14th April 2016 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,479

THURSDAY, 14 APRIL, 2016

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Buhari to pipeline vandals

We will deal with you like Boko Haram

—P4

•Says no quick fix to Nigeria's problem

How Oronsaye used FG's N190m kept in secret account —Witness

Two years after

—P8

El-Zakzaky sues Army for N3bn —P7

Fuel scarcity to be over in days as more stock arrives —NNPC —P4

Chibok parents identify daughters in new video —P2,5

Rifkatu Ayuba catches sight of her long-lost, desperately missed, •FG can't put now 17-year-old. "My Saratu!" She wails, reaching out to a laptop timeline on Chibok girls' screen, the closest she's been to her child in two years. rescue —Osinbajo •US calls for unconditional release of all hostages •NLC demands their safe return •BBOG urges FG to speed up rescue effort •Nigeria has failed the girls —Tunde Bakare

AGONY OF A MOTHER: Mothers of the Chibok girls abducted on April 14, 2014, Rifkatu Ayuba, Yana Galang and Mary Ishaya, at a hotel in Maiduguri, Borno State, watching their children alive, first time in two years, in a video recently obtained by CNN.

2016 budget: Reps direct Dogara to meet Buhari •Senators divided along North-South lines

—P7

2 news

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Chibok girls’ parents identify missing daughters in new video By Seyi Gesinde

ARENTS of the missing Chibok girls are said to be seeing their missing daughters for the first time, two years after their abduction in a news video said to have been sent to negotiators by their captors as a “proof of life.” The Cable Network News (CNN) said a copy of the video, which it obtained, had been seen by negotiators and some members of Nigeria’s government. “But no one had shown the parents, until now,” CNN said. According to CNN, one of the parents, “Rifkatu Ayuba, catches sight of her long-lost, desperately missed, now 17-year-old. “My Saratu!” she wails, reaching out to a laptop screen, the closest she’s been to her child in two years. She is desperate to comfort her little girl, but helpless.” CNN said Saratu Ayuba is one of 15 girls seen in the recording shown to some of the families for the first time at an emotional meeting this week. Wearing a purple abaya, with a patterned brown scarf covering her hair,

Saratu stares directly into the camera. “I felt like removing her from the screen. If I could, I would have removed her from the screen,” CNN quoted Ayuba to have told its reporters, saying she was desperate to pluck Saratu from the location where she was being held and bring her home. The video, according to CNN, was believed to have been made last December, as part of negotiations between the government and Boko Haram. The American news medium said it was released by someone keen to give the girls’ parents hope that some of their daughters were still alive, and to motivate the government to help release them. While watching the video, the CNN, describing the scenario, said the parents “crowded around, their eyes glued to the computer screen, three of the girls’ mothers weep and hug each other.” Narrating how the parents were persuaded to leave their home to watch the video, CNN said some of the parents: Rifkatu Ayuba, Yana Galang and Mary Ishaya made the 77mile (125km) journey from

Chibok to Maiduguri reluctantly, not knowing what was in store; accustomed to endless media requests and intrusions into their grief, they arrived weary and impatient. “But this time it was different: there was a rare of glimmer of hope.” According to CNN, “we told them we had important information to share with them about their daughters. Then we explained that we had a video of girls we believed to be their daughters and we wanted their help to verify it. “Clad in boldly-printed headscarves and wrappers, the trio sat in the courtyard of a Maiduguri hotel and watched intently as we hit ‘play.’ “Within seconds, their worry-lined faces crumpled, the bottled-up pain of the past two years flowed freely. Hardly able to speak through the tears, Ayuba and Ishaya were able to point out their daughters, Saratu and Hauwa, in the crowd of young women on the screen. “But for Galang, there was no such reward for her journey. She looked and looked, but her daughter, Rifqata, was not among the captives shown in the

video. “Her heartrending sobs as she came to realise this were difficult to hear.” According to CNN Galang said: “We have seen enough,” she said eventually. “We know that the girls are alive and they are hidden. We are not worried. Our daughters look well. “We have heard a lot of stories before but this video confirms that they are alive. The government should negotiate with Boko Haram.” According to CNN, to the mothers, there is comfort in this at least to know that, even after two years, there is still a chance the girls will be brought home to their families. “I didn’t see my daughter but I now have more hope that she is alive. You can see what is yours on the screen but you can’t get it. All we want is our daughters,” one of the mothers told CNN. In the two-minute video also shown on CNN network with their parents seen seated in front of a laptop, the girls were seen with their hair covered and wearing long, flowing robes, line up against a dirty yellow wall. As seen in the video, the

girls show no obvious signs of maltreatment. The video echoes the voice of a man behind the camera who fires off questions at the girls as the camera focuses in on each of them: “What’s your name? Was that your name at school? Where were you taken from?” One by one, each girl calmly states her name and explains that she was taken from Chibok Government Secondary School. Only the occasional hesitation betrays a flicker of fear and emotion. Towards the end of the two-minute video clip, one of the girls identified as Naomi Zakaria, makes a final appeal, which the CNN described as “apparently scripted” appeal directed to whoever is watching, urging the Nigerian authorities to help reunite the girls with their families. She said: “I am speaking on 25 December 2015, on behalf of all the Chibok girls and we are all well,” she says, stressing the word “all.” Her intonation seems to imply that the 15 teens seen in the video have been chosen to represent the group as a whole. It has been two years since the Chibok girls were

Presidency attacks UK Telegraph over opposition persecution claims Leon Usigbe -Abuja THE Presidency, on Wednesday, attacked the Defence Editor of the London-based Telegraph, Con Coughlin, over a story he authored which claimed that Nigeria was using United Kingdom (UK) aid to persecute President Muhammadu Buhari’s political foes rather than to fight Boko Haram. A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, rejected the allegation, saying the report was full of factual inaccuracies while betraying ignorance on the ongoing war against Boko Haram. “Our attention has been drawn to a piece published on April 12, 2016, in The Telegraph (London) paper, by one Con Coughlin (identified as ‘Defence Editor’), and entitled, ‘Nigeria using UK aid to persecute president’s political foes rather to fight Boko Haram.’ “The piece is not only full of factual inaccuracies, it also betrays a shocking ignorance of Nigeria and the country’s ongoing war against terrorism. “Mr Coughlin’s editorial tactic is to quote unnamed

‘senior officials’, ‘Western diplomats,’ ‘Western officials’ and ‘political opponents’ making fact-free and unfounded statements. “It also appears that he sought out only those opinions which suited and reinforced his disgracefully false headline. Nowhere in the piece is there anything that suggests he attempted to contact the Nigerian government for its own side of the story. “Coughlin writes that ‘American officials are also angry that $2.1 billion of aid given to the Nigerian military to tackle Boko Haram has not been properly accounted for.’ “It does not occur to him that the $2.1 billion he refers to was budgeted for and wholly spent by the government that President Buhari and his party defeated in the March 2015 presidential election, and that one of President Buhari’s priorities has been investigating the misuse of those funds. “It also does not appear to occur to Mr Coughlin that the ‘political opponents’ he is falsely accusing President Buhari of ‘targeting’ and ‘persecuting’ are actually on trial on account of how they spent the $2.1 billion in question.

“Mr Coughlin is equally unaware of the fact that the investigating panel set up by President Buhari to probe the $2.1 billion recently published a preliminary report that confirmed that much of that money was indeed looted or misspent by the accused persons and that the government has started to recover the funds. “Coughlin accuses President Buhari’s government of attempting to coverup the abductions of 400 women and children ‘abducted last year by militants from the Nigerian town of Damasak.’ “This is absolutely untrue. The Damasak abductions he’s referring to, which were recently widely reported, took place, not ‘last year’ as he says, but in late 2014, well before Buhari was elected President of Nigeria. (And, by the way, President Buhari came to power on May 29, 2015, not July, as Coughlin reports). “A simple search by Mr Coughlin of his paper’s archives would have revealed these facts. A simple factcheck by his copy-editors would have spared The Telegraph the embarrassment of publishing this

drivel. “There are several other inaccuracies and baseless statements in the piece, but Mr Coughlin is too enamoured of his anonymous sources to realise they might be misleading him, or be as ignorant about the situation as he is. The suggestion that Boko Haram is going ‘from strength to strength’ is an eminently laughable one; not even Nigeria’s opposition party would make such an absurd claim. “Since President Buhari took office, schools in Borno State, shut for more than one year under the previous government, have re-opened. The same applies to the airport in Maiduguri, shut down in December 2013 after a devastating Boko Haram attack on the nearby Air Force Base. “Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have now started returning home. Last Sunday, ElKanemi Warriors Football Club played its first game in its home base of Maiduguri in more than two seasons. Until now they had been forced to play home games outside the region, on account of security concerns. “There are several more

examples of how the people of the region are finally getting a chance to rebuild their lives, as the Nigerian Armed Forces and a Multinational Joint Task Force continue their work of routing the terrorists. “Mr Coughlin not only sounds like a spokesperson for the very people whose corruption and mismanagement allowed Boko Haram to bring Nigeria to its knees – and whose disastrous legacy President Buhari has spent the last one year redeeming Nigeria from – he is also guilty of failing to observe the most basic rules of responsible journalism. “Mr Coughlin needs a refresher course on responsible journalism as much as he needs a crash course on Nigeria. Until he submits himself to these, we’re afraid he will continue to embarrass not only himself, but also the revered British media institution, Telegraph.” The UK Telegraph had claimed in the report that hundreds of millions of pounds of British foreign aid given to Nigeria to help combat Boko Haram terrorists was instead being used to fund a witch-hunt against opposition politicians.

stolen from their families. For the first time, we see some of the girls alive in a video obtained by CNN. This is who they are. “The date given by Naomi matches information embedded in the video, suggesting it was filmed on Christmas Day, though whether that’s true or whether the day was picked deliberately is unknown,” CNN said. The girls who were Christians, according to CNN are believed to have been forced to convert to Islam by their terrorist captors. It would be recalled that the schoolgirls’ kidnapping and a lack of progress in tracking down and returning the girls, sparked mass protests in Nigeria and across the world, with luminaries including United States First Lady Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai joining the social media campaign to #BringBackOurGirls. According to CNN, “the Nigerian government said it has a copy of the “proof of life” video, and that it is in negotiations with those who supplied it to secure the girls’ release, but said it remains unable to confirm or reject the recording’s authenticity. The CNN quoted Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, as saying “there were concerns that the girls did not appear to have changed sufficiently, that they are not as different as one might expect, given the two years that have elapsed since their disappearance.” CNN said it spoke to a classmate of the girls seen in the footage, who confirmed the identity of several of her friends. “The soft-spoken teen, whose identity we will not reveal for her safety, was supposed to be at the school that Sunday night to sit for examinations along with the other girls, but made a last minute decision to go home, from where she could hear the school being attacked,” CNN said. “We ran into the bush and stayed there for a month,” CNN quoted a classmate of the missing Chibok girls to have said. CNN said “watching the video, she becomes emotional, exclaiming ‘Oh my God!’ as she recognises a close friend, points out another who was in the same hostel as her, and identifies one of the school’s prefects, a leader in her class. “While she considers herself one of the “lucky ones,” the teenager said she still has nightmares about the experience.” “If I hear something on the news about them, it makes me have bad dreams and I cry,” she confides in CNN.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

4 news

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Buhari to pipeline vandals: We will deal with you like Boko Haram •Says no quick fix to Nigeria’s problems •FG to honour Jonathan’s agreements, he adds Leon Usigbe - Abuja

N a bid to stem the spate of vandalism on oil and gas installation in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that his administration will deal with culprits the way it is dealing with Boko Haram terrorists. He made this known on Wednesday, in Beijing, China, warning vandals and saboteurs blowing up such installations to desist immediately or face the same drastic action being taken against Boko Haram by the Armed Forces. The president also warned Nigerians not to expect quick fixes to Nigerian’s problems given the nation’s history Speaking at a meeting with members of the Nigerian community in China, President Buhari also reaffirmed his total commitment to winning the war against corruption, saying corruption was an arch-enemy of the nation, which had destroyed the lives of many Nigerians. He said: “I ask for your support to make our vision of stamping out corruption a reality in the shortest

possible time. Whoever is caught will not be spared. “The government is still being dared, but those who are sensible should have learnt a lesson. Let those who are mad continue in their madness. “I am aware that in the last two weeks, the national grid collapsed a number of times. I hope this message

will reach the vandals and saboteurs, who are blowing up pipelines and installations. “We will deal with them the way we dealt with Boko Haram,” the president declared. President Buhari assured the Nigerian community that the Federal Government was working very hard

to overcome current national challenges and deliver on its promise of a better Nigeria. He added: “Clearly, our vision of a diversified and inclusive economy will not be achieved overnight. It will be a long and in some cases, painful journey. I am very confident, we will get there, but we must start that journey now.

“We hear proposals for shortcuts or quick wins. However, all we need to do is look at our history to know that there are no quick wins or shortcuts in fixing Nigeria. The many decades of damage and destruction cannot be repaired overnight. “The reform programme we are implementing is not because oil prices are be-

President Muhammadu Buhari receiving a presentation from Mr Lei FanPei, Chairman of China Aerospace Science Technology Corporation, accompanied by Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, as President Buhari visits the China Aerospace Science Technology Corporation Centre, in Beijing, China, on Tuesday.

Fuel scarcity to be over in days as more stock arrives —NNPC Says imports cost $1.8bn per quarter Leon Usigbe - Abuja THE persistent fuel queues in the country will disappear in the next few days, going by assurances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Giving an update on the supply and distribution of the product during a press briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, a management team lead by its Chief Executive Officer (Upstream), Bello Rabiu, pledged that the corporation would saturate the market

with more petrol than the nation could consume. Flanked by the Chief Operating Officer (Downstream), Henry Nkem-Obi; Chief Operating Officer (Refineries), Anibo Kragha and the Group General Manager (Public Affairs), Garbadeen Mohammed, Rabiu said as at Wednesday, five vessels were discharging product in various parts of the country. He said apart from these, private importers were also discharging at least 120 million litres of their product to complement NNPC im-

ports. He explained that there was delay in circulation of the product across the country because they had to be trucked since the pipelines were still not in good condition. Rabiu said: “The plan going forward from today, we want to make sure that we give more than what is required in the whole country. The total requirement of the country is just about 1,300 trucks, but our plan is to make at least 1,500 available everyday until this

Channels TV correspondent in Imo regains freedom Joe Nwachukwu - Owerri IMO State correspondent of the Channels TV, Temitope Kutiyi, who was in the early hours of Monday kidnapped by gunmen, has regained his freedom. This was as a result of a rigorous manhunt mounted by the state police command, which combed all nooks and crannies of the state to rescue the journalist. Imo State Police Commissioner, Taiwo Lakanu, had shortly after the kidnap of Mr

Kutiyi, led a team of over 100 operatives of the command on a rescue operation. In an “Operation BushCombing”, the Police Commissioner led a team of operatives to Ohoba, in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, where intelligence report revealed that the victim was in captivity. Nigerian Tribune learnt that after a three-hour search operation in the village and adjoining forests, the kidnappers were under pressure to release the kid-

napped, who was subsequently rescued unhurt on Tuesday, April 12. A release made available to journalists in Owerri by the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Mr Andrew Enwerem, explained that the notorious kidnap suspects involved in the kidnap of the victim had been identified, but was on the run, though he added that intensive investigation was in progress to ensure his arrest and subsequent prosecution.

thing clears up. “So, we want to make sure that we saturate the market in a very short time and I think you can see clearly now that Lagos is almost cleared and Abuja is getting better. Other places will follow.” He said the corporation knows what each state needs and the demand would be met, saying: “We just want to ensure this thing happen and quickly too.” He again apologised for the fuel scarcity on behalf of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and the NNPC, assuring that it would never repeat itself. Rabiu noted that part of the ways to guard against recurrence was to have in-country storage capacity, so that it would take minimum time to move products to depots in any part of the country, adding that the NNPC was, therefore, concentrating on that. The CEO stated that efforts were also underway to ensure that the refineries and the pipelines were put back to order, to achieve stability and make fuel queues a thing of the past. He appealed to Nigerians

to refrain from panic buying, as the products would now be available on a regular basis in all the filling stations across the country. Rabiu also noted that the Port Harcourt Refinery had started delivering about five million litres a day, which was enough for Port Harcourt and Bayelsa areas, while Warri was close to adding another two million litres. He said 12 cargoes of fuel ordered by the corporation online were expected to be on Nigerian waters by next week, to meet the demand and supply balance. NNPC, he said, was also working to ensure that private importers who had approvals to import get foreign exchange cover to bring in the cargoes on time. Rabiu revealed the country was spending about $1.8 billion per quarter to import fuel. According to him, “as we speak today, a cargo of products of about 49 million litres will cost us about 13 to 14 million dollars and we need about 45 to 50 million litres to satisfy the country fully depending on the time.”

low $45 per barrel today. It is because when oil prices were over $100 per barrel, majority of Nigerians were still suffering. “They were simply forgotten and left behind. So, our reforms are to ensure that the majority of Nigerians are not left behind.” President Buhari also assured the Nigerian community that his administration was fulfilling its promise to improve security across the country. “When we came into office in 2015, Boko Haram insurgents occupied 14 local government areas. Today, I am pleased to say the insurgents have been routed out of these local governments and their capacity to fight as a force has been significantly degraded. “We will continue working hard to ensure that the group is eliminated. This is achievable and we will not settle for anything less,” he said. Meanwhile, President Buhari has assured that his administration will honour all agreements concluded between Nigeria and China under former President Goodluck Jonathan and other previous administrations. This he said was to ensure the speedy completion of outstanding joint projects, including the 4,000 megawatts Mambilla HydroElectric Power Project. Speaking on Wednesday, in Beijing, China, at a meeting with the Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, Mr Li Keqiang, President Buhari regretted failure of past governments to meet Nigeria’s obligations in joint projects with China. The president told the Chinese Premier that his administration was committed to the completion in the shortest possible time, of all joint power, rail, road and aviation projects that would directly and quickly improve the lives of Nigerians. President Buhari said he was particularly keen on actualising the Mambilla Power Project because of its huge potential to boost employment and national economic growth. The Chinese Premier commended ongoing efforts by the Buhari-led administration to improve Nigeria’s infrastructure. He assured the president that China was ready to work with his administration to complete all joint projects, including the Mambilla Power Project.

5 news FG can’t put timeline on Chibok girls’ rescue —Osinbajo

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Chris Agbambu and Leon Usigbe -Abuja

ICE-President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday, reassured that from the security reports available to the Federal Government, it was still possible to rescue the 217 girls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, two years ago, adding, however, that government could not put a timeline to the rescue. Speaking in Abuja, at a one-day roundtable on vulnerable people in Nigeria and in other conflicts in the country, in honour the Chibok girls and other victims of internal conflicts in the country, he cautioned that people should not assume that government was not doing enough to bring back the girls to their families. He revealed that at every security council meeting that he had attended, President Muhammadu Buhari had always sought to know the fastest way to rescue the abductees, but because the issue was very complicated, government could not say exactly when it would be achieved.

NLC demands their safe return Soji-Eze Fagbemi -Abuja The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Wednesday, demanded the safe return of the Chibok girls, saying the Nigerian Government must intensify the security measures to liberate the girls. A statement signed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the congress with its 50 affiliate industrial unions nation-wide and 6 million organised members “joins the world to demand for the safe return of the abducted school girls.” Comrade Wabba said the demand for the return of Chibok girls was also part of the planned day of protest on the state of the nation, by the congress. He recalled that it was exactly two years the girls were criminally abducted from their school of learning by Boko Haram terrorists. “Precisely, 276 schoolgirls were abducted in their school, 57 escaped, 219 remain missing till date. As many as 17 of their parents have reportedly lost their lives as a result of the trauma and many are daily agonising. NLC salutes the leadership of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) for keeping the memory of the girls alive,” he said.

He said: “At every security council meeting that I have attended, the president has always been concerned about Chibok girls. He thinks of how this can be done quickly. “But it’s a very delicate is-

sue and we cannot say we can deal with it next week. Every rescue attempt must take the safety of the girls into consideration.” Osinbajo assured that “from the security report we got, we will be able to bring

back the girls, but we must exercise some caution and patience and not sound as if it can be done but it’s not being done.” The vice-president pointed out that everything that could be done to rescue the

girls was being done with the assistance of international partners, saying that apart from the rescue of the girls, the situation of other vulnerable Nigerians remained the focus of the present administration.

Amnesty International to participate in second year #BringBackOurGirls demonstrations …Asks FG to ensure the girls are returned Yejide Gbenga -Ogundare Amnesty International has stated that it will join #BringBackOurGirls demonstrations in Abuja and campaigners around the world to mark the second anniversary of the kidnap of 270 Chibok girls and remember all those abducted, killed and displaced by the armed group. “Activists from the organisation will join #BringBackOurGirls demonstrations in Abuja and campaigners around the world to mark the anniversary and remember all those abducted, killed and displaced by the armed group.” This group made this dec-

laration in a statement issued by its Nigeria office on Wednesday, adding that “two years after Chibok abductions, it is time to Bring Back Our Girls.” According to Amnesty, all those abducted by Boko Haram must be released and those whose lives have been devastated by the armed group must receive support and justice. “Few of us can begin to comprehend the suffering of parents who have not seen their daughters for two years. In addition to the Chibok schoolgirls, today we also remember all those abducted, killed and displaced. Two years on,

the Chibok girls have come to symbolise all the civilians whose lives have been devastated by Boko Haram,” M K Ibrahim, the Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, stated. Whilst the fate of 219 of the 276 schoolgirls taken from Chibok Secondary School remains unknown, so does that of thousands of other women, girls, young men and boys abducted by Boko Haram. Amnesty International is calling on Boko Haram to stop targeting and killing civilians and for the Nigerian government to take all possible lawful steps to ensure their protection and restore

security in the North-East. The international community should also continue to assist Nigeria’s government in addressing the threat posed by Boko Haram. “Muhammadu Buhari’s government should do all it lawfully can to bring an end to the agony of the parents of the Chibok girls and all those abducted. They should do more to bring back our girls, guarantee the protection of civilians in the North-East and ensure access to education for children in the region. Those guilty of inflicting this unspeakable suffering must be brought to justice, once and for all,” Ibrahim stated.

Nigeria has failed the girls —Tunde Bakare Adetola Bademosi -Abuja As Nigeria marks yet another year without the Chibok girls, different questions have again popped up on whether the girls will ever return or not. At an event to commemorate the second anniversary of the 219 abducted girls in Abuja, on Sunday, Fiery preacher and Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Gospel Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, stated that the entire country had failed the missing girls. In his message, themed: “It is better to hope than to despair,’ he said if only the government had provided adequate security for the students during their final examinations, perhaps the unfortunate incident might have been avoided. He noted that the Federal Government saw the incident as critical, when it started generating global outcry. According to him, even the frantic efforts put in place to rescue the girls were ladened with combination of confusion, helplessness, false alarms of rescue and false reports of breakthroughs in negotiations. Despite opportunities that sprung up at the initial stage of the abduction to rescue the girls, he said the former administration took these for granted. “We recall also that nothing was done when our daughters were allowed to be carted all the way from Chibok to Sambisa, spending two days on Damboa-

Gwoza Road. “Nothing was done when an ‘actionable intelligence report’ was provided by the United States on the location of our girls. Nothing was done when our daughters were kept in Gonori Pri-

mary School and showcased to the world as booties of war. “Instead, the nation looked on. The nation looked as our daughters were dispersed; the nation looked on when they could have been res-

cued,” he lamented. In his speech, he accused the administration of politicising the entire incident, saying “it is most severely injurious to see that the fate of our daughters has been frequently politicised.

US calls for unconditional release of all hostages

Releases $240m assistance to displaced persons Christian Okeke -Abuja, with Agency Report As the second anniversary of the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school in Chibok approaches, United States Government has, again, called for immediate release, without preconditions, of all hostages held by Boko Haram. It said the kidnapping of the young women, along with the kidnappings of countless others by Boko Haram, epitomised the terrorist group’s depravity. In a statement issued by the Deputy Spokesperson at the Department of State, Mark Toner, the United States said it would continue to assist the Nigerian government’s efforts to locate and bring home all those who had been kidnapped by Boko Haram with intelligence and advisory support. According to Toner, “the United States is also delivering over $240 million in development and humanitarian assistance across the Lake Chad Basin region to provide conflict-affected

populations and refugees with transitional assistance, psycho-social services, health programmes and emergency education for children displaced by violence.’’ Meanwhile, the United States government, on Wednesday, announced the delivering of about $240 million (about N76.8 billion) as development and humanitarian assistance to displaced persons across the Lake Chad Basin. The U.S. Department of State in a statement that did not identify the recipient, said that the fund was to provide affected persons and refugees with transitional assistance. The statement also said that the $240 million (about N76.8b) would be used to provide them with psychosocial services, health programmes, as well as emergency education for their children. “The U.S. will continue to assist the Nigerian government’s efforts to locate and bring home all those who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram, with intelli-

gence and advisory support. “The U.S. is also delivering over $240 million in development and humanitarian assistance across the Lake Chad Basin to provide conflict-affected populations and refugees with transitional assistance,’’ the statement added.

UN rights group wants progress in Chibok girls’ case A United Nations (UN) and African human rights group have appealed to the Nigerian-based terror group, Boko Haram, to reveal the location of the 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno, in 2014. The group made the plea in a statement issued in New York, ahead the April 14 second anniversary of the abduction of the girls. The group also urged the government to intensify efforts to free all civilians kidnapped by the insurgents. “In the last two years, in spite of re-assurances from those at the highest level of the Nigerian government, the parents have not seen any concrete progress in locating and liberating their daughters. “The lack of access to information increases the suffering of the abductees’ families through false hopes and frustrations,” it said. The rights experts said while they understood the security considerations put forward by the authorities, which prevented the disclosure of information, they were deeply concerned about the feeling of the concerned families. “The grievances of the families and their most basic right to be kept informed about the plight of their loved ones has largely been ignored. The experts believe that the Nigerian authorities should meet the parents’ demand for the designation of a focal point to liaise with the families of abducted persons and provide them with regular information and assistance.

BBOG urges FG to speed up rescue effort The Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) Movement, on Wednesday, implored the Federal Government to speed up effort at rescuing the abducted Chibok school girls. Mr Sesugh Akume, the spokesperson of BBOG, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that time was running out as the girls would have spent two years in captivity by April 14. NAN reported that the female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, on the night of April 14, 2014 by the Boko Haram insurgents. Akume said it was the duty of the Nigerian gov-

ernment to rescue the Chibok girls from Boko Haram captivity. “On January 14, we met with President Mohammadu Buhari and he promised to open an investigation into the abduction of these girls. It is three months now and that investigation is yet to be completed. “Opening that investigation will lead to credible intelligence that will lead to the rescue of the Chibok girls. “By tomorrow, it will be 730 days since these girls were abducted. The previous government was slow in taking action, this new government gave us hope,” he said.

news

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Lagos @ 50 controversy: Falana defends Soyinka Lanre Adewole-Lagos

ENIOR Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has defended the choice of Professor Wole Soyinka as the cochairman of the committee superintending activities geared towards celebrating Lagos State golden anniversary. Lagos indigenes under different socio-cultural umbrella had kicked against the appointment made by Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. In a statement, Falana cited legal authorities and judicial precedents to drive his support for the Nobel Laureate. He contended that Soyinka by reasons of his contributions to the development of the state and long-time residency was constitutionally-qualified to hold such a position in Lagos, though of Ogun State parentage and heritage. According to him, “Professor Wole Soyinka’s parents were from Ogun State. His father hailed from Isara, an Ijebu community while his mother was an Egba woman. Even though ours is a patriarchal society, the Nobel Laureate has always de-

scribed himself as “Ijegba”, a word coined by him from his Ijebu and Egba roots. But the Ijegba man has lived in Lagos and made it a home like many Nigerians and foreigners alike. “As a young lecturer, he began his teaching career at the University of Lagos. On account of his involvement in the struggle for social justice he has read poems and delivered speeches in Lagos to arouse the Nigerian people to fight tyranny and oppression. He has also led protests on the streets of Lagos against the dictatorial tendencies and excesses of the civilian and military wings of the ruling class. “To stop the carnage on

our poorly maintained roads, he inspired a group of road safety corps of volunteers to manage a chaotic traffic situation in the 70s. The Federal Government bought the concept and set up the Federal Road Safety Commission. In adopting the concept, the Bola Tinubu administration established the Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA). But for the strident opposition of a group of artists led by Professor Soyinka against the privatisation of the National Theatre at Orile Iganmu in Lagos, the edifice would have been sold to a business tycoon who might have converted the

historical monument to a shopping mall! “Several years ago, the Lagos State had rightly acquired the site of the colonial prison along Broad Street in Lagos for a public purpose. As the government was thinking of what to do with the site, it was Professor Soyinka who convinced the Babatunde Fashola administration to turn it into a centre for the promotion of arts and culture. The beautiful arts theatre erected by the state at the site is now known as the Freedom Park. The theatre, which is patronised by local and foreign artists, has become a popular entertainment centre

in Lagos State. In spite of his very busy schedules, Professor Soyinka superintends the management of the theatre. “Having regard to his contribution to the development of Lagos State, the appointment of Professor Soyinka as a co-chair of the 50th anniversary committee of the creation of the state by Governor Akin Ambode, was hailed in many circles. However, it has not gone down well with the members of the “Eko Foundation,” who have said that the temporary appointment ought to have been allocated to an indigene of Lagos State.

Taxi drivers stage one-day warning strike Biola Azeez-Ilorin

COMMUTERS in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital and environs were stranded at various bus stops on Wednesday, as taxi drivers embarked on a one-day warning strike over fuel scarcity. The Nigerian Tribune investigations revealed that people were caught unawares as they woke up to realise that there were no cabs on the road. It is recalled that motorists in the state had suffered hardship in the past few weeks as a result of persistent fuel scarcity in the area, as they said that they paid over N200 for a litre of petrol amidst long hours spent on queues at filling stations. Speaking on the development, the state chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), Alhaji Issa Aliyu Ore, said the taxi drivers downed-tool without recourse to the state leadership of the union. He noted that if the union had fore-knowledge of the strike action, it would not allow them to proceed. Ore also said that the Chief of Staff to the state governor, Alhaji Baba Yusuf Abdulwahab, was meeting with some top members of transport union in the state on how to resolve the industrial logjam.

Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari (left), receiving made-in-Aba products from wife of the governor of Abia State, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu, during a courtesy call on the wife of the president by Abia State women, in Abuja, on Wednesday. PHOTO: NAN

UI supports research, awards grants By Vera Onana

THE College of Medicine, University of Ibadan via its College Research and Innovation Management Unit (CRIM), showed support for research and knowledge as mentored research grant for early career researchers was awarded to nine scholars.

This was showcased at a workshop on dissemination of the research findings by awardees on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at the Paul Hendrickse Lecture Theatre of the University’s College of Medicine. While delivering the welcome address, provost, College of Medicine, Pro-

fessor B.L. Salako, stated that research should gain ascendency in every nation for its progress. He said “research should help in policy formulation in the nation and that is why we are celebrating research by giving grants to young researchers so we can mentor them and encourage

Windstorm destroys over 100 houses in Niger Adelowo Oladipo-Minna

NO fewer than over 100 residential buildings were destroyed by windstorm, last Monday evening, at Kagara town, headquarters of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, while hundreds of inhabitants of the affected buildings were rendered homeless by the heavy rainfall that was accompanied by windstorm on the fateful evening. The Chairman, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State and Chairman, Association of Local Government chairmen in the state, Alhaji Gambo Tanko Kagara, stated this

in a Press statement he made available to newsmen in Minna, on Wednesday , while commiserating with the victims of the windstorm. The Council chairman, however stated that no life was lost during the unfortunate incident, but added that goods estimated at several hundreds of millions of Naira were also destroyed, particularly at Sabon Gari, Cikin Gari and Makujeri areas of Kagara. Alhaji Tanko, however, disclosed that he had gone round the affected places with his council officials and security personnel for on the spot assessment of

the damages caused the residents by the windstorm, accompanied by the heavy downpour the following day (Tuesday morning), few hours after the incident. He thereby appealed to the State government, in conjunction with both the State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency with a view to coming to the aid of the victims, just as he advised the victims to stop counting their losses but should rather thank God for sparing their lives as well as consider the unfortunate incident as an act of God.

them as well.” Salako added that the College of Medicine has become an edifice that it is at present because of research grants while emphasising that awarding of grants is synonymous to building the future of the College of Medicine. The workshop, which was convened to offer opportunity for young scholars to demonstrate their ability to implement scientifically and ethically balanced research while fulfilling an ethical obligation which requires scientists to disseminate their findings, kicked off with the presentation of the first scholar, Ifeoluwa Awogbindin of the department of Biochemistry, who was mentored by Professor Ebenezer Farombi. It will be recalled that in February 2014, the College Management launched the Mentored Research Grant for Early Career Researchers Scheme to award grants to young researchers in the College. Also, in July 2014, the College gave awards with a value of N350, 000 each to nine deserving scholars from its four faculties.

Police smash syndicate behind kidnapping in Bauchi Isaac Shobayo-Jos

THE anti kidnapping unit of the Bauchi State Police Command has smashed a syndicate, which specialised in kidnapping and robbing citizens of the state along Darazo, Bununu and Kundan axis of the state. According to a statement issued by the state Police Command, signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, large ammunitions were recovered from the criminals in Lame/ Bura forest in Ningi Local Government Area of the state. The statement pointed out that the suspects confessed to have been behind series of kidnappings in the state, adding that the command has commenced full investigation after which the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution. According to Mohammed, exhibits recovered from the suspects include, two fabricated revolver long range guns with 9 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, one revolver pistol with six rounds of 0.9mm ammunition, 13 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition and one round of 7.62 mm.

2019: PDP targets 30 states —Sheriff Jacob Segun Olatunji And Leon Usigbe -Abuja

NATIONAL Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, on Wednesday, said the target of the party was to win not less than 30 governorship seats in 2019 general elections. Senator Sheriff, who disclosed this on Wednesday, when he received a delegation from the Bauchi State chapter of the party, however, pleaded with the members to bury their differences and work towards bringing the PDP back to winning ways. According to him, “We must bring our party back. I want a situation where, by next election, PDP will get at least 30 states.” While describing PDP’s performance in Bauchi State in 2015 as a disaster, he expressed the belief that if members of the party in the state decided to work together, nothing would stop them from winning in 2019.

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Thursday, 14 April, 2016

DSS arrests deputy of Al-Barnawi, detained Boko Haram kingpin Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja

HE Department of State Services (DSS), on Wednesday, paraded one Bello Danhajiya, said to be a close associate and presumed second-in-command to the detained Khalid AlBarnawi, said to be known for his leadership and notoriety in terrorism activities in Nigeria. “With the arrest of Al-Barnawi, the DSS has made an uncommon success in the decimation of these groups and their leadership,” the service stated. This was as it also paraded five suspects who specialised in impersonating and defrauding top government officials and Very Important Personalities (VIPs) in the society. According to the Service, one of the suspects, Aminu Ado, was in possession of mobile phone numbers of all the Federal Executive Council (FEC) members, some state governors, their wives and aides, as well as that of prominent Nigerians and military/police officers. Mallam Garba Abdullai, who spoke for the Service, said Ado was arrested on March 24, at Keffi, Nasarawa State and had confessed to defrauding LieutenantGeneral T.Y. Danjuma (retd) of N1 million in 2015, as well as the wife of the Akwa Ibom State governor of N300,000, in collaboration with one Hajia Aisha (FNU), who impersonated the wife of former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje. He said in addition, Ado confessed to defrauding members of the public, by claiming to be the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the president. Another suspect, identified as David Ali Michika, said to have once lived in

Riyad, Saudi Arabia, for 10 years as an illegal immigrant until he was deported in 2008, was said to have been arrested in Kano for impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Michika, according to the DSS, was said to have called several high ranking government officials, soliciting funds to settle spiritualists (Mallams) for prayers rendered for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general election and for peace in the nation. Another suspect, Umar Hamza, a 39-year-old school teacher from Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State, was reportedly recruited by Michika to act as the spiritualist based in Niger Republic, to be paid

for the service rendered. Mallam Garba said Hamza received calls from the victims, while pretending to be the spiritualist. Also, the fourth suspect, James Malu Akune, a 40-year-old male from Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State, claimed to be a contractor with business interests in China and

the United States (US), was alleged to be parading himself as the brother to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and defrauded people on false promises of contracts. He was said to have equally arranged to get contract for companies from the victim’s Support Committee for the North-East, headed

LEADER of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has sued the Nigerian Army and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, claiming the sum of N3 billion as general and aggravated damages for his illegal detention and violation of his fundamental rights. Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, on Wednesday, one of the IMN’s counsel, Mr Festus Okoye, disclosed that when they met with the leader of the Shi’ite, he direct-

based on a tip-off, said the suspects had opened various bank accounts to collect money from their victims. However, there was mild drama, as both Kazeem and Akune denied their involvement in the allegations levelled against them, claiming that they were not aware as to why they were at the DSS headquarters.

Senate begins legislation on PIB Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja THE Senate, on Wednesday, flagged off the process of passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), as the bill passed a first reading. The bill has, however, been rechristened Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill (PIGB) and

sponsored by Senator Donald Alasoadura, chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream.) It was gathered that the two chambers of the National Assembly had recently harmonised a new draft of the PIB renamed PIGB. The lawmakers at the first reading of the bill, it was

gathered, was the outcome of its harmonisation by both chambers of the National Assembly and making it the third time the bill would pass first reading in the Senate. The Senate also directed its Joint Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream), Finance and Appropriation to im-

mediately commence the investigation of joint venture cash calls by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Critics of the government had, however, blamed the National Assembly over prevalent corruption in petroleum industry, which they stated the bill set out to salvage.

2016 budget: Reps direct Dogara to meet Buhari

Senators divided along North-South lines Taiwo Adisa, Ayodele Adesanmi, Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel - Abuja AS the controversy over the passage of the 2016 budget appropriation rages on, the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, mandated the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, to interface with President Muhammadu Buhari over the matter. The decision was taken after executive session of the House, where the issue was debated for several hours. Briefing newsmen on Wednesday after the executive session, the chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Honourable Abdulrasaq Namdas, said the mission of the visit was to find out from Buhari the problem with the budget as passed. Speaking on the outcome

of the executive session, the House spokesperson, said “we were fully briefed by the chairman, Appropriation Committee and we agreed as a chamber, as a House delegated the Speaker to please, go ahead and engage the executive to identify the areas of concern and that he should report back to us.” On the controversial Calabar-Lagos Rail project, he said “I want to reiterate here, for the second time, that the project was not among the projects submitted by the president to the National Assembly.” Speaking further, he said “we are not saying as a House that the Calabar-Lagos rail project is not good, we know it is a viable project. “Our own area of concern is that people say this thing was in the budget and we removed it. That is why we are making this clarification

and again, I want to state it clearly that up till now, there is no communication from the Executive, the president, to the National Assembly. “All we read in the media are other people’s opinions, but Mr President has not come out clearly on this and this is my problem with the budget that has been passed, because as we were told, this budget has been taken back to ministries for them to examine and get back to the president. “That is why we asked our Speaker to liase with the Executive and let’s know what is the issue, because we are elected by the people and we are here to serve Nigerians,” he stated. Meanwhile, the House has reportedly barred its chairman, Appropriation Committee, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, for further comments on controversies

El-Zakzaky sues Army for N3bn Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

by T.Y. DANJUMA before his arrest. The fifth suspect, Kazeem Kayode Usma, according to the Service, was arrested in Lagos on April 12 and had been on the trail of security agencies for the impersonation of Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the president. DSS, while stating that the arrests of the suspects were

ed them to file a suit challenging his continued detention and violation of rights. He said the leader of the movement had no faith in the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State government. “His grouse was that the membership of the commission were mostly members that were antagonistic to the movement. “The leader told us how can a person, who wrote a book against us and advocated that we should be killed and our schools destroyed, now be called upon to serve in a committee that will discuss

the movement. How will that person be fair to the movement?” he queried. It was based on his directive that the legal team decided to institute a suit against the Nigeria Army and the Chief of Army Staff before the Federal High Court in Abuja, on April 11. Joined alongside the Army Chief as defendants in the suit are the Director-General State Security Service (SSS), Inspector-General of Police and the AttorneyGeneral of the federation. The suit is seeking an order to compel the above respondents jointly to pay

their client the sum of N1billion as general damages and another N2 billion as aggravated damages for his illegal violation of his fundamental rights to life, dignity of his person, fair hearing, privacy and private property. Meanwhile, the spiritual leader of the movement, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has reportedly lost his sight. Speaking in a news conference in Kaduna, on Wednesday, one of his legal counsel, Mr Kyon Maxwell, disclosed that the leader of the Shi’ite had lost his left eye, while his right eye was severely damaged.

surrounding the 2016 budget. Jibrin was alleged to have attracted N4.6 billion projects to his constituency alone in the controversial budget. Sources present at the executive session confided in Nigerian Tribune that Jibrin was scolded by his colleagues over the development, with some of them calling for his resignation. Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the 2016 budget appears to have divided senators along the Northern and Southern lines. Nigerian Tribune confirmed on Wednesday that senators of the Southern part of the country have broken ranks with their northern counterparts on the budget controversy. It was gathered that senators from the Southern part of Nigeria insisted after a closeddoor meeting late Tuesday, that President Muhammadu Buhari should withhold his assent to the 2016 budget if the Appropriation Committees of both chambers refused to include the Calabar-Lagos rail project in the 2016 Appropriation Bill. It was also gathered that the Presidency was set to return the budget document to the National Assembly. Though some sources said the budget had been returned, sources in the assembly could not confirm the development. Senators of the SouthWest and the South-South zones met on Tuesday night and resolved to oppose the removal of the Lagos-Calabar rail line.

The senators from the Southern part of the country, who were said to have met at the residence of Senator Gbenga Ashafa, to decide on the way forward for the budget. Senators who attended the caucus meetings confided in Nigerian Tribune that the call for the supplementary budget was an attempt to deny the South an opportunity to enjoy a viable rail project. Confirming the position of the Southern senators in an interview with Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, on Wednesday, Senator Soji Akanbi, (APC, Oyo South) said the Southern caucus of the Senate was solidly behind Ashafa’s position on the Lagos-Calabar rail line. Akanbi noted that the argument of the appropriation committees that they could not accommodate the Calabar-Lagos rail project, because it was not included in the budget presented by Buhari was not tenable because a supplementary provision was supplied. The Oyo South senator explained that similar situation happened in the committee of solid minerals when the rents on some of the ministry’s properties were omitted in the budget presented. He said the officials of the ministry were asked to go and re-present a supplementary budget of N5 million which was instantly included by the committee and presented to the appropriation committee and consequently accommodated.

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Thursday, 14 April, 2016

How Oronsaye used FG’s N190m kept in secret account — Witness Sunday Ejike - Abuja

prosecution witness and an employee of Access Bank Plc, Olubunmi Ojoko, on Wednesday, narrated how a former Head of Service (HoS), Mr Stephen Oronsaye, allegedly used the Federal Government’s N190 million, he kept in a secret account in his capacity as the then Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force. The witness was testifying as the second prosecution witness in Oronsaye’s ongoing trial before Justice Olasunbo Goodluck of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Maitama, Abuja. The witness said she was the Access Bank’s officer in charge of the account, which the former Head of Service was said to have unilaterally opened in the name of the Presidential Committee on FATF without the approval of the Accountant-General of the Federation, adding also that the account was not known to other members of the committee. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, on March 15, 2016 arraigned Oronsaye on a two-count charge bordering on breach of trust which he allegedly committed between 2013 and 2014 by defrauding the Federal Government of N190 million using his position as the then Chairman of the Presidential Committee on FATF. Ojoko opened her testimony shortly after the first prosecution witness, Ngunnan Kakwagh, an EFCC investigator, was cross-examined by the defence team led by Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), on Wednesday. Kakwagh in her earlier testimony on March 15, 2016 had alleged that the ex-Head of Service unilaterally operated the Access Bank account in the name of the PCFATF and received a total of N204 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the account. When the matter came up on Wednesday, Ojoko, led in evidence by the EFCC’s lead prosecuting counsel, Mr Ufom Uket, told the court how Oronsaye opened the Access Bank account on behalf of the PCFATF in 2012, without obtaining an approval from the AccountantGeneral of the Federation. “He (Oronsaye) called me that he needed to open an account on behalf of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force. “I met him at his residence

in Asokoro, where I handed him the documents for the account, including the Access Bank account opening request of the committee signed by him, his passport photograph, copy of his passport and documents that set up the committee by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation. “I scrutinised the documents and discovered that the Accountant-General of the Federation’s approval was not included. So I asked him for it and he said it was not necessary. I asked for the Accountant-General of the Federation’s approval because it is needed when opening a government account. Since he said that it wasn’t necessary, I took him by his word. “I took the documents to the bank and the account was opened”, she said and added that she never met any other member of the committee, including Mr. Jalal Arabi, a counsel in the presidential Villa, who served as the secretary to the committee, throughout the period the account was operated,” she said. She said there were a total of four lodgments into the account from the CBN and other cash deposits, adding also that the lodgments totalled N285 million, part of which were invested in fixed deposits with part of the interests that accrued re-invested.

She said as of the time the account was closed, Oronsaye had withdrawn from the account about N150 milllion which was partly the accrued interests on the investments, through cheques which he allegedly issued in favour of himself and various beneficiaries. Ojoko said: “The first transfer was N50 million in October 2012. The second withdrawal was in April 2012 of N90 million from the CBN. In May 2013, there was cash lodgment of N45 million, The fourth lodgment of N100 million came in December 2014 from CBN. “After the first lodgment (of N50 million from CBN) several cheques were drawn by the defendant (Oronsaye) in favour of various beneficiaries. “The second inflow of N90 million was invested in fixed deposit account. It was fixed in Banker’s Acceptance which is a form of investment, for 90 days at nine per cent. On maturity, the N45 million (the third inflow) had come and it was fixed for 90 days. “Upon maturity, they (the investments) were usually rolled over on the instruction of Mr Stephen Oronsaye and the interest was credited into his current account. “The N100 million (the fourth inflow) came in December 2014 and it was placed in fixed in Banker’s Acceptance for 90 days. The

total of investments and roll overs were about 28. “About N150 million interests accrued on all the investments. Now the account is at zero balance after the N163.5 million in it was transferred to the Treasury Single Account.” The witness was led to read from the statement of the account which was tendered and admitted by the court without any objection from the defence. Giving the breakdown of the cash withdrawals from the account, she said, “On September 20, 2013 -there was a cheque withdrawal of N900,000 in favour of Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On October 31, 2013, there was a cheque withdrawal of N500,000 in favour of Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On December 12, 2013, there was a cash withdrawal of N3million in favour of Mr. Stepehen Oronsaye. “On December 23, 2013, there was another withdrawal of N3million in favour of Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On January 29, 2014, there was another withdrawal of N3million in favour of Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On February 3, 2014, there was a withdrawal of N3million by Mr Stephen Oronsaye. “On February 17, 2014, there wa a withdrawal of N600,000 by Mr. Stephen

Oronsaye. “On April 8, 2014, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, withdrew N3million with a cheque. “On July 3, 2014, there was withdrawal of N3million by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On July 10, 2014, there was withdrawal of N3million by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On October 30, 2014, N900,000 was withdrawn by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On December, 17, 2014, there was N3million withdrawal by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On December 22, 2014, the sum of N950,000 was withdrawn by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On December 24, 2014, there was withdrawal of N980,000 by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye “On January 6, 2015, there was N2million withdrawal by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. “On March 16, 2015, the sum of N650,000 was withdrawn by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye “On March 20, 2015, there was N3million withdrawal by Mr. Stephen Oronsaye.” The account opening package, bank statements, mandate documents raised by Oronsaye and other documents relating to the account were admitted as exhibits. Justice Goodluck adjourned till today, Thursday, April 14, 2016 for cross examination of the witness.

Fire razes over 80 stores at Ogbe-Ijoh iron market in Warri Ebenezer Adurokiya and Wisdom Alokpa - Warri

NO fewer than 80 stores, were at the wee hours of Wednesday, razed by fire at the notorious Ogbe-Ijoh Iron market, in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State. The huge inferno was said to have started at about 2:00a.m from a source yet to be ascertained. The market, constructed by the Chief James Ibori administration, but yet to be inaugurated, is being illegally occupied by traders and street urchins who trade in illicit drugs. Checks at the market on Wednesday morning by the Nigerian Tribune revealed through the odour in the air alone that only the fish section was razed by the inferno. Noticeably burnt and belching thick smoke also were other items such as garri, dried and fresh fish worth millions of naira. It was also learnt that some unspecified amount

of raw cash kept by the traders inside some of their shops were lost to the inferno. Several sympathizers were seen bemoaning the situation while some of the affected traders were seen packing the rubles of blocks

and zinc. One of the traders, Madam Philo, whose shop was affected by the ugly incident, said in pidgin: “na person call me when I take reach here this morning, for all here na fish, big dried and fresh fish we dey sell.

She shouted sabotage, saying before the fire, much of their wares had been carted away by hoodlums. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the incident, said no life was lost.

Ohanaeze cautions DSS over IPOB, MASSOB Jude Ossai - Enugu

THE Apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Wednesday, lashed out at the Department of Security Services (DSS), over allegations that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were responsible for the death of five Fulani herdsmen and 50 other unidentified persons, whose bodies were discovered in shallow graves in Isikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State. The DSS, which allegedly discovered the bodies, accused the IPOB of being responsible for the heinous act.

But reacting to the development in a statement issued in Enugu by its President-General, Chief Gary Enwo Igariwey, Ohanaeze condemned the position of the DSS, while demanding a proper investigation to ascertain those behind the heinous act. “We condemn in very strong terms such explosive statement from a government security outfit. Such statements are very unprofessional and capable of inciting the polity and endangering unity. “We urge Ndigbo to continue to live in peace with fellow Nigerians and resist any action that will breach peace in the country,” Ohanaeze said.

It said it was aware that both IPOB and MASSOB had robustly denied involvement in the act, adding that the governors of Abia and Imo states, had also denied knowledge of the discovery as well as condemned it. The statement, therefore, condemned the taking of human life in any form anywhere in the country and reaffirmed that Ndigbo “are friendly to visitors and will not endanger life of visitors.” Assuring Nigerians of their safety anywhere in Igboland, Ohanaeze stated that those behind the incident did not act on behalf of Ndigbo and should therefore be brought to book.

FCT area council poll: APGA wins

Gwagwalada

•Collation ongoing in Kuje, AMAC, Abaji Jacob Segun Olatunji -Abuja

THE rescheduled rerun into the four area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, ended peacefully with poor turn-out of voters. At end of the exercise, the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Gwagwalada Area Council, Mallam Adamu Taminu, declared the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Adamu Mustapha, as winner of the chairmanship seat. According to Mallam Taminu, APGA candidate polled 15,950 votes to beat his closest rival of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Jubril, who polled 14,569 votes, while candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 682 votes. As of the press time, collation of votes were in progress in Kuje, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Abaji respectively.

NSCDC destroys 4 illegal refineries in Edo THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo Command, on Wednesday, destroyed four illegal refineries at Obazagon near Ehor in Uhuwode Local Government Area of the state. The State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Walter Akubuiroh, who led the team, said he was alerted that the illegal refineries were hidden inside the forest, about seven kilometres from Obazagbon. Akubuiroh noted that no arrest was made during the operation that lasted several hours, stating that items recovered included four generators, three pumping machines, standing fan, among others. He noted that the operation was carried out following an intelligent report and was painstakingly planned to avoid leakage. The commandant, however, warned economy “saboteurs” that the state was no longer a safe haven for them. He appealed to community leaders to always report any suspicious activity in their area to law enforcement agencies. “This people are economy saboteurs who must not be allowed to continue with their unwholesome activities.” CONFIRMATION OF I, Jacob Jennifer Ruth and Jacob Joke Ruth am one and same person. Henceforth, I want to be known, called and addressed as JACOB JENNIFER RUTH. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

businessnews Why Lagos state’s tax income grew to N23bn a month —Power Minister 9

Chima Nwokoji-Lagos

he Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has revealed how key initiatives he took when he was the Governor of Lagos State helped to increase the state’s tax income to N23 billion every month. He spoke at the on-going Enugu State Investment Summit tagged “Oganiru,” on the theme: “Public-Private People Partnership for a vibrant and inclusive economy.” The summit where participants are looking at the Nigerian economy beyond oil, is holding at the Michael Okpara Square, Independence Layout, Enugu from April 12 to 14, 2016. According to the minister,”By doing some of these things we helped business to start up in Lagos, as their numbers grew, they employed more people, as they employed more people which increased inclusion, the state’s tax income grew from N7 Billion a month when I assumed office, to N23 Billion a month when I left in 2015.” This in part accounts for the reason why Lagos is one of the few states that did not take a bailout and is able to pay salaries and continue development the minister reiterated. Represented by Ayo Gbeleyi, Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Lagos State, the minister said that at the inception of his tenure of service in Lagos in 2007, there was only a day economy. Many businesses he said, especially small businesses like petrol stations, pharmacies, nightclubs, local vendors like sellers of suya,

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

beancake, (akara), Hairdressers closed around

6pm once darkness was approaching, because of fear

induced by security. This according to Fashola,

come-earning opportunities and jobs. But,the success of Lagos State’s Security Trust Fund which equipped the police, the street lighting policies, fueled then by diesel generators and later by Independent Power Projects made streets safer in the state, better lit and reduced fear Fashola observed.

Naira exchanges for N322 to dollar at parallel market

From left: Director, Corporate and Government Affairs, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr Bala Yesufu; wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode and Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mr. Roy Naaman, during the unveiling of Bournvita new pack and the world’s largest cocoa-beverage inflatable jar on Tuesday, in Lagos.

LCCI commends FG on Yuan pact The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has lauded the Federal Government for signing an agreement with China to increase Yuan component of Nigeria’s external reserves. Mr Muda Yusuf, the Director-General of LCCI, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos. NAN recalls that Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and CBN on April 12 signed an agreement on Yuan transactions during the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to China. The agreement is to allow free flow of Yuan among various banks in Nigeria. A 2015 CBN foreign ex-

change reserves report stated that currency composition of the country’s reserves declined in all the invested currencies except those in Yuan which increased by 0.4 per cent. According to the CBN’s Website, the country’s external reserves which was 27.871 billion dollars as at March 24, dropped to 27.864 billion dollars as at March 31. Yusuf said: “It is good for our economy because it will diversify our portfolio because the Yuan is a strong and stable currency backed by a strong economy with which we do a lot of international transactions. “The Chinese economy is the second largest economy in the world; there is a relationship between the

size of an economy and the strength or quality of its currency. “China is third major export destination in Africa, while China is Nigeria’s largest source of imports and third major trade partner. This move will greatly improve the fortunes of Nigeria’s economy in view of the rising profile of her trade relations with China.”

of labour in the country outside the Federal Govement. The new plant in Okpella, Edo state is also expected to employ over 50,000 youths, both directly and indirectly in in the next 18 months. Oshiomhole said: “Dangote is a special breed. He is an enigma that has done so much for the Youth of this country. He should be lauded for doing so much to develop our youth and put food on the table of thousands of Nigerians. For us in Edo state, we are grateful and will continue to be grateful for this huge investment” Noting that the investment was equivalent to the

total capital expenditure deployed in the state since he assumed office over seven years ago, he urged other businessmen and women to emulate the investment drive of Dangote, saying that this was the only way the country would grow from strength to strength and create job opportunities for the nation’s teeming unemployed youths. “Over the next 26 months, cement will be rolling out of the facility and I want to say that this investment would not have been possible without peace and confidence in the state,” Oshiomhole said. The new 6 million metric tons per annum capacity

He said that the diversification would maintain the value of the country’s external reserves while eliminating losses at a time of increased volatility in major world currencies. NAN also reports that trade volume between Nigeria and China is put at 14.9 billion dollars in 2015 from 2.8 billion dollars recorded in 2005.

The naira on Wednesday exchanged for N322 to the dollar at the parallel market. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Naira lost N0.5 from N321.5 it traded previously. However, the Pound Sterling and the Euro traded for N450 and N361 respectively, depreciating further against the Euro. Meanwhile, the official CBN exchange rate remained at N197 to a dollar. Traders at the market said that the nation’s currency had remained stable, hovering between N321 to N322 to the dollar. They attributed this to slow activities in the market, in anticipation that the signing of the budget into law might affect the foreign exchange market.

Glo Ghana upgraded, primed for over 20m data subscribers Following the successful completion of the network upgrade embarked upon by Glo Mobile Ghana, the company has announced that its capacity has been upgraded to adequately accommodate over 20 million data subscribers. The new Head of Busi-

Dangote should be lauded for creating jobs for Nigerians —Oshiomhole Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole has lauded the aggressive investment drive of the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, noting that without his resolve to build industries and employ Nigerians, so many youths would have been jobless. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of six million metric tons Dangote Cement’s new plant in Okpella, Edo State, Oshiomole said Nigerians will be forever grateful to the industrialists for helping to reduce the unemployment rate in the country. Dangote Industries Limited is the largest employer

made hundreds of thousands of people loss in-

Nigerian Tribune

cement plant is coming on the heels of similar arrangement for another 6 million mtpa cement plant in Itori, in Ogun state where the company is currently running a 12million mtpa cement plants at Ibese, in Yewa division of the state.

ness, Glo Mobile Ghana, Mr Augustine Mamuro, in an interview said the company had undertaken comprehensive network improvement projects designed to significantly enhance the network experience of its subscribers. Glo Mobile subscribers who mostly use data are promised an unmatched experience in terms of speed of download as Glo Mobile High Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) network has been upgraded to make download speed much better than what it used to be. According to him, “we have in recent time been able to achieve a lot of improvements and built up capacity to accommodate over

20 million data subscribers on our network. Data is the future of telecoms and any focus in this regard will always serve the best interest of our subscribers.” Mamuro explained that Glo Mobile is well positioned to deliver excellent data services to its numerous subscribers in Ghana because of its robust backbone infrastructure which includes the 2.4 terabyte Glo-1 Submarine cable linking key West Africa countries with Europe with dedicated extension to the United States of America. “Several months ago, we began the process of overhaul, which involves both the upgrade of all software, hardware and core network infrastructure.”

limited, Mr Herbert Odika who made this call while exchanging views with aviation correspondents in his office at Ikeja, also called for a halt in double taxation by aviation agencies in the country. According to him; “For perishable items, if the government can give concession in

terms of taxes, I will not subscribe to out rightly removing them but concession in terms of lowering them and out rightly removing landing costs for carriers of these perishable goods to encourage them to come into Nigeria and lift and also encourage farmers.”

Perishable items: Cargo expert wants landing costs removed Shola Adekola -Lagos The Federal Government has been called upon to remove landing costs for carriers of perishable items in order to encourage exports in the country. The chief executive officer of FMC aviation services

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

OTUNBA GBENGA DANIELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 60TH BIRTHDAY

From left, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Dr Oba Otudeko and Yeye Olufunke Daniel at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, last Sunday.

His Royal Majesty, the Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona (middle), his wife and the former Military Governor of Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo.

From left, wife of former governor of Cross River State, Mrs Onari Duke; Yeye Funke Daniel; Otunba Gbenga Daniel and former governor Donald Duke.

The Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran and wives.

Otunba Gbenga Daniel with the chairman of Elizade Motors, Sir Michael Adeojo.

From left, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State; Otunba Daniel; Chairman, Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and Senator Bode Olajumoke.

Otunba Daniel with Egbe Bobakeye Akile Ijebu.

Former Military Governor of old Western State, Brigadier General Oluwole Rotimi (retd) with Chief Solomon Kayode Onafowokan.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

OTUNBA GBENGA DANIELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 60TH BIRTHDAY

Otunba Daniel with Chief Ernest Sonekan and wife.

From left, Chief (Mrs) Yinka Ajayi; Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Otunba Daniel and Chief (Mrs) Christiana Ayo Adebanjo.

From left, former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala; Otunba Daniel and former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau.

Chief (Mrs) Opral Benson; Erelu Abiola Dosumu; Otunba Daniel and the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba (Dr) Michael Sonariwo.

Otunba Daniel with former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa.

From left, Mr Akin Osuntokun; Mr Wale Babalakin, Otunba Daniel; Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim and Prince Dapo Abiodun.

Pastor Tunde Bakare; his wife with Yeye Funke Daniel.

From left, Chief Niyi Adegbenro; Mr Dele Alake and Otunba Daniel.

south-westnews

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

How Oyo loses IGR to some fraudulent civil servants —Govt By Wale Akinselure

ORE discoveries will emerge as investigations by the Oyo State government into how its civil servants and government officials deplete the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) hit top gear. Governor Abiola Ajimobi, at several fora, had pointed out that efforts by the state government to shore up its IGR were being frustrated by some officials of the Board of Internal Revenue, among other revenue gen-

erating departments and agencies. Some of the investigations have revealed how some government officials printed fake invoices and receipts, fraudulently diverted IGR, undervaluation of tax liabilities of organisations and limited tax net. Ajimobi said: “Up till today, instead of having improvement in our IGR, many civil servants have been caught stealing money from the IGR. So, instead of increasing IGR, they are depleting it. Also, there are leakages and we have to block these leakages to im-

prove our IGR.” Some stakeholders have decried that shoring up the IGR would remain difficult except the state government beats the civil servants to their game. They noted that such civil servants have mastered the art of circumventing the system to their own benefit. Speaking on actions of the state government in view of the discoveries, Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Communications and Strategy, Mr Yomi Layinka, said such officers had been handed over to security agencies while investiga-

tions were ongoing. In light of this, the Nigerian Tribune gathered that the Board of Internal Revenue had been overhauled and some officials summarily dismissed while there was ongoing structural adjustments in the processes of generating and documenting IGR. Layinka noted discoveries of instances where government revenues had been fraudulently diverted to the tune of N200 million, by a civil servant. According to him, the discoveries provided opportunities for the state govern-

ment to evolve new ways to block leakages and expand the tax net to boost the IGR. “The investigations are ongoing. But there have been discoveries of some government officials printing fake invoices and receipts. Also, there have been discoveries of instances where government revenues have been fraudulently diverted to the tune of N200 million, in an instance. “There are gaps observed and that is why consultants have been brought in,” Layinka said.

People’s recognition of our achievements encouraging —Mimiko Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, addressing members of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (COHR), during their anti-corruption rally, at the Government Secretariat, Osogbo, on Wednesday.

Ekiti attorney-general writes AGF over alleged plans to prosecute Ekiti PDP chiefs Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti THE Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State, Mr Owoseni Ajayi, has written to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, over the controversy trailing the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the state. Ajayi, according to a government statement on Wednesday, has notified the AGF that he could not “use the report of a military panel set up to probe alleged rigging of the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the state to prosecute anybody.” The statement said Ajayi’s letter was entitled: “Open letter to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Malami (SAN), on the alleged plans to prosecute prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State for alleged rigging of 2014 Ekiti State gubernatorial election.” In the letter, the Ekiti State government pointed

out that “the propriety or otherwise of the election had been decided from the tribunal level up to the Supreme Court and any other panel, whether military or otherwise, could not sit on appeal on any matter already decided by the apex court.” Ajayi posited that while the AGF was vested with prosecution powers under Section 174 of the Constitu-

tion of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the powers were neither absolute nor unlimited and that it must be exercised with due caution and regard for the rule of law. According to him, the sanctity of the judicial process and respect for the principles of federalism must also be adhered to. He said: “Therefore, unless an alleged criminal act

constitutes an offence under a federal enactment, the Attorney General of the Federation will definitely be acting ultra vires by any purported move to prosecute an alleged offender before any state or federal court in Nigeria without a fiat by the Attorney General of the respective state, vested with constitutional jurisdiction to prosecute criminal matters under the state law.”

Fayose visits China to meet agric investors, equipment experts AS part of his efforts to boost agriculture and improve technological expertise of artisans in Ekiti State, the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has travelled to Guangzhou, China, to attend the 119th China Import and Export Fair otherwise known as the Canton Fair between April 14 and 19. The governor has only travelled out of the country twice since he assumed office in October 2014 and his trip to China, which was projected six months ago, will be his third trip outside Nigeria.

Governor Fayose’s trip to China is aimed at seeking partnership with prospective Chinese investors and technical experts without committing the state to any loan. Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, who made this known in a release issued in Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday, said the governor would hold talks with prospective investors in mechanised farming, experts in skill acquisition, particularly training in the area of perfect finishing in building

construction as well as experts in auto-repairs modern technologies. The Canton Fair, which is held biannually in Guangzhou every spring and autumn, with a history of 59 years since 1957, attracts various types of business activities such as economic and technical cooperation and exchanges. In its ongoing efforts to diversify the economy of the state, the state government is scheduled to hold an agricultural summit in May, as part of the government’s efforts to revive the sector.

ONDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has revealed that people’s appreciation of the achievements of his administration encourages him to break more grounds in the quest to fulfil electoral mandate. Governor Mimiko, while addressing a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, on Wednesday, said his administration had kept faith with the promise to work for the people, adding that the state had become a global benchmark in many initiatives. Mentioning that government’s cocoa revolution is yielding the expected result, Mimiko said the sincere commendations of the achievement of his government in the Abiye Safe Motherhood Programme, Mother and Child Hospitals, Trauma & Surgical Centre, Kidney Care Centre, Medical University, Urban Renewal Programme, modern neighbourhood markets, the ultra-modern Automart, water supply schemes, Housing Estates, School Free Shuttle Scheme, Mega School, and the emplacement of over 600 community-driven projects among others have been the tonic needed by the government to continue to work more. Meanwhile, the Ondo State Police Command, on Wednesday, met with representatives of Fulani and Hausa communities in the state to find a lasting solution to the incessant attack on farmers by the Fulani herdsmen. Speaking during the stakeholders meeting, the Commissioner of Police, Hilda Harrison, said the meeting became imperative to prevent breakdown of law and order.

Nigerian Tribune

OGSIEC to conduct referendum in 5 LCDAs April 21 Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta THE Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) has fixed April 21, for the conduct of referendum in five proposed Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). This was disclosed by the electoral body chairman, Alhaja Risikat Ogunfemi, at a press conference, held on Wednesday, at OGSIEC Conference Room, Abeokuta. Ogunfemi, flanked by other electoral commissioners, said the essence of the referendum was to fulfil the yearnings of the people, since democracy is a participatory process. Nigerian Tribune recalled that the state House of Assembly had mandated OGSIEC to conduct referendum within two weeks in Afon LCDA with headquarters in Oloka Afon; Sango/ Ijoko with headquarters at Sango; Abeokuta North East with headquarters at Ita-Iyalode: Ifesowapo LCDA with headquarters at Imodi-Imosan and Coker/ Ibogun LCDA with headquarters at Ibogun. The OGSIEC boss enjoined all eligible voters in the proposed LCDAs to come out en mass and participate in the process, saying the body as an unbiased empire would conduct a hitch-free process.

NSCDC nabs 2 job scammers in Ogun Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogun State Command, has arrested two suspected employment scammers for distributing fake appointment letters to unsuspected job seekers. The suspects, Williams Johnson (40) and Paul David, were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, in Sagamu area of the state by men of the command. According to the command’s spokesperson, Kareem Olanrewaju, the suspects had both confessed to the crime. The suspects said they collected at least a sum of N50,000 each from their victims, while some were reported to have paid higher than the said amount. Olanrewaju said the suspects mentioned one Yinusa, as an accomplice in the crime. He said the state Commandant, Aboluwoye Akinwande, had directed that comprehensive investigation be conducted on the matter and that the suspects would be prosecuted accordingly.

editorial

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Curtailing incessant fires in markets

HE widespread menace of fire outbreaks in Nigeria has become quite unsettling. At an estimated annual rate of 7000 fire incidents and above 1000 deaths in 2012 alone, for instance, the menace could aptly be described as having assumed a disaster proportion. Many of the incidents left in their wake destruction of property and goods worth billions of naira. Yet, grave as the foregoing statistics may appear, they hardly capture the totality of the annual destruction and fatalities caused by fire, as many incidents went unreported. Perhaps of greater concern is the spate, in recent times, of fire outbreaks in some major markets in Nigeria. In the last one year, about 20 markets across Nigeria had been razed. However, the incidents in major markets in Lagos, Kebbi, Kano, Calabar and Gombe in recent weeks have brought the issue of fire outbreaks to the front burner once again. Sadly, in many of the incidents, the number of human casualties and magnitude of destruction would have been substantially reduced if the Fire Service Department vehicles had had easy access to the markets. Ironically, the majority of fire outbreaks were tagged mysterious and the unremitting occurrence of the outbreaks tended to lend credence to the theory of mystery and sabotage. However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has posited that about ninety percent of the fire outbreaks in Nigeria occurred as a result of human negligence and personal habits, while less than ten percent could be attributed to foul play or mysterious circumstances. Whether the recurrent but ugly incidents of fire outbreaks in the markets are occasioned by foul play or human errors, it has become pertinent to step up the extant measures put in place to stem the tide of destruction of lives and property therein. One critical area that needs urgent attention is Fire Service Departments in the three tiers of government: local, state and federal. The Department of Fire Service at the three levels of government requires strengthening and improved capabilities in terms of state-of-the-art equipment. The department should be manned by well-trained, well-remunerated and well-motivated personnel who are passionate about saving lives and property. The service should be re-tooled to enhance its response mechanism in order to cope with the spate of outbreaks of fire in markets. And given the recurrent nature of this ugly incident, it may be necessary to have Fire Service stations in proximate locations to major markets. If the 1981 Fire Service Act that provides for the service to be resident in local council headquarters has to be amended, it should be done. The department should also consider conducting regular training sessions for safety and security committees where they exist in the markets; and where they do not exist, it should encourage the market authorities to

set them up. The objective should be to acquaint the committee members with safety tips, which they are expected to pass on to their fellow traders. The markets should also be re-planned and re-structured in such a way that the vehicular access of Fire Service is made easy during emergencies. While it is good to enhance the capability of the Fire Service to respond to emergencies when they happen, the real and lasting solution lies in avoiding costly human negligence and curtailing indulgence and personal habits that tend to predispose these markets to fire outbreaks. Handling of electric power supply and electrical and electronic appliances deserves special attention. The current practice where shops in the markets are connected to sources of power supply by non-professionals with electric cables crisscrossing in a haphazard manner should stop. The traders cannot continue to connect electricity from one shop to the other and to their electronic and electrical appliances with substandard cables, without regard to the load carrying capacities of the cables. This is why a little surge in power is what is required to cause sparks that culminate in a conflagration if not quickly put out. Traders should stop overworking electrical appliances, especially generators, so that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overheat and cause sparks that could result in infernos. Simple electronics such as radio, television, computer, etc, should be properly fitted and configured as they also overheat and cause sparks when they have constricted air vent. Besides, a little exercise of diligence and duty of care that ensures that electrical and electronic appliances are unplugged and power points are switched off when not in use is advised. This will help a great deal to prevent damage to the appliances and rein in fire outbreaks occasioned by power surges, especially when no one is within reach. Again, the habit of cigarette smoking in hazardous environments by some traders and their customers in the market place should stop. Smoldering butts of cigarette in contact with flammable materials could set an entire market ablaze. Therefore, smoking should be banned in all the major markets and the ban should be strictly enforced. Finally, it is hoped that the recent statement credited to the Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulraman Dambazau, while condoling with the victims of the Gombe fruit market fire incident, namely that the Federal Government will partner with the states to curtail incessant fire outbreaks in the country, was not just for dramatic effect. Critical investment in modern fire-fighting equipment and massive enlightenment campaigns on prevention of fire outbreaks are highly recommended as areas of intervention.

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Thursday, 14 April, 2016

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SEND YOUR SHORT MESSAGES TO: 08054005323, 08055001746

•The struggle to get to the top. PHOTO: BAYOOR EWUOSO.

Appeal to Imo State govt I want to appeal to the Imo State government to come to the aid of Uratta people as regards developmental projects. The people have not really benefited from successive governments in the state, but have always been at the forefront of political activities. It is unfortunate that there is nothing to show that the government cares about the people, as the major roads in the community, particularly Uratta/Xtiana Road, Toronto Junction/Oji Road, among others, are not tarred, and are therefore, not motorable. I hope the Imo State government will do something about this as soon as possible. We don’t want politicians to be making campaign promises every four years, only to do nothing when they win election into positions of authority. •Innocent Robert, 08063012027

FG, sell our refineries now WITH the recurring fuel scarcity in the country comes the opportunity for the Federal Government to sell our refineries. For years now, our refineries have not functioned at full capacities; they are just drain-pipes for government funds. I could remember when former President Goodluck Jonathan attempted to sell the refineries, officials of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) threatened to go on strike if he did. These unions cannot be greater than the whole country; why would government continue to run refineries that have not for once run at full capacities? Have we not thought that those in charge of these refineries might have parleyed with fuel importers not to allow the refineries work so that we can continue to import fuel, thus making oil importers richer? President Buhari should look at the overall interest of the country and list the

refineries for sale now. When the refineries have been sold to private investors, we will marvel at the speed by which they will

start functioning at full capacities. In developed countries, private businesses run the economy, while govern-

ment only serves as guide. Therefore, if we are truly serious about ending fuel scarcity in this country, then the first step is to sell

our refineries.

How do we even expect a government to fix decadesold problems in the country? President Buhari is

trying, but he needs more time. Gbade Hakeem, 08072977112.

•Tumini George, 09095687489

Buhari is trying his best THIS country’s foundation has been structurally defective, and there is little President Muhamadu Buhari can do to change things within such a short period of time. Although President Buhari promised that within months, he would change a lot of things, I think he also did not know the extent of economic damage that had been done in the country. President Buhari means well for Nigeria, but we also need to be patient. This government is yet to celebrate its first anniversary, and it still has three more years to turn things around. The president is not after quick-fixes; he wants to do those things that will stand him out from past leaders. We shouldn’t begin to criticise him now, rather,

we should wait till the end of his first term before we decide if he has performed or not.

BEDC, save us in Illah town ILLAH is a town in Oshimili North in Delta State, but since the BEDC took over the administration of electricity about two years ago, we have not had electricity supply. The people

of Illah are, therefore, using this opportunity to call on the BEDC to, as a matter of urgency, reconnect the town. The lack of electricity has slowed down the economic development

of the community and we hope that Illah community will be reconnected without delay. •Onyia Francis, 07038565499

Still on the fuel scarcity I want to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to find a way of bringing about a lasting solution to the constant fuel scarcity in the country. Since the president took over, Nigerians have not really had it good. Howev-

er, one of the ways through which we can bring about an end to fuel scarcity in the country is to encourage investors to establish refineries here. Many people have been criticising President Buhari’s frequent foreign trips, but he should

use the opportunity to call on investors to come and establish refineries in the country, as this is the only way to bring an end to the fuel scarcity. •Sanmi Adekunle, 08191143941.

opinion

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Nigerians: A people united by suffering By Sunday Ogidigbo

HERE is something paradoxical about the spirit of the Nigerian people. We have been described as energetic, passionate, enterprising, aggressive, and purpose driven. Nigerians all over the world bring so much energy and zeal to the things they do. You will find a high number of Nigerians at the pinnacle of a number of fields and industries: from professional football, the film industry in Hollywood, the boardrooms of many Fortune 500 companies, to the core management of grant technology companies like Facebook, etc. Let’s not forget the giant strides recorded at home by the likes of Aliko Dangote, the many Nigerian banks and blue chips that are conquering the African business space. We can leave for another day the domineering force of our entertainment industry on the continent. But when it comes to relating or dealing with our political leaders, Nigerians are lily-livered, biased and pussyfoot about issues. The political space appears to be one place where our “Nigerian-ess” turns from positive energy to a depressing and passive one. Nigeria shows profound leadership in all other fields of human endeavour, except when it comes to politics. It will appear like we end up having the worst of us leading the rest of us. The paradox here is when we elect successful businessmen who built great businesses into public office, with the expectation that they will transform public service delivery, they tend to turn around and say they are not magicians or miracle workers. One begins to imagine if there is a force in public service that corrupts and makes smart people clueless. The story of Nigeria is one that has witnessed a series of clueless and useless political classes come with every succeeding government. On one hand, a government assumes office promising heaven and earth, and on the other hand, blaming the preceding government for poor service delivery. The silli-

est excuse is when politicians feign ignorance of the poor state of affairs prior to assuming office. The political class in Nigeria can get away with anything in Nigeria, unlike in places like Iceland, where the people have a mindset more in tune with transparency and accountability in governance. We the people have not been able to bring our collective energies and drive to bear in holding our governments accountable. The reason we still import petroleum is because our leaders are not accountable to the people. This is why a man who built a great business will fail in politics because he knows that as a business executive, he is accountable to shareholders who have the power to displace him. Another thing I have come to see is when some people take it upon themselves to lead a movement to make government accountable. The people, whose interest they are trying to protect, go all out to fight them and call them names. You will hear people say that they are disgruntled because they were not given political appointments. This clearly shows the divide

existing amongst our people as a result of the collective distrust traceable to the divide-and-rule strategy of the colonial masters. This “colo” mentality was made worse by the many years of military rule and dictatorship. This mindset elevates members of the political class to an imperial and infallible status. In the minds of Nigerians, the President cannot be wrong, and when he builds roads or bridges, he is doing us a favour, therefore, we should be grateful that he is doing something, even if the cost is inflated a thousand times. The people of Nigeria are united in suffering. We tend to draw strength from the fact that we are not alone in the avoidable misery and hardship we face daily; from the scarcity of fuel, to the expensive and epileptic power supply and the many other demons we have to contend with as a people. We are untied in our belief that if ever the sky falls, it is not a problem as long as it is falling on us all. Another thing not helping us is, we have devised survival strategies. Every home has become its own government; we generate our own power, supply our own water, provide private or estate security for ourselves, dispose our waste and set up private schools at all levels. We have learnt to thrive without government. How I wish to God that we can turn these energies towards peaceful efforts that would make our government work. It is my prayer that one day, we would be united in the knowledge that politicians are the people employed by the people for the common good of the people. We must turn this collective suffering into kinetic energy. We must learn from the lepers by the Gate of Samaria in times like these: They united in suffering, mobilised and started out on the way to a solution. Who knows if the heaven would amplify our efforts and cause our enemies to flee? Until then, the suffering and smiling mantra would remain our identity. •Ogidigbo lives in Abuja.

For lasting solution to rebellions By Esther Itasanmi

NIGERIA is a fractured state. It is rich but its citizens are poor, many extremely so. Since returning to civilian rule in 1999, the country has suffered growing security, capacity and legitimacy gaps, demonstrated in the declining capacity of its institutions to deliver public goods, including security, transportation, water, medical care, power and education. A prominent section of the elite thrives on crony capitalism and patron-client deals in violation of the rule of law. Its members are from different ethnic, political and religious communities; when they agree on how to share the spoils, all is well, but when they disagree, they politicise, manipulate and capitalise on ethno-religious and regional differences. With the failure of governance and development, an ever increasing number of ethnic militias, separatist groups and millenarian religious movements are being mobilised, both for self-defence and for pressing ideological and practical goals. Recently, one of the results of the act of corruption is the emergence of an Islamist terror group, Boko Haram. This group previously believed that false Muslims are the ones controlling Nigeria, and they want to change the act by enforcing the Sharia law non- violently. The leader, Mohammed Yusuf, made his concern known and was later killed alongside some other members of the sect, and this made the group to become violent, dangerous and large. This is not the only form of terrorism in Nigeria. Some have occurred in the past and some are still being done secretly. Examples are, Northern Arewa groups in 1970s, Oodua People’s Congress (1997), Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and related insurgencies, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Jama’atu Ansaril Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) founded in 2012. Over the past two years, farmers in the North Eastern

part of the country, particularly Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states, have no longer been able to farm for security reasons. This insurgency has affected food production and consequently raised prices, which are majorly cultivated in this region. This same part of the country is known for mass rearing of cattle, which made meat available to other parts of the nation, but today, the story is not the same. As a result of the insurgency, about nine million people have been affected by violence in this region, with three million acutely needing humanitarian assistance. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have also increased sporadically over the last few years. Malnutrition rates in conflict-affected areas are high. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) is 15.5% in Yobe State and 13.6% in Borno State. As of September 2014, 628,000 children nationwide under five suffer from severe acute malnutrition. At the moment, the Nigerian military is winning the war

against insurgency in this region, but a lot still needs to be done. The Federal Government, and particularly the military and other security agencies, must step up efforts towards winning the hearts and minds of citizens, especially in the North East. This involves equipping units appropriately and conducting military operations more clinically and professionally, so as to minimise collateral casualties, damage to livelihoods and human rights violations. Military authorities must ensure greater adherence to rules of engagement, accountability and timely redress for violations and abuses. Security agencies must spare no effort to convince citizens and communities that they will enjoy better security and peace by cooperating with Federal and state authorities. Government must also commit to the region’s social transformation and show greater commitment towards promoting education and skills acquisition, including for girls, so as to equip youths for gainful employment in a rapidly changing world. It likewise needs to initiate campaigns to reform the Almajiri system. As Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, once has argued: “There has to be a campaign to enlighten people on how to educate their children. This is so because education, most times, is the key to great success. It also helps to make informed and good choices not to become suicide bombers.” Communities and individuals also need to know that they have a role to play in putting an end to every form of insurgency or terrorism in the country. Unemployment is a major reason citizens join rebellions, but the government should ensure that jobs are created, particularly in the agricultural sector for the youth. •Itasanmi is of the University of Ibadan.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016 Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 08158610216

FG seeks inter-agencies’ collaboration on economy Adetola Bademosi - Abuja

HE Federal Government has called for more active collaboration amongst the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government in order to effectively tackle the current economic

challenges. Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, made the call in her opening remarks at the meeting of the Public Private Consultative Forum (3PCUF) for all MDAs of the Federal Government, held in Abuja. She said that for governments all over

the world to succeed in their efforts to explore new ideas to improve service delivery to the populace, there must be a robust synergy and active collaboration between the public and private sectors of the economy that would serve as a platform for sharing experiences on what works, for whom and under what

Proprietor in police net for raping 4-year-old pupil Sunday Ejike - Abuja THE proprietor of Victory International School, Aso Pada in Mararaba, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, is cooling his feet in police cell for allegedly raping a four-year-old pupil in his school. The 42-year-old proprietor, Elias Oyeke, was said to have severally violated the nursery one pupil, leading to severe injury on her private part. The mother of the victim, Mrs Ayele Esther, told Abuja Xtra that she discovered some kinds of abnormality in her daughter on February 25, 2016 when she was bathing her to prepare her for school, where she dropped her daily with the proprietor. Abuja Xtra also confirmed from the police in Aso Pada, Mararaba, in Nasarawa State that the case had been transferred to Nasarawa State Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force, where the proprietor is currently being detained. According to the mother, she noticed that her daughter could not walk normally and was passing out urine with pains and discomfort and upon inquiry from the girl and the examination of her private part, she discovered that her daughter was sexually abused. She said: “The little girl later revealed,

Oyo-Ita tasks SWAN on capacity building Clement Idoko - Abuja THE Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, has called on the Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) on the need for increased capacity development of its members. The Head of Service made the call in her office in Abuja when the leadership of SWAN paid her a courtesy visit. She said that training of Accountants should be of priority to SWAN, especially in this era of change, as doing so would help drive government’s anti-corruption policy. Oyo-Ita further advised Accountants to, at all times, uphold the principles and ethics guiding the profession which, she said, include integrity, accountability and efficient service delivery at all levels. Speaking earlier, the chairperson of the Society for Women Accountants of Nigeria, Mrs Titilola Akibayo, congratulated Mrs Oyo-Ita on her appointment as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and pledged her association’s resolve to key into the change mantra of the present administration and its fight against corruption.

without equivocation, that it was the proprietor of her school, Mr Elias Oyeke, that had sexual intercourse with her on several occasions. “We took her to the hospital and the test conducted on her showed that she had been abused as her private part was open beyond normal. “The case was taken to Ahmed Isah of Brekete Family who had been on the matter since that time, leading to the re-arrest of the proprietor and detention”, Mrs Ayele narrated amidst tears. Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Ogwu Onoja, had written to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, to transfer the case file of sexual assault/rape on the victim from the Nasarawa State Police Command to the office of the IGP

Monitoring Unit for proper investigation and prosecution. In a letter dated March 3, 2016, Onoja said: “According to our client’s daughter, the proprietor, Elias Oyeke, made it a daily routine to have sex with her in his office located within the premises of the school. “In a psychological traumatised condition, our clients reported the case to the Aso Pada, Mararaba, Nasarawa State and the rapist, Mr Oyeke was arrested by the police, but was released thereafter on bail”. Angry with the levity and lack of seriousness that the police in Aso Pada treated the matter, the SAN said the girl’s parents (his clients) and other people disturbed by the inhuman and dastardly act, caused the transfer of the case to Nasarawa State Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force.

condition. Mrs Oyo-Ita re-affirmed government’s commitment to promoting Public Private Partnership (PPP) as a viable development model, saying the change agenda placed a high premium on rapid modernisation and expansion of the country’s infrastructure. She said further that her office would continue to support the active collaboration between the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and all the PPP Units in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government so that the objective of the 3PUCF was achieved within the global national PPP programme. She said that government approved the establishment of the PPP Units in all the MDAs in 2012 and since then, her office had been working tirelessly to make PPP units work for the development of the nation’s infrastructure and ultimately economic growth and job creation. She added that a review of the global economic environment over the past two decades revealed an unprecedented investment in infrastructure across the world driven by the realisation that infrastructure was vital to sustaining long term economic growth.

Christians admonished as Rev Kanu was inaugurated Presbyter, administrator Clement Idoko - Abuja THE Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, Methodist Church Nigeria, the Most Reverend Joseph Uche, has challenged Christians in Nigeria to always seek the face of God in whatever they do in order to achieve maximum benefit for mankind. He spoke during the inauguration of the Very Reverend Geoffrey Kanu as the Presbyter and Cathedral Administrator of the Methodist Cathedral of Unity, Wuse, Zone 3, Abuja. Uche also tasked the new presbyter to proclaim by word and deed the gospel of Jesus Christ and to fashion his life in accordance with precepts.

He disclosed that Kanu was posted to the circuit in October, 2015 as the presbyter and cathedral administrator and that the induction service was to officially receive him as a minister in the church. He said the job of a presbyter required strong faith in God, saying “you have to look after the concerns of Christ so that we may know that you are called by God and that you profess the Christian faith”. He noted that in spite of the current hardship and hard times being faced in the nation as result of economic downturn, “there is hope for the nation”. The Archbishop, while asking Nigerians to continue to pray for the leadership of

From right, Archbishop of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Abuja Archdiocese, Reverend Joseph Job; Very Reverend Geoffrey Kanu and Wife Mercy, during the induction and thanksgiving service for Reverend Geoffrey as the presbyter and cathedral administrator of MCN, Wuse in Abuja.

the country, also urged President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders to always see divine help and guidance in the actions they intend to take. He noted that leadership was a burden and anybody who stepped into the position of leadership must know that criticism and diverse challenges would continue to come. The new Cathedral Administrator, Reverend Kanu, in his remark, said he felt greatly elated to serve God and people in that capacity. He also asked Nigerians to take God seriously and never be an infidel, stressing that God had not given up on Nigeria. “God loves Nigeria,” he said.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

With Adewale Oshodi tribunearts@yahoo.com 08054005323

Life’s rhythms inspire my writing —Diane Abasi Eke band’s infidelity. It functions at the most elemental level as the biography of a place and a people. What was the motive behind such poised and evocative writing? When I set out to write ‘Yellow Slipper’, my intention was to give an answer to the question: What if the support beams of a water reservoir were totally neglected? Especially with the habit of neglect that characterises our lives as a people in these parts. In exploring that line of thought, I found that the tale of our heroine came to me and told itself the way it did — and I allowed the story tell itself. Infidelity can raise a complex set of reactions, especially in an unsuspecting wife who is struggling to conceive.

Iquo Diane Abasi Eke is more popular for her performance poetry than her short stories. In this interview, she speaks on what performance poetry means for her, as well as the inspiration behind her short story, Yellow Slipper. EXCERPTS:

VERYBODY knows you as a performance poet, but you also have a short story, ‘Yellow Slipper’; what inspired you to come up with the story? All writing for me, be it fiction or poetry, is inspired by what goes on around me. I find that the rhythms of life form the base line for my prose. I may meet an interesting character in the course of my everyday work, and then this person inspires a lead or supporting character in a story. Alternatively, I could witness an incident and be moved to answer the question: what if…? From that point, I begin to imagine the circumstances leading up to that event, or maybe the many possibilities that could arise if the event was fast-forwarded a few weeks, months or years ahead.

POEM

The unchanging change

Poets are often accused of not being poetic in their fiction, and poetry is arguably the engine behind prose, but you were unable to infuse your poetry in the short story, •Iquo Diane Abasi Eke how did you skip this? I do agree that poetry is the engine behind prose, but I doubt that ‘Yellow Slip- to express the thought in prose. So, in all per’ is bereft of poetry. I think that the honesty, it depends on the subject matter reason certain descriptions come across and the way it comes to me. as poignant, memorable even, is because ‘Yellow Slipper’ tells the story of of the poetry in the story itself. I must say that many times these are not planned, it happens to be the way my mind processes descriptions when I write. I have had cause to edit some of the more flowery stuff when I write fiction, because it is very easy for a reader to get all entangled in a web of metaphors and THE first trailer for the new Star Wars rhetoric if a poet does not reign in some movie, Rogue One, has been released. of the emotion when writing prose. So I The one minute, 38 seconds teaser refind that striking a balance becomes key veals new look stormtroopers and details here. This is part of the discipline—cutabout the lead character played by British ting off excesses in order to allow the actress, Felicity Jones. narrative to breathe. At the beginning of the trailer, she states her name as Jyn Erso, and is described as If you were asked to pick a genre “reckless, aggressive and undisciplined.” which you most enjoy expressing Rogue One tells the story of a group of yourself in, what will it be and why? rebel fighters on a mission to steal the It is not for nothing that poetry is my plans for the Death Star. first love, so my first response would be The film, out in December, is the first in poetry. But on deeper reflection, there a series of on-screen adventures exploring are times when I am unable to tackle a stories outside the core Star Wars saga. subject matter sufficiently within the After a montage of images of stormtroopconfines of poetry, and at such times, I ers under attack, Jones’s character states: do not fight the muse that possesses me “This is a rebellion, isn’t it? I rebel.”

How will change change the unchanged? Change cannot change the unchanged No! The unchangingly change will later be changed. Man can’t change but his deeds can be changed Let them know!

a crumbling marriage through the wife’s perspective. It manages to merge a heroic event, the saving of her neighbour’s daughter’s life with an uncanny discovery of her hus-

Trailer for new Star Wars movie, Rogue One, released Erso is briefed on her mission, over images of the Death Star: “A major weapons test is imminent - we need to know what it is and how to destroy it.” The film is directed by Briton Gareth Edwards, whose previous movies were Godzilla and Monsters. The cast also includes Mads Mikkelsen, Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed. The last Star Wars movie was a success, as it made more than $2billion at the box office globally. It is expected that Rogue One will also be a success. Movie lovers will begin to see Star Wars: Rogue One in their theatres after the reviews of the trailer have been made.

Tell magicians of change to school from the ants; Industrious in its colony and with no rants. Oh! A worker ant tells others the pheromone trails But here are no projecting rails. Even now! Pepper is hostile relating to the mouth, Now gnashing in the error of their mouth Propaganda! The characters are dead-mouthed to the fizzle Where is the hope for the brother of diesel? Behold the horror and agony of no agenda! The slogan both old and young learnt Now working against the originator with image dent Oh Gent! The leaning cleaners of public dirt are verily verily full of dirt Behold the banner rents! —By Emmanuel George, Ibadan.

arts&review

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

First Picasso exhibition in 20 years to open in UK

major Pablo Picasso exhibition, the first of its kind for 20 years, is to open at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London, United Kingdom, this autumn. Picasso Portraits, which opens on 6 October, will display more than 75 works from all phases of the Spanish painter’s career. The NPG’s director, Dr Nicholas Cullinan, said the exhibition would demonstrate Picasso’s “extraordinary range.” It will feature well-known masterpieces as well as works never seen in the UK. The latter includes a cubist portrait from 1910 of the German art dealer, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition will run in London until February before it moves to Spain’s Museu Picasso, Barcelona, from March to June, 2017. Speaking at Monday’s launch event at the NPG, the Museu Picasso’s director, Bernardo Laniado-Romero, described Picasso as “a breaker of rules.” He said the choice of portraits would

show a “different Picasso” and that humour would be a key element. “It will be an exhibition full of surprises for the public at large,” he said. “One of the pleasures is to be able to present a number of works that are not well-known.” Picasso Portraits is the first large-scale

exhibition devoted to the subject since the shows, Picasso and Portraiture show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Grand Palais, Paris, in 1996. Prof Elizabeth Cowling, the curator of the new show, said she had left out some famous Picasso works, including his “vo-

luptuous” reclining nudes, because she thought they saw the artist “engaging with a different tradition, not the tradition of portraiture.” But she was excited at the loan of the cubist portrait of Kahnweiler saying: “It’s hardly ever left Chicago and we were absolutely thrilled to get it.” The exhibition will open with a series of self portraits, showing the change in Picasso’s style from his early realist work when he was a teenager at the end of the 19th Century. Other subjects of his portraits and caricatures include Jean Cocteau, Igor Stravinsky and his wife, Olga Picasso. Dr Cullinan said: “The exhibition gathers together major loans from public and private collections that demonstrate the breadth of Picasso’s oeuvre and the extraordinary range of styles he employed across all media and from all periods of his career.” For the first time at the gallery, support from exhibition sponsor Goldman Sachs means the first 100 tickets will be priced at £5 every Friday morning.

In the trenches: Taking on corruption and its fellow-travellers A review of M.A. Ayoade and S.A. Igbinedion’s Legal Perspectives to Corruption, Money Laundering, and Assets Recovery in Nigeria by ADIGUN AGBAJE. THIS is, indeed, a season of war – hot war, cold war, shooting war, shouting war, and silent war, among others. In the vexed and intractable matter of corruption and its fellow travellers in Nigeria’s troubled space, and especially since the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency was sworn into office in May 2015, perhaps no single statement has captured the popular and not-so-popular imagination as the one to the effect that if Nigeria does not seek to kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria (or something to that effect!). To be sure, it was never in doubt that, for decades, Nigeria has battled rather unsuccessfully with corruption. It has equally not been in doubt that the ailment has assumed rampaging dimensions in recent memory. It is against this background that the book being reviewed here has been put together by a stellar group of about three generations of 19 academic and practicing lawyers, trained in some of the leading Nigerian and foreign universities, as well as an international not-for-profit organisation working in anti-bribery compliance solutions for multinationals, obviously experts in their various fields, all brought together in this major enterprise by the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos. By the mere fact of demographics and curriculum vitae of its editors and contributors, not to mention the highly respected stamp of the authority that penned its Foreword, therefore, the volume is worth more than its weight in gold as a fatally subversive instrument of war against corruption and related tragedies that have for long held Nigeria and Nigerians hostage to a

few parasites and their minions. In terms of the authoritativeness, breadth and depth of its content (crafted competently in 18 authoritative and largely readable chapters), the volume is set, in my view, to redefine the agenda of jurisprudence, practice, policy, and public discourse on corruption, money laundering and assets recovery not only in Nigeria but in other emerging economies and troubled democracies the world over. What exactly does this book set out to do, and what is it all about, in the words of those behind the writing of this volume? What is the big idea that made writing the book an irresistible enterprise? In the Foreword, written by my teacher and highly respected senior academic, Professor Akin Oyebode, we are reminded (p. iii) that “corruption had stymied the aspirations of Nigeria for transforming its economy from an under-performing and unproductive one into a level that would make it rank among the world’s 20 most developed economies….It is against this backdrop that the offerings contained in this work are both timely and relevant.” Writing along the same line, one of the volume’s editors (p. vi) has this to say: This book seeks to fill a gap in the policy arena as there are no substantial books on corruption, money laundering and assets recovery in Nigeria, despite the fact that many articles have been written on the subject. It unveils different perspectives from experienced legal practitioners on the subject, including external opinion on the legal infrastructure available to the anti-corruption crusade. Hence the book reviews the adequacy or otherwise of the international and regional framework that pertain to corruption, money laundering and assets recovery. This is supported by articles dealing with specific issues such as terrorism finance, extradition, strategies against money laundering, feminist perspectives, organised crime, right to health, and bribery in global business transactions. It is a measure of the intellectual maturity of the editors and contributors to this book that, very early in its pages the ca-

veat emptor is entered, to the effect that “it should be noted that the articles presented in this collection reflect the extant law on corruption, money laundering and assets recovery at the time this book was published.” Beyond the obvious conventional wisdom reflected in this statement, that only a few who possess extraordinary powers that enable them to perceive the future today can be expected to interpret that future, there is the more sobering fact that the subject of interest to this volume is one that is currently in ferment, prone to twists, turns, unexpected developments and similar surprises in scholarship, policy and practice the world over. In such circumstances, as our world continues to unravel and to be besieged by the ravaging and burgeoning forces that we must record and study and respond to at the same time, often quickly too, whatever we do achieve in that context cannot but be tentative and provisional; not for us much of the certain and oracular tone of exact, largely settled science! The chapters in the book suggest, among others, that: •While penal sanctions are generally adequate, ineffective operation of enforcement mechanism, coupled with adoption of plea-bargaining, has led to inefficacious evocation of appropriate statutory, institutional and judicial frameworks for handling corruption; •The major constraint in the war arises not from the legal frameworks but from a lack of political will; •There is an interplay between certain regulations and attempts to prosecute high-profile political office holders – putting the war in jeopardy; •The judiciary has to adopt the right attitude and take a decisive step to support the battle against corruption so that it can redeem its image; •Nigeria has to ensure that its laws reflect current international standards and equally ensure that all international treaties against corruption are implemented domestically; •International and regional legal frameworks as constituted at the moment are

inadequate to prevent or fight corruption in such developing countries as Nigeria where such provisions against corruption are not legally binding on State Parties; •There is a need for a more focused and robust legal and policy framework, supported by a vibrant criminal justice administration and law enforcement system, to ensure success in the fight against money laundering and financing terrorism, among others. In conclusion, and against the backdrop of these insights, I warmly recommend this landmark publication that is set to become a major instrument in the battle against corruption, money laundering and assets recovery in Nigeria, not only to those directly involved in the study and practice of Law. •Professor Agbaje is of the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan.

POEM

Love again Love is the brook in the desert awakening strength the speed in sleep which pushes to celestial heights those who love never die death is for the hating and hateful We abide in eternity, hewn in rock Tomorrow shall be well Love is no kisses feigned No strange flesh and no adulterous Queen too keen on stolen kisses love is the pillar on which hangs the galaxies love is the reason I live to write after devious attacks — By Abiodun Awolaja

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

education

Editor: Laolu Harolds 08111845016 tribune.education@yahoo.com

‘How to end cultism in schools’ Cultism is an evil to which a lasting solution is yet to be found in the nation’s educational institutions. Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, it keeps recurring, interrupting academic calendars and often resulting in loss of lives. The Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, last week Thursday brought the issue back into the front burner, by hosting a sensitization programme against the menace. LAOLU HAROLDS reports

O end the menace of cultism in Nigeria’s educational institutions, the fight has to begin from the top. Cultists usually have powerful people as patrons in high places, including the army, police, legislature, banks and educational institutions. If cultism will be eradicated therefore, leaders in government have to come clean first on the issue, and take decisive action against it. It is only then that the government can effectively clamp down, through its agencies, on offenders down the line. It will also help if every institution of higher learning (colleges of education, polytechnics and universities) establishes and sustains an effective intelligence unit which will be saddled with the responsibility of constant surveillance and information gathering about societies existing on campus and the activities of their members. These are some of the recommendations arising from a sensitization programme on the ‘Evil of Cultism on the Campus’ organised last week Thursday by the Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The major speaker at the event was Mr Daniel Osita, a self-confessed former cult leader-turned evangelist. In his presentation, a representative of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. M. C. Nwachukwu, defined cultism as “a form of organization whose activities are not exclusively kept away from the knowledge of others, but such activities are carried out at odd hours of the day and often clash with the

accepted norms and values of everyday life.” All open societies and associations, he stressed, are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, with clearly stated objectives. So, any society or organization whose activities are shrouded in secrecy cannot be given approval by the CAC, and therefore are not legal entities and should not be associated with. He traced the origin of campus confraternities to 1952 at the University of Ibadan, when Professor Wole Soyinka and six other students established the Pyrates Confraternity, ostensibly to protect the interest of students and fight injustice; and how criminal elements later hijacked same organization to perpetrate crimes. Nwachukwu dissected some of the reasons adduced by people for joining cult groups. Some, he said, join for reasons of security; but he debunked this, noting that cultists, ironically, generally live in fear because of their atrocities. Why is cultism criminal? Apart from the fact that their not being legal entities (nonregistration with CAC) makes them illegal entities, Nwachukwu noted that activities

of members of the cult groups often always constitute legal infractions that carry varying levels of punishments. In the cause of their attacks, for instance, cult members kill, maim, rape or commit arson – offences punishable by law and which attract different terms of imprisonment. Nwachukwu also listed effects of cultism to include infections, which sometimes are life-threatening. People, he noted, have been known to contract HIV during initiation ceremonies. Cultism endangers and destroys lives; innocent lives are lost in cross-fire during cult groups’ reprisal attacks. Cultism also leads to proliferation of arms and disruption of academic activities, among others. He told the students that though membership of cult groups may not be provable in court, the activities of members can. “Murder or Attempt to murder (that is guilty of felony) is liable to imprisonment for life. If you threaten somebody (with death), (you are) liable to imprisonment for seven years. Conspiracy to murder, guilty of felony, is liable to imprisonment for 14 years. Punishment for manslaughter is liable to impris-

I wish that the school authorities will begin to implement stringent security measures to curb cultism on campus, especially to improve security situation.

onment for life; rape, liable to imprisonment for life; indecent assault on female, liable to imprisonment for two years; abduction, liable to imprisonment for two years; kidnapping, liable to imprisonment for 10 years and robbery, liable to imprisonment for life.” To end cultism, Nwachukwu stressed the importance of internal security arrangement. He made a strong case for the establishment of an Intelligence Unit in every school. This unit, he explained, will be responsible for gathering information on the activities of cultists. Nwachukwu said: “And once you are identified (as belonging to a cult group), it should be rustication. It serves as deterrence to others. “I wish that the school authorities will begin to implement stringent security measures to curb cultism on campus, especially to improve security situation.” The main speaker, Evangelist Daniel Osita, told the story of his life; his journey to, and through membership of the Buccaneers Confraternity, in which he claimed that he rose to become the national CAPONE. According to him, he was a very brilliant student but from a very poor background. From his story, Osita became consumed with the passion to rescue his parents from extreme poverty. But he had another passion as well – in fact, an obsession: to become a lawyer, so that, in his words “I could deal with those who oppressed my poor parents.” This desire for vengeance made him vulnerable to those who eventually lured him

Continues on pg21

education British Council partners Olashore International School 20

HE British Council is working with Olashore International School, Iloko-Ijesa, Osun State, and other selected public schools in Nigeria to improve the education sector. This was made known at an exchange programme held in Lagos recently. The Principal of Olashore International School, Mr Derek Smith, who anchored proceedings at the event, said Nigeria has a wide range of schools and there is no clear-cut distinction between private and public schools as it is the case in the United Kingdom. “There are private schools in Nigeria that are not so expensive,” he told the gathering consisting of principals from public schools and visitors from British Council in Nigeria and the UK. “The educational system across Nigeria is quite complex. The British Council School Network has been successful and they are replicating this in other African countries,” he said. While speaking on the challenges facing public schools in Nigeria, Anne Teru, principal, Government College, Surulere, Lagos, said lack of electricity supply has impeded the learning process in her school. “We have problems with electricity supply connecting with our corresponding school back in the UK. We don’t have electricity to power the computers making it difficult to aid learning with technology,” she said. According to her, the training she received at the British Council has enabled her and her teachers improve on their approach to learning. “We have started using creativity and imagination as part of our learning methods,” she explained. “We are now using critical thinking. We have moved from teacher-centred to learner-centred style of teaching. We are trying to adopt the new method because it is new to us. The new orientation now is to allow learners take charge of learning.” In addition, she said the new method of learning is also encouraging leadership as prefects in her school now take charge of some activities. “We give prefects tasks to do,” she explained further. “There is much improvement after the training we had with British Coun-

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

cil. Teachers love it. What the teachers now do during classes is to make impute. They are no longer at the centre of the learning.” Mary Aworinde, a sports teacher at the Gbagada Senior Grammar School, Lagos said the style of teaching sports at schools

has changed to encourage more girls to participate in football. “26 female coaches were selected and trained about football skills,” she said. “We were sent out to train students for nine weeks. Five of the trained female coaches were sent to Zam-

bia for training. We returned to train people in entrepreneurship.” However, she noted that the challenge with teaching sports in school is that no time is allotted on the timetable for practical sessions. “We don’t have specific time for practi-

cal aspect of sport in the school. We have more male footballers than females. British Council has helped through the training as more female footballers are coming up.” Barikis Usman-Oderinu, head of IELTS operations/ school exams manager

British Council said British Council has trained some teachers and plans are in the pipeline to train more. “We started training teachers in November last year,” she said. “We have trained 1, 500 teachers and we hope to train 8, 000 teachers by June 2018.”

Ikole monarch makes case for subjects in FUOYE’s appointments Shola Oladipupo Ado-Ekiti

From left, Director-General, Office of Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo; Chairperson, Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN), Dr. Olufemi Ogunsanya; Parenting Coach and Public Speaker, Mrs. Iyabo Ladipo, and Head, Nursery and Primary School Supervision Unit, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Adeyinka Adeniji, at the APEN workshop held at ST &T Regency College, GRA, Ikeja, on Saturday. Photo SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Cultural Day celebration as tool for national integration By Gabriel Oshokha TO strengthen the bond that holds the nation together, it is important that Nigerians, particularly the upcoming youths, learn to recognize and embrace the peculiarities of the different cultures. Therefore, as a means of showcasing the uniqueness of the diverse cultures in a country with an estimated 500 languages and 250 ethnic groups, Christ The Redeemer Secondary School, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, March 23, celebrated ‘Cultural Day 2016’. Commenting on the cultural day celebration which was a mixed bag of Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba Urhobo and Tiv cultures, the Principal of the school, Mrs Uche Anerobi, said, “Our culture is rich, diversified and is not what the children should miss. And as we are the custodians, we should continue to pass it on from generation to generation “What we have demonstrated today, particularly in terms of the traditional wedding, is to expose the children to what tradition-

al wedding is all about, as compared to the English wedding they are used to. Speaking on the essence of the Cultural Day, Anerobi said, “A day, not even a month, is enough to help us inculcate our diverse cultures in the upcoming youths. If it were possible, all the diverse cultures should be included in the curriculum and taught once in a week. “For example, the children who put up traditional demonstration of the various cultures are not of the same ethnic background; but I am sure by the time we move them around from one cultural group to another, they will be able to act the cultures of the different ethnic groups in Nigeria.” Mr Obi Olaoluwa, who spoke to the Tribune Education on the occasion, called on the government and school authorities to “try and encourage our culture. For instance, a Yoruba teacher should showcase the Yoruba culture through putting on Yoruba attire always, rather than putting on English dress with a tie; the white man will not descend so low by putting on

our traditional attire, either to the class or to any event. “Our culture is our pride. Our lecturer told us sometime that whenever the white men move from their shores to a different part of the world, they always go with their culture. It so sad we have today neglected our own culture,” he said. A J.SS3 student of the school, Anu Olatunji, who spoke to the Tribune Education about the Tiv culture, said: “Though I don’t know much about Tiv culture, I am very proud to showcase it. It’s a big honour, and I am ready to showcase Tiv attire any day, anywhere.” On what the government should do to promote culture, Olatunji said: “It should inculcate in our curriculum other ethnic cultures like the Efik, Tiv and others, and set aside maybe Fridays to put on traditional attire, rather than the Cultural Day which holds once in a year.” Another student in the SS.1 science class, Paul Adesanya, stated enthusiastically “I am proud of the Igbo culture, and I will be comfortable to put on Igbo attire even after this event.

I know a bit about the Igbo food and mode of dressing.” A Junior Secondary School 3 student, David Adesanya, who said ‘culture is a way of life’, said though he prefers his jeans and T-shirt because he is not comfortable in traditional attire, however, “I am proud of the Urhobo culture any time.” Miss Peace Akintayo in the SS.2 class in the school, who showcased the Yoruba culture, said: “It is a very wonderful culture. Without Yoruba, there is no Nigeria. The language is very unique. I speak Yoruba every time, and will be very proud to speak it any time anywhere. Besides, my parents are very strict about our attitude regarding Yoruba.” Tobi Bamishe of the SS1 class of the school, who showcased the Igbo culture, said: “I like their language and their mode of dressing and their food like akpu. I will not be shy to speak Igbo language amid non-Nigerians.” The event also featured cultural dance competition, drama, fashion parade food competition and proverbs/ recitation from each of the tribes.

THE paramount ruler of Ikole-Ekiti kingdom, Oba Adewunmi Ajibade Fasiku, has appealed to the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Professor Kayode Soremekun, to give greater consideration to indigenes of the community in employment and admission to the university, decrying neglect by previous managements of the institution. He made the appeal when the vice chancellor led some management team of the university to pay a courtesy call him in his palace. It was in continuation of the vice chancellor’s visit to host communities of the university. Oba Fasiku restated his kingdom’s support for the university, noting that the community, among other contributions, had donated a 500KVA generator to the institution as part of measures to ensure the accreditation of its engineering programmes. He also appealed to the vice chancellor to consider siting a pre-degree programme facility at Ayedun. Responding, Professor Soremekun appreciated the contribution of Ikole community to the university, saying it was the first time he had heard of the community’s donation of a 500 KVA generator. He promised that his administration would ensure equity in the distribution of employment and admission opportunities. Shoremekun, however, expressed regret that the strive for the accreditation of the Engineering programme had suffered a setback, as the contractor handling the Engineering workshop had abandoned the contract and another visit by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) is billed for July this year.

education Ekiti SUBEB, UBEC train teachers on professionalism 21

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Sam Nwaoko, Ado-Ekiti

KITI State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) have trained

teachers in the state on new trends in professionalism, development and sundry skills towards further improvement of the teaching profession in the state. The training, said to be the second phase of the Teacher

Development Training Programme, was organised by Ekiti SUBEB, in conjunction with UBEC. It has also been held for teachers from all the zones in the state at Oye-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti and the state capital, Ado-Ekiti.

The chairman of SUBEB in the state, Senator Bode Ola, in his speech at the opening of the training, charged teachers to impart the knowledge they acquired during the training to their colleagues and pupils.

Ola said the training was to further improve the standard of education in the state and bring the teachers up to speed with modern teaching techniques. According to him, the efforts of the Ayò Fayose administration to revamp education in the state are yielding results “as occa-

sioned in the result of the last Senior School Certificate Examination and the outstanding performances of the students in external competitions.” He expressed appreciation of what he said was “the effort and intervention of Governor Fayose for the release of the training fund by the UBEC.”

Winner emerges in the Oando Marketing Writing Competition

Teachers and Students of fortunes land International schools 12 & 14, Adeyemo Bus Stop, behind Zartech, Oluyole Estate Extension Ibadan during their Excursion to Tribune House, Imalefalafia Ibadan, recently.

SANS grace Bowen Law Faculty’s maiden Distinguished Lecture by kehinde adio

PROMINENT lawyers and legal experts in Nigeria recently converged on the campus of the Bowen University, Iwo, to witness the maiden Distinguished Lecture of the Faculty of Law of

the institution, which was delivered by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo. The event was chaired by a former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande. The guest lecturer, Awomolo, described Bowen’s Faculty

of Law as one of the most reputable Law faculties around in the areas of teaching, research, human resources and structural development. His family instituted an endowment of N100,000 for the best female graduating student in the faculty.

This he said was an expression of his family’s satisfaction of what the university had put on the ground to commence the Law programme. He expressed the hope that the award would stimulate academic exploits among female students in the faculty.

IN line with its commitment to contributing to skills development in Africa, Oando Marketing Plc has announced Dr Adeyeye Adetola Rachael, a medical personnel at the Eko Club Atlanta Outreach, as the winner of its Feature Article Writing Competition. The feature writing competition, with the theme ‘Sustainable Solutions to tackling Climate Change in Developing Countries’ kicked off in February 2016. Interested participants were required to highlight impact of business activities on climate issues and proffer sustainable business practices that can improve the environment, leveraging some of Oando’s business initiatives. The competition, which was designed to encourage the development of literary skills to enhance human

capital development and entrench a reading culture in the bourgeoning youthful population in Nigeria, was open to all Oando Marketing Plc’s employees and followers on its online platforms. It had 135 entries. The winner, Dr Adeyeye, who described reading and writing as a hobby, got a cash prize of N400,000. Her winning article will also be published in national newspapers. Recently, Mr. Abayomi Awobokun, the CEO of Oando Marketing, was honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum due to his commitment to the Forum’s shaping a better future and improving the state of the world by creating bold, brave and action-oriented programmes to support the WEF Africa Skills and Economic Development Initiative.

‘Government should show sincerity in fight against cultism’ Continued from pg19 into joining the Buccaneers Confraternity, in which for many years he committed very many atrocious deeds. But he learnt a lesson through this. “If you are out for revenge, the Devil will find you a ready tool and use you,” he told the students at the event. And he shared some useful insights too with the students about what makes an average student vulnerable on campus to these secret cults. According to him, cultists look for certain signs in their potential quarry. A brilliant student but who is always keeping to himself will likely attract cult members seeking new members. Also, according to Osita, a student who smokes but who is usually all alone will draw cult members looking for new members; so is a very brilliant student who is very outspoken in class. According to Osita, cult members most often go for brilliant students, but they also look for a weakness in such students with which they set a trap for them. Most often, they use girls (usually members) to set traps for potential new members, especially if they have seen such potential quarry has a weakness for the opposite sex. He also warned students to beware of free food or drink offers from strangers at cafeterias or canteens, as those ‘free drinks’ or ‘free food’ today may be used as traps tomorrow. But he also acknowledged that cultists usually avoid ‘religious’ people. So, it pays to be serious with religious matters on campus (whether as a young girl or young man). Once you are successfully lured into being initiated into the cult, he said, it is very

difficult to come out. According to him, new initiates are given their first task of carrying out a ‘a hit’, which he claimed will be photographed (unknown to the initiate) and used to blackmail him into staying in the group. The menace of cultism has proved seemingly intractable over the years because, according to him, cult members have powerful patrons in the high echelon of the army, police, banks, legislature etc who fund and protect members of the group – even when they commit crimes. But how can the menace be eradicated? In a separate interview with Tribune Education after the event, Osita also made a case for establishment of Intelligence Units in institutions of higher learning; but he strongly recommended that such units should have former members of cult groups on them. This he said has been successfully put to effective use at the University of Ibadan (which he said is his alma mater). But he disagreed with the suggestion that cultists should be expelled from schools when caught. This, he stressed, is not an effective strategy at curtailing cultism. Osita said: “Even if you have to rusticate cultists, don’t send them away completely. They can be on suspension for two sessions. Within those two sessions, use them within the campus while you also, in a way, work on them to make sure they are reformed. If you have them within the Intelligence Unit, it helps a lot. What are the signs to look for that give cultists away on campus? Osita’s words: “The easier signs are the wrist or arm bands they wear or the colours they wear. Some Christians use them now

Evang. Osita, ex-cult leader (wrist bands); GSM companies also have their own branded hand bands. Even football clubs have them; but look for the preponderance of the colour. “If you see three, four or five people wearing red, they may belong to a certain cult that applies red as colour. Some wear yellow; they belong to a certain cult that applies yellow. “If you see a preponderance of bluecoloured hand bands around you, even if they write MTN or Coca-Cola on them, you should be able to know that this is Eiye Confraternity. If it’s black, you should be able to know you are in the midst of Black Axe members. “Sometimes, it’s by what they wear. Even now in some schools, some students are

harassed when they wear certain colours. Somebody may walk up to you and ask ‘Who asked you to wear red? Why are you wearing blue? “You don’t understand because it’s your shirt that you normally wear, but somebody is harassing you for wearing it. They are cult members; they are offended that you are wearing their colour.” Way out Osita insisted that only sincerity on the part of leaders can end cultism. He said: “If the head is sick, the body will be sick. The leader must first of all come out and say ‘I don’t belong to any cult’; and then, the Senate and Houses of Assembly should promulgate laws against cultism. So far, it is not in our laws. Pick up a cult member now; in the next few hours, he is back on the campus. It’s that bad. “The war you see in Rivers State, you think they are militants? They are cultists. They are well armed. Let government declare total war on cultism, and empower vice chancellors, rectors of polytechnics and provosts of colleges to deal with those boys. I know many of them (cult members) who have ended up in Senate and Houses of Assembly as we talk.” Thursday’s event was chaired by the Deputy Provost of the college, Dr. Bolatito Adeniji; and had in attendance the Registrar, Mr R. Akinola; Librarian, Dr. E. O. Oyewole; Bursar, Mr. A. O. Alabi; Director, Academic Planning, Mr. A. O. Abati; Director, Centre for Degree Programmes (CEDEP), Dr. R. A. Shoyele; Dean of Students Affairs, Mr Basil Wukina and Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Mr Bola Adesina.

education UNILORIN plans free adult education for host community 22

S part of its social service mandate to its host community, the Institute of Education (IOE), University of Ilorin, has concluded plans to provide free Adult Education programme and render free counseling services to inhabitants of Ilorin and its environs before the end of this year. The Director of the institute, Professor Mudashiru Yusuf, who disclosed this, said that efforts are on to bring back the self-sustaining extramural classes for candidates who have been failing in public examinations like the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination. The Professor of Educational Technology listed other plans of the institute to include the expansion of opportunities to accommodate more students through the establishment of certain diploma programmes such as Human Kinetics and Health Education, Instructional Radio and Television, Art and Craft, Photography for School Certificate holders as well as the HND conversion programme. Yusuf said, “We are planning a Community Counselling Centre, which is going to be a free service by the university,” noting that there are counseling issues on marital affairs, academic matters, job issues, mental health issues, and teenage affairs, and that “there are experts to address these issues.”

3 JABU programmes get NUC’s nod THREE postgraduate programmes of the Joseph Ayo Babalola University, IkejiArakeji, Osun State, have been given full accreditation status by the National Universities Commission (NUC). This was revealed in a letter signed by the Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie, addressed to the vice chancellor of the university, Professor Sola Fajana. The three programmes are MSc. Business Administration, Accounting and Master of Business Administration. Professor Julius Okojie congratulated the university and urged it to continue in its giant strides to greatness.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

“We want to give the community a standard extramural environment where students will be taught and not assisted to cheat like some Centres are doing. We want to set the standard. We are educators; we know the standard and we should

not just be blaming others for doing what is wrong; we should establish the standard and then others will follow the standard.” On infrastructure to match these plans, the IOE director said, “We are lucky that we have an administration

that manages resources in the best of manner, and we are discussing with administration and we are calling experts to access what we have on the ground, and efforts are on to ensure that this place is put into very good shape.”

Yusuf enjoined the federal government to accord priority to the funding of education, saying “you must motivate and encourage the best minds to come into teaching. As at today, teacher education is the secret of Singapore’s success.”

Teachers and students of Rosegate Daycare, Nursery and Primary School, 32, Oshuntokun Avenue, Bodija Ibadan, during their excursion to Tribune House, Ibadan recently.

Teachers and students of G-Darex Private School, Akanran Road, Olunloyo, Ibadan, during their excursion to Tribune House, Ibadan, recently.

Ganduje hails UNIMAID for honouring Murtala, Sanusi Kola Oyelere - Kano KANO State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, says the decision of the Senate of the University of Maiduguri to award honorary degrees to the late Head of State, General Murtala Muhammad, and the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, is a huge credit to the state. He made the comments when the university’s management, led by the vice chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, visited him in his office. Governor Ganduje said, “General Murtala Ramat Muhammad, of blessed

memory, was a leader and any honour done to him is not just for his family and people of Kano State but for all Nigerians, because Murtala is for all Nigerians. “If you recall how he was assassinated and the amount of mourning that took place after his death, it was unprecedented. I have never observed in my life any national mourning that could compare to that of late Murtala. As for Emir Sanusi, the governor described him as a versatile, modern traditional ruler; a highly regarded Islamic scholar and Arabic language expert, with vast understanding

of politics, economics and contemporary issues, saying he deserved the honour. Ganduje said the university has a long history of relationship with Kano State, recalling that at one time, the chairman of its governing council was an indigene of Kano while the former governor of the state, Senator Ibrahim Kwankwaso, was given an award by the university. Ganduje disclosed that his administration is constructing a hostel for Kano students at UNIMAID, and that he is personally delighted that two of his daughters graduated from the institution.

He thanked the university’s authorities for commiserating with him over the death of his mother as well as on the recent fire outbreaks in some markets in Kano. He then pledged that his administration would continue to support the university. Earlier, the vice chancellor had said that the team was at the governor’s office to sympathise with him over the fire incidents in the state recently and to formally invite him to the 22nd convocation of the institution and its 40th anniversary celebration later this month.

10 students emerge finalists at maiden National ICT Olympiad Naza Okoli - Lagos A total of 10 students will compete in the final stage of the first ever edition of the National ICT Olympiad, an ICT competition for secondary school pupils. While addressing journalists in Lagos last week, the national coordinator of the project, Mr Adedeji Gbadeyanka, said the 10 students were selected from over 5000 students who originally applied for the competition. “The registration started on the 19th of October and ended on the 19th of November 2015. At the close of registration, we had a registered number of 5,166 students across 1,765 schools in Lagos State,” said Gbadeyanka. The first edition is “restricted to Lagos State,” but the 36 states in the federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory will take part in subsequent editions. Gbadeyanka said further: “Basically, I am an ICT person from the start, and I realise that the development of ICT in the country has been very low. Awareness also is low. Students tend to go towards socials more; so, we are trying to make them more interested in ICT, by letting them know that ICT also can make them famous, inventive, creative… “For this edition of the competition, the students were registered free. Everything they have done has been free. We are in discussion with other organisations about funding. A large portion of the fund for this year’s project came from NIIT.” Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, Nigeria Computer Society, Lagos State chapter, Mr Charles Chijioke Onyeukwu, said his organisation was pleased to support the organisers of the Olympiad. The 10 finalists will on April 21, at the Imperial Hall, Alausa, Ikeja, display their skills in website design. The winner will receive a gold medal, N100,000 cash, N100,000 worth of training scholarship, and a laptop.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016 Editor:

health you&EYE

Sade Oguntola sadeboguntola@yahoo.com 0805 506 9260

sex,sexuality&You

naturalhealth

natural health

You can be free of those stretch marks

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Fungal infections no less lethal than TB, malaria —Experts Page 25

Sex, sexuality & your health

Foods that can make your breasts bigger

Page 26

Sudden cardiac arrest may have warning signs after all! By Sade Oguntola Too often, many cases of people slumping and dying are thought to have come on ‘out of the blues,’ but most often, there are warning signs that are overlooked. Called sudden cardiac arrest, it is a deadly condition that occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops its blood pumping action, causing blood flow to the rest of the body to stop. It is fatal in about 90 per cent of the time. It has long been a mystery for families of affected individuals and medical doctors because it was generally believed to strike without warning. But a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that sudden cardiac arrest may have warning signs after all. The study which included 839 patients between the ages of 35 and 65, found that many patients experience warning symptoms in the days or weeks before having a sudden cardiac arrest. It was data from the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study, a comprehensive, 16-hospital, multiyear assessment of cardiac deaths in the Portland metropolitan area from 2002 to 2012. The study found that about half of patients who have a sudden cardiac arrest first experience symptoms like intermittent chest pain and pressure, shortness of breath, palpitations, or ongoing flu-like symptoms such as nausea and abdominal and back pain. Among 430 patients with warning symptoms before their heart stopped, 54 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women had chest pain. For women, however, shortness of breath was more common, occurring in 31 per cent of those with warning symptoms compared with 14 per cent of the men. Unfortunately, the study found that 80 per cent of them ignore their pre-arrest symptoms. They don’t act upon the symptoms, and that’s very perplexing.

Although sudden death happens without warning, or very little warning — a few minutes or an hour, this opens a new window of opportunity for prediction and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest. In fact, the researchers’ belief that based on the finding of the study, many patients would have more time to intervene than it was possible before. This study followed previous research done on Oregon men. Among 567 men who had out-ofhospital cardiac arrests, 53 per cent had symptoms prior to the cardiac arrest. Of those with symptoms, 56 per cent had chest pain, 13 per cent had shortness of breath, and 4 per cent had dizziness, fainting, or palpitations. Almost 80 per cent of the symptoms occurred between four weeks and one hour before the sudden cardiac arrest, this study found. Sudden cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack, which happens when there are blockages in the blood vessels that nourish the heart. A heart attack can sometimes trigger an electrical disturbance that leads to sudden cardiac arrest. It strikes people in the prime of their life, around the age of 65. And even when they recover, many are left with neurological damage such as brain injury from lack of oxygen. Still, the finding, President, Nigeria Cardiac Society, Dr. Amam Mbakwem said should prompt individuals to have a medical check whenever they feel any unusual symptom in their bodies. “These symptoms are not things one feels on a daily basis; it should prompt individuals to have a medical check up so that the doctor can decide that there is nothing to worry about,” she stated. Mbakwem, an Associate Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, saying there are no specific symptoms for sudden cardiac arrest, stated that in Nigeria, too, many people also explain away symptoms that could be suggestive of dangerous health problems. To prevent a sudden cardiac arrest, she advised

regular blood checks, including blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol level measurements as well as the adoption of healthy lifestyles that are support healthy heart like exercises, intake of fruits and vegetables, avoidance of junk foods and low salt intake. Dr Akinyemi Aje, a consultant cardiologist, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, said saying that a person died suddenly may be an anathema since the person’s medical history is not known. Although many things can cause sudden death, including a sudden cardiac arrest, Dr Aje said it is however possible that someone with uncontrolled blood pressure, who also starts to experience palpitations, suddenly dies. Also, he said where a person has the blood vessel that supplies the heart blocked, merely working a short distance could make the person tired and experience chest pain or palpitation. If such a person suddenly slump and die, Dr Aje said the cause of death people might just assumed to be the chest pain whereas only a post mortem can ascertain the real cause of death. However, he said Nigerians can easily overlook such signs as intermittent chest pain and pressure, shortness of breath, palpitations, or ongoing flulike symptoms such as nausea and abdominal and back pain because of the current economic situation of the country. “Somebody who had trekked a long distance because there were no public transportation and as such fatigued or experiencing shortness of breath or palpitations will just wave it off. Also, a worker that has not received his monthly salary for six months will not consider going to the hospital even when he feels there is the need for this,” he concluded. Over the years, the implantable defibrillator, a surgically implanted device, has been the lifesaver for many patients who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Dr. Ben Ajayi 0805 400 5447

you-and-eye@gmail.com

Why some people suddenly go blind “Why do people suddenly go blind,” asked the unidentified voice on the phone? I could discern a glint of anxiety in the voice. I paused a little, not knowing from where to commence my response. It was a straightforward question and the answer also simple but explaining the nitty-gritty of the symptom on the phone was quite complex. I could immediately think of over 200 possible causes of sudden painless loss of vision and another 100 causes of sudden painful loss of vision. Reeling out these causes to the faceless person at the other end of the phone was meaningless. The anxiety in his voice was a warning that this was not supposed to be a teacher-student interaction. It meant there was someone with an urgent problem requiring some crucial advice. So I decided to ask some searching questions. “Sir, do you have anyone in particular in mind?” I asked. “My 70-year-old aunt,” he replied. “How sudden is ‘sudden’?” I questioned. In the over four decades of practising medicine in this part of the world, I have learnt that several words which are supposed to have definite meanings are used with such laxity that they lose their significance. “I was in her house two weeks before and she opened the door for me. She cooked me

a really delicious meal without any assistance from anyone. Her housekeeper came in later to tidy the table and wash the dishes. Then two days ago, she phoned me that she had to grope, in broad day light, to find her way inside the same house!” he said. “That’s a helpful piece of information,” I replied with satisfaction. “’Sudden’ here might just be sudden,” I surmised. “By the way is she diabetic or hypertensive?” I asked again. “Not to my knowledge. She has never been ill in the last five years!” he replied confidently. My task was still very difficult even though through those questions I had already excluded over two dozen possibilities! “You have to bring your aunt to my office for examination and investigations,” I demanded. The following day, he breezed into my office with his aunt. “Doctor, your patient is here,” said he, introducing his aunt. As she was led to the examination chair, I had doubts if this was actually a case of sudden loss of vision. But there was no need for guessing now since she was with me. Auntie could barely see my hand waving very close to her face. I shone my torch on her eyes and was greeted with a brisk wink in each eye by a nice round pupil in response to the bright light. Now something else caught my

attention! It was least expected, yet common place. Behind each pupil was a whitish opacity. “Cataract!” I blurted out in disbelief. Cataract blindness is usually never sudden! Blindness is typically gradually progressive. Could there be other co-existing and more devastating disease in the eyes? I reviewed the information provided earlier and conducted a few more tests. Certainly, Auntie had straightforward cataracts. Why then is her visual loss sudden? From the evidence gleamed from the eye examination, the cataract in her left eye started first. I estimated the near total visual loss in that eye had occurred not less

Sudden painless loss of vision can be dramatic and alarming to both the patient and the doctor.

Marriage may be a cancer fighter Married people seem to have a marked survival advantage, as researchers found. Single men with cancer had a death rate 27 per cent higher than it was for married male patients, while the death rate for single female patients was 19 per cent higher than their married counterparts. “The effects that we find were actually quite notable,” said study author Scarlett Lin Gomez, a research scientist with the Cancer Prevention Institute of California. “They are comparable to some of the more clinical factors we often see that are associated with cancer prognosis, like stage of disease or certain types of treatment.” What’s more, this advantage appears to rely solely on the emotional bonds of matrimony, and not the financial advantages that marriage offers, Gomez said. “These patterns were very minimally explained by the married patients having greater economic resources,” Gomez said. “Specifically, we looked at health insurance and we looked at living in a higher socio-economic status neighbourhood. Even though these played a small role, they really didn’t explain the greater survival among the married.” It should be noted that the study only found an association between marital status and cancer prognosis; it did not prove a cause-and-effect link. Previous studies over the past 10 to 15 years have shown a similar marriage benefit for cancer patients, Gomez said, but the benefit has always been attributed to the love and support a person receives from their spouse. But married people also tend to have greater combined incomes and better access to insurance, Gomez said. She and her colleagues decided to see whether money played a role in the survival advantage of married couples.

For the analysis, the researchers examined health records of nearly 800,000 adults in California who were diagnosed with invasive cancer between 2000 and 2009 and were followed through 2012. The study, published April 11 in the journal Cancer, revealed that financial resources did not have much impact on a person’s chance of beating cancer, Gomez said. Instead, it appears that cancer patients benefit from the support that a spouse

provides, such as driving them to doctor’s appointments, providing nourishing meals and making sure they take their medicine, Gomez said. “Treatments can drag on for months and months,” she said. “It can be very difficult if you’re single and you don’t have any other means to get to the doctor.” Married cancer patients also benefit from emotional support, which can reduce stress and improve a person’s chances, Gomez added.

than two years before. She had been seeing through a small clear window in the cataract in her right eye until a few days ago when it sealed up plunging her into near total darkness. This is an unusual case! What then are the common causes of sudden painless loss of vision? The commonest cause in this area is bleeding into the eye. It is not infrequent in sicklers especially those with SC haemoglobin between the ages of 15 and 55 years. Diabetes and hypertension are some of the other causes of bleeding into the eye that can also cause sudden loss of vision through several other mechanisms. I remember seeing recently a young man who lost vision in both eyes after ingestion of wood alcohol (Methyl Alcohol) and another who suffered the same fate from quinine. Sudden painless loss of vision can be dramatic and alarming to both the patient and the doctor. In some cases, immediate attention and diagnosis within a few minutes after occurrence may determine if or not the eye will ever see again. An accurate history is just as important as the clinical examination. Do not hold anything back from your doctor including the history of recent or past illnesses, medications, contraceptive use and drug abuse.

“You have somebody who’s there to listen to you, to counsel you through the stress of cancer treatment,” she said. “Cancer is a very scary thing, and it’s good to have someone by your side.” Dr. Gregory Masters, an oncologist with the Helen F. Graham Cancer Centre in Newark, Del., said the study “suggests the value of a devoted caregiver in helping to improve survival in cancer patients. “Social support provided by devoted caregivers such as a spouse may be a major component of the improved survival for these patients,” said Masters, an expert on patient care for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “It suggests that a concerted effort to evaluate a patient’s psychosocial resources may be as important as other factors in helping to improve cancer survival.” Single people may not have someone in their lives who will automatically be by their side, but these results suggest that it is vitally important for them to reach out to family and friends for care and support when facing cancer treatment, Gomez and Masters said. “Certainly we’re not advocating for getting married as a means to improve your outcome,” Gomez said. “But single people can help themselves by maintaining stronger social networks, and being able to rely on friends and family members for help.” Being in a long-term relationship has been shown to improve health and quality of life across the board, said Rachel Cannady, strategic director of cancer caregiver support for the American Cancer Society. “These findings aren’t unique to cancer,” Cannady said. “We know that people live longer when they’re couples, irrespective of disease. There’s something to be said about having that sort of deep and meaningful relationship.” SOURCE: Healthdaynews

25 Healthnews

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

Fungal infections no less lethal than TB, malaria—Experts By Sade Oguntola

ungal infections is no less lethal than tuberculosis or malaria, causing misery to millions and in some cases, resorting to death, experts at the inauguration of University College Hospital Mycology Research/ Study group have said. At its inaugural meeting in Ibadan, Dr Adetona Fayemiwo said more people now die of fungal diseases than from tuberculosis or malaria in Nigeria due to inadequate care and diagnostic facilities for these diseases. Fayemiwo, while describing fungal infections as silent killers, stated that after headaches and rotten teeth, skin fungal infections are the commonest diseases on Earth. He said common ones include ringworm, including that of the genital area, athletes’ foot, candidiasis and invasive fungal infections. According to him, “serious fungal infections afflict the most economically productive, especially in Tuberculosis, AIDS and cancer patients, having a disproportionate

impact on economies. “The mortality from invasive fungal infections

like invasive aspergillosis is almost 100 per cent. In some place, you are not

able to diagnosis this infections until post-mortem and we are losing a

Marketing Director, Pfizer Nigeria & East Africa Region, Winston Ailemoh (left); Chairman of the occasion, Lere Baale; President, Nigerian Cardiac Society, Associate Professor of Medicine & Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Amam Mbakwem; Medical Director of Pfizer Nigeria & East Africa Region, Dr Kodjo Soroh during, the 25 years of consistent commitment to Cardiovascular Health in Nigeria, held in Lagos.

Avon HMO celebrates winning hospitals Leading health maintenance organisation, Avon Healthcare Limited (Avon HMO) has rewarded three hospitals as part of its ongoing Provider Incentive Programme. Three Lagosbased hospitals, National Air Force Hospital (Ikeja), Med-In Specialist Hospi-

tal (Ogudu) and Bee Hess Hospital (Akowonjo) and their HMO Officers received diesel supply and plasma TVs. The Avon HMO Provider Incentive Programme rewards hospitals and HMO Officers who are timely,

consistent and accurate in submitting utilisation data on primary care as well as secondary and tertiary care services. Mrs. Adesimbo Ukiri, MD/CEO of Avon HMO, described this incentive as a key step taken by Avon HMO to advance the accurate colla-

Oyo worst hit by malnutrition in South West By Sade Oguntola Oyo State remains the worst hit by high burden of malnutrition in the South West with 27 per cent of children under-5 stunted. This disclosure was made at one-day training for media champions in child and family health by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), in Lagos. Mr Sunday Okoronkwo, a nutrition expert and project director, Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), who declared that malnutrition burden in Nigeria was high and cutting across all socio economic classes, put the average level of stunting, also an indicator of the level of malnutrition, in the zone at 22 per cent. Okoronkwo linked the high level of malnutrition in children to low level of breastfeeding and provision of appropriate diets after the first six months of exclusively breastfeeding. The nutritionist who described malnutrition as a national problem, said correcting the situation requires the collective efforts of all as well as an explicit budget line. He declared that implementing the health component of the National Food and Nutrition Policy will

lot of patients. “So, necessary diagnostic equipment is also

ensure stunting is reduced by 20 per cent by 2019. Earlier National Coordinator, Association for the Advancement of Family planning, Mrs Chinwe Onuomunu, described family planning as key pillar and most effective means of achieving safe motherhood. Onuomunu decried that five women and young girls die per hour in Nigeria from pregnancy and pregnancy related causes when at least 33 per cent of these deaths preventable. According to her, inadequate awareness, wide funding gaps, existing socio-cultural factors and poor accessibility to family planning services at all levels are impeding challenges confronting efforts to reduce high burden of maternal mortality in the country. Onuomunu said, “contraceptive prevalence rate in Nigeria has remained at 10 per cent for 10 years because we use religion and cultural as excuses. But Iran has a modern contraceptive prevalence rate of 70 per cent. Basically, in countries where contraceptive prevalence rate is high, maternal mortality is usually low.” She however urged for media support for the campaign to ensure affordable,

sustainable and effective family planning services, saying the benefits of family planning is a right and not just a social service. Meanwhile, participants at the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) sponsored training in a communiqué expressed concern on poor implementation of policies to promote adequate accessibility to contraceptive commodities and combat malnutrition. They noted that sustainable funding and concerted

public-private effort towards adequate routine immunisation would not only prevent development of childhood killer diseases (pneumonia and diarrhoea) but also successfully interrupt the transmission of wild polio virus in Nigeria. Also they said that creation of specific budget line for procurement of the commodities will help to combat and mitigate the burden of children from pneumonia and diarrhoea in the country.

tion, availability and use of robust medical utilisation data. “In Nigeria, we are seeing an increase in chronic diseases and escalating healthcare costs. If HMOs are to offer health plans that truly cater to the current and future needs of our people, we need comprehensive data to guide our product development initiatives” Mrs. Ukiri added “Our hospitals are vital as they hold this data and we are extremely encouraged by the response shown by all those who participated.” Launched in 2015, the Provider Incentive Programme is part of the company’s vision to set new standards and drive the industry forward. Explaining further, Ukiri said “In most sectors, decisions are guided by rigorous data analyses and the insights gained from them.

needed to drive the diagnosis of these infections, which hitherto are not present in Sub Sahara Africa. In terms of surveillance programmes for fungal infections, it is fewer than 10, with not much going on in Sub Sahara Africa.” “Specialised reference laboratories that provide key diagnostic tests and critical expertise in fungal infections are found in fewer than 20 countries.” Dr Fayemiwo, however, assured that the multidisciplinary group with its international collaborators was to help improve the clinical care of patients with these troublesome infections in the country as well as collect data and monitors cases. President of Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections, Professor David Denning in his message to the meeting, said that Nigeria also has a substantial number of fungal infections, especially fungal skin infections that are transmitted by body to body contact. Denning, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Manchester, said bridging the gap in fungal disease diagnosis and treatment was of great importance in the health and survival of people, especially in the local areas. “A key for success in the future will be surveillance to help to better understand fungal diseases in Nigeria. Another key area is access to antifungal drugs. “At the moment, Nigeria does not have all the relevant antifungal drugs necessary to treat some of these infections. This is something that a major research centre in a teaching hospital can influence the government to ensure,” he concluded.

Govt urges funding support for family planning Following the dwindling resources of governemnt, stakeholders on family planning have been urged to join hands with Oyo State government in sourcing for more funds to support efficient and accessible family planning services. Permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Yemisi Iyiola, gave the charge at the opening of a 3-day budget tracking for civil society organisations on family planning budget allocation and release. Iyiola, stating that family planning occupies central role in the health

system, said there the need for this had become more imperative because the government was facing some financial constraints. The medical expert, saying that family planning does not have a budget headline yet , added that it was important that stakeholders on family planning help to make a justification for this in the current zero budgeting system of the government. He declared: “we must clearly analyse our needs because before today everything ends with budgeting. We need to

find out whether the programmes are implementable and achievable so that the whole thing will not be a waste at the end of the day. So, now the least of the challenges is not budgeting.” Earlier, Programme Officer, Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, Aanu Rotimi said a survey to scan the policy environment for family planning and budget tracking exercise found that over the years, money allocated to family planning was never released. In addition, she declared, “we realised that the MNCH had a budget

line but family planning was not stated anywhere in its budget. If the budget does not clearly state it, there is no way priority can be given to family planning.” Rotimi quoted UNFPA as saying that if family planning is implemented properly, it could save 30 million dollars, saying investing in family planning is very efficient and economically friendly. Ensuring that Family planning was integrated into all primary health care centres, she declared would ensure that every woman anywhere can go there and access family planning services.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

You can be free of those stretch marks By Vera Onana Sharon (not her real name) wearily let go of the little red sleeveless dress. She would have looked perfect in it for her best friend’s bachelorette party only if those dreadful marks were not lying conspicuously on the back of her legs, just below her knees and on her upper arm. She settled for a full sleeved long dress instead, perturbed by her mandatory wardrobe change imposed on her by the annoying stretch marks that besieged her skin only recently. Stretch marks are a huge problem for more ladies than men, though men have them as well, they are more of a burden for women. Dermatogically termed as Striae, Stretch marks are off-coloured stripes or streaks that appear on the outer skin and are commonly seen on the waist, thighs, lower backs, hips, breasts, arms and buttocks. Due to the fact that the human skin is made up of three layers: epidermis (the outer layer), dermis (the middle layer) and hypodermic (the deepest and third layer), stretch marks occur when the connective tissue is stretched due to the expansion and contraction of skin, the stretch marks starts developing on the dermis or the middle layer of the skin. With the stretch in skin, the collagen gets weak and the elastin fibres start tearing. Due to this, its normal production cycle gets damaged or interrupted. This results in the formation of fine scars under the epidermis or the top layer of the skin. Initially, they appear red or pink, but gradually, they turned into thin silvery line. Though stretch marks are not a disease, which infects the human body, but are the scars formed due to contraction and expansion of skin, they are basically caused by a number of reasons which includes the physical stretching of the skin at the end of pregnancy, extraordinary weight gain, especially on arms and thighs, use of certain medications, including lotions, pills, corticosteroid creams and steroids, adrenal gland diseases, Cushing’s syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, genetic disorders, muscle building, hormonal changes during puberty and heredity factors. However, there are warning signs that tells that a part of the skin is about to be bombarded by stretch marks. Stretch mark symptoms include development of red, pink, or purple lines on the skin, softening of skin, appearance of wrin-

kly lines and patches of parallel lines on the skin Though stretch marks make people feel self conscious and uncomfortable about their appearance, fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the appearance of stretch marks naturally without any side effects. Potato juice Potato juice helps us a lot to get rid of stretch marks. Potato contains starch, a product with emollient properties that soothes the skin. The presence of antioxidants in potatoes helps remove stretch marks. Antioxidants are chemicals that transfer electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent and they can prevent or slow cell damage. After the formation, free reactive radicals start a chain reaction which can cause damage or death to a cell. Antioxidants are molecules that can interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Potato is a great source of Vitamin C, potassium, thiamine, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc. Aloe Vera Aloe Vera is one of the most well known remedies for stretch marks. Aloe Vera leaves secrete a clear gel when

Not all women have big breasts. Just a few lucky women have desirable size while the other women have small size. The question here is how to increase the size of your breasts naturally and fast at home. There are many ways to improve or increase the size. It could be through surgery treatments, having suitable diets, practicing positive habits, and doing daily exercises. If you want to enhance your breasts’ size naturally and fast, you should eat suitable diets in order to put on weight. It is recommended that you should combine this with daily exercises in order to get best results. Below are some useful and effective methods about eating right nutritious foods:

Avocado Eating avocado is good for you to improve your breasts’ size fast and effectively. According to nutritious experts, Avocado is rich in lipid which is not saturated that can improve the elasticity of tissues and cells in breasts. In addition, avocado also contains Vitamin A, C, and E. •Vitamin A can stimulate the production of female hormones •Vitamin C can help prevent breasts from the deformation •Vitamin E help increase the size in breasts You will see the positive results within one month when combining avocado, honey, almond, or walnuts.

health broken off from the rest of the plant that can be applied to heal wounds and it also contains plant collagen which immensely helps to repair the skin. Collagen is one of the most important proteins that make the skin elastic, supple and youthful. Collagen is really beneficial to the skin as they help to reduce wrinkles, fine lines, reverse age of skin, tighter skin, plump up skin and also improve the elasticity of skin.

Foods that can make your breasts bigger

Honey and Eggs Here is the useful formula for combination of honey and egg: mix an egg yolk with a spoon of honey, and condensed milk, and then steam the mixture. It is recommended that women should have these foods in their daily meal. This is also suitable for people who want to improve weight if they are thin. The mixture provides necessary substances such as protein, and lipid that are good for the development of cells in breasts. NOTE: If you don’t want to gain on weight or accumulate lipid in your belly when eating the mixture, you should eat this at your breakfast or lunch, but not dinner.

natural

Olive oil Olive oil contains four major antioxidants which allow it to work as a cleanser, moisturiser, and protector of skin. Among these antioxidants are Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps to neutralise the oxidant effect of free radicals that damage collagen and it is the main reason of wrinkles, fine lines and skin dryness. Vitamin E reduces the chain reaction of free radicals. Vitamin A thickens and stimulates the dermis and reduces wrinkles and fine lines naturally and increases blood flow to the surface of the skin Lemon juice Lemon juice is one of the most well known stretch marks removal home remedy. It is a great source of alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) and Vitamin C. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid which ensures the production of collagen. Collagen is a protein made up of amino acids and produces almost 30 per cent of the proteins with in the body. They are found in strong structures of the body like in tendons, bones and ligaments. It helps the growth of cells and blood vessels and aids immensely to maintain the firmness and strength of the skin. Lemon juice also acts as a natural remedy for tan removal. Egg whites Egg white is one of the best known home remedies for skin. It is rich in Vitamin A and collagen. Collagen is the main structural and the most abundant protein found in animal connective tissue and contains specific amino acids like glycine, praline, hydroxyproline and arginine. As it gives our skin firmness, suppleness and helps in the constant renewal of skin cells, it is really essential for our skin.

sex,sexuality

&your health With Monica Taiwo

strictly adult teenagers, adult & geriatric sexual well being

08187754992 (sms only) taiwomonica@gmail.com drink the mixture of ripe grapes and tomatoes juice. Drinking this juice can help improve the size gradually. Milk and dairy products Using mild and dairy products can help stimulate the development of breasts size. These help women gain on weight slowly. Therefore, they can increase the size of breasts.

Orange Orange which contains Vitamin C helps to protect your breasts from sagging, prevent your breasts from degeneration of cells in breasts, and avoid the deformation in breasts effectively. To get the best results, you should eat orange before and after your meals, and before going to bed at least 30 minutes. Pawpaw/Papaya Women who are pregnant or lactating have big breasts with maximum size. It is because their mammary glands develop rapidly in order to produce milk. It is recommended that Papaya with pork ribs and red beans soup is good for natural breast enhancement. Eating this soup helps stimulate the strong development of fatty tissues and mammary glands of breasts. As the result, they can enhance the size of breasts significantly. Eating ripe grapes Ripe grapes contain lots of necessary vitamins which are good to help prevent the sagging of breasts. It is good to

Steamed chicken Like steamed pork leg, steamed chicken can help increase the size of breasts rapidly. This food also helps people recover health effectively. This food is considered as one of the best recipes on breast enhancement. Vegetables Vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet cabbage because they are rich in Antioxidants, Vitamin, and fibres. Vitamin E, C, and A belong to group of efficacious antioxidant vitamins that help to evacuate harmful and toxic substances. Antioxidants and fibers also play an important role in protecting your body from different types of cancers including breast cancer , a common cancer in women. The green leafy vegetables also contain lots of indoles and sulforaphane – phytochemicals that have ability to fight against or beat the toxins and carcinogens in body. In cooking, you should boil these vegetables if you want to avoid the loss of nutrition. By eating these healthy foods, you can possess sexy, attractive, big, and healthy breasts naturally. Learn how to get bigger boobs naturally fast at home now. Besides, you should also do exercises regularly if you want to have ideal breast size with great shape. Courtesy: Infographics

Thursday, 14 April, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

I’m not satisfied with APC’s performance so far —Baraje

Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje is a founding leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He spoke with journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State on the crisis in the party, and sundry issues. BIOLA AZEEZ brings excerpts:

HY have you remained silent on issues affecting the All Progressives Congress (APC)? My silence was because I am an elder of the party and elders don’t just talk, particularly the ones that know what they are doing, and I don’t believe in flippancy. You don’t get me talking because I want to remain focused. Second, I have been busy doing too many things. You are all aware that APC is a new party and the party is a coalition of various political groups, one of which I happen to belong to. Therefore, as a senior citizen and elder of the party, I have been busy building the party together with the rest of us who are desirous of building a very formidable party. I have been busy in ensuring that we build bridges among the members, particularly between the elders and leaders. It is not easy to come from various ideas to form a political party because our ideologies and focus about the country must together be blended as one, to take Nigeria forward. While we are busy building, we must ensure that the structures are firm and we have got to a reasonable level. Now, I think we have got to a point where we and Nigerians can assess and make comments. Why is APC keeping silent on the trial of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki? Many of us are surprised or taken aback that the party has not been living up to expectation regarding the trial of the Senate President, in terms of making the Senate President to have a sense of belonging, which is very important for any member, let alone a person in the calibre of the Senate President who has sacrificed a lot of resources for the party. I have been trying to make the party realise that not only the Senate President but everybody that contributed to the success of the party matters from the highest to the lowest hierarchy. We have got to a level where we have to be realistic and ensure that the right thing is done at the right time and in the right manner, especially given the fact that we belong to a group that is not very satisfied with the performance of the party. Not only because the Senate President is currently going through a very pronounced political persecution, but because there are other cases and instances where we are not happy about the performance of our party. A case in point is the recent rerun elections in Rivers State. You will agree with me that before and during the elections, the APC did not have the expected and desired presence in Rivers. With the volatile nature of the rerun election, some of us, with our humble experiences, expected the national presence

Baraje of our party much more there. It is regrettable. Today, we have counted about 150 rerun elections both at the state and national

levels across the country and our party has lost a majority of the elections. Not because the party has lost popularity, but because

Today, we have counted about 150 rerun elections both at the state and national levels across the country and our party has lost a majority of the elections.

of the inadequate presence of the party in the various places where the elections were held. Politics is not technical but practical. If the APC decides to abandon its members in the middle of an election, you don’t expect magic from such action. Politically, the party should be proud that the Senate President is from its fold. Even though he was not wanted by certain interests, he went into an election and won. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) episode with Aminu Tambuwal (former House of Representatives Speaker) is still fresh in history. The PDP then didn’t throw the Continues on pg 28

politics&policy

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

‘It is time Buhari played politics’ Will you consider leaving the party if this alleged impunity continues? Every politician or group has aspirations in any part of the world, not only in Nigeria. The time we were going into a merger to become the APC, our feeling was that the then government of PDP was not giving us that desired governance and Nigerians were suffering. We wanted to be part of the solution to the problem to make life easy for our people. But how far have we then achieved those aspirations? There is nothing to show for it now. Some will say our group has the Senate President, but he has not been in peace. Since the coming of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, no Senate President has had dry, blatant, politically tyrannical and open persecution like Saraki. Your reaction to the trial of Saraki at the CCT? In any case, the case has not followed the due process and rule of law. It was the due process that was missing in the case of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and he was discharged but not acquitted. So, why is the Saraki case different? As regards whether we are comfortable with where we are and whether we are joining other groups, every politician has aspirations about the development of his people and if you cannot achieve it in one place, you go to another place. It doesn’t mean that I am a political prostitute. I am a principled person and will not stop until I get what I want, which in this case is good governance, equality, democratic dividends for my people. Impunity, lawlessness, lack of due process are not what formed APC. With the intervention of some leaders like us, that party will continue to thrive, but for it not to go the way of PDP, the president must play politics. Baraje Continues from pg 27

baby away with the bath water, knowing full well that such a move would be counterproductive. It was well managed and that the Speaker still remained the Speaker of the then PDP. Our party may loathe the ways of PDP, but out of every bad situation and experiences, there are atoms of goodness and every visionary leader will separate the shaft from the corn and take what is good out of it. So, it is not as if the Senate President has gone against his party. I was a witness of how our Senate President got the seat and I can tell that, as at the time we went for the election, the party had no candidate for the election. Before the election, the party first made a statement that it had zoned the seat to the North-Central, but then intrigues started. How would you assess the performance of the APC-led government at the centre? I want to say that there has been distractions. The Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is well intentioned. Lots of things went wrong before Buhari came in and to build is difficult. When there are lots of distractions, you would lose focus and the APC has lots of distraction created by the party itself. In line with the constitution of the country, we have three arms of government. These are the pillars that should hold the country’s fabric together. And if one of the pillars gets jeopardised, what do you

expect? The Senate President is the chairman of the legislative arm in Nigeria and he is not getting the support that he should get, simply because some few individuals thought they are more powerful than the party itself. As disorganised as PDP was, everybody was a member. It was because of the tradition of impunity that was creeping into the PDP that made us raise the alarm and that was why we left and you can see the consequences. Now, the same scenario is creeping into the APC. We must sound a note of warning to President Buhari to shine his eyes. There are people in the party who, in the guise of reconciling people and working for the success of the party, are actually doing that for their own selfish interest. But it will lead them to nowhere. We will never romance impunity. President Buhari should be wary of them and play more politics now. He has gone into the house and has seen how bad it is; he has reorganised the house and what is left now is to consolidate on the reorganisation to build on the foundation. Is your wing playing any role in the reported formation of a new party in the country? We also heard it just like you. But I have not entered into any alliance or gone into any meeting with anybody. So far, so good, APC is still on ground but we want Mr President to shine his eyes, as Nigerians would say. But that cannot be done successfully except he plays politics.

How would you react to the allegation that Saraki was drawing salary after leaving office as Kwara State governor? Immediately Saraki left office, like any other civil servant who worked for it, he began to enjoy his pension and the vouchers that pay those benefit began immediately, and the banks still referred to it as salaries. One of the major goal of this trial was to create sensation and media hype. We had barely gone out of the court that day when the media started calling for his resignation.

Our party may loathe the ways of PDP, but out of every bad situation and experiences, there are atoms of goodness and every visionary leader will separate the chaff from the corn.

Like you read in the papers this morning (Sunday), there have been plans for those people to organise protests against Saraki in Abuja, Lagos and Ilorin. But I want to assure that if that happens, we will see the mother of counter protests to demonstrate that the Senate President has followers. Hitherto, APC had only three states in the North-Central and with dint of hard work, Saraki delivered the zone one 100 per cent. So, if some people hide under the trial of Saraki to want to destabilise this government, then, we won’t sit down and look. And that is not a threat. Nobody has called for his resignation and the senators have reaffirmed their support for him. But if they are still hell-bent on removing him, the worst will now happen because we may have the PDP taking over the Senate Presidency and that of its deputy. Maybe we should practise it for the first time and see how it would be. We have heard that there are plans to destabilise the political root of the senate president here at home by some APC leaders at the national level. We have also heard that information but we are ready for it, not by violence, but we want to show them that this is an area that can’t be penetrated. We are one and will remain one. If they do, you we shall see the consequences. Is the coalition of strange bed fellows responsible for APC’s problem? In politics, there are no strange bed fellows. There is only a thin line between the Democrats and the Republicans in the US. The only thing is that when situations arise, they demonstrate more experience and more maturity. The problem has not been that of coalition of strange bed fellows. What we did was to come together and salvage Nigeria and if we have other motives, they have started playing out, especially to some of us that can read between the lines, because the scenes and scenarios we have seen is not for President Buhari and that is why he should play more politics. The fact is what we have agreed to do, and we are still planting the ideologies of the APC and people based on their selfish ideas are smuggling the ideas of 2019 through the back door, that is rubbish. The National Assembly has been involved in some kind of altercation with the executive as regards the details of 2016 budget, what is your reaction to this? For the very first time, the National Assembly returned the budget with about 30 per cent less. They also expunged certain areas and reduced the amount for certain areas. The area I would talk on is that of some railway project that was also expunged. When I was the chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, I discovered that some structures of the corporation needed to be revitalised completely. Construction of new rails is not for now; we need to get the existing structures performing again and that will cost a lot of money running into billions of naira. So, the expunged new railway line from Calabar to Lagos is not a priority, like boosting food, agriculture, fighting insurgency and so on. So, if the Senate can do that, I expect the president to call the National Assembly together in a roundtable and discuss with them. Not as some are saying that he should call their bluff. He should take time to study the budget properly and iron out whatever place he is not clear about because the budget is that of the people.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

news

Thursday, 14 April, 2016

N500bn social intervention: Compiling list of poorest Nigerians difficult —Osinbajo From Chris Agbambu and Leon Usigbe - Abuja

ICE President Yomi Osinbajo, on Wednesday, admitted that compiling names and list of poorest Nigerians who are to benefit from the N500 billion social intervention fund earmarked by the Federal Government has been a difficult process. He, however, said that the government has been greatly assisted in that regards by the World Bank and the Bill Gates Foundation The fund for social interventions includes conditional cash transfers to the very poorest, including loans to market women and people who are engaged in informal trade. Osinbajo, while speaking in Abuja, during a roundtable on vulnerable people in insurgency and other conflicts in Nigeria, organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in honour of the abducted Chibok girls and other victims of internal conflicts, stated that poverty has been identified as one of the overreaching issues in the country, which must be tackled through various intervention programmes. He said that the current budget is tailored in such a way to reflect the need on poverty alleviation in the country. The vice president disagreed that poverty is the major cause of terrorism and radicalism, as being propounded by some people. He noted that most actors of terrorism, especially in the Middle East and Europe, are well educated and from middle class families. According to him, “there seems to be a problem around the whole concept of what a budget should be, what our preparation should be and for the country. On the Chibok girls, who were abducted exactly two years ago, Osinbajo said that the Federal Government is working towards bringing an end to the issue. He promised that government is working hard to ensure that the girls and other missing people are rescued

very soon. “And of course, several others who had been abducted and killed. At various times before those incidents,” he said. Also speaking, the Minister of Environment and Moderator of the programme, Mrs

Amina Mohammed, said: “It will never be enough until the girls come back. In the same vein, the NSA, Major-General Babagana Munguno (retd), noted that the purpose of the roundtable was to discuss the plight of the most vulnerable

citizens, devise preventive measures to avoid conflicts and find ways to mitigate the suffering of victims during and after conflicts. Munguno, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Economic Intelligence, ONSA, Mr Remi

THE Kwara State police command has arrested and paraded suspected fourmember forgery syndicate, who specialised in forging letters of employment and postings. Speaking with journalists during the parade of the suspects in Ilorin, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Sam Okaula, said

Police smash kidnap gangs in Enugu

THE Police in Enugu State have smashed two kidnap gangs operating in and around the capital in the past two months. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ekechukwu Nwodibo, who announced this at a news conference on Wednesday in Enugu, said two cars, guns, handsets and a fake army identity card were recovered from them. Nwodibo said that the feat was achieved through careful planning after a tip off and warned criminal elements to steer clear of the state.

Abandoned babies

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki (left), receiving a certificate as member of the Advisory Committee, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), from the president of the council, Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere, during a solidarity visit by the NYCN to the Senate President, in Abuja, on Wednesday. With them are the chairman, Elders Forum of the council, Alhaji. Ganiyu Balogun (middle) and the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank.

UNIPORT fracas: Rivers NUJ wants policemen prosecuted for holding 2 journalists hostage Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

THE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State council, has called for the prosecution of the policemen, who allegedly manhandled and held hostage two journalists during the protest by

students of the University of Port Harcourt, on Monday. This was contained in a statement signed by the chairman and secretary of the state council, Mr Omoni Ayo-Tamuno and Mr Soibi Max-Alalibo, respectively and made available in Port

Harcourt, on Wednesday. The two journalists, Ofonime Okon and Ifanyi Obinna, who are working with Silverbird Television and Rhythm F.M., Port Harcourt, as well as their driver, were allegedly held hostage for more than an hour by

400 to benefit from Bola, Atinuke Ige scholarship scheme By Tunde Ogunesan

ABOUT 400 students from various public secondary schools in Ibadan and Osogbo, are expected to benefit from a scholarship programme instituted to honour the late former governor of Old Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige and his wife, Justice Atinuke Ige, on Saturday. The scheme, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, on Wednesday, according to Mrs Funso Adegbola, was to keep the passion and vision of the late couple on education alive. For 2016 awards, 200 students from public pri-

mary schools in Oyo and Osun states, would engage in a written test on Saturday, for the selection of 10 finalists. At the same time, another set of 200 students from public secondary schools in Oyo and Osun states, would also be involved in a written test to select another 10 finalists. The grand finale will take place on Saturday, May 14, when the four lucky winners will emerge. The statement further stated that late Chief Ige’s “passion for free and qualitative education for the children of the poor, was unrivalled as he diligently implemented a pro-

gramme of free education at all levels in Oyo State when he was a governor. His wife, Justice Atinuke Ige, who “distinguished herself at the Bench, lived all her life to bring succour and hope to those who had lost hope. She was responsible for the education of many children from the ranks of the poor in the society up to university level. These feats, Adegbola said, informed the decision of the duo’s family “In 2013 to institute a scholarship award in memory of Justice Atinuke Ige worth N2.5million for each of the two winners annually.”

Police nab 4-man syndicate for fake employment document in Kwara Biola Azeez - Ilorin

Oyewunmi, noted that no other issue in Nigeria’s recent history has exposed the country to the international spotlight as the abduction of the Chibok girls, prompting righteous indignation across the world.

Nigerian Tribune

that operatives of the command, who he said, acted on intelligence arrested members of the syndicate at Gaa-Saka and Oke Fomo areas of Ilorin metropolis. It will be recalled that the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Kwara State governor on Media and Communication, Dr Muideen Akorede, on Tuesday, had said that 10 people were arrested during the ongo-

ing biometric verification exercise of civil servants in the state for presenting fake educational certificates. The police boss said the paraded suspects were in the act of forging letters of employment and posting of government agencies and parastatals such as Nigeria Hajj Commission, Nigeria Ports Authority, Kwara State Teaching Service Commission, Kwara

State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), among others. He said the members of the syndicate charged and collected between N40, 000 and N70, 000 from each victim for state appointments and between N200, 000 and N350, 000 each for federal appointments. The police boss said the suspects would soon be arraigned in court.

some policemen stationed at the Choba junction. The Rivers NUJ chairman condemned the alleged manhandling, saying their offence was that they took shots of the policemen in their recording during the protest. “Within this period, they forced the cameraman to delete all his shots on the protest from the memory card. “The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Ahmad Mohammad, has expressed displeasure over the issue when contacted. “But we believe that mere personal verbal expression as was genuinely done by the PPRO is hardly enough to forestall a reoccurrence of the act”, the statement added. “Although, the police have requested the affected journalists to identify the policemen involved in the act, we insist that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Choba Police Station, who posted the policemen to the stated post, be made to produce the officers concerned,” the statement read. When contacted, the Rivers State police imagemaker, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, simply sent a text message to the Nigerian Tribune that “It’s resolved, refer to Ayo-Tamuno [Rivers NUJ chairman]”. In a related development, the Rivers State council of NUJ alleged that a journalist working with the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC), Mr Martins Giadom, was brutally attacked by unknown persons during the last legislative rerun in the state.

DORCAS Amosun, a baby girl of about a month and half old, was given birth to by an insane woman, at Ali-shiba area of Ota, Ogun State, on February 17, 2016, at about 17.00 hours.

ANTHONIA Bamiwa Amosun, a baby girl of about six days old, was deliberately abandoned by her mother, one Yetunde, at Two Sisters of Antonieta Tawani Children Home residence, in OkunOwa, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on March 12, 2016, at about 13.50 hours, hence, the baby is now five weeks old.

DAVID Amosun, a baby boy of about a month old, was given birth to by a suspected insane woman, at Lafenwa area of Ota, Ogun State, on March 8, 2016, at about 11.00 hours. ANYONE with useful information on the whereabout of their mothers or relations of the subjects mothers, should, please, contact the nearest police station or the Director of Social Welfare Services, Ministry of Woman Affairs and Social Development, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Thursday, 14 April, 2016 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

NFF clears non-congress members for elective offices

AWC qualifier:

Falcons get N10,000 as bonus

Saliu Gbadamosi-Abuja THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has suspended the decision to ban nonmembers of its congress from contesting positions. The decision to suspend the clause forms part of the communiqué issued at the end of the extra-ordinary general assembly of the NFF held at the Chida Hotel, Abuja and attended by all the 44 members of congress. According to the communiqué, the decision followed a passionate appeal by the executive committee, saying that the controversial clause was aimed at ensuring and guaranteeing professionalism in the administration of football. “Following a passion-

Asisat Oshoala (right) in an aerial contest during the game against Senegal.

IGERIA’S senior women national team, the Super Falcons were allegedly paid N10,000 ($50) each after they successfully booked a ticket to the 2016 Africa Women Championship (AWC) on Tuesday. The reigning champions defeated the Teranga Lionesses of Senegal 2-0 in the second leg final round at the National Stadium, Abuja, and advanced 3-1 on aggregate for Cameroon 2016. Nigeria’s goals were scored by Rita Chikwelu and Osarenoma Igbinovia. This is in contrast with the senior men’s team that gets paid $4000 for a draw and $5000 for a win. The men failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations for a second straight year last month. This is not the first time national teams have been poorly treated. In 2015, the victorious Golden Eaglets were decamped with N20,000 after winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Florence Omagbemi’s side resumed camp on March 7 and spent over a month in the successful execution of the qualification campaign. Goal learnt that the players and officials of the Super Falcons were decamped on Tuesday evening and they were

handed N10,000 that was meant to get them to their various destinations. The fate of the nine foreignbased players who participated in the Falcons’ qualifying series is unconfirmed. Though another source hinted that they also received their return flight ticket fares. An NFF source informed

Goal that the team was already aware of the organisation’s financial challenges and provision of transport fare with plans to pay their bonuses and allowances soon. Unlike their male counterparts, Goal understands that the women are yet to be paid bonuses

since last year’s Olympic qualifying campaign against Mali under former coach Edwin Okon. Efforts made to speak to the Super Falcons officials were unsuccessful as they declined from commenting on the matter while NFF, officials were attending the extra-ordinary congress in Abuja.

As Glo hails team for winning ticket GLOBACOM, has congratulated Nigeria’s Super Falcons on their victory over Senegal and subsequent qualification for the 2016 African Women Championship. The Super Falcons had on Tuesday in Abuja, defeated the Teranga Lionesses of Senegal 2-0 to pick up the AWC ticket 3-1 on aggregate. “We commend the fighting spirit and determination the team demonstrated in the match against Senegal and we believe Nigeria will stand out at the AWCON. The team has the character and pedigree to achieve the ultimate goal of picking the gold medal in Cameroun,” Globacom said in a statement issued on Wednesday. Globacom added that, “The Super Falcons should start preparations in earnest and work towards another victori-

ous outing in Cameroon to consolidate their position as the number one women’s team in Africa.” It also gave kudos to the Florence Omagbemi-led

coaching crew, and urged both the crew and the team to work hard and evolve the right strategy to ensure that the team comes top at Cameroon 2016.

Osimhen lands in F/Eagles’ camp for Burundi FIFA U-17 World Cup record scorer, Victor Osimhen has arrived at the camp of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles ahead of next month’s 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifiers against Burundi. He strolled into the Serob Legacy Hotel camp of the Flying Eagles minutes before the kick-off of the UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and his German club, VFL Wolfsburg on Tuesday night. As early as 6.45am on Wednesday, Osimhen and team-mates were at

the FIFA Goal Project pitch at the Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja for Day seven of the Flying Eagles training. He looked quite trim and fit till the end and told the media afterwards that he is ready to go. “l am here to show the coaches what I can do. I have trained very hard to be here and just want to play football,” the Edo State-born player said. The Flying Eagles will take on Burundi first in Bujumbura on the weekend of May 20-22 in the U-20 qualifiers.

ate appeal by the executive committee, the clause adopted at the 71st NFF General Assembly held in Abuja on 16th December, 2015, aimed at ensuring and guaranteeing professionalism in the administration of football but misinterpreted as barring non-members of the congress from contesting for positions on the NFF executive committee was suspended pending ratification at the next NFF General Assembly. For the avoidance of doubt the congress further affirmed that all eligible and qualified persons under the NFF statutes are eligible to contest elections,” the communiqué reads. While ‘lifting’ the ban placed on non-members, the extra-ordinary general

assembly, however, stated that for bringing Nigerian football and Nigeria to “ridicule, opprobrium and disrepute, and in clear contravention of the NFF statute and other extant laws,” Ambassador Chris Giwa, Yahaya Adama, Mu’azu Suleyman, Sani Fema and Effiong Johnson were referred to the NFF disciplinary board to defend themselves. They were said to commit infractions such as illegally contracting a law firm in South Africa in the name of NFF and refusing to pay for the services up to a point where judgment was given against the NFF by the South African court. The communiqué added that they seriously violated the statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA, CAF, WAFU and NFF.

As Dalung’s aides assault SWAN scribe Saliu Gbadamosi-Abuja SECURITY details attached to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, on Wednesday, assaulted the National Secretary of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Mr Andrew Abba, in Abuja. The overzealous details, despite warning by Dalung not to rough handle Abba, pushed and shoved the sports journalist, while the minister was leaving the Chida Hotel, Abuja, where the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) held its extraordinary general assembly. The SWAN scribe had led journalists to meet the minister, who was leaving the venue after declaring the event open, to complain about the comment made by Dalung that journalists were collecting money to write damaging story about the ongoing crisis in the NFF. Abba, who introduced him as the National Secretary of SWAN, had told the minister that he and his colleagues took a serious exception to the allegation against them made by the minister. He further told Dalung that that was not the first

time he was making such an allegation since his assumption of office, adding that sports journalists were men and women of integrity and major stakeholders in Nigerian football and sports in general. Having listened to the complaints, Dalung promptly apologised but stated that people were using the social media to write a lot of negative things, saying that he was not referring to conventional media journalists in his comment but to those on social media. Meanwhile, the NFF President, Mr Amaju Pinnick later apologised to the SWAN scribe and other journalists over the incident, saying that they should forget everything in the interest of Nigerian football.

Dream Team for

Toulon tourney

NIGERIA’S Olympic team, Dream Team VI, will feature at the annual Toulon Tournament in the south of France next month as part of their build-up for the Rio Olympics. The tournament organisers informed AfricanFootball.com of Nigeria’s participation in the 44th edition, which will be played from May 18 to 29.

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Thursday, 14 - 20 April, 2016

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“The failure of some private universities should not be a ground for condemning the good work private universities have done and are still doing for this country.’’ N the Tribune edition of April 11, 2016, Mr. Laolu Harolds published an article in the banner headline “The other side of Private University: Admission request decline drastically”. He said among others, “that Nigeria private universities which has been largely considered mercantilist in their perceived high fees have been at the receiving end. Almost all private universities today in Nigeria are undersubscribed, understaffed and needless to say underfunded… In the past few years, admission request to private universities have been dropping…there has been a consistent sharp drop in admission request to private universities in the past few years with very few exceptions…there is something the NUC calls benchmark minimum academic standard (BMAS) which prescribes certain standards relating to staffing ratio in each department in relation to number of students; quality of academic staff as well as their remunerations…what do private university do since obviously they cannot survive with fees paid by few students on their list… Nigerian Tribune gathered that almost all of these institutions often go cap in hand to appeal to parents for assistance… One things that seems to be common to these universities is the heavy reliance on adjunct academic staff…when it was time for NUC to pay one of its usual accreditation visits, the senior academic staff explained to the VC how people from outside were usually brought in to front as the university’s regular lecturers just to make up the number…the problem is that, even the NUC men are complicit in some of these things”. THE ROLE OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES To allow a proper understanding on how the comments in the article are wrong, it is important, however briefly, to refer to the circumstances which brought about the emergence of private universities. It is a historical fact that the first universities in the world were private universities established mostly by students who invited knowledgeable people in society to teach them. This was particularly so in Athens the capital of Greek Empire. History tells us of the existence of great universities such as University of Constantinople sometimes known as the University of the Palace Hall of Magnaura which was founded in the 425AD as well as University of Bologna founded in 1088 and the University of Paris

OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D, D.Litt

While the nation was still mourning its disgraceful exit from next year’s AFCON, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) put the livelihood of the nation’s footballers in danger by resurrecting old grouses, thereby risking FIFA ban. Pray, who gave NFF a mandate to kill Nigerian football?

afeonthursday

aareafe@gmail.com

Private universities remain the future of Nigeria’s education founded in 1150 by the Catholic Church. Like other medieval universities, Oxford, Salamanca, Cambridge, Padua were also founded by the missionaries. When the 13th States of America were founded private universities emerged including Harvard. Apart from Christian missionary universities there were Degree granting universities established by Islamic organisations such as university of Al-Karaouine in Fes Morocco which was founded in 859. Al-Azhar University in Egypt, is probably the world’s second oldest surviving degree-granting institute. It was founded in 970-972 and serves as a centre for Arabic literature and Sunni Islamic learning. Between the 16th and the 20th century both Christian missionary and Islamic organisations continued to develop more and more universities. In Nigeria, the first university, a public university was established in 1948. The standard was high and compared favourably with the standards in Europe and America. Thereafter, both Federal and States established universities which were funded solely by government. However, the overall budgetary provisions of most states of the federation and the federation itself for education dwindled to the effect that the amount actually budgeted were far below the 26% which the UNESCO directed governments to allocate for education. As recent as 2013, the combined budgets of Plateau State, Nassarawa State, Bauchi State, Taraba State and Gombe State for 2013 was N559 Billion. These states allocated about 8% to 10% of their individual budgets to education. Yet the 2012 budget for the University of California was $4.4Billion amounting to about N640Billion. In 2012 the North California State University budgetary expenditure in 2012 was $7,130,137,243 which translates to N1,212,123,331,310. In the same period, the Federal Government of Nigeria’s budget for 50 Federal Universities and UBE (Universal Basic Education) was N495,456,130,065

which translated to 40.88% of the budget allocation of California State University. This problem of inadequate funding which did not start in the years referred to had overtime led to the inability of the existing universities to absorb the huge number of candidates graduating from secondary schools a number of which had increased exponentially due to population growth. It was against this background that the decision was taken to encourage private investment in education as was the case in leading universities such as Harvard, Stamford, Cambridge, Oxford, Yale which were either founded by private individuals or missionaries. In his book ‘Perils and Promises of Private University Education in Nigeria’ Prof. Peter A. Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) had this to say: “The growing increase in the number of prospective candidates for admission into universities and increasing inability of existing public universities to cope with the increase in demand for university placement, necessitated a review of the 1984 ban. The review led to the enactment of Decree No. 9 of 1993, which allowed individuals, organisations, corporate bodies as well as local governments to establish and run private universities upon meeting laid down guidelines and obtaining approval of government. The decree stipulated the conditions that must be met to enable the National Universities Commission (NUC) assess the adequacy or otherwise of applications for government’s approval (Okebukola, 2002; 2004)” Also in an address christened “Reflections on essence of university education in human development” delivered on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua as the visitor of OAU stated that: “The emergence of private universities can be seen as a logical response to fill the de-

mand gap located by the inability of governments to meet the number of universities required. However, the current success of private universities as the preferred choice for students that put premium on quality education and predication calendar, even by children and wards of professors of the older Federal Universities, is a sad pointer to the realities of what we have jointly failed to do.” To ensure the survival of these private universities, government put in place certain control measures most of which are within the purview of the NUC to implement. I know, contrary to the assertions of Mr. Harolds that the vast majority of private universities in Nigeria have satisfied these conditions and continue to evolve new means to further improve the quality of instruction in their institutions. However as is the case in virtually all areas of human endeavour, there are bound to be cases of inability of some operators to comply with those measures. In other words, success and failure are equal facts of life. The failure of some private universities should not be a ground for condemning the good work private universities have done and are still doing for this country. I state this even though Mr. Harold admitted that there were “few exceptions” he comes across in his article but nevertheless made a general categorisation of all private universities as failures as he failed to give any measure of attention to those universities which by his own admission constitute the said “exceptions”. Would it not have made for better reading and objective journalism to have done so particularly when data exists showing the giant strides attained by many (not a ‘few’) Nigerian private universities in terms of funding, student enrolment and staffing etc? In the next edition of this article, I will deal with factors which have affected enrolment both in public and private universities and highlight the successes of private universities which make them the hope for future of Nigeria’s quality education.

I never received court order which sacked Pinnick-led NFF board — Dalung Saliu Gbadamosi-Abuja MINISTER of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has declared that Nigerian football family is disorganised, just as he disclosed that he had not been served with any court order which granted the Chris Giwa faction the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). “If you have subscribed to be a member of the football family, abide yourself by the rules of football. Nigerian football family is such a disorganised family that has no focus

and I think the chairman (Senate Committee on Sports) has raised a fundamental issue. You must remain focused. “Nigerians are interested in football; Nigerians are worried. You must remained focused,” Dalung told the delegates at the opening session of the NFF extra-ordinary congress held on Wednesday at Chida Hotel, Abuja. Dalung stated that he was only served court orders made in 2014. “In the past two or three days, there have been so much storm in the NFF. It has been attributed to a legal action. As a lawyer and Min-

ister of Sports, till today, I have not received any court order. The court orders served on me were all dated 2014. “I have never received any court order dated 2016. Sadly, large number of you seated here were professional rumour mongers, mischief makers, enemies of this great country of ours,” he lamented. Dalung stated that there was so much problem with FIFA Statute, declaring that he was not panicking about the threat that FIFA will sanction Nigeria. “Anybody that is panicking is not a sincere

person. I am stable, I am calm and I am not bothered. Those who shout FIFA will come, I am telling you if I address FIFA they will know that there is so much problem with their laws. If FIFA law says it is subject to national laws and it has no provision to discipline members, those of you seated here if today you don’t get what you want you can go to court,” Dalung said.

NPFL RESULTS

Nasarawa Utd 3 Sunshine Stars 2

Giwa Enyimba

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. 14/04/2016.

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