11th May 2016 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,498

WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY, 2016

Militants kill 3 soldiers in Bayelsa

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•Military warns Niger Delta militants over economic terrorism —Pg29, 31

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Alleged killer-husband's wife planned to leave him this week —Sister-in-law

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Fuel scarcity: FG to build new refineries •We must lift our people out of poverty —Buhari

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—P2,31

Buhari rejects Cameron's corruption tag on Nigeria •As British PM declares Nigeria, Afghanistan most corrupt nations

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My asset declaration form tampered with, Saraki alleges —P37

Resident doctors begin 5-day warning strike today —P31

Alleged N61m scam

From left, Managing Director, Prima Garnat and past president, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) Mr Lolu Akunwunmi; Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN Plc), Mr Edward Dickson; Consultant/Director, ANN Plc, Dr Segun Olatunji; Chief Operating Officer/ Executive Director, 141 Worldwide and past president, AAAN, Bunmi Oke; Director, Sweet 107.1 FM, Mr Toye Arulogun and the Chief Executive Officer, Rinet Advertising Limited, Mr Fillius Osubor, at an interactive business session between management of ANN Plc and Chief Executive Officers of advertising agencies, held at Planet 1, Maryland, Lagos, on Tuesday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

EFCC arrests Adegboruwa, Tompolo's lawyer

Herdsmen/farmers clashes: Fulani not responsible —FG

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2 news

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Buhari rejects Cameron’s corruption tag on Nigeria As British PM declares Nigeria, Afghanistan most corrupt nations

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, rejected the claim of the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, that Nigeria was among the most corrupt nations. Cameron was caught on camera telling Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday that leaders of some “fantastically corrupt” countries, including Nigeria and Afghanistan, were due to attend the anti-corruption summit holding in London tomorrow. The summit aimed at stepping up global action to combat corruption in all walks of life. The video of the meeting obtained by Reuters went viral during the period when President Buhari was airborne to the United Kingdom. In a pooled video feed made available to the ITN broadcaster, Cameron was shown talking with the Queen about the summit. “We had a very successful cabinet meeting this

morning, talking about our anti-corruption summit,” Cameron said when the Queen approached.

“We have got the Nigerians – actually we have got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries

coming to Britain. “Nigeria and Afghanistan – possibly two of the most corrupt countries in the

world.” The Queen did not respond to Cameron’s comment, but the Archbishop

President Muhammadu Buhari in a chat with the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, Major Jeremy Fern and another official, in London, United Kingdom, on Tuesday.

We must lift Nigerians out of poverty —Buhari PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has expressed the commitment of his administration to lifting Nigerians out of poverty. President Buhari, who made this known on Tuesday, when he declared open the Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit in Katsina, described employment as “the quickest way to escape poverty.’’ He, however, said for that transformation to occur, every player, including the Federal Government “must do his best.” According to him, it was only through massive provision of employment opportunities that all tiers of government could reduce the level of poverty among the people. President Buhari, therefore, commended Governor Aminu Masari for offering attractive incentives to local and foreign investors, who would subsequently provide employment opportunities to the people of the state. He reiterated his determination to end poverty through ending corruption, broadly-shared economic growth, investing in the nation’s economy and creating jobs. The president noted that the overall objective of the summit was to stimulate lo-

cal investment and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the manufacturing sector, agri-business, solid minerals, power, hospitality industry and other services. He said this would enable both local and foreign manufacturers, and service companies alike, to stand with the best in servicing local and global markets. According to the president, these generous offers

were the minimum required to attract the critical investor courted in every country and region of the world. The president, however, stated that economic progress must be tailored to environmentally safe and sustainable programmes. He said “we should also keep an eye on the rights of the future generations, who are as entitled as we are to their heritage of Nigeria.’’

He maintained that in this regard, the Federal Government would work with the Katsina State government in rationalising such actions to avoid overlaps, discontinuities or environmental damage. The president also enjoined the state governments to work closely with the private sector to enable it achieve “quickest, most efficient and sustainable path

to industrialisation.’’ The event was witnessed by the governors of Zamfara, Kano, Lagos and Sokoto states, as well as other dignitaries. Governor Masari then announced the allocation of land to one of the prospective investors, who pledged to begin the construction of Tomato paste company within the next three months of the allocation.

Ogun on path of economic prosperity —Amosun Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta THE former president of Columbia, Cesar Trujillo, on Tuesday, said that African and Latin American countries have things to learn from each other, hence the need for collaboration between the two continents. He said this in keynote address at the third edition of the Investors Forum organised by the Ogun State Government, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta. He explained that Brazil was rated as the best agricultural country in the world, saying that Nigeria and other African countries could explore the opportu-

nities in the best interest of their countries. Trujillo appealed to the African Development Bank to pressurise Brazil so as to achieve food ?security in Africa. He said Brazil developed its agricultural sector through well funded and excellent research institutes. In his remarks, the VicePresident, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, called on states of the federation to tap into the various interventions of the Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration to develop their agricultural ?sectors. The VP said one of the agreements reached at the just concluded National Economic Council was that states ought to be centres of

prosperity in the country. He said that the Central Bank of Nigeria recently empowered 75,000 rice farmers with N7.5 billion loan in Kebbi State, in one of such collaborations, submitting that the project resulted in the production of about one million metrics tons of rice valued at N63 bn within four months. “Technology is an area where we can achieve much and encourage young people. “The only time that I get the interest of our young people when I talk to them about agriculture is when I attach it to technology,” he said. He disclosed that the federal government had

planned to train a minimum 65,000 young people in the area of technology. “We have been in collaboration and signed agreement with CISCO and currently discussing with Google.com as well as other technological companies that have indicated interest to partner with us,” he said. The VP also sought support of the 36 states ?and federal capital territory in ensuring that the federal government’s investment in power production and distribution became a huge success. Osinbajo believed that current economic trend required every state to invest in power generation and distribution.

of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “But this particular president is actually not corrupt.” President Buhari and Afghanistan President, Ashraf Ghani, both of whom are due to attend the London summit, acknowledged corruption in their countries and had pledged to clean it up. Nigeria is at 136 in Transparency International’s latest corruption perceptions index, while Afghanistan is at 166. Only North Korea and Somalia, jointly ranked at 167, are perceived to be more corrupt. It was not clear whether Cameron realised he was being filmed and recorded at the event at Buckingham Palace. A bystander then joked to laughter: “They are coming at their own expense one assumes?” “Everything has to be open.There are no sort of closed-door sessions. Everything has to be in front of the press,” Cameron said. But President Buhari rejected the assertion made by Cameron and, instead, praised the Archbishop of Canterbury for his observation. Buhari, who left for London on Tuesday, is one of the foreign leaders to be hosted by Cameron tomorrow and he is expected to deliver a keynote address, entitled: “Why we must tackle corruption together.” Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari regretted Cameron’s remark, adding that what he said was not reflective of current realities. “It is certainly not reflective of the good work the president is doing. The eyes of the world are on what is happening here. “The Prime Minister must be looking at an old snapshot of Nigeria. Things are changing with corruption and everything else. That, we believe, is the reason they chose him as a keynote speaker at the pre-summit conference. “Thank you to the Archbishop. We very much cherish the good relationship between our two countries and nothing should stand in the way of improving those relations,” Shehu said.

Wednesday,11 May, 2016

news

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Senate to launch transparency, delivery commission

N line with the Legislative Agenda approved by the Senate, the President of the Senate, today, has announced the intention of the Senate to inaugurate an independent Transparency and Delivery Commission to review and improve the oversight systems and tools of the Senate. The Commission will be led by a working group comprising a world leading research institution and a partner institute in Nigeria, and will be advised by an internationally acclaimed anti-corruption expert. The independent Commission will work closely with the Senate and the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes to draw up a robust oversight scheme and strengthen the internal structuring and capacity of the National Assembly to fulfil its role as

an anti-corruption institution. The Commission’s work will be two-fold. Initially it will concentrate on analysing the processes and tools by which the Senate and the National Assembly in general can, using its legislative remit, assist the anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, and more specifically strengthen the institutions through legislative reforms. The following mediumterm goal is then to deliver recommendations for better ways of working within the Senate, and to ensure that it meets the highest global standards including the newly announced Commonwealth Secretariat anti-corruption ‘kitemark’ system. Specifically, the group will: Map out how the Senate could use its oversight tools to act as a catalyst for greater transparency and anti-corruption in other

Edo developmental projects inflated, unevenly distributed —Ize Iyamu Banji Aluko-Benin City

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Edo State and a former secretary to the Edo State government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has carpeted the economic policy of the incumbent Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration, saying over N1 trillion federal revenue accrued to the state was squandered on highly inflated projects that were not evenly distributed across the state. Ize-Iyamu also accused the state government of focusing on two sectors to the detriment of other critical sectors, regretting that the twin evil of poverty and unemployment were left not tackled while agriculture, industry, tourism, sports, housing and other sectors were neglected. The Redeemed Church pastor, who presented a paper entitled: “Edo State Economy: The Way out” during a town hall meeting, on Wednesday, in Benin organised by a group, House2House Initiative, commended the incumbent Edo State government for increasing the monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state from N300 to N2 billion. He, however, noted that the increase in the IGR has brought pains and losses on many in the state saying the taxes were stringent and prohibitive. He pointed out that “we can get more from taxes if we lower the taxes and widen the tax net.”

He said the state government had excelled in wealth consumption but failed woefully in wealth creation.

parts of the Nigerian state, both at the federal and state levels; assess how the Nigerian Senate functions as a scrutiny and policy making body and how it can improve in this role; undertake a review of the mechanisms of the Nigerian senate and identify areas for improvement in senate efficiency in implementing its legislative agenda and its anti-corruption capacity. The group will also look at international and regional examples of best practice such as the Commonwealth Secretariat ‘kitemark’, and to suggest tangible reforms the Nigeria Senate could implement to improve transparency and the policy delivery process internally and across government.

Wednesday,11 May, 2016

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Lagosmetro He almost strangled me to death, wife tells court

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), distributing flyers to motorists on the need to obey speed limit, during the West African Road Safety Organisation Day Celebration, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN

Explains how husband forced her to make a covenant A 44-year-old woman, Susan Lijadu, on Tuesday, told a Lagos Island Customary Court, Lagos, that her husband, Folarin, almost strangled her to death due to his aggressiveness and jealousy. Folarin, 47, had in April urged the court to dissolve his 20-year-old marriage for alleged lack of trust and love. Susan, a mother of four, told the court that their marital problem started in year 2000 when her husband became blind as a result of a motor accident. She said that he became suicidal, aggressive and very jealous and in 2013 he forced her into making a covenant with him. “Since he became blind everything about him has changed. He once tried to kill himself but I pleaded with him and assured him that everything will be well. “He also became aggressive toward me and one day he nearly strangled me to death and if not for our neighbours, who came to my rescue I would have been dead. “Three years ago he ordered me to buy a cockerel, three Kola nuts, Bitter cola and alligator pepper. I was stripped naked in the presence of one herbalist from Ondo State and was told to swear that no other man will ever see my nakedness or have any sexual intercourse with me except my husband. All the items were buried in a hole dug in front of our room,’’ she said. Susan told the court that her husband, who did not make the same covenant with her, had now impregnated one of their tenants and wants to divorce her. “My husband wants to dump me after putting an embargo on me,’’ she said. Folarin denied forcing his wife to swear an oath, adding that she was the one who urged him to make her take the oath and that he did not swear with her. He said that he filed for the dissolution of their marriage when he could not control her. “When I became incapacitated,

I sent my wife to computer school and opened a shop for her to enable her take care of the home financially. She stopped going to shop and started selling petrol at the junction of our house which I did not support. “During one of our arguments in December 2015, she bathed me with kerosene and threatened to set me ablaze. I did not impregnate our tenant; I am not interested in the marriage again. I want a divorce,’’ Folarin said. The Court President, Mr Awos Awoshola, reprimanded them on the oath taking. “No one can predict what will happen tomorrow, we humans are always changing. We want something today, that thing might become what we detest tomorrow,” Awoshola said.

Akwa-Ibom most-wanted serial killer arrested in Lagos Olalekan Olabulo

33-year-old alleged serial kidnapper, murderer and armed robber, who has been on the wanted list of the police in Akwa Ibom, has been arrested by the police in Lagos State.

The suspect, Sunday James Ukpe, was on Monday arrested by the police in Ajangbadi area of Lagos State, where he had been hiding, after escaping in Akwa Ibom State. Lagos Metro gathered that Ukpe was treating his gun wounds with traditional medicine, when he was arrested by the police. It was

No plan to license religious preachers —Govt Bola Badmus

THE Lagos State government said it has no plan to license religious preachers as being speculated by some people, declaring that such speculation was not only misleading but a disservice to the residents of the state. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef, made this known on Monday while speaking at a one-Day Stakeholders Forum, themed: “Noise: The Un-

wanted Menace for Urban Development,” organised by the Lagos State Environment Protection Agency (LASEPA), in collaboration with the ministry. The commissioner, who maintained that the state government, under the leadership of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had no plan to license religious preachers, stressed that religious exercise or worship was purely an individual matter under the constitution which should

Sonde: Ambode’s wife asks victims of domestic violence to quit Bola Badmus

WIFE of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, has asked wives being battered by their husbands to retrace their steps before it becomes too late. She also condemned social stigma always attached to women who quit such violent relationship, querying what the society would say when they are killed. Speaking against the backdrop of the alleged killing of a wife by her husband, Lekan Sonde, Ambode condemned the issue of domestic

gathered that some residents of Orisha Imude area of Ajangbadi, who suspected him, reported to the police at Ajangbadi divisional police station. Ukpe, when arrested by the policemen from Ajangbadi divisional police station, confessed to them that the wound on him was from

violence, which she said had continued to rear its ugly head in the state and across the country. She made the denunciation in Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, while commenting on the alleged killing that took place at the Egbeda suburb of the state, last weekend. Mrs Ambode described as totally unacceptable, a situation where a man would callously turn his wife to a punching bag on the flimsy excuse that the helpless woman had either insulted him or refused to carry out his orders. “How do you explain a situation

where the man you married and one who claims to love you, would descend so heavily on you at the slightest provocation. For how long will this go on?” she queried. She rejected the common excuse of societal stigmatisation of women who abandoned unpleasant marriages, retorting that “when the woman dies in such a cruel marriage, what then does the society say?” Speaking further, Mrs Ambode said domestic abuse should be moved from being viewed as a social problem to being viewed as a criminal justice issue.

not be interfered with by any government. Dr AbdulLateef, however, called for caution on the part of religious leaders and followers, who he said were seen as critical stakeholders and developmental partners to the government. He reiterated that the use of external speakers, the ringing of church bells and call to prayers do not constitute noise pollution, if such external speakers were immediately turned off after the exercise. The commissioner, therefore, enjoined adherents of the Islamic and Christian faiths to imbibe the culture of tolerance in their religious practices in order not to run foul of the state laws on noise pollution. In their individual remark, Professor Tajudeen Gbadamosi, President, Muslim Community of Lagos State (MCLS) and Elder (Dr.) Israel Akinadero, Secretary, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) commended the state government for coming up with the maiden edition of the stakeholders’ forum, pledging to support and comply with state laws on noise pollution.

a gun battle with the police and that he had come to Lagos to get treated. The image maker in charge of the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmos, while confirming the arrest of the suspect to Lagos Metro, said that he was arrested with bullet wounds in his testicles. The suspect had been rushed to a private hospital, where he has been receiving treatment, under close monitoring from policemen. Badmus added that the suspect would be transferred to the Akwa Ibom Police Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), as soon as he gets better. She also said that the arrested suspect had been on the wanted list of the SARS in Akwa Ibom State for kidnapping, armed robbery and murder.

Ukpe

Wednesday,11 May, 2016

businessnews

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Investors’ fear drives foreign investment down 73.79% Sanya Adejokun -Abuja

stranglehold of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over foreign exchange triggering fears by foreign investors over their ability to repatriate profit and removal of Nigeria from the JP Morgan Bond Index are some of the reasons why total value of capital imported into Nigeria fell to $710.97 million in the first quarter of 2016. This figure represents a decline of 54.34 per cent since the final quarter of 2015 was the lowest level recorded since 2007 and also marked year-on-year capital importation declined of 73.79 per cent. Despite this however, the country remained the biggest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $594.25 while the Nigerian Stock Exchange is the second biggest on the continent Africa after the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. According to an official Federal Government’s data, “both the quarterly and year on year declines were also the lowest recorded since the series began. As a result of these changes, total capital importation has fallen by 89.13 per cent since its peak level in the third quarter of 2014. “National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) attributed the scale of the decline in capital importation in the first quarter of 2016 to the difficult period Nigerian economy is going through including delisting the country from the JP Morgan Bond Index and concerns over whether or not they will be able to repatriate the earnings from their investments, given the current controls on the exchange rate. “Although there a number of reasons why the

amount of capital imported in recent years may have been higher than usual (such as the inclusion of Nigerian in the JP Morgan Bond Index, and globally low interest rates triggering a search for higher

ters. “Investors may be concerned about whether or not they will be able to repatriate the earnings from their investments, given the current controls on the exchange rate. In addi-

tion, as growth has slowed in recent quarters, there may be concerns about the profitability of such investments,” NBS disclosed in a new report Quarter 1, 2016 Capital Importation just released in Abuja.

From left: Chairman, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr Mobolaji Balogun; Minister for Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and Minister for Environment, Ms Amina Mohammed, at the 2016 Ogun State Investors Forum held on Tuesday at the Cultural Centre, Abeokuta.

How payment for electricity is shared—IBEDC By Wale Akinselure THE Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), on Tuesday disclosed that distribution companies collect 25 percent of the amount Nigerians pay for electricity while Generation companies (GENCOs), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), MBET/Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) share the remaining 75 per cent. IBEDC revealed that distribution companies only serve as collection agents in the electricity chain market comprising generation,

CBN releases guidelines for switching companies THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday released guidelines on procedures for the operation of switching services in the country. The bank said in a circular posted on its website that the guidelines included the rights and obligations of the parties to the switching contract. According to the bank, the guidelines compel switching companies to meet with minimum standards as approved. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that switching companies are to ensure the maintenance of adequate and reasonable financial services to the public. They are also to ensure high standards of conduct and management throughout the banking system.

yields over this period) the fact that the amount of capital imported has dropped to a record low suggests that there are further reasons why Nigeria has attracted less foreign investment in recent quar-

On license of switching companies, the CBN said that they should obtain that from the bank. The CBN added that parties to transaction switching include, but not limited to Nigeria Central Switch, switching companies, card issuers and merchant acquirers. The bank, however, said that the switching companies had to ensure compliance with minimum standards as provided in these guidelines. It also said that the switching companies should enter into agreement with member institutions, and specify the responsibilities of each party. The bank added that operational rules, procedures and liabilities in the event of loss of funds arising from negligence should also be specified.

transmission and distribution companies, and remit contractual proportions of total collections such that GENCOs gets 60 per cent, TCN is allotted 11 per cent and NERC/MBET gets four per cent. This was brought up when the members of the management team of the IBEDC appeared before the Oyo House of Assembly over issues ranging from epileptic power supply to hoarding of prepaid meters and arbitrary billing of electricity consumers. Regional Technical Manager, Ibadan Region, Mr Peter Oyelami, in his presentation, noted that the IBEDC was handicapped in ensuring effective power distribution considering that it daily got 50 megawatts when it required 336 megawatts, on the average. On the issue of poor metering and crazy billing, Oyelami said the IBEDC continued to utilise the Cluster Average Billing Methodology to arrive at estimated bills owing to the fact that 50 per cent of Nigerians were not metered and did not subscribe to the Credit Advance Payment on Metering Implementation (CAPMI). In her contribution to the discourse, Head, Branding and Communications, Ms Angela Olanrewaju noted that the system of estimated billing was not solely the making of the DISCOs but also NERC. “Estimated billing is not instituted by DISCOs, we

have NERC which regulates us. We don’t just come up with bills on our own. Customers should visit our hubs to lodge their complaints about crazy bills. We are at the end of the

chain. There is generation, transmission, distribution in the electricity chain. Customers don’t get to interface with the first two parts of the chain. They get to interface with us.”

FRC advocates single financial statement for Nigeria Sanya Adejokun -Abuja

INANCIAL Reporting Council of Nigeria, (FRC) has harped on the need for government to develop one financial statement to show the financial position of the three tiers of government. The Chief Executive Officer, Jim Obazee stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the ongoing 13th annual governing board meeting of the African Organisation of English Speaking Supreme Audit Institutions. Obazee said publishing one financial statement for the country and making it public, would help to promote transparency and accountability, thereby eliminating corruption. “With a properly recorded financial information, we will be able to harmonise financial reports within government agencies and also have a reliable financial information within the country. “I am looking forward to a situation where governments in Africa can have a whole government financial

statements. “I mean as a country in Nigeria, we should be able to publish the financial statement of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “This should include all the figures from the federal, states and local government, which will show us at a given time, the true situation of our state,” he said. Obazee also advocated for interim statements to be introduced so that audit could be carried out every quarter rather than annually. In curbing corruption, Obazee said using the right set of financial reporting standards was key. He called for the full adoption of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). He said the adoption of IPSAS would make it imperative for public sector to practice full disclosure of financial statements, which hinges on transparency, integrity and accountability. He added that full adoption of IPSAS in the country would help build confidence in donor agencies and international lenders such as World Bank.

Nigerian Tribune

Ashaka Cement holds 41st AGM, records profit DESPITE the damaging effect of Boko Haram insurgency in the north east and series of macro-economic challenges in the country that threatened business activities of Ashaka Cement last year, the company was able to survive due to the managerial ability of its management team. Chairman of the company, Mallam Suleiman Yahyah who praised the board and management of AshakaCem Plc at its 41st annual general meeting in Abuja on Tuesday said the company recorded sharp decrease of 17.6 per cent in revenue, 38.9 per cent in profit before tax and 39.5 per cent in profit after tax in the year ended December 2015 due to general lull in construction activities.

Glo launches talk special, reloads twin bash campus booster, N2,500 data plan NEXT generation telecoms service provider, Globacom, has unveiled a new product and reloaded three other recently launched products to further enhance the power of Nigerians to socialize, acquire knowledge and do business through their phones. The new product is Talk Special, while the reloaded ones are Twin Bash, Campus Booster – now called Campus Booster plus Voice – and the Glo N2500 data plan which has been repackaged to give 5GB per month instead of the previous 4.5GB data bundle. Explaining the benefits of the products in a press statement issued in Lagos on Monday, Globacom said that Talk Special is for people who use more talk time and less data. The product gives subscribers six times the value of the subscribed amount plus additional data to gift to another Glo customer for free. For instance, a N100 subscription gives N400 talktime to call all networks and 75MB data worth N300. The 75MB data includes 25MB free data that can be gifted to friends and loved ones. To enjoy the remarkable benefits of Talk Special, customers are to dial *303# to select their bundle of choice from the bouquet of N100, N200, N500, N1,000, and N5,000 denominations. The new Twin Bash, on its part, is specially designed for customers who use more data and less voice. Twin Bash gives six times the value of the recharge to subscribers and additional data for subscribers to gift to another Glo customer for free.

Wednesday,11 May, 2016

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PERFORMANCE CHALLENGES IN ENERGY DELIVERY

he management of IBEDC wishes to make known in facts and figures the precarious environment in which it is operating in the power sector. This begins with the extremely low power allocation which affects all DISCOS without exception. The sharp drop from the generation peak of 5,074.70MW to the range of 2,000 MW - 3,500 MW is general knowledge. Distributing this becomes a herculean task as our customers find it difficult to understand why they are suddenly getting reduced power supply. As the electricity distribution company with the largest spread covering Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Kwara states, parts of Niger, Kogi and Ekiti states, rationing the low power supply allocated to us from the grid across our franchise has been greeted with a huge negative outcry by our customers. For example, in the last few months, what we got from the national grid was between 240 – 280 MW which is a far cry from what is required (almost 1,100 MW, see table 1) to service our franchise area optimally.

rebranding o f o u r customers s e r v i c e offices. This is in order to reflect the n e w corporate o r i e n t at i o n of a first-rate organization with the vision to be the best electricity distribution company in the country. • Metering: We are committed to massive metering of our customers this year, reducing the need for estimated bills.

• Upgrade of Billing, Revenue and CRM Systems: We are currently implementing a robust world-class billing infrastructure that would cater more efficiently to the needs of our esteemed customers. In this vein, customer complaints on The current experience with the generation of billing would soon be a thing of the Table on energy required & actual received (Table 1) past as we have also reviewed and reinforced our Cluster Billing Methodology. The usefulness of this exercise cannot b e o v e r emphasized in a period of low power allocation, as it helps our bills electricity nationwide occasioned by the to reflect the on-going trend. vandalism of gas pipelines besides the drop in • Network Infrastructure & Maintenance: We hydro-power production has exacerbated a are aggressively strengthening our distribution turbulent situation for us. As the last leg in the network while expanding to new areas to enable power chain, we can only distribute what we are us cope with power challenges due to load allocated (table 2 below). Our revenue as an demand . electricity distribution company depends on the • Human Capital Development: The Company energy we have to distribute because the more has set out new strategies, aimed at expanding supply we have, the more revenue we make. the workforce for better service delivery. Since we cannot store this power, it is in our best interest to supply more of it to our customers because a drop in energy distributed due to a Seeing these efforts we are deploying to ensure drop in power allocation invariably means a drop superior customer satisfaction, we appeal to the in revenue which is not beneficial to any DISCO general public for a better understanding of our and other stakeholders in the value chain. plight. The current increasing spate of assaults However, with the efforts of the current and violence meted to our staff and destruction administration and the Federal Ministry of Power of already inadequate infrastructure has reached at finding a lasting solution to this menace of an alarming rate. Our staff can no longer carry out vandalism, we are hopeful this is a temporary their legitimate duties of fault clearing, meter challenge. installations, meter reading, bills distribution and Despite the daunting circumstances we are cash collection due to threats to their lives and operating in, IBEDC is yet poised to treat its properties. On a monthly basis, we record an valued customers to courteous and friendly average of 4 to 5 cases of physical battery and services. We have mapped out a strategic assaults on our staff. Sometimes, our business business plan to ensure that we cover all aspects premises experience lock-outs. This attitude and of the business and fulfil our part in delivering behaviour is threatening our business existence quality service. and ability to render quality services to our esteemed customers. • Customer Service: We are investing heavily in this critical project which has started out with the Therefore, we wish to bring notice the various

(Table 2)

negative scenarios that are threatening our existence as we entreat our dear customers to join hands with us to sustain the business and serve them better.

Non-Payment of Bills: Apathy to prompt payment of bills, clearing of outstanding debts and outright refusal to pay continues to be one of the biggest challenges in the sector. Most people believe they do not have to pay for utility, having a notion that it should be for free.

E n e rg y Th e ft : A d d i n g t o t h e s e h u g e challenges, is the mind-boggling and colossal monster of energy theft rampaging and ravaging our franchise. The strange part is that this is not viewed as a crime in this clime and one of the saddest aspects of the situation is the fact that energy bypass and theft cuts across all strata of the society. For example, for every 10 meters installed, 5-6 are bypassed within 48 hours. Why this has been going on without much control is because the punitive measures in our policies and law books do not pose any serious deterrence.

MDA Debts: The accumulating debts of Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), most residential customers and few Maximum Demand customers is a huge problem. The MDAs currently owe IBEDC about N6.89 billion. These have added to the challenge of funding which has continued to negatively affect operations such as transformers purchase and allocation, maintenance and upgrade of network infrastructure, efficient faults clearing, purchase of more operational vehicles, concrete poles, materials and equipment for effective service. Gradually meeting our basic financial obligation is becoming a pipe dream unless customers pay their bills promptly. IBEDC is an entity established with the patriotic zeal to revamp the bourgeoning power sector. We believe in the emergence of a New Nigeria where things can work for the benefit of all and sundry. We are not losing faith and we will not give in. We are therefore using this advertorial to appeal to all our numerous valued customers and good-spirited members of the public to please support IBEDC to serve you better. IBEDC, DISTRIBUTING POWER, CHANGING LIVES

Wednesday,11 May, 2016

editorial The meaning of Leicester City

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

T is often said that one of the best way to understand any historical era is through the sports that such an era takes seriously. If that is true, nothing illuminates the contemporary era better than the game of football. At the same time, there is arguably nothing more iconic of the hold of football on the modern mind than the English Premier League. Since its inauguration in 1992, it has grown exponentially, and is today quite easily the most watched weekly television event in the entire world. To behold the EPL is to behold an enthralling multibillion dollar spectacle of skill and hustle in which the entire world is a participant. How fitting then that in an era in which scientific rationality’s biggest conceit is the inauguration of a world in which the role of chance is more or less eliminated, it is football that, in a premodern twist, has presented us with, there is no other word for it, a miracle. In August 2015, at the beginning of a season which has just seen it crowned the champions of England, Leicester City was a team in turmoil. Having barely survived relegation to the Championship, it approached the new season with a lot of trepidation. Nigel Pearson, its former coach and fans’ favorite, had been dismissed, and in his place, the Leicester City board had appointed Italian coach Claudio ‘Tinkerman’ Ranieri. Ranieri, Chelsea’s first manager of the Roman Abramovich era, owes his nickname to his penchant for his constant tinkering with his team’s personnel and formation. An average team of middling journeymen and a sprinkle of unknown internationals. A coach who could not help moving pieces around the chessboard. A leading striker, Jamie Vardy, who had spent most of an otherwise undistinguished career playing for peanuts among the peasants of English football. Surely, there was greater chance of Cuba’s Fidel Castro becoming a deathbed convert to capitalism than Leicester City actually winning the Premiership? Recognizing the sheer improbability of this eventuality, bookmakers, reasonably enough, calculated that Leicester had a 5000-1 chance of clinching the EPL. Many close followers of the game considered it generous. Yet, in a story that will most certainly go down as one of the most remarkable in the history of football, or sport for that matter, Leicester has just shocked the entire sporting world by claiming the EPL title, the first time in the club’s 132-year history, and the first time that, apart from Blackburn Rovers in 1995, a team not named Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester City has done so.

Nigerian Tribune

As to be expected, many supporters of other ‘small’ teams have started urging their board to copy the Leicester City model. But this presumes actual knowledge of what that model is, and that Leicester City had a cogent plan that it merely executed to the letter. There is no gainsaying that Leicester City deserves to be the EPL Champions. Over the course of the season, the team exhibited a togetherness and resilience no one thought was possible by a team cobbled together with such meagre resources. It also had the underdogs’ advantage, especially to the extent that two of its best players, French enforcer N’Golo Kante, and the lithe winger Riyad Mahrez, could fly under the radar for the better part of the season because other teams knew next to nothing about them and so had no way of judging their ability. Yet, while it is unfair to solely attribute the club’s success to luck, no one can doubt that chance, or at least a combination of fortuitous circumstances, played a role in Liecester’s story, for the truth of the matter is that if anyone had offered the team Premier League survival at the beginning of the season, it would have jumped at it. So, what explains the Leicester City story? One factor is that, in a rather unusual season, the traditional top teams were either in transition or totally out of sorts. Manchester United endured a second year of a new possessionbased football philosophy under Dutchman Louis Van Gaal. Chelsea had a season to forget and eventually had to get rid of Jose Mourinho, the ‘Special One’ who had won it the trophy the previous year. Of all the traditional superpowers, Arsenal had the best chance, which it promptly surrendered in the same untidy, if entirely predictable manner that has come to define the team in recent years. The retreat of the old order created space for a new force to emerge. Second, Leicester is a beneficiary of the globalisation of football, seen for instance in the migration of talented players across the world. Not only are teams like Leicester positioned to absorb highly skilled players which the top teams cannot absorb, the ejection of TV money into the game means that it can now afford to pay salaries that, in a previous era, only the top teams could. The triumph of Leicester City may not be the tectonic-shifting event that many pundits are touting it as. But it is one that is laced with deep insight about the changing dynamics of an increasingly global world. It is a miracle born of the wedding of talent and capital. Just one of the everyday miracles only modern football is capable of producing.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Wednesday, 11 May, 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.

Why Nigeria remains poor

HE causes of poverty and wealth of nations are not always determined by the age of the country. Egypt and India are over 200 years old respectively, and they aren’t rich yet, but nations like Australia, Canada and New Zealand are still below 200 years and are rich and developed. It is not even determined by whether the nation has enough natural resources or not. Japan has 80 per cent mountainous landscape which is quite unsuitable for agriculture or rearing of cattle, yet it was rated as the second largest world economy. How then do nations become great? Japan achieved greatness by importing raw materials from the world and exporting manufactured products. The country is not a consumer nation like ours. United States too buys raw products from the world in local currencies and resells them in dollars. That is why dollar remains su-

perior to other world currencies. Switzerland does not plant cocoa, yet the country has the best chocolate in the whole world. Nigeria plants cocoa but cannot feed her neighbouring nations with it. Though Switzerland only plants for four months in a year, it raises animals and still produces dairy products in her small territory. We have arable soil and the best rainforest, yet we neglect them and wait for the dividends of oil. Natural resources do promote bad government; they encourage corruption, civil wars, inflation and neglect of education. The diamond boom in Sierra Leone was one major cause of the nation’s impoverishment, while the destitution of Nigeria is not far from her absolute focus on oil, her neglect of agriculture and other areas of the economy. We know the problem, but we refuse to address it through pragmatic approach. We

often try to alleviate its symptoms instead of overwhelming its causes. Why do our citizens flee abroad? We term them unproductive at home but they brave all odds to become the productive power abroad. They become pro-

ductive in England, America, France and Germany because they are aware of the protection of their private property rights, predictable enforcement of their contracts, opportunities to invest and retain control of their money, control

of inflation, and open exchange of currency. Judging Nigeria by her per capita gross national income, human assets and economic vulnerability to external shocks and surprises, I conclude that Nigeria’s poverty is not the lack of re-

sources but the lack of hope as a result of our refusal to channel the available resources towards the way of prosperity. •Oyewole Jeremiah A., oyewolejeremiah@ yahoo.com

Governors and non-payment of salaries MANY civil servants are suffering in Nigeria today due to the inability of state governments to pay salaries as and when due. In fact, some civil servants have not received a dime this year. While it is acceptable that the economic situation in the country is responsible for the precarious financial condition many states find themselves, the governors should still be good managers in creating something out of nothing. Governors, as the chief executives of their states, have the responsibility of managing their domains effectively. A governor is like the head of a busi-

ness organisation who is responsible for its day-today running. Once the organisation fails to meet its yearly target, then the chief executive resigns. The same thing should be applicable to governors; they were elected to serve the people and lift their states out of the doldrums, but when things are not going on fine, then it is only wise for such governors to step down. We need to take our democracy to another level in this country; political office holders should have scoresheets, and anyone who is not performing creditably well should be sacked. Now, coming back to the

issue of non-payment of salaries; I think governors should look inward in order to generate enough funds to run their states on. It is also funny that labour leaders in states that are owing more than three

months salaries see no reason in going on strike. How do they expect families where both the husband and wife work for the state to cope? •Fidelis Akpan, Benin, Edo State.

Leicester City: A lesson for all THE story of the victory of Leicester City Football Club of England in the 2015/2016 Premier League Season is a lesson for all, and I hope that as Nigerians, we can pick up one or two things from the club. Just last year, the club was on the verge of being relegated from the Premier League, but by dint of hard work, they escaped the relegation battle. With how the club performed the previous season, no one ever gave them the chance of a topfour finish, not to talk of winning the league, but the rest is history. Now, what can we learn as individuals and as a nation from Leicester City? The first thing is that no matter what people think about us, or our country, we can create our future. Nobody ever believed Leicester City would not be engaged in another relegation battle this season, but with a great manager, and a can-do attitude, the team surprised the footballing world. We can make Nigeria the best country in the world if we put our heart to it. However, like Leicester players, everybody must contribute towards achieving this. Success does not come on a silver platter; I guess all of Leicester City players may feel exhausted now because they gave their all throughout the season.

We also need to work hard if we want to bring about a great country. Even in our personal aspirations, we need to work very hard towards achieving them. The popular saying that a man who wakes up to find himself a success did not sleep is apt in this case. At the beginning of the season, Leicester City manager, Claudio Ranieri, set a target of 40 points, which would make them avoid relegation to the lower tier of English football, but when they achieved that target early in the season, they didn’t go to sleep; they believed they could achieve more. In our case as Nigerians, we shouldn’t be contented with the way things are. Many people feel they are powerless as regard the way things are going in the country, but there is something we can all do towards making Nigeria better. Nigeria can be as great as the United States of America if everyone of us is serious about it. Those who steal from the coffers of the state should stop doing so, while those who capitalise on the situation of the economy to manipulate oil scarcity should also have a rethink. Like Leicester City, a team that came from nowhere to global reckoning, Nigeria can also be great. •Vincent Kadiri, vee_kay72@gmail. com

opinion

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

N56,000 minimum wage as a time bomb By Zainab Suleiman Okino

NE of the major highlights of this year’s May Day celebration was organised labour’s much talked about N56,000 minimum wage request. The demand is said to be part of an agreement between labour and the Federal Government, which stipulates that salaries of workers would be reviewed every five years. From the initial N7,500 a few years back, civil servants, beginning from 2011, have been collecting N18,000 a month minimum wage. The flat increment by the Federal Government then left the states in a lurch and at the mercy of their workers, who at the slightest provocation, threatened to down tools. It may surprise many to know that five years down the line, many states are finding it extremely difficult to pay salaries partly as a result of the ‘imposed’ N18,000 minimum wage… And now this! Among the states battling with the payment of salaries, many genuinely do not have the financial wherewithal to sustainably implement the minimum wage, while a few do not have the political will to do so. The non-implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage has been a source of friction between the ‘debtor states’, and organised labour. For both categories of states, with or without the payment of the minimum wage, they have become so financially-handicapped they had to individually and collectively go capin-hand to the Federal Government for help in terms of a bailout or opening a window of opportunity to reschedule their repayment of accumulated debts. Although the workers’ demand was commemorative and in line with the extant agreement with the Federal Government, it is even more so in seeking some degree of alignment with federal lawmakers, whose notoriety for budget padding, crass ostentation in the midst of a debilitating poverty among the masses they claim to represent and overwhelming allegation of meddling with the provision for critical infrastructure in place of bogus constituency projects (which the lawmakers hardly even deliver), has become a source of embarrassment to the country; so much so that for almost five months into the new year, the budget was at the

labyrinth between the Presidency and the National Assembly. Shame! Such is the unfortunate state of affairs in this country that every group claims to represent our collective interest and to serve the nation and the people, only for them to turn around to dip their hands in the public coffers just to help themselves. How can we, in clear conscience, blame the NLC and even the NASS members when we are now witnesses to revelations of the plundering of state resources by previous government officials and their friends, and as we might likely hear of the officials of this government when they are no longer in power? How can we point accusing fingers when the Presidency controls 52 per cent of the nation’s wealth, leaving the remaining 48 per cent to 36 states and 774 local governments? The dwindling revenue profile of the Federal Government occasioned by crisis in the international oil market has further reduced allocations to the states. It is, therefore, no surprise that states are indebted to workers many months in arrears. Just recently, governors of the 36 states under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum came again knocking at the Presidency’s door seeking ways to ameliorate what has become a very bad situation of the near bankruptcy of the states. It is disturbing that under this heavy weight of indebtedness, fall in oil price, and near absence of internally generated revenue sources, organised labour sought for another upward review in workers’ salaries. But can we in all honesty blame organised labour?

From the first time the minimum wage was introduced in 1981 (N100 then was about $10) everything that was right about us then now seems curiously wrong. The stories we hear do not inspire anyone/group to sacrifice for the country. We all want a piece of the patrimony; even when it is almost depleted to its nadir. A negligible percentage of civil servants (there are about seven million civil servants across the federal and state governments), lawmakers, governors and their retinue of aides cannot continue to consume over 90 percent of the nation’s earnings and we hope to make progress as a nation, build infrastructure, revamp education and healthcare and do things that the general public/electorate can benefit from. It is either there is something for every one — low and mighty, poor and rich, haves and haves not, or forget the possibility of leaving in a nation where poverty, robbery, kidnapping and sectarian crises are not the ways of life. Nigeria has to invest in non-oil sectors and diversify to be able to produce and process agricultural products, refine and not import fuel, and in the process create jobs, and depend less on government. Without these, how do we hope to sustain the nation’s economy with the current grim reality? An increment at this stage is a landmine for the states, a time bomb that will boomerang on us. How can states finding it difficult to pay N18,000, now pay N56,000? Five years ago, Nigeria was earning stupendously from oil. Unfortunately, we did not save for the rainy day, which is now here. Today, the story is a sorry one. I know it is tempting for unions to seek for more in the face of the pervasive news about corruption, but if the impunity and the largesse sharing of the past must stop, opportunism of today, patronage dispensing and indiscriminate upward review of emoluments have to stop, otherwise the country will in no time be on its knees and become a beggar nation. I empathise with the workers, having to pass through the hard times engendered by the global economic recession, which was, however, poorly-managed locally. We do hope that the euphoria that ushered in this government will not end in mere hopes and dreams for the populace. •Okino sent this article via zainabsule@yahoo.com

Boko Haram: Understanding America’s new song By Nkechi Odoma A Reuters exclusive should get us all, Nigerians, worried. The headline reads: “U.S. seeks to approve attack aircraft for Nigeria in Boko Haram fight.” When someone insists you should hire tarpaulin tents from them for a night time event in the dry season, then one must find out their relationship with rainmakers. The development around the United States of America’s reported (possible) acquiescence to sell weapons to Nigeria has all the markings of a red flag operation that should send all those responsible for our security into panic mode. First, the story cited sources that spoke on condition of anonymity for aspects pertaining to the possible aircraft sales while the analysts that provided clarity were clearly named. In the event that decision makers in Nigeria have cause to reject the crazy demands that will come attached to the several millions dollars bill for the 12 units of A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft we could be buying, the story has already created grounds for deniability. All the US administration has to do is to carry on as if nothing of such was ever discussed since no senior officials were named speaking on the plan. As a guarantee that Nigeria would be boxed into a corner should we be unwilling to smooch the devil in the deal, “The possible sale — which the officials said was favored within the U.S. administration but is subject to review by Congress,” is another groundwork that ensures the deal can be easily torpedoed should President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration fail to deliver on some conditions that could amount to Nigeria having resident colonial masters. The brightest red flag is perhaps to be seen in the comments of J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Centre at the Atlantic Council think tank, which the Reuters report acknowledged as cautioning that the Super Tucano aircrafts “ability to counter Boko Haram could be limited.” “When you’re fighting a group that’s no longer holding towns and villages, that’s no longer massing forces in a conventional way, the aircraft – attack aircraft – have a much

more limited role in that kind of fight,” Pham was reported as saying. So why is the US suddenly willing to assist Nigeria when their support to us is coming too late? If it is that they find a darling in President Buhari, why did it take the whole of one year before the so-called support is coming? We all know that in the one year, despite Mr President’s pleas during several visits to USA, UK, France and Germany, no support came. The recall threshold of Nigerians is not that short that they would have forgotten the humiliation heaped on the country as it struggled to procure weapons to stop the killing machine that Boko Haram became. The Nigerian Air Force suffered several frustrations and outright blockade to procure needed platforms to fight the insurgent Boko Haram in the country. Things went tough enough that a local automobile company had to start fabricating spare parts for Nigeria’s fighter jets in what has emerged as a blessing in disguise. All manners of excuses were cooked up to ensure the Nigerian military could not get direly needed hardware. This was at the same time that “moderate” terrorists were able to get their hands on state of the art weaponry, some of which ended up with Boko Haram to further compound the difficulty the military had in fighting them. Then just when Nigeria is winning the war without tangible support from the USA, now that the Nigerian military is in

the heart of Sambisa on its own, the leading nation in the free world has found a voice and willingness to support the Nigerian government. This is too little too late. Those who hold unto this announcement of US support will soon discover it is a mirage, a mere rhetoric with no concrete and actionable support. It is like scrambling to sign onto a winning team just when the garlands are about to be handed out. To get a sense of what Nigeria is being offered, the Afghan Air Force ordered for 20 Super Tucano aircraft in 2012 and only began taking delivery in January 2016. That is a waiting time of four years. So, assuming the US Congress gives approval for sales to Nigeria under six months and we factor in three years for delivery; we will be looking at getting the aircraft into service in 2020. At the current rate of the success of Nigeria’s military, even with the cancerous nature of terrorism, the concern by year 2020 should be very different in terms of improvement. We would have thus helped oil the US economy and sustaining jobs in that country by paying for what we no longer need, the same ones they had once refused to sell to us. We must also of necessity send pilots for training in flying the aircraft. (Something that will provide them the opportunity to recruit spies right inside our Armed Forces and that Malian coupist, General Amadou Sanogo, is a ready reminder) Except the US know something they are working on that they have not shared with us, like propping up Boko Haram to remain a credible threat in the region to ensure their defence industry can continue to sell weapons to lackey nations. What is driving this zeal to sell us wartime aircraft at a time we are hopeful of entering peacetime? As an expert pointed out, if we get the aircraft this minute, it would not contribute anything meaningful to the current stage of military operations and it definitely will be even more pointless by 2020 when agricultural aircraft would be the need in the North East of the country. •Odoma is National Coordinator, Africa Arise for Change Network based in Abuja.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

tribune cartoons

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

GIANT IN THE TROPIC OF AFRICA

SEGELUULU

CHURCH BOY

FUNOLOGY

Adeniji Adele II •

Born in Lagos on the 13th of November, 1893.

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Musendiku Buraimoh Adeniji Adele was the Oba (King) of Lagos from October 1, 1949 to July 12, 1964. He was a grandson of Adele I who reigned in the mid 1800s and son of Brimah Adele.

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He studied at Holy Trinity Primary School, Ebutte-Ero, then at CMS Grammar School, Lagos. After his secondary education, he joined the colonial service as a trainee surveyor, after completing his training, he was posted to Kano as a surveyor. He served as a land surveyor with the Cameroon Expeditionary Force during World War I. Adele later worked with the treasury department and became a chief clerk in 1937.

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He died on July 12, 1964 and was succeeded by Oba Oyekan.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

THERE ARE 10 DIFFERENCES IN THE CARTOONS BELOW. THE DIFFERENCES SHOULD BE MARKED IN B

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

inside

Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 08158610216

nigerdelta

In Bayelsa, civil servants resort to begging, reject one-month salary Austin Ebipade-Yenagoa

HE biting economic realities in Bayelsa State have turned the state civil servants to beggars, as they have hit the cross roads over four months salaries owed them by the Governor Seriake Dickson Restoration Government, re-elected for a second tenure in January 9 2016. The situation has become a source of worry to the workers as most of them were already on loan with the various banks that carefully deducted the loans at source as government reluctantly paid one month salary out of the five months outstanding owed the state workforce. Pathetic as the situation seems, in order not to die of starvation, workers in the state resort to live credit facilities from good neighbhours while some manage to go to the ministries after soliciting funds from friends and repeat same to enable them transport back home. This condition has become the order of the day sequel to the breakdown of the state civil servants bus and government has been unable to disburse funds for the repairs of over four civil servants shuttle busses in the state. The ineptitude of government is displayed by the order that civil servants should undergo verification before their salaries would be paid, but it has be discovered to be a ploy to delay payment and condition them to untold hardship in the state. The verification committee in the eight constitutionally recognised local government, it was learnt, blamed the government for not implementing the report of the 2012 exercise, adding that it would have resolved the over bloated wage bill, even as they posited that the 2014/15 report revealed that many civil servants due for retirement were defrauding the state with the use of affidavit to declare their age. Continuing, the committee said further that names of children were found on payroll, as over 120 students studying within and outside the country were receiving monthly salary and that all these abnormalities were perpetrated by a cartel, which they (committee) recommend for random posting to put an end to the payroll fraud in the state. State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Honourable Jonathan Obuebite, who expressed surprise at the staggering report of the committee, regretted that some persons not rendering service to the state were responsible for the over bloated wage bill in the state. According to him, their criminal act was denying genuine workers the opportunity of getting their monthly emolument as and when due, noting that they would not only be shown the way out, but would be prosecuted for defrauding the state. Honourable Jonathan further stated: “In spite of the dwindling economy, the state government is working assiduously to pay off backlog of salaries and pensions owed pensioners in the state from the very low federal allocation.” The sorry situation is such that most civil servants would no longer pay their

Bayelsa local government workers protesting non-payment of salaries by the state government recently. children school fees, house rents amongst other obligations, while government has refused to pay them as and when due, even when they are getting allocation every month from the federation account. The worst hit is the civil servants at the local government level who are owed

one year salary, most of whom have since stopped going to work and have made their intentions known to protest the impunity and insensitivity of government towards their plight. The organised labour union comprising the Comrade John Ndiomu-led Nigeria Labour Congress and Comrade Tari Don-

li-led Trade Union Congress has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Seriake Dicksonled Restoration to pay at least two month salaries to the state civil servants owed four months salaries and four months salaries to the local government workers owed over a year in the state.

Group urges N/Deltans to tackle FG with “intellectual militancy” Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri THE Foundation for the Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (FHRACC) has urged Niger Deltans to desist from crude means of currying the attention of the Federal Government to the plights of the region. The group rather advised militants in the region to engage the Federal Government in “intellectual militancy” to press home their demands and not resort to crude bombing of pipelines. National President of FHRACC, Alaowei

Cleric, made this known on Monday in a statement signed and made available to InsideNigerDelta in Warri, Delta State. He said: “The ongoing oil war being perpetrated by some groups in the creeks of Niger Delta is not the best option for the region. “We have passed the stage of destroying oil facilities to press home our demands especially now that the main actors of the emancipation struggle have accepted Presidential Amnesty. “If anyone is not satisfied with the activities of the present government, he should

‘Cash crunch inhibits our operations in Delta’ Alphonsus Agborh-Asaba THE Nigeria Red Cross Society in Delta State has raised the alarm that lackadaisical attitude of donors is a major bane to its effective operation in the state. “There is no financial support from people, even government subvention is not paid”, the state branch chairman of the society, Prince Olatunde Victor Olasupo, has said. Addressing a press conference as part of activities marking the founder’s day of the Red Cross in Asaba at the weekend, Prince Olasupo urged the state and local governments, corporate organisations and public sprinted individuals to assist the society financially or with other forms of logistics. According to him, the issue of mobility is crucial to the organisation as it would enable members reach out to people in need such as accident and natural disaster vic-

tims and others. The chairman said the society lacked a befitting secretariat for effective collation of information as the parcel of land approved for it by the Delta State government in Asaba since 1996 was still begging for development. He informed that Red Cross had, since the creation of the state in 1991, made enormous strides towards saving lives and restoration of human dignity to the concerned, adding that its effective operation to save lives during the 1998 Jesse fire disaster was worthy of note. Other cases where it rendered assistance to victims include those of Warri crises and Oviri court, Elume, Evwreni, Ohoror, Ododhewho, Etua/Utagba-uno, Isselegu/ Ibabu communal crises, Ozoro, Olomoro, Otor-ogor/ Ughelli, Gbaramatu, Okporoza communities and the 2012 flood victims, among others.

register his grouse within the ambit of the law. “Destroying pipelines to draw government’s attention is not only cruel and barbaric, but it also lacks intellectual reasoning. “For such dastardly acts to be carried out contemporaneously with the Amnesty Programme, it means the actors of these illegal acts didn’t know what is good for the region,” the group with headquarters based in Ayakoroko in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State noted. Cleric added:”We are not unaware of the fact that the Amnesty Programme has been hijacked by those who have been appointed to manage the programme. “We still cannot find any reason for someone to indulge in such nefarious acts using the unchecked corruption that has embroiled the programme as a bait to ferment mayhem on the nation economy.

CREW

Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt 08078891924 lasep09@gamil.com Ebenezer Adurokiya -Delta 08060113609 ebenezeradurokiya@gmail.com Banji Aluko - Edo 08067030572 adebanjialuko@yahoo.com Alphonsus Agborh 08035838703 Austin Ebipade - Bayelsa austinebipade@gmail.com

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

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

NCPC chairman charges ground handlers air carriers THE Chairman, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh charged the bidders for the 2016 pilgrimage exercise to stick to the details of their agreement with the commission. He gave this charge during the 2016 bid opening ceremony at NCPC Corporate Headquarters, Abuja. He explained that the Commission does not work in isolation but in synergy with the government, thus urged them not to deviate from the rules binding the agreement to avoid hitches. The chairman stated that the aircraft business is a delicate one, as many lives are involved in the flight, thus urged them to stay away if they are unprepared. Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NCPC, John Kennedy Opara said that the Commission have done so much to put things in place; and as such cutting corners would not be acceptable, adding that those who put the right documents in place would be successful in the bidding process. Mr Opara promised that the commission is fully prepared to open the bid in line with due process of the procurement act. In his remarks, Senator Tijani Kaura, Chairman Federal Character and inter governmental affairs, commended the Executive Secretary of NCPC for his commitment and described him as a humble, prudent, hardworking and innovative man. He appreciated the efforts the commission has employed to ensure that transparency and accountability are upheld in the bid opening, urging the ground handlers and air carriers to reciprocate the commission’s efforts by handling the Nigeria pilgrims the best way possible and rendering them the best services. In her remarks, Sen Mosurat Sunmonu, Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, urged the ground handlers to make sure the pilgrims are well taken care of in order to ensure that they enjoy their stay while in the Holy land. Those present at the bid opening were members of the National Assembly, the Federal Commissioners and observers from Ministry of Aviation, Nigeria Airport Authority and Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). In the 2016 bid opening, nine ground handlers and four air carriers participated in the bidding exercise.

Opara

Mr Segun Apata

Chief Steve Ojo, President Galaxy TV

Exhibition items

Ololo Christianah

Sunday Seidu

Mr Victor Aigbomian

Mrs Adunola Oyedeji

Oluwaseun Folaranmi

Participants commend Galaxy TV over exhibition By Wale Ojo Lanre

whale of commendation has been hurled on the President of Galaxy TV. Chief Steve Ojo and the entire management of the station “for providing a no fee platform for the showcasing and exhibiting of wonderful works of arts, cultural artefacts and tourism induced talents at its first ever Galaxy Arts and Crafts Exhibition held at foyer of the Cocoa House, Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday, 7 May, 2016 . Galaxy TV as part of its corporate vision had secured the foyer of the IST Floor of the Cocoa House, Ibadan, installed and fitted exhibition shelves and invited latents and pristine talents to exhibit their works of arts without paying a fee. According to Mr Segun Apata, Chief Executive Officer, African Continental Arts and Tourism, “I am short of words to express my gratitude to Chief Steve Ojo and the entire management for packaging this exhibition without asking us to pay a dime. It is an uncommon gesture for such an organisation to do this kind of exposure without asking for participation fee or buying a form.” Mr Victor Aigbomian, who specialises in tie, cap and walking stick branding and designing, said “This is my first participation and exposure to public exhibition. As you can see, my products are unique and classic. If not for Galaxy TV providing this platform free and even inviting me,

these works of beautiful designs will just remained in my locality. But now, apart from making sales, I have got a lot of clients who are ready to make a deal in with me just because Galaxy TV made this exposure possible.” To Ololo Christiana, a textile artist ‘I am lucky to have been an active participant at this talent stimulating and expository exhibition. I do not know how this exhibition has been beneficial to Galaxy, but to us, it is an inestimable experience in terms of business contact and free publicity. To this, I owe Galaxy TV an evergreen gratitude.”

Mrs Oyedeji Adunola, Director Root Palace, “I cannot quantify what this one – day exhibition organised by Galaxy TV has brought into my life and business. I cannot. Although this is not my first time at exhibition, but this one is unique both in purpose, location and contact.” Sunday Seidu an upcoming artist said “I never believed I can have the opportunity to exhibit my work in this kind of environment and meet such great artists, clients and even shown on the TV. This is great and encouraging.” For Oluwaseun Folaranmi, “This exhibition is an eye opener. This is the best decision I ever made this year. It has opened my eyes to what I don’t know about myself, my handiwork and the society. It stokes the ingenuity in me. I had offers to sell my work of arts, but I cannot and do not mainly because of my experience at the exhibition. I am not ungrateful to Galaxy TV. I will remember this forever” Two arts collectors Messer Aderinwale Adeoye and Bisi Aloba testified that the Galaxy TV Sponsored exhibition has vividly showed that there are many talents hidden in nook and cranny of Nigeria only waiting for exposure, discovery and enhancement, “this is what Galaxy TV has done.” Mr Kolawole Akintoba, General Manager, Galaxy TV who was visibly impressed by the number of exhibitors and the deluge of visitors to the exhibition revealed that “It is the idea and concept of the President, Galaxy Television who believed in locating and discovering of latent talents and enhancing the arts, crafts and tourism sector” Revealing the essence of the exhibition, Chief Steve Ojo, President, Galaxy TV, pointed out that “One of our core mission as a media organisation is to focus on the local and domestic attributes of our nation in not only boosting its image but also in empowering the citizens and enhancing the local industry in the arts, culture and tourism sector . And as you can see, that Nigeria has a lot to share with the world.” Chief Ojo revealed ‘This is just a sign post of what we have in the offing for the Nigeria Arts, Culture and Tourism sector. We are organising another Arts, Crafts and Tourism exhibition in Lagos, We shall make the date and place known to all soonest”.

Stakeholders adovocate new name for Information, Culture Ministry TOURISM stakeholders at the summit also called for the change of name of the Ministry of Information and Culture to Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. The stakeholders while responding to various papers delivered at the summit described culture as a unit of tourism, arguing that tourism is big and wide enough that it should not even be

subservient to any other ministry. “If the present administration cannot give tourism a separate ministry, it should rename the Ministry of Information and Culture to reflect tourism, thereby making it Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, to harmonise it with what operates in other tourism-promoting countries,” Lai Muhammed the stakeholders prayed.

tourism

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

DIRECTOR General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbanefo, has described the Nigerian Drums Festival as a good boost for tourism in Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole. Sally Mbanefo said this during the Drums Festival 2016, powered by the Ogun State Government, and held recently at M.K.O. Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, adding that Yoruba has a lot to showcase in terms of cultural heritage and tourist destination, both natural and man-made. Her words: “Africa has come to standstill today because of Ogun State. The state is the centre of action with this well-packaged event. The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, came with many African Ambassadors to this event. That shows the importance of Yoruba heritage and culture

in Nigeria. “Most of the African Ambassadors are here today because of tourism. All the Ambassadors have closed their offices to support the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the people of Ogun mad the Egbaland in particular. We want to unify from within: the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. And also, African countries at large. “The success of the Drums Festival 2016 is a clear indication that if cultural tourism is well-developed and promoted in Nigeria, we will have labyrinth of tourist’s footfalls, which will greatly boost the nation’s economy, create huge employment and empowerment in the communi-

By Wale Ojo Lanre

Star Rise Golden Hotel rises in Badagry!

BADAGRY is one of the major towns in Lagos State Nigeria that is naturally endowed with humongous tourism potentials, it is known for its richness in slave trade history, eco tourism and historical fact about the past and activities of early colonial masters in the country thus warrant influx of people from all over the world to visit, sight and for research purposes. Over the years, there have been several attempts by investors and business-oriented people to tap into the economic advantage of the potentials in the community and one of the way through which such can be done is to make affordable accommodation available for tourists who might want to stay for days and enjoy the sites in the communities thereby boosting the hospitality business in the town. As a matter of fact there are more than 80 hotels in the community which offer hospitality services of different brand and style, but not many of these are out to give the best as it should be. This necessitated the emergence of Star Rise Golden Hotel which is planted off Opa farms Agelaso Area, Badagry with the mission of offering the utmost service dearly needed by tourists, accommodation buyers and hospitality clients who daily throng the historical city of Badagry. Star Rise Golden Hotel parades 35 well apportioned rooms of bliss where the comfort and flex of the customers or buyers are put in consideration before fitting of the facilities. The rooms are blessed with exquisite furniture, posh fittings, well adorned convenience, therapeutic beds and beddings. It is a well structured 3 – star affairs with operational efficiency to the bargain Complimenting the stately rooms of the hotels are a functional bar and intercontinental restaurants positioned, equipped and stocked with brand of drinks which befits a 3 – Star hotel. The restaurant is served by two world class chefs who have intercontinental experience having worked in globalised hotel brands. Realising the nature and necessary need of a typical tourists who must be in touch with the global events and being in contact with others, the hotel has a supra efficient Wifi system which can be accessed automatically without the guest labouring for access code. The hotel did not limit its services to treating customers like a king by feeding them with most delicious meals of their choice or only creating the luxurious and comfort it has gone a mile ahead to pro-

Drum Festival good for tourism —Mbanefo

ties where the tourist sites and cultural festivals are located. It will interest you that the crowd-pulling carnivals in Nigeria are so much that you can’t finish writing about them. The NTDC boss decried the adverse effects of civilisation on the culture and heritage of the Nigeria

vide a functional gymnasium which caters for the physiological well-being and fitness of guests. This facility is also made opened for residents who are not lodgers. Sunrise Golden Hotel as part of its ef-

forts at offering the utmost satisfactory and complete package has engaged a resident tour operator who designs and conduct willing guests on tour of Badagry sites.

people, saying “civilisation has made us forget our culture and heritage. We must know that a country that forgets its culture and heritage has lost its essence. Thus, we need to appreciate and be proud of our culture and heritage, and give a good attention to the promotion of our cultural heritage. “I made the traditional rulers my first point of call wherever I go because they are the rightful custodian of our culture and heritage. To practically promote our cultural heritage, we must work together with the traditional rulers.” Describing the importance of drums, Mrs Mbanefo said drumming is a good form of communication and a fantastic means of entertainment. “We are happy to be here today. We are here to celebrate the unity of the Nigerian people,” Mbanefo said.

Mr Frank Sylvester, Manager, Star Rise Golden Hotel pointed out that, “At Star Rise Golden, we make our guests feel more comfortable and offer a service that will retain their loyalty in terms of patronage, we offer the best and affordable services around here, we have a functioning laundry services gymnasium and internet and we give 24 hours water and electricity supply, we put all these in place to ensure our guests enjoy their stay”. He revealed “We are conscious of the fact that schools, institutions and organisations always come here for excursions and other activities which centre majorly around tourism, in order to satisfy them, we are into partnership with some of the tour operators operating within the town to take them round the sites and assist them in other areas where they may need help”. Mr Sylvester revealed “Our security arrangement is perfect, Although we rely heavily on God’s protection as humans, but we also have security arrangement which guarantees safety of lives and properties of our clients, Apart from the internal security arrangement, we also have a working arrangement with all security operatives around here”. He pointed out “at Star Rise Golden Hotel, we are providing the utmost service for our customers not only because of their money, but solely to offer them the best value beyond their imagination. Also our service is tailored toward creating a permanent symbiotic relationship with our clients.”

2016 African Diaspora World Tourism Awards & Travel Expo THE African Diaspora World Tourism (ADWT) Awards and Travel Expo will once again take place on August 26 to 28, 2016 in Atlanta, Ga. (USA) at the Westin Atlanta Airport (4736 Best Road). After the success of the inaugural awards that was attended by people from around the world, the prestigious ADWTAwards event will again be presented by African Diaspora Tourism with publisher Kitty J. Pope as the founder/director and executive producer of the historical event. Co-presenter is the AD King Foundation and its Co-Founder/CEO Dr Babs Onabanjo who serves as ADWTAwards executive producer/ producer. Helping to produce this year’s awards

event are Africa’s tourism guru Ikechi Uko of Nigeria, founder of Akwaaba-African Travel Market, the largest travel expo in West Africa, who will present an African Tourism component; and socio-economic developer Rev. Eugene Franklin, founder/ president and CEO of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Initiative who will present a Pan African Tourism component. Lou D’Amore, founder/CEO of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is also partnering to help with the 2016 ADWT Awards and Travel Expo. Like the previous awards event, the 2016 weekend event will include the awards Gala, cultural entertainment, a Hall of Fame Lun-

cheon and a Travel Expo. In addition, this year’s ADWT-Awards event will feature two new components where event attendees can learn various aspects about African Tourism as well as Diaspora Tourism. The two new components are: 1) Bantaba: Africa Comes to her Diaspora and 2) The Green Book Summit: The Pan African Cultural Heritage Tourism Roundtable. Bantaba and the Green Book Summit will also be a part of the ADWT-Travel Expo. Rev. Eugene Franklin, creator of the Green Book Summit will be the keynote speaker for the Pan African Luncheon and Ikechi Uko, creator of Bantaba will be the keynote speaker for the African Cultural Heritage Dinner.

20 with Doyin Adeoye

m:08038000394 e:doyinadeoye@tribuneonlineng.com t:@kreatif_ink

Michael Stausholm is the CEO of Denmark-based, Sprout World, a company which produces plantable pencils that grow into vegetables, herbs or flowering plants, with millions of it sold across the world. He speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE on the idea behind the company’s environmental sustainable products, among other issues.

hat brought about the idea of Sprout Pencils? The idea basically is to show in an understandable way what sustainability is all about, because it may be very difficult to actually explain what sustainability is about. So for Sprout Pencil, the idea is that you can use the product, write with it and when you are done, instead of just throwing it out, you can literally give it a new life, plant it and that is what sustainability is all about. How did you come up with

the design? The pencil was designed by three young students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, United States of America (USA). They had a design course and were given an assignment of designing a sustainable future office product. So they came up with the idea of pencils with plant. So that was how it came around in 2012. So they later put it on kickstarter, a crowd funding site that they were looking for money to fund the project and that was where I found it. We later made a deal with

the young students, and one year later, I bought the patent and the rights and today, Sprout is a global company. Sprout pencils have become a global product. Did you envisage this when you started? No. I didn’t. To be honest, yes, I thought it was a great idea, considering what sustainability is all about, but I didn’t really think that commercially, it could be such a great venture that it has turned out to be. And today, we are selling in more than 60 countries; last year, we sold more than 1.7

million Sprout Pencils globally and we’ve just seen that the interest is increasing everywhere. People just love the idea that you don’t have to throw it out after you finish using it.

ant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza, since 1 January, 2016, a total of 206 alleged poachers have been arrested in South Africa. “These successes are the result of the improved collaboration within the security cluster, as well as working with communities and non-governmental organisations,” Ntlemeza said. Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa, said there has been an increase in poaching activities in the Kruger National Park. “In comparison to the first four months of last year when 808 in-

cursions took place, the number of poaching activities now stands at a staggering 1 038 in the Kruger National Park alone. “This increase translates to an average of nine incursions per day, compared to seven incursions per day in the same period last year,” she said. She added that the number of carcasses of poached rhinos in the Kruger National Park for the same period has decreased from 302 to 232, which is by 23 per cent. On a national level, the num-

bers of rhinos poached have decreased slightly. In the first four months of this year, 363 rhino were poached in the country, while during the same period last year, the national figure stood at 404. Minister Molewa said the detection capacity at the ports has been increased. A total of 712 multi-disciplinary border officials have been trained, in addition to the 1 047 trained last year. “This brings the number of officials that have received training from the Environmental Man-

new seeds to meet new demands. So do you have seeds peculiar to specific geographic locations, especially now that the market is moving into Africa? We are looking into that because whenever we enter a new market, we try to look also for seeds peculiar to the local area. For instance, in Southern Europe, we have a very popular herb which is commonly used for cooking there. So if we are entering into Africa, we have to look for seeds that are local. So we try to look for what is most suitable for the regions and we are considering that as well in our move to Africa. Asides from the pencils, what other sustainable products are available at Sprout World? We have colour pencils which are very popular as well. We also have greeting cards that can be planted as well. We have seeds embedded into the paper, so instead of just throwing the cards away afterwards, you can actually plant them. And we have various other products.

very large orders from both Egypt and South Africa and I am hoping that this will spread to the rest of Africa, including Nigeria.

Where is the major market for these pencils? The United States is a very big market for us and also many countries in Europe, like Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and of course, Denmark, where we are from. But also, we are seeing a growing interest in the Middle East and Africa. We just received some

What do you think is the major challenge in terms of global environmental sustainability? I see a lot of different challenges but in relation to things that we do, I’ve realised that people are buying a lot of things and they just throw it out once they are done with it and it is a huge waste. So trying to think of ways where products can be reused in a totally different way for a richer purpose will be a great way to improve on the environment.

agement Inspectorate (Green Scorpions) on the Illicit International Cross Border Movement of Endangered Species to 1 759 in a space of less than eight months,” Minister Molewa said. She encouraged South Africans to come forward with information on rhino poaching and other wildlife crime. “Be vigilant. Report suspicious activity in your area that you think may be related to rhino poaching. No matter how small or insignificant you may think it is, it can help us,” Molewa said.

What seeds are there in the pencils? We have many seeds and we introduce new seeds all the time. Recently we introduced chilli seeds. We also have those for trees, considering that we use trees for making the woods to make the pencils, so we felt that there is need to grow new trees. Also, we have lot of herbs like basil and thyme, as well as flowers like lavender, sunflower and the likes. We also have vegetables like cherry and tomato. So the company is always trying to develop

South Africa records 78% conviction rate in rhino cases South Africa’s Department of Justice has achieved a conviction rate of 78 per cent in cases of rhino poaching. According to Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Michael Masutha, between April 2015 and March 2016, there were 49 finalised cases involving 103 accused. “A total of 80 of these accused were convicted, resulting in a conviction rate of 78 per cent,” he said. According to the Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Lieuten-

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. —Albert Einstein

ecoscope Pencils designed to grow into vegetables, herbs

New UN campaign showcases wealth of climate action by companies, investors, cities, regions Climate action by cities and companies and by regions and investors is continuing strongly since the Paris climate change conference with some 50 new actions posted on the United Nations’ portal which was set up to showcase private sector and local authority ambition. Ranging from South African hospitals group Netcare Ltd to Dutch banking group ING, the new commitments join over 11,000 already registered on the Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA), established in 2014 at the request of the Government of Peru. The news comes as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is managing the portal, last week also launched a global public awareness campaign to spotlight these game-changing commitments, including the many which are happening in the developing world. For example, the city of Puebla in Mexico committed and registered on NAZCA its aim to reduce emissions by 90 per cent by 2050. And India’s Tata Motors has committed to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 per cent by 2020 and procure 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources. It is hoped tha the new campaign, entitled: ‘We’re Accelerating Climate Action,’ will encourage more entities to consider how they can make climate action commitments. With the next UN climate conference to be held in Morocco in November this year, companies, investors, cities, regions and provinces from the global south and Africa are especially welcome.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Having bought the patent right for Sprout Pencils, do you still look out for other great ideas out there? Yes. We constantly work on newer products and we also look around the world, especially for young entrepreneurs with great ideas and we try to either partner or in some cases, we purchase the business that we think can fit well with the Sprout Pencil. For instance, the plantable card was from the US and we brought it to Denmark. So we are constantly looking for people with great ideas, that can fit into Sprout, either as a partnership, or we out rightly buy the product. What advice do you have for young ecoprenuers out there? It is one thing to have a very good idea, for instance, the sprout pencil is a great idea right, but it doesn’t really matter if you don’t have a great team around you. You need to surround yourself with people who know about things that you don’t know about because a great team of people can take even a bad idea very far, but a bad team will never be able to take even a great idea anywhere. So it is very important to surround yourself with people who are more knowledgeable than you are about different parts of the business.

Nigeria plans to check climate change in Niger Delta, North — Environment Minister •Says open defecation will end by 2019 By Tunde Ogunesan THE Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed has revealed that the Federal Government through the ministry has come up with a plan to check effect of climate change in the NIGER Delta and the Northern part of the country. The Minister disclosed this while addressing the staff of Federal Research institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Jericho, Ibadan, at the weekend during a two-day visit to the agency. Mohammed, who was led into the over four hours facility visits of various departments and sections of the agency by the Executive Director, FRIN, Dr Adeshola Adepoju and assisted by other departmental heads of the institute as an asset to the ministry. Her words, “climate change is challenge to us as a nation. So it is time in the world when climate change is real, and solution to climate change which is manmade must come from within. We are not to be blamed for the global warming, but we do have to find a solution. “So, in coming to FRIN, which is one of the assets that we have in the Ministry of Environment, there is no way to progress as a nation in this sector without evidence based decision making and that requires science. It requires research and it requires experience and exposure of the experts that are around for a very long time to help us to frame what we must do for the way forward. “Now, we have very many challenges ahead. I can start from the Nigeria Delta about the clean up in Ogoni land, what has FRIN got to do in terms of pollution? “But today, if you look at what is happening in science, you will find out the difference in new technology that are being used to tackle this. We know that technology and a lot of bio technology is really what we can use to expand this mandate. “We are also looking that if we clean up the Niger Delta, how are we staying clean? And stay clean means we have to get back to the ecosystem, that has been lost to oil pollution. As we are also talking of diversification of economy and I’ve asked the director here on what type of plant we should be talking about in the region. Is it palm oil, banana or what? This research institute has a great bearing on what we’re planning to do over the next couple of decades in the Niger Delta. “Then we can go to the North. Climate change has eaten the part of North to West and East Africa to the Sahara and Djibouti, having dried

Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed with the Executive Director, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Dr Adeshola Adepoju, during her visit to Ibadan recently.

more than what we can dream of. We have come up with the idea of the green wall. It means a barrier to stop the desert from getting drier. “What we are doing in Nigeria is not to stop the desert but to re-claim the desert. And in reclaiming the desert, how, who and who do we need for that? We need research institutes like ours and that is why it is a great asset to us. Not to just think about planting trees, we think about economic trees, about great green wall being economic and ultimately for sustainable development. So people can get jobs, in small and medium enterprises,” Mohammed

ecofact

Over 5,000 climbers have successfully reached Mount Everest’s peak, including a 13-year-old, a blind person, and a 73-year-old woman. Jordan Romero became the youngest person to climb the Mount Everest at 13 years, 10 months and 10 days old, on 22 May, 2010. Erik Weihenmayer, a blind man summited Everest on 25 May, 2001, while Tamae

said. Furthermore, she also assured Nigerians that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will end the era of plastic waste on Nigerian roads and open defecation, to safeguard the natural environment and as well provide job opportunities for the citizens. She said “by 2019, we will end an area of plastic bags, pure water sachets and bottled water as waste on the streets. We’re not banning it because we cannot ban it, but getting the plastic companies to collect it, pay for it and we turn waste to wealth and they recycle it.”

Watanabe is the oldest woman to summit, at age 73 in 2012. Mount Everest is earth’s highest mountain. It is located in the Mahalangur mountain range in Nepal and Tibet. Its peak is 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level. In 1865, Everest was given its official English name by the Royal Geographical Society upon a recommendation by Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India. Waugh named the mountain after his predecessor in the post, Sir George Everest, arguing that there were many local names, against the opinion of Everest.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

with Tunde Dodondawa m:08029370304 e:mrdodondawa@yahoo.com

The global oil and gas sector is under severe challenges as crude price volatility is making the terrain so difficult to survive. However, the Chief Executive Officer, Oilserv Limited, Emeka Okwuosa in an interview with OLATUNDE DODONDAWA during the Offshore Technology Conference in Texas explained how indigenous operators have been faring and suggested strategies on how to survive the volatility.

OUR company was one of the companies that won the East-West pipeline bid. What is the situation of the contract considering the dwindling crude price vis-a-vis financial challenges of the government? I understand your East-West pipeline to be OBB pipeline, the project is ongoing and we are looking at the schedule completion is July 2017. The project has faced quite a few challenges like you will expect of any project. Projects come with plans, based on scope and as you progress with the project, you may have changes in scope depending on what you intend to achieve. We also have challenges that come with community management and security issues. We also have several other challenges, but at the end of it all, we have to reduce the recalibration of the schedule. Currently, we are looking at July 2017, in terms of how it is being affected by the current situation in oil and gas industry, not really. This is a gas pipeline and I know there is a focus to try and get gas distribution come in top gear and this means clearly that this has been programmed overtime and the funding is also being kept up by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government. So clearly the funding is on stream and I believe by next year, we should have that pipeline fully functional to increase the capacity of gas supply for domestic uses. What is the capacity of the pipeline? At peak supply, we are looking at maximum of two billion standard cubic feet of gas. Whether you achieve that or not, it depends on whether you have enough gas to feed it. With the spate of renewed pipeline vandalism and you targeting 2017 as due date, what measures have you put in place to ensure the security of the pipeline? Pipelines are built based on what is called engineering codes. And these codes determine the way you scope the project, the way you scope the specifications of the projects and once that is done by the clients, our job is to build to that specifications. There are many ways to secure a pipeline, but the most important way to secure a pipeline is the engagement of stakeholders including

Govt has no business

owning oil assets —Oilserv Boss

the government, the community and all manners of people that have direct impact on the pipeline. There are various forms of technology like the defiled optic system, that’s not being installed in the pipeline because it wasn’t part of the original scope. But, what we have to know is that anybody that is tampering with a gas pipeline is a clear sabotage, because you don’t tamper with gas pipeline to steal the gas. So, the incidence of gas pipeline vandalism is such that is not normal and not usual. Whenever it happens, it means that whoever that has gone up to vandalise the pipeline cannot be easily stopped because it is an act of sabotage. How do you think the government can permanently address these challenges? Government has to set up a system to guide the pipeline because it is a national asset. It is a very strategic national asset because anywhere in the world, you guide your pipelines. Either by using technology or engage the communities around there by putting up a proper security including military security, but you have to guide your pipelines. What do you now consider as the best method to stop vandalism? It depends on the pipeline, the area and the community you are passing by. It depends on many things, but like I said, it is a combination of all sorts and it is only when you take a specific pipeline that you can address such issues clearly, and be able to put a formula for it. It is not easy to say this is the way forward. It is a combination of being able to work together with the communities and the individuals around the areas of that pipeline. Being able also to build the pipeline, following codes in a way that it will be more difficult for anybody to get close, which means you bury the pipelines which is what we do. The other one is being able to deploy technology which is either, you put a detection system along the line or you put drones to monitor. Finally, you have to put an intervention system, which means when you have detected it, you need people to go there and take actions which mean it has to be purposeful, it has to be well organised and finally, you must have a legal system in gear that when you catch somebody,

Emeka Okwuosa, CEO, Oilserv Limited you prosecute that person. If after arrests, nothing happens, that encourages negative actions, but going forward it is quite a complex scenario which can also be solved. With the downturn in the oil and gas sector, how are you coping and in terms of exploratory activities? Exploration and production are parts of the whole package. We started with construction, expanded it into full Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC). Oilserv is the first indigenous company to go into full EPC. We started with construction work, expanded into full EPC. With that, we consolidated our activities and we have been able to build capacity. Then we moved on into gas development, exploration and production. The whole idea is to have a balanced portfolio and be able to derisk the business. Now oil price is low, but then people will have to understand that oil price has never remained low or remains high. It is a cycle that has been going on for decades and for those who deeply understand the oil industry, you have to be able to read the cycle and know when to gauge. Oil price is low, the reality today is that this is the best time to invest because you can price low. The main challenge is that you may not find the money to invest. We have gone into exploration and production to be able to gauge. Right now, exploration is more difficult because it is difficult to go out and drill and spend money on exploration with low oil price. You can still do it if you can get the services with reduced income which is what is going on today. You can get into production asset where you optimise production, reduce your costs and be able to produce at a rate below $30 per barrel, manage until the price goes up. Most operators you serve are being owed by the NNPC, how are you coping with this situation and what strategy options do you think the industry should adopt to get out of this situation?

Everybody is affected definitely. We have an industry wide downturn, you have low activity, you have low price regime, so it is affecting everybody. It is also creating a challenge for the government to be able to cope with these issues of funding. Knowing too well that oil in particular is the major ingredient of our economy in terms of sustainability. Oil still constitutes more than 60 per cent of our foreign exchange earnings as a country. You can realise that lots of things we use in Nigeria are purchased from overseas. So to fund these, you need to ensure you get enough money from the sale of crude to meet them. If you put that aside, you will know we have a gap there, it makes it more difficult for the government to fund their Joint Venture commitments. And do not forget that some of these commitments are dated more than five to eight years ago. It is actually a problem. But, I believe strongly that, like the minister of state for petroleum resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has stated severally, they are working on it. They are looking at alternative means of funding. They are also looking at being able to draw some funds from Middle East, China and from other sources. The government is in a better position to decide that, but I believe they know what the problem is and that they are dealing with it. But as far as it affects PETAN members and Oilserv, it is a serious problem. We all know that it is not going to be there forever because if you look at the price regime of crude oil, it appears like it has bottomed, you have upside going forward. It requires planning and decisions to get it to the $100 per barrels cap. Many of your colleagues have expressed frustrations with respect to accessing Nigeria Content Fund (NCF), what really is the situation of the fund? The NCF is a major issue because some of Continues on pg23

energy Local content under threat as IOCs cut costs 23

Stories by Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos HERE are strong indications that the local content policy of the Federal Government aimed at promoting indigenous participation in the oil and gas sector, largely dominated by International Oil Companies (IOC) may have come under serious threats as IOCs cut costs to save afloat. The uncertainties in the crude price volatility have resulted into IOCs cutting their costs by as much as 45 per cent deferment of investment plan or outright cancellation capital projects. These operators feared the local content capacity built over years may be in danger if the indigenous oil companies do not survive the downtown. Speaking at a Nigerian Content workshop at the recently concluded Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, with the theme ‘Local Content Implementation in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry: A Cost Reduction Strategy’ organised by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), it was advocated that there should be low maintenance and operational costs of existing assets, elongating lives of assets through proactive local supports, cost effective implementation of projects and utilising local resources to reduce the overall cost. Operators emphasised the need to reduce cost of operations and projects through local capacity development, indigenous working assets acquisitions, developing local expertise, low maintenance and operational costs of existing assets and elongating lives of assets through proactive local expertise. They said policy needs to be directed to focus on sustain-

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

ability of Nigerian local capacity and survive the declining crude oil prices. During his speech, Bank-Anthony Okoroafor, Chairman of PETAN,

stressed the need to leverage on existing in-country capacity. He added that the country should actively pursue reserves and production growth, which he said, has

been on the decline. He said if the country can leverage proven Nigerian companies and in-country capacity building, “proper implementation of the Ni-

gerian oil and gas industry content development will significantly drive down the cost of doing business in the oil industry and cushion the effects of the low prices.”

Oil rig operating on Aje 5 well

Lagos pumps first oil as oil producing state LAGOS State has finally joined the elite club of oil producing states as it pumped its first oil from 40,000 barrel per day capacity Aje field, offshore Lagos. In a statement by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company last Wednesday, signed by Mr Tunde Folawiyo, Chairman of Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company, the company announced that it has commenced production of crude oil from its Aje Field located in Block OML 113 offshore Lagos, Nigeria. An indigenous firm, Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company is a wholly owned Nigerian company and is the Operator of OML113. The

other partners are New Age Exploration Nigeria Limited, EER (Colobus) Nigeria Limited, Pan Petroleum (Panoro Energy) Aje Limited and PR Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited. “After over 25 years of exploratory, appraisal and developmental activities, YFP has successfully pioneered the opening of the Frontierg of Benin Embayment as the Aje Field is the first field to record production from this part of Nigeria and is the first production outside of the Niger Delta. “Commissioning of the Front Puffin FPSO was successfully completed after its arrival in Nigeria; oil produced from the Aje field

will be stored on the Front Puffin which has production capacity of 40,000 barrels of oil per day and storage capacity of 750,000 barrels.” The Chairman of YFP, Tunde Folawiyo, said “The attainment of this milestone is indeed a laudable achievement not just for YFP, but for the Nigerian oil and gas industry as a whole and indeed Lagos State which can now be addressed as an oil producing state. “Recording this achievement in the present global oil climate together with the peculiar challenges of the field is clearly no mean feat. We are very proud of and appreciate the efforts, determination and commitment of the en-

tire Aje Project team past and present the constant support from our regulators, the DPR and Ministry of Petroleum and our financiers. We believe this crucial support will spur us on to even greater achievements.” Aje is an offshore field located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 113 in the western part of Nigeria, in the Dahomey Basin. The field is situated in water depths ranging from 100 to 1,000 metres about 24 kilometre from the coast. The Aje Field contains hydrocarbon resources in sandstone reservoirs in three main levels, a Turonian gas condensate reservoir, a Cenomanian oil reservoir and an Albian gas

Nigerian Tribune

Global oil conference records all-time low attendance DECLINE in crude price took its turn on the global oil and gas conference, Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2016 which recorded its all time low attendance. The global conference which usually takes place during the first week of May every year 2500 companies that exhibited their products and services compared to last year edition which recorded 2682 companies. This year, there were 68,000 attendees from 120 countries compared with more than 94,700 attendees from 130 countries that attended last year. The Nigerian pavilion was a shadow of itself when compared with the glamour and the razzmatazz usually displayed by the Nigerian delegates to the global event usually led by the Minister of Petroleum Resources. This year, the Nigerian delegation was led by the Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Seidu Muhammad, while four senior management staff members of the NNPC accompanied him. Oil and gas operators who ordinarily used to fly to Houston,Texas to meet the minister of petroleum resources were disappointed when President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of State and the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu did not attend the conference. The OTC Chairman, Mr Joe Fowler, regretted that in its second year of crippling low commodity prices, the oil and gas industry is, by and large, in hunker-down-and-survive mode, assuring that even the darkest times occasionally set a ray of sunshine.

‘Nigeria must continue to build local capacity’ Continued from pg22

us in PETAN who fought so hard with other stakeholders to be able to set up the NCDMB based on local content act, some of us feel some of the aims are not being achieved as of now. It may be too early to judge, but some of the directions we are seeing, we need to make sure that some of them are corrected. We are slowly building up a staunch of fund that is being taken off from us. When I say us, I’m looking at service providers, and the producers. The purpose of that fund is very clear. It is for capacity building. But how the fund is being deployed today is not clear to any of us. Until we all come together and look at it and make sure that this fund is being deployed properly, in order to build capacity. Capacity is not for one person, it is for the nation. We have to make sure the oil and gas industry is positively ru bbed off the economy of the country. How to do that is to continue to boost capacity, to provide jobs, grow the Nigerian participation in the exploration and distribution of oil and gas sector and that is the only way. Talking about legislation, the PIB was re-presented and was eventually stepped down. Considering the apprehension that followed the past PIB, does it mean this may not also see the light of the day? Clearly, past administrations did not handle the PIB very well. From the Executive to the Legislators, plus purely in my own opinion, it’s a huge joke. This is because every year we come here and we always hear the story that this year PIB

will be passed and it went on for four years. There was no commitment to do that. I have stated it severally in the past that if Nigeria needs to move forward, we have to define the regime of all operations in the oil and gas because the investors cannot invest on the basis of an unknown framework or system that has the potential to impact on their own investment. Whenever there is a problem, you find out that companies take a back seat and wait for you to sort it out. So, it is major challenge. Now I believe that this current administration is serious about making a move. Few things I’ve seen showed me that they are serious, but what they are going to do about that, I don’t know. Let us remember, it is not just about the executives, the major culprit in this situation is the Senate and the House of Representatives. So if the legislatures do not do their work, the executives cannot also do it. From what I have heard, recently in the briefing of the chairman of senate committee on upstream, he stated clearly that they are working on it.

How do you manage the expectations of your host community to avoid issues with them? We have a process that has been working for us for years. Don’t forget that we are the only oil service company that was operating fully in repairs and recapitalisation of pipelines between 2001 and 2008 when militancy was at its peak. We managed to operate in the middle of the swamp. So the trick is very simple, it is a matter of being able to understand what it should be, having a proper process in place to address them and be able to engage the community in a sustainable

manner. If you deal with them, agree on anything and you do those things, when you come back, they will receive you. But when they see you as somebody that usually take advantage of them, there will be problems. It has to be a consistent relationship. This is from service company point of view, you cannot solve the entire problem doing it that way. You require engagement of oil and gas producers, because after our works, they will remain there. The government has a lot to do on how they organise communities and how they make sure the communities become stakeholders in all they do. In the face of all these challenges, what do you see as the way forward for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria? Way forward is to continue to build local capacity in a very structured manner looking at long term plan. Being able to continue to invest in the oil and gas industry irrespective of the price regime. Finally, government should understand that they have no business owning assets in oil and gas sector. Government duty is to regulate, tax and utilise the tax proceeds for the development of the country. Anytime you allow government to claim ownership of assets through JV or other means, it will not work because they are structured to manage business. Countries like the US doesn’t own any oil and gas assets, so far as you collect your tax and allow the private individuals to run their businesses, they will create capacity and make you collect more money in tax revenue which is a better way of doing business.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com

ROM a single kidnapping incident throughout the year 1992 to the recorded kidnap of 551 persons in 395 cases in four months of 2015, Nigeria is now ranked as one of the top countries for kidnapping or abduction. According to the 2014 abduction report released by Control Risk, a UK-headquartered consultancy organisation, Nigeria is fifth in the world and first in Africa in recorded cases of kidnapping. Nigeria is in the same class like Mexico, India, Pakistan, Iraq and Libya where kidnapping is rampant. Popular cases include those of Chief Olu Falae, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, Mrs Kamene Okonjo, the three students of Babinton Macaulay Junior Seminary, Ikorodu; Mrs Dornu Kogbara, and the Chibok girls. While reported cases show that the elite are usually the target, the Chibok girls’ case points to the fact that anybody anywhere could be kidnapped. Last week, the menace caught the ire of the Senate, whose members adopted the death penalty recommendation for kidnapping. This followed the consideration of a report of the Joint Committee on Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence entitled, “The unfortunate recurrence of kidnapping and hostage-taking in Nigeria” presented by Senator Abu Ibrahim, representing Katsina South. During their debate on the recommendations of the report, the Senate had adopted the suggestion of Senator Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central, that kidnapping should attract the death penalty. Considering that kidnapping is not contained in the exclusive list of the Nigerian Constitution, the Senate noted that the onus also lay on the state Houses of Assembly to enact the laws that would enable the prosecution of kidnappers. In 2013, former President Goodluck Jonathan recognised the reservation of state governors towards signing death sentences passed on convicted criminals, saying that leaders’ responsibilities included doing both the “sweet and the ugly part” as long as it was sanctioned by law. Prior to that charge, Nigeria reportedly had not recorded any execution since 2006. Soon after Jonathan’s call, four executions were recorded. Governor Adams Oshiomole was one of the few state executives to heed the call when he signed the death warrants of two death row convicts. Implementation of the death penalty remains the challenge as a few executions have been recorded in the past decade. But, Amnesty International did call for caution, defining death penalty as, “the ultimate denial of human rights, the premeditated and cold blooded killing of a human being by the state.” Prior to the Senate’s call, states like Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers, Kogi and most recently, Oyo, have passed the anti kidnapping bill into law, prescribing the death penalty. The Oyo State Kidnapping (prohibition) bill 2016 signed into law by the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, on April 8, 2016, is the most recent template, which prescribes death penalty for persons convicted for kidnapping. The discovery of a den for kidnapped victims in Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on March 22, 2014, put the state on the world map. As contained in the state law, anyone convicted of kidnapping, abducting or seizing a person or group of individual where life is lost is liable to death penalty while a kidnapper shall be liable to imprisonment for life without the option of fine, and repay the ransom received in a case where the kidnapped person was not killed and released upon payment of ransom. Chairman, Committee on Judiciary and Justice, Oyo House of Assembly, Honourable Olukayode Akande, said the new law was based on the policy of retribution and deterrence. “In the philosophy of sentencing, it is not the penalty that is paramount, so to speak. It is just to prevent the people from committing the offence. It is therefore the responsibility of the law enforcement agents to swing into action as regards implementation. This law is to ensure sanity in our security situation. The operators of the law, that is, the judiciary, law enforcement agents, SSS have to be honest and fearless,” Akande said. President, Women Arise for Change Initiative, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin noted that death penalty is not in consonance with global best practices, instead she maintained that long term sentences would suffice in dealing with kidnapping. “Inasmuch as kidnapping, like every other crime against humanity, remains a condemnable capital offence, we must also be conscious of the fact that there is a global trend of advocacy against the implementation of capital punishment for offenders. It is therefore

Oshiomhole

Gov Ajimobi

As states prescribe death penalty for kidnappers WALE AKINSELURE examines the implication of the legislation by some state Houses of Assembly prescribing death penalty for kidnappers. my view that such act being enacted by the National Assembly is outdated and rather should be remodified to long term sentences and even life imprisonment. Nigeria as a nation at this point in time should not be seen as to be moving against International best practices and global trends as we must remember that beyond the right to life, our laws must be such that will confirm with every known global standards,” Odumakin said. In Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano launched an all out war against kidnappers pulling down warehouses, properties suspected to be used to harbor kidnap victims. Amid some criticism, Obiano hinged his activities on the state’s anti-kidnapping law as empowering the state government to demolish properties owned by persons suspected to be kidnappers or built with proceeds of kidnapping or used by suspected kidnappers for their activities. However, while some Nigerians have lauded the death penalty recommendation as being capable of stemming kidnapping and other forms of criminality, state executives as well as law enforcement agencies have noted the challenge they face in implementing the death penalty. According to the immediate past chairman, Nigerian

If governors are not signing, what do we do? So, why do we pass a law that we know, in reality, will not be put to use?

Bar Association, Oyo State, Mr Kazeem Gbadamosi, the death penalty recommendation for kidnapping among other criminal offences is rendered ineffective as state executives scarcely ratify death sentences. He said, “There are several offences that carry death penalty but how many people have been convicted and executed? The death penalty is neither here nor there because nobody will carry out the death sentence, if recommended by the court. If governors are not signing, what do we do? So, why do we pass a law that we know, in reality, will not be put to use.” However, the Director of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) in Oyo State, Alhassan Baba, noted that the root causes of kidnapping in the Nigerian society must be addressed for the nation to experience some respite. Alhassan adduced reasons for the increasing rate of kidnapping as unemployment, lack of security consciousness, failure by members of the public to give information to security agencies, absence of requisite technology, underhand employment to kidnappers by the highly placed, lack of coordination among security agencies, and poorly equipped security agencies. While noting that Nigerians were quick to dole out ransom whenever they fall victim, he decried the uncooperative attitude of victims after release and the uncooperative attitude of telecom operators to facilitate investigations and arrests. A legal practitioner, Aderonke Ige, said the challenge of implementation of the death penalty was evident in few hangmen in the country to execute convicted criminals. While noting the elongated process in executing criminals, she said that being on the death row is appreciable punishment which condemns convicted persons to despair. “Our penal code recognises the death penalty for murder, among other criminal offences. However, I am aware that people are reluctant to be hangmen such that we have very few of them in the country. People usually appeal death penalties and such case is prolonged for a while.

politics&policy Why DSS raided A-Ibom Govt House —Gov Emmanuel

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, spoke to a select group of newsmen where he bared his mind on issues affecting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the politics of his state and national issues generally. Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA and BOLA BADMUS bring the excerpts:

monwealth gold medal category. We picked her from the village and trained her in our stadium. The South West leaders of PDP are talking about the party’s coming convention and they appear divided over the issue of national chairmanship post, what is your take? On South-West leaders of PDP in relations to the party’s National Convention, as at today, we are all having the same view. Let me say something, there must be some dissenting voices here and there whether you like it or not. Even between two brothers, where they are seated, it doesn’t mean two of them must then agree on certain things at the first instant. That is why there is this word in the dictionary, the word they call moral suasion. So it happened two weeks ago, but as at today, people all have the same view. Somebody like me, I don’t have any other party. The only party I know is in my state is PDP. This is because that is the part that brought development. So, as far my people are concerned, that is the only thing they know. So what we are telling people now is look, what do you want to achieve? Can we work from what we want to achieve? We must leave all those things, all those sentiments, biases and so on that we started from outside before we can determine where to go. So that is the new direction and that is why you see some of us in the frontline of repositioning our party. Sorry to say we would not allow the selfish ones and so on to derail what we are doing. That is what we are working on and we will succeed.

HAT are the effects the decline in the oil price have had on the pace and pattern of your administration? There are certain things you need to know. The cost structure when the economy was running on $128 per barrel, $130 and $140 would remain the same. It is not easy to change that cost structure under a democracy, especially in a system where most of our people rely on government. Here, government influences a lot of things even the financial services. If there is no statutory allocation, look at how liquidity would dry up in the system. A whole lot of things are wholly dependent on the direction of the government. The cost structure when the oil price was $140 is not coming down; it is rather going up because inflation is not static. The population is growing, people are growing from new age grade to another; that calls for certain classes of demand for goods and services in addition to the cost structure you are running. So, you are running a cost structure that the revenue that you are earning today is less than 25 per cent of the revenue that actually put that cost structure in place. So, that calls for ingenuity in managing the resources. We are not boasting but go and check it. People think Akwa Ibom collects so much. It is a relative term. What we collect today is relative to what we used to collect that our cost structure was based on. Every state government is in the same situation but what would differentiate you is a little bit of ingenuity, ideas and creativity. That is why you do not make noise about it. How can you tell the whole world that you are paying salaries? But in Nigeria, it is an achievement if you are paying salaries and pensions because when you turn around and you see others owing eight and nine months, you come back home and say, “God, I have tried now.” Take for example, this month, the local government and primary school teachers; you know we run free and compulsory education at basic level for even people from our neighbouring states. So, the enrolment is much. I have a lot of primary school teachers because people from neighbouring states come to my state to go to school because it is free. As at today, the statutory allocation from the Federal Account for primary school teachers and local government employees is barely N2 billion. I have put all the checks and balances and I still have a structure of N2. 77 billion. The question now is, if what you are getting could barely meet that, how are you managing to pay the salaries and still run general administration of the state and be able to meet all other challenges of governance? That is when creativity, ideas and ingenuity would come in. That is why I tell you today that those that are paying salaries, it is a big achievement. There are challenges but the question there is as I said earlier, what brings out the best in a good leader is when you are faced with those challenges. For somebody like me, that is when you put me in my best and make me to put on my thinking cap. So, those challenges are meant to bring the best out of us. Probably, if I met oil price at $140, $150 per barrel, I would have liked those days we used to enter Molue, to say ‘Go on so un.’ I would not have checked those things that make us to move forward economically. That is not the thinking of today. That is not where the direction should lead us to. We should not behave like the days of manner falling from heaven. These are the days of tilling on the land. People must be able to work to create wealth. That is a challenge and that is why you see a whole lot of our economic policies at channeling toward addressing that. During the campaigns, you marshalled out some programmes that you intended to implement from day one. The question is, the long time you spent at the Tribunal, has it not disrupted the programmes? Time is money but at the same time, I am not a lawyer; so, throughout the period of Tribunal; from Tribunal to Appeal Court and to Supreme Court, I went into the court premises only once. I am not a lawyer and I did not need to go there to defend myself. I just concentrated on my work. Why? Because I knew that if the mandate was from the people, whatsoever happened, as far as the people are still alive, there would be no problem. You know, when people were shouting rerun, I did not know what they meant by rerun because rerun to me is a very lay man’s language. It is run the way you were running before. So, if I was running before, why should I be afraid? So, I do not know why that was the main issue. You know that people made mountains out of that rerun. For me, rerun is run again the way

you were running before. It also means revote the way you were voting. That rerun to us was not an issue. And let me also tell you, I have a kind of principle; I am like Cocoa Cola and inside Cocoa Cola company, you cannot mention Pepsi. You hardly hear me mention any other political party. As far as I am concerned, it is only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). If you look at the cardinal things of my party, you will see progress and that is what you see in Nigeria; it is power to the people. So, everything I need on a platform to showcase my governance and administration is on the platform of the PDP. Every other thing you hear in terms of political party stops at the plaza in Uyo. You know there are 31 local governments in Akwa Ibom and 329 wards and if they are gathering in one ward, they have left 328 for me to explore. So, why should I bother myself with what they are doing? That rerun you were hearing, they were telling my people to run again and to run even faster than the way they were running before. So, it was not really an issue. What really affected us was the second aspect of the question I answered. The reason being that it is not difficult for people like us and for somebody like me to create money or to raise money to do what I needed to do. But you know that in the system of government that we are running, as a state government, you do not have the liberty to raise money anyhow. If you want to raise money, you must have to go back for approval. It is completely different. For the Federal Government, even if they cannot pay salaries, they just call on one bond without approval anywhere and pay salary. I have a lot of laudable projects that I can borrow to finance and all I need is a year or two moratorium and those projects would pay for themselves without anything from the government but I do not have that liberty. Then you talk about soft infrastructure that you can’t see, you can’t find. Take for example right now, I set up a target that Akwa- Ibom in the next seven years, if you have 11 players on the field, I must produce four to five 1st to 11th and I am working towards that. That is not something I can come and start and opening discussions with anybody. I am saying that, in every athletic event in this country, I must have an Akwa Ibom there. That is why you see Eyom Ekem, a JSS student. Today, she is running for Nigeria in 200mtrs Com-

Immediately those guys came, I picked up a phone and called Mr President, and he answered and he called the NSA immediately. So, they didn’t see a dime, not to even talk of the money whose picture you saw.

How are you managing the predecessor/successor crisis that is usually witnessed in many states as far as your relationship with former Governor Akpabio is concerned? You know one thing about human beings is how to manage fellow human beings. So, predecessor/successor’s crisis in Africa as a whole occurs because people don’t know how to relate. Two, you must put a round peg in a round hole. If I am a professional in politics, I must also know if a professional in politics would succeed me to ensure there wouldn’t be problem. If I am a professional in politics and I go and look for a professional politician, there would be a problem in his own ideology and so on. What is your take on the issue of state police? Unfortunately, I can’t say much on security but take it from me and you can quote me anywhere, every state governor would tell you the same thing. The little money we get today from Federal Allocation, we spend a lot on security. I want to be quoted anywhere. Let me tell you something, the late MKO Abiola once said if you think education is expensive, try ignorance. If a state is not paying attention to security, and say it is a waste of money, go and sleep and see whether you would sleep well. And something a lot of people don’t know is that if government stops to work for one minute, you wouldn’t sit where you sit. So government must work 24/7 before you can sit where you are sitting. Call me at 2am, in most cases, I must be somewhere doing night patrol with the security forces, even if I cannot shoot. Even mere driving, telling them let’s enter this side, they feel so excited that as a governor you are showing concern for them because they are human beings like you too, they have family, they have children. That moral support goes a long way, brother, it goes a long way. Pick up the phone and call them, where are you people going on patrol today, who is who? Let my ADC know and my CSO. So, at times they need a little support morally, you don’t just sit in the comfort of your room. Take it from me, governors spend a lot of time, energy and attention on security, not only in Africa, not only in Nigeria, but everywhere in the world. Security is a major issue and whatever you spend on security is an investment. The DSS raided the Akwa Ibom Government House and claimed to have discovered a bale of money and a lot of issues were raised over the invasion, can you let us know the true story ? One thing I have to state clearly here is that the bale of money you saw on the internet had been on Google since 2011 or so, they just put the picture there, it didn’t come from Government House, I was there. Two, I want to also commend the president because immediately those guys came, I picked up a phone and called Mr. President, and he answered and he called the NSA immediately. So, they didn’t see a dime, not to even talk of the money whose picture you saw outside there that they refer to. But, to me, I just see that as one of the challenges of a developing economy. When an economy is developing, it is like a child that is learning to walk. He would walk, he would fall, he would hit something. At times, he would walk and hit the glass and get some injuries. It is in the process of walking and by the time he now starts walking, he won’t make those mistakes again.

politics&policy Senate’s bid to amend Procurement Act 26

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

AYODELE ADESANMI scrutinises the recent bid by the Senate to boost local production through the amendment of procurement Act.

HE inception of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari coincided with the worst drop in the prices of crude oil in the international market and with the attendant drop in the volume of foreign exchange available to the governments at different levels, the country’s finances headed downwards. During the boom, the country was the topmost destination of all manners of imported goods. Nigerians changed their tastes to demonstrate the status of a booming economy and love for foreign goods. Then nothing was too big or too small for us to import in as much as it is made outside the country’s border. However as we enjoyed this profligacy two things suffers, locally made goods and the foreign reserve which nosedived rapidly as soon as oil prices went down. The result is what we are experiencing today- weak Naira against the dollar and other foreign currencies. As a way of addressing the problems, the Senate kick started the Made-in-Nigeria goods debate, first through the promotion of the Made in Aba trade fair organised by Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and then through the bid to amend the Public Procurement Act to give a pre-eminence to goods made in Nigeria in the Procurement process. In its crusade to enhance the status of locally produced goods, the Senate received two members’ bills and promptly passed the two through the second reading. One of the bills is the Public Procurement Act (Amendment) Bill 2004 sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, sponsor of the Made-in-Aba Trade fair staged in Abuja, the federal capital territory. The second bill, sponsored by Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries, Senator Sam Egwu is entitled, Public Procurement Act( Amendment) Bill 2016. Abaribe’s bill seeks to propose am amendment of the public procurement act Cap, LFN 2004 and mandate all sectors of government in prioritizing made in Nigeria goods to ensure that Nigerian businesses get the first mention over foreign goods in the procurement processes of the Federal Agencies. The second bill by Senator Egwu also has a similar target to amend the Public Procurement Act to enforce the patronage of locally produced goods by Nigerian government. It was not surprising that the Senate resolved to consolidate the two bills when they came up for first reading in April. Senator Abaribe, in his lead debate said that it was a known fact the home grown ingenuity of Nigerians was not in doubt but added that the resourcefulness has been underutilized as a result of the scramble and clamour for foreign goods. He insisted that “with the continuous fall in the value of the Naira and attendant scarcity of foreign exchange to power the importation of goods and services and settle international commitments, it is gradually becoming imperative for Nigerians to come to the realisation that it is time to focus on patronizing locally manufactured products. The Senator said that the Senate needed to ensure that effective laws were in place to ensure that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) renew their commitment to ensuring high standards of goods produced locally adding that as the depreciation of the Naira continues and as the Federal Government continues to increase the number of prohibited items on the import list it is hoped that the Public Procurement Amendment Bill will motivate Nigerians to look inward to see how we can produce goods that we will otherwise have imported. “It’s is a known fact that no country grows industrial through importation of goods and services but rather by building up its home grown industries. This would further help to decrease high rate of forex exchange,” he said. The Senator gave further insights into the Bill: “It has indeed dawned on many of us that the economy will not improve except we take pride and ownership in made in Nigeria goods and services. “The Public Procurement Amendment Bill will guarantee more productive

Saraki

Abaribe

conditions for the local manufacturing industries, while also tackling unemployment and bringing back the pride of Nigerians in their locally produced goods – amidst competition from foreign products. The Bill makes it obligatory for Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government to first consider and patronize Nigerian products before their foreign alternatives. “The Bill seeks to amend Section 34 of the Public Procurement Act CAP P44 2004 dealing on Domestic preferences. The passage of the revised Law which will change the key word from “may” to “shall” will make it mandatory for government agencies to patronize Made in Nigeria products when available. The amendment will also drastically increase the percentage of domestic suppliers for domestically produced goods from its present 15% to above 50% and bids for works by domestic contractors from its present 71/2% to over 25%. This alteration, once signed into law, will have ripple effects on the manufacturing industry, as it will assure local manufacturers of a ready and sure market for their products. “While all these efforts are ongoing, relevant regulatory authorities will work with domestic manufacturers and producers to ensure that their products are up to par with foreign competitors, by their proper legislative oversight. Nigerian products must have comparative advantage. Made in Nigeria goods should no longer produce adulterated or substandard versions of foreign alternatives because the market is available. Also, it is high time we pumped the very best into our markets to ensure overall consumer satisfaction and building confidence in the Ni-

gerian brands.” Senator Egwu, who spoke in similar vein, said that the amendment was imperative in view of the need to encourage Nigerians to patronize locally made goods adding that until the amendment is effected a gap would continue to exist between the consumption of locally made goods and foreign goods. He said: “The Federal Government spends billions of Naira to import cars into the country when Innoson Motors and other local manufacturers are not patronized. We have all the raw materials, we also have the biggest market in Africa, yet we saturate our market with foreign goods. The amendment of the Act will go a long way in developing Nigeria to become a world class producer. We should not forget that the love for foreign goods is responsible for the level of unemployment we have in the country today.” The former governor said that given the right enabling environment, Nigerians were willing to help government promote the objectives of diversification and backward integration adding that government must in the long run insist that those who seek to sell in Nigerian market must set up their factories here, and produce for the Nigerian market inside Nigeria. According to him, Nigeria has all the raw materials that may be needed, while it also has the biggest market in Africa. He added that the point is not about being local, but about developing the capacity to turn Nigeria into world-class production and economic centre and government. Following the consolidation of the bill, senators enthusiastically contributed to the debate, welcoming the laudable ideas from the two colleagues. Senator Ben Bruce Murray in his contribution said the only way to encourage local producers was to improve the quality of locally made goods and encourage Nigerians to patronize such goods. While rounding off debate on the bill, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki commended the sponsors of the Bill for their foresight adding that the amendment of the Act would not only encourage locally manufactured goods but ensure prompt implementation of budget. He said: “I am delighted it has passed second reading. In the past we spent two to N3 trillion on foreign goods but with this amendment there would be a reduction. The bill is two-fold because it also addresses the timely implementation of budgets. Before now processes of budget implementation took months but with this it will be fast. I can’t overemphasize how relevant this bill is. If passed many peoples’ lives especially local producers will change.”

It’s is a known fact that no country grows industrial through importation of goods and services but rather by building up its home grown industries.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 081 118 450 48

features

Unibadan: Varsity plagued by fall in electricity, water supplies By Laolu Harolds

GAIN, it’s a ‘Season of Anomie’ in Nigerian universities; authorities are shutting down institutions over a rash of students’ protests. In April alone, at least three federal universities were closed down. With the exception of the University of Port Harcourt where students protested over fee-related grievances, the others have all been against ‘unlivable conditions’ on campus. The University of Lagos (which was shut on April 8) recalled its students on May 2, with strict conditions for students to meet, but without any guarantee that those factors that precipitated the unrest have been effectively addressed. For the students of University of Ibadan though, it’s not yet uhuru as the Senate meeting held on Tuesday May 3, 2016 upheld an earlier decision to keep the institution shut, at least to academic activities. The man at the centre of the crisis, Mr. Tunji Michael Ekpeti, will also not be reinstated yet until the university’s council meets (for which a time has not been fixed), while a bipartite committee has been approved to find out the immediate and remote causes of the students’ unrest on campus. University of Ibadan was shut down on Tuesday, April 26, following a two-day protest by students, ostensibly over unbearable lack of electricity and water sup-

ply, among other conditions. Students of the university had in November 2015 expressed their discontent over the same problems. Following that protest, the university’s management, in reaction, added an extra semester for Ekpeti, a 500-level Engineering student, for playing an active part in that protest, at a time he was supposed to be on industrial training in Port Harcourt. Students have rejected this decision, describing it as undue victimization, and demand justice. But they have insisted that what they staged on those two days was a peaceful demonstration, not a protest. The university thinks otherwise. Are conditions on the campus of the premier university really that bad, or are students just over-reacting? When Nigerian Tribune visited the campus last Friday, the first thing noticeable was that, to a casual visitor who had not been aware of a shutdown, it would not immediately look like the school was not in session, given the volume of human and vehicular traffic in and out of the campus. A sizeable number of students were also still in their hostels, despite the evacuation order. This in itself would ordinarily speak to the ‘magnanimity’ of the university that had not used strong-arm measures to enforce its order for students to evacuate their hostels after shutdown. Some students were sighted carrying buckets of water into the Mellamby Hall (obviously from outside), a telltale sign of

acute lack of water anywhere inside the hostel. This would ordinarily have been understood as the natural consequence of the shutdown, but students said that this had been the regular practice even before the crisis. Electricity supply on the campus – especially in the hostel area had always been generally unbearable, they say. And without electricity, there can be no water. According to them, students have to queue up every morning on the ground floor of their hostels awaiting their turns to fetch water from the surface tanks as water was being pumped with a generator – which they fuel themselves. This often resulted in many of them arriving late for their lectures. Some of them who prefer to study at night, they say, were also forced to go to bed early; a situation they feared would hurt their CGPA.

We’re suffering. When there’s no light, how do you want someone who wants to write final year project to do it?

The Independence Hall, where the fuse of the protest was ignited, they told Nigerian Tribune on Friday, had not had electricity supply for at least three weeks before students snapped. The authorities denied this vehemently. While students experienced this unending blackout, they said power supply to staff quarters was fairly regular. “They don’t know that electricity determines a lot of things; it can make your CGPA drop. Some of us prefer reading at night, but without electricity, we all end up sleeping,” a student told Nigerian Tribune. Then, he added what many suspected was the reason behind the protest. “Some people were even happy about this break; because the way things were going (he chuckled), it wasn’t going to be funny. About two weeks to examination… personally, I’m not well prepared.” Was the demonstration only an escape route for students who were ill-prepared for their examinations or are conditions on the campus really bad? Students refused to lead or follow Nigerian Tribune to see the inside of their toilets that day, probably too embarrassed about what would be found there – having not had electricity and, by extension, water, for days! For sure, surface tanks are everywhere on the campus, including the office areas, Continues pg28

features

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

FG has stopped funding hostels —UI mgt

Mallam Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education,

Professor Idowu Olayinka, Vice Chancellor, UI Continued from pg27

but without electricity to pump the water, these may not provide succour. An official of the Students’ Union, who refused to disclose his name, insisted it was wrong for the university management that had not shown enough sensitivity to their plight, to have singled out Ekpeti for that ‘excessive punishment’ for an action carried out by not fewer than 40 students. “We’re suffering. When there’s no light, how do you want someone who wants to write final year project to do it? How do you want us to bathe? How do you want us to cook?” he intoned. “It was so bad in Independence (Indy) Hall then that if every other part of the university had electricity, there wouldn’t be any in Indy. There was blackout for three or four weeks before that demonstration. Staying three, four weeks without electricity, in total darkness, that’s not being in school,” he said. According to him, the problem was by no means peculiar to Independence Hall. It was bad enough that students had to fuel generators to pump their own water. But worse still, at a point, the pumping machine in ‘Awo’ Hall (a female hostel) even got spoilt and remained so for a long time despite the management having been duly informed about the development. When nothing was done by the university, students decided to contribute money to buy another pumping machine. They bought and installed another pumping machine; but the university management would have none of that. “The machine got bad; we informed the management and the hall warden but nothing was done. Students’ leaders gathered and donated money to buy another pumping machine. Management removed it! Awo Hall is about six storeys. You can imagine a lady coming down to the ground

floor to fetch water, carry it up six storeys! So, we contributed money and bought that machine for them. The school management asked us whether it was our own house that we wanted to maintain. They had it removed!” ‘They are lying to us’ “Electricity is bad generally on campus; and management is lying to us that it was the fault of the IBEDC (Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company). We sent a delegation to IBEDC and what IBEDC told us was that the minimum they give UI is 16 hours (of electricity) per day. And we hardly have three hours,” he said. He accused the university management of starving the ‘students’ area’ of electricity in order to cut cost. “And we’re paying. They say our N14,000 is not much. N14,000 multiplied by over 20,000 students on this campus. We’re paying accommodation fee of N20,000; multiply that by how many students on campus. Apart from that, we still pay our hall dues, which they still take part of,” the student leader said. Hall dues vary from hall to hall at UI; but generally, these range between N3,000 and N6,000, depending on the hall, it was gathered. “Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall, per session, makes not less than N11 million from hall dues. Now their hall warden wants to be part of the signatories. Why? There are many things that need to be sorted out on this campus. The ‘Mote’ (Ekpeti) issue was just the last straw,” he said. But what has the management of the university got to say to all of this? Is it true staff quarters enjoyed fairly regular electricity while students wallowed in darkness? Did the university have the pumping machine students bought and installed removed without providing a solution to their water problems?

The Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Titi Ajuwape, dismissed the students’ claim that students at Indy Hall didn’t have electricity for at least three weeks before the demonstration as “a blatant lie.” “What happened was that there are two RMUs (transformers). One of them blew; it would not be wise to leave the second one to also blow up. So, it was switched off that morning for 24 hours. “I was at home having my bath when the call came that Indy students had started protesting. They were given an appeal that before the day ran out, a temporary solution would be found; but they insisted that they wanted a permanent solution,” he explained. He said there couldn’t have been a quickfix solution to the electricity problem at Indy Hall (which he noted must have been a cable fault) because most of the electricity cables in UI are underground; technicians had to dig to trace the fault. Such things take time. Time was something the students were no longer ready to give. Ajuwape said the students were not being realistic in the demands for 24-hour supply of electricity, and were definitely unfair to have claimed that staff quarters enjoyed regular power supply at the expense of students. “It’s a general problem. Even in my own house, we don’t have regular supply; but it’s not true that staff quarters are given electricity and students are not. Why would we do that? ‘16 hours’? Ajuwape simply laughed off students’ claim that IBEDC supplies 16 hours of electricity to UI, which the university manage withholds from distributing, saying “electricity cannot be stored.” But as part of his defence, he called in the electrical engineer in charge of opera-

tions and maintenance in the university, one Mr Adeniji, who said there were times IBEDC would supply electricity to the university but call to instruct them not to pick it, if it was going to create problems. Not through yet, Adeniji said the university paid between N30 million and N35 million for electricity every month to IBEDC, and used 1,000 litres of AGO (diesel) per hour to run generators. “1,000 litres of diesel multiplied by N160 (per litre) is N160,000. In 10 hours, we spend N1.6 million on diesel. Multiply that by 30 days – and (students) are paying N14,000. Adeniji also offered his own defence on the allegation of uneven distribution of electricity. “We have a standing rule: during the official hours, students are not supposed to be in their hostels; they are supposed to be in the lecture rooms or the libraries. So, we shut down (electricity supply to) residential areas and ‘students’ areas’ during the day between 8am and 4pm. But we supply electricity in the night. Students insist they have no electricity; university management is insisting they spend millions of naira on public electricity and to run generators. Treasury Single Account It appears that the TSA is also a big culprit in this saga. “How much overhead does UI get from the government?” Ajuwape asked rather rhetorically. Then he answered his own question. “University of Ibadan gets only N6 million per month as overhead (N72 million per annum) from the Federal Government. The whole N72 million is not enough to pay just the cleaning contractors. “Government has stopped funding those hostels and still sets a limit that you cannot charge more than N45,000. We charge only N14,000. Government does not give us fund to maintain hostels. But students don’t want to hear that; they insist there must be electricity supply for 24 hours.” On the water pump... What has the school management got to say about the pumping machine students bought and installed in Awo Hall? Did the management order it removed? He said: “I got the release from the Facebook; I copied it and gave it to the hall warden to comment. She said she didn’t know anything (about students buying and installing pumping machine). Even the porter on duty did not know what they were doing there. “So, HMC (Hall Management Committee, the highest policy making body in all the halls) resolved that they should remove it. I support them. Were they the ones that dug the borehole? It’s like your car engine gets knocked, then someone buys a new engine, puts it in it and attempts to drive it away. That would be theft!” The dean said further: “Even if you want to do that (replace pump), the HMC is not only made up of senior staff; you have a professor as the hall mistress; you have a hall warden who is not less than a senior lecturer; students are represented there. What prevented them from taking the matter to HMC? Students can demand that they want HMC. They didn’t do that. Students Union, because election is around the corner, now went on Facebook and portrayed management as irresponsible.”

29 news Gunmen kill 2, injure 1 at Rivers High Court Complex

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

•APC chieftain, 2 others killed in Rivers community •3 soldiers killed in Bayelsa From Dapo Falade Austin Ebipade

and

ll activities were grounded at the Rivers State High Court, as gunmen stormed the court complex, on Tuesday morning, killing two private security guards and injuring another, who is now lying critically ill in a hospital. The victims were hired staff of a privately-owned security outfit attached to the Rivers State judiciary and one of them was identified as Promise Obinna from Asa, Abia State. The incident happened on the same day the ongoing trial of the late militant leader, Soboma George’s case was supposed to come up at the state High Court. It was learnt that the victims were asleep when they were attacked at about 2.30a.m, even as it was revealed that the assailants came in through one of the back gates to the judiciary complex. The Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the state judiciary complex, Mr Dabotubo George, while briefing newsmen on the incident, said the victims were not with gun, adding that their assailants used axe, machete and stick on them. “This place has been very peaceful all these years. It is just unfortunate it happened. We had tight security; 10 of them were on duty that night. There was no gunshot; the people used machetes, axe and stick to attack them. “The men did not come in through the fence; they came in through the gate. When the incident took place, there was no armed security operative around,” he said, adding that there had not been police presence at the judiciary complex since April 22, 2016. George said the administrative body of the judiciary had applied for police deployment in the area, adding that the request was approved on Monday, but the security operatives were yet to resume duty before the incident took place. “We have not seen this level of security challenge before, where killers will invade a public establishment and kill people with machetes and axe. We applied to the police to give us police and the request was approved yesterday (Monday) and in the night this thing happened. Confirming the incident, Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ahmad Muhammad, clari-

fied that what the police had was Judges’ Protection Unit (JPU) and not Court Protection Unit (CPU). He also confirmed that the killers did not use gun on their victims and said investigation had commenced to track down the perpetrators of the dastardly act. “I can categorically dispel the insinuation that there

was shooting in the court premises. There was nothing like that; the victims were attacked with hard objects on upper parts of their bodies,” he said. Reacting to the incident, chairman of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Felix Obuah, fingered those he said wanted a state of emer-

gency to be declared in the state as the mastermind of the killings. Meanwhile, some suspected hoodlums were said to have broken into the Port Harcourt Prisons, shooting sporadically at the Abuja Estate/Creek Road axis of the prisons at about 10 30p.m, on Monday night. Details of the shooting

could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, as prisons officials were yet to comment on the incident. In another development, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Charles Otukpor, was killed along with two others in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of the state, on

Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State (left), commiserating with accident victims being assisted and conveyed to the hospital by the governor’s convoy on Akwanga-Lafia Highway, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN.

FG to establish 6 new varsities of science, tech —Minister To review UBE Act, harmonise tuition fees The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has said the Federal Government is working towards establishing six new universities of science and technology to expand access to tertiary education. The Education Minister disclosed this at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum, on Tuesday, in Abuja. He said the future of the world depended on science and technology. “This government has already decided to even add more; it is going to establish six new universities of science and technology. “And at the lower level, there will be a technical school in each state of the federation and then vocational centres at the wards and local government levels. “You know, we have a problem of access; if you look at it last year, one million people sat for the universities, but only 150,000 were taken. “So, we still need to build more universities to create more space for those who want to get in. “And then the fact that the six new universities are being created for science and technology underscores the decision by the

government to put more emphasis on science.’’ According to him, the move is in tandem with the campaign promises of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government. He further said the new universities would be located in the six geopolitical zones. Meanwhile, Mallam Adamu has said the Federal Government will review the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act, to accommodate secondary education. According to NAN forum on Tuesday in Abuja, the review, the Education minister said, had become necessary in order to achieve

gender equity and parity in education. “Attaining gender equity and then gender equality is a goal for this government. “And what we are doing now; the Act of the Universal Basic Education is being looked into, with a view to amending it so that it will achieve gender parity, gender equity in the shortest possible time,” he added. The minister further said that the number of out-ofschool children in Nigeria was close to 11 million, if the children of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were taken into account. He said the Federal Government came up with idea of the school meal pro-

gramme in order to attract and retain children in the schools. According to him, ‘‘the government is considering making a law so that any person who stops his child from school can be prosecuted.” Also, the Federal Government will harmonise tuition fees in all federal universities to stop arbitrary charge of fees by some university authorities. Mallam Adamu also made this known on Tuesday, said “since the protests started, we have summoned the authorities of the universities and sat down with them and we are going to harmonise everything.

Herdsmen crisis may escalate if..., NAS warns Adetola Bademosi -Abuja The National Association of Seadogs (NAS) has warned that the increasing crisis, involving the nomadic herdsmen and farmers, may escalate if the Federal Government and security agencies do not address the menace with the urgency it deserves. It expressed worry that Nigeria’s security agencies which were supposed to rise up to the challenge had

been inept at confronting these rampaging marauders before, during or after each attacks. Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday, in Abuja, Captain of NAS, Prince Ifeanyi Onochie, urged the Federal Government and security agencies to use all powers at its disposal to put an end to the avoidable blood shed. According to him, with the killings at the Agatu community in Benue State and

the very recent attack in Enugu State, not only were lives lost, but properties valued at millions were also destroyed. He pointed out that the negligence of such attacks in the past had led to the extreme case of the BokoHaram insurgency, which was a major security threat in the country. He said the deadly attacks, which had gone with little or no arrests, had made perpetrators more daring.

Monday night. The three victims were said to have been shot dead by unknown gunmen who rode on a motorcycle on the Polytechnic Road in the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni ethnic nationality. Otukpor, until his killing, was a staff of the Ken SaroWiwa Polytechnic, Bori, while one of the other two victims, identified as Nekabari, was said to be an APC member in Ward 1, Khana Local Government Area of the state. The state police imagemaker, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, confirmed the incident, even as the APC candidate for the Rivers South-East senatorial district rerun election, Senator Magnus Abe, alleged that there was an ongoing genocide against the Ogonis. “No meaningful development can take place in the face of insecurity in a society like Rivers State, where life has no value again, criminality and other vices are now the order of the day. Will such society say they have a government?,” he asked. However, no fewer than three soldiers attached to the Joint military Force in the Niger Delta code-named ‘Operation Pulo Shield,’ are feared to have been killed in an ambush by a gang of gunmen in Bayelsa State. The incident happened last Monday night in Foropa, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, even as troops were said to have been stationed in the area since 2010. It could not be ascertained if the gunmen were from the council area or they sneaked in from another environment to carry out the surprise attack on the troops. Residents of the community were said to be fleeing the community “for fear of military invasion and indiscriminate arrest of innocent persons.” The security outfit was said to have evacuated the bodies of the slain soldiers. The spokesman of the security outfit, Colonel Isa Ado, could not confirm the incident, as his calls could not connect as of press time. Meanwhile, tension has been mounting in the Niger Delta, following the resurgence of militant activities resulting in the co-ordinated bombings of oil and gas facilities in the region. A group, which gave its name as Niger Delta Avengers, has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on Shell facility at Forcados, Chevron Okan platform at Abiteye in Escravos, as well as pipelines transporting oil to the Warri and Kaduna refineries.

30 news Lagos economy financially stable—Commissioner

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

As total revenue hits N399.4bn in 2015 Chima Nwokoji -Lagos

agos State government, on Tuesday, said its total revenue hit N399.382 billion in the year 2015, while its total revenue in the first quarter of 2016 amounted to N101.695 billion. Of the total revenue for the first quarter (Q1) , the state’s total Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) stood at N76billion despite the economic crunch ravaging the country. Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Mustapha Abiodun Akinkunmi, disclosed this at the 2016 ministerial media session, in commemoration of the first anniversary of Governor Akinwumi Ambode in Alausa, Ikeja. He said the average contribution of IGR to total revenue was 75 per cent, showing the increasing importance of IGR to the state’s financing, in the wake of reducing federal transfers. The state’s federal transfers for the first quarter amounted to N26 billion, of which only N7.480 billion (seven per cent) was received from statutory allocation while Value Added Tax (VAT) stood at N18.160 billion (18 per cent). His words: “Despite wider national economic malaise, Lagos State’s strong

macro economic fundamentals provide a strong base for growth and development . I am happy to report that the Lagos State’s economy is strong and financially stable. “The current adminis-

Akinwunmi said. While urging Lagos residents to pay their taxes to enable the state to provide essential services, the commissioner further observed that Lagos had a taxable population of at least 8

million, signalling growth prospects for tax collection; adding that frantic efforts had been set in motion to grow IGR by 50 per cent in 2017/18 by the Land Administration Project and the Smart City Project.

From left, Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Suleiman Nazif; Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume; Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Chairman, Senate Joint Committee on Special Duties, Establishment and Public Service, Senator Abdul-Aziz Nyako, at the opening session of a two-day public hearing on the North-East Development Commission Bill, in Abuja.

Kogi youths storm NASS, protest closure of state House of Assembly Sunday Ejike -Abuja Concerned indigenes of Kogi State, under the aegis of Kogi Youth Forum, on Tuesday, asked the National Assembly to unseal the Kogi State Assembly without further delay. The forum, in a peaceful

EU-Nigeria partnership strong, mutual —Ambassador European Union (EU) has said it has shared a strong relationship of mutual trust and partnership with Nigeria in the 40 years of EU engagement in Nigeria. The EU’s Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Michel Arrion, made the remark at the 2016 EU Day and the commemoration of the EU-Nigeria partnership. “Today, we are commemorating 40 years of EU engagement in Nigeria. The EU delegation was established in Lagos in 1976. “I am delighted to state that Nigeria and EU do share a strong relation of mutual trust and partnership. “This partnership was recently illustrated by the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari in Strasbourg in February, to address a plenary session of the European Parliament, and to meet with the President

tration is issuing policies aimed at aligning the economy with goals that would set the state on a path of growth and stability as evidenced by major developments implemented by Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS),”

of the European Commission.” Arrion added that Nigeria’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Trade and Investment also met with the EU Vice-President/High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Mrs Federica Mogherini, in March. “I am delighted to note that there exist an excellent quality of our local political and policy dialogue, between the 21 European Ambassadors and High Commissioner, and the Government of Nigeria,” he added. The EU official said the theme for the 2016 Europe Day was: “African Year of Human Rights with a Special Focus on the Rights of Women.” He said the theme, also adopted by the AU as its thematic focus in 2016, underscored Europe’s and Africa’s shared aspiration for a gender discriminationfree world.

protest, on Tuesday, at the entrance of National Assembly complex, in Abuja, argued that the resolution of the National Assembly to seal the Kogi State House of Assembly was politically- motivated. The protesting youths, who displayed various placards, argued that the Speaker and his deputy were impeached by 18 lawmakers and called on the National Assembly to leave Kogi House of Assembly alone. The protesters carried placards reading, “Kogi youths say no to National Assembly dominance;

Unseal Kogi State Assembly now; Kogi State should not be left behind, unseal our House of Assembly now; Go to Nasarawa and Edo, not Kogi State; Stop interfering in Kogi Assembly matter; Kogi State has faith in our House of Assembly; National Assembly face your primary assignment; One Governor, one Speaker, one Assembly in unity; National Assembly: Kogi needs peace, leave us alone,” among other inscriptions. Nigerian Tribune recalled that the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, had signed the 2016 budget

of N99.9 billion in contravention of the resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives, mandating the governor to, “immediately send his budget and other executive bills to the National Assembly for consideration as stipulated in Section 11 of the Constitution. The protesters, who pledged support for Governor Bello, applauded the report on the 984 mushroom schools and ongoing efforts to reposition the state, which they alleged had been bastardised over the past 16 years of PDP’s administration.

US organisation donates over N100m medical equipment to North-East IDPs Chris Agbambu -Abuja A United States-based charity organisation, Project Cure, has donated a forty-feet container worth over N100 million of assorted medical equipment and consumables to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to enhance its humanitarian services to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Dalori Camp, Maiduguri, Borno State. Taking delivery of the materials at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar,

said it was no more news that NAF was fully committed to ending the insurgency in the North-East. Abubakar, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP), AVM. Augustine Jekennu, stated that apart from being committed to winning the war, NAF was also committed to winning the minds and hearts of the IDPs through humanitarian services. He assured the organisation that the items would be leaving immediately to the Dalori camp in the North-East for the benefit of those it was meant to

serve, while also assuring that it would be properly utilised. The container contained over 2,000 syringes, dressing materials, instrument, hospital trolleys and bed, among others. Earlier, the Chief of Medical Services, AVM. Saleh Shinkafi, said NAF had developed multifaceted approach in the fight against the insurgents, which included; the use of air power in its entire ramification to degrade the insurgents and support the ground forces to carry out their activities against the insurgents.

BEDC staff flee Auchi after attack by youths Banji Aluko -Benin City Staff of the electricity distribution company, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), working in Auchi, headquarters of Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State, have taken to their heels, following attacks by youth in the community. The youth, who had protested high electricity bills handed their households, were said to have vandalised properties at the BEDC zonal office in the area, making the BEDC to withdraw the staff from the area. The withdrawal of the BEDC staff has left the community without electricity for more than three weeks. Managing Director of BEDC, Mrs Funke Osibodu, who confirmed the withdrawal of service in Auchi, said shutting down electricity supply to the community was good news. Osibodu noted that the law allowed them to withdraw services from a hostile location, adding that Auchi community owed the firm about N251 million.

‘INEC’s inconclusive elections due to inadequate preparation’ Ayodele Adesanmi -Abuja Worried by the recent attitude of inconclusiveness in the rerun elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Sunday Karimi, has stated that inadequate preparation was responsible for this. Karimi, who is representing Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State, at the National Assembly, called on INEC to be sure that all materials and other logistics were ready before going for elections. To avoid any rerun election, which, according to him, would require another huge financial resources to conduct, Karimi had sponsored a “Bill for an Act to Amend The Electoral Act 2010,” which would empower the election petition tribunals and courts to declare candidates who scored the second highest votes winner of elections when the initial winner was declared unqualified.

31 news

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

FG to build new refineries, reduce oil impact on economy From Muhammadu Sabiu and Sanya Adejokun

INISTER of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachukwu, has said new refineries will soon be built to curb incessant fuel scarcity bedevilling the country. Apart from tackling the scarcity in the country, when fully operational, Nigeria will also stand a chance to export to other countries. The minister was speaking in Kaduna, on Tuesday, during a townhall meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Information. This was as the Minister

of Information, Lai Muhammed, said the Federal Ministry of Information decided to organise the townhall meeting to intimate Nigerians on how government had fared in the last 11 months. The minister noted that “Nigerians voted for us, believing that we will carry out our promises. So, how have we fared so far? Well, we campaigned on three broad areas—to tackle insecurity, fight corruption and revive the economy.” On the fight against insecurity, he said: “I am happy to inform this gathering that we have performed a rare feat by subduing Boko Haram, making it impos-

sible for the group to carry out any more spectacular attacks as it did in the past, when it virtually strolled into Abuja to attack the Police Headquarters and the United Nations Complex. “Some will argue that the insurgents are still carrying out sporadic suicide bombings and other attacks, even though they are now very few. Well, our answer to that is simple: By its very nature, no insurgency ends suddenly. They taper off with time. Insurgencies are not conventional wars and no agreements are signed to silence the guns.” On the fight against corruption, the minister said: “Today, Nigerians are less

tolerant of corruption and corrupt people than before. This is because we have raised the bar in the fight against this cankerworm. We have also brought to the attention of Nigerians the cost of corruption. Thanks to the sensitisation campaign we launched earlier this year. Nigerians now know the cost of corruption, instead of just talking about it in the abstract. On the economy, he said: “This administration has decided to turn the disaster of the fall in the price of oil to a blessing, by working to diversify our economy away from oil. “Agriculture, solid minerals, culture and tourism

From left, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdulrahaman Danbazau; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachukwu, at the second townhall meeting in Kaduna, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN

Resident doctors begin 5-day warning strike today THE National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) has said it will embark on a five-day warning strike from today. President of the association, Dr Muhammad Askira, disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday, in Abuja. Askira explained that the decision was part of resolutions reached by the association at its extraordinary executive council meeting held on May 8. He said government was yet to meet their demands as promised. Askira said the demands by the association included remuneration and residency training programmes, adding that some members in some states were yet to be paid their salaries. He said doctors in Federal Teaching Hospitals were among those whose salaries were yet to be

paid. Askira noted that the strike, which would begin at 8.00 a.m. on May 11, would end on May 15, while all it members were expected to resume work on May 16 at 8.00 a.m. He said the decision was to push home their demands for implementation on one hand and also to enable government

enough time to expedite action in areas not adequately addressed. “These are issues that have been lingering for years, we gave them 21-day ultimatum and extended the ultimatum by another 14 days, and we gave them another two more days before the warning strike,” he said. He said that the associa-

tion decided to shelve the indefinite strike because of the respect it had for President Muhammadu Buhari and some National Assembly members who had intervened. Askira said the association would embark on an indefinite strike after the five-day warning strike, if government failed to redeem its pledge.

are some of the sectors we are currently working to rejuvenate so they can earn huge revenues for the country and create jobs. While these efforts are on, the administration has decided to plug all financial leakages through the Treasury Singles Account (TSA), into which trillions have accrued so far.” Also, Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, disclosed the determination of the Federal Government to reduce the impact of oil on the economy. Addressing participants at the Ogun State Investors’ Forum, which opened in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Tuesday, Adeosun said although oil accounts for 70 per cent of all government revenue, Nigerian was actually not an oil economy as it constituted only 13 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). “By fully harnessing the potential of our non-oil sectors, we can create a more diversified and resilient revenue base, which would provide the necessary fiscal buffers to insulate the economy against the impact of external shocks in the future,” the minister stated. While reiterating the resolve of the Federal Government to redefine spending in order to get maximum impact, the minister explained that the current administration was determined to ensure that from now on, government spending in Nigeria would achieve maximum impact. Noting that government spending in previous years had been ineffective and not directed in the right areas, the minister reiterated the focus of the government on investing in critical infrastructure to enable growth. Adeosun also spoke on the need for the Federal Government to play its role so that states can focus on their core functions. According to her, the

Federal Government would level the playing field by removing rent-seeking opportunity to unleash entrepreneurial activity and job creation, adding that “we must engage in economic patriotism to support local job growth.” She commended the Ogun State government for patronising local entrepreneurs in producing its conference bags. Adeosun concluded by giving the assurance that government was fully aware of the current economic challenges facing individuals and businesses and was working very hard on resetting the economy on the path towards achieving sustainable growth. She added that better days were ahead, with President Buhari’s resolve to checking corruption and wastage. In a related development, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said that power generation was picking up after last week’s vandalism of power stations in the Niger Delta. He announced this while addressing newsmen after inspecting facilities at Shiroro Hydro Power Station (SHPS) in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, on Tuesday. Fashola said there was a slight increase of three megawatts from the previous week drop to 2005 megawatts in the country. The minister, however, said measures were being taken to ensure stability in the supply, adding that generating companies should live up to expectations. “I don’t want us to focus on megawatt; for me, they are just bus stops; we will only announce them as milestone that we have reached the bus stops, but we know our journey is much more longer. “I have spoken on our incremental power, to steady power, to uninterrupted power and that is the journey.

the laws of the land,” he noted. According to him, while the military and other security agencies would continue to take more proactive measures within the creeks and other places to fish out those responsible for the heinous crime, it would remain focused, assuring oil companies and law-abiding community members of their safety

and protection of their sanctity. Consequently, he said the DHQ wished to advise community leaders, traditional rulers and the general public to cooperate with the security agencies to ensure the apprehension of the culprits ‘‘in the interest of our great nation; as no individual or group interest is above national interest of this country.’’

Military warns new Niger Delta militant group Chris Agbambu - Abuja THE Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has warned that it is not unaware of the emergence of a group in the Niger Delta region, which has vowed to cripple economic activities through pipeline vandalism, oil theft and kidnap of expatriate workers in that region. The military will not

hesitate to deploy every available resources to deal decisively with any threats to economic lifeline of the nation. Acting Director, Defence Information, BrigadierGeneral Rabe Abubakar, in a statement in Abuja, on Tuesday, said the military would employ all available means and measures within its rule of engagement to crush any individual or

group that engages in the destruction of strategic assets and facilities of the government in the Niger Delta or any other location and they would stand to regret the consequences of their actions. “The whole world has seen what they are causing in terms of economic terrorism against the nation and will be treated as criminals in line with

southwestnews

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Fayose wades into FETHI workers/CMD crisis, sues for peace

Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti OVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, on Tuesday, waded into the crisis rocking the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti (FETHI) and charged the warring groups in the hospital to ensure peace and good working relationship. Governor Fayose had called a meeting of the warring management and staff members of the hospital, traditional rulers and other stakeholders, where he resolved the crisis rocking FETHI following the death of some doctors from the hospital few weeks ago. At a meeting of stakeholders, consisting of all medical and non-medical workers, traditional rulers from across the state and the Chief Medical Director, Dr Lawrence Majekodunmi Ayodele, at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti, the governor pleaded with

parties to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign. In a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor said it was unfortunate that since the death of some medical doctors in a car crash few weeks ago while going for a meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Sokoto State, peace had eluded the hospital. Listing the grievances of the workers, their spokesman, Mr Efe Asagba, said

the workers, both senior and junior staff ,were angered by the insensitivity of Ayodele ,concerning some issues ,chief among which was the manner he handled the death of some doctors few weeks ago. “Since the death of three medical doctors who were on their way to attend the NMA congress, our CMD, has not called the families of the deceased, he was not around when the victims were buried and has not been sympathetic to our plight. You can imagine that he was not around when the

corpses were brought from Kaduna State to Ekiti Stateand did not send representatives,” he said. Ayodele, while explaining himself, said he was already in Sokoto for the NMA meeting when he heard about the accident and that he took permission from the Minister of Health to come down to Ekiti State. He added that he, however, got security reports that some people were after his life and that it was based on that he did not attend the ceremonies. Governor Fayose, in his

remarks, faulted Ayodele for not attending the ceremonies in spite of whatever security reports he was given. He pleaded with the workers to forgive whatever mistakes they felt the CMD had made. He said the accident that claimed the lives of the medical doctors was unfortunate. He urged the workers and their boss to mend fence and allow peace to reign. The governor appealed to Ayodele to also make concession to the workers and deal with them with humility.

Congresses: Court restrains Osun PDP exco By Moses Alao AN Osun State High Court sitting at Ikirun has restrained the outgoing state working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state from parading themselves as executives of the party or acting in such capacity in the rescheduled congress of the party, pending the determination of a motion on notice filed before the court. This is just as the “the PDP, its agents, privies and appointees,” and the party’s ward congress committee members, were restrained from recognising or dealing with the outgoing executives, until the motion on notice is determined. Justice S. O. Falola, gave the order on Monday, following an exparte motion filed by Idowu Faremi, Abiola Ogunrinde and Ogungbile Kayode, against the outgoing chairman of the party, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa and members of his executives and the PDP. The court also ordered the PDP and all its committees to ensure that all activities and conducts relating to the rescheduled congress of the party must be carried out at the party’s secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo “to ensure transparency.” The motion on notice has been slated for hearing on Friday.

From left, member, Lagos at 50 committee, Professor Ademola Abass; co-chairman, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi and a member, Mrs Toyin Shokunbi, at a news conference by the committee, in Lagos, on Tuesday. PHOTO:NAN

Ondo judiciary workers commence strike Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure ONDO State workers, under the auspices of Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), on Tuesday, commenced an indefinite strike over breach of agreement

between the union and the state government on the financial autonomy of judicial arm of government in the state. Following the directives issued by the leadership of

the union in the state, all the workers observed the stay at home order. Some of the customary, magistrate and high courts visited by the Nigerian Tribune, were under lock

Ogun PDP elects 3 parallel chairmen Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

HREE parallel state chairmen were, on Tuesday, elected during the state congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ogun State. This development was a clear indication that all is not well within the party as different factions had their congresses in different parts of Abeokuta. The loyalists of the senator representing Ogun East, Prince Buruji Kashamu, held its congress monitored by the party’s monitoring committee, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at the state secretariat. While loyalists of former speaker of the House of

Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole and a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Oladipupo Adebutu, held separate congresses at Ake Palace and Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex, respectively. In the election that was monitored by the congress monitoring committee, under the chairmanship of Muhammed Al-Yakub, saw Mr Bayo Dayo, emerged as the state chairman in a faction loyal to Kashamu. Al-Yakub described the whole exercise as one devoid of rancour. Asked to comment on the conduct of parallel congresses by other factions, Al-Yakub, said he was not aware of any other congresses except the one mon-

itored by him and 10 other members of the committee. According to him, “I’m not aware, not to my knowledge. As far as I’m concerned, we are at the party headquarters and I’ve not been informed of anybody holding any other thing elsewhere.” Dayo while speaking with newsmen said he would immediately begin a reconciliation move of the aggrieved members. Bankole-led faction elected a former commissioner in the state, under the administration of Chief Gbenga Daniel, as the chairman, a former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Wale Ogunbanjo, as deputy chairman and Honourable Johnson Olu-Fatoki, as secretary.

and key. However, some members of the JUSUN, who were seen at the premises of the state magistrate court, Oke Eda, Akure, said they came to monitor workers’ compliance with the directive issues by JUSUN leadership. One of the striking workers, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune, on condition of anonymity said: “We are monitoring the court in case we can see any of our members who want to disobey the union’s directive, that is why we are here, the status quo remains until another directive comes from the leadership of the union.” Speaking on the development, the state chairman of the JUSUN, Mr Ilesanmi Dido, said that the strike became necessary after the state government failed to honour its agreement with the union, saying the union could no longer allow the government to continue to breach Constitution of 1999, which grants financial autonomy to the judiciary.

Traditional rulers in attendance such as the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe Aladesanmi , the Olujudo of Ido-Ekiti, Oba Ilori Faboro, the Ajero of Ijero, Oba Adewole Adebayo among others, appealed to the workers and CMD to allow peace to reign in the hospital.

Pay your tax, Olubadan tells taxable adults

of THE Olubadan Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, has implored all taxable adults in the state to imbibe the spirit of paying taxes The traditional ruler spoke on two separate occasions on Tuesday, at his palace, Popoyemoja, Ibadan, while welcoming members of the Ebira community in Ibadan and the Eyin Grammar Development Association, who came to pay him visit. The tradtional ruler noted that it is both biblical and Quranic for taxable adults to pay tax into government coffers while it is the responsibility of the government to use it wisely by providing social amenities for the people. His appeal for prompt payment of taxes, was supported by the Otun Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Femi Olaifa, saying that social development is a two-way affairs, involving both the government and the people. The traditional ruler commended members of Ebira community in Ibadanl led by Alhaji Lamidi Aliu, whose community falls under the leadership of Baale Raimi Rufai Fijabi, Baale Oke Itunu as well as members of Eyin Grammar Community Development Association led by Alhaji L. A. Adegoke for promoting unity in Ibadan.

Abandoned baby

A baby boy of about 21 days old, was rescued at Ojoo Area, Ibadan, Oyo State, on February 3, 2016.

ANYBODY with useful information that could lead to the discovery of the baby’s parents or relatives should, please, contact the Principal Social Welfare Officer, Ibadan/Ibarapa Zonal Social Welfare Office, Iyaganku, Ibadan or the nearest police station.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016 33 news Oyo deputy No grazing reserves for Ekiti herdsmen —Fayose gov honoured

•Creates ranches for grazing

KITI State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said the state government will not release any portion of the state’s land to serve as grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen, saying he only supports a situation whereby state governments establish ranches for herdsmen in their local communities. He said moving large herds of cattle from one point to the other is no longer fashionable going by the attendant risks and conflicts being generated. In a statement in AdoEkiti, on Tuesday, by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor said this while featuring on an interview programme on radio and television stations in the state. “By the powers conferred on me by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, I reserve the rights to allocate land in the state to

people and we will not give an inch of our land to any cow rearer. Moving cows from one place to another is no longer fashionable. It is very primitive, provoking and could lead to another civil war. “We cannot open our eyes and watch as cows destroy our farmlands. We need to ask some questions. The herdsmen who go about carrying AK 47 to kill people, who gave them the licences for such arms? Or are they above the law? How did they get those guns? Who purchased the guns for them? What is their agenda for arming them? Has the Boko

Haram translated to the herdsmen? “If you look at it critically, the herdsmen are all over the country carrying guns. Can we call it an agenda by them to overrun the country? The Buhari government should not only probe the activities of the herdsmen, but as well confiscate the guns they are carrying about,” the governor stated. On his recent trip to China, Fayose said he had planned going there to attend an exhibition long before it was announced that President Muhammadu Buhari was also going there.

He added that his visit afforded him the opportunity to meet Chinese investors and see a number of ways the state government could collaborate with them. “Even to those who frowned at my letter to the Chinese government that they should not grant the $2 billion loan the Federal Government requested, I have no apologies. The N6 trillion 2016 Budget already has over 25 per cent set aside to service debts, then are we not adding salt to injury when we add another load of debts. “Moreover, this is a government that is claiming

to have recovered billions of looted funds, saved trillions through TSA among others, then where are those funds? Where is Buhari keeping the money and for what? Buhari said he would sell some of the nine planes in the Presidential Fleet when he assumes office. He has not done that, instead, it is daily trips to different parts of the world in those same aircraft,” he said. The governor said in spite of the paucity of funds, his administration would still meet people’s expectations and ensure even distribution of amenities.

2015/2016 WAEC: Ondo pays N350m for its students THE Ondo State government on Tuesday said that it had spent N350million to register qualified students in its public secondary schools for the 2015/2016 West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examinations. Mr Jide Adejuyigbe, the state Commissioner for Education, told newsmen in Akure that the money was to cushion the economic hardship on parents and guardians whose children and wards were sitting for the external examination. ``The state government has continued to pay the registration fees for the WAEC exams because of its commitment to its `Education-for-All Policy.’ ``So far, N110 million of the fees had been paid. ``The fact is that some students would not have been able to pay for this examination and would not have written it, if government had failed to pay,’’ Adejuyigbe said. He reiterated the state government’s commitment to education, saying it was the bedrock of any society. ``All libraries and laboratories are being equipped; it is left for students to make use of them for proper knowledge,’’ Adejuyigbe said.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo (second left), with the Paramount Ruler and Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Adetona and other guests, during the birthday celebration of Oba Adetona, in Ijebu-Ode, on Thursday.

Afenifere, Daniel felicitates with Pa Fasoranti at 90 PAN-YORUBA socio-political group, Afenifere, on Monday, felicitated with its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, as he clocks 90 today Wednesday, May 11, 2016, describing him as one of the oldest surviving disciples of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his school of principled politics.

Afenifere also described the elder statesman, Fasoranti, as one of the living legends of Nigeria forged in the fire of the old order of service, integrity, dedication and fidelity to common causes. The group said this in a statement made available by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odu-

makin, even as it disclosed that it planned to celebrate on May 28, the life of the icon, who was a teacher to late Chief Bola Ige and Professor Akin Mabogunje with a public lecture titled, “The Welfare Ideology and The Future of Yoruba Nation,” to be delivered at The Dome, in Akure, by one of his comrades in the

2016 budget will ensure full payment of workers’ salaries —Osun Assembly THE Osun House of Assembly has assured civil servants in the state that the 2016 budget would ensure full payment of their salaries. Speaker of the assembly, Mr Najeem Salaam, gave the assurance in Osogbo, during an interactive session on the appropriation bill. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that civil servants on Grade Level 8 and above had been receiving half of their salaries since last year. Salaam, however, said

the capturing of the full payment of workers’ salaries in the budget was an indication that the government was working hard to ensure that civil servants were adequately paid. He urged civil servants to work hard and play their roles, especially in generating revenue with a view to making the budget achieve its goals. “It is important for civil servants to work hard; let us block all leakages so that we can have enough fund to carry out our obligations, including payment

of full salaries of workers,’’ he said. Meanwhile, the state assembly, on Tuesday, sworn-in Honourable Adedipo Eluwole representing Ife Central constituency as a new member o f the house. Eluwole, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was elected during the bye-election held on April 14, following the death of the former minority leader, Honourable Oladejo Makinde, who died on December 2015.

defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Prof Banji Akintoye. According to Afenifere, the event, which would be hosted by the Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, will be chaired by famous intellectual, Prof Ladipo Adamolekun. Meanwhile, the immediate past governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, has felicitated with Chief Reuben Fasoranti on the occasion of his 90th birthday anniversary. In his letter of congratulations to the Afenifere leader, Chief Daniel described Chief Fasoranti as a man of great vision and focus who believe in the common goals of peace, progress and overall development of the Yoruba race as an integral part of the country. These noble ideas of equity, integrity and selfless service, Daniel said, stood Chief Fasoranti out as “an uncommon visionary, unrepentant patriot and quintessential role model.”

with award of excellence By Gbenga Olumide

OYO State deputy governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo, has reiterated the commitment of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to effect the much desired change in the country, even as he advised Nigerians to go back to the land in view of the dwindling revenue accruing to the nation from oil. Chief Adeyemo made the promise in his response shortly after being conferred with the SouthWest Nigeria Gold Award of Excellence by Excellent Media Group at the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) hall, OritaBasorun, Ibadan. According to him, “Change is not a miracle or magic, Nigerians have to be patient to see the desired positive changes in all facets of our national life. Change must have policies and financial capability to be sustainable. We can start the change mantra in our mindset and working places.” The deputy governor, who emphasised the need to do well always, advised Nigerians to be patriotic, transparent and be committed to their various vocations.

Bode George’s mother dies at 91 THE mother of Chief Olabode George, Mrs Violet Oluremilekun PhillipsGeorge, has passed on at the ripe age of 91 years. A devoted Christian and doting mother, she trained as a certified nurse in the 1930s, spending several decades at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital where she distinguished herself as a professional with selfless focus and instinctive humanitarian mission. After retiring from the hospital, she devoted the rest of her life to the service of the Lord at the Olowogbowo Methodist Church in Chapel Street. She is survived by Alhaja Enitan Majolagbe, Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George and Mrs. Ibironke Onojobi and many grand children and great-grand children.

Mrs Phillips-George

news

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

No parallel PDP congress in Ekiti

TWO of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Ekiti State, Comrade J. K. Oni and Alhaji Gani Bankole purportedly elected in a state congress of the party, apart from the one in which Mr Gboyega Oguntuase was elected, have disassociated themselves from the congress.

Osile celebrates 27th coronation anniversary OBA Karunwi Evangelical Movement (OKEM) is organising a 27 Hours Praise Marathon musical event to celebrate the 27th coronation anniversary of His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr) Adedapo Tejuosho, Karunwi III, the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba. The event will hold on May 13, 2016, at the Olusegun Obansanjo Presidential Library, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Among notable musicians expected to perform at the auspicious musical event are Evangelist (Dr) Ebenezer Obey, Evangelist Joseph Adelakun, Evangelist Dunni Olanrewaju, Mr Sammie Okposo, Pastor Kunle Ajayi, among others.

Oba Adedapo Tejuossho

CHANGE OF NAME

Comrade Oni and Alhaji Bankole said they did not take part in any other state congress of the PDP in Ekiti State, apart from the only one authorised by the party and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where Mr Oguntuase emerged as the state Chairman, Comrade J. K. Oni as state Financial Secretary, Alhaji Gani Bankole as Vice Chairman (South), among others. The statement read; “Our attention has been drawn to report orchestrated by some faceless individuals that a State Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) other than the one in which Mr Gboyega Oguntuase was elected took place in Ekiti State today. “The report also indicated that we, Comrade J. K. Oni and Alhaji Gani Bankole were “elected” as Vice Chairman Central and South Senatorial Districts, respectively. “We wish to state categorically that we did not take part in any other State Congress of the PDP in Ekiti State, apart from the only one authorised by the party and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where Mr Oguntuase emerged as the State Chairman, Comrade J. K. Oni as State Financial Secretary, Alhaji Gani Bankole as Vice chairman (South), among others. “We hereby disassociate ourselves from the socalled congress, if it ever took place and warn that henceforth, on no account should our names be associated with such fraud.’’

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Tiamiyu Abosede Ajoke now MRS ATANDA ELIZABETH ABOSEDE AJOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Nafiu Monsurat Anike now MRS AYELOJA MONSURAT ANIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Salami Ovayioza Senebu now OGEH OVAYIOZA ZAINAB. All former documents remain valid. Kogi State Hospital Management Board and general public take note.

I, formerly Odewuyi Joshua Adewale now OLAOLUWA JOSHUA ADEWALE. All former documents remain valid. FCMB Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Mrs Odugbesan Oluwafunmike now MISS SHONAYA OLUWAFUNMIKE ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Bose Mary Abolaji now MRS BOSE MARY ALABI. All former documents remain valid. EcoBank Plc, UBA Plc, FCMB Plc, Access Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Chinedu Jesinta now EKOBE JESINTA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Kareem Alirat Abike now MRS EJALONIBU ALIRAT ABIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Kayode Iyabo Margret now EMMANUEL MARGRET IYABO. All former documents remain valid. EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Erikefe Francisca now MRS SONIRAN FRANCISCA KEMISOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Oforomeh Dupe Obofoni now MRS ESAN DUPE OBOFINI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Ajayi Anuoluwapo Sarah now MRS OBAZUWA ANUOLUWAPO SARAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Mrs Idowu Adeoye-Okesola am the same person bearing Mrs Idowu Okesola Ajoke. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as MRS IDOWU ADEOYE-OKESOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oyetunji Rebecca Oluwatosin now MRS ADEBAYO REBECCA OLUWATOSIN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adelakun Fausat Bisola now RAMONI FAUSAT BISOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Idowu Akingboye Oladele now IDOWU AKINGBOYE ISAIAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Iremoni Kikelomo Olayemi now MRS OYELEKE KIKELOMO OLAYEMI. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc, GTBank Plc, Kwara State College of Health, Offa and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Oladipupo Dare now OLADIPUPO DAMILARE EZEKIEL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Benjamin Tunde Ladejo now BABATUNDE LADEJO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Bola Jumoke Omolade am the same person bearing Omolade Bola Taye. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OMOLADE BOLA JUMOKE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, Amodu Wasiu Akanni am the same person bearing Akanni Wasiu. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as AMODU WASIU AKANNI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Fidelity Bank Plc, FCMB Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, Amoo Mutairu Olatunji am the same person bearing Olaleye Mutairu Olatunji. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as AMOO MUTAIRU OLATUNJI and OLALEYE MUTAIRU OLATUNJI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Olabamiji Suliyat now ALAKO SULIYAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Isowa Joy Opeoluwa now MRS AKINREMI JOY OPEOLUWA. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Immigration Service and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Adewumi Grace Adeshola am the same person bearing Adewumi Grace. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as ADEWUMI GRACE ADESHOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Wema Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adekanbi Oyinade Omobonike now MRS ADEJIMI KEHINDE OMOBONIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Michael Samson now MICHAEL SAMSON OLUWATOBI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Elizabeth Olufunke Lukan now MRS OYEWO ELIZABETH OLUFUNKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Tope Rebecca Olojo-Kosoko now TOPE REBECCA OLOWOOKERE. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

I, Awolowo Asiawu Laronke am the same person bearing KILANI ASIAWU LARONKE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, Afolabi Adeleke Abimbola am the same person bearing Afolabi Adeleke. Now, I want to be known and addressed as AFOLABI ADELEKE ADEJARE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Keystone Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ogundeyi Adegbite Olaitan Shalewa now MRS ADELAKUN OLAITAN SHALEWA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Fabiyi Basirat Abiodun now MRS SALAKO BASIRAT ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Onyeagoro Chizoma Marita now MRS EZE OKORONKWO CHIZOMA MARITA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Agbaire Ufuoma Margret now MRS IGBOH UFUOMA MARGRET. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeola Sheriff now MRS GBOLAGADE BOLANLE ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Ajeigbe Mujidat Omobola now MRS OLAYINKA LAWAL MUJIDAT OMOBOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akinwande Oluwasanmi Olawale now AKINWANDE O L U W A S A N M I EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Lateef Egberongbe now DAVID EGBERONGBE ADEDEJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Dibie Sunday now NAPOLEON OMAZURU SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Felicia Folaseye Owolabi am the same person bearing Felicia Olutoki and Felicia Ashagidigbi Bello. Now, I want to be known and addressed as FELICIA FOLASEYE OWOLABI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adenike Popoola now ALHAJA KABEERAT ADENIKE TELUWO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Okelola Mobolaji now OKELOLA SUNDAY MOBOLAJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Azeez Sefiat Ajebola now IDOWU SEFIAT AJEBOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Sambo Sinakpenugi now DAUDU SINAKPERUGI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Abdhameed Abdlateef Oyeniran now LAMIDI LATEEF OYENIRAN. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Access Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Gbadegesin Yusuff Olatunji now AMUSAT YUSUFF OLATUNJI. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Olagidi Victor Emmanuel states that my name was mistakenly written as Olagidi Victor L. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLAGIDI VICTOR EMMANUEL. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Oyedokun Olantawura Fulfilment now OYEDOKUN OLANTAWURA IMUSE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Rachael Bukola Omotosho am the same person bearing Rachael Busayo Omotosho. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as RACHAEL OLUWABUKOLA OLUWABUSAYO OMOTOSHO. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Owopade Abiola Ololade Rukayat now MRS OLOFIN ABIOLA OLOLADE RUKAYAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Igwe Henry Friday am the same person bearing IGWE TOCHUKWU. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Diamond Bank Plc and general public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Mr Okpeke Oweifa Lawrence am the same person bearing Mr Oweifa Lawrence Okpeke and Okpeke Oweifa. Now, I want to be known and addressed as MR OKPEKE OWEIFA LAWRENCE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc, Premium Pension and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Akinola Halima Mowaninuola now AKINOLA HALIMAT SADIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Amao Olalere now AMAO OLALERE OLADIPUPO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs Idowu Bukola Margret now MRS BUKOLA IDOWU VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. Authority of the Nigeria Police, Adeeke Iwo & Federation and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Azeez Quosim am the same person bearing Damilola Alabi Quosim. Now I want to be known and addressed as AZEEZ QUOSIM. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akinpelu Busola Temitope now MRS OLORUNMAIYE BUSOLA TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Emmanuel Kofi Alawo now MR EMMANUEL ADETUNJI BABALOLAALAO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CORRECTION OF NAME

My correct name is Bello Muideen Adetunji but it was wrongly spelt as Bello Muideen Hadeytunji while opening an account with GTBank Plc. Henceforth, I wish to be known as BELLO MUIDEEN ADETUNJI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Ijibadejo Omolola Mary now MRS LAMIDI OMOLOLA MARY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Babarinde Bukola Stephania now MRS BADMOS SOFIYAT BUKOLA. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ayandeji Adunni now MRS AYANDEJI ADUNNI OGUNLEYE. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, David Oluwabamise Festus am the same person bearing Oyadokun Bamise Festus. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as DAVID OLUWABAMISE FESTUS. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Lawal Happiness Abosede now MRS ADEBOWALE HAPPINESS ABOSEDE WUMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Taiwo Kolawole Olowu now ISAAC KOLAWOLE OLOWU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Akinola Temitope Eyitayo now MRS OMOTOSHO TEMITOPE EYITAYO. All former documents remain valid. general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Onwuegbuzia Okonkwo Ahagbonam now ONWUEGBUZIA CHRISTIAN OKONKWO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CORRECTION OF NAME

I, Adedayo Mariam Opeyemi that my name was wrongly written as Adebayo Mariam Opeyemi Instead of Adedayo Mariam Opeyemi. Henceforth I want to be Addressed as ADEDAYO MARIAM OPEYEMI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Felix Benedict Lucky am the same person bearing Felix Ben Lucky and Nwaogu Benedict Lucky in seperate documents. Now I want to be known and addressed as FELIX BENEDICT LUCKY. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Rasaki Abeeb .K. now RASAKI ABEEB KUNLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Owobamirin Tinuade Sola now MRS ALONGE OWOBAMIRIN TINUADE SOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mr. Abiodun Yussuf now DAUDA SIKIRU ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oyawale Timothy now OYAWALE TIMOTHY OYABIYI. All former documents remain valid. Nigerian Military Pensions Board, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Alade Abibat Bolanle now ALADE HABEEBAH BOLANLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, JULIANAH OLUSANYA am the same person bearing ABOGAN ABIMBOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Fidelity Bank Plc and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Raji-Iyiola Mulikat Bola Arike now MRS OLUYEMI BOLA MULIKAT ARIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adebowale Victoria Oluwaseun now ADENIJI VICTORIA OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Azeez Musiliat now OTUN MUSILIAT. All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Olarewaju Sadiat Taiwo now MRS SHEU HALIMAH TAIWO. All former documents remain valid. University of Ibadan, GTBank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Sabitat Folasade Oladunni Kelani now MRS FOLASADE OLADUNNI AJIA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Omotayo Oluwabunmi Omowumi now MRS ADEBAYO O L U W A B U N M I OMOWUNMI. All former documents remain valid. general public take note.

I, formerly Akingbogun Aramide Adeola now MRS OLARINMOYE ARAMIDE ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Atobatele Sunday Kehinde now ADEDAPO SUNDAY KEHINDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Bolanle Jumoke Opebiyi now MRS BOLANLE JUMOKE SANUSI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Fadugba Akanni Abayomi now OLUWADUGBA AKANNI ABAYOMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Ajibade Oluwatobi Israel now AJIBADE ADEREMI OLUWATOBI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Busari Funmilola Sherifat now MRS ALAO FUNMILOLA MARY. All former documents remain valid. general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Oladipo Adesola Mojeed now ADEREMI OLUSOLA DAVID. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Abass Guguru now RABIU ABASS ADESINA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Iyalagha Harrison am the same person bearing IYALAGHA HARRISON OROROMENE. . All documents bearing these names remain valid. UBA Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Christiana Folakemi Afolabi now MRS CHRISTIANA FOLAKEMI KALUSI-OLUKU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olamide Olanike Araeko now MRS OLAMIDE OLANIKE ADEBAYO. All former documents remain valid. N&MCN and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Akinlosotu Abiodun am the same person bearing Akinlosotu Odunayo Williams. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as AKINLOSOTU ABIODUN. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Uzuh Julius now UZUH KEHINDE JULIUS. All former documents remain valid. general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olorode Samuel Olashina now OLORODE SAMUEL OLADELE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs Victoria Oluwatoyin John now MRS VICTORIA OLUWATOYIN OYEGUNLE. All former documents remain valid. State Hospitals Management Board and general public take note.

I, formerly Rafiu Adeyemi now ABDULRAFIU AJANI ADEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. BATN, SCBank Plc, GTBank Plc, EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Tajudeen Arowolaje now LAWAL TAJUDEEN O. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ozubele Cynthia Chinyere now MISS EKWURIBE CYNTHIA CHINYERE. All former documents remain valid. National Assembly Management, National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and general public take note.

I, formerly Handsel Igbedion Nosakarhe Toritsegin now HANS’DION HANDSEL NOSAKARHE TORITSEGIN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs OlanrewajuOladele Oluwakemi Iyabode now MRS ABIODUN-OLADELE OLUWAKEMI IYABODE. All former documents remain valid. TASUED, GTBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Makinde Taofeek now MAKINDE ADELEKE TAOFEEK. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Ojewumi Goke Ajani am the same person as Goke Ojewumi Ajani. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OJEWUMI GOKE AJANI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Akpobasa Lovina Uruemu now MRS AGBONIFO LOVINA URUEMU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adewole Folashade now MRS MICHAELOSHO FOLASHADE TOLANI. All former documents remain valid. Federal Medical Centre, Owo and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adebiyi Muritala O. now ADEBIYI YOMI. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Duduyemi Omorinsola Beatrice now MRS ADEWUMI OMORINSOLA BEATRICE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Egben Patrick now PATRICK IFEANYI IGBEN All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Ogundipe Odunayo Idayat now MRS ADIGUN ODUNAYO IDAYAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Odumuyiwa Rachel Veronica Olusola now MRS IMHANSUOMON RACHEL VERONICA OLUSOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adeniji Tawa Bolanle now OYELADE BOLANLE TAWA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oyediran Bose Racheal now MRS RAFIU BOSE RACHEAL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Paul Moses now MOSES IGIRI All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Popoola Kehinde now POPOOLA I F E O L U WA P O KEHINDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Shiaba Mujidat Adebamiji now FASASI MUJIDAT ADEBAMIJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Onuoha Anayo Maxwell am the same person bearing Onuoha Anayo Nicholas. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as ONUOHA ANAYO NICHOLAS. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Joseph Agbajor now TEMIEDEN JOSEPH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME/ DATE OF BIRTH

I, Mrs Adenigba Oluwabanji Victoria am the same person as Adenigba Oluwabanji Victoria and Adunni Olaoye Victoria. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as MRS ADENIGBA OLUWABANJI VICTORIA with date of birth 7th of March, 1958. All documents bearing these names remain valid. UBA Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Awodeji Fisayo now MRS ADENIRAN FISAYO. All former documents remain valid. EcoBank Plc and General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ikuesan Bosede now OFOESUWA OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. Diamond Bank Plc and General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Badejo Adejoke Oluwabusayo now MRS ADEEKO ADEJOKE OLUWABUSAYO. All former documents remain valid. Unity Estate, Idona, Ijebu-Mushin and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ambrose Omamuyovwi Fakah now SUNNY OMAMUYOVWI IRANI. All former documents remain valid. general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly William Okwoke Nkechi now OKWOKE NKECHI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Adegboye Muinat Adeola now MRS OYEWOLE MUINAT ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Moronfolu Saidat Ibidun now MRS LAYODE SAIDAT IBIDUN. All former documents remain valid. NPF Microfinance Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Popoola Rebecca Oyinlola now MRS ALAO REBECCA OYINLOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ademola Gbemisola Racheal now MRS ADEWUSI GBEMISOLA RACHEAL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oladimeji Moronukeji Buki now OLADIMEJI MORONUKEJI BUKOLA. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME/ DATE OF BIRTH

I, formerly Idowu Aderinlokun now MR IDOWU ADEBANJO with date of birth 25th of August 1977. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc, FCMB Plc, CBN and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Tajudeen Adebayo Abiodun now SHEU SANUSI AKANNI. All former documents remain valid. general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Aderoju Adeyemi now ADEROJU ADEYEMI IDRIS. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Abraham Taiwo Abosede now MRS KOLADE TAIWO ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adeniji Adewumi now YUSUF ADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Raji Mufutau Olarewaju now ADEAGBO MUFUTAU OLAREWAJU. All former documents remain valid. Zenith Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Adegunle Sanya Samuel am the same person as Adegunle Sanya, Adegunle Olusanya Bankole. Now, I want to be known and addressed as ADEGUNLE OLUSANYA BANKOLE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Ajimuda Bosede Margaret now MRS IBITOYE BOSEDE MARGARET. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Adepoju Abel now MR ADEPOJU ABEL OLUFEMI. All former documents remain valid. Military Pensions Board, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Waheed Oyewole Oyepeju am the same person bearing Oyepeju Oyewole. Now, I want to be known and addressed as WAHEED OYEWOLE OYEPEJU. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc, UBA Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ogundare Abosede Ikeola now MRS AKINYO ABOSEDE IKEOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olaogun Ganiyu Olanrewaju Jimoh now OLAOGUN GANIYU OLANREWAJU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ganiyu Basirat Oluwaseun now MRS BALOGUN BASIRAT OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adenuga Cecilia Tiwalade now MRS OGUNBANWO CECILIA TIWALADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Odubela Oluwatosin Oluwadamilola now MRS SEKONI OLUWATOSIN OLUWADAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid. D.S. Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori Ewekoro, Ogun State and general public take note.

I, formerly Jamiu Fatimo Musiliu now MUSILIUDEEN JATIMOT ARINLADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CORRECTION OF NAME

I, formerly Kamorudeen Adebayo A. now KAMORUDEEN ABDULMALIK ADEBAYO and my correct date of birth is 27th June, 1991 not 19th August, 1991. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I wish to state that my name is Rafiu Abiodun Ganiyu and not Abdul Rafiu, Abdul Ganiyu as contained in my National Voter’s Card. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc, Dugbe and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Eno Sunday Ekanem now MRS TAIWO ENO SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Selina Iyabode Ogunsile now MRS SELINA IYABODE POPOOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Umaru Zakari now UMORU ZEKERI. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and general public take note.

communitynews Industrialist seeks economic council for Ilorin emirate 36

Biola Azeez - Ilorin

prominent industrialist and community leader, Engineer Adisa Logun, has called on the Emir of Ilorin to constitute a Special Economic Council for the emirate as a way of ending the hardship of underprivileged indigenes of the area. The community leader made the call in a keynote address he presented at the opening ceremony of the third biennial conference of the Centre for Ilorin Studies (CILS), University of Ilorin, themed: “The Socio-economic Development of Ilorin Emirate Since the 20th Century”. Canvassing a return to the industrialisation plan for the city, which he said had been compromised by successive governments in Kwara State over the last 30 years, the industrialist lamented the lack of any functional industrial estate in the city that is well over 100 years old and which had a clay tiles industry as far back as 1924. He also advised the state government to look beyond those he called “kiosk owners” for its Internally Generated Revenue drive. He said the government should rather concentrate on the people “who have huge businesses in the emirate on large swathes of land sometimes without the knowledge of the local government chairmen, who prefer to live at the centre of Ilorin township rather than at the outposts where they preside over”. The British-trained chemical engineer said, “Compared to many other parts of Nigeria, we must admit that Ilorin Emirate and its indigenes are at a lower level in terms of income, nutrition, wealth, standard of living”, adding that “we must accept this statement and do something about it”. Logun suggested that whatever proposal the economic council would come up with should be presented to the state and local governments for implementation. Also speaking, a former Minister of State for Educa-

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

tion, Alhaji Saka Saádu, who chaired the event, described the theme of the conference as germane, given the fact that dwindling economic resources is a front-burner issue in Nigeria. Alhaji Saadu recalled that Ilorin people took entrepreneurship serious in pre-co-

lonial days which, according to him, is why many houses are named after their peculiar trade and craft. He pointed out that there is a lot of room for investment in the areas of Information and Communication Technology, culture and tourism.

THE youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Preye Ekpebide, has advised youths in the area to live in peace and unity to collectively pursue the common good of the area and the people. Speaking shortly after his emergence as the youth leader at the

geria had paid dearly for the wrong interpretation of religious tenets. According to him, “taking history and religion seriously has implication for our peaceful and harmonious development as a multicultural society and there are ample examples to support

Federal Ministry of Environment is ongoing, expressing the confidence that the outcome of the dialogue would not be detrimental to the community. The Senior Regional Advisor, United Nations -Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) programme, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, explained that the essence of the visit was to interface with the com-

munity in order to draw up policies, incentives and support in line with the Ekuri Initiative. The policies, according to her, would ensure appropriate planning for the REDD Implementation phase which is about to commence. Ms. Attafuah maintained that UN-REDD is working with other development partners to support the community, noting that the implementation stage takes a longer process and appealed to the community to be patient and remain committed to their conservation initiative. The spokesperson, Ekuri Initiative, Chief Edwin Ogar, expressed happiness and thanked the team for the visit.

UN-REDD team visits community, restates support for Ekuri Initiative anthony ubong-calabar

CROSS River State Commissioner for Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Alice Ekwu, has reiterated the determination of the state government to better the lots of its people through sustainable development programmes. The commissioner stated this when she led a team of UN-REDD Consultants on a visit to Ekuri community in Akamkpa Local Govern-

ment Area of the state. Addressing the people of Ekuri, Dr. Ekwu lauded their efforts in preserving their forest over the years, which she said served as a world class model, adding that their passion for forest conservation will not be unrewarded. Fielding questions from the people on the superhighway project, the commissioner disclosed that a dialogue between the state government and the

LASWA cautions Lagos residents against littering waterways with wastes

THE Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) in partnership with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), on Saturday, cautioned residents of Lagos against littering waterways with human wastes. The Secretary of LASWA, Mr Damilola Famakinwa, gave the warning during the authority’s clean-up exercise at Ebute Ero Jetty, Lagos Island, Lagos. The exercise was conducted in collaboration with Wecyclers, a non-profit organisation. Famakinwa said the exercise was to sensitise and enlighten members of the public on the benefits of keeping the waterways clean. “Our objective is to educate members of the public on the dangers of polluting our waterways and to make them imbibe a culture of keeping waterways clean. “Observation has shown that generally, Lagosians do not take proper care of waterways. “Lagosians litter water-

ways with empty plastics, bottles, nylons and various kinds of filth. “Another practice is open defecation on waterways; this is totally unacceptable. We have organisations emptying their waste water and various chemicals in the waterways,” he said. Famakinwa said that the pollution of waterways necessitated the campaign tagged: ‘Caring for our Waterways’, with the support of relevant agencies. He highlighted some of the dangers to include accident and obstruction to easy navigation. He added that it exposed waterways to bacteria and viruses dangerous to marine life, inhibits recreation and leisure activities on waterways as well as affects the aesthetic value. In her remark, Mrs Bilikis Adebiyi-Abiola, the CEO of Wecyclers Waste Management Limited, said the organisation was passionate about waste management in the state. Adebiyi-Abiola said that

Bomadi youths counselled on unity alphonsus agbohr-asaba

In his address entitled: “Essential Commodity”, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGniyu Ambali, called for a return to the teaching of History and Religious Studies as compulsory subjects in the secondary school curriculum, noting that Ni-

local government congress, Ekpebide maintained that support for one another, planning together as leaders of tomorrow and creating the right atmosphere would bring transformation and the needed attention from various governments. According to him, the lack of development was due to divisions which, according to him, caused them more

harm than good. He noted that there were no challenges or situations that a united people cannot overcome, stressing that the earlier the youths realised the fact, the better for them. The youth leader appealed to the people to put their differences behind them and come up with ideas for the fulfillment of their destinies.

the residents could exchange their wastes with the organisation for money, household items, electronic gadgets and other gifts.

this position in Ilorin”. He added, “History and Religious Studies are essential commodities in our task of nation-building and we should make conscious effort in that direction.” The Lead Paper Presenter, who is also the pioneer Director of the Centre for Ilorin Studies, Professor A.G.A.S. Oladosu, in his paper, entitled: “SocioEconomic Development in Ilorin: The Role of Shaykh Muhammad Kamaludeen Al_Adabiy”, noted that “the late Islamic sagescholar, was an institution of many facets who was a spiritual leader, counsellor, and educationist that married Western and Islamic education such that Ilorin has been further strengthened as a renowned centre of scholarship.” While welcoming participants to the conference, the Director of the Centre for Ilorin Studies and Chief Imam of Auchi, Edo State, Professor Z. I. O. Oseni, enumerated past and ongoing projects embarked upon by the centre. These, according to him, include the mapping and documentation of jumat mosques in Ilorin.

37 news

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

My asset declaration form tampered with, Saraki alleges Sunday Ejike - Abuja

ENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, alleged that his assets declaration form of 2003, submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), has been tampered with, a reason he said the original copy of the form was not presented before the Code of Conduct Trubunal (CCT). Saraki is standing trial over alleged false assets declaration while he was governor of Kwara State. At the resumed trial on Tuesday, Saraki’s counsel, Mr Paul Erokoro, made the allegation while cross examining the prosecution witness, Mr Micheal Wetkas. Under cross examination, Wetkas was asked whether he saw the original copy of exhibit 1, which is Saraki’s assets declaration form in the cause of investigation. Wetkas initially said he never saw the original copy but on a second thought, he recanted, adding that he sighted the form from one Samuel Majemu of the CCB. When asked why the original copy of the form was not brought before the tribunal, Wetkas said he always work with the Certified True Copy furnished by the CCB, because it is a replica of the original and it serves the same purpose. It was at that point that Erokoro submitted that “whoever is prosecuting the defendant is hiding something, by not bringing the original copy before the tribunal. “If it is important for the investigative team to see the original, then why is it not important for the tribunal to see it?” The prosecution witness, however, denied the allegation, saying the form was filled and signed by Saraki before a competent judge. When the witness was asked if he was aware that the assets declaration form submitted by the defendant in 2003 was tampered with, since it contained some entries of properties that were not put on sale by the Federal Government until 2006, Wetkas said “as far as I am concerned, exhibit one was signed by the defendant himself on September 16, 2003.” Also, when asked if he inserted No. 15a and b, McDonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, he answered in the negative. When also asked if he knew who did it, the witness said “the CCB is a responsible organisation and he would not believe it would have done that.”

Still under cross examination, the witness admitted that the defendant was worth $22 million, £12 million, €2.6 million and

N4 billion in cash, movable and landed assets before he became governor of Kwara State in 2003, as contained in his assets declaration

form of 2003. Erokoro, however, led Wetkas in reading from the asset declaration form which Saraki submitted to

Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima; President, Dangote Group, Alike Dangote and the Executive Director, Dangote Group, Halima Aliko Dangote, during a visit to Dalori camp of internally displaced persons (IDPs), in Maiduguri, Borno State.

the CCB on assumption of office as governor in 2003. The defence counsel submitted that he needed to take Wetkas through the form to debunk the impression created by the witness earlier in his evidence-inchief that Saraki would not have been able to buy property without obtaining a bank loan. Wetkas confirmed that there were 16 vehicles worth N263,400,000 and that the vehicles are Mercedes Benz S320 valued at N16 million; Mercedes S500 valued at N20 million; Mercedes G500 valued at N6 million; Mercedes V220 valued at N2 million; Ferrari 456GT valued at N25 million; Navigator valued at N15 million, Mercedes MN240 valued at N8.5 million and Peugeot 405 valued at N2.9 million. Other vehicles included Mercedes CLK 320 valued

at N9 million; Mercedes E320 valued at N11 million; Mercedes G500 bullet proof valued at N45 million; Mercedes S500 valued at N30 million; Lexus SUV bulletproof valued at N30 million and Linclon Navigator bullet proof valued at N25 million. “By my calculation, the total worth is N263,400,000,” Wetkas told the tribunal and confirmed that Saraki’s landed property was worth between N2.5 billion and N3.5 billion. He also confirmed that Saraki’s cash was worth about N50 million and the total assets declared by Saraki, including that of his wife and his two children under 18 in 2003, was worth $22 million, £12 million, €2.6 million and N4 billion. The tribunal adjourned till today for continuation of trial.

Herdsmen/farmers clashes: Fulani not responsible —FG •Says culprits are elements of Boko Haram Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja THE Federal Government, on Tuesday, said those responsible for incessant attacks on communities in recent times are not Fulani heardsmen, adding that some of the perpetrators were elements of the Boko Haram insurgents. Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heneken Lokpobiri, who stated this at a public hearing in the Senate, on the incessant herdsmen/farmers clashes, said those found to be inflicting violence on farming communities in recent times were not Nigerians, adding that they were also not the usual Fulani herdsmen known for cattle rearing and grazing in the country. The government also announced plans to establish cattle ranches across the country, as a way of resolving the perennial farmers/ herdsmen clashes. According to the minister, the culprits of incessant attacks on communities were elements of the Boko Haram insurgents. He said none of the apprehended persons perpetrating the violence had been able to speak any Nigerian language. He declared that creation of ranches was just the way to go, adding that keeping cattle in the ranches would restrict their movement and ensure they stayed in one place. The minister told the joint

hearing if the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Rural Development and National Security and Intelligence that no fewer than nine states of the federation had given some 5,000 hectares of land each for establishment of ranches. He said the creation of ranches would put to an end, incessant clashes between the modern day herdsmen and farming communities. “Available statistics to us in government show that contrary to media report that these violent herdsmen are the conventional Nigerian Fulanis, they are not, as none of those apprehended was able to speak any of the Nigerian languages, giving strong credence to the possibility of the violent herdsmen to be another form of terrorists in the mode of Boko haram,” Lokpobiri stated. He further stated that though the country had 415 grazing reserves in the northern parts, most of the areas had no grass due to

problem of desertification. Speaking on the benefits of ranching, Lokpobiri explained that the modern way of rearing cattle and achieving the best of productivity in animal husbandry is ranching, adding that Nigeria had just 19 million cows with a population of 160 million population, whereas Brazil, with a similar population, has 220 million cows. He said countries like, Brazil, United States of America and Saudi Arabia were making the best use of ranches to enhance productivity in animal husbandry. Stakeholders from different ethnic nationalities, including Tivs, Idoma,

Ohaneze and the SouthSouth, who spoke through their representatives, supported the proposal of the call for creation of ranches. The stakeholders, however, said it was wrong for the Federal Government to deploy public resources to establish grazing reserves for herdsmen. Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, then rose against the submissions, saying that the government was free to establish grazing reserves anywhere. “Nobody can stop government from acquiring land anywhere. Government is government. If anybody

thinks he is violent, government has the monopoly of violence,” he said. The Fulani herdsmen, represented by the Miyetti Allah, insisted that grazing reserves routes should be sustained, while they also asked that Ministry of Livestock be established to cater for the animals. The Fulani group, represented by the National Secretary of the Nyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Baba Othman Ngeizarma, in his paper, recommended that government should demarcate trans-human routes and cattle resting points with support from technical and financial partners.

Dasukigate: EFCC to arraign ex-Chief of Air Staff today Lanre Adewole - Lagos THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will today arraign a former Chief of Air Staff, M. D. Umar Dikko, for alleged multi-bil-

lion fraudulent arm deal. He is to to be arraigned before Justice Binta Murtala Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Many former military chiefs have been under probe

for alleged fraud recently. The immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), is also facing trial for alleged massive fraud in the purchase of arms.

Alleged N61m scam: EFCC arrests Tompolo’s lawyer, Adegboruwa By Yejide GbengaOgundare OPERATIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, arrested Lagosbased lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, at his Lekki office, over allegations of obtaining money under false pretence.

The high profile lawyer was accused of knowingly dealing in renting out a forfeited asset without due authorisation, as well as conspiracy. The anti-graft commission, according to information made available to the Nigerian Tribune, alleged that Adegboruwa conspired with some other persons to lease a property situ-

ated at House 105, NICON Town Estate, Lekki, Lagos, to one Shelf Drilling Nigeria Limited at the sum of N61,631,944.65. The sum was lodged first in his Zenith Bank’s account before he further disbursed it to other associates who are in the deal with him, including churches. EFCC officials alleged that Adegboruwa, who is

handling many high profile cases including that of wanted Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a. Tompolo, acted illegally by leasing out a property which is a subject of an interim forfeiture order by a Lagos State High Court. It was said that the rights activist would be charged to court as soon as possible.

features

By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

HE family of the late Ronke Bewaji Shonde, suspected of being killed by her husband, Lekan Shonde, on Monday decided to come out of their grief and mourning to put the records straight about what they described as complete lies being bandied about by Lekan to tarnish the image of their late daughter. Ronke’s elder sister in an interview with Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, stated that Lekan only cheated her sister. “He only cheated my sister and it is very painful because all the allegations are not true. I think what triggered the violence is that he started listening to people’s opinion, his age became a problem. For example, when we were waiting outside their house on Friday for the police to pack Ronke’s corpse, someone stated that when he goes to the beer parlour around, they teased him thus you are old while your wife is young, very soon, you won’t be able to satisfy her again’, it gets to him and he uses it to react violently to his wife. It is just a case of insecurity, he was afraid of what was non-existent and he gets angry at everything. “If you ask him to bring a proof of his wife’s infidelity, he has none. Initially, when the incident happened, the first people he called, he told them that he read through the phone and read a text, later he said he overheard a conversation. He had nothing against Ronke, it was just pure jealousy. He loves to lie, that is his specialty. He is in the habit of going crazy and now begging. We have screenshots of chats with Ronke’s friends begging them to talk to Ronke that if she dumped him, he will die because he had seen that she was getting tired and no longer interested in that kind of life, they weren’t talking again. He was begging her because he impregnated a woman outside and confessing that all his suspicions were wrong and he won’t suspect her again.” Bolatito explained that she used to beg him all the time that his wife was a responsible woman and she shouldn’t be made to suffer, adding that she was always urging him not to give the devil a chance in his home. “Even when things were tight, she would call me and ask for support. I am always supporting them to pay school fees and even rent, they fight over money because whenever I bailed my sister out, he would check her bag, steal the money then fight her that a boyfriend gave her the money though, he won’t stop her from footing the bills, he even checks her account. She borrowed so much from me to run that home and he’s lying now that he provides for the family. My sister paid school fares and bus fare She added that the society and religion contributed a lot to what her sister went through. “You know on the day we insisted she leaves, the pastor said Bolatito, you are not married, what would people say? That you that you aren’t married went to your sister’s house to take her from her husband’s house,’’ but I didn’t care, I only wanted my sister to be safe and happy.” Speaking on the marriage she

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

Alleged killer-husband’s wife planned to leave him this week —Sister-in-law

Omotara, the sister-in-law stated that they got married eight years ago, in November 2008, but denied that it was an arranged marriage. “ To the best of my knowledge, it wasn’t arranged because I remember when she brought him home to introduce him as her fiancé to the family when she was serving, he was well accepted in the family, they had their introduction, the engagement, then a date was set for their wedding.” Bolatito explained that the family wasn’t concerned about the huge age difference between the couple, adding that his allegation that his mother advised him against the marriage is a lie. Describing her sister, she said, “My late sister was a very beautiful soul, she was full of life, everybody knows she loved her family, loved her husband and children so much. She was a loving mother; she loved her kids, family, husband and his relatives and her home. Everywhere she went, people fell in love with her personality, she was very lively, cheerful and easy going.” On domestic violence history in the home, she said, “Not initially, not for the first four years, they lived happily as a couple until then and she sacrificed a lot for the success of that home. The physical violence started about four years ago when they moved to a new location, the husband became petty and concerned about what people say especially concerning how young his wife was compared to him, he just became insecure and he set up neighbours to spy on my sister, he would be at work at the wharf and they would

He would start going through her phones to know who called and who every number is, there must be no unknown number or a number that is not on her contact list...

Bolatito, Ronke’s elder sister be calling to tell him what was happening in his home, what she’s wearing, the time she leaves home and even to the extent that they inform him when their child is crying at home and when he gets back, he would start going through her phones to know who called and who every number is, there must be no unknown number or a number that is not on her contact list in her phone register or there would be trouble.” And did the family try to stop the violence? “Of course we tried. There was one early morning she called me on my way to work that her husband beat her up, I called him, sent messages to him and even called my mum who thought it was a normal couple’s squabble. To make life easier on her, I advised her not to operate social media accounts since he checks out her friends on facebook and then chats up any male she added as friend, asking what they wanted with his wife, he became too possessive. “In December last year, my mum was here and around 11pm, Omotara, our sister-in-law called and she said uncle Lekan has started again, he has locked all of them in the house. Then mum said she had to go, she left the house that late and got to their Egbeda home around midnight and during the night I called people, I called my aunty and she directed me to the social welfare. The next morning, I went to a police station towards Idimu, I left my house as early as 5.00am and had to wait for the officer to resume and I laid this complaint, but he said I must bring my sister since I wasn’t the one involved. I went to my sister’s place to pick her and the husband said no, she’s his wife and I cannot take her anywhere, but I told him ‘‘though she’s your wife, I won’t allow you kill my sister because I love her and I don’t want to lose her since we just lost our brother and my mother supported me.’’ He started running after me and my sister though, he wasn’t wearing any shoe and there was drama that day because my mum also insisted that she would take her daughter away that day. “My sister was running ahead,

but when I got to the main gate at their street, I couldn’t find my sister, I looked around and she’s nowhere to be found, but when I got back to her house, I found her crying on the bed, apparently, she dodged me. I begged her to leave and forget what people would say, but while this was going on, the landlady, some neighbours and a pastor came and persuaded her to stay and because she loved him, she always accepted his pleas whatever it is he had done.

Lekan’s chat with Ronke’s friend

Though we insisted that even if she wanted to stay with him, she should at least make a statement but she didn’t,” she told Nigerian Tribune. Speaking on the manager Lekan alleged is sleeping with his wife, she said, “the man is as good as family; he was no threat at all. He was just a colleague who put her through at work because he knew our uncle. He has never gone to pick her or drop her at home. Our uncle is into publishing just like the manager he mentioned and they had business dealings even before Ronke started work.” She stated further that, “this family can never be the same again. When we lost our brother, we came together and promised ourselves that we will stay together and take care of our mum and the kids but now, she’s no more, this has created a very deep vacuum that cannot be filled by anybody. This family can never be the same again.” Bolatito stated that their mother is a Christian and a strong woman who has left everything in the hands of God, but denied all allegations made by Lekan. “Even after this incident, he has opened up to several people on phone saying that he had no basis for his suspicion of his wife and he regrets his act so, it is a surprise to hear him say that he overheard something when he has been begging for forgiveness from mummy and I. Obviously, they had advised him not to say the truth. All are lies; he calls the family with one story begging for forgiveness, then goes out to tell another story filled with lies on the advice of people. It is a total lie. My sister’s friend even on facebook can attest to this. He has confessed to some people that it is the work of the devil.” Also speaking, Omotara, the sister-in-law that stayed with them for almost nine months described the Shonde’s home as one devoid of peace and filled with violence. “We used to talk about it. Most times because of my presence, he just screams on her and locks her, I and the children up in the house. The only problem they had stemmed from his suspicions that his wife is unfaithful and his insecurity. I know about four people including the dry cleaner that he had accused his wife of sleeping with. “He was always suspicious of every male his wife related with, he went as far as inviting them on facebook, getting their number and trying to find out their relationship with his wife. He used to hide behind the street gate to confirm whether she came home on bike or someone came to drop her. She just told me last week Wednesday that she was tired and would leave for her aunt’s place this week so that if I’m coming back from Ilorin, I should come to her sister because she would leave, so I should pack many of my belongings. She was ready to leave him for good this week,” Omotara said.

39 tribunesport

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016

‘I’m taking care of my late daughter’s children’ Continued from BP

What kind of treatment did you give to him for him to have held you liable for the death? When Rashidi died in the hospital, my last son went for his corpse in Ibadan and was buried in Ira, his hometown. That was how Rashidi was known to have come from Ira town. Only a few knew he came from Ira town. He said I took him to hospital. Yes. I took him to hospital. And it was a spiritual attack against him. Arrow was used to attack (Rashidi) in his dream. The attack was on a Friday night. Iya Bidemi, his wife in Osogbo and I were running helter skelter during the attack. He was attacked in his dream. Maybe because he (lawyer) who is Tapa and not Yoruba is the reason he has been behaving like that to me. I don’t know. And why he would be spreading negative stories about me all around town is what I don’t know. He said I am living fine. And I collect huge

house rent. Did he come to see me? He didn’t come! He doesn’t know where I live. I only met him in Ira. I didn’t even know when he left that day. What will you want Nigerians or government to do for you? You know, if it’s in Osun, it’s not until they point at me that people assist. But in this country, corruption has ruined everything. They are deceitful. Their faith in God is nothing. Government is not seeing to my welfare. They didn’t ask or call me. All what they also got in Ibadan was shared among themselves; lawyers and two wives. I learnt they played a memorial match where N3million was given to them. N1million was given to the lawyer, while Iya Bidemi and the wife abroad shared the rest. Nothing was given to me not to talk of the children of the third wife. When they got other donations that I am not aware of, they have been the one taking everything. Rashidi said his house is owned

by his children, but people in Ira thought I have collected money without telling them. They think I have collected everything. What about the house rent? It’s what we collect from the house rent that we use to pay electricity bill and repair damaged items. My daughter (Rofiat) who died recently left behind five children at Iyeku. I take care of them from the little I have too. The children came just yesterday (Sunday) to collect food items from me. My petty trading is not flourishing. And there’s not much gain selling all these petty items. It was in the past we used to get something. Nowadays, things are difficult even for those who are working, some are looking for what to do, they don’t get. Those (her tenants) who are employed by government are not paid. Those who want to pay don’t have money and we can’t force them. Why? Money won’t last, it’s human integrity that would last. One can’t spoil one’s reputation

because of money. One won’t live here on earth forever. We will all leave. God owns us all. When Hausa people die, they say life is like a market. That they will all go soon. Life is market, heaven is home. That’s how we relate harmoniously. Whenever they see that I am in trouble, they rally round me. They don’t owe house rent. The house rent in this town is not as lucrative as that of Ibadan or Lagos. What is obtainable here as rent is lower compared to what is paid even in Offa. What do you sell here actually? I sell sachet water, soft drinks, bread, onions, kuli kuli (groundnut cake), etc. My major trade actually is kolanut. That’s how I am known all over as Sikirat Akanke Olobi. Even, when Rashidi was interviewed on what her mother does, he said I sell kolanut. That’s what I learnt. My mother gave me to a woman, Iya Onigbagbo, younger sister to my own father, in Ira at the age of four. I learnt the kola-

nut trade from the woman. I was living in Ira until I came to Ijagbo after the death of my son. My son bought this house for me here (in Ijagbo). My other children are doing their bit too to take care of me. Akeem does well digging, soakaway digging, cutting of grass and other menial jobs to sustain himself and take care of me too. He has two children but they live with their mother. Is it true Rashidi bought a bus (18-seater) for Akeem, his younger brother? It’s true, but the bus is no more. Akeem was also a footballer, but as I said, does menial jobs around to make a living. How is your health? God is taking care of me. I take drug and balm when I have joint pains and I go to hospital. But I was told not to take injection again. They don’t give me drugs at hospital free. I buy drugs. All what I had done in the past during my trade is now having effect on me.

I would have stopped managing Yekini’s estate —Mohammed Continued from BP

property for N3million. In 2006, Yekini enlisted the services of a firm because he did not want her mother to be collecting rent personally again. From the record available, the room and parlour in that building goes for N48,000 per annum, while the three-bedroom flat goes for N80,000. So all the proceeds from the rent go to Mama. Ijagbo is not a village. On Mama’s claim of tarnishing her image I don’t know what Mama meant by saying I’m tarnishing her image because I am Yekini’s counsel, we were friends and he was like a brother to me. To start with, there were attempts to abduct Rashidi at least on three occasions that he was fortunate to get across to me and I was able to come to his rescue. I solicited the help of the then Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Adisa Bolanta who invited the DPO in charge of the Oluyole police station and his family too who came from Ijagbo and Osogbo to take Yekini away, and he gave a standing order having interviewed all parties, nobody should move near Yekini and that they should seek the consent of the state government and the police before they do anything. Afterwards they again went to court sometime in 2009 and filed a case against Rashidi asking the court to order the Commissioner of Police to arrest Rashidi for them to take him to wherever. They said Rashidi needed help and the court refused that application despite the fact that Rashidi was not served with the court process and we were not served. So, they did not succeed until in 2012 when they eventually came and he was abducted here in Ibadan in his residence. None of us knew his

whereabouts for three weeks, afterwards they pronounced him dead. If questions were asked about the manner which Rashidi died because I know that but for his mother who was there that day, they would not have successfully abducted Rashidi. So, I don’t know what I have said to tarnish her image other than the fact that I was upset which I think naturally I should because, as a counsel to my client I should be able to protect him at all times. I was upset because I could not help him when he needed help. When he was dying he told his immediate younger sister, Rofiat who is also late now that he needed to see me and they shielded him from seeing me until he died. I would ordinarilly ask how Rashidi died, because I need to tell people what transpired. If in the process of telling people what transpired Mama said I have tarnished her image, I disagree with that. I will never tarnish her image.

sworn by the Holy Quran because that was the covenant between us. He held the tip of the Quran and I held the other end and we both sworn not to betray each other. So if not for that oath I took, I would have stopped managing his estate, but it won’t be too good for me to do that now. Not quite one year after the death of my client, the women who had children for Yekini, the children, Akeem, the late Rofiat and other members of the family came down to Ibadan to take the inventory of the property he left behind. The family members were the ones who locked the building, no one has access to the property.

On alleged N3million realised on the fourth memorial match I can understand Mama’s perception but it is far from what she thinks. I realise that if I did not do anything on that fateful day (May 4, 2016), I do not think anybody will do anything except FIFA, who did a very wonderful thing and I appreciated FIFA accordingly. We didn’t have up to 1000 people in the stadium and there was no gate-takings. Nobody gave me one naira to organise that event. It was just a liitle event. The impression is that anything Rashidi Yekini entails money. We just invited two schools to play for Yekini and no

On his relationship with Mama You can imagine if my client’s mother said she does not know my name. I and Rashidi had been to Ijagbo to see Mama on at least two occasions because it was traditional for Rashidi to visit his mother and he introduced me to his mother. Up to the point I refused to pick mama’s calls. She calls me consistently. I extend my own widow’s mite to her remaining two children and I can give you proofs. Management of Yekini’s estate I am a Muslim, I am still upset with mama. I’m also being mindful of moving closer to the family. If Rashidi were to be alive today, I would have handed over his file to him because of the challenges I’m facing in handling his matter. But he is no longer with us and I

Mohammed during the interview. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO-OKE

one knows how many ‘Yekinis’ are in waiting among them. The idea is to immortalise Yekini so, I do not know where Mama got the information that we made money from the event. We donated kits to the two schools which they wore to play the match.

On what was stated in Yekini’s will I also want to state here categorically that Yekini never prepared a will before he died, but he gave an instruction that whatever happens to him, his properties should be handled in accordance with islamic rites. Even the mother has a limitation. Yekini did not have a wife, so, the children will take the larger portion of the properties in Ibadan and that was why we have advised them to leave the property in Ijagbo for Mama. It should also be on record that Yekini has only two properties which are the houses in Ibadan and Ijagbo. He has no cash at bank at all. The family went to the FirstBank main branch, Ibadan, before he even died to seek the manager’s approval to give them money to treat Yekini and he told them that Yekini had collapsed his account and has withdrawn all the money in his account because he knew he had goodwill. I remember at a point in time in his lifetime, the United Nations through UNICEF approached Yekini to be their ambassador with huge amount of money to get which he refused. BBC also approached him that they wanted to feature him during the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for match analysis in their studio and he rejected the offer too. I know when he was invited to be FIFA ambassador, they were ready to cater for his accomodation, feeding and all that and he rejected it. So, on a number of occasions, he got offers which will fetch him millions of naira, but he turned them down claiming that he was contented with what he had.

SIDELINES

no16,498

Wednesday, 11 MAY, 2016

n150

A robbery suspect now in custody in Lagos, Henry Ate, confessed that they always operate morning and night shifts to disposses innocent citizens of their mobile phones and other valuables. Perhaps, is Henry saying that they don’t rob in the midnight when the two shifts failed to yield dividends?

The house built by the late Rashidi Yekini for her mother. Inset is Yekini’s mum, Alhaja Sikirat Yekini.

Many dependants live on me after Rashidi Yekini’s death —Mum •Insists ‘I’m suffering’ •Says Yekini’s brother digs soak-away for survival

ALHAJA Sikirat Akanke Yekini is the aged mother of the late Nigerian international, Rashidi Yekini. She looks like she could do better with adequate care. Unfortunately, her son, Yekini who was said to be taking good care of her and his siblings while alive, is no more. The 1993 African Footballer of the Year, Yekini died four years ago. Described as generous and good spirited woman, Mama, as she is fondly called by her neighbours, said life is no longer the same since the death of his philanthropic son. Interestingly, she takes care of five children left behind by Rofiat, the late footballer’s sister, among others. Mama in a car garage-turned-shop located inside a two-storey building bought for her by his late son, says she lives on selling bread, soft drinks, groundnut cakes (kuli kuli), kolanuts and bitter kola, among other sundry items. BIOLA AZEEZ, spoke with the septuagenarian in her shop in Ijagbo, a sleepy town near Offa, Kwara State. Excerpts:

t’s four years since your son, Rashidi Yekini passed on, how has it been coping without him? It’s true. I learnt they celebrated the remembrance of his exit. And how would I have known? Who will inform me? I only learnt about that through radio, yes and TV. I listen to radio regularly if there is electricity. It’s a different story unlike what obtained in the past. Life has turned deceitful, (gesturing with her frail hands to show deceit

and cheating nature of human beings). We only hope and pray God to turn things better. How is your condition of living, who and who are taking care of you? I don’t have no one since the demise of Rashidi. Except the lawyer that goes about tarnishing my image. It’s all lies he goes about spreading. I got to know him in Ira, the hometown of my son, during burial. He came to greet me on the burial day, which was the eighth day after Rashi-

di’s death. He came with a police man. Since then, I have not seen him. I don’t know his name. My son, Akeem who knows his name is not at home. I don’t have any relationship with him at all. Somebody that did not deem it fit to visit me or commiserate with me over the death of my daughter, Rofiat who died when she was travelling to Ibadan to see one of Rashidi’s children. One of the logs of wood on a truck loaded with woods fell on the vehicle she boarded. Only one person survived the accident. We didn’t

learn of the incident on time. We only got to know the day after the incident. We spent over N20,000 to get the corpse from morgue. She left five children behind. The lawyer and two wives of the late Rashidi; Mummy Bidemi, and the one abroad, have connived to do whatever they like. The third wife that Rashidi rejected as far as I’m concerned is one of his wives. It was all devil’s antics. The third wife is also Rashidi’s wife. It was while he was in trouble that Rashidi disowned her child. I gave the

I remain loyal to my late client — Barrister Mohammed •Says Yekini left no will

Barrister Jubril Mohammed, the counsel to the late former Nigerian international, Rashidi Yekini, in this interview with Ganiyu Salman, Niyi Alebiosu, Nurudeen Alimi and Olawale Olaniyan, speaks on the allegations levelled against him by Yekini’s mum, Alhaja Sikiratu Yekini and revealed that his late client left no will and had also closed his bank accounts before his demise, among other sundry issues. Excerpts: On Mama’s claim that she is suffering She has always been a petty trader even when her son, my client was alive. She insisted that she did not want to be idle and she needed to do something meaningful because Yekini wanted her to come to Ibadan and stay with him, but she insisted she pre-

ferred to stay back at Ijagbo. But as to whether she is suffering, I do not know whether there is any basis for her to suffer. All I know is that my client made adequate provision for her. The house Mama is staying at the moment is a two-storey building of four flats and on the ground floor you have a warehouse and two garages, one

of the garages is where Mama displays her wares and attached to that building are boys quarters of room and parlour which are four in number and the building also has a shop. All the rents paid by tenants go to Mama solely even when Yekini was alive, he never touched any of the proceeds from the rent as far back as 1995 and

woman part of the money donated by the Osun State government and others during the eighth day (Fidau) burial rites to her. The kabiyesi of Ira also advised me to give her part of the money so as not to go with nothing, since other wives and the lawyer declined to give her anything. The lawyer is always against my interest. And when government or people ask, he says he is taking care of me. He says I collect huge house rent. This is someone that did not see me and I don’t know him. He doesn’t now what I eat or drink. This is all I have as sustenance (pointing to her wares on display). All these I do to avoid being idle. My neighbours, who are my tenants know all about the lawyer’s behaviour.

you will recall that, that property led to litigation which lasted up to 10 years. It got to the court of appeal and when I became his counsel, I advised he should settle out of court which he agreed to. He spent over N10million during the course of the litigation and had to repurchase that

What do you think are the reasons behind that attitude of your son’s lawyer? He said I killed Rashidi when he was ill, just because I took him to hospital. And I only did that so that he did not die at home, and for his corpse not to decompose at home. Imagine a popular personality! That was all I did. Even the traditional ruler of Ira helped too during the illness of Rashidi. That’s my offence with the lawyer.

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