11th March 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,455

FRIDAY, 11 MARCH, 2016

Alake is a junior oba in Yorubaland —Awujale —P12

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Buhari's govt has neglected market women —Tinubu's daughter —P36

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Kogi Assembly dares Reps, sits in Lokoja —P37

Again, Fulani herdsmen raid 5 Court grants Badeh Benue LGs, kill 11 —P7 —P6

N2bn bail

NNPC: Senate makes U-turn, backs Kachikwu —P4

•Minister apologises •Oil workers suspend strike

Presidential system of govt too expensive —Emir of Kano

•Says Nigeria pays over 80% of its resources to few —P36

N1 trillion fine: How Presidency sidelined minister, NCC

•MTN submits N300bn proposal to FG —P10

Motorists desperate to buy fuel in Lagos, on Thursday. PHOTO: OLATUNDE DODONDAWA

Collapsed building: Lekki Gardens MD arrested —P9

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NNPC: Senate makes U-turn, backs Kachikwu •As minister apologises •Oil workers suspend strike From Taiwo Adisa, Ayodele Adesanmi, Soji-Eze Fagbemi, Moses Alao and Austin Ebipade

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HE Senate Committees on Petroleum Resources, on Thursday, made a U-turn in their opposition to the restructuring of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as they declared that the actions taken so far by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, did not contravene any law.

The lawmakers, who had, on Wednesday, raised the alleged illegality of the unbundling of the NNPC by the minister, gave a clean bill of health to him when he appeared before the Senate joint committees on petroleum, including downstream, upstream and gas.

After a hearing which later dovetailed into a closed session, the Senate committees decided to back Kachikwu’s restructuring agenda.

While speaking before the committee, the minister had said his action was in the best interest of Nigeria.

He apologised for failing to carry the Senate and other stakeholders along before announcing the restructuring.

Kachikwu explained that it had become pertinent to turn the oil corporation to a true revenue generating agency, adding that, by so doing, the corporation would be able to offset the $5.2 billion debt it was owing major oil companies.

He also said the restructuring would help reduce the current N30 billion monthly losses recorded by the corporation.

“I must apologise that we didn’t take some of the Senate leadership along the path of this restructuring, but if you look at the draft of the Petroleum Industry Bill sent to us for our input, you will discover that the restructuring was within the suggestion we made.

“Having said that, I must take responsibility for not carrying out the necessary consultation as we should have done,” he said.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum, Upstream, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, told the sitting

that the Senate committees were convinced that the minister did not contravene the law.

“We have a very useful interactive session with the Minister of Petroleum Resources. We wanted to know how he arrived at what he did at the NNPC, but he clarified the issue that he was not unbundling NNPC, because it is an entity that was created by an Act of the National Assembly and nobody can touch it unless he comes back to the National Assembly for amendments,” he said.

He further said the committees had looked at the restructuring undertaken by the minister, adding that the affected staff of the agencies would not be

shortchanged.

“We also found out that he had not contravened the law, because we were worried that he might be acting against it, but, having looked at the law with him, we found out that he did not contravene the law.

“We also told him that he ought to have done more consultation with the National Assembly for which he apologised and he said that henceforth, more consultations will be done,” he said.

A member of the committee, who is also the Senate chief whip, Senator Sola Adeyeye, said the minister would have contravened the law if he had used the word “unbundling” as, according to him, that would

have brought him in conflict with Cap 23 (6) 1D of the Act that established the agency.

Acting chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Jibrin Barau, also said the senators were convinced after its discussion with Kachikwu.

“By and large, we are satisfied and we are going to report back to the leadership of the Senate and the entire Senate in plenary.

“The exercise, according to the minister, will be something good to the entity and turn it from making losses and help it enter into the era of profitability,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Se-

nior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), on Thursday, suspended the industrial action at the NNPC. The group executive councils of both PENGASSAN and NUPENG at the corporation took the decision to suspend the strike, after an all-night meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Kachikwu.

The two in-house unions had addressed a press conference late Wednesday evening and directed all its members to proceed on indefinite strike, due to the pronouncement of the minister of state on the un-

Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), in a group photograph with members of the state Council of Obas and Chiefs, during a courtesy visit to the governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Thursday.

Rescue of schoolgirls: You did well, Lagos Obas tell Ambode THE Lagos State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, on Thursday, commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and all the security agencies in the state for the prompt and successful rescue of students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu, who were kidnapped by gunmen at their school on February 29.

The traditional rulers, who stated this when they paid a courtesy visit to the governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja, said the swift response and collaboration between the state government and security agencies, which culminated in

the rescue of the three affected girls and the arrest of the hoodlums, was commended.

They said the development confirmed that security and welfare of the people were paramount to the current administration in the state.

Briefing journalists at the end of the visit, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, said the kidnap of the girls had again brought to the fore the need to remind Lagosians to be security conscious and be alert at any given point in time.

“We are here to appreciate what God has done in the recovery of the abduct-

ed schoolgirls and to thank the governor, the security forces, particularly the Commissioner of Police, the state Director of DSS, the Commander of 9 Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army and all other security forces who worked tirelessly in the recovery of the three children.

“They really moved in on time and they achieved success with God’s guidance and help. So, we are here to appreciate them and to alert the people to the need to be security conscious.

“We are also here to pray for the success of the Lagos State government and

to brief the governor on the outcome of my visit to Saudi Arabia with Mr President,” Oba Akiolu said.

Responding, Governor Ambode said the primary purpose of government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people, assuring that his administration would not renege in keeping faith with that role.

He thanked the monarchs for finding time to come and appreciate what his administration had been doing, especially in terms of security, saying that the visit would further spur him to do more for the people.

bundling of NNPC. However, the group chairman, NNPC PENGASSAN, Saleh Abdullahi, told the Nigerian Tribune through a telephone conversation on Thursday morning that the unions had directed their members to go back to work.

He said the minister had met with them, but did not give the details of the outcome of the meeting.

Despite the announcement that the strike embarked upon by NUPENG and PENGASSAN had been called off, motorists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, had no reprieve on Thursday, as long queues continued in few filling stations selling fuel in the metropolis.

At the NNPC Mega Station and Mobil, on airport road, some motorists told the Nigerian Tribune that they had been on the queue for over seven hours.

This was as retinue of motorists laid siege on mega stations across the city, which they believed might soon begin to sell the product.

Nigerian Tribune observed that black market operators, mostly teenage boys and youths, were having field day in Area 1, Central Area, NNPC Tower and Area 11, among others, selling 10 litres for between N2,500 and N3,000.

The situation was the same in Lagos, as commuters resorted to trekking, when it was difficult to get vehicles to their destinations.

The few petrol stations selling the product had a long queue of motorists, waiting to buy fuel.

Fuel scarcity continued unabated in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, as petrol sold for N180 per litre at filling stations, while black marketers hiked their price to N250 per litre, even as most filling station did not have the product to dispense to the public.

The situation forced several commuters to pack their vehicles at home and resorted to trekking to their business places.

In Yenagoa, most filling stations were under lock and key for the past two months, as they were unable get the product at the depot in Warri, Delta State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

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FG appoints Peterside DG NIMASA It is call to greater service —Rivers APC From Clement Idoko and Dapo Falade

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HE Federal Government has appointed Dr Dakuku Adol Peterside as the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

This was contained in a statement by Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mrs Yetunde

Sonaike.

The appointment takes effect from March 10.

Dr Peterside was governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the April 11, 2015 governorship election in Rivers State.

He holds a Doctorate Degree in Management Science (Organisational Behaviour) from the University of Port Harcourt, MBA in Business Administration and a Bachelor Degree in Medi-

cal Laboratory Sciences (B. MLs) in Haematology from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State.

Dr Peterside was elected member, House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015, and served as chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).

Meanwhile, chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Davies

Ikanya, has described the appointment of Honourable Dakuku Peterside as the new Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as a call to greater service.

He also said the party was not in any doubt that its governorship candidate in the last governorship election would excel in his new calling and inherent challenges.

He said this in a short

From right, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hajiya Khadija Abba Ibrahim, President Muhammadu Buhari, first Vice-President of South Sudan, Dr Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon; his wife, Madame Angelicia; Special Envoy of President Republic of Chad, Mr Abakar Saleh Chiechiemie and others, at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.

statement issued by the Rivers APC publicity secretary, Mr Chris Finebone, in reaction to the news of Peterside’s new appointment.

The Rivers APC chairman recalled that the former federal lawmaker left no one in doubt about his ability when he served as the Rivers State Commissioner for Works between 2007 and 2011.

INEC deploys 10, 000 personnel for A/Ibom rerun THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will deploy 10,000 personnel for Saturday’s rerun in Akwa Ibom State.

Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr Gabriel Ada, disclosed this on Thursday, in Uyo, while speaking with newsmen on arrangements for the exercise.

Ada explained that out of the 10,000 personnel, 3,500 were ad hoc, while others were INEC and security officials.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the elections would be conducted in five state constituencies for House of Assembly seats.

The constituencies are Etinan, ibesikpo/Asutan, Ikot

Reps raise the alarm over illegal possession of firearms, explosives Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel - Abuja THE House of Representatives, on Thursday, raised the alarm over illegal possession of firearms and explosives in the country and consequently, set machinery in motion to curb the trend.

To this end, the House mandated its Committee on National Security and Intelligence and Police Affairs to meet other security outfits and stakeholders to device means of curbing illegal possession of firearms across the country.

The resolution was sequel to a motion sponsored

by Honourable Odebunmi Dokun on the “need to intensify efforts to check illegal possession of firearms across the country.”

Moving the motion, Honourable Odebunmi said arms, ammunition and explosives were items number two on the Exclusive Legislative List in the Second Schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution and clearly defined in Section 2 of the Firearms Act, Cap F28,

LFN, 2004.

According to him, the proliferation and high rate of illegal possession of firearms by individuals and groups in violation of Section 3, 4, 8, 11 and 12 of the Firearms

Act had substantially contributed to the high rate of insecurity in Nigeria.

He added that previous efforts made to recover these illegal firearms had yielded little or no result.

Speaking further, he said there was urgent need to recover those illegal firearms from non-state actors, so as to guarantee security of lives and property.

The motion was referred

to the Committee on National Security and Intelligence and Police Affairs to probe the matter and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.

Over 80% admission seekers can’t be absorbed —FG

Urges Nigerians to embrace open, distance learning Clement Idoko - Abuja THE Federal Government has lamented low absorption capacity of the conventional tertiary institutions in Nigeria, saying over 80 per cent of admission seekers annually are unable to find placement in the available institutions across the country.

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, spoke on Thursday, in Abuja, at a ministerial news conference, as part of activities marking the 2016 Commonwealth Day Celebration to hold on Monday, March 14.

Adamu urged Nigerians to embrace Open and Distance Learning (ODL)

mode provided by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwukah, Adamu said there was the need to discard the mentality of keeping higher education for the limited and exclusive few by embracing ODL in totality and harness the opportunity provided by NOUN, which had been vibrant since its resuscitation in 2003.

Over 1.5 million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) annually, but less that 20 per cent

of this number secure admissions into the available tertiary institutions in the country.

Adamu said: “The Federal Government promotes Open and Distance Learning through NOUN and the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), as an alternative route to higher education.

NOUN has about 75 centres across the country.

“This is because conventional Nigerian higher education system is hard pressed to meet the demands of the ever-growing population of Nigerian children seeking admission into tertiary institutions for affordable and qualitative education, due to low absorption capacity that

“Dr Peterside then demonstrated that he has the capacity and what it takes to meet and surpass whatever challenge that public office bestows on him.

“This time will definitely not be different. We can only give thanks and exceeding adoration to God Almighty at this time,” the statement further read.

cannot meet up to 20 per cent of the demands,” he said.

The minister said Nigeria was a major donor to the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and occupied a seat at the Board of Governors of COL. He added that from 2006 till 2014, Nigeria had contributed about $750,000 annually to COL. He said Nigeria would join the 52 other member countries of the Commonwealth in this year’s observance day with a theme: “An Inclusive Commonwealth,” reflecting the values of tolerance, respect and understanding set out in the Commonwealth Charter.

Ekpene/Obot Akara, Oron/ Udung Uko and Itu. The rerun was ordered by Court of Appeal in Abuja, which nullified the April 11, 2015 election in the constituencies.

The REC announced that he had received sensitive materials like the ballot papers, result sheets and would send them to the registration centres after sorting.

“Right now, we have had series of meetings with stakeholders of political parties; we had three meetings.

“They have assured us that they will cooperate with INEC and security agents to make this election hitchfree; they have even gone to the extent of signing peace accord,” he said.

Ada said the card reader would be used in the conduct of the election “to verify whether the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) belong to INEC and the holder of the card.’’

He said accreditation and voting in the election would be done simultaneously.

Assessing the situation, chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Mr Paul Ekpo, said he was satisfied with the process and described it as “very transparent.’’

He appealed to members of the party to be orderly during the election and to obey all security agents.

Ekpo expressed hope that the election would be peaceful and would be devoid of anticipated violence.

Similarly, vice chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr Kufre Inyangette, said he was satisfied with the distribution process of sensitive materials by INEC. Inyangette said APC was a peaceful party and all its members were expected to behave well during the election.

He appealed to “all lovers of peace and change’’ to support the party in the election.

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Ekiti Assembly lawmakers storm Abuja

•Ask Buhari to order release of arrested members •DSS asked questions based on rumours —Released Ekiti finance commissioner Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel - Abuja

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EMBERS of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, on Thursday, stormed Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Department of State Services (DSS) to release four of their members detained by the service since last week Friday.

The DSS operatives had reportedly invaded the state House of Assembly complex in Ado Ekiti and whisked away the members to Abuja, saying they were acting on order from above.

Briefing newsmen at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, chairman, Ekiti assembly committee on information, Honourable Gboyega Aribisogan, said the call for the president to direct the release of the detained legislators became imperative, because the DSS would not embark on such action without presidential approval.

According to him, “like we have maintained, plotters of evil against the government of Ayo Fayose and, by extension, the people of Ekiti State, will not get our support.

“We, members of the state House of Assembly are prepared to spend the rest of our tenure in DSS cell, instead of plotting against our leader and mentor, Governor Fayose.”

Speaking further, he said “gone are those days in Nigeria when impeachment notices against governors were signed on the table of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and this time around, if the DSS is programmed to play the role played by the EFCC under former President (Olusegun) Obasanjo, it will fail.

“Also, if this harassment and intimidation is about 2018, we wish to state unequivocally that we in the PDP are fully on ground in Ekiti. We are not playing diaspora politics as being done by the APC and Nigerians should be rest assured that the APC will be defeated once again.”

In another development, the state Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo, who was recently released by the DSS after his arrest and detention, has lambasted the security agency for

relying on rumours to interrogate him.

This was as a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, also slammed the DSS over the alleged invasion of Ekiti assembly and abduction of four lawmakers.

Chief Babatope, a former Minister of Transport, told newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, on Thursday, that the DSS must realise that they were working for Nigerians and not a party or an individual.

Chief Ojo, who was held by the DSS on Monday, af-

ter the alleged assembly invasion, but was released on Tuesday, said many of the questions the DSS asked him were “irrelevant and baseless.”

He said “they asked me irrelevant questions at the DSS. For instance, they asked what happened to about N1.4 billion that the state received on Ado-Ifaki Road and I told them I was not aware that any such money was paid into the Ekiti State government account since I came into government.

“I said though the president promised a refund of

the money during the campaign, I’m not aware of such money coming into our account.”

He claimed that “the invasion or arrest is just a plan to intimidate the government of Ekiti, but it has failed woefully from the start, because it lacked merit in itself. It has no iota of truth in it.”

The former minister said harassing opposition, like the recent invasion of the Ekiti assembly by agents of the DSS, is a political style that woould not work in the country.

While on a solidarity visit

to Governor Fayose over recent political developments in the state, Babatope, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) must not make intimidating and harassing opposition figures its style, adding that it would fail woefully.

The former minister said he was on the same page with the governor and the party on resistance to harassment and intimidation, saying democracy allowed for dissenting opinions.

“I am one with the governor and the party on this

Again, Fulani herdsmen raid 5 Benue LGs, kill 11 Johnson Babajide - Makurdi FULANI herdsmen, on Thursday, ambushed five council areas of Benue State, in a renew crisis, leading to the death of another 11 people, with many others left injured.

According to report reaching the Nigerian Tribune, local government areas of Logo, Apa, Tarka, Buruku and Agatu, all in Benue State, were ambushed.

Two sisters were killed by yet-to-be identified persons in their sleep in Apa

Local Government Area, while four young men were killed after Fulani herdsmen invaded another village in Logo Local Government Area.

Two persons were said to have been killed after suspected Fulani herders took control of nine of the 10 wards of Agatu, as the hersdmen were said to have invaded the only ward, Obagaji, with their cows and had confrontations with youths in the community.

According to Chief Joseph Anawah, some suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded

Uwev Gov, Gaambe-Tiv community of Logo at about 3.00 a.m. on Thursday and killed four persons, among them he disclosed were Terhembafan Akaajingir and Saawua Adiape, whose bodies had already been deposited at the Ayiin mortuary.

The vice chairman of Agatu council, Thomas Ajekonyen and Chief Adoka Adaji, said it was in the process of trying to push away some Fulani herders who were still grazing within the FADAMA area in Agatu that the young man from Alokpa

Dasukigate: Jonathan should face trial —Ndume Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi -Abuja SENATE majority leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, on Thursday, said former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, should face trial, in view of the revelations coming out of the investigation of the $2.1 billion arms fund linked to the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.

Ndume, who spoke to newsmen in the National Assembly, also said the trial of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) was being blown out of proportion.

“I do not want to dabble into that, being one of the victims of the insurgency.

My house was taken over by insurgents and my town was declared a caliphate of the insurgents.

“My Emir was killed while these people were smiling to the banks with the money that was meant to buy arms and ammunition.

“It was for lack of am-

munition that the Nigerian Armed Forces had to run away. As far as I am concerned, these people are living on blood money, the blood of so many innocent citizens of this country, particularly, from the NorthEast.

“No justice is too much for them, nobody is supposed to be spared. Because the case is judicial and I am not a lawyer to determine who should be brought to book, what I am saying is that justice should be served.

“Over 10,000 people have lost their lives. At one time, you could see my people were slaughtered like chickens and the reason this happened was because our army was not equipped and not well kitted.

“Somebody made away with the money meant for the procurement of arms and ammunition. I am not defending President Jonathan but he approved that this money be used for procurement of arms. So if the law says he should be part of those that should be

part of the accountability or those that should face justice, I think nobody should be spared.

“Nobody is supposed to be above the law. If Jonathan is a culprit, he should face the law: if there is evidence that the former president should face the law, then he should. After all, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” he said.

While speaking on trail of Saraki at the CCT, he said the issue was being blown out of proportion.

Ndume stated that while Saraki’s trial was being blown out of proportion, his own trial for alleged links with Boko Haram sect was not getting that kind of attention.

“Do you know that I am still in court on a more serious issue. The Senate President is in court for assets declaration, but I am in court for a more serious issue that I am alleged to be a sponsor of Boko Haram.

“I have been in court for four years, so why is it not an issue?”

village, who was one of the IDPs taking refuge in Obagaji, was killed, while three other persons sustained gun injuries.

In the Apa incident, the two sisters were found killed by unknown persons and their bodies covered with sack.

At the time of filing this report, response was still being awaited from the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Moses Yamu, who had earlier promised to confirm and get back to the Nigerian Tribune.

issue. This kind of intimidation won’t work. These ragamuffins can’t succeed. Each time somebody does something against the APC, they use EFCC and other agencies of government to harass such people. It is a style that does not work.

“Obasanjo did that and it did not succeed. Justice must prevail and nobody must be harassed. What they did in Ekiti State is a mere distraction and they will bring themselves to shame. If they think they can plan anything against Fayose, they will fail. What has Ekiti done? Is it because it is a PDP-controlled state? he asked.

On his advice for President Muhammadu Buhari, Babatope said the president should not be partial in his handling of political and other national issues.

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Ese Oruru: Judges demand stiffer penalties, want life jail for rapists Delta govt to fully rehabilitate, integrate Ese into society From Sam Nwaoko and Alphonsus Agborh

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IGH court judges in the SouthWest geopolitical zone have called for strong punishment for those involved in the Ese Oruru’s abduction saga, saying this would serve as a deterrent to others and stem the tide of child abuse and molestation in the country.

The judges made the call on Thursday, in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at a training workshop on Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, organised by New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), a nongovernmental organisation, with support from the British High Commission.

They expressed the desire to have those convicted for rape to be jailed for life.

Speaking on the occasion, a judge in the Oyo State High Court, Justice Aderonke Aderemi, expressed regret at the circumstances which led to the alleged marriage of Ese to Yunusa without the consent of her parents.

The high court judge called for a review of some laws in the nation to give more teeth to extant laws to punish such offenders.

Aderemi said: “Penalty for rape is too mild. Those found guilty of rape should face life sentence, because it is when those sentences are more stringent that such incidences will reduce.

“We need to review our laws to give room for life sentence for such crime, so as to serve as deterrent to other culprits.

Also speaking, Justice Akin Oladimeji of the Osun State High Court said culture and religion had not helped the cause of women in Nigeria and other African countries, saying these formed part of triggers of violence against women, which he said had become more rampant than the violence against men.

He contended that some culture and region specifically made men to be lords over women, which made it easy for them to batter women.

According to him, “in most cases, culture and religious knowledge always teach women in such circumstances to accept the situation as their own fate.”

He suggested that there should increased public enlightenment by the media on this.

He added that clerics and religious leaders should be urged to preach against the act at their various religious

gathering.

Justice Titilayo AdesolaIkpatt of the Ondo State High Court, called for the establishment of a special desk and a special court to handle cases of abuse of women “because of the slow nature of the regular court.”

Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, called for a summit of all stakeholders, including the media, civil society organisations, police, judiciary to come together and tackle the menace.

Meanwhile, the total rehabilitation and integration

of abducted but now freed Ese Oruru into the society is our concern, the Delta State government has said.

According to the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah, the state government would collaborate with the Bayelsa State government to also ensure her speedy recovery.

The position of the government was made known on Wednesday, when a delegation made up of the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Ukah; Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House,

Chief Henry Siakpra and the Chief of Staff, Government House, Asaba, Honourable Tam Brisibe, visited the Oruru family in Yenogoa.

Mr Ukah, who spoke to journalists in the company with the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr Peter Ogunyanwo, who facilitated the visit, appreciated the Bayelsa State government and the state police command for adequately taking care of Miss Oruru at the Police Officers Mess in Yenogoa.

Ese’s father, Mr Charles Oruru, flanked by his wife,

Rose, thanked the delegation for the visit and assured that his daughter would go back to school after delivering her baby.

Earlier on arrival in Yenogoa, the delegation, which was accompanied by the member representing Patani constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Honourable Timi Tonye, visited the deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral John Jonah, where the Chief of Staff, Government House, Asaba, Honourable Tam Brisibe, disclosed that the delegation was sent by

the Delta State governor, Dr Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to see how Miss Oruru was recovering.

In his response, the deputy governor revealed that they did what they did in the abduction saga, because the Oruru family resided in the state, where they had their business and paid tax to the state government.

He said that as part of the rehabilitation process, the state government had concluded plans to relocate the family to a new environment, so as to make her recovery a quicker one.

Alleged N4bn fraud: Court grants Badeh N2bn bail, two sureties of N1bn each Sunday Ejike - Abuja JUSTICE Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, granted the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh bail, in the sum of N2 billion and two sureties in the sum of N1 billion each.

In his ruling on the bail application filed before the court by the former CDS through his counsel, Samuel Zibiri, the court held that the two sureties to be provided by the embattled former CDS must be residents of the Federal Capital Territory and must own landed property in Abuja, with Certificates of Occupancy.

Justice Abang also held that the property document of the two sureties must be deposited with Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, who shall investigate the authenticity of the property document with appropriate and relevant government agency.

The sureties, the judge said must provide the court with their three years’ tax clearance, depose to an affidavit of means and should also deposit two passport size photograph with the court.

Other conditions, Justice Abang held was that the Chief Registrar of the court should confirm the residence of the former CDS and carry out the market value of the property of the two sureties.

The court also ordered Badeh to deposit both his official and private travel document with the court.

Justice Abang gave EFCC 24 hours to ascertain the genuineness of the property document of the two sureties from the relevant government agency and to also find out the residence of the defendant and report back to the court in writing.

The court asked the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, to ensure that the antigraft agency complied with the directive of the court and report back to it within 24 hours.

Badeh, Justice Okon Abang said, should deposit his travel document with the court as part of his bail conditions.

While opossing the bail application earlier, Jacobs asked the court to refuse the bail request and order an accelerated hearing of the case, saying the evidence against Badeh was strong

and that EFCC discovered $1million cash at Badeh’s residence, hence “he might want to jump bail in order not face this shame.”

Jacobs also said that Badeh had the tendency to “disappear” instead of staying to stand trial and might also influence witnesses, who are his junior in the military, adding that “a big man should not avoid incarceration because of his status.”

Earlier, Samuel Zibiri, counsel for Badeh, had told the court that his client was a “perfect gentleman” and

that he had not “misconducted” himself anyway.

He said the EFCC had granted Badeh administrative bail on two occasions, but that he could not meet the bail conditions.

The counsel told the court that the former Defence Chief had no criminal record in his 35 years of service and that offence his client was alleged to have committed is a bailable one.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that Badeh,

former CDS, may jump bail owing to the “overwhelming” evidence against him.

Arguing against the bail application of Badeh on Thursday, Jacobs, counsel for the EFCC, asked the court to refuse the bail request and ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.

He argued that the evidence against the defendant was strong, revealing that from a certain property owned by Badeh, the EFCC discovered $1million in cash, hence “he might want to jump bail in order not face this shame.”

Nigeria has over 5,000 exportable products —Boyede CERTIFIED International Trade professional and Managing Director/CEO Koinonia Ventures Limited (KVL), Mr Olufemi Boyede has observed that Nigeria’s quest to diversify its economy is a feat that can be achieved in no distant time, if government creates the enabling environment.

He made this observation during a press conference in Lagos, on Tuesday, announcing a one-day workshop on non-oil export, billed for Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, on March 16.

Boyede, who has been a great player in the non-oil export industry for close to three decades, said what the country needed to do was to begin to explore the over 5000 exportable products in its kitty.

According to him, “the 5000 products I am talking about is not my invention, it is the result of a research carried out by Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) about 10 years ago.”

He said the council, recently under its new zero oil plan, had also enumerated 21 products which they believe if adequately devel-

oped and promoted, could immediately replace oil as Nigeria’s leading revenue.

Boyede, who is also the President, Koinonia Global Services Inc., Canada, said Nigeria should be looking at its processed fruits and vegetables, its entertainment industry, handcraft sector and the manufactured products for the Economic Communitry of West African States (ECOWAS) market.

He noted also that the solid mineral sector, if given the needed attention, could solely replace oil as

Nigeria’s foreign exchange earner, adding also that the service industry in Nigeria was a huge potential for the global market if adequately explored.

On the non-oil export workshop, he said “our aim is to develop Nigeria export industry, by helping to prepare desiring entrepreneurs with the requisite knowledge of exporting.

“We at KVL see exporting from three sides—the supply side, the finance side and the market side. The March workshop will address all

these sides and deliver to participants all they need to know about exporting.”

He said the workshop would have in attendance one of the world’s top consultants on quality issues, Professor Ken Ife, coming to deliver a hands-on guide on international trade compliance issues.

Boyede disclosed further that the office of the trade representative of the European Union would be represented at the workshop alongside other stakeholders.

FG seeks cost-effective means of tackling malnutrition Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja THE Federal Government, on Thursday, expressed its readiness to seek new costeffective ways and means of tackling malnutrition in the country.

This was stated by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, in Abuja, at a stakeholders’ dialogue on the reviewed national policy on food and nutrition, expressing hope that the policy would address malnutrition in Nigeria.

Represented on the occasion by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zaynab Ahmed, Udoma stated that the reviewed policy would enable Nigerians, particularly mothers, to look at different ways of processing Nigerian food with a view to giving children balanced diet.

He informed that his ministry was working with some development partners to create awareness and also organise programmes

to educate and encourage mothers, particularly at the grassroots level, to farm basic foods like vegetables at their backyards, so as to feed their children in a bid to fill the nutrition gaps.

Explaining further on the draft food policy, the minister stated that it was a 10year blueprint, which was the output of the hardwork of dedicated stakeholders and experts, who worked in different capacities to produce a qualitative work of international standard.

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Lagos Culprits in Mile 12 mayhem are homeless —Govt 177 suspects charged AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin

An overcrowded classroom at Lagos State model College, on Thursday.

Students defecate in the open at model college

•Facilities meant for 200 now used by 1,000 students —Management •Ambode commences transformation of 294 PHCs, schools to world standard Bola Badmus And Chukwuma Okparaocha

T

he chairman of the Committe on Education in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Olanrewaju Ogunyemi, has lamented over the lack of basic amenities including toilets, ward robes, good beds among others at the Lagos State Model College.

Ogunyemi, who led other members of the committee to Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, on Wednesday, lamented that the facilities in the hostels and the school generally had been over-stretched, advising the state government to urgently address the issues.

“We don’t want to assume that things are right, which is why we decided to go round all our schools in the state. Our tour so far has been extremely revealing about the dilapidation and retrogression of our model colleges,” he said, describing as worrisome a situation, where the students had to keep their luggage outside the hostels due to congestion

and over-population, defecate in the open, while some of them that are under-aged have special rooms because they bed wet.

He condemned the conversion of the school library to examination hall without an alternative location for library, where he said the children could do researches and also lamented that the road leading to the school is in terrible state, making it inaccessible to the public.

The Principal of the Junior Section of the school, Mr Bolaji Oyesola, in his address said that the school management was

trying to make do with what it had within the available resources. “We take care of their feeding very well and give them water. We make sure that the students are comfortable. We have been managing what we have since the school was established in 1988. The facilities were meant for below 200 students, but now we have over 1,000 students,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has said that his administration has concluded plans to immediately embark on massive

transformation of the 294 Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the state to international best standard with gadgets and edifice.

Governor Ambode gave this pledge this during the commissioning of two new PHCs rehabilitated and improved upon by the Executive Secretary of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Alhaja Fausat Hassan Olajokun.

The governor, who was represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Primary Health Care, Dr Olufemi Onanuga, said he was embarking on the proj-

ect in order to facilitate access to quality health care delivery, especially in the grassroots.

Governor Ambode also unravelled his plans to give a facelift to the dilapidated schools across the state between now and the next six months in order to bring about conducive atmosphere for learning.

According to the governor, the emphasis of his government now was on social service, including health delivery system, education and social welfare in terms of empowerment and employment of the people.

Lagos State Government on Thursday disclosed that most of the culprits in the Mile 12 mayhem are homeless.

It made this known while objecting to bail for those charged to court over the bloody crisis. Thirty two persons were on Thursday docked as government began a case of criminal conspiracy against them.

In the March 3 blood-battle between Yoruba and Hausa ethnic blocs, no fewer than six persons lost their lives, and houses and properties were destroyed.

According to the prosecutors, Barrister Osuyi Goddy, and Inspector Simon Imhonwa, the accused persons were said to have committed the alleged offence on March 3, 2016, at Agiliti, Mile 12, Ikorodu Road. When the charge was read to them, they pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutor Osuyi Goddy, from the legal department of State CID Panti, objected to their bail saying that most of the defendants did not have a fixed address and that they might jump bail.

In her response, the presiding Magistrate B.O Osunsanmi said that the offence is a bailable offence. She subsequently granted them bail each in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the matter till April 7, 2016 for trial.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has revealed that it has taken over the prosecution of all the suspects arrested in connection with the riot.

Lekki building collapse: Benin Republic to take dead, injured Olalekan Olabulo with Agency reports

•No more trapped bodies —NEMA

A yet-to-be identified survivor of the collapsed fivestorey building in Lekki, Lagos State has died in the early hours of Thursday.

Also government of the Republic of Benin has made plans to evacuate the bodies of the country’s nationals, who died in the accident. It was also gathered

that the injured citizens of the country will be taken to the country for further treatment.

At least a dozen nationals of the Republic of Benin were killed in the accident which also claimed the lives of over 20 Nigerians.

Lagos Metro gathered that officials of the Lagos Island

General Hospital were as of Thursday evening still expecting the Republic of Benin Ambassador to Nigeria.

A nurse at the hospital, who spoke with Lagos Metro, under the condition of anonymity said one of the survivors, who were rushed to the hospital, had died. “They are coming to

•Survivor dies

take the corpses of the people from the Republic of Benin and we have not seen them now. We also heard that they want to transfer those who were injured to their country for medical attention from their specialists,” the nurse said.

Meanwhile the spokesperson of the National Emer-

gency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye has insisted that there is no more trapped body under the debris of the collapsed building. This was after four more bodies were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building, marking the end of rescue operation which

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

metro

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By Lanre Adewole 0811 695 4647

AOCOED staff schools shut over headmaster, teachers’ clash

Teacher got head injury during scuffle —Management Naza Okoli

Bakassi section of Ladipo Spare Part Market, which was demolished on Monday night.

The management of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) has indefinitely shut the staff schools, both the primary and secondary sections, following a bloody protest.

The protest, over teachers’ welfare, on Tuesday, led to a scuffle between the head teacher, Mr Sunday Ogunmade and teachers in the primary section.

A teacher, Mr Gbenga Agboola got injured on the head in the scuffle, with claim and counter-claim on who the assailant was. While other

Lekki Gardens MD arrested Olalekan Olabulo The police in Lagos State have finally arrested the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Mr Richard Nyong in connection with the collapsed building in Lekki area of the state .

The 34-year-old property developer was Thursday evening arrested by policemen from Maroko Divisional police station.

One of the contractors handling the collapsed building, Taiwo Odofin had earlier on Wednesday been arrested by the police .

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmus confirmed the arrest of the wanted estate developer to the Lagos Metro .

She said: “The MD Lekki Gardens, Mr Richard

Nyong of 167, Kushenla Road, Ikate, Elegushi has been arrested in connec-

tion with the building collapse.”

The Lagos State police

spokesperson also added that: “He will soon be charged to the court.”

teachers claimed that it was the head teacher that stabbed him, the school management insisted the injury came about during the clash.

The Public Affairs Officer of the College, Mr Odunayo Adebowale, who spoke with Lagos Metro in his office Wednesday afternoon, also said both the primary school (Staff School) and the secondary school (International School) had been shut down temporarily following Tuesday’s incident.

“What happened on Tuesday was that the primary school teachers, in the morning, had prevented the principal from entering the office but the headmaster of the staff school was already around, because he normally comes early, ahead of all the teachers. They couldn’t prevent him from entering because he was already in his office. So when they took the

Mushin thugs remanded in prison for murder, arms possession Gbemi Solaja Seven Mushin thugs have been remanded in prison for allegedly killing another resident, identified as Segun Oladuyuye.

The seven male suspects are identified as Azeez Ilesanmi, 39 years; Mubor Jones, 37; Abu Isa, 36; Bashiru Ibrahim, 32; Friday Amosu 32; Soji Sanni 20; Abiodun and Folorunsho 20, allegedly killed the victim by shooting him with a gun.

According to the Police, the crime was committed on January 12 at Mushin area.

The Prosecutor, Sergeant

Jimah Iseghede, told an Ebutte Meta Magistrate court that the suspects were also caught with offensive weapons which they used to carry out all manner of crimes.

“They also attempted to kill one Adebiyi Kolade by forcefully pushing him inside a gutter and thereafter shooting him with a gun.

“The seven suspects at Fadeyi area while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons unlawfully

captured and detained a 17-year-old, Akanmu Yusuf against his will and took him to an uncompleted building after blindfolding him and assaulted him several times,” the prosecutor said.

The suspects are also accused of unlawfully possessing and controlling two AK-47 live ammunition and four live cartridges, without any license issued by appropriate authority. They face a five-count charge of murder, attempted kidnap-

ping, and unlawful possession of arms, felony and conspiracy.

The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravene Section 221, 231, 228, 269 (1), 409 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011 and Section 27(b)(11) of the Firearms Act laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 The Magistrate, Miss M.O. Okpe Agbe adjourned the matter till April 4 for hearing of their bail application.

citizens home ended late on Wednesday.

NEMA in a statement, on Thursday, said that 34 died and 13 were rescued alive as operation reached ground level by 7.20 p.m. on Wednesday.

Farinloye said in the statement that the various federal and state agencies had immediately started investigations on the cause of the building col-

lapse.

“The operation to rescue those trapped in the collapsed structure, belonging to Lekki Gardens started at about 4:00 a.m. on March 8 and ended by 7:20 p. m. on March 9.

Those rescued alive are receiving treatment in various hospitals in Lagos metropolis,’’ the statement said.

A truck conveying bags of cement crashed into a building at 1, Ojodu Abiodun road, Baba Sule Bus Stop, on Thursday.

PHOTO: NAN

demonstration to the head teacher’s office, and asked him about the salaries, the head teacher asked them to comply with the instructions given to all staff by the management. There and then the issue resulted in a small fracas and in the process, one of the teachers got injured,” Adebowale said.

He said it was absolutely not possible that the head teacher would harm a teacher in the school, stressing that the management only recruits teachers of high academic and moral standing.

The staff members were protesting a drastic reduction in their salaries following a decision by the management to use a new salary structure for staff of both the primary and the secondary schools.

According to Adebowale, however, the decision emerged out of a directive by the State government concerning funding for the schools.

“The College is a creation of the state government,” he said. “The state government directed that the schools should be self sustaining, self-financing. The school was a creation of the College management, whereas the college was a creation of Lagos State.”

He said the NCC had recommended that the school be placed on Lagos State Teachers Salary Scale. It was based on this that the Council in October 2015 decided to restructure the two schools.

Both schools remained closed on Wednesday when Lagos Metro visited the College.

The primary school teachers had reportedly demanded that the headmaster must leave the school premise, with other management staff also barricaded from entering the premises. His refusal reportedly led to a tussle and in the process, he was alleged to have stabbed Agboola in the head.

The victim was said to have been rushed to a nearby hospital.

The protest was reportedly peaceful in the secondary school section.

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businessnews

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

N1trn fine: How presidency sidelined minister, NCC •MTN submits N300bn proposal to FG Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi-Abuja

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HE Senate Committee on Communications headed

by Senator Gilbert Nnaji, on Thursday, revealed how the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) were sidelined in the process of negotiation of the out of court settlement concerning the fine imposed on MTN Nigeria by the NCC. The senate committee, which held an investigative hearing into the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on the telecommunications giant, MTN was also told on Thursday that the company had proposed to pay the sum of N300 billion between now and 2020.

The committee was told that a proposal for outof-court settlement of the fine was already ongoing between the MTN and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN) in respect of the fine which has been reduced to N780 billion.

Vice Chairman of the communications committee, Senator Adeola Olamilekan (Lagos West), during the sitting, displayed a proposal from the MTN, which was acknowledged by the solicitor-general of the federation, Taiwo Abiodun, and which he said was made to the government by MTN. In the proposal, the telecommunications company told the government it could only pay the sum of N300 billion between now and 2020.

A breakdown of the proposal which the Solicitor General forwarded to the Minister of Communications and Finance as well as the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Dambatta, indicated that the telecoms company, having already paid N50 billion to a recovery account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), would pay another N100 billion via electronic transfer between December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2020.

The proposal further indicated that another N80 billion would be paid by MTN “as a demonstration of its commitment to and confidence in the Nigerian economy and subject to necessary regulatory approvals,” adding: “MTN Nigeria commits to purchase of N80 billion of Nigerian sovereign debt issued on international market in 2016-2017.”

It stated that the last

tranche of the payment proposal is N70 billion which MTN said it would pay as “MTN will provide the FGN with access, subject to excess capacity to the company’s fibre network for the purposes of allowing the FGN to expand its e-initiatives (e.g visa processing, public service, connecting schools, registration etc.), from the date of the execution of this agreement through December 31, 2020.”

Senator Olamilekan, while displaying the document, accused the AGF of deceiving Nigerians that

negotiation was still ongoing with MTN, whereas it had already sealed an agreement with the company to the effect that it would only payN300 billion in four years.

But a representative of the AGF, Dayo Apata said that the document was not a final agreement but a “mere” proposal which he said was not an end in itself.

The Lagos lawmaker, however, insisted that the proposal had been adopted secretly by the AGF, adding that the government was only playing on Nige-

ria’s intelligence.

He questioned the rationale behind the payment of the N50 billion by MTN, adding that since the government had collected the first trance of the money being proposed, it was wrong to claim that negotiations were still on.

While speaking at the hearing, Shittu told the senate committee that he was not part of the negotiations with the MTN. Executive vice chairman of the NCC, Dambatta also told the committee that he was also not involved in the negotiations with

MTN. He added that the NCC was also not responsible for the reduction of the fine from N1.04 trillion to N780 billion.

He said that the NCC was only invited to a meeting of inter-agency committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the committee reduced the fine by 25 per cent following the president’s approval after MTN wrote a letter of apology.

Both Shittu and Dambatta confirmed that the negotiations had been between the AGF and MTN, which they said led to the

From left: Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu; his Special Assistant, Technical, Abdullah Binuyo; MainOne’s Regional Executive, West Africa, Kazeem Oladepo and Chief Executive Officer, MainOne, Funke Opeke, during the minister’s visit to MainOne’s Data Center subsidiary, MDX-I’s Lekki Data Center, in Lagos.

FG reviews policy on food nutrition Saliu Gbadamosi -Abuja

THE Federal Government on Thursday expressed it readiness to seek new costeffective ways and means of tackling malnutrition in the country.

This was stated by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma in Abuja at a stakeholders’ dialogue on the reviewed national policy

on food and nutrition, expressing hope that the policy would address malnutrition in Nigeria.

Represented on the occasion by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zaynab Ahmed, Udoma stated that the reviewed policy would enable Nigerians, particularly mothers, to look at different ways of processing Nigerian food with

a view to giving children balanced diet.

“We are hoping, with the support of development partners that this review will help us to find a new way and means in which malnutrition will be addressed in a very cost-effective manner in Nigeria,” the minister told the stakeholders.

He informed that his ministry was working with some development partners to

FG, UNIDO to launch first investment, technology promotion office in Nigeria

THE Federal Government in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will launch a UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO) in Nigeria, on Tuesday.

Set up at the request of the Nigerian Government, the ITPO Nigeria will provide a platform for public and private stakeholders, and especially investors, entrepreneurs and development partners, to establish collaborative links in support of an increased competitiveness and diversification of

the Nigerian economy.

A statement, signed by the Head of UNIDO ITPO in Nigeria, Adebisi Olumodimu, said the launch would allow for several additional events, including the ITPO inception workshop, sensitisation workshops on the Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Programme (EDIP); the Computer Model for Feasibility Analysis and Reporting (COMFAR) as well as on gender inclusiveness in technology promotion.

“The Minister of Indus-

try, Trade and Investment will chair the event, which will also include sensitisation workshops on key UNIDO-ITPO systems to attract investment, identify and deploy technologies, and develop industrial cooperation with relevant international initiatives.

The ITPO Nigeria will be the first office in Africa, and will join the worldwide ITPO network that covers Bahrain, China (Beijing and Shanghai), Italy, Japan, South Korea and the Russian Federation,” the statement read.

raise awareness and also organise programmes to educate and encourage mothers, particularly at the grass-roots level, to farm basic foods like vegetables at their backyard to feed their children in a bid to fill the nutrition gaps.

Explaining further on the draft food policy, the minister stated that it was a 10year blueprint, which was the output of the hardwork of dedicated stakeholders and experts who worked in different capacities to produce a qualitative work of international standard.

Also speaking on the occasion, the World Bank Lead Specialist (Social Protection and Labour), Professor Foluso Okunmadewa, congratulated the Nigerian government for putting together the National Policy on Food and Nutrition.

According to Professor Okunmadewa, it was good to see that the issue of food security was being prioritised in the country, especially given the persistently high levels of stunning, put at 37 per cent in Nigeria and the increasing trend in wasting and underweight.

payment of N50 billion by MTN into CBN’s recovery account on February 24.

The minister said since MTN went to court on the matter, he and the NCC had been kept at arms length despite NCC being the first defendant in the suit.

While speaking on the basis for the fine, Dambata told the committee that MTN was charged N200.00 per line adding that each unregistered line was so charged.

MTN’s Chief Executive Officer in his submission, said the company was told that federal government’s interest in the matter would be dependent on its preparedness to fulfil the two conditions enumerated by AGF which he said his company fulfilled.

Those who attended the hearing included the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, Executive Secretary of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Dambatta, representative of AGF, Dayo Apata, Acting Director of Banking and Payment System Department of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.

The committee questioned the process which empowered the AGF to sideline the relevant stakeholders and enter negotiations with MTN .

Senator Abiodun Olujinmi (Ekiti South), who also spoke at the sitting said that acts of impunity usually begins with the abuse of a process, adding that having served in the board of NCC, she was aware that imposition of fines on telecommunications companies by NCC is a regular occurrence.

The senator described the decision to sideline the minister and NCC as “voodoo” while faulting the decision to open a recovery account for the money paid by NCC. “You asked them to pay six per cent of N780 billion. And you said it was in good faith. Who determined that? You asked them to withdraw the case from court and you said the case is still in court,” she said.

Senator Isa Misau (Bauchi Central) also accused the AGF, CBN and accountant-general of criminal conspiracy with MTN, but the agencies disagreed with the Senator.

Committee chairman, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, said that since the AGF, who is the principal player in the matter was not available for comments, the meeting would be adjourned.

Friday, 11 March, 2016 11 businessnews Naira falls to N322 to dollar on parallel market

•As Nigeria plans to borrow N1.07trn in Q2 Chima Nwokoji-lagos

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HE naira which until Wednesday this week exchanged between N310 to N320 to the dollar at the parallel market, has depreciated again to N322 by the close of trading on Thursday.

Some dealers who spoke to Nigerian Tribune are even pessimistic about any improvement in the coming days.

“With the way things are in the country presently, there is no possibility that the Naira will fare better in the coming days because the price suddenly rose in a few hours.

“It stays at N322/dollar right now. Hopefully, things will get better in

the next few days, but the hardship in the country right now is killing,” one dealer disclosed.

This was as the federal government has observed that forces, who have failed in their attempts to force devaluation of the Naira, were creating artificial currency situation with the aim of undermining the economic programme of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The government is worried that the current state of the Naira is not the result of neutral economic factors or directly related to demand and supply forces alone, but the activities of currency manipulators which it describes as economic terrorism.

“On the contrary, and indeed, on a very sad note, it is apparent that our national currency is being

deliberately undermined through carefully orchestrated criminal conspiracies and manipulation by unscrupulous elements hiding under the clog of the so called market forces,” the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, had told newsmen Meanwhile, Nigeria plans to raise N1.07 trillion from treasury bills issuance in the second quarter of

2016, the central bank said on Thursday.

The bank said it would auction N303.77 billion worth of 91-day bills, N169.98 billion worth of 182-day paper and N599.63 billion of oneyear paper between March 17 and June 2.

Available records show that the country raised N1.22 trillion from treasury bills in the first quarter of 2016.

NSE sustains positive trend, indices add 0.15% Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

TRADING on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) retained bullish trend on Thursday as major market indicator appreciated by 0.15 per cent.

All Share Index of the Exchange closed at 25,923.77 basis points, having gained 38.46 points compared with the 0.53 per cent appreciation recorded on Wednesday at 25.885.31 basis points.

Market capitalisation also increased to N8.92 trillion having gained N13.3 billion to N8.90 trillion recorded at the end of Wednesday trade.

Market turnover closed on a positive note as volume moved up by 44.52 per cent against 7.91 per cent decline recorded in the previous session.

Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and FCMB Group Plc were the most active to boost market turnover as they traded a total of 176,749,726 shares.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Breweries Plc and Zenith Bank Plc led the market value list having staked shares worth N889.7 million representing 43.2 per cent of the market value of Thursday.

Forte Oil Plc led the list of active stocks that recorded impressive volume spike at the end of Thursday session as it traded 127,162 volume of shares worth N33.7 million in 75 deals.

Market breadth closed positive at the end of equities trading on Thursday as Tiger Branded Consumer Goods Plc led 19 gainers against 15 losers led by A.G. Leventis Nigeria Plc.

Nigerian Tribune

N1bn fine: Guinness resolves dispute with NAFDAC pays N11.4m Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

MANAGEMENT of Guinness Nigeria Plc has agreed to pay N11.4 million administrative and service charges to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as part of the resolution over N1 billion fine imposed by the agency.

According to the company, Guinness had since paid the administrative and service charges of approximately N11.4m to NAFDAC as “the cost of the investigative inspection of raw materials carried out by the Agency as well as the supervision by NAFDAC of the destruction of the raw materials which would be carried out

by Guinness Nigeria.”

In a release made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Thursday, Guinness Nigeria confirmed that a Notice of Discontinuance of the court action instituted against NAFDAC and the Attorney General of the Federation has been filed.

BPE to unveil new procedure manual for privatisation From left: Chairman, Bresson Power Nigeria Limited, Gbenga Olawepo- Hashim, Vice - President, Yemi Osibajo and Slovakian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Peter Holasek, at the State House, on Thursday.

Reps clear BPE on sale of NITEL/MTEL Jacob SegunOlatunji and KOlawoel Daniel-Abuja

THE House of Representatives has cleared the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPP) of any wrong doing in the sale of Need an Telecommunications Ltd (NITEL) and it’s mobile arm, Mtel to a consurtium of seven foreign and local firms NATCOM. The House adopted the four recommendations contained in the report of the Committees set up to investigate the sale at the Committee of the Whole House.

The recommendations are: “That the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) in enforcing due process, transparency and adopting procedure in line with international best practice during the entire sale process should adopt and apply such procedure in future Privatisation exercises; “That the Federal Government should encourage NATCOM Consortium, owners of NITEL and MTEL by creating an enabling environment that will make the two en-

tities compete favourably with other Telecom Companies. This is because, NATCOM Consortium is an indigenous Company with great potentials for creating employment opportunities, reducing the huge amount of capital flight that is currently being experienced in the telecoms sector and foster

strategic competition that is capable of further reducing the cost of communications in Nigeria; “That the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should meet its obligations and commitments to the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the core investor (NATCOM) in line with the Presiden-

tial approval on licenses and spectrum for the effective take-off of NITEL and MTEL; “That the Bureau of Public Enterprises in its postacquisition functions, should in line with efficacy and efficiency, encourage a local company like NATCOM, being the core investor”.

Bresson to add 500 megawatts to national grid THE Federal Government’s efforts to increase power generation capacity has recieved a boost as Bresson Nigeria Limited is set to add 500 megawats to the national grid by 2017.

This was announced on Thursday at the State House during a visit to the Vice President Yemi Osibajo by a team of Bresson Nigeria Limited led by its chairman, Gbenga Olawepo - Hashim.

Osibajo told the team of investors that the administration was committed to removing all bottlenecks hindering investor’s in the power sector, commending

Bresson for the integrated nature of its power projects developing a model of fuel sufficiency by also investing in gas production.

While assuring that the administration was working to ensure regular supply of gas to the power plants, saying efforts were on to attract investment into this sector, Osibajo said Bresson integrated model in power generation was a good model “We shall support you and other genuine investors with recognisable foot print but we shall monitor you closely to ensure you adhere to your schedule,” he said.

Olawepo, while briefing the Vice President said the megawatts to be generated will come from Bresson Initiative and its Magbro power plant in Ogun State, said the capacity which would be available in phase one from second quarter of 2017 would represent 10 per cent of the current available national capacity.

Peter Holasek, the High Commissioner of Slovakia, the country where Bresson technical partners hail from, assured the Vice President of the readiness of his country to support Nigeria in the power sector.

Gbola Subair-Abuja

ACTING Director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Dr. Vincent Onome Akpotaire, has charged staff of the privatization agency to always uphold the Bureau’s core values of transparency and accountability as the only tool to continuously defend the reforms and transactions carried out by the Bureau which have impacted positively on Nigeria’s economy.

He listed these as the Banking, Pension, Debt Management, Telecoms and Power Reforms; among others; which have greatly grown the Nigerian economy.

Declaring open the 2016 first quarter one-day inhouse training for staff of the Bureau in Abuja, Akpotaire regretted that “BPE is oftentimes known for only those failed reforms and transactions it carried out while the positive ones which have impacted on the Nigerian economy are swept under the carpet.”

“It therefore behooves all staff of the Bureau to always defend the successful reforms and transactions done by the Bureau which have contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy instead of being vilified for the failed ones,” he stated.

south-westnews Alake is a junior Oba in Yorubaland —Awujale 12

Bola Badmus - Lagos

T

HE Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetola, on Thursday, in Lagos, said that the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedokun Aremu Gbadebo, from history and all available records, remained a junior traditional ruler in Yorubaland with his peer in Ijebuland being Dagburewe of

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Idowa, Ajalorun of IjebuIfe, among others.

The Awujale said this at the launching of the Endowment Fund of a professorial chair in Governance in his name to the Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye.

The event was attended by eminent Nigerians, traditional rulers, including the Ogun State governor,

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi; Oba Otudeko; former governors Segun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel and Niyi Adebayo; Olori Omo Oba Subomi Balogun, Chief Kessington Adebutu and Professor Akin Mabogunje.

The monarch was react-

ing to comments made recently by the Alake, when he received in his palace the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

The Alake had, while meeting with the Ooni in his Ake palace, on Sunday, listed the big five obas to include the Ooni, Alaafin, the Oba of Benin, himself the Alake and finally the Awujale, which the Awujale said the Alake

From left, The Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; Chairman, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Oba Otudeko and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhamadu Sanusi, at the Oba Sikiru Adetona Inaugural Lecture, held at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos State, on Thursday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Education in South-West comatose —Stakeholders

By Wale Akinselure

EDUCATION stakeholders in the South-West have declared that public education in the region was comatose due to the lack of interest of government at all levels in resuscitating the sector.

The stakeholders, at an education summit, held at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan, called for inclusive funding, stable policies and the use of mother tongue in primary education.

In their different presentations, the stakeholders drawn from the six states of the South-West, called for an end to lip service being paid to education by government and a return to the revered status of the region as of the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

In his keynote address at the Awoism Conference, themed, “Reversing the trend of poor WASSCE performance in South-West states”, Chairman, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Reporting, Professor Ropo Sekoni, called for better funding of education and increased interest of stakeholders.

Noting that education was the single factor to creating an equal cum better society, Sekoni bemoaned that government at all levels was not interested in public education.

Giving credence to government’s lack of interest in public education, Sekoni said the highest the nation had committed to education was 13 per cent which was far from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommendation of committing 26 per cent of the budget to education.

Sekoni called for the use of indigenous language as medium of instruction, particularly in primary schools, noting that many students

do not have a good grasp of English Language.

In a presentation, Dr Ade Adeagbo of the Yoruba Academy revealed that about 75 per cent of the current SS3 students were largely unprepared for the upcoming WASSCE. The study conducted in four select schools in Oyo State showed that an average of 9.87 per cent had a pass mark in Mathematics and about 37.89 per cent in English.

The 200 SS3 students

who formed the subjects of the study were asked to answer one previous WASSCE question in Mathematics as well as in English.

Interpreting the data of the research into the cause of the education failure in the region, Adeagbo identified the bane of the education sector in the region as lack of qualified teachers, infrastructure, irregular payment of teachers’ salaries, irregular attendance of teachers at classes, poor teaching skills and methods.

Don raises the alarm over increased kidney-related deaths A renowned nephrologist at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Professor Olugbenga Ayodele, has stressed the need for Nigerians to take care of their health, especially their kidney.

Delivering a lecture, entitled “Kidney health and failure: Taking your health seriously”, organised by the university’s Postgraduate School, Professor Ayodele identified diabetes, hypertension, low birth weight and obesity as some of the modifiable risk factors of

kidney failure.

He added that family history of kidney diseases, diabetes and hypertension are some of the non-modifiable risk factors of kidney failure.

Professor Ayodele, who is also the Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences of the university, urged Nigerians with loss of appetite, high blood pressure, nocturia, polyuria, oligouria with progressive renal impairment, nausea and vomiting to quickly report to the nearest hospital for medical check up.

He suggested regular physical exercise, drinking of plenty water, eating healthily and monitoring of blood pressure, immunisation, stoppage of smoking as panacea to kidney problems.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin, commended the Postgraduate School for organising the lecture considering the alarming rate of reported death resulting from renal failure in the society.

denied to him and the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, when contacted on phone to find out if he actually said so.

“In a recent discussion between the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and I, we also touched on the same issue and the Oba of Lagos told me that he too had asked Alake the same question, which he had denied vehemently.

“Regrettably, however, when the said statement, few days later, was continuously credited to Alake on the pages of newspapers, I expected him to deny it or issue a rebuttal, but he did not do so,” Awujale said.

The monarch, who said the document relied upon

by Alake was the 1903 Gazette which was a mere newspaper publication and not an official Government Gazette, said the question one should ask the Alake is “Who categorised the Yoruba Obas and when?

“I challenge him to produce the said document of the said categorisation. It is a known fact that Alake was just a junior traditional ruler under the Alaafin at Orile Egba before he fled to Ibadan for refuge as a result of the war ravaging in Yorubaland then,” he said.

“Following the defeat of Owu by the Ijebu Army in 1826, the Owus became refugees all over Yorubaland. Some of the Ijebu troops that fought the war proceeded to Ibadan where they met Alake and sacked him, consequently forcing him to seek refuge at Ake in Abeokuta in 1830 where of course, he met the Osile, Olowu, and Agura already settled at Oke-Ona, Owu and Gbagura sections of Abeokuta township respectively.

“Even then, the Olubara of Oyo origin had always argued that all the aforementioned four rulers met him in Abeokuta and therefore claimed to be their landlord.

“To even refer to Alake as ‘Alake of Abeokuta’ not to talk of Egbaland, is a misnomer, as his control since his arrival at Ake in 1830 and till today is restricted to Ake section of Abeokuta.

“The official Government Gazette testifies to this fact.

In short, the Alake from history and all available records is a very junior traditional ruler in Yorubaland.

His peers in Ijebuland are the Dagburewe of Idowa, Ajalorun of IjebuIfe, Olowu of Owu-Ijebu, Oloko of Ijebu-Imushin, Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo and Ebumawe of AgoIwoye,” Awujale added.

Nigerian Tribune

Akure reiterates call to produce Ondo gov Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

AHEAD of the governorship election in Ondo State, Akure indigenes have reiterated the call to produce the next governor of the state, just as the paramount ruler of Akure, the Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo, called for support from the indigenes for realisation of the project.

Oba Aladetoyinbo, who made this call during a dinner hosted in honour of prominent sons of the community who were recently conferred with the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), appealed to his subjects to view the matter with “all the seriousness it deserves.”

The monarch used the dinner, which was hosted by a prominent indigene of the community, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe, to commission the state-of-the-art event centre and harped on the need for unity among politicians to bring the needed development to the metropolis.

According to the monarch, “all the old divisions have at one time or the other produced the occupant of the governorship seat, except Akure where the seat is physically located. This is not acceptable to us and the time to correct the anomaly is now.”

Industrialisation, sure way to develop Ondo —Adesida, APC aspirant Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

A former member of the House of Representatives, representing Akure South/ North Federal Constituency and an aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, Honourable Abiodun Adesida, has said that industrialisation is the only sure way to get the state out of poverty.

Adesida, who stated this in Akure, the state capital, during his formal declaration to run for the governorship seat in the state, assured the people that poverty would soon be a ‘thing of the past.’

The former lawmaker stated that all the anti people policies introduced by the present administration in the state would be reviewed if his party won the forthcoming governorship election.

He noted that “with the available human and mineral resources in the state, Ondo State has no business with poverty.”

south-westnews Policeman kills driver over N100 13

By Oluwatoyin Malik

A

member of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Saki branch, Oyo State, Mr Alimi Akeem a.k.a. Sakilayewa, was on Wednesday shot dead by a trigger-happy policeman, on Saki-Okerete Road over N100 extortion.

The policeman, popularly called Yellow, was said to be attached to border patrol as at the time of the incident which occurred at about 4:00p.m.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the victim, who plied Saki to Okerete, was on his way back to Saki when he passed through a checkpoint mounted by Yellow and another policeman at Orita Sanni area, close to Saki town.

Information gathered revealed that the policemen at the checkpoint usually extorted N100 from motorists plying the route.

On the fateful day, late Akeem, who drove a Peugeot 504 (Wagon) with registration number AA 997 KMR, did not see Yellow on getting to the checkpoint, but reportedly gave N100 to the young man working as the policeman’s boy, after which he drove on.

Yellow, who was said to have noticed the dust raised

by Akeem’s vehicle, mounted his motorcycle and chased the driver, with the belief that he tried to evade paying the usual N100.

On closing up with the driv-

er, Yellow reportedly shot at one of the vehicle tyre, prompting the deceased to ask why he acted so.

The question was said to have infuriated the policeman, making him to shoot the driver on the head at close range.

The RTEAN chairman, Saki branch, Alhaji Muraina Ekuntakoro, who also spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, said that when the case was reported at Saki police station, the policemen refused to follow them to the scene of the incident, asking that the RTEAN members should bring the corpse to the station.

The solicitor, acting on behalf of the transport as-

sociation, Sarafadeen Lateef, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, described the policeman’s action as brutal and inhuman, saying that the said Yellow had been known for his unruly behaviour not expected of a police officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In a petition dated March 10, 2016 and written to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone Eleven, Osogbo, Osun State, a copy of which was sent to the Nigerian Tribune, the lawyer recalled that the same policeman also caused the untimely death of a motorist along Ago Amodu in Saki East Local Government

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Area in 2014/2015 but was not punished.

Nigerian Tribune’s investigations revealed that the policeman was not serving under the Oyo State Police Command but was attached to force headquarters and posted for border patrol.

He was said to have disappeared since the incident and yet to report himself to the Nigeria Police Force or the nearest police station.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed the story, saying that the Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, had ordered an investigation into the matter.

Aregbesola urged to return schools to willing missionaries, founders Bola Badmus - Lagos

OSUN State government has been enjoined to consider returning some schools in the state to the religious missions which established them and other school founders, if they are willing to take them back.

The Old Boys Association of St. Charles’ Grammar School, Osogbo, made the call in a communique issued at the end of its Central Biennial Convention, held in Osogbo, the state capital, recently.

The association said this would help relieve the financial burden of the state government in respect of such schools and also assist in the infrastructural and curriculum development of education in the state.

The body, which noted with appreciation the efforts of the government on the infrastructural development of the state, most especially with respect to schools development, also called on the government to seek for the partnership and contributions of parents, teachers, old students associations and other stakeholders.

It said this would complement the efforts of the government and add value to the educational system of the state.

The communique commended the three principals and members of staff of the St. Charles’ Grammar School, Osogbo, for their hard work, dedication to duty and efforts in maintaining the academic and moral standards of the school.

From left, Chairman, Governing Council, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Chief (Mrs) Alaba Lawson; Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Rector, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Professor Oludele Itiola and the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Modupe Mujota, at the 14th convocation ceremony of the polytechnic, held on the school premises, on Thursday.

Osun PDP, APC differ over creation of 31 LCDAs Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

OSUN State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, described the newly created Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) in the state as “continuation of confusion Governor Rauf Aregbesola had introduced into governance of the state since coming on board.”

This was contained in a statement issued in Osogbo by the party’s spokesperson, Diran Odeyemi.

Odeyemi said “the creation of additional 31 LCDAs, when the existing 30 councils were unable to pay workers salaries, let alone embarking on any developmental project in the last five years, is evidence that our governor is confused and bereft of ideas.”

He stated: “It is not hidden Mr Aregbesola is controversy personified and infusing such clumsiness into the governance of Osun State.”

But, All Progressives Con-

gress (APC) in the state said: “The creation of the 31 LCDAs is joyful culmination of the long standing aspiration of the people to have government closest to their communities.”

The party, in a statement signed by its state chairman, Gboyega Famodun,

affirmed that “this is one great moment for Osun because the landmark achievement of creating new local governments will further enhance peace within and between communities of the state as well as increase the potential for more efficient internally

generated revenue for the state as well as for the local governments.”

According to him, “the ball is now in the court of the people to demonstrate their appreciation through dedicated effort at keeping the new as well as the old local councils running.”

Isiaka blames Amosun for Ogun workers’ strike THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the last election in Ogun State, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, has blamed the indefinite industrial action embarked upon by the civil servants and doctors in the state on “insensitivity of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led government to the plight of the workers.”

Isiaka, who expressed concerns about the incessant workers strike in the state, noted that if Governor Amosun had considered workers’ welfare an utmost priority, as prom-

ised during his electioneering campaign, hospitals, schools and offices would not have been closed by now, subjecting patients and citizens of the state to untold hardship.

The Ogun workers under the Joint National Public Negotiating Council (JNPNC) had since Monday embarked on an indefinite strike over the failure of the state government to honour Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by tripartite group of the state labour leader, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and

the state government.

Isiaka, in a statement he personally signed, noted that it is wrong for the state government to jettison an agreement it voluntarily entered into with the workers especially on the deductions from their salaries running into four years.

The General Secretary of the JNPNC, Comrade Olusegun Adebiyi, had on Monday disclosed that the state government owe workers “four years of contributory deductions, non-payment of gratuities which was last paid in October 2012.”

Nigerian Tribune

Ooni appoints Adediwura as new Obalufe Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja 11), on Thursday, announced the emergence and appointment of Comrade Idowu Olaniyi Adediwura as the new Obalufe of Ife. The appointment was contained in a press statement signed by the Director of Media and Public Affairs to Ooni, Mr Moses Olafare.

According to the statement, “guided by the laws of Osun State, in line with the customs and traditions of Ile-Ife and having widely consulted with the government, kingmakers and other relevant stakeholders, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) this morning (Thursday) appointed Comrade Idowu Olaniyi Adediwura from Ajagbusi Royal House of Orunto as the new Obalufe of Ife Kingdom to replace late Oba Folorunso Omisakin who died in October 2015.”

Born in 1967 to the family of Pa Afred Tijuara and Mrs Tayelolu Mariani Adediwura, the Obalufe-designate, expected to be the Ooni’s deputy, is a trade unionist and labour leader in the maritime sector

Adeleke commends Aregbesola over creation of LGs SENATOR Isiaka Adeleke has described the creation of an additional local government for Edeland from the existing Ede-South Local Government Area as an avenue for accelerated development.

This was contained in a press release issued by his Media Adviser, Alhaji Olumide Lawal.

Senator Adeleke, while thanking Governor Rauf Aregbesola for this magnanimous show of love for Ede people, called the attention of the government to the need to give the present Ede-North Local Government Area an additional full-fledged local government area, instead of an administrative area office.

Ede-North Local Government Area, Senator Isiaka Adeleke stated, has more than 125 polling units, a situation that qualifies it to be split into two local government areas.

The Asiwaju of Edeland also thanked Governor Aregbesola for renaming Ejigbo Campus of Bola Ige University after him.

14

news

Friday, 11 March, 2016

30,000 illegal Nigerian migrants in Europe in 2015 —EU Clement Idoko-Abuja

T

HE European Union has expressed concern over the high rate of illegal Nigerian migrants in Europe put at 30, 000 in 2015 as against 25, 000 in 2014.

Head of the delegation, a delegation from the European Union member States to Nigeria, Winiarska Helena, made this known at a meeting with the Acting Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Alhaji Abdulrazak Dangiri, on Thursday, in Abuja.

Helena, had informed the NAPTIP Acting Director – General that the team was in Nigeria in line with the Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility Cooperation reached by Nigeria and member states of the European Union in

March, 2015.

She revealed that the European Union was particularly concerned with the influx of illegal migrants which now constitute both social and security threat to the region.

The EU Head of delegation also spoke of the urgent need to address the root causes of illegal migration by various countries in order to forestall its attendant consequences and casualties, bearing in mind that due to the present improvement in climatic feasibility, especially around the Mediterranean route, the number of illegal migrants is expected to peak within the next few months.

She added that one of the reasons for the meeting was to create a framework of implementation of the Common Agenda on Migration so as to improve International Cooperation

with the Agency.

The delegation assured the Agency of support, especially in the areas of rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking and information sharing.

Meanwhile, countries under the European Union have been urged to always carry out diligent screening of illegal migrants in their countries before repatriation in order to ensure that

tion of gender inequality.

“We should create room for women to empower one another instead of teaching them women inequality. I don’t want to be equal; I want to be the best. Let us all strive to be better and together we could be great.

Welcoming participants to the conference, Mr Charles Odii, Executive Director, SME 100, said the time has come for Nigerian women to be competitive on a global level in the areas of politics, agriculture and technology.

According to him,” the nation can only develop substantially if women make efforts at being professionals in these male dominated sectors. The conference was organised for women to learn from those who have become renowned.”

The keynote speaker of the day and chairperson of Access Bank, Mrs Mosun Bello-Soga, who spoke on the essence of self empowerment, encourage for

more involvement in economic activities yielding good returns.

Other facilitators were; Executive Director W.TEC, Oreoluwa Somolu; Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon Lola Akande, APC Women

rescued victims of human trafficking do not suffer untold hardship in Europe.

Acting Director-General of NAPTIP, Alhaji Dangiri, who made the call during the meeting with the EU delegation said the Protocol to suppress and punish trafficking in persons, which supplements the United Nations Convention on Organised Crimes recommends protection and assistance

WOMEN have been urged to look beyond the limitation of gender inequality and focus more on empowerment in order to take their rightful place in the society.

The call was made by the chairman of Better Life for Rural Women, Nigeria, Hajiya Aisha Babangida, at the International Women’s Day 2016 Conference with the theme: Pledge for Parity: “Empowering the 21st Century African Woman,” which was organised by SME 100 Nigeria and Rubies Vocational School at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The daughter of the former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, said: “I am not an advocate of gender equality. Why should we be equal if we can be better? Each individual should strive to be better not equal. Women should look beyond the limita-

Brief

Gospel Apostolic Church SWET holds maiden programme THE Soul Winners Evangelical Team (SWET) of The Gospel Apostolic Church, Oyo State Headquarters, will hold her maiden edition of Soul-winners’ group on Saturday, at No 1, Adelani Adeyemo Alarere Expressway, Ibadan.

The programme with the theme, “Soul-Winning, The Supreme Task” will have Head of SWET Gospel Apostolic Church Worldwide, Pastor C. D. Olabode as the main speaker.

The Chief host is the General Overseer of Gospel Apostolic Church, Pastor M. A. Adewunmi while General Evangelist, Pastor M. O. Ashaolu and Pastor

P. A. Adewunmi will be the spiritual fathers of the day.

The Oyo State District Overseer, Pastor M. T. Ayoade and SWET leader, Solomon Oyeniyi, will be co-hosts while Pastor Onabajo and Pastor S. S. Ogunrinde are coordinators of the programme.

lamented the alarming rate of illegal Nigerian migrants in Europe, which the delegation put at 30, 000 in 2015 as against 25, 000 in 2014, told the delegation that the agency would require a comprehensive analysis of the figures, with a view to knowing those that are victims of human trafficking so as to be able to attend to them in line with the global standards and best practices.

Creation of chiefdoms: Plateau govt warns against inflammatory statements Isaac Shobayo-Jos

PIQUED by the controversies trailing the ongoing review on the creation of chiefdoms, districts and villages in Plateau State, the state government has warned citizens of the state to desist from unfa-

vourable comments capable of affecting the prevailing peace in the state.

The state government, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Honourable Rufus Bature, said the comments, rather than further

I’m not an advocate of gender equality —Aisha Babangida

By Tayo Gesinde

to victims of human trafficking across the globe by member States irrespective of their immigration status.

“Victims of human trafficking are not criminals. Therefore, there is the need to provide what is called customised rehabilitation package for them so that they are not vulnerable to being re-trafficked after they returned to their home countries,’’ he stated.

The NAPTIP boss, who

Leader; Chief Kemi Nelson, Founder Mummy’s Integrated Farms Ltd; Funke Egbemode, Founder Harvester Farms LTD, Mosun Umoru and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Signal Alliance, Adanma Onuegbu.

consolidate on the hard earned peace in the state, were capable of inciting and triggering the kind of conflicts that had troubled the peace of Plateau for more than a decade.

According to the state government, the Review Committee mandate was principally to provide the citizenry a platform to present for government’s consideration, perceived injustices in past exercises of like nature that have distorted history and tampered with the institutional structure of existences of the various communi-

SATURDAY, 12 MARCH, 2016

ties and ethnic groupings.

“It will be pre-emptive for any individual, or group of individuals to draw conclusion with inflammatory comments on an exercise that is ongoing, and which is open to every group to present their case for consideration.

“Furthermore, government wishes to state that it would not sit and fold its arms when its efforts in building an enduring peace on the Plateau was been jeopardised by any person or group of persons.”

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Seniorcitizen

Banks can stop politicians from diverting public funds

—Sir Omotoso, Chairman, Chartered Standard Bank feature

It is not fair to compare me with Olajumoke

I don’t apply ointment to cry in my movies; I had to learn it — Nkiru Sylvanus

interview

Nigeria runs a ‘street — UNILAG’s 5.00 beggar CGPA graduate economy’ Late Reverend S.A. Sadela, President/founder, GAC worldwide

—Ogunlewe

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

arewa

Femi Olukunle Co-ordinating Editor 08158610216

A typical example of Goskolo brewing centre in the North.

Goskolo local gin destroying youths on the Plateau —NDLEA commander ernment in the state.

Apparently disturbed by the devastating

Isaac Shobayo - Jos

O

NE of the dangerous illicit drinks threatening the life of youths in Plateau State and sending most of those who indulge in it to their untimely graves is Goskolo, a locally brewed gin mixed with various substances for chronic stimulant.

From all indications, the phenomenon of Goskolo is rapidly spreading like a bush fire among idle youths in the state while those who brew it are smiling to banks on account of the huge patronage, not minding the harmful effect of the illicit drink on the the young ones.

Those youths who patronise Goskolo for obvious reasons are always willing tools in the hands of unscrupulous people and politicians who need their services to cause mayhem. The joints abound in various public places including motor parks, local market in virtually all the local gov-

Senator Sani donates books to national library, Kaduna varsity

—Pg.16

Reps member offers free medical outreach to constituency —Pg.16

effect of the drink, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Plateau

Drinkers of Goskolo at a joint.

Governor Abubakar maps out programme to empower Bauchi youths Isaac Shobayo - Jos

GOVERNOR Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has said the era of destroying youths’ future by offering them motor cycles for commercial activities by politicians in the state is over, but stressed that his administration had carefully mapped out programmes that would prepare them for gainful employment and future leadership positions.

The governor, who stated this in an interactive session with leadership of youth group in Bauchi State, asked youth lead-

ers in the state to form youth cooperative societies in order to benefit from his administration’s youth skills acquisition and empowerment programmes that would be unveiled with the passage of the Bauchi State 2016 appropriation.

According to him, paucity of resources in government, occasioned by drop in oil prices in the international market, would not be a hindrance to the implementation of the covenant he signed with the people.

“Youth organisations deserve special atcontinues pg16

Command, recently re-echoed the appeal to enact a law that would prohibit the production of the local brew, popularly called ‘goskolo’.

Dr Ngozi Madubuike, the NDLEA State Commander, in an interview, urged the state government to enact a law banning the sales of the gin on the ground that its consumption was destructive.

She lamented the devastating effect the local brew had on the health and well being of the youths, noting that most of them committed nefarious acts under the influence of the brew, adding that most of the addict had health challenges such as liver cirrhosis or cancer of the liver because of the acidic nature of the local brew.

“A state law should be made to curb the consumption of this local brew called Goskolo because of its negative potencies to the wellbeing of the individuals and the society at large.

Crew Sabiu Mohammed - Kaduna 08067698878 mohsabiu@yahoo.com Isaac Shobayo - Jos 08037032359 shobayo.isaac@gmail.com Biola Azeez – Kwara State 08034276889 biolababes@gmail.com James Bwala – Borno / Yobe 08069596659 jamesbwala97@gmail.com Adamu Amadu - Dutse Kola Oyelere - Kano

16 arewa

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Senator Sani donates books to National Library, Kaduna varsity Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna

T

HE Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, has donated books worth over $30,000 to National Library, Kaduna and the medical students of Kaduna State University (KASU).

The Senator said the donation was just the first phase of $100,000 worth of books he planned to donate to the library and schools in his district.

He said the donation became necessary owing to the fact that the education sector had suffered neglect in recent times.

While making the presentation at National Library, Kaduna, the activist turned politician said: “We have a duty as elected representatives of our people to touch their lives.

“We need to take education seriously.

Those who have passion to learn and those who want to research must be encouraged.

The lawmaker noted further: “If you don’t read what is new, your thought and

vision become obsolete. Library in Nigeria has, for a long time, been neglected. A library is a temple of learning where you come and get updated knowledge.

“I have spent about 30,000 dollars on these books. Few of these books are available within the country while others were brought from outside. It is important to add that giving back to library is giving back to institution that belongs to all of us.

“I want to encourage the library managers to make proper use and custody of the books.

He further lamented the rate at which Nigerians sought education abroad, saying over two million young Nigerians were currently schooling outside the country.

Responding, the Chief Librarian of National Library, Kaduna branch, Muhammed Ndagi, told the gathering that the donation was a confirmation and fulfillment of earlier visit by the Senator.

He said: “The Senator is contributing to the upliftment of the falling standard of education in his own district.

On their part, the representative of the medical students of the Kaduna State

University (KASU) commended the magnanimity of the Senator with the donation

and prayed that God would continue to guide him.

Senator Shehu Sani, presenting books to the Chief Librarian, National Library, Kaduna,Muhammad Ndagi.

Governor Abubakar maps out programme to empower Bauchi youths continued from pg15

tention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations, especially in our state because of their support and doggedness in ensuring that our votes counted and were protected against potential election riggers.

“We shall continue to struggle to keep government running by exercising high sense of prudence and blocking wastages and leakages through which public funds were being siphoned in order to carry out our constitutional obligations and ensuring that our youth have a better future other than what they had under our predecessors”.

He said youths, who are major stakeholders, must, therefore, be made to understand the state of the economy, adding that in spite of all these difficulties, his administration was able to award

contracts for the construction of major roads that were dodged by previous administrations that had lots of resources at their disposal.

“We are preparing our youths for the task of being responsible future leaders.

Ours is to empower them in their different fields of life and give them skills which differentiate us from the past administrations,” Governor Abubakar said.

The governor said for his administration to accommodate youths, they must form trade/profession - based cooperative societies that would be the vehicles to end idleness and their over reliance on governments through creation of skills acquisition programmes, especially to thousands of school dropouts.

He said the administration was facing opposition from some elements within the APC that refused to accept their destiny

with the verdict of the people in the state and who put heads together with other politicians that looted the state treasury from 1999 to the time APC took power and were deploying huge resources to discredit the administration.

The governor challenged those criticising the cost of major road contracts his administration awarded in the state capital to carry out expert cost analysis about the contractual agreements and the cost of the projects which include complete dualisation and payment of compensation, saying it was the cheapest in the country. He, however, assured that his administration remained focused and would deliver on the mandate given by the people.

Governor Abubakar revealed that the state was allocated 2.5 billion naira by the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee for this month, saying local government

Reps member offers free medical outreach to constituency Isaac Shobayo - Jos NO fewer than 2,000 people in Barakin Ladi and Riyom Federal Constituency of Plateau State have benefited from the free medical services and distribution of drugs worth millions of naira organised by member representing the constituency, Honourable Istifanus Gyang.

The free health service programme was

designed to help the less privileged in the constituency, who did not have access to health facilities, but suffering from myriad of ailments. The inhabitants of the constituency received treatment and diagnoses in HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, blood pressure, hypertension, diabetic screening, malaria, while free medical consultations were also rendered to the citizens of the locality.

Speaking at the occasion, the member

Honourable Istifanus Gyang (right) at the launching of free medical treatment for people of his constituency.

representing Riyom/ Barkin Ladi Federal Constituency, Istifanus Gyang, who flagged off the exercise, said the free medical service was organised to meet health related needs of the people and called on them to make themselves available for the service.

“Quite a lot of people in this constituency have no access to good health facilities and cannot not afford private medical centre around and it is my duty as a representative of the people to meet their health needs as part of my welfare package. This is also an outreach to empower my people to have the knowledge of HIV/ AIDS and other related ailments.

“The programme is aimed at taking healthcare to the grassroots. We shall continue to partner with relevant agencies in order to provide dividends of democracy to the people of the state”, he said.

He commended the people of the constituency for embracing peace and living with one another in peace and harmony, adding that what transpired in the past whereby people took up arms against one another should not be allowed to repeat itself for the sake of progress and development of the constituency.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Director General of NACA, Professor John Idoko, represented by a staff of the agency, Vandi Victor, in his goodwill message, said the Federal Government was committed to the healthcare of citizens of the state.

councils got 2.1 billion whereas the local governments require 2.6 billion naira to pay their workers’ salaries which the state has been supporting since December.

He also lamented the neglect of local government areas in the provision of critical social infrastructures, saying “when our budget is passed, every local government will feel the presence of government.

The governor said defeated politicians were surreptitiously strategising to undermine the APC administrations by attacking all its policies, actions and programmes in spite of the huge embarrassment that was coming from revelations about their misconduct while in office from 1999 to 2015 and asked the youths leaders to continue defending the foreign trips of President Buhari which he said had already started yielding fruitful economic and social results to the country.

“His visit has necessitated the improvement in oil prices while his prudent economic policies have allowed him to save about 50 per cent of the 2016 budget”, he said.

Mohammed Abubakar

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

V

ERY recently, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State celebrated the 40th anniversary of the political existence of the state. He equally marked the seventh anniversary of his call to service by God as Governor of the state. It was a great ceremony attended by wonderful people of God. Anyone familiar with Governor Mimiko and Ondo State cannot but join him in deep celebrations of the events.

Governor Mimiko swept to power in Ondo State by the grace of God. Mimiko recognises this all important fact and since his getting to power, has never missed his total commitment to his Maker. You will always find him in all devotional services emanating from The Redeemed Christian Church of God, led by Pastor E.A. Adeboye. Invite him to anywhere God’s presence is being acknowledged, Governor Mimiko will be there. As far as he is concerned, it is God first.

When he came to power seven years ago, he had done so on the platform of the Labour Party. He is today leading a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state.

It is important to state here that his political decisions have always been produced after deep consultations with God. Though I am a deeply rooted PDP member, I never came to terms with the progressive administration of Governor Mimiko until two events had occurred. Firstly, he, in 2011, had declared unflinching support for the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s presidential bid for power. He never wavered in his support for GEJ. I was, in 2011, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Relations Committee of the PDP. Governor Mimiko and Governor Peter Obi, then of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) controlled Anambra State had fully supported the PDP and GEJ for the 2011 elections.

Mimiko’s principled support was largely highlighted and reported by my Committee to the PDP leaders.

Secondly, at a special ceremony of the Faculty of Education, Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University, IleIfe, Governor Mimiko had brought slides and other communication gadgets to prove how he had been governing Ondo State and how he was planning to govern the Sunshine state for a second term. It was a spectacular performance that commanded the attention of all those present at the event. Nobody needed to campaign to me before I became a supporter of Governor Mimiko till this day. When the second term election of Mimiko came, I informed my Party Headquarters that I was going to canvass SUPPORT FOR Mimiko for the elections. By God’s grace, Mimiko went on to win the elections.

It can be reasonably said that ‘Segun Mimiko’s leadership of Ondo State has been blessed with great victories. Anything anchored on supreme faith in God will always succeed. Governor Mimiko has recorded victory in the political leadership of his people. He has recorded victory in his religious devotion to God. Mimiko has recorded victory in believing in the people God has mandated him to rule. He has equally recorded victory in all his government has done to raise the living standards of the people.

In education, Governor Mimiko has performed wonders.

School children in Ondo State today do not travel far before they have access to educational institutions of their choice.

Transportation to get these children to their schools is readily available. The content of education in all Mimiko’s schools is equally geared towards serving God and respecting the people. What is taught in the Mimiko educational institutions reflect very deep commitment to patriotism and loyalty to their religious faiths.

Modern markets are everywhere in Ondo State. Mimiko has built not only good markets, but he has equally ensured that the facilities to make them effective markets of the people were provided. It will be understating the fact that Mimiko has guaranteed the provision of good roads to enable the people of the state to have the opportunity of transporting their goods and services to all the parts of the state.

The late Governor ‘Segun Agagu did very well in his construction of the Igbokoda Bridge. Governor Mimiko built massively on the Agagu achievements. You can say to ‘Segun Mimiko’s credit that no attempt has ever been made by him to disparage the Agagu achievements in the state.

Despite all the childish harlequinades and rantings of Mimiko’s opponents, Governor ‘Segun Mimiko has never attempted to run anybody down. He is even determined to prosecute welfare programmes without any attempt to abuse anyone.

Agriculture receives very important policy of the Mimiko administration of Ondo State. ‘Segun Mimiko’s agricultural policies are so remarkable that Nigeria has never denied the frontline position of Mimiko’s agricultural leadership in the efforts of the governments of Nigeria to make agriculture the main focus in the country.

With

Ebenezer Babatope

0805-500-1735 (SMS ONLY PLEASE)

Governor Segun Mimiko’s victories

•Governor Olusegun Mimiko

Governor Mimiko’s health programmes are unique and notable. No one can fault his achievements in the health sector of the economy. Governor Mimiko has made his profession of being a medical practitioner to have good effect on the health programmes of his administration. The GANI FAWEHINMI MEDICAL CENTRE, where heart and other diseases are analysed and diagnosed, is a big success to the Mimiko medical miracles in Ondo State.

The culture and youth policies of the Mimiko administration cannot be left unmentioned. ‘Segun Mimiko has made the cultural policies of his administration so admirable. Today, Ondo State is mentioned as one of the cultural centres of excellence in Nigeria. Go to the Idanre Hills and note the remarks we have made here. Today, the Ondo State Cultural groups are among the very best in the country.

Governor ‘Segun Mimiko is now building a gigantic International Conference Centre in the state. It will be a marvel to all eyes. The building of such a centre will always send signals to the world that Mimiko appreciates the role of Ondo

Governor Segun Mimiko has done well. He is today a leader of men worth emulating.

State as a centre to accommodate international conferences in Nigeria.

Today’s piece on Mimiko has not been considered necessary as a result of his being a PDP member and leader. We will do the same thing for any other governor in Nigeria, be he PDP or non PDP. Two weeks ago, we commended Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State for his sense of history by signing on the Evergreen Musical Nigeria Limited in putting together musical collections of stars from the state in marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Gateway state. We have equally acknowledged on this page contributions to the greatness of Nigeria by former Governors Emma Uduaghan, Bayo Akala, Kwankwaso, Gbenga Daniel, Ayo Fayose, Godswill Akpabio and others. Those who do well in the governance of the people of Nigeria will forever be hailed to the high heavens without any consideration of the political parties they may belong to.

Governor ‘Segun Mimiko has done very well. He is today a leader of men worth emulating. His wife remains an embodiment of simplicity and honest leadership. We respect her.

I love ‘Segun Mimiko! May his path continue to be smooth and constructive! God bless you, our brother ‘Segun Mimiko. The Yorubas say “Bibire ko se fowo ra loja” meaning you cannot purchase in the market place the fact that you are born great!!

God bless you all.

EBINO TOPSY – 0805-500-1735 (SMS ONLY PLEASE) NEXT WEEK “WALE ADEBANWI ON MAMA HID (4) (BOOK YOUR COPY IN ADVANCE)

18 LETTERS TO THE

Friday, 11 March, 2016

editor

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

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

On Fulani herdsmen’s atrocities

T

HE ongoing killings by Fulani herdsmen in Agatu, Benue State is one that will have a negative impact in the country if nothing is done urgently to tame the herdsmen. We should know that when we pursue a goat and it has nowhere else to go, it will turn and face its attacker.

If the government cannot protect its citizens, then they will be left with no choice than to defend themselves against the herdsmen.

Why is it that Fulani herdsmen are so violent?

They keep killing people in the Middle-Belt, SouthEast, South West and South South.

At the moment, their activities are causing untold hardship to farmers in other regions. They allow their cattle to graze through farms which owners had laboured for many months

to cultivate, and when the owners accost them, they (farmers) are killed or maimed.

Many women have also been raped after being met on their farms by these wicked herdsmen.

There was even a report of a 52-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter who the herdsmen met on their farm in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State; the women were raped in turns by the herdsmen who threatened to kill them if they didn’t cooperate.

These women were even lucky; some had been killed after being raped.

Another surprising thing is that some of these herdsmen even carry automatic weapons while following their cattle; one is then tempted to ask what they do with those weapons, if not to commit crime.

If the activities of these

herdsmen are not curtailed, we are at the risk of reduced agricultural production, which will bring about a decrease in farm produce.

I am, therefore, calling on the Federal Government to do everything in its power

to curb the atrocities being committed by these herdsmen, but failure to do so may result in an internal warfare between the aggressors (herdsmen) and the victims.

The raging killings in Agatu, Benue State, should be

brought under control as soon as possible; the Federal Government should send soldiers to the area to prevent further killings by the herdsmen.

These continued killings, if not curbed, will totally destroy our agriculture.

With the decline in the oil sector, agriculture is another area we can tap from, but the Fulani herdsmen are constituting a nuisance to this revolution.

•Dr Taju Alalade, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The importance of the library LITERACY has been identified as an important instrument through which any country can attain development. It is based on this belief that the government and people of Nigeria have taken the issue on how to improve literacy among children and adults very serious.

Nigeria, prior to independence in 1960, had a history of dominance of Quranic schools in the North and Missionary schools in the South. All these promoted mostly religious literacy.

Thus, the intervention of

Islamic clerics exposed the Northern part of the country to Arabic literacy. The advent of Christian missionaries in the Southern and Western Nigeria exposed the region to literacy.

Literacy rate among Nigerians and recent decline in reading culture, with its social and economic implications, has become a growing concern in recent times.

The prevailing poor reading habit among Nigerian youths is alarming because the situation is already adversely affecting the country socially, economically and

politically.

More so, government efforts in fighting illiteracy are being speedily thwarted by decline in reading culture among the general populace.

The economic, social and political health of our nation today depends on building literate citizens who are able to read widely, write and apply it practically for development. Various efforts has been put in place by government at all levels and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to improve literacy level and to also bring back the lost glory of reading culture in our modern and complex society.

Libraries as one of the most important institutions, which is the backbone for literacy development and improvement of reading culture, has been unknowingly ignored due to the unpopularity and less importance attached to its development in this part of our world.

Libraries have a historic mission of fostering literacy and learning. The relegation of that vital institution in recent decades is indeed a matter of great sadness.

•Damilare Oyedele, damilarey007@gmail. com

Gov Yahaya Bello, parley with workers GOVERNOR Yahaya Bello of Kogi State should parley with civil servants in the state if he is to have a successful tenure.

Civil servants suffered greatly during the tenures of his predecessors, with them going several months without receiving their monthly dues.

However, in Alhaji Bello, we envision a departure from the past; as a young businessman, the new governor is well-experienced in managing people, and bringing out the best in

them.

One of the best ways towards motivating workers is by paying them as and when due. With this, they will be motivated, while going the extra mile to perform their official duties.

Among the civil servants, teachers should particularly be supported with loans in order to build their houses and acquire cars. These are the teachers who will mould the lives of future governors of the state.

•Hakim Adubi, Lokoja, Kogi State.

Kudos to the army for reinstating Ransome-Kuti I want to commend the Nigerian Army for reinstating Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti, who has now been demoted to a Colonel.

While not wanting to delve into the issue of what went wrong in Baga, Borno State, particularly how the terrorists routed our soldiers, while taking away newly-procured weapons,

I just want to believe that justice has been done finally.

The issue at hand was not about cowardice, but about the mentality of the soldiers at that time. I am happy that the case has finally been resolved.

•Adigun Adebayo, Surulere, Lagos.

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editorial

A

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

The arrest of ISIS’ recruiter

BDULSALAM Enesi Yunusa, an alleged recruiter for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), was arrested in Kano on January 17 this year. According to Tony Okpuiyo of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Yunusa was arrested after he “completed arrangements to embark on a journey to join an ISIS terrorist training camp in Libya, with other Nigerians whom he recruited for the ISIS.” The recruits listed by the DSS official are Muhammed Rabi’u, Yahaya Momoh Jimoh and Zainab Sunday Yunusa. One of them was an undergraduate student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, where he was studying for a degree in Information and Media Technology.

Several arrests were also made on the same date in Daura township of Daura Local Government in Katsina State, where another extremist cell affiliated to ISIS, led by one Ibrahim Mohammed Daura, Zaharadeen Salisu and five other elements of the proscribed extremist group, Ansaru, were arrested by the Service.

This cell was reported to be in an active stage for attacks in Katsina and Kano states. Again, on January 22, Obansa Salami, Ejide Tijani, Mohammed Rabiu, Zainab Mohammed and Abdulqadir Salisu Ahmad were arrested in Kano on their way to Libya with their immediate families, including infants, in a bid to join ISIS. Similarly, on January 29, the DSS arrested Mohammed Aliyu Ndako, a 17-year-old undergraduate student of a tertiary institution in Kwara State following intelligence report about his plans, in conjunction with Abdulkadir Salisu Ahmad, another student in Kano State, to carry out coordinated lone-wolf attacks on select, heavily populated targets in Nigeria, preferably worship centres and recreation venues.

We commend the effort of the DSS in apprehending these dangerous initiatives before they were implemented. We however urge the agency to continue to work hard to prevent terrorist organisations from making greater inroads into the country. It must step

up efforts in order to be several steps ahead of these organisations. We however note that the report by the DSS shows that Nigeria is still under clear and present danger. The terror groups are busy at their job. They are leaving no stone unturned to beat the security services and strike as often and as deadly as they can.

The counter terrorism efforts of the government should therefore be determined to be a long drawn one with several dimensions.

One area where the government has not intervened seriously is cyber security. The government needs to take cyber security seriously. Right now, there is no clear definition of Nigeria’s national cyber security state, and no framework for partnership with internet service providers, establishment of digital identity, or a military cyber defense capability. Another important issue is the way suspects arrested are handled. We hope that Yunusa, the arrested suspected ISIS recruiter, is not handled the way Mohammed Yusuf of Boko Haram was handled by the police. The latter was killed extrajudicially. We ask that the suspected ISIS recruiter be thoroughly investigated so that significant intelligence can be derived. He should also be tried in an appropriate law court. We also ask those involved in managing the process to avoid politicizing the case. Counter terrorism efforts must be conducted in a professional manner for them to be effective and successful.

Further, the recent arrests by the DSS show that terror groups are increasingly adept in collaboration, networking and radicalization. Government has to counter the extremist ideology of the terrorists. It must evolve methods and techniques to undermine and reverse the radicalization process that is currently ongoing in order to reduce the potential risk to society from terrorism. To do this effectively, Nigeria needs to learn from countries that have had experiences in this regard. It must also collaborate with countries in the Lake Chad basin to provide a transnational framework given the transnational character of terrorist activities.

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opinion

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Nigerian varsities: Global ranking and critical reform issues

By Tunji Olaopa

T

HE idea of the global ranking of universities has become a veritable means by which we assess the performance of various universities across the continent. It is no longer news that most African universities struggle to make some visible showing in the forefronts of the ranking. For instance, in the Times Higher Education 2014-2015 world university ranking, European, Asian and mostly United States’ universities occupied the first 100 slots. Africa made its first appearance through the University of Cape Town, South Africa, at number 124, followed by the University of Witwatersrand, another South African institution at slot 251.

Out of 400 universities, no Nigerian universities, federal, state and private made the list. In the January 2016 edition of the Webometric ranking of universities, University of Ibadan was first in Nigeria, 16th in Africa and 1296th in the world. Obafemi Awolowo came in at 35th in Africa and 2119th in the world.

We often mostly deride the ranking as being unrepresentative and loaded against African institutions. The argument usually goes that such global assessments, for instance, Transparency International’s Corruption Index, fails to take into consideration the contextual realities on ground in the issues at stake. Thus, ranking African universities does more harm than good because these institutions are made to compete on academic standards that fail the text of comparative adequacy. However, any improvement in positioning is often celebrated and flashed across multiple media spaces. The University of Ibadan website celebrates this webometric ranking as the first in Nigeria. No one, however, can grudge the premier university its celebratory moment.

Ranking of all kinds measures specific performance metrics that statistically outline how a university is perceived as a center of learning and research. There are several lessons to learn from what we see and where we are on the ranking lists. The first such lesson is essentially symbolic. And it symbolizes national degradation.

In other words, we learn through these rankings the value we place, as a state, on educational matter, compared to,

say, the United States which conspicuously dominates the rankings, whatever the standards of assessment.

Apart from the national economy, education constitutes a significant component of national development which no nation can ever hope to toy with without dire consequences that goes beyond a mere downgrading on any ranking framework. It is in this sense that Nigeria needs to look beyond lamenting or celebrating any ranking improvement or slump. Noel Castree once remarked, ‘Education is political.’ What is seriously missing from that fundamental statement is a huge and bold exclamation mark to press home the significance of, in this case, higher education to the national development of any state. In fact, the human condition, as far as I am concerned, is made more palatable because human beings have, over the years, developed a learning trajectory that imposes knowledge on human limitations. It is in this sense that universities, for instance, constitute one of the most important discoveries of mankind.

If higher education constitutes a serious phenomenon that ensures human survival, at the level of the nation-state, it fundamentally becomes an institutional representation of national discovery of knowledge, and its utilization for development and progress. We can hypothesize that the extent to which a nation-state can function in developmental terms is conditional on its significant human capital (SHC) which is determined by the state of its higher education.

There is therefore no nation that can assuredly rise above the quality of its own SHC or its higher education objective.

In the third world, and especially in Africa and particularly in Nigeria, the truth of the disconnection between the SHC and national development is brought home forcefully and unfortunately.

For instance, demographic data demonstrates that Nigerians all around the globe constitute one of the highest achieving immigrant groups in the world, and the achievements cut across all areas of human endeavours—space technology, education, science, art, healthcare, politics, etc. Yet, this high feat of optimization and productive innovation has not been transplanted to the Nigerian development dynamics as instigation for national progress. Nigerian universities can hardly be regarded as sites of optimization and productive innovation. In actually fact, they represent one sad index of our underdevelopment, especially in terms of governance, research outputs and relevant curricular dynamics. It is doubtful that Nigeria will ever produce another Nobel Laureate, groomed within the Nigerian university environment.

This is because while the universities that produce the Nobel Laureates do so in the context of cutting-edge research that are defined by the capacity to transform national developmental dynamics, Nigerian universities are grievously dissociated from Nigeria’s developmental efforts.

While the global community is vast transforming into a knowledge society, Nigeria appears to be standing right at the margin of significant happenings in academic context.

Francis Bacon gave the world the fundamental thought that knowledge equals power. And that power translates into the capacity higher education has to induce development.

Education is a badge of development. Higher education particularly represents a nation’s window into the global flow of ideas, dynamics, strategies, paradigms and best practices. Higher educational institutions facilitate the process by which insights are adopted, adapted, domesticated and calibrated for optimal national rejuvenation. But, at the conceptual level, it seems that Nigeria’s educational system is defined more as ‘tertiary’ than as ‘higher’ education. Tertiary education is distinguished by certification as a meal ticket; higher education is defined by research, discovery and innovation. And these three indices, in all truth, cannot be said to define any Nigerian university today. I doubt this should raise any eyebrow, except from sentimental patriots.

(Being lecture delivered by Dr Tunji Olaopa at the Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, recently).

T0 be continued.

Prohibiting religious extremists

By Israel Abiodun AFTER the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence passed on Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo (aka Rev King), the General Overseer of Christian Praying Assembly, the Ndigbo Cultural Society of Nigeria (NCSN) was quick to call on the Federal Government of Nigeria not to carry out the death sentence. NCSN leader, Chief Udo Udeogaranya, defended this call with the logic that “This plea is premised on the ground that many Nigerians still hold Rev. Ezeugo as their spiritual leader even in various prisons.”

It doesn’t matter that Rev. Ezeugo, on January 11, 2007, murdered one of his church members, Ann Uzoh, when he doused her with petrol alongside five others and set them ablaze. What is important to those who want to see him escape the hangman’s noose is that he has a fanatical following that must not be allowed to die.

There is no ethnic undertone intended in using this example, it just happens to be the most recent case of pleading for people who had the benefit of thinking through their fanatical extremism before acting but still went ahead to take the law into their own hands anyway. People have pleaded for Boko Haram terrorists to be treated humanely, Ombatse cult members garnered some sympathy when they unleashed their murderous rage and even other groups that practically rose up against the state always have some interest appealing on their behalf as if no laws have been broken or that their victims are of a lesser caste.

In the Cross River-Akwa Ibom axis, to our national shame, there are extreme preachers who claim to be pastors, and who regularly subject minors to traumatic abuses in the name of ridding them of witchcraft. In extreme cases, these phonies have successfully incited parents to kill their own offsprings.

The foregoing is a prelude to the major trust of this write up.

There is need to work on a legislation to prohibit the activities of radical and extremist religious leaders. Not quite unlike Rev King, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) or Shiite sect, Mr Ibrahim El-Zakzaky drove adherents of his sect to death when he facilitated the build up to a face-off with the Nigerian Army. The result was the incident in Zaria, Kaduna State

in December 2015 when the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf, was reportedly the target of an assassination bid and the resulting military operation led to regrettable loss of life and property.

El-Zakyzaky might not have physically doused his followers with petrol and strike the match like Reverend King’s but his teachings and indoctrination primed their psyche to be willing fodders for his canon. Save for the differences in inscriptions on flags and choice of uniforms, videos depicting drills by IMN members is highly reminiscent of Boko Haram propaganda clips as far as inferred belligerence goes. So how does a sect leader brainwash his followers to that level of aggressiveness and not expect a catastrophic outcome in any resulting faceoff with the authorities in a secular state?

The legislation should also have provisions to keep the finances of preachers and organisation to which they are affiliated under watch. This is because some of these people preaching extremist views are merely puppets of greater interests that could sometimes be a rival nation or a country that has ulterior aims in Nigeria.

Apologists and beneficiaries of sectarian and religious extremism will be quick to point out that legislation to curb propagation or preaching of extreme views will stifle the freedom to worship, association, and expression. But these apologists must

ask themselves if it was also right that the Shiites, Reverend King and others deprive fellow Nigerians of their right in the course of living their extreme views.

In Germany, the Holocaust Denial Legislation is in place because they have decided that the right to free-speech must be balanced against the right not to be subjected to racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and a potential revival of Nazism.

Austria, Hungary, and Romania have their own versions of the law.

In France, the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM) has suggested that the country’s imams should be given a certificate - “like a driving licence” - which will ensure they promote a “tolerant and open Islam.” This, of course, tallies with what Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has in the works – only that the Kaduna State’s “A bill for a law to substitute the Kaduna State religious preaching law, 1984” will encompass all faiths. That the Council in France came up with this suggestion is a testimony to the dire need to be decisive in caging extremism and propagation of hate speech under the cover of religion.

This is why we must stand up to the time bomb called religious extremism; those who kill children on the pretext of witchcraft or any other sect and faith that threaten the corporate future of Nigeria by seeking a law at the national level to ban the activities of questionable organisations.

Perchance, if we had such legislation in place, Reverend Ezeugo might not have had the followership that emboldened him to set a congregant ablaze, and might just not be on the condemned list. But we still have that chance to set out a Federal legislation to criminalise extremism now. We need to ensure that extremists lose the capacity to continue using the pretext of preaching to incite hatred against the state of state officials.

For those who think this is an extreme suggestion for dealing with extremism, they should ask themselves what role hate preaching extremists played in recruiting the army of murderers that became the killing machine called Boko Haram.

•Abiodun, a security strategist, is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

fridaytreat

Nigerian Tribune

Rotimi Ige rotimiige@yahoo.com 0811 695 4636

Should

Gospel artistes charge

?

performance fees Buchi, Righteousman, others for Juddy Rankin’s mum burial today

Shina Peller, VJ Adams, others unveiled as new influencers for Remy

MUSIC BUSINESS 101

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fridaytreat

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

MUSIC BUSINESS 101

Make a ‘mainstream’ of your music and artiste career

By Toyin Adeniji

I

had a stimulating discussion and a mild argument with an intelligent artiste manager the other night in reaction to the last edition of this column titled “Avoiding the “Mainstream” and “Commercialisation” Traps on the Careers of Artistes/Musicians in the Music Business”. The concerns raised by this artiste manager focused on the difficulties posed to artistes/musicians and their careers by the existing structure of the Nigerian music industry which seems to focus on and only reward “mainstream” i.e. afro hiphop music artistes/musicians at the expense of other talented artistes doing a different genre of music separate from the “mainstream”. He further pointed out that the record labels and music industry investors are not interested in supporting “non-mainstream” artistes/musicians while reiterating the fact that the media further complicates the issue by not giving adequate exposure and airtime to the music of “non-mainstream” or alternative artistes. He noted that the media industry stakeholders such as presenters or On-Air-Personalities, DJs etc finds it profitable promoting “mainstream” because of the deeply entrenched culture of “payola” in their industry. All these factors according to him make it difficult for “non-mainstream” or alternative artistes to remain loyal to their genre and their core area of musical talent.

It must be acknowledged that his observations are straight on point and correct. These observations represent the true state and position of things in the music business and the situation that artistes/musicians are confronted with in trying to build their music career for success. However, the goal and objective of every business, the music business inclusive is to find ways and strategies of surmounting existing challenges in the operating environment of their businesses in order to re-invent their business, and create and achieve success through the challenge. To overcome the pe-

culiar challenges in any given business operating environment requires for the business to become highly aware of that environment by critically observing trends, patterns, structures and the direction in which the environment is moving towards. Artistes/musicians are business entities providing music products and services for an identified market in a specific operating environment. To succeed in this present music business environment for “non-mainstream” or alternative artistes/ musicians, demands that they learn and master the art of creativity and innovation in creating their musical products (music), in such a way that it will appeal to and meet the needs of their target audience. In essence, every artiste/musician must learn to make a “mainstream” of their music and their music career.

Commercial music is a market-driven product. Historically, all of the genres of music globally accepted today as “mainstream” in the modern commercial music industry were not known as “mainstream” music, before the advent of commercialisation of music. The commercialisation of music is synonymous with the development of modern mass communication technology, and the brilliance and ingenuity of musical talents who made and performed great music or who made existing cultural/folk repertoires to become widely accepted to audiences. The early promoters of music in the “Tin-Pan Alley”- the predecessors of modern record label/ music industry (in the USA), simply look out for any music and artistes that the listening public loves and promote the sales of their sheet music commercially. Soon they began employing songwriters to write the kind of music that is trending and sign on popular talented artistes/musicians with substantial market-followership to sing those songs.

These promoters of music labelled and categorised differently popular music and artistes as “mainstream” based on popularity with the public. Over time, the tradition became

established. However, it is important to point out that the definition given to “mainstream” follows after the popularity of the artiste/musician-proponents of a certain style or genre of music. When an artiste/musician made a kind of music popular and accepted by the public, other artistes/musicians will follow after that artiste/musician musically by imitating his style. In this manner, the “mainstream” genres were created and defined by artistes, and the merchants of music promotion (record labels) set the genres into categories. Along the line, other artistes/musicians came and created new sub-genres/sub-categories of the existing genres, while some came and created entirely new genres/categories.

My argument is not for artistes/musicians to try to create new categories or genres, but to not let the industry’s definitions of what a “mainstream” music is, limit and impede the flow of their creativity musically. My objective is to debunk this “mainstream” myth that has crippled the careers of many brilliantly talented artistes/musicians. Many artistes/musicians have limited the potentials of their career success by trying to conform to the industry’s definition of what a “mainstream” is and should be. Many have erroneously believed that they cannot succeed as musicians if they are not playing a “mainstream” genre or style of music. Why not create your own style or genre? Why not just allow that pure and pristine musical thought in your heart flow out without any form of impediment or distortion? Why not be original with your music? The great legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti would have been reduced to mere musical statistics as one of the musicians of his era, but he refused to subject his creativity to what was defined as the “mainstream” of his time, he created a new category and a new “mainstream” with his music.

My challenge to every artiste/musician out there in the music business is to be true to your musical calling. If your calling falls

NBC Limited walks against cancer and endometriosis in Lagos IN furtherance of its commitment to support women’s socio-economic well-being and empowerment, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) collaborated two non-governmental organizations, Run for Cure Africa and Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria, by participating in awareness walks against breast cancer and endometriosis. The awareness walks which took place on March 5, 2016, in Lagos, hosted various stakeholders who came out in droves to support women in the community fight against these life threatening diseases.

In the awareness walks which took place at different locations simultaneously, NBC collaborated with Run for a Cure Africa on a walk to raise awareness against breast cancer at the Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki, Lagos. According to Managing Director, NBC, Ben Langat, “Women empowerment remains a major factor in economic development in Nigeria and globally. Breast cancer is one of the diseases that negatively impact women, their families, businesses and the nation. This is therefore a major concern and of importance to NBC, as it’s a potential threat to health of women across our value chain”. He added that NBC has continuously partnered with communities, identifying women and supporting their socio-economic well-being, who in

Shina Peller, VJ Adams, others unveiled as new influencers for Remy Martin

turn support their families and communities, as one of the ways to make our business sustainable.

In a related development, NBC also supported the Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria on a walk to create awareness about endometriosis, a condition which affects about 10-15 per cent of women of reproductive age and can cause infertility among 30-40 per cent of couples in Nigeria. The event which took place at the City Mall, Onikan, had in attendance the 2015 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Unoaka Anyadike and some other Nigerian celebrities.

Buchi, Righteousman, King Wadada for Juddy Rankin’s mum burial today

By Seyi Sokoya TOP celebs including musical artistes will today grace the final burial rites of the mother of gospel artiste, Juddy Rankin, who is also related to Daddy Showkey.

The late Mrs Racheal Akata, who is a native of Isoko South local government area of Delta State, died at the age of 73 years.

The burial rites begins with a service of songs at her residence at

within an existing genre/category, do your best to redefine it and be the best proponent of that genre. If your calling seems not to fit in into the “mainstream”, why try to make it fit in? Why not create your own “mainstream” with your music and your musical career?

This write-up is exclusively written for real musical talents that are truly committed to the development, grooming and refinement of their talents, not to the so called “commercial” artistes/musicians who lacks the musical and artistic depth, out there looking for cheap ways to become famous and rich. Commercial music is a market-driven product; the market is primarily the audience. The market is segmented into communities of tastes. Each taste community is viable enough economically to sustain any artiste/musician who will deeply care to cater for the musical needs of that taste community. Each market recognises the right stimulation when they taste it; the responsibility is on artistes’ to learn how to stimulate the taste for which their music caters and to locate their own taste community. When artistes’ can command the flow of attention of their taste communities, they will also gain the attention of the investors who targets that specific taste community.

To create or redefine the “mainstream” is a higher dimension or level of artistic and musical operation which begins with the most important element in the music industry supply-chain- the artiste/musician. The easiest and “cheapest” way to go for many artistes/ musicians is to conform and try to succeed within the “mainstream”. It is harder, strategic, but unbelievably easier to stand out outside of the “mainstream” crowd when you choose to be an original and create your own “mainstream”. Innovate on your unique musical talent with the help of relevant professionals in the industry, write your own masterpieces that will create your own “mainstream” with your music, and give yourself a rewarding, successful and sustainable career in the music business.

Agric Bus stop area of Ikorodu and the Reggae stalwarts, Buchi, King Wadada, Righteousman and his wife, Carol C among others will be among guests at the ceremony.

Her body leaves Olumoro Hospital for the Akata compound in Isoko South, Delta for the funeral services on Saturday, March 12, 2016 and the thanksgiving services hold at RCCG, Abundant Life Zone in Isoko, Delta.

Mrs Racheal Akata is survived by children and grandchildren.

FOLLOWING the selection of DJ Jimmy Jatt, Folarin Falana (Falz the Bahdguy), Noble Igwe as influencers for the Remmy Martin brand, Shina Peller, VJ Adams, Charles Okpaleke have also been unveiled as the new set of influencers who embody the brand’s philosophy and lifestyle.

The campaign which was tagged, ‘One Life/ Live Them’ which assumes its grammatical accident, identifies that today’s consumers are not defined by one talent or skill, but are multi-faceted and should be applauded for their many passions. Rémy Martin’s ‘One Life/Live Theme campaign’ encourages consumers to explore and celebrate all their talents. It is a call to live richer, larger lives, to expand the horizon and seize all the wonderful opportunities that life can offer, beyond the one-dimensional paths that former generations could have embraced.

One of its brand influencers, Shina Peller is the Chairman, Aquila Group Limited, a multi-million Naira conglomerate with international investments in real estate, fondly called the “King of Nigerian nightlife”, Shina’s vision to carve a niche and add value in the hospitality sector led him to set up Quilox Restaurant, Bar and night club which was the first purpose built world class night club in Nigeria while VJ Adams is a disco jockey and rapper. Also, Charles Okpaleke is a nightlife tycoon and CEO and co-founder of one of Nigeria’s biggest and most successful nightlife chains: the Play Entertainment Network, as well as a Nollywood producer.

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

society

...celebrating the people

Nigerian Tribune

For Booking, contact Alaba Igbaroola alabaadewale01@gmail.com 08155975474

Faces at the 60th birthday anniversary of

Mrs Olubusola Abiodun Adewodu

From left, Mrs Yemisi Abiola, Rev Boye Adewodu, Mrs Biodun Adewodu and Mrs Dupe Ayeni.

The celebrant, Mrs Olubusola Adewodu, cutting the cake with her husband, Reverend Boye Adewodu at the Avenues to Wealth Hall, Lagos.

From left, Korede Adenuga, celebrant, Mrs Abiodun Adewodu, Mr Tunde Ishola,Seyi Adenuga, Damilola Osojefe and Mrs Funke Eboda.

Mr Niyi Adenuga, Mrs Bolanle Olusanya and Justice Bayo Olusanya.

From left, Mrs Bose Sogbesan, Moyo Sogbesan, Oyinkan Sogbesan. and Mrs Mayowa Sogbesan.

Mrs Iyabo Basua and Mr Rotimi Basua.

Mrs Oluseun Afolabi, Mr Toyin Ogunwomoju, Mr Tai Sogbesan and Mrs Yeside Amusa.

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

fridaytreat

By Rotimi Ige

G

OSPEL music has become a major part of Nigerian music. In the 1960s, the Evangelical Church of West Africa Choir was popular, and in the early 1970s, Bola Are, Sola Rotimi, Good Women Choir, Ebenezer Obey were the most influential musicians. Later, Panam Percy Paul, Onyeka Onwenu, Lanre Teriba (ATORISE), Tope Alabi, Asu Ekiye, Kefee, Sammie Okposo, among others rose to prominence and became notable.

According to history, in the early 1970s and 80s, Archbishop Benson Idahosa’s choir, The Christian Redeemed Voices were known for their gospel sound. The late Bishop was known to purchase instruments for the choir and each one of them would be mastered by skilful musicians. The Bishop would challenge his student pastors and young adult church members to pick up instruments and play them. It is widely said that Idahosa is one of the people who laid a strong foundation for the upliftment of gospel music in Africa.

A number of gospel artistes have released albums that are quite commendable such as Kunle Ajayi, Buchi, Sinach, Big Bolaji, Yetunde Are, TY Bello, AMAA (Abimbola Awolumate’s Everlasting Arms), Foluke Umosen, Soji Israel, Segun Obe, Samsong among others. Artistes like Rooftop MCs, The Bossman, BOUQUI, Babatunmise, Frank Edwards, and Segun Ogundeko (The Lord’s trumpeter) are also very well known for their gospel hip hop styles. They have released singles and albums that have won several awards.

There are also some notable church choirs that have distinguished themselves especially with contemporary music. Worthy of mentioning is Oyo Province 4 Mass choir of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus Embassy, Christ Embassy, Oke Bola - Ibadan, Nigeria.

Also, there are many Nigerian gospel artistes based in other parts of the world whose music have a strong influence on Nigerians, home and abroad. Such artistes include Jide Arowolo (UK), Dayo Bello (UK), David Ojo (USA), Funmi Williams (UK), Oluwakemi (UK), Gbenga Wise (USA), Martin Adu (Netherland) Peter Onu De-Nice (Germany), Osene Odia-Ighodaro (USA) and el Mafrex (UK), among others.

Now, seeing the giant strides and achievements by these various artistes, one question has remained largely unanswered or has remained controversial till date. The Nigerian music scene is currently enjoying a boom as evidenced by the lavish lifestyles of A-list music artistes who have amassed wealth from various endorsements and hefty performance fees. However, since gospel music is said to be a calling/ ministry where ministers call it God’s work or message, critics have asked if it was right for gospel artistes to charge performance fees as done by the ‘circular’ counterparts.

Gospel music as a career, especially in Nigeria, is not one that is lucrative especially when most Nigerians still believe that gospel artistes should be content with honorariums when offered. And so over the years, it has been a long argued topic to determine if gospel artistes had the right to charge a fee for doing ‘God’s work’.

Gospel singer and National President Gospel Musician Association of Nigeria (GOMAN), Evangelist Timi Osukoya, has disclosed that churches do not motivate gospel artistes whenever they perform for them.

Evangelist Osukoya explained churches believe that since it is a gospel affair, artistes who perform at churches should render such services for free. He said these churches forget that they (artistes) also have bills to pay.

“Some churches believe that you are not entitled to anything when you come to minister in their churches; they don’t put it into cognisance that you also have bills to pay. They think you should sing for free, but largely it depends on the understanding of the artiste and the church. Some churches really know how to take good care of gospel artistes. I can write a book on my experiences as a gospel artiste,” he explained.

I don’t charge, but I don’t crucify those who do it. For me, being a gospel singer is a calling which I cherish so much. When people ask how much they can offer me in terms of money, I laugh because I know they can’t pay for the gospel because Jesus Christ, with the blood he shed on the cross, has paid for it.

Should Gospel artistes charge

performance fees?

The singer, who became popular with his ‘Telemi’ hit track, stated that, “There was a time I travelled from Lagos to Ilesa in Osun State and they organiser gave me N2,000. I don’t blame budding gospel artistes who charge before they go out to perform.

“I don’t charge, but I don’t crucify those who do it. For me, being a gospel singer is a calling which I cherish so much. When people ask how much they can offer me in terms of money, I laugh because I know they can’t pay for the gospel because Jesus Christ, with the blood he shed on the cross, has paid for it.

“So many people offer ridiculous money to gospel singers which is not too good. It is not that I don’t need money, but I consider so many things. God has sent me and I am sure he will always make way for me. I have gone to many places where they didn’t offer me a dime.”

According to a critic, Paul Akanu, who believes that gospel music is a ministry and therefore should not be monetized, said, “It depends on how the artiste sees himself or herself. If they see themselves as gospel artistes which means that they are ministering to lives and spreading the gospel via music, then according to what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:18 “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ WITHOUT CHARGE,…”

The artiste should not “charge” as Apostle Paul said in the above verse. However, churches that invite such “gospel artistes” must understand the need to give something substantial to the person they are inviting.

This is because scriptures did say in a few verses before the one above, in 1 Corinthians 9:14, “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel SHOULD LIVE OF THE GOSPEL.” So churches must give SOMETHING THAT THE ARTISTE CAN “LIVE OF”. If churches would adhere to 1 Corinthians 9:14, gospel artistes would not be hungry. But most churches would give peanuts.

“It is because of this that there is this tendency to “charge” enough money that would cover logistics, travel and other living expenses of the artiste. On the other hand if the artiste is what I call a Christian musician that does not see their work as a calling, but as gospel music business (yes, people have learnt to make business out of the gospel); they simply play clean music in praise of God like Kefee did, or like several artistes who have done praise songs, they can feel free to charge as they like because what they are doing is just the BUSINESS of singing Christian/gospel music to Christian people.”

Tope Alabi, in a monitored interview, when asked if gospel musicians charge for their performance had said, “Why not? There is nothing

bad if gospel singers charge churches because that is where they make their living from. Music is their talent and they have to be compensated for it. For someone like me, you don’t expect me to come and perform in your church with a full band and we will fuel our band truck, yet you won’t appreciate us for all that efforts. There are occasions I don’t charge though, because I know that the church knows what to do. They know how to compensate us.

“If someone like Pastor Adeboye invites me for performance, I can’t charge him because he knows what to do as a father in the Lord. I know that I cannot

leave his presence without him appreciating me. It’s all about discretion. There is nothing bad in billing churches, but most churches don’t know how to give honorariums to encourage gospel artistes. The music is our business and we have to get paid for it. We may be considerate with our charges but we have to be appreciated”, she said.

Bolaji Olanrewaju, popularly called Big B also corroborated Tope Alabi’s submission. He said, “It depends on the artiste. If he/she feels that it is not necessary to charge and the ministration can be done for free, it is his/her decision. However, it is important to know that the dynamics have changed and the way gospel music is done nowadays is different from the olden days. We record, mix and master songs just like the circular artistes and we pay as they do to get airplay for such songs. We also spend money to promote them.

A lot is involved in the process and no consensus is given to gospel artistes in form of discount or for free. So, why

Rotimi Ige rotimiige@yahoo.com 0811 695 4636 twitter: @rotifizzle twitter: @fridaytreat

should we be expected to minister for free? Even the bible says that a man’s talent will make a way for him”, he said.

Even abroad, Christian music is facing an uphill struggle. “In the business sense, Christian music is economically disadvantaged even in the best of times, something that Christian music fans might not realize,” says John Styll, President and CEO of the Gospel Music Association. “Since most [Christian] radio airplay is on non-commercial stations, which pay a fraction of what commercial stations pay in royalties, our songwriters receive far less income than those in other genres.

“Every time a song is played on the radio, the artiste gets paid a royalty. Since non-commercial radio pays smaller royalties than commercial, artists are always making less money than their mainstream counterparts, even if they have the same airtime. And non-commercial radio has less money to work with. If you listen to Christian radio long enough, you’ll hear the phrase “listener-supported radio.” That means your donations are what keeps the station on the air. Where commercial radio stations rely on advertising revenue to keep them on the air, most Christian stations generate their income from you, the listener. Let’s just say that non-commercial radio stations work with much smaller budgets than commercial radio, and when people cut back in their personal giving, Christian radio feels the effects.”

“Also, these days,” he added, “Christian music needs to look like mainstream music, but do it without the same budgets. Artistes on tour are expected to deliver a high level of production to an audience that is not willing to pay ticket prices that approximate those for shows in other genres with similar levels of production.”

“The problem,” Styll explains, “is transportation, sound, lights, and so on, cost the same. Thus their margins are pinched. Now, with the extremely high cost of fuel, it is even more economically challenging for gospel artistes.

“We need to understand the trend in Music Business and we therefore need some level of education in that line. For instance, today, we don’t have many well structured record labels for gospel music today. We are not taking good advantage of the music business opportunities in our environment. We have various gospel artists out there with individual efforts and who have good skills but talents is not enough. We need good record labels to manage these talents and these are areas where the church and Christians who are buoyant enough can think of investing in these talents so that they will not stray away. It is very clear that we are not taking advantage of the music business opportunities in our environment.”

Back home in Nigeria, some also believe that if a proper structure is put in place in the gospel music sector, arguments about whether artistes should charge or not will become irrelevant.

Kayode Olusoji, a music business consultant at Woodclef, in his submission about the gospel music business said, “Truly, we have great talents and we are just growing in numbers on daily basis but we don’t know how to turn our passion into profit. For instance, do we readily get good sponsors for our gospel events? Do we have adequate concert promoters in the system? How many gospel artistes are brand ambassadors of blue chip companies?

“We can collectively look for a way out and take over the air waves. I am sure a quite number of us are tired of this unwholesome music that has flooded our air waves today.

Can Christians try and key in into every aspect of music business and make it work well? We also have the challenge of distribution channels for our music. Even if the price of musical CDs in Nigeria is not commensurate to the level of investment that goes into the music like we have in some advanced countries, what can we do to at least proffer some solutions to the distribution challenges? Actually, globally now, online sales is leading the trend with ITunes in the fore front. We thank God that recently; PayPal lifted the ban on their operations in Nigeria. I believe that will bring a great succour to artistes in Nigeria, because the challenge of online distribution of our music will be solved to an appreciable extent. However, more awareness still needs to be created in Nigeria about online purchase of music.

“Have we realized that putting our music on online stores is not enough? We need to draw the attention of our fans to the stores via good promotion both online and offline. Social, print and electronic media will be very useful in this regards. If the future of Nigerian gospel music will be brighter than the past or the present, then Christians and churches need to invest more in music and business of music.”

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

travelpulse&m.i.c.e

From left the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Mr William Azumah Awinador-Karyirige, Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria; Mr Wanle Akinboboye and the Ambassador of Cote d’lvoire to Nigeria, during the declaration of Ife as a tourism zone at the Ooni’s palace, Ife Osun State.

Ooni sets for tourism development in Ife

As Soyinka advocates repatriation of Ife antiquities in foreign lands Stories By ’Wale Olapade

T

HE seemingly non business vis-àvis underdeveloped environment Ife had portend for centuries is going to change with the activities-drive proclamation of Ife as a tourism zone by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, last week Saturday at his palace in Ife, Osun State.

Matching his words by actions, the Ooni, in practical terms set the tone, for practical tourism and cultural reminiscence as he commenced different degrees of refurbishment , remodeling and complete beautification of the his palace.

This official declaration of Ife as a tourism zone played host to ardent culturists, custodians of tradition and heritage as well as social and allied tourism promoters and developers from all walks of life, who were also entertained by different cultural groups and traditional praise singers.

The event also witnessed the assemblage of royalties, corporate and private organisations, sons and daughters of Ife. Speaking during the declaration, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, whose burning desire to turn around Ife for the betterment of the people, State, Nigeria and Africa through his great ideas and developmental initiatives said “tourism thrive on mysteries and Ife has all the tourism potentialities to attract religious and heritage tourists and pilgrims in their numbers.

“As you know, the fastest growing religion in the world is the African religion, even faster than Christianity and Islam and this was because everybody is coming to terms with the reality and the richness of our culture in

Africa.

“We have been trying to pin point it from the source in Ile Ife, and as God will have it, God left mysteries for us to see those landmarks, the land marks are there, they have been here for millions of years and we still have them and I am glad to showcase it to all and sundry.

The mystery in this land is too much; it has been hidden for a long time, in this palace we have like three, which we are going to repackage and showcase to the world.

I have informed the tourism Journalists about the resort we are building here. what is driving it is bigger than what we have in Lagos, like I told you last year in Lagos, am

’Wale Olapade 08161235359 wale11g3@gmail.com Winner, NMMA, Tourism Reporter Of The Year, 2014

like a visionary, I foresee things and I like to project them in a very strategic manner, the resort in Ife is very strategic because people will come from all over the world to see the mysteries, In his speech, Professor Wole Soyinka, who was represented by professor Wale Adeniran, lauded the unprecedented thrust of the Ooni at enlivening the cultural pride of the Yorubas but also dedicating effort toward developing and opening up Ife and in extension Osun State to investments and tourists patronage.

According to Soyinka, “In less than three months, Aafin Oduduwa has been made to undergo an unusual kind of transformation, restoration and preservation. One can feel a pulse of energy driven by passion, determination, professionalism and enthusiasm.

“The facelift at the palace ground is long overdue given the status of Ife as the city of the arts and world’s famed tribe of ancient and modern art, it is the believe of many that Ile-Ife is the centre of the world and that Olodumare has made Ife a focal point of the universe.

“With the infrastructure been put in place by Alayeluwa, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II, one can foresee an endless procession of pilgrims and tourists continually converging on the ancestral home of from far and near.”

However, we commend the efforts of kabiyesi, if this is adopted and supported, it will contribute in bringing back the golden days of 1970’s, when the then University of Ife used to organise Ife festival of the Arts, which attracted participants from far and near and the Negritude poet and the then president of Senegal, Leopold Senghor participated in one of such festivals.

“The Obafemi Awolowo University still have

a major role to play in strengthening the organisation of the festival of arts, but engaging is sustained research into the history of Ile-Ife. In this regards, we have to bring back the programme of the study of archaeology at the undergraduate and post graduate levels. A lot of archeological excavations still needs to be undertaken that will reveal further information about the ancient civilisation of Ile-Ife. There may, therefore, for some sons of Ile-Ife Yoruba and Diaspora to endow a chair on Acheaology at the Obafemi Awolowo University.

Another matter that supposed to be close to my heart and which I suggest Kabiesi accord attention is the retrieval of Ife antiquities and art objects illegally carted away to foreign land especially the Oriolokun.

“In this regards, we must be ready to ensure that we are not given replicas in place of the original, and to assist in this enterprise, some names have been suggested that Kabiyesi could constitute to undertake this task will be multi racial and multi national in scope,” Prof Soyinka added.

However, names who will play passionate roles are Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Koffi Annan former Secretary of United Nations, Henry Leegate, a distinguished Africanist at the Yale, that has a university, Professor Bolanle Awe, Professor Oyayi, Mr Donacemento of Brazil and a representative of the National Commission for museums and monuments.

He added that when the artifacts must have been returned to their original home, the pilgrims will never cease to leave Ile-Ife with the dynamism, drive and solomonic wisdom of Oba Ogunwusi, adding that he is confidence the feat can be accomplished.

NAZG calls for improved funding of wildlife parks to boost economy THE Nigeria Association of Zoological Gardens (NAZG) has called for proper funding wildlife parks and ecological heritages, so as to open them for better utilisation and generation of revenue for the country.

This call by the association formed part of a 15 point communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Council’s two-day working visit to Jos, Plateau State.

The working visit was in connection with the recent incident of a lion escape at the Jos Wildlife Park and Zoological Gardens, as well as the various issues confronting the conservation and management of zoological gardens and parks across the country.

NAZG communiqué calls on Plateau State government and all other stakeholders of zoos and wildlife parks in the country to strictly adhere to international standards and practices, in order to avoid trauma to wildlife and other embarrassing circumstances.

Also to stem this tide, the association has committed itself to visiting all zoological gardens and parks in the country, in phases, with the hope of providing technical and consultancy services, as well as ensuring that each zoo visited will be provided with detailed reports

of its current status and areas that need immediate attention for improvement of such zoological gardens and parks,” stated the communiqué, signed by the National President, Dr Olujumoke Morenikeji and National Secretary, Andy Ehanire.

The NAZG said, “AS A statutory body, our role as the apex advisor and regulator is to ensure that all zoological gardens and parks are well funded and encouraged to follow internationally acceptable zoo management and development practices.”

On the Jos Wildlife Park incident, NAZG stated that ‘‘following indepth investigations of the incident, it is conclusive that materials fatigue from general dilapidation of the facility, is the remote cause of the lion escape, in addition to basic, and even unacceptable, logistical challenges. There is manifest institutional neglect from cumulative arrears in scheduled maintenance and required upgrades.

At the national level, the association wants the federal government to recognize the importance of zoos and parks in tourism by ensuring their inclusion in the national tourism master plan, being one of the most visited tourism assets in the country, along with their urgent consideration for a Tourism Intervention Fund.

Curio by Hilton debuts with the Legend Hotel in Lagos

HILTON Worldwide has reached an agreement with Quits Hospitality Ltd to open its first property under the Curio, a collection

by Hilton brand in Africa. The Legend Hotel is expected to open in mid-2016 and will be located at Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nigeria.

The Legend Hotel, which will be located within the airport boundaries, will feature 54 guest rooms, including eight suites.

Launched in June 2014, the Curio collection is a global set of upscale luxury hotels hand-picked for their unique character and personality, and each one, a part of the city they call home.

“Curio is a great opportunity for investors looking to benefit from the performance advantage and smart innovations of Hilton, whilst retaining the individual character and identity of their hotel,” said Patrick Fitzgibbon, Senior Vice President

of Development, Europe, Middle East and Africa for Hilton Worldwide. “Our growth strategy across the continent continues at a fast pace, with more than fifty percent of our development pipeline currently under construction, opening up new destinations for travellers to Africa.”

A new build property, The Legend Hotel will offer guests stylish interiors, and reflect the unique personality of Nigeria’s capital city, with the centre of Lagos located approximately 22 kilometres from the property. Guests will be able to enjoy three upscale dining options, including VIP dining facilities and two bars. There will also be more than 158 square metres of events space, split across three meeting rooms.

Dianna Vaughan, Global Head, Curio, a Collection by Hilton, said, “Building on the success of bringing Curio to Europe, and with hotels soon to open in the Middle

East, I am delighted that we are establishing a presence in Africa in 2016. I’m proud that this unique project in Nigeria will be the first of many in destinations across the continent as investors continue to respond positively to Curio.”

Sam Iwuajoku, Director of Quits Hospitality and owner of the hotel, commented,

“We are thrilled to be working with Hilton to open Africa’s first Curio hotel, enabling us to put our own unique stamp on the hotel, whilst benefiting from Hilton’s management expertise and global distribution.

We look forward to unveiling the hotel and welcoming guests in this exciting new airport project.”

The legend hotel

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Friday, 11 March, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com

2014 Rivers Assembly fracas: I fought to forestall illegality —Ex House Leader Honourable Chidi Llyod, Leader of the Seventh Rivers State House of Assembly, seeks to return to the assembly in the forthcoming rerun election in the state.

He breaks his silence on what transpired during the judicial/legislative upheavals that happened in the state between 2013 and 2014, among other issues.

DEPUTY EDITOR, DAPO FALADE, brings excerpts:

Y

OU were in the House of Assembly for 12 years, what did you leave behind that you are going there to

pick?

The older the wine, the better the flavour. Nigerians need to understand that the legislature is an institution that runs like a school. If you are in politics to make money, the legislature is not where to be. A legislative assembly with experienced legislators insists on maintaining the independence of the judiciary. Governors find it easy to muzzle new legislators with whom he was elected, thereby, compromising the independence of the legislators. Where a governor sponsors or influences the elections of lawmakers, it becomes a matter of who pays the piper dictates the tune.

In the United States of America (USA), you find legislators who have been in the legislature for a period of 30, 40 and 50 years. It is good for the country because they bring their experience to bear on the official business of the legislature. The legislature is a place where you garner experience on how to tackle the problems of governance because it is the fulcrum of democracy. The legislature is the most powerful of the three arms of government because if it does not appropriate, the executive won’t spend. So, basically, I want to go back to the Rivers State House of Assembly to impart my experience on the quality of debates and also assist the new lawmakers who are currently in the House. I have observed that the quality of law making in the current House of Assembly does not meet the standard requires of a state assembly.

Are you not saying this because you are now in the opposition?

It is absolutely not so! I am one person that will tell you what is right without any ulterior motive to unnecessarily patronise anyone. We have been watching the proceedings on the floor of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Can any honest person in Rivers State compare the debates (here) to that of the Lagos State House of Assembly? In my 12 years at the Rivers State House of Assembly, we looked up to the Lagos State House of Assembly and wanted to be rated in the same category. The Rivers State House of Assembly was the first legislative Assembly to pass the Anti-Kidnap Bill, which I sponsored.

Again, it also has to do with the individual capacity of the lawmakers. The minimum academic qualification a legislator must

have should be a First Degree.

Now, we have a situation of lawmakers who are hearing of the constitution for the first time. The constitution is the groundnorm of the country. As the Leader of the Rivers State House Assembly, I made sure that all the laws that were passed by the House from 1999 to 2015, when we left, were codified into three volumes: 1999 to 2003, Volume 1; 2003 to 2007, Volume 2 and; 2007 to 2011, which is Volume 3. I am not sure if the current lawmakers have codified the laws of 2011 to 2015. And it also to my credit that I asked that a library be built for the House of Assembly so that it will be easy to find principal laws that needed to be amended.

What are your chances?

My chances in returning to the House of Assembly are very bright, indeed. My people say you don’t change a winning team.

Go to Emohua, my constituency and ask.

I am very much on ground. And that is why they are trying to stop me by dusting up files of cases that have previously been adjudicated upon. As at last Friday, five judges returned the files that they were not going to preside over such cases. They wanted me disqualified by the court. They are looking for cheap victory. I am not worried. I am prepared to follow them up to the Supreme Court, but let me win my election first.

You are a politician, a lawyer and a teacher of students of Law...

I would have been a teacher of students of Law if the Visitor to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (Governor Nyesom Wike) did not ask the Senate of the institution to withdraw my

Some people call me a murderer; to some, I am a villain, while some people call me a hero, depending on the side of the political divide they are in.

Llyod services from the university...

The university withdrew your services. Was any reason given?

No reason was given; the university simply said “withdrawal of service.” I was officially informed in my letter of disengagement that they did not know that I was the person that was interviewed for the job and that I should go to the Bursary to collect three months’ salary, in lieu of notice. The details of my disengagement can be found at the Department of Establishment of the university. I did not collect the salary because I was not motivated by money; I wanted to teach law and impart my practical experience as a lawmaker with 12 years’ experience on the Law students in the institute of legislative studies, pro bono. So, who would have been more qualified to do so?

For the records, I did not resign my appointment as a lecturer in RSUST. If I had resigned, I would have paid them three months of my salary. The last time I checked, none of the teachers in the Institute of Legislative Studies is a lawmaker.

I feel the students have been denied the opportunity of hearing from a lawmaker. I don’t just have degrees in Law, I also hold degrees in Education. That you teach in the university does not make you a teacher, except you have a certificate or a degree in education and I have all that.

Well, it has happened. I wanted to give back to the society what I had leant over the years in the House of Assembly. I earned a Master Degree in Law from RSUST and also completed by doctorate degree in Law from the University of Calabar. So, I had prepared myself to leave public service to return to the House of Assembly.

You were also accused of killing a member of your constituency who refused to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) with you?

That is sheer propaganda. I cannot deliberately drive a car over anyone; Satan himself will not do that. It was a case of an accident and the punishment for it is manslaughter, not murder. Some people Continues on pg28

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‘I regret the fight, bloodletting’ Continues on pg27

the floor of the House on that day in history, I was already suspended as the Leader of the House. So, it was my duty and responsibility to defend the Constitution because Section 1, of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates that no part of Nigeria shall be ruled by force.

Nobody is allowed to forcefully take over any part of Nigeria and I think my action was in defence of democracy, but the manner is what I regret.

call me a murderer; to some I am a villain, while some people call me a hero, depending on the side of the political divide that they are in. Those who wanted to impeach Amaechi will not hold a thanksgiving for me: to them, I am a murderer. Murder is when you kill someone deliberately. I did not kill anybody and it was an accident and I was not the person who drove the car.

Two people, incidentally, died, including a policeman.

The police arrested my driver and I. There were other occupants in the car, they were not arrested. It was political because it was me that they were after; I was not the one who drove the car. My driver told them that he was the one who was driving when the accident occurred. Pressures were mounted on my driver to say that I was the one who drove when the accident occurred, but he stood firm and told them he cannot tell a lie against me. Assuming I was the one who drove the car, will I tell my driver to go and die on my behalf? What sort of leader would I be?

Do you know the person that died?

Yes and I had to reach out to the family. The victim was a boy, less than 17 years who had just written his School Certificate Examination. The family had to issue a statement, asking politicians not to get them involved in their murky waters. I went to the family as someone who thoroughly regretted what happened and I restituted the family. As usual, the police arrested and detained me for 10 days but did not charge me court. One day, the police opened the door and asked me to go home.

A corpse was also reportedly discovered at your property that was under construction…

I was in my village, on February 14, 2014, when that incident happened. They got an artisan that works for many politicians both in APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take a corpse to my village. They arrived in my community as early as 6.am. I arrived at a church which I built at the entrance of my community. I did it in such a way that you first arrive at the church before you enter my community, including the Assemblies of God Church, which God enabled me to build. Upon their arrival at my community, the corpse fell down through the compartment of the vehicle they had used in carrying the corpse.

Luckily, members of my community had seen the corpse and raised an alarm. Unfortunately, the police wanted to twist the facts, but God prevailed. The truth came to light because members of the community had seen the corpse fell from the vehicle and asked questions even before they arrived at where they had wanted to deposit the corpse.

As the Leader of the 7th Assembly, were you really comfortable with the haste with which the Rivers State High Court Law, 2000 that gave powers to the Chief Registrar to assign cases was amended?

Let me tell you what happened. One of my finest moments as a legislator was the amendment of the Rivers State High Court Law. You know, at that time, everything in this state became politicised. I am shocked when people say we passed a judicial function to the Registrar. In Lagos State which is like the beacon of other judiciaries, for instance, the Chief Registrar assigns cases. We have instances where the chief judge sits as a judge. So, why should the judge sit as a judge in his own case? What of if you have a chief judge that is corrupt and decide to choose cases he or she considers as juicy? What of if you have cases involving oil companies which some may consider as juicy cases? The Chief Registrar does not preside over cases and so, he has no interest in assigning any juicy case to himself. The assignment of cases is an administrative function and not a judicial function.

In refusing to appoint Justice Daisy Okocha as the substantive Chief Judge of the state, lawyers, litigants, detainees and their families suffered.

Did you regret the impasse this created in the state?

Who would not regret that? I don’t have to be a lawyer to regret that. I had been at the receiving end too. I had brushes with the police; I was arrested and detained.

I went to court to enforce my fundamental rights. Now, if the courts were closed, how could I have enforced my fundamental rights? I could not have gotten my freedom during my period of incarceration when I was detained.

My regret is that there were people who could have gotten bail but could do so because the courts were shut; there

They got an artisan that works for many politicians both in APC and PDP to take a corpse to my village. Upon their arrival at my community, the corpse fell down through the compartment of the vehicle they had used in carrying the corpse. Luckily, members of my community had seen the corpse and raised an alarm

were people who spent more time in detention more than the offences they committed. What I tell most people who had asked me about the unfortunate impasse the political struggle generated in the judiciary is that many people who would find themselves in the position Amaechi found himself at that period in history would have done what he did. You have a fellow whom they have told you will supervise your impeachment; nobody hands over a gun to his enemy; nobody pulls the trigger that will shoot him. We were fighting against the institutions of government. We regret that and even former Governor Amaechi too feels terribly bad about the imbroglio the political crisis generated in the judiciary, especially those that were caught up in the fight of political titans.

Do you have any regrets in the role you played in the crisis that erupted in the hallowed chamber of the state legislature on Tuesday, July 9, 2013, over the purported impeachment of former Speaker Otelemaba Dan-Amachree?

The only regret I had is the fight and blood-letting which could have been averted, but I have no regret that I stood firmly to forestall an illegality. My only regret is that, Michael Chinda, my friend and brother, suffered bodily injury. Although I also suffered bodily injury, I did not play politics with mine. Some people hyped what happened to score political points. After the fracas, I also made overtures to my friend and brother. I keep thanking God that no life was lost in that episode, but people should not forget the remote and immediate cause of what your saw.

Action and reaction have never been equal. As the leader of a 32-man Assembly, I had to resist a situation where five members came in to forcibly remove the Speaker. If you heard the ‘coup’ speech delivered by that group on

Somebody called you before you lifted up the mace to hit Michael Chinda on the head. What call did you receive?

Nobody called me; the action was precipitated by a call to duty. No one had expected what happened on that day in question. I would not have gone to work, dressed in an all-white outfit if I had a prior knowledge of the events that later transpired. I went to work early as the Leader of House to ensure that the Chamber was ready for the day’s deliberation. We exchanged pleasantries, but the tension had already heated and people where trying to score political points. I sat on my chair only for my former friends and colleagues to rush at me and hit at me sporadically because they felt that whatever they wanted to do, Chidi Lloyd must be taken out for them to achieve their aim was. But man proposes and God disposes!

We all went out when we were chased away initially, but on a second thought, I felt something could go wrong if leave the Assembly Complex and that is where experience comes in. A neophyte legislator would have left the premises, not knowing that it was a ploy to get him out.

I said to myself, ‘no I have to go back.’ And behold, my guess was proved right. I got there and five persons were sitting in a 32-member Assembly to impeach the Speaker.

I had to demobilised House. What they brought there was a fake mace; they came there with a mace that they had secured from a local government Legislative Assembly.

But I thought that they should have been prosecuted.

Who should have prosecuted them?

The police should have prosecuted them. In fact, the police investigation actually recommended the prosecution of all of us that were involved in that imbroglio. But the powers that be then chose who to prosecute. And the charge when it was read to me stated that ‘you, Chidi Lloyd and others at large.’ The people were not at large because they were in the comfort of their sitting rooms and they were close to those who were in charge of affairs of government at that time. But little did they know that things will change.

Still on that day and by the rules of the House, was it constitutional for the governor to come to the chamber without a formal invitation?

Talk is cheap. You are talking about a governor who is an honourary member of that Assembly; you are talking of a governor who was Speaker for eight years; you are talking of a governor whose primary responsibility is to protect lives and property; you are talking of a governor who had called the Commissioner of Police, alerting him that the lives of the members of the House were under threat. Is there any law that says that the live of people are endangered in the House of Assembly and the governor should not come in? Until May 29, 2015, Amaechi was the governor of Rivers State and he governed well.

Now, imagine what would have happened if not for his timely intervention. And he did not just go there: he called the then Commissioner of Police, Mr Mbu Joseph Mbu, to inform him that the lives of members Assembly were been threatened. The then CP did not deny that Ameachi called him, but he treated the call with levity. You are talking about the constitution: was it constitutional for us to die in the chamber of the House of Assembly? Does the constitution say that if the live of members are threatened in the hallowed chamber of the Assembly, the governor shouldn’t come in?

Must politics at the legislative level be rancourous?

There is one thing you should realise, legislators are human beings. Each legislator has a political godfather or someone who facilitated the process of getting into the Assembly. So we hold allegiance to different kind of people. You must know that we have different individual capacities. What you saw in the Assembly is like what Wale Adenuga said in his movie: “we are all pencils in the hands of God.” Different political godfathers were using us as pencils; if not, there was no need for that show of shame on the floor of the Assembly on Tuesday, July 9, 2013.

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

The riddle over ‘missing’ N6 billion workers’ pension — Niger gov Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, in this interview with ADELOWO OLADIPO, addresses the issues concerning his frequent travels outside the state, insinuation that he is shielding main actors in the last administration, among others. Excerpts:

H

OW far has the administration gone with its investigation into the financial dealings of the previous government?

The investigation is ongoing; it is led by the police and a committee. We are investigating various activities and we are making recoveries. At this moment of the recoveries, we are expecting an inflow of between N600 million and N700 million and as I said, we are making progress. In the cases that we need to go to court, we are reviewing them. We need clear evidence for us to go to court. There is no point going to court if you do not have clear evidence. In that case, it will amount to wasting tax payers’ money. So, we are reviewing such cases and at the appropriate time, we will address the public.

It is assumed in some quarters that you are shielding the previous administration and secondly, that you set up a committee and its report was not ready before putting in place another committee to recover funds which they claimed was counter-productive.

No, I think people are getting it wrong. The Finance Committee, I think is going on with its assignment and we cannot wait until they finished because as things are now, we have discovered new things. When we discovered these new things, we send to them and they look at it and they advise us. It is just an advisory committee and we cannot wait until it finishes its work 100 per cent before we take action on some of them. However with regard to shielding the previous administration, from my assessment, they are all referring to the former governor of Niger State.

With regard to that or any other person; you cannot arrest, arraign and charge any person unless you have had substantial evidence. Most times, people talk and when we request for hard evidence they never come back.

So, like I said, we are being very careful in investigating most of the actions of the previous administration; we are making progress. The police are working day and night and I believe very soon, we will get some response.

So, we are not shielding anyone. The three months we gave the committee earlier was when we had not got the clear picture and on a daily basis, we uncover unusual situations. The problem is more than it was anticipated.

The issue of 7.5 per cent deductions from civil servants’ salaries has been of a major concern to the public. What is the administration doing about it? Secondly, the state House of Assembly has accused you of extra-budgetary spending.

I am not aware of the issue of extra-budgetary spending. Nobody has mentioned it to me because the money is not even there before you talk of spending. So, I really don’t know where you are getting your information from. But with regard to 7.5 per cent deductions, which is the contributory pension scheme, I have come to the conclusion that the problem is not the scheme itself but has to do with the way it is operated. Secondly, there are some elements of fraud and that agitated people. When 7.5 per cent is being deducted from your salary every month and it is not reflected in your account, you have to start getting worried.

That is under investigation. What I can tell you is that the problem started, when people realised that their salaries were being deducted and their accounts with the pension management administrators were not credited.

We are talking about a gap of more than N6 billion. Even if they were not workers, even I will react the same way.

However, the scheme itself is a brilliant and sustainable

Bello

one. The old scheme, to be honest, is not sustainable.

So, we are investigating the matter; we are in discussion with labour, workers and all parties, including the state House of Assembly in trying to find a lasting solution to the problem. It is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Pension is not something to play with and I hope within next few weeks, the problem will be laid to rest.

Critics say you travel more frequently and hardly have time to govern and attend to state matters?

Well, I travel a lot, but not as much as they think. How-

We are being very careful in investigating most of the actions of the previous administration. The police are working day and night and I believe very soon, we will get some response. So, we are not shielding anyone.

ever, that is part of my job; my job is to travel and bring activities to the state; not to hide myself in the room.

I have to travel to address issues. Sitting down in one place when I do not have money is counter-productive.

And all my trips have been official apart from one; during Christmas, I went on vacation. For example, when I have a meeting of the National Economic Council, I have to travel. For the Nigeria Governors Forum, I have to go to Abuja.

When I have a meeting of the Northern Governors Forum, I have to travel to Kaduna or Abuja. So also is when I have security meeting in Kaduna. Sometimes, we have to meet with Mr President; I have to go. That is part of my job and that is what I am paid for. I am not paid to come and stay in one place. So, when people criticise, I am not really concerned because they do not know what the office is all about. If only they know what the office of the governor is all about, they should have understood me more. However, there is a bit of misconception about my all my trips.

What are your comprehensive plans for agricultural development in the state?

We have plans to move into sustainable agriculture in the state. We should see agriculture as business now.

The Federal Government is trying its best; we also are trying our best. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is focusing on areas like agriculture. We have had a meeting with investors in India and they are on ground in some areas of the state. I think what we need to do is to Continues on pg30

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

B

Y now, many Nigerians are aware that President Muhammadu Buhari has a knack for dropping bombshell announcements while on foreign soil.

Consistently, since he came into office nearly 10 months ago, he has found it convenient to make critical proclamations while away in foreign land, utilising nonNigerian media outlets, in the main. I cannot say for sure why this is so but, I assume that he feels freer and much more comfortable airing his honest opinions while being grilled by foreign correspondents.

Beyond his first and only Presidential Media Chat, the president has hardly had a platform within Nigeria to field questions from reporters except at joint news conferences with visiting world leaders. Of course, the questions here are pre-structured, limited and journalists to ask them are arranged before hand. There is therefore hardly any room to throw bombshells. But while abroad, it has virtually become the standard practice for him to sit at question and answer interviews with leading media organisations where he has often exhibited his liberty to speak his mind uninhibited. He has used this sort of platform, as well as his regular meetings with Nigerian communities in the countries he has visited to make profound and often controversial statements that he had not voiced within the nation’s shores.

Nigerians first learnt that treasury looters were returning looted funds when Buhari revealed it abroad. His administration’s willingness to negotiate with the terror group, Boko Haram, was similarly first disclosed by him on foreign soil. It was in New Delhi, India that he announced that Nigeria was broke. He thereafter told the Telegraph UK that too many Nigerians are in jail abroad and that they shouldn’t try to claim asylum. He warned Nigerians to stop trying to make asylum claims in Britain, as their reputation for criminality has made it hard for them to be accepted abroad. The president went further to tell the newspaper that those who had joined the migrant exodus to Europe were doing so purely for economic reasons rather than because they were in danger, before adding that because of the number of Nigerians imprisoned for law-breaking in Britain and elsewhere, they were also unlikely to get much sympathy.

inside

aso rock WITH LEON USIGBE 08078891838 leonusigbe@ yahoo. co.uk

Buhari’s honesty, foreign trips and pronouncements s This statement in particular, seen as less than inspiring, had drawn the ire of many critics, especially the opposition party, which accused him of “demarketing” Nigeria to foreign investors that he ought to woo with positive remarks about the Nigeria.

As accentuated by his pronouncements during the Presidential Media Chat, be it his position on Col. Sambo Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention or the reason for his initial reluctance to appoint ministers, some people have argued that President Buhari merely wants to tell the truth.

There is some confusion these days on the N5,000 stipend promised by the ruling APC for unemployed graduates, which the president now says he will not pay because he has a slightly different priority. Again, he used his presence in Saudi Arabia recently to controversially modify his position on it. But the confusion is stemming from the fact that the office of his vice is insisting that what was planned ab initio was never stipend for unemployed graduates but for the extremely poor and vulnerable in the country. Even with the explanation offered by the office of the vice president, many observers think Buhari who is not one to hide the truth, and on whose table the buck stops, has already declared his intention

aso rock

and whatWITH others are doing08078891838 is merely to put a spin in order LEON yahoo. co.uk not to make the situationleonusigbe@ look bad.

Just the same way, it was his honesty that let the cat out of the bag concerning Nigeria’s membership of the Islamic countries’ coalition against terrorism put together by Saudi Arabia. Even when the Presidency had portrayed him as declining the Saudi Arabia’s invitation for Nigeria to join the coalition, the president himself admitted that he had indeed enlisted Nigeria in it. But, where did he disclose this? In an interview with Aljazeera television in Doha, Qatar. He was not perturbed by the possible interpretation that could be given to the move in a country whose religious dichotomy and extreme sensitivities have been some of its biggest worries.

There are people who are alarmed that signing on to the Islamic countries’ collation is one more step towards realising the president’s perceived desire to give an Islamic identity to Nigeria. For Buhari though, this assumption is without basis. More so as Boko Haram’s claim to commit their atrocities in the name of Islam.

Therefore, if there are Islamic countries which reject Islamic terrorism and invite Nigeria to join forces with them to fight it, it is in Nigeria’s best interest to cooperate. Or so he thinks, in all honesty.

‘We can’t survive on federal allocation’ Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

We are looking at some of our dams for irrigation farming. There are two dams in the state that are not yet completed.

I personally went to see the Minister of Water Resources and pleaded with him that we have two dam projects by the Federal Government that needed to be completed. I strongly believe if those dams are completed and land cleared for irrigation, it will boost agriculture in the state. Clearing the land and constructing water canals to allow water flow by gravity is capital intensive, which most of our farmers in the rural areas cannot afford.

The government should get involved in such things. These are things that I hope we can be able to achieve within the shortest possible period.

Bello Continued from pg29

encourage farmers more and to create a window for youths to participate in agriculture, change the mindset of people that going back to farm is not a degrading vocation or profession. We are putting in place all instruments regards to agriculture and how to interact with people in the rural areas, even with people in the towns to embrace agriculture.

On the government’s part, especially in the area of irrigation, we are partnering the Federal Government through the

What effort is your administration making to attract investors to the state?

We have made tremendous efforts in the past and we are still making progressive efforts. Like I said, we have discussed with investors in India, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Of course, in my opinion, as a country now, we need to put certain things in place, especially security. The belief out there is that Nigeria is a very insecure place and so not good for investment. We have lots of sensitisation to make.

What we are doing in Niger State is addressing security problem head-on.

Without security, we cannot have investors. The Federal Government is also

addressing the issue of power, which is very important for investment. We have received positive responses from different companies; they will be coming to Minna very soon. You may ask, why are investors not coming the way they are expected to come? Apart from the issue of security, the monetary issue is equally important. As you can see, our currency has not been stable.

That is a major setback because any person that is investing is coming with foreign currency and if the local currency is not stable, it becomes a problem. I believe the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is doing its best to address the issue of foreign exchange. In Niger State, policies are there to encourage investors. They are coming with their money; as soon as they are able to process their capital importation, they will enter our state.

I have been able to convince them that the environment is conducive and this is the right time for them to come and invest in Nigeria, especially in Niger State in the area of agriculture and solid minerals. I was with the Minister of Solid Minerals a few weeks ago and our discussion was focused around what we can do to attract investors and I think very soon, the ministry will come up with a policy that will help to motivate investors to come to the state.

What measures do you have on ground to improve the internally generated revenue of the state?

We must put our heads together to see how we can improve on our income. It

has become clear that we cannot survive on the statutory monthly federal allocation. In doing that, we are looking at the state board of internal revenue. Presently, I am engaging someone who is directly under my office to look into how we can increase the IGR. We are trying to enact some laws to allow us get revenue of some sectors which need some laws to enforce.

We have made a draft to the Law Reform Commission.

So, that is a top priority because everything that I have mentioned, if we do not increase our IGR, we cannot achieve them. We cannot do development without money and for us to get money, we have to work hard and look at those new sources to create revenue. We want it to be more depended on our internally generated revenue; whatever comes from Abuja is just to augment.

For now, we are augmenting from IGR. Our revenue is fluctuating between N300 million to N400 million monthly. For a state like Niger, it is not acceptable. I have held a meeting with the Ministry of Finance and the Board of Internal Revenue. We have engaged some consultants to advise us on how best to go about it. As a pilot scheme, revenue from just one hospital, the General Hospital in Minna alone, was N22 million; it was remitted for the month of February. So, I begin to wonder what has been happening over the years. Yes, IGR is key, and we welcome anyone that can guide us on how to increase our internal revenue.

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eyesof islam

Saheed Salawu yinkadejavu@yahoo.com 0811 695 4643

Dealing with epidemics the Islamic way Continued from last week

Recommended Islamic measures in health matters SLAM has a number of recommendations that guarantee well-being. These include: Establishment of purification: Allah says, “Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Q2: 222).

“Within it (the mosque) are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.” (Q9:108).

The Prophet also said, “Purity is half of faith” (Narrated by Muslim, 223).

Therefore, when you perform ablution five times a day, washing each part thrice, the body is safeguarded from germs and bacteria that could cause illnesses.

Prevention of defecating in places frequented by people: Abu Hurairah narrated that, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Be on your guard against two things which provoke cursing. They (the hearers) said: Prophet of Allah, what are these things which provoke cursing? He said: Easing in thoroughfares (where people walk) or under the shade (of the trees) (where they take shelter and rest). (Sunan Abi Dawud 25) Quarantine, isolation and prevention: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Do not put a patient (a sick person) with a healthy person as a precaution.”

(Bukhari: 5771/ Muslim: 2221) He also says: “If you hear that plague has broken out in a land, do not go there; but if it breaks out in a land where you are present, do not go out escaping from it.” (Bukhari: 5728/ Muslim: 2219) Avoidance of non-slaughtered dead animals: We should only eat from what was slaughtered in the name of Allah. In this is a great benefit of physical prevention because it drains out the blood which is dangerous to human health if allowed to remain within the animal flesh. Consuming dead animals is a potent vector of diseases.

Prohibition of eating Al-Jalaalah (animals that feed on waste): Prohibition of eating

I

Jalaalah is a means of safeguarding health.

Among the dangers created by people today is feeding animals and birds with animal proteins produced from excrements, dead animal flesh and bones and a mixture of that with blood and pork, due to greed and desire for material gains regardless of the consequences. This animal protein transfers its danger to the animals and birds that feed on it, and diseases become a reality in this process. Unfortunately, what people consider important is increase in weight and increase in earnings, regardless of the danger.

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, warned against eating Al-Jalaalah (animals that feed on waste) or taking its milk. However, if it should be taken, then the animal should be isolated for a while to be fed with clean feeds. As long as the flesh is clean, it is permissible to slaughter and consume.

Other measures to safeguard health: Islam establishes several actions that safeguard health, including rinsing the mouth, sniffing the nose with water, washing the fingers as well as the surrounding spaces and joints, including the knuckles. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “If you make ablution, separate the spaces between the fingers of your hands and feet” [Narrated by Tirmidhi 39]. Shaving the pubic hair, plucking the armpit hair, trimming the fingernails, and trimming the moustache are all clear manifestation of the attention given

by Islam to cleanliness of the body from diseases.

We ask Allah to bless us with faith and obedience and purify our religion, safeguard our health, and wealth. O Allah, we ask for pardon and wellness in this world and the hereafter.

Importance of belief in destiny It is pertinent for a Muslim to know that destiny is inevitable. A believer must realise that what afflicts him could not have escaped him and what escapes him could not have touched him.

‘Umar bin Al-Khattab departed for Sham and when he reached Sargh, the commanders of the (Muslim) army, Abu ‘Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah and his companions, met him and

told him that an epidemic had broken out in Sham. ‘Umar consulted his companions and reached a consensus to turn back without entering Sham in protection of their health.

Abu ‘Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah said (to ‘Umar), “Are you running away from what Allah had ordained?” ‘Umar said, “Would that someone else had said such a thing, O Abu ‘Ubaida! Yes, we are running from what Allah had ordained to what Allah has ordained. Don’t you agree that if you had camels that went down a valley having two places, one green and the other dry, you would graze them on the green one only if Allah had ordained that, and you would graze them on the dry one only if Allah had ordained that?” At that time, Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Auf, who had been absent because of some job, came and said, “I have some knowledge about this. I have heard Allah’s Apostle saying, ‘If you hear about it (an outbreak of plague) in a land, do not go to it; but if plague breaks out in a country where you are staying, do not run away from it.’” Umar thanked Allah and returned to Medina. (Bukhari and Muslim 5728 2219) We should know, therefore, that cautiousness could not prevent destiny. When preventative measures are taken and Allah intends a thing, it is inevitable. However, faith in destiny does not mean preventative measures should not be taken. We should apply caution and then put our trust in Allah

A believer must realise that what afflicts him could not have escaped him and what escapes him could not have touched him.

and supplicate to Him. By this approach, we have combined the two approaches of spiritual and physical.

Correlating events with the Shariah As Muslims, we should correlate events always with the Shari’ah so that we do not deviate from the Qur’an and the Sunnah. As for those who say: What concerns religion and health issues? What concerns religion and economic issues? What concerns religion and social issues? What concerns religion and psychological issues? Well, Islam encompasses everything. Religion is the core of our lives, thus we should we correlate every event always with the Shari’ah. It is a case of lack of comprehension of the deen and the verse which says: “Say, indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds” (6: 162) Any calamity we suffer is a consequence of our actions. The Prophet said: “Fornication would not become manifested in any community to the extent that they declare it, except that epidemic and pains spread among them, which were not known among their predecessors before them.” [Narrated

by Ibn Majah 4019] It is irrelevant whether they realised this link or not.

In addition to this is the neglect of enjoining good and forbidding evil, which creates calamity. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked: “Are we to be doomed while the righteous live amongst us?” He replied: “Yes, when corruption is rampant.”

Let us take heed from Allah’s warning. We must return to Allah from all calamities. The Prophet said: “It suffices for a person as lying when he says everything he hears.” He said in another narration: “It suffices for a person as sin to talk about everything he hears.” Do not spread rumour; verify any news before spreading it. It is acceptable for someone to withhold information when he knows the evil it could cause among people.

Today, news flies everywhere, some are true and some are false, while some are exaggeration.

Culled from www.tmcng.net

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islamicnews

Friday, 11 March, 2016

muslim

sermon

with AbdulJaleel Solaudeen 0703 030 7232

Some signs of the last hour

Chief Imam of Oluyole Extension, Ibadan, Oyo State, Alhaji Mudasiru Bada (left), presenting a copy of the Holy Qur’an to Alhaji Kamorudeen Adekola and his wife, Ronke, during Adekola’s installation as the Aare Musulumi of Felele-Olorunsogo-Molete and environs by the League of Imams, Felele Muslim Community and Environs, recently.

London more Islamic than most cities in Muslim countries — Scholar

L

ONDON, the capital of England, is a more Islamic city than most cities in Muslim countries, a prominent Islamic scholar has argued.

Pakistan-born Maulana Syed Ali Raza Rizvi said freedom of worship and the cultural mix in London did more to promote Islamic values than Muslim political leaders elsewhere in the world.

The endorsement of religious tolerance comes as a boost to ministers who are facing criticism over key elements of the government’s efforts to combat extremism among Muslim groups in Britain.

In particular, the present counter-terrorism strategy has been condemned as “toxic” and “tainted” by critics who say it encourages discrimination against Muslims.

But the Shia cleric, who was brought up in Birmingham, said, on Wednesday, at an interfaith discussion event in London with other religious leaders, that the atmosphere in London makes Muslims feel at home.

He was speaking alongside the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in

England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis. The three leaders discussed how members of their own faiths had, in different ways, lived as “creative minorities.”

Malana Rizvi, according to Mail Online, said that unlike “Jewish and Christian brothers,” Muslims in Britain are a new community who have been established for decades rather than hundreds of years and stood to learn from the experiences of other religious

groups.

“I feel that London has more Islamic values than many of the Muslim countries put together.

“There are many different communities living together in peace and harmony, giving respect to the others and loving others and that is what Islam is all about – and unfortunately much of the Muslim leadership has failed to provide that,” he said.

The cleric, who is the president of the Majlis Ulama-e-

Corruption: Scholar urges Buhari

to fight on

A scholar and publisher, Malam Abdur-Rauf Bin Sa’eed, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari not to relent in his efforts at stamping out corruption in the country.

Sa’eed made the call in Ibadan, Oyo State, at the bimonthly lecture of Bodija Estates and Environs Muslim Community (BEEMC), hosted

by Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun at the Islamic Centre, Bodija.

He said that recent revelations by anti corruption agencies on how the country’s treasury was looted by a few people were alarming.

The Islamic scholar said that such developments, if neglected, would hinder the growth and development of the nation.

In his lecture entitled “This is Islam; where are the Muslims?” Sa’eed hinged corruption and other social vices on lack of fear of God on the part of the people.

He commended the present administration for exposing corrupt individuals and urged the president to be consistent, steadfast and prayerful.

“I support the president in the anti-corruption crusade.

The ongoing fight against corruption is a divine mercy for

Ansar-ud-Deen scribe appeals to Olubadan NATIONAL Organising Secretary of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Alhaji Ibrahim Kilani, has urged the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, to use his experience as a successful businessman to bring rapid socioeconomic development to his

Shia, which represents South Asian Shia mosques and scholars, added: “I feel more Islamic here because I can easily practise my faith and give respect to all other members of the community belonging to different faiths and not even belonging to a faith, to anything.

“Islam is about love and justice. That is what Islam is all about, respecting and giving to others. If in one line I could say what Islam is all about, it is all about love and justice.”

domain and the South-West in general.

Alhaji Kilani, in Ikare Akoko, Ondo State, congratulated Oba Adetunji on his coronation last week and expressed the hope that, as a devout Muslim, his reign would be a God-fearing and progressive one.

The Ansar-Ud-Deen chief commended the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi for organising a “befitting coronation” for the monarch and congratulated him on being the first Ibadan indigene to ever present instruments of office to the Olubadan.

Nigeria. He must be consistent and prayerful because he has made more enemies for himself for standing against corruption,” Sa’eed said.

The cleric lamented what he called the nonchalant attitude of Muslims to Islam and its teachings, unlike what was experienced during the period of the early Muslims.

He also blamed the increasing rate of indecency and crime on parents who, he said, had in recent times failed to give their children proper upbringing.

The Islamic scholar said that the disposition of parents to religious studies and activities to guide children to the righteous path was not encouraging and called on them to be more proactive.

“People don’t really fear God any longer. They even indulge in the habit of even using God to bear false witness. This attitude has to change. I urge all and sundry to move closer to God,” Sa’eed said.

WHEN describing Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Abdullahi Ibn Masud said he is Soodiqul Masduuq, the truthful one, who also accepts the truth. The noble Prophet spoke the truth while foretelling the signs of the last hour 14 centuries ago.

The last hour, according to the Holy Qur’an, is the period when the whole universe shall cease to exist.

It shall mark the end of all forms of existence in the heaven or on earth. The last hour shall also mark the beginning of accountability and judgement before Allah.

The Prophet (SAW) urged his companions to prepare for a period when people would not care about the source of their wealth, whether it is halaal or haraam. It we ponder the situation today, we will find out many people are striving inordinately to acquire wealth. Things have got out of hand and people do not care about forbidden employment or businesses.

People sell cigarettes, hemp, alcoholic drinks and deal in riba. Embezzlement, fraud, stealing, robbery, etc, have become so prevalent that the heart has blackened too much to recognise virtue from vice.

The Holy Prophet (SAW), in a Hadith, said entrusted items will be regarded as booty. This means towards the end of the world, a thing will be given to a person as a trust to look after and taken care of but they will regard it as booty and take possession of it denying the rightful owners its use.

He also mentioned that zakat, which is the compulsory percentage of our wealth that must be paid to the poor and the needy for the purification of our souls and the wealth itself, would be seen as a punishment rather than an act through which one draws closer to Allah.

Another point mentioned by the Prophet is obedience to mothers. Nowadays, men favour their wives and spite their mothers. What is common in this age is a man living in luxurious buildings with his wife in the city, while his mother puts up in a dilapidated house in the village. Men travel to distant countries with their wives, lodging in the best hotels and suites, whereas their mothers are begging to feed.

Knowledge will be sought for reasons other than for the sake of Allah. In principle, seeking, spreading and teaching legislative knowledge is regarded as an act of worship. Allah (SWT), the angels, inhabitants of the heaven and the earth, even the ants in their holes and fishes in the sea send blessings upon that one who imparts knowledge to people according to the Holy Prophet. However, it is now common that people acquire the knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah only to be referred to as Shaykh or Ustaz or in order to engage in open debate with scholars. Alas! Such people will have no reward for the knowledge they acquired.

Another ugly occurrence that pervades our society, which has been foretold in the Hadith, is bringing friends close and keeping fathers away. A young person will enjoy sitting and moving with his friends and stay away from his father whom he consider old and senile. Besides, many do not even like visiting the remote village where they were brought up, yet keep their old parents permanently resident therein without adequate attention. This is a bad act. Allah (SWT) enjoins respect and care for our parents.

Other points raised in the Hadith include raising voices in the mosque, evildoers becoming leaders of their tribes, a leader of people being the vilest of them and people showing respect to a man for fear of his evil.

Today, young people raise their voices in the mosque engaging in hot arguments that bear no relevance to reality. Some even discuss and analyse a just-concluded football match in the mosque, defying efforts to stop them. This practice is among the signs of the last hour.

Alcoholic drinks, female singers and musical instruments, as being displayed in all nooks and crannies of our society, are parts of the signs of the last hour.

Even if the aforementioned are regarded as minor signs, it is better to disengage ourselves from them.

They are evil and they symbolise the end of time.

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hers

In the month of March, Zonta Club International celebrates the Zonta Rose day, an event which coincides with The United Nations International Women’s Day. Both events celebrate women who have aced in their fields to encourage other women.

This year, Zonta 1 of Ibadan honours two women who have achieved a feat of firsts. Monica Taiwo reports:

Z

ONTA Club International, Club 1 in Ibadan, on Tuesday March 8, celebrated her annual Rose Day, a celebration which coincides with the annual United Nations International Women’s Day (IWD); a day set aside to remember, celebrate and honour women who merit honour throughout the world so as to encourage several other women.

This year, Zonta Club 1, Ibadan gave meritorious award to two enigmas; Dr Chief Mrs Deborah Opeyemi Jibowu, Member of British Empire (MBE) and Mrs Comfort Folorunso Oredugba, both women have achieved a feat of many firsts, left their footprints on the sands of time and tremendously impacted the lives of many women.

The ceremony, which had in attendance all Zontians and well wishers, was anchored by Zontian Omotayo Morgan. The chairperson of the day was Prof Mrs Oyin Olurin, a past president of Zonta Club 1 and the first female Professor of Ophthamology in Nigeria. Also in attendance were the Zee Club members from different secondary schools; St. Teresa’s College, St. Louis College, Ibadan Inernational School, Tobi International School, International School, University of Ibadan and All Saints Church School In her opening address, Prof. Oyin Olurin stated that while Zonta was honouring these two great women, Zonta was invariably honouring all women. “This is because both of them; Dr Deborah Jibowu and Mrs Comfort Oredugba have done a lot in the area of women and girl child empowerment, consequently, it is a pleasure to celebrate them and say thank you for all they have done.”

According to Olurin, both women impacted on her life, Lady Jibowu, as she is fondly called was her teacher at the CMS, Lagos while Chief Mrs Oredugba was her late sister’s teacher.

According to her, Lady Jibowu encouraged her and other girls to take up science subjects.

Because she was the first and only African woman to have obtained a Bachelor in Science then, the fear of Jibowu was the beginning of all wisdom.

Prof Olurin reminiscenced that in those days, they had no science laboratory in school but to encourage them, Lady Jibowu would take them to the abattoirs of the nearby market to show them animal intestine in ability to help them in understanding science better.

In her own words, the current President of Zonta Club 1, Prof Olufunke Egunjobi stated that Zonta honoured both women because of their commitment to serving humanity in the true spirit of Zonta. She stated further that these women actually pursued Zonta’s ideologies long before Zonta came to Africa and Nigeria in 1970.

Both women used their education, talents and position to empower women in Nigeria long before Zonta was known in Africa, thus making them outstanding role models for womanhood in Nigeria. They inspired, assisted and encouraged those who were privileged to have met them to develop fully their poten-

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Editor: Yemisi Aofolaju yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com 08055001741

Zonta celebrates

international

women’s day,

honours two tials in life as women, and this is in line with the aims and objectives of Zonta.

“This award is to let them know that their labour of love did not go unnoticed and to encourage other women to impress their own footprints on the sands of time” In the citation of Mrs Comfort Folorunso Oredugba as read by Zontian Omotayo Morgan, she was described as a strict teacher, a disciplinarian who pointed young women in her care in the right direction, not only academically, but also morally.

Born in Ilesha, Osun State in June 1920, she attended Queens College Lagos after primary education. She then proceeded to the University of Saint Andrew’s Scotland and the Institute of Education, University of London England. Her educational qualifications include; Teacher’s Senior Certificate in Mathematics in 1945. She is the first woman to obtain the Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Chemistry in 1949 and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education in 1950.

She taught science subjects in many schools which includes Methodist Girls’ High School Yaba Lagos, Queens College, Lagos among others. Because of her outstanding performance in Mathematics and sciences, she held several positions and appointments in the federal and state level, while also organising and encouraging trainings for science teachers.

A member of several national professional and social organisations which include The Nigerian Academy of Education, Nigerian Association of University Women. She is an individual member of the National Council of Women Societies among others. She is the first national President of NAWSTEM and the national coordinator of the International Organisation of Women in Mathematics Education. IOWME. Mrs Oredugba had the national award of Member of the Order of the Niger, MON in 1964 and the Oyo State Special Award for Educational Services in 1960. She also has many publications to her name.

She married Mr. Amos Olorunfunmi Oredugba now late on September 19 1954, she is blessed with a son and daughter, grand and

Lady Jibowu receving her award from Prof. Egungobi, Zonta 1 President at the occasion

Lola Oredugba receiving the award on behalf of her mother Mrs Comfort Oredugba from Prof Egunjobi Zonta 1 President

great grand children.

In her citation read by Zontian Marie EKpere, Lady Deborah Opeyemi Jibowu was born on the December 26 to Late Rev and Mrs Fasan. Her father later became the Oludo of Ido-Ajinare in 1934.

She started her education in the pastoral centers where her father was posted. She later attended Kudeti Girls School Ibadan and later attended CMS Girls School, Lagos. There were only five girls in CMS Lagos, during her time because girls didn’t study science in those days. She won the academics award for three consecutive years and capped this with the Cambridge School Certificate in 1942. She wrote the examination in Biology, Chemistry and Physics and made Grade 1.

She left Nigeria at the age of 20 and graduated as the first Nigeriann woman to have a B.Sc Hons degree. She also bagged a post graduate Diploma in Education from the University of London.

When she returned to Nigeria, she was made the Federal Government Education officer and taught Science and Mathematics at the CMS Girls’ School and Queens College between 1949 and 1955.She started her public service in 1959 in many capacities.

She was installed the Awemoye of Ido Faboro, the Yeye Oba Ido Ajinare and became the regent of Ido Ajinare between 1986 and 1992 after her father’s demise. She enjoys voluntary works and has been an active member of the YMCA, National Council of Women’s Society, Nigerian Association of University Women,

Zontian Tayo Morgan; master of ceremony at the programme

Nigerian Red Cross, and The Girls Guide among others.

While responding to the award, Lady Jibowu thanked Zonta for remembering her and honoring her.

Mrs Oredugba who was represented by her daughter, Lola Oredugba also thanked Zonta also for the award and urged young girls to learn Mathematics and be morally upright.

Zonta Club1 also gave out free Zonta Rose to members who are over 80 to appreciate them for their contributions and their giant footprints which they have left for the younger generation to learn from.

34 hersay

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Empowering women, Zonta’s major objective —Professor Funke Egunjobi

The first female Professor of Plant Nematology, Olufunke Egunjobi, who is the current president of Zonta Club 1, Ibadan, in this interview with Monica Taiwo, speaks about what Zonta stands for among other issues. Excerpts.

Y

OU are the current president of Zonta, I learnt there is Zonta 1and Zonta 2 why is this so?

In 1970, when Zonta came into Africa and Nigeria, the foundation was laid and there was only one Zonta Club in Ibadan, which continued to wax strong until about 1992 or 1994, I am not too sure when the Zonta Club 2 of Ibadan started though, I must confess I was away, in another university in Ekitiland, but the more, the merrier, as far as Zonta Club is concerned. The second club is waxing strong too. That we now have two Zonta clubs in Ibadan is not news, Lagos has two Zonta clubs too. And we are trying to propagate and establish as many Zonta clubs as possible in oder to accommodate and empower more women.

What is the vision of Zonta Club?

This is straightforward; our vision is to envision a world in which women’s rights are recognised as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential. In such a world, women have access to all recourses and are represented in decision making positions on an equal basis with the men. In such a world, no woman lives with fear of violence. And you will ask me why this, because in the past, women were not recognised as equal with men; they were underprivileged.

Founded in 1919, Zonta International is a leading global organisation of professionals, empowering women worldwide

through service and advocacy.

With more than 30,000 members belonging to more than 1,200 Zonta Clubs in 67 countries and geographic areas, Zontians all over the world volunteer their time, talents and support to local and international service projects, as well as scholarship programs aimed at fulfilling Zonta’s objectives.

These objectives include improving the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women at the global and local level through service and advocacy. Also, working for the advancement of understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of members, as well as promoting justice and universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Also, to be united internationally so as to foster high ethical standards, to implement service programmes, and to provide mutual support and fellowship for members who serve their communities, their nations and the world.

I will tell you a Chinese saying, which goes thus: “I thought I saw two people coming, only to realise it was a man and his wife”.

This means in essence that the wife is not recognised as a person. Even in my country here, in the past, except you are the daughter of a high chief or something like that, even the men’s concubine have more recognition than the women. You have to be attached to the man he has to be your father or your husband or even concubine for you to be recognised as a person. When it

comes to advantages; education in particular, in fact in some areas in Nigeria, even in the 80s, the girls were still kept at home to look for money by hawking.

Efforts must be made to advance the status of women; this is the reason the United Nations Commission on the status of women was set up. All over the world; not Africa or Nigeria alone, women rights are being trampled upon, they are denied educational and health rights.

Even as recent as the early 80’s in the University of Ibadan here, when we were lecturing, one woman, when matters arose, came and said that she, as a lecturer, could not take her children to the staff health centre because she was a woman. Only her husband had the right to take the children, but not her because she was a woman she could not take her children to the health centre which was established to serve the staff members of the university; to that extent was the discrimination against women.

This and many other reasons was why women in the United States of America came together to establish Zonta Club International for the empowerment of women worldwide.

How long have you been president of Zonta Club 1 Ibadan?

About two years now. Zonta has a culture, the leadership is biennial. We change officers every two years. When you take up the leadership, in two years, your time is up; you have to step aside for someone else to step in.

Can you tell us what you have done to empower and make the lots of women better during your tenure?

There are two ways to this: one, Zonta Club International has some regular programmes which must be carried out yearly.

For example, we must have rallies to campaign and sensitise people about violence against women in all ramifications. All the time, Zonta Club says: “No to

Our major objective is to empower women

violence against women”. This is because violence against women is a worldwide phenomenon. So worldwide where ever there is Zonta Club, we must do this. We have done this. We also observe the International Day for Women when we give roses in recognition of women who have made their marks in their careers and in other ways to encourage other women; these are general programmes though.

For the specifics, our major objective is to empower women; the most significant thing that we did which is quite unusual is the fact that we focus on agriculture.

We all know, women constitute at least 50 per cent of the farmers at the grassroots. Some data even said they are 70 per cent at the grassroots. When you look at the food production chain, you will see women prominent at all levels from bush clearing to sowing, to harvesting, transporting, to conversion- processing, e.g cassava to garri; these are done mainly by women.

Because of their status, women are disadvantaged educationally and otherwise they still maintain the old primitive method of preserving our major food; drying. But the fact remains that our parents did not dry their foods along the highway like it is done now.

Today, the highways are there, tarred; in the Northern part of the country particularly, the roads are wide and women see this as an advantage so they preserve food with solar energy on the highway.

When you see this food spread out to dry, you also find goats standing on top of the food we are meant to eat. Goats stand there, eat a part of it, urinate and defecate on the remaining and walk away.

When the women come later, because they don’t stay in the sun with the food, they still go about attending to other businesses, they get their large brooms to sweep and pack the food ready for the market. Regardless of whether lizards, goats or rats have crawled, urinated or defecated on it. Sometimes, they put the food out there to dry more than once. You can then imagine with this present day campaign against Lassa fever and other epidemics, how endangered we are, because we don’t wash these food before we eat them. In addition to that is the pollution by carbon mono oxide. The gases emitted from millions of vehicles when passing by.

Then Zonta Club 1 Ibadan

thought of how we can help these women. So, we thought of a solar dryer. With the thought of the solar dryer also came the challenge that sometimes there might be rain and there won’t be sunlight to operate the solar dryer.

With biomass from firewood and remnants of agricultural produce, when it is sunny, they make use of the solar energy and when it rains, they make use of the biomass.

This we made available to the rural farming community at the Akufo Farm settlement, in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State. We launched it in December, with the Kabiyesi Onido of Ido in attendance. The Olubadan was also represented

by Oloye Lekab Alabi Before the dryer was given to them when these women place these food items out to dry they will ask their daughters to stay and watch, so that they can pack them away in case it rains. When it stops raining, they will bring them out again, thus, their daughters don’t go to school. This method apart from being capital and labour intensive, also denies the young girls access to education. All these troubles are over now because with the hybrid biomass dryer, they can dry their food in minutes. It also leaves the food fresh while retaining the natural nutrients.

Have you gone back there for evaluation and mentoring?

Of course we have been there.

We also communicate with the engineer who made it and he said he is always with them and they are doing well.

How does your club get funding?

Zontians are professional executive women. We tax ourselves, we do fund rising. During my investiture, I did a fund rising; that is what we do always; you tax your friends and families to raise money for projects. We pay dues nationally and internationally, which is used to run our local and international offices and projects.

What are your membership criteria?

We talk to you about Zonta, if you are convinced and interested, then the nomination committee takes your profile to see if you can fit in. after which you are formally invited. We are always excited to have new members.

35 hersay

Friday, 11 March, 2016

T

HE ability to set and achieve goals is one of the most important things you will ever teach your child. But few parents teach this skill to their kids because few parents have actually ever set any goals for themselves.

Most people live by accident. They don’t really know what they want their lives to look like or be like, they have no plan to make their lives better and they haven’t put any of their dreams down on paper.

Then they wonder why they aren’t doing well. Don’t pass this on to your child.

Teach her the elements of goal setting.

“1. Write your goals down. Only 3 percent of society has written down goals.

Yet, that 3 percent does better in all areas of life than the 97 percent who don’t have written-down goals. Teach your kids to write down what they want.

2. Have big goals and little goals. Help your kids in setting big, challenging, long-term life goals that they can work on as well as having little things that they can get done tomorrow. Achieving these smaller goals will give them a sense of accomplishment they can use to get even more done.

3. Have goals for all areas of life. It is important to have financial goals, play goals, health goals, educational goals and more.

Challenge your children to set goals in all areas.

4. Be specific. Break goals down into small, manageable portions that are very specific.

This exercise teaches your child that attaining anything big is a series of small, focused victories.

5. Make goals personal. Your child needs to set goals that are for him and not just to make you happy. Ask him what he wants and why he wants it. Personal goals are mo-

Parenting The host of Straight Talk!

With Olufunke Adetuberu

08023242389

cryonmenow@yahoo.com

Finding their purpose tivating.

6. Determine what you need to learn. Help your child determine what information he needs to reach his goals and help him attain it through research and study.

7. Determine who you need to know.

Teach your child to ask for help from people who can teach him what he needs to know in order to get what he wants.

8. Determine what action needs to be taken. Action changes things. Teach your kid to get started today by actually doing something that moves him closer to his goal.

9. Set a completion date. Every goal needs a target date of completion. Teach kids that it is okay to slide the date when needed as long as they are working toward accomplishment.

10. Celebrate success. Part of the fun of setting a goal is the ability to celebrate its accomplishment. Even small victories require at least a pat on the back, if only from yourself. Teach your kid to enjoy his accomplishments.

Decision making How do you become successful? Good decisions. How do you learn to make good decisions? Bad decisions.

That’s how it works. As parents, we do our

best to keep our kids from making any bad decisions. After all, we are smarter, we have been there and we want to save our children from the pain of making bad decisions. Yet bad decisions are the greatest of all teachers.

Stop saving your kids from all of their bad decisions.

Let them make mistakes. As long as the mistake your kid is about to make isn’t lifethreatening and doesn’t have truly detrimental long-term consequences, turn her loose and let her screw up. Let her screw up in small ways where the outcome isn’t all that damaging so she will learn how not to make that same mistake again.

When she makes a bad decision and the results are less than she hoped for, don’t say, “I told you so.Do that too often and you will soon be left out of all her decisions.

Instead, let her feel the pain and when the time is right, talk to her about the experience. Ask her if she learned anything. Guide her through the process of making a decision, feeling either the pain or the pleasure of her decision and what she learned from the experience. Making a bad decision is not a problem, unless you let the lesson from that bad decision pass you by. That’s just a waste.

Some kids learn the inability to make deci-

sions from their parents. They watch their folks fret and worry and think and contemplate until they end up with “paralysis by analysis.” This is more dangerous than making a decision that turns out to be a bad one, in my opinion. We all sometimes spend way too much time figuring out how to make the right decision. Often, there isn’t enough time to wait to gather the information, do the analysis, do the math, weigh all the pros and cons and then make a slow, well-informed decision about what needs to be done.

I always taught my kids my philosophy of “Make the decision, then make the decision right . also “I always say you make your choice and your choice makes you .” This means that you just make the decision and then you go to work to make whatever you decided the right decision.

Yes, sometimes you have to work harder to make your decisions right, but it’s still better than being stuck and not making a decision at all.

Let your kids make their own decisions even from a young age. Let them decide what to wear. Who cares if their socks don’t match or if they want to wear cowboy boots with their shorts?

Let your kid have the freedom to make decisions about things that don’t matter.

It gives him a sense of control over his own life. It’s good for him. As he gets older, he can make decisions about things that carry more weight and do matter. You can guide him and offer some counsel but let the decision be his. Let the consequences be his, too. This lesson will serve him well as an adult. I have had the privilege of counselling with and going to fifty and yet they are afraid of making decisions not to talk of making a commitment.

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08055001724(sms only) monicataiwo@yahoo.com

Is it okay for me to date my cousin’s ex?

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My husband no longer satisfies me sexually!

Dear Taiwo, I am a mother of two and in my late 30s. I have a problem with my sex life but I am afraid to discuss it with my husband because I don’t know what his reaction could be.

We had a good sex life until recently. He would only make an attempt to make love to me only after a lot of petting and sometimes I have to practically beg him. Whenever he eventually does, it is always more or less a quickie; if you understand me. He has changed from the man who used to satisfy me sexually.

I tried raising this with him some time ago, but he got angry and started calling me names. He even insinuated that probably I am having extra-marital affairs.

I don’t want this issue to degenerate to this level, yet I cannot express myself or tell him how I feel without him raising a fight.

Please, help me.

Bekky.

Dear Bekky, Sex in marriage is a very sensitive issue, espe-

cially since you are the one who is not satisfied with your husband’s sexual performance, so you have to be very diplomatic when discussing it so as not to destroy his ego.

You also need to establish the reason why he has suddenly lost interest in sex. Is everything alright with him physically, psychologically and financially? These are things that could affect him.

I will suggest that you speak with him again, this time do not rub it in that you are not satisfied with his sexual performance. Try to find out about his well being. By doing this, you will be able to establish where the problem emanated from. If you are able to solve whatever problem there is, then, you will be solving other problems too. There is danger in assuming that he just doesn’t want to have sex with you. Be careful also not to jump into wrong conclusions.

DEAR Taiwo, Please, help me, I have been dating a lady for the past five weeks and I am beginning to get fond of her. She was introduced to me by my younger sister when I returned to the country from South Africa some months ago.

I was particularly interested in her because she told me she just ended a relationship few weeks before I met her and she was still hurting by what she went through.

She told me what happened and even told me the name of the guy, but I did not know that the guy in question is my first cousin.

I found out when my girlfriend and I went to an eatery and met my cousin. He pulled me aside and told me I was with his girlfriend. Although my girlfriend did not come down from the car, she confirmed that my cousin was the guy she told me about as soon as I entered the car.

I don’t know what to do. My cousin claims that she is still his girlfriend that they only had a clash, but she says she can no longer date him. I have grown to really like her. Apart from this, is it morally right for me to date my first cousin’s ex?

Eniola.

Dear Eniola, I will suggest that you let go of this lady, because as your first cousin’s ex, it is as good as dating your brother’s ex. Agreed, you did not know they had dated each other before, now that you know, it is better you withdraw before it is too late to do so.

Secondly, it is a fact that they had a clash. The fact that your cousin still maintains that she remains his girlfriend for reasons best known to him is a little dangerous.

It may be true you love her; it is also wise to avoid controversy and trouble. Let the lady know why you want to quit the relationship. It is better now than when it will be too late.

news Presidential system of govt too expensive — Emir of Kano 36

T

HE Emir of Kano, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi, in Lagos, on Thursday, decried the presidential system of government being run in the country, saying it was too expensive.

He said the poor situation Nigeria found itself currently was not unforseen, adding that the remedy was for the leadership to go back to the drawing board and tailor the resources to cater to the majority of the populace and not few civil servants and elected politicians.

Sanusi said this while speaking as one of the discussants at the inaugural lecture of the launch of the Endowment Fund of Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona

Friday, 11 March, 2016

•Nigeria pays over 80% of its resources to few, he says

Professorial Chair in Governance, in the Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

The event was attended by personalities, including the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who was represented by his deputy, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga; Oba Otudeko, former Governors Segun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel and

Niyi Adebayo; Chief Subomi Balogun, Chief Kessington Adebutu, Professor Akin Mabogunje, among others.

The monarch, who recalled the revelations he made in the past that very few percentage of people working in the civil service across the country and elected politicians were taking home about 80 per cent of the country’s earnings, said “the problem of this country is like turning com-

mon sense on the head.

“You sometimes wonder if anyone needs to tell any group of persons that you do not need 36 governors, 36 deputy governors, eight to 30 members of assembly, commissioners, advisers, 36 ministers, a president, a vice-president, a bicameral federal legislature, and so on and so forth..”

According to Emir Sanusi, simple arithmetic would tell anyone that a nation

that had such structure was doomed to spend 80 to 90 per cent of everything it had maintaining public officers.

“Simple arithmetic would tell you that if you have that structure, you are first of all doomed to spending 80 to 90 per cent of everything you have in maintaining public officers. It’s really commonsense, but it seems a problem for us to understand it.

“I do remember as gover-

Amosun writes Ogun assembly over creation of 37 LCDAs GOVERNOR Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has written the state House of Assembly, seeking approval for the creation of 37 local council development areas (LCDAs).

The governor’s letter was read on the floor of the assembly during plenary session on Thursday, as he said the request was in furtherance of government’s attempt at meeting the yearnings of the people of the state through the delivery of democratic dividends.

The state has 20 local government areas since its creation in 1976, while the 37 LCDAs would be created out of the council areas.

The governor, in the letter, said the LCDAs would further bring government nearer to the people and engender further development.

“I forward herewith the list of the existing and new LCDAs, totalling 57 in all, for your kind consideration in this regards”, the governor stated.

The proposed LCDAs are Abeokuta North West; Abeokuta North East; OkeOgun; Abeokuta South East; Abeokuta South West; Ado-Odo; Agbara/Igbesa; Ota West; Sango/Ijoko; Ewekoro North; Ifo Central; Coker Ibogun; Ifo South; Ijebu East Central; Ijebu North; Ijebu North Central; Ijebu Igbo West; Ago-Iwoye; Yemoji; Ijebu-Ode South; Remo Central; Imeko; Afon; Ipokia West; Idi-Iroko; Oba; Obafemi; Ofada/Mokoliki; Opeji;Ilugun; Leguru; Ifesowapo; Ogun Waterside East; Remo North East; Sagamu-Remo West; Sagamu-Remo South; Iju; Ketu and Yewa South East.

Chairperson, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Oyo State Council, Foluso Lala; representative of the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Aliu Anetu Anne; former Chief Judge of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Bolajoke Adeniji and others, cutting the cake, at the International Mothers’ Day, held at NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Thursday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

Buhari’s govt has neglected market women — Tinubu’s daughter THE Iyaloja-General of Nigeria and daughter of national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, Chief Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, on Thursday, expressed displeasure of market women to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, lamenting that they have been neglected by the government.

Chief Tinubu-Ojo, who led scores of women to All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja, on Thursday, said the market women of Nigeria believed that the government of the day was not carrying them along, despite their contribution to the election of the president.

According to her, the market women worked round the clock for the party during the electioneering, noting that after the party came to power, they had been abandoned.

Speaking with newsmen, she said “I am here this afternoon to represent market women and men of Nigeria.

There has been agitations, not even agitation or allegation, the people believed that the government of the day is not carrying them along as it should be, that they worked round the clock

for the party during the electioneering, but after the inauguration, most of us are not carried along.”

She said “because I am the daughter of the national leader of APC doesn’t mean

that I must not represent my people well, I have to represent my people’s opinion.

“I am a leader and as such, my people are crying foul and I won’t fold my hands and keep quiet. I am not

mobilising against the party, no, I am solidly behind it.

I have worked for the party before and I will still work for the party tomorrow, but that does not stop me from saying the truth.”

Aregbesola appoints 61 council managers for Osun LGs Oluwole Ige -Osogbo OSUN State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has appointed 61 council managers to pilot the affairs of council and local council development areas (LCDAs) created by his administration on Tuesday.

Below are the list of names of the appointees and their respective local government areas.

Mrs. C.O Durosinmi, Ayedaade; Mr Kolapo Mukaila Badru, Ayedaade South; Mr Oluyemi Bolaji, Ayedire; Haruna Rasak, Ayedire South; Israel Oladele, Atakumosa South; Bello Rasak, Atakumosa East; Ganiyu O. Obelawo, Atakumosa West; Ajao Lateef, Atakumosa West; Mrs Titilade Roseline, Boripe; Wasiu Bolaji, Boripe North; Isiaka Isola, Boluwaduro and Olatoye O. Obembe, Boluwaduro East.

Others are Mrs Nimota Omowumi Olagunju, Ede

East; Mrs Toyin Rachael, Ede North; Mrs S.B Aromolaran, Ede South; A. Folowosele, Irepodun; Mrs Funmilayo D. Olagbeju, Irepodun South; Mrs Fola Christana, Egbedore; Mrs Olusola Victoria, Egbedore South; Mrs Asanat Kehinde, Ejigbo; Mrs Tejumade Elizabeth, Ejigbo South; Mr Adebayo Akani, Ejigbo West; Mr Alani Olatunji, Ifedayo and Mr Najim O. Ogundiji, Ifelodun.

Mr Samuel Taiwo heads Ifelodun North; Mr Adewusi Adegboyega, Ife Central; Mr Abayomi B. Awoniyi, Ife Central West; Mr Mukaila Anifowose, Ife Oye; Mrs Muslimat Idowu, Ife East; Mr Tirimisiyu Ayofe, Ife North; Mr Olugbenga Joshua, Ife North East; Mrs Medinat M. Oluyemi, Ife North West; Mr Babatunde Kehinde, Ife South; Mr Yinusa Olalekan, Ife South West; Mr Semiu Opeyemi, Ila; Mr Joel Afolabi, Ila Central; Mr Moruf O. Tijani, Il-

esa East; Mr A. Y Oni, Ilesa North East; Mrs Musirafat M. Salam, Ilesa West and Mr Adekunle Adebayo, Ilesa West Central.

Mr Samson Olayinka, Irewole; Hammed Oyebami, Obokun; Foluso Rasak, Isokan; Mrs Rachael Saseyi, Isokan South; Mr Ebenezer Gbenga, Iwo; Mrs Abiola Olabitan, Iwo East; Mrs Busayo F. Fakayode, Iwo West; Mrs Ikeolu Eunice, Obokun; Mr Kehinde A. Okelade, Irewole North East; Mrs Julianah Olaide, Odo Otin; Peter Sogo, Odo Otin North and Mrs Adenike J. Adegbite, Odo Otin South.

Also on the list are Mr Francis Ige, Ola Oluwa; Mr Adegoke Basiru, Olorunda; Mr I. A Olabisi, Olorunda North; Mr Musbau Adufe, Oriade; Mr Ajibade S. Ogoyeba, Oriade South; Mr Michael Olugbenga, Orolu; Mr Abiodun Gbolahan, Osogbo; Mr Abiodun Gboyega, Osogbo South and Mr Isaac Kehinde Olayinka, Osogbo West.

nor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when I raised this issue, about 80 per cent of government revenue being used to maintain one million public officers, leaving 20 per cent for 160 million Nigerians, my own government came out and disowned that statement, saying that the Federal Government is trying to recruit more people.

“If you don’t free up those resources and put them in capital project, you are laying the foundation for exactly what we are seeing today,” he said.

The former CBN governor said had Nigeria not depended on oil, it would not have found itself in this dire situation, saying “many people forget that oil is still 15 per cent of GDP, agriculture and services combined account for almost 70 per cent, and we still talk about oil sector.”

The guest speaker, Professor Mabogunje, speaking on “issues and challenges in governance in Nigeria,” also faulted the presidential system of government introduced by the military, describing it as very expensive and, therefore, unsuitable for the polity.

This was just as he said the discovery of crude oil in the 70s and the attendant winfall made Nigeria engage in what he chose to call “Awuff” approach to governance, where free money was just being frittered on programmes without careful planning and execution to achieve better result.

“I believe I have said enough to emphasise that the major issues and challenges facing governance in Nigeria at all levels is largely structural and derive from the military government wanting a federation turned upside down to align with the unified command structure of military administration.

“This, of course, was made possible because of the coincident windfall of high petroleum prices. The resulting overthrow of the ‘derivation principle’ in the nation’s constitutional fiscal arrangments placed the Federal Government in the position to provide the funds, or, at least most of the funds, for the governance activities at state and local government levels,” he said.

While recalling that Singapore and China, which were in similar situation made good use of their windfall by investing in infrastructure, Professor Mabogunje, however, said “the present revenue crisis could provide a new opportunity to revisit the present structure of governance and restore the country to a more truly federal and democratic bases.”

37

news

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Kogi Assembly dares Reps, sits in Lokoja •Rejects move to seal off Assembly premises •Holds valedictory session for Ocholi Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

T

HE Kogi State House of Assembly, on Thursday, resolved to charge the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the chairman of the House fact-finding committee on the assembly crisis, Paddy Iriase, to court for contempt over the resolution to seal off the assembly and take over its functions.

The House also accused the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 21 governorship election, James Faleke, as the one instigating the House of Representatives on the assembly issue.

The House made the resolution at its plenary session at the chamber of the assembly despite the House of Representatives directives on Wednesday that the premises of the assembly should be sealed up.

At the plenary presided over by Umar Imam as Speaker, the majority leader, Friday Sani, moved the motion under matter of urgent public importance that the “legal representatives of the leaders of the House be mandated to file a contempt of court against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, chairman and secretary of the purported ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives.”

Apart from this, he also moved that the house should set up a committee to further investigate the sponsors of the crisis and the members of the assembly that were involved in the alleged permanent incitement to promote disharmony in the assembly.

He also moved that “the house do reject in its entirety the decision of the House of Representatives considering the provision of Section 11(5) of the constitution.”

The lawmaker said the lower chamber of the National Assembly was wrong to have relied on a part of the constitution for its acts, saying, “for the purpose of subsection 4, a House of Assembly shall not be deemed to be unable to perform its function so long as the House of Assembly can hold meeting and transact the assembly business.

“This is in addition to the matter filed by the leadership of this House at the Federal High Court, Lokoja with suit no FHC/LKJ/ CS/16/16 and for which notice was granted by the

court dated 1st March 2015 - 6th April.”

Sani said the action of the House of Representatives demonstrated special and vested interest, adding that the development was part of the plot of Faleke to bring down the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

Contributing, Hassan Bello from Ajaokuta constituency, said the resolution of the House of Representatives should be discountenanced, while asking the higher cham-

bers to retract itself on the matter.

According to him, the assembly should not be dragged into the crisis in the executive arm of government, saying the House of Representatives should rescind its decision and respect itself.

Speaking on the motion, the Speaker said the sections of the constitution that the House relied upon did not apply to the state assembly, arguing that the assembly was in session and had been conducting

its businesses.

He said, “We don’t want to be distracted, the House of Representatives has no business taking over our job, it is only when there is crisis in a state that an assembly does not function and the House of Representatives can take such step.”

In his reaction to the allegations, Faleke said it would be preposterous to accuse him of being behind the decision of the House of Representatives on the Kogi debacle.

Speaking through his

spokesperson, Duro Meseko, the federal lawmaker said he was not the only member of the House that hails from Kogi State and not a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that controlled the majority in the Kogi Assembly.

He said, “Faleke cannot be a tree that makes a forest, this session of the House of Representatives is one of the most vibrant we have seen, it is the height of mischief for anybody to accuse the Dogara

leadership of unfairness because since Dogara assumed leadership, he has been handling issues with the fear of God. “He is not the one to be influenced by anybody; the accusation is therefore unfair, mischievous and holds no water.”

Faleke noted that he is a critical stakeholder in Kogi politics and was ready to support every move in the House of Representatives that would promote the rule of law, unity and progress of Kogi State.

He said: “Looking at the issue critically are we saying that five is greater than 15. They should leave Faleke out of their self inflicted crisis and look forward to resolving the crisis in the greater interest of Kogi people.”

We saved N1bn from BVN verification —Rivers Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt

Mr Babatomiwa Olugbenga Oloketuyi with his wife, Orisetimeyin and members of the groom’s family at their wedding in Lagos, recently.

Kogi Assembly holds valedictory session for Ocholi •His death monumental loss —BSG Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

THE Kogi State House of Assembly, on Thursday, held a valedictory session for the late Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, James Ocholi, SAN, describing his death and that of his wife and son as tragic.

At the session presided over by the Umar Imam, the assembly directed the Clerk of the house, Tseja Sheidu to convey its condolences to President Muhammadu Buhari and the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on the incident.

This is just as the coordinator of the Buhari Support Group in Kogi State,

Alhaji Idris Mai-yanga, said the death of the minister was a monumental setback to the change agenda of Buhari.

He said said Ocholi was a great Igala son that lived a remarkable life that is worthy of emulation, calling on the people of the state and Igala land to be prayerful and united in the face of

Nigeria spends over N600m buying, maintaining of foreign dogs —Police Chris Agbabu-Abuja

NIGERIA spends over N6 million in the last few years on the procurement and maintenance of foreign dogs. The Nigeria Police Force disclosed on Thursday.

This came as it commissioned the Nigeria Police Force dog breeding centre and the Mounted troop stable.

Speaking at the commissioning, the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, said the expenses could no longer be sustained, especially in the face of the current

dwindling resources.

He said this realisation had led to the construction of the Dog breeding centre so as to aid the Force in acquiring capacity to locally breed Police Dogs in a much cost-effective manner.

According to him, despite the huge fund being expended on importation of dogs, the dogs rarely adapt to Nigeria’s policing crimes.

Arase explained that the Force leadership adopted the implementation of breeding centre and stable after the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Force

Animal branch was in December 2015 funded to undertake a study tour of Canadian Royal Mounted Police RCMP. He said, “the Force leadership adopted the Model and also succeeded in securing the commitment of the RCMP and Canadian Government in supporting the Nigeria Police develop capacity that will aid the implementation and sustenance of the projects.”

He disclosed that the breeding centre has the capacity to conveniently breed and supply Police dogs to the entire West African Sub-region.

the calamity.

However, speaking on the floor of the house, the Speaker said the late minister was an “articulate and vibrant legal luminary and an administrator per excellence, who was determined to bring about a productive change in the state as he vied for the number one position and in Nigeria, the task he was performing when he breathed his last air.

Imam therefore, expressed the condolences of the house and commiserated with the family members with a prayer that their souls would continue to rest in peace.

Contributing, the majority leader of the house, Friday Sani, said the late minister was a good Christian and a detribalised man that was worthy of emulation.

The lawmaker added that the late minister personally contributed to his (Sani) safety as he once rescued him from death when he was detained while trying to defend the people of his community.

RIVERS State government claimed that it has saved about N1 billion for the state through the Bank Verification Number (BVN) validation exercise conducted on civil servants in the state.

The state Commissioner for Information, Dr Austin Tam-George, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, on Thursday.

He also announced that the government would soon embark on a comprehensive biometric confirmation of all civil servants in the state as a further measure to block all other existing revenue leakages in the system.

Governor Nyesom Wike had, last month, ordered the public servants to undergo the verification exercise or they forfeit their monthly salary, adding that it was a continuous exercise to know the actual number of workers in the state.

The Commissioner for Information said the state government arrived at the resolution at the state Executive Council meeting, held on Wednesday, at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

He said the resolution would enhance the financial management of the state, adding that the SEC noted that the biometric verification would also confirm the actual population of civil servants in the state for effective planning.

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I, formerly Miss Oyetunji Oluwatosin Mary now MRS OLUWATOSIN MARY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Abdulrasheed Zainab Mayowa now MRS OLADOKUN ZAINAB MAYOWA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Susan Oluwakemi Rabiu now MRS SUSAN OLUWAKEMI NUREN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Tajudeen Fausat Mojere am the same person as Buraimoh Fausat Mojere. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as TAJUDEEN FAUSAT MOJERE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. NIPOST, Union Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Tony Omoruyi Lasisi now ANTHONY OMORUYI LASISI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Opakunle Mayowa Blessing now MRS IDOWU MAYOWA OPAKUNLE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adekolu Ibironke Abimbola now OYEWOLE IBIRONKE ABIMBOLA. All former documents remain valid.

Access Bank Plc, EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CORRECTION OF NAME I, Joel Benedict, am the same person as Joel Benedict Oghenemaro.

Henceforth, I want to be called and addressed as JOEL BENEDICT OGHENEMARO. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

First Bank Plc, GTBank Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Kazeem Owotipo Alamu now AZEEZ KAZEEM ALAMU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Abah James David now ANTHONY ABAH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Oyedeji Olaide Akinlolu am the same person as Oyedeji Olaide Adisa. Henceforth, I want to be called and addressed as OYEDEJI OLAIDE AKINLOLU. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oyeladun Fagboun Enterprises, Olaniran Oyeladun Adenike. Henceforth, I want to be called and addressed as OLANIRAN OYELADUN OYENIKE. All former documents remain valid.

GTBank Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mr Alabi Samson now MR ALABI ABISOYE SAMSON. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Oluwaseun Micheal Ajifoluse now OGUNNIYI TAYO SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adetunji Taiwo Ganiyat now MRS ADELU TAIWO GANIYAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Ajirotutu Demilade Johnson and Ajirotutu Oluwola Demilade now AJIROTUTU DEMILADE ADEOLU. All former documents remain valid.

U.B.A. Plc., Fidelity Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Kilanko Olufemi Taiwo now MRS TORIOLA OLUFEMI TAIWO. All former documents remain valid. Nigerian Bar Association, Post Graduate School, University of Ibadan and general public take note.

I, formerly Mojisola Amoke Olugbade now OLUGBADE MUJIDAT AMOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Aromeh Patience now MRS LAWRENCE PATIENCE. All former documents remain valid. The Nigeria Police Force and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akinleye Foluke Olanike now MRS AJAYI FOLUKE OLANIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Folasade Afolake Afolabi now MRS FOLASADE AFOLAKE OLUGBEMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Miss Olubukola Ranti Bamigbade now MRS ALICE OLUWABUKOLA KOLEOSHO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Amarachukwu Faith Udoka now MRS ORJI FAITH UDOKA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Awoniyi Omobola Funmike now MRS ASEBIEKO OMOBOLA FUNMIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Musa Motunrayo Ajoke now MRS OLALERE MOTUNRAYO AJOKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olayode Nike Ronke now KAZEEM ZAIDAT OLANIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adetunji Adebukola Adeola now MRS ADETUNJI ADEBUKOLA ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid.

UCH, Ibadan and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ewata-Kelle Seth now EWATA SETH OLUWAWEMIMO. All former documents remain valid. Fidelity Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Olukunle Olawale Ogunyemi now OLUKUNLE OLAMIDE SAMSON. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Olayiwola Kafayat Toyin now ORIOLOWO KAFAYAT TOYIN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Azeez Nasimot Aweni now MUTEEU NESIMOT AWELE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oladodu Modupeola Abiola now ILORI MODUPEOLA ABIOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Amoo Shaadat Yetunde now MRS FAGBEMI SHAADAT YETUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Odunrinola Monsurat Romoke now GBENGA MONSURAT ROMOKE. All former documents remain valid. Authority concerned and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs Adedokun Salome Taiwo now MRS OLANRELE SALOME TAIWO OLADUNNI. All former documents remain valid.

Iwajowa LGUBEA, Oyo SUBEB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akinniyi Olayele now OLALEYE BENEDICT. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akinyemi Mary Sefunmi now MRS OKEWUMI MARY SEFUNMI. All former documents remain valid.

Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Alani Oluwatoyin Morili now ADUNNI OLUWATOYIN MORILI. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Edward Olaolu now EDWARD OMOTAYO KOLADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Gboyega Aladetohun now MR GBOYEGA AKIN. All former documents remain valid.

Zenith Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Venatus Kelechi Ifeanyichukwu now VENATUS KELECHI AHIPUE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Fagbadegun Ayodele Toyese now FOLARIN AYODELE TOYESE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Benedicts Sule now BENJAMIN SULE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Sulaiman Saka now SULE SAKA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Akinniyi Adebanke Racheal now MRS AWOTUNDE ADEBANKE RACHEAL. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Eniola Odunola Idowu now MRS ASIMI ODUNOLA IDOWU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Eleku Kehinde Omolewa now MRS BAKARE KEHINDE OMOLEWA. All former documents remain valid.

Authority of Ikenne LGEA, Ogun State SUBEB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akinola Olabimpe Eniola now MRS IDOWU OLABIMPE ENIOLA. All former documents remain valid. Osun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ayoola Olajumoke Folakemi now MRS AYOOLA OLAJUMOKE FOLAKEMI DAUDU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Yusuf Nipe Sunday now MUSA YUSUF. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Yinka Adebayo now MR DURODOLA HAMMED ADEBOWALE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Anyanwu Joy Chinwe now MRS NATHANIEL JOY CHINWE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adebanjo Ayomide Afolake now MRS OLANIJI AYOMIDE AFOLAKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mr Ogunfunmi Olusola Olugbenga now OLUWAFEMI OLUSOLA OLUGBENGA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Sonaike Adeola Kofoworola now MRS SHYLLON ADEOLA KOFOWOROLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Alejolowo Monsurat Adenike now AKINTAYO MONSURAT ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

39 CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. Adekola Adewumi Eunice now MISS AKINSOLA ABIDEMI EUNICE. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC, Wema Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Balogun Udulishe Emma now BALOGUN UDULISHE EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Saheed Salaudeen Ayobami now BAMIDELE SAHEED ADEBAYO. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc., GTB Plc., and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Olaoye Sola Safiu am the same person as Yisau Safiu Sola.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as YISAU SAFIU SOLA. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid.

First Bank Plc., Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Oyedele John Olugbemiga am the same person bearing OYEDELE JOHN. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid.

United Bank for Africa Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Bakare Oluwakemi Rukayat now BAKARE OMOBOLANLE OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Eyinoloma Elohor now EYINOLOMA GODWIN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, SAMUEL JACOD am the same person as HOUNZA JACOB. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. UBA Plc., EcoBank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. Olopade Olanrewaju Kuburat now MRS. OLOPADE-AKINTUNDE OLANREWAJU KUBURAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ulrica John Koko now MISS OMORUYI OSAHENRUWEN ULRICA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adegbusi Modupe Folasade now ADELEKE MODUPE FOLASADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Efe Praise Jah Maoh now EFE PRAISE JAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Onasanya Hairat Odunayo now MRS. SAKA HAIRAT ODUNAYO. All former documents remain valid. Ogun State Ministry of Finance and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Glory Emmanuel Iseh now GLORY IKEMESIT UDO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Friday, 11 March, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adeoye Bajogic Oluwagbemileke now ADEOYE ADESOLA OLUWAGBEMILEKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Yinusa Ameh Danjuma now GOWON EGENE YAKUBU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Sajuyigbe Serah Temilola now MRS. SANNI SERAH TEMILOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Omodara Eunice Temitope now OMODARA MERCY TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Yakubu Rebecca Ojone now ADEJOH REBECCA OJONE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Gbadamosi Abiodun Olaoluwa now GBAYEYEMI ABIODUN DAVID. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Jayeola Elizabeth Fumilayo now MRS. TAIWO ELIZABETH FUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid.

TESCOM, Oyo State and general public take note.

I, Benji Alabi am the same person bearing Benji Ayabi.

Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as BENJI ALABI. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. First Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Ademoye Temitope Bukola now MRS. OGUNYEMI TEMITOPE BUKOLA. All former documents remain valid.

WEMA Bank Plc., UBA Plc., First Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ibikunle Oluwaseun Oyebisi now MRS. ODETOLA OLUWASEUN OYEBISI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Serifatu Coker Kehinde am the same person bearing Olanipekun Funmilayo Victoria. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLANIPEKUN FUNMILAYO VICTORIA. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. FCMB Plc., Sterling Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Akinwale Oluwatoyin Esther now MRS. KENNEDY EHIGBOCHIE OLUWATOYIN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Akinwale Grace Omolola now MRS. ADENIYI GRACE OMOLOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Olatinwo Kazeem Abiola now MR. OLADIPUPO JOEL ABIOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Benjamin Ikenna Dim-Iroh am the same person bearing Benjamin Iroh. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as BENJAMIN IKENNA DIMIROH. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Rachael Oluyemi Ajayi now MRS. RACHAEL OLUYEMI OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mr. Olalekan Oladehinde Ajayi now MR. MICHAEL OLADEHINDE OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Tembe Amos Amos now MR TEMBE AMOS TERHILE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Idowu Owooluwa Babatunde am the same person bearing Idowu John Babatunde Owooluwa and Idowu John Babatunde. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as IDOWU JOHN BABATUNDE OWOOLUWA. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Lamidi Fatimoh Tunrayo now MISS OLAOYE MOTUNRAYO OMOTOYOSI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Alonge Aderemi now MRS. FALOYE ADEREMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Bechi Catherine Tonna now MRS. CHIKEZIE CATHERINE TONNA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr. Ahmmed Jamiu Adebayo now MR. AWOYEMI ADEBAYO HAMMED. All former documents remain valid. United Bank for Africa and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Opeyemi Adedotun Sadia now MRS. OPEYEMI ADEDIRAN SADIA. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Police Force and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. Umoh Vivian Oluyemisi now MRS. OLUYEMI VIVIAN OLUYEMISI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mr. Ngbe Moses Odey now MR. NGBE MALACHI ULIMORUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Idowu Bode now IDOWU MODINATU IYABO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Loveth Eloko Dickens now MRS. LOVETH ELOKO ONOTAFE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Omotosho Taiwo Ayodeji now OMOTOSHO TAIWO ALFRED. All former documents remain valid.

Wema Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, Adeniyi Abiodun Ebenezer am the same person bearing Oladimeji Adegbemiga Ebenezer. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLADIMEJI ADEGBEMIGA EBENEZER. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Stanbic Bank Plc., Keystone Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, Fagbohungbe Olabanji Isaac am the same person as Olabanji Balogun.

Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as FAGBOHUNGBE OLABANJI ISAAC. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Unuavworho Joseph now JESSA JOSEPH MAMUYEH. All former documents remain valid.

DESOPADEC and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Mukaila Sukurat Ikeola now MRS. AGUNBIADE SUKURAT MUKAILA. All former documents remain valid.

Fountain University, Osogbo, NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Abdulsalam Kabirat Dolapo now MRS. FAKEYE KABIRAT DOLAPO. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly Oladele Ayokunnu James now OLADELE AYOKUNNUMI OLUWAGBEMIGA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Anametemfiok David Umoh now ANAMETEMFIOK OKON AKPAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Yakubu Kehinde Oladunni am the same person bearing Yakubu Kehinde Mojisola. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as YAKUBU KEHINDE OLADUNNI. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. GT Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, Jimoh Waheed Ogunsola am the same person bearing Jimoh Waidi Ogunsola. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as JIMOH WAHEED OGUNSOLA. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Eco Bank Plc., Union Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Fasakin Emily Olusola now MRS. ADENIPEKUN EMILY OLUSOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Ogunjimi Tawa now MRS. BAMIDELE TAWAKALITU ASABI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Adereti Esther Olanike now ADERETI EUNICE OLANIKE. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oleneme Chika Lilian now MRS. ACHODO CHIKA LILIAN. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly Dr. (Miss)Bande Arinola Opaneye now DR (MRS.) BANDE ARINOLA ADEGBOYEGA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Jimoh Muyideen Olatunbosun now SANUSI MUYIDEEN OLATUNBOSUN. All former documents remain valid.

Fidelity Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Edirin Patience Bayagbon now MRS. FAVOUR AGHOGHO AMADA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Fashina Modupe Tope now FASHINA MODUPE OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oyedeji Bola Oyetoro now MRS. ODUPELU BOLA OYETORO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Sandra John Joan now SANDRA OMOGUI IYOBOR. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ayodele Anuoluwapo Tobi now ILUGBUSI OLADELE ANUOLUWAPO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Nike Abass now BOLAJI KAFAYAT ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Isah Honest am the same person bearing Isah Ozemogie Honest.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ISAH OZEMOGIE HONEST. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. GT Bank Plc., Eco Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Dairo Olayinka Christanah now MRS. OLAJIDE OLAYINKA CHRISTANAH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Yusuff Tunde Thoso now YUSUFF TUNDE SULAIMON. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Serifdeen Amsat Badmus now BADMUS SERIFDEEN OLAIDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Rasheedat Alawode now MOTUNRAYO R. OLANIYAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Adigun Lateef Nasiru now ADIGUN RAFIU GBADEGBO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Oyebamiji Seun and Oyebamiji Taoreed now OYEBAMIJI OLATOYE SEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. Sadiat Aderonke Olajide now MRS. Y U S U F - O L A N R E WA J U ALIMOT ADERONKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Christiana Adebola Ajibade am the same person bearing Christiana Adebola Adetunji. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as CHRISTIANA ADEBOLA ADETUNJI. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Buniyaminu Dauda Abiola now AKINTUNDE DAUDA ABIOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ogunyemi Abiola Oluwaseun now MRS. AWOLUDE ABIOLA OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Moshood Olawoyin now MOSHOOD OLAWOYIN AKINTOYESE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ajayi Omolara Idowu now MISS OMOLARA JULIANAH AJAYI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ganiyat Oseni Oluwabusayo now MRS. ADEKUNLE GANIYAT OLUWABUSAYO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oriowo Mojisola now MRS. IFAOLA MOJISOLA. All former documents remain valid.

Union Bank Plc., Access Bank Plc., Fidelity Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Somoye Adedoyin Oluwaseun now MRS. OMOLOLU ADEDOYIN OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Immigration Service, ARFH and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oluwasola Abosede Famakinwa now MRS. ADEBISI OLUWASOLA ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olawoore Taiwo Mary now MRS. OGUNKUNLE TAIWO MARY. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State House of Assembly and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Opawumi Olufunmilayo Helen now MRS. MORAKINYO OLUFUNMILAYO HELEN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olojede Olugbenga Ayodeji now OLOJEDE AYODEJI COLLINS. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

40

news

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Saraki holds interactive session with schoolgirls Promises greater women participation in governance

S

ENATE President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, celebrated the International Women’s Day, by holding a no-holds-barred interactive session with female students of Model Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja. He assured them that the Eighth Senate would work to ensure that more women aspire to and occupy leadership positions in the country.

Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, in Abuja, while fielding questions from the students, ranging from issues of abduction of girls, insecurity, kidnapping, access to education and female participation in politics, among others, said government would continue to be proactive in preventing the abduction of Nigerians, especially young girls, stop violence against

women and ensure that the girl-child has equal access to education just like their male counterparts.

He also said efforts would be made to promote the equality of gender in entrepreneurship, especially in science and technology fields, and also put measures in place to effectively discourage child marriage in the country.

“Let me assure you that in the chambers today, we have identified six issues

concerning women,that we believe are very important.

One is to stop the level of abduction and kidnapping that is going on against our girls.

“Two, is the violence against girls and women.

We are going to look at the law and if it is too lax we are going to bring in stiffer penalties to stop violence against women and to protect the girl-child.

“Three, is to ensure that girls have the same access

to education like boys. We also talk about the issue of entrepreneurship, whether it is business or technology. We have to look at our laws and see anywhere we can by law make it possible to have gender equality in doing this.

“Another issue is child marriage. We must work to ensure that we put an end to some of these practices.

We also talk about participation in governance for women so that more women can aspire to be leaders in this country.

“We have to agree as members of parliament.

We have to lobby to have affirmative action that will encourage gender balancing. This, we will do majorly through the efforts of our female Senators in collaboration with all members of the parliament to ensure that we focus on how to solve the challenges,” Saraki said.

Declare Kogi East rerun results, candidates tell INEC Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja From left, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole and the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr Balarabe Shehu Kakale, at the opening of the 58th National Council on Health meeting, in Sokoto, on Thursday.

Rerun : Protect your votes, Wike tells Rivers people RIVERS State governor, Nyesom Wike, has urged the people of the state to remain resolute in the protection of their votes, during the forthcoming legislative rerun.

Commissioning the phase one of the reconstructed Nkpogu Bridge/ Road and groundbreaking for Phase 2, Governor Wike said, “the people of Rivers State insist on free and fair elections, despite the antics of the APC.” He charged the people of the state to vote for PDP candidates, during the rerun, for the sustenance of development in the state.

“There is no need to allow the APC to come back to the state. If you allow them to come back, they will scuttle development projects for our people.

“We are children of light. We are in the Promised Land and we cannot return to the days of darkness represented by the APC.” “We must protect our votes to reclaim our man-

date. This is our opportunity to tell Nigerians once again that this is a PDP state,” the governor said.

Commenting on the bridge, Governor Wike said it was started from the very beginning to its completion. He said the immediate past government awarded the contract in 2012 but refused

to fund the project.

He said the bridge and road project would improve traffic between LNG and Trans-Amadi areas of the town.

The governor called on the people to cooperate with the contractor to execute the phase 2 within the approved timeline and specifica-

tions.

The programme was attended by the deputy national chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, former Rivers State governor, Sir Celestine Omehia, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Austin Opara and Senator Lee Maeba.

Senator David Umaru, others not suspended —Niger APC chairman Adelowo Oladipo-Minna

FOLLOWING the controversy generated by the alleged suspension of three senators and six members of House of Representatives from the Niger State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the state chairman of the party, Mr Muhammad Jibril Imam, has said that the federal legislators were not suspended, but had abandoned the party without paying their dues.

This is just as some stakeholders claimed that Senator David Umaru representing Niger East, at the National Assembly, had contributed

immensely to the growth and development of the party in the state, adding that he could not have been ordinarily lumped with those who were accused of not paying their dues.

Also, some chieftains of the party, who preferred anonymity, during an interview with the Nigerian Tribune in Minna, on Thursday, said they were not happy with the unhealthy developments within the party.

The respondents said they were particularly disturbed that Senator David Umaru, who apparently sponsored

all the activities of the party from inception, was alleged to have erred in paying his dues, adding that his contributions assisted the take-off of the party in the state in the past.

A source close to one of the meetings of the stakeholders, hinted that the party had realised that Senator David Umaru should not have been classified as one of those who refused to pay their dues. It added that what Senator David ha done for the party, could cover more than four years of his tenure, in terms of monetary deductions of the said dues.

CANDIDATES that took part in the Kogi East senatorial re-run have asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the result, of the election.

Speaking under the auspices of the Forum of Kogi Senatorial candidates, they said the developments in other reruns have made it necessary for the commission to declare the results of the election held on February 20.

The spokesperson of the forum, Ibrahim Itodo, told newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital, that the commission should declare the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Attai Aidoko as the winner.

According to the group, the reason given by INEC for declaring the election inconclusive, had been overtaken by events and decisions of the commission in subsequent reruns.

Itodo added that the commission declared the results of the reruns in Benue State, where former Senate President, David Mark emerged the winner, adding that the commission also declared the results of the Abia North Senatorial rerun, held last Saturday.

Fire razes Almajiri Tsangaya School in Jigawa Adamu Amadu- Dutse

FIRE has razed the hostel of the only boarding Almajiri Tsangaya School owned by the Federal Government in Gantsa Village, Buji Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Reports from the state indicated that the incident occurred at around 9:a.m on Thursday, while the students were in their classrooms.

Confirming the incident, the Buji Local Government Council’s Information Officer, Alhaji Ali Safiyanu said the cause of the fire outbreak is yet to be known, saying “but the inferno razed down the hostel completely.”

Safiyanu explained that no life was lost in the incident, adding that property belonging to the students, including food items were burnt by the fire.

According to him, the Headteacher of the school, Malam Sani Falalu, while taking the chairman of the council, Alhaji Sani Falalu, round the scene of the incident, said the cause of the fire was still unknown.

Safiyanu, however, said the council’s boss had urged the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to assist the school.

‘The Price Is Right’ game show comes to Nigeria

By Rotimi Ige

FREMANTLEMEDIA International (FMI) and Genesis Studios have announced a partnership to bring a local version of the classic game show format, ‘The Price is Right’, to Nigeria. The deal will see Genesis Studios producing three series of the show, taking the total number of adaptations of the format to 41 versions worldwide.

The US version of ‘The Price is Right’ is the most successful game show in television history. The format features contestants as they are invited to take to the stage and use their shopping knowledge in a bid to guess the correct price of everyday objects. With a charismatic host, an electric atmosphere, crazy games and life-changing prizes up for grabs, ‘The Price is Right’, according to its organisers, is a game of non-stop excitement.

Olatunbosun Olaegbe, Managing Director of Genesis Studios, in a chat with journalists, explained that the nation had been looking for a world-class game show that would engage and entertain the entire family.

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

Lagos bans sponsorship of pilgrimages to Mecca, Jerusalem B ola B admus - L agos

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AGOS State government said it has finally banned state sponsorship of Muslims and Christians pilgrims who embark on pilgrimages to Mecca in Saudi Arabia or Jerusalem in Israel, saying it considered it the most irresponsible way of spending tax payers’ money.

The state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Honourable Abdulateef Abdulhakeem, disclosed this when members of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Home Af-

fairs, led by Honourable Olayiwola Olawale, paid a visit to the ministry in furtherance of their oversight function.

Abdulhakeem said the government decided to ban the sponsorship because it amounted to injustice for certain individuals to continue to benefit from the government to the detriment of other members of the society.

The commissioner, who said part of his ministry’s mandate is the supervision of the Pilgrims Welfare Board, recalled that

recently, the governor and the state executive council approved a policy for the state to stop sponsorship of pilgrimages, declaring that the step was in line with the policy thrust of the government and what the state House of Assembly also speaks to.

“In this day and time when we are talking about paucity of funds coupled with inhibiting challenges that the government has to take care of, we can no longer afford to spend the sum of one million on one single individual to go on

pilgrimage when the scripture did not compel anyone to do so.

“So, it is most irresponsible way of spending tax payer’s money. That is why the government has taken a solid decision, that we will be accountable and responsible for every kobo that the tax payers pay to the government. It is an injustice for the government to be spending millions on group of people when millions of Lagosians are yearning for government’s attention,” he said.

The commissioner also

disclosed that the state government had commenced the process of gathering data of religious organisations and their locations in the state, to be able to set standards, give orientation and provide security for them.

Abdulhakeem, who noted that there was a symbiotic relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government in the state, expressed appreciation to the state House of Asembly for the quick passage of the 2016 Budget.

Court adjourns Akpobolokemi, others’ case till March 21 Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin, Lagos JUSTICE Raliat Adebiyi of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere has adjourned till March 21, a ruling of an application filed by the immediate past Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Dr Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi and Governor Amechee Juan, challenging the court jurisdiction to entertain the criminal charges brought against them.

Akpolobokemi and other six accused persons were arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 13- count charge bordering on stealing a sum of N754,740,680 million belonging to NIMASA. Those arraigned alongside Akpobolokemi are: Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Amechee Juan, Vincent Udoye, Captain Adegboyega Sahib Olopoenia and a company, Gama Marine Nigeria Limited.

When the matter came up on Thursday, while arguing on the defendants’ application, EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, had urged the court to dismiss the applications filed by both Akpolobokemi and Amechee, the first and fourth defendants in the matter.

Oyedepo, while supporting his objection to the defendants’ applications, informed the court that the applications are aimed to terminate the charges. He added that trying a person on stealing and contract splitting is not exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

From left, Dean, Postgraduate School, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Professor Lukmon Sunmonu; the guest lecturer and Dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Professor Olugbenga Ayodele; Vice Chancellor, Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin and the acting Registrar, Mr Jacob Agboola, at the postgraduate lecture series, tagged: “Kidney health and failure: Taking your health seriously”, held at the university’s main campus, Ogbomoso, on Thursday.

Kwara committed to reducing housing deficit —Gov Ahmed Biola Azeez - Ilorin GOVERNOR Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has said that the state is currently confronted with a housing deficit of 584,000 units with its growing population of 3.5 million.

Speaking during the flagoff of the construction of 1,000 housing units at Budo Osho new GRA, Ilorin ,on Monday, Governor Ahmed ,said the deficit underlined the need for partnership with private sector, stressing that government could not fill the housing gap on its own.

The governor, who said that the first phase of the scheme would incude 500 units, comprising 82 units of two-bedroom detached houses and 418 units of three-bedroom fully detached houses, adding that the state government would replicate the scheme across the 16 local government areas of the state.

Governor Ahmed said his administration was committed to bridging the housing deficit in the state, adding

that in addition to providing shelter, the housing scheme would engage workers, thereby creating employment and attracting commerce and development to Budo Osho area.

“Currently, Kwara State is experiencing a high population growth due to huge influx of people and businesses to our state, based on its

reputation as gateway to the North and South, including the relative peace here. Thus, it becomes crucial to provide affordable and quality housing to accommodate the state’s growing population,” he said.

The governor, who said that the scheme was in partnership with private developers, added that it had multiplier effects to maximise

human potentials for development and growth.

Also speaking, the developer of the housing scheme, Razaq Mohammed, said that despite growing housing demands of the low income and middle-class workers in the state, the national economic situation had limited government’s capacity to meet housing need.

JOHESU declares 7-day mourning for Ocholi N ewton -R ay U kwuoma MEMBERS of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) have declared seven days mourning in honour of the late Minister of State for Labour, Chief James Ocholi, beginning from yesterday (Thursday).

The General Secretary of the apex body, Dr O. A. Obisesan, disclosed this to the Nigerian Tribune, in a statement, following a meeting of the association on Tuesday, in Abuja.

Dr Obisesan, who extolled the efforts of the late minister in tackling the challenges in the health sector following his intervention in the foiled strike action by the health workers weeks ago, condoled with his family and the nation, adding that his demise would be a setback on the achievements of the Federal Government’s intervention in the health sector.

“We express a great shock on the untimely death of Ocholi. This is a man who had shown that sincerity of purpose is what is needed to bring lasting peace to the health sector. Within three weeks of meeting with him, a lot of practical steps were taken with the motive of correcting some anomalies in the health sector.”

Abandoned baby

3 die as police foil kidnap attempt in Delta Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri AN anti-kidnap team attached to Area Command, Nigeria Police, Warri, Delta State, has foiled a kidnap attempt on one Mr Ozuem Chukwunalu Romanus, during the week.

The gun duel which, however, ensued between the police operatives and a three-man kidnap gang, left the three suspects dead after sustaining injuries.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the three kidnap suspects were planning to kidnap Mr Ozuem Chukwunalu Romanus, who is the Director of Ozuem Pet-

rol Station in Ndokwa West, Kwale.

The anti-kidnap team from Warri Area Command, was said to have got a wind of the plan and trailed the threeman armed kidnap gang, who drove in a Toyota Camry car, till about 8:45 p.m on March 5.

The suspects were said to have made good their plans and went after their victim at his residence along ‘Hotel De La Nice’ close, Kwale.

Having laid an ambush for them, the police detectives swooped on the suspects and a gun duel ensued during which the three suspects allegedly sustained fatal in-

juries.

The suspects were said to have died on the way to the hospital.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Delta State Police Command, DSP Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the incident, said items recovered from the hoodlums included one English Pump Action, one cut-to-size gun, seven live cartridges and the Toyota Camry car.

Kalu added that the corpses of the suspects have been deposited at the Central Hospital, Warri, for autopsy, while investigation is ongoing.

Baby Christiana JOLEYEMI Christiana (Female), was abandoned by her biological mother behind former Boorepo Chemist, Fagbewesa Street, Osogbo, Osun State, on November 22, 2015.

An appeal is hereby made to members of the public, who may have useful information about the parents or relatives of the baby, to please, contact the Director of Social Services, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Abere, Osogbo.

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Ikere chieftaincy: ‘We are the aboriginal people’ Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti

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HE Aladeselu family of IkereEkiti has added a new twist to the lingering rivalry between the Ogoga and the Olukere in the community as the family said on Wednesday, that neither the Ogoga nor the Olukere owned the community but their ancestor, Aladeselu.

The family, while addressing newsmen in the community, claimed that Aladeselu founded Ikere Ekiti around 11th Century after migrating from Benin Kingdom and settled at a place called Ereja in Odo-Oja area of the town, adding he was the one that admitted both Ogoga and Olukere into the community.

Mr. Isaiah Akinwumi, who spoke on behalf of the family, stated that some significant historical objects and artifacts which were located in the three quarters of the town, belonged to Aladeselu and represented his symbols of authority.

According to Akinwumi, “these objects and artifacts which are found in Odo-Oja, Oke’kere and Uro authenticates Aladeselu as the founder and owner of Ikere Ekiti.”

While conducting reporters round the sites of the traditional monuments, Akinwumi clarified that the family was not taking sides with any of the two contending parties but said “it should

not be marginalised in the community.”

Some of the historical monuments shown to reporters at Odo-Oja include the “Esi Aboba”, believed to be the foundation of Ikere; the “Ege”, a fountain which they said had mystical powers to control flooding; the “Erepupu”, and the “Ogun Ajohan” where they said “the king was presented to the people after enthronement.”

Others are the Aladeselu seat of power also in Odo-Oja, the Esi, the first monument for peace of the land located in the three quarters of OdoOja, Oke’kere and Uro. Akinwumi explained that after Ogoga migrated from Benin and arrived Ikere after a brief stopover in Akure, he subsequently settled down in the community with the permission of Aladeselu.

He added: “Ogoga stayed with Aradesegun (son of Aladeselu) for seven years at Erepupu during which Aladeselu appointed Ogoga to be in charge of administration while Aladeselu remained

the head and leader of the then small community, now Ikere Ekiti.

“As time rolled by and

in fulfillment of destiny, Aladeselu upgraded the status of Ogoga by enthroning him as the first

Oba in Ikere. This is in line with an earlier oracular prediction to Aladeselu that a certain prince

From left, the Ojomu of Ilupeju-Ijan-Ekiti, Chief Adebisi Laoye; Chairman, Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mrs. Folasade Akinrinmola and the state governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, during the inauguration of motorised borehole project, at Ilupeju-Ijan-Ekiti by the governor, recently.

Delta monarch pardons Ajavwini community Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri YEARS after the palace of the traditional ruler of Idjerhe kingdom, the Ovie of Idjerhe Erhiekevwe 1, in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State was razed down, the people of Ajavwini Com-

munity have appeased the gods and the king.

Members of the community, who carried out the sacrilegious act, atoned with ritual item, including a native cow.

The traditional ruler had graciously pardoned

the entire Ajavwini people after they had met the conditions stipulated

by Idjerhe tradition for such a taboo.

Speaking on the issue, the monarch explained that it was the prompting of two prominent

chiefs, both now deceased, that led to the misinformation upon which some misguided youths, razed his palace on November 13, 2012 where more than 10 exotic vehicles were burnt after their previous sac-

Commissioner urges Obuama community to embrace farming Uduakabasi Patrick-Port Harcourt RIVERS State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Onimim Jack, has called on the people of Obuama Community in Degema Local Government Area of the state to avoid litigation on land dispute and embracing farming.

The commissioner gave the advice recently in Obuama while speaking on the benefits of fruits and vegetable consumption.

According to her the resi-

dents of the community may not have money to buy fruits snd vegetable but they have enough land where these crops could be planted and harvested for consumption.

“To live in good health, we must eat more of fruits and vegetables. Why are we not planting our fruits and vegetable? There is pawpaw that could be harvested in four months, there’s pumpkin; even if it is the smallest piece of land in our compound, in a community like this, we

should utilise our land to feed ourselves.”

“One of the problems we have in this community is litigation, most of our lands are in litigation. We should stop litigation in courts and use our land to produce food that we will eat,” she said.

Mrs Jack further said: “if we eat good food, including fruits and vegetable, a lot of diseases will stay away from us.”

She maintained that government was willing to partner with the commu-

Erin-Ijesa gets traditional ruler after 17 years Bola Badmus-Lagos OSUN State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has approved the appointment of Prince Isaac Adeyeba Ayeni as the new Akinla of Erin-Ijesa in Oriade Local Government Area of the state.

The appointment of the 52-year-old Engineer Adeyeba, who hails from Ayeni royal family of Os-

from Benin is coming to Ikere with his crown to be crowned as the first king.”

efiri Ruling House, came 17 years after the demise of Oba Adeyinka Adeosun, sending the people of Erin-Ijesa into jubilation.

Erin-Ijesa is the town where the popular tourist site, Erin-Ijesa waterfall is located.

Speaking after performing the normal traditional rites, the new Akinla of Erin-Ijesa, described the development as a new

dawn for the people of the community both at home and in the diaspora.

The residence of the new Akinla, along Akinfenwa road, Erin-Ijesha has since become a Mecca of sort as the people of the town have been trooping there with messages of goodwill, following his appointment.The coronation date is yet to be fixed.

nity, stressing that though disputes over some lands were in court, the lands should be offered to government who will hand them back when the the

cases had been resolved.

The commissioner also said that it had concluded plans to commence a school farm in Obuama Girls’ Secondary School.

Okowa’s wife inaugurates sickle cell centre in Sapele Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri WIFE of governor of Delta State, Mrs Dame Okowa, has inaugurated a sickle cell centre in Sapele Central Hospital in Sapele Local Government Area of the state.

Mrs Okowa, during the event, said the centre would rekindle and bring joy to sufferers of the condition in Sapele and environs.

She urged the hospital management and the community to work together to ensure that the centre is properly maintained and equipment.

Ealier, the wife of the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mrs. Ejiro Igbuya, who spear-

headed the project, said: “I am happy that my mother, the governor’s wife, is here to commission and support my widow’s mite for my people.”

She assured the governor’s wife of continued support and the prayers of the people of Sapele and the entire Okpe nation for her husband and his government.

A women leader in Sapele, Mrs. Florence Abebe, who spoke on behalf of the women, said they were happy about the initiative.

She noted that sufferers of sickle cell anaemia in the area would no longer worry or suffer untold crisis as a result of lack of medical care.

rilegious act of October, 2012 by women of Ajavwini community in the palace.

He added that as a result of this, the entire Idjerhe people, including traditional title holders, then placed a curse on the ringleaders and all Ajavwini people.

The Idjerhe monarch, while addressing journalists, said the the day’s event was the traditional cleansing of the land and the pardon granted the Ajavwini community after the people presented all the ritual items to the kingdom.

According to him, after the conditions were met, he prayed for the repentant subjects.

He advised other Urhobos to learn some lessons from the Ajavwini community saga and never to desecrate traditional rulers’ sacredness and authority.

Reacting to the eventual pardon of Ajavwini community by Idjerhe monarch, the Iyasere of Idjerhe kingdom, Chief Gabriel Agoda Emeje; the President-General of Idjerhe kingdom, Chief Austin Omonode and the Chairman of Ajavwini community, Mr. George Ejenavi, commended their king for his forgiving spirit.

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Friday, 11 March, 2016

foreig naffairs

08116954632 with seyi gesinde foreignn ewseditor@gmail.com

ISIS: Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Egypt, top list of leaked terror group members

By Victor Ogunyinka

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HREE northern African countries (Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt) have topped the list of 22,000 members of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters in a cache document that was stolen from the terrorist sect recently.

The top eight countries found on the list, which showed the addresses; telephone directories, family contacts of the staff among other things include Saudi Arabia (485), Tunisia (375), Morocco (140), Egypt (101), France (35), Germany (18), Britain (16) and the United States (4), as reported by news agencies.

Other countries on that list include Lebanon, Belgium, Australia, Netherlands, Russia and Afghanistan. It was gathered that not fighters revealed their nationality.

Some experts have described the leaked documents as invaluable to the advancement against eradicating terrorism.

The files also include British rapper Abdel Bary, a 26-year-old from London who joined IS in 2013 after visiting Libya, Egypt and Turkey.

The son of convicted terrorist Adel Abdul Bary, was seen holding the severed head of a captured Syrian army soldier who had been

executed in August, 2015.

Security sources had suspicions that he was ISIS’ executioner-in-chief Jihadi John before it was revealed to be Mohammed Emwaz, Bary’s friend from West London.

A former MI6 global terrorism operations director, Richard Barrett, said the files could prove to be the “biggest breakthrough in years” in the counter-terror fight.

He said: “It will be an absolute gold mine of information of enormous significance and interest to very many people, particularly the security and intelligence

services.”

Many of the recruits passed through jihadi ‘hotspots’ such as Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, Libya, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

One of the files is marked ‘Martyrs’ and details a brigade manned entirely by fighters who wanted and were trained to carry out suicide attacks.

Some of the telephone numbers on the list are still active and it is believed that although many will be family members, a significant number are used by the jihadis themselves.

Briton Junaid Hussain (left), travelled to Syria from Birmingham in 2013, and was married to ‘Mrs Terror’ Sally Jones, and his ISIS file (right), is among 22,000 leaked. PHOTO: SKY NEWS.

UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia face inquiry

David Cameron A full-scale inquiry into the United Kingdom’s sales of arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen is to be mounted by the powerful cross-party committee on arms exports controls.

According to Guardian, the inquiry is going to look not just at arms sales to Saudi Arabia and their use by the Saudi air force in Yemen, but also UK arms

otherNEWS

sales to other Gulf countries.

The committee, which has taken months to be established since the general election, has a specific remit: to examine the government’s expenditure, administration and policy on strategic exports, specifically the licensing of arms exports and other controlled goods.

The UK government has licensed £6.7bn of arms to Saudi Arabia since David Cameron took office in 2010, including £2.8bn since the bombing of Yemen began in March 2015. There have been strong claims, including by a UN panel, that the Saudi bombing campaign led to repeated breaches of human rights laws.

The Saudis have conduct-

ed their own internal inquiry into the conduct of their campaign.

The arms control committee’s chairman, Chris White, the Conservative MP for Warwick, said: “The defence and security industry is one of the UK’s most important exporters. However, it is vital that its financial success does not come at a cost to the nation’s strategic interests.

“We have launched this inquiry to understand what role UK-made arms are playing in the ongoing conflict in Yemen. Have the criteria set by the government for granting arms export licences in the region been respected, and what should be the consequences if they have not?”

Woman guilty of abducting baby she raised for 17 years

Celeste Nurse, the mother of the kidnapped girl, outside the court. PHOTO: AP.

A South African woman has been found guilty of kidnapping a newborn baby, raising her for 17 years until her real identity emerged through a remarkable twist of fate last year.

Zephany Nurse was abducted from a hospital in Cape Town in 1997, three days after her birth. Her parents, Morné and Celeste Nurse, never gave up hope of seeing their first-

born again and celebrated her birthdays without her.

The Guardian said for those years, Zephany grew up just a couple of miles away with a different name and a different family, never suspecting she was not their real daughter. But in January 2015, her biological sister, Cassidy Nurse, began at the same school. Soon fellow pupils noticed a startling

resemblance between them.

Morne Nurse then saw Cassidy and Zephany eating burgers together in McDonald’s, and, struck by the physical similarities, contacted the police. DNA tests confirmed that she was the Nurses’ longlost daughter and Zephany was placed in the care of social services, while the woman was arrested.

Billionaire buys second-hand clothes to save money

FRUGAL billionaire Ingvar Kamprad, founder of the flatpack furniture chain Ikea, buys his clothes at flea markets to save money, he has said in a documentary to be broadcast on Swedish television.

Guardian said Kamprad, who turns 90 on 30 March, has a reputation for pennypinching, which he claims

helped Ikea to become one of the world’s top brand names.

“I don’t think I’m wearing anything that wasn’t bought at a flea market. It means that I want to set a good example,” he told Swedish channel TV4, according to business daily Dagens Industri which viewed the documentary.

“It’s in the nature of Smaland to be thrifty,” he said, referring to Sweden’s southern agricultural region where he comes from.

Kamprad is estimated to have an accumulated fortune of about 610bn kroner (about €65.5bn), according to recent Swedish media reports.

Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, who turns 90 this month, wears a traditional arctic cap at the opening of a branch in Sweden. PHOTO: EPA.

UK and EU flags outside the European commission in Brussels. PHOTO: ALAMY

Most EU citizens want UK to remain, study suggests VOTERS in six European Union countries are overwhelmingly in favour of Britain remaining in the 28-nation bloc, but if it votes to leave, many also feel the United Kingdom should be punished by exclusion from the single market.

According to a study of 8,000 voters in Germany, France, Poland, Ireland, Spain and Sweden by the University of Edinburgh and a German thinktank,

published in Guardian, a clear majority in all six states hope Britain votes to stay in the EU. But less than half the electorate in Germany, the EU’s largest economy, feel the UK should be allowed to continue benefiting from barrier-free trade in the single market in the event of a Brexit, a view shared by a quarter of those in France and nearly one in three in Spain.

Aung San Suu Kyi will not be president of Myanmar —Parliament MYANMAR’S new parliament has nominated a senior aide to Aung San Suu Kyi to be its first democratically elected president in half a century.

Htin Kyaw, a 69-year-old economics graduate, writer and close adviser to the nation’s democracy icon, was formally put forward for the vice-presidential position during a session at the lower house on Thursday morning.

Myanmar’s electoral system requires that the president be voted in from a selection of names put forward by lawmakers. The losing candidates will become vice-presidents.

Henry Van Thio, an ethnic minority Chin candidate, was also nominated by the NLD

in parliament’s upper house, and a further candidate will be chosen by the military.

Two candidates have also been nominated by the former ruling Union Solidarity and Development party: Khin Aung Myint and Sai Mauk Kham.

The USDP now has very little representation in parliament so, while one of its candidates will automatically become a vice-president, it is unclear what – if any – position the losing nominee will have.

But it is Htin Kyaw, a senior executive with a charitable foundation named for Aung San Suu Kyi’s mother, who is tipped as the ruling party’s favourite to play “benchwarmer” for their leader.

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Friday, 11 March, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 0811 184 5048

features

Knights of St Mulumba during a procession.

KSM: When martyrdom becomes an inspiration Sam Nwaoko – Ado Ekiti

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F martyrdom was the only option, would you embrace it? This question seemed confusing to many when it was thrown to them recently in the course of compiling responses for this work. Some of the respondents had even found it offensive while some wished it away by saying “God forbid.” However, some others, after carefully weighing the question against the sustained terrorist attacks in North East Nigeria, which had earlier been seen by some as persecution of Christians, chose to see the victims as martyrs.

For Oluwole Falana, who said he was “strong in faith and strives to be Christlike”, it went “beyond the question of what would you do in the cases you have described.”

Falana and some other prospective respondents had been asked what they would do if they found themselves in the kind of situation the 22 martyrs of Uganda found themselves as they served their country, as it were, in the 17th century.

The 22 Ugandan martyrs were young Catholic and Anglican converts who were serving in the palace of the king of their kingdom.

The martyrs were mostly in their 20s, the oldest among them being Mathias Kalemba, the Mulumba, who was about 50 at the time of his suffering and death.

Charles and Mulumba are about the most popular among the 22 Ugandan martyrs and their lives have inspired millions in and outside of Africa.

For instance, there are numerous Catholic parishes, prayer groups and societies as well as schools in Nigeria and beyond that go by the name of Charles Lwanga.

For Mulumba, about the most profound remembrance of him is in the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM).

The Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) was established in Nigeria on June 14, 1953 by the late Reverend Father Abraham Anselm Isidahome Ojefua, a priest and monk from Illah Monastery in present day Delta State. The order is modelled after the Sacred Order of Catholic Knighthood and has a current membership of over 20,000 (both male and female).

The women wing known as the Ladies of Saint Mulumba (LSM) was inaugurated on June 24, 1978 in Calabar (present day Cross River State).

The Encyclopaedia Brittanica stated this about Kalemba: “Kalemba was a member of the Soga tribe, born in Bunya County in eastern Uganda. Together with his mother, he was captured by Ganda raiders belonging to the Otter clan. His captors sold him as a slave to Magatto, uncle of the Chancellor Mukasa, and a member of the Edible-Rat Clan. Kalemba grew up in this family, treated as a member of the clan and as a free man.”

After the death of his adoptive father, he remained for a time with Magatto’s brother, Buzibwa. On attaining manhood, he took service with Ddumba, the chief of Ssingo County, becoming effectively the head of his household and supervisor of all the other servants. On Ddumba’s death, his brother gave official recognition to Kalemba’s position, by creating an office for him in memory of Ddumba. Henceforth, Kalemba was known as The Mulumba.

“Kalemba was a man of fairly large stature and light colouring. He sported a small beard, unusual for a Ganda. He was immensely strong, of a joyful disposition and a passionate searcher after truth. This passion led him first to Islam, and then after the arrival of the Anglican missionaries - to their Christian instructions. It was the duty of the chief of Ssingo to carry out construction at the royal palace. When King Mutesa I decided to build houses for

It is the belief of some scholars that the martyrdom in 1886 of the boys and men had been a “spark that ignited the flame of Christianity in modern Africa.” the Catholic missionaries, Kalemba was assigned to the task. Coming into contact with Catholics for the first time, he discovered that Protestant prejudices about them were not true. On May 31, 1880 he enrolled as a Catholic catechumen, but continued occasionally to attend Anglican Bible classes.

“Kalemba took his Christian allegiance seriously. Although he was the owner of a large number of women, he made other provisions for all except one, called Kikuvwa, whom he kept as wife. He was baptized by Father Ludovic Girault on May 28, 1882. Kalemba schooled himself in humility by undertaking menial tasks, working in his garden, carrying loads and even accepting unmerited blows from the king’s soldiers. He declared proudly that he was a slave - “the slave of Jesus Christ.”

He is said to have driven off a wild buffalo with the aid of a stick. He took part in the war-raids organised by his chief, but refused to take share in the looting which was their main object. He also refused to

take bribes when administering justice on behalf of his master.

“At his home in Mityana, forty-seven miles from the capital, Kalemba lived a humble life, taking up the trades of pottery and tanning. During the absence from Uganda of the Catholic missionaries from 1882 to 1885, Kalemba organized a Christian community at Mityana where, together with the future martyrs Noe Mawaggali and Luke Banabakintu, he gave Christian instruction. When persecution broke out in 1886 this community of Christians and catechumens numbered about 200.

“When the storm broke, Kalemba was at the capital rebuilding the king’s palace that had burned down in February 1886.

Although in imminent danger, he did not leave his post. Kalemba’s master, the chief of Ssingo, deemed it best to arrest him and his companion, Luke Banabakintu.

They spent the night of May 26 at the chief’s town residence, with their feet in the stocks and their necks in slave yokes.

The following day they were taken to the palace, where the chancellor sentenced them to a savage death for acknowledging that they were Christians. On the way to Namugongo, the traditional place of execution, Kalemba stopped and asked to be put to death there and then in Old Kampala. His executioners butchered him on the spot, cutting off his limbs and tearing strips of flesh from his body, burning them before his eyes. His courage and endurance were extraordinary and the only sound that came from his lips were the words: “My God! My God!” The executioners then tied up his arteries and left him to die a lingering death.

“Matthias Kalemba’s passion began at noon on Thursday, May 27. On Saturday it had not ended. Some men coming to cut reeds in the swamp heard a voice calling: “Water! Water!” They were so horrified by Continues pg46

45

features

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Jos main market

When will the reconstruction begin?

Jos main market:

Isaac Shobayo - Jos

S

INCE the Jos main market, commissioned by General Muhammadu Buhari in 1985, was gutted by fire 14 years ago, all efforts by successive governments to reconstruct it have not yield any positive result. The site of the market, which was once the cynosure of all eyes and source of pride to the state, has become a relic.

It would be recalled that before the 2002 fire incidence, the market was a melting point for traders of diverse origins. Features Tribune learnt that apart from being a source of confluence for traders from the North Central and the North Eastern part of Nigeria, people from some West African countries like Chad, Niger Republic, and others, also thronged the market for business.

The administration of former Governor Joshua Dariye made no effort to re build the market, while the immediate past government of Jonah Jang had initial plan of transforming it into shopping malls, but the concept remained on the drawing board throughout his eight-year tenure.

The burnt market created wide range of socio-economic problems for the state, especially for the residents of Jos, the capital city. Most of the traders whose shops were burnt, relocated to the main roads like Ahmadu Bello Way and Muritala Mohammed Way to ply their trades, not minding the security implication and the attendance inconveniences to road users.

In spite of rampant bomb explosions within the vicinity in the past four years, the traders have refused to leave the area on the premise that they had no other place to trade, despite the existence of mini markets around the city and the constant harassment by security agents. The traders prefer to congregate at the commercial nerve centre of the state capital to eke out a living.

The site of the burnt market coupled with the traders who litter the vicinity with goods have defaced and disorganised the business area otherwise called Ter-

minus. Suicide bombers had twice taken advantage of the chaotic environment to wreck havoc on the traders and passersby, yet the traders refused to leave the vicinity.

Piqued by the deplorable state of the environment and the plight of the traders, Governor Simon Lalong, shortly after his inauguration, visited the site of the burnt market and promised to rebuild it in order to create a conducive atmosphere for traders, motorists, while also boosting the the internal generated revenue of the state.

However, Nigerian Tribune learnt that the state government, in recent time, has started making arrangement for the re-development of the abandoned Jos Main market. Sources close to the government disclosed that various committees have been set up to workout modalities for the reconstruction.

It was gathered that the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through a memo, is trying to engage reputable organisations through the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to develop the market.

The memo is asking for reputable organisations to submit their bids for the construction.

The State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Ezekiel Daju, recently told Nigerian Tribune that the government of Governor Lalong is passionate and committed to the rebuilding of the massive structure, which once stood as

the focal point for economic activities in the North Central and North East.

“The administration of Governor Simon Lalong is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the market is rebuilt; he had given this promise time without number since his election as the governor of the state.

The process of transparent bidding has commenced. The bidding to a select technical partner has commenced; 12 firms have already expressed interests and the result of the bidding is expected to be out by the end of March, or early April this year.

“The governor is committed and passionate about this project; I can assure you that the administration would ensure that necessary machinery are put in motion the moment the result of the bidding is out,” he assured.

An All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart in the state, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande said one of the promises of the party before the gubernatorial election was that the market would be reconstructed, while adding that what the Lalong-led government is doing now is in fulfillment of his electoral promise he made concerning the market, as well as the desire to bring about a change to the state in line with the CHANGE mantra of the administration.

According to Ambassador Kwande, apart from being a centre of commerce beyond the state, rebuilding the market will serve as a unifying force, while further

Olayinka Olanrewaju, who was one of the victims of the fire incident in 2002 and now ekes out a living by displaying his wares on the road side, said it has been promises upon promises since the market was gutted by fire 14 years ago, while admitting that many traders have since lost hope that the market would be reconstructed.

promoting peace in the state, especially in Jos. However, there are those who perceive the government’s move to rebuild the market as incongruent, and not in tandem with modernity; the people argue that there is a gradually phasing out of the open or close market for shopping malls, while charging the administration to change the concept to malls, which they believe will bring more revenue for the government.

However, since the state government signified its intention and commitment to rebuild the market, traders have started jubilating and commending the government for the initiative. Ibrahim Musa, a trader, said if the government could rebuild the market as promised, it would further boost the volume of trade and commerce, and in the process generate more revenue to the covers of the state.

Olayinka Olanrewaju, who was one of the victims of the fire incident in 2002 and now ekes out a living by displaying his wares on the road side, said it has been promises upon promises since the market was gutted by fire 14 years ago, while admitting that many traders have since lost hope that the market would be reconstructed.

“I, however, want to charge Governor Lalong to do everything in his power to make the difference by fulfilling his promise,” Mr Olanrewaju said.

An Architect, Joseph Dusu, who said many traders, and the entire people of Plateau State, have lost hope on the rebuilding of the market, charged the government to partner with reputable organisations and put all the necessary variables into consideration in order to avoid pitfalls. According to him, the market should be remodelled to meet the present day reality and modernity.

Said he: “It is a right step in the right direction; Plateau needs a modern market, but the present design has become outdated, and there is the need for remodelling so that it will meet the present day reality.

Going with the old design will be counterproductive, so the services of competent professionals are needed.”

46

features

Friday, 11 March, 2016

When martyrdom becomes an inspiration Continued from pg44

the sight that they fled. He died presumably on Sunday, May 30. God alone knows the full extent of his agony.

Luke died with Charles Lwanga and his companions at Namugongo on May 27. Matthias Kalemba, the Mulumba, was declared “Blessed” by Pope Benedict XV in 1920, together with 21 other martyrs. They were proclaimed canonized saints in 1964 by Pope Paul VI. To the knights, their lives remain an inspiration. Although the kind of persecution that the martyrs faced is not common anymore, the people inspired by their lives are still fighting different kinds of battles to not only sustain the faith they nourished with their blood but to also propagate it through the use of their time, talent and treasure.

The Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba, since it started in June 1953, has established veritable presence in Kampala, Uganda and Mamfe in Cameroun.

Interestingly, the initial objectives of the Order are “to counteract the harm done by many secret societies to the church and to arrest the efflux of the Christian enlightened members into those harmful secret groups; to bring Catholics together in a fraternal association for the good and progress of the church, welfare of its clergy, wellbeing of members of the Order in particular and Nigeria in general.

Part of the activities of the KSM includes a popular rally by the order as part of activities to create awareness on the sanctity of human life even in the womb, and stop increasing incidences of abortion.

The Family and Human Life Unit of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos and Knights of Saint Mulumba, Lagos

Supreme Knight, Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba, Brother Anthony Onuh Metropolitan Council held the fourth yearly pro-life vigil under the theme: “The Family: Fountain of Life” at the Archdiocesan Marian Shrine, Maryland, Lagos.

It is the belief of some scholars that the martyrdom in 1886 of the boys and men had been a “spark that ignited

the flame of Christianity in modern Africa.”

Canonized in 1964, the Uganda Martyrs are revered for their faith, their courage, and their countercultural witness to Christ. Even Pope St. John Paul II had noted during his visit to their shrine, that their sacrifice was the seed that “helped to draw Uganda and all of Africa to Christ.”

The martyrs had fallen into disfavour of King Mwanga because they shielded the hundreds of young boys and men who worked in the palace of the Mwanga from the king’s sexual advances. King Mwanga threatened to have all his Christian pages killed unless they renounced their faith. This failed to intimidate them.

Even the catechumens among them followed Mukasa’s bravery by asking to be baptized before they died.

Among them was Charles Lwanga, who took over both Mukasa’s position as head of the pages and his role of spiritual leader. King Mwanga’s simmering rage boiled over one evening, when he returned from a hunting trip and learned that a page named Denis Ssebuggwawo had been teaching the catechism to a younger boy, Mwanga’s favorite. The king gave Denis a brutal beating and handed him to the executioners, who hacked him to pieces.

The following day, Mwanga gathered all the pages in front of his residence. “Let all those who do not pray stay here by my side,” he shouted. “Those who pray” he commanded to stand before a fence on his left. Charles Lwanga led the way, followed by the other Christian pages, Catholic and Anglican. The youngest, Kizito, was only 14.

Falana, while praising the faith of the martyrs, said “one can only thank God and pray that these types of things that we only learn about from writings do not happen again.”

Kolade needs N4m for hole-in-the-heart surgery

Baby Kolade in his mother’s arms

WHAT started as an innocent-sounding cough in the latest addition to the Kolade family unexpectedly turned out to be a major dilemma for them.

Ten-month old Mark Obaloluwa Kolade has been diagnosed to have a hole in the heart. This little boy requires N4million for him to live a normal life.

According to his mother, Mrs Motunrayo Kolade who came to the Tribune House, Ibadan in search of help for her little one said, “When he was one and half months he had a cough which I thought would go by giving him cough syrup. And I did so. I bought him the cough syrup but the cough did not go. I tried other means like rubbing him with warm water but nothing changed. I had to take him to a health centre where I was referred to Igando General Hospital to get oxygen because his breathing was not good. I rushed him there I was told there was no oxygen and even no space to admit him.

They referred me to Ikeja General Hospital and the same thing happened; they had no oxygen there and no space and I was sent to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

“At LUTH my baby was admitted and we spent about eight days there. He was given oxygen there. After he was discharged I was asked to keep bringing him to the cardio clinic. Every two weeks till date, I have to go to the pharmacy where they compound drugs for him.

“The doctor told me the echo test I did said the child has a hole in the heart that requires surgery. I was told that on the rare occasion an expert from India comes to Nigeria, it would cost N2million for the surgery. Without that the baby must be flown to India, and it costs N4million for the surgery there.”

Mrs Kolade, a trader in baby clothing, said she and her husband had explored various means of raising funds including

soliciting help from their local church and family members with no results yet.

The family is in desperate need of financial assistance to meet up with the cost and save the life of their son.

The family can be reached on 08035292932, 08024225265. Donations can be sent to the following account.

Name: Kolade, Mark Obaloluwa; Bank: First Bank; Account No: 301673982

Rotimi requires N270,000 to fight blindness

Rotimi ROTIMI Sowemimo travelled all the way to the Tribune House, Ibadan from Lagos where he lives with his aged mother. Seeing him for the first time, it was obvious to see all was not well with. He began to narrate his reason for coming

and he presented documents to back his story. As he brought them out of his clear bag, he struggled to identify which was which – he could hardly tell the documents apart; he presented some back to front, or upside down for his eyesight was terribly poor.

His story was that in 1998, he had conjunctivitis or “Apollo” and since then he stopped seeing properly. The trained tailor said he had sought treatment at a local clinic. From there he was referred to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and was further referred from there to Eye Foundation Hospital in Lagos. A letter issued and signed by the latter’s Medical Secretary Mrs Chastimer Ejorh for Dr Oderinlo, the Consultant Opthalmic Surgeon, states that “the above named person was seen in our hospital and was diagnosed with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. He would be undergoing some investigations and would require surgery.” The cost implications on this list amounts to N270,000.

Having spent all his savings and contributions from family members on previous treatments, Rotimi is appealing. “I need this financial assistance or anyone who can take me to any hospital or eye clinic where I can get treatment.

I want to see again so I can get back to work.”

Rotimi can be reached on 08091823418, and his account details are: GTB-0014440305-Rotimi Michael Sowemimo.

47

tribunesport

Friday, 11 March, 2016

Adepoju parts ways with Kwara Football Academy

4th Sovereign Trust Insurance Golf Open tees off

By Olawale Olaniyan

THE fourth edition of the Sovereign Trust Insurance Golf Tournament gets underway this weekend with over 200 golfers scheduled to participate in the tourney.

The two-day 36-holes event which tees off tomorrow at the Ibadan Golf Club (IGC) will see professional and amateur golfers compete in the different categories.

It would be recalled that last year’s edition attracted professional golfers from different golf clubs across the country where foremost professional golfer, Lateef Lasisi from Abeokuta Golf Club led the pack.

This year’s edition will take another dimension as only professional golfers in Ibadan will feature in the competition.

The five professionals who were in action on Thursday were Emeka Obi, Nduka Benard, Monday Daniel, Alfa Sanusi and Salisu Ibrahim.

The Competition Secretary of IGC, Col. Ade Sunmonu (retd), told Tribunesport that it is the tradition of IGC to organise a befitting tournament that is always appreciated by other golf clubs in the country.

He stated that fielding pros again this year is just a way of motivating them

in their category in order to encourage them to realise their dreams as professional golfers.

Also, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc Corporate Communication and Brand Manager, Mr Segun Bankole told Tribunesport that his organisation takes delight at promoting golf in the country as well as the image of the company.

“As you can see, in the last four years we have been contributing to the development of sports in Nigeria especially in golfing circle and ever since, we have no regret in partnering the IGC. “This year’s edition is going to be more exciting and I believe the competition will live up to the expectations, as golfers are coming from all parts of the country to participate in the tourney.

“We are also looking for a product we can design for golfers which I believe would benefit the club and Sovereign Trust Insurance plc,” he added.

There will be prizes for gross prize winner, net prize, veteran prize, special guest prize, ladies category and insurance prizes.

The competition proper will hold on March 12 and end on March 13 starting from 6am daily, while the cocktail holds today at 7pm.

Mutiu Adepoju

F

ORMER international, Mutiu Adepoju has been officially relieved of his duty as the Sole Administrator of Kwara Football Academy (KFA) by Harmony Holdings Limited after completing his two-year contract tenure.

The former Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) player made this known on Thursday during an interactive session with journalists at the Conference Room of KFA in Ilorin.

“During my tenure as the sole administrator of this great academy, we were able to make some progress and surpassed our expectations. We won the state

league and represented Kwara State at the Federation Cup, our coaches were trained and re-trained, and some of our exceptional players were sent abroad for trials with top clubs and some sold to Nigeria clubs for developmental programmes.

“I had never been in a place and my impact will not be felt, though, we faced a lot of challenges we were able to overcome them. I am fulfilled and I don’t regret any of my decisions.

If it is good or bad, I know I will be remembered for something in the history of the school,” Adepoju said in his remarks.

The former Real Satander

of Spain player thanked Kwara State government for the opportunity given to him to contribute to the development of football in the state.

He further advised the state government to keep funding and upgrading the facilities at KFA. Adepoju who attended

Chukwumerije bags British Council award FOR his efforts to add value to taekwondo coupled with his exceptional contribution and commitment to creating positive social change and improving the lives of others, three-time Olympian, Chika Chukwumerije has been honoured at the inaugural Education UK Alumni Award for “Social Impact”

39th ITF/CAT Junior Championships:

Rain keeps Nigerian players, others indoor FOR the second day running, rain washed off play at the 39th ITF/CAT African Junior Championships which served off on Wednesday at the Tuks Tennis Club, Pretoria, South Africa.

The 14 & Under and 16 & Under championship featuring about 120 players from 25 countries had barely commenced on Wednesday before the heaven opened up which forced the organisers to reschedule all the matches to Thursday morning, but all the players and officials were forced to remain indoor as the rain failed to recede on Day 2.

“We were scheduled to play two games each to cover for the suspended matches but today is even worse. It’s been raining since early morning and not even a single match has been played,” Nigeria’s coach Mohammed Ubale said.

Two Nigerians, Gabriel Friday and Michael Osewa, were in action on Day one before their matches were suspended due to

rain. Friday was leading Cameroon’s Paul Wamba 6-2, 3-2, while Osewa was tied 4-4 with Eliakin Coulibaly of Cote d’Ivoire before their matches in the Boys 14&under were put on hold.

Friday is the number six seed in Pool five which also has Assil Boussairy of Morocco and Aymen Moussa of Algeria. Osewa is the eighth seed and alongside Eliakin, he has eleventh-seeded Schalk Van Schalkwyk of South Africa and Salum Mutabazi of Burundi to also compete with in Pool two.

For the girls 14&under, Barakat Oyinlomo Quadri is in Pool seven which also has Kenyan Angela Nyangweso, Madagascan Finarita Andriamadison and Celine Van Min Lee of Mauritius. Marylove Edward, the 11-year-old sensation who is competing for the first time outside the shores of Nigeria will face a baptism of fire as she faces Makayla Loubser, the third seed from South Africa in her first match in Pool 2 which is completed by Manuella

Eloundou of Cameroon.

In the boys 16&under, Christopher Itodo will battle in Pool two alongside South Africa’s Christaan Worst, Albert Njogu of Kenya and Fabrics Tuyishime of Rwanda, while in Pool five, Christopher Bulus will confront number six seed, Egyptian Adham Gaber, Valia Rabarijaona of Madagascar and Shaun Andriamaro of Seychelles.

In the girls 16 &under, Adetayo Adetunji, who is based in South Africa, is drawn in Pool five which also has sixth seed homegirl Corin De Waal, Clenia Niyonshima of Rwanda and Sariaka Radilofe of Madagascar, while Angel McLeod is in Pool seven and will slug it out with third-seed Diane El Jardi of Egypt, Lynda Benkaddour of Algeria, who is seeded number nine and Kenyan Faith Omurunga.

The round-robin pool matches are scheduled to be played over 10 days with only the group winners advancing to the next stage.

three World Cup finals, USA ‘94, France ‘98 and Japan/Korea 2002 also urged the state government to make adequate provision for the students of KFA to participate in tournaments, especially international competitions, where they would be easily noticed to give their careers a boost.

Nigeria’s Angel McLeod

at an event held at the Intercontinental Hotel Lagos, and organised by the British Council in colloboration with UK Education.

Chukwumerije, a Beijing 2008 Olympics bronze medallist was rewarded alongside other well-meaning Nigerians.

Five Nigerians were slected in the social impact award and they included [Durotimi Adeboye, Chukwudera Bridget Okeke, Olasoji Fagbola, Oluwasijibomi Ojajuni] who had done amazing things and made equally awesome impact in their various fields.

Reacting to the award, the 2007 All Africa Games gold medallist said: “If I could, I would have divided the award in five, because I was inspired by their stories when it was told on that night. The work that is being done was not started with the purpose of winning any award. The greatest reward will be to see that participants in our programmes do very well for themselves for decades to come, and point back to these programmes as the turning point in their lives. There are many people to thank [in no particular order] whose contribution has, in one way or the other, influenced the work I currently do with my Sports Foundation.”

“I want to thank the British Council for providing this platform to recognise and encourage Nigerians doing inspirational things in their various careers.”

SIDELINES

N150

FRIDAY, 11 MARCH, 2016

NO 16,455

The Senate has renewed the call on the Federal Government to rescue the over 200 female students abducted from Chibok, Borno State, in 2014. In this season of denials and clarifications, we hope there will be no rebuttal of that promise, which was one of the pillars of the 2015 campaign.

Super Eagles’ defender, Chima Akas (right) battles for ball possession with a Tunisian player during the just-ended AFCON 2016 in Rwanda.

Nikyu

Siasia is afraid of Egypt —Pharaohs coach •As match ticket goes for N300

E

GYPT goalkeeper’s trainer, coach Ahmed Nagi believes that Nigeria’s head coach, Samson Siasia is using bully-boy tactics to hide his fear ahead of their double header in group G of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

“Siasia’s statements won’t affect Egypt players, or the coaching staff,” Nagi said on a television programmed on Wednesday.

“We’re used to hearing these kinds of comments from African coaches. The statements indicate he is worried about the Egypt clash.

“Siasia respects the Egypt team.

He knows our abilities. And we also respect the Nigeria team, as they are strong opponents, so I hope to achieve a positive result.”

Lying top of the group on six points, following back-to-back wins over Tanzania and Chad, the Pharaohs will face the Super Eagles at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, on March 25 before hosting the Eagles in Alexandria four days later.

“The team will hold a camp on March 19 as the squad will be announced after the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup games. Then we will fly to Nigeria on March 23 in a private jet to Kaduna,” Nagi added.

Meanwhile, tickets for the match in Kaduna will go for N1000 and

N300 for covered seats and popular stand respectively.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) marketing officials disclosed this according to thenff.com on Thursday.

The 25,000–capacity ABS has hosted several matches of the various national teams over the past decades, and ongoing renovation work geared towards improving

its look and standard of facilities would be completed a week before the game.

The home-based Super Eagles lost 0-2 to the country’s U-23 Olympic team, the Dream Team in a training game on Wednesday.

The Nigeria U-23s avenged a 2-0 defeat they suffered on Tuesday with goals from Joseph Osadiaye and Usman Mohammed.

“The coach was not happy with the result and he told us we did not play according to instructions,” disclosed Bright Onyedikachi, who scored one of the goals for the Eagles in the first training game on Tuesday.

“We still can’t understand what happened to us, it was like a dream.”

In another tune up game, the Eagles were held to a goalless draw

by Nigeria National League (NNL) side, Katsina United at the National Stadium, Abuja on Thursday.

I never used banned drugs in my life —Nadal RAFAEL Nadal has denied he ever used a banned substance to get an edge or to speed up recovery from injury.

Asked for his reaction to Maria Sharapova’s failed drug test, the 14-time Grand Slam champion took the opportunity to address speculation he has used performance-enhancing drugs.

The Spaniard, 29, said he was “a little bit tired” of the rumours, adding: “I am a completely clean guy.

“I have never had the temptation of doing something wrong.”

Nadal added: “I believe in the sport and the values of the sport.

“It is an example for the kids and if I am doing something that goes against that, I will be lying to myself, not lying to my opponents.”

Nadal has never failed a drugs

Nadal test but has been the subject of speculation that he dopes.

Nadal said he has taken advantage of some new treatments for his knee problems, like stem-cell therapy and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, often known as blood spinning.

“I have been open all my career,” he said. “I never tried to hide nothing that I did. I did PRP and then I did stem cells.

“The first time with PRP it worked fantastic and the second time it was bad. I had to stop playing tennis for seven months.

“With stem cells, I used it two times on my knees and it worked very well. I am not doing, never did, and never going to do something wrong.”

Nadal added that he trusts a doctor to monitor what medication he takes.

Flamingoes coach eyes massive win over S/Africa NIGERIA’S national women’s U-17 team coach, Bala Nikyu says he would instruct his girls to go for as many goals as possible when they take on South Africa’s Bantwana in a 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup African final round qualifier at the National Stadium, Abuja, tomorrow.

The Flamingos have been training in Abuja for the past four weeks, following the second round annihilation of Namibia’s Baby Gladiators over two legs.

“Our objective would be to get the job done here in Nigeria before the second leg in South Africa. We are in confident mood, and have been motivated by the words of the NFF General Secretary who attended the team’s training session on Tuesday.

“We know how important qualification for the World Cup is to Nigerians. The girls are ready and rearing to go. We have worked hard over the past weeks and looking forward to a comfortable victory.”

Meanwhile, the Bantwana trained at the training pitch of the National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday afternoon, after landing in Abuja in the early hours of the same day. While Nigeria has never failed to qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup since it was launched in 2008, South Africa has only been at the 2010 finals (in Trinidad and Tobago) where they conceded 17 goals in three group phase matches against Germany, Korea Republic and Mexico.

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. 11/3/2016.