12th October, 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,609 WEDNESDAY, 12 OCTOBER, 2016 www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

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Nigerian Tribune

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How Badeh laundered 6 worse money habits you didn't know you had N558m —Witness TODAY'S SPECIAL

IT’S incredibly difficult to see how tiny day-to-day spending routines can impact our long-term success.

But money is tied to almost all of our decisions, and it’s those minuscule daily choices that can snowball into large financial success or failure. With that in mind, our experts are here to show you the habits that are hurting you financially—and how to break them.

1. You've got to have it now—so you pay for it

later Many of us whip out credit cards or cash any time we want a latte, a tank of gas, or even a concert ticket—small items that end up costing us big. The ‘gotta have it now, pay for it later’ mentality is beyond tempting, and can lead into serious trouble.

Continues pg4

—P39

Air Force strikes —P34 Sambisa forest, kills Boko Haram terrorists

Arrest of judges: Reps invite DSS DG —P2

•Senate wants Buhari to call security agencies to order •Nobody above the law —AGF •Buhari seeks Senate's confirmation of 2 justices for Supreme Court Reps clear 3 lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct —P4

Senate rejects 4 NDDC nominees —P39

From left, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu; Attorney-General of the Federation/Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and the representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Hamsa Tahir, at the inauguration of expert review committee for the second cycle of the review of implementation of the United Nations convention against corruption, in Abuja, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN.

New population census now to hold 2018 —P39

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Arrest of judges: Call security agencies to order, Senate tells Buhari Nobody above the law —AGF Taiwo Adisa and Sunday Ejike -Abuja

S

ENATORS, on Tuesday, condemned the Department of State Services (DSS) for carrying out what was described as commandolike operations in the arrest of judges at the weekend.

The lawmakers, who resolved to amend the laws establishing some security outfits in the country, to bring them in line with the rule of law, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the security agencies to order.

The Senate condemned the arrests at the plenary, when the issue came up for debate, saying the methodology adopted by the DSS was “draconian.”

Senator Joshua Lidani, who raised the motion under “matters or urgent national importance,” said the DSS went beyond its bounds when it usurped the powers of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to effect arrested of the judges.

Senator Dino Melaye, who seconded the motion said: “But while I support the fight against corruption, it is a misnomer, it is absurd for DSS to operate outside their mandate.”

The Senate, however, rejected one of the prayers in the motion seeking the invitation of the DirectorGeneral of the DSS, Mamman Daura, to appear before the lawmakers to explain reasons for the raid on the judges.

The senators resolved after the long debate to urge President Buhari to call all security agencies to order and direct the full observance of the rule of law in the discharge of their duties.

They also observed that the DSS went beyond its bounds by usurping the powers of the NJC, which had statutory powers of handling matters of misconduct and indiscipline over judicial officers.

Senators also observed that the act of breaking into judges’ homes at night had further worsened the image of Nigeria among the comity of nations.

They claimed that the attack on the judges could erode the confidence in the judiciary, adding that it was inappropriate to turn the law upside down in the fight against corruption.

Senate Committee chairman on AntiCorruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, said the invasion of judges’ homes had painted Nigeria before the international community as a country that disrespected

the rule of law.

“To go in the wee hours of the morning and use force to break into a judge’s house is condemnable. The whole world is watching the Senate to see how we will react.

This is pure dictatorship and it should not happen.

Enough is enough. This is unguarded dictatorship. We should not treat this issue likely,” he said.

Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, said in his contribution, said the

current anti-corruption war had painted former governors as corrupt people and warned that such toga should not be extended to the judiciary.

“We must not speak from both sides. While supporting the fight against corruption, we must bear in mind the need to safeguard our democracy. Today, it is hard for a former governor in Nigeria to be respected outside Nigeria.

They believe that every former

governor is corrupt.

“They have extended the toga to the judiciary and this means a lot. It means people will not take seriously any judgment from our courts.

If this government fails, it means we have all failed,” he said.

Deputy Senate leader, Senator Bala Na’Allah, however, called for caution, adding that his colleagues must investigate the alleged invasion before taking a final position on the issue.

“There is a reason the discipline of judges is domiciled with the NJC. If the framers of our constitution thought it wise to deal with the issue of judiciary misconduct, we should respect it.

Something, somewhere has gone wrong. I will reluctantly support the move that we should condemn it,” he said.

In his ruling on the motion, Senate President, Bukola Saraki stated that the war

However, there was a mild drama immediately the motion was seconded

by Honourable Gabriel Onyereri, as another member, Honourable Mojeed Olujimi moved for an Order of Privilege to counter the motion.

While citing Sections four and six of the 1999 Constitution as amended, Olujimi protested that his privilege as a lawmaker had been violated as the matter in question was not of national importance.

Irked by Olujimi’s argument, he was immediately booed by fellow lawmakers, which made him to beg the speaker for protection.

In a swift response to Olujimi’s plea for protection, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, said, “I can’t protect you as the House Rule is very clear on this as the House had already voted on this motion.”

According to Dogara, “You have to come by way of a motion to correct what you intend to correct.”

Dogara, who did not allow contributions to the motion from the floor, stated that

the house would have to investigate the matter first before arriving at a conclusion.

He said: “Lawmakers should maintain fidelity to the laws. They are custodians to determine if the laws were breached or not.”

Consequently, Dogara called on the mover of the motion, Chinda, to start his debate.

Chinda, in his submission, explained that the essence of his motion was to ensure that an ad hoc committee was set up to investigate why the DSS invaded the residences of affected judges without due regard to the law of the land as contained in the 1999 Constitution as amended.

According to him, “the committee is expected to report to Nigerians whether the DSS had the statutory powers to carry out such an invasion.

“We are aware of various media reports of the invasion of the residences and arrest of some judges of the Federal High Courts and Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the wee

hours of Friday, October 8, at Abuja, Gombe, Enugu, Sokoto, Kano and Port Harcourt.

“We are also aware of the press release by the spokesperson of the SSS confirming this worrisome incident and the reason stated therein.

“We are aware of the provisions of Section 153(1) (I) and part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 (as amended), establishing the NJC with powers to regulate and discipline judicial officers in the country.

“The powers of the SSS as enumerated in Sections (2) (3) and (6) of the National Security Agencies Act 1986; does not include the investigation and prosecution of corruption and abuse of office,” he stated.

He expressed dismay that neither the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation nor the National Judicial Commission (NJC) was contacted before the raids were carried out.

The House adopted the motion after it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Honourable Dogara.

Reps invite DSS DG Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja

THE House of Representatives, on Tuesday, resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the invasion of the residences of the seven judges arrested last weekend by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) for alleged corruption and abuse of office.

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Honourable Kingsley Chinda, entitled: “Urgent Need To Investigate The Invasion And Arrest of Judicial Officers For Alleged Corruption And Similar Incidences by the Department of State Service (DSS).”

It debated the second leg of the calling for the Invitation of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami and the Director-General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, to appear before it over the invasion and arrest of seven judges for alleged corruption and abuse of office.

NJC nominates Onnoghen to Buhari as next CJN Lanre Adewole -Lagos THE National Judicial Council (NJC), on Tuesday, recommended the most senior justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Walter Onnoghen, as successor to Mahmud.

Mahmud will retire on November 10.

Onnoghen, who is from Cross River State, is the first Southern CJN-designate in 29 years.

Only his name was agreed upon by the council and will be sent to President Buhari today.

No stand-by nominee was chosen at the emergency meeting.

A council source told the Nigerian Tribune that the practice of sending two names to the president stopped with the appointment of Justice

Aloysius Katsina-Alu. The single-nominee arrangement leaves the president with no luxury to make a choice.

However, the planned arraignment of the seven arrested judges, which was initially planned for Monday at a magistrates’ court in Life Camp, Abuja, was shelved at the last minute.

The Supreme Court had quickly raised a defence team of mostly Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) for them, before news came that the arraignment, which was to secure prison detention order, had been dropped.

Nigerian Tribune also sighted a correspondence from the DSS to the NJC, seeking the suspension of the arrested judges still in service.

The memo, dated October 10, with reference no LSD

960/11, read: “it is the humble request of the Service to the council to immediately suspend all the judges found to have been involved in grand corruption or based on petitions already submitted to it, including the already arrested judges.”

It was signed by Ahmed Ahmed on behalf of the DSS DG. Nigerian Tribune learnt the request was considered at the emergency meeting.

NJC is likely to officially speak on its meeting outcome today.

Buhari nominates 2 judges for the Supreme Court PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Sidi Bage and Paul Jauro as Supreme Court justices and is seeking their confirmation by the Senate.

Bage is from Nasarawa State, while Jauro is from Taraba State.

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, read a letter from the president, intimating the red chamber of the judges’

nomination, on Tuesday.

Jauro, who was born on June 26, 1954, became judge of the High Court in 1998.

Ten years afterwards, he was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal.

Bage, born on June 22, 1956, became Federal High Court Judge in 1992 before his appointment as Justice of the Court of Appeal in 2000.

against corruption must be fought with all fervour, but insisted that the rule of law must be followed always.”

Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Tuesday, reacted to the arrest and detention of judges by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), pointing out that “no one is or should be above the law.”

The AGF disclosed this after he inaugurated an expert review committee on implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Abuja.

When the AGF was asked of his view on the raid and subsequent arrest of the judges, including two justices of the Supreme Court, he asked if there was an allegation of crime?

“Was there relevant provision of criminal procedure responsible for investigation? Is there an allegation of corruption? If there is, nobody, no matter how highly-placed, will be spared.

“The right to investigate has not been taken away from the constitution.

The allegation borders on criminality and no one is or should be above the law.

Neither the judiciary or the executive will be exempted from investigation,” the AGF stated.

Malami, in his speech at the inauguration of the committee, said the Federal Government would put adequate facilities in place to ensure that recovered loot were profitably managed.

According to him, “no doubt, the extant review focusing on Chapter II and V of UNCAC relating to preventive measures against corruption in public and private sectors and assets recovery, is both necessary and timely at this time of the annals of the country when endemic cum systemic corruption has created a great disconnect between our nation’s wealth and the quality of life of ordinary citizens.

“As we are all aware, Nigeria is a state-party to UNCAC which is the first globally and legally binding international anticorruption instrument.

“Fortunately, the objectives of UNCAC is in absolute synergy and harmony with one of the cardinal objectives of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, which is to fight corruption in all manifestation, including adopting effective preventive measures against corruption, recovery of Continued on pg4

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FAY

SE

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Nigerian Tribune

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ADMINISTRATION.

“Fayose

is

a

reliable

person”-

Gov

Rauf

Aregbesola

The Government and the good people of Ekiti State felicitate with our amiable, R E L I A B L E and action Governor, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose on the second anniversary of his Administration.

We celebrate you because you are walking the talk and we are not surprised that you are described as RELIABLE; that is what you are.

Programme of Events

Day/Date

Event

Time

Tuesday 11/10/16

(I) Press Conference at Governor’s Office Conference Hall

12:00 noon

Wednesday 12/1016

(I)

Foundation laying of the High Court Complex

12:00 noon

(ii)

Commissioning of Veterinary Clinic Building, Iyin Rd, Ado-Ekiti

(iii) Commissioning of Ikole and Omuo Ekiti dua Carriage way

Thursday 13/10/16

(I) (ii)

Saturday 15/10/16

Some of the projects initiated

by Gov Fayose

Sunday 16/10/16

7:00p.m

Commissioning of Block of classrooms at Erelu Adebayo Home, Iyin-Ekiti Tour of the ongoing Road Rehabilitation Project at Awo-Ara-Ijero,IroporaAraromi-Epe

(iii) Commissioning of Efon Alaaye Dual Carriage way Project

Friday 14/10/16

1:00 p.m

10:00 a.m

7:00 p.m

(I)

Her Excellency ’s visit to Hospitals

(ii)

Foundation laying of the new Governor ’s Office

10:30 a.m

(iii)

Jumat Service, Govt. House Mosque

2:00 p.m

(iv)

Commissioning of Ikere Dual Carriage way Project

7:00 p.m

Dinner at Lady Jibowu Hall Thanksgiving Service at Lady Jibowu Hall

5:00 p.m 10:00 a.m

CONGRATULATIONS, OUR TESTED AND TRUSTED GOVERNOR. Signed Dr. Modupe Alade

For: The Planning Committee.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

6 worse money habits you didn’t know you had Continued from front page

2. You haven’t been to the gym this year Your new year’s resolution was to get Kayla Itsine arms. But it’s October, and you haven’t walked into the gym since you signed up for its costly monthly membership programme. The monthly charge is sucking your wallet, but is it sucking inches off your waistline? If it is not, it could be time to cancel it—and stash the money you’d save.

Experts suggest making a commitment to hit the gym with a friend who will help you put that membership to good use. Or, ditch the membership altogether, and opt for a more cost-effective workout option.

3. You don’t think you can (or should) invest When you’re young and strapped for

cash, it’s easy to shy away from investing.

Plus, let’s be honest: It seems like we can’t turn on the nightly news without hearing some doomsday prediction about the next stock market crash. You might be led to believe that any excess cash is safer sitting in your bank account than the stock market. “But the truth is inflation is eating away the power of every naira you leave sitting in your savings account annually.

If the stock market scares you, look at the long-term value and risks involved with investing your money—not what the stock did in the last 24 hours.

Then, prioritise investing the same way you prioritise necessary spending. An easy way to do this is by setting up a Pay Yourself First Fund. Aim to set aside 20 per cent of your budget towards investing in your future self. Treat this as a nonnegotiable luxury, and realise it’s just as, if not more, important than paying your

bills.”

dress and shoes to feel better. Or, you just got a raise, so you celebrate by going over 4. Eating out regularly budget. There are plenty of sneaky ways Whiling away hours at a restaurant may our moods cause us to overspend. And be your favorite past time, but eating out this can evaporate any steps you’ve taken often can seriously eat into your budget. towards financial health in a snap.

Consider that the average cost of a homecooked meal is much lower than hitting 6. You’re focused on today, not the eateries all the time. But it’s not just tomorrow fancy meals and take-out that bomb No matter the habit, it’s sometimes hard your budget—even happy hour drinks at to see how it will impact us down the line, half-price can add up. If you partake in so it’s not surprising that retirement is alcoholic beverages, have a drink at home swept under the rug for the majority of before you pay for pricey cocktails at a people. But what we don’t realise is that restaurant. retirement gets exponentially harder to plan for the more you put it off. By starting 5. You spend money when you’re now, you’ll have time to see your small emotional investments grow into a gigantic nest egg.

Financial experts say it’s far too easy to The time to start planning for your tie your emotions to your spending habits. retirement is in your 20s. The next best What does that mean, exactly? You just time is now. had a bad day, so you go buy a pair of Adapted from www.glamour.com

Reps to probe alleged reduction in NYSC quota Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja THE House of Representatives, on Tuesday, set machinery in

motion to investigate the alleged undue reduction in quota of students to be mobilised annually for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme by

tertiary institutions.

To this end, the House mandated the House Committee on Youth Development to investigate the matter and report to

the House.

The House resolution was sequel to a motion moved

by Honourable Raphael Igbokwe and co-sponsored

by Honourable Babatunde

Reps clear 3 lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja THE House of Representatives, on Tuesday, cleared three of its members accused of committing sexual misconduct while on an official visit to Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States(US), for the International Visitor Leadership Programme on good governance, which was held between April 7 and 13, 2016.

The clearance was sequel to the consideration of the report of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges and Foreign Affairs on the allegations of sexual misconduct against Honourable Mark Terseer Gbillah, Honourable Mohammed Garba Gololo and Honourable Samuel Ikon by the (former) United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James F. Entwistle.

The House, during consideration of the report of its committees on ethics and privileges and foreign affairs,at the committee of the whole, dismissed the allegation against the trio.

The chairman of the House Committee on Ethics, Honourable Ossai Nicholas Ossai, who moved for the consideration, claimed that the committee did a thorough job.

To this end, the House at the committee of the whole approved

the recommendation of the committees that “Honourable Mohammed Garba Gololo, Honourable Mark Terseer Gbillah and Honourable Samuel Ikon are cleared of and exonerated from the allegations levelled against them by the United States Ambassador to Nigeria in his June 9, 2016 letter to the Speaker, for want of evidence.

Another recommendation of the committee approved by the House had it that, “in the light of the foregoing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs do engage with the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, with a view to finding a seamless resolution of the domestic fallout of this unfortunate incident as it relates to Honourable Mohammed Garba

Gololo, Honourable Mark Terseer Gbillah and Honourable Samuel Ikon.

The House also approved the recommendation that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should write to remind the United States Embassy of the need to always adopt the official channel of communications in its dealings with any organ or institution of government.

Kolawole, where the lawmakers maintained that if the situation was not addressed, it might lead to major crisis in the tertiary education sector.

While expressing shock over the reported reduction in quota of students for mobilisation, the lawmaker said the NYSC had made request to the presidency for funding shortfall, which was approved and released through the Ministry of Finance.

According to him, the 2016 budget made provision for call up of corp members with a shortfall of about 50,000 students, noting that, “the 2016 budget life runs till

May 2017.”

The lawmaker further stated that the NYSC had released a circular to mobilising institutions to reduce their quota by almost 70 per cent.

The decision of the NYSC, if allowed, he said, would amount to untold hardship on the part of graduated students in participating in the NYSC on one hand and on the other hand, throwing them into the excruciating Labour market with no jobs in place.

When the motion was put to vote by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, it was unanimously supported by members.

You can’t whittle down Tinubu’s power, lawmakers tell Oyegun, others Chukwuma Okparaocha -Lagos LAWMAKERS in the Lagos State House of Assembly have thrown their weights behind the embattled national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, saying the exLagos governor’s political power and influence can never be whittled down by anybody.

The lawmakers made this stance known, following a move made by the chairman of the House Committee on Information and Strategy, Honourable Tunde Braimoh, who led his colleagues to drum up support for Tinubu, in the wake of a recent face-off he had with the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Speaking under “Matter of Public Urgency,” session, during Tuesday’s plenary, Braimoh and others also questioned the

‘silence’ of the presidency over the development, especially given the “years of sacrifice and financial commitments” Tinubu had made for the emergence of the APC in Nigeria’s political landscape and the nation’s democracy as a whole.

Braimoh and other lawmakers also pointed out that an insult to the personality of Tinubu was synonymous with an insult to the entire Yoruba race, especially given the leadership role he (Tinubu) had played in the unification of Yoruba nation.

“The entire situation does not bid well for the internal democracy of our great party, and efforts must be put in place by all stakeholders to arrive at a quick resolution. Therefore, to achieve this, we call on the leadership of the APC to call the party’s executive to order, with a view to ensuing that adequate respect and honour is given

to the leaders of the party, including Tinubu,” he said.

The move was supported by many members of the House, including some of the principal officers Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Sanni-Eshilokun; Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade and the Deputy Majority Leader, Bayo Jimoh, who unanimously remarked that the “ongoing fight is not just against Tinubu, but against vision and posterity,” while also adding that “Tinubu is too big a personality anybody could toy with.”

In his submission, the Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, who equally threw his weight behind the call, also argued that rather than being seen as apathetic to the whole development, President Muhammadu Buhari should play the role of a father who will truly unite everybody in the party.

“The signal coming from

the presidency is not good enough.

Appointments had been made without Tinubu’s knowledge, and major decisions had been made without adequate consideration given for his view and opinion.

We believe this is not good enough and it is a sign of disrespect for a personality like Tinubu whose contributions to the consummation of the APC in Nigeria can never be brushed aside,” Obasa said.

Arrest of judges: Call security agencies to order, Senate tells Buhari Continued from pg2

stolen assets and putting in place systems and processes to profitably manage the stolen but recovered assets.

“It is, thus, necessary that members if this committee understands the important task of nationbuilding which is about to be committed into their hands. Your contributions will, no doubt, translate into massive political goodwill and will snowball into successes in place setting as it relates to the fight against corruption.”

Members of the committee were drawn

from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Bureau of Public Procurement, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Federal Ministry of Finance, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, among other agencies.

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Nigerian Tribune

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Metro...

crime, security, court

My father, wife rejected me because of drug addiction

Land grabber takes over 1,561 hectares of land in Lagos Chukwuma Okparaocha - Lagos

—Suspected phone thief Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos

A

41-year-old suspected thief, Emmanuel (surname withheld), who had been remanded in prison custody on seven different occasions has blamed drug for his constant visits to the prison.

Out of the seven times, Metro learnt that the suspect was in the prison on two different occasions in this year alone. And going by his latest arrest, he is probably on his way back.

Emmanuel was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), after he allegedly stole a mobile phone and money belonging to a bus driver and his passenger at Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State Metro further learnt that

Emmanuel had been on the wanted list of RRS as he had, a week before his arrest, stolen a Samsung Galaxy S4 belonging to one Mrs Adesewa (surnames withheld) who had tried to help him at Alausa area of the state when she attended an event.

On the day of the incident, Mrs Adesewa reportedly gave Oyewumi, who was a park attendant, a N1,000 note for doing his job, instead of the usual N200.

Unfortunately for her, she left Oyewumi in her car while she went to get the money from an Automated Teller Machine, and just drove off after handing the money over to the suspect.

According to the victim, “I had driven five minutes away from Alausa when I felt the urge to make some

Uncertainty trails alleged release of sick abducted Lagos student Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos UNCERTAINTIES have continued to trail the alleged release of one of the abducted students of Lagos Model College in Igbonla-Epe. There were reports that the family of the sick student had agreed with the abductors and had paid an undisclosed amount of money for his release .

The police in the state, however, insisted that they were not aware of the release of any of the abducted teachers and students.

There were reports on Tuesday that the family of the sick child were, as at evening, expecting a call from the kidnappers on where to go and pick the boy.

The family had reportedly paid some money to the ab-

ductors, after a plea to swap the sick boy with another person was rejected by the abductors.

A family member to one of the kidnapped students, however, denied being aware of the release of the boy, though she said she was aware that the abductors had reduced the ransom.

Efforts to get the reaction of the image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, failed as repeated calls to her mobile number were not answered.

A senior police source at the state police command, however, denied being aware of the release of any of the victims.

The police source said: “I am not aware of the release of any of them. If there is anything like that, they would have informed us.”

calls for appointments, only to realise that my phone, a Samsung Galaxy S4, was missing. Quickly, my mind raced to him and I realised my folly.

“How could I have left a total stranger in my car alone, leaving documents and valuable items in the car with him? It was just a silly thing to do. I traced him back to that spot but he was gone.”

She said she reported the case at RRS office on same day as advised.

In an interview, Emmanuel confessed to stealing from the woman, saying “I was pushed into it by the need to get hard drugs. As soon as I got the phone, I went to Ipodo in Ikeja to get hard drug.”

He further disclosed that “it was the hard drug dealer that bought the phone from me. He bought it for N8,000 and I spent it on drug. I was so pained that I forgot to shave and barb from the proceeds of the stolen phone.”

Emmanuel admitted that “hard drug has destroyed my life. It was the cause of my being rejected by my wife and my father. I got hooked to drug while I was young and getting out of it has been extremely difficult for me.

“Though some faith-based non-governmental organisations assisted me through rehabilitation in the past, I have always gone back to it.

Drug has been the predominant cause of my imprisonment.

“If I am imprisoned now, it would be the eighth time and third time this year,” he said.

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest of the suspect, saying the suspect had been transferred to the Special Task Force on the Environment and Other Related Offences.

Nigerian Tribune

The suspected phone

NAPTIP rescues 57 victims of human trafficking in Katsina THE National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Kano Zonal Command, said it had rescued 57 victims of human trafficking in Katsina State.

The NAPTIP Zonal Commander, Mr Shehu Umar, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano, on Tuesday, that the latest arrest raised the number of victims rescued this year to 263.

He said the 57 victims were intercepted on Saturday, October 8.

“The victims, in two separate groups, were intercepted by the Nigeria Immigration Service in Katsina State along Kongolom border in Mai’adua

local area on their way to Libya.”

He said following the receipt of the report, the Zonal Command went to Katsina and rescued the victims whose traffickers had since escaped.

Umar said preliminary investigation had shown that the victims paid between N5, 000 and N250, 000 as fares to their traffickers to facilitate the journey to Libya.

He disclosed that the victims, aged between 12 and 38, had no travelling documents and were from Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Lagos and Ondo states.

According to him, the victims would be reunited with their families as soon as investigation was completed.

HUNDREDS of residents from the communities of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, Lagos on Monday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) to raise their voices against the activities of land grabbers who they say have taken over about 1,561 hectares of their land.

The protesters, led by Barrister Tunde Popoola, explained that the land grabbers, led by a certain Mutairu (surname withheld) had been constituting nuisance in their communities which include Oko-Olomi, Olowu Oko-Olomi, Adeba (Jaguna), Itapampa, Adeba (Onikonko), Alabula, Seriki Alabula, Alaga and others.

He said Mutairu and other hoodlums on the 17 April, 2016 invaded and demolished building in the communities of about 1,561 hectares of land.

“There are no houses in those communities and the residents are homeless,” he said.

Popoola added that the case is before Honourable Justice Bashia of Epe judicial division who ordered an injunction restraining the principal of Mutairu not to continue construction and also ordered the evacuation of the hoodlums lurking around the communities, but they refused.

“We have written to the land grabbers task force against the backdrop of the properties protection law, they paraded and arrested some hoodlums including Ganiyu (surname withheld) gaba the son of Mutairu,” he said.

He appealed to the Lagos government to come to the assistance of the people, as they are here are home less.

A resident of one of the affected communities, Alhaji Azeez Akorede said the communities were disturbed by the actions of the land grabber, adding that they had reported to the police station since two years ago, but it did not yield positive result.

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Nigerian Tribune

Edited By Oluwatoyin Malik

08116954633, 08078891950 e-mail: tribunecrimedesk@gmail.com

Drama as man defecates in court to evade arraignment

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, destroying illegal arms surrendered by youths during amnesty

A melodrama occurred on Tuesday at an Oredo Magistrates’ Court in Benin, Edo State, when a 18-yearold man, Abudullahi Muhammed, defecated on his body to evade arraignment when he case was to be mentioned.

After defecating, he put on his trousers back and took to his heels. This led to a rowdiness in the court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Investigative Police Officer, Sergeant Aigbochie Iruonagbe, had to call for more policemen to assist him to apprehend Muhammed.

The policemen arrested

14 students arrested over foiled attack on UNILAG

Gunmen kill police inspector in Imo

Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos A policeman was on Monday beaten to pulp and his uniform torn as a gang of students attempted to disrupt the ongoing examination at the University of Lagos.

Fourteen students were later arrested by the police and transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti.

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, while confirming the incident, said the students were later in the day released after they were made to sign an undertaking.

It was gathered that the students, who had converged on the Atan Cemetery on the University Road, had engaged a team of policemen, who were deployed to stop their attack on the university.

Metro learnt that the ar-

rested students were mobilised to protest against the expulsion of some students by the University of Lagos management.

Badmos, while speaking on the incident, said “yesterday, 10th of October, at about 1.30 p.m, some groups of students, which preliminary investigations revealed are not students from UNILAG,

arrived at the University Road with the intent to invade the campus in order to disrupt the ongoing examination.”

She added that operatives from Area C command and Yaba division, who got wind of the move, prevented the students from advancing, an action that angered them, leading to an attack on the

policemen.

The PPRO stated further that in the process, one Corporal Bassey Okon was beaten and his uniform torn, leading to the arrest of 14 of the students.

She said that preliminary investigations revealed that majority of the students were from the Lagos State College of Education.

Court slams N250,000 bail on student for allegedly defiling minor AN Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday admitted a 19-year-old secondary school student, Samuel Abah, to bail in the sum of N250,000 for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl.

The Magistrate, Mr A. T Elias, who granted the accused bail after he pleaded not guilty to a rape charge,

ordered that the accused should produce two sureties in the like sum.

Elias adjourned the case till November 2 for mention.

Abah, a resident of Ogba, in Ikeja Area of Lagos is being tried for defilement of a minor.

The prosecutor, Sergeant

Rapheal Donny, told the court that the accused committed the offence on September 29 at his residence.

Donny disclosed that the accused unlawfully had carnal knowledge of a six-yearold girl by forcefully penetrating through the victim’s vagina with his sex organ.

He said when the accused

Police arrest 6 diesel oil thieves at NASS Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja POLICEMEN attached to the National Assembly, on Tuesday, arrested six out of seven-man gang oil thieves who specialised in siphoning diesel from the heavy duty generating sets at the annex area of the Assembly complex.

They allegedly stole 11 jerry cans of 25 litres each and were caught at a point

A police inspector attached to a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Chief Marcellinus Nlemigbo, was shot dead on Sunday by gunmen suspected to be hired assassins, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The incident occurred at Umudagu, Mberi, in Mbai-

of loading them inside a Golf Volkswagen car by security man on night duty who alerted others and promptly arrested them.

However, one of the oil thieves escaped arrest and he is still on the run, but police are on his trail.

Two of the suspects were discovered to be members of staff of the National Assembly, specifically of Sergeant-At-Arms Depart-

ment, while the remaining five were recruited from Tipper Garage, a nearby heavy truck park.

Investigation by Metro showed that after siphoning diesel from the generating sets, the suspects moved to the fuel pump specifically to power the generating sets.

It was also found out that one of the two members of staff of the National Assembly who led the gang invited

five others from the tipper garage nearby to accompany him on the act and they entered the complex around 4.20 a.m. on Tuesday.

The leader of the Joint Security Monitoring Team of the National Assembly complex, Mr Usman Labaran, while parading the suspects, told Metro that the suspected thieves carried out the operation with the aid of an insider.

discovered that the victim’s parent had gone out, he called the victim into his room and defiled her.

“The accused who lives in the same compound with the victim’s parents called her into his room, derobed her and inserted his penis into her vagina.

“As a result of the large size of his sex organ and forceful penetration, the victim sustained injuries in her private part.

“The victim was rushed to the General Hospital where medical report showed that there was forceful penetration through her vagina,’’ he said.

He said the girl had been sick since the incident and the offence contravened Section 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which on conviction, attracts life imprisonment.

Muhammed and gave him bags of sachet water to bathe before he was arraigned.

During arraignment, the prosecutor, Inspector Thomas Ojo, told the court that the accused stole four cartoons of powdered milk from Mrs Favour Nwachukwu.

Ojo added that the accused committed the offence on October 8 at Mission Road, Benin.

The accused pleaded guilty to the one-count charge.

The Magistrate, Mrs J.O. Ejale, adjourned the case till October 14 for presentation of facts of the case and sentencing.

toli Local Government Area of the state.

The inspector, whose name was given as Mr Ogbe, was at Chief Nlemigbo’s compound at Umudagu when the gunmen arrived at about 8.00 p.m.

Sources close to Chief Nlemigbo told newsmen in Owerri that there was exchange of gunfire between the hoodlums and late Inspector Ogbe during which he (the inspector) was killed.

The source added that Chief Nlemigbo, who had just returned from the October lecture of the Grail Movement, Nigeria, in Owerri, was inside his house when the exchange of gunfire took place.

The mission of the gunmen was still not known as at the time of filing this report, but it was gathered that the whereabouts of one of Nlemigbo’s drivers had yet to be ascertained.

Chief Nlemigbo, who is also a former Chairman of PDP in the state, told newsmen that the police were investigating the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Andrew Enwerem, confirmed the incident.

Enwerem said the officer was shot and killed Sunday night.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

THIS BOX IS FOR SALE

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

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businessnews

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Naira appreciates against other currencies •FG plans to sell N138.16bn worth T-bills Chima Nwokoji-lagos

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HE Nigerian Naira on Tuesday, October 11, appreciated by N3 against the United States dollar at the parallel market as it currently trades at N470 compared with N473 to the greenback which it traded on Monday.

This is just as the Federal Government of Nigeria through the central bank, plans to sell N138.16 billion in short-dated treasury bills at an auction today (Wednesday), the apex bank announced yesterday.

The local currency also firmed against the British Pounds, trading at N580 and N510 to the Euro from N590 and N512 respectively, as was posted on Monday, October 10.

At the official inter-bank market, the Naira traded at N304.75 to the dolar from N306.71 posted on Monday.

Reacting after, Aminu Gwadabe, the president of the Association of Bureau De Change Operators, said that the regulatory authority had to review the official selling price of dollars to BDCs to encourage Nigerians in Diaspora, whose remittances was being sold to BDCs. He said the sustained appreciation of the nation’s currency would discourage the patronage of unlicensed parallel market traders.

Meanwhile, in a public notice, the central bank said it would raise N36.78 billion in three-month

papers, N35 billion in sixmonth bills and N66.38 billion in one-year bills.

Payment for the purchases

the budget deficit, manage banking system liquidity and curb rising inflation.

From left: John Odafe Asiemo; Efe Obiomah, Public Relations Manager, GOtv; Akinola Salu,General Manager, GOtv; John Okafor; and Johnson Ivase, Marketing Manager GOtv during GOtv 5th year anniversary Customer Fair held at AZtech Arcum, Stadium road, Port Harcourt, on Saturday.

NCC denies granting Visafone licence to MTN •Says it only granted share transfer

By Bode Adewumi A decision to transfer Visafone licence to MTN has not yet been taken effect. What has been approved in the transaction is 100 per cent shareholding not licence.

This was the position of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as contained in statement

issued and signed by Mr Tony Ojobo, the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to the NCC, the final approval to the changes in shareholding of Visafone Communications was taken by virtue of section 38 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003. Section 38

Glo opens third new experience centre in Lekki TELECOMS giant, Globacom, on Monday brought its services closer to subscribers on the Lekki-Ajah axis as it opened its third Gloworld shop in the area. With the latest shop, the company has the highest number of experience shops among operators in Lagos.

This new shop located at the Conoil Filling Station at Abraham Adesanya Estate Roundabout, is also the 92nd Glo retail outlet in Nigeria.

Globacom disclosed through its Zonal Business Coordinator, Lagos 1, Akinloye Adebisi at the inauguration on Monday that its objective for this addition is to further enrich the mobile experience of Glo customers in LekkiAjah area.

“As you are well aware, our approach to customer service is one that is always underpinned by innovation and total inclusiveness, which is why we are consistently seeking innovative channels to make available our bouquet of

would be made on Thursday.

Nigeria issues treasury bills to raise cash to fund

services to them’’ hesaid adding that Lekki is strategic as it remains one of the busiest locations in Lekki where diverse segments of its customers congregate.”

The company further noted that Lekki proves to be a distinctive location because of its busy nature even till late in the night saying this stirred the desire to facilitate easier access to its products and services by its esteemed customers at the shop.

Globacom also assured its customers of its commitment to satisfying its customers, guaranteeing the high-class services of its well-trained customer care staff that will be on ground to attend to customers’ complaints.

“We therefore encourage our current and potential customers to walk into our shop here to address any issue, ask questions, seek clarifications, or possibly offer advice on how best they want us to serve them’’.

Head of Gloworld, Tunde

Alimi, in his welcome address, said Globacom was proud to establish the third customer care centre in the axis which, he explained, was central to the network’s operations. He disclosed that Globacom’s desire is to create more platforms for its customers to have access to an array of products and services and give them more exciting experience on the network.

of the Act states that “the grant of a licence shall be personal to the licencee and the licence shall not be operated by, assigned, sublicenced or transferred to any other party unless the prior written approval of the Commission has been granted”.

It stated that this was contrary to the speculation in a section of the media that the NCC, the regulatory agency for telecommunication, had foreclosed the release of the spectrum held by Visafone to MTN. It stated further that the clarification has become necessary in order to allay the fears in some quarters that the frequency had been withheld by the Commission.

The statement stated further that “the Commission is yet to meet to take a decision on the application by Visafone to transfer its licence to MTN. The

NCC has only approved the shareholding structure by 100 per cent and not transfer of licence”.

Specifically, according to the statement, Visafone Communications Limited with a Universal Access Service Licence (UASL) – deploying Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology applied to the NCC for an approval to effect a change in its shareholding structure by transferring 100 per cent of its shares to MTN Nigeria.

“Having met all the preliminary requirements for grant of approval for change in shareholding structure, the NCC in line with its established procedure granted an ApprovalIn-Principle to Visafone Communications Limited, subject to fulfilment of conditions to transfer 100 per cent of its shares to MTN Nigeria.

NERC sanctions Port Harcourt Disco, lists others for various penalties THE National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has sanctioned the Port Harcourt Distribution Company for not complying with the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry directives regarding submission of audited accounts.

A communiqué issued at the end of the sector’s monthly meeting held on Monday in Sokoto stated that Benin, Kano and Enugu Distribution Companies (DisCos) would also be

sanctioned for non-submission of their financial statements.

The Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 established NERC’s authority to impose mandatory reliability standards on the transmission system and to impose penalties on companies that manipulate the electricity markets.

It also administers accounting and financial reporting regulations and conduct of regulated com-

panies such as the DisCos. NERC consequently directed that DisCos would be required to submit financial statements of their companies in accordance with the provision of their licences.

The communique reported the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), saying that the meeting was not meant to sanction operators but to find solutions to the electricity sector.

Nigerian Tribune

HEBN publishers appoints new MD/CEO THE management of HEBN Publishers, Jericho Ibadan, has appointed Mallam Samuel J. Aliyu, as the acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Aliyu was appointed to replace Mrs Olawepo Sogo, who was relieved of her post on Monday, 10 October, 2016.

The new helmsman has been given the task of driving the reengineering of the publishing outfit.

Aliyu joined the company in 1981 as an assistant editor and rose through the ranks to the position of Director, Sales and Marketing, before his appointment as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer on Tuesday, 11 October, 2016.

He attended Ahmadu Bello University.

GE confirms interest in $2bn Nigeria railway concession GENERAL Electric (GE) has confirmed its a “keen interest” in acquiring a Nigeria railway concession project worth around $2 billion, the U.S. company said on Monday.

It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari said this month that GE would be investing $2.2 billion in a concession to revamp, provide rolling stock, and manage some of the country’s railways.

“Given the size and scope of the proposed project, it is likely that the debt and equity commitments required from lenders, consortium partners and other co-developers will be in the range of $2 billion or more,” GE said in a statement mailed to Reuters.

It said the concession was in the formal procurement process.

Nigeria has been looking for partners to overhaul its aging railway system, which was mainly built by British colonial rulers before the country’s independence in 1960.

The West African nation has also signed two deals worth around $5 billion with China Civil Engineering Construction Corp (CCECC), part of China’s state-owned railway construction firm, to modernize and build railways in the north and south of the country, the Nigerian transport ministry said last month.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Economic summit: FG to raise N1trn for housing scheme —Osinbajo

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ICE-PRESIDENT Yemi Osinbanjo has said that the Federal Government is working with stakeholders to raise one trillion naira to provide affordable housing for Nigerians.

The vice-president spoke at the 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Tuesday where he chaired a Roundtable on Job Creation, Skills and Employment at the summit.

He said that the proposed project would also help to create jobs.

Osinbajo said that the job creation unit in his office had worked out a framework with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) to focus on three sectors to create employment.

He listed the three sectors as construction, agriculture and information communication technology (ICT).

Under construction, the vice-president said the Federal Government was trying to work on a social housing programme, called the Family Home Fund.

“The Family Home Fund is a financial intervention into social housing in the country.

“We are trying to raise a fund which will come to about one trillion naira; we have aggregated fund from the private sector, local and international funds already.

“The whole idea is to be able to intervene in mortgage financing so that developers can build special houses to the specification of the Federal Government.

“Already eight or nine states are giving land and certificate of occupancy for social housing scheme.

“The idea is that any Nigerian who can afford N30,000 should be able to

own a house,’’ he said.

Osinbajo said that there would emerge job creation opportunities as technicians, engineers and skill workers would benefit from the scheme.

He said there would also

suggest that more than 17 million houses are needed to cover the country’s 180 million citizens.

Each administration has introduced a different scheme but the impact is not felt by the people.

From left, President ICAN, Titus Soetan, President International Federation of Accountants,Olivia Kirtley, Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun and the chairman on the occasion, Peter Obi during the 46th annual accountant conference,in Abuja on Tuesday. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI

UBA grows profit to N62bn in nine months THE United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) announced its unaudited third quarter financial results, showing a 7per cent year-on-year growth in profit before tax to N62 billion despite the challenging macro-economic environment.

The Bank recorded an appreciable growth in both funding and fee income lines.

“I am pleased with our performance in the first nine months of the year.

Notwithstanding the nega-

tive economic growth in Nigeria, we maintained growth in earnings and sustained our asset quality. Increasingly, we are leveraging our unique panAfrican platform to drive new customer acquisition and grow market share across our African subsidiaries” said Kennedy Uzoka, Group Managing Director and CEO of UBA Plc. Furthermore, the Bank said it’s level of impairment in overall loan book

Recession: Chartered institute of stockbrokers seeks sound fiscal, monetary policy THE Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) on Tuesday said that the country would get out of recession with sound fiscal and monetary policy, innovation and development of all value chains.

Yomi Adeyemi, the Managing Director, Fortress Capital Limited, expressed the view at a news conference in Lagos to unveil the institute’s 20th Stockbrokers Annual Conference.

Adeyemi is the chairman organising committee of the conference.

He said sound fiscal and monetary policy, innovation and development of all value chains were necessary to revamp Nigeria’s economy from its current recessionary status.

Adeyemi said that all the stakeholders needed

be training opportunity from the scheme.

The theme of the summit is “Made-in-Nigeria’’.

The problem of housing in Nigeria has been of interest to every administration and official estimates

to work together for the growth and development of the economy.

He said the institute’s 20th annual conference, in line with the present realities, would centre on “Building New Pillars, Creating New Values for Sustainable Development”.

Adeyemi said the conference was coming at a period when all hands were on deck to address the challenges facing the nation’s economy and the effects on the capital market.

He said that the theme of the conference was based on the compelling need to strengthen the competitiveness of the Nigerian economy, of which the capital market was the hub of medium and long-term source of finance.

Adeyemi said that the conference was coming at “this critical stage of the Nigeria’s economy which is in dire need of double digit growth.”

was moderate. The NonPerforming Loan (NPL) ratio of 2.5per cent and 0.9per cent cost of risk remain one of the best in the industry.

UBA Plc’s third quarter results also show significant efficiency gains with appreciable growth in operating income by 11per cent to N183 billion while profit after tax rose by 8per cent to N52 billion within the period.

The bank also noted that its cost-to-income ratio remained flat year-on-year at 65per cent despite external cost pressures which masked the positive results of its cost efficiency initiatives.

Also speaking on the results, Group CFO, Ugo Nwaghodoh, said “the growth in deposits and total assets reflects the Bank’s increased share

of customers’ wallet and deepening banking penetration across all its chosen markets in Nigeria and Africa which again accounted for a third of the Group’s earnings.”

The Group GCFO assured that UBA will continue to balance its appetite for growth and profitability with the strategy of sustaining strong liquidity and capital ratios. The Bank maintained 43 per cent liquidity ratio and 17.6per cent BASEL II capital adequacy ratio, well ahead of regulatory requirement.

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc is a leading financial services group in sub-Saharan Africa with presence in 19 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States of America and France.

Agric Ministry, NITDA deploy technology on yield Collins Nnabuife-Abuja THE Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have launched an e-agriculture Web Portal aimed at improving agricultural yield through the use of technology.

The National e-Agriculture Web Portal (NEAWP) will among others, provide information about weather to farmers as well as improve

agricultural productivity.

Launching the Web Portal, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri said the initiative will enhance knowledge flow between stakeholders and farmers.

According to him “The National e-agriculture Web Portal project is a strategic Initiative designed to enhance knowledge flow between stakeholders a doctor inclusive robust development of the

agricultural sector.

“It encompasses and showcases all aspects of food and agriculture industry/value chain Nigeria. It aims to highlight the strategic and operational components of the ICTdriven agricultural value chain in Nigeria”.

In his remarks, the Minister of Communication, Barrister Adebayo Shittu said the data generated from the portal will be useful to the decision makers in the agricultural sector.

Nigerian Tribune

Samsung’s Note 7 recall could cost it $17bn SAMSUNG Electronics’ worst-ever recall could cost the company as much as $17 billion after it halted sales of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 for a second time, spelling an almost certain end for the ill-fated premium model.

Samsung announced the recall of 2.5 million Note 7s in early September following numerous reports of the phones catching fire and on Tuesday the crisis deepened: The company told mobile carriers to stop sales or exchange of the $882 device and asked users to shut off their phones while it investigated new reports of fires in replacement Note 7s.

As the world’s top-selling smartphone company awaits results of probe

by U.S. safety regulators, some investors and analysts predict Samsung may scrap the Note 7 and move on to successor models to limit the financial and reputational damage.

“In the worst case scenario, the U.S. could conclude the product is fundamentally flawed and ban sales of the device,” said Song Myung-sub, an analyst at HI Investment Securities.

If Samsung stops selling the Note 7s, that will translate into lost sales of up to 19 million phones, or nearly $17 billion, that the firm was expected to generate during the Note 7’s product cycle, according to analysts including those at Credit Suisse.

That’s a big increase from $5 billion in missed sales and recall costs analysts initially expected Samsung to incur under the assumption that the firm would resume global Note 7 sales in the fourth quarter.

Chances of that now look slim. South Korea’s Hankyoreh newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said on Tuesday Samsung will likely stop Note 7 sales permanently.

Samsung did not comment on the report.

“This has probably killed the Note 7 brand name,” said Edward Snyder, the managing director of Charter Equity Research.

“By the time they fix the problem they have to go through recertification and requalification and by the time that happens, they’re going up against the (Galaxy) S8 launch.”

Samsung has already temporarily halted Note 7 production, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

DEACONESS ADEDUNTAN AKANWO @ 80 Our jewel of inestimable value turns 80

It is with immense gratitude to god almighty that we celebrate his mercies and grace upon your life as you clock 80 today You are blessed with an amazing life which your husband, children and grand-children enjoy in abundance till date. A great support to the needy and an amazing answer to those who encountered you, may you continue to reap the fruits of your labour.

We wish you abundance of joy, happiness and love in good health to witness many more years to come and a happy birthday to the best wife, mother, and grand mother. th

Happy 80 Birthday

DEACONESS ADEDUNTAN AKANWO Wednesday 12th October, 2016 BIRTHDAY THANKSGIVING SERVICE WILL HOLD AT CUSTOM HOUSE BAPTIST CHURCH (THE HOUSE), 260 PRINCE REGENT LANE LONDON E163JJ ON THE 16TH OCTOBER, 2016

BEST WISHES FROM

Husband CHIEF AYOOLA AKANWO

Children REV. OMOTADE & MRS ABOSEDE AGBESANWA MR SOJI & MRS. OLABISI AKANWO

Grand Children AYODELE & YEMISI AGBESANWA FUNMINIYI & LAYOMI AKANWO

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editorial

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Ekiti: Rewarding teachers

N October 5 this year, the Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, gave out cars and monetary rewards to teachers in public schools in the state. He presented two customized KIA cars to two teachers at a rally held at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, as part of activities commemorating this year’s World Teachers Day. The cars were presented to the best teacher in primary and secondary schools as an act of appreciation of their role in imparting knowledge to the future leaders in the state. The runners-up also received N200,000 each, while the teachers that came third got all N100, 000 each.

Fayose equally gave N50 million to the teachers in the state and directed that the money be shared equally among them irrespective of grade and status. This, he said, was in recognition of the feat by the state, which came first in the results recently released by the National Examinations Council (NECO). The governor, who has made the rewarding of teachers a yearly exercise, urged the teachers to ensure that their students performed even better in subsequent examinations. “I am doing this because Ekiti’s name has been brought under the world’s focus once again, and it is my wish that our academic feat be repeated over and over again. After all, to whom much is given, much is expected,” he said.

Indeed, similar gestures have been made by government and corporate bodies in other states. For instance, in 2013, the Ogun State government presented cash awards to outstanding teachers in the state. In addition, there is the Maltina yearly competition, at which the nation’s best teachers get rewarded for their performance and patriotism. In a clime where teachers’ reward is said to await them in heaven, the gesture of rewarding teachers is no doubt salutary. Indeed, speaking at the World Teachers Day celebration in Lagos, the state deputy governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, insisted that teachers must receive and enjoy the rewards of their labour on earth, before doing so in heaven. She noted: “Our vision of providing the best education delivery for our citizens can only be achieved when adequate care and attention are given to our educators. This explains why the Lagos State government has always focused on ensuring the welfare,

personal development, training and promotion of the educationists.”

It is good to reward achievement, especially by teachers who occupy one of the most important and critical sectors of national development. It is significant that since Governor Fayose started the reward scheme in Ekiti, there had never been any recorded protests about the choice of the awardees, meaning that their colleagues also recognised their sterling contributions to the impartation of knowledge. Besides, such a scheme has the potentiality to encourage other teachers to work harder and beat the records of the awardees of previous years.

It is indeed worthy of note that in spite of the recession in the economy, a few states in the country still manage to recognise the contributions of teachers in the society.

In this connection, we urge all states in the country to emulate the gesture by the Ekiti State government.

While teachers in fact deserve more and should be more handsomely rewarded, the fact that they are getting cars and cash may spur them to greater heights. More important, the symbolism of the reward is that the government still cares about teachers, who were once so important that parents competed in betrothing their daughters to the males among them for marriage.

Still, given the pivotal role that teachers play in national development, it would not be out of place for private individuals of proven integrity who have the means to initiate similar awards, in conjunction with the relevant state Ministry of Education. In addition, corporate organisations would do well to take an active interest in the welfare of teachers, quite simply because the job of rewarding teachers is that of the entire society. Many of the organisations have programmes in place to appreciate talents in the entertainment sector, particularly musicians. However, by initiating programmes to reward talents in the teaching profession, they would be contributing to national development on a grander scale. In the final analysis, however, the key to making Nigerian teachers have a sense of belonging in the society is to upgrade their conditions of service, and implement them strictly. That way, even if they are not getting awards, at least they would not be living like the dregs of society.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

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FG, go against states owing workers’ salaries

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T is alright for President Muhammadu Buhari to restate his commitment to his anti-corruption campaign with clinical determination, but I would argue he should focus on state governments that fail to pay workers’ salaries. Failure to pay workers’ salaries is sufficient evidence that money meant for that purpose has been diverted by corrupt officials.

President Buhari must look state governors in the eyes and ask them a simple question: What do you do with the money you receive from the Federal Government?

The president has said that the failure of 27 of the 36 states in the country to pay workers’ salaries regularly should be condemned.

I don’t believe condemnation alone would solve the problem. Our president must go beyond mere condemnation to find ways to compel state governors to pay workers.

It is a moral obligation

the nation owes all workers. Of course, I am fully aware that in our society, moral principles have been tossed to the refuse bin because our political leaders are insensitive and uncaring to our plight. They are also selfish because their own interests come first before anyone else’s.

Rather than serve the people who elected them, state governors expect the people to serve them. Once state governors have taken care of their own welfare and the wellbeing of their immediate relatives, the rest of the citizens can burn to hell because workers are seen as simpletons, who don’t count and do not matter.

In our political leaders’ twisted manner of thinking, there are more important things that should engage the attention of governors. Workers’ salaries, welfare and happiness are not on the priority list.

It is this careless mindset that has been extended to the payment of retir-

ees’ pension. People who worked for many years for their fatherland are denied their well-deserved pension, while other officials, the leeches in official government robes, feed off retired workers’ benefits.

This is injustice of the worst kind.

We often assume incorrectly that people who hold high offices are emblems of responsibility and transparency in our society. Nothing can be farther from the truth. If state governors could take home their salaries regularly and on time, so too should workers receive their salaries. What is good for governors is also good for ordinary workers, who are struggling to put food on their tables. Ironically, some of these workers put in more efforts at work than what many of the state governors do.

I am particularly outraged that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has not seen reason to fight endlessly and vigorously to

get state governors to honour the rights of workers to be paid their salaries at the end of every month.

It is not the responsibility of workers to worry about how state governors would find money to pay the minimum wage.

All that workers want is prompt payment of their salaries, and I must state it again that workers deserve their wages.

Regardless of the arguments being made for the failure to pay workers’ salaries, state governors

are obliged to pay workers their monthly salaries.

There must be an end to this ongoing political absurdity over workers’ salaries.

•Balogun E. Funsho, Kabba, Kogi State.

Still on the kidnap in Lagos school THIS is the second time in a year that a school would be targeted by kidnappers in Lagos State. Last February, a school in Ikorodu was invaded by kidnappers, but fortunately, these evil people were apprhended by the police.

Nobody thought another attack on a school in the state could happen again, so the kidnap of a school vice principal, a teacher and four students last week in Epe is a cause for concern.

It means educational institutions are now being targeted for ransom payments. I, however, believe that the police in Lagos State will do everything in its power to apprehend the

culprits.

Having said this, I want to urge school administrators in the state to put in extra precaution in order to prevent future occurrence of such incidents.

School administrators should also ensure that their environments are kept clean all the time, especially if they have bushes close to their schools. The father of one of the kidnapped students said the little boy expressed con-

cern over the bushy environment of the school while he was being taken to school.

It is also important for everyone in schools to be vigilant these days, particularly when they notice strange faces lurking around their environments.

I pray that those currently in the kidnappers’ den will be rescued as soon as possible.

•Joshua Adekola, Epe, Lagos.

For Nigeria to develop IF Nigeria is to truly develop, then it must focus on manufacturing. A recent report by the United Nations observed that a larger percentage of the country’s population live below the poverty line.

Although agriculture employs many people in the country, the manufacturing sector continues to lag behind, hence, the value added to agricultural produce remains minimal.

Unfortunately, the manufacturing capacity in the country has remained below 40 per cent and many

firms have had to close down operations due to the harsh business environment, particularly as a result of the current economic recession being experienced in the country.

However, the manufacturing sector should be both the stimulus and pivot of economic and social growth, if growth is to translate into jobs for the teeming and growing unemployed population of the country.

•Omotayo Abiodun, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Farmers need support to thrive I want to use this opportunity to call on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, to set aside a certain sum of money to support small scale agricultural firms in the country.

The CBN boss should also order commercial banks to lend at single digit rates to agricultural businesses.

Every year, we hear of billions of naira allocated to support the agricultural sector, but practising farmers don’t get to access these funds, as only ‘political’ farmers corner the

funds.

Agriculture needs funds to thrive in the country, but if loans come in double digits, then farmers will not be able to access such, since repaying will eat deeply into the profits.

Consequently, the CBN governor should compel banks to provide single digit interest loans for agriculture businesses, while those who are not real farmers should not have access to CBN’s intervention funds for farmers.

•Yakub Aishat, Kaduna.

opinion Debunking the myths of mental health 15

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

By Otefe Edebi

H

EALTH is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Mental health is an aspect of health that is often relegated because of the misconceptions and myths that surround it.

Mental health, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. Quite often when people have a loved one who is experiencing a physical health challenge, it is not unusual to find support and care from friends and members of their community, however, when the health challenge borders on mental health, people often feel alone and don’t get as much support.

Inaccurate beliefs about mental health have led to widespread stigma and discrimination. This stigma has led to people avoiding to interact with, socialise, employ or work with people with certain forms of mental illness.

This discrimination has led people with such illnesses or people with loved ones with such illness to feel embarrassed or ashamed. This often leads to concealing such challenges and failure to seek appropriate treatment.

Some of the inaccurate beliefs and myths that surround mental illness include: Mental illness is caused by the person suffering from them When people come down with illnesses such as malaria, hypertension, diabetes and the likes, you don’t hear people say that these illnesses stem from a weakness of the character of the affected persons, or that something they had done had caused the illness. Even though exact causes of mental disorders are unknown, various researches are increasingly giving clear pointers to factors either responsible for, or contributory to the occurrence of various forms of mental illnesses. People of various personalities, socio-economic status, educational level, ethnicity, race, occupation and religious (or spiritual) beliefs or affiliations have experienced one form of mental

illness or the other.

Mentally ill persons are very violent I often hear people say “he (sometimes she) is not violent…” implying that the illness has not escalated to that level of severity yet. This is usually said because they think “violent behaviour” is the last ‘bus stop’ for all mental illnesses. Public opinion surveys show that many people think mental illness and violence are synonymous. People with certain forms of mental illness have displayed certain heightened tendency and extreme violence, however, violent acts committed by such persons form a small percentage of the overall cases of violence in the society.

The real problem is that violence in the context of mental illness is often sensationalised and over-hyped. Dr. Virginia Aldige Hiday, a distinguished Professor of Sociology, stated that “people with psychiatric disabilities are far more likely to be victims of violence rather than perpetrators of violent crimes. She further stated that they are even two and half times more likely to be attacked, raped or mugged, compared to the general population.

People with mental illness cannot be treated and never really get better Though some mental illnesses run a lifelong course, statics show that with the significant improvement in mental healthcare worldwide large proportions (over 70 per cent) of people with such illnesses do well with ap-

propriate treatment. Treatment in mental health could involve a single approach, or a combination of medications and/or psychosocial intervention. That someone who had been treated in the past for a mental illness has a reoccurrence of the illness does not mean that the treatment did not work. Reoccurrence of an illness also occurs in other medical cases, and could be as a result of several factors. The goal of treatment in some cases of mental illness is to “control” the situation and not “cure” so that the individual with the illness can optimise their level of living and contribution to the community. Medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes tend to often run a lifelong course and medications are taken to control and not cure such conditions too.

Mental illnesses are more of a spiritual attack than a medical problem Since the advent of certain medications, beginning from the 1950s, healthcare in the area of mental health has made profound impact and many previously hopeless cases have received hope. Despite this fact, many (or arguably most) people in Nigeria believe that mental illnesses are a result of afflictions caused by supernatural forces. This belief often dictates how, where and from whom people seek help from when they are faced with such challenges. For example, I am of the Christian faith and I hear people often quote the Bible saying Jesus cast out demons from a “mad man,” referring to the infamous mad of Gaderene as recorded in Mark 5 verses 1-20; therefore, most of such people are “demon possessed.”

But Jesus also cast out a deaf and dumb spirit in Mark 9 verse 25; does it now mean that “most” cases of deafness are also as a result of a demonic possession?

Researchers have shown that one’s faith can help improve their mental health and help them cope better with stress. My humble submission, therefore, is that faith and mental health should not be mutually exclusive, rather both should be appropriately integrated.

•Dr Edebi, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Head Synapse Services, Lagos Branch, writes in commemoration of this year’s World Mental Health day that was marked on 10, October, 2016.

Technology: Saving the art of letter-writing

By Okechukwu Keshi Ukaegbu

COMMUNICATION is as essential to mankind as water is to fish. It is through communication that information is passed, cultural heritage is transferred, knowledge is imparted, and people are entertained, among other functions. Communication can be intra-personal, inter-personal, and mass, when it targets a heterogenous audience that is sparsely distributed.

Over the years, communication has evolved from the traditional mode, when metal and wooden gongs, signs, and other instruments of communication were used to satisfy the communication needs of man, to the modern mode. But despite how crude the instruments of traditional mode of communication were termed to be, the most important thing is that they filled the communication gap between man and his neighbours.

As technology advanced, emphasis was shifted from the oral form of communication to the written form. This era witnessed the written form of communication, known as letter writing. Letter writing can be informal, semi- formal or formal. This form of communication boosted the socio- economic communication needs of man in terms of business, human relationships, just to mention but a few.

Letters were used to secure employment through job applications; inform distant relatives about the happenings at home, such as sickness, death of loved ones, marriages. They were used to convey demands for school fees from children to their parents or distant relatives, demands for money for the upkeep of aged parents at home. Though the feedback process of letters was slow, it was effective.

The further advancement of technology witnessed the advent of the internet. The internet, which is referred to a global network of information that is transmitted to billions of computers and devices that are operated from various entities, such as education, government and businesses that follow specific protocols, has reshaped the

communication world and has taken a huge toll on other medium of communication that existed before it.

It may not be ambiguous to state here that the worst hit is letter-writing. The advent of the internet has placed letter-writing on the fringe of extinction. The current trend in communication has placed electronic mail (e-mail) and telephony above letter-writing. The importance, which was initially attached to letter-writing, is more or less eroded.

One institution that this trend has seriously hampered is the Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST). The history of postal services in Nigeria dates back to 1852, when the colonial administration established the first post office.

NIPOST is responsible for the designing and printing of postage stamps in Nigeria. Before now, Nigerians relied heavily on NIPOST for their day-to-day communication needs. The current trend where youths have adopted the quicker means of communication such as instant messaging has subjected NIPOST to redundancy and reduced our post offices to mere collection centres for dividend warrants.

Besides, the writing skills of our youths have been seriously battered under this trend. They can now hardly construct a flawless English sentence. The vogue now is Short Messages Service (SMS), also known as text mes-

sage, which renders the actual meaning of words distorted through hieroglyphic abbreviations. Students can hardly differentiate when an address of letter is block style with punctuation, block style without punctuation or slant style. They can hardly differentiate a formal letter from semi-formal and informal letters.

They can now hardly differentiate between the complimentary opening, the body of the letter or the complimentary closing.

The art of letter-writing should not be allowed to go extinct because it is of historical importance.When we talk of historical values of letters, mention must be made of the letter from S.C Nicholson and W.H Wood to Secretaries of Trades’ Councils, Federation of Trades, and Trades Societies (16 April, 1866); the letter from the Duchess of Gloucester to Queen Victoria (2 May, 1851); the letter from Charles Darwin to Asa Gray (22 May, 1860); and the letter from John Russell to the Bishop of Durham (4 November, 1850). These letters conveyed pieces of vital information that helped in shaping the society.

However, all hope is not lost. Intensive and collaborative efforts should be mounted to ensure that the art of letter-writing does not go extinct. NIPOST, in collaboration with secondary schools, should organise letter- writing competitions, where winners would be handsomely rewarded through cash gifts and scholarship; our education adminstrators should mount intensive letter- writing tutorials in both our primary and secondary schools; employers of labour should make it compulsory that applicants to job vacancies would be strictly assessed through hand-written applications.

All hands must be on deck to ensure that this cherished culture of letter-writing does not go extinct. A stitch in time saves nine!

•Ukegbu, a public policy analyst and communication strategist, writes from Umuahia, Abia State.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

inside

Femi Olukunle Co-ordinating Editor 08065167178

nigerdelta Motorists decry police extortion in Calabar Anthony Ubong - Calabar MOTORIST and residents of Calabar metropolis have decried the high level of extortion by the police and other agencies of government in the guise of vehicle inspection.

Speaking in separate interviews with the Nigeria Tribune in Calabar metropolis, respondents commended the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade, for beefing up security in the state, but decried the activities of some policemen and women, especially traffic wardens and operatives of Vehicle Inspection Officers ( VIO ) and Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA), among others, who use it as an avenue to extort money from motorists.

Mrs Joy Ekanem, who lamented the activities of some policemen and women who milled around traffic lights in the state capital, said as soon as the light stopped motorists, policemen and women appeared from nowhere demanding to see driver’s licence, vehicle particulars, certificate of road worthiness and even spare tyres.

She said in the course of this, they caused traffic jams and even struggled for the vehicle steering and ignition key with the driver, if he or she refused to offer them bribe.

She implored the state Commissioner of Police and the Divisional Police Officers of the various police stations in Calabar, as well as the state government to call operatives of VIO, CTRA and others to order before the situation got out of hand.

Another motorist, Mr Joseph Essien, said some unscrupulous policemen and even women had seen the security measures put in place by the state governor as a licence to extort money from motorists.

“These policemen and women now appear in small streets and in twos or threes, stop vehicles, demand for every type of document, inspect tyres and even fire extinguishers, and if a motorist is deemed to have defaulted in any way, they demand for gratification before such motorist is left off the hook. This is greatly painting the image of the police in black”, Essien stated.

Part of events marking the forthcoming coronation of Oba of Benin

In Benin, it’s time to crown new Oba Banji Aluko - Benin City

I

T is not often that an Oba is crowned in Benin. Many loved to see it, but it never happened in their lifetimes. The last time an Oba was crowned in Benin was some 37 years ago. That was on March

23, 1979. A generation has passed since then. Those who witnessed it then hold it in high esteem. For those still alive, they talk about it with relish. The good thing is that it is here once again. Such is the reverence accorded to the coronation of an Oba of Benin. As they say in Benin, it holds in a

Crowd of people witnessing the rituals

Navy gives free medicare in Bayelsa communities Over 1,000 residents get free drugs Austin Ebipade - Yenagoa DETERMINED to strengthen mutual relations with its host communities in Bayelsa State, The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Muhammed Garuba, flagged off a free medical outreach to support both young and aged persons as a veritable platform to give back to the society.

Garuba averred that so far, five communities in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, had continuously benefitted from the free medical care, an exercise supported by the Chief of Naval Staff to encourage proper integration between the command and the civil populace.

At the Edepie community, there was a large turnout of both children and adults

for the free medical outreach, in which over 1,000 residents got unfettered access to free medical care.

Beneficiaries were diagnosed as tests were carried out by qualified doctors and nurses and treatments administered, after which free drugs were also given to the large turnout at the town hall, Edepie.

The exercise was supported by health officials from the Bayelsa Ministry of Health, as they ensured that children below five years were treated and immunised to stay alive and healthy.

Garuba regretted that many had died of preventable ailments, owing to their inability to procure treatments and prescribed consumables (drugs), adding that diseases such as whooping cough, catarrh, malaria/ typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery and diarrhea, amongst others, had killed many.

On the efforts to restore peace in the region, Garuba urged Niger Delta communities to seize the window of ongoing dialogue, even as he noted that dialogue was the most potent weapon as it accommodates the interest of all parties.

Garuba, who appreciated the host communities, said the command would continue to promote mutual relations in the area and solicit the information and cooperation of the people in its bid to rid the region of maritime crime.

The traditional ruler of Edepie Community thanked the FOC of the Central Naval Command and expressed the profound gratitude of his people who were visibly elated for the free medical care at a time their salaries were delayed and slashed to 50 per cent by the state government.

day, but talked about forever.

62-year-old Chief Osamede Adun, the Aiyobahan of Benin Kingdom, said he was 29 when the late Oba Erediauwa was crowned in 1979 and that he stood among the crowd to watch the procession and coronation.

He said, “I was about 29 year-old then when Erediauwa was crowned. I was not a palace chief then. It was how they did it that they are doing it now. Today, I am the happiest person now. Back then, I was looking from the crowd, but today, I am a top palace chief. Where I can get to now, you cannot reach there. I am very happy to be close to my Oba.” It was earlier scheduled to hold September 26 but due to the conduct of the Edo State governorship election, a new date was fixed. On Thursday, October 20, the Benin Crown Ambassador, Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, will assume the position of his forefathers as he becomes the 39th Oba of Benin. The crowning will be a culmination of a process that started with the announcement of the late Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa.

Unease lies the head that wears the crown, says the adage. This best describes the process leading to the crowning of Prince Eheneden Erediauwa as the Oba of Benin. The final lap began on Saturday, October 8. Before now, the late Oba had to be committed to mother earth. The incoming Oba had passed through series of initiation before the last lap that commenced on Saturday.

The first task was to trek a distance of about 10 kilometres from his temporary palace at Uselu, Egor Local Government Area, to Eko-Ohae (Bachelors Camp) in present day Oredo Local Government Area.

Another task that day was the climbing of a 500-year-old palm tree.

He was accompanied by a large crowd of Uselu people and others. The frenzy was palpable and there was celebration in many places. Commercial activities were continues pg17

17 insidenigerdelta

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Indiscipline is bane of Nigeria —LG boss Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

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HAIRMAN of Warri South Local Government, Mr Mathew Mofe Edema, has identified indiscipline as one of the biggest problems facing Nigeria.

He said his administration was happy to collaborate with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to ensure that Nigerians keyed into the renewed campaign of Change Begins With Me of the Federal Government.

Edema made the declaration on Monday at the Warri South Local Government Area secretariat in Warri, Delta State, when he received the Chief Orientation and Mobilization Officer (COMO) of NOA, Warri South Local Government, Mrs. Efejuku Julie Omasan and the newly recruited members of War Against Indiscipline, Warri South Local Government.

He commended those who voluntarily fought against indiscipline and advised them to continue in the struggle to rebuild Nigeria.

Speaking earlier, Chief Orientation and Mobilisation Officer for NOA Warri South Local Government Area, Mrs Efejuku Julie Omasan, insisted that the change must start

with everyone, especially members of the outfit, describing them as agents of change.

He disclosed that the former Commander of Community Support Brigade, CSB Warri South Local Government Area, Richard

Ubot, had been appointed as the Acting Commander of the Delta State War Against Indiscipline in preparation of the NOA, ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign to be launched in the State and Local Govern-

ment soon.

Efejuku Omasan tasked members of War Against Indiscipline Warri South Local Government to show good example to people of the area.

Old Boys seek N11m for borehole at St Anthony’s College, Ubulu-Uku Alphonsus Agborh - Asaba THE Old Boys’ Association of St Anthony’s College, Ubulu-Uku, Delta State, has commenced plans to sink a borehole in the institution.

Over 2,000 feet are expected to be drilled in order to get a sustainable water level.

The project also includes the provision of a stanchion, laying of a network of pipes for distribution of water to the school community and purchase of a 30kva diesel generator to be dedicated to powering the borehole.

Unveiling the plan as part of activities to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the institution in Asaba, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Sir Okey Ofili, said the project was necessitated by the

hardship students and staff of the college were facing to get water.

“In our days in the school, there was a nearby stream where as young boys we regularly shuttled to get water. The stream has since dried up and this has posed a huge challenge for the staff and students of the school”, Ofili, a retired Head of Service in Delta State explained.

According to him, Ubulu-Uku, a town in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, has a challenging terrain.

“Experts have surveyed the area and found that we have to drill to over 2,000 feet to get a sustainable water level, hence the seeming high cost of executing the borehole”, he stated, adding “it is a task we are determined to see through.”

Despite its designation as one of the few model secondary schools in the state, St Anthony’s College, Ubulu-Uku, has not

In Benin, it’s time to crown new Oba

received adequate government attention as its science laboratories, students’ dormitories, library, classrooms and other facilities are dilapidated.

Ofili said the Old Boys’s Association would mobilise its members to aid in the rehabilitation of some of the facilities while pleading with the state government to join in restoring the glory of the college.

Programme for the celebration include a novelty football match between members of St Anthony’s College, Ubulu-Uku Old Boys Association (SACOBA) and their counterparts from St Patrick’s College, Asaba on October 31 just as a public lecture and luncheon would accompany the launching of the borehole project .

“St. Anthony’s College, Ubulu-Uku, has produced some of the best brains and most accomplished people in the country and we hope to gather as many of them as possible at the anniversary to celebrate a great institution and also contribute our quota in restoring its old glory”, Ofili said.

Embrace dialogue, Ofa admonishes militants Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

Ritual procession by various cultural groups in Benin continued from pg16

paralysed along the routes he trekked from the Benin-Lagos road, through Lagos Street to Ekpo-Ohae at Urhokpota Hall, where the coronation will be performed on October 20.

The sacred palm tree the Oba-to-be climbed was said to have been first climbed

by Oba Ewuare in the 15th century. He reached the sacred palm tree known as

Crowd on the street for the coronation ritual

Udin Amamieson-amiuwa at about 4:30 p.m. and offered some offerings before climbing the tree.

He moved to the Iyan-akpan, now popularly known Five-junction, where chiefs from Uselu community handed him over to chiefs from Benin. From there, the Benin chiefs accompanied the Crown Prince to Benin City. Various cultural troupes, like the Iten Edo Theatre Group and Benin Royal Dynasty Trust Dance moved with the crowd

in entertainment. He arrived Benin late in the evening.

A Benin chief, who said he witnessed the coronation of Oba Akenzua in 1933, Chief Osarobo Orue, the Oba Iyekeagbon of Benin Kingdom, said the reign of the new Oba of Benin would bring peace to Benin than his predecessors.

“This is the third time I am witnessing the coronation of Oba of Benin. I witnessed the coronation of Oba Akenzua, Oba Erediauwa and that of Edaiken N’Usele. I will join in the trekking. I am 100 years old now”, he said.

Mrs Omouwa Omoregie said the three months spent by the crown prince in Uselu ushered in peace and tranquility to the people of the community. She said it was the first time she had witnessed the coronation of a new king of Benin and that she was now in a better position to relate the story to her children.

Chief Ada Igbinovia, the Edosomwan of Benin Kingdom, said those who were witnessing the coronation ceremony should count themselves very lucky as it was an event one rarely experienced. Chief Egharevba Igbinehi, the Ohanwan of Benin, said his forefathers were among the chiefs that came with Prince Oranmiyan from Uhe (Ife). He added that his function was to pray for the Oba before he began any ceremony.

A former Delta State Oil Producing area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) commissioner, Chief Henry Ofa, has appealed to aggrieved persons in the Niger Delta to embrace the option of dialogue and stop further bombings of oil and gas facilities.

Chief Ofa, now a member of the OgwashiUku Polytechnic, Delta State board, who fielded questions from journalists at Oghara, said even though the agitators might be right in their demands, they should realise that bombing of oil and gas facilities was not the right option.

The PDP chieftain said rather, they could only achieve their aims through a roundtable dialogue with government since their actions had negative effects on the economy of the nation and the revenue base of the Delta State government.

Ofa appealed to the Federal Government to exhaust all avenues of peaceful negotiations with the agitators so that the fragile peaceful atmosphere could be sustained for a permanent one and that the government should be sincere and never pretend over it.

“Further militarisation of the area could only result in more deaths and further degradation of the area and not an end to the solution, but the aggrieved Deltans must come to a roundtable dialogue with those concerned for peace to remain in the Niger Delta region since confrontation has never been the best option to any crisis,” he noted.

Chief Ofa, speaking further on the level of development of Delta State since created 25 years ago, remarked that the state had achieved a lot thus far in the area of health, with the establishment of the gigantic health facilities across the state, improved educational facilities with the establishment of several higher institutions and many others.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

By Wale Ojo-Lanre 0803 349 0986 waleojolanre@gmail.com The Owa Ajero of Ijero Kingdom, Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, decorating the new Gbobaniyi and Erelu Gbobaniyi of Ijero Kingdom, Dr and Mrs Oluwole Oluleye.

Are Kunle Olajide and Honourable Bisi Kolawole, Ekiti State Environment Commissioner (second right) and others.

Chief Oluwole Oluleye, Oba Adewole, Chief (Mrs) Patty Oluleye and Chief Adeleke Apapa.

Ijero Day 2016: Ajero calls for cultural tourism revolution Confers title on Oluwole Oluleye, honours others

By Wale-ojo Lanre

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HE Owa Ajero of Ijero Kingdom, Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, has called for cultural tourism revolution for the restoration of values, ethics, good neighbourliness and patriotism.

“It is high time we started to stoke cultural tourism revolution in our land so as to repel the aggressive erosion of our pristine socio-cultural tourism heritage from foreign vogue. And one of the steps is by the designation of a day by a town to rev up the burning coals of cultural heritage,” he said.

Oba Adewole, who made this call in Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti State last Saturday during the 20th Ijero Day hosted by the Ijero Progressive Union (IPU) under the leadership of Prince Tolu Onisile and packaged by the Ijero Day 2016 Central Planning Committee and Ajero -In –Council, said: “We are in time of great changes. The Western value has been orchestrated among our people and children in a way that is depicting our traditional culture as outmoded. This is not right and not good for the society. Hence, we need a radical approach to enable our children, this generation and generations yet unborn to see, feel and embrace the pristine traditional cultural-tourism values of the race, not only for identification but for eternal growth, development and survival of the heritage.”

Oba Adewole added: “I am grateful to the Lord Almighty for making Ijero Day celebration possible and successful in the last 20 years. I thank all the products of Ijero from the chiefs to the infants born within the kingdom for their unalloyed commitment to the cause of Ijero Day. I also thank all the friends of Ijero, those worthy and distinguished non-Ijero products who have contributed immensely and financially to the development of Ijero in the last 20 years.

I am particularly happy that Ijero Day cel-

ebration has lived up to its expectation both in ensuring the revitalisation of our sociocultural tourism values and acting as a platform for development.”

He disclosed that “Apart from the cultural tourism essence of today’s event, it is also a day set aside to honour agents of development who are going to make themselves and who have made themselves instruments of growth and advancement in Ijero Kingdom.”

Oba Adewole further said: “It is to the glory of God that the good people of Ijero Kingdom have decided to bestow a chieftaincy title of Otun Gbobaniyi and Erelu Gbobaniyi of the kingdom on Dr Oluwole Oluleye and Mrs Patty Oluleye. Dr and Mrs Oluleye have demonstrated unalloyed love and fondness for Ijero people and their interest despite being indigenes of Efon Alaye.

Thus, this quintessential man of integrity and wife deserve to be indigenised as Ijero people.”

He appreciated the Alayemore of Efon, and Oba of Odo Owa ‘for being special royal fathers gracing the event of the day in their majesties.”

Reinforcing the Ajero’s speech, Prince Tolu Onisile, National President, Ijero Progressive Union, showed gratitude to the guests for being part of the Ijero developmental struggle and urged all to contribute to the construction of the new palace which he hoped “we will be able to raise enough fund this year to complete the project bearing in mind that this is going to be the last Ijero Day to be organised by my EXCO after a four-year tenure “.

He congratulated Dr Oluleye and wife and other awardees for being found worthy of the titles and awards from Ijero kingdom, Mr Omoboriowo Rotimi, the chairman, planning committee, after emphasising the cultural tourism assets of Ijero, said “Ijero is a land of colourful and highly fascinating festivals.

Except the Rio carnival in Brazil, no other festival can match Ogun Festival in Ijero kingdom in glamour, splendour, beauty and methodological arrangement.”

The Ijero Day attracted distinguished personalities and icons of Efon Alaye who gave impressive support and solidarity to the new Gbobaniyi and Erelu Gbobaniyi, who are indigenes of Efon.

The Are of Efon, Dr Kunle Olajide, who led the Efon delegates including the Ekiti State Commissioner for Environment, Hon Bisi Kolawole, Chief O Jeje, Ajiroba of Efon and others who spoke glowingly of Dr Oluleye and his wife, said Ijero had done well and bestowed honour on whom it was due. According to Olajide, “Dr Oluleye is a pride and Oluomo of Efon home and abroad.”

On his part, the chairman, Ijero Local Government, Hon Abiodun Dada, said “Ijero Day celebration has brought unquantifiable development to the kingdom. It is a day which we all looked to and I congratulate Kabiyesi, IPU, planning committee under Mr Omoboriowo, the title recipient of the day and all for being here today.”

Hon Dada assured the people: “The state governor, Dr Ayodele Fayose, has a special interest in the development of Ijero and has mandated us to be prepared in joining efforts to make Ijero a model city. We at the local government are there for the fulfilment of the aspiration of the people and we shall not rest on our oars until all have tasted the dividends of democracy.”

The chairman of the launch, Otunba Adeleke Apapa, President, Scapat (group of companies), commended the people of Ijero for “Your collective endeavours at adding value to your society. I have noted this unique characteristic in many of you who I have had dealing with, through Omoboriowo. And that is why this town is not only witnessing a sequential development, but its indigenes are daily accomplishing in their endeavours.”

Dr Oluleye, whose outstanding profile and that of his wife were celebrated before their installation as Gbobaniyi and Erelu Gbobaniyi said: “We are grateful to the king and people of Ijero kingdom for this

kind gesture of bestowing titles on me and my wife. We promise Ijero not only our love, but also to be instruments of change, development and improvement . We are not in the habit of announcing whatever we are going to do now. But we will do them incognito. And we will appreciate the king and people accepting them incognito without making it public.

This is one of the virtues I learnt from my late father. We appreciate and thank you all.”

Others who bagged the Ajero’s awards were Mr Sunday Gabriel Asaolu, Legal Practitioner of the Year and Chief Abbey Fagboro, Best Broadcaster of the Year, expressed their gratitude to the Owa Ajero, IPU and Ijero indigenes for being steadfast with the celebration of Ijero Day which is “ a cultural tourism event which has become the medium of development, networking, empowerment and socialisation.”

ITB Berlin IN recent years, cruises have become a boom segment of the travel industry. In 2015, around 22 million cruises were undertaken worldwide, so that compared to the previous year the cruise market grew by around three per cent. These are findings of a special survey by the World Travel Monitor, carried out by IPK International and commissioned by ITB Berlin. Europe is the second most important source market.

Behind North America, the undisputed leader with a market share of 59 per cent in 2015, Europe, with a market share of 32 per cent, has become the world’s second most important source market in the cruise sector.

Cruises to European destinations account for 78 per cent of the European market, with Spain being the most popular destination (18 per cent). The Caribbean occupies second place (16 per cent) and is the only destination outside Europe among the top five destinations of European cruise tourists.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

I want to move Africans within Africa —Wanle Akinboboye

By Wale-ojo Lanre THE promoter of Destination Akosombo, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye has said that “the whole essence of Destination Akosombo is to ensure the commercial and leisure integration of Nigeria and Ghana in a symbiotic sustainable cultural tourism relationship that rev the point of unity and brotherhood of the two nations.”

Otunba Akinboboye, who made this revelation during an exclusive interaction with Tribune Tourism Magazine (TTM), said: “I realised that there seems to be the preponderance of the push factors between Nigerians and Ghanaians. Though we might be thinking that there is an increase in the commercial activities between the two countries more than before. But a cursory review of what obtained in the past clearly showed an imbalance or deficit in the entertainment and tourism sub sector of the relationship.”

He pointed out “In the years past, there was an effusion of cultural entertainment and tourism between Ghana

and Nigeria. When you cannot point out the countries of origin of the Highlife music crooners of those days, when six out of 10 men on the streets of Accra will confidently tell you about Yankari , Lagos Bar Beach, Kano dye Centre, Ikogosi which they have visited while those on Nigerian streets will tell you about Akosombo Dam , Kakaum National Park and Elmina Castle and so on not only about the Ankara or gold purchased in Ghana--this is what Destination Akosombo is all about. We are creating and providing a seamless platform for socio- cultural tourism entertainment for the citizens of the two countries.”

Otunba Akinboboye revealed that “Destination Akosombo is the first leg of a tripartite tourism revolution created and designed by Atunda Entertainment in ensuring the successful, massive movement of Africans within Africa for intercultural perception and understanding, regional tourism integration and appreciation, economic networking and cooperation all for the maximum optimisation of the hanging fruits of travel and tourism within Africa “

US honours Oguntoyes’ for creating Twins Tourism

T

HE Nigerian twin brothers, Oguntoye Taiwo Oyedele and Oguntoye Kehinde Oladele, were celebrated in a unique way in the United States of America. The duo who were named the Most Famous Twins in Africa Tourism last year by The African Sun Times Newspaper were in America to receive the Africa Diaspora World Tourism Award as the initiators of a world creative tourism brand known as Twins Tourism and they were also celebrated by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world busiest international airport.

The Oguntoye twin brothers received 2016 African Diaspora World Tourism Awards as the “Outstanding Millennial Tourism Leaders” on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at the ceremony which was organised by African Diaspora Tourism, an online magazine exploring black culture and heritage worldwide, in association with Atlanta’s AD King Foundation, a non-profit organisation promoting peace and non-violence. Taiwo and Kehinde Oguntoye were the youngest and the first twins to receive this prestigious award which was also received by prominent figures like The President of Gambia, Sheih Professor Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh Babili Mansa, Zimbabwe Minister of Tourism, Hon. Engr. Walter Mzembi, Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Diana McIntyre-Pike, Jamaica’s International Community Tourism pioneer, Avline Ava, President of the Mother of Humanity Project (Cameroon), Sharon Parris-Chambers, the CEO, “Let’s Do it in the Caribbean”, the Sierra Leone Minister of Tourism, among others.

According to Kitty J. Pope, the founder

The Oguntoye twins with Mrs A. D. King and Dr Babs Onabanjo in Atlanta. and publisher of Africa Diaspora Tourism, “we received good recommendations of the Oguntoye twin brothers that prompted us to beam our searchlight on their activities from last year and we discovered uncommon outstanding passion for the tourism industry as well as various innovative and creative ideas they represent, most especially the creation of twins-tourism. They are truly Pan -Africanists per excellent and the Oguntoye twins are well equipped with ideas that can drive the economy, empower young people and transform the African continent.

Within their short stay in the United States before today’s award ceremony, they have demonstrated that they really deserve this award”.

In his remark, Dr Babs Onabanjo, the

announces boom in cruise tourism Italy is the third most popular cruise destination among Europeans.

Diversity and relaxation Few other type of holidays offer similar opportunities for relaxation as well as for making new experiences, either on board or on local excursions. When on cruises, Europeans especially enjoy relaxing, sightseeing as well as exploring foreign countries and cultures. Ultimately, it is also important to them to enjoy ’the sea, water and nature’.

Cruise tourists spend more money There are many opportunities for tourists to spend extra money while being on a cruise – be it on an excursion, while shopping or enjoying an on-board spa. Even if cruises are said to no longer be as exclusive or expensive as they used to be, spending in this holiday segment is significantly higher than in others. While Europeans on average spent 107 Euros per night on all holiday trips in 2015, cruise tourists more than doubled that figure with an average of 218 Euros. Large number of travel agency bookings.

At 60 per cent, the internet is also the preferred booking channel of Europeans when it comes to cruises. However, travel agencies continue to account for an above-average number of cruise bookings.

President and Chief Executive Officer of A.D. King Foundation, eulogised the Nigerian twin brothers for showing the world that there are talented and good young people in Africa who have what it takes to create a niche for economy advancement through tourism in the continent. “ I am so excited to see that the only Nigerians who made the list of awardees are young people full of innovative ideas and outstanding creativity and I must say this, Oguntoye Taiwo and Kehinde are good ambassadors of not only Nigeria, but of the entire Africa as a continent”. He further called on other young people to emulate the virtues in the Oguntoye twin brothers who never waited for what the government could do for them but thought about what they could do for their country.

2016 edition of Olokun Festival kicks off THE 2016 edition of annual Olokun festival has kicked off.

The festival kicked off recently, with a prayer to the Almighty, tagged ‘Prayer to Eledumare’, at the Abule Ado home of the Chief Promoter of Olokun Festival Foundation, Otunba Gani Adams.

Other activities lined up for the festival include the Olokun Beauty Pageant, festival float, boat regatta and the grand finale, which will hold at the Suntan Beach in Badagry on Thursday, October 20, 2016.

This edition of the festival, according to Otunba Adams, promises to showcase the traditional and cultural heritage of the Yoruba people.

“The festival is billed to showcase the unique and unparalleled traditional and cultural heritage of the Yoruba people.”

In a press statement made available Tribune Tourism Magazine (TTM) by Segun Akanni, the personal assistant to Otunba Gani, Adams said the foundation was determined to make sure that the festival holds despite the economic recession.

“You all will agree with me that the economy is not friendly with anybody at the moment. But despite the hardship everybody is facing, we at Olokun Festival Foundation are determined to continue to hold this festival as part of our own contribution to the development of the cultural and traditional heritage of the Yoruba people.”

Important personalities present at the event included Primate Peters Oyedele of C&S Church, Agbojesu Parish, Ijedodo, Primate Oladele Akeju of New Holy Messiah Church, Mushin, Mrs Idowu Adebowale, one of the nine founding members Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), National Coordinating Council (NCC) of Oodua People’s Congress Mr. Segun Ogunpitan, Africa Union Leader of Oodua Progressive Union (OPU, Christian, Muslim and Traditional groups of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC, members of Olokun festival planning committee and members of OPC.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

with Doyin Adeoye

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

ecoscope

There is need for emission testing of aircraft engines in Nigeria —Ojuri, CEO Aglo Limited

As ICAO reaches historic aviation emissions agreement

By Doyin Adeoye

Deforestation: Ahmed advocates aggressive tree planting culture Biola Azeez - Ilorin GOVERNOR AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara State has called for effective management of the environment, to protect ecosystem and save it from depletion.

The governor made the call at the weekend when members of the Kwara State Forestry Stakeholders Congress led by its President, Alhaji Abdullahi Agbobamu, visited him at the governor’s lodge in Ilorin.

“There is a growing concern over poor management of the environment which leads to desertification and depletion of

the environment,” he said.

Governor Ahmed called on the congress not to engage in acts that could hurt the environment with a view to saving it from losing its values.

He also charged them, to partner with the government in the conservation of the environment and creation of wealth.

“The danger is not in the felling of trees, but in not planting more trees to guide against deforestation and desertification. Efforts must be made by stakeholders and in deed, by all Nigerians to protect our environment by embracing the tree planting culture,” he said.

Governor Ahmed promised to support the

congress through the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) platforms in order to promote their business.

Speaking earlier, Agbobamu disclosed that the congress had resolved to embark on operation “Cut One, Plant Five Policy,” to save the environment from deforestation.

Agbobamu thanked the governor for his concern and initiative towards proper and efficient management of forests in all parts of the state, while also assuring the governor that the congress would continue to give maximum support to the present administration to enable its success.

Jatropha: Another means of economic diversification —Stakeholders Ademola Adegbite - Abuja STAKEHOLDERS at the just concluded Environment Dialogue 1, with the theme ‘Diversification of the Economy: The Role of Jatropha,’ have stressed the need for governments at all levels to learn from the cassava experience where policy to encourage cultivation was not matched with viable strategy, leading to loss for the farmers.

Some of the stakeholders present at the conference include representatives from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Senate, House of Representatives, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as well as Nigerian farmers and organised private sectors, among others.

The programme which was organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment, held at NAF Conference Centre, Abuja.

According to the stakeholders, the value of Jatropha is not in doubt, as its advantages as a low maintenance fast growing multipurpose plant have been amply demonstrated.

Jatropha has multi uses as a viable plant which can be used as animal fodder, border plant,

soil replenisher and reclaimer, erosion control shelterbelt, electricity, security, conflict mitigator and for food and pharmaceutical purposes.

“There are challenges ranging from an absence of requisite knowledge at the community level, absence of cross sectoral synergy and coordination, inadequate funding of research and links to international learning, as well as an absence of a market and off-take strategy

to guarantee farmers and a technology at its infancy,” they said.

They also added that “other challenges were the absence of quality control, poor access to land, weak human capacity and fear of policy discontinuity,” noting that community, research institutions and civil society equally have capacity gaps that needed to be addressed to maximise the bio fuel opportunity.

I

NDUSTRY expert and Chief Executive Officer, Aglo Limited, Mr Tayo Ojuri, has said that there is the need for emission testing of aircraft engines in Nigeria.

Speaking with Ecoscope, the aviation consultant with special emphasis on airport operations and management noted that although the newly adopted global market-based measure (GMBM) to control CO2 emissions from international aviation announced by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) may not be applicable to Nigeria, it is however, important to address other environmental issues faced by the sector.

More than 2,200 delegates from ICAO’s Member States, non-Member States and observers, as well as other stakeholders, were at the recently held Plenary Session of the United Nations (UN) aviation agency’s 39th Assembly, where an historic agreement was reached to offset CO2 emissions from international flights and a comprehensive roadmap for the sustainable future of international aviation was set.

Ojuri noted that although this applies to the legacy airlines of this world because they have higher revenue tonne per kilometre (RPK), which is a measure of the tonne of load earned per kilometre, Nigeria on the other hand, also has its share of challenges.

“We may be excluded from the ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) based on our volume, because a section says that it applies to those that have above 0. 5 per cent RPK, which are the legacy airlines of this world.

Many of the airlines in Nigeria do not carry a lot of passengers; so in short, they do not fall into that category.

“However, aviation impacts on the environment, from the Nigerian perspective, what we should be looking at is to ensure that there is emission testing of airline engines. Also,

another aspect that should be looked into is the disposal of oil and lubricant, because while we are trying to cut down air pollution, we should also look at other areas, because the environment is the air as well as the waterways and the land.

“So there is need to address the disposal of the oil, lubricant and the grease used in maintaining the aircrafts when they take off and land. Where is it being disposed to?

“One that is really close to my heart is the part of embracing leadership in energy and environmental designs of our airports, because whenever it is hot and sunny, the heat makes the terminal really uncomfortable and hot. So when there is a glass which is highly efficient and environmentally designed, this will bounce the rate of the heat away from the airport and make it cooler and also help the environment.

“There is also a need to address the ultimate source of energy for our aviation sector. What efforts are we making to ensure that clean energy is used, because aviation and particularly the airports and airlines use a lot of energy in their operations. An airport runs for 24 hours, so finding an ultimate source of clean energy will actually help to improve the environment,” he said.

Speaking at the ICAO meeting, ICAO Council President, Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu said “It has taken a great deal of effort and understanding to reach this stage, and I want to applaud the spirit of consensus and compromise

sustainable industrialisation development.

He added that the policy document, which is currently under review, would soon be made available to the public.

The country representative said the UN organisation was assisting Nigeria in its fight to phase out Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

“UNIDO is working with Nigeria in the identification, aggregation and disposal of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), review and updating legislations on ODS,” he said.

In his remarks, Dr Lawrence Anukam, the Director-General, National Environmental

Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), stressed the need for safe disposal of ODS in the country.

He noted that the meeting was aimed at developing effective standard for the disposal of the substances, while also adding that some of the depleting substances were used as refrigerants in air conditioners, propellants in spray cans and agents in several manufacturing processes.

“Ozone layer in the atmosphere plays important role in the protection of life on earth and if it is depleted, more ultraviolent rays will reach the earth,” he said.

Ojuri

Influx of IDPs compounds waste management challenges in Gombe —Commissioner GOMBE State Commissioner of Environment and Forest Resources, Mrs Sa’adatu Sa’ad, has said that influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) had compounded waste management challenges in the state.

The commissioner stated this when members of the Imperative Initiative for Motivation of Global Care (IIMGC) a Non-Governmental Organisation, paid her a courtesy visit.

“One among the numerous environmental challenges we are facing is waste management in the state. This was because of the influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) which led to increase in population.

“Waste evacuation trucks and other facilities have been overstretched; we need more waste disposal containers as well as VIPs latrine,” she said.

She also said erosion in the state was a major threat to lives and property.

“Although the state government has done a lot in controlling erosion, the problem is increasing.

“The government has spent about N3 billion in 11 different locations in the state capital ravaged by erosion, but we still have deep gullies everywhere in the state,” she said.

Poor management of resources threatens water sector — Official MR Samuel Asukwo, the Area Manager, Akwa Ibom State Water Company, Oron branch, says uncoordinated and poor management of resources is threatening the development of the water sector in the country.

Asukwo made the assertion in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nige-

UNIDO partners FG to develop national policy on solid waste management THE United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will partner the Federal Government to develop national policy on solid waste management.

Dr Chuma Ezedinma, UNIDO Country Representative, made the statement on Monday in Abuja at a two-day `Expert Critique’ meeting to review the 2009 Draft National Environmental-Ozone Layer Protection Regulations.

Ezedinma, who was represented by Mr Oluyomi Banjo, an environmental expert with the organisation, said the partnership was to support Nigeria in promoting inclusive and

demonstrated by our Member States, industry and civil society.

“We now have practical agreement and consensus on this issue backed by a large number of States who will voluntarily participate in the GMBM – and from its outset. This will permit the CORSIA to serve as a positive and sustainable contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions reduction.”

ICAO’s CORSIA is designed to complement the basket of mitigation measures the air transport community is already pursuing to reduce CO2 emissions from international aviation. These include technical and operational improvements and advances in the production and use of sustainable alternative fuels for aviation.

In the same vein, acting Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health Department, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr Idris Goji, said that Nigeria had succeeded in phasing out Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) and dichromate.

Represented by Mr Theodore Nwaokwe, Deputy Director in the department, Goji said that the Nigerian government had set up an ozone village designed for ozone related activities.

He said that the regulations would go a long way to address issues of climate change.

ria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He noted that Nigerians had yet to have adequate water supply in spite of the considerable investment in water schemes and related activities.

He blamed the situation on what he termed uncoordinated and poor management of the abundant water resources in the country.

“The threats to the nation’s water resources are symptoms of poor and uncoordinated management of the resources at all levels of government, including non-implementation of the governing policy in the sector.

“Federal and state governments assume greater responsibility for overall management of the nation’s water resources.

“And in most cases, stakeholders are not consulted or otherwise involved in planning, development and management of the nation’s water resources.’’

He said that the desire to improve access to water had become harder because of the rapidly increasing demand for it.

“This rise in demand is consequent upon high population growth rate coupled with

increasing urbanisation and the rising living condition.

“The nation’s water sources are under serious threat from inadequate catchment management and widespread pollution, including indiscriminate disposal of hazardous substances.

Asukwo further blamed water scarcity in the country to poor watershed management, deteriorating water quality, drought and desertification.

According to him, water scarcity is the major causes of water-related diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and guinea worm, all posing serious threats to public health.

He, therefore, underscored the need for government at all levels to implement policy governing the sector for the betterment of the citizens.

Asukwo also urged relevant authorities in the sector to take it as a matter of urgency to revamp the sector, adding that dry season which comes with high demand for water would soon set in.

In her remarks, President of IIMGC, Mrs Silvia Clinton, said she came to Gombe with her team to conduct a baseline survey in all the 11 local government areas of the state.

She said the exercise was with a view to identifying the needs of people at the grassroots and act promptly.

She said her organisation gives attention to marginalised communities, especially with regards to environmental, health and agriculture issues.

Kogi govt approves N156m to complete water projects

By Doyin Adeoye THE Kogi State government has approved N156 million for the completion of 22 abandoned water projects across the three senatorial zones of the state.

Speaking at a news conference in Lokoja, the state’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr Salami Ozigi, disclosed that the approval was given by governor, Yahaya Bello, in a memo he presented during the State’s Executive Council (SEC), meeting held last week.

Ozigi said that the fund would be used to remobilise contractors handling all abandoned water projects awarded by the previous administration back to sites for completion.

According to him, funds have been approved for Obangede, Magongo, Ekuehi, Egge, Isanlu, Anyigba, Oguma, Kuroko, Ogori, Ajaka, and Adavi-Eba Water Works.

Others include Okene-Idoji South and North, Ageva, Imane, Esomi, Ogidi, Geregu, Nagazi, Mopa, and Idah Water Schemes.

“This gesture is part of the efforts of our amiable governor to alleviating the suffering of the people by ensuring regular supply of potable water across the state. This government is passionate to providing potable water for the residents, hence the need to go into Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to meet people’s expectations.

“We have investors who have demonstrated their capacity and interest to invest their money in water projects in Kogi and we are ready to engage them,” he said.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

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

We’re cautiously optimistic about rise in crude oil — OPEC Sec Gen, Barkindo

Barkindo

The Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and former group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Muhammed Barkindo speaks with journalists at the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Washington D.C., United States, about the poor crude oil price, the state of the organisation, future projections, among others. SULAIMON OLANREWAJU and DARE ADEKANMBI bring excerpts.

W

HAT is the current state of OPEC. What ceases the attention of the body?

In the short time, which is attracting attention, is the issue of prices of crude oil and the current conditions of the market since the collapse of prices beginning from July 2014 to the loss that we have seen in the last quarter of 2016 when prices hit the low of about 22-26 dollars, which represents over 80 per cent reduction in prices from their peak in July 2014 with all the consequences on revenue and investments in the industry.

Looking at OPEC and the challenges before it, do you think it has lived up to expectations?

As you have seen here at the World Bank meetings, all organisations particularly intergovernmental organisations, have been struggling to adapt to the fundamental

structural changes which have been sweeping not necessarily the oil and gas industry but the global economy in general.

The coming of the low prices as a consequence of the development in the United States regarding the shale fracturing technology necessitating a cut in the import of oil from Nigeria and other countries was a signal many expected OPEC member countries to take cognisance of and ensure that the drop didn’t have the kind it currently has. There was even an accusation of division among members of the body. What is your take on this?

To put it in proper and global perspective, when the last good run of prices saw crude oil price rising to over 140 dollars a barrel, in conventional economics it was just a matter of time that there will be correction in the market. But what most forecasting agencies, including OPEC and others failed to get cor-

rectly was the length of time it was going to take for this correction and for the market to re-balance. This is perhaps the longest cycle (of price drop) that we have seen in recent times.

It is taking us now into the third year of the correction with the rebalancing target being put at four. So, it is not only OPEC that missed the target but most agencies, including the IMF and the World Bank. You have heard in the last two days of extensive consultations and discussions that some of these models (of forecasting oil prices) were found wanting. Nobody expected that the cycle will last this long with the severe consequences on huge revenue that we have lost.

OPEC members, in the last two years, have lost over 1 trillion dollars in terms of revenue and in terms of investment into this industry, we have seen contraction of about 26 per cent in 2015 and in 2016, we are projecting a further contraction of 22 per cent. As I mentioned at plenary, the prospect is 2017 is also still looking bleak.

So, for the first time in recent memory, we are not only having three consecutive years of depressed oil prices, but we are also seeing contraction in capital investment, particularly in the upstream sector. This is a very serious development that is threatening future supplies [of crude oil] to the global community with consequences on the fragile state of the economy as you heard from the IMF yesterday.

Having painted this gloomy picture, what do you think OPEC members, particularly Nigeria should be doing?

At our meeting in Algeria on the 28 September, OPEC took a very proactive and timely decision to agree on a range of ceiling of 32.5-33 million barrels per day production for the OPEC 14. This is the first time OPEC has taken such a decision since 2008.

The objective of this decision is to restore stability in the market to address the issue of high inventory that is depressing prices. Don’t forget that this crisis is driven by supply. We have seen growth in supply both from OPEC members and non-OPEC members because of the shale revolution in the. United States and North America.

We have seen supplies grow from non -OPEC members to the tune of 8 million barrels per day. So, the market became saturated, although demand is robust and in addition, inventory started rising to unprecedented levels. At the moment, we have stocks both onshore and offshore including frothy storage of over three billion barrels of crude oil.

The decision in Algiers was aimed at stimulating further stock draw down on a sustained basis which we have seen happening

for almost five weeks now in the United States, which is the biggest market. The sum total of that, hopefully, will bring forward rebalancing of the market so that we will be able to achieve some form of equilibrium in prices with impact of revenues to member countries, especially our country Nigeria which has suffered both from lower prices (of crude oil) as well as low production.

This week, you talked about Nigeria, Libya and Iran being given preferential treatment in the decision on ceiling supply. What kind of treatment are you talking about?

The decision that we took in Algiers took into account the special but unfortunate circumstances of the three countries. Nigeria has been suffering from the impact of low crude oil prices as well as the impact of low production because of the communal disturbances in the oil-producing areas. We have lost, on the average, about 700,000 barrels of daily production.

Libya has lost over 1.3 million barrels per day as a result of similar and even more serious social and political unrest in the country.

Iran is just emerging from sanction during which its production suffered significantly.

So, in the interest of the whole organisation, the ministers decided in Algeria to take into account these special circumstances when it comes to the implementation of the production decision taken.

With the decision you took in Algiers, do you envisage an improvement in the prices or do you see the hopelessness continuing?

Since we took that decision, prices have risen by over eight per cent across the board.

You can see that crude benchmarks-WTI and Brent-have attained over 50 dollars a barrel. So, we remain cautious optimistic that this trend will continue, especially driven by a further stock draw down and consequently bring forward the rebalancing period with firmer prices that are not only in the interest of OPEC members but also from consumers as you heard the IMF itself.

Looking at the implication of the general output cut for Nigeria, what is the true position? Would you say we are almost there or how long will it take us to be there?

OPEC would like to see Nigeria recover its potential. Nigeria has a much higher level of production capacity than what it is doing at the moment. So also is Libya and to some extent, Iran. We look forward to these countries recovering their potential to come back to the international market for us to move forward holistically.

Despite the accustomed division among OPEC members, you were able to pull through the output cut while giving others preferential treatment. How were you able to do this or was it part of your plan?

Every member of OPEC has its own sovereign national interest and objectives to achieve, but are bound together by the letters and spirit of the organisation. Despite what you may perceive to be differences, when they come round the table they have one common interest which drove them into reaching the decision we have talked about.

Nevertheless, extensive consultations have been taking place.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Stakeholders decry incessant power outage Stories by Olatunde Dodondawa

S

TAKEHOLDERS have decried persistent power outage in most parts of Lagos State as they claimed it is grinding business activities to a halt and has particularly forced commercial business operators to either shut down or relocate.

The Owode area which is one of the commercial hubs of the state

given its prime location close to the popular Mile 12 market also lacks access roads and other infrastructures that supports commercial enterprises.

Speaking at a press conference to draw attention of the government to the plight of the people of the area and business operators, President of Brethren Elite Club, Chief (Dr) Pascal Ebhohimen, noted that though the state government

has taken steps to provide infrastructure to promote economic activities, the gesture has not been extended to the community despite its contribution to socio-economic growth of the state.

Ebhohimen, said business activities are run at great loss as commercial business operators generate their own power using electricity generating sets.

“More seriously, there is flood-

ing in the community occasioned by wholesale release of dam water from Oyo/Ogun states, absence of and lack of proper concrete enclosed canals to channel the excess water to the lagoons and the absence of potable water whereas the Water Corporation’s pipes terminate at Owode Elede” he complained.

He said provision of critical infrastructures within the community will enhance accelerated agricultural activities like fishing and other businesses which are located in the area and will help enhance government revenue as the businesses would continue to pay their taxes.

Ebhohimen reiterated the Club’s preparedness to partner with relevant government agencies to ensure rapid development of the area, adding that the Club had previously supported community development efforts by providing the police with equipment to enhance security of life and property.

He commended efforts of Governor Akinwumi Ambode for raising the infrastructure standard of major communities through improved environmental upgrading, maintenance of law and order which has made businesses to thrive but such gesture has not been extended to the community.

“In response to this outcry many of us as members of this community, are talking about it and asking several questions about the role of local government.

Amaya Capital invests $300m in Azura power generation A leading African-focused principal investment firm, Amaya Capital, has announced over $300million equity commitments in its power generation platform. The new investment follows the acquisition by growth markets investor, Actis of American Capital Energy & Infrastructure’s stake in Azura Power Holdings Limited.

This transaction, and the consequent expansion of Azura’s capital base, now allows the business to scale up its pan-African power generation capacity to a target of over 3,000MW. The World Bank estimates that as many as 600 million of Africa’s 1billion population lack access to electricity. The Azura platform seeks to ameliorate this acute shortage of power on the African continent with a primary focus on gas-to-power assets in addition to the development of renewable projects within Nigeria.

The Azura platform is anchored on the Azura-Edo IPP, a 1,500MW power station complex located in Edo State, Nigeria, which is being developed in three phases with the first (459MW) phase currently under construction. Azura’s Nigerian investments also include a controlling stake in the 125MWp, gridscale, Nova Solar project which is currently under development in Katsina State.

Outside of Nigeria, the entry of Actis into the Azura platform has triggered significant deal flow in other sub-Saharan countries and the business expects to grow its portfolio rapidly over the coming

12 months.

The two partners in the newly expanded Azura platform have a wealth of complementary experience. Amaya is a tightly focused principal investment firm that has focused on the West African gas to power market. It invests in

a proactive manner using the capital, capabilities, and resources of its founders and associates. Actis, with c.$6 billion of assets under management, has also been active in the African market since the early 2000s but with a more geographically diverse footprint.

It has invested close to $1billion in energy projects across the region and the firm has frequently been recognised for its energy expertise, winning ‘African Infrastructure Fund Manager of the year’ for four consecutive years by infrastructure investor.

Nigerian Tribune

Shell appoints new Vice President for Nigeria, Gabon SHELL has appointed a new Vice President for Nigeria and Gabon.

He is Peter Costello and succeeds Markus Droll who assumes a new role of Executive Vice President, Projects in Shell International based in Rijswijk, The Netherlands. Peter, an engineer by background has spent over three decades in the oil and gas industry, starting his career in British Gas and working in the UK, India, The Philippines, Thailand and Kazakhstan. He transferred to Shell following the combination with BG in June 2016.

Peter, who has assumed duty in Lagos, said “I come to Nigeria with high hopes of what we can do to build on the excellent work that I’ve met on the ground. Shell Companies in Nigeria are major contributors to the economy, not only through the energy they produce and the revenues they generate for the country, but also via their supply chains, local content and social investment.

“Given the exceptional talent here and the huge resource base of the country, I’m confident we can address the challenges in our operating environment, and continue to deliver real value to all stakeholders. My sentiments for Gabon are similar as we work to reposition our business and take advantage of new opportunities.”

Markus, also an engineer by background, joined Shell in 1985 and has held a variety of roles in Projects and Front-End Engineering in The Netherlands, Oman and Brunei.

He first came to Nigeria in 2006, where he led the Corporate and Commercial Directorate, and then in 2007, became Vice President Technical Africa.

NERC approves licenses for mini-grid THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said power distribution firms have permission to begin the development of mini-grids to augment electricity supply to households, businesses and institutions in the country.

NERC’s position, which was contained in a Draft Mini-Grid Regulation 2016 obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, noted that on that electricity distribution companies could now use mini-grids as a bridge technology to accelerate their electrification activities.

It added that the mini-grid regulation was specifically designed to accelerate electrification in areas without any existing distribution grid and areas with an existing but poorly electrified or non-functional distribution grid, especially but not limited to rural areas.

Mini-grid means any electricity supply system with its own power generation capacity, supplying electricity to more than one customer and which can operate in isolation from or be connected to a distribution licensee’s network.

Within the regulations, the term mini-grid is used for any isolated

or interconnected mini-grid generating between zero Kilowatt and one megawatt of generation capacity.

NERC said “If the power distributed by the isolated mini-grid is larger than 100 kW, the mini-grid developer will need to apply for a mandatory permit. If the generation capacity of the power station

installed is larger than 1Mw, the plant is not a mini-grid under this regulation and other regulations apply.”

To encourage mini-grid development, the commission said cost-reflective retail tariffs would be utilised, adding that tariffs would be higher than the current electricity distribution company’s

retail tariffs.

The commission, however, said the tariffs would be lower than any electricity supply of the same quality generated from conventional sources in such areas.

It said “This regulation is suitable for any business model or technology that mini-grid operators may wish to implement.”

Chevron, Energia, Lekoil back NGA conference CHEVRON Nigeria, Energia and Lekoil have expressed support for Nigerian Gas Association as it prepares to stage the largest gathering of gas players and stakeholders in West Africa later this month in Abuja. Addressing the executive council members of the association during courtesy visits to their various offices, the companies expressed delight in identifying with NGA as the voice of industry in Nigeria and the value propositions the association project.

“Chevron delivered one third of domestic natural gas in 2015, helping to eliminate gas flaring and commercialising Nigeria’s natural gas resources in the process. Thus, Chevron’s partnership with Nigerian Gas Association is critical,”

said Clay Neff, Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria.

“Considering our strategic development and growth plan along the entire gas-to-power value chain, we are glad to work with Nigerian Gas Association to ensure clarity on issues about the sector,” said Felix Amieye-Ofori, Chief Executive, Energia Limited.

The Managing Director, Gas & Power, Lekoil, Shola Adekeye, said that as a new entrant into the gas and power sector, “we are glad to be part of NGA that will influence policies to proactively chart a new course for the sector.

In his remarks, Bolaji Osunsanya, President, NGA, said that the association has been very

proud of Chevron and what it represents especially its gas utilization projects expressing his appreciation to the company as “Chevron has been very supportive of NGA over the years.”

Osunsanya also commended Energia for the vision to play in the entire gas-to-power value chain in addition to its investments in refinery.

The NGA president applauded Lekoil for the “feat within a short while and its significant strides which has demonstrated possibilities within the sector”, adding that the forth-coming international gas conference by the association is a good platform for Lekoil to showcase and post their entrance into the gas sector.

politicsnews Ortom, Suswam clash over LG appointment in Benue 24

Johnson BabajideMakurdi

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HE cold war between Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam, deepened on Tuesday, as they engaged in a war of words over governance.

Suswan served the first salvo on Monday when he accused the governor of undermining due process in taking some steps in his official capacity, citing the appointment of sole administrators for local governments in the state.

Speaking at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus meeting at party secretariat in Makurdi, the former governor accused his successor as running a government of deceit.

He alleged that the appointment of sole administrator s for the local governments in a democratic system undermined due process as outlined by law.

“Benue belongs to everyone of us; it is not an individual’s estate. So, we should not fold our hands and allow

Dickson’s aide cautions party leaders on criticism Austin Ebipade- Yenagoa

SPECIAL Adviser to the governor of Bayelsa State on Inter-Party Relations, Hon. Ben Eyororokumoh, has urged party leaders in the state to always be mindful of their actions and utterances on matters concerning public interest.

He gave the advice while receiving the new leadership of the state chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Party (CNPP), led by chairman, Golden Agagawei, along with Sokari Jackson, (vice chairman) and the secretary, Niko Namatebe.

He solicited their cooperation and support for the government and encourage compromising constructive criticism, reminding them the state belonged to all Bayelsans.

“Any issue that will lead to blackmail should not be encouraged. If we support the leaders in power today, tomorrow others will support us when we assume leadership office,” he stated.

He said the state administration was determined to strengthen its partnership with all parties and called for cooperation and support.

The Special Adviser also charged the executive members of Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) to unite towards the progress of the state.

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

things to go the wrong way, or how will a government cancel plans to hold a local government election, when many people had spent money to purchase forms?

“When we were in government, we ensured that democracy was operated down to the third tier of government. We conducted a free and fair election that did not attract dissenting voice,” Suswam said.

Suswam also accused Ortom of introducing hate and bitterness in the state through his style of governance, a situation he claimed had created “a big mess” in the state.

He stated: “Benue is in a big mess. We must stand up and speak loudly against this government, even if it means going to jail. I cannot chicken out because someone is threatening to take me

to jail. We must fight for the future of our children. This government has introduced hate and bitterness.

“At the right time, we will expose them. We must remain resolute and remove this deceitful government in 2019.”

But in sharp reaction, Ortom condemned Suswam over his comments describing his action as the ranting of a man that is bereft of

ideas.

He maintained that as a lawyer, the erstwhile governor should know that the constitution of the country allows states to make laws for the local governments.

Ortom said the appointment of sole administrators by the present administration followed due process of legislation from the state House of Assembly, with a preponderance of PDP members.

From Left: Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr Davies Ekanya; Publicity Secretary, Mr Chris Finbone and Women Leader, Mrs Caroline Nagbo, during a news conference on the attack on members of the party and destruction of their properties in the state, on Sunday

Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (right), exchanging pleasantries with Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during the third Quarter 2016 town hall meeting, at the Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, on Tuesday.

Nasarawa Assembly recalls suspended members after 6 months Godwin Agwam-Lafia

THE Nasarawa State House of Assembly has recalled its six members, who were suspended six months ago, over violation of the House rules.

The members were suspended in April 2016, for addressing a press conference, accusing the Assembly of collecting bribe from Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, to swear in sole administrators of local governments which the aggrieved members described as unconstitutional.

The aggrieved members had staged a protest on the floor of the house, which went violent and earned them the indefinite suspension by the Assembly.

Speaking on the issue at the committee of the whole, chairman, ad-hoc committee on the suspended members, Hon. Muhammed Akali ( Lafia North), who read the recommendation of the committee, urged members to pardon the affected members and restore their full entitlements.

He disclosed that though they tendered an

apology to the committee, an open one would also be tendered to the House on their return.

However, after reverting to plenary, Hon. Tanko Tunga(Awe South), moved a motion for the

return of the member with their full benefits from the day of suspension and it was seconded

by Muhammed Alkali (Lafia North).

Commenting on the development, the Speaker of

the House, Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe commended the Assembly for their decision and urged the recalled members to reunite with the members freely.

Ifako-Ijaiye federal constituency: Lagos

APC screens 7 aspirants for vacant seat Bola Badmus

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) will on Wednesday commence the processes of picking its candidate for the vacant position of House of Representatives seat for Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

The seat became vacant, following the death of Hon. Elijah Adewale pop-

ularly addressed as Jah. The lawmaker, who passed on in his Abuja residence recently at the age of 65, was buried last week.

The party, while commencing the process to pick its standard bearer for the vacant seat, has invited seven interested aspirants said to have filed in their CVs as earlier enjoined upon them.

A leader of APC in the constituency, Nigerian Tribune gathered, has already called all the seven aspirants to appear for screening exercise fixed for 11 am at the party’s council secretariat, through a message, which he copied a leading figure in the party.

The contestants include Demola Doherty, Yomi Ogunnusi, Abiola Josiah, among others.

Dariye must surrender our mandate, Plateau PDP insists Isaac Shobayo-Jos

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has drawn a battle line with Senator Joshua Dariye over his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Apart from describing the action as unconstitutional, the state chapter of PDP said it was preparing grounds to take a legal action to retrieve its mandate from him, having secured a seat in the Senate on PDP platform..

The defection of the former governor of Plateau now representing Plateau Central Senatorial District came took a number of his political associates by surprise.

The state chairman of the party, Hon. Damishi Sango, told newsmen in Jos that the action of Dariye was not only unconstitutional but was also against the grains of democracy.

“It is not proper to carry the mandate of a party to another party. So, Dariye’s defection from PDP to APC is unconstitutional. He rode on PDP’s back to become a senator, but he worked for the APC during the last general election. All this while, we knew he was PDP in the day time, but APC at night.

So, we were not surprised when he defected,” he said.

Sango threatened that Plateau PDP would take legal actions if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to declare Dariye’s seat vacant.

Earlier, Senator Jonah Jang, representing Plateau North in the National Assembly on the platform of PDP, said it has since dawned on what it meant to lose power to the opposition.

He said since he left office last year, he had not driven past the new Government House he had built and teased that the APC state administration would maintain it until 2019 when PDP will take over again.

Jang, who also spoke at the party secretariat in Jos during the inauguration of PDP reconciliation committee, told the crowd that all hands were on deck to secure victory for PDP in 2019.

APC crisis: Tinubu has not contacted me — Akinfenwa

By Seyi Gesinde

NATIONAL leader of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, has said the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, has not contacted him alongside prominent Yoruba

leaders in the bid to reposition himself and the South-West.

In a statement made available to Nigerian tribune, the former AD national chairman said the clarification became necessary because of a report that mentioned his name as one of the

personalities the former Lagos State governor had made overtures for reconciliation.

He said there was no way he could be brought into the crisis rocking the APC, or called upon on how to resolve it.

Akinfenwa, who is current chairman, AD Board

of Trustees said in the release: “To put the record straight, I am stating here categorically that there was never a time Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu reached out to me in the last 15 years.

“He has never reached out to me. Reached out to me on what?”

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Niger Delta crisis requires political solution —Tambuwal THE crisis in the Niger Delta region requires more of political solution than military, Govenor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, said on Tuesday.

He made the remark in Sokoto, when he hosted participants of Course 25 of the National Defence College, who were on study tour of the state.

“The crisis in the Niger Delta is one that requires more political engagement by all stakeholders.

“Rather than use military might, we should lay much emphasis on engaging all parties in a dialogue.

“The militants especially, must seize the initiative to restore peace in the region and ensure socioeconomic stability,” the governor said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted him as saying that the ability of the country to rise up to current challenges would ultimately define the true worth of its leadership.

Tambuwal added: “Every country of the world is facing some form of challenges. What is important is the ability of the leadership to rally round, discuss and engage all stakeholders to come to a peaceful resolution of such issues.”

He commended the military and other security services for their efforts in ensuring internal security.

He said the successes recorded in the fight against Boko Haram should inspire them to look for solutions to the challenges of kidnapping and armed robbery bedeviling other parts of the country.

“President Muhammadu Buhari, has good intentions for the country, Nigerians should support his efforts and embrace peace at all times,” the governor stressed.

On the theme of the tour, which is Enhancing food security for national development: The role of state governments, Tambuwal said Sokoto had embraced modern agriculture.

“In the recent past, we have embraced many cash crops because of the need to diversify. In Sokoto today, we are leading producers of crops like millet, rice, sorghum, onions, tomatoes, cowpea and va-

riety of vegetables. From next farming season, we are including sesame among crops to be cultivated because of its economic value,” he added.

In his remarks, leader of the team, Professor Istifanus Zabade, said the participants were made up of Nigerians and their counterparts from other countries.

He stated that they were required to study cultural, social and political environment of chosen localities, to broaden their knowledge base of all sections of the country.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal speaking after he received a plaque from Professor Istifanus Zababe, during a visit to the Sokoto State Government House by participants of Course 25 of the National Defence College...Tuesday

Ahmed tasks Buhari, governors on challenges facing North Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

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N All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to see individuals making fair comments on the current economy hardship in the country as partners in progress.

Baba-Ahmed, who was among the key speakers at the two-day Annual PanNorthern Groups Summit

that ended in Kaduna on Tuesday, said such individuals were among those that voted for him during the 2015 poll.

“Most of them are people who voted for him, because they shared his belief that we can live secured lives; that leaders do not have to steal our resources and that our children can live in, and work in a nation they can be proud of,” he said.

According to him, northerners often bear the brunt

of bad or poor governance more than other Nigerians owing to inept and corrupt leadership.

“When the economy deteriorates, we feel the pain more sharply than other Nigerians. With security, we can feed ourselves and feed the rest of Nigeria. But when the cost of inputs become prohibitive, threats to lives limit productive capacities, herds are stolen or limited by hostile and damaging political interests, the economy of the

North suffers.

“We ask that our current limitations are understood by leaders and policy makers, so that our current disadvantages are not compounded by poorlydesigned policies.

“Our people are hardworking and we have no desire to depend on any section of the country beyond what is made necessary by the logic of an inter-dependent economy,” he stated.

Baba-Ahmed, who is also

Buhari means well for Nigerians, but ... —Waku Johnson BabajideMakurdi

SENATOR Joseph Waku, on Sunday, said President Muhammadu Buhari meant well for the country, but for some elements, who he claimed were trying to sabotage the efforts of the president.

He spoke, on Sunday, in Makurdi, the state capital on a number of national issues, alleging that though Buhari meant well for the country,

there were some elements trying to sabotage his efforts.

Though he did not give their names, he claimed that the “big saboteurs” were within the corridors of power.

Waku restated his position that the administration must extend its ongoing fight against corruption the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo..

Waku, who represented Benue North West in the National Assembly between

1999 and 2003, described the current crusade as none issue until it covered that period.

However, he lauded the decision of the government to withdraw the case against the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremandu over alleged an forgery of Senate Rules, describing it as the “most appropriate thing to do in the face of no case issue.”

He claimed that from on-

Corrupt public officers should not be spared —Tsav Johnson BabajideMakurdi

A former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav (retd), has said that any public officer in the country found to have violated his oath of office should face the wrath of law.

Tsav, in a statement issued in Makurdi, the Benue State capital on the arrest of some judges, said no one should be treated as a sacred cow in the ongoing war against corruption.

A few days ago, the National Judicial Council (NJC) sacked some judges over allegations of corruption while operatives of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) also invaded residences of two Supreme Court judges and three justices of Federal High Court over similar allegations.

Tsav, who is now the federal commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission PCC in charge of Benue, said that judges were

regarded as men of honour and integrity, who should be above board all the time.

He said it would be tragic for the country if the judiciary and the Nigeria Police Force became embedded in corruption, lamenting: “Where will the ordinary man seek justice?”

While supporting the action security operatives so far, he described all the allegations of corruption in the third arm of government “as a shame on the Nigerian Judiciary.”

set, there was more to the case, given the circumstances that surrounded the emergence of the leadership of the Senate last year.

“There is no justification whatsoever for dragging the Senate President and his deputy to court for criminal case, as they were neither the authors of the said document nor the management of the National Assembly prior to when they were elected.

‘Until they went into that chamber, they were senators-elect, so, they couldn’t have forged documents to elect them. They have no legal backing to take them to court because they were not in the position to doctor or forge the documents,” he stated.’

Waku said he was not happy with the way the whole matter went, adding that as a former member of the Senate, there was no way a member could doctor a rule.

He commended the government for toeing the path of peace by dropping the case against the Senate leadership.

a member of the Northern Elders Forum, called northern governors to execute sound policies and reduce frequent trips around the world.

He said funds they spent on such trips could be channelled into settling accumulating salaries and meeting other immediate needs of the people.

He chided the governors for engaging in frequent foreign tourism, saying: “we expect our governors to be in the frontline of the search for credible policies. There are excellent blueprints and suggestions on improving the Northern economy which they can utilize.

“Please, reduce your travels around the world.

Real investors will come to you. Spend the money you spend on travels in paying salaries and pensions and expanding employment opportunities for young northerners. Out of the adversity that makes it difficult for you to pay salaries, you must discover opportunities. You asked our people in 2015 to trust you.

They did. Now you should trust them.

“You should trust them to elect those they want to lead Local Government Councils, the same way you were elected. If you do not move beyond lamentations, the people will tally up the days you spend outside the country or in Abuja, or how many months they went without salaries and pensions, and how many young people graduated into crimes and drugs during your tenure,” he said.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

tribune cartoons

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

GIANT IN THE TROPIC OF AFRICA

CHURCH BOY

FUNOLOGY

Kofi Annan

• Born in Kumasi, in the Gold Coast (now Ghana) on Friday 8 April, 1938.

• He is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. He was succeeded as Secretary-General by Ban Ki-moon on 1 January 2007.

• As the Secretary-General, Annan reformed the UN bureaucracy; worked to combat the AIDS virus, especially in Africa; and launched the UN Global Compact.

SEGELUULU

• Annan, along with the UN, were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He is also the chairman of The Elders, a group founded by Nelson Mandela.

• He is fluent in English, French, Akan, some Kru languages and many other African languages.

• Kofi Atta Annan is now 78.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

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

A

B

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 08158610216

FCTA to build centre against infectious diseases Christian Okeke -Abuja

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HE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced plans to build a specialised centre where patients with highly-infectious diseases in the territory will be quarantined and given adequate treatment.

The administration said it was also currently partnering some private indi-

viduals to set up new hospitals in the FCT in order to shore up the number of hospital bed spaces in the territory.

FCT Minister, Musa Bello, while exchanging views with members of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), FCT chapter, led by its chairman, Dr Chiedozie Achonwa, said that the issue of inadequate bed spaces in Abuja was something of great concern to

him.

He said, “For a long time, the issue of inadequate bed spaces in the FCT has really been something of great concern to me. Based on the briefings I got from the Health & Human Services Secretariat when I assumed office, I was amazed by the numbers I saw in terms of available bed spaces and since then, we have encouraged many private sector people that

want to set up hospitals to come over and do so because government alone will not be able to bridge this huge gap “Also, I have impressed it upon owners of one or two of the hospital projects that you have seen on ground to try to get them completed because the more they are, the better the services to humanity “I have discussed also with some of your col-

Environment ministry joins in search for alternative to fossil fuels FEDERAL Ministry of Environment has identified and recommended a plant, Jetropha, as a viable green alternative to fossil fuels, as the current government works to diversify the economy.

It said the ministry was proposing Jatropha value chain project as a means for successful production of a viable green alternative to fossil.

Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who confirmed this, said that the plant could be grown in all 36 states, with about 12 states affected by desertification for pilot scheme.

She disclosed that the project would create an

avenue for diversifying the economy through empowerment of the people, taking climate action to fight desertification as well as reducing poverty.

According to her, the ministry was to embark on sustained advocacy visits to secure the commitment of the states towards creation of a new green economy in the rural areas.

Mrs Mohammed noted that Jatropha had been identified by the Nigerian bio-fuel policy and incentives 2007 as the most preferred non-food plant for bio-fuel feedstock for production in the country.

She went further to say that the ministry would organise a national conference on Jatropha to

fine-tune strategies for its production with a view to reaping the huge environmental dividends that

come with the production, processing and marketing of the plant.

TWO electricity distribution companies have been fined N6.2 million over their failure to comply with the Forum Office’s rulings in respect to complaints filed by their respective customers.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Directive 153, imposed a five million and ten thousand Naira (N5, 010, 000. 00) sanction on Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for not complying with the decision of the Forum in complaints filed by Messrs Ikponmwosa Ogiesoba Barry; S. C. Ogoke and F. E. Ubuane.

Both Barry and Ubuane had filed complaints before the Benin Forum Office alleging fraudulent estimation of their electricity bills to which the Forum Office ruled in their favour.

Ogoke, in his complaint, contested the amount of fixed charge he was to pay the utility company.

However, Benin Disco, according to the commission, ignored the directives of the Forum Office in those instances and the matter was

Consuming rice grown consecutively on same farm harmful —Agric ministry Collins Nnabuife-Abuja THE Federal Ministry of Agriculture has warned that consumption of rice grown on a particular land for several years could be harmful to health.

It said research conducted in Thailand and India showed that continuous growing of rice on the same parcel of land year after year made the rice to contain high volume of arsenic which caused cancer.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbe, who confirmed this in Abuja, said, “It is risky, the more you cultivate rice on the same land for years, the more arsenic gets to the rice. It is not healthy for human beings.”

He stated further that rice was expensive because the country depended on imports for too long, spending $5 million daily importing rice.

ised centre in the territory for cases of such nature, where we will be able to quarantine affected people “We are working assiduously believing that at some point, we should be able to have such facility in the city to serve the whole territory.”

NERC fines electricity distribution firms N6.2m Adetola Bademosi -Abuja

FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello (right), in a handshake with the chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (FCT Chapter), Dr Achonwa Chiedozie, when the latter paid the minister a courtesy visit in Abuja.

Chris Agbambu -Abuja

leagues on the need to have a specialised centre for infectious diseases especially during the Lassa fever saga some months ago “I was surprised that patients that were suspected to have had the virus were kept initially at the National Hospital. I asked why we didn’t have a special-

The minister stated that the state governments had many responsibilities to the citizens in agriculture than the Federal Government but lamented that, “now there are less than ten states seriously focusing on agriculture.”

He said: “When I met with the rice farmers few days ago, they promised that by the middle of next year, we shall be close to self sufficiency. “

subsequently referred to it.

The Commission, in a statement issued by the Head of Press Unit, Mr, Usman Abba Arabi in Abuja, said it fined BEDC ten thousand Naira per day from April 14, 2016 to September 28, 2016 making a total of one million, six hundred and seventy thousand Naira (N1, 670, 000) in each of the three instances bringing the fines to a grand total of five million and ten thousand Naira (N5, 010, 000) “The above notwithstanding, BEDC shall still comply with the Forum decisions” and that the fines should be paid within two weeks from September 28, 2016 when the Directive was signed after which it attracts five per cent interests daily,” the commission said.

In a related development, the commission explained that the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) in Directive 155 was sanctioned over its failure to comply with the Port Harcourt Forum Office decision in a complaint filed by one Toba Aremu Olugbemi.

It said:”Further directive from the Forum Office was also not complied with in violation of Section 11 (6) of the NERC Customer Complaints Handling: Standards and Procedure Regulation 2006 and Section 63 (1) of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005.

“PHED was consequently fined (N10, 000. 00) Ten Thousand Naira per day from May 30, 2016 to September 28, 2016 when Directive 155 was signed.

The company is expected to pay the total fine within two weeks after signing of the Directives and it subsequently attracts five per cent daily for defaulting,” it added.

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Let’s honour our agreements —Lai Mohammed Christian Okeke-Abuja MINISTER of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has cautioned that while signing bilateral agreements with other countries was critical to forging global relations and alliances towards the development of the country, focus should, however, be on actualising the content of the agreements for the mutual benefit of the signatories.

He said that it appeared the country did not do anything further after it signed many of the agreements.

“When you look at the plethora of memoranda of understanding and bilateral cooperations we have with various governments, they are so many and it appears that we do not do anything after we have signed these agreements.

“These agreements are good to be signed, but then I think that more importantly, they should be operative,” the minister said when he exchanged views with the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Bernard Schlagheck, in his office.

The minister insisted that there was the need to actualise all the bilateral agreements between Nigeria and other countries, particularly in the cultural sector so as to derive maximum benefits from them.

He directed the composition of a working committee in the ministry to liaise with the German Embassy to map out concrete guide-

lines for collaboration between the University of Frankfurt and the Nigerian Commission for Museums and Monuments for the promotion and preservation of the Nok Terracotta and culture.

Alhaji Mohammed commended Germany’s support for the cultural sector in Nigeria and described the request to restore the Nigerian old films, Shehu Umar, and exhibit it at the Berlin Film Festival in 2017 as a welcomed idea.

He appealed to Germany to extend a similar gesture to other old Nigerian movies.

He said, “It is the kind of passion that Germany has demonstrated towards our cultural relationship which is quite encouraging.”

Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Mines and Steel Development

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture

Past govts blocked access to Natural Resources Fund —Fayemi Ademola Adegbite - Abuja

M

INISTER of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, has accused past administrations of having denied the sector an opportunity to access the Natural Resource Fund.

He alleged that the fund was used for some other fraudulent causes other than the purpose for which it was set up.

Fayemi, who spoke at the National Council on Finance and Economic De-

velopment (NACOFED) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said President Mohammadu Buhari had already given approval for his ministry to access part of the fund.

According to a press statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, the minister equally disclosed that the state governments were now beneficiaries of the 13 per cent derivation from mining revenue.

He stated that the Federal Government would soon make available an intervention fund to be ac-

cessed by serious-minded operators in the mining sector.

According to him, the intervention fund would be sourced from the National

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has urged state governments to assist it to prevent encroachment on petroleum product pipeline right-of-way as well as the incessant vandalisms of oil pipelines to steal products.

It said the recent achievement of security agencies in safeguarding the Atlas Cove to Mosimi System 2B pipeline would not have been possible without the support of the host communities and the state governments.

The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru, while exchanging views with the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, expressed readi-

ness of the corporation to complete the ongoing Escravos to Lagos Pipeline System 2 (ELPS2) project in the last quarter of this year with a view to boosting gas to power the country.

He stressed that the 36 inch and 342 kilometre gas pipeline project would double the capacity of the existing ELPS, thereby improving gas supply to Ogun State and its environs.

The NNPC boss pledged that the corporation would continue to support the aspiration of Ogun, Ondo and Lagos states towards the establishment of a mega city and the free trade zones.

According to him, gas supply to the states remains key towards the realisation of the objectives.

He said, “We are com-

mitted to promoting the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as an alternative

Ademola Adegbite-Abuja THE National Assembly has pledged to use legislative instruments to support the national bio-fuel policy which would enable

choice for home cooking, which is also available at our NNPC retail stations.”

the country to gradually reduce its dependence on imported fuel.

It said the move would equally reduce environmental pollution and assist in efficient management of the natural resources.

President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, speaking during the national dialogue on environment, noted that the

NNPC targets increase of oil output to 4m litres daily Ademola Adegbite - Abuja THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has implored stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to focus on increasing oil production to four million barrels per day and meeting gas demand of 15bscfd by 2020 required for industrialisation consumption.

It expressed its readiness to partner them to grow the country’s fast-depleting reserves with a view to increasing productivity in the petroleum sector.

Group Managing Director (GMD) of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru spoke in

help lift the sector.

He said, “This is a significant shift that signposts our commitment to facilitating a win-win situation for all stakeholders.”

NASS pledges support to reduce fuel importation

...Seeks states’ support against vandalisms Ademola Adegbite-Abuja

Resource Fund.

Fayemi expressed optimism that access to the mining intervention fund coupled with funding to be provided by banks would

Abuja at an interface with the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) and noted that the 2016 national average oil production of 1.9 million barrels was low, partly due to oil infrastructure vandalism.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to share data and use commonly available resources to reduce cost of operations in the area of rigsharing, vessel sharing and synergy in projects development.

He said: “Our national gas demand forecast to year 2020 (domestic plus export) indicates a rapid growth to 15bscfd, meaning current

reserves level can only sustain that production for 35 years if we do not increase the 2bscfd gas reserves base which requires 3tcf to replace production yearly “Some of our earlier drilled non-commercial holes could be turned around if we deploy requisite technologies. We need to change our perspective of risk as technology is advancing,” he said.

Earlier, the NAPE President, Mr Nosa Omorodion, said his association was ready to support NNPC in its drive to grow reserves towards increased productivity in all the frontier basins.

National Assembly was determined to play its role in making laws that would help the country transit into a cleaner and greener economy.

He stressed that the current economic outlook called for extra-ordinary thinking and solution.

Represented by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Saraki stated that there was sufficient data to show that the country couldf live in prosperity after oil.

“Our agricultural potentials, solid mineral deposits, service industry and entertainment industry all show how diversification is already deepening the foundations of our economy and potentially shielding our economy from oil price shocks,” he said.

Speaking also, the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammad, said if the country`s challenges were not properly addressed now, they might further aggravate the present social crisis.

She noted that the challenges were giving the government great concern.

29 news

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

FG to hold national girls’ summit Muhammadu Sabiu-Kaduna with agency report

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HE Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, on Tuesday, said that the Federal Government would hold a National Girls’ Summit, to highlight the importance of the girl-child to national development.

Alhassan said at a news briefing in Kaduna, to commemorate the International Day of the Girl-Child that the summit, with the theme “Putting the GirlChild at the Heart of National Development,” will come up in a few weeks.

“We hope that this all inclusive theme will pave way for us to achieve the 2016 global theme.”

She described the girlchild as “the cycle of life” without which “life is instinct.”

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the minister said that the administration

would do everything possible to address the plight of Internally Displaced Girls, including the abducted Chibok girls.

“The government shares

in the plight of the girls, government stands with the parents of the Chibok girls and share in their pains.

“I want to assure the par-

ents that the government is concerned about the girls’ well-being and will do everything to secure the freedom of our daughters, the Chibok girls.”

She stressed that the government had introduced various programmes to protect the girl-child against abuse.

The minister also said

Wife of the governor of Ogun State and president of the UPLIFT Development Foundation, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, acknowledging cheers from students of Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School, during an event to mark the International Day of the Girl-Child, held on the school premises, Onikolobo, Abeokuta, on Tuesday.

Be ambassadors of positive change, Amosun’s wife counsels WIFE of the governor of Ogun State and President of the UPLIFT De-

velopment Foundation, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, has encouraged girls to

870 girls sign for rights declaration in Lagos ABOUT 870 secondary school girls in Lagos, on Tuesday, joined their voices to “The Girl Declaration’’ that it was imperative for their voices to be heard and become visible.

The girls, who converged on Lagos, to mark this year’s International Day of the Girl-Child, said that they were not created to remain invisible on earth.

The theme of this year’s International Day of the Girl-Child is “Girls’ Progress equals Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls?’’.

“We were not put on this earth to be invisible. We were not born to be denied.

“We were not given life only to belong to someone else. We have voices that we will use.

“We have dreams unforgettable. We have names that are not anonymous or insignificant or unworthy,’’ they jointly recited at the Muson Centre venue of the event.

Miss Daniella Okoye, a student of Holy Child College, South-West, Ikoyi, said that it was imperative for governments to provide free education to increase the level of the girl-child literacy.

Okoye said that it was important for government to sensitise more girls on their rights and know when to fight when their rights were being violated.

Miss Eimiana Sharon, a student of Methodist Girls’ High School, also enjoined governments to evolve more measures aimed at safeguarding the rights of the girl-child in Nigeria.

Eimiana urged governments to encourage more girl-child education, involvement in decision making as well as provide employment.

Miss Is’haq Barakat, a student of Girls Senior Academy, noted that girlchild abuses - rape, deprivation, violence and other forms of violation were being under-reported.

Is’haq urged governments to urgently come up with welfare services for girls that had been sexually abused, exploited through child labour and affected by other forms of violence.

embrace the change begins with me attitude in order to be patriotic and better citizens, asking them to see themselves as ambassadors of positive change.

Mrs Amosun said this during the 2016 International Day of the Girl, organised by the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, in collaboration with the UPLIFT Development Foundation, at the Valleyview Auditorium, in Abeokuta.

October 11 every year has been set aside by the United Nations as the International Day of the Girl.

The theme for this year is: Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls.

The governor’s wife, who also spoke at another event at the Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School in Onikolobo, Abeokuta, to mark the 2016 International Day of the Girl, advised them to acquire good education in order to be empowered with knowledge, noting

that this would enable them to achieve their set goals in life.

“Endeavour to take advantage of the education given to you by your parents. Do not give up on yourself being a girl, but you should aim high and always say to yourself that I can do it, I will make it because if you think it, you will achieve it. Every girl-child deserves equal treatment like the male counterpart,” she said.

Mrs Amosun urged girls to know their worth, embrace decorum where necessary by not being vulgar.

Kogi gov’s wife laments discrimination against girl-child Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

KOGI State governor’s wife, Mrs Rashida Bello, on Tuesday, lamented the absence of a woman governor in the country, saying concrete steps should be taken to fight discrimina-

Oyo NAWOJ frowns on abuse of the girl-child AS the world celebrates the girl child, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), has frowned against all forms of discriminations against the girl child.

The chairperson of the Oyo State chapter of the association, Comrade Funke Foluso Lala, said that it is inhuman and criminal to abuse the girl child in any way.

According to her, the

girl child has the same rights as her male counterpart and should be treated so.

“Nothing stops the girl child from excelling in life.

She’s endowed with a brain like that of the male child.

She can go places to level up and impact positively on the society. Parents should appreciate their daughters, who are wonderful gifts of creation - multi-talented, passionate, kind-hearted

She advised them to put in more efforts in their education and never see themselves as inferior to their male counterpart.

In her address, Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Modupe Mujota, stressed the need for girls to look beyond their gender and optimise their potentials even in a man’s world.

She enjoined the girlchild to be disciplined and not allow themselves to be used by men, adding that the future holds a greater opportunities for them.

the administration was pushing for the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill currently before the National Assembly.

“I am happy to announce to you that the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill has scaled second reading.

“When finally passed into law, it will provide an enabling environment to realise our goal in protecting women and girls in Nigeria,” she said.

Alhassan said the administration was also engaged in other social protection programmes, including the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme, which was “aimed at transferring money to poor parents who cannot afford to send their children to school, especially the girl-child.

“The grant given would be used to enrol the girlchild so as to stop her from hawking.”

She said that the Federal Government had set aside N1.6 billion for the National Women Empowerment Fund, to assist rural women ease out of poverty and encourage them to send their children to school.

The minister said that the Federal Government was also compiling data on women and the girlchild, to facilitate planning for enhanced development.

“As we all know, without data, we cannot talk of milestone, without data our planning process will be defective, our policy goals will be defective, our implementation level will become affected as we would not have bench mark to work with,” she said.

and loving.”

Against rape cases that perverse the society, Comrade Lala called on the governments to put in place stringent measures to bring culprits to book to serve as deterrent to others.

She advised the girl-child to believe in herself, see herself as a glory to the society, harness her potentials and work towards achieving her destiny.

tion against women in the society.

Speaking at an event marking the 2016 day of the Girl-Child, held at the Lugard House, Lokoja, she said all hands must be on deck to fight discrimination and other vices that had been limiting the socio-economic and political development of women in Nigeria.

Mrs Bello, who was represented by the wife of the deputy governor, Mrs Eunice Achuba, lamented that the women folk is being discriminated against right from birth, as parents give special attention to the male child to the detriment of their female counterparts.

Bello also noted that equal opportunities should be given to the girl-child and her male counterpart

in the area of education and other issues, saying “when a girl is not given the opportunity to be educated like her male counterpart, it has its adverse effects on the family and the society at large.”

According to her, sound education for the girl-child could further develop the nation’s economy as she would be gainfully employed; adding that lack of education is a reason for the high rate of infant mortality in the country.

She said, “Education makes the difference between the self actualised and the gullible woman.

Educated girls become better mothers and ensure that their own daughters too are educated. This way, the progression continues until we have a more gender compliant system.”

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Ondo: Police read riot act to political parties, politicians Hakeem Gbadamosi – Akure

O

NDO State Police Commissioner, Hilda Harrison, has read riot act to politicians and political parties in the state ahead of the governorship election.

Harrison, who stated this during a stakeholders meeting in Akure, the state capital, said the police would not condone any act capable of truncating the conduct of the election.

The police boss expressed the readiness of the command to maintain law and order before, during and after the election, threat-

ening to punish any politician who failed to play the game by the rules.

She condemned the recent clash between two rival groups of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, saying “We will not tolerate violence against anyone in the state.”

She explained that the constitution of the country provides the right for individuals to peaceful protest, but said protest should not degenerate to violence.

She advised politicians to always meet with their leaders to table their grievance rather than taking to violence.

She, however, said that all political parties contesting in the governorship election in the state would sign a peace agreement.

She also warned against the destruction of posters and billboards with a pledge to punish any offender.

The police commission-

er, however, assured that her men would be neutral during the election and also assured political parties that adequate security would be provided.

She disclosed that the command would provide additional personnel to complement the existing ones during the election.

Protect your votes, resist rigging, Mrs Mimiko urges electorate Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

AHEAD of the governorship election in Ondo State, the wife of the state governor, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, on Tuesday, called on women and eligible voters in the state to protect their votes and resist any form of manipulation.

Mimiko, who made the call in Ore, headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area, during the monthly meeting with women of the state, also urged them not to allow their wards to be used as cannon fodder before, during and after the election.

She also called on politicians to play the game by the rules, advocating for politics without bitterness, saying politics should not be seen as a do-or-die affair.

The wife of the governor expressed optimism that the election would be peaceful.

She said “we need to go back to our various houses to talk to our children and husbands to preach politics of peace, tolerance and love so that peace could reign supreme in the state during and after the election.”

She said “In the past seven and half years, Governor Mimiko’s administration has touched many lives and that is why we are soliciting for your support for the peaceful conduct of the poll.”

Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Olasinmi Akindele Odunmbaku, urged the people of the state to eschew violence in the interest of democracy in the country.

The wife of the PDP governorship candidate, Mrs Ebunoluwa Eyitayo Jegede, delivered a special lecture entitled: “Women, a reliable pillar in nation building” at the event.

From left, Osun State deputy governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the Growth and Employment in States (GEMS4) group leader, Mr David Joiners, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and GEMS4 on Economic Development, at the Government Secretariat, Osogbo, on Tuesday.

Opposition parties sewing army uniforms, buying PVCs, Ondo PDP alleges Hakeem Gbadamosi – Akure

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has raised an alarm over the discovery of illegal army uniforms allegedly sewed by the opposition parties ahead of the governorship election.

The PDP also said the parties are now busy collecting voters’ cards from potential voters with a promise of an imaginary palliative ahead of next month’s election.

In a statement issued in Akure on Tuesday by the publicity director of the

party, Mr Ayo Fadaka, the PDP said it had uncovered plan of opposition parties to flood the state with thugs in fake army uniform with the aim to intimidate voters and rig the election.

According to the statement, the opposition parties had engaged garment

Akeredolu visits Ondo APC chairman, says ‘party will march towards election united’ Hakeem Gbadamosi – Akure

INDICATIONS emerged that the crisis rocking the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Party (APC) may soon be resolved, as the candidate of the party for the forthcoming governorship election, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, visited the party chairman in the state, Honourable Isaacs Kekemeke.

Akeredolu, who emerged as the candidate of the party in the primaries which was alleged to be fraught with irregularities, has not visited the party officials since his name was submitted by the national leadership of the party to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking after the meeting, which was attended by the 18 local government chairmen and lasted for about two hours, Akeredolu told newsmen that “this

meeting is a family affair and we have come together to discuss and strategise on the forthcoming election in the state.”

Akeredolu, who noted that meeting the state party chairman was not too late after his choice as the party’s candidate some five weeks ago, said he was in Abuja sorting things out over the crisis that erupted over the priamries.

Speaking on other aggrieved aspirants, Akeredolu said “I don’t know which aspirants are aggrieved. I only know about one person who claimed he has left the party. You’ve heard several explanations about the election and you know better that the election was free and fair. So, if anybody believed that it was fraught with irregularities, he is free to say whatever he wants to say.

“But one thing is certain,

APC has taken a decision on who is their candidate and all of us here, have decided to move forward and plan for our election.”

Akeredolu, who denied any rift between him and Kekemeke, said “The point is that when you have primaries in any party, it must raise a dust. I have told you people that in politics, there is room to have different camps and after the primaries, the dust must settle and all must work together as a party and that is what we are doing now.”

On the issue of running mate, he said “you wait for us and the party will decide.”

Kekemeke, while speaking, confirmed that Akeredolu remained the APC candidate for the governorship election in the state, assuring that the party would win the November governorship election.

makers to make available Army uniforms of different sizes for use by thugs to enable them manipulate election during and after voting.

The statement mentioned that the tailors handling the sowing project were currently working from two neighbouring states.

In the same vein, the PDP informed “that members of one of the parties participating in the November 26 gubernatorial election have stock-piled arms at a location within the state” which it said had been disclosed to relevant security agencies.

It warned people of the state against those who had been collecting the PVC of potential voters for keeps on the pretext that it would qualify them for food items that would be supplied as palliative to cushion the effect of the present economic crunch.

Warning the people against the antics of those it described as “political frauds, desperate to steal the people’s mandate by any means possible,” the PDP said the opposition parties contesting the election with it were desperate and had been adopting all kinds of fraudulent means to ensure that the people are shortchanged in the course of the election.

Nigerian Tribune

Second anniversary: We have restored hope in Ekiti —Fayose Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

GOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said that his administration had lived up to expectation as labelled ‘Government of Restoration’, two years after coming into office.

Governor Fayose stated this on Tuesday at a press conference in Ado Ekiti to mark the second anniversary of the government.

Fayose said that his administration’s six-point agenda, focusing on empowerment, development of agriculture, infrastructural, education, science and technology, health and security had been faithfully implemented in the state.

Fayose, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Modupe Alade, said “restoration has come for the education sector during this administration with the record breaking score of 96.48 per cent performance of Ekiti in 2016 National Examinations Council (NECO) exams, to emerge first position in Nigeria.”

Mrs Alade, who was flanked by top government officials, said the achievements of the government could be seen in great improvement in performance of students from the state in public examinations, as well as the provision of social amenities despite lean resources.

The SSG said the feat was achieved by religiously implementing the recommendations of the Education Summit organised by the state government in September 2015.

“These crystallised in the progressive performance chart of students in public examinations from 29th position with an average of 58 per cent in 2014 to 18th position with an average of 74.5 per cent in 2015 and now to the enviable position of first in 2016 with a percentage score of 96.48 per cent for the first time in the history of NECO. “Performance in the West African School Certificate Examinations also gives reason to cheer from 25 per cent in 2014, to 37 per cent in 2015 and now 42 per cent in 2016. While for the School of Nursing, it has been a consistent 98 per cent pass in 2015 and 2016. And for the School of Midwifery, it has been all time high of 100 per cent score in 2015 and 2016 in national examinations conducted by the National Council of Nurses and Midwives,” she said.

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Nigerian Tribune

LAUTECH crisis: Ajimobi, Aregbesola should meet urgently —Oyo Assembly

By Wale Akinselure

O

YO State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, urged Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his Osun State counterpart, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, to urgently see to the reopening of the Ladoke Akintola University of

Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso, especially to address the issue of payment of salaries.

Upon deliberation on the LAUTECH crisis, brought up by Chairman, Parliamentary Caucus, Honourable Segun Ajanaku, the Assembly said it was high

time the two governors meet to address the lingering issues in the interest of the students and sustenance of the institution.

Also expressing concern at reported attacks on staff of the institution, the Assembly appealed to residents of Ogbomoso and

other stakeholders to sue for peace and avoid taking to violence to resolve issues.

According to the Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Michael Adeyemo, the task of ensuring the resumption of academic activities in the institution was expedient at the mo-

ment, while the crisis over sole/joint ownership of the institution would be addressed in the long run.

He noted that the state Attorney General, Mr Oluseun Abimbola and his education counterpart, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, were billed to brief the Assembly on the status of the institution next Tuesday.

In a related development,

a bill to amend the LAUTECH law, 1990, to ensure that the institution is partly residential passed the second reading stage.

Members, in their deliberations, argued that the amendment would engender the building of hostels, and cushion reported incidences of rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, among other vices in Ogbomoso.

We’ll welcome govt visitation panel —FUTA management Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

From right, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji and the Agbaakin Olubadan, Chief Lekan Alabi, during the Olubadan’s visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, at his palace, in Oyo, on Tuesday.

Oyo/Ibadan people are custodians of Yoruba heritage —Alaafin

By Tunde Ogunesan THE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, has described the Oyo and Ibadan people as the real custodians of Yoruba culture and tradition.

Oba Adeyemi made this known while playing host to the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, and the Olubadan-in-Council who paid him a thank-you-visit at his Oyo palace, on Tuesday.

The Olubadan and his entourage were welcomed at the inner palace before they were led to the pavilion for traditional hosting formalities.

Oba Adeyemi who extolled the humble and innovative qualities of the Olubadan, revealed that their relationship dated back to his days as guru in the entertainment industry in Lagos.

He said “Myself and Oba Adetunji, aside from royal relationship, have been together in Lagos which most people don’t know. His popularity spreads across Lagos town and he is a brilliant, hospitable and a good listener.

“This is how we should be doing. In our times, good things will continue to happen in Yorubaland. We were even the one who upheld Yoruba tradition when other ethnics refused to accept that they were Yorubas. Not until the 19th century that they accepted. We were the

ones they call genuine Yorubas and it is this our language, that is acknowledged as real.”

Earlier, Olubadan and his council were welcomed

by Iba Samu, High Chief Lamidi Oyewole, on behalf of the Alaafin of Oyo. In response, Chief Lekan Alabi, on behalf of Olubadan, informed the Alaafin of Oyo that the Olubadan and his council came to express appreciation to Alaafin for attending his coronation ceremony early in the year.

Oba Adetunji who described Oba Adeyemi as loving, said the rationale behind his visit was to foster unity among traditional rulers in Yorubaland.

He used the occasion to pledge his support for the continuous good relationship between the people of Ibadanland and Oyo. Oba Adetunji, who recalled his relationship with Oba Adeyemi prior and after the coronation of the latter in 1971, described his host as a man of many colours as he used the occasion to pray for more fruitful years for the Alaafin and himself on the thrones.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the last visit of a sitting Olubadan to the Alaafin was during the reign of Oba Yinusa Bankole Ogundipe Arapasowu.

Members of Olubadanin-Council on the entourage of Olubadan included the

Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun; Balogun of Ibadan, High Chief Owolabi Olakuleyin; Otun Balogun, High Chief Femi Olaifa, Osi Balogun, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola; Ashipa Olubadan,

High Chief Eddy Oyewole; Ekerin Olubadan, High Chief Biodun Daisi; Ekerin Balogun Ibadan, High Chief Gbadamosi Adebimpe and the Ekaarun Olubadan, High Chief Hamidu Ajibade.

THE authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), on Tuesday, said the management of the institution would welcome any visitation panel set up by the Federal Government to investigate the allegation of fraud against the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebiyi Daramola.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of the institution, Professor Olatunde Arayela, who stated this during a press conference in Akure, called on the protesting workers of the institution not to be a judge in their own case and should not presume that the vice chancellor is guilty until after the investigation is concluded.

Arayela explained that men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had invited Daramola to its headquarters in Ibadan where he gave statements on the allegations against him.

Oyo identifies 400 ghost pensioners

Approves N880m for primary school, LG pensioners

By Wale Akinselure ABOUT 400 ghost pensioners across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State have so far been identified in the ongoing verification exercise of the state government, just as N880 million is to be disbursed for payment of primary school and local government pensioners.

Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan North West, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, who disclosed these, on Tuesday, added that N6.2 billion had been released for the payment of June, July and August salaries of primary school teachers in the state.

Speaking with regards to Monday’s 14-day ultimatum by the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) to the state Ministry of Local Government to pay 35 months pension arrears and entitlements, Olatunbosun appealed to the pensioners not to be confrontational, but rather

understand the financial position of the state government.

He further attributed the irregularity in payment of pension arrears to the national pension scam and strain in resources at the disposal of the state.

“What the government is doing is to verify the number of retired persons since 2008 and that exercise has enabled the government to discover 400 ghost pensioners. The government is sensitive to the plight of pensioners and ensures that monthly it sends certain amount of money to the pension board. We are here today because of actions of certain people evident in the N6.8 billion scam.

“We understand the plight of retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners and we appeal to the pensioners not to be confrontational with the state government. We implore them to be on the same page with the state

government. We cannot be insensitive to the plight of the pensioners.

“There was delay in allocation for two months because we could not hold JAAC meeting during the last strike. After the last strike, three months allocation, June, July and August, was approved for release. SUBEB got N2.06 billion monthly from the allocation. When that sum is deducted from about N3.1 billion monthly, there is little money available to pay local government staff and pensioners in our respective local governments.

“N6.2 billion has been released for the payment of June, July and August salary of primary school teachers and they would get their monies before the end of work tomorrow. Also, N880 million was released for primary school and local government pensioners. We had our last meeting on Friday where this was approved.”

He specifically pointed accusing fingers to two non-teaching staff unions of the institution as the brain behind the invitation of Professor Daramola by EFCC. He said “Two non-teaching staff unions in the university could be fingered as having orchestrated the petition which was apparently based on the audit query issued to the university sometimes ago and to which the university gave the required explanations.”

The deputy vice chancellor noted that most of the allegations against the VC were spurious, lacking necessary documents to back them up.

He, however, said “It is the opinion of the university management that the law enforcement agents, EFCC, should be allowed to do its job.

“Since the Vice Chancellor has not been pronounced guilty by the law enforcement agent, he should reasonably and by the provision of the law of the land be adjudged innocent. The unions cannot pre-empt the law enforcement agency or be the judge in their own case.”

He explained that the genesis of the crisis within the university emanated from the position of the university on the circular from the Federal Government which stated that staff schools were established as private enterprises and to be funded by the institutions that established them.

He said the management of FUTA relieved the teachers of the staff school of their jobs on the basis of the circular from the Federal Government and opened windows for them to retain their jobs by applying for the same under the management of the institution’s board.

Professor Arayela explained that all attempts to reopen the school since January have been truncated by the unions and the sacked teachers, saying “the implementation of the Federal Government directives by the university management, to the unions, is a major perceived offence of the vice chancellor.”

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news

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

American Hospital aids healthcare professionals

AMERICAN Hospital, a leading private hospital and member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, has expressed confidence in its move towards introducing new benchmarks of excellence for the health sector.

The company will be throwing the spotlight on its wide range of the United States standard healthcare delivery service, including Heart and Vascular Centre, Cancer Care Centre and Cosmetic and Dermatology Services, during its participation at the Medic West Africa 2016, the largest healthcare event in West Africa, which will take place between October 12 and 14, at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos.

The three-day event will feature series of conferences in an effort to provide an interactive and networking platform for healthcare delivery professionals.

According to senior executives of American Hospital, their presence at the event demonstrates the hospital’s commitment in recognition of the needs of Nigeria and for the people looking for a world-class healthcare delivery service and treatments.

According to Peter Makowski, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO ), American Hospital, Dubai, “We are dedicated towards providing quality healthcare delivery service to to the people, and our participation in this vital medical conference will help us further showcase our facilities and reach a wider network of people that we hope could benefit from it.”

Bayelsa schools remain shut as teachers’ strike lingers

From right, Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I and the former Minister of State for Defence, Chief Demola Seriki, during the Third Quarter 2016 Town Hall meeting, held at Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, on Tuesday.

Kidnapping: We plan 5,000 neighbourhood watchers to boost security —Ambode Special status for Lagos only a matter of time —Oba Akiolu

Bola Badmus - Lagos GAINST the backdrop of recent spate of kidnapping being recorded in Lagos State, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, on Tuesday, disclosed plans by the state government to recruit at least, 5,000 neighbourhood watchers to boost security across the state, with new recruits expected to earn at least, N25, 000 monthly, with other allowances.

Governor Ambode said

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this at the 3rd quarter 2016 town hall meeting, held at the Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, adding that the Neighbourhood Safety Agency Bill, which he signed into law on August 15, 2016, was part of efforts to institutionalise and deepen community policing in the state.

This is just as the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, who lamented the rejection by the senate of a bill seek-

ing special status for Lagos, expressed optimism that the bill would still become law in the nearest future.

“We will rebrand neighborhood watchers and re-equip them to the level that each neighborhood watchers in all the local governments, will have their vehicles and necessary equipment to complement security.

“We are also working on employing additional 5,000 neighborhood watchers in all

Apo six: Prosecution stalls adoption of final written addresses As court adjourns till Nov 15 Sunday Ejike - Abuja THE inability of the prosecution counsel, Chief Chris Uche, to file response to the final written addresses of defendants in the case of alleged extra- judicial killing of six Apo traders in Abuja, on Tuesday, stalled the scheduled adoption of addresses by parties in the matter before a high court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

When the matter came up on Tuesday, Uche told the court that the defendants served on the prosecution an application seeking an extension of time to file their written addresses, except the 6th defendants that filed on time.

He told the court that the business of Tuesday’s proceedings, was to hear the application for extension of time to file addresses by the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants in the matter.

But, the trial judge and the Chief Judge of the FCT judiciary, Justice Ishaq Bello ,reminded the prosecution that what happened at the last sitting on June 29, 2016, was that the prosecution was

given 21 days to file their reply to the addresses of the defendants.

On that note, Uche apologised for the mix-up, noting that there was a dis-connect between him and the prosecution team that appeared in the matter at the last sitting and begged the court to give him another 21 days within which to reply to the defendants’ applications.

While the counsel to the first defendant, Ricky Tarfa, did not object to the application for adjournment, he, however, asked the court to abridge the time, since the prosecution had failed to utilise the 21 days earlier granted them to file.

In his ruling, Justice Bello gave the prosecution 15 days to file a composite reply to the applications of the de-

fendants in the matter and gave the defendants eight days to reply on point of law and adjourned the matter till November 15, for adoption of final written addresses.

Justice Bello, had, in June, adjourned till Tuesday, for adoption of final written addresses but parties could not do so due to the in-ability of the prosecution to file their address.

our local governments and they will be paid by us while the basic salary for the entrance level will be N25, 000 per month,” he said.

The governor also said that the state government would roll out all its empowerment programmes next week.

He said the programmes targeted to assist youths, artisans and the needy to become self reliant, had been provided, hence, beneficiaries would start getting support from the last quarter of the year.

“We will roll out all our empowerment programmes immediately to assist all our youths, artisans and the needy. The funding for the N500 million Lagos State Persons Living with Disability Fund, has been provided and beneficiaries will start getting support from this quarter,” he said.

On 2016 budget performance, he said that for January to September, they performed at 69 per cent as against 65 per cent for the same period in 2015.

FG recruits 200,000 unemployed graduates Begins implementation of school feeding micro-credit schemes Clement Idoko - Abuja THE Federal Government has announced that the recruitment of 200,000 unemployed graduates out of the 500,000 pledged by President Muhammadu Buhari will be announced before the end of this month.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who made this known on Tuesday while speaking with a small group of Radio journalists and producers, at the Presidential Villa, said “we expect that before the

end of the month, we will engage 200,000 out of the 500,000 unemployed graduates the Buhari-led administration plans to hire in the N-Power jobs programme.”

A statement by Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the VicePresident, Laolu Akande, on Tuesday,said Osinbajo noted that implementation plans for the effective commencement of a number of the Social Investment programmes of the Buhariled administration had

reached advanced stages, as the selection of the first 200,000 unemployed graduates to get jobs was now being completed.

According to him, the direct government jobs “is meant to keep this young people occupied, pay them some amount of money and also give them a device, which will also help them to learn several skills that they can develop as time goes on.”

Professor Osinbajo added that “we expect that before the end of this month,

we should have engaged 200,000 of them and we are hoping that before the end of the year, we should have engaged more.”

In a related development, the vice president disclosed that the home-grown school feeding programme was set to kick off in several states this month.

“Definitely before the end of the month, we expect that several states would have come on stream with their home-grown school feeding programmes,” he noted.

PUBLIC school teachers in Bayelsa State have continued their ongoing strike and ignored a directive by the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) to resume work.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reported that the teachers, rather, chose to obey a counter-directive of the rival Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), not to return to classrooms.

A NAN correspondent, who went round Yenagoa, the state capital, on Tuesday, observed that both primary and secondary schools within the metropolis did not open for academic activity.

The schools have remained shut since the new 2016/2017 academic session commenced four weeks ago, following a strike called by NUT, over the non payment of eight months’ salary.

The NUT is insisting that the government should pay at least, two months’ salary before teachers would resume work.

Mr Oyinemi Ebredeni, the chairman of ASUSS, Bayelsa State chapter, had on Monday, called on the secondary school teachers to resume work on Monday, assuring them that the government had pledged to comply with the demand of the teachers.

Firm unveils ‘farming made simple’ Gbemi Solaja - Lagos AGRO Park Development Company has unveiled its new project tagged: “Farming Made Simple” (FAMS), at a day seminar on emerging opportunities in Nigerian agribusiness, organised by Citizenship Education and E-learning Initiatives (CELI).

In attendance were cooperative society executives, community leaders, civil servants, corps members, students and practising and prospective farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Olusola Olunowo, the project director of the company, mentioned how various fields like fashion, Information Communication Technology(ICT) and sports, evolved quickly in recent times compared to agriculture. “Our vision is to build six agro parks across the geographical zones of Nigeria to complement government’s effort in leveraging on agriculture for national development.”

news Nasarawa assembly recalls 6 suspended members

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Godwin Agwam - Lafia

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ASARAWA State House of Assembly has recalled its six members who were suspended six months ago, over violation of the House rules.

The six members were suspended in April, 2016, for addressing a press conference, accusing the the Assembly of collecting bribe from Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, to swear in sole administrators of local governments, which the aggrieved members described as unconstitutional.

The aggrieved members staged a protest on the floor of the house, which went violent and earned them indefinite suspension by the Assembly.

Speaking on the issue at the Committee of the Whole, the chairman adhoc committee on the six suspended members, Honourable Muhammed Akali, who read the recommendation of the committee to

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

the house, urged members to pardon them and restore their full entitlements.

Honourable Alkali also said that although, they tendered apology to the committee but an open

apology would also be tendered to the House on their return.

However, after reverting back to plenary, Honourable Tanko Tunga , moved a motion for the return of

the members with their full benefits from the day of suspension and it was seconded by Honourable Muhammed Alkali.

Commenting on the development, the speaker of

the House, Honourable Ibrahim Balarabe, commended the Assembly for the decision and urged the recalled members to reunite with other members.

Gate of the main branch of the FirstBank of Nigeria Plc, in Sabongari, Zaria, Kaduna State, under lock and key by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), protesting alleged missing N26 million students’ registration fees of Federal College of Education, Zaria, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN

Lagos govt to recruit 1,100 workers for local councils THE Lagos State government is to recruit 1,100 workers for the 57 local government areas in the state, a top official of the government announced in Lagos, on Tuesday.

Mr Olabode Garbadeen, the Commissioner in the Lagos State Local Govern-

ment Service Commission, made the announcement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that 600 of the workers, would be in the junior cadre, while 500 others, would be in the senior category.

Garbadeen said the recruitment was part of plans by the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to reduce unemployment in the state.

The commissioner noted, however, that only qualified people would be recruited for various posi-

NOUN partners Kaduna govt, Nigerian Prisons THE National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the Kaduna State government and the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), to empower inmates through a skills acquisition programme.

The Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who was represented at the MoU signing ceremony, in Kaduna, at the weekend, by his deputy, Mr Barnabas Yusuf Bala, said that skills acquisition programme has always been part of his administration’s effort to provide service for humanity, adding that the state government had already done a lot in renovating and providing for the prison sector to maintain law and order.

El-Rufai said that the partnership would give opportunity to prison inmates who, as a result of their incarceration, were unable to engage in any productive venture, to acquire skills in different areas of human activities

and also get them prepared for the labour market upon their release from custody.

The governor commended NOUN for being a worthy partner in the project and also for its magnanimity in granting 100 per cent waiver to all inmates who are desirous of qualitative education and welcomed the university’s decision to site its library in the state.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mrs Amina Sijuwade, in her remarks on the occasion, said that the programme, which is divided into two phases, would cover training in Kaduna prisons on basic Information Communication Technology(ICT) and tailoring for about 60 inmates and hairdressing, among others.

The Comptroller of Prisons, Kaduna State, Mr Yazid Bala Alhassan, commended the state government for its efforts in ensuring that Kaduna Prison remains one of the best in the country and expressed appreciation to NOUN and other partners for their support in empowering prison inmates.

Earlier, the vice-chancellor of NOUN, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, had commended the Kaduna State government and the Prison Service for deeming it fit to partner with NOUN, adding that the university is proud to be associated with the el-Ru-

tions.

“While trying to do that, we have to be realistic because government wants to be sure of employing people into areas they are optimally required.

“Government knows and appreciates the level of unemployment and for that reason, has resolved to accommodate a few more people, not minding the bloated workforce.

Garbadeen said that Ambode had directed the commission to conduct vacancy returns across the local governments department by department.

“We need to identify where exactly we need people, what kind of professionals we need in cer-

tain areas and what we are expecting from them before embarking on the recruitment.

“This exercise is ongoing.

So, based on the findings and outcomes, the governor will give us the goahead to employ people.

He re-stated the recruitment was not going to be business as usual as only qualified people would be employed.

“But, who are these people that will make up this number, the government does not want just anybody.

According to him, the recruitment will be conducted online and only qualified applicants will be invited for interview.

US okays additional fund to support development, fight hunger in Nigeria Christian Okeke - Abuja THE United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has approved $92.73 million as additional developmental assistance to Nigeria.

The new fund was to support the five-year $2.3 billion agreement signed with the Nigerian government in 2015 and the intervention brought the total development assistance sum so far provided to $474.74 million.

The USAID mission d irector, Michael Harvey, who

confirmed this, noted that the funds would continue to help Nigeria reduce extreme poverty in a more stable democratic society.

According to him, it will equally stimulate inclusive economic growth, promote a healthier, more-educated population as well as strengthen good governance.

In an effort to align Nigeria’s development plan with sector-specific strategies, theUSAID collaborated with the Nigerian Ministry of Budget and National Planning; the Nigerian ministries of health, agriculture, power and educa-

tion as well as state-level government counterparts to structure the agreement, which is in place until 2020.

He said that in addition to the developmental funding, the United States provides humanitarian assistance to people affected in the ongoing conflict and severe food insecurity in Nigeria and throughout the Lake Chad Basin.

According to him, the United States has provided more than $366 million in humanitarian assistance since 2015 and continues to be the single largest bilateral humanitarian donor to the region.

FG to launch digital broadcasting December Christian Okeke - Abuja THE Federal Government is to launch digital broadcasting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, by December, after a successful pilot scheme in Plateau State.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, gave the assurance on Tuesday, after a guided facility tour of Pinnacle Communication Limited, which is the licenced signal distributor of the switch-over and the Trefonics, a licenced manufacturer of set top boxes in Abuja.

He commended the chairman of Pinnacle Communication Limited, Lucky Omoluwa, who he said, remained focused on the project, despite the initial hiccup that almost derailed the digital switchover project.

Also at the complex of Trefonics in Idu Industrial Layout, the minister expressed satisfaction with the set top box manufacturing process.

Abandoned babies ADEOLA Amosun, a newly born baby boy of about a month old, was found abandoned at Customary Court premises, Ilaro, Ogun State, on October 7, 2016, at about 08.20hrs. All efforts to trace the whereabouts of the subject mother proved abortive since then.

OLABISI Amosun, a girl of about five years old, was found roaming about along Sagamu Road, in Abese Village, Papalanto, Ewekoro, Ogun State, on May 28, 2015, at about 20.00hrs.

All efforts made to trace her parents or guardians, proved abortive since then.

ANYONE with useful information about the whereabouts of their parents/ relatives of their mothers, should please, contact the nearest police station or the Director of Social Welfare Services, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

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news

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Police plan to reduce activities of militants —IG

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HE InspectorGeneral of Police (IG), Mr Ibrahim Idris, has said that the police aim to cut the activities of militants in the Niger Delta region by 80 per cent by building the capacity of marine police.

Idris made the statement at the Inspector-General of Police Conference, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

“We are going to cut the activities of militants by 80 per cent,” he said, adding: “It is important to build the capacity of our marine police. “

I’ll rid Benue of criminals —Gov Johnson BabajideMakurdi

BENUE State governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday, flagged off the process of arms destruction and pledged to rid the state of crime.

Governor Ortom stated this during the destruction of over 600 illegal weapons at government house, Makurdi, yesterday.

He said that his administration restored security through the introduction of the amnesty programme, which had the carrot and stick approaches and that after weapons had been voluntarily surrendered by some youths under the carrot approach; the stick approach was introduced for those who refused to surrender illicit weapons in their possession.

Ortom explained that destruction of the surrendered weapons would be done in the full glare of the public and the press in the next one week and warned that the amnesty programme should not be seen as a sign of weakness.

Under the stick approach, he said, people were being arrested everyday for one criminal offence or the other.

Governor Ortom expressed appreciation of the state government to the Presidential Committee on Small and Light Weapons, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the German Government and the Advisory Group; Alternative Livelihood Programme and other organisations that have supported the amnesty programme.

Earlier, the representative of the Presidential Committee, Mr Christian Orji, said over 690 million illicit weapons were circulating across the world.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Idris said that a marine school would be established in Bayelsa to build the capacity of police personnel to enhance service delivery.

He also said that the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) would be trained in collaboration with the Nigeria Bar Association, Civil Society Organisations and human rights organisations.

He explained that the collaboration was aimed at changing the public perception about personnel of the security unit (SARS) of the police.

On the training of personnel of the Police Mobile

Force (PMF), Idris said other training facilities would be used pending the return to the PMF training school in Gwoza, Borno.

“We cannot open Gwoza now but we will do skeletal services for now but soon

we will move there,” he said.

He said that the force would collaborate with the Italian police for the training of border patrol personnel for optimal performance.

JTF disperses ex-Niger Delta militants protesting non-payment of stipends Austin Ebipade-Yenagoa A detachment of troops of the joint military force deployed to the Niger Delta, Operation Delta Safe, on Tuesday morning, dispersed hundreds of ex-militants who had blocked the East-West road with fire arms.

The ex-militants, under phases 1 to 3 of the amnesty scheme, blocked the Mbiama axis of the East-

West road to motorists at about 6.30 a.m., Tuesday morning.

Respite, however, came to the trapped motorists when armed troops of the joint task force arrived in two patrol vans to remove the blockade and open the road to the public at about 7.30 a.m.

The soldiers fired several warning shots into the air, which compelled the protesters to scamper to sev-

eral directions to safety.

Mr Elliot Seimiebo, an ex-militant, who is on the phase 1 of the amnesty scheme, said on Tuesday morning that the soldiers had used the firearms to disperse the peaceful protest, aimed at drawing the attention to the neglect of their welfare.

“We had renounced violence and remained peaceful in all our approaches; our intention was to draw

Air Force strikes, kills Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest Chris Agbambu-Abuja

THE Nigerian Air Force (NAF), in the past one week, has successfully struck a number of Boko Haram Terrorists’ (BHTs) locations, including their logistics bases, within the Sambisa Forest.

The air interdiction missions were conducted day and night, using a combination of combat platforms comprising F-7Ni fighter aircraft, Alpha Jets and Mi-24V helicopter gunship.

The latest air strikes against the BHTs are fallouts of OPERATION FOREST STORM, launched

by the NAF on October 2, 2016 to further degrade the capability of the BHTs elements within the Sambisa general area, in order to create the enabling environment for own ground forces to continue their operation.

Director of Air force public Relations, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said that from Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), it appears the insurgents are low on logistics as no vehicle was seen moving.

He said the Battle Damage Assessment showed that the entire operation was a success even as human intelligence con-

Undergraduate drags Air Force to court over stolen property Johnson BabajideMakurdi

STUDENT of Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has dragged the Nigeria Air force (NAF) to court, demanding N50 million for alleged armed robbery and violation of his human rights.

The case, which came up for hearing at the Federal High Court, Makurdi, on Tuesday, in Suit No FHC/ MKD/CS/08/2016 the student, George Agema, prayed the court for an order for the “Enforcement of his Fundamental Human Rights.”

Joined in the Suit as first, second, third and fourth respondents were ACM Ubah Austine, the Chief of Air Staff, the Nigeria Air force and the Attorney General of the Federation, respectively.

The applicant in the suit said that the first respondent (ACM Ubah Austine) and his accomplice (now believed to be at large) robbed him of his motor bike at gun point, at Gyado Villa, on March 26, 2015.

In the ground of reliefs sought by the applicant, he said when he reported the incident at the Provost Marshal office at the Airforce Base, Makurdi, he was shocked that one of the Air policemen started beating him up, accused him of maligning the name of the Nigeria Air Force.

He explained further that he and two of his friends that escorted him to report the matter were beaten and subjected to forced labour for nine hours before some other personnel of the force came to their rescue.

firmed that a number of the insurgents were killed.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Onifade Florence Omotolase now MRS FATOMILOYE FLORENCE OMOTOLASE. All former documents remain valid.

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attention to the nonpayment of our stipends for four months.

“We were not armed but the soldiers turned their weapons on us and there was confusion as people ran for their lives, one of the protesters was hit by stray bullet and got injured on his leg,” Seimiebo said.

When contacted, Lieutenant-Commodore Thomas Otuji, spokesman CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Chizoba Festus Nwankwor am the same person bearing Chizoba Thomas Nwankwor. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as CHIZOBA THOMAS NWANKWOR. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

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I, Richard Hapiness Wande now wish to be known and addressed as OKOJERE HAPINESS. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

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of Operation Delta Safe, said that the claims that protesters were shot was untrue.

“Our troops were sent to the scene to ensure free flow of traffic and they went there to clear the blockade on the EastWest road and there is no such report at my disposal as we speak, the protesters were professionally dispersed,” Otuji said by phone.

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I, Dahiru Yau, my name was mistakenly written as TAHIRU YAU. My correct date of birth is 12/07/1958 and not 03/02/1950.

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35 CHANGE OF NAME

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Wednesday, 12 October, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

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I, formerly Yusuf Wahabi Arounkebi now ARONKEBI WAHAB AKANBI. My correct date of birth is 1st January, 1947 and not 10th February, 1954. All former documents remain valid. Eco Bank Plc., and general public take note.

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I, Olawale Akanni Ridwan am the same person bearing RidWan Akanni. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLAWALE AKANNI RIDWAN. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, Ademola Akinkunmi David am the same person as Azeez Akinkunmi Toheeb and Azeez Akinkunmi Damilola. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADEMOLA AKINKUNMI DAVID. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, Adetola Wasiu Ademola states that my name and date of birth was wrongly written as Adetola Wasiu Adekola (20/5/1978). My correct name and date of birth is ADETOLA WASIU ADEMOLA (12/10/1978.

All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Noah Ewawoche Ajimah now NOAH EWAWOCHE PETER. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Saheed Raheemat Lami now AHMED RAHEEMAT LAMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Adetunji Solomon Bisi am the same person as Adetunji Solomon Adebisi. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADETUNJI SOLOMON BISI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Adejare Rukayat Toyin now AFEEZ RUKAYAT TOYIN. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Ayoigbala Omowumi Ruth now ADEGBENRO OLUWATOYIN RUTH. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Elizabeth Tomilola Ikuedajo now MRS ELIZABETH TOMILOLA JEROME AJIBADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Abduliahi Iliyasu now ABDULIAHI ILIYASU UMAR. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Fatai Kehinde Hammed now AYODEJI KEHINDE HAMMED. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mr Makinde Abidemi Layo now MR OGUNMAKINDE ABIDEMI LAYO. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Taiwo Folakemi Oyewumi now OYEJIDE FOLAKEMI OYEWUMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ogunronbi Fehintola Josephine now ADELEKE FEHINTOLA JOSEPHINE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Adekola Omolade Oluwakemi am the same person bearing Adekola Omolade O. and Adekola Omolade.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADEKOLA OMOLADE OLUWAKEMI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Kazeem Moriamo Ronke now MRS. SALAUDEEN MORIAMO RONKE. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olalere Kafayat Ejide now OLALERE KAFAYAT OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akinogbe Bimisola Dolapo now MRS OLUMEGBON BIMISOLA DOLAPO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Azeez Ganiyu Abiodun now AZEEZ GANIYU MAYOWA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Picos Godiya now SIMON FRANCIS. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adenike Adekunle now FATIMOH ADENIKE OGUNMADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Rasaq Adenike Ganiyat now MRS IBRAHIM GANIYAT ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Miss Adewusi Atilade Funmilayo now MRS. ONIYIDE ATILADE FUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Akinlade Zainab Adeola now MRS TAIWO ZAINAB ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Miss Monsurat Taiye Aminu now MRS. MONSURAT TAIYE AMINU ABDUL AZEEZ. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Mrs Fatai Wusamot Ayonike am the same person bearing Fatai Wusamot. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS FATAI WUSAMOT AYONIKE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs. Abosede Ogunnaike now MRS. ABOSEDE SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Alabi Luminess Titilope now MRS ADEWUMI LUMINESS TITILOPE. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ekemam Mabel-May Nkechi now MRS EMEDOH MABELMAY NKECHI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Kolapo Oshineye Oshinubi now KOLAPO BRIGHT OSHINUBI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Olawale Sadiat Omosalewa am the same person bearing Shalewa Ayoka. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLAWALE SADIAT OMOSALEWA. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Balogun Munirudeen Ajagbe am the same person bearing Balogun Muniru and also Balogun Munirudeen. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as BALOGUN MUNIRUDEEN AJAGBE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Kuburat Toyin Fagbola now MRS AKINOLA KUBURAT TOYIN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Elan Olabode Blessing Funmilayo now MRS. ALO FUNMILAYO BLESSING. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Akinbola Temilola S. now AKINBOLA FALOLA SABASTIAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Omotayo Anuoluwa Aboyade-Cole now OMOTAYO ANUOLUWA APANTAKU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ajala Adeola Theresa now MRS OGELEYE ADEOLA THERESA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akah Sunday Ifeanyi now AKACHUKWU SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Alaka Ganiyat Faramade now MRS. SOLIU GANIYAT ALAKA FARAMADE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Badmus, Tayo Kafilat now MRS. ONIKOLA, TAYO KAFILAT. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Salihu Abubakar Gambo now ABUBAKAR SALIHU GAMBO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ekeke Agatha Amarachi now MRS EZEAKOLAM AGATHA AMARACHI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ogunleye Funmilayo now MRS ABIODUN FUNMILAYO MARY. All former documents remain valid.

Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Oriwon Rosemary Odegwa now EBUADE ROSE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mufutau Iliasu Adebayo now MUFUTAU ILIASU AKANJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Onofua, Christabel Edewede now MRS IRABOR, CHRISTABEL EDEWEDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Busari Jelili Abiodun now ADEDIRAN JELILI ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Saka Mariam Titilayo now SAKA MARIAM TITILOPE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Macus Dave now OLAPADE KAYODE DAVIES. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Jonah Mary Umbwa and Mary Jonah Umbwa now JONAH MARY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Lawal Rahmat Titilope now MRS ASHIRU LAWAL RAHMAT TITILOPE. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State Hospital Management Board and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adebusuyi Rebekah Adedoyin now MRS. OYINWOLA REBEKAH ADEDOYIN. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc., UBA Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Babalola Funmike Odunayo now MRS. AKINDELE FUNMIKE ODUNAYO. All former documents remain valid. Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly Olawale Joseph Oshibote now ADEWALE EMMANUEL SEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Adegoke Joshua Ademola/Ademola Ajayi Joshua now ADEMOLA JOSHUA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc., UBA Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Muhammed Oyedijo Jolaade now MRS. FADEYI JOLAADE ABIMBOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs Fadairo Aderemi Juliana now MS ADESUJI ADEREMI JULIANA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Adefolarin Dorcas Adedite now IKUESEWO DORCAS ADEDITE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Olutimehin Margaret Oke Bose am the same person bearing Margaret Oke Olutimehin and Olutimehin Oke Bose. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLUTIMEHIN MARGARET OKE BOSE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Chima Pamela Ijeoma Offor now CHIMA PAMELA OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid.

University of Abuja, Federal College of Education, Okene and general public take note.

36 CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. Olajide Omolara Taiwo now MISS ANJORIN OMOLARA TAIWO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Hammed Qoseem Debo now HAMMED LAWSON QOSEEM. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akewula Yaya and Fasasi Akewula Yahaya now FASASI YAHAYA AKEWULA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Abdulkareem Ahmed Alaro now ABDULKAREEM AHMAD ALARO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Ogundayo Christopher Oluwaseun, now to be addressed and called MR EGBOSIMBA CHRISTOPHER IFEANYI. All valid documents remain the same. General public take note.

I formerly Miss Odusina Blessing Aderonke now MRS. APENE BLESSING ADERONKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Olaosun Modinat Folake now MRS. ANIFOWOSE MODINAT FOLAKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Moshood Ajibade Adesope now AJIBADE MOSHOOD. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Miss Issa Morufat Abisodun now DOCTOR MRS. ISSA MORUFAT ABISODUN. All former documents remain valid. This is as a result of my religious belief and mutual consent between my hubby Dr. Jimoh Idrees Olawuyi and my humble self and general public take note.

I, formerly Andrew-Falebita Olubunmi Abisoye now FAWOLE OLUBUNMI ABISOYE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Serifat Sikiru now SIKIRU SERIFAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Aziz Majidat Adeola now MRS OLOSO MAJIDAT ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss OyeboadeAmao Taiwo Busola now MRS. ODUSHILU TAIWO BUSOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Adamu Yusuf Samani now ADAMU YUSUF BASHIRA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Elijah Olukayode Alani now ELIJAH OLUKAYODE AKINLABI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Lasisi Akeem Oyewale now ABDUL AZEEZ ABDUL AKEEM OYEWALE. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Sulaimon Maleeq Adewale now SULAIMAN MALEEQ ADEWALE. All former documents remain valid.General public take note.

I, formerly Suleiman Ahmed now AHMED SULEIMAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Abubakar Nurudeen Ojo now ISIAKA ALIRU ISHOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Isiaku Yaru now YARU ISHAQ. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Adetunji Oluboye Samuel am the same person as Adetunji Boye Samuel. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADETUNJI SAMUEL OLUBOYE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Agnes Isiah Aloye now ISAH AGNES ALOYE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Ogunsina Veronica Temitope now MRS ALADE VERONICA TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oni Veronica Titilayo now KEHINDE VERONICA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Lukuman Ajibade now LUKUMAN AJIBADE ALABI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adegoke Adekemi Asake now MRS ADEGBILE ADEKEMI ASAKE. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Fasasi Rasaq Akande and Rasaq Fasasi Akande now FASASI ABDUL RASAKI AKANDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Amusat Muritala Oladosu now OLADOSU MURITALA FOLARANMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Alhassan Sika now SANNI ALHASSAN SABI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Salawudeen Hassan Kehinde now HASSAN SALAUDEEN OMOKEHI. All former documents remain valid.General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Yusuff Muhammed Promise now YUSUFF MUHAMMED. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Olagoke Gbemisola Abiodun am the same person bearing Shade Adeyemi and Akanbi Abiodun Gbemisola. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLAGOKE GBEMISOLA ABIODUN. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Davidson Onozasi Bilikisu now OMONANYI ONOZASI BILIKISU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr. Tega Onapoman now MR. OSAYANDE INNOCENT BARRY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Miss Christiana Olubunmi Arasi am the same person bearing Miss Christiana Olubunmi Ishola.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as MISS CHRISTIANA OLUBUNMI ISHOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Nigerian Immigration Service and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ayodele Sunday Obanwo now AYODELE OBANWO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Salawudeen Mukaila A. now SALAUDEEN MUKAILA AREMU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Hammed Opeloyeru Ojebode Olalekan now OPELOYERU AHMED ABEGUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Akintayo Matthew am the same person bearing Akintayo Matthew Ajadi. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as AKINTAYO MATTHEW AJADI. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Seyi Jemima Akinlolu-Raphael now MRS SEYI JEMIMA ALAYANDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Ajagbe Oluwasegun Olatunde formerly Ajagbe Oluwasegun Babatunde now AJAGBE OLUWASEGUN OLATUNDE. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Yetunde Cecilia Ishola now MRS. PRECIOUS YETUNDE OLATOYE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Adigun Ismail Onilenla am the same person bearing Adigun Ismail Abiodun. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as ADIGUN ISMAIL ABIODUN. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Akanji Omoleye Oluwabusola David am the same person as Akanji Omoleye David and also Akanji Oluwabusola David.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AKANJI OMOLEYE OLUWABUSOLA DAVID. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Olaleye Ruth Glory now OMOLUSI RUTH GLORY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Aishat Onozare Aliba now OGEDENGBE FUNMILOLA AISHAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs Akinlawon Alaba Mojisola now MRS ODEKANYIN ALABA MOJISOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Oriola Yinka Omolara formerly Oriola Yinka now ORIOLA YINKA OMOLARA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Oyekunle Mercy Oluremi now MRS FOLARANMI MERCY OLUREMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Arisekola Oluwaseun Ayoola now MR OGUNYEBI OLUWASEUN AYOOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. BabatundeMuili Oluwasola Christianah Adetutu now MRS. MUILI OLUSOLA CHRISTIANAH. All former documents remain valid. H.E.B.N Publishers Plc., and general public take note.

I formerly Miss Adebola Anuoluwapo Oluwayemisi now MRS. BAMIDELE O L U W A Y E M I S I ANUOLUWAPO. All former documents remain valid.

Kwara State Judiciary and general public take note.

I, Ogbonna Smith Uzoma am the same person as Uzoma Nwaogu as they appear in different documents.

Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OGBONNA SMITH UZOMA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

My name was erroneously written as Babatunde Joseph Stephen instead of Joseph Stephen. Now, I wish to be known, called and addressed as JOSEPH STEPHEN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Miss Olaniyi Olawumi Comfort now MRS. OYELAMI OLAWUMI COMFORT. All former documents remain valid. Osun State College of Education (UI Programme) and general public take note.

I, formerly Hamodu Ayinde Mumini now AHMOD A B D U L M U M E E N OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ayoola Mobolaji Motunrayo now BAMIDURO MOBOLAJI MOTUNRAYO. All former documents remain valid. High Court of Justice, Oyo State, Stanbic IBTC Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adegoke Afolake Abiola now MRS OLATUNJI AFOLAKE ABIOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Ehinola Bolanle Okunade now OKUNADE BOLANLE JOY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Adebisi Oluremilekun Helen now ADEPITAN OLUREMI HELEN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Mrs Azeez Muniratu Adunni am the same person bearing Mrs. Muniratu Lasisi. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AZEEZ MUNIRATU ADUNNI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Yunus Quadri Abiodun now ADEYEMI QUADRI ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs Haolat Ajibike now MRS AJIBIKE AULATU OLAYINKA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Kekema Roseline Tuoyo now MRS ADEKOYA ROSELINE TUOYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Ogundipe Oluwaseun Oyedeji am the same person bearing Ogundipe Oluwaseun, Ogundipe Oluwaseun Oyedeji. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OGUNDIPE OLUWASEUN OYEDEJI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Skye Bank Plc, IBTC Bank, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, UBA Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Akinro Florence Ibiyemi now MRS SODIQ FLORENCE IBIYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Shehu Hafsat Madina now ISAH HAFSAT MADINA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Atere Yetunde Aderike now MRS OLASUPO YETUNDE ADERIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Olagunju Abeebat Bisi now MRS KAREEM ABEEBAT BISI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Emmanuel Akpan Paul now STEPHEN AUGUSTINE EPHEN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Flora Osasuwa Inuwahen now MRS AISEDION FLORA INUWAHEN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akinade Anifat Bisola now MRS LAWAL FLORENCE BISOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adejimi Yakubu Oluwaponm now ADEJIMI OLUWAPONMILE YAKUB. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ogunkoya Abosede Olawumi now MRS RAMOS ABOSEDE OLAWUMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Miss Abiola Folashade Grace now MRS OMOKHOA FOLASHADE GRACE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Lawal Monsurat Olabisi now MRS ORANLOLA MONSURAT OLABISI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Fakeye Aminat Folasade now MRS FAKEYESANNI AMINAT FOLASADE. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB, Oyo State, Egbeda L.G.U.B.E.A. and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Ojediran Ladimeji Atanda now OJEDIRAN LAWRENCE ATANDA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Amusa Moshood now AMUSA MOSHOOD ILORI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Oyeleye Ibukunmi Olasile now OYELEYE IBIKUNMI TOPE. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Iwo and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Toromade Oluwaseun Damilola that I got married on the 6th of September, 2015 now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS. OBALAKIN OLUWASEUN DAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Akanbi Olubewaji E. now AKANBI OLUBEWAJI ELISHA. All former documents remain valid.

Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public take note.

I formerly Joseph Bosede Elizabeth now AKINWANDE BOSEDE ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Asimiyu Usin Taiwo, my names was wrongly written as Hussain Asimiyu. Now, I wish to be known as ASIMIYU USIN TAIWO and my date of birth is 01 January 1990 and not 05 November, 1992. All documents remain valid. UBA Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CORRECTION OF NAME AND CORRECTION OF DATE OF B IRTH

37

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

P

RESIDENT Obama has set his sights on Mars again.

“We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America’s story in space: sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time,” Obama wrote Tuesday in an opinion piece for CNN. The voyage to the Red Planet will require collaboration between NASA and private companies like SpaceX. “Within the next two years, private companies will for the first time send astronauts to the International Space Station,” he added in the piece, which echoed his words from his 2015 State of the Union address and from a 2010 speech.

“This week, we’ll convene some of America’s leading scientists, engineers, innovators and students in Pittsburgh to dream up ways to build on our progress and find the next frontiers,” he wrote.

“Just five years ago, US companies were shut out of the global commercial

Putin cancels France trip amid rift over Syria

Illustration by The New York Post.

Obama says Americans will travel to Mars by 2030s launch market. Today, thanks to groundwork laid by the men and women of NASA, they own more than a third of it. More than 1,000 companies across nearly all 50 states are working on private space initiatives.”

The first step in achieving the ambitious interplanetary

State of emergency: Merkel visits

Ethiopia, sues for peace

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left), is welcomed by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, as she arrives at the national palace in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday. PHOTO: AP.

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Ethiopia on Tuesday to open up its politics and ensure police do not use heavy-handed tactics against protesters, after more than a year of unrest that rights groups say has led to about 500 deaths.

Merkel, who spoke at a news conference with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, according to Reuters, arrived in Ethiopia after a fresh flare-up near the capital of the clashes that have cast a shadow over a nation with one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies.

The violence prompted the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency on Sunday. It says the death toll cited by rights groups is exaggerated and blames the wave of violence on “armed gangs” backed by foreigners.

Western states, which are among the biggest donors to what is still a poor nation,

want their companies to win deals in Ethiopia but have become increasingly concerned by the government’s authoritarian approach to development.

“I made the case that you should have open talks with people who have problems,” Merkel told Hailemariam, adding that police should respond proportionately to protests.

goal is leaving our planet’s orbit, Obama said.

New York Post reported that he announced that the US is working with its commercial partners “to build new habitats that can sustain and transport astronauts on long-duration missions in deep space.

“These missions will teach us how humans can live far from Earth — something we’ll need for the long journey to Mars,” he said about the roughly 34 millionmile trip.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said the attendees at Pittsburgh’s White House Frontiers Conference will explore how US investments in science and technology will help the US settle “the final frontier” – space.

In his NASA blog, Bolden addressed public-private

initiatives by the space agency.

“By reaching out further into the solar system and expanding the frontiers of exploration, the president outlined a vision for pushing the bounds of human discovery, while also revitalizing the space industry and creating jobs here at home,” he wrote about Obama’s 2010 challenge.

In the next decade, NASA will embark on a “Proving Ground” stage – testing technologies in cis-lunar space around the moon, he said.

In the mid-2020s, a robotic spacecraft will be sent to a nearby asteroid to test exploration gear such as solar-electric propulsion and return a rock for astronauts to study around the moon, Bolden said.

Growing anger over the Russia-backed onslaught on rebel-held areas of Aleppo had led Paris to reconsider whether to host Putin on October 19.

Putin was expected to meet Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in separate talks on the Syria crisis, particularly the city of Aleppo where government air strikes backed by Russian jets have pummelled rebel-held areas in the east.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Turkish ruling party official shot dead A local official from Turkey’s ruling party has been shot and killed in the country’s southeastern region, where Kurdish fighters affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) operate.

The PKK said on Tuesday it was behind the killing, the second such shooting in as many days in the country’s restive southeast, Al Jazeera said.

Deryan Aktert, who headed the AK Party’s branch in Diyarbakir’s

Dicle district, was attacked in his office on Monday at 10:30pm local time (19:30 GMT), the provincial governor’s office said.

PKK’s armed wing said on its website fighters targeted Aktert for his cooperation with the state in its fight against the group, which is listed as a “terrorist” organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

PKK, which launched its armed separatist rebellion in 1984, rejects the designation.

South African finance minister to face fraud charges SOUTH African prosecutors on Tuesday ordered Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to appear in court on Nov. 2 over allegations he broke public finance rules by granting a colleague early

retirement, news that sent the rand and share prices reeling.

Reuters reportedthat the currency dropped as much as 3.4 per cent against the dollar on the latest legal

UN warns of possible large-scale election violence in DR Congo THE United Nations’s top diplomat in the Democratic Republic of Congo warned Tuesday the country has “entered a period of extreme risk to its stability,” as the electoral crisis deepens.

“The electoral crisis has become a constitutional crisis, with deepening political polarization and no immediate resolution in sight,” Maman Sambo Sidikou, the head of the U.N. mission in DRC told the Security Council.

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has cancelled his trip to Paris scheduled for next week after French President Francois Hollande said he would see him only for talks on achieving peace in Syria’s increasingly bloody five-year war.

“The president made the decision to cancel his visit,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

“The president noted that he is ready to visit Paris at a time convenient for Hollande. We will wait for this convenient time to come.”

Al Jazeera said Putin’s cancellation is the latest deterioration in ties between Moscow and the West after Russia vetoed a French-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria.

Congolese troops drive down a main street after recent violence in Kinshasa. PHOTO: AP.

“Actors on all sides appear more and more willing to resort to violence to achieve their ends, while the space for constructive political activity has shrunk

further still,” he said. “If this trajectory continues, I believe large-scale violence is all but inevitable,” he warned.

The VOA said Congo’s constitution limits the president to two terms, which President Joseph Kabila will complete on December 19. With barely two months until then, the Independent National Electoral Commission has yet to set the election date, citing technical difficulties.

problems for the finance minister who says he has been the victim of a politically m o t i v a t e d campaign over the last few months.

Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams said Gordhan, in his previous role as head of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), had cost the tax agency around 1.1 million rand ($79,000) by approving earlyretirement for tax agency deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay and re-hiring him as a consultant.

Gordhan is still being investigated for his role in setting up a surveillance unit at the tax department

South Africa’s Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan

a decade ago which is suspected of spying on politicians including President Jacob Zuma, Abrahams confirmed.

An elite police unit known as the Hawks first questioned Gordhan about that in February in an investigation that some analysts said was the result of political pressure from a faction allied to Zuma.

38

communitynews

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

Blackout hits Igando, Ijegun, Ikotun residents in Lagos RESIDENTS of Ikotun, Igando, Ijegun and Isheri Osun in Lagos have been in blackout for about a month due to breakdown of the Ejigbo Transmission Station.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the blackout has crippled economic activities in the Lagos suburbs where many artisans and petty traders depend on electricity for operations.

The residents, led by their various Community Development Associations (CDAs) executives, have lodged several complaints at outlets of Ikeja Electric in the areas but the blackout has persisted.

The Chairman of the

Wharf Road, Apapa, after a downpour in Lagos, on Tuesday. PHOTO: TOLA ADENUBI

Commence work on $16bn gas industrial park, Warri youth leader tells Buhari ebenezer adurokiya-warri

W

ARRI youth leader and Akulagba of Warri kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to commence work on the multibillion dollar Gas Revolution Industrial Park (GRIP) and the Escravos Environs Power Supply Project, in Warri South-West Local Government Area.

Chief Ayirimi, in a letter addressed to the president and made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State, said if the projects were kick-started, they would engender peace in the Niger Delta.

According to him, the Escravos Environs Power Supply Project would be directly beneficial to the indigenous people of Warri South-West Local Government Area.

“The determination of your administration to diversify the economy from being solely dependent on crude oil and gas to agriculture/agro allied, solid minerals, manufacturing and other forms of non-oil sources of income, is, indeed, heartwarming. It is an assurance that a great future awaits the largest black nation in the world.

“There is the need to humbly appeal to Your Excellency to give serious attention to renewed calls for work to recommence at the Gas Revolution Industrial Park in Ogidigben, Warri South-West Local Government Area and the Escravos Environs Power Supply Project, also in the oil-rich local government area.

“Inasmuch as no excuse will be accepted for anyone to partake in crime and criminal activities, it

is, however, pertinent to stress that the ongoing strides by the military hierarchy and distinguished members of the Federal Executive Council on the Niger Delta issue, apparently on Your Excellency’s directive, will achieve the

desired result if construction work resumes at the Gas Revolution Industrial Park, Ogidigben as well as the Escravos Environs Power Supply Project.

“The over $16 billion GRIP Project billed to accommodate a major Indus-

trial Gas Hub, Petrochemical, Methanol as well as Fertilizer Plant will create over 150, 000 direct and indirect jobs at the construction stage and set the tone for the eagerly anticipated diversification of our economy,” Ayirimi observed.

The oil and gas business mogul, however, appealed to Buhari “to dutifully follow the roadmap for the development of the Niger Delta and pay less attention to self-styled leaders, who do not care about the ordinary people of the region.”

Complete Ogwashi-Uku dam, FG told alphonsus agborh-asaba

THE people of OgwashiUku community in Delta State have appealed to the Federal Government to complete the N3.6 billion earth dam in Aboh-Ogwashi, in view of its importance to the development of the state.

Apart from generat-

ing electricity to the national grid, the dam is expected to boost agriculture and tourism as well as supply water to the entire Ogwashi-Uku town.

According to the Community Liaison Officer of the Project, Chief Paul Onwudiamu, who conducted newsmen round the site of the project at the weekend, the

project was nearing completion as water had already been impounded while the construction of the speedway and valves had been completed.

Onwudiamu, who is also the head of Aboh-Ogwashi community, disclosed that the contractor handling the 1.6km access road from Ogwashi-Asaba Express-

Club president restates commitment to community projects by tolu olamiriki

THE newly inaugurated 12th president of the Rotary Club of Oyo Metropolis, R1 District 9125, Nigeria, Mr Michael Olanipekun, has reaffirmed the commitment of the club to serve humanity through the execution of community and people-oriented projects.

Olanipekun made the remark shortly after his inauguration at the Plaza De Haruna Hotel in Oyo town, Oyo State.

While reiterating that the club was ready to make its contribution towards alleviating poverty in Oyo town and its environs through the execution of laudable projects that would impact on people’s lives, the new president urged club members and community development association to support the club to achieve its lofty objectives.

Olanipekun listed some of the projects already executed by the club to include donation of power generating set to Oyo town, building of kitchen shed at the School for the Handicap, Oyo, construction of borehole at Akeetan community, free hernia surgery for over 100 people, among others.

The president, however, said that the club would not relent in providing vocational training and empowerment schemes for the people of the area.

Earlier, the immediate past president, Mrs F.F Kasika, had commended members for their efforts at ensuring that the club served humanity through the execution of development programmes in the town.

She also listed som achievements recorded during her tenure to include revalidation of the charter certificate, prompt payment of the school fees of Master Wasiu Yusuff, an indigent student adopted

by the club, erection of borehole at Akeetan community, inauguration of Rotary Club at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, distribution of birthing kits, among others.

She urged members to extend the support given her to the new president.

way was yet to apply asphalt on the road after the initial earth work and construction of gutters had been completed.

The liaison officer said what is required now is the installation of turbines, adding that “we are aware that money for the turbines and the road project is ready”.

He urged the federal Ministry of Water Resources to expedite action on the dam by mobilising contractors to site.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that the construction of the dam started over 10 years ago but suffered setback until the President Goodluck Jonathan administration came on board.

Due to the impounded water, the dam has been turned into a beach by funseeking people, especially students.

Community Road CDA in Ijegun, Mr Abimbola Alabi, told NAN on Tuesday that the community was fed up with the situation.

“When power supply ceased in September, we visited the office of the electricity company and they told us that it was a major fault from Ejigbo Transmission Station.

“They promised to fix it within the first week but it has lingered for over three weeks. The residents cannot bear it anymore,” Alabi said.

He said that many members of the community could no longer carry out businesses that require use of power, as they could not afford to fuel their power generators.

A landlord in Isheri Osun, Mr Kenechukwu Nwaka, said that the blackout had worsened the economic situation of affected residents.

“We cannot freeze our foods anymore except those who can afford to buy fuel for generators, but many people cannot afford to use power generators anymore because of high fuel price,” he said.

A mechanic, Mr Segun Olanrewaju, said that he had lost some patronage because of the blackout because customers could not pay for using generator to repair their vehicles.

“The cost of welding has gone high because of the use of generator instead of electricity. The cost of welding an exhaust pipe has increased from N1,000 to N1,500,” he said.

A hair dresser, who identified herself simply as Safinat said that she used her generator which meant additional cost.

NAN reported that the power outage has resulted in long queues in petrol stations in the areas as more residents use generators to run their homes and businesses.

The Head of Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric, Mr Felix Ofulue, has, however, said that the company was addressing the issue.

Omu-Aran traditional council installs new Edemo-Aran biola azeez-ilorin

A new Edemo-Aran of Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Chief Salawu Oyedepo Dosunmu Arogunjo II, has been installed by the town’s traditional council.

The installation of Dosunmu was sequel to the judgment of an OmuAran High Court delivered in Ilorin recently which ruled in his favour.

The vacant chieftaincy stool had been a subject of dispute, prompting Chief Akande Oyinloye, to approach the court.

He had filed a suit on February 24, 2014 seeking affirmation of his nomination and appointment as the new Edemo- Aran.

Meanwhile, Oba Ibitoye after installing Dosunmu in his palace in Omu-Aran, charged him to discharge his responsibilities with integrity

and transparency.

He urged the aggrieved party to cooperate with the new Edemo-Aran in the task of developing the town.

Dosunmu, in his acceptance speech, promised to uphold the tenets of the chieftaincy title in moving the community forward.

“I will strive to ensure unity and peaceful coexistence and carry everyone along in my administration,” he said.

39 news How Badeh laundered N558m —Witness

Wednesday, 12 October, 2016

As court admits evidence of financial transactions as exhibits Sunday Ejike -Abuja

T

HE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, admitted in evidence, documents showing payments to contractors allegedly working for former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

This followed the testimony given by the sixth prosecution witness (PW6), Mohammed Lawan Sini, the then Camp Finance Officer of Nigerian Air Force (NAF), against Badeh when he was Chief of Air Staff.

The witness told the court that on assumption of office, he was intimated of the monthly disbursement of N558,200,000, officially earmarked for maintenance of the office of the Chief of Air Staff.

He added that since he was already meant to understand that the monthly transfer was meant for official maintenance, he had no need for details on how the funds were used.

“In 2012, I was posted to Camp NAF, as the Camp Finance Officer. My schedule involved payment of salaries, operations and miscellaneous, disbursement of funds for operations and overhead expenditure of the unit.

“In relation to accounts, we pay salaries. I report to a Director of Finance and Accounts within the headquarters. I take instructions from him with respect to financial operations within the unit.

With me as the CFO, he is the cashier, Squadron Leader E. N. Abu, subordinate. He takes instruction from me, while I take instruction from the DFA. “I took over from Group Captain Ifeobu when I reported. He told me that a certain part, a figure that I can remember -N558,200,000, is meant for the official administrative maintenance of the office of the Chief of Air Staff and that I am to be reporting to Director, Finance and Account on the details of disbursement.

“After the completion of the handover, I went and tell the DFA that I have taken over and also, what Group Captain Ifeobu said about the administration of the Ration Cash Allowances (RCA), earmarked for administrative maintenance of the Chief of Air Staff.”

“We receive personal emolument from UBA account. When we receive it, we pay salaries to all personnel that we are responsible for their salaries.

“At the end of that, some amounts remain, which are paid into other accounts.

I do not have full details but the ones that I can remember are with UBA, Zenith and Diamond banks.

“It is the duty of the cashier to pay these balances into the accounts for payment of operation, ration cash allowances and sundry training beats.

“These STB and RCA have some forex components which I instruct the cashier to generate whenever I receive instructions from my DFA, Air Commodore Abdullahi Yusha’u.

“I do not have the records of details of RCA but I can remember that a portion of it is earmarked for the administrative running of the office of the chief of air staff which I was instructed based on the very first day that I took over as CFO.” The witness further told the court that the paper work carried out by his office was to generate mandate to the bank for release of the funds to enable them to execute instructions.

When asked if he knew the

reason for transfer of funds to Ryte Builders’ account, he did not answer, stressing that he had no need to know since the entire fund was meant for official maintenance.

On whether he remembered what Yusha’u told him about those transactions, he said, “in my statement to the EFCC, I said that the money to be transferred to Engineer Mustapha of Ryte Builders was meant for tasks for Badeh.

“I don’t have the need to know the details of the tasks. It is only sufficient for me to know that the money to be transferred is part of N558,200,000 which I know from taking over was meant for the official administration of the office of Chief of Air Staff.”

The witness, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, also stated that he never received complaint that the money changed to

NDDC: Senate rejects 4 nominees, confirms Ndoma-Egba as chairman Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

THE Senate, on Tuesday, rejected four nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari to the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

It, however, confirmed the nomination of the former Senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, as chairman of the board and Nsima Ekere as Managing Director.

The Senate, which approved the report of the Committee on Niger Delta, headed by Senator Peter Nwaboshi, at the plenary, rejected the nominees for Ondo State, Chief Olatokunbo Ajasin; Abia, Mr Donatus Eyinnah and the Niger Delta nominee, Mr Igo Weli, on the grounds that they were not from oil producing communities, in accordance with the NDDC Act. The fourth nominee, Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo), the national organising secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had earlier written the committee, seeking to withdraw his nomination on the same ground.

The Senate, however, confirmed Adjogbe Ajenakevwe Samuel, Mene Ienyie Derek, Frank Samuel George, Brambaifa Nelson; Sylvester Effefiom Nsa; Ogaga Ifowodo; Uwuilekhue Saturday; Harry Iboroma Dabibi; Benard Banfa; Yahaya Mohammed and Mustapha Dankadai.

Two other nominees, Mahmoud Isa-Dutse and Abdul-Kazeem Bayero from the Federal Ministry of Finance and Federal Ministry of Environment respectively were also confirmed as members of the board but they would cease to be members once transferred from the respective ministries.

The Senate Committee, which screened the nominees last week, had pointedly asked them whether they were indigenes of oil producing communities, a major component of the NDDC Act.

The committee also obtained written briefs from the office of SurveyorGeneral of the Federation and the oil producing companies operating in the different states of the Niger Delta, to ease its assignment.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, Senator

Eyinnaya Abaribe, had, during the debate on the report, noted that Section 2(1)(b) of the NDDC Act stipulated that nominees to the board of the NDDC must be indigenes of oil producing communities.

The Senate brushed aside arguments from the chief whip, Senator Sola Adeyeye, who noted that the Act did not make it

mandatory for nominees to come from oil bearing communities, but from oil producing states.

NDDC Committee chairman, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, told the Senate that in the case of Tokunbo Ajasin, people from oil bearing Ilaje communities Ondo State stormed the Senate with 11 loaded commuter buses to protest.-

dollars and handed over to Yusha’u was not delivered or incomplete.

At the end of his account, the counsel moved to tender the documents showing evidences of payment to Ryte Builders, in evidence.

But the defense counsel, Chief Akin Olujimi, asked the court to reject the document on the ground that there was no evidence of payment of any fees in the document tendered in evidence.

He, therefore, urged the court to direct that before the document was tendered in evidence, appropriate fees should be made.

After listening to both parties, the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, ruled that though they were public documents, they did not fall under those that required payment of fees.

He, therefore, admitted the documents in evidence as Exhibits B6 and B7 respectively.

The trial continues today.

Senate halts FG’s N309bn electricity bond plan, seeks probe of proposal Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

THE Senate, on Tuesday, halted the plan by the Federal Government to raise a secured bond of N309 billion to finance the shortfall in the Nigerian electricity market.

The lawmakers said the bond had to be halted pending the investigation of the sector, to be carried out by its Joint Committee on Power and Privitisation.

The decision was taken following the adoption of a motion by Senator Muhammed Bukar, who noted that the bond was being planned despite a March 2015 bailout of the sector by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the tune of N213 billion.

In adopting the motion, however, the Senate specifically urged the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and the Nigeria

Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to immediately put a stop to the planned bond being organised by the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET).

The Senate, thereafter, mandated its committees on Power and Privatisation to investigate the post-privatisation performance of all players in the power sector, in line with their performance agreement.

He said the risk of default on the bond would cause the crystallisation of the Federal Government Sovereign Guarantee, which may eventually lead to national energy crisis in the future.

According to him, the shortfall had continued to escalate at the rate of about N15 billion per month, which is equivalent to N500 million daily, adding that the total shortfall as of December 31, 2015, stood at N400 billion.

Population census now to hold 2018 •As FG releases N1.3bn to NPC Adetola Bademosi -Abuja

A new indication has emerged that the much anticipated population census may have been shifted to 2018 and will no more hold in 2017 as earlier scheduled.

The next census, which was due in 2016, was shifted to 2017 but the pre-census

exercises had since been held up due to inadequate funds and awaiting proclamation from President Muhammadu Buhari.

A top source at the National Population Commission (NPC)headquarters in Abuja, who confided in the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, hinted that the census exercise would now

hold in 2018.

While confirming the development, he said although President Buhari was yet to make pronouncements, donor agencies were ready to support the commission.

The source also disclosed that a sum of N1.3 billion had been released to the commission out of the N4.5

billion allocated to it in the 2016 budget.

He said this was a welcomed development, as the commission would now be empowered to embark on its lined up activities for the year.

“The census is now 2018, it is no more 2017. So we will use the rest of 2016 and 2017 to plan for the exercise,” he said.

Edo poll: PDP, Ize-Iyamu can inspect voting materials —Tribunal Banji Aluko -Benin City

THE election petition tribunal set up to look into the grievances arising from the conduct of the September 28 Edo State governorship election, on Tuesday, recorded its first siting in Benin City.

As the sitting, the panel granted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, an ex parte motion to inspect materials used in conducting the election.

This was coming ahead the inauguration of the panel,

which would be done after aggrieved parties must have filed their petitions.

Aggrieved parties have 21 days within which to file their petitions according to the Electoral Act. The three-man panel is being headed by Justice A.T. Badamasi and is expected to sit for about 90 days before it will deliver a judgment in the matter.

In his prayer, counsel for the petitioners, Kingsley Obamogie, said PDP’s application was in line with Section 151 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

The tribunal judges,

after studying the motion, ordered the INEC to make available, all the electoral

materials used for the conduct of the election to the petitioners.

FG to ban exportation of wood Ademola Adegbite -Abuja

MINISTER of Environment, Hajia Amina Mohammed, on Tuesday, said the Federal Government would review the certification for wood logging and its exportation, with a view to protecting Nigeria’s ecosystem.

She also announced that Nigeria would, henceforth, never be part of any international convention which would make it

vulnerable.

The minister, who stated this at the ongoing Nigeria’s Consultative Meeting on Draft Additional Protocols to the Abidjan Convention, held at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja, then expressed serious concerns over rising sea level in Lagos, attributing it to the impact of climate change and human activities at the coastal areas.

SIDELINES

NO 16,609

N150

WEDNESDAY, 12 OCTOBER, 2016

Heavyweight boxing champion, Tyson Fury, while announcing his retirement, which he has since reversed, said the fistic sport was “the saddest thing I ever took part in...” Hmmm.

Does it mean that he was also always sad on the occasions he was winning his titles?

Day Arsenal fan trailed me for 15 minutes —Iwobi

Iwobi being challenged by Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea.

Contract offer for Eagles’ coach

ALEX Iwobi has spoken about a terrifying experience in which he was followed by an Arsenal fan on his way home from a game.

The nephew of Bolton and Nigeria legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, Iwobi has impressed for the Gunners after breaking into the first team last season, having joined the club when he was still in primary school.

The pacy winger - who has made seven appearances so far - spoke to Arsenal’s weekly podcast and covered a range of topics, before moving on to the time he was trailed in his car.

“I remember the last home game we played. For 15 minutes there was one fan following me and I was getting a bit scared,” he said.

“I was getting close to my destination. I was thinking, I’m going to have to do a detour before I get to my destination before he ends up finding where I’m going.

“That was a bit mad.”

Taking a break from being one of Arsenal’s leading lights, Iwobi has transferred his form on to the international stage and opened the scoring in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying win against Zambia.

•Rohr’s entitiments settled

Saliu Gbadamosi — Abuja

S

UPER Eagles chief coach, Salisu Yusuf, will sign his contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) this week, Tribunesport has gathered.

A source in the Glass House secretariat of the NFF in Abuja informed Tribunesport on Tuesday that the Federation has concluded every arrangement to sign the contract with Yusuf before the end of the week.

According to the source, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, held a meeting with the Eagles’ technical crew after the team arrived in Abuja from Ndola, Zambia, where it defeated the Chipolopolo 2-1 in a 2018 World Cup qualifier and assured Yusuf that he would sign a contract with the football body.

The source further informed that the former Kano Pillars coach was

assured that his outstanding salary would also be paid by the Federation this week.

Yusuf was recommended as the Eagles’ chief coach by the NFF Technical Committee, which was saddled with the responsibility of selecting a replacement for Sunday Oliseh, who suddenly dumped the Eagles’ job in July.

The committee had shortlisted Yusuf alongside Frenchman Paul Le Guen and Tom Saintfiet, who applied for the Eagles’ job but was picked as the chief coach. The committee picked Le Guen for the job but he turned down the offer barely 24 hours after his name was announced.

NFF Executive Committee later approved its technical committee’s recommendation on Yusuf, who was in charge of the Super Eagles for their two international friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg in May.

In a related development, Tribunesport learnt on Tuesday that the NFF has settled Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr’s entitlements so far.

The Franco-German had at a briefing last Friday in Abuja before the Eagles travelled to Zambia for their World Cup qualifier informed that he had no problem with finance, declaring that he did not like discussing financial issue.

Salisu Yusuf

Pogba eager for Ballon d’Or —Brother GUINEAN international, Florentin Pogba has revealed that his younger brother, Paul Pogba, has a desire to win the Ballon d’Or. Florentin, who was born in Conakry and has represented the Syli National, said that his sibling is determined to become the best player in the world - even if he doesn’t speak of the Ballon d’Or prize.

French international Pogba became the world’s most expensive player when he moved to Manchester United from Juventus before the close of the

transfer window, but he has yet to justify his price tag with his performances for the Red Devils.

However, Florentin knows that his brother’s winning mentality will take him to greater heights.

“Does he put pressure on himself due to talking about the Ballon d’Or? No,” Florentin is quoted by Tribal Football.

“If he says this, knowing him, it is because he really wants it. This is not the empty words.

“He will do anything to win.”

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 12/10/2016.