dead at various cemeteries in llorin.”

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, Aliagan, who is also an lslamic cleric, said the activi-

ties had become rampant at various Muslim and Christian cemeteries at various parts of the state capital.

The don called on the Kwara State Police Command to ensure provision of adequate security in all cemeteries in the state.

He also called on the management of various cemeteries to employ capable guards to complement efforts of the police.

The cleric, who commend-

ed efforts of the state police command on the recent arrest of some people over alleged exhuming of body parts at Muslim cemetery in llorin, said the perpetrator should be punished accordingly.

Aliagan advised Muslims and Christians in the state to always be vigilant and report any suspected movement of people around cemeteries in their area to the police.

THE City of Atlanta, United States of America (USA), has announced it will be partnering Modupe Ozolua’s NGO, Empower54, to raise funds for Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

A statement made available by Ozolua indicated that the fund raising would take place under the aegis of Empower54’s Annual African Art Charity Gala, which will take place in April in Atlanta.

According to the statement, the event will focus on raising money to continue Empower54’s programme of establishing schools in refugee camps and rehabilitation of schools destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria’s North East region.

The statement indicated that the gala is titled: “Rise Above Terror.”

It added that the campaign commenced its humanitarian project by rehabilitating hundreds of women and children displaced by Boko Haram and giving them grants to start businesses.

The statement read in part: “The City of Atlanta has joined forces with Princess Modupe Ozolua’s NGO, Empower54 to raise funds for Nigeria’s IDPs through Empower54’s Annual African Art Charity Gala, which is an exclusive VIP gala exhibition/auction of African paintings and art works holding in Atlanta.”

Nigerian Tribune

Wabba appeals to FG on North-East Development Commission James Bwala - Maiduguri THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday appealed to the Federal Government to fast-track the establishment of the North-East Development Commission to rebuild the region.

The President of the NLC, Mr Ayuba Wabba, made the appeal during the International Women’s Day Celebration, in Maiduguri.

Wabba said that the establishment of the commission would tackle the menace of poverty, literacy level and hardship of women and children, who are the most affected by the insurgency.

He said that his presence in the state is a clear testimony that peace has returned to the state.

“Coming out from the insurgency, one thing that is required now is to build the capacity of our people politically and otherwise.

“It is very important because the level of poverty is extremely high, most of the people don’t have something to do.

“When you don’t empower the people, you cannot solve insecurity,” he said.

Wabba lamented that unemployment and youth restiveness were some of the major challenges in the country.

FG strengthens regional security with Benin Republic NIGERIA has pledged to strengthen regional security with Benin Republic, as part of efforts to check insurgency and movement of small arms and weapons across borders.

Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), made the pledge when he paid an official visit to Benin Republic, as part of his visit to the Lake Chad Basin Commission countries.

This was contained in a statement issued by Mr Osaigbovo Ehisienmen, Press Secretary to the minister, on Tuesday, in Abuja.

It said that the three days visit was a follow up to President Muhammadu Buhari’s earlier visit to the country in August 2015.

The statement said the visit was meant to further strengthen collaboration between both countries with a view to tackling cross-border crimes, terrorism, trafficking of arms, drugs and humans.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, swearing-in Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra as substantive state Chief Judge, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

Wike cautions judiciary against antics of politicians Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt

G

OVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has admonished the judiciary not to be influenced by the antics of politicians, adding that the third arm of government must uphold the rule of law at all times.

He gave the admonition during the swearing-in of Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra as the substantive

Chief Judge of the state, in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

Iyayi-Lamikanra, an indigene of Edo State, was recommended for the post by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and was screened and approved by the state House of Assembly, on Monday.

The governor charged judges in the state to be courageous in their dispensation of justice, in line with the tenets of the law,

while assuring the judiciary that he would continue to support the arm of government to dutifully serve the people.

He said he worked towards the emergence of the substantive Chief Judge on the premise of laid down precedents and traditions, despite the petitions by some persons against Justice Iyayi-Lamikanra on the basis that she is not an indigene of the state.

Rickey Tarfa: NJC queries Justice Yunusa, set for others’ probe •Report on Osun judge ready Lanre Adewole -Lagos THE National Judicial Council (NJC) has queried Justice Muhammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court over the alleged bribery case involving him and embattled Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Rickey Tarfa.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused both Yunusa and Tarfa of engaging in underhand dealings on judicial matters.

Tarfa, who had been charged by the commission, denied engaging in any from of inducement of the judge to pervert the course of justice.

Yunusa was of the Lagos Division until a few weeks back when the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, got him transferred to Yobe State.

The CJN is also from Yobe State.

A top judicial source told the Nigerian Tribune that Yunusa had replied the query in which he claimed his innocence of any unethical dealings with Tarfa.

According to the source, his response would be considered at the council meeting next month, when a decision would be taken on his alleged involvement.

It was learnt that Yunusa may be placed on suspension pending the outcome of the investigation being conducted by the anti-graft commission.

Apart from Justice Yunusa, it was gathered that many judges whose cases of alleged corrupt practices had been awaiting action by the leadership of the judiciary would have their day in the cold this week through next week.

A knowledgeable source disclosed that almost all the issues demanding the attention of the judiciary leadership were petitions against judges for sundry alleged corrupt practices in the discharge of their duties.

Nigerian Tribune was told that with the involvement of the anti-corruption commission and other security agencies, the job of the NJC would be made easier, because once any judge is indicted of corruption, it is certain such judge would be recommended to the appointing authority for dismissal.

An insider revealed that NJC had been a bit encumbered in tackling the issue of corruption among the judges because the council’s powers are limited to sanctioning and recommending for dismissal, without any enabling power to prosecute.

The source explained that a synergy between the judiciary leadership and agencies of government with prosecutorial power would deepen the issue of discipline within judicial circle.

The source declined confirming the number of judg-

es under probe, but said “almost everything around us now is about judges’ probe.

Saturday and Sunday Tribune had exclusively reported the expanded probe of judges by security agencies, with determined focus on their financial transactions and assets.

Nigerian Tribune also learnt that the report of the panel that probed Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede of Osun State judiciary for alleged misconduct is ready and will likely be considered at the next council meeting.

Justice Oloyede had, in a missive, attacked the leadership style of Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola.

A couple of lawyers came together to petition the council, calling for her dismissal from the Bench.

Aregbesola too is pushing for her dismissal.

Oloyede had appeared before the panel for her defence.

She was also accused of not being a team player in the state judiciary.

A source privy to the conclusions drawn noted that “her case is very bad but nothing is conclusive. At least, her case is not corruption, it is misconduct.”

Senior lawyers, Mrs Folake Solanke and Professor Itse Sagay, had jointly issued a statement calling on the council to end Oloyede’s career on the Bench.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

tribune cartoons

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

GIANT IN THE TROPIC OF AFRICA

Muhammadu Ribadu FUNOLOGY

• Born in the village of Ribadu, Adamawa State, in 1909.

• He is the grandfather of Aisha, wife of the current President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.

• He was a Nigerian politician and former Minister of Defence.

SEGELUULU

CHURCH BOY

• His administration as the nation’s Minister of Defence oversaw an increase in the numerical strength of the armed forces, an upgrade of military hardware, development of the infant Navy and the establishment of a Nigerian Air Force.

He also built and renovated military barracks across the country. His colleagues often refer to him as “power of powers”. Till today he’s still being remembered as one of the most outstanding Defence Ministers Nigeria ever had.

• He died on the 1st of May 1965, aged 55.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

There are 10 differences in the cartoons below. the differences should be marked in b

A

B

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

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editor

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

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

Nigeria’s corruption cases are shocking

T

HE revelations being made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as to

how those who had held positions of authority in this country had diverted our commonwealth into private pockets is just so

shocking.

It is simply appalling that monies that could have been used to develop the country could be con-

Kidnappings: Schools, religious centres are targets THE recent kidnap of three school girls in Lagos shows the evil strategies being devised by criminal-

Role of religious leaders in a new Nigeria WE are passing through a phase in this country, and it is during this period that we need to be closer to God. We also need to be committed to Him. It is highly regrettable that we are suffering in the midst of plenty in Nigeria.

We have tried different economic policies to no avail.

The situation in the country has got to a point where despair has become the lot of the youth, and this has been transferred to the society. This, therefore, poses danger for the very survival of the country.

The government should, therefore, do more to make life more meaningful for the citizenry, since Nigeria is blessed enough to take care of its people.

The government needs to resuscitate ailing industries and provide an enabling environment for entrepreneurial growth to guarantee job creation.

I need to emphasise that the church is relevant in every facet of human endeavour.

As a result, religious leaders should also contribute to the development of the country.

We need to wake-up to our responsibilities as the salt of the earth and the light of this world.

As religious leaders, we should also pray for, and advise those in positions of authority. This will, therefore, help them take positive decisions in the interest of the people and of the country.

Prophet Oladipupo Funmilade-Joel, Lagos.

ly-minded people in the society to extort money from people.

Apart from targeting schools where children of the affluent attend, they also target religious centres.

It is as a result of this that it is important for security to be beefed up in schools and religious centres.

These institutions should also secure their premises with Closed Circuit Cameras (CCTVs), as this will make it easier to identify illegal intruders into their premises.

Having said this, I want to charge the government to also do everything in its power towards ensuring that the country becomes more conducive for the people.

Jobs should be created so that our youths can be gainfully employed.

Quite a number of those who involve themselves in crime do so in order to keep body and soul together.

If such people are gainfully employed, they will shun crime entirely.

Nigerian youths should be creative too; they should not wait on government to provide everything for them. With contentment, they can establish small businesses and still flourish.

Greediness also plays a role in why some youths take to crime.

•Pius Agada, Ita Oluwo, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

verted into the personal resources of those who were supposed to manage their disbursement, and this further highlights why we should take the anticorruption war seriously.

If we don’t mete out tough sanctions on perpetrators of financial crimes, then it will continue to ‘germinate’ in the country.

At the moment, our youths are much more obsessed with wealth, and they will do anything to acquire it.

The discovery a couple of years ago about how student leaders of a university in the South West mismanaged students’ union levies gives credence to what I am explaining. We should, therefore, strengthen our anti-corruption laws if we want to achieve a corruption-free society; we don’t want a situation whereby we will just continue to hear about the billions of naira that have been stolen, while the perpetrators are walking free.

In my opinion, I will sug-

gest we follow the Chinese model, whereby those who steal from the state are condemned to death.

Nigerians are difficult people, and I can assure that some people will even be willing to serve like 10

years in jail, while keeping their stolen loots, but the death sentence will be the appropriate punishment.

•Nelson Ekwale, Benin, Edo State.

North Korea is a threat to world peace WITH the ongoing military drills by the United States and South Korean soldiers, the regime in North Korea has, again, started threatening to attack both countries with nuclear bombs.

It is no doubt that the North Korean government is seriously developing a nuclear bomb, and just recently, it tested a hydrogen bomb; this alone shows that the country is capable of anything. Its leader, Kim Jong Un, is just so inexperienced that he might make a deadly mistake by firing nuclear bombs at the South.

I am happy that the United Nations (UN) has slammed further sanctions against the country, but it still needs to do more. The latest sanctions will only further make life more difficult for innocent North Koreans, but the world body should just pressurise China, the regime’s only ally, to prevail on the young leader to abandon developing nuclear weapons altogether.

Now, the United States and South Korea should not take the latest threat with levity.

•Kola Agbe, Lokoja, Kogi State.

States need bailout to complete abandoned projects LAST year, President Muhammadu Buhari approved bailout packages for some states to settle the backlog of pension and salary arrears of retirees and workers.

However, before the cash crunch, the states had embarked on different developmental projects, which they had to abandon when the tough economic situation began to bite harder.

It is, therefore, important for the Federal Government to save those abandoned projects across the states by releasing another bailout package that will be solely for the completion of such projects. It is now expected that the Federal Government will now ask the governors to submit a list of abandoned projects in their states.

•Yomade Afolabi, Osogbo, Osun State.

19

editorial

O

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Lessons from ABUAD students’ riot

N Sunday, February 7 this year, some students of the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State, went on a rampage over alleged infractions by the school authorities. According to the university’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Tunde Olofintila, the students burnt seven motorcycles, destroyed 29 vehicles and broke into shops. They also invaded the vice chancellor’s office, cafeterias, souvenirs shop and a boutique, from where they carted away valuables worth millions of naira. The FESTO Mechatronics laboratory worth N350 million was also damaged.

The event however did not lead to the closure of the school.

Rather, about 31 students were charged to a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado Ekiti for their role during the riot. Indeed, the university authorities also promised not to levy the entire student body over the incident. According to the ABUAD founder, Chief Afe Babalola, imposing financial sanctions on the generality of the students, would “unjustifiably make the innocent to pay for the sin of the guilty”. To do so, he argued, quite rightly in our view, would be“unjust, unfair and inequitable for innocent students, the majority of whom did not participate in the wanton destruction of university properties.”

We commend Chief Afe Babalola for ensuring that the situation was managed without having to close down the school. This ensured that the school calendar was not distorted, and confirms the university’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted and predictable academic calendars.

Nevertheless, the incident is another evidence that private universities are, like public universities, susceptible to riots. Indeed, the first private university to witness a riot by students was the Ajayi Crowther University in 2012. The university was then in its seventh year of operation when the protesting students burnt down a part of the school and destroyed other facilities. To prevent the students from destroying more facilities, the management of the institution ordered its immediate closure.

The students had alleged that the school management failed in its duty to act promptly to forestall the death of a student, Elvis Abu Paul, who was rushed to the school’s health centre after taking ill. The rampaging students destroyed the health centre, part of the perimeter fence of the main gate at the entrance of the institution and also burnt down the Accounting and Economics departments.

Similarly, on March 20, 2014, a riot ensued at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State. The riot was to protest the failure

of the school’s management to provide basic amenities like water and electricity, and to challenge ‘unnecessary rules and regulations’ and plans by the school management to increase school fees. The rioting students destroyed school buildings and vehicles, and vandalized the chaplain’s home.

Another private university, Caleb University, on May 15, 2014, witnessed its first students’ riot when a Muslim student of the school was stopped while praying. The property destroyed in that incident was worth millions of naira.

The growing incidence of riots in private universities shows that youthful exuberance is a common feature across public and private universities.Thus, managing the tendency of violent reaction to discontent is essential to managing universities, whether public or private. The fact must be acknowledged that the establishment of private universities in Nigeria has expanded access to university education only to a limited extent. This is because the private universities charge fees that are affordable only to the rich. This has partly accounted for the limited subscription to these universities by prospective applicants. In some of the universities, the quality and number of staff and facilities provided do not meet the expectations of students, leading to discontent and revolt.

Again, the requirements for admission into private universities are often not stringent, such that under-aged applicants and failed candidates in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board examinations easily get admitted once they could afford to pay the exorbitant fees. Some of these universities put in place rules and regulations that weaken independence and freedom of expression on the campuses.

Some of the universities do not treat their students as adult and mature persons but like secondary students in boarding school. This is usually the case in private universities owned and run by faith-based organisations that come with rules imposing prayer times, light outs and virginity tests.

Private universities are complements to public universities. They do not constitute alternatives in most cases. They are susceptible to some of the challenges that face public universities in Nigeria, such as poor funding, inadequate facilities, poor teaching and learning environment and students’ uprising. The myth of freedom from riots and stable calendars has unraveled.

Nigerian universities, both public and private, must be made to comply with international best practices in terms of the learning environment, quality of teaching staff, research orientation and administration to improve standards in the university system.

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20 opinion

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Killing the local government system softly

By Eric Teniola

I

N spite of the dwindling revenue, the 36 states of the country and Abuja shared N113.5 billion in January, 2016. Likewise, the 774 local governments shared N85.4 billion. Akwa-Ibom State had the largest share of N10.7 billion, followed by Delta State with N7.3 billion and Osun State with N255.2million.

On the allocation to the local governments, Lagos State scored the highest with N5.4billion, followed by Kano State with N4.7billion, while Bayelsa State had the least with N972million. Obio/Akpor local government in Rivers State had the largest share with N156.6million. None of the local governments in the Federation received less than N60million in January.

The question one should ask is how come none of the local governments is able to implement capital projects in spite of the money they collect. My guess to that question is the same as yours.

The truth is that some governors have hijacked the funds of the local government, and by so doing, have crippled the third-tier administration system in the country. Unfortunately, some ambiguities in the constitution allow them to get away with it. Section 7(1) states that “The system of local government by democratically-elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the government of every state shall subject to Section 8 of this constitution, ensure their existence under a Law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and function of such councils.” Yet, Section 7(6a) submits that “the National Assembly shall make provisions for statutory allocation of public revenue to Local Government councils in the federation. But the confusion is extended further by Section 7(6b) which states that “the House of Assembly of a State shall make provisions for statutory allocation of public revenue to local government councils within the State.” This confusion also resurfaced in Section 162(6) where it established the State Joint Local Government Account for the purpose of payment of “all allocations to the local government councils of the State from the Federal Account, and from the Government of the State.” In Section 162(7), it directs state governments to pay local government councils its total revenue on the terms prescribed by the National Assembly. At the same time, it gives the same power

and functions to the State House of Assembly in Section 162(8). Further, Section 8 (subsections 5 and 6) saddles the National Assembly with some functions before the creation of a local government can become legal. The implication of all the identified contradictions and ambiguities is that it is very difficult to locate constitutionally the locus of power on local government creation. That is the tragic situation we are now, and it is very sad.

As warned by Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel Adk, National President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), at a workshop organised by the Centre For Democracy and Development on October 5, 2012, “it is sad to note that with the level of corrosive abuses and serial violation on the security of local government system by the Third Republic politician in Nigeria, local government is fast sliding back into the events after the military takeover of 1966 and before the creation of states.”

In 1976, the sub-committee on the economy, finance and division of power of the Constitution-drafting committee headed by Dr. Pius Okigbo had made the following recommendations. (a) the Federal Government shall, each year, make provision for allocation of funds to the Local Governments, (b) such funds shall be passed to State Governments for their Local Governments. It is further recommended that in the Constitution of the States, provision be made to make it obligatory that: (a) any monies allocated by the Federal Government to the Local Government in the State shall be passed on by the State Government to the Local Authority; (b) the State Government shall set up a Revenue Allocation

Committee analogous to that of the Federal Fiscal Review Commission; (c) the State Government shall take all reasonable measures to ensure that the Local Government within its area has adequate funds to discharge the duties and responsibilities assigned to it under this Constitution.

Since 1976, the Federal Government has been most concerned about the fate of local government in Nigeria. Also, on assumption of office in 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo set up a committee on the review of the 1999 constitution. The committee was led by Chief Clement Ebri, a former governor of Cross-Rivers State. The committee’s recommendations as regards the local government were as follows:(i) Section 7 (1) and (2) be retained so that State Houses of Assembly have powers to legislate on the creation and other necessary powers of the Local Government Councils in the spirit of true federalism; (ii) Section 7 be expanded to take care of the provisions made in this review to ensure the existence and proper function of Local Government Councils; (iii) In line with the call for the security of tenure for elected Local Government functionaries, a new provision for qualifications and removal of the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Councilors has been recommended as a separate tier of Government within the States; and (iv) In order to strike a balance between the demand by the Local Governments for financial autonomy through direct funding from the Federation Account and the need to ensure financial probity on the part of both the Local Governments and the State Governments, it is recommended that Section 162(5) be amended so that all disbursements to the Local Government go to the State Local Government Joint Account as provided in Section 162(6).

Now that the National Assembly has embarked on its annual high cost spending ritual — amendment of the Constitution, the most urgent task is to ensure that we amend the constitution so that the funds of the local governments can reach them directly, instead of being hijacked by some governors. Efforts must be made to ensure that the local governments function effectively. It is not in the interest of the Federal Government or that of the state governments that the local government should die. It is not in the interest of anyone for the local government to cease to function.

•Teniola, a former Director at The Presidency, lives in Lagos.

Developing Ogun’s agro-forestry resources

By Ademola Orunbon

IN assessing a political and economic leader, the primary qualities to consider include the theoretical ideals of vision, commitment and political will to tackle the situation. Then, of course, we take stock of the leader’s capacity to deliver in terms of concrete achievements. A leader is adjudged to be a success if his contributions are visibly evident, but a failure if there are little or no achievements to show for the period he was in office. Rarely, do we take into consideration the impossible state of affairs - that is, an imagination of the extent to which things would have been worse without the services of the leader.

It follows, therefore, that a meaningful assessment of any leader must always take into consideration the special circumstances into which fate has thrust him and how much efforts and energy he has invested to make a change. This is where history will be kind to Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.

In August, 2004, the Ogun State government created the Ministry of Forestry to fully exploit the potentials of the state’s forest resources, though, its primary responsibility is to ensure rapid development of the state’s forest resources in all ramifications. The ministry is to coordinate all forestry activities in the state, with a view to ensuring controlled and orderly exploitation of timber and non-timber forest resources so as to prevent soil degradation and provide mitigation against other disasters such as erosion, flood, global warming etc, which could result from deforestation. After all, Ogun State Ministry of Forestry has an advantage of close proximity to forestry and agricultural institutions which provide technical and human resources supports.

Though, the Nigerian economy is known around the world for being an oil economy, and has made headlines over the years for environmental degradation in the oil producing region of the country, this project has the potential to create greater awareness of the opportunities for environmentally-responsible business in the state. This could potentially bring about similar ini-

tiatives in other states within the federation that have similar potential and birth a new wave of environmentally-responsible, commercially-viable, socially-inclusive business within the Nigerian economy.

Even, during the 2016 budget presentation, Governor Amosun stated that the State Raw Materials Centre, which was established to provide information on the basic raw materials available in the state as well as those in other states of the Federation, is to be upgraded to enable it to fully serve the intended purpose. Though, the state, no doubt, is endowed with many mineral resources, the governor promised, he would ensure optimal commercial exploitation of these resources to the benefit of the good people of the state.

Therefore, reviving the Forest Landscape Restoration Proj-

ect becomes imperative and a welcome idea as the restoration of the 108, 000 hectares of forest in the Gateway State, which has been depleted to seven per cent of its original size and is facing extinction within a decade; this abysmal situation was brought about due to the negligence of past administrations at looking inward, while repackaging the agricultural and forest landscape restoration project to an enviable height in the state.

According to the State Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal, said the Ogun State Forestry Landscape Restoration Project will help bring about economic revival to forest dependent rural communities. It will also support the co-existence of both traditional nomadic cattle herding communities and larger scale agro industry. And successful execution of this project could materially increase the state’s capacity in important cash crops like oil palm, rubber and cocoa that continue to experience growing demand globally.

The state is now keen to match its drive for industrial growth with encouraging environmental best practices amongst the industrial community. Lafarge Africa, a partner in this project, is positioned in the energy intensive business of cement production. It has a group target of meeting 30 percent of its energy requirements through renewable energy/biomass by 2020.

Currently at around 15 percent for their Nigerian operations, this project would enable significant progress towards meeting its target in Nigeria.

This could transform the economy of the state and create the much-needed employment, driven by rural communities.

This would also expect Human Development Indicators within these communities to improve as a consequence of greater economic participation. This will also scale up food security with the effective development of staple annual crops such as maize and cassava, which would support food security in the state, region and in the country as a whole.

•Orunbon, a political analyst, writes from Federal Housing Estate Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

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

His Imperial Royalty, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, Alaafin of Oyo with Sir Ferdinand Anikwe, Director General, Centre for Black Arts and African Civilisation at the palace.

‘Lack of cultural appreciation fuels corruption’ •Alaafin tells CBAAC Director—General

By Wale Ojo Lanre

T

HE Aalafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi , (111) has traced the deprivation of Nigeria’s revenue from tourism and the fast rate of at which corruption is eating the fabric of national conscience to a gross systemic failure in cultural revival and rebirth.

Oba Adeyemi, therefore, called on the Federal Government to institute a process and evolve programmes which could accelerate cultural and ethical rebirth for its citizens Oba Adeyemi, who said this when he hosted the Director – General , Centre for Black Arts and African Civilization, (CBAAC), Dr Ferdinand Anikwe, in his palace in Oyo, on Friday, 26 February, pointed out that the nation is in ‘this embarrassing quagmire because of the cultural void and our deficiency at inculcating the primordial mores , values , ethos and habits which sustained the nation of old ‘ The Oba pointed out that “our society is oddly skewed in all ramification because we did not put the fundamental as the basis for planning and execution of policies .

You see, no policy, no matter how vibrant, can germinate and blossom where the people are in cultural void. No nation has evolved brilliantly and stronger without

its cultural stability. You talk about China, Britain , India , Japan , Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia the Koreans even the Americans, talk, sell promote and proud of their cultures. It is the cultural pride of the Americans that makes the country great. This is why Nigeria is groping in the darkness of policy misery and economic wretchedness.”

Alaafin Adeyemi, (111), said India sold its country to the world using its rich culture; in music, dress, songs, and movies.’ It created a global quest and awareness about the mysterious India where everyone dreamt to go to either for business, sightseeing or religious excursion. The French lures you not only to see Paris but to come over and be assimilated and baptised with their culture. The French even predicated their system of government on their culture. This is why it adopted assimilation to rule their overseas territories. Britain is culturally arrogant and will never negotiate that for diamonds. A culturally defective country cannot be great. Culture is the background, fundamental, fulcrum, root, pivot and foundation of great countries. A country which missed its cultural orientation will miss it all. That is why we are in the state that we are in this country.’’

He pointed out that, “In economic utility, Nigeria has more than enough cultural assets to thrive, create wealth and gener-

ate employment. Every part of the country is cultural, but we are not and have not harnessed, enhanced and optimized to the benefits of the country.’’

We have lost touch with our culture which abhors vices and which stipulates dire consequences of being social irritants, we have lost our sense of values, ethos, morals and ethics, thus vain gloriousness has taken over ruling our sensibility . We need to go back to the basics and embrace our cultural value system. It worked for them in India. It was effective in Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia,” The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi has advocated for a through cultural renaissance that will reshape Nigeria from its culture and tradition which according to him is responsible for the immorality, indiscipline and other unholy activities that now dominate the society.

Dr Anikwe, who commended Aalafin Adeyemi (111), for his brilliant, insightful and incisive comments revealed that his visit was in a bid to seek the opinion of the traditional ruler on the solution to the multifarious vices besieging the nation.

He pointed out that, “In the olden days, whenever the society degenerated, the elders were always consulted and ready to rescue.”

Dr Anikwe appealed to the traditional ruler to continue in his advocacy to raise

the consciousness of his people on the need to live and work according to the dictates of the culture and tradition in order to make our country a decent society that will be void of corruption and indiscipline.

Sir Anikwe concurred with Oba Adeyemi that Nigeria was in a quagmire because on the neglect of the core traditional values and respect for the original traditional ethics. ‘‘We are here to seek your opinion and to know where we have got it wrong and what we could do to wrest the country from plunging into the ocean of cultural oblivion.’’

Alaafin, while responding said, “many of our ideas have not been put together to work for the development of the nation the law, being made by our legislators is not in tune with the culture of the people, our constitution should be firmly entrenched in our traditional value system where everybody dare not go against. We should stop this habit of copying constitutional matter, no country has ever copied our constitution but rather we should let the constrictions be based on the culture and tradition of the people.

Our culture is very elastic, it adopts siblings from other cultures, it is very vibrant.

Yoruba are the first in the world to practice the democratic and constitutional system of governance and during these years, there were no pilfering, stealing malfeasance and corruption as we have today and without going back to our root to study and imbibe our culture, we may not get it right.’

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

The menu magic of Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja By wale Ojo Lanre THE Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja apart from being one of oldest hotels in Nigeria which has not departed from the tradition of serving quality service to its numerous guests, the hotel has consistently kept faith with contemporary innovation and blend with the dictates of time Apart from sequential and periodic maintenance and renovation of the facilities planted several years ago, the hotel has also been faithful in dishing out good menu and cuisine not just to service the quests of the bowels but to add value to the nutritional needs of its clients.

The hotel management realised that it is not enough to prepared only delicious meals for the sake of feeding alone but has gone a mile further by thinking about the health of its customers by ensuring the availability of health supporting meals in its menu.

This is why the hotel is being regarded as the foremost hotel in Lagos where guests are sure of having meals of medicinal or medical value.

The roll call of menu at its restaurant includes unripe plantain, amala prepared from unripe plantain flour, moin moin and others which are buffers against high blood

pressure and diabetes.

This brand of menu have been cultivating and winning more guests for the hotel who prefer a hotel where its foods will not only add or complicate their health challenges but where the meals help in sustaining their looking health.

According to Chief Aderenle Adewale “ The

attraction here , I mean Lagos Airport Hotel , Ikeja is not only about its closeness to the airport or its security measures but essentially its arrays of meal which have medicinal and health supporting value . Health is wealth. A hotel which caters for your health caters for your life. That is the catch for Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja “

Golf tourism will boost Nigeria economy

—Deji Ajomale, publisher, The Atlas of Nigerian Golf Courses Commends NTDC for domestic tourism By wale Ojo Lanre A golf enthusiast and publisher of The Atlas of Nigerian Golf courses , Mr Deji Ajomale, has advocated the enhancement of golf tourism so as to boosts the Nigerian economy.

Mr Ajomole who made this poser during a press conference in Lagos said that Nigeria is blessed with enough green and brown courses capable of drawing and luring the mass of golfers from all over the world to Nigeria.

“I am proud to announce that we have beautiful golf courses in Nigeria both green and brown courses which if enhanced , packaged , branded and promoted internationally can pull the mass golfers and fetch the nation the foreign revenue “ He said that it was high time Nigeria scooped its own portion from the international golf tourism revenue. “The time is now. With over 30 green courses and about 50 others golf courses in Nigeria, our country should be making huge revenue from the game of golf “ Mr Ajomale revealed that Nigeria has made remarkable progress in the development of the game of golf “I must also testify to the fact that Nigeria has made tremendous improvement in the game of golf since 1969 when it hosted Open first teed off in Lagos not only by having some of the best courses in Africa but also by producing professional and internationally proficient golfers.

He commended the Director – General of Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs Sally Mbanefo for embracing the gospel of domestic tourism as the official tourism direction for the nation adding that “I am impressed by the attitude and disposi-

tion of the DG towards the enhancement of the golf tourism . She has displayed her understanding of the contribution of golf to tourism development and enhancement not only by identifying with golf tourism programmes by also visiting tourism courses in Nigeria.”

Mr Ajomole disclosed that “I am ready to have a synergy of purpose and promotion with the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation in its quest at selling and promoting domestic tourism via golf tourism.

For this is one aspect of tourism which has been developed and which only need effective marketing and promotion to attract the

mass of golfers who traversed the world tee off with millions of dollars to spend “ He revealed that “the challenge we have about golf tourism in Nigeria is the fact that the international world are not having the correct perspective on golf courses in Nigeria. This is a task that NTDC and golfers in Nigeria should brace up to. We must make sure that all our embassies outside Nigeria are served the correct information on golf tourism in Nigeria as well as all foreign embassies in Nigeria also. This is where stakeholders like us will come in. We should make sure that we excise our own portion of the global golf tourism revenue. “

Nigerian Tribune

Federal Government owes it a duty to be involved in Pilgrimages —SGF THE Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir David Lawal has said that the Federal Government owes it a duty to be involved in both Christian and Muslim pilgrimages because of the mass movement of Nigerian pilgrims on Holy Pilgrimage. He made the disclosure recently in his office while playing host to the leadership of the Nigerian Christian pilgrim Commission (NCPC) during the submission of the 2015 Annual Christian Pilgrimage report to SGF. Engr. Lawal also commended the Commission for the innovations it has brought to bear in the organization of Christian Pilgrimage in Nigeria in spite of the present economic state of the nation. His words, “the Commission’s innovative programmes are very important in sustaining the Christian faith”.

He equally commended the Commission’s introduction of transparent ICT online medical examination for the selection of Federal Medical Examination.

The SGF further commended the Commission’s lean workforce despite its enormous programmes. According to him, “I appreciate the fact that despite the enormous work, you have very lean work force, your capital outweighs your expenditure” in the words of the SGF, “the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission is doing well”.

Engr. Lawal promised to take up the challenges facing the commission especially the activation of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) signed in 2013 which he promised to meet with relevant Agencies to activate the BASA so that it would reduce the burden from pilgrims.

He equally promised to assist the Commission in recovering debts from states who have failed to pay their pilgrimage cost after enjoying the services of the Commission.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Commission, Most Rev. Nicholas .D.Okoh informed the SGF about the four pilgrimage programmes of the Commission.

He also intimated him that the Commission did not experience any abscondment during the 2015 pilgrimage exercise due to stringent screening mechanism put in place by the Commission.

In his submission, the Executive Secretary of NCPC, John Kennedy Opara gave a general overview of the activities of the Commission last year. He informed that the Commission has 65% increase of self sponsorship because of its partnership with stakeholders.

He explained that the Commission is partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture in Israel and the National Transformation Institute on Skill acquisition leadership Training for pilgrims.

The NCPC boss highlighted some of the achievements of the Commission last year namely: introduction of the Skill acqusistion and basic leadership Traning for pilgrims, signing of Win a trip to Israel, establishment of Mini clinic in Israel in partnership with the Ground Handlers in Israel, the Commission got approval for the building of 15 storey edifice of its mini Israel, inter-alia.

Mr. opara told the SGF that the activation of BASA has continued to be a challenge to the Commission thus he solicited the assistance of the SGF to get it activated in no distant time.

The Executive Secretary was sanguine that this year the commission would be having about 85% increase in self sponsorship.

23

tourism

By wale Ojo Lanre

T

HE students of Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State made history in far away Ghana being the first set of students from any Nigerian university to visit the world respected and globally acclaimed Ghana Planetarium Science Centre The history was made during an eductour of Republic of Benin, Togo and Ghana packaged by Space Tourism Society, Nigeria Chapter under Mr Paul Oladunni who shepherded 30 participants which include 15 students and other members of the University academic community on a week tour of the three countries The tour which commenced on February 18 and ended on the 24th was exciting and educating all the way from Nigeria to the Republic of Benin as the tour manager Mr Oladunni did his work diligently and ensured the compliance with dictates of inter –country tour as stipulated by the ECOWAS chapter .

Mr Oladunni surely knows his onions as there was no time wasting at Owode’s border control he ensured that all travelling documents and process were fast tracked which lifted the burden of anticipated long hours at entry point .

Right from day one, the tour proved to be educating and enlightening as the participants were treated to a warm embrace of the Nigerian Ambassador and the Staff of Nigeria Embassy in Cotonu .This visit created a copious opportunity for the students not only to interact with the staff of the Embassy but to feel at home and be at home in Republic of Benin Making the tour of Republic of Benin interesting was the visit to the Point of No Return, where the students were able to see the exact point of departure where thousands of African was carried away in humiliating condition into slavery in Europe.

The story of the slave trade and slavery as told by the narrator brought out the emotional composures of some of the students who could not believe that some

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Space Tourism takes Lead City University Students to Ghana Planetarium Science Centre

human being could be so cruel and so mean just because of fathom superiority.

If the slave trade story was scary, the students were scared to the marrows when they visited the Temple of the Pythons where many saw snakes of big proportion which are worshiped and adored being totems of the town.

The emotional scruples which the slave trade story emanated couple with the scary moment at the Temple of Pythons were cooled down and washed away when the students bailed out the stress at the Eldoraldo Beach .

The excitement of Benin Republic sustained the students in Togo where they just had a view of Togo which was formally regarded as Paris Petite for they were eager to see and feel Ghana, the great country of Nkrumah.

And in Ghana all was not only well for the Lead City Students .but the tour of Ghana was a mind blower.

Apart from being quarter in a four star hotel and having two meals off the manger, they had a swell time rubbing mind with the Nigerian Ambassador and diplomats in Nigerian house in Ghana, bought articles and bargained at the popular Mokola market, visited Accra Mall, Kwame Nkrumah Park, independence square interacted and exchanged details with students at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Apart from the fun, education and interaction, the Lead City University Students who participated in the tour would be ever grateful to their parents, school authority and the Space Tourism management not for only packaging a rewarding tour but making sure that they visited the famous and globally respected Ghana planetarium Science Centre.

Firstly , the students were giving a red carpet welcome for being the first set of students from any Nigerian University to consider visiting this world acclaimed Planetarium which was declared opened for the benefits of the world and African students on Thursday January 22 2009, by the then British High Commissioner to Ghana , His Excellency, Dr Nicholas West-

cott. In attendance were the then French Ambassador, the Chief of Nungua and his entourage, The British Council Director, and Dave Weinrich from Minnesota who made this project possible.

The Founder and Director of the Planetarium, Dr Jacob Ashong commended the authority of Lead City University, Ibadan “for embracing and planting the concept of total education in the university. The visit of the students of this University to the Planetarium Science Centre here in Ghana is a testimony that Lead City university does not only Lead others Universities in Nigeria but a clear pathfinder in the field of academic and total education ‘ He declared that “I must congratulate all visitors from Lead City University here today. I must also let you know that you are the lucky students from a good school. For you are the first set of students from any Nigerian University which will deemed it fit to visit this science centre since 2009 when it was inaugurated . This is a feat for you and your University “ The tour of Benin- Togo – Ghana packaged by Paul Oladunni, National president, Space Tourism Society Nigeria chapter and

which Professor Olusola Ladokun, Dean Faculty of Science and Debo Babatunde represented the University was not only done professionally but showcased Lead City University management as one which does not only concerned about the academic proficiency of their students but very keen at producing a bunch of all rounder builder of nation.

Commenting on the whole package Dr Owolabi, the Public Relations Director of Lead City University said ‘At Lead City University, we take total care of our students. We cannot negotiate this for gold “.

For an exciting tour, contact

m s i r u o T Space iety, Soc apter Nigeria Ch

n,

) Bibilari Junctio N A S o C & le o w n 18 (R.A Ogu Idi Ape, Ibadan.

07063683222

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

ecoscope Nature is not a drag on growth. Its protection is an unavoidable prerequisite for sustaining economic development

—Tony Juniper, Sustainability and Environment Adviser

m:08058130577 e:doyinadeoye@tribuneonlineng.com t:@kreatif_ink

Half of world’s population lacks access to regular trash collection

Boosting women’s access to natural resources African nations last week explored measures to improve women’s access to natural resources at the celebration of the Africa Environment Day-Wangari Mathaai Day, held at the African Union (AU) Headquarters.

The Africa Environment Day-Wangari Mathaai Day is held every 3 March, and the commemoration followed a two-day Women and the Environment Forum co-organised by the AU, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to highlight the multiple benefits of empowering women in natural resource management.

Opening the forum, Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, said that inclusive growth could not be achieved without deliberate and serious attempts at continental, regional and national levels to address the challenges of improving women’s economic and social rights, especially in areas of tenure security to land and other natural resources.

Celebrated as part of the African Year of Human Rights with a particular focus on women’s rights, the theme

of this year’s Africa Environment Day-Wangari Maathai Day is a special tribute to the continent’s first female Nobel Peace Prize winner. Wangari Maathai dedicated her life to improving women’s livelihoods by empowering them to restore the degraded ecosystems around them.

She founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, encouraging women in rural Kenya to plant trees in order to gain better access to clean water, firewood for cooking and other resources. Since then, the movement has planted over 30 million trees in Africa and assisted nearly 900,000 women to establish tree nurseries.

In 2004, the Nobel Prize Committee recognised Professor Maathai’s lifelong commitment to environmental sustainability and the empowerment of women by awarding her the Nobel Peace Prize. She was the first environmentalist and the first African woman to receive the honour.

Professor Maathai was the inspiration behind UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign, launched in 2006. She became a patron of the campaign, inspiring thousands of people across the world to plant trees for the benefit of their communities.

N/Delta cleanup: Ogoniland comes first — Minister Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, has said that Ogoniland will be the first point in the cleaning up exercise of the Niger Delta region, set to be embarked on by the government.

The minister announced this when she paid a courtesy visit to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, while also noting that President Muhammadu Buhari is set to launch the cleanup of Ogoniland in the coming weeks.

“It is hoped that we will have this launch in the coming weeks and the president himself will launch the cleanup. It is really to us a turning point in the history of the struggle.

Ogoniland is the first place where actions need to be – cleanup.

“There is a wide challenge of pollution in the Niger Delta. We are here to begin activities toward the launch of the cleanup with stakeholders’ dialogue. We are beginning in Rivers because this is the home of the struggle,’’ she said.

Nigerians are not wildlife conscious

with Doyin Adeoye

The minister further stated that the cleanup of the Ogoniland would span between 25 and 30 years.

In his remarks, Governor Wike urged the Federal Government not to bring politics into the cleanup in order to achieve success.

“It doesn’t matter the political party that anybody belongs to, environmental issue does not affect a political party; it affects the entire state and the entire Niger Delta as a whole.”

“Communities do not know about political parties, what communities know is about how to survive. And so, I will advice that we approach it in such way that it does not look political, particularly in Ogoniland, it is a very complex place; you have to be extremely careful.

“Because if you are not careful you may not achieve what you want you intend to achieve,’’ the governor warned.

According to him, there are political undertones to most of these

things that are happening, hence it was very difficult for the former government to do what they are supposed to do.

Wike, however, assured the minister that the state government would give all the necessary support to ensure the success of the cleanup, adding no government would be happy to see Ogoniland in its present state.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that President Buhari in August 2015 approved several actions to fast-track the long delayed implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme report on the environmental restoration of Ogoniland.

He also approved the composition of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) Board to reflect a new governance framework, comprising a Governing Council, a Board of Trustees and Project Management.

The World Bank has revealed that more than half the world’s population does not have access to regular trash collection, adding that unregulated or illegal dump sites serve about four billion people and hold over 40 per cent of the world’s waste.

In 2012, the World Bank sounded the alarm in its flagship report ‘What a Waste,’ predicting a 70 per cent increase in urban garbage by the year 2025. Since the responsibility for solid waste management usually falls on the shoulders of municipalities, it is no surprise that the issue tops the agenda for many countries.

According to Ede Illjasz-Vasquez, a Senior Director for the World Bank’s Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice, “Without good solid waste management, you can’t build a sustainable and liveable city.

“It is not just about technical solutions. There are climate, health, and safety impacts, as well as important social considerations, from the inclusion of waste pickers to changing behaviour, so people and societies are encouraged to reduce and recycle waste,” he said.

“Without good solid waste management, you can’t build a sustainable and liveable city. It’s not just about technical solutions. There are climate, health, and safety impacts, as well as important social considerations.”

Since 2000, World Bank lending for solid waste management projects has reached $4.5 billion, supporting 329 solid waste programs around the globe.

Projects combine the financing of infrastructure and advisory services, and span basic trash collection and disposal to sophisticated, behaviour-changing reuse and recycling programmes.

— Dr Morenikeji

keeping a zoo. So it takes a lot.

Dr Olajumoke Morenikeji is the Director, Zoological Garden, University of Ibadan (UI). She speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE on Nigerians’ unimpressive attitude towards wildlife as well as animal rights, and how government can boost the economy through wildlife, among other issues.

D

oes wildlife truly exist in Nigeria?

We have wildlife in Nigeria; we have a very rich wildlife resource, but we are not wildlife conscious people. The country is not really interested in wildlife, as the government is not really doing anything to boost the sector of wildlife consciousness, wildlife management, as well as wildlife tourism. It is an area we have not fully developed as a country and I think it is something we should look into because if we continue to be over dependent on oil, as the case is now, it is failing us already.

There is a lot to gain as a country if money is invested in this sector, because there are many animals that are indigenous to the country; they will not be found anywhere else on the planet, except here in Nigeria. So if we can build tourism around our indigenous species, we will make a lot of money as a country.

What are those animals indigenous to us?

One that readily comes to mind is the Ibadan malimbe, which is a bird that is indigenous to our environment. And there are other animals like that which you can’t find in other places.

So we need first, to have a data of what we have, to protect them and ensure that they continue to exist.

As a director of a zoological garden, what would you say it takes to run one?

It takes a lot. That is why most zoos all over the world depend heavily on donations. You have to feed the animals, cater for their health needs, and maintain their enclosure. To do all these, it takes a lot of money.

For instance, we have many lions here; and feeding one lion takes about N1 million annually. That doesn’t include the health needs and the enclosure maintenance.

So it takes a lot of money to keep animals in the zoo. Enriching the enclosure and ensuring that it simulates the natural environment of the animal so that they can behave and breed normally is also important.

We also need to pay the staff and make sure that the number of staff is adequate and enough to take care of the number of animals we have on ground. That also takes a lot of money. So these are the areas one needs to spend as it pertains to

Do you think zoos provide anything close to these animals’ natural habitat?

Yes they do. There are some animals that would have gone extinct, but for the intervention of zoos. When I was in Canada, I saw that they were trying to breed the panda, which is very endangered, with only few left in the world. So that is one of the advantages of zoos.

Some zoos have also actually raised some birds that were going into extinctions and returned them to the wild. So the zoo is a very important place for raising and breeding animals, both the endangered and those that are not, to ensure that we can replenish the wild and that they can continue to survive. If you visit the London zoo for instance, there are different sections which are as natural as possible for the animals. So zoos provide an enabling environment for animals. But that also takes a lot of money.

So zoos can do that if they have enough funding and support.

Many are of the opinion that nothing justifies keeping animals in cages…

Twenty first century zoos have conservation at the uppermost of their mind; they are trying to ensure that animals do not go extinct.

Gone are those days when you have empty cages in zoos, UI zoo for instance is not business as usual; all our reptile cages are enriched as well as those of the birds and other animals. They are more comfortable and that enhances breeding.

For example, for the first time, we had our Crowned crane bird lay its egg and hatch it itself. The baby is now as big as it mother; that is

Feeding one lion takes about N1 million annually.

That doesn’t include the health needs and the enclosure maintenance. So it takes a lot of money to keep animals in the zoo. an endangered species. Also we had our owl and peacock lay eggs, hatch and raise their babies. These are the things going on here and that is what you gain from ensuring that the environment of the animal is what they have in their natural setting.

As said earlier, do you actually believe that wildlife can serve as an alternative to the oil sector in boosting the dwindling economy?

Definitely. Kenya, for instance survive on tourism, which brings in a lot of money. If you invest in a tourist attraction and tourists visit the place, you are not only providing money for the local environment, you are also brining in money to the county as a whole.

So when we visit Kenya, our money is going into their country, because they have developed their tourism and wildlife. The last time I was in Kenya, I was able to see all the animals I wanted to see.

So I think the government needs to look into developing the tourism sector, which will pay us a great deal.

How does the zoo get its animals?

We get animals through exchange with other zoos, or sourcing from parks. Sometimes we can get them from the wild and other times from people who just come across some animals and they bring them as donations to the zoo.

25 How does the adoption process of the animals work?

Adopting an animal means that you find an animal of interest to you at the zoo, and you can just adopt it. It means that you will fund the feeding, enclosure maintenance and health needs of that animal, either monthly or annually. Then we will write your name boldly on the animal’s cage, noting that the animal is your wild child.

Recently, the Olusi of Usi Ekiti, Oba Adedayo George Akande adopted one of or peacocks.

How would you react to people keeping animals like big cats as pets?

You don’t keep wild animals as pets. It is not advisable. A lion belongs to a place where they can take care of it and make sure that it doesn’t get to wound or kill people.

I’ve seen people donate their wild animals to the zoo, especially when they got them young, and they couldn’t contain them as an adult as they begin to get wild. So we’ve had certain cases like that in the zoo here. Wild animals should be kept in the wilds or zoos, and not as pets.

Are there policies that guide animal rights in Nigeria, especially as regards people just going into the wild to hunt?

That remains a problem in Nigeria. We recently organised a pangolin awareness programme because the pangolin is gradually going into extinction. They are overhunted because of their medicinal use and because they are delicacies in some parts of the world. They are defenceless animals and they do not reproduce in large numbers; they only give birth to one. So they are gradually becoming extinct as a result of the overhunting.

The programme was a call to save the pangolin because they cannot survive in zoos, as one pangolin will eat around 70 millions insects in a year. They are good pet control agents, so when we overhunt them, there will be an overpopulation of insects and that will leave room for imbalance in the ecosystem. The more animals go extinct, the more the issue for us as humans because all these things are there as buffers.

But when we overhunt them and they become extinct, it will also affect us.

A shipment was recently seized in Singapore, which had pangolin scales and raw elephants’ tusks, worth $1.3 million, and they came from Lagos, Nigeria. The kilogrammes of pangolins scales in that consignment will have to amount to killing about 500 pangolins in the country. So that is a major worrisome issue which the government needs to come on board to assist with.

In a country like Cameroon, for instance, you can’t just hunt animals anyhow because they know the number of animals they have in the wild and the numbers that can be hunted and killed. All these we don’t have in Nigeria. So we need the agencies to rise up to their duties.

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Nigerian Tribune

anchors

energy

Tunde Dodondawa

m:08029370304 e:mrdodondawa@yahoo.com

As Nigerians await the unbundling of NNPC Last week Thursday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, and the Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ibe Kachikwu, announced he would unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) into 30 companies this week. In this report, OLATUNDE DODONDAWA examines the possibility or otherwise of such claim by the minister.

T

HE Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Ibe Kachikwu, stated on Thursday at the 25th made Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers in Abuja that he would announce the unbundling of the NNPC into 30 new companies in seven days.

Dr Kachikwu told the petroleum industry experts that an overhaul of the foremost government oil firm, NNPC, was imminent, to ensure the return of profitability and stability in the sector.

In what the minister said would be a major overhaul of the system, the positions of Group Executive and Managing Directors as existed in the NNPC would be replaced by Chief Executive Officers who will head each of the companies.

He said that the move, which would be concluded within the next seven days, would reposition the corporation to bring in huge profits which has been impossible to achieve in the past 15 years.

Possibility of unbundling NNPC without recourse to the NNPC ACT Many stakeholders were divided on the possibility of unbundling the NNPC without recourse to the NNPC Act 1977, which established the NNPC. Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Mr Eniola Adegboye, argued that “ordinarily, this shouldn’t have been possible, but because of the way the present Federal Government have been acting for some time now, I think it is possible.

“For instance, the sack of 12 Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities is against the constitution, but the president did it and nothing happened.”

He further argued that “the NNPC Act recommended the constitution of the NNPC Board which is to be chaired by the Petroleum Minister and managed on daily basis by the Managing Director appointed by Council of Ministers. All these are contained in the NNPC Act 1977 section 1.

“However, the president announced himself as the minister. The president appointed a Minister of State to double as Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC. By implication, the man has combined the political function of a minister with a professional function of the GMD. This will only lead to policy somersault.”

On the efficient management of both portfolios, Adegboye stated that “Kachikwu cannot efficiently manage

The NNPC is established under the NNPC Act and before the NNPC would be unbundled, the Act must be reviewed.

both portfolios. There is a clear distinction between office of Petroleum Minister and the office of GMD. The GMD should see to the day-to-day running of the corporation, while the Petroleum Minister will be saddled with formulation of policies that will drive the petroleum sector and attract foreign investment, among others. Combining the two offices is a disservice to the nation.”

The Head of Research at Afrinvest, Mr Ayodeji Ebo, stated that “I don’t think he intends to unbundle the NNPC, maybe what he was trying to say was that he would create new units under the same NNPC that will be more efficient.

“The NNPC is established under the NNPC Act and be-

fore the NNPC would be unbundled, the Act must be reviewed.

“However, with the creation of smaller units, it will be very easy to subject each units to audit, know who is responsible and accountable for the unit and eventually promote transparency and efficiency in the system.

It would be recalled that one of the aims of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is to unbundle the present NNPC into several companies. This is because the NNPC was established by an Act,” he said.

Effects of non-passage of PIB It was quite unfortunate that Nigerian lawmakers have allowed political interests to override their national interests. This was what led to non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) after several attempts in the last nine years.

The PIB was designed, apart from the fiscal terms aimed at increasing government’s stake in the oil exploration activities in Nigeria, to promote efficiency in the NNPC by unbundling it into three new National Oil Companies (NOCs), namely the National Petroleum Assets Management Corporation (NPAMC), National Gas Company Plc. (NGC), Nigerian National Oil Company (NNOC). It also aimed at creating framework for partial privatisation of Continues pg27

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energy

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Nigeria’s moribund refineries record N5.7bn loss in January Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos

F

OLLOWING unsuccessful attempt by the Federal Government to fix the four refineries immediately it assumed power in May 2015, the four refineries have declared a total loss of N5.7 billion in January alone.

The loss was contained in the NNPC’s Monthly Operations and Financial Report for January, released at the weekend in Abuja.

According to the report, “The Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries posted losses of N2.87 billion, N1.95 billion and N900 million respectively. The Corporation also paid N85.96 billion into the Federation Account for January 2016.”

The corporation said it made the payment in spite of recording a loss of N3.

55billion in the same month. It also said it paid N1.05 trillion into the Federation Account within a 12-month period, from February 2015 to January 2016.

Giving a breakdown of the amounts transferred in January, NNPC said N85.077 billion was from the sale of crude oil while N880.3 million was receipts from gas sales.

It noted that the corporation posted a loss of N3.55 billion, compared to a loss of N11.86 billion recorded in December 2015.

According to the report, NNPC’s lossmaking performance was triggered by a drop in its revenue from N184.4 billion recorded in December 2015 to N130.86 billion in January 2016.

The corporation said it recorded expenditure of N134.41 billion in the month under review compared to N196.26 billion in Dececember 2015.

It also revealed that the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) recorded a profit of N3.958 billion.

The Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), NNPC Retail and the Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC) recorded profits of N3.94 billion, N477 million and N2.25 billion respectively.

It listed Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), National Engineering Technical Company (NETCo) in loss category with losses of N557 million and N215 million respectively.

“The NNPC Group’s Corporate Headquarter and Corporate Services Unit recorded a deficit of N6.37 billion and

Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State, Petroleum N1.32 billion respectively,” it stated.

However, a total of N28.262 billion was received as proceeds from domestic gas sales. The NNPC explained that for the month of January, the country received N1.2 billion from the domestic sales of gas; February receipt was put at N5.07 billion; March, N3.12 billion; April, N2.74 billion; May, 962.28 million and June N2.09 billion.

From July to December, domestic gas

Nigeria, others boost Exxonmobil’s oil reserves by 1billion barrels Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos EXXON Mobil Corporation said by-the-bit exploration success in 2015 which included a significant oil discovery offshore Guyana and additional discoveries in Iraq, Australia, Romania and Nigeria had added 1 billion barrel (bbl) oil-equivalent of proved oil and gas reserves, replacing 67 per cent of production, including a 219 per cent replacement ratio for crude oil and other liquids.

At year-end 2015, ExxonMobil’s proved reserves were totalled 24.8 billion oil-equivalent barrels. Liquids represented 59 per cent of proved reserves, up from 54 per cent in 2014. ExxonMobil’s reserves life at current production rates is 16 years.

In 2015, reserves were added in Abu Dhabi, Canada, Kazakhstan and Angola.

Liquid additions during 2015 totalled 1.9

MOMAN elects new Chairman Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos THE Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) has elected new Chairman, he is Mr Akin Akinfemiwa, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Forte Oil Plc. MOMAN, which is the umbrella body of the major oil marketing companies in Nigeria, said the election of Akinfemiwa as the Chairman ensures the continuity of the Association’s policy to actively engage the Federal Government on its policies as it relates to the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

MOMAN, under his leadership, will wholly support the federal government’s policies by ensuring compliance with effective distribution and marketing of petroleum products.

“Our main focus at MOMAN is to continue to work closely with all the regulatory bodies to finding lasting solutions to the problems faced in the downstream petroleum sector and to also assist the Federal Government by ensuring uninterrupted supplies of petroleum products to Nigerians. Our commitment is to continue to work towards

sales proceeds were N2.084 billion, N138.158 million, N2.41 billion, N3.726 billion, N176.21 million and N4.542 billion respectively.

For December, the NNPC said it transferred N86.34 billion into the Federation Account, stating that to this end, the sum of N1.019 trillion has been paid to the Federation Account, being Domestic crude oil & gas and other receipts from January to December 2015.

On the other hand, the NNPC noted that total export proceeds of $197.15 million were recorded in November, 2015 consisting of crude oil receipt of $161.90 million; Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) otherwise called cooking gas and Escravos Gas to Liquid (EGTL), proceed of $34.84 million and miscellaneous receipt amounting to $0.42 million.

The NNPC said, “The current total export receipt dropped by more than 50 per cent following further slide in crude oil prices and additional shut-in of about 35,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) in Usan and Yoho Terminals. Other factors include none receipt of NLNG Feedstock of about $74.47million following payment slippage into New Year and 57.08 per cent drop in LPG/NGL lifting.

“Total export crude oil and gas receipt for the period of January – December 2015 is $4.74 billion. Of the total receipts, the sum of $0.61 billion was remitted to Federation Account while the balance of $4.13 billion was used to fund the JV Cash Call for the period.

“Thus Joint Venture (JV) funding has gulped more than 87 per cent of the proceeds. JV cash call is a first line charge to Federation Account and 2015 Approved Budget requires monthly funding of about $615.8m.NNPC is therefore mandated to sweep all the export receipt to JV Cash Call funding implying a zero remittance to Federation Account.”

reviving the Nigerian economy by championing polices that promote the development of our industry which is a driver of the Nigerian economy,” said Mr Akinfemiwa.

Mr Akinfemiwa is an experienced and seasoned International oil trader with special focus on oil and petroleum products, futures, swaps and derivatives trading.

He holds a B.Sc. Degree in Mechanical Engineering and MBA Degree in Information Technology. He was appointed the GCEO of Forte Oil Plc in December 2011 having held several roles within the petroleum industry.

Mr Akinfemiwa takes over from the founding Chairman, Mr Wale Tinubu, whose tenure as Chairman saw the emergence of MOMAN as a powerful voice for the major marketers in the petroleum downstream sector as well as a standard bearer for promoting best practices within the industry.

MOMAN will be expecting Mr Akinfemiwa to bring his wealth of experience to bear especially relating to the successful transformation of Forte Oil Plc for which he was a major driving force.

billion barrels.

Natural gas proved reserves were reduced by 834 million oil-equivalent barrels primarily in the United States reflecting the change in natural gas prices. The company expects this gas to be developed and booked as proved reserves in the future.

Over the past 10 years, ExxonMobil has replaced 115 per cent of the reserves it produced, including the impact of asset sales.

“ExxonMobil has a successful track record of proved reserves replacement over the long term, demonstrating the strength of our global strategy to identify, evaluate, capture and advance

high-quality opportunities,” said Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer.

“Our proved reserves represent a diverse portfolio that positions us to create shareholder value as we supply long-term energy demand growth. We will continue to apply our disciplined, paced investing approach as we develop our industry-leading resource base.”

Reserves additions in 2015 reflect new developments as well as revisions and extensions of existing fields resulting from drilling, studies and analysis of reservoir performance.

Mixed reactions trail unbundling of NNPC Continued from pg26

NNOC and the NGC. However, after unsuccessful attempt in last 10 years to pass the PIB, a new version of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was designed to eliminate the group structure in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The draft law has split the NNPC into two commercial entities and scrapped the office of the Group Managing Director.

Under the new draft, the NNPC will be split into a national oil company that will be partly privatised and a petroleum assets management company that will be responsible for the management of the NNPC’s oil and gas investments in assets (a role currently played by NAPIMS).

Each of the companies will comprise boards with non-executive chairmen, a managing director and executive directors and other members with many years’ experience in management positions in oil companies.

Kachikwu had in November said the government was working on splitting the NNPC that would probably be passed in

sections.

The new draft bill titled, “Petroleum Industry Governance & Institutional Framework Bill 2015” is a 45-page document with 91 sections and three schedules. It has been simplified from the 2012 PIB and focuses on governing institutions with clear and separate roles for the petroleum industry.

In the proposed new bill, the oil minister may, in addition to the incorporation of the two entities, incorporate other entities to assume and manage some of the liabilities of the NNPC. The draft bill also provides for a single regulatory body that merges the DPR and PPPRA into a new Nigeria Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

The commission, according to the bill, “Shall take up the responsibilities held by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).”

In conclusion, Nigerians await how the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources will unbundle the NNPC and how the National Assembly and the labour unions would react.

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businessnews

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

PENGASSAN kicks against unbundling of NNPC OlatundeDodondawa-Lagos

T

HE senior staffs in the oil and gas industry have opposed the plan by the Federal Government to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The workers described the plan as an arbitrariness of the executive power by the government.

Reacting to the pronouncement made by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu on Thursday at the Oloibiri Lecture in Abuja that he would unbundle the NNPC into 5 Regional Corporation and 30 companies as part of the ongoing restructuring at the national oil company. The report also quoted the Minister as saying that the positions of Group Executive Directors (GEDs) will be phased out.

Speaking on the issue, acting General Secretary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, said that the move by the government will be tantamount

NairaBet boss sets to host youth enterprise conference in March

By Emmanuel George

THE Founder, NairaBet. com, Akin Alabi opens the opportunity for new age youths to learn effective business strategies from top players in the world of internet entrepreneurship.

The conference, themed The Internet Entrepreneur is to hold on 31st of March 2016 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos by 9am and free and limited seats for participants.

The event, which would be graced by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, is focused towards learning effective strategies, techniques and tactics to turn ideas into reality and for business growth using the internet as springboard.

Internet business moguls that would be speaking at the event are Akin Alabi, Founder, NairaBet. com, Daryn Wober, CEO, Ventra Media; Opeyemi Awoyemi, Co-founder Jobberman; Jason Njoku, Founder, IrokoTV.com, Craze Clown, CEO, House of Craze and a Mystery Speaker which is a suspense for the event.

to policy summersault on the part of the government.

Okugbawa said the unbundling plan will stave off investors from the nation’s oil and gas industry at this time when the nation needs foreign investment most to grow the industry, which currently is the

mainstay of the economy.

He explained that the government did not take into consideration the existing law that established the NNPC before planning to unbundle the corporation.

He said, “There is an existing NNPC Act of 1977 that set up the NNPC.

This Act has many provisions that deal with structure and operations of the corporation.

“There are many issues such as pensions and transfer of the employees, which are provided for in the NNPC Act of 1977.

What will happen to all these provisions of the

law?

“For the government to do anything with the current NNPC, the Act must either be repealed or amended to accommodate the planned restructuring.

If not done, it will equal to lack of respect for the rule of law on the part of the government.

From left: Head of Procurement, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited, Deepak Juneja; Head of Public Affairs & Communications, NBC Limited, Mrs Sade Morgan; Wife of Managing Director of NBC Limited, Mrs Jane Langat and MD, NBC Limited, Ben Langat, at the 2016 Run For Cure Walk to create awareness on the dangers of breast cancer in Lagos on Saturday.

Ikeja electric employs 603 staff, promotes 74 OlatundeDodondawa-Lagos

IKEJA Electricity Distribution company (IKEDC) said it has employed 603 employees between January 2015 and February 2016 and 74 workers have also been promoted.

The company said it did that in keeping with its commitment to drive service excellence through robust human capital profiling and development The company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Felix Ofulue also pointed out that 74 others were promoted across different functions of the business as part of the company’s drive to ensure that it has a pool of competent and capable resources to manage modern trends in effi-

cient power distribution and seamless service delivery.

According to him, “there was an ongoing recruitment of young engineering graduates to enhance sustainability of the business, whilst creating a platform for grooming future leaders of the sector.

“The promotions and additions are part of the company’s drive to ensure that it

has a pool of competent and capable resources to manage the legacy challenges the company is currently facing and also to position it as the provider of choice wherever energy is consumed.

“At Ikeja Electric, we place a high premium on human capital development as a vital component of driving its commitment to providing the best pos-

FADAMA III distributes water pumps, accessories to farmers OYO State Fadama Coordination Office (OSFCO) in collaboration with Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority on Thursday distributed water pumps and accessories to Fadama farmers to enable them practice irrigation

farming along River Ogun water course.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Victor Atilola, represented by Mr Gabriel Kehinde flagged off the distribution of water pumps

Count us out of your amalgamation, ANCE tells coop investment

By Paul Omorogbe

THE Association of Nigerian Cooperative Exporters Ltd (ANCE), an organisation comprising cooperative cocoa farmers of the South-West has said it will not be part of the planned amalgamation of cooperative bodies in the South-West into one body.

At a meeting involving cooperative farmers’ unions from Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states held at ANCE Building, Jericho, Ibadan recently, where the amalgamation of all South-

sible service to customers within its network.”

Ofulue revealed that 229 employees of the company were affected in the disengagement exercise after they failed to meet the required parameters for the company’s performance assessments and were deemed to be performing below mandatory performance objectives.

west cooperatives proposed

by Cooperative Investment and Trust Society Ltd was discussed, following a motion moved by Elder Ameed Ibrahim representing Owo, Ondo State and seconded

by Chief J. S Owonijo representing Ifemuyiwa, Ekiti State, it was unanimously agreed that ANCE would not to be part of the amalgamation. Another resolution at the meeting was that all properties and shares belonging to ANCE Coop Transport be retrieved.

ANCE President, Mr Solo-

mon Olagbemi said at the meeting that there were indications that force was being employed for ANCE to be part of the amalgamation, and that the huge properties and investments owned

by ANCE in the South-West were motivation for forcing ANCE into the amalgamation.

“We want to tell cooperative directors in ANCE to be vigilant and stand on the law that says there cannot be any forced marriage of unions or associations,” Olagbemi stated.

and accessories worth N3,780,000 to farmers’ groups from Ibarapa East, Ido, Iseyin, Oyo West and Saki East Local Government Areas of the State.

He disclosed that state government vision for restoration, transformation and repositioning of agriculture has come to realitywith the commitment and support given by the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

Atilola regretted serious neglect agriculture had suffered in the past and expressed the hope that agriculture will bring about employment generation, food security and poverty reduction with State and Federal Government intervention. He charged the youths to venture into agriculture in order to strengthen nation’s economy against fall in the price of crude oil and dwindling national revenue.

APR proposes 43 kobo final dividend

By Emmanuel George

AFRICA Prudential Registrars Plc has proposed a final dividend of forty-three (43) Kobo per share to the delight of its shareholders.

This final dividend rounds up to sixty (60) Kobo total dividend for 2015 financial year, having paid an interim dividend of seventeen (17) Kobo on August 31, 2015 after releasing its half year financial results.

The company’s audited results for 2015 which was released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last week shows a total of N1.2 billion will be paid to ordinary shareholders of the company if the proposed final dividend of 43 Kobo per share is ratified at the coming Annual General Meeting of shareholders.

If ratified by shareholders at the AGM, payment of the dividend will be made on April 13, 2016 to all shareholders on the register of members of the company as at the qualifying date of March 22, 2016. The Register of Members and Transfer Books of the Company would be closed from Wednesday, March 23 to Tuesday March 29, 2016 (both dates inclusive) for the purpose of updating Register of Members eligible for the dividend payment.

In the results released for the period ended December 31, 2015, the company recorded N2.54 billion gross earnings, representing a 15 per cent growth from N2.20 billion in 2014. Likewise, the Profit Before Tax (PBT) for the period grew by 25% from N1.3 billion in 2014 to N1.6 billion in 2015. By the performance, expense only grew by a marginal 1% from N904 million to N913 million. In a similar trend, basic earnings per share grew by 18 per cent — from 61 kobo to 72 kobo.

In an interview with the media, Peter Ashade, Managing Director/CEO affirmed that the company is focused on increasing shareholders wealth. In line with its five-year strategic plan, the company has paid dividend consistently for three years, following its listing on the NSE in 2013.

Thirty-five kobo dividend was paid per share in 2013 and 2014 financial years, while a total of 60 kobo is being proposed for 2015, having recorded another impressive result.

While Ashade further encouraged investors to keep hope with the company as it sustains the tempo of impressive growth in the years to come, it would be recalled that APR Plc won a double award at the prestigious Pearl Awards in 2015.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048

features

As mixed reactions trail demolition of Kogi roundabouts

Front of Government House without the roundabout.

Yinka Oladoyinbo -Lokoja

K

OGI State has in the last few months been in the news for many reasons: from the governorship election and its inconclusive status, to the death of the leading candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu; the emergence of a replacement for Audu in person of the incumbent, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the controversies that trailed his choice; to the refusal of the supposed deputy governorship candidate, Hon James Faleke and the inauguration of the governor on January 27.

However, following the assumption of office of Bello, the new government has taken some drastic steps aimed at pointing to the people that it was not going to be business as usual in the confluence state. Some of these steps include the sending on compulsory leave of permanent secretaries and top government officials at the local government and the screening of workers in the employ of the state with the aim of fishing out ghost workers among them.

But the residents of Lokoja, the state capital, woke up on Thursday to witness another round of action from the state government, and it was the demolition of six out of the seven roundabouts located across the town. The first to be pulled down among the structures was the one located right in front of the Government House, popularly called Lugard House. However, 24 hours later, those located at Paparanda, NTA junction, Kogi circle, GRA were demolished in one swoop without any prior reason for such action.

The development, however, led to many insinuations as to the motive behind the demolition of the structures. The first and most prominent of the insinuations was the one that had to do with spiritual factor.

Many people went to town to allege that the governor contracted some clerics from

Senegal for the sanctification of the Government House before he could move in and start using it. They said this was why the governor was operating from his personal house located beside the Lugard House.

The story further went that it was the clerics that ordered that the roundabouts should be pulled down as there were spiritual attachments to their construction, saying that that was why the demolition was done in the midnight and not during daylight when people could see whatever been done.

Before the government could utter any explanation over its action, the angle of spiritual connotation to the demolition had gone viral with many in and outside the state viewing the action of the government as one that was beyond the normal. Many of them started perceiving the gladiators in government as being fetish and those that are entrenched in such practices.

While this was going on, another school of thought was of the view that many of the demolished structures that predated the creation of the state were “monuments” that should have been preserved for generations yet unborn. They said if government had any plan of replacing the roundabouts, it should not have pulled them down at once in order not to distort the planning of the town.

According to them, since government has not awarded any contract for the reconstruction of the demolished structures, because of the non passage of the 2016 appropriation bill and the fact that such projects were not captured in the budget, government should have taken a different approach towards the demolition.

Speaking on the controversies, the Executive Director of Centre for Human and Conflict Resolution Idris Miliki, described the move as unnecessary, saying that the demolition had portrayed the state government as one that does not consult before taking action. He said the majority of the residents

Ibrahim Itodo

Idris Miliki

of the state capital were at a loss over the development, as the state government never gave any explanation or reason before the roundabouts were pulled down.

He said, “We woke up and found out that roundabouts in the state capital were demolished and we are yet to know the reasons and the justification for demolishing them at once. They are legacies of previous administrations; particularly the first civilian government of the late Abubakar Audu.

For government to come after several years and demolish them to celebrate his one month in office is condemnable.

“It is so in the sense that government owes the society and explanation on why it is demolishing them. We have about seven roundabouts and they were demolished the same time, what message the government is giving to the state, is it the priority of the state or that of government when salaries are not paid, when there are lots of potholes on the roads, when there are no street lights.

The resources that will be used to build the roundabout can as well give us streetlights in the capital of the state.

“It is a major decision in the state capital to be carried out by a new administration.

I think the government should have organised a small town hall meeting, where it can tell the people what it has observed and why it is taking a decision to do that. The people will want to know if government is embarking on a general beautification of the entire state or the state capital alone.

“I think this government seems not to have

an agenda and it is in a hurry to also have an impact, but such impact has been negative.

What is the ideology of government? What are its programmes? We are yet to see all this and he is demolishing roundabouts., To us it is not fair, this government should be one that consults with the people and stakeholders so that it can take the rightful decisions that affect the people of the state.”

Also speaking, the state chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Ibrahim Itodo, believed the exercise amounted misplacement of priority. To the council, rather than demolishing roundabouts, government should have embarked on the rehabilitation and construction of rural roads to ensure the economic development of the state.

According to him, rather than starting with demolition and construction of roundabouts, the state government should have embarked on ventures that would make rural roads motorable and aid agricultural activities in such areas. He argued that it had been established that greater percentage of the people reside in the rural area such that they contribute the largest volume of votes through which politicians are declared victorious after elections.

The IPAC chairman said, “With motorable rural roads the people can also have access to basic health care delivery and agricultural products can be transported, this should be issues that government should focus on, for Continues pg30

30

features

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

How govt can sincerely tackle insecurity —Rtd DCP The police job was rough and tough. To whom much is given, much is expected, but the police have not been given enough.

Government should come to the aide of the police if it sincerely wants to address insecurity. What we should ask is how things are done abroad; anytime a policeman goes abroad, he would excel. Money budgeted for security is not enough, and with the insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country, there is need to add more. Salary, wages and other emoluments have taken over the budgeted money, but what of equipment? What are they going to use to work? This is worrisome.

Let me give you what obtained in Rivers State when I was there. I was first posted to Rivers State in 1996, but I left in 2006, when I was going to the Law School in Abuja. In 2008, I was called back to be the Internal Security Commander by Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Why we succeeded was because what we needed was made available, and to God be the glory, we were able to make a difference. Then, we were able to keep to the barest minimum criminal activities. The government of the day bought patrol vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), among other things.

Welfare was taken seriously; whoever sustained injury received first class medical care. The family and the children of the dead were well compensated. This made us to be dedicated. These are the things that every policeman requires to perform optimally.

Hon Olamide Johnson Oni retired as a Deputy Commissioner of Police after 35 years in service. He is now a politician representing Efon, ljero and Ekiti West at the House of Representatives. He told AYODELE ADESANMI about his father’s influence in joining the police, his battle with the dreaded armed robber Shina Rambo, and how to revamp the police. EXCERPTS:

W

HAT influenced your decision to join the police?

My father was a great influence in my joining the police. My father, of blessed memory, started his career as a teacher but later became a policeman. He was also a politician. He played politics all over the Western Region. My father was a disciplinarian; he was very strict. I still don’t know why he said I should join the police, even at a time when I already had admission to the Adeyemi College of Education. He said I could always pursue my education in the police. To the glory of God, l am a lawyer today. When we were growing up, all those social vices common among youths in the society were alien to us his children. My father was a straight forward person, but generous to a fault.

He did not like people who told lies. All those attributes I imbibed and it greatly assisted me in the course of my professional duties as a policeman. I was an investigative officer when l was in the police.

I investigated any issue to the end, while finding out the root cause of such matter before taking a decision.

Your most difficult assignment?

Aside my operations as a junior officer, let me focus on my assignments as a senior officer; the issue of Shina Rambo, that deadly armed robber, who terrorised the people of Lagos and Ogun states comes to mind. I was the commander of a patrol team then. My base was then at Papalanto and Sagamu interchange, and I stayed there for a year and seven months without going home. Every morning, l looked for water around, entered the bush to take my bath. My team always battled Shina Rambo anytime he stole vehicles and was taking them to the border. However, I will never forget December 19, 1992; Shina Rambo had already stolen 10 vehicles from Lagos, and was heading towards the border in a convoy. He met us at Sagamu

Oni interchange, at that big roundabout. Information got to us that he was refuelling at the highway and would soon be coming.

As always, we were prepared for him, 19 policemen, fully armed, were with me. Immediately we sighted him and his convoy, I told members of my team to lay flat on the ground, facing Abeokuta Road, while I stationed myself at Papalanto Road. That was where I knew he would start shooting, but we blocked the road. Interestingly, as soon as he came, he dismantled the blockage and started shooting, and we replied fiercely. At that point, we damaged two of his vehicles. From there, he could no longer move towards Papalanto because of our resistance. He later made a U-turn back to Abeokuta Road. Before he got to Abeokuta, it remained only one vehicle with him out of 10. The exchange was so serious that at Usiun junction, worship-

pers at a church there, as it was a Sunday, were so scared of the exchange of gunfire between us that they hurriedly ended the service and ran for cover.

We later pursued him to Itaeko, just by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s house. It was there that we lost the battle as the only vehicle left with us, my own vehicle somersaulted. l got down immediately, looking for another vehicle to pursue him to Ifo. At that point, he gained advantage of us because of the time of negotiating for another vehicle. But we reduced his men to two, and surprisingly all through this exchange, he was driven by a woman. I sustained a bullet wound on my right leg. We could not get him but we made a spirited effort.

Have you ever exercised any fear in the course of your duty?

Why politics after retiring from the police?

I believe I can still serve my people and be useful to them. With me joining politics, I am just following my father’s footsteps, who also joined politics after retirement. However, all along, I’ve not been too far from my people as I participate in their activities. In retirement, I was called upon to come and serve and I didn’t turn it down. There is no regret at all for joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as it is the party of the people in Ekiti State. It is the platform best suited for me to serve them. I have vowed never to disappoint them. I try as much as possible to alleviate their sufferings, provide employment and deliver the dividends of democracy to them. Most of the time, however, I still feel I should go on patrol with my gun on my back and visit my people at their duty posts.

We want the best for the state — Govt Continued from pg29

it to dissipate energy on removal of old aesthetic designs is a waste of resources.

“We will also be pleased if the government can tell us why they demolished those structures, government should be bottom-top approach. It should ask the public what they want essentially not that government will be dumping projects on them.

“We should be informed before government embarks on the destruction of those public properties. This will enable the people have an idea of their developmental project. So for us in IPAC, government should tell the public the advantages and disadvantages of what it is doing.”

However, a youth leader, Abubakar Mohammed, was of the view that government had taken the best decision by pulling down the roundabouts. According to him, many of the structures are obsolete and did not meet the standard of the present day architectural

design that befit a state capital. He argued that there was the need to give Lokoja a facelift to make it to be able to favourably compete with other state capitals in the country.

He said, “It will amount to ignorance to blame government for trying to make Lokoja look good with modern urban renewal project. This has started with the demolition of roundabouts which many of them were built before the creation of the state.

So the people have to be patient and see the wonders that government will do with the demolished structures.”

However, the state government has come out to defend its action and explain why it had to do away with the structures.

Bello, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Kingsley Fanwo, said “What the state government carried out was the demolition of obsolete roundabouts that are not befitting of an important city like Lokoja. Looking at the one at the entrance of the city along the Okene- Abuja bypass, it

was an eyesore.

“We have a governor that wants the best for the state and has decided to pull down old, haphazard roundabouts to erect new ones that will make all Kogites proud. Before the demolition, the State Government has discovered that some of the roundabouts contributed to the ugliness and filthiness of Lokoja city, hence the need to scrap them and go for new ones. Carrying out the demolition in the night is no issue. The demolition would have caused some traffic chaos had it been done during the day. Demolishing the obsolete roundabouts during the night affords the engineers the opportunity to clear the rubbles before daybreak and allow for free flow of traffic within the township.

“As far as the people are concerned, they want the best for the state. The governor had promised to make Lokoja the pride of all. It is not out of place to fulfil the promise by pulling down roundabouts that are against the architecture of the 21st Century.

The people, from our feedback, are looking forward to government making Lokoja a beautiful confluence city.

Speaking on the stance of the people against the move, he said, “Those complaining are politicians who are bent on detracting the government from achieving the goal of changing the socio-economic and physical outlook of the state. First, they said the government was looking for amulets. Later, they said that shouldn’t be a priority. To set the record straight, the Alhaji Yahaya Bello administration is not a theocracy. He is not a believer in superstition and would not be drawn into all these stories of amulets as reported in popular news media around the country. Award of contracts under the administration will always follow due process and not the usual “Family and Friends” style of the past. He is running a government that is in tandem with the anticorruption war of the APC-led Federal Government.”

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com

As Northern govs battle Senate over foreign loans From mid- February, 2016, the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts and the Northern States Governors (NSG) have been at loggerheads in respect of the planned quest for loans from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, examines the issues at stake as regards the loan bid.

I

N February, governors under the aegis of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) had just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia, where they held discussions with officials of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) on the need to extend some loan packages to the states. They also warmed up for follow up meetings with officials of the Federal Government to actualise the arrival of the loans.

But the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Shehu Sani, put a hole in the highflying balloon, when he announced that the trip was an illegality. He insisted that the plan to secure the IDB loan was contrary to the laid out due process in Nigeria and therefore an illegality. The Kaduna-born Senator is a well known customer in the world of activism. As a human rights activist, he was severally incarcerated during the struggle against the military. Thus, he is seen to know exactly what his committee was going into by deciding to tackle their Excellencies.

Sani, in the statement released on St. Valentine’s Day, said that the Governors must be cautioned against securing an illegal loan from the IDB. He stated that the laws of the land forbid states from taking loans abroad without recourse to the National Assembly.

According to the statement, the Senate Committee was aware of plans by some Northern Governors to jointly secure a loan from the Saudi Arabia based Islamic Development Bank.(IDB). It described the development as “solo moves” which constitute an indirect conflict with the Laws of the country. The committee stated that the plan by the governors “runs contrary to the relevant provisions of the act that clearly and unambiguously rest the exclusive right to borrow externally on the Federal Government.”

The statement added: “The Debt Management Office Act 2003, Section 21 and external borrowing guidelines, 2008-2012, paragraph 2 (1) clearly state that any government or its agencies can only obtain external loan through the Federal Government.

“The Act also stipulates that such loans must be supported by Federal Government guarantee. The Act is explicitly clear that no state, local government or Federal agency shall on its own borrow externally.”

The statement also condemned the Saudi trip of the Governors, adding that Governors failed to follow due process. The statement further read: “The DMO Act law further states that state governments and their agencies wishing to obtain external loans shall obtain federal government approval in principle from the federal ministry of finance. This is the provisions of paragraph 2:2(II) of the external borrowing guidelines.”

The Senate Committee further declared that paragraph 2.2 (v) of the external borrowing guideline stipulates that “All external borrowing proposals of the governments and their agencies for the next fiscal year must be submitted not later than 90 days preceding the year to the minister of finance.”

The statement added: “To borrow from external sources, the Debt management office has to ascertain if the borrower has not over-borrowed and the borrowing proposal

Sani

Gov Shettima

must be incorporated into the annual budget for federal executive council approval.

“No state or group of states can borrow from external source without approval from the National Assembly and clearance from the Federal Ministry of justice.

“Whoever led the Northern governors to Saudi for loan is ignorant of the relevant provisions of the law or he has chosen to circumvent the law.

The committee asked the governors to read the relevant Acts affecting foreign loans, while also urging the IDB to

shun any such loan request until due process is followed.

As expected, the governors will not allow things to lie low. They actually hit hard on the Senator. The NSGF apparently saw Sani’s statement as an affront and described the statement as based on ignorance. A statement by the governors last week gave graphic details of the process leading to the Saudi trip by the NSGF adding that the Federal Government gave its approval and facilitated the issuance of Visas to the delegation.

The statement signed on behalf of the governors by the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, asked Senator Sani to embark on necessary research about the trip before raising issues. The statement read in part: “Like Senator Sani said, it is true that the Federal Ministry of Finance is the body saddled with the statutory responsibility of facilitating all foreign loans and the Northern governors were very much aware of this as well as all the necessary steps they needed to take which they actually took, sufficiently.

“By way of background, the decision to seek the support of the IDB was reached at one of the governors’ meetings held at the end of September 2015 in Kaduna which was presided over by Governor Shettima.

“In November, 2015, Governor Shettima, acting on behalf of the forum, wrote a letter to the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, seeking consent and request for facilitation to the IDB. “The Federal Ministry of Finance then wrote to the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, which culminated in

The committee stated that the plan by the governors “runs contrary to the relevant provisions of the act that clearly and unambiguously rest the exclusive right to borrow externally on the Federal Government.

Continues on pg32

politics&policy Cost analysis of the loan 32

Continued from pg 31

the trip by the delegation of the Northern Governors on January 31, 2015.

“In fact, it was the Federal Ministry of Finance that obtained visas for the delegation of the Northern governors through its correspondences with the IDB. The IDB had written to the Saudi Government, and requested visas for the delegation which were then issued by the Saudi Embassy in Abuja with all passports only released to the Federal Ministry of Finance in the third week of January 2015.

“It is also important to say that because the Northern Governors’ Forum was strict on due process, a deputy director at the Department of International Economic Relations, who is also the Desk Officer in charge of the Islamic Development Bank, IDB, at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, was included by the Northern governors as part of their delegation.

“The inclusion of that deputy director was a novel step that made the entire trip a hitch free one given the fact that the Federal Ministry of Finance was not only directly involved in all the discussions held between the governors and top executives of the IDB but even provided all the policy guidelines required by the governors including addressing grey areas wherever they came up.”

Notwithstanding the detailed explanation from the NSGF, the Senate Committee is not backing down on its claims. Last week, it hosted the Country Representative of the IDB in Nigeria, Muhammed Kiliaki, whose revelations appear to sink with the fears being nursed by Senator Sani and his colleagues in the committee.

What the Senate Committee appears to be driving at, besides seeking a strict ad-

herence to the law is also to ensure that foreign debts are appropriately profiled such that the Debt to GDP Ratio will not be unduly altered. The committee is of the view that only a careful examination of all issues surrounding the proposed loans at the legislature can guarantee the nation the required mileage through foreign loans.

While appearing before the committee in the National Assembly, IDB Country Representative said he was also concerned for Nigeria’s growing debt profile. According to him, Nigeria currently utilizes a huge percentage of her revenue to service foreign debts. He said that records show that the country uses about 80 percent of its earnings to service debts adding that the development was responsible for the attendant bleeding of the economy.

With the nation’s total debt profile standing at $60billion, Kiliaki stated that Debts to GDP ratio can be said to be at a low rate of 17 per cent but added that the resources being committee to debt service was enormous.

The IDB Representative told the Senators: “My visit is very crucial because we need to look at the debt profile of a coun-

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

try before we give it new contractual sort of financing. We also work closely with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to ensure that our financing has the required threshold of grant financing which is normally 35 percent but at the same time there were financing that is not a burden to a country to the extent that the debt may not be sustainable.

“When talking about unsustainable debt, it means that a country or a borrower is unable to pay. So we take very serious note of that. When you look at the debt to GDP ratio of Nigeria, it is very low. It is 17 percent compared to Italy and other countries which is about 150 percent, while that of the United States is about 100 percent.

“But there is a caveat, it is true that debt to GDP ratio is low but when you look at the amount, the revenue, to debt servicing ratio, the amount of money that the government is collecting, the revenue of the government vis- a-vis the ratio to the total debt, I think Nigeria pays about 75 to 80 percent of its revenue to service debts, so, this is very, very high compared to other countries where they use just 10 percent.

“What this means is that one, the government of Nigeria needs to expand or

It was the Federal Ministry of Finance that obtained visas for the delegation of the Northern governors through its correspondences with the IDB.

mobilise additional resources through taxation by broadening the tax base but at the same time, we as lenders, financiers, we need to reconsider our conditions of financing, meaning that we should try as much as we can, to extend to Nigeria, financing that will not make it difficult for the country to pay its debt.

“In a nutshell, as clearly shown by available financial records, Nigeria still has considerable leverage of taking loans from multilateral financial institutions for development or investments purposes going by her very encouraging low ratio of debts servicing to GDP, but the factor of dwindling revenues being used to service the debts must be urgently looked into by way of possible expansion.”

He also clarified that the recent visit of the 19 Northern state governors to the Head office of the Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was a sensitization move aimed at securing assistance for the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in North Eastern states. He said that the visit had no financing envelope agreement yet. He added that the bank does not deal directly with states on issues of loan as according to him, even if the governors had approached the bank for definite financial assistance, the Federal Government would have to lead the approval process.

Again, Senator Sani restated the fears of his committee, insisting that borrowing from foreign entities should only be the last resort. He stated that even though the debt to GDP ratio is at 17 percent today, it could rise to 77 percent if not controlled.

Senator Sani said: “Available records have clearly shown that Nigeria’s total debts profile stands at $60billion out of which $10.6billion is from foreign loans.

Only the common people back anti-corruption crusade —Wilson Wilson Alatsha, a leader in Warri North axis of Delta State, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He speaks with EBENEZER ADUROKIYA on the challenges the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari administration. Excerpts: The judiciary has been lately maligned by some of our leaders, including even people of the Bench and Bar over recent electoral judgments at the Supreme Court. Is this not a case of dog eat dog?

Some of these comments are politicallymotivated and they are unfair, as far as I’m concerned. First, the judiciary cannot speak to defend itself. The lawyers are the ones who defend the judiciary. The only place the lawyer comments on judgments is through the law journals where you can say this judgment is this or not this. I don’t expect us to come to the pages of newspapers to castigate the judges or the other lawyer.

As lawyers, it is dangerous and unethical to make critiques of a judgment that you have not read. You need to read the judgment and you don’t read judgments based in newspapers. We read judgments on the pages of law reports. It is that that informs the lawyers’ opinion because the evidence would have been presented. The judges’ decision will also be contained in the law report. Without it, you can’t form an in-

formed opinion.

How will you rate the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, as regards respect for human rights?

I think the man has tried. First, you must understand that human rights are not absolute. If you have right to liberty, it is curtailed by your conduct. If you run foul of the law, that right to liberty is affected.

Let’s be objective. The problem we’ve had is that Buhari is a soldier. He has no patience for indolence. In the military, there is no room for indolence. So, you must be up and doing; he wants to be on a faster lane. Of course, he is curtailed by democratic processes. He did not say the judiciary was stopping him from doing his work.

He did not condemn the judiciary.

Do you think the war against corruption will end corruption in the system?

The truth is how many Nigerians want corruption fought to a standstill?

Maybe the downtrodden....?

Exactly! What opportunity do they have to talk to the press about their impression on the war against corruption? They don’t have it. The elite are the ones saying the fight is one-sided, this and that. How many of them have been proven to be absolutely innocent or guilty? At the end of the prosecution, some may be found guilty or discharged and acquitted. They are only being accused as of now.

So, will the anti-corruption war

Alatsha get us anywhere?

It will get us somewhere if all of us agree.

If you are too long in darkness, you’ll get accustomed to darkness. And when you are eventually exposed to light, you’ll be shocked at the first instance. Is it because you don’t want light? No. The problem we have now is that most Nigerians were used to corrupt practices, cutting corners. PMB is now saying we can’t live this way and survive.

APC, your party, is factionalized in Delta State, particularly in Warri

zone. What’s actually the problem?

I think there is a misconception among the populace about what is happening among APC leaders in Warri. I just returned to the party and, for a few days, I’ve been studying what has been happening. There is a misrepresentation of facts and it is being harped upon by ignorance.

People are ignorant because the Itsekiri, for instance, are a group of people who are unique and they believe in unity and respect for decency. They believe in having a structure that is organized.

The APC came as an amalgamation of different people and groups and some felt we were here first and so on. The protest that followed is what is being overemphasised. We are trying to see how we can reconcile this issue so that the leaders can understand themselves. We need to identify the differences, issues that seem to cause trouble and when these are unconvered, the matter is half solved.

I understand the case of Okotie-Ebor for the chairmanship of the party; he is a great Itsekiri. I’m also aware of Honourable Temi Harryman’s position and Dr Ideh’s position. If you bring all these people together, we’ll go places. Itsekiri in APC will go places if they can harness together their intellectual capacities. I intend to see how we can bring all these people together for the sake of the common man.

There is no group of people without a disagreement. It’s natural. Those who think disagreement is unnatural are unnatural.

But I suspect an external pressure, certain elements causing the division so that people will not get their entitlements from the state or the national level.

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politics&policy

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Why govt should not fund political parties —Kashamu Senator representing Ogun East District at the National Assembly, Prince Buruji Kashamu, in this interview speaks on how to stem the rise of corruption in the country. He also speaks on the current fuel scarcity. KUNLE ODEREMI brings excerpts:

Petroleum Resources are working hard to reposition the oil sector, there is a clique that is hell-bent on frustrating their efforts. They ask the oil marketers to pay the official rate of N75 per litre into the officially-designated accounts and then ask them to pay a difference of between N30 and N35 per litre into a private account or bring it in cash. It is only those who cooperate with them that they allocate products. When the difference is added to the official rate, it shoots the price up to over N100 per litre.

To solve this problem, I think the allocation of petroleum products should be centralised, and the EFCC should be empowered to investigate transactions between the depots and oil marketers and scrutinize their finances in a bid to fish out unjustifiable funds. Henceforth, there should be a verifiable census of all marketers who are eligible for allocations and such allocations should be made from the office of the minister in Abuja. This will be a replication of the BVN in the oil sector.

i

T has been said that the anticorruption war of President Buhari is targeted against members of the PDP. What is your view on this?

I am shocked and embarrassed by comments that the trial of the people who allegedly misappropriated money that was meant to buy weapons in the war against insurgency is a political witch-hunt of members of my party, the PDP. The master minds of that crime wanted the war to escalate and if that had happened unchecked, the insurgency would have spread to other regions of the federation.

The insurgents were already violating the peace of Abuja with tragic bombings and it would have been just a matter of time for states like Kogi, Edo, Ondo and Ekiti states, that are just a couple of hours away from Abuja, to be affected. The energy dissipated on undue criticisms and media bashing could be channelled into proffering alternative solutions to the issues affecting us as a nation. As at today, our security agencies have succeeded in weakening and pushing back the Boko Haram elements.

President Buhari has his work clearly cut out for him because this ongoing fight against corruption must be valiantly and consistently fought until Nigeria is free from the menace of corruption. This fight must be fought at all cost because it is the fight for the soul and future of our great country. It is a fight for the dignity of the citizen who is vulnerable at the point of rendering his patriotic duty just like some of the people who have been implicated in this unfortunate arms money scandal.

Political parties continually engage in fund raising and it is difficult to know the difference between money that was raised from such an exercise and money that was stolen from the treasury. Only those in government knew the true sources of the funds that they disbursed. And now, our great party, the PDP, is being stigmatized.

The PDP is a good party that, like any other human organization, got infested with bad people. As a matter of fact, many high net worth individuals in the party and outside donated money for the last elections.

But the money was not managed by the PDP. It was mostly members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) that managed campaign funds in their various states. Thus, any party man sent to pick up campaign funds from them will simply assume that he was going to pick up money the party got from its fund raising and not misappropriated government money.

Are you saying parties should not be funded by government?

The culture that makes it possible for the party in power to be financed with public funds should be completely eradicated.

It is high time parties looked for creative ways to fund their activities. Members should make donations and pay dues to their parties. Party administrators should rise above mere sloganeering and find a way to implement this. We should get to the point that parties will stop laying

Kashamu claims to public resources simply because their flag bearers won the elections. In fact, independent candidates should be encouraged to contest elections, and it will be catastrophic if they too decide to treat public resources like their personal estate.

Do you think the political class cares about the people?

The cry of the suffering masses is palpable and nothing should be left undone in the quest to alleviate the level of poverty and despondency in our nation. Whenever I remember how uncomfortable some top public officials were with a few days’ delay in the payment of salaries, I wonder what life is like for less-privileged Nigerians across the states whose salaries have not been paid for months.

This is not the time for grandstanding and patronising before the very same peo-

Whenever I remember how uncomfortable some top public officials were with a few days’ delay in the payment of salaries, I wonder what life is like for less-privileged Nigerians across the states whose salaries have not been paid for months.

ple that the political class is destroying.

I have repeatedly said that we are done with the campaign and this is the time to knuckle down in unity and work for the people who voted us in. Let us all save the partisan arguments for the next campaign. Now, we all must team up with the President. We must at this time mobilise support for the Federal Government from the masses in our various constituencies because, God forbids, if anything untoward happens to the Federal Government, it will affect all the other national and state institutions, and more importantly, the masses.

This counsel is the moral obligation I owe to my people and should not be misconstrued as an attempt to switch from my party, the PDP, to the APC. When the elections come again, I will be a war horse for my party. But, right now, I am pitching in to contribute my quota to national reconstruction.

Nigeria is experiencing another round of fuel scarcity. How can we put this behind us?

First, it should be noted that the fall in the price of oil is a global phenomenon. And for a nation that generates over 80 percent of its revenue from oil, the fall in price was bound to affect us, especially when we failed to save for a rainy day. Let us all be realistic instead of playing on the intelligence of the masses. Nigeria is experiencing the consequences of the destructive tendencies and policies of past administrations that failed to act responsibly by dangerously creating the impression that Nigeria was making progress. The writing was visible on the wall and it would have just been a matter of time before Nigeria fell flat on its face without the current intervention.

The current attempts to revamp the sector are being sabotaged by remnants of that clique at the NNPC and its depots who are determined to continue selling products above approved official rates. While Mr. President and the Minister of State for

What is your take on the forex crisis?

The dollar-naira ratio has global and local dimensions to it. The global dimension has to do with the drop in our revenue as a result of the fall in oil price in the international market. The drop in revenue brought a lot of pressure on the naira. Thus, we have plenty of naira chasing a few dollars since our foreign earnings have dropped as a result of the glut in the international oil market. Locally, the clique that was manipulating and swinging the value of the dollar has been tamed.

The current measures by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that legitimate demands for the dollar are granted should be encouraged. Hopefully, it should soon be possible to peg the dollar at an official rate, with 1 or 2 per cent margin between the official rate and open market, just as it was in the 70s and 80s, and even in other African countries and the developed economies. Thus, it will be criminal for anyone to sell higher or below this official rate.

Do you think the President will deliver on his promise of change?

A new government is usually born on the promise of hope, change and a better future. Ours is not an exception. The USA was also on the verge of a debilitating economic crisis in 2008 when a courageous black man, who refused to be intimidated by the onerous task ahead, traversed the length and breadth of the country, convincing the people that change was possible and imminent. Americans gave him the nod with their votes and invested their trust in him. The initial period was tumultuous as the economy spiralled downwards before it began healing with the policies of the “change” government.

President Obama inherited a huge deficit worth trillions of dollars and unemployment figures in millions. But seven years later, about 14million jobs have been created, the budget deficit diminished and the economy is sustainably growing. No matter what the naysayers would profess, the “change” has healed, restored and prospered America. The same can happen with us if we, as a people, are united and decide to create the enabling environment.

Let us not forget that this government is what we have right now and we have the option of either fighting it to death or supporting it to succeed. The former is not an option because Nigeria might not survive such a political turmoil

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016 Femi Olukunle Co-ordinating Editor 08158610216

maka nd’igbo

Ohanaeze Ndigbo chairman in Anambra State, Chief Chris Eluomuno, being accompanied by family and friends after being capped with "Ogbuefi Nwajiugo" title.

Ohanaeze, traditional ruler frown at Eze Ndigbo title in Diaspora Suzy Oruya - Onitsha

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he Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Anambra State, Elder Chris Eluemuno, has frowned at the attitudes of Igbos in the Diaspora who crown themselves Ezendigbos and demanded for their immediate sanction by their respective communities to serve as a deterrent to would-be future offenders.

Elumuno said that Ohanaeze Ndigbo were not in support of Ezendigbo title in the Diaspora.

Speaking to journalist shortly after being conferred and capped with a traditional title of ‘Ogbuefi Nwajiugo’ by his Nkwelle-Ezunaka community, Oyi Local Government Area of the state, Eluemuno said: “If you are not a traditional ruler, (Eze/Igwe) you should not answer Eze”.

"In Igbo communities, we have traditional rulers and if you make yourself king in the Diaspora, when you come back to your community, what do you do?" They

are answering Eze, Igwe outside their Communities when they know they are not supposed to. For instance, you answer Eze in Lagos and in your community, you are not the king; it doesn't make sense. Why can't you use something else to designate self like Igbo leader, but not Eze", he said.

The Ohanaeze chairman, who was flanked by Governor Willie Obiano during his conferment by the Ogbuefi Society of Nkwelle-Ezunaka Community, said: ‘’Every community has a constitution; before today, I had not been putting on red cap on my head even if I had the opportunity as an Ohanaeze Chieftain because I had to respect traditional discipline’’ "I had the opportunity to put on a red cap when I was in the National Conference as Chairman of Ohanaeze of the seven-

presidents general of the seven South East, South South Igbo speaking states, but I did not because I was not qualified to put on the red cap until now that I have qualified”, he stated.

He commended the governor for coming to stay with him during the conferment of the traditional title on him.

On Buhari’s administration, he reiterated that Ohanaeze would give him their support, adding “ours is to give support to any government in power, not political parties.

“We have decided to give Buhari a chance, he has four years; let us see what he will do in four years. We are talking about development, when the Budget is passed, we see what happens.

“What we need is infrastructural development of the Igbo states, electricity supply, roads and water.The Igbo man is

Harvest of arrests as police parade —pg35 suspects in Enugu Imo environmental challenges: Any way out?

—pg35

industrious; all he needs is infrastructural backup by way of good roads and level ground to build industries. If an Igbo man is given good roads and electricity supply , he will create wonders and would not rely on government assistance to progress.”

Eluemuno posited.

Meanwhile, In a chat with the Traditional Ruler of Okpuno in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State and Welfare Officer, South-East Traditional Ruler, Igwe Sunday .I. Okafor, he expressed disappointment over the stink attitudes by Igbo brothers in the Diaspora who make themselves ", Eze Ndigbo".

According to Igwe Okafor, "One cannot be Eze-ndigbo without a kingdom as Eze means someone who look over a locality" , as a member of the traditional council, we have sent delegates to the Emirs in the North and Obas in the West not to recognise them in anywhere.

He said if they wanted, they could be answering Onye ndu ndigbo that is Igbo leader in wherever they are but not Eze, regreting how some of them killed themselves in the name of Ezeship.

CREW Jude Ossai-Enugu-South East Bureau Chief 08052817955 Joe Nwachukwu- Owerri 08033271227 The Chairman, Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Anambra State, Chief Chris Eluomuno with his wife after the conferment of Ogbuefi Nwajiugo" title at his home town, Nkwelle Ezunaka Community in Oyi LGA, Anambra State.

Suzy Oruya- Onitsha 08063653735

35 makand’igbo

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Harvest of arrests as police parade suspects in Enugu Jude Ossai - Enugu

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S Enugu under siege? This is a statement by one of the residents of Enugu who was at the Enugu State Police headquarters to have a glimpse of criminals paraded by the law enforcement agents on Monday March 7, 2016.

Indeed, never a time had the state police command paraded many suspected criminals in the state publicly as it did after the Monday’s press briefing by the state Commissioner of Police, Nwodibo.

Maka Ndigbo observed that the suspects were 35 and were mostly youths in their early 30s.

Briefing newsmen, the Commissioner of Police said it was their achievements which, he said, spanned from human capital development, crime prevention and apprehension of suspected hoodlums in the state.

Nwodibo said that the crime of the suspects ranged from kidnapping/ murder, impersonation/possession of fake currency, unlawful possession of fire arms, conspiracy/armed robbery, among others.

According to state police boss, one Emenike Onoyima, Jude Mamah and Mba Chinedu had on February 3, this year, kidnapped one Mrs Makata Elochukwu and her driver and kept them hostage until February 7, when they were arrested by the police.

Also one Sunday Oka, Ahaa Johnson Henry Nwakwo, who was residing in Onitsha, Anambra State, was napped by the security operatives when he had come

to effect the release of his accomplice who was in detention for being in possession of fake currency. The said Nwakwo allegedly impersonated as a naval officer.

During interrogation, he mentioned the second suspect as the one who supplied him fake naira notes. Items recovered from the suspect at his hideout in Onitsha were 35 pieces of N1000.00 denomination notes of suspected fake currency.

Among the hoodlums in the police custody for alleged armed robbery, the state commissioner disclosed, are: Ajayi Eson, Ndife Vincent Maduka Chukwu, Gabriel Monday who, he said, had on January 13, this year allegedly robbed one Ngbede at gun point at Sub-way Ogui Road, Enugu and made away with N60,000 as well as other valuable items.

Others are Ugwu Chijioke, Stanley Mammah, Okafor Friday, Nzube Ndubuaku, Emeka Ikwu, Friday Nwafor, Ezeugwu Obinna, Ugwuanyi Onyema Sunday, Emmanuel Matthew Ogbuagu Chidiebere.

The suspects had robbed at Enugu-Ezike, Ugwuoba and Nsukka respectively.

It was disclosed that Okechukwu Orji, who specialized in threatening his victims through phone calls to pay ransom to him or risk being kidnapped was picked up by police following intelligence report.

He enjoined members of the public and the press to cooperate with the police in ridding off criminals in the state, adding that in no distance time, the suspects paraded would be properly arraigned before court of competent jurisdiction.

The suspects being paraded by Enugu State Police Command on Monday.

Enugu Commissioner of Police, Ekechukwu Nwodibo at a press briefing and with him is Assistant Commissioner of Police, Monday Kuryas (left) and Deputy Comissioner of Police, Oyekunle Adaboyigo.

Imo environmental challenges: Any way out?

Joe Nwachukwu - Owerri Mankind has often been associated with the hackneyed concept that cleanliness is next to Godliness. The concept, which has found strong expression in the activities and behavioral pattern of man, has given birth to regular environmental sanitation in all parts of the world.

Consequently, waste management organisations have come to enjoy prominence in the programmes and policies of government more so as some infectious, lethal diseases have been traced to poor waste disposal in most homes today.

Rochas Okorocha, Imo State gov

Immediately after he was inaugurated as the first civilian governor of the old Imo State in 1979, Chief Sam Mbakwe, did not dilly dally to make the state a cynosure of beauty by establishing the “Keep Imo Beautiful Society: an outfit which not only elevated the aesthetic beauty of the Owerri capital city and its environs, but also engrained the imperative of regular environmental cleanliness in the psyche of the people.

The same thing happened to the Late Senate President and one time governor of Imo State, Chief Evan Ewerem, who also spear headed ‘keeping Imo State Capital clean’ to regain its past glory of cleanliness.

Chief Ikedi Ohakim, who took over the affairs of the state from 2007 to 2011, using his “Clean and Green” mantra, unassailably took the state to its high level of environmental sanitation horizon.

The governor, Ohakim, ordered abolition of street trading, illegal motor parks, demolition of illegal structures within the urban centres and uprooting of shanties erected at unauthorised places just as cleaning of gutters and drainages received unprecedented impetus.

To add glamour to his environmental sanitation programmes, the major roads and streets within the Owerri Capital City and its adjoining areas were adorned with beautiful flowers and ornamental trees which ultimately restored the Owerri Capital to its premier position as the Cleanest East of the Niger .

The procurement and distribution of refuse disposal trucks for each of the 27 local government areas of the state added vigour to the environmental sanitation drive of the government, just as the

compulsory provision of waste disposal baskets in commercial vehicles saved the streets and roads from being littered with wastes while on transit.

Chief Ohakim, in addition, went the extra mile to set up the now moribund Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO) and the Imo State Rural Road Maintenance Agency.

The former was meant to make the state a centre of attraction through sustainable aggressive environmental sanitation exercise by the people while the latter was envisioned to imbue the rural dwellers with a sense of belonging in government through the provision of basic infrastructural facilities.

Thus consistent desalting of gutters, drainages and culverts received impetus, evacuation of refuse in all the urban centres and their outskirts flourished to an impressive crescendo.

The quest and prospect to reposition the state to her dwindled premier prestige as the cleanest state in the south east brightened when a “House to House Environmental Monitoring team” was midwifed by the State Environmental Transformation Committee.

Retrogressively, the Eastern Heartland was later to take the back seat in the environmental beautification league shortly after the exit of the Ikedi Ohakim administration from the pinnacle of power.

Dismantling of IRROMA became a cog in the wheel of progress of the environmental sanitation drive.

Today, to assert that the state has become a garbage enclave with intimidating heaps of refuse defacing all the major towns and cities is to state the obvious.

The situation is all the more repulsive

with as unrestrained proliferation of motor parks, street trading, the menace of wheel barrow pushers, hawkers of sachet water, confectionery and touting littering of refuse in the streets has become a common phenomenon just as indiscriminate dumping of refuse on unauthorised places has acquired a permanent position in the psyche of the people .

With gutters filled to the brim with yellowish substances oozing out offensive odour, the poser on the lips of concerned residents of the state is “Why has the state Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRCO) disbanded by the Rescue Mission Administration in the state not been resuscitated” If the commission had failed to live up to its statutory responsibility, why has the state government not thought it expedient to come up with another body that can stem the tide of environmental degradation and pollution in the state.

Granted that the state government has restored regular environmental sanitation programme, revived non functional street lights, it is regrettable that government repeated press statements banning such ugly practices as rampant dumping of refuse on unauthorised places, prohibition of street trading, establishment of illegal motor parks among others have not been matched with stringent measures to bring the culprits to book.

The high profile areas of Aladimma, Ikenegbu, Prefab, World Bank, Egbeada Housing Estate and new Owerri have since lost their allurement as dilapidated snaky roads and uncleared mountains of waste products have become common features in these densely populated settlements.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

inside

Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 08158610216

nigerdelta

Agbalama community, NLNG neighbour, groans over lack of water, bridge Uduakabasi Patrick-Port Harcourt

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ocial amenities, including good roads, potable water and steady power supply, among others, are basic essentials that bring joy and comfort to people in any community.

Groaning and discomfort will be inevitable where such are not available. It becomes more pathetic when such facilities and amenities are being enjoyed by some communities that are very close to the suffering community.

The above scenario is what obtains in Agbalama Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State. Despite its close proximity to Bonny Island, the host community to some major multinationals operating in Nigeria, such as the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC), Mobil and several others, Agbalama has been going through years of neglect by successive administrations in the state.

The pains of the people are more amplified by the fact that the aforementioned companies have turned Bonny Island into a fairy land of sort with the avalanche of social infrastructure they provided. This is in contrast to what obtains in Agbalama and other surrounding communities, including Borokiri, Georgekiri, Polokiri, Green Iwoma and Isileogono.

InsideNigerDelta was at the Agbalama Community, last week, where its people unburdened their bleeding hearts, lamenting their pains and sufferings in their quest to eke out a living and even have access to some basic necessities of life. Acknowledging the efforts made by NLNG to foster development in Bonny Local Government Area, they expressed regrets that such an effort was limited to Bonny Island, to the utter neglect of the surrounding communities, most especially Agbalama.

The people of the community insisted that being a part of Bonny Local Government Area, they should enjoy some amenities, especially starting with the construction of a good bridge that could link Agbalama to Bonny Island, maintaining that they had gone through tough times in accessing their homes since the 1950’s.

Speaking with InsideNigerDelta, the head of the community, Senibo S. T. Jumbo, said the people of Agbalama Community had to wade through the river to reach their neighbouring communities since there was no bridge to serve that purpose. He said to even go to the hospital had been difficult because of the same factor, adding that many souls had been lost while crossing through the river.

“We wade through the water to go to the hospital, to get drugs. Many lives have been lost because of the unavailability of a good bridge. They constructed one rickety bridge before now, but it was not properly done; it was done half way. So it is a death trap and people still decide to wade

An elderly man wading through the river in Agbalama community. through the river, instead of risking their lives using the already collapsed bridge”, he said.

The community head also said Agbalama did not have a good source of drinkable water, disclosing to InsideNigerDelta that attempt had been made by the community to approach the appropriate authorities who had been paying deaf ears to the yearnings of the people for a good source of water supply.

“There is no good source of water in our community. We have gone to a lot of companies; about a year ago, we went to

the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to tell them about our bridge and water, but they told us that they had closed for the year”, Jumbo said, pleading that the state government, LNLG and NDDC should come to their aid to construct the bridge.

The head of the Agbalama community also said his people were facing an imminent outbreak of epidemic as there were no public toilets in the community, except the wooden one built by the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) during the aborted Third Republic. “Years

ago, the NRC party built a wooden toilet with planks for us and now it is bad. There are no toilets in our community”, he said.

Another elder in the community, Mr Fubare Jumbo, who was a former governorship candidate in the state, told InsideNigerDelta that he was surprised that children still waded across the river just as they did in his own time in the 1950s.

“I am surprised to see that the way we used to wade across the river to go to school, tying our school uniforms on our head, is still like that today in this 21st century. Going home and seeing that the place is still like that and that children have to suffer to go to school means that we live in a nation without conscience, a country that does not love its people.

“In Rivers State, we have Commissioners of Transport; they have all visited this place. They do not even know the prob-

CREW

continues pg37

Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt 08078891924 lasep09@gamil.com Ebenezer Adurokiya -Delta 08060113609 ebenezeradurokiya@gmail.com

Two school children also wading through the river.

Come home to prove we are not criminals, Gbaramatu people urged

—pg37

Community leader donates wheelchair to physically-challenged in Sapele —pg37

Banji Aluko - Edo 08067030572 adebanjialuko@yahoo.com Alphonsus Agborh 08035838703 Austin Ebipade - Bayelsa austinebipade@gmail.com

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Come home to prove we are not criminals, Gbaramatu people urged .As Prince Naira Williams Ogoba emerges Pere-elect Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

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S the military siege continues in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State over bombing of oil pipelines, sons and daughters of Gbaramatu kingdom home and abroad have been enjoined to return home and prove to the Federal Government that they are not criminals or pipeline vandals.

The call was made over the weekend by a Gbaramatu kingmaker, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, during the election and presentation of Prince Naira Williams Ogoba to the people as the new Pere-elect of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

Chief Gbenekama said they should return home even if it meant the Federal Government would kill them in their own land.

“Let us come back home. We cannot continue to run from our home. Let us

come back home. We are not criminals.

We are not pipeline vandals,” he noted.

Chief Gbenekama frowned at the militarisation of Gbaramatu, saying the continued military siege on the area is a witch-hunt, directionless and calculated to cause controversies in their land.

He called on the Federal Government to stop the militarisation of Gbaramatu Kingdom and engage the people of the area constructively, including select groups and community leaders, to achieve peace and stop pipeline vandalism and other oil facilities in the area.

Chief Gbenekama absolved former militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, of the recent bombing of oil facilities in Forcados.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief P. T. Heavens, who handed over the reins of power to the Pere-Elect, also called on the people of the kingdom not to allow detractors to cause confusion in their

kingdom.

Chief Heavens said this after the presentation of the Pere-Elect, Prince Williams Ogoba to the people amid fanfare.

The new Pere-Elect was presented to the people by the kingmakers, comprising Chief

Godspower Gbenekama, Chief Tonfawei Julius and Chief Nelson Ogelegbanwei at the palace ground in Oporoza.

Chief Heavens assured the people that neither a person nor government could create a division among the people of the kingdom.

Day women ‘mob’ Okowa over road project in Asaba Alphonsus Agborh –Asaba It was a moment of appreciation for a good job intended to bring relief to a community that can be best described as a ghetto within Delta State capital, Asaba, as market women trooped out in large numbers to commend the dualisation of Cable Point Road by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration.

The 2.1km Cable Point Road stretching from Traffic Light junction of Nnebisi Road to the River Niger happens to be the first road that the administration awarded in October last year.

Before the River Niger bridge was constructed in 1965, vehicles and motorists were ferried across the Niger to Onitsha, Anambra State by pontoon at Cable Point, thus creating a beehive of activities then as it turned out to be a commercial centre, travelers’ delight where goods were off loaded and re-loaded.

But soon after the diversion of the road through the new bridge, the road to Cable Point was abandoned, giving way to serious erosion at the old jetty.

The area mostly populated by people of Northern extraction quietly turned a slum in spite of the fact that in every dispensation, the area had produced public servants either as a councilor or aide to the

governor.

Past administrations did not do much to up-grade facilities that were meant to add value to the residents in the area despite the popular Cable Market where farm produce are sold relatively cheaper than any other market around the state capital.

Chief Alfred Bubir presenting staff of office to the Pere-elect, Prince Naira Williams Ogoba while the Regent of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief P.T. Heavens (middle) observes.

Community leader donates wheelchair to physically-challenged in Sapele Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri DETERMINED to create a sense of belonging among those living with disabilities, the Chairman of Sapele – Okpe community, Mr Moses Ogodo, has donated wheelchairs to physically-challenged persons.

The philanthropic leader has also empowered 20 underprivileged widows each with N5, 000.00 cash monthly.

It was also gathered that the community leader also placed on a regular monthly payment some other persons with eye impairment.

Ogodo said he drew his inspiration from his mentor, Chief Ede Dafinone, who had been in the vanguard of empowering Deltans through skills acquisition programme

empowering them with starter packs annually.

He said he decided to join in the race of doing good to humanity after he pondered over the blessings of God on him over the years.

Mr Ogodo, who is a one-time supervisory councilor for Agriculture in the Sapele Local Government Area, while handing over two brand new wheel chairs to the disabled persons, told them not to be discouraged in life.

He said arrangements were on for the setting up of a cooperative society through a revolving loan for other set of widows.

He said all was geared towards ameliorating pains of the widows all year round, while approving their request of empowerment to serious-minded, disabled persons immediately.

He admonished the rich and the wealthy

in the society to go round and look for those in need, especially those with disabilities who hardly fend for themselves and help them out.

“Once you do that, God will protect your life and that of your entire family and keep you long on earth for you to do more,” he added, attributing his success in life to his wife.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the physicallychallenged persons in Sapele, under the aegis of Focused Physically-Challenged Persons Multi-purpose Cooperative Society (FOPCHAPS), Sapele chapter, Comrade Tony Emejuru, while appreciating Mr Ogodo on behalf of the beneficiaries, said the chairman of the community was a worthy and noble leader whose enviable character had positively rubbed off on many persons in the community.

Agbalama community, NLNG neighbour, groans over lack of water, bridge continued from pg36

Mr Ogodo presenting a wheelchair to one of the beneficiaries.

lem of the people. Our problem is that a bridge should be constructed across to Agbalama from Bonny. The place is about five to 15minutes drive by boats. What stops them from giving us a good bridge and save the lives of children who wade across the river. “’I say that the situation is a terrible one and we are calling on LNLG, NDDC and the Rivers State government to do something about it and take off that shame from us.

People die; children have drowned, trying to wade across that river.

“One leader, A.D.W Jumbo, was alive to protest and the construction of a bridge was awarded. They did it halfway and stopped. Now that the bridge is a death

trap, you cannot cross it because you will slip off into the river and drown. It is better they come and remove it than letting it be there; many accidents have occurred there; lives have been lost; some children do not feel like going to school, knowing that they have to cross that river and if some manage to cross, by the time they get to school, they are exhausted”, he said.

Also speaking, another leader, Chief Wari Alabo, said LNLG had done some things for the local government area, but its efforts were concentrated only on Bonny Island, adding, “We have been having this challenge for a very long time. It is a foot bridge that connects our village to Bonny. Whenever the tide is down, we are stranded; we often wade through by folding our trousers and it could be very embarrassing.

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CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akintola Funmilayo Seun now MRS AJIBOLA FUNMILAYO SEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Adeagbo Waidi Kolawole now MR OLUMOLOYE AFOLABI WAIDI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Akinwande Matthew Adebayo am the same person as Akinwande Azeez Adebayo. Henceforth, I wish to be known and address as AKINWANDE MATTHEW ADEBAYO. All documents bearing these names remain valid. GTBank Plc, First Bank Plc, NYSC, Ekiti State University and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Justina Chinyere Oguike now MRS JUSTINA CHINYERE ADENIRAN. All former documents remain valid.

Oyo State and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Omotosho Bukola Hauwa now OYESIJI BUKOLA HAUWA. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oluwaduntele Oluwabunmi Mabel now MRS ELUTIPE OLUWABUNMI MABEL. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Salifu Isah Solomon now ONU NDA. All former documents remain valid. Sumal Food Ltd, Zenith Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, Katkur Ernest Pongwang am the same person bearing Katzy Ernest. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as KATZY ERNEST. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Tiamiyu Fasilat now Mufutau Fasilat. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ajiboye Funmilayo Grace now MRS OLAGUNJU FUNMILAYO GRACE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Benjamin Godwin now BENJAMIN GODWILL DALE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Badmus Adebunmi Damilola now MRS MURITALA ADEBUNMI DAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Shitta-Bey Daniel Adejare Akande now SHITTABEY DANIEL ADEJARE AKANDE IBRAHIM. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ogunleke Nike Muinat now MRS AYANTOLA NIKE MUINAT. All former documents remain valid.

Atisbo Local Government and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ibrahim Funmilayo Comfort now MRS ODEYEMI FUNMILAYO COMFORT. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mr Mosobalaje Olanrewaju Emmanuel now MR MOSOBALAJE O L A N R E W A J U OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ajisafe Mary Adesewa now MRS SHITTU MARY ADESEWA. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME That I am the same person bearing AKINADE KASEEM KOLAWOLE and KASEEM BOLARINWA. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

First Bank Plc, GTBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ernest Peter now SAMUEL HAMMED. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ganiyu Akolade now FOLARANMI SURAJ LATEEF. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mr Golohor Victor Sodje now MR GOLOHOR SOLOMON SODJE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mohammed Ibraheem Adisa now MOHAMMED IBRAHIM ADISA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Lawal Rasidat now MRS ADEWALE SADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Taiwo Saheed Akinkunmi now TAIWO SAHEED ADEKUNLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mr Ahmed Adeyinka now MR ADEYINKA MOHAMMED ISHOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs Muyinatu Iyabo Isiaka Alimi now MRS IYABODE MUYINATU COLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Bosede Moses Majuyibo am the same person as Majuyibo Omole B. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as BOSEDE MOSES MAJUYIBO. All documents bearing these names remain valid. SUBEB and general public take note.

I, Afolabi Taiwo Christianah am the same person bearing Afolabi Taiwo Bukola. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AFOLABI TAIWO BUKOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Olapeju Titilola Adegunloye now OLAPEJU TITILOLA ABIOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Raheem Lateefat Adedoyin now MRS AKANDE LATEEFAT ADEDOYIN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Ojo Olutola Elizabeth now A D E G B U L U G B E CHRISTIANAH ITUNUJESU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mr Ibrahim Abudulahi Saibu now MR OLUSEGUN IBRAHIM ABUDULAHI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Aganyebi Bayo John am the same person as AKEREDOLU SUNDAY SAMSON. All documents bearing these names remain valid. UBA Plc, FCMB Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Latifat Aliyu Ahmed now MRS ODEYEMI LATIFAT OLAWUMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ajepe Oluwabunmi Grace now MRS OLADEJI OLUWABUNMI GRACE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adedoyin Foyeke Beatrice now MRS AGBONGIABAN FOYEKE BEATRICE. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ezediokpu Clement Chikanso now AKAKA CLEMENT CHIKANSO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

40

south-westnews

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Strike: We can’t be intimidated —Ogun workers We may apply ‘no work, no pay rule’ —Govt Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

S

TRIKING workers in Ogun State, on Tuesday, said they cannot be intimidated by any form of threat from the government to return to work, as the industrial action enters the third day.

The workers noted that a directive issued by government on Monday asking civil servants to report to their offices and that registers would be opened at various Ministries, Departments and Agencies for attendance should be ignored.

Addressing newsmen at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Iwe-Irohin Hall, the state Chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Abiodun Olakanmi, urged workers to disregard all efforts of the government to intimidate them, insisting that the strike continues until further notice.

Olakanmi, flanked by the chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, Comrades Akeem Ambali and Olubunmi Fajobi respectively, maintained that organised labour in the state would not submit to cheap propaganda on the part of the government.

The labour leader said, “The JNC hereby states categorically that all machinations of the state government to intimidate workers and coerce them to submission and servitude be disregarded.

“Under no condition would the organised labour in the state submit to cheap propaganda being peddled by the government.

“It should be mentioned that until the government remit all deductions from workers’ salaries, there is no going back.

“The JNC, therefore, call on workers to reject outrightly the threatening message being circulated by the state government directing workers to report to work.

You are advised to keep calm and stay at home until the strike is called off by labour leaders in the state.”

Meanwhile, there was a little skirmish in the early hours of Tuesday during a peaceful rally by the labour leaders, as police arrested two members of the union.

One of the members was said to be handcuffed and they fired canisters at the other members to disperse the crowd.

On the incident, Olakanmi explained that the rally monitored by men of the Quick Rapid Response Squad was peaceful and that he could not explain what led to the firing of the canisters.

He told newsmen that the

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, addressed them within the government secretariat on the strike issue.

Olakanmi said that those arrested had been released and that item collected was also returned to them.

The SSG, in an interview

with journalists, denied any form of maltreatment on the part of the police to the workers, adding that government may employ the ‘no work no pay rule.’

“I was there this morning.

The police conducted themselves in a civil and responsible manner. I was there

to preach peace with the labour leaders on the need to show understanding on some of the issues raised.

“However, the workers, sensing that the strike had failed, went round the offices to physically assault the staff to return home. They were frustrated because

their plan had failed,” Adeoluwa said.

Asked why government reneged on the MoU signed with the workers on January 25, the SSG said there was no agreement between the state workforce and government that had not been fulfilled.

From left, State Manager, Oyo 2, Globacom, Mr Adeniyi Adesanya; President-General, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Wole Akinwande and the State Manager, Oyo I, Globacom, Mr Tunji Omoworare, at a press conference in Ibadan to kick-off the 2016 Oke’Badan Festival, on Monday.

Aregbesola creates 31 LCDAs, dissolves LG caretaker committees Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, on Tuesday, created 31 new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), three area councils and two administrative offices.

The governor assured that his administration will make judicious use of its revenues in such a way that increasing the number of councils will least constitute any financial burden.

The development came as he dissolved the management committees of the existing 30 local councils and area office and their executive secretaries, deputy executive secretaries, members, special advisers and other functionaries.

In a state broadcast, Aregbesola said the request for additional local councils by the people of the state after several legal procedures was sent to the state House of Assembly in form of an executive bill.

The house looked into the bill, set up a committee and subsequently, a referendum was held on February 19, 2015 in which the people of the state overwhelmingly gave a ‘Yes’ vote on the bill.

Commenting on the motive behind the creation of

additional councils against the backdrop of the current financial challenges, the governor contended that his administration had given it sufficient consideration, adding that pro-

cedures that will cost less and safe money have been put in place, with a view to bring rapid development.

Aregbesola further explained that the primary responsibilities of the newly

created councils are to bring development to the people, market management, revenue mobilisation and generation among many others instrumental to the yearnings of the people.

Oke’Badan grand finale holds March 17 Glo to sponsor it again

By Tunde Ogunesan

THE annual Ibadan cultural festival, Oke’Badan, will come up on March 17.

This was made known by the Chairman, Planning Committee, Oke’Badan Cultural Festival 2016, Reverend Ademola Moradeyo, while addressing journalists at a press conference at the Ibadan House, OkeAre, Ibadan.

The festival is in remembrance of the vow made by Lagelu to the famous IgboOke. The one-month celebration, according Moradeyo, which is being partnered by telecommunication giant, Globacom, is themed “Rebranding Ibadan cultural festival.”

The festival started with a special mosque service on Friday, February 26, and Church service two days later at St Davids Church,

Kudeti, Ibadan.

Other activities lined up en route March 17 grand finale included distinguished award, logo presentation by Globacom, operation keep Ibadan clean, commissioning of Ibadan house, street lights and visit to motherless baby homes among others.

On the occasion included the Aboke priest of Ibadanland, Chief Ifasola Ifamapowa; the President, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Wole Akinwande and representatives of Globacom.

The Chairman, Globacom Limited, Dr Mike Adenuga, Jnr, represented by the company’s representative, SM Oyo 1, Mr Tunji Omoworare, in a goodwill message to this year’s edition of Oke’Badan, said “Globacom’s consistent sponsorship of festivals in Nigeria is aimed at consolidating

our commitment to identify with the culture and tradition of the Nigerian people, as a Nigerian company playing on the global pedestal.”

Meanwhile, Globacom has announced its sponsorship of Oke‘Badan for the second year.

Globacom State Manager, Oyo 1, Mr Tunji Omoworare, disclosed at a press conference held on Monday in Ibadan that Globacom’s collaboration with the CCII to celebrate this year’s edition of the festival is to showcase the company’s interest in the cultural activities, traditions and events that unite the Nigerian people together.

Meanwhile, the Olubadan-in-Council, has warned the general public against any arrangement contrary to the March 17, 2016 grand finale celebration of Oke’Badan.

Nigerian Tribune

Court adjourns Seriki vs Olubadan-inCouncil suit till April 14

By Tunde Ogunesan

OYO State High Court, on Tuesday, adjourned the two cases filed by the Seriki chieftaincy line in Ibadanland seeking approval of the court to strike out the names of dead defendants and a motion to set aside the recent promotions of some chiefs in the Olubadan-in-Council till April 14, for arguments.

The suits were numbered: I/421/2007 and I/149/2016.

In the two applications presented before the High Court by counsel to the Seriki chieftaincy line, G.A. Adeniran, before Justice Munta Abimbola, dated February 16 and filed March 1, 2016 sought the approval of the court to strike out the names of the first, second, third, fourth and sixth defendants in the case.

They are the late Olubadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1; High Chief Omowale Kuye; High Chief Sule Omiyale; Chief Adeleke Ajani and Chief Busari Alarape.

The presiding justice who is also the Chief Justice of Oyo State, Justice Abimbola, struck out the names of the dead defendants for necessary amendments when the defendants’ counsel, Michael Lana, pose no objection to the application.

In the second application, marked I/149/2016, the Seriki line prayed the court to compel the Olubadanin-Council to obey the 2008 injunction restraining them from elevating any high chief to the position of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The claimants also joined the Oyo State governor, the Attorney General of the state and members of the Olubadan-in-Council in the case.

The second motion moved by G.A. Adeniran, dated February 16, 2016 and filed on March 1, 2016, sought to set aside the appointments or promotion made in the Olubadan-inCouncil by the late Oba Odulana, including the recent installation of Oba Saliu Adetunji, as well as the approval of the state governor for the appointments.

But defence counsel, Lana, said the two cases should be consolidated because they focused on the same objective or goal that Seriki wanted to produce the next Olubadan.

41 south-westnews DSS arrests: Ekiti govt raises the alarm, seeks intervention

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Sam Nwaoko -Ado-Ekiti

T

he Ekiti State government has raised the alarm over what it said were plots by the Federal Government to usurp the government of

Governor Ayodele Fayose, and called on the international community, civil society organisations and all lovers of democracy to rise against the development.

The state Executive Council made the call, following

the arrest of some members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly and some top government functionaries, by men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The Ekiti State Executive Council, which made the

call after its third meeting of the year, in a statement accused the Federal Government of plotting to usurp the government of Governor Ayodele Fayose, using military tactics.

The statement, signed by

From left, former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; acting Vice Chancellor, Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Professor Oguntola Jelili Alamu; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; chairman of council and Pro Chancellor, Professor Ajibola Obafemi and a member of Council, Professor Omigbodun Akinyinka, during the fourth and fifth convocation ceremonies of the institution and installation of the chancellor, Mrs Folorunso Alakija, at the main campus, Osogbo, on Tuesday.

...Reps summon DG DSS, give 48 hours ultimatum Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel-Abuja The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, summoned the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Lawal Daura, over last week’s alleged invasion and subsequent arrest of four members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly (EKSHA).

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by the Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Leo Ogo, on Tuesday, at the plenary While raising a point of order under matters of urgent Public Importance, Honourable Ogor noted that the unlawful invasion and subsequent arrest of four lawmakers of the EKSA, by officers and men of the DSS was illegal and unacceptable, under a democratic system of government.

Debating the motion seconded by Honourable Saheed Akinad-Fijabi (Oyo, PDP), the opposition leader stated that the unwarranted and unlawful invasion of Ekiti State House of Assembly “ is a clear breach of the provisions of the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act.” He pointed out that the invasion of the Assembly violated the provisions of Sect (3) of the National Se-

curities Act, as well as Sect 14 (1) of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act. He inform ed the House that democracy as a form of government was founded, and also thrived on the principles of separation of powers.

The lawmaker declared that the invasion of the

Ekiti Assembly amounted to a clampdown on the age- long democratic principles of rule of law rather rule of men.

He, therefore, urged the House to by way of resolution summon the DG DSS to appear before the House within 48 hours, to explain the role of the agency in the invasion and arrest of the four law-

makers.

The House unanimously adopted the motion when the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara called for a voice vote on the matter which was overwhelmingly voted for.

He thereafter referred the motion to the House Committees on National Intelligence and Public Safety for further legislative inputs.

the deputy governor of the state, Dr Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola and 19 other members of the council, on Tuesday, called on the international community, civil society organisations and all lovers of democracy to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure immediate release of the members of the state House of Assembly and top government functionaries arrested by DSS, for yet to be disclosed reasons.

“None of the stated functionaries have been accused of any crime whatsoever, let alone those bordering on the state security. The spate of arrests of principal functionaries of government will appear irregular, unjust, unwholesome and politically motivated to intimidate Governor Fayose, who has become the lone voice of the opposition to the APC-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The current intimidation is an orchestrated plot of the APC to overthrow the legitimate government of Ekiti State, having failed to achieve destabilisation agenda, through the judiciary and later through subversive machinations.

“The state had always cooperated with the EFCC and ICPC, and indeed, every other agencies that have visited the state to request for one information or the other.

“The council, therefore, describes the current terror on Ekiti State as condemnable, malicious and manifestly undemocratic,” the council stated.

...We were offered $1m to unseat Fayose —Ekiti lawmakers Sam Nwaoko- Ado Ekiti Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, alleged that some of them were offered gratification to the tune of $1million, for those who would be willing to work for the impeachment of the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose.

The chairman of the House Committee on Information, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, who addressed newsmen on the development and 12 other members of the House, claimed that members of the House were being coerced into impeaching Governor Ayodele Fayose, saying “a sum of $1 million was being promised some of the members that will be ready to be part of the impeachment plot.”

According to him, “in the last four days, eight of our members had been visited by some men, who claimed

to be officials of the DSS. Our members were told that their names were among those to be arrested and they must ‘cooperate’ if they do not want their bank accounts frozen and be kept in DSS detention indefinitely.”

They alleged what was described as “the open involvement of men of the Department of State Service (DSS) from Abuja in the plot to unseat our state governor, Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose,” adding that “the last Friday invasion of the House of

Assembly by armed men of the DSS in which four of our members were abducted, has been established to be a prelude to the clandestine plot to coerce members of the House of Assembly to impeach Governor Fayose.”

NBA decries arrest of 4 Ekiti lawmakers, wants offences made public Sam Nwaoko -Ado Ekiti The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has flayed the Department of State Services for the arrest of four members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, and asked the agency to make their offences public.

Ado Ekiti branch of the NBA, in a statement by its chairman, Dr Foluke Dada, on Tuesday, said “the Bar unequivocally condemns the forced entry into the hallowed chambers of the

House and the arbitrary arrest of the lawmakers.”

Dr Dada, while expressing NBA’s condemnation of the arrests, also demanded “the immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of the lawmakers, and ask that the offences upon which they were arrested be made public.”

According to her, “the branch views the arrest and detention by the Department of State Services as a sharp departure from the tenet of democracy and a clear

contravention of the law setting up the institution.”

It also claimed that “the arrest is a clear contravention of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which the Department of State Services is established to uphold at all times when discharging its duties.”

The branch said while it was mindful of the current fight against corruption by the Federal Government, it called on the authorities involved to uphold the rule of law.

Oyo NAWOJ celebrates motherhood The Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), led by Comrade Foluso Lala, will on Thursday, March 10, celebrate motherhood at its International Mothers’ Day programme.

Billed to hold at the Dapo Aderogba Hall, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, the programme, with the slogan, IYANIWURA, is organised to celebrate and recognise the importance of motherhood in the society.

According to a release signed by the Chairman, Planning Committee, Mrs Taiwo Olanrewaju, the highlights of the event included a lecture entitled: ‘Today’s Woman and Nation Building’, to be delivered by the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan.

Emmanuel Alayande College of Education resumes today Authorities of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo State, has announced the resumption of full-time NCE students.

A release signed by the Registrar of the college, Mr Teslim Adediran, and made available to the Nigerian Tribune, stated that full-time NCE students will resume from its inter-semester break on Wednesday, March 9.

The release also stated that all preliminary-NCE, Diploma, 100 and 200 levels full-time NCE students, as well as all fulltime degree students, should resume on March 9, while the resumption date for 300 level full-time NCE students is Monday, May 16.

“At resumption all fulltime NCE students are expected to collect a statement of undertaking from their respective school officers, which should be completed and properly signed by a cleric, Justice of Peace, civil/public servant on level 14 and above, and to return same within two days of resumption,” it stated.

42 news

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Literacy among school children still low —2015 NED survey Adetola Bademosi - Abuja

T

here was no improvement in literacy level among school children between 2010 and 2015, the Nigeria Education Data Survey (NEDS), has revealed.

The survey, which was conducted by the National Population Commission (NPC ),and launched in Abuja, on Tuesday, by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, however, noted the elimination of gender gap in school attendance.

It also shows improvement in primary school attendance, even as it suggests greater access to schools.

Speaking at the event, the chairman, NPC, Chief Eze Duruiheoma, said the survey is a follow up on the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), where households with children between four years old and 16 years old in 2013, were revisited.

He said the survey will provide policy makers with accurate and timely data to

formulate policy designed to increase enrolment, attendance and learning so as to achieve Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and Education for All (EFA) goal for the children of school age.

The chairman argued that the survey’s outcome will further initiate programme that would help

increase the enrolment and attendance level of students.

While giving a break down of the entire coverage, he said information was collected from 30,000 eligible households, while the survey interviewed at least, 30,000 parents.

“The conduct of the NEDS marks another major step by the N PC to

respond to the national imperative of providing adequate and relevant data for national planning, particularly, in the education sector.

“I wish to appeal to all Nigerians, particularly, stakeholders in the education sector, to avail themselves of the huge data generated by the 2015 NEDS in the planning, execution and

evaluation of education programmes in the country.

“The importance of education in the economic, social and political development of the country cannot be overemphasised. Data from the 2015 NEDS will ensure that planning in the education sector is evidence- based and will ensure maximum utilisation of resources in that sector,” he said.

Fuel hawkers at the Central Area in Abuja, on Tuesday. PHOTO: Nan

Don’t stockpile fuel, FRSC boss warns motorists The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, has called on motorists in Nigeria, who are in the habit of stockpiling fuel during scarcity periods to reconsider such habit and desist from doing so, as the petroleum product posed serious hazards in case of road accident.

In a statement released by the Head, Media Relations and Strategy of the Corps, Corps Commander Bisi Kazeem, he revealed that the Corps Marshal had already advised that it is better to bear with the crunch of the moment than to stash up fuel in vehicles, whether commercial or private.

Commander Bisi Kazeem stated that the Corps has noticed that this has become a trend among commercial vehicle drivers during periods of fuel scarcity, adding that it is as a result of this the Corps Marshal is also urging passengers who noticed such moves by their drivers to question it and reject travelling with the vehicles.

According to Kazeem, the Corps Marshal said that travelling with com-

mercial vehicles that stock pile fuel does not only pose dangers in the event of accident but is also not healthy to breath in the petroleum emission that permeates the air in the

vehicles they are stored while on transit.

While quoting the Corps Marshal, Commander Kazeem, stated thus: “aside the fact that the product is flammable, not all passen-

gers are healthy; some are asthmatic and cannot bear breathing gasoline in such conditions”.

Against this backdrop, the Head Media Relations and Strategy, said that the

corps is calling on commercial drivers to protect the lives of their passengers by staying off those unethical standards of stockpiling fuel in their vehicles.

Accra-bound Medview plane makes air return Pilot commended for professionalism Shola Adekola - Lagos One of the aircraft in the fleet of Medview Airlines, on Tuesday, made an air return to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, few minutes after take-off.

The aircraft, which took

off from Lagos to Accra, was forced to abort the flight few minutes after take-off as the pilot was said to have heard a whistle in the cockpit, a situation which prompted him to do the air return.

The professionalism dis-

played by the pilot has been commended by a passenger on board the plane, who simply identified himself as Mr Bolarinwa.

Of particular interest to him was the professional manner the pilot briefed the passengers without

NSE inducts 136 new members

By Tunde Ogunesan THE Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), at the weekend, urged its newly inducted members to work within the confines of the ethics of the association in discharge of their professional duties.

This was directed at the 136 newly inducted corporate members during the 2015 annual dinner and induction by the President of NSE, Otis Anyaeji, of the Ibadan branch, at Jogor Centre, off Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

Anjaeji encouraged the new inductees to continue to learn engineering work.

He said “engineering is a field that you have to continue to involve yourself more in studies and you have to seek mentorship. You have to relate with seniors, who will give you guidance on what are the conventions because engineering is not only about brilliance but about standard and procedures “They have to continue to be ethical in all their activites because engineering is sup-

pose to be the application of all the sciences . “ he said.

One of the recipients of the merit award for outstanding support, Mr Femi Babalola, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, on behalf of other awardees, commended the NSE, promising that they will continue to encourage the Ibadan branch of the NSE in its activities “ I have always been helping the younger ones in terms of employment and mentorship. I promise to do more,” he said.

creating panic before making the air return.

The pilot, in line with safety rules, had earlier briefed the passengers on what transpired before taking the decision.

Confirming this, the representative of the media consultant to the airline, Obuke Oyibotha, declared: “Our Accra-bound flight made an air return this morning (Tuesday), a few minutes after take-off.

The pilot heard a whistle in the cockpit, prompting him to return to Lagos after briefing the passengers.”

According to Oyibotha, air return is a mere precautionary measure taken in line with global standard and recommended practices.

The passengers were promptly taken care of by the airline management while alternative arrangement was made to fly them safely to Accra.

Defilement: Court jails 45-yr-old man Banji Aluko - Benin City A 45-year-old palm wine seller, Joseph Okoye, has been sentenced to a threeyear jail term with hard labour by a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, for having carnal knowledge of a four-yearold girl.

Okoye, in August, 2014, in Igarra, was reported to have lured the girl away from the apartment of her greatgrandmother to his shop, where he committed the act.

The matter received the attention of the members of public when it was brought to the open by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), BraveHeart Initiative for Youths and Women.

In the judgement delivered by Chief Magistrate, M. Oare , the judge ruled that it was proved beyond doubts that Okoye committed the crime, declaring the act as wicked and evil.

The magistrate said: “I have listened to the plea for leniency by the convict. I have also taken into consideration that the convict is a first time offender.”

Burial The final funeral ceremony of Madam Deborah Olayoonu Olorunsogo (Nee Akande), who died on November 23, 2015, at the age of 93 years, will hold on Saturday.

According to a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Budget and Economic Planning, Osun State, Mr Segun Olorunsogo, wake-keep holds on Friday, at Ezekiel Sogo Ipeayeda place, Aro Imayan Compound, Igbajo, at 5.30 p.m.

Burial service will take place at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Igbajo, at 10 a.m. on Saturday with interment at Ezekiel Sogo Ipeayeda place, Aro Imayan Compound, Igbajo, while reception is at Community High School playground, Ijemu, Igbajo.

She was survived by Mrs Titilayo Oyebode (nee Olorunsogo), Professor Funso Olorunsogo, Mr Ayodeji Olorunsogo and Professor Folarin Olorunsogo.

Madam Deborah Olorunsogo

communitynews Saraki inaugurates reconstructed shops in Ilorin market

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biola azeez-ilorin

T

he Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has commissioned the reconstructed 24 shops which were gutted by fire at the Oja-tuntun market, Baboko, Ilorin.

Saraki bankrolled the reconstruction of the shops at a cost of N2. 9 million.

The Senate President, who was represented at the ceremony by the DirectorGeneral of Abubakar Bukola Saraki constituency office, Honourable Abdulwahab Issa, recalled that the Senate president had dispatched a team to commiserate with the victims immediately the incident occurred.

“And shortly after that, he came personally on January 24, 2016 to see things for himself. Aside from donating N500,000 to the victims, he also gave a pledge to reconstruct the shops and make them better than they used to be.”

While stating that Senator Saraki had provided

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

employment opportunities, boreholes, rural roads and other amenities since he was elected Senate President, he added that “very soon, we shall be inviting you to the commissioning of classrooms in Ilorin South and

Asa Local Government Areas and a bridge that has been constructed at Adisco/ Gaa Imam area which was facilitated by our leader.”

He, therefore, solicited for the people’s prayer and support for Saraki .

The DG later handed over the shops to each of the beneficiaries.

The chairman of the market association, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Lasoju, who was flanked by Iyaloja, Alhaja Sadiat Adibara, thanked President of the Senate

for his gesture, which they said had wiped away tears from their faces and ensured they are able to feed their families again.

He, however, called for financial assistance to enable them raise their business .

Commander Bibi Oduku of Riverine Security (second left) and others during their visit to community leaders in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. PHOTO: EBENEZER ADUROKIYA

Abia community threatens resettlement in A/Ibom The people of Ntalakwu autonomous community in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State have threatened to migrate to Akwa Ibom State to resettle.

The community, which shares boundary with Akwa Ibom State, have lamented persistent neglect by successive administrations in the state.

They said this is reflected in warped boundary adjustment which doesn’t favour the community, deplorable roads, lack of potable water and other amenities like health facilities, electricity, among others.

The traditional ruler of the area, Eze Peter Uche Ifegwu, Agunechemba I of Isiala, who made this known while speaking with journalists recently, said it had become necessary to draw the attention of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to their plight.

According to the monarch, with the exemption of the administrations of Ndubuisi Kanu (1977) and Sam Mbakwe (1983), no government in the state had considered it necessary to come to to the aid of the community despite the huge votes cast during

elections.

He, however, revealed that through his personal efforts, he had been able to persuade jobless youths in the community, who

threatened mass exodus to Akwa Ibom State in view of the situation.

While appealing to the state government for proactive measures, Eze

Ifegwu urged the youths to remain calm, stressing that migrating to neighbouring Akwa Ibom State will not solve the problem.

He urged Governor Ikpeazu to provide employment for the youths, charging him to remain focused and committed to the development of the state.

LCDA boss restates commitment to development of Ikosi/Isheri community Chukwuma Okparaocha -Lagos The Chairman of Ikosi/ Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Mr Kazeem Afolabi, has reiterated the commitment of his administration to community development despite the dwindling economic fortune in the country.

Afolabi said this during the 2016 budget retreat organized by the council recently, which was in response to the directive by the Lagos State House of Assembly that all the 20 Local Governments (LGs) and 37 LCDAs in the state should prepare their budgets for 2016.

According to the LCDA boss, the budget will be used to bring about infrastructural development across all communities in the LCDA, including renovation of schools, recon-

struction of roads, provision of potable water, among others.

The council boss said “a good percentage of the budget must be earmarked for community development so that our people will know we are here to serve them and that the dwindling economy won’t be accepted as an excuse for not serving them.”

Commenting on the essence of the retreat, the Administrative Head, Mr Yusuf Kehinde, said the budget retreat was an annual event meant to guide decision makers in the LCDA in all financial dealings, as no meaningful spending could be done without proper budgeting.

In his presentation, a consultant from the Lagos

State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Femi Lamina, urged the leadership of the LCDA to look at veritable ways to generate revenue to aid its developmental programmes, because gone were the days when government agencies would wait for money from the state government to fund their projects.

Delta deputy speaker doles out N10m for scholarship alphonsus agborh-asaba

Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Honourable Friday Osanebi, has doled out N10 million for scholarship to 60 students of Delta North origin in various tertiary institutions.

The gesture, which came through the Friday Osanebi Foundation (FOF), was also extended to 40 students of the deputy speaker’s alma-mater, Fundamentals Secondary School, Kwale.

Presenting the cheques of N100,000.00 to each of the beneficiaries in Asaba at the weekend, Honourable Osanebi, who is the chairman of the foundation, charged them to be concentrate on their studies and return with good grades.

Two of the students, Miss Dorothy Enuma and Joseph Onochie, medical and mathematics students respectively of the University of Benin, however, received N150,000.00 each for coming first in the examination that qualified them for the scholarship.

The deputy speaker promised that the scholarship would endure till their graduation provided they meet the expected high grades.

While advising them to shun cultism and other vices capable of bringing shame to their families, the lawmaker said: “All I want from you is to make me proud as it is my duty by the grace of God, to also make you proud and comfortable.”

He urged them to be prayerful, noting it is only God that can take a man to his destination.

Representative of the foundation, Obine Agbanishi, in his remark, said the platform was put in place to raise giants among youths, empower women, orphans and other vulnerable persons.

Students give Oyo health workers, LG ultimatum over decomposed body

By Tunde Ogunesan

STUDENTS of the Federal College of Agriculture, Moore Plantation, on Apata road, have issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Ido Local Government council and the Oyo State Ministry of Health, demanding immediate removal of a decomposed body of a woman, who was alleged to have slumped and died

on the spot while waiting to board a cab at the bus stop close to the main gate of the institution.

The students, in a protest, barricaded the Ibadan-Abeokuta Expressway, while lamenting what they termed alleged insensitive to their health issues by the government.

Both economic and social activities on the high-

way were grounded for hours, up to Apata area, as scores of students barricaded the highway.

The angry students, Nigerian Tribune gathered, were disappointed that health officials in the state had failed to remove the decomposed body.

Carrying placards with different inscriptions and led by the president, Stu-

dents’ Union, Monsuru Olayinka, the students demanded the removal of the corpse within 24 hours, failure which they said the government would Motorists and commercial motorcycle operators were forced to take a standstill while many workers were stranded in the traffic which lasted for more than two hours.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Indian teen raped, set on fire by neighbour, police say

A

16-year-old girl has been hospitalised with severe burns after a neighbour allegedly raped and set her on fire near New Delhi, India, police said.

Police, according to CNN said the neighbour, around age 20, barged into the girl’s room at 2:30 a.m. on Monday.

After raping her, the suspect set her on fire, said Kiran Sivakumar, police superintendent of Noida, a suburb of New Delhi.

The man has been arrested and charged with rape, attempted murder and trespassing. If convicted, he could be jailed for life.

The girl, who Sivakumar said suffered a “lot of burns,” is in intensive care at a New Delhi hospital.

The horrifying assault took place a day before International Women’s Day. On Tuesday, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee underscored the need for greater efforts to ensure the safety of women in the South Asian nation, saying, “It is intolerable that in this day and age, women are still being exposed to barbaric brutality and violence because they are women.

“Violence or fear of violence reduces the freedom and development of everyone particularly, our

women and children.

“But more than that, it diminishes our society when it allows such inhuman treatment of its women rather than guarantee their safety, security and equal rights,” Mukherjee told an award ceremony marking International Women’s Day. “On this day, let us all, (the) government, civil society and public at large, pledge to work together for developing relevant legal, administrative and other measures to ensure the safety and security of our mothers and sisters.”

—Netanyahu

Policemen are deployed near a house where the 15-year-old girl was set on fire. A 20-year-old man has been arrested.

PHOTO: DAILY MAIL.

Benin’s PM, Zinsou, faces run-off in presidential election Lionel Zinsou, Benin’s Prime Minister and presidential candidate, speaks to journalists in Cotonou, Benin.

PHOTO: REUTERS BENIN’S Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou will face a run-off against businessman, Patrice Talon, in a second round of presidential elections, after getting 28.4 per cent of votes, provisional results showed on Tuesday.

Reuters said Sunday’s

election, which was contested by 33 candidates, is to choose a successor to President Thomas Boni Yayi, who is stepping down from power in the small West African state after two terms as mandated by the constitution.

Zinsou and Talon, who

won 24.8 percent of the vote, will now have to compete for the support of the candidates who came third and below. The date for the run-off was not announced.

The provisional results, released by electoral commission, must be confirmed by the constitutional court and a challenge by one of the candidates appeared possible, not least because Sebastien Ajavon won 23.03 percent to finish just behind Talon.

Boni Yayi’s decision to step down is in contrast to leaders in countries such as Burundi, Rwanda and the Congo Republic, who have changed their coun-

tries’ constitutions to pave the way for a third term.

Benin was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to make the transition from dictatorship to multiparty democracy. The country produces cotton but its economy is flagging, in part because falling oil prices have hit its giant neighbour Nigeria.

INVESTIGATORS probing what happened to flight MH370 said on Tuesday the cause of the plane’s disappearance remained a mystery as the second anniversary passed with devastated next-of-kin still

Somali Islamists confirm US strike, say casualties exaggerated SOMALI Islamist group al Shabaab confirmed on Tuesday that the United States had bombed an area it controlled but said the U.S. figure of more than 150 casualties was an exaggeration.

According to Reuters, the Pentagon had said it launched air strikes on a training facility on Saturday that had killed 150 fighters with the al Qaeda-linked group in the Horn of Africa nation.

Trump responds to Hitler comparison DONALD Trump on Tuesday addressed criticism of a new practice at his rallies that has been compared to the “Heil” salute from Nazi Germany, dismissing the controversy as “ridiculous” before saying he would look into ending it, CNN reported.

“I don’t know about the Hitler comparison. I hadn’t heard that, but it’s a terrible comparison. I’m not

happy about that certainly,” Trump said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Recently, Trump has started asking voters to raise their right hand and pledge to support him creating an image that some have argued evokes the rise of Adolf Hitler, particularly when coupled with his sharp rhetoric toward minority groups like Mexicans and Muslims.

“The U.S. bombed an area controlled by al Shabaab. But they exaggerated the figure of casualties.

We never gather 100 fighters in one spot for security reasons. We know the sky is full of planes,” the group’s military spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters.

He did not give a casualty figure or offer further details about the raid.

The strike, using both planes and unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drones,

Hitler comparisons are not new for Trump. Comedian Louis C.K., in a postscript to a Saturday email about the latest episode of his web series “Horace and Pete,” he asked fans and readers to “please stop it with voting for Trump.”

“It was funny for a little while,” he wrote. “But the guy is Hitler. And by that I mean that we are being Germany in the 30s.”

ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Tuesday he turned down a meeting with United States President Barack Obama in Washington later this month because he wants to avoid interfering with the ongoing presidential primary elections.

The White House said on Monday that Israel had proposed the meeting for either March 17 or 18, with the Obama administration agreeing to meet on one of those days.

“We were looking forward to hosting the bilateral meeting,” National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said.

“We were surprised to first learn via media reports that the prime minister, rather than accept our invitation, opted to cancel his visit.”

The development comes as Vice President Joe Biden is due to arrive late Tuesday in Israel during his multi-nation visit to the Middle East.

MH370 disappearance still a mystery two years on

otherNEWS

Members of Somali’s Islamist group, al Shabaab.

Why I turned down meeting with Obama

targeted al Shabaab’s “Raso” training camp, a facility about 120 miles north of the capital Mogadishu, the Pentagon said.

The U.S. military had been monitoring the camp for several weeks before the strike and had gathered intelligence, including about an imminent threat posed by those in the camp to U.S. forces and African Union peacekeepers, officials said.

Donald Trump

grasping for answers, the AFP reported.

The Malaysia-led international team of aviation experts set up to investigate issued an annual progress report but the brief statement had no new insights on what caused the Malaysia Airlines jet to vanish.

“To date, the MH370 wreckage has still not been found despite the continuing search in the south Indian Ocean,” it said.

It was the second straight year that the team of investigators, which includes representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and its counterparts from several other countries, had nothing to offer.

Malaysia and Australia, however, said they remained optimistic that the painstaking search for an Indian Ocean crash site will find something that could lead to the recovery of flight data recorders and eventually reveal what caused MH370’s disappearance.

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foreig naffairs

Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

Tunisia closes border with Libya after 55 killed in fierce clashes

T

UNISIA’S border with Libya was closed on Tuesday after a brazen attack by suspected ISIL gunmen on a frontier town left at least 55 people dead.

Gunmen attacked the

eastern town of Ben Gardane on Monday and fighting continued past nightfall, Al Jazeera said.

Tunisian Prime Minister Hassid Essid said the assault was an Islamic State of Iraq and the

Levant (ISIL) attempt to carve out a stronghold on the border.

“This is an unprecedented attack, planned and organised. Its goal was probably to take control of this area and to announce

Police manning the Tunisia-Libya border. PHOTO: AP.

Women wield too little political power —IPU AS the world marks International Women’s Day, a new report finds females globally wield little political power, hampering efforts to bring about positive social and economic change for women, VOA reported.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s release of its “Women in Parliament 2015: The Year in Review” report here showed women’s participation in parliament has plateaued for the second year in a row. Last year, the number of female parliamentarians increased by a low 0.5 percent in 58 national elections, to reach

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel

22.6 percent globally.

At this snail’s pace, IPU Director of Programmes Kareen Jabre said, women will not reach the 2030 target for equality as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. In contrast, she said, more progress has been made concerning women parliamentary leaders,

with nearly 18 per cent of parliaments today being led by women speakers.

Jabre cited the three most recent countries to choose women speakers: Nepal, Namibia and the United Arab Emirates. Nepal “is quite emblematic after the adoption of the constitution in the country,” she said.

a new emirate,” Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi said.

The death toll includes 36 attackers, seven civilians and 12 members of Tunisia’s security forces, Essid said.

Tunisian interior and defence ministers travelled to the town to oversee heightened border protection operations on Tuesday, according to a joint statement.

The attackers simultaneously targeted an army barracks and police posts with heavy

of meetings in Brussels, during which Turkey is known to have asked for an additional $3.3bn in return for checking the flow of refugees across the Aegean Sea. The next step involves the presentation of the proposal to EU leaders at a key European Council meeting due to be held on March 17 and 18.

The UN said it had reservations about any deal involving “the blanket return of all individuals from one country to another”, without

Ben Gardane, said the strategically important town is regarded as the “gateway to Libya”.

It serves as a hub for arms trafficking and smuggling of everyday goods.

“Tunisia has built a fence along the border with Libya, but that doesn’t seem to stop the movement of armed attackers coming in from Libya and targeting the army and security forces,” she said.

“In the past week we have seen several incidents of people coming across.”

Russia warns North Korea over threats of nuclear strike RUSSIA has warned North Korea that threats to deliver “preventive nuclear strikes” could create a legal basis for the use of military force against the country, suggesting that even Pyongyang’s few remaining friends are growing concerned about its increasingly confrontational stance.

The Russian foreign ministry statement, which follows a North Korean threat to “annihilate” the US and South Korea,

Refugee crisis: EU, Turkey reach breakthrough deal TURKEY and the European Union reached an agreement on a proposal to tackle the massive influx of refugees into Europe, as the United Nations expressed concern about the deal on Tuesday.

According to Al Jazeera, Donald Tusk, the European Council president, said the leaders had made a “breakthrough” that sent “a very clear message that the days of irregular migration to Europe are over.”

The announcement came at the end of a long day

weaponry, including rocket-propelled grenades.

The government imposed a curfew in Ben Gardane.

A security and military campaign began last week in Ben Gardane after Tunisian security officials said “terrorist groups” had infiltrated the country.

Officials said that the campaign followed raids in Libya against ISIL. Fighters trained in Libya carried out several deadly attacks inside Tunisia last year.

Al Jazeera’s Nazanine Moshiri, reporting from

their protection under international law being spelled out adequately.

“Legal safeguards would need to govern any mechanism under which responsibility would be transferred for assessing an asylum claim,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement.

Europe’s commitments to resettle refugees remained “very low compared to the needs, 20,000 places within two years on a voluntary places”, it said.

according to the Guardian, also criticises Washington and Seoul for launching the largest joint military drills yet to be held on the peninsula.

“We consider it to be absolutely impermissible to make public statements containing threats to deliver some ‘preventive nuclear strikes’ against opponents,” the Russian foreign ministry said in response to North Korea’s threats.

“Pyongyang should be aware of the fact that in this way the DPRK will become fully opposed to the international community and will create international legal grounds for using military force against itself in accordance with the right

of a state to self-defence enshrined in the United Nations Charter,” continued the statement, translated by Itar Tass news agency.

Washington and Seoul launched their annual joint military exercises on the peninsula on Monday, stepping up the manoeuvres in response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January and rocket launch in February.

But while the statement said Moscow was opposed to the tone of North Korea’s response, it also said the scale of the American-South Korean joint exercise put “unprecedented … military and political pressure on Pyongyang”.

North Korean leader Kim Jongun has ordered nuclear weapons to be readied.

PHOTO: EPA.

otherNEWS

Iran launches ballistic missiles during military drill IRAN’S Revolutionary Guards has launched several mediumrange and short-range ballistic missiles in recent days as part of a military exercise, according to the official IRNA news agency.

The missiles had a range of 300km to 2,000km, IRNA quoted Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC’s aerospace division, as saying on Tuesday.

IRNA said the missiles, launched from silos in several locations across the country, demonstrated Iran’s “deterrence power” and its readiness to confront threats.

State TV ran what it said was video footage of the operation, showing missiles in underground silos and flashes of light from night-time launches.

State media said the exercise was in its final phase on Tuesday.

Responding to reports of the test, a US official told Reuters that his government will seek an “appropriate response” at the UN Security Council.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the reported ballistic missile tests would not be considered

a violation of the international nuclear deal with Iran, but there were “strong indications” the test would be inconsistent with a UN Security Council resolution.

“This development underscores why we continue to work closely with partners

around the world to slow and degrade Iran’s missile program,” the official said.

The latest tests were called The Power of Velayat, a reference to the religious doctrine of the Islamic republic’s leadership, IRNA said.

Hassan Rouhani

US adds to sanctions against LRA, Kony THE United States government has added to the sanctions against the Lord’s Resistance Army and the African rebel group’s leader, Joseph Kony.

The Treasury Department, according to VOa said the financial sanctions, announced Tuesday, are in response to the U.S.-designated terrorist group’s targeting of civilians in the Central

African Republic.

The department said that since December 2013, the group has killed, kidnapped, displaced, or committed sexual violence against hundreds of C.A.R. residents, as well as looting or destroying civilian property.

It says in an 18-month period starting in January 2014, the LRA was involved in nearly 330

abductions.

It also accused the group of trading in illicit diamonds and illegal elephant ivory in order to generate revenue.

The Treasury Department first imposed sanctions against the LRA and Kony when the U.S. designated it as a terrorist group, in 2001 and 2008 respectively.

The new sanctions freeze any LRA

assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prevent U.S. nationals from engaging in transactions with the group.

The LRA battled the government of Uganda for 20 years before withdrawing into Central Africa in 2006. Since then, bands of LRA fighters have been active in the C.A.R., Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

From left, Commissioner for Sports,Rivers State, Boma Iyayi; Kanu Nwankwo; Joseph Yobo; John Mastoroudes and Austin Okocha, during the Yobo centenary/testimonial match press conference, in Lagos, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NIYI ALEBIOSU.

Rooney, Moyes, Drogba others for Yobo’s testimonial match

By Niyi Alebiosu

M

ANCHESTER U n i t e d c a p t a i n , Wayne Rooney and former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will lead other top footballers across the world for the Joseph Yobo Centenary and Testimonial game in Nigeria on May 27.

Disclosing this yesterday during the press conference ahead of the event scheduled to hold at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State was Joseph Yobo who also expressed appreciation to the Rivers State government for hosting the milestone event of his life.

Also expected at the event Didier Drogba,Samuel Etoo, Davids Moyes, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo among others.

Kolou Toure announced his participation at the event through Skype during the press conference when he said, “I am here to inform you that I will be in Port Harcourt to honour my brother, Joseph Yobo for the testimonial match”.

Speaking further, the former Everton player was full of praises to the coaches and his senior players he played along with

saying that they were all instrumental to his success as a footballer adding that he will want young players be more dedicated to the National team assignment.

Earlier, the Rivers State Commissioner for sports, Boma Iyayi having described Yobo as great player during his playing times said that the state is

fully prepared and ready to host a hitch free game that will remain in the memory of many for a long time.

Speaking at the event, Okocha, Kanu, Amodu

Shuaibu and others all paid glowing tributes to Yobo describing him as a dedicated and discipline players worthy of emulation by other players.

Greater tomorrow, Vitalos Queens win Awolowo memorial kids football tourney

By Sylvester OkoruwaLagos

AFTER three weeks of action among 24 teams in the girls category and 16 teams in the boys category, Greater Tomorrow FC of Lagos defeated Coker Academy of Iwaya 2-0 to win the coveted trophy and a cash prize of N200,000 while Vitalos Queens of Oshodi defeated Giwa Ladies of Ijebu Ode 4-2 to emerge champion in the female category.

Lifeback Boys of Epe came third while Malo of Idimu claimed fourth position.

In the female category, Giwa Ladies of Ijebu Ode came second and went home with the cash prize of N150,000 while Lifeback FC of Epe and Ultimate Females of Ikorodu placed third and fourth position respectively .

In her address, the Executive Director, Chief Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu

encouraged the players to use the prize money given to them to further their education, advising that they should be disciplined at all times with a team

spirit and never give up as that was the secret of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s success in life and politics.

According to Awolowo Dosumu, her dream is

to see the tournament becoming a national football tournament where stars will be discovered to represent the national team in the future.

Nigerian boxer depart for Cameroon THE Nigerian Boxing Team to the Rio 2016 Olympic qualifiers holding in Yaounde, Cameroon departed the country yesterday aboard Camairoco airline that left the country’s shores at exactly 5.45pm Nigeria time.

The team which is made up of seven males and three females, are already in Younde, Cameroon, include three 2015 Congo Brazzaville All Africa Games gold Medalists, Efe Ajagba, Soldier lady Edith OgokeAgu, her colleague, Kehinde Obare and two silver medalists, Efetobor Apochi and Caroline Linus also a solider.

The Vice President of the NBF Ibrahim Suleiman Zango, who is also the leader of delegation disclosed that the boxers are being accompanied by the same set of coaches that led them to the 2015 All Africa Games success stories.

The coaches, according to Zango are Tony Konyegwachie (Head Coach), Adurah Olalehin, Mohammed Sabo and Friday Ossai.

Zango while addressing the boxers during their last training session before their departure yesterday said they are going to Cameroon for war. He also added that information at his disposal from Cameroon indicates that the tournament will be tough. But he was quick to confirm that Team Nigerian Boxers have what it takes to pick Olympic ticket.

From left, Executive Director, Chief Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, captain of the winning Team, U-10 Boys Category, Yusuf Afolabi of Greater Tomorrow FC, Captain of the winning Team, U-16 Girls Category, Bunmi Oladeji of Vitalos Queens, Oshodi, during the finals of the 3th edition of Chief Obafemi U-10 Boys and Chief HID Awolowo U-16 Girls Memorial Kids Cup at Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos Island on Tuesday in Lagos. PHOTO: Sylvester Okoruwa.

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Wednesday, 9 March, 2016

corporatesport

With Niyi Alebiosu adeniyi70@yahoo.com 08116954642

Okpekpe race now performance based, says Pamodzi Organisers of the annual Okpekpe 10 kilometres Marathon Road Race, Pamodzi Sports Marketing (PSM) slated to hold on May 7 in Edo State have revealed that the third edition will see the marathoners being rewarded on the basis of their performance in the competition.

Disclosing this to CorporateSport by phone on Tuesday, the road race media man, Dare Esan stated that:” This year’s edition will be a win-win situation for the marathoners because they will get appearance fees for the elite athletes who will be screened by the elite manager appointed for the race.”Also, there will be bonuses for the elite athletes just as their travelling tickets would be paid for on the advice of the elite manager. But, any of

Oshiomole

the elite athletes who fails to meet the desired mark would refund all that he or she received in line with the global best practices for the bronze medal races which Okpekpe 10-kilometre race is.

“These incentives to the elite athletes has necessitated the need for a reduction of the prize money since the winners would strive to grab the lollies set aside by the organisers which would translate to cash. One of such lollies for the marathoners this year is the cash for any athlete who sets the record for the competition, aside what he or she gets for winning the race.”

Since Okpekpe Road Race is a bronze label, there was the urgent need to comply with global best practices hence the reduction in prize money which in the last three editions was the highest in the world. The high prize money by Pamodzi Sports Marketing (PSM) was targetted at attracting top marathoners to the event as part of the basis for getting the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) chieftains to award the race the bronze medal tag which it presently enjoys,” Esan said.

From left, representative of the National Sports Commission, Dr Ademola Are; National Secretary-General, Nigerian School Sports Federation (NSSF) Mrs Joseph Olabisi, Senior Brand Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Gbolahan Sanni, Deputy Director in charge school sport federation Ministry of Education, Mrs Victoria Rowland Layode and president, NSSF, Mallam Ibrahim Muhammed at the launch of this year’s COPA Coca-Cola themed ‘Join in the Game’ at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

3,000 schools for 2016 copa Coca-Cola football

F

ootball fans across Nigeria will be treated to the best of amazing and unforgettable School Football in Nigeria, as the 2016 COPA Coca-Cola national championship calls for teens to register for the game.

The world’s largest brandsupported grassroots football initiative COPA Coca-

Cola, led by Coca-Cola, connects and engages teens with the prospect of attaining their football dreams, encouraging them to bond, form new friendships, and acquire significant social skills through team involvement.

This year themed, the ‘Join in a Team’ emphasises team spirit, where they can also imbibe values like fo-

WGB /Lagos FA Cup: Akinwumni tips Lagos team for federation cup final With the 2015/2016 Winners Golden Bets/Lagos FA Cup getting tougher,the Chairman, Lagos State Football Association, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi says he believes a club in the state will play in the finals of the Federation Cup later in the year.

Speaking to the Corporate Sport on Monday after the competition has started, the first vice president, Nigeria Football Federation, who also was delighted to announce that the state has two teams in the Nigeria Premier League said that with the number of teams and the standard of football in the state, he hopes to see a team play in the final.

According to the LSFA boss, the board will give

necessary support to actualize the dream urging the participating clubs in the state to put in their best and good football display, saying he was impressed with the results so far.

Akinwunmi,said”it is not

impossible to see a club from Lagos play in the final of the FA Cup at the national level, if we all put our hands on deck and plan for it, it is achieveable and I will be glad if this happens after a very long time be-

cause last year I promised that the state will have at least a team in the premier league,and now we have two, so I will implore all of us to work together as one family to actualise this dream,” he said on phone.

From right; Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State governor on Sports facilities/ facility Manager, Bolaji Yusuf; Chairman, Lagos State Football Association, Seyi Akinwunmi; Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State governor on Sports, Anthony Adeboye and Assistant General Manager, Winners Golden Bet, Deji Beecroft during the Media chat /draws for FA Cup in Lagos recently.

cus, reliability, loyalty, creativity and trustworthiness.

The organisers disclosed that several matches would be played in 32 cities across the country, with over 3000 schools participating in the 3000 matches that would bring together over 60, 000 players. This is a significant leap from last year, 2015, where matches were played in 10 cities, among 144 schools, and with about 2,160 players.

The event has been divided into three stages, the grassroots, group and final stage. At the grassroots stage, interested schools in each state will be allowed and encouraged to participate, and 32 qualifying teams will represent each state of the federation at the group stage.

In the Group stage, each region will be divided into groups from which a winner will emerge from the tournament sequential structure for the next round.

The final stage is the National Finals, which would be hosted in Lagos, and its grand finale will be played in a National Stadium.

At the tournament, four female teams - two matches will be exhibited during the national finals. The players would also benefit

from coaching clinics at the group stage.

Commenting on the initiative, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola, Patricia Jemibewon, said, “Coca-Cola like Football is enjoyed across the world, and creating an experience by bringing these two sources of inspiration together to benefit players and help them mature into world-class players, is an important way to influence the society.

“This year, we have introduced an opportunity for the players not to only pursue their football dreams, but to also understand the importance of playing different roles in a team, to inspire valuable life lessons like confidence, sociability and teamwork, on and off the pitch.”

Jemibewon also explained that COPA CocaCola remained committed to opening up opportunities for several teenagers across the world through their shared passion for football while encouraging them to engage in physical activities that would keep them active and healthy.

COPA Coca-Cola is one of the several platforms Coca-Cola creates to engage young people and encourage potentials among Nigerian teenagers.

SIDELINES

no 16,453

n150

Wednesday, 9 MARCH, 2016

On Sunday, gunmen kidnapped the aged stepmother of a Kano lawmaker, Alhaji Salisu Ibrahim, demanding N50 million ransom. On the same day, the mother of the caretaker chairman of Asari-Toru local government in Rivers State, Pastor Ilamina Jackrish, was kidnapped by gunmen. On Monday, police in Delta State paraded the abductors of Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo.

Before criminals wipe out mothers and wisdom from the country, will government please act fast and make kidnapping punishable by firing squad?

ITTF ranks Nigeria 24, first in Africa

Sharapova’s positive test shocks former coach Maria Sharapova’s failed drugs test is a “game-changer for life, not just for tennis”, says her former coach.

Nick Bollettieri also told the BBC he was shocked the former world number one had tested positive because “she has always been above board in everything”.

But the 84-year-old American added: “Everybody must accept responsibilities for everything they do in life.”

Sharapova, 28, has taken meldonium for health reasons since 2006, but it became a banned substance in 2016.

The Russian revealed she tested positive after losing to Serena Williams at the Australian Open in January.

The International Tennis Federation said Sharapova would be provisionally suspended from 12 March.

Bollettieri said he believed Sharapova had made a “very honest mistake” and had not taken the drug to gain an unfair advantage.

Nick Bollettieri: Sharapova’s positive test is ‘a game-changer’ “She said she took these for many, many years and then didn’t read the memorandum that came out,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“She said she will accept the consequences, but she hopes and prays that she can be allowed to play again. What else can you say?

“I don’t think that Maria Sharapova would continue doing something, especially being in the limelight, if there was something she knew about.”

Bollettieri said he hoped tennis authorities would look back on her achievements in the game and allow her to play again.

“It’s kind of tough to find a black mark against her,” he said.

“She certainly does not want to go out of tennis in this way.”

Sharapova

By Niyi Alebiosu

Onazi (left)

Nigeria vs Egypt:

We can stop Salah

—Onazi

A

head of the 2017 African Cup of Nations double-header qualifiers between Nigeria and Egypt later this month, Super Eagles star Ogenyi Onazi is confident that his partnership with Mikel Obi will curtail the attacking threat posed by Mohammed Salah and his Pharaohs’ teammates.

Salah has been in a very rich vein of form since his return from injury and at the weekend inspired Roma to a comprehensive 4-1 win over Fiorentina with a brilliant

brace to hand new manager Luciano Spalletti a seven game unbeaten run.

Salah is expected to lead the Egyptians to Nigeria for the first leg of the double-header clash in Kaduna on Friday, March 25 before hosting the Super Eagles in Alexandria on Tuesday, March 29.

But Onazi who was included in the 43-man squad to play against Egypt by the interim manager Samson Siasia alongside Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi is delighted with his midfield partnership with the former Lyn Oslo star.

“Mikel is a natural leader and I enjoy playing alongside him, hopefully together we can keep

the midfield solid and make it difficult for the Egyptians to score,” Onazi said.

“We know Mohammed Salah very well and can handle him. The Egyptians have other good players like Bassem Morsi who scored an hat-trick against Chad and the Arsenal guy, Mohamed El Nenny but we’ll be ready for them.

“Personally, I’m 100 percent fit and have been training very well.

I can’t wait to put on the colours of Nigeria for that match.”

Egypt lead Group G with six points while Nigeria have four points following a 2-0 win against Chad and a goalless draw with Tanzania.

Following the performance of Team Nigeria at the just concluded ITTF World Team Championship, the Segun Toriola-led side has moved up in the latest ITTF World Ranking with the West African giant now rated as the 24th best African team in the globe.

According to the team ranking released by the world table tennis ruling body – ITTF, Nigeria with 216 points is ranked 24 ahead of Egypt, which now occupies 29th position with 208 points.

Prior to the ITTF World Team Championship in Malaysia, Nigeria was rated 32nd behind Egypt which then ranked 25, but the outstanding outing of the team at the Asian nation was said to have influenced the new rating.

In the women rating, Egypt remains the best in the continent as the North Africans are now ranked 29th while the absence of Nigeria may have caused their slide to 40th place in the world.

Despite the slump, Nigerian female side still remains the second best team in Africa ahead of Congo Brazzaville, Algeria and Tunisia.

Also, China, which swept the men and women titles at the ITTF World Team Championship remains the best teams in the world.

In his reaction the Vice President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Olabanji Oladapo said the performance of Team Nigeria is commendable but the lack of support from government may not augur well for the sport.

TODAY’S champions league fixtures

Zenit vs Benfica 6:00 Chelsea vs PSG 8:45

‘Chelsea are underdog against PSG’ It is hard to imagine former boss Jose Mourinho ever calling Chelsea underdogs, but that’s how successor Guus Hiddink has described them before their Champions League Last 16 second leg clash against Paris St Germain tonight.

The French champions head to Stamford Bridge for the third successive season, having knocked Chelsea out at the same stage a year ago. They are again favourites according to Hiddink, following their 2-1 victory in the first leg in Paris on February16.

The 69-year-old Dutchman may well be playing mind games, but,

he says, “We are not the favourites.

We have regained confidence and have quality, but let’s be very tough underdogs. We need to be angry in a controlled way on Wednesday, the players must be fully concentrated.”

Chelsea’s results have improved since Mourinho left in December, losing only once – at PSG – in 18 matches in all competitions. A 1-0 win now will be enough to see them through on away goals.

That is how they beat PSG in the quarterfinals two seasons ago and how PSG eliminated them last season. With the tie finely balanced

that could well be the outcome again.

Chelsea will almost certainly be without injured skipper John Terry but striker Diego Costa should be fit after missing Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City with a minor tendon injury.

Former Chelsea defender David Luiz, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 and scored for PSG at Stamford Bridge last season, told uefa.com on Monday he will always have an affection for Chelsea after spending three seasons there. But he was determined to see PSG knock them out.

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. 9/3/2016.

Ibrahimovich