NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,521
FRIDAY, 10 JUNE, 2016
Work on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway to resume Monday —Fashola —P2
www.tribuneonlineng.com
Nigerian Tribune
Buhari sends list of 47 ambassadorial nominees to Senate •Appoints Akabueze DG Budget Office
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Nigerian Tribune
N150
Benue declares Fridays work-free for farming
—P2
—P4
Banks agree to halt mass sack
—P11
No major link between ISIS, Boko Haram —US •NLC, TUC give 21-day ultimatum to reverse sack —P33
Avengers seek UK, US, France's support for self determination —P12
24 million children to benefit from FG's feeding programme —P6
State of economy worrisome From left, chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu; ex-youth corps member, Mr Daniel Oluwatobi and the Director-General, —Senators National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Sule Z. Kazaure, at the NYSC secretariat, Abuja, on Thursday, during the presentation of letter of appointment to Oluwatobi, who lost his sight in an accident while serving as ad hoc INEC staff during the 2011 election in Yobe State.
—P36
2
news
Friday, 10 June, 2016
Buhari sends list of 47 ambassadorial nominees to Senate •Appoints Akabueze DG Budget Office From Leon Usigbe, Abuja with agency reports
P
RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, sent a list of 47 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for consideration and confirmation. The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who read the letter to the Senate, said President Buhari requested the Senate to approve the list at the shortest time possible. “I have the honour to forward the attached list of 47 career foreign service officers as ambassador-designates for consideration and confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “Copies of their curriculum vitae are attached. It is my hope that this will receive the usual prompt attention of the distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Buhari
said. According to the letter, the list was made up of only career civil servants in the foreign service. Meanwhile, President Buhari, still on medical vacation in the United Kingdom, has approved the appointment of his Special Adviser on Planning, Mr Ben Akabueze as the new Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation. According to a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in Abuja, on Thursday, Akabueze would take over from Mr Tijani Mohammed Abdullahi. Mohammed will now serve as Special Adviser to the President on Planning, while continuing to work with the Minister of Budget and National Planning. Both Mr Akabueze and Mr Abdullahi joined the Ministry of Budget and National Planning in Feb-
The ambassadorial nominees 1. Obinna Chukwuemeka Agbugba (Abia) 2. Salisu Umaru (Adamawa) 3. Inyan Udo-Inyang (Akwa Ibom) 4. Okeke Vivian Nwunaku (Anambra) 5. Liman Munir (Bauchi) 6. Ndem Jane Ada (Benue) 7. Mohammed Hassan Hassan (Borno) 8. Martin Nyong Cobham (Cross River) 9. Janet Omoleegho Olisa (Delta) 10. Itegboje S. Sunday (Edo) 11. Olatunde Adesesan (Ekiti) 12. Lilian Ijeukwu Onoh (Enugu) 13. Manaja Tula Isah (Gombe) 14. Ngozi Ukaeje (Imo) 15. Bello Kazaure Huessini (Jigawa) 16. Enoch Pear Duchi (Kaduna) 17. Garba Baba (Kano) 18. Usman Bakori Aliyu (Katsina) 19. Umar Zainab Salisu (Kebbi) 20. Momoh Sheidu Omeiza (Kogi) 21. Kadiri Ayinla Audu (Kwara) 22. Balogun Hakeem (Lagos) 23. Inusa Ahmed (Nasarawa) 24. Ibrahim Isah (Niger) 25. Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye (Ogun) 26. Ibidapo-Obe Oluwasegun (Osun) 27. Ogundero Sakirat (Oyo) 28. Eric A. Bell-Gam (Rivers) 29. Attahiru Halliru (Sokoto) 30. Rahmatu A. Dunama (Taraba) 31. Musa Saban Mamman (Yobe) 32. Kabiru Bala (Zamfara) 33. Adamu Onoze Shuaibu (FCT) 34. Demenongu A. Agev (Benue) 35. Toko Ali Gongulong (Borno) 36. Ibrahim Hamza (Katsina) 37. Kenneth C. Nwachukwu (Imo) 38. Queen I. Worlu (Edo) 39. Emmanuel Kayode Oguntuase (Ekiti) 40. Paragalda Ilyasu Audu (Adamawa) 41. Lawan Abba Gashagar (Borno) 42. Olufemi Abikoye (Kwara) 43. Habu Abubakar Gwani Ibrahim (Gombe) 44. Rabiu Akawu (Kano) 45. Nonye Udo (Anambra) 46. Odeka Janet Bisong (Cross River) 47. Sonaike Adekunbi Abibat (Ogun)
ruary, this year. The statement explained
that their redeployment was part of an ongoing
exercise aimed at further repositioning the ministry
to effectively deliver on its core mandate.
From left, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the inaugural ‘Buharimeter’ town hall meeting, in Abuja, on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN.
Work on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to resume Monday —Fashola Christian Okeke -Abuja MINISTER of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday, said contractors handling the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway are to resume work on the project next Monday. He said disbursement of funds for contractors to resume work on various federal road projects would take off in the next few days. Fashola spoke at an inaugural Buharimeter townhall meeting in Abuja, convoked by Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), to ensure that promises
made during electioneering process were kept and accountability mechanism instituted. The townhall meeting had five ministers in attendance, which included the Ministers of Environment, Amina Mohammed; Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma; Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh. Fashola noted that the present administration was one that plans for a purpose, noting that there was already a trend towards proper governance in the country.
According to him, it was left for citizens to determine whether they want rapid results from the present government or sustainable results. He disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government had made a determination to be methoddriven, even when citizens expect definite result. The minister expressed regrets that even though the previous government budgeted for some roads, including the Jebba-Ilorin Road, it failed to release money for it. On power, Fashola stated that the state of electricity
had remained poor, as 23 out of 26 the power plants in the country were being fired by gas, yet vandals kept blowing up oil pipelines in the Nigeri Delta. He noted that some distribution companies in the country currently face financial crisis and unpaid debts. The minister faulted those seeking sanctions against distributing firms over poor distribution of power, saying “as a regulator, I must be seen to be doing things empirically and not emotionally, not on mob action because some people want DISCOS to be punished.”
Appointment of new OAU VC followed due process —ASUU Oluwole Ige -Osogbo CHAIRMAN of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife chapter, Dr Caleb Aborisade, on Thursday, declared that the appointment of Professor Ayobami Salami as the new vice chancellor of the institution followed due process. He contended that the selection and shortlisting processes by the governing council of the university were in order, considering the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, which vested the authority for the appointment of a vice chancellor of the any federal university on its governing council. This came against the backdrop of the protests by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) against the appointment of Salami as successor to the
outgoing vice chancellor, Professor Bamitale Omole. Stating the position of ASUU on the matter during an interaction with journalists in Ile-Ife, Aborisade asserted that “by 2009 FGN/ ASUU agreement, the appointment of the vice chancellor by federal universities is the responsibility of the governing council, unlike previous arrangement when the governing council would recommend three names to the Visitor of the university.” According to him, “with the agreement between Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and ASUU, the process starts and ends with the university’s governing council, which would issue letter of appointment to the new vice chancellor. Aborisade, who said ASUU was not in support of SSANU and NASU protest against the appointment of Salami, explained that “whenever there is vacancy for the position of vice chancellor, criteria included ad-
vertisement in newspaper and there would be a deadline. Then, there would be a search team and selection panel, which would consist of five people each. “I have to let you know that 11 people applied and only six people were shortlisted. And the shortlisted contestants appeared before the selection panel, where they are rated and scored according to their performance. Three people were recommended to the governing council out of which Professor Ayobami Salami
emerged as the vice chancellor in Abuja, where they carried out the exercise due to safety reasons. “Nobody among all the contestants and the shortlisted individuals complained about the selection and shortlisting processes or approach the court to raise objection. So, why are the SSANU and NASU protesting or mourning more than the bereaved. What is their interest? They are free to protest, but we are not in support of their agitation,” Aborisade remarked.
RAMADAN MESSAGE O you who believe! Answer Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart. And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered. And fear the affliction which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong (but it may affect all the good and bad people), and know that Allah is Severe in punishment. And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land, and were afraid that men might kidnap you, but He provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His Help, and provided you with good things so that you might be grateful. —Surat Al-Anfal verses 24-26
3
Friday, 10 June, 2016
RETURNS ON UTILIZATION OF FUNDS PURCHASED FROM THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA BANK NAME: GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC DATE OF RETURNS: JUNE 9 2016 S/N CUSTOMER NAME
FORM M/A NUMBER
LC, BC or INV
PURPOSE
DATE OF FUNDS PURCHASED
EXCHANGE RATE
FORM M/A NUMBER
LC, PURPOSE BC or INV
DATE OF FUNDS PURCHASED
AKINWUNMI,TIMI AYODEJI 1,329.79 98 EIGBOKHAN IYOS ANTHONY 1,359.81 99 2,659.57 100 OKARO,OSELOKA NDUBUISI
AA2842116
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,500.00
AA2780086
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,740.00
AA2844446
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,835.50
285.00 101 OLATUNJI,OLUWATOYIN MARIAM 4,798.00 102 HON. OMIDIRAN, AYO
AA2879987
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,173.45
AA2914538
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,499.00
4,632.29 103 AMOLEGBE OLATUNDE MOHAMMED 6,052.62 104 NMOR, EDWIN I.
AA2842421
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,973.28
AA2542535
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,975.00
6,054.54 105 TECTONICO LIMITED 6,140.35 106 OGUNSOLA,OLAOGUN & CHRISTINE
AA2879904
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
AA2792945
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,388.95
7,543.86 107 ECHEOZO, CATHY NWAKAEGO 7,792.97 108 EHSAN, ABDULKADIR DANTATA
AA2788335
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
8,000.00
AA0986797
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,798.00
8,578.94 109 SALISU,SHUAIB AFOLABI 9,197.36 110 JAMES, ESEAYEKANMI TOSAN
AA2831507
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
6,000.00
AA1909942
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
6,790.90
9,270.17 111 AKANBI, OLUSEYI 1,311.48 112 OWOYEMI MAYOWA CLEMENT
AA2687363
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
9,000.00
AA2831182
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
9,655.74
1,967.21 113 JEWOOLA, OLUWASEUN 4,385.96 114 IDOKO, BETHIA ADA
AA2736665
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
10,000.00
AA2879767
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
8,500.00
1,967.21 115 OGHORO, EGUONOR 2,098.36 116 SHOGBOLA, ADEKOYEJO
AA2831413
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
9,506.00
AA2798184
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
8,790.00
2,964.87 117 AKINWUNMI,TIMI AYODEJI 3,979.51 118 FATOYINBO BIODUN
AA2842115
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,500.00
AA2842868
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
9,522.50
4,054.92 119 OKOLI, NNEBOGO KASIEMOBI 4,101.11 120 DADA, FIDELIS OLUMUYIWA
AA2756995
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
9,500.00
AA2759274
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
8,196.72
4,101.64 121 OGUNLEYE KEHINDE EMMANUEL 4,190.62 122 BATUBO, ONENGIYE TONYE
AA2766589
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,000.00
AA2831194
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
9,750.00
4,281.82 123 ARULOGUN, TOYE 4,690.16 124 BATAGARAWA, NURATU JIMOH
AA2687266
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
8,718.00
AA2842871
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,197.50
5,018.44 125 OLOYEDE, OYETUNDE EDWARD 5,388.73 126 ONYIKE SUNDAY CHARITY
AA1910285
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,659.57
AA2842477
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
8,064.52
5,656.56 127 ECHEOZO, CATHY NWAKAEGO 5,737.70 128 AMOO, WALE CHRISTOPHER
AA2879790
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,560.00
AA1908441
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
7,000.00
5,754.67 129 FALAE, ESE LYNN 6,350.41 130 KOLA-BANJO, OLANREWAJU
AA2831163
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
9,257.05
AA2879768
INV SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16 197.50
1,500.00
6,557.38 131 MOTAJO MODUPE GLADYS 6,557.38 132 FABAMIGBE BABATUNJI
AA2831421
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
AA2879785
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
6,557.38 133 AGBAJE MARGARET OLABISI 6,800.00 134 ADEDIPE MONILADE LYDIA
AA2508440
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
AA2831420
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
6,836.07 135 EBOCHUE CHIAMAKA LOVELYN 7,377.05 136 OKORONKWO ADANMA KAREN
AA2687133
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
AA2687135
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
8,196.72 137 OKORONKWO EMEKA JAMES 8,196.72 138 ODUNAIYA BABATUNDE
AA2687134
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
AA2687136
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
9,011.48 139 FOMBO DAGOGO CLAUDIUS 9,168.38 140 ONWUTEAKA OLUBUNMI RONKE
AA1952964
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
AA2656252
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
9,423.60 141 ONOJA VERONICA OGWA 9,655.74 142 SIPE TEMITOPE FOLASHADE
AA2744949
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
AA2764472
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,000.00
AA2764478
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
AA2764188
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
AMOUNT
S/N
CUSTOMER NAME
EXCHANGE RATE
AMOUNT
1
IKWOR, KENNETH NNANNA
AA2542165 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
2
ABUBAKAR,KUMAR MUSA
AA2769196 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
3
AMADI,VAL
AA2831171 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
4
EZE SARAH PRINCESS
AA2736370 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
5
EHSAN, ABDULKADIR DANTATA
AA0986798 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
6
THOMAS ROTIMI IDOWU
AA2798730 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
7
BELL-GAM, NNI-INEGHA TUMINI
AA2790960 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
8
KEHINDE, MORENIKE
AA2879990 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
9
BULO ZIGABEL BE-MENE
AA2661177 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
10 FALAE, ESE LYNN
AA1869960 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
11 NADORP MICHEL RENE
AA2844003 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
12 OLORODE, OLUMIDE
AA2694731 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
13 MBANEFO, CHIDI & ROSEMARY
AA2419678 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
14 ADEOTI,KUNLE DAVID
AA2879958 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
15 AKINBOLA,TEMITOPE ADENIKE O.
AA2790835 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
16 IKPEHAI, ONYEKENNANKE MARTIN
AA2844510 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
17 THOMAS ROTIMI IDOWU
AA2798732 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
18 OKOSUN, LUCKY OSALELASE
AA2842921 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
19 ABDULLAHI, MANSOOR
AA2755911 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
20 OMIDIJI, ANGELA FEYIPITAN I.
AA2839876 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
21 IKEDE, JOSHUA
AA2842057 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
22 OSENI, O. KAMIL- MUHAMMED
AA2842199 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
23 EZEOKE, JOY OBIAGELI
AA2455508 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
24 EZEOKE, JOY OBIAGELI
AA2455508 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
25 OYEDELE,OLUSEYI
XX2831690 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
26 ADEJUWON, ADEOLA AWOKUNLE
AA2905076 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
27 OLANIRAN OLUWASEUN OLAKUNLE
AA2736249 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
28 OSOBU, KIKELOMO FEYISARA
AA2842836 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
29 BEKEBOH, DOUYEIBO SOLOMON
AA2842849 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
30 ERINLE BAMITALE OMOYENI
AA2844434 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
31 ADEGBESAN, ADEBOLA ALABA
AA2798737 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
32 IDEH, ENOH DEBORAH
AA2844310 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
33 OSUWA EZEKIEL C
AA2736663 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
34 ADETAYO ATEWOLOGUN
AA2842170 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
35 OFFOKANSI, CHRIS CHUKS O.
AA2879970 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
36 AKERELE, OLUYINKA OLUGBENGA
AA2517908 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
37 KOKU, BOLANLE ABIOLA
AA2661541 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
38 AJIA-IMAM, RASHIDAT MOPE
AA2816489 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
39 JENROLA, DAVID OLATUNDE
AA2879989 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
40 AWOBODU,ADEKUNLE BENJAMIN
AA2368407 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
41 AKINBOLA,TEMITOPE ADENIKE O.
AA2790834 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
42 OGUNMOYIN, JOSEPH OLUWATOLA
AA2844735 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
43 OLUKAYODE OGUN AND COMPANY AA2842405 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
44 PHILIPS, ADLINE UDUAK
AA2844142 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
45 MARKGEORGE OLUGBOLAHAN
AA1921677 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
46 ADEWUNMI,GABRIEL ADETAYO
AA1910372 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
47 UWAIFO, ITORO EFE
AA2842457 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
9,852.46 143 OZABOR LOVETH ADESUWA 915.63 144 OLURIN ANGELA EBUNLOLA
48 OKECHUKWU, JAMES UKACHUKWU AA2380559 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
1,098.75 145 SHONAIKE NAOMI MUTIAT
AA2792740
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
49 OMAGU ISA, EMMANUEL
AA2694207 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,000.00
AA2659861 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
1,417.74 146 JAIYEOLA OLUWATOYIN OLUFUNKE 1,465.00 147 ODUSOLA ADEWUNMI OYEDAPO
AA2831061
50 OSAGHAE, SAMUEL OMOREGIE
AA2879787
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,000.00
51 ADIELE, NNEKA JACHIMIKE
AA2744940 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
AA2798171
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
52 JAFAR, SALIHU UMAR
AA1743431 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
1,465.00 148 AKINBAMI OYERONKE JESSICA 2,368.91 149 OLUKOYA ADERONKE JANET
AA2844831
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
53 WALAMA,AHMED ABUBAKAR
AA2670895 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
AA2842281
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
54 ADEGBAYI, ADENIKE
AA2842203 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
2,702.93 150 ONI ELIZABETH TEMITAYO 2,930.00 151 BATURE LAMI CHRISTINE
AA2842794
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
55 ETOMI, EFUNTUNDE ELIZABETH
AA2792865 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
AA2761620
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
56 NOSIRU, ABIDEEN ADENIYI
AA2617701 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
3,154.15 152 RAMDAT FEHINTOLA OKUNOLA 3,499.89 153 EZEH EMMANUEL EMEKA
AA2921016
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,000.00
57 ASHIMI, TONBOFA EVA
AA2831180 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
AA2831528
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
58 OKE, OBIORA
AA2659645 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
3,743.59 154 IDIKE OMOTEJIREVWE AMEZE 3,845.63 155 ODUNTAN ABIOLA YESIDE
AA2844454
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
3,000.00
59 AMADI,VAL
AA2831170 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
AA1659396
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
2,000.00
60 IDEOZU GODSON
AA2744261 INV
SCHOOL FEES
08-Jun-16
197.50
4,395.00 156 OLUWATAYO INUMIDUN MORENIKE 4,884.52 157 UKPAKA UCHENNA RITA
AA2831529
INV PTA
08-Jun-16 197.50
4,000.00
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www.gtbank.com
4
news
Friday, 10 June, 2016
UNEP Report: Why Ogonis may have to wait for 30 years —UN Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt
T
HE flag-off of the implementation of the UNEP Report on remediation of the oil-devastated Ogoniland was with pomp and fanfare, but unknown to many, the full implementation will take between 25 and 30 years. This is because, though the Federal Government kicked-started the programme in Bodo, Thursday, last week, the full restoration of the entire oil-impacted area in the Niger Delta region would, according to the UNEP Report last up to 30 years. This was as the United Nations agency similarly declared that due to the wide extent of contamination in Ogoniland and nearby areas coupled with the varying degrees of degradation, there will not be one single clean-up technique appropriate for the entire area. It pointed out that a combination of approaches would, therefore, be considered, including active intervention for cleaning the top soil and replanting mangrove to passive monitoring of natural regeneration for the clean-up. As contained in a recent comprehensive report carried out by UNEP on Ogoniland and made available to the Nigerian Tribune, on Thursday, “the environmental restoration of Ogoniland is possible but may take 25 to 30 years.” UNEP, in its report, however, expressed optimism that if the recommendations, as contained in its report, could be implemented, they would have
an immediate and positive impact on Ogoniland. It also came up with further recommendations with longer timelines that would bring lasting improvements for the entire Ogoniland and Nigeria as a whole. “The hydraulic connection between contaminated land and creeks has important implications for the sequence of remediation to be carried out. Until the land-based contamination has been dealt with, it will be futile to begin a clean-up of the creeks. “Due to the wide extent of contamination in Ogoniland and nearby areas and the varying degrees of degradation, there will not be one single clean-up technique appropriate for the entire area. “A combination of approaches will, therefore, need to be considered, ranging from active intervention for cleaning the top soil and replanting mangrove to passive monitoring of natural regeneration,” UNEP said. The agency equally proposed a practical action at the regulatory, operational and monitoring levels for the success of the clean-up exercise, adding that the restoration of mangroves be viewed as a large scale pilot project, in which multiple approaches to clean up and restoration, once proven, can be replicated elsewhere as needed in the Niger Delta. The report further identified eight emergency measures which, from a duty of care point of view, would warrant immediate action. It operationally suggested that immediate steps
must be taken to prevent existing contaminated sites from being secondary sources of ongoing contamination, while further risk assessments and investigations be undertaken for detailed planning of the clean-up of Ogoniland during a recommended transition phase. “All sources of ongoing contamination, including the artisanal refining, which is currently ongoing in the creeks, must be brought to a swift end before the clean-up of the creeks, sediments and mangroves can begin,” the report stated. It harped on the pertinent need for a campaign in Ogoniland to end illegal oil-related activities which should be jointly conducted by the government, oil companies and local authorities. This, the report further stated, should include an awareness component, highlighting the disproportionate environmental footprint of artisanal refining and spell out training, employment and livelihood incentives that would encourage people away from participating in this illegal activity. Technically, UNEP recommended the clean-up activities of the mangroves, while the soil should not be initiated before all possible measures are taken to stop ongoing pollution from reaching the creeks. “The most extensive area in terms of treatment of contamination will be the topsoil from the swamplands. The two main options are manual cleaning of contaminated topsoil and low pressure water jetting.
Benue declares Fridays work-free for farming Johnson Babajide -Makurdi THE Benue State government has declared every Friday a work-free day to enable workers in the state to work on their farms. The state Commissioner for Information, Chief Odeh Ageh, stated this in a statement he issued in Makurdi, on Thursday, stating that the decision was taken at the state executive council meeting, held on Wednesday. The commissioner explained that the objective was to enable as many workers as possible to produce food to feed their
families considering the current economic downturn, which had made regular payment of salaries a major challenge. He announced that the work-free day would commence from Friday, June 10 and would last till the end of July. He stated further that the state governor had announced that he would take a two-week vacation, which was part of his annual leave from Monday, June 13 to work on his farm, while the deputy governor, Mr Benson Abounu would act on his behalf during the period. The commissioner also
approved the interdiction of the Special Adviser on Special Duties, Mr Joseph Kyaagba, who was being investigated in connection with the murder of the Senior Special Assistant on Special Security, late Denen Igbana. It directed the Special Adviser on Economic Matters, Dr Bem Mellabu, to oversee the office of Special Duties in addition to his portfolio. The meeting also approved the appointment of the wife of the deceased, Mrs Martha Hembadoon Igbana, as a Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Relations.
“A portable facility which can be fixed on a barge, move through the bigger creeks and act as a base for decontamination crews, should be considered,” it said. UNEP, in the report, expressed firm optimism that an integrated contaminated soil management centre would be a modern industrial enterprise in Ogoniland employing hundreds of people. It further harped on the imperative need to ensure that all drinking water wells, where hydrocarbons were detected were marked with the people in such area properly informed of the danger. This, it said, was in addition to the provision of adequate sources of drinking water to those households whose drinking water supply was impacted. It recommended that the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline be
recorded on a medical registry with their health status assessed and followed up. It further stated that a survey of all drinking water
wells around those wells where hydrocarbons were observed and arrange measures (1-3) as appropriate, based on the results, be initiated.
5
news
Friday, 10 June, 2016
Niger LG uncovers 22 non-existing schools, teachers on payroll Adelowo Oladipo - Minna CHANCHAGA Local Government Area of Niger State has said it has uncovered payment of monthly salaries to 22 non-existing primary schools and their teachers in the local government area, running into several millions of naira, for about 10 years. The shocking discovery was made during the ongoing biometric verification exercise by the council’s management. The local government chairman, Yusuf Inuwa Fuka, said this on Thursday, in his office, while addressing newsmen, adding that the council has over 4,000 workers, comprising over 2,700 in education sector and 1,600 staff of the local government. Fuka said the verification exercise was not aimed at witch-hunting anyone but to bring sanity into the sys-
tem by fishing out ghost workers to enable it source for funds to embark on developmental projects. He added that currently, the monthly allocation from the Federation Account could not pay staff salary. He stressed that last month, due to the dwindling monthly allocations to the council, it received N74 million instead of the N177 million needed for the payment of monthly staff salary. The chairman, however, appealed for support from all relevant stakeholders so as to succeed. “With the preliminary investigation, we are determined to succeed, we have 32 schools in our local government but during the verification exercise, we have found 22 non-existing schools, which were receiving salaries from our local government while such problems also existed in other local councils in the state,” he said.
Fuka said further that they were elected not to pay salaries alone but to bring meaningful development to the people, adding that a committee had been inaugurated to ensure improved Internal Generated Revenue (IGR). Meanwhile, the chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Alhassan Niworu, has denied collaborating with the Education Secretary (ES) of Chanchaga Local Government Area, to frustrate the ongoing screening exercise in the council area, as being alleged by the council. He said the board was in full support of the verification exercise, adding that it initiated the format being used by the 25 local government areas in the state in fishing out ghost workers, which he said, was yielding results and expected feedback from the councils.
FRSC reviews operations to sustain safety campaign on tyre Clement Idoko-Abuja
THE Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, has pledged to sustain the vigorous safety campaigns on
Council boss advocates religious harmony, tolerance By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare
THE Executive Secretary of Ikoyi, Obalende Local Council Development Area of Lagos, Mrs Toyin Caxton Martin, has enjoined Muslim faithful across the country to promote religious harmony, tolerance and peaceful coexistence among the various religious affiliations. The council boss made the call in her Ramadan message to Muslim faithful in the council, asking them to shun any act that could lead to violence. She described the period as one worth identifying with, as it marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, which the Holy Quran revealed as a period of blessing and mercy to all mankind. Martins also urged Muslims to use the period of this holy month to pray for the peace, development and prosperity of the country, and advised them not to go back to their old ways of living after the holy month.
the use of tyres by motorists as part of initiative to reduce road carnages in the country. He equally commended Nigerians for embracing the Corps’ public sensitisation programme on tyres with enthusiastic acceptance of the campaign. Oyeyemi spoke on Thursday, at the opening of the 2016 Corps Marshal’s Second Quarter strategic session, held at the FRSC National Headquarters, Abuja, with Zon-
al and Sector Commanders. He expressed satisfaction with the impact of the public awareness campaign on tyres, noting that within the short period of the sensitisation programme, people had embraced it with so much interest to the extent that they now check the date of manufacture of the tyres, thereby expressing preference for the ones manufactured in the current year.
6 news 24 million children to benefit from FG’s feeding programme —Osinbajo Friday, 10 June, 2016
Leon Usigbe -Abuja
A
CTING President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, presided over a meeting of stakeholders to review the strategic plan for the implementation of the national home grown school feeding programme. The programme is expected to provide a nutritious hot meal a day to over 24 million primary school children when fully operational. Declaring open the meeting at the Conference Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he reiterated that the programme would affect about 5.5 million Nigerians in the first year of its operation. The programme is part of the N500 billion Social Investment being planned for implementation by the present administration. Osinbajo explained that the strategy set out how the federal, state and local governments were to work together to deliver the primary objectives of the programme, namely, the feeding of the children in the primary schools with healthy nutritious meals prepared from local agricultural produce, cooked and served by food vendors and cooked in the local communities where the schools are located. He said the ultimate objectives were to bring real change to the lives of 20 million children, creating the multiplier effect on local economies in communities where the schools
were located by boosting agriculture, entrepreneurship and employment. Osinbajo emphasised that the programme’s main benefits included improving school enrollment and completion, curbing the current dropout rates from primary schools, as well as improving child nutrition and health. He added: “As a result of poverty, many children have poor nutrition and worrying health status. It will also increase local agricultural production and provide structural demand for agricultural produce and thus create local economies that have a ready-made market for their produce and guarantee profit. “It will also create jobs that will lift families over the poverty line into the brighter future. “The stategy plan will only work if there is cooperation between the federal, state and local governments. “These plans must have specific community implications. It is called home grown feeding for the reason that it must be owned by the people for whom it has been designed.” The vice-president noted that Federal Government had taken the responsibility to provide the part funding and also secure sound technical support. Launching the “Global School Feeding Source Book,” Osinbajo said the book launch underscored the fact that “our school feeding programme actu-
ally launches us into one into a national school feeding ecosystem with all the benefits of synergy and collaboration that blends.”
In his remark on the occasion, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State described the school feeding initiative as the best pro-
SPEAKER, House of Representatives, on Thursday, said one year was not enough to judge the performance of the eighth session of the House. The Speaker, who stated this in his remarks to celebrate the one year anniversary of the current House, noted that he was highly pleased that members had worked as a family since the inauguration of the House, stressing that, “it can be argued correctly that one legislative year out of a four-year Assembly is rather short for successes or failures to be appraised.” He, however, said “rather, as the foundation year, an appropriate legislative framework is expected to be put in place. “Nevertheless, in our own case, in the course of one
legislative session, we have put in place appropriate legislative frameworks, reform operations and processes and have recorded notable accomplishments, especially in relation to our agreed legislative agenda,” he stated. The Speaker, however, said the House passed a total of 85 bills in the first legislative year of the eighth National Assembly, noting that, within the period, the House received 685 bills. According to him, “About 98 per cent, 675 of them were members’ bills, 10 executive bills and out of the bills, 416 are awaiting second reading. 130 bills have been referred to committees; three are awaiting consideration and it is instructive to observe that 85 of these bills have been passed by the House so far.” On the issue of House resolution, the Speaker said
Rufai, respectively, made presentations on their states’ experiences with similar school feeding programme.
From left, Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State; Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna; Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno, during the launch of the national home grown school feeding programme, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN.
Grazing reserves: We’re not forcing anyone to donate lands —Agric minister Christian Okeke -Abuja MINISTER of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, on Thursday, said plans had been concluded to develop grazing reserves nationwide and that nobody would force anyone to donate lands for the project. He said the government already had enough lands donated by some state governments for the project, saying very soon, the problem over grazing rights
would be over. Ogbeh, while speaking in Abuja at a townhall meeting on good governance, stated that with about 45 million hectares lying idle, there was no reason for problem to arise over grazing. According to him, his ministry was focusing on achieving self-sufficiency in staple foods, not overlooking those that could be exported to earn forex. The minister acknowledged that the country was
One year not enough to judge our performance —Dogara Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja
gramme under the present dispensation. His Osun and Kaduna states counterparts, Rauf Aregbesola and Nasir el-
more motions were proposed in 2015/2016 legislative year than any other legislative year since 1999. He said by June 8, 2016, 530 motions were introduced out of which 15 were withdrawn.
Speaking further, he said: “The eighth House of Representatives has adequately prepared the grounds for effective contribution to the ‘Change Agenda’ of the present government through legislation.”
facing severe challenges in the area of food sufficiency as prices of rice and tomato, among others, had gone high. He attributed the situation to the fact that the country, over the years, migrated from culture of food production to food importation. Ogbeh argued that states and local governments must also be questioned on what they were doing regarding agriculture in their respective domains. Speaking further, the minister said the target of the government was to turn the country to become the highest producer of cocoa in the world, from its current third position. He disclosed that there were plans to train 50,000
extension workers to boost agricultural production, whereas the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was to train farm ranchers to protect investment in ranches so that cattle would no longer be stolen by rustlers. He warned that unless the country decided to cut down on its import, it would get no where. Speaking, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said citizens would start feeling the impact of the change matra of the current government in few weeks. He said with discipline in governance, the people would start seeing the fruit of the sacrifice they were making in the next few months.
INEC employs corps member injured during 2011 election THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday, offered an appointment letter to Mr Daniel Oluwatobi, an exNational Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, who lost his sight in an accident while serving as INEC ad hoc staff in Yobe State, during the 2011 general election. INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who led a team of national commissioners, secretary and some directors to the NYSC headquarters for the
presentation ceremony, commended corps members generally for their patriotism, dedication and commitment to election duties. “There is no way we can have a successful election without this crop of dedicated staff,” he said, while he also described corps members as part of “our most committed, patriotic and non-partisan election duty staff.” Yakubu recalled that the last time he visited the NYSC headquarters to condole with the Director-
General on the death of Mr Samuel Okonta, a youth corps member who lost his life during the Rivers State election, he had promised to offer automatic employment to Oluwatobi and to also oblige his (Oluwatobi’s) request to be posted to any state of his choice. “Today, we are fulfilling that promise,” he said, adding that “Oluwatobi has requested to be posted to Ogun State and to Ogun State he has now been posted.” He then presented the letter of appointment to the
NYSC Director-General, Brigadier-General Sule Kazaure, who in turn handed it over to Oluwatobi. Responding, the DG thanked the INEC chairman for the gesture. But he stressed the need for a review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between INEC and NYSC, in the areas of security, transportation, allowances and insurance cover for corps members. An obviously overwhelmed Oluwatobi gave a salute and a shout to acknowledge the gesture.
7
Friday, 10 June, 2016
Lagosmetro
Nigerian Tribune
Edited By
Lanre Adewole
olanreade@yahoo.com
0811 695 4647
Commotion in Oshodi as bus drivers crush vulcaniser to death Olalekan Olabulo THERE was commotion on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Oshodi area as a vulcaniser was crushed to death by two urban mass transit bus drivers. The news of the death of the vulcaniser, simply identified as Saheed, sparked off instant protest from traders in the area. The drivers were struggling for space when the deceased vulcaniser was trapped in-between their vehicles. A yet-to-be identified driver of one of the buses was later arrested by the police while the other one escaped. Lagos Metro gathered that the death of Saheed, said to be popular among transport unionists and lotto operators in Oshodi, forced many traders to close their shops for the day. Angry traders, artisans and residents later vented their anger on other bus drivers by ensuring that they were sent away from their usual park. A trader, Tony, told Lagos Metro that “the vehicles were parked in front of each other when suddenly there was a vacant space in the
front of the two of them. “Ordinarily, the bus in the front should have moved to the vacant space but the one at the back tried to overtake him and, in the process, the vulcaniser was crushed.” A transport union member, Olayiwola, told Lagos Metro that “Saheed had reportedly told them not to stay in front of his space, where he was doing his vulcanising job.” The union member, who pleaded anonymity, added that “there was no mark on his body but he was unconscious and people rushed him to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead.” The protest started when the other drivers went about with their business as if nothing had happened, prompting traders to protest. “One of the drivers ran away while the other followed the body of the vulcaniser to the hospital, before he was arrested,” the union member said. Efforts to get the reaction of the image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, failed as calls put through to her mobile telephone line were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
Vehicles wading through the flood at Ikoyi, on Thursday.
Flood shuts down Lekki, VI, Ikoyi, others Chukwuma Okparaocha and Gbemi Solaja
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AGOS residents have again been reminded of what to expect in months to come, as many communities, streets and roads, were, on Thursday, flooded with water after a few hours of downpour. Highbrow places such as parts of Lekki phase one and two, as well as the popular Ahmadu Bello Way, in Victoria Island, among other places, were among the worst affected, as they were massively covered with flood water. Also affected were parts of Ikoyi, including Queens Drive, and Ilabere Street, while Agungi, in Lekki road axis was equally flooded with run-off, leaving all the
drainages in the area overflowing into major roads. Scores of vehicles were seen by Lagos Metro having a hard time manoeuvring their way out of the water that had flooded the roads, while many pedestrians with trousers rolled-up to knee level were equally seen wading their way through a large collection of water on the Ahmadu Bello Way and other roads in Victoria Island. A lot of residents were also seen stranded at various bus stops, as many commercial buses had apparently been trapped in the ensuing gridlocks. Commuters and motorists plying major roads in the Lekki and Victoria Island area lamented that the downpour led to a situation whereby motorists had to even drain
Friends remanded for robbery Opeyemi Owoaseye
The deceased vulcaniser’s workplace.
ISMAILA Fatai, 24 and Sunday Atiye, 18, have been arrested by the state Crime Investigation Department, Panti, for allegedly engaging in robbery. It was leant that the suspects were arrested at Badore area of Ajah, where they allegedly committed the offence. They were said to have allegedly committed the act on April 9 and were caught with knives and cutlasses, which the police believed they used in committing the crime. The suspects were said to have also robbed one Mr
Opara Michael of his UBA ATM card, sum of N5,000, one I-Phone 6, Samsung X5 valued at about N355,000 and thereby committing an offence punishable under the law. The suspects, in their statements to the police, however,allegedly denied committing the crime, claiming they were not part of the robbery act. They were arraigned on a two-count charge before an Ebute Metta magistrates’ court on Thursday and remanded in prison custody, pending further advice from the DPP. The case was adjourned till July 13.
out water from their cars with bowls and kegs. “The downpour which did not stop till noon in some parts of the metropolis led to long queues at bus stops, and causing many to walk long hours to their destinations as buses did not arrive on schedule,” a motorist lamented. Also, hours after the downpour was over, many residents said they were forced to stay indoors, while those who were already in their
various shops and business centres when it started raining lamented poor business patronage. At the Adeogun area in Victoria Island, a tree was said to have been uprooted by windstorm that accompanied the downpour. Meanwhile, areas such as Surulere , Iganmu, Ijesha, and Ketu were said to have experienced mild flooding, which did not affect normal activities there.
Banker jailed 6yrs for stealing from dead customer’s account Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin A 35-year-old man, on Thursday, bagged six years in jail for admitting that he withdrew money from a dead man’s account. Olawale Garuba, formerly a staff of a new generation bank, admitted that he got the sum of N477,000 from deals that totalled over N30 million. Garuba was charged with four counts of conspiracy and nine counts of stealing before an Ikeja High Court. He pleaded guilty to all offences which are punishable under Section 285(1), Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. While pleading for leniency, the defence counsel, Chief Olanrewaji Ajanaku, told the court that the accused has a young family comprising his wife, aged 27, and two children aged one and three years respec-
tively. He added that the dependants of the accused would be deprived of fatherly love if he was sent to jail. “The accused had learnt his lesson and is now a changed person,” Ajanaku told the court. Delivering her judgment, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye noted that the pleas of the defence were noted; nevertheless she had to jail the accused to serve as deterrent to others. The judge berated the accused for ingratitude and dishonesty. “Many graduates are on the streets without a job but you have one and instead of being thankful for having the job, you busied yourself stealing customers’ hard earned money,” the judge averred. However, the jail terms will run concurrently. The accused has been in custody since July 24, 2015.
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south-westnews
Friday, 10 June, 2016
Banks refuse workers’ loan
•As assembly calls for negotiation between workers, govt
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OST commercial banks operating in Ekiti have placed embargo on further granting of loans against salary to workers in the state. Dependable bank sources told a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, that granting of loans to workers was stopped more than two months ago. According to a source, who pleaded not to be mentioned, the banks took the decision when it became apparent that those with old loans could no longer fulfill their monthly repayment obligations to their banks. Further investigation revealed that some of the banks have been finding it difficult to cope with the situation, hence their decision to adopt the strategy. Some of the affected civil servants, who did not want to be named, confirmed to
NAN that their applications to banks for top-up loan were declined while fresh applications were left unattended to. A staff of one of the first generation banks told NAN that the embargo was from their corporate headquarters, adding that it did not target Ekiti alone but affected other states with record of backlog of unpaid salaries. According to the bank source, those categorised as financially credible to obtain loan for now are federal workers, private
individuals, traders, businessmen, contractors as well as artisans with records of fidelity. Meanwhile, the Ekiti State House of Assembly, on Thursday, called for a genuine reconciliation between the state government and its striking workers. The Assembly passed the resolution at its parliamentary meeting held at the Assembly complex, Ado-Ekiti. The workers, currently on strike, were demanding the release of the staff audit and verification con-
ducted in April 2015 and the disclosure of the state monthly internally generated revenue. It also wanted the state government to pay the arrears of five months salaries pension and gratuities, payment of September 2014 salary to primary school teachers and payment of 2014 and 2015 leave bonuses. The workers were also asking the state government to implement the promotion examinations conducted for its workers for 2013, 2014, 2015, the approval of inter-cadre transfer and the
June 12: Amosun grants amnesty to 17 prisoners remission of 10 per cent GR to local government. They were also calling for the stoppage of Joint Allocation Committee’s account, resuscitation of Local Government staff pension fund and release of running grants. The resolution paper signed by the Speaker, Mr Kola Oluwawole, Mr Tunji Akinyele (Chairman) and Mr Sina Animashaun (Secretary) respectively, appealed to the organised labour in the state to embrace a round-table negotiation with the state.
Fayose’s wife to hold crucial meetings with wives of state govs, others today THE wife of Ekiti State governor, Mrs Feyisetan Fayose, will today, Friday, June 10, 2016 hold a high level meeting in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, with some critical stakeholders . The meeting is to strategise how to eliminate female genital mutilation in the state. Mrs Fayose will also be joined at the meeting by Mrs Florence Ajimobi, Oyo; Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, Osun and Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, Ondo. According to the statement signed in Ado Ekiti by Gbenga Ariyibi, Special Assistant (Media) to the wife of the Ekiti State governor, the office of the wife of the governor is collaborating with the United Nation Population Fund to organise the programme. Ekiti State occupies the second position among the six states in Nigeria with the highest prevalence of female genital mutilation, even though there was a general consensus that the age long practice was harmful and need to be abandoned, regrettably, the governor’s wife stated that there still remained a major practice in the state with the practitioners hiding under religious and cultural myths on the benefit of female genital mutilation.
From left, Public Affairs Manager, Arik Air, Mr Adebanji Ola; Chief Pilot, Captain Adetokunbo Adekunbi; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and his wife, Wuraola, during the departure of the monarch to New York, United States, through Arik Air, on Wednesday night.
UI to reopen June 20 —Senate By Tunde Ogunesan
THE Senate of the University of Ibadan, on Thursday, approved the reopening of the university for academic activities on June 20, six weeks after the school was closed over students protest. The Senate of the institution, presided over by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, resolved to reopen
the premier university for full academic activities on June 20, 2016 while examinations would commence on July 4. The students had expressed their displeasure over the suspension of one of the students involved in the protest by the students’ disciplinary committee and non-availability of some amenities needed on the campus, such as lack of power and water which
they said had made learning difficult for them. The school was shut indefinitely on April 6, 2016 following restiveness on campus. While considering the decision of the Committee of Provost, Deans and Directors, the Senate urged the university administration to hold an interactive session with the student body before being allowed into residence on the need
Universities must learn to be sustainable —Afe Babalola Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti
A former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos and the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has said time had come for Nigerian universities to cultivate the culture of self sustainability. The foremost legal icon said, while receiving a team of investors from South Africa, on Thursday, that diversifying to areas other than academics would make any university
that prides itself a model, to be financially strong and less dependent on their owners. Babalola told the team of agriculture investors from South Africa at the ABUAD campus that this was what made ABUAD to stand out as the second best private university in Nigeria currently. Chief Babalola said ABUAD was currently playing leading role in this regard through farming, hospitality, printing, piggery, fishing, bakery, food processing and fruit juice
processing as well as general consultancy services among several others. He said the construction of a world-class University Teaching Hospital is also currently being built by the university and would soon be ready for inauguration. He added that his university decided to invite the team from South Africa for the purpose of finding a ready market for its teak trees, which he said was over one million stands among other export products grown on the institution’s farms.
to abide by the matriculation oath and conduct themselves in a responsible manner. The Vice Chancellor, Professor Olayinka, had commended the parents who attended the stakeholders’ meeting of the university, stating that the university believed that the parents would caution their wards, saying the premier university would apply sanctions prescribed in the laws of the university on any erring student. The Vice Chancellor, who lamented the eight-week loss in the calendar of the university due to the crisis, informed that the session will now end around January 11, 2017 as against October 2016 in the original academic calendar. He said “those who are supposed to graduate this year will now have to wait till next year.” He noted that though some parents offered to assist the university, it is impossible for the university to introduce any fees in the middle of the session to improve the provision of utility services on campus.
Olayinka Olukoya-Abeokuta
SEVENTEEN prisoners serving in various prisons formations in Ogun State have been granted amnesty by the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. This was contained in a statement by his media aide, Juwon Soyinka, to newsmen on Thursday, that the gesture was part of the activities marking 2016 Democracy Day and June 12 celebrations respectively. This was in line with the power conferred on him by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, to grant prerogative of mercy to convicts. 13 out of the prisoners regained their freedom while the remaining four have their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. Those granted amnesty were: Wale Ibidapo Ogungbade, Emmanuel Obi, Oshilaru Abiodun, Wasiu Raimi, Abiola Samuel, Obi Moses, Abiodun Odedele, Ojo Wasiu, Lateef Bello, Dosu Sunday, Kayode Ogunsawo Sunday Agbehi, Stephen Kolade, Saburi Adebayo, Lekan Shodiya, Ogunsanya Segun and Tolani Ajayi while those on the death row whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment were Akeem Fatai, Nnamdi Osuagu, Sunday Oloyede and Idowu Okanlawon.
Ogun PDP inaugurates ad hoc committees THE Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, under the leadership of Mr Adebayo Dayo, has inaugurated five ad-hoc committees for the smooth running of the party. In a statement released at the event by the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Mr Bolaji Adeniji, the committees included: Finance, Publicity, Youth mobilisation, Women mobilisation and Mobilisation & Reconciliation committee. The inauguration, which was held on Thursday, at the state secretariat, IBB Boulevard, Abeokuta, was chaired by the state Deputy Chairman, Hon Boye Adesina, who acted on behalf of the chairman who was unavoidably absent. Adesina, in his opening remarks, urged all members of the committee to see the assignment as a call to duty. He said, “We have decided to remove the burden of running party affairs off ourselves by involving members of the party to take up roles in helping to grow the party.
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
OYSIEC nominee fails screening By Wale Akinselure
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member- nominee of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Mr Bello Lateef, on Thursday, failed the screening of the state House of Assembly and had his nomination stepped down. Quoting provisions of the OYSIEC law, the Assembly nullified Bello’s nomination for violating the law stipulation that whoever was nominated as OYSIEC member should not be a civil servant and not belong to any political party. Bello, during his presentation had said that he was a serving teacher, with members also confirming this status in the credentials presented by the nominee. Defending the Assembly’s position, Chairman, Parliamentary, Honourable Olusegun Ajanaku said, “The law stipulates that whoever is nominated as OYSIEC member should not be a civil servant and should not belong to any political party. You would
see that during the screening, the candidate himself said that he is still a serving teacher, which means he is a civil servant, hence, we had to step down his name for further clarification.” Asked on what basis the candidate could be reabsorbed for screening, he
said, “Even if he desires to take leave of absence, he should have done so before the nomination. We are only following the law to the letter which states that a civil servant should not be a member of the electoral commission. In the case of him resigning today, his name will have to be resent
•As assembly confirms 7 others
to the House of Assembly by the executive governor. We are trying not to violate the existing law which could make the activities of the OYSIEC invalid.” The nomination of the other members was confirmed. The confirmed OYSIEC members were, Mr Ajeigbe Olajide, as Chair-
man; Mr Sunday Aborisade, Mr Adedeji Raimi and Mr David Adeagbo. Others were Mrs Omolola Odekunbi, Mr Abdulrasaq Akuru and Mr Rasheed Olajire. Speaking after his confirmation, Chairman, OYSIEC, Mr Ajeigbe assured of the conduct of a free, fair
Ekiti assembly passes vote of confidence on Fayose Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti
Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko (right), addressing Ondo State workers during their peaceful protest, in Akure, on Thursday.
Unpaid salaries: Ondo traditional rulers, workers’ meeting deadlocked Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure
TRADITIONAL rulers in Ondo State on Thursday met with the leadership of the organised labour in the state to appeal to the workers who have been on industrial strike for over a week over nonpayment of their salaries. The traditional rulers, led by the Chairman of the state Council of Traditional rulers, Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Kiladejo, said the meeting was organised to appeal to the workers, but not to negotiate with the workers. Nigerian Tribune, however, gathered that the meeting with leadership of the workers’ union and the traditional rulers was deadlocked as the repre-
sentatives of the workers maintained that the state government must pay the five months salaries before returning to their offices. The strike action, however, took another dimension on Thursday, as the striking workers in the state stormed some major roads in Akure, the capital
city, to protest against the nonpayment of their salaries from January till date. The striking workers, who assembled at the state secretariat as early as 7a.m., chanting various anti - government songs, carrying placards of various inscriptions, such as “Mimiko pay our salary,
we can’t feed our families, “workers are dying of hunger, ise pupo, iya repete (much work, more sorrow), among others. The workers accused the state government of insensitivity to their plight, saying some of the workers have lost their lives while some have been turned to
beggars. The protest that lasted for over four hours was led by the chairmen of JNC, NLC and TUC in the state, while the main gate leading to the Government House was blocked by the workers, denying the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko access.
Ondo 2016: No plan to impose candidate in APC —Oke Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2012 governorship election in Ondo state and a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election, Chief Olusola Oke, on Thursday, said
Lagos assembly confirms Philips as LASIEC chairman THE Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday confirmed the appointment of the immediate past Chief Judge (CJ) of the state, Justice Ayotunde Philips as the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). Justice Philips’ appointment, which was confirmed during plenary on Thursday, followed her nomination by the state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode through a letter sent to the House few
and acceptable election. He assured of being transparent and sensitising stakeholders through seminars to prevent and neutralise crisis in the elections. On his impartiality in conducting the election, Ajeigbe said, “APC did not appoint me. I was appointed on my own merit, by the government, to put my expertise in the profession into practice.”
weeks back. The Clerk of the House, Mr Sanni Azeez was subsequently ordered to communicate the confirmation of the appointment of Philips to the governor through a letter. Justice Philips, who was invited to the House to defend her nomination, said during plenary that she was prepared for the job and that this would halt her retirement, which she had enjoyed for sometime now, adding that she was ready to serve the state.
there was no iota of truth that the party had zoned the ticket of the party to any of the senatorial zones in the state. Oke, who stated this in Okitipupa, headquarters of Okitipupa Local Govern-
ment Area of the state, assured the party members that the party’s candidate for the November governorship election would emerge through a transparent, free and fair party primaries. He also assured that APC
would not impose any of the aspirants on the party as against the rumour in the state, saying this was designed and targeted to cause chaos in the party ahead the governorship election.
THE Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed a vote of confidence on the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, saying he has “performed creditably well even within the meager resources available to the state government.” The House, in a resolution on Thursday, also “appealed to the labour movement in the state under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliates not to allow itself to be used by external forces against the government of Ekiti State.” A statement by the Speaker’s media aide, Stephen Gbadamosi, said they stated this in a resolution of the House at a parliamentary session of the first session of the House in 2016, signed by the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole; Sina Animasaun, Secretary; and Tunji Akinyele, Chairman. He said the legislature maintained that “the Ekiti State House of Assembly, hereby, passed a vote of confidence on Governor Fayose because he has performed creditably and transparently well within the meager resources available to the state.”
Oyo PFN opposes grazing bills By Nurudeen Alimi
PENTECOSTAL churches in Oyo State, under the aegis of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Oyo State chapter, have kicked against the Grazing Bill as proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari. Speaking on behalf of PFN after an enlarged meeting held at Victory International Church, Oluyole Extension, Ibadan, on Thursday, the Chairman, Bishop Taiwo Adelakun, noted that such bill, if passed into law would be tantamount to causing trouble in states. “We are not in support of the Grazing Bill because
it is going to be like forcefully taking what belongs to others in those states. We are of the opinion that the government should encourage those who are into the business of rearing cows to buy land and set up ranch which will serve as grazing zones for cows. The Grazing Bill intent can cause problems in the country and we want to ask our lawmakers to back down on it.” Also speaking on Sharia law bill, Adelakun, said:”On the issue of sharia law, particularly the criminal aspect of it, which has passed through the second reading in the House of Representatives, we want
to urge the lawmakers to be cautious of how they handle anything that has to do with religion. “It is a constitutional matter and it involves everybody, not just a section, not just a group of people. The constitution cannot be amended without the input of all and Nigeria is a secular state, Nigeria is neither a Christian state nor a Muslim state. So the secularity of Nigeria as explained in the constitution should be maintained.” The PFN, also, urged the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), the Niger-Delta Avengers to embrace dialogue in the quest for their demand
from the government. “We want to appeal to those groups to embrace dialogue. Nigeria has come to stay as a nation and God’s purpose for the country will stand. We appeal to the Niger Delta Avengers, the MASSOB, IPOB and other aggrieved groups to embrace dialogue and see themselves as Nigerians and part of the Nigerian state.” The PFN condemned the spate of kidnapping especially in the South-West part of the country: “Those who are involved in the act should know that the wrath of God is coming upon them if they fail to desist from such act.”
11 businessnews Banks agree to halt mass sack
Friday, 10 June, 2016
•Labour gives 21-day ultimatum to banks to reverse sack From Sanya Adejokun and SojiEze Fagebemi
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HE Nigerian Bankers’ Committee at their 327th meeting in Abuja on Thursday has finally agreed to halt the spate of recent mass sack in the industry They were also briefed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that framework for the much awaited flexible exchange rate would be released very soon. In addition, representatives of the bankers and CBN who briefed reporters at the end of the meeting equally disclosed that modality for the establishment of National Collateral Registry has been completed by the apex bank and it will soon be published. Those who briefed the press included Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, CBN Director of Banking Supervision; Bola Adesola, Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank; Philip Odozua, Managing Director of UBA; Emeka Emuwa who is Managing Director of Union Bank and Isaac Okoroafor, acting Director of Communications of the CBN. According to Adesola, “obviously, banks understand the implication of people not being in employment especially with what the situation is like in the country. And we are looking at ways we will ensure that we minimise exits from institutions. “There will always be exits. People will exit the institutions. As a matter of fact, it is something we have discussed in the past with the CBN Governor prevailing on the banks to minimise any exits from the institutions. “We have noted the market sentiments and am sure that going forward, it will be different but as
I said, we must recognise also that there would be reasons why people would leave and it is not just in the banking industry- telecoms and other sectors have had this type of situation before but it is something that we would manage.” Speaking on the flexible exchange rate, which the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) resolved to introduce at their last meeting in May and which President Muhammadu Buhari endorsed in his Democracy Day broadcast on May 29, Odozua said CBN
of the delay in releasing the details of the policy in hoarding hard currencies. “Whoever is involved in currency speculation as we are waiting for the model and as such is hoarding the currency should know that he is likely going to be deceived at the end of the day because once this policy model is released they will find out that a lot of the issues that have been affecting foreign exchange in Nigeria would be dealt with. I believe that people have to be very careful,” he stated. The bankers also agreed to stimulate economic de-
velopment to by increasing lending to the private sector. Adesola of Standard Chartered said the meeting discussed the successful anchor borrowers programme and how that framework could be replicated to other industries. “We are working on how we can stimulate SMEs growth and development right down the value chain whether it is agric, telecom, power, education and so on.” Explaining how the National Collateral Registry would work, Okoroafor
Managing Director, Friesland Campina Wamco, Rahul Colaco (middle) and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh (right), signing to renew the Memorandum of Understanding for dairy development programme between the company and Federal Government of Nigeria, in Abuja, on Thursday. With them is the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture Production and Services, Mohammed Monguno. PHOTO: NAN
Shareholders urge FG to pay banks for TSA services Chima Nwokojji-Lagos
STAKEHOLDERS in the financial system have called on the Federal Government to pay Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and other service providers the money due to them for services rendered under the Treasury Single
FirstBank deepens SME capacity through radio programme BARELY a year after the commencement of the SME Radio programme, The Economy & You, First Bank of Nigeria Limited says it has empowered millions of SMEs across the nation. The programme, which has so far featured over 45 entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds since its debut, has the objective to educate, inform and build capacity for small business owners by providing them with the information and resources needed to grow their businesses, according to the bank. According to the bank’s Deputy Managing Director, Gbenga Shobo, sponsorship of the programme
was being deliberately meticulous in preparing the framework. “The exchange rate issue has been problematic and the CBN is determined to get it right this time. That is why they are taking time. It is the reason central bank has called for inputs from so many stakeholders and they are distilling these inputs. I believe that is going to be ready in a very short time,” he explained. The UBA boss, however, warned currency speculators to perish the idea of taking undue advantage
was in sync with the bank’s strategy to build capacity amongst SME players and foster the growth and development of small and medium scale businesses in Nigeria. “We are committed to providing practical help on relevant challenges faced by small businesses and SMEs will have an unrestricted access to the archived materials from ‘The Economy and You”, he said. Just recently, the DMD hosted SME Entrepreneurs to a Breakfast Session which fostered direct interactions with SMEs and provided practical solutions to support their businesses,” he said.
Account(TSA),rather than threatening to withdraw their operating license for breach of its directive to stop mass sack of workers. They said payment for such services will make good sums of money available to the banks to continue rendering profitable services which will in turn enable them retain some key staff, as opposed to a situation where public sector funds have been mopped up, while their service charges are being
withheld. Olabode Adeyemi, Executive Director Africa Media Initiative in a Channels TV program monitored in Lagos said the mop up of cash through Treasury Single Account (TSA) has affected the viability of Nigerian banks. TSA according to him, is like unfinished business because the Federal Government has not reciprocated the effort of service providers by releasing the accrued funds agreed upon at the sign-
ing of Memorandum of Understanding(MoU). “For me, good as it is that the deposit money banks are collecting,that Systemspecs Limited has allowed its Remitta platform to render this useful service, it is proper for government to respect the agreement and effect immediate release of what is due to them. By the time it does this, we will conclude and agree that TSA platform has come to stay and will continue to work uniterruptedly.”
Dangote joins Afreximbank as shareholder THE Dangote Group, Africa’s leading indigenous conglomerate, has become the latest corporate organisation to join the African Export-Import Bank as a shareholder. According to information released by Afreximbank, the Dangote Group completed the process of acquiring equity in the bank on May 30 this year with a “substantial investment. “I consider Afreximbank a good vehicle for fostering regional integration in
Africa which aligns with our vision and mission for growth and development across the continent,” Dangote Group President and Chief Executive Officer, Aliko Dangote, was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Afreximbank. Welcoming the action by the Dangote Group, President of Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Oramah, stated that the investment was “a strong vote of confidence in the bank by, arguably, the largest indigenous corpo-
rate organisation in Africa. “The massive investment the Dangote Group is making across Africa makes it a partner of choice in the delivery of our intraAfrican trade strategy. Working with the Dangote Group, we will build supply chain financing across Africa that could reach $1 billion in the short term, promoting intra-regional trade and growth of Short and Medium Enterprises and creating much needed jobs.”
said, “the essence of the Collateral Register is that with your phone, refrigerator or any other property, you can take a loan and still retain the services of those assets once they are properly registered. “This is being introduced to ensure that people who have been constrained by lack of collateral from taking loans can now use those movable assets. You can use your car as collateral for loan and you will still be driving it once it is properly registered.” Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), declared on Thursday that they would picket banks that indulge in further mass sack of their employees, saying that the Federal Government was right to have warned the erring banks with withdrawal of their licenses if they refused to halt the gale of mass retrenchment of workers. Addressing a joint press conference at the venue of the on-going 105th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland, the two Labour groups stated that just like the banks disobeyed the laws of this country, when it comes to retrenching their (unions) members, “we will picket them to show them that they do not have monopoly of law of disobedience.” Both the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and the TUC President, Bobboi Kaigama, who frowned at the refusal of the banks to allow their workers to unionise, said the pronouncement of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige was expected. Also, the Comrade Ajaero faction led of the NLC has given a 21-day ultimatum to the banks that have engaged in mass sack against the rules of engagement to reverse the decision or face the wrath of the workers. “If it however after correcting themselves desires to insist on sacking the affected workers, it must comply with the laid down procedure for embarking on such unfortunate exercise. Congress will be forced to take all necessary steps to assist the banks see the need to comply with the laws of Nigerian if after 21 days of this release the illegally sacked workers are not recalled by the affected banks. We advise all affiliates and state councils to start immediate mobilisation against these banks as we work with other segments of the society to compel them to work within the ambits of our laws and the traditions and ethos governing Industrial Relations Practice in Nigeria.”
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editorial
Friday, 10 June, 2016
Nigerian Tribune
These barbaric killings must stop
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ESS than a week after the gruesome killing of Methodus Emmanuel, a 24-year-old Igbo trader in Pandogari in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State by a mob of Muslim fanatics for posting an allegedly blasphemous statement about Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on the social media, 75-year-old Bridget Agbahime, another trader, was stoned to death for the same reason. In the former case, four other persons including a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), reportedly lost their lives in the ensuing fracas. In the latter case, eye witness reports indicated that the deceased had not even committed the said offence, and that the fellow trader at Kofar Wambai textile market in Kano who incited the mob that lynched her had deliberately told the mob a lie in the aftermath of the heated argument that ensued after he had sought to provoke her by performing ablution in front of her shop. The extremists quickly found her guilty of blasphemy without trial and delivered swift judgement, right in the presence of her husband, who miraculously survived the ordeal. Worse still, another Christian, Francis Emmanuel, narrowly escaped death on Wednesday when a gang of six Muslim fanatics stabbed him repeatedly at a restaurant in Kakuri, Kaduna State, accusing him of failing to observe the ongoing Ramadan fast. Naturally, the latest incidents orchestrated by miscreants hiding under the cloak of religion have been received with outrage from across the country, provoking a downpour of condemnations from the federal and state governments, high ranking Islamic and Christian leaders, members of the academia and the general public, among others. It is indeed heart-warming that President Muhammadu Buhari swiftly swung into action by condemning the Kano incident, condoling with the husband of the deceased and giving assurances that justice would be done. That action no doubt doused the festering tension in the polity. Again, the apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, called on the authorities to take every necessary step to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. In a similar vein, the Sultan of Sokoto, who is also President of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), through a statement issued by the Secretary-General of the group, Dr Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu, described the killing as ugly, criminal and unIslamic, while the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) warned that that the trial of the killers must not be done in secret. Also, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President of Women Arise, described the cold-blooded murder of the octogenarian Bridget as barbaric, calling for the prosecution of the perpetrators of the dastardly act. Happily, the Nigeria Police acted swiftly in apprehending suspects. Indeed, brutal murders robed in the guise of religious fervor are not alien to the Northern part of the country and, sadly, may happen again. Not many Nigerians have forgotten the historical precursors of the latest incidents, most notably the beheading in
Kano, in 1995, of an Igbo trader, Gideon Akaluka, for allegedly desecrating the Qur’an. In 2007, a secondary school teacher, Christianah Oluwasesin, was lynched by her students in Gombe State for allegedly desecrating the Qur’an. However, she had simply seized some notes smuggled into the examination hall and hidden in the holy book. And in 2009, Grace Ushang, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was raped and murdered in 2009 in Maiduguri, Borno State, charged with wearing the khaki trousers issued to her by the Federal Government. The universal condemnation of the latest incidents across the country is therefore most gratifying, especially given the perception that Nigeria has become, in recent times, more divided than it has ever been. Disturbingly, statistics by Open Doors, an organisation that monitors religiously motivated violence and discrimination, indicate that there has been a 62 per cent increase in the violent killings of Christians in Northern Nigeria in the last one year. The organisation’s annual league table of the worst countries in which to be a Christian showed that Nigeria has the largest number of Christians killed for their faith, recording more than half of the over 7,000 killings around the globe. This is disturbing, especially because Nigeria is officially a secular state with a constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. Indeed, that Nigeria is a nation drunken on an overdose of religion devoid of morality may be an understatement. Those who carried out the recent killings cannot, in good conscience, claim that their lives are truly reflective of the teachings of Prophet Mohammad, yet they wasted no time in terminating the lives of people of other faiths who they claimed blasphemed the prophet. The Nigerian society, in general, would thus need a revaluation of the essence of religion, and religious institutions and the security agencies have more than a passing role to play in this regard. In particular, teachings that legitimize religious superiority and barbarism must be assailed by counter narratives, while the security agencies must tackle hate preaching and preachers under the extant laws. One reason incidents such as the current ones have festered over the years is the seeming tardiness of security agencies in pursuing the cases to a logical conclusion, a factor that has made many Nigerians to lose faith in the justice system. In this connection, the police would need to demonstrate thorough professionalism in the instant case and send a powerful message to those who trifle with human life on the altar of self righteousness, intolerance, or pure mischief. When the full weight of the law is brought to bear on perpetrators of violent crimes, those minded to pursue such a course of action in future will be fully apprised of the fate that awaits them. We hope that the murderers of Methodus Emmanuel, Bridget Agbahime and others will pay for their crimes and that these cases will not swell the ranks of unresolved killings in the country.
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14 LETTERS TO THE
Friday, 10 June, 2016
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Scrapping of Post-UTME, a welcome development
T
HE combined policy meeting for admission to tertiary institutions in Nigeria, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that drew all stakeholders in the education sector from across the country to Abuja, where the scrapping of the PostUnified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (PostUTME) was announced by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, last Thursday, was, indeed, a laudable decision. No doubt, the so-called Post-UTME that was rigidly embraced by tertiary institutions in Nigeria as a supposed model for measuring individual candidate’s mental ability, before being offered admission for a course of study in Nigerian tertiary institutions, was a mere ploy aimed at extorting unsuspecting parents of their hard-earned money. To all discerning minds and pundits in the educa-
tion sector, the exercise (post-UTME) was a duplication of the ComputerBased Test (CBT), a brainchild of Professor ‘Dibu Ojerinde. The Post-UTME exercise was far from raising the standard of entry into tertiary institutions in Nigeria in terms of quality control of admitted candidates, as Nigerians were made to believe, rather, it was a grand deception by the operators of the bogus system to further widen the gap between the lessprivileged masses and the ‘high and mighty’ in the society. The ruse became manifest through the denial of admission to several thousands of qualified candidates who earned shiny grades in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSSCE), and who also made above average score in the PostUTME. Nigerians have not forgotten in a hurry that only
On Avengers’ missile threat IF the Niger Delta Avengers truly have the capability to attack Nigerian helicopters and jets with missiles, then this is a dangerous development for the country. When President Muhammadu Buhari finally parleys with the militants, thereby bringing an end to the hostilities, the fact that the militants have
missiles in their arsenal is somehow frightening, and sooner than later, they will use them. President Buhari should, therefore, work towards ensuring that the militants surrender their weapons like they did at the start of the amnesty programme. •Favour Aigbe, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Traffic wardens: Appeal to IGP I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, to complete the promotions of traffic wardens which he promised upon assuming the leadership of the force. Mr Arase said he would promote about 5,000 traffic wardens, but only about 2,000 have been promoted, remaining 3,000 wardens. I want the IGP to quickly order the promotion of the remaining wardens, since he will soon bow out of service.
Another problem facing traffic wardens is that they have delayed promotions; before a warden is promoted to the next rank, his colleague in the police would have been promoted three times. I hope Mr Arase will address this unjust policy against traffic wardens before he leaves office. However, if this issue is not addressed now, then it will affect the morale of traffic wardens in the country. •Jimoh Mumin, jimohmumin@yahoo.com
a fraction of the army of potential university candidates, in particular, who wrote and passed the supposed Post-UTME organised mainly by Federal and states’ universities in Nigeria, in 2015, were not considered for admission in the institutions, even for non-competitive courses. Worst still, most Federal, states and private universities, as a result of lack of requisite facilities, adopted the ‘paper-pencil test’ mode in the name of Post-UTME screening of candidates for admission, which in itself, was brazenly a means for manipulation of candidates’ results by admission racketeers in the institutions, in favour of their cronies and relatives. JAMB, as of today, has successfully mended all areas where its roof leaked in the past in terms of question paper leakages and other alleged sharp practices perpetrated by some members of staff of the
board, through water-tight regulatory mechanism. In addition, the body has further concretised the standard of its examinations through the introduction of the CBT model, a unique electronic diverse that produces results of examinations conducted by JAMB in a matter of hours, thus, blocking the loophole for manipulation of candidates’ results by fraudsters, as was the case in the 1990s and early 2000s. All of the above reasons, in my conviction, inspired
stakeholders at the combined policy meeting to have unanimously passed a vote of confidence on JAMB for its commendable conduct of the CBT examination. My suggestion is that we should go back to the basics and properly tackle the issue of the declining standard of education in Nigeria, at the primary and post-primary levels, by thoroughly grooming our younger ones in order to adequately prepare them for likely academic challenges
they may encounter in tertiary institutions. To sum up, we should all endorse the UTME as the sole qualifying examination into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, as is the case overseas. Also, we should not allow selfishly motivated policy (ies) to drag the country backwards in this technology-driven world. •Olukayode Alawode, Ikeja, Lagos.
Diversification: Letter to Dr Audu Ogbeh NOW that the Federal Government is looking towards diversifying the economy from oil to agriculture, then the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Audu Ogbeh, is one of the most important ministers under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Experts have told us how we can use agriculture
to eradicate poverty in the country, as well as provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youth, but I want to say I am yet to get the direction which the ministry under Dr Ogbeh is heading. When Dr Akinwumi Adesina was the minister, he simplified the purchase of fertilizers for farmers, while
also making it easier for farmers to sell their produce using mobile phones. I want Dr Ogbeh to address agricultural stakeholders on the difference he will make as the head of this important ministry. •Dr Uzazi Ahmed, Lokoja, Kogi State.
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
Textile industry and Nigeria’s economic revival By Ronke Ademiluyi
F
OR so long, the textile, apparel and footwear industry played a dominant role in the manufacturing sector of the Nigerian economy. With a record high of over 140 companies, Nigeria witnessed a boom in the textile manufacturing industries in the 1960s to 1970s with companies such as Kaduna Textiles, Kano Textiles, United Nigeria Textiles, Aba Textiles, Texlon Nigeria Limited, First Spinners Limited, among others, employing about a million people, contributing about 15 percent of the manufacturing sector earnings to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Nigerian economy and accounting for over 60 percent of the textile industry capacity in West Africa. The story, however, changed for the industry in the 1980s. Following the discovery of oil and the subsequent oil boom, the government became reliant on oil and abandoned agriculture. The neglect of the agricultural sector had an adverse effect on the textile industry. The production of cotton, the basic raw material used for the manufacture of clothes regressed rapidly as its production capacity declined by 50 percent. In addition, the economic regression meant that manufacturers could not afford to import sophisticated modern equipment which could have facilitated the production processes. Similarly, textile manufacturers and fabric designers who could afford to import raw materials procured these at astronomical costs which had effects on their businesses. This meant the textile industry had insufficient and, at times, no raw material to work with. Also, the trade liberalisation polices adopted in 1986 following the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), saw the flooding of imported fabrics and finished goods, thereby degenerating the manufacturing capacity of the industry. By the 1990s, the degradation of infrastructure, especially the lack of stable electricity supply, affected textile manufacturers as they could not keep up with the strains of production and this led to the closure of a number of textile companies, with hundreds of workers rendered helpless. By 1998, the industry was operating at a capacity of just 28 percent.
The abysmal performance of the textile industry and, indeed, the entire manufacturing sector is, indeed, a sad tale. The sector, which played a major role in boosting of nation’s economy and development, is suddenly a shadow of itself as the country’s manufacturing capacity, especially the textile industry, is at an all-time low and its poor performance is having a bearing on the Nigerian economy. Despite the fact that oil, Nigeria’s major source of income, is in a declining state and its overall contribution to the economy has reduced drastically, the manufacturing sector unfortunately lacks the capacity to provide relief to Nigeria’s ailing economy as it only contributes a paltry seven percent to the GDP of the economy, with the textile, apparel and footwear industry contributing about N1.8 billion of that in 2015, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report. It has, however, been proven that the textile industry is, indeed, a driver of growth and employment globally. For example, the exports of the textile industry in Hungary edged up to 3.2 percent in 2014 to $1.62 billion from $1.57 billion in 2013. With a strong labour population of over 43,000 in the textile industry, the involvement of medium-size enterprises in the industry and a robust export of textile products to countries such as Germany, Italy, Austria, France and Romania, a tremendous improvement has been forecasted for Hungary’s economy in 2016. The influence of the textile industry is bigger in China with more than 100,000 manufacturers employing over 10 million people. The industry is estimated to contribute about 47 percent to the country’s GDP, with its value of garment export believed to be around $153.219 billion as at 2013. With its percentage of the global garment market
at 38 percent, China is the world’s largest manufacturer, exporter and consumer of garments. The Chinese textile industry remains competitive due to the continued investment in the domestic industry. Given the importance of the high productivity of the textile industry in boosting economic growth and the standard of living of the people, as evident in the examples stated above, and with the glowing success of the country’s fashion designers today as seen in both local and international fashion shows, it is apparent that Nigeria must give priority to the textile industry and, indeed, the entire spectrum of the manufacturing industry to improve the fortunes of the Nigerian people and the economy. The government must provide the enabling environment for textile manufacturers and fashion designers to thrive. Provision of critical infrastructure such as electricity and a good transport system needed by the manufacturers and designers should be made available to help them become truly productive. Also, the recently formulated policy road map for the creation of fashion clusters, the Integrated Textiles and Garment Parks (ITGPS), should be formally adopted by the present government and ensure it implements the policy provisions to the letter. The government should also provide funding and financial incentives for members of the textile industry as it is done in other countries. Financial institutions of government such as the Bank of Industry, and the Nigeria Export-Import Bank should endeavour to provide funds to both manufacturers and designers as this would help in the long-term to grow the economy. Finally, there is a need for sustained dialogue by all stakeholders in the country to ensure that they undertake a comprehensive study and solutions on how to modernise, strengthen and get the industry to perform competitively locally and ultimately globally. Only by enacting all these would the Nigerian people and economy truly benefit from the thriving textile, apparel and footwear subsectors of the manufacturing industry. •Ademiluyi, founder and chief executive officer, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria and London, writes from Lagos.
30 days of simple hopes By Anthony a. Kila
ONCE upon a time, there was a land wherein it was common practice for everyone to be happily affected by, and even actively participate in any kind of religious festival or event around them. It did not really matter whether it was a Christian, Muslim or Egungun festival, everyone in the various communities enjoyed the events and they all rejoiced with their associates, colleagues, neighbours or family members who were part of that creed even though they were not. The only difference between say a Christian and a Muslim on Christmas day was who paid bill because everybody celebrated and those who belonged to the celebrated faith hosted or sent refreshments to those who did not. All that was way before terms like diversity, multicultural, multi-religious and tolerance became trendy in Europe and America. The land where such peaceful and joyous communion reigned was Nigeria and the period, not long ago, was before the Christians started seeing Satan everywhere and saying “I reject it” or “I am strong” and Muslims started feeling the need to wear long beard, dress like middle easterners and competing for Sundays with Christians. By the way, it must be said that what guided the behaviours of the peaceful religious era in Nigeria was not tolerance but wisdom. Those Nigerians were wise enough to see humanity in all religions; they were capable of reminding themselves that they all worshiped the same God via different formats. They were wise enough to believe that all religious festivals and events were to be celebrated by anyone alive and that whoever is alive, regardless of his or her professed creed can reap the blessings and hopes that the prayers and rituals of the celebrated religion can bring. As Muslims all over the world start their 30 days of fasting, part of our simple hopes is that everyone everywhere
should wish all the Muslims they know or meet a blessed Ramadan (Ramadan Mubarak) and a noble Ramadan (Ramadan Kareem). We also hope that those fasting and, indeed, those around them will truly discover a fuller meaning of Ramadan, which as we are often reminded is one of the five pillars of Islam. I personally also like to remember that according to Islamic theology, “the night of power” (Lailut ul-Qadr) was during the month of Ramadan. That was the night the Holy Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God, was revealed. Muslims believe that the month of Ramadan is filled with blessings, heaven knows that Nigeria and, indeed, the world needs a lot of it right now and it is our fervent hope that everyone can share from the blessings that these fasting and prayers will bring. Due to the nature of Ramadan, there are some blessings and some simple hopes that Muslims can help Nigerians fulfill in the next 30 days. Fasting is intended to teach Muslims to reflect and practice self-discipline and self-restraint. It will be great blessings for Nigeria if in the next 30 days our Muslim public officials can really follow the requirements of Ramadan and truly refrain from looting or wasting the
country’s treasury they have the privilege and duty of managing for all. Imagine how blessed we shall be if for the next 30 days all the Muslims in the country, from the policemen on our roads to politicians and other public officers from our local governments way up to Abuja decide to fully follow Ramadan and truly refrain from asking and taking bribes. Imagine what will happen if because of them Nigerians of other religions followed suit. Ramadan is also a time Muslims are asked to remember and reflect on the suffering of the poor. In the next 30 days, those Muslims charged with the duty of managing the affairs of the country have the opportunity of individually reflecting on the plight of the poor, they have the challenge of bringing together other Muslims in the same spirit to come up with cogent plans to truly deal with the situation of the poor. What a blessing it would be for the country if matters of health, education, unemployment and infrastructures are treated by those truly moved by the spirit of Ramadan. In the next 30 days of fasting, Muslims are also asked to be generous, as a people, one thing Nigerians, rich or poor, can rarely be accused of is tight-fistedness, on the contrary the practice is to be generous to a fault. Unlike elsewhere though, Nigerians tend to be generous only to individuals, without stopping that, it might just be great if, as a people, we start being generous also to causes, institutions and principles. This country needs its Muslims to start giving more of their time, energy and intelligence to help deal with its many problems and weakness. The country needs people who are willing to serve and to give just because they believe and because they are generous. During the next thirty days, our simple hope is that the Muslims from today take the lead to bless Nigeria. Ramadan Kareem to all. •Dr Kila lives in Cambridge, England.
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
W
ITH his eyes focused on a future political life before he left Nigeria in 1944, Obafemi clearly leveraged his wife’s royal background in Ikenne and Ofin (Sagamu). Given that she belonged to the Liyangu family, one of the three ruling house that could access the Akarigbo throne, and the Obara family, also one of the three ruling families of the Alakenne throne, her heredity held the potentials for a significant social and political life for her husband. What emerged later from this background has been described by Nolte as “a gendered approach to politics” which involved “a division of labour between Obafemi and Hannah Awolowo in Ikenne and Remo”, one in which “Awolowo himself acted officially in the public sphere while his wife provided access to and mobilized non-public political resources”. It can be argued that though this approach was without doubt gendered, it was remarkably predicated as much on Hannah’s noble birth as well as her personal skills. The leveraging of familial and communal connections that eventually became the socio-political basis for Awolowo’s emergence in local politics were also undeniably buoyed by the rare combination of certain traits in the couple – who were both succinctly described by Yomi Mamora as “two of a kind”. Obafemi’s methodical, comprehensive and thoughtful planning and mobilization of resources blended with Hannah’s calculated, determined, meticulous and patient shaping and projection of social capital in the struggle for influence and prestige. She also has a matchless capacity for recollection and detail, an intrinsic facility for identifying and understanding the social order of things and a unique aptitude for tracking loyalty and treachery. Therefore, within the first five years of their matrimony, it was already evident that theirs was a perfect harmony that blended. For a few months short of fifty years, they were to enjoy a mutuality that melded so well as to become storied…. The fact that Awolowo left Ikenne at nine and didn’t return fully to the town denied him in his early youth of the opportunity to understand the intricacies of communal and royalist politics of the town and the larger Remo area. In spite of this, Hannah’s pedigree made the understanding of the politics not only compelling but easy. But if understanding the local politics was easy, inserting Obafemi in it and confronting or managing its intricacies were complicated for the couple. During the period of their courtship, something happened in Ikenne that would set Obafemi and Hannah against Gabriel Onafowakan, the father of Obafemi’s early love interest, Augusta. Between 1933 and 1936, some people in Ikenne cleared a portion of the land along Ikenne-Sagamu road for farming. The Imeses, who are members of the Obara ruling house to which Hannah belongs, opposed this because, as they claimed, the land was theirs. They therefore evicted the farmers. The farmers and their supporters, conversely, claimed the land was communal land and therefore did not belong exclusively to the Obara family. Onafowokan, one of the town’s most prominent citizens, supported the farmers who took their case to the Alakenne Adejumo Orenowo. The Oba resolved the matter in favour of the farmers. The Obara family regarded the Alakenne’s position as wrong and unjust. The current Alakenne, Oba Adeyinka Onakade, explained that, even though the
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Imeses wanted to clear the forest so as to ensure the expansion and modernization of Ikenne, they did not want their land to be stolen. Incidentally, according to him, the same people who were supporting the “trespassers”, that is, members of the Osugbo, who called themselves the Ilu (town, or the townspeople), were opposed to the clearing of the forest because they were offering all sorts of sacrifices in the forest. The Obara asked them to move the places of sacrifices further into the forest so they could clear some parts for development, but the members of Osugbo refused. Oba Onakade stated that when a member of the Obara family, Sofuye, cleared a portion of the land close to the river, the members of the Osugbo challenged him. At this point, the Osugbo then claimed that they not only performed sacrifices in the forest, they, in fact, owned the forest and the land as the representatives of the ilu. “That was when trouble started”, declares the current Alakenne. The family filed a case at the Native
Court at Ilisan. The Court agreed with the Obara and ruled in their favour. The land belonged to the family and not the whole town. Under the leadership of Onafowokan, the farmers appealed to the Remo Court of Appeal in Sagamu. Things were becoming difficult for the Obara family which needed someone who could stand up to such a formidable person as Onafowokan, who had risen to a high level in the colonial civil service in Ijebu Province. By this time, in 1938, Obafemi had married a daughter of the Obara family, Hannah. He was a bold young man who had a reputation for being a troublemaker when he was growing up in Ikenne. The Obara turned to him. Even though he was yet to become a lawyer, Obafemi successfully articulated the position of the Obara family at the Court of Appeal which upheld the decision of the Native Court in Ilisan. “Awolowo supported the Obara throughout”, continues the Alakenne. “Before the issue got to court, Papa (Awolowo) called both parties and asked them to settle amicably. But the (members of) Osugbo were
stubborn. However, Awolowo sounded a note of warning that when the matter got to the court, he would support the Obara, because they were in the right. The decision of WACA (West African Court of Appeal) is what we still use today. The court decided that if there is no family, there won’t be a community; that it is the family that will exist first and settle in a a place before you can have a community. That is the basis of the judgement and it is still applicable today”. But in the late 1930s and early 1940s, the matter was no longer just about the land for Onafowokan. He considered the victory of the Obara represented by an “uppity” young man, Obafemi Awolowo, as a personal affront against him. Incidentally, Onafowokan and most of the people who supported the Osugbo were from Awolowo’s quarters in Itu-Moro, Ikenne. The Ilu and Onafowokan appealed the judgement of the Court of Appeal. He took the appeal all the way to the West African Court of Appeal (WACA), which was the apex court in British West Africa. Again, Awolowo led the Obara family in making their case at WACA in 1940. Although WACA did not grant exclusive right to the land to the Obara, it recognized the family as the main caretakers of the land on behalf of the town. The Court ordered Onafowokan’s party to pay sixty guineas to cover the expenses. Even though Obafemi and his wife’s family could not claim total victory, but the victory was sufficient for Onafowokan to feel vanquished by a ruling family whose representation depended on a young man who had recently experienced the collapse of his business. In the same year that Awolowo led the Obara family to make their case at WACA, his house in Ikenne was auctioned. This indebted young man who had lost most of his possessions was the one standing up to perhaps the most accomplished man in Ikenne at that time……. Thus, Obafemi and Hannah Awolowo started the first three years of their lives together fighting not only the forces of adversity in their private life, they were also engaged in communal battles for justice, equity and development. The uncommon courage and resolve that Obafemi and Hannah displayed on the Obara land case constituted the first test of the many communal, local, regional and national battles which they will jointly fight for the rest of their lives together. Onafowokan’s battle against the couple would resume again nine years after the WACA case was decided. By this time the battle resumed, Awolowo had become a barrister-at-law, with him and his wife in relative comfort……. EBINO TOPSY – 0805-500-1735 (SMS ONLY PLEASE) NEXT WEEK WALE ADEBANWI ON MAMA HID –8
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
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Saheed Salawu yinkadejavu@yahoo.com 0811 695 4643
Muslims living in the Arctic Circle are experiencing some of the most challenging conditions for Ramadan as they can experience 24 hours of sunlight.
How Muslims fast in countries where the sun never sets T HE holy month of Ramadan is here, with Muslims fasting from dawn to dusk to observe the period. But what happens when you live in a country where the sun never, or scarcely, sets? Muslims living in the Arctic Circle are experiencing some of the most challenging conditions for Ramadan as they can experience 24 hours of sunlight. People observing it will not consume food or drink, smoke or engage in any sexual activity, from when the sun rises until sundown
Mohammed lives with his family in northern Finland where the sun sets for just 55 minutes a day during Ramadan.
again. Fasting ends with a meal known as the Iftar. Around 22 per cent of the world’s population, or 1.6 billion people, are participating in the holy observance around the world. Areas including Lapland, Finland and Sweden can experience little or no sundown during the summer months. A family have shared their experiences of how they experience Ramadan in northern Finland where the sun sets for just 55 minutes. Mohammed told AJ+: “Fasting starts at 1:35 in the early morning and will end at
12:48 in the evening. So [fasting] will be 23 hours, five minutes. My friends, family and relatives who live in Bangladesh, they can’t believe we could do Ramadan or fasting for more than 20 hours. “So when they heard from us we do Ramadan here for 23 hours or 22 and a half hours, they just say ‘That’s unbelievable. How could you manage this?’ But somehow [thank God] we manage it, and we’re doing very well.” He said other Muslims in nearby countries with similar sunlight conditions had
found other ways of adapting, adding: “Some other Muslims who live in Lapland, most of them follow the Middle East timetable, as they follow the nearest Islamic country, Turkey.” Depending on a person’s location, Ramadan for people living in the United Kingdom can last between 16 and 19 hours a day. The times and dates of Ramadan and fasting vary each year in relation to the Western calendar as they are determined by the lunar cycle. Source: www.independent.co.uk
Mohammed . Photos: AJ+
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
Sultan, others for MSSN’s Qur’an memorisation competition
The Chief Eexecutive Officer, Jaiz Zakat and Waqf Trust Fund, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib (left), presenting a hamper of food items to a beneficiary at first Iftar Saim (provision of food items) to some Muslims fasting during the month of Ramadan, organised by the Turkish Embassy, Abuja, on Tuesday. The programme was hosted by the Executive Director of Nurul Bayan International Academy, Abuja, Hajia Maryam Tahan.
THE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; Lagos State deputy governor, Dr Idiat Adebule; the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; and wife of the governor of Osun State, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola, are some of the dignitaries are expected to grace the grand finale of the biennial Qur’an memorisation competition organised by the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit.. The competition, being held in honour of the pioneer Amir of the association and former SecretaryGeneral of NSCIA, the late Alhaji Lateef Adegbite, will take place on Sunday at the Gymnasium Hall, National
Pray for Nigeria now more than ever before —Lagos Speaker Bola Badmus –Lagos
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HE Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, has urged Muslims to remain steadfast and pray fervently during the ongoing Ramadan fasting for the country to overcome its current socio-economic challenges. He also called on the faithful to use this period to share love and ensure that peace reigns in the country through their utterances and actions. Obasa, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Musbau Rasak, said, “Ramadan period affords us all the opportuni-
ty to move closer to God. It serves as an avenue to share love with others irrespective of faith and above all, pray for the continued survival of the Nigerian nation.” He said although Nigeria was facing a lot of challenges occasioned by the misrule of the past, there were signs that things would get better soon. “However, for us to achieve our dream, we must all live together in peace, share love among ourselves and support the government in its desire to improve the standard of living of our people. “The Ramadan period offers us all the opportunity to achieve our aim through divine guidance from God anchored on our prayers and supplication,” Obasa said.
Pray for resurgence of Nigeria’s economy —Oyo Muslim chief THE Borokinni Adinni of Oyoland, Alhaji Adebayo Ahmed Kamarise, has called on Muslims to use the opportunity of this year’s Ramadan fast to move closer to Allah and as well pray for peaceful coexistence and resurgence of the nation’s economy. Making the call in Ibadan, in his Ramadan message to the Ummah, Alhaji Kamarise stated that the current state of the nation called for fervent prayers from all and sundry to save the ship of the nation from sin king. He appealed to aggrieved groups in the country to embrace dialogue rather than resorting to taking up arms against the state. According to him, fast-
ing during Ramadan is a testament to belief in Allah and acceptance of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and as such, Muslims should allow the Qur’an and the Hadith be their guide in dealing with fellow human beings, irrespective of religion. He urged well-to-do Muslims to show benevolence to underprivileged brothers and sisters, saying that “all their sacrifices during the period of fasting will not go unrewarded by Allah.” Alhaji Kamarise particularly felicitated with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, for witnessing this year’s Ramadan and prayed Allah to grant the traditional ruler long life.
The speaker also urged Muslims to observe the fasting diligently and in accordance with Allah’s injunctions, as contained in the Holy Qur’an, arguing that it was by strict adherence to this that the fasting could be accepted by Allah.
Hon. Obasa said Muslims must allow fasting to have positive impact on them, explaining that reading the Qur’an, feeding the poor and observing other good deeds should be their occupation during this month of Ramadan.
Institute for Sports, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. At a press conference, Ashafa said the competi-
tion is to ensure that Muslim youths are encouraged to learn and memorise the Qur’an.
El-Ilory delivers BEEMC’s lecture ONE of the learned children of the founder of Markaz Agege, Mr Abdullah Adam El-Ilory, will on Sunday deliver the first lecture of the Bodija Estates and Environs Muslim Community (BEEMC), Ibadan, for the month of Ramadan. A statement by the Public-
ity Secretary of the Community, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said that the Islamic scholar will speak on “The Role of Muslims in Building a Good Society in Nigeria.” The lecture, slated for the Islamic Centre, Housing, Bodija, will start from 11 a.m.
Irepo LG boss charges Muslims THE chairman of Irepo Local Government Area of Oyo State, Alhaji Yekeen Popoola, has urged all Muslims to see the month as one of ceaseless prayers for the sustenance of peace, stability and unity of the country and for the success of the adminstrations of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi against the challenges facing Nigeria and Oyo State. He charged all adherents of Islam to abide by the tenets of the religion and teachings of Prophet Muhammed during the month of Ramadan and always.
In a statement by the council’s Head of Information Unit, Mr Gbadebo Adebayo, Alhaji Popoola said the reason Allah requires the believers to fast during Ramadan is so they might attain piety. “Fasting is intended to make a believer develop piety, disciplined and spiritually enlightend. It helps believers to overcome faults such as selfishness and greed. The month of Ramadan is particularly sacred to Muslims because the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammed during this month,” Alhaji Popoola sermonised.
When Ahmadiyya kids celebrated Children’s Day THE Majlis Atfal ul Ahmadiyya, Ibadan District (children wing between ages seven and 15) recently jettisoned merriment and fanfare in celebrating the Children’s Day and chose to visit the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. The occasion was in continuation of the commemoration of the 100 years of Ahmadiyya in Nigeria.
Speaking during the visit, the leader of the organisation, Comrade Abdul Hakeem Awe and the leader of the children, Muhammad Qazeem Adenekan, said their visit to UCH was meant to showcase the beauty of Islam in line with the “Humanity First” campaign of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Worldwide.
The children during their visit to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
They said the visit to the children’s ward of the hospital was a way of associating with the patients and their relatives through prayers, advice and gifts. At the ward, there were brief talks on “Sickness as a Test of Faith” and “Love Your Neighbour as Yourself” to assure the young patients that their conditions were temporary.
Other places visited were the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji and house of the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh Abubakr Abdul Ganiyy Agbotomokekere. The essence of the children’s visits to the royal and spiritual fathers of Ibadanland was to gain wisdom from the two eminent personalities.
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
fridaytreat
Nigerian Tribune
Rotimi Ige rotimiige@yahoo.com 0811 695 4636
Terry G versus Nigerian DJs
•We have been disrespected for too long —Nigerian DJs •I am sorry —Terry G •Terry G will be used as scapegoat to deter others —AMMJON
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T is no more news that dance hall singer, Terry G, slapped a disc jockey Dj Phreez, who happens to be Dj Jimmy Jatt’s protege during the event of ‘D’GOOD, D’BASH & D’FUNNY’, organised by celebrated comedian, Bash. The event which held at Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Lagos, saw Terry G slap DJ Phreez for playing another artiste’s song in a bid to get him off stage. DJ Jimmy Jatt had immediately demanded a public apology from Terry G just as the DJS Association of Nigeria, also placed embargo on Terry G’s songs. Despite issuing an online apology to all concerned via his (Terry G) instagram page, many have raised the issue that Djs are generally not respected in Nigeria. According to Dj Banky, who is very popular in South-Western Nigeria, “It is shocking to know that DJs are yet to be seen as the main orchestrators with the highest input in the entertainment industry. The distressing rate at which DJs are being physically abused by club owners and or private individuals can be referred to as alarming. Tense situations do occasionally arise at events and such can be sorted out peacefully and not in an abusive manner. Artiste and DJs share a mutually beneficial relationship that should in no way, be taken for granted”. His views are shared by so many Nigerians. Many, on
social media have spoken against Terry G for his actions, stressing that his instagram apology was not enough. Some asked that he contacts Dj Phreez directly and make peace with him. “Violence on stage at a live event? Terry G displayed the worst form of arrogance. If it were Dj Jimmy Jatt on stage, would he have slapped him. It is so wrong for our artistes to feel superior to the people who make them who they are. Djs are an integral part of our music industry and I am surprised that Dj Phreez didn’t press charges. Terry G and people like him must be kept in order”, Kemi Adelani, a banker said. The officials of the Deejays Association in Nigeria (DJAN), had at various times, spoken out against the substandard treatment meted to their colleagues. Tade Adeyemi, aka DJ Cool and some of the national officers of the association at a news briefing in Osogbo intended to reactivate members’ understanding of their roles and relevance in the entertainment industry, improve their values and service delivery to their clients with a view to maximising good patronage, had stressed that, “We discovered that in the realm of entertainment industry in Nigeria, DJs are the least recognised and least paid, whereas we are the ones that promote their works by playing their music at events and radio stations. Without DJs, artistes won’t be able to achieve their aims because they can’t
get good patronage. For instance, if a musician spends millions of naira to produce music, without the DJs’ roles, their music cannot easily get to the ears of the public. But worryingly, while we complement their efforts to achieve their mission, we don’t get the required recognition and benefits but they smile to the banks. Also, at the meeting of Association Music Master Jockeys of Nigeria (A.M.M.J.O.N) held on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 in Ibadan, Oyo State, members expressed their total displeasure at the way Terry G assaulted a colleague. The President, A.M.M.J.O.N, MDJ Babson said in an interview with Friday Treat, “We are all indeed saddened by his unwarranted action. In spite of the fact that the ugly incident happened in Lagos, Terry G’s conduct can be referred to as a big slap on the faces of all hardworking professional disc jockeys around the world who have continually contributed immensely to his success. Disc Jockeys in Oyo State have all unanimously decided not to showcase any audio or visual material owned by Terry G indefinitely as this will serve as deterrent to others who are not only in the habit of disrespecting DJs but also violent in their manners of approach.
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Rotimi Ige rotimiige@yahoo.com 0811 695 4636 twitter: @rotifizzle twitter: @fridaytreat
fridaytreat TRIBUTE: Henrietta Kosoko, Nollywood actress (1964 – 2016) HENRIETTA came into limelight in 1995 following the lead she played in Omolade, a flick produced and written by her husband. On Tuesday, June 6, wife of veteran Nollywood actor, Jide Kosoko, Henrietta ended her sojourn on earth after losing a battle with diabetes.
The talented actress who was known for movies like Omolade, Boya Lemo, Eleda Teju, Alayaki, got her big break in Nollywood in 1995. As Nigerians mourn her, here are 10 facts you have to know about her… Born on May 30, 1964, Henrietta hails from Delta state.
Her native name is Emumejiakpo. A trained caterer, she was into catering business before venturing into acting.Henrietta Kosoko Henrietta and Jide Kosoko first met and fell in love when the veteran actor and his group came to show a film in her (Henrietta) neighbourhood- Mushin, Lagos. Although, Henrietta was acting before she met Jide Kosoko, he was the one who encouraged her to go into it on full-time basis. The plus-size actress had a set of twins, Taiye (a pop act known as LT) and Kehinde Olowu from a previous marriage.LT Until her death, she was LT’s manager. She was involved in a ghastly motor accident along Sagamu-Abeokuta road that almost took her life last year. Her son, LT (Taiwo) dedicated one of his tracks, Delta to her. Meanwhile, burial arrangements for the late Nollywood actress and wife of legendary actor Jide Kosoko, Henrietta Kosoko have been announced. Details released by the family this morning indicate that there will be a Christian wake and artiste performance on Thursday June 9, 2016 between 4pm and 9pm at LTV 8, Ikeja, Lagos, while she will be laid to rest on Friday at Atan Cemetery, Yaba Lagos.
Where is Big Brother Africa? Following the second year of absence from the screens of fans across Africa, many have been asking if ‘Biggie’ will return. According to M-Net CEO, Yolisa Phahle, there are currently no plans for the “Big Brother Africa” reality show this year. Phahle, recently revealed that there are no plans for the hit TV show “Big Brother Africa. She revealed this while speaking with Journalists as DStv celebrated Africa Month in May. According to Phahle, the show is not part of M-Net’s upcoming programming schedule. She further stated that they have produced Big Brother for Angola, but do not have plans for the continental show, Big Brother Africa. In 2015, the show was also put on hold by the producers, M-Net and Endemol. According to reports, the show was put on hold for lack of sponsors. The 2014 edition of the show came to an end when Tanzanian housemate, Idris,
beat off strong competition from Nigerian housemate Tayo, to become the number one Hotshot and winner of Big Brother Africa nine Big Brother Africa is the African version of the Big Brother reality game show. The show initially involved 12 countries within Africa (Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) with two countries (Ethiopia and Mozambique) being added in season 4 and two other countries (Liberia and Sierra Leone) being added in season 7 while Rwanda was added in season 9. Each country provides at least one contestant living in an isolated house while trying to avoid being evicted by viewers and ultimately winning a large cash prize at the end of the show. The show was co-produced by Endemol South Africa.
Actress, Fisayo tells youths to know their rights IT is no longer a way of giving back to the society, but a routine in impacting positively into the lives of the younger generation in Nigeria. The convener of a Non-Governmental Organization of the Jewel Empowerment Foundation, Nollywood actress, Fisayo Ajisola and her team taught some Secondary school students in Lagos State on the nutty gritty on how to know their rights and how they can be useful to themselves, parents and society. According to the organizers of the annual event held at Bluedreams International School, Alakuko, on May 25, it coincided with the last Children’s Day celebration which also afford the participant the opportunity associate with themselves as well as celebrated it in a unique way. The one-day YALI Learn event tagged: “Understanding the Rights of Women and Girls” expressed the values and importance of knowing ones right. It also laid emphasis on the roles of the feminine that they are
they have the power to create, nurture and transform. Keynote speakers at the seminar include: Dr Abisoye Lawal and Mr. Ademola Olaniyi and Miss Fisayo Ajisola all did justice to the sub-topic: Supporting a Girl’s Right to Learn; Paving the Way for Women Entrepreneurs and Ending Violence against Women and Girls. Their excellent handling of the sub-topic ensured that our target audience grasped the message easily and relate with the pressing issues women and girls go through in our society, while Lawal told the pupils that, “One of the great limitations to women right activism is that, it was seen as a fight against men instead of as a fight for women with men. Everything that a man is entitled to, a woman is entitled to it.” Ajisola told Friday Treat that the initiative which has been contributing to the betterment of the society over this years, this time round made it commitment known in supporting gender equity by organizing. She also thanked all and sundry that contributed to the success of the event, especially the MTN Foundation.
MUSIC BUSINESS 101
Develop your music as a medium for selling
MEET YOUR ARTIS TE
Meaku
FOR those who do n’t Meaku is a Nigeria know him, n-American singe r, songwriter, produc er who grew up in In , and engineer glewood, Californi a. Meaku’s style is a blend of traditiona l and contemporary R&B fused with Afrobeat and Pop. Being heavily influenced by a wi de range of vocal styles, Meaku’s vo cal delivery is an assortment encom pa of Michael Jackso ssing the tonality n with the smooth harmonies of Boys II boldness of Nigeria Men, and the n music icon Fela Kuti. Meaku enjo ys making music about love and th e celebration of lif e. Meaku who has wo rked with the likes of Wande Co al, New boyz, Karl wolf, Banky W, El dee, Naeto C, M.I, Dbanj, Eddy Kenz o, AY Tanzania, Niniola, Praiz, etc. is one of the most sought after songwriter, audio engineers and vo calists in the Afric an music scene in th e United States of America. Meaku has had m uc his own musical m h success with asterpieces gainin g accolades and inte rnational fanfare for his hits such as “Her Body” (2013) which ranked #4 8 on the Indy char ts, and “All I See Is Yo u” garnered over a m (2016) that has illio Spotify, with video n streams on placements on BET Jams, VH1 So ul, MTV U, Fuse’s sister channel FM , and retail stores nationally within the US. Meaku released buzz wo rthy well known artists singles featuring such as the 2015 BET award winn er Eddy Kenzo, as well as African Rn B crooner, Praiz. He recently relea sed another afro beat single “Baby Oh” ft Eddy Kenzo wh o added a beautiful Ugandan melody to make the love song a ba Enriched with love nger. , optimism, faith, and an immense dedication to his craft, Meaku plan s to ing the gap betwee continue bridgn Afrobeat and American Pop m usic. As he contin ues his unique and m ulti genre musica l conquest, Meaku brings life and reason to his cam paign “Love is Re al” that predicates no t only his body of work but the belie f th day again be syno at music can one nymous with love and positivity.
HISTORICALLY music has primarily been a medium for selling. Music has traditionally been used as a medium and tool through which human emotional experiences; social control, education, morality, religious worship, political ideology etc are conveyed and sold to people. In the early stages of the commercial music industry, sheet music was used to sell all sorts of musical instruments from the pianoforte to violin, clarinet, trumpet, flute, saxophone etc; whatever instrument that can be used to play the sheet music. Music built the musical instruments manufacturing industry. Then comes technology, music was used to sell recording and playback devices of every kind from record players to cassette players etc. Music got on radio and turned it into a mass medium; music was used to sell radio. Similar experience occurred with television and the movie industry. Music is the No.1 global driver of digital commerce. During this present era of digitalisation, music is been used to sell every kind of devices conceivable, from CD players to computers, ipods, headphones, flash players, smartphones, the Internet and countless other music playing devices. The modern history of the music business is synonymous with endorsements and sponsorships of successful artistes and musicians by leading consumer brands and products who use their music and celebrity personality status to sell different kinds of products and services. Some entrepreneurial artistes/musicians have successfully leveraged on the success of their music by launching their own product lines and using their music to sell branded prod-
ucts to their fans. Music has been used as a tool and medium to sell fashion and style through the use of artistes/musicians as social/style influencers. Music has been used to sell all kinds of commodities and products to consumers. Most importantly, artistes/musicians also use music to sell their personality, build their musical brands and attain celebrity status which they leverage on to sell other things to their audience/fans such as branded personal or style commodities such as perfumes, clothing’s, fashion accessories etc. Artistes build huge consumer followership with their music. Big brands and products companies partner with artiste/musician brands through sponsorships and endorsements in order to gain access to their followers and make them buy or consume their products and services. It is an error therefore to think that the job or goal of the artiste/ musician is just to sell music. No, it is beyond just selling music; it is about using music to sell other things. What are you selling with your music? What are you using your music to sell? When you develop this understanding about your music early on in your career as an artiste/musician, it will help you to learn how to strategically define and position your music and personality for opportunities ahead when you eventually succeed with your music. Develop and invest in your music because you are essentially a product of your music, the consistent success of your music will build for you a celebrity brand which you can in turn use to sell other things.
Fuji act, RK1 robbed FUJI musician, Alhaji Rahaman Akanni, also known as RK1 was robbed at his Soka residence in Ibadan, Oyo State last Thursday morning. RK1 was attacked alongside his promoter, Mr Kayode Ayanlola by armed men who entered RK1’s house through one of his windows. Recounting his ordeal in the hands of the robbers, RK1 said the scenario was very sudden and shocking, adding that, “I didn’t expect such experience because I live a free and simple life. I thank God that no life was lost to the incident.” He added that, “my promoter and I came into the house few hours before
we noticed the uninvited visitors. They were four in number. We were tied with rope which gave them free access to take away valuables. We had to succumb to them because we were unable to hear their forceful entry as a result of heavy sounds of generator in the neigbourhood.” Valuables including money, phones and others belongings of the artiste were carted away by the robbers. Akanni, however, thanked God that no one was shot while the operation lasted because the robbers were heavily armed with guns and other dangerous weapons.
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
travelpulse&m.i.c.e
’Wale Olapade 08055201323 wale11g3@gmail.com Winner, NMMA, Tourism Reporter Of The Year
Peacock Travels set for pilgrimage To attend Canonisation of Mother Teresa
From left; Mrs Patra Omojewho of Peacock Travels and Tours Limited; The Archbishop of Lagos Catholic Diocese, Archbishop Adewale Martins; the Executive Chairman, Peacock Group of Companies, Aare Segun Phillips and Head, Pilgrimage Department, Peacock Travels and Tours, Ms Eno Arcihbong, during Peacock Travel courtesy visit to the Archbishop in Lagos, recently.
Weizo: W/African tourism experts converge on Accra Stories By ’Wale Olapade PRIVATE Tourism stakeholders in West Africa will be meeting in Accra, Ghana on July 15, 2016, at the Accra Weizo event, to discuss way forward for tourism in the continent. Accra Weizo, which is the brain child of the organisers of Akwaaba African Travel Market (AfTM) and supported by Ghana Ministry of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts, will be hosted by La Palm Royal Beach Hotel with supports from Ethiopian Airlines and Accra City Hotel. The 2016 edition themed, “Seamless Travels in West Africa” will host a discussion session on West Africa as a single destination. The session will have as discussants the President of Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) and heads of the Tourism Associations from Benin and Togo. It will be moderated by a leading Ghanaian journalist. The second edition Accra Weizo is themed: “Seamless travel in West-Africa”. It will be an in-depth look at ways to improve travel and tourism growth in West Africa through easy access to towns and cities in West Africa. Improving and simplifying Airport and Border processes; Standardising Hotel and facilities for tourism through shared vision. The guest speaker in the Aviation session is Mr Henock Teferra, the Managing Director of ASKY Airlines, ASKY Airlines is a pan Africa airline, based in Lome, Togo. He will speak on “The Challenges of Running a Successful Regional Airline in West African, at the event. The tourism session will be on “The Prospect of West Africa as a single tourism destination.” There will be case studies like “SAT Experience in West Africa” by Hloni Pitso, the Regional Manager of South Africa Tourism in West Africa. Other speakers at this year’s event are the Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors Limited, Captain Fola Akinkuotu and the Vice Chairman of SAHCOL Mr Chike Ogeah. Captain Akinkuotu who was the former Director-General of the Ni-
gerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), with vast experience in the aviation industry will be heading the team of panelists which include several top aviation experts and government functionaries as they discuss and deal with issues that relate to the theme of this year’s event. Ogeah served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Ltd and currently the Vice Chairman of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Ltd will speak on ‘Integrating airport operations in West Africa.’ According to Mr Ikechi Uko, the organiser of Weizo, “the event is a one-day travel seminar, awards, exhibition and the objective is to improve travel and tourism growth in West Africa through easy access to towns and cities in West Africa. The event taking place at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana on July 15, 2016 from 10am to 4pm. The West Africa Award (Balafon) will hold at 5pm, with award categories to include West Africa Tourism Man of the Year, West Africa Aviation Man of the Year, West African Personality of the Year, and Top 50 Hotels in West Africa. La Palm Royal Beach will host the Carnivore night, which avails participants the opportunity of eating all they can, meat from all nations, dance and party round the clock. The target audience is travel professionals in West Africa. Over 150 travel professionals are expected from all over West-Africa. Also, there will be tours on the 14th and 16th to Cape Coast.
PEACOCK Travels and Tours Limited, has introduced two pilgrimage tour packages to the Nigerian travelling public. Specifically, Peacock Travels and Tours, in collaboration with partners in Rome and Israel, on Wednesday announced pilgrimages to holy lands. A nine-day special tour package to Rome, holding from August 29 to September 8, 2016, has been designed around the Canonisation of the renowned Mother Teresa in the Vatican City of Rome. Similarly, an eight-day special tour package to Israel, holding from November 7 to 14, 2016, will avail pilgrims the opportunity to follow the footsteps of Jesus, at the holy land. The Rome pilgrimage package will include visit to adjoining places like Cascia, Assisi, Padua, Rotondo and Pompeii. Participants will visit St. Mary Major, enter the Catacombs and also have an audience with the Pope. In Cascia, pilgrims will see the Shrine of St. Rita, while opportunity will also be given to them to touch the incorrupt body of Padre Pio in Rotondo. In Padua and Assisi, participants will see the tongue of St. Anthony and also pass through the Way of St. Francis respective-
Forex: NANTA President appeals to foreign airlines not to leave
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HE National President of National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr Bernard Bankole has described the current forex issue threatening foreign airlines to close shops in Nigeria as an unfortunate and detrimental to the businesses of the organisatio. The NANTA President who disclosed recently at the launch of a new online travel agency, Travelden, pleaded with some of the foreign airlines threatening to leave, to have a rethink and look for a better resolution of the issue. “For those that are familiar with our industry, there are a lot of challenges we are going through right now because of the nature of the foreign exchange in our market which is predominantly a foreign
Sheraton Lagos Hotel partners Ciroc for Wazobia Saturdays SHERATON Lagos Hotel has recently come up with a lineup of activities for the hotel’s poolside gig Wazobia nights. Wazobia nights have been extended to Saturdays and the hotel will celebrate this in partnership with Ciroc all through this month of June 2016. The Head of the Food & Beverage Council for Starwood Hotels in Nigeria who’s equally the Deputy General Manager of the hotel, Damian Cooper informs all customers and enthusiasts
of the hotel’s popular Wazobia nights that “Every Saturday, our guests are invited to come and listen to the eclectic sounds of our live band while enjoying Ciroc based cocktails and our tasteful array of finger food.” According to Damian “We are happy to offer 20 per cent discounts off drinks all night as well as complimentary snacks such as suya and chicken wings for the first round of cocktails.”
Calabar ICC’s Asoro, appointed Chairman ICCA Africa The International Congress and Congress Association, ICCA, Headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands has appointed, Mr Ben Asoro, Director at Calabar International Convention Centre, to chair ICCA in Africa upon conclusion of recent continental elections. ICCA a global association, founded in 1962 has 1,062 corporate members in 95 countries, specialising in destination marketing, meetings support, International ICCs, meetings management and transport sector in the
MICE industry globally. The continental chairman acts as the key contact person between the continental members and the head office in Amsterdam and board of directors. ICCA recently established its African regional offices in Johannesburg, South Africa, a move aimed at enhancing delivery of ICCA’s extensive range of member benefits to specific business objectives within inter-
ly. In Pompeii, pilgrims will also be allowed to see Our Lady of the Rosary. According to a statement by the fastgrowing travel management firm, the entire package is coming at an affordable price and administrative charge per participant. Also, the eight-day special tour package to Israel covers a long list of interesting biblical and amazing historical sites. These include the Church of All Nations, Bethlehem, Church of Nativity, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, The Dead Sea and Church of St. Peter, among others. The holy trip will be rounded off with an exciting ceremony to be conducted for the presentation of certificate to all the participants which automatically accord them the title of a JP. Speaking on the packages, the Executive Chairman, Peacock Group, Aare Segun Phillips, said each of the two packages would afford the participants an opportunity for spiritual development, adding that “it is a better way to prepare for the hereafter. “It gives them the opportunity to perform their religious rites once in their life time. It is also an opportunity to see important historical and biblical sites live as well as offer prayers,” Phillips added.
national meetings strategy for MICE members in Africa. However, on this development, Dr Mati Nyazema, CEO of Sandton ICC, South Africa had this to say “Ben has proven his commitment to the industry and active interest in regional affairs. He has also worked in two African regions – East and West Africa, and his experience will help drive the objective of a broader participation in ICCA by African countries.”
Mr Bernard Bankole
exchange market. “The airlines are foreign carriers and they need to repatriate their funds. However this has posed a level of treat to most of us in the industry, it is a huge challenge and I want you to be aware that we are working on it. “We are not going to relent on our effort, but that should not stop us from doing our business the way we should. We appreciate all the airlines that are still with us and I am using this opportunity to appeal to you to stay, because if they leave, there will be nothing to sell. “We know that the government haven’t shown much concern to make the airlines to resume, but we assure you that we as a pressure group will continue to fight on your to retain our business.” He, however, appealed to travel agencies who are yet to join NANTA to do so, in order to be part of the ongoing changes and innovations the new executives are working on. According to him, “We are updating our members’ profile, we are also trying to ensure that we give our members the right support they need in the industry to gain the respect of the public.”
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Friday, 10 June, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com
This N/Assembly fears nobody —Saraki
Senate President Bukola Saraki took questions from some editors in Abuja. He spoke on the ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and other National Assembly matters. According to him, the current Assembly has shown readiness to work with the executive. He also insists that he will not be distracted from the goals of the Eight Senate notwithstanding the jabs thrown at his by his opponents. Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA presents the excerpts:
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WEET, sour and enjoyable. How would you describe your experience in the last one year? I think at different times and moments, all the words you used can fit in one way or the other. Most importantly is that I give a lot of thanks to our creator, Almighty God for giving one the opportunity. Whatever you say, it is an honour, an opportunity. It is not bestowed on many. To have been able to achieve that, one is honoured. Based on that, everyday one is grateful for that opportunity. It reminds me when I was governor in Kwara State, I used to say that everyday. What was driving me was that I was counting the days when the job would end. The day it ends, I want to be able to say that I did this and that. I don’t want to end the job and say hey, I wished I had done this and that . I am one that is focused on what needs to be done. I believe this one is a new challenge. This is so because the beginning, the change in bringing about this government, one played a very key role. At the beginning a lot of people used to tell me, why are you wasting your time? Have you ever heard of anybody defeating a sitting government? They would advise me not to waste my time. They would say, you can’t win, you are just going to endanger yourself, you are going nowhere. Even a lot of our friends in the media, out of respect they would listen to me. But they would say this: “Oga, you are so optimistic. You will defeat a sitting government, with what?” But we achieved that with the commitment of Nigerians. I feel one is carrying on his shoulder a lot of responsibility.
I know what people sacrificed in making this happen. I believe that motivates one to see that we make a difference. Everyday, that is what drives me. I wouldn’t say I underestimated what is happening, I expected the challenges when you are trying to make a change. This is more on the legislative angle. That is where the change is because Nigerians have been used to the executive and the judiciary. The youngest arm of the three arms is the legislature. The one that people don’t understand the most is the legislature. The one people cannot see how it connects to their daily life is the legislature. An average man or woman in Nigeria knows how the executive affects his or her life . When a minister makes an announcement that we have now raised the duty on car importation or the exchange rate has gone up to this and that, they know what that means. It is so for the judiciary. They know that this judge can rule for or against if they have a case. They do not understand what the lawmakers are doing . That makes our work more challenging. I am very hopeful that by the time we are done, we will be able to change this perception. Is this the kind of Senate you had in mind when you vied for the Senate presidency ? Can this kind of Senate propel Nigeria to the destination the people are aspiring ? I very much believe so. I was in the 7th Senate for four years, I followed the activities of the National Assembly. I believe that where we are now, the group of senators we
have are focused , patriotic and they are committed to solving Nigeria’s problems. They are patriotic because this is the first time we have a Senate that is very divided, the majority is very slim. You can’t really compare it to the previous Senate. You have a Senate with this slim majority, everyday should be chaotic , the senators should be up in arms . But in the last one year, anytime we discussed national issues, issues that have to do with the economy; senators have jettisoned their political leanings and have presented themselves as senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Right from the time we screened ministers, looked at budget, they acted like senators of Federal Republic of Nigeria and not that of APC or PDP. The legislative arm is based on processes . Sometimes, the substance might be good but once you miss it, you derail. Just like the judiciary, if you miss the process it is out . The senators have shown a lot of maturity, patriotism and support. Nobody would even know that there is a slim majority . Without that support, that unity, majority of the issues we want to discuss, especially those that border on reforms of this country cannot take place. They think of Nigeria first. I am happy and honoured by the support they have given me. I am confident that, as we move ahead, we would build on our achievements. We would ensure that major issues that ordinarily should be discussed on party lines because of their controversial nature are looked at from nationalistic Continues on pg 24
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‘No price is too much to restore peace in N/Delta’ Continues on pg 23
point of view. We have been doing that. Look at the supplementary budget, under a normal circumstance, we would not have passed it if the senators wanted to go on party lines but they rose beyond that; they saw themselves first as senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If you see the work we have done in the last one year, despite a lot of distractions, it shows that it is a Senate that has a roadmap. We are not just coming to the Senate to jump from one issue to another. We are focusing largely on the economy, how we can address things that would make Nigeria a better place; create jobs for our people, improve the economy and make the country investment friendly. Looking at things we have tackled, you can see a clear path that we have created. This is different from what was in place before. Some of the issues that people were not ready to touch in the past, we have touched them. We are opening up the Senate to public participation. We are not afraid that anybody would come with criticism of our activities. Of course, people should express their own mind. We told ourselves, ‘look let’s open it up, we are ready to take whatever that comes with it if it will help make the country better. I don’t think the Senate has ever had this kind of openness that is in place now. To achieve this , you can’t do it alone as Senate president, it is because the senators wanted it and believe in that agenda. If I don’t have the type of senators we have now to work with some of the things we are doing would not have been possible. Nigerians are facing hard times, especially on the economic front. In what way or ways through your legislative agenda is the Senate helping to steer the country in the direction out of the current situation? Even before it became clear like this, the issue of the economy has always been on our agenda. You have to understand that 90 percent of our revenues come from oil. We are all aware of the price of oil has plummeted since the last one year. It came from $100 down to even $28, $30. We are operating a mono-product economy. And there is a high level of unemployment. So, it is clear for us that, in order to address some of these issues we must do the following, first, we cannot continue to depend on oil. We must diversify. We must diversify to agriculture and solid mineral. But we all have to understand that these sectors are not such that you can go there on a Monday and by Tuesday, Wednesday you begin to see results. They need five to 10 years to give you what you want. What we must bring about in these sectors are reforms. It is not even policies. People who want to invest in these sectors are skeptical of somersault in polices. What people are looking out for is the kind of law(s) the country has that supports the sectors. For instance, in agriculture, if you talk about agriculture diversification and you don’t have any law that is clear or shows that there is a move to promote either commercial agriculture or credit to farmers, nobody is going to do any business. People would not want to invest in those sectors. So, you begin to see that we are addressing some of these areas. In the agricultural sector, we are doing it. On the economy, one of the bills before us, which I am hopeful that the two chambers will soon pass, is our public procurement law. It is a pity that it is not well reported. We saw earlier on that we must do something to stimulate the economy. One of the
Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President
Senator Ali Ndume, Majority Leader
Senator Olusola Adeyeye, Chief Whip
Senator Godwill Akpabio, Minority Leader
things we must know is that when you are going through this kind of downturn or recession, you must think outside the box. We told ourselves that the country spends in its budget a lot of money, close to N2trn in capital purchases, outside salary, etc. Most of the money is used to purchase goods outside the country. So, that N2 trillion is helping other countries’ economy. What stops government from saying, ‘look, I have my two trillion naira, if I don’t find those goods in Nigeria I can buy it at any other place.’ But I must first make a concerted effort to see whether I can find within Nigeria. If there is no law that supports that it will not happen. It cannot be left to one government today, another one in four years comes with different plans. If there is a law well backed up, it will encourage entrepreneurs to say, well there is a law in Nigeria that says that this ministry must buy this item first in Nigeria. I, as an entrepreneur, if I can produce that goods locally, I have a market. The America we talk about free trade, etc, as early as 1920s had such a law. It was called ‘Buy America’. China still has it. Few countries in South America have it. I told somebody that even if this is the only law that we pass, it will have a huge impact on our economy . There would be money going into stimulating the manufacturing sector and providing jobs to Nigerians . Today in the health sector, there are some drugs that government agencies buy that are
produced locally. But because there is no law that stops them from buying them abroad , they would go and buy the same paracetamol that is made in the UK, instead of buying the one produced here. We have a lot of our parastatals and agencies that do not support those that locally procure shirts , shoes and canvasses, etc. We looked around when we went to Made in Aba Trade Fair; made in Nigeria issue came up. Some of these items can be bought here. Ministries buy pencils, chalk from abroad. Initially you might talk about standard but it is like that all over the world . When we start, we will improve the standard. When the ban on importation of furniture in Nigeria was effected, we didn’t have enough people who were producing furniture. But now, we have them in abundance. The furniture I use are made from a factory in Kwara. Like I said, passing a law like that will stimulate the economy. We will challenge the executive to make sure that they respect the law when we pass it. Secondly, in the public procurement law that we are passing, we are reducing the number of huddles for the bidding process. Sometimes, even after passing the budget, before they award contracts they advertise, screen, this and that. It will take some time four to five months-to do all those things. Before everything is finished, it will take up to end of the year. We have looked at it, we have cut down some of the days and hurdles
The fight against corruption should be very transparent so that when you find somebody guilty, Nigerians will know.
. We have shortened the time so that money will come into the system. After a budget is passed money is not in the system. If a system encourages that money will still sit at the Central Bank for another three, four months, the economy will not move. What we done also in advanced payment is to give flexibility to it. It used to be 15 per cent. In some cases like in works, you may need to give more money in the dry season to get a lot of work done . These are the laws that make a difference. Also, we are facing infrastructure deficit -we talk about power, road, railway-there is no government that can fund these gigantic projects. It is not possible. If you are waiting for government to fund railway, roads, it will not happen. It does not have the money to do that. I don’t think it is pretending about it. And we all agree that without this infrastructure, our economy cannot move forward. The answer remains to have an enabling environment by law that allows private sector participation in the funding of these projects. Look at the issue of Lagos-Calabar rail that raised a lot of dust. How much is the money? N60bn . If that amount is what we are struggling to find from everywhere, how will government tackle other pressing needs? If we have an enabling environment, a big Chinese or UAE company can say, look, can I participate? I will provide all the trains, carriages for this route. Give me the route, Lagos to Calabar or Calabar to Port Harcourt, I will fund it and I will make my money from the tariff. If there is a law that allows that, you will see everybody bringing his money. The law that we are trying to pass currently, for the first time, will allow the private sector to even build rail tracks. If we want to concession part of it, the law allows it. These are the things that the existing law did not allow. On roads, we are ensuring that some of the laws will enable better maintenance of highways and better participation of private sectors in road construction. Look at the Lagos-Ibadan road, or the one from Ibadan to Ilorin. Since 1999 when Obasanjo was in power, the road has been under construction. That is 16 years ago. They broke it into three segments in a bid to make it easier. They broke it into -Ibadan to Oyo for one contractor, Oyo to Ogbomosho, another contractor and Ogbomosho to Ilorin another contractor. Till now, we are just about to start the last phase. That is Oyo to Ogbomosho. Lagos-Ibadan that is so important to us, but it is yet to be completed. The money is not there. So, it is the law that will enable the private sector to participate in such construction that we require. If you talk about reforms in any society, they can only be done if there are stable laws that will support that. And that is what we are trying to do in ensuring that all these sectors are provided with an enabling environment that will bring about change in the economy and create jobs for a lot of our unemployed youths. How much of distraction has your trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal had on your senate presidency? Secondly, with the controversies that surrounded the 2016 budget and the dwindling oil revenues, do you sincerely think the budget will be faithfully implemented? Let me start with the last question . What we have done, despite the power that is given to the legislature by the constitution, is to stand with the people. As part of the cooperation with the executive, we ensured that the executive got what they want so that they will not give the excuse that they are not familiar with the budget or that it is not theirs. We Continues on pg 25
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politics&policy
Friday, 10 June, 2016 made a lot of great strides, that we will set the Senate and the National Assembly at a level much higher than we met it. The Senate attempted amending the CCB act, but it was visited with public outcry, and that forced the chamber to drop the idea. The House is going ahead with the amendment. Is the Senate going to concur when the Reps pass it. Secondly, what step do you recommend should be taken by the Federal Government to restore peace in the Niger Delta? On whether the Senate will concur or not, I have not seen details of what they have passed. There is a process , when they pass it. They will send to us for concurrence. When we get it we will look at it and see what they have done.
Saraki
‘CCT trial has not derailed Senate’s agenda’ Continues on pg 24
bent backwards and even relinquished some powers we have as part of the support. This is a government that has come to change things, we told ourselves that we should as much as possible support it and work with what it wants . There is no excuse on the executive part . On our part, we are to ensure that enabling laws are passed. I give you example again with the procurement law that we are amending. It is an effort to fast track the process by which budget would be implemented. And then, of course our own oversight, we have resolved that we will monitor every naira, every kobo to ensure that they are spent in line with the budget. I can assure you that we will do that. We will make sure that all the agencies and ministries implement the budget fully. In saying that we have to be realistic and see what the executive does with the challenges it has. Nobody anticipated the disruption we are having in the Niger Delta area. The budget was based on 2.2 million barrels a day. But now it has gone bad to as low as 1.6 million barrels. That is temporary setback. Government must show its capacity and ability to get peace restored in the Niger Delta. Everything must be done to ensure that production goes back to the original projection which 2.2 million barrels. Remember, oil price was down to $28 per barrel. Some people were worried and even asked how we are going to implement the budget. Luckily, it has gone up to $50. There is some buffer there that should help to cushion some of the shortfalls here and there. Our own part is to make sure that the amount that has been appropriated, all the releases are made to the agencies in line with the law. There cannot be selective releases . The budget has been approved, the money is there, there is need to release it to the agencies and ministries each quarter. When the monies are not there, there is need for the executive to come back to us to explain why. We will hold them accountable. That is the only thing that will make the difference between this year and any other year in terms of budget implementation. On the CCT , I agree that anytime the his-
tory of this period is written, the aspect of CCT will be there. From what we are seeing in the court, not my words, even the words of the witnesses support what I said earlier that my trial is political . Remember the day the chief witness said the first time they wrote to the committee on Federal Government implementation of property sale was in August 2016, which was like two months after I emerged. To me, that was further confirmation to what I said. It means that prior to then, there was no investigation done. Be it as it may, it is a distraction . There is more we could have done . There are a lot of hours that we are losing when we do go to court . We have to do that, I want to clear my name as soon as possible so that we can move forward . It is an unfortunate distraction. I think it was ill-conceived by those that started it. However, it has not deterred us . We still have been able to address and push along our own agenda. It is something that after the case is over, as an institution, we must look at how to strengthen our judiciary and how to ensure that political battles that are lost in the political arena do not find themselves into the judicial arena. It is not good for the system. Sometimes, you hear people use the word corruption trial but when you actually look at the issue, at best you call it administrative misdemeanour. There is nowhere at anytime we are talking about government funds missing somewhere. When we start to paint the fight against corruption and people begin not to be sure whether it is corruption fight or politics, we do more harm to the war on corruption. The fight against corruption should be very transparent so that when you find somebody guilty, Nigerians will know. But you see, sometimes people are found guilty even on the so called corruption, the society will still embrace them . And this is because people do not have belief in the system. When we do things like these we taint the system. I think it is something we must address. Back to the issue, it has not deterred us . Yes it may have weighed us a little down, stopped us from moving at the pace we wanted to move but I still believe that we are doing much better than previously. I am confident that at the end of our term we would have
On the issue of Niger Delta, we have had this kind of problem before that was during the period of late President Umaru Yar’Adua. We were able to find a solution that restored peace to the region. Clearly, there is need for all of us to put hands on the deck and bring peace to the Niger Delta. I was chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum when we did it in the past. I know the role we played at that time to ensure that the Yar’Adua government work out the amnesty programme that restored peace at that time. The National Assembly is there and available to play our own role in bringing about peace in the region. It is a priority and I don’t believe any price is too high in restoring peace . Are recommending that the Yar’Adua model should be employed by the incumbent administration? I didn’t say that. I said that we have done it before. Every situation has its own solution. There is an amnesty programme already in place, so it might not be the issue of amnesty. Whatever the issues are, what I am saying is that we must be able to bend backward and find solution. At the time of Yar’Adua, nobody had heard of such programme. It was fashioned out at that time to meet the situation. Now, we must fashion out whatever is required. What I am saying is that no price is too high to pay for peace to reign in this country. How true is the claim that the President transmitted a letter to the Senate regarding his medical trip to London? The letter clearly stated that the President will be away for 10 working days to attend to his health. I am a doctor, you can be attended to by a doctor, if he is not sure, he might say look I better refer you to another doctor. That happens to an ordinary person not to talk of the President of a country. I don’t blame the doctor that attended to him. He needs to be careful. He wants to share responsibility; he is just being over cautious. ‘I think you are ok, I don’t want tomorrow you will say I am the one that said so, let someone else confirm what I am saying.’ I think that is ok. He is taking 10 days off; he has done the
This Senate is not afraid to say the truth when it is necessary. We are not afraid of taking on anybody once we believe that the person is not following the law .
right thing so that there will be stability. He has followed the process; nothing has been hidden. We wish him all the best. When we had the dinner, he was fit and well. We sat together; there was no evidence that he had any problem. I think this is just to ensure that all righteousness and correctness are followed. There is no problem. The Senate, in the last one year, has passed quite a number of resolutions but we don’t get to see many of the resolutions being implemented by the Executive . Is that not a sign that the National Assembly is turning into a toothless bulldog? Secondly, the issue of restructuring of the country is coming up now, will the constitution amendment work towards that? Constitution amendment is based on the feedback you get from the people, general consensus by the people and stakeholders . It is not in my place as a presiding officer or chairman of the National Assembly to say this is what is going to happen. Going back to what I said, what we want to focus on now is the areas that we have all agreed on . Restructuring I think will involve arguments to and fro, pros and cons. These are the kind of things I think at this first stage will pretty much distract us . We have been doing constitution amendment for many years, yet we don’t amend it. Let us amend the ones that we all agree that need to be amended . There are certain parts of the constitution we all agree that need to be amended . If not that the former president, for whatever reason, did not assent to the last amendment , we have been done with that. My view is that let us do those less controversial ones. After that, the second phase of the amendment we will bring new issues , possibly issues like restructuring . On resolutions, we have made it clear that we are not going to be a National Assembly that will not be effective . We have already set up something like a compliance committee to oversee some of these things we have made and see that the executive arm complies. This National Assembly is not afraid of anybody. This Senate is not afraid to say the truth when it is necessary . We are not afraid of taking on anybody once we believe that the person is not following the law. There is no sacred cow in this business . We know by doing that the system will come back to fight us . Unless we do things right nothing will happen. Look at the last investigation, we did on TSA everything was made open. I was in the 7th Assembly; those kind of reports don’t see the light of the day . I did a motion on oil subsidy, till the time the 7th Assembly ended it never saw the light of the day . But the TSA report did not only see the light of the day; its recommendations did . Even till today you can see those involved sponsoring articles against us . I saw one the other day saying that the Senate President is in dilemma because I personally have a credit card that, I am being charged one per cent. What does my credit card got to do with a national matter? They are saying that because of that I should allow the country to be paying one per cent when other companies say they can do it for less. You can see selfish interest . Just by this action, you can see that we are saving the country billions . I am pretty sure that if you offer the same company to take the business and pay one-third of that, it will agree . We know the kind of money they were moving around , they thought it was the same National Assembly that they will give money to senators and either the report will not see the light of the day or even if it comes, it will be watered down . We are waiting to see if the Executive would be prepared to work with the company that will be charging us four times what easily other people can pay . We must put an end to this type of nonsense. We will make sure that our resolutions have substance , transparent and that the right thing is done .
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
M
R Femi Adesina is doing his best to perform the responsibilities for which he is being paid - the spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari. As his special adviser on media, he must provide counsel on how to deal with the media and using news management techniques, helps the president to maintain a positive public image and avoiding negative media coverage. Basically, he is paid to protect the president’s positive public image. This may be an attractive job given the prestige it confers on the occupant of the post, the direct access to the pinnacle of power and the influence that comes with it. But it is equally a very tough one, perhaps the most difficult of all political appointments given the fact that the appointee has to be in the eye of the storm during controversies. It will be an understatement to say that things are tough for Nigerians at the moment, and that Buhari’s first year in office has been viewed by many as a disappointment. Regardless of this perception or what they see, Adesina must provide the positive side. It is a tough call but that is his job. The Democracy Day television broadcast exposed the president as somebody with a desperate health situation. He seemed to struggle reading from teleprompter as he licked his dry lips every other second. Media reports soon emerged that he was suffering from a condition known as Menerie Disease, an ear infection said to cause pains, hearing impairment and affects balance. It had apparently caused him to drastically reduce his official engagements. The president had abruptly cancelled planned trips to Edo, Lagos and Rivers states with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo drafted to represent him, including at the very politically significant flagoff of the clean-up exercise of oil-polluted Ogoniland. Adesina wasted little time issuing a re-
inside
aso rock
with Leon Usigbe
08078891838 leonusigbe@ yahoo. co.uk
Adesina in the eye of the storm buttal on the media reports, saying that the president was “as fit as a fiddle” as well as “hale and hearty.” Responding to a question put to him, he argued: “Didn’t you see pictures of him receiving Anglican bishops yesterday? Did he look sick? The president is as fit as a fiddle. Anyone who says he is sick is telling lies. That is a figment of the person’s imagination. Just yesterday, he received the Primate of the Anglican Communion and Archbishops at the Presidential villa. He also received former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He is hale and hearty. The imagination of whoever says that is on overdrive.” What happened a few hours later completely wrong-footed the presidential spokesman. Buhari was said to have been admitted to State House Clinic as his condition grew worse followed by an official announcement by the same Adesina that Buhari would be flying to London to see an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist during a 10-day vacation. “During the holiday, he will see an
ENT. specialist for a persistent ear infection. The President was examined by his Personal Physician and an ENT Specialist in Abuja and was treated. Both Nigerian doctors recommended further evaluation purely as a precaution,” was how Adesina put it. The point to be made is that the president is sick and all those Adesina had called liars for saying so were the ones that were actually truthful. It may have made Adesina to look bad, especially among those who believe that the truth must be told at all times and in all circumstances but he should take consolation in the fact that he tried to do his job. Or what was he supposed to do in an era where the president’s age and health condition had been the focus of political smear campaign? Deliberate attempts must be made to deflect criticisms of his condition to present him as being able to do the job he was elected to do. Beyond all that, the president now requires the prayers of all and sundry for healing and quick return to his
duties. Jonathan’s return to Aso Rock Against the backdrop of heightened militancy in the Niger Delta led by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), Buhari, in a surprised move, met with his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja last Thursday night. Nothing was said officially about the encounter but it was thought to have dwelt on the rising tension in the region, reining in the militants and bringing a cessation to their debilitating attacks on oil and gas installations which are bringing the nation’s economy to its knees. Buhari had apparently prepared the grounds for this meeting using all his media engagements marking his first year in office to eulogise Jonathan for his defeat concession phone call to him just before the final tally of the 2015 presidential election result was known. This is in spite of the deployment of state apparatuses to probe his tenure in office. If requested, Jonathan must now feel obliged to help his successor.
Corruption will kill Nigerian economy if, …Rep
Honourable Abdulgafar Akintayo Amere, representing Iwo, Olaoluwa and Ayedire constituency in the National Assembly, in this interview with ARAMIDE SHAANU, speaks on the ongoing fight against corruption and the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State. Excerpts: THE current fight against corruption has elicited mixed reactions among Nigerians. What are your reservations on President Muhammadu Bhuari’s anti-corruption crusade? My position is that the war is a right thing because corruption has already became a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of this country. It is a major problem inherited by the Buhari administration. For example, look at the amount President Buhari has been able to recover from looters within his first year in office. Corruption, to me, is something that all of us must wage war against before it kills the nation’s economy. Presently, Mr President is making effort to retrieve all the stolen money stashed abroad, while some of the suspects are already being tried in law courts. So, Mr President should also be praised in the area of Security/ Defence. He has been able to bring back two girls among the more than 200 Chibok girls that were abducted by Boko Haram two years ago (before the advent of his administration). I can only encourage our security agencies to speed up action in bringing back the remaining Chibok girls while all Nigerians should also be security conscious by reporting any strange movement to law enforcement agencies. The governor of Osun Sstate Mr Rauf Aregbesola is almost six years
Amere in office now. How would you assess his performance? In all honesty, Governor Abdulrauf Aregbesola has performed very well. His achievements are indeed too many to mention but I will list just a few. So far, he has been able to tar 80 per cent of the state roads, along with some federal roads. Everybody is aware of the ongoing construction of overhead bridges in parts of the state. On education, the constructed several buildings in nearly every school in the state, just as he rehabilitated many old ones. He introduced a free feeding
progamme in primary schools, while tablet of knowledge (Opon Imo) were also distributed to student of secondary schools including free distribution of schools uniform.nIn the area of security, Governor Aregbesola should be commended because he was able to purchase armoured tank for the police, helicopter and other security apparatuses. This is why the Police high Command recently rated Osun as the ‘most peaceful and crime-Free state in Nigeria. On employment generation, he has equally done his best. So, I believe the good people of Osun appreciate all these achievements of the APC administration in the State and, come 2018 governorship election, they will vote for continuity. Osun State is not an island; it is facing certain challenges like all the other states in the federation, which with time we shall all overcome as a country. It is a common trend for lawmakers to distribute items to their constituents in the name of dividends of democracy, whereas they ought to be preoccupied with making laws. Why did you join the fray? The reason is that my father was a very good politician, who has used the little he had for the benefit of the masses, and I felt I should take after him. Besides, it is my own way of empowering the youth and curbing criminal tendencies in the society. So, once
they are meaningfully engaged, there will be no room for the devil’s workshop. Apart from my normal legislative duties at the floor of the House and committee level, I believe my people still deserve some dividends of the democracy. For example, I constructed 18 boreholes in the three Local Governments that I’m representing. Last year, with the inclusion of LTF, I was able to train 70 Youths in various vocations. This year, with the inclusion of the National Directorate of Employment, I have trained 50 youths, who have already received their empowerment materials, including ₦50,000 per person. We are still going to train another set comprising 100 people that will cut across all the wards in the three local council areas. They will be trained for three months after which they will get their empowerment materials and money. Through this, the problem of unemployment will become minimal. Besides, the one-story building that I built and was commissioned cost ₦150 million and this contained about 36 classrooms, a server with 100 computers and a laboratory. I also empowered people with items like 100 air driers, gridding machine about 100 sewing machines, so many deep freezers, plasma televisions sets, 45 tricycles to serve each ward in the three local Government that I’m representing the aim is to make it generate funds for each wards.
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Friday, 10 June, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048
features A procession during the Isotan rites on Saturday.
Oba Erediauwa’s funeral rites:
How ‘no-cooking for 12 hours’ directive played out The level of compliance with the directive that no one should cook with fire last Sunday in the entire Benin Kingdom has once again underlined Benin culture and tradition as one of the most impervious in the world, writes BANJI ALUKO.
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HE notice was short and straightforward. Journalists, both of print and electronic media, had converged on the Palace of the Oba of Benin last Friday for the visit of a delegation of the Nigerian Senate led by the Senate vice president, Uche Ekweremadu, who had paid a condolence visit on the Benin Crown Prince and Edaiken N’ Usleu, HRH Eheneden Erediauwa, over the passage of his father, Oba Erediauwa. The visitation was ongoing when the release was circulated to journalists. Since the announcement of the passage of Oba Erediauwa, journalists in Edo State have become accustomed to getting releases on the passage; hence they were not surprised when this one came. The content of the release, this time around, was a bit surprising. Notices had been issued for the closure of major markets, wearing of just one bead by those entitled to many beads and shaving of heads by male Benin sons fol-
lowing the announcement of the passage of the highly revered monarch. This one, perhaps because of its perceived difficult practicability, made many people to murmur. “This is to inform the general public that in continuation of the Royal Funeral Rites and in accordance to the Benin customs and tradition, there shall be no cooking with fire in every household in Benin Kingdom on Sunday, 5th June, 2016,” the release stated. Further information was dished out that the embargo on cooking would last 12 hours between the hours of 6:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. According to the statement signed by the secretary of the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor, the day is the day of the Igberimwin in the programme for the Royal Funeral Rites, adding that all Binis as well as the non-indigenes are expected to observe the rites. No cooking for 12 hours! Is it possible? Won’t people eat? The scepticism was if people would adhere to this centuries-old tradition in a modern world of today. Many even asked if a task force will be constituted to ensure that the directive is complied with. Many expressed doubt that hardly would anyone comply with the order since families must always prepare and eat foods. One only needed to wait till the D-day to know if the people would comply with this age-long tradition or ditch it. In the absence of an empirical research in the homes, visits to the eateries, road side food sellers, suya spots and the drinking
Procession during the Isotan rites at Five Junction, Benin City.
joints revealed the level of compliance to the directive. Being a Sunday morning, their absence did not come as a surprise. A signal that indigenes and residents of Benin were prepared to comply with the Palace’s directive started to manifest in the afternoon. By 2:00p.m., it was clear that the food vendors would not dare tradition as many of them closed for businesses. Those who opened for businesses only sold ice cream, snacks and drinks. A drive through Benin City and environs showed that sellers of cooked and roasted corn also obeyed the directive as they were not seen on the roadside. Even the bean cake (akara) sellers were nowhere to be found on Sunday. A staff of a popular eatery on Sapele Road, who gave his name as Michael, said staffs were informed the previous night not to prepare or sell cooked food to customers. “The manager on Saturday told us not to cook. We only sold ice cream and drinks to customers until in the evening when we started to prepare food. The directive came from the manager and we had no reason not to comply.” Findings also revealed that some Bini indigenes and residents alike complied with the no-cooking directive. Those, who were hungry on Sunday afternoon, searched and searched for somewhere to eat but could not find. Expectedly, some, somehow, eventually got some obscure food vendors, who defied
the no-cooking order. A journalist, Friday Osagie, said he and his household complied with the directive. He said, “I’m a proud Bini man. This is not different from other directives from the palace, and I have never failed to comply with them. I told my wife, who is not even a Bini woman, that there would not be cooking in the house on Sunday and she complied. We had to take the children to the eatery in the afternoon where we took ice cream. It is not too much a sacrifice to pay for our respected Oba.” A young Bini woman, Elohosa Ogbeiwi, said her family also complied with the Palace’s directive. She, however, confessed that the compliance was her mother’s idea and that she had nothing to eat until about five o’ clock in the evening. An elderly man, who spoke on the Igberimwin said the observance by the Bini people showed the respect they had for their culture and tradition in the face of modernisation. He said that speaking on the Igberimwin alone was not the proper thing for him to do since he did not possess the licence to do so. He, however, pointed out that the Igberimwin, just like many other observations in the Benin culture and tradition, was handed down to them by their forefathers. He said, “I don’t know when it started. I’m not even in the position to know when it started. Even if I know, I won’t tell you. The point is that every custom or tradition observed today or pronouncement made is in line with what existed in the past. “The way it was done in the past, is the way it is still being done today. You must know that the present Bini Royalty lineage dates back to the 12th century and we still do things the way they were done then. This is what makes Bini tradition unique from among other African tradition.” Activities marking the royal funeral rites for the departed Oba of Benin are expected to end on Wednesday. An announcement for the coronation of the Benin Crown Prince and Edaiken N’ Uselu, HRH Eheneden Erediauwa, is expected to follow the royal funeral rites.
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
At APBN summit, professionals chart pathway to economic diversification By Paul Omorogbe
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ITH dwindling federal allocations accruing to states as a result of the global drop in oil prices, which subsequently has led to states’ inability to pay salaries among other responsibilities, it is clear that diversification from oil is the key and states must also not be left out in the diversification drive. Therefore, according to its chairman, Engineer Gbenga Ilori, the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Oyo State branch at its 2016 professional summit, chose to highlight methods by which the state government can tap into its abundant natural and mineral resources, and thereby minimise its ultimate dependence on oil revenue from the Federal Government. According to Ilori, “It is in response to the challenges being faced by the government at this critical time, we put together this summit with the theme: ‘The role of professionals in harnessing the potentials of Pacesetter State for sustainable development’ as our contribution to the development of the state.” The summit had in attendance, the leadership of numerous professional bodies and the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Olalekan Alli. “Many had warned years before now of the threat to Nigerian economy for over-reliance on a product, crude oil. Nigeria can no longer pay lip service to the issue of diversification of her economy,” Prince Gbenga Adebayo, vice-chairman of APBN, Oyo said during his welcome address at the summit. The job of the speakers at the summit was to highlight resources the state could tap into that would bring it to a sustainable level of self-reliance. One of the speakers was Professor Janice Olawoye, who recently voluntarily retired from the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan, but remains active as a consultant on numerous indigenous and international interventions in agriculture which is her forte. Professor Olawoye said, “We cannot change history,” making reference to the wastage during the oil boom which she witnessed in the country in the 70s, “but we can learn from it,” she added. “Forty per cent of Africans live below poverty line, living
Outgoing chairman, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, Oyo State branch, Engineer Gbenga Ilori, presenting an award to guest speaker, Professor Janice Olawoye, at the 2016 APBN Professionals Summit held at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, recently. PHOTO: Tommy Adegbite. on less than $1.50 a day; 40 to 60 per cent are unemployed. Strengthening agricultural value chains could be the way out of poverty,” she said quoting a statement from the World Bank. Referring to the agricultural potentials of Oyo State and the nation at large, the professor of Rural Sociology noted that “we have so much potential, but we cannot eat potential!” She advocated for “climate-smart” agriculture in view of the threat from climate change and warned government and aid agencies to beware of “elite capture,” a situation she described as where the rich in society grab up most of the aid before it reaches the poor who really need it. “To succeed in agriculture, private-public sector partnership must be fully explored and exploited; agriculture must be seen as a business, not just a way of life,” Olawoye concluded. Governor Ajimobi acknowledged the interest of the profes-
sionals to partner with his government. “The internal revenue drive, the shift into agriculture and agro-based ventures and exploring solid minerals which we have embarked upon need to be driven by honest, dedicated and accomplished porofessionals,” he said. He therefore urged APBN to breed professionals who have imbibed the ethics of integrity, loyalty, and dedication. Earlier, Ilori noted that part of the problem in successful execution of ideas and reforms was the non-utilisation of professionals in the process. “I implore the SSG to communicate the outcome of this summit to the governor,” he added. Concluding the summit was an election wherein Engineer Gbenga Ilori, a former chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Ibadan branch, handed over his chairmanship of Oyo APBN to Prince Gbenga Adebayo of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
How fortune changed for septuagenarian mistaken for kidnapper By Oluwatoyin Malik THE bungalow situated on Fast Fast junction, Olaogun area, along Old Ife Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, is no doubt an old one, with some of its rusted roofing sheets held in place with disused tyres and stones. As the Nigerian Tribune approached the house on Monday, May 30, bow-legged Madam Olatutu Awoniran, in her 70s, wobbled to welcome this writer. The visit was a follow-up to the story of the woman who was mistaken for a human trafficker when she was seen with seven children at Idi Ape area of Ibadan. Police investigations later revealed that the children were indeed her grandchildren and had been in her care since their father, her son, died in 2015. With her, when the Nigerian Tribune went visiting, were some of her seven grandchildren who were the focus of the cameras on Friday, May 27, at the police headquarters, Eleiyele, Ibadan. But unlike that day when the children were decked in Ankara dresses sewn from the same fabric, some of the children who were around wore dirty, oversized dresses. One of them, a male, wore a dirty female oversized blouse which formed a dress, with the buttons meant for the front turned to the back. The grandmother, Madam Awoniran tried to look decent by wearing her Sunday best and tying gele because of the Nigerian Tribune that was visiting her, but it was obvious that she was living in penury except for the food items she got from the Oyo State Police Command that Friday. The story of how she got to the police was interesting. According to the state Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, who donated food
Madam Olatutu Awoniran (third left); her daughter-in-law, Kafayat (second left); the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade (third right); the seven children and other police officers, during the presentation of gift items to Madam Awoniran by the police commissioner. items such as bags of rice, beans, vegetable and palm oil, cartons of biscuits, tubers of yam and loaves of bread to the matriarch on behalf of the state command, “on May 25, a patrol team intercepted a 75-year-old with seven children. Members of the public were apprehensive of her being involved in human trafficking or having possession of them without their knowledge. “But we got the children’s biological mother, investigated and established that the old woman was their grandmother and did not commit any crime. We learnt that she went to a media house to solicit for funds for the upkeep of the children and was on her way back home when she was noticed by those who suspected her. “We decided to look at it from human
angle and the police command is giving the food items out for their upkeep. The issue brought out by investigation is that the family needs assistance.” He, however, enjoined other members of the public to show love and concern by contributing towards the upkeep of the children. Saturday Tribune learnt that except one out of the children who was delivered as a single baby, others came in multiples. Narrating the experience that got her involved with the police, Mama Awoniran said she decided to take her grandchildren to a television station in Ibadan to seek help from good Nigerians to take care of them. “The children belong to my last born, Olusola Idowu Awoniran, who died on August 1, 2015. When I got to the TV station, I was
told that the person to attend to me could not be reached and I should come back at another time. As I walked back home, some people accosted me and asked of how I got the seven children I had with me. “I told them the children are my son’s, but they did not believe me. They said I went to steal the children. I was ordered to sit down and the people went for the police. One of the children kept telling the crowd that I was their father’s mother. Policemen came from Agodi Division and when they interrogated me, I repeated my earlier statement and went further to tell them that their mother was alive and I could take them to her. “From Agodi Division, I was taken to Eleiyele police command headquarters and was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping section. The police put me in their patrol van and I took them to the residence of the children’s mother. She confirmed that I was the children’s grandmother and that she gave birth to 10 children, but three of them died. ‘When the police got the truth, the Commissioner of Police had compassion for me and said he would not allow me to go empty handed. That was how he gave me bags of rice, beans, tubers of yam, cartons of biscuit, bread, palm oil and vegetable oil.” Expressing her appreciation towards the police commissioner for the food items given to her, which she said transformed the way they lived before her encounter with the law enforcement agents, Mama Awoniran appealed to Nigerians to still come to her aid to give the children sound education and for her to have a decent accommodation where she and her grandchildren could live unlike the poor one they currently live in.
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No major link between ISIS, Boko Haram —US
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HE United States officials, on Thursday, said “there is no evidence that Boko Haram has received significant operational support or financing from Islamic State (IS).” An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, in Washington, according to Reuters and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said more than a year after the group’s pledge of allegiance, it has no link with IS. He added that after Boko Haram killed more than two dozen soldiers in Niger last week, it claimed the attack in the name of Islamic StateWest Africa Province, a title meant to tell the world that it was an arm of the Syria-
based extremist group. The official suggested that Boko Haram’s loyalty pledge had so far mostly been a branding exercise designed to boost its international jihadi credentials, attract recruits and appeal to the IS leadership for assistance. He said the U.S. view of Boko Haram, which won global infamy for its 2014 kidnapping of 276 school girls, as a locally-focused, homegrown insurgency, is likely to keep the group more to the margins of the U.S. fight against Islamic State in Africa. The official said U.S. military’s attention was largely centred on Libya, home to Islamic State’s strongest af-
filiate outside the Middle East and where the U.S. carried out air strikes. He stressed that “no such direct U.S. intervention is currently being contemplated against Boko Haram.” “If there is no meaningful connection between ISIL and Boko Haram and we haven’t found one so far, then there are no grounds for U.S. military involvement in West Africa other than assistance and training,’’ he said. Another official referred to it as an African fight and U.S. could only assist. The official said “it is not American fight, rather, it is an African fight and we can assist them, but it’s their fight.”
A senior U.S. official said securities were closely watching for any increased threat to Americans from Boko Haram and any confirmation of media reports of deepening ties with IS. He said “in spite of suffering a series of setbacks, Boko Haram remains lethal. “It launched its deadliest raid in over a year last week, killing 30 soldiers and forcing 50,000 people to flee when it took over the Niger town of Bosso last week.” The official added that the military action against ISIL in Iraq and Syria was conducted under legislation Congress passed after the September 11, 2001, attacks and authourised the use of American military power
against “those responsible for” those attacks. He noted that the Obama administration had interpreted it and included Islamic State as third-generation descendent of Osama bin Laden’s core al-Qaeda group, but not Boko Haram. He said the security intelligence report about Boko Haram acknowledged that its internal structure and leadership was imperfect. He explained that “the U.S. has closely tracked ISIL’s leadership, finances and other activities, including its cooperation with other groups such as its branch in Libya, to which Islamic State has sent fighters, commanders and other support. “However, multiple reports indicated that there is no evidence that Islamic State leaders, based in Syria and Iraq, have transferred significant amounts of cash or weapons or sent high-level representatives to Nigeria.”
NDLEA nabs suspects with drugs inside vegetables, shoes at Enugu airport Shola Adekola - Lagos
From left, Marijke Winjros; Executive Director, Global Fund, Dr Mark Dybul; Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode; Director, Global Fund and Global Affairs, UNAIDS, Deborah Von Zinkernagel; Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris and the Director, Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), Dr Seyi Temowo, during a meeting on the Global Fund Grant for AIDS Response Initiatives between the state government and Global Fund, in New York, United States, on Wednesday.
FG set to clean up villages contaminated by lead poisoning Adelowo Oladipo - Minna THE Federal Government has expressed its determination to mobilise resources towards cleansing of villages in Niger State where lead poisoning has led to deaths and irreparable brain damages to children. Some villages in Shikira ward of Rafi Local Government Area of the state have been polluted by lead poisoning and experts said unless emergency remedial steps were taken, many children would contract the disease. Two villages, Unguwan Kawo and Unguwan Magiro, with about 105 households, were affected. The Minister of Environment, Hajiya Amina Mohammed and the Minister of State for Solid Minerals, Honourable Abubakar Bawa Bwari who paid an official visit to the areas, assured the villagers that remedial measures will be taken to free their lands of toxic lead.
Hajiya Mohammed, who said the visit by the ministers was long overdue, explained that the earlier scheduled visit was postponed as a result of the death of the former Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi. She noted further that the remedial work will require the active collaboration of at least three ministries, the Niger State government and experts from in-
ternational agencies. She regretted that innocent children were made to suffer the consequences of the actions of adults in their midst and vowed to do all she can to ensure that the place is cleaned up. Honourable Abubakar Bawa Bwari told the villagers to imbibe safer mining practices to avoid endangering the lives of their children.
He assured the artesian miners of government’s readiness to form them into co-operatives where they can get access to loans and mining equipment. Bwari, who managed to extract from community leaders the assurance that they will give the government their full co-operation, said government efforts would only succeed if villagers are willing to make necessary sacrifice.
PDP caretaker committee members get portfolios Leon Usigbe and Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja MEMBERS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee have been assigned with portfolios with Prince Dayo Adeyeye emerging as the party’s spokesman. According to a statement issued on behalf of the party by Chinwe Nnorom, in Abuja, on Thursday, the portfolios of the seven-man committee were announced at the maiden meeting of the
caretaker committee with party staff and those of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI). Apart from the National Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ben Obi, National Secretary, the portfolio distribution named Hajiya Aisha Aliyu as being in charge of Women & Youth; Senator Abdul Ningi, Organisation & Mobilisation; Senator Odion Ogbesia, Financial, Treasury & Audit and Kabir Usman, Legal.
It will be recalled that the National Caretaker Committee was constituted at the party’s National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on May 21, 2016. According to the statement, Makarfi, during the meeting, reiterated that the committee would not exceed the period given to it by the National Convention to reorganise, reform and conduct a free, fair, credible and all inclusive national convention.
THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, has discovered compressed cannabis in vegetables and cocaine inside shoe sole. Two of the suspects were found in possession of substances that tested positive for cocaine while four others were caught with dried weeds of cannabis sativa. A total of 62.663 kilogrammes of drugs comprising 60.55 kilogrammes of cannabis and 2.113 kilogrammes of cocaine were seized. NDLEA commander at the Enugu airport, Mr Adeofe Adeyemi, said that the airport command was working hard to prevent all cases of illicit drug trafficking. “The command has arrested six suspected drug traffickers with 62.663 kilogrammes of narcotic drugs. One of the suspects, Ibeh Kevin Nonso, 46-year-old, going to China, swallowed 67 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.131kg while Izukanne Ikenna, 33-year-old, going to Hong Kong, hid 982 grammes of cocaine inside the sole of his shoes. The only female, 27-year-old Kenechukwu Ujunwa Uchenna, was arrested on her way to Dubai with 11.7 kilogrammes of cannabis in dried bitter leaf vegetables,” Adeofe stated.
Nigerian Tribune
Ambode sacks caretaker committees of 57 LGs/LCDAs Bola Badmus - Lagos LAGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday approved the immediate sack of the caretaker committees headed by Executive Secretaries in 20 Local Government Councils and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state. This followed the resolution of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Thursday, relieving the Executive Secretaries of all the 57LCDAs involved. Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tunji Bello, made this known in a statement, disclosing that the governor also directed the Executive Secretaries to hand over the reins of administration to the Head of Administration in each of the council areas. The statement said that Thursday’s dissolution of the caretaker committees was preparatory to the holding of elections into the 57 council areas by the state government and ensuring that necessary machineries were put in place preparatory to the elections.
Wike declares total war on cultism Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt RIVERS State governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared total war on cultists in the state, stating that they will be rooted out and prosecuted. The governor also announced that the state government has acquired 4.1 hectares of land in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), to construct residential quarters for judges of the Rivers State Judiciary. Presenting 57 official Honda Accord cars to Magistrates of the State Judiciary, on Thursday, at the State High Court Complex, the governor said that measures had been taken to fish out those responsible for cultrelated violence in the state. On the presentation of the cars to 57 magistrates, the governor explained that it was done to provide an enabling environment for them to dispense justice according. In her remarks, Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, commended Governor Wike for taking actions that will enhance the dispensation of justice, despite the financial meltdown.
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CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adekunle Oladipo Yusuff now KILANI ADEKUNLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Oriola Kofoworola Mayowa now MRS ADEGBOLA KOFOWOROLA MAYOWA. All former documents remain valid. UCH, Ibadan and general public take note.
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I, formerly Mrs Adejuwon Toyin Florence now MRS ADEJUWON OLUWATOYIN TEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Folake Fatimot Babafemi now FOLAKE FATIMOT SUSAN OLAYINKA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mrs Olagoke Esther Idayat now MRS OJO ESTHER FUNKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Azeez Sulaimon Kola now ANIFOWOSE AZEEZ LAWAL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Olaleye Olaronke Deborah now MRS OYEKANMI OLARONKE DEBORAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Mrs Anifowose Christianah O. am the same person as MRS ANIFOWOSE YEMI. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. GTBank Plc and general public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
I, formerly Mr Mustapha Sarafa, Mr Mustafa Sarafadeen Ishola now MR MUSTAPHA SHARAFADEEN ISHOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Miss Imam Adamat Tinuola now MRS GANIYU ADAMAT TINUOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Abosede Opeyemi Akigbogun now MRS. ABOSEDE OPEYEMI ADETIFA. All former documents remain valid. TESCOM, Oyo State and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Ibitoye Hellen Jumoke now MRS OLUBISI HELLEN JUMOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Miss Akinsanya Adesola Oluwabunmi now MRS OLOPADE ADESOLA OLUWABUNMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Mr. Salaudeen Adeniyi Lateef now MR. SALAWU ADENIYI LATEEF. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State SUBEB and general public take note.
I, formerly Raheem Raufu Olowo now RAHEEM RAUFU OWOLABI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss David Oluwaseun Ayodele now MRS OSUNRINDE OLUWASEUN AYODELE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, Rasheed Shittu am the same person bearing Rasheed Faremi Adisa. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as RASHEED SHITTU BABAJIDE. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Skye Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc and general public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Kemi Bose Oyelowo now MRS KEMI BOSE FAMILUSI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, formerly Miss Gbadebo Motunrayo Ifeoluwa now MRS OJO MOTUNRAYO IFEOLUWA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME
I, formerly Miss Akanbi Abiodun Barakat now MRS ADEDEJI-ADESHINA ABIODUN BARAKAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME
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I, formerly Mr. Akanbi Oluwasesan Emmanuel now MR. AKANBI SESAN. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc., and general public take note.
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I, Idowu Olukayode Oki or Oki Ezekiel Oluwakayode wish to be known as OKI EZEKIEL IDOWU OLUWAKAYODE. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, Kodijat Temilade Gafar am the same person bearing Sola Temilade Adeoye. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as KODIJAT TEMILADE GAFAR. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Sterling Bank Plc, UBA Plc and general public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Lamidi Isola now OGUNSAKIN BASIRU ALADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, Idowu Moronmubo Grace am the same person bearing Adeta Mubo Oluwaranti. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as IDOWU MORONMUBO GRACE. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
I, Ojue Victor Anthony am the same person as Ojue Victor. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as OJUE VICTOR ANTHONY. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public take note.
I, formerly Oladimeji Racheal Olusola now AJALA RACHEAL OLUSOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, Obisesan Seyi Abiodun am the same person as Obisesan Oluwaseyi Abiodun. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as OBISESAN OLUWASEYI ABIODUN. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Skye Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, and general public take note.
I, formerly Danmalik Uba Maigidansama now UBA MAIGIDANSAMA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Miss Olokun Bolanle Oludunmininu now MRS SAKA BOLANLE OLUDUNMININU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Egbonodje Elizabeth Mercy now OLANREWAJU JUMOKE ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid. EcoBank Plc and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Oluwasusi Funmilayo Abosede now MRS POPOOLA FUNMILAYO ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. Osun State Government and general public take note.
I, formerly Adeniyi Nurudeen Segun still wish to be known and addressed as ADENIYI NURUDEEN SEGUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Osunwole Abosede Toyosi now KAYODE OMOTOYOSI ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc and general public take note.
I, formerly Dr. (Miss) Ummulkhair Funke Sanusi now DR (MRS) UMMULKHAIR FUNKE ADETUNJI. All former documents remain valid. OAU, Ile-Ife, NYSC and general public take note.
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CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Bamigboye Victoria Bola now OGUNWUSI VICTORIA BOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
34 CHANGE OF NAME
Friday, 10 June, 2016 CONFIRMATION OF NAME
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I, formerly Miss Salaudeen Fadilat Kareem now MRS. ABDULKAREEM FADHILAT FOLASADE. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.
I Alli Salawu Rasheed Olasunkanmi am the same person as Alli Rasheed Olasunkanmi. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as ALLI-SALAWU RASHEED OLASUNKANMI. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. First Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc., and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Olajumoke Omotoyosi Ogunbanjo now MRS. OLAJUMOKE OMOTOYOSI FAKOYA. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Dosumu Adebola Abosede now MRS. ONIYIDE ADEBOLA ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. Teaching Service Commission, Ogun State and general Public take note.
I Isa Usman Noman am the same person bearing Isah Noma. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ISAH USMAN NOMA. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.
I Awolola Adebayo Akeem am the same person bearing Awolola Peter Adebayo. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AWOLOLA PETER AKEEM. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. UBA Plc., Access Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.
I, formerly Falajiki Temitope James now OLULAJIKI TEMITOPE JAMES. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Musa Nafisat Abosede now RAJI NAFISAT ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc., GTBank Plc., and general public take note.
I, formerly Lucky Omage now FRIDAY DELE OMAGE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Adebayo Adeniyi James now ADEBISI ADENIYI JAMES. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Adesola Omowunmi Sobola now MRS ADESOLA OMOWUNMI LAWAL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
RECONCILIATION OF NAMES I, NNABUCHI AMAKA VIVIAN am the same person as NNABUCHI CHIAMAKA VIVIAN. That Amaka is the short form of Chiamaka. All documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Olutoyese Ademitoro Ademola now ODUKOYA OLUTOYESE ADETORO ADEMOLA. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc., and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Isiaka Fatimat Salman Abeke now MRS. ODEBODE FATIMAT ABEKE. All former documents remain valid. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc., Wema Bank Plc., and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Catherine Abimbola Green now MRS. ABIMBOLA ABUBAKAR. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
This box is for sale
I, formerly Oluwaleke James Olanrewaju now OLANREWAJU JAMES OROLEKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Mr. Bakare Jelili now MR. ALIU BAKARE JELILI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Kolawole Kemi Omolara now KOLAWOLE ALICE OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Okoro Rita now OGUMOR E. RITA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
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I, Okwelogu Anthony Arinze am the same person as OKWELOGU CHRISTOPHER. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
I, Lucky David Ejumafor am the same person as Lucky Ejumafor and David Ejumafor. I now wish to be known as LUCKY DAVID EJUMAFOR. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Banks and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Ojekunle Felicia Opeyemi now MRS AKINTOLA FELICIA OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Ifeanyi Obinna Chukwu now OBI CHUKWU IFEANYI. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc., and general public take note.
I, formerly Tella Comfort Adeyinka now MRS. AJIBOYE COMFORT ADEYINKA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Yusuf Olamide Sadam now YUSUF OLAMIDE ABDULSALAM. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Oyadele Folake Olaitan now MRS. AKANJI FOLAKE OLAITAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Umar Nofisat Omobukola now MRS. GANDONU NOFISAT OMOBUKOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Adebiyi Munirat Ronke now ASHA MUNIRAT KANYIN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, Adisa Falilu Rahmon am the same person bearing Adisa Falilu Ramoni and Adisa Fadilulahi Abdrahmon. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADISA FALILU RAHMONI. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
I, formerly Miss Laniyan Bukola Cynthia now MRS. LASEINDE BUKOLA CYNTHIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
I, formerly Mrs. Adeyemo Adekemi Kehinde now MRS. ADEYEMO TAIWO ADEFUNKE. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc., and general Public take note.
I, Moshood Ajao Layiwola wish to inform the public that I am the same person as Layiwola Mosudi and Moshood Ajao and now wish to be known as MOSHOOD AJAO LAYIWOLA. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Miss Ogunsina Oluwatosin Elizabeth now MRS. OJOFEITIMI OLUWATOSIN ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Lawal Abdulganiyu Abimbola now LAWAL OLAYINKA ABIMBOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Miss Amoo Olajumoke Oluwabunmi now MRS OLATUNDE O L A J U M O K E OLUWABUNMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Omojaye Elizabeth Omokushe now BALOGUN ELIZABETH OMOKUSHE. All former documents remain valid. Zenith Bank Plc., and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Lawal Bolaji Nasiat now MRS. AJAGBE BOLAJI NASIAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Miss Salami Modinat now MRS. LAWAL MODINAT ADERONKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, Oladosu Mubarak Opeyemi am the same person as ABDULRAZAK MUBARAK OPEYEMI . Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLADOSU MUBARAK OPEYEMI. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Mrs. Tina Gladys Ibitoye now MRS. TINA IBHADE IBITOYE. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.
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I, formerly Oladipo Funmilola Atinuke now AJIBOYE FUNMILOLA ATINUKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Adedoyin Caroline Opeyemi now MRS. TORIOLA CAROLINE OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Odubola Bolanle Esther now ODUBOLA BOLANLE FELICIA. All former documents bearing Odubola Bolanle Esther remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Ganiu Ganiyat Adesola now MRS. MUHAMMED GANIYAT ADESOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Oluyide Oluwafunke Omojisola now MRS. EMMANUEL OLUWAFUNKE OMOJISOLA. All former documents remain valid. Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko and general public take note.
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I, formerly Onwuka Ucheoma Kalu now MRS. RITA ONWUKA UCHEOMA AYANNIYI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Isco Cruz now NNABUIHE KELECHI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Eyitayo Opeyemi Grace now AINA OLUWAKEMI GRACE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Bounty Ebiyekon now UYATUGHA ABOUTY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Bello Iyonse Marienta now MRS. SHAKEDE IYONSE MARIENTA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, Alex Ebenezer Idowu am the same person as Ebenezer Alex Samuel and Adeyemi David. Henceforth, I want to be known as ALEX EBENEZER IDOWU. My correct date of birth is 20th January, 1991 and not 14th January, 1990. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Ibiyinka Olanrewaju now DANDY OLANREWAJU SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Cecilia Peter Akpama now MRS. CECILIA NTE BISONG. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME AND CORRECTION OF DATE OF BIRTH
I, formerly Mr. Ayankola Ayankunle John now MR. AYANKOLA AYANKUNLE KAYODE. My correct date of birth is 3rd January, 1974 and not 4th May, 1974. All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank Plc., and general public take note.
CONFIRMATION OF NAME
I, Kamoru Lawal Iyiola, my name was wrongly written as Kamorudee Eyiola on the BVN. My correct name is Kamoru Lawal Iyiola. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as KAMORU LAWAL IYIOLA. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Wema Bank Plc., FBN Plc., and general public take note.
CHANGE OF NAME
I, formerly Miss Adeyemi Oluwatobi Bosede now MRS. OKE OLUWATOBI BOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
This box is for sale CHANGE OF NAME
I, formerly Miss Gbesabi Oluwakemi Abigael now MRS. ALADEROKUN OLUWAKEMI ABIGAEL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Oladimeji Obisesan now ADEDIMEJI OBISESAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, Ogunjobi Kemisola Mary, born on 5th day of September, 1986, am the same person as Ogunjobi Brenda Tola. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OGUNJOBI KEMISOLA MARY. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Unity Bank Plc., and general public take note.
I, Yusuf Hassan Taiwo Muhammed am the same person as Hassan Taiwo Yusuf and Yusuf Hassan Muhammed. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as YUSUF HASSAN TAIWO MUHAMMED. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.
I, Opara Taiwo am the same person as Okpara Taiwo. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OPARA TAIWO. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public take note.
I, formerly Dr. (Miss) Adebunmi Oyebisi Alade now DR. (MRS.) ADEBUNMI OYEBISI OYEKOLA. All former documents remain valid. University of Ibadan and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Womiloju Nafisat Ajoke now MRS. ADELEKE NAFISAT AJOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Mr. Eric Afeare now MR. ERIC AFEARE OLA-BALOGUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Ilori Adefunke Oluwadamilola now ISAAC ADEFUNKE OLUWADAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Waheed Ero now WAHEED ADELEKE SOLIU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Miss Saka Afusat Adenike now MRS. IROKO AFUSAT ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, Tawakalit Morounkeji Mustapha am the same person as Mrs. Grace Yetunde Morounkeji Solarin. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS GRACE YETUNDE MOROUNKEJI SOLARIN. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Access Bank Plc., Skye Bank Plc., FCMB and general public take note.
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I, formerly Miss Olaniyi Radiant Tolulope now MRS. ADAMOLEKUN RADIANT TOLULOPE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
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I, formerly Afolabi Sodiq Oluseyi now AFOLABI SODIQ OLAWUMI. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc., and general public take note.
36 news
Friday, 10 June, 2016
State of economy worrisome —Senators Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja HE Senate, on Thursday, marked the first anniversary of its inauguration with lawmakers expressing worries over the state of the economy. Speaking at the anniversary session, the lawmakers said concrete steps must be taken to save the economy in the next one year, adding that anything to the contrary could spell doom for the nation. Senate chief whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, drew the attention of his colleagues to series of problems bedeviling the nation, in addition to what he called the challenge of imminent economic recession. “No matter the political party we belong to, the country is in a turmoil. The economy is in a bad shape. Insecurity is very high. Unemployment is unimaginable. The next one year must not be like the last one year. We must make a difference. “Some things have not gone on rightly in the last one year. If we say we have no sin, we lie and the truth is not in us. We need to
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tell ourselves the truth. We need to put our pasts behind us and work together,” he said. The Senate minority leader, Chief Godswill Akpabio, in his contribution, warned that if something urgent was not done, Nigeria could be plunged into crisis. “The South-South people have abandoned their homes because of activities of Niger Delta Avengers. The North is in turmoil. The South-East is boiling because of agitation. The South-West is the only peaceful area, but they still send mercenaries to other areas to fight.
“I want to urge the All Progressives Congress (APC) to market this country very well. With the way the APC is saying that the country is full of criminals, investors will not come here to invest. They must change the way they talk about Nigeria. Things need to change.” The senator representing Bayelsa East, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, said in his contribution that national budgets over the years had been made to give undue priority to recurrent expenditure, adding that the budget must be structured in such a manner that pays
at least 50 per cent attention to capital projects. Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in his remarks, celebrated the unity in the Senate,which he said was lacking on the day of inauguration. “I am proud of our accomplishment as a Senate. On June 9, 2016, as I look back now, there are a number of our colleagues who were not here, but today everybody is here. We were divided along the lines, but today we are united as one indivisible Senate, working for the progress of our nation. “To our detractors, let me just say that there is God.
It is God that gives power and He gives to whoever He wants. It does not make any sense people wasting their time and energy plotting the downfall of other people. That means you are challenging God who has given power to those persons,” he said. Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, in his anniversary speech noted the landmarks the Senate had made in one year. He also lamented the state of the economy, adding that the Senate had devoted energy towards policies aimed at reviving the economy.
Adelowo Oladipo - Minna NIGER State government, on Thursday, said it has approved N87 million balance of 2016 counterpart fund to execute projects under the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in the state. The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Aliyu Abduahi, said this in Minna, the state capital, during a visit to the ministry by the IFAD/Federal Government supervision team on rice and cassava value chain. “Before the coming of this government, payment of counterpart fund for this programme was not encouraging,” he said.
Thanksgiving
THE five years inauguration thanksgiving service of The Apostolic Church, Moniya District, Ojoo Area, LAWNA Territory, Ibadan, will hold on Sunday, at the District headquarters, ljaiye Road, Sawmill, Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State. Ministering among other ministers of God is the host, Pastor Josiah Ademola Oladosu.
Bello wins again as tribunal dismisses ADC’s petition THE Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Kogi State,has again, dismissed the petition of African Democratic Congress (ADC) against Governor Yahaya Bello, for lack of merit. The tribunal chairman, Justice Halima Muhammad, who gave the judgment in Abuja, on Thursday, said that the party acted on mere hearsay over the 2015 Kogi Stategovernorship election. Muhammud said that the party did not bring the necessary documents to prove its case before the tribunal. She also said the non-joinder of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the petition was fatal to ADC’s case, and added that the plea by the petitioner did not stand on any ground. “The tribunal has gone through the length and breadth of the processes filed; the tribunal finds it absurd that the petitioner could not justify Section 138(1) of the Electoral Act. “The party questioned the nomination and qualification of the respondent of which it could not substantiate or prove,’’ he said. The tribunal chairman also held that the only witness the ADC brought to testify in its case was not resident in Kogi State a nd did not witness what happened in during the election. She held that the allega-
Niger govt approves N87m balance of IFAD counterpart fund
From left, Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Olayinka Idowu; Professor Bolanle Awe; Professor Ayo Banjo; Chief Bolaji Ayorinde and his wife, Adeola, during the induction of Chief Ayorinde for honorary Sigmite for 2015, at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan, recently. PHOTO: D’TOYIN
Beheaded woman/herdsmen attack: APC govs meet with Ohanaeze leaders Pastor Josiah Oladosu Joe Nwachukwu - Owerri
IMO State governor, Rochas Okorocha, with his counterparts from Kaduna and Bauchi, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, respectively as well as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odi-
gie-Oyegun, met with the leaders of Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo, led by its President-General, Chief Gary Igariway, in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Thursday. The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the discussions at the meeting , centred on the beheaded Igbo woman in Kano State,
Mrs Bridget Agbaheme, who hailed from Orodo, Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State, while the issue of herdsmen and the unity of the country were also discussed. The meeting, according to the information gathered, came after the visiting governors and the
I remain Lagos PDP chairman —Segun Adewale He can’t lay claim to leadership —Salvador Bola Badmus - Lagos A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos State chapter, Mr Segun Adewale, on Thursday, insisted that he remains the authentic chairman of the party, declaring that the Moshood Salvadorled executive, which currently occupies the PDP secretariat at Sogunle, was “a fictitious creation of Chief Olabode George and it has no recognition from any organ of the National PDP.” Adewale made this declaration when he addressed a press conference in his office, with other party chieftains, including Dr Ad-
etokunbo Pearse, Honourable Abdulkamal Olorunoje, Honourable Babajide Ladeinde, among others. “I would like to seize this opportunity to appeal to the media to avoid granting interviews to Mr Moshood Salvador, Mr Gani Taofik, or any member of their illegal exco. “By posing as officers of the party, these people are creating confusion among PDP members, causing disaffection for PDP in the community, and undermining our efforts to perform our roles as a credible opposition party,” the factional chairman said. However, the PDP chairman, Salvador, who
also addressed a press conference at the party secretariat, dismissed Adewale’s position, declaring that those who were not part of the state congress that produced his leadership, at the PDP secretariat, could not lay claim to leadership at all. Salvador, who recalled the congress exercise that was held at the party’s secretariat, last May, that produced the executives he headed, and attended by PDP delegates from across the state, described the group headed by Adewale as a ploy by former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff to stay in power as the PDP national chairman.
APC national chairman had attended a ceremony to mark the achievements of Governor Okorocha, in office. The governors, Chief Oyegun and the Ohanaeze leaders, discussed on the beheaded woman in Kano and the herdsmen as well as the need to detect and punish those behind the unlawful act. Speaking at the meeting, Governor el-Rufai, said that the governors from the North condemned the murder, adding that the issue should be treated as a case of murder while those responsible for it must be brought to face the wrath of the law. On the issue of herdsmen, he said “It is a problem that is affecting the whole nation. It is not a case of Fulani invading other tribes but a criminal activity that must be nipped in the bud. In Fulani communities, the herdsmen equally attack people. On Governor Okorocha, the Kaduna State governor said “Okorocha should be commended for his vision and achievements.
GOMERM holds monthly service
GOD’s Mercy Revival Ministries (GOMERM), will hold its monthly prophetic impartation service tagged: “Festival of miracle, God will give me a new sign and a wonder,” at Mercy Revival Centre, 25/33, Alake Lakonko Street, off Ikotun-Idimu Road, Ile Epo Bus-Stop, Ikotun, Lagos, on Sunday, by 9.00 a.m. Ministering are Pastor (Mrs) Deborah Akanbi; Pastor Emmanuel Odunmorayo; Pastor Ezekiel Adewuyi; Pastor Victor Idowu; Pastor Josiah Mogbojubola; Pastor Joe odiase; God’s Mercy Choir and guest artiste and Sister Yetunde Are. The General Overseer, Pastor (Dr) James Akanbi, is the host and will be assisted by others.
Pastor (Dr) James Akanbi
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Friday, 10 June, 2016
foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde
08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com
Presidency is not reality TV – Obama
Obama endorses Hillary Clinton for president
P
RESIDENT Obama has officially endorsed Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party presidential nominee. His endorsement came after meeting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who has been battling Mrs Clinton for the nomination. Speaking in a video tweeted out by Mrs Clinton, Mr Obama said she may be the most qualified person “ever” for the role of president. The two are set to start
campaigning together soon. The two ran against one another for the Democratic nomination in 2008 and Mr Obama later made Mrs Clinton Secretary of State. Speaking to Reuters following the endorsement, Mrs Clinton said Mr Obama’s endorsement “means the world”. “It is absolutely a joy and an honour that President Obama and I, over the years, have gone from fierce competitors to true friends,” she said.
Ramadan meal row prompted fire at German asylum centre GERMAN investigators believe a dispute over Ramadan meals led to a fire that gutted a shelter for 282 asylum seekers in the western city of Duesseldorf. They say a group of men who were not fasting had complained that their lunch portions were too small. Two North African men, aged 26, have been arrested and charged with arson, BBC confirmed. The hall was destroyed at a major Duesseldorf convention centre close to the city’s airport. Damage has been estimated at €10m ($11m; £8m). The hall was acting as an accommodation hub for men mainly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Africa who were waiting to be sent elsewhere in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Both Muslims and Christians were living there. Some 7,000 refugees and migrants are currently being housed in Duesseldorf, officials told Germany’s DPA news agency. Germany saw an influx of more than 1.1 million refugees and migrants in 2015 and although the number of arrivals has fallen, officials face a huge task in processing hundreds of thousands of asylum claims. The mood at the hall was already poor, according to Red Cross workers cited by German media. Police are said to be looking at earlier reports of attempted arson. When Ramadan started the situation reportedly became worse, and staff at the site were spat at and pelted with shoes. The remains of fire gutted the hall in Duesseldorf where 282 men had been living. PHPTO: EPA
President Barack Obama and Democrat presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton. PHOTO: GETTYIMAGES
Major, Blair say an EU exit could split the UK SIR John Major and Tony Blair have warned a vote to leave the European Union will “jeopardise the unity” of the United Kingdom as they campaigned together in Northern Ireland. They suggested a Leave vote may re-open Scotland’s independence issue and put Northern Ireland’s “future at risk” by threatening its current stability. But Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said support for the peace process there was “rock solid”. According to BBC, she said it would be “highly irresponsible” to suggest otherwise. The DUP’s deputy leader Nigel Dodds agreed, saying the ex-PMs’ comments were “dangerous, destabilising and... should not be happening”. The former Conservative and Labour prime ministers, who were instrumental in the Northern Ireland peace process in the 1990s, hit the campaign trail there as Remain campaigners attempted to make the future of the UK a key question in the 23 June referendum on EU membership.
Bill Gates launches chicken plan to help poor Africans MICROSOFT founder, Bill Gates, has launched a campaign to help extremely poor families in sub-Saharan Africa by giving them chickens. The billionaire and philanthropist said that raising and selling the birds can be efficient to tackle extreme poverty. He has promised to donate 100,000 chickens, and the project's page has already been shared thousands of times. The United Nations estimates that 41 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa live in extreme poverty. Mr Gates said a farmer breeding five hens could
earn more than $1,000 (£690) a year. The poverty line is about $700 (£484). You can't fault the sentiment. Giving away 100,000 chickens in an effort to alleviate poverty is a noble gesture in itself. But the plan throws up a few questions, BBC stated.
As the chicken population increases, where is the feed going to come from? Will more arable land have to be given over to growing chicken feed? Also, with more chickens on the market, simple demand/supply economics suggests the average price of a chicken would fall. Bill Gates. PHOTO:REUTERS
It was a message echoed by former US president Bill Clinton in an article for the New Statesman, who said he worried for Northern Ireland’s “future prosperity and peace” if the UK votes to leave. Chancellor George Osborne will travel to Scotland amid warnings that if the UK voted to leave the EU, but Scotland opted to stay in, it could trigger another referendum on Scotland’s future in
the UK. Leave-supporting Conservatives have attacked the claims - saying they buy into the SNP’s “bogus narrative” on separation. But in a joint appearance, Sir John and Mr Blair - former political rivals who led the country between 1990 and 1997 and 1997 and 2007 respectively - warned that the “unity of the UK itself is on the ballot paper” in two weeks time.
Sir John Major (left) and Tony Blair. PHOTO: PA
otherNEWS
UNITED States President Barack Obama says his role in this year’s election to pick his replacement is to remind Americans that the presidency is a serious job. “This is not reality TV,” he said during an appearance on NBC’s Tonight Show to be broadcast Thursday. “I’ve seen the decisions that have to be made and the work that has to be done, and I have a lot of confidence that if the American people are reminded of what’s at stake and all the incredibly important issues that we got to get right, that they’re going to make a good choice.” Obama has largely stayed out of the process thus far as voters chose nominees from his Democratic Party and the rival Republican Party. But now that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are set to face off in November, the president is expected to help the push to keep a Democrat in the White House for a third consecutive term, VOA reported. Obama told Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon that he spoke with Clinton and her main competitor for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders, throughout the primary election process and offered advice. He said, unsurprisingly, that he had not had any such conversation with Trump.
32m stolen Twitter logins put on sale
MORE than 32 million Twitter login names and passwords are reportedly being offered for sale online. A hacker using the name Tessa88 is asking for 10 bitcoins (£4,000) from anyone that wants to copy the list. It is not yet clear whether the list is genuine or
how it has been compiled. Some reports suggest it brings together data stolen from users by malware. In a statement, Twitter said it was “confident” that the data did not emerge from a breach of its network. BBC revealed that information about the list emerged in a blog en-
try on the website of a company called Leaked Source, which has built a database of login data that has been stolen or leaked. It said the dataset shared with it by Tessa88 contained 32,888,300 records - each one of which listed an email address, username and password.
Urgent heart surgery for Berlusconi — Doctor FORMER Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is to have heart surgery after an attack that could have killed him, his doctor says. The 79-year-old will undergo surgery by the middle of next week to replace a defective aortic valve, Alberto Zangrillo told reporters in Rome. BBC explained that Berlusconi’s condition was “nothing to worry about”, his party said. Berlusconi served as prime minister four times but has since been convicted of tax
fraud and bribery. Dr Zangrillo said the politician had “arrived at the hospital in a severe state”. “He risked his life, he risked dying and he knew it... We have identified in an exact and certain way a pathology of aortic valve that is called aortic insufficiency,” the doctor said. “There’s only one way to correct it, which is the substitution of the aortic valve.” Berlusconi, a billionaire businessman who leads the
Forza Italia party, was taken into hospital for tests in his home city, Milan, earlier this week. A spokeswoman for the party said at the time his condition was not lifethreatening.
Silvio Berlusconi PHOTO: EPA
38 news
Friday, 10 June, 2016
Avengers seek support from UK, US, France for self-determination Ebenezer Adurokiya -Warri
T
HE Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has restated its commitment to the peaceful quest for selfdetermination for the Niger Delta region. The group, therefore, called on Britain, France,
the United States of America, Russia and China, among other international bodies, to help in realising this dream, in order to avert what it termed the “Sudan option.” It reminded the world, not Nigerians, that the contract binding the Southern and Northern regions of Nigeria
together, which was midwifed by Sir Fredrick Lord Lugard in 1914, terminated in 2014, after a hundred years. In a statement signed by its spokesperson, BrigadierGeneral Mudoch Agbinibo, and published on its new website Thursday afternoon, the Avengers went
down the memory lane on how the Niger Delta region had been ravished, desecrated, impoverished, underdeveloped and marginalised by successive Nigerian governments amid ceaseless oil wealth. Itemising some of the region’s predicaments, the group said: “Since the day
NNPC pays N56bn into Federation Account THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it paid N56.22 billion into the Federation Account in April, 2016. This is contained in the
corporation’s monthly financial report released in Abuja, on Thursday. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN): “NNPC transferred
N56.22 billion to the Federation Account for the month of April, being proceeds from local sale of petroleum products. “Thus, the sum of N933.12
Troops kill dozens of terrorists, rescue 63 Chris Agbambu -Abuja TROOPS of 26 Battalion, 151 Task Force Battalion, 155 Task Force Battalion and some elements of 21 Brigade have carried out a joint clearance operation to destroy remnants of Boko Haram terrorists’ camps and enclaves in the early hours of Thursday in several villages in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State. The villages include Kircha Goniye, Wujjah Alkelu, Kita Jiddum, Jameri, Geri Gana, Gere Kura and Jabe. Other villages cleared by the troops were Hasana Jere and Chachile. During the operation, troops came in contact with elements of the terrorists group of which two of the terrorists were killed. The troops recovered five Dane guns, two mobile telephone handsets, three Boko Haram terrorists flags and a generator, as well as several vehicles.
Also, troops of 22 Brigade Garrison, on blocking position, encountered a convoy of Boko Haram terrorists on motorcycles the same day they killed one Boko Haram terrorist and recovered three motorcycles, one bag containing cash sum of N466,000.00. The troops also rescued eight abducted persons made up of two women, two female teenagers, three male children and a minor, who unfortunately sustained injury and is receiving treatment at the unit’s medical facility. Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel S.K. Usman, said information gathered from the rescued persons revealed that they were abducted from Ngoshe Bara village, Gwoza Local Government Area of the state, by the Boko Haram terrorists and taken to Sambisa forest in 2015, and were married off to Boko Haram terrorists
Edo 2016: Ize-Iyamu picks PDP nomination form Banji Aluko -Benin City A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, on Thursday, in Benin, the Edo State capital, emerged the first aspirant to pick the party’s nomination and expression of interest form in order to contest the party’s primaries billed to hold later this month. The former Secretary to the Edo State Government, who was joined by hundreds of his supporters across the state, was handed the N16 million form by the Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dan Orbih, at the state secretariat of the party in Benin. Speaking shortly after he was handed the form, IzeIyamu said the form was
purchased for him by his friends across the 18 local government areas of the state, adding that “money was not provided by National Assembly members or people from a section of Edo State.” He praised Orbih for managing the affairs of the PDP well, adding that “when everything appeared lost for the PDP in Edo State, you offered leadership and made PDP the delight of the Edo people.” He promised to conduct himself in a manner that would dignify the party, assuring that he would offer his support to whoever emerges the PDP candidate in case he did not win, while raising the belief that his co-aspirants would support him if he emerges winner of the primaries.
group fighters. They, however, relocated to Lake Chad general area before they were rescued by troops. According to him, one of the women, Fatima Mohammed, already a mother of two children, lamented that her husband, Mallam Mustapha, a retired District Court Judge in Gwoza, was killed by the terrorists before her abduction, while the rescued persons were further being screened to ascertain their status.
billion has been paid to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) from March, 2015 to April, 2016,” the report said. On crude oil sale for the month under review, it said NNPC recorded export sale of $289.36 million, adding that the sales were made in March, while the collection was made in April, 2016. It added that in spite of the export sales, NNPC did not make any dollar remittance to the Federation Account in April. It said the crude oil export sales during the period amounted to $191.30 million or 66.11 per cent of the dollar transactions compared with 57.79 per cent contribution in the previous month. It added that export gas sales were $71.81 million during the period.
crude oil was discovered in commercial quantity and quality in Oloibiri, presentday Bayelsa State, what we have been asking from successive governments in Nigeria is potable drinking water in the midst of plenty of water mass, electricity, roads, employment, quality education/educational facilities, resource control, participation in the oil business and inclusive governance that will engender substantial freedom.” It noted that while people of the region had been cowed to remain in perpetual penury and squalor, they were only good at securing pipelines and oil and gas facilities, expatriates operating the multinational oil companies had their fill of sublime quality life in their various facilities across the region. “The reverse has been the case; from Oloibiri, Brass LNLG and export terminals in Bayelsa; Bonny LNLG and export terminals in Rivers State; ExxonMobil in Akwa Ibom; Escravos EGTL/ Tankfarm and export terminals; Forcados Tankfarm and export terminals in Delta State operated respectively by Anglo-Dutch Shell, Chevron/
Texaco Over seas, Agip ENI, ExxonMobil. “The history of the communal lives is terror of poverty, inhumanity and desolate living conditions. But when you move into these facilities operated by the multinational oil corporations, they are living like kings and presidents,” Avengers averred. The group, therefore, vowed to deploy all means to reverse this trend and actualise its dream of liberating the Niger Delta people from the stranglehold of slavish Nigeria shackles. “We are calling on the international community, especially Britain, France, the United States of America, Russia, China and European Union to speak up against this ongoing terror and come to the aid of the Niger Delta, as witnesses to this grave inhumanity and history of terror perpetuated against the people of the Niger Delta daily. “This history of terror, we the Niger Delta Avengers will resist and correct with every means necessary. “We have nothing to lose in the battles ahead; justice, they say, is only found within the structure of a nation state.”
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Friday, 10 June, 2016 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060
KESHI (1962-2016)
I once modelled alongside Keshi —RMD
Keshi
By Joan Omionawele
A
Ghana FA mourns Keshi By Wale Emosu THE death of the former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has been described as not a loss only to Nigeria, but also to the entire African continent. While speaking with Tribunesport by phone on Wednesday, Chief Ganiyu Bakare, a member of the Ghana management committee described the former Togo coach’s death as
shocking. “His death is shocking to us and in actual fact it is a big blow to African football,” Chief Bakare, a Nigerian from Osun State told Tribunesport. He added that the ‘Big Boss’ was a lover of Ghanaian football, which explained why he is being deeply mourned in that country. “On behalf of the Ghana football fraternity and Gha-
na Football Association, we send our deepest condolences to the family and to the Nigeria Football Federation and also football fans,” Chief Bakare, the Personal Assistant to the chairman of the Ghana FA said. Tribunesport gathered that the flags at the GFA headquarters will be flying at half-mast as a token of the Ghana football fraternity’s deepest respect for Keshi.
Glo commiserates with NFF MAJOR partner of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and official sponsor of Nigeria national teams, Globacom, has expressed shock over the sudden death of coach Stephen Keshi, the former captain and coach of the Super Eagles
Globacom, in a press statement in Lagos on Tuesday described his death as “a loss not only to the Nigeria Football Community but the entire country”. The Company stated further that “Nigeria has indeed lost an asset and a gem”.
Globacom added that Keshi made the nation proud in his lifetime, serving as the skipper of the Super Eagles for many years. He led the team to win the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia in 1994 and qualification for the first World Cup in USA.
CE Nollywood Actor, Richard Mofe Damijo, has joined millions of Nigerians to eulogise the late Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi. In a tribute which the actor posted on instagram, he said “My heart bleeds today, not for the big boss, but for my friend and brother. Stephen and I have a history. Besides being age mates, our paths crossed from time to time. I had the privilege of seeing him at his highest and lowest moments. I recall when we both modelled clothes for our friend and brother, Dakova in the early 1990’s and how he was such a great person to be around. “When his playing days were over and he was grap-
pling with his next career move, I had the privilege of being around him. Only months ago, he buried his wife and now this? I can’t believe he is gone. I was in denial and stayed watch-
Tributes to Keshi Professor Taoheed Adedoja (Ex-Sports Minister) I was shocked when I heard the news of Stephen Keshi’s death. His death is a big blow to Nigeria. Big Boss RIP. Keshi good night.
rundi on Saturday as our parting gift.
Kelechi Nwakali (Flying Eagles captain) We have lost our hero, our role model and coach Keshi’s death came to us as a rude shock but there is nothing we can do but to wish him eternal rest. We will try and beat Bu-
Victor Moses Very sad to hear about the untimely passing of Stephen Keshi. A true champion and a great man. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
S-West U-17 handball tourney begins in Ibadan
HANDBALL coaches in Oyo State in conjuction with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports (South-West Zone 0ne) is organising an U-17 handball competition which begins today. According to a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Sports Council, Olay-
ing channels TV hoping they would refute his death. This is one death that hurts to the deepest places in my heart. Rest in peace my brother and friend, Stephen Keshi the great.”
iwola Adeleke, and made available to Tribunesport, the tournament is billed for the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan and will feature all the states in the zone; Osun, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun and hosts, Oyo. The competition will be rounded off on Monday June 13.
Elderson Echiejile This man was always there to teach us all. He was a coach-father. Continue to RIP #RIPKeshi.
Onome Ebi Remembering his wonderful and gentle soul will forever remain in our hearts. Rest in peace Big Boss. Chief James Ibori Let it never be forgotten that it was after the Keshi a New Nigerian Bank FC captain and national Team player was slammed with a ban that he left Nigerian shores – and opened the floodgate for others to follow him into professionalism in other African countries and Europe.
18th Milo secondary schools b/ball tourney in semis YEJIDE Girls Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo State has qualified for the semi-final at the ongoing 18th Nestle Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship, at the sports hall of the Asaba Stadium, Delta State. The Ibadan girls defeated Harmony Secondary School Lokoja, Kogi State 24-13 points. Also, Government secondary school Gboko, Benue State moved into the semifinal as they defeated Gov-
ernment Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State 4810 points. In the boys cadre, Crowther Memorial College, Lokoja Kogi State defeated Government Secondary School, Barracks, Cross River State 33-26, while Henson Demonstration school Benin, Edo State defeated General Muritala Muhammad college Adamawa 39-34 to advance in the tourney. Meanwhile, in the semi-fi-
nal, St. Jude Girls, Amarata Bayelsa State will face Government secondary school Gboko, Benue State, while Wesley Snr Girls, Lagos will slug it out with Yejide Girls. In boys category, Osadenis Mixed Secondary School, Asaba, Delta State will confront Crowther Memorial College, Lokoja as Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT takes on Henson Demonstration School Benin in another semi-final clash.
From left, Shina Atilola, Group Head, Strategy and Comunication, Sterling Bank Plc; Honorary Secretary, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club (LLTC), Barrister Adewunmi Adisa; President, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Barrister, Rotimi Edu; Special Adviser, Sports and Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Ayodeji Tinubu and Chairman, LLTC Planning Committee 2016 Walk for Life, Mr Bala Yesufu at the kick off of the Walk supported by the Bank last Saturday.
SIDELINES
FRIDAY, 10 JUNE, 2016
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A mother of six in Osun State reportedly ‘exchanged’ her eldest daughter for a basket of Garri and confessed before a police officer and the seller of the item that she resorted to the trick to avert possible death in her family because she and her children had not eaten for days. The state of the economy is certainly not a laughing matter.
Paul Pogba of France (left) outwits Nemanja Matic of Serbia during their friendly at the Partizan stadium, Belgrade. PHOTO: EPA
France, Romania clash in Euro 2016 opener
NFF won’t rush to name new Eagles coach —official T HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is not in a hurry to appoint a substantive coach for the Super Eagles, a top official has informed. The Eagles have been without a permanent coach following Sunday Oliseh’s resignation in February and they have had two interim coaches since then. Samson Siasia took temporary charge when Oliseh resigned, and Salisu Yusuf was in charge for the two international friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg last month. The NFF had announced plans to hire a coach shortly after Oliseh’s resignation but AfricanFootball.com laearnt that no decision has been reached over three months after. “There’s nothing on ground now regarding that (appointing a coach),” the official informed. “We have looked at some names, but we’re not close to announcing anyone of them.” When asked why they’re taking so long in naming Oliseh’s successor, the highly-placed official admitted they’re not in
a hurry, added to the fact that they’ve faced ‘several challenges’. “What’s the rush? We don’t have any meaningful game un-
til October when the World Cup qualifiers start, so we’re not in a hurry. “There’s been so many chal-
lenges ranging from finance to other matters, but we’ll surely have a coach before the World Cup qualifiers start,” he added.
Banji Aluko-Benin City
Keshi’s death. They were received by the late Keshi’s brother in-law, Mr Richard Aburime, and Keshi’s cousin, Ebuka Ofuonye. Pinnick described Keshi as a coach, who wanted the best for the country, adding that the NFF would work with the Federal ministry of Youth and Sports in order to give the Keshi a befitting burial and immortalise him. Pinnick, who signed the condolence register, said, “the good news about Keshi is that though he lived for 54 years, he lived an exemplary life. “On behalf of the Nigeria Football Federation, we want to commiserate with his family and we want to say that, even though his immediate constituency is his family, football is a larger constituency and the depth in they (family) want the Nigeria Football Federation to go in terms of burial plans,
is exactly what we are going to do. “He (Keshi) was somebody who contributed immensely to the growth and development of football both as a player and as a coach, on the field, on the touchline and off the field. “We have to liaise with the Ministry of Youths and Sports. If you talk about some of the greatest players in Africa, there is no way you wouldn’t mention Stephen Keshi, who of course, we are very proud of. “On the part of the Nigeria Football Federation, when we meet in our executive committee meeting in the next few weeks, we will come out with something. “We can possibly name a tournament after him. We will look at it; they are all possibilities but everything is subject to the executive committee of the Nigerian Football Federation.”
HOSTS France kick off Euro 2016 against Romania at Stade de France today, with Didier Deschamps’ men rated as the favourites to win the tournament. Two-time winners, Les Bleus of France are hoping to match Germany and Spain – teams who represent their main rivals for glory this year - by winning a third continental title. France is looking to become the first host nation to triumph in the competition since it achieved the feat in 1984 and last won the title in 2000. France won nine of its last 10 matches after recording a 3-0 win over Scotland last Saturday ahead of today’s clash with Anghel Iordanescu’s men. Deschamps has a key selection dilemma in the attack after star striker, Karim Benzema was not considered for selection due to an ongoing legal investigation into an alleged plot to blackmail fellow international Mathieu Valbuena. Antoine Griezmann is almost certain to fill one of the three attacking positions, with Kingsley Coman, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Olivier Giroud, Anthony Martial and Dimitri Payet fighting over the other two spots.
Nigeria must immortalise Keshi—Pinnick
PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Association (NFF), Mr Amaju Pinnick, in company with other NFF officials, on Thursday paid a condolence visit to the family of the late coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi, in Benin. Amaju was also accompanied by the chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa; chairman of Warri Wolves FC, Nelville Bekederemo, and coach Austin Eguavoen. The NFF president, who was joined by the chairman of Edo State Football Association, Frank Ilaboya, to the residence of the late Keshi at 5, Ohenhen Street, Upper Adesuwa, GRA, Benin, said the NFF has received over 30 condolence letters from around the world over
Coach Austin Egavoen, who described the later footballer as a reliable friend and colleague, noted that Keshi encouraged the development of homebased footballers and pursued what he believed in.” Responding, Mr Richard Aburimen, informed the NFF team that the burial rites for the late Keshi would be announced soon. He said: “We are also not unaware that Stephen Keshi wasn’t just a national icon but was an international personality, that the whole world has been devastated by his sudden death. “I would like to use this medium say thank you to everybody for all the outpouring of love that has been coming from across the world to this family. We will soon communicate when necessary.”
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. 10/6/2016.