14th June 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,523

TUESDAY, 14 JUNE, 2016

FG's job website gets 35 million hits, 400,000 applications within 36 hours —P2

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Drama as Sheriff retakes PDP secretariat

Most govt officials ignorant of capital market potential —Adeosun

—P6

—P11

•Says his term ends 2018

N150

Proposed dialogue with FG N1.04trn MTN fine: Reps summon AGF, communication minister, NCC boss —P6

Our demands —N/Delta Avengers

—P4

Gunmen abduct judge, kill orderly —P12

Only 38 officers were retired —Army —P7

President Muhammadu Buhari with Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (middle) and Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion Worldwide, Most Reverend Josiah Idowu Fearon, at the official residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain, in London, on Monday.

Current federalism system has turned states into beggars —Sagay —P2

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 2 news Current federalism system has turned states into beggars —Sagay

Says Obasanjo operated worst federalism in Nigeria’s history Chukwuma Okparaocha- Lagos

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ENOWNED constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, has said that the current federalism system, as practised in Nigeria, has made beggars of states of the federation, as virtually all of them solely rely on the monthly federal allocations to survive.

According to him, the system had led to a situation, whereby states had become too lazy to even think of ways to make money on their own.

Sagay’s view was also corroborated by seasoned human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, who called for true federalism in Nigeria.

Both legal personalities, therefore, unequivocally insisted that the way the country was currently being run would continue to stifle the economic development of states.

Speaking as guest lecturers at the first anniversary of the eighth Lagos State House of Assembly with the theme: “Lagos State in a true federalism and state police,” on Monday, June 13, the two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) pointed out that Nigeria needed both political and fiscal federalism for rapid development.

Delivering a lecture on the subject matter, Sagay, who is also the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-corruption condemned the current federalism, describing it as a “centralised unitary system.”

Sagay observed that the constitution of Nigeria should be a reflection of its historical development, adding that Nigeria’s federalism was too centralised and that it was limiting the development of the country.

“Nigeria has deviated from an ideal federalism because of overcentralisation of power. It is wrong to centralise institutions, such as Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria Police Council, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and others. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was right to have said that Nigeria is not a nation, but that it is mere geographical expression.

“There should be respect for nationalities and the basis of our association should be explained. Under the regional government, the region keeps 50 per cent of its resources, gives 20 per cent to the central government and the remaining 30 per cent is sent to the pool, which would be shared by the states,” he said.

Sagay stated that though the arrogation of power to the central government got to the peak during the era

of the late General Sanni Abacha as the head of state, former President Olusegun Obasanjo operated the worst federalism in the history of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007.

“The 36 states commissioners for finance gather in Abuja every month at a meeting chaired by the Minister of Finance to share

federal allocations. Obasanjo operated the worst federalism in the history of Nigeria, between 1999 and 2007,” he said.

Sagay stated that in a true federal system of government, Lagos State should control the Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports and that even if they were controlled by the Federal Government,

the state should get 13 per cent derivation.

Falana, who shared Sagay’s view, however, called for a total restructuring of the security system in the country, saying the time had come for states to be allowed to have their own police.

“The security and welfare of the people should

be taken seriously by the government. It is the duty of state to protect the lives and property of citizens.

The government has failed to ‘police’ the country and the police is ill-equipped,” he said.

Falana further said apart from salary being paid police by the Federal Government, all other logistics for

FG’s job website gets 25 million hits, 400,000 applications within 36 hours Leon Usigbe - Abuja

THE Federal Government jobs portal “N-Power.gov. ng” which was launched at the weekend has already recorded over 400,000 successful registrations under 36 hours.

This came against media reports that the site had crashed following high volume of traffic from unemployed Nigerians 24 hours after it was opened.

Quoting the Job Creation Unit in the Presidency, a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to

the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, in Abuja, on Monday, said the unit was impressed by the enthusiasm shown by applicants.

The statement said: “We have been very impressed by the enthusiastic response to the call for applications. As at noon, on Monday, June 13, only 36 hours after the launch of the portal, 403, 528 applicants had successfully registered on the site and were in the middle of completing the application process.”

The statement attributed

to Mr Afolabi Imoukhede, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, added: “We are also very pleased that the registrations have been taking place without any hitches or system failures, considering the volume of response.”

It said all together the website has received over 35 million hits since Saturday midnight.

The statement noted that N-Power is one of the five initiatives of the Social Investment Programmes of the present administration for which a total sum of

N500 billion had been provided in the 2016 budget.

It explained that N-Power was designed to help young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills to become solution providers in their communities and to become players in the domestic and global markets.

It would provide employment opportunities for 500,000 graduates as teachers, agriculture extension advisers, health care assistants, civic and adult education instructors in communities across Nigeria.

Buhari has not allocated any oil bloc —Kachikwu MINISTER of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has clarified that President Muhammadu Buhari has not allocated oil blocs to any individual since he came into office.

The minister made the clarification on Monday, in Uyo, tha Akwa Ibom State capital, at the South-South region Town Hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture.

The minister, who was responding to questions by some aggrieved participants from the region over alleged unequitable distribution of oil blocs, said that the Federal Government would be fair and just in giving out such advantages.

“Since we came into office, the government had not allocated any oil bloc.

“The president has said that he will need to correct the mess created by the past administrations before we begin to think of giving out such advantages.

“The president emphasised to us, the ministers, that there should be no unjustifiable favour and any action we take, we must be able to defend it.

“When the time for the oil bloc allocation comes, it will follow very clear due process,” he said.

Kachikwu stressed that he was one of those who be-

lieved that the South-South people should benefit from oil blocs, because it would be part of “giving back to the chicken that laid the eggs.”

He said it would go a long way to empower the people and make them to engage in genuine oil deals, rather than being contractors to oil companies.

The minister, however, reiterated that when government wants to consider the allocation, it would be given to those who have skills and the finance to develop the blocs.

Kachikwu said that the Federal Government had finalised the Integrated Power Project with Mobil Oil Company, which would produce 500 megawatts of power, as well as gas pipeline project in Akwa Ibom State.

He said the total investment for the project, including provision of infrastructure in the area of locations, was $7 billion.

The minister promised that the Federal Government would locate oil depots and modular refineries in the state, through private capital intervention.

In addressing the challenges of militancy in the region, Kachikwu said he had reached out to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) for a truce with the Federal Government to end destruction

to oil installations.

He said the activity of the militants blowing up oil installations was affecting the economy and government would use all means possible to end it.

Minister of Transporta-

tion, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, who was also at the Town Hall meeting, assured that the Federal Government would deliver on the developmental projects it promised Nigerians.

Continues pg4

the police were saddled by states.

He stressed that the current number of police could not provide adequate security for the 170 million population.

In his welcome address, the Speaker of the House, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, said the House had served residents conscientiously since its inauguration on June 8, 2015.

Obasa said: “We are here to serve the people and we must not fail them. We have an assignment to promote the interest of residents and move the state forward.

“We have been fully occupied so that our promises to the people are fulfilled. We have done everything within our capability to come up with people-oriented legislations that have helped the people of Lagos.

“Our members have displayed commitment to their job. We promised to live up to the expectations of the people.

“We have strived towards retaining the pride of the House. We have advanced legislations and policies that would improve the quality of lives of Lagos State.”

The Speaker further said that the House passed seven bills and more than 80 resolutions within a year, a development he said had improved the welfare of the people.

According to him, among the bills passed into law were the local government administration laws; employment trust fund, and the 2016 Appropriation Bill, among others.

Contractors have returned to 5 FG road project sites —Lai Mohammed THE Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Monday, in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, said contractors had resumed work in not less than five major Federal Government road projects.

The minister disclosed this at the South-South region town hall meeting hosted by his ministry to give account of stewardship of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to the people.

Mohammed specifically said Julius Berger and RCC had returned to the LagosIbadan Expressway, while the CGC had started work on the Bode Sadu-Jebba Road and the Abuja-Lokoja Road.

He said China Company, CCECC, had also been mobilised to the Kano-Maiduguri Road, while RCC again had resumed work at the Loko and Oweto Bridge linking Nasarawa and Benue.

The minister added that the Second Niger Bridge was in the 2016 budget and work

was expected to start soon.

He noted that with the resumption of work at the sites, government had started putting Nigerians back to work, in fulfillment of its promise to create jobs.

He said “as contractors are mobilised back to various road construction projects across the country, building and ancillary workers are returning to work in droves.

Let me list some of the road

construction works that have now resumed.

“As more and more road construction works resume in the days ahead, thousands of Nigerians will also be returning to work.”

The minister said government had also commenced the process of recruiting and training 500,000 teachers, specifically targeting unemployed university graduates.

Continues pg4

RAMADAN MESSAGE O People, if you should be in doubt about the Resurrection, then [consider that] indeed, We created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot, and then from a lump of flesh, formed and unformed - that We may show you. And We settle in the wombs whom We will for a specified term, then We bring you out as a child, and then [We develop you] that you may reach your [time of] maturity. And among you is he who is taken in [early] death, and among you is he who is returned to the most decrepit [old] age so that he knows, after [once having] knowledge, nothing. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and swells and grows [something] of every beautiful kind.

That is because Allah is the Truth and because He gives life to the dead and because He is over all things competent.

—Surat Al-Hajj verses 5-6

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FG’s proposed dialogue: Our demands —N/Delta Avengers Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

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EMBERS of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have warned the Federal Government and oil multinationals not to carry out any repair on bombed pipelines, and oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta region.

The group also warned the Federal Government not to make a political jamboree out of the proposed dialogue with militants groups in the region, in order to engender a lasting peace.

In a statement signed by spokesperson of NDA, Brigadier-General Mudoch Agbinibo and posted on its website on Monday, the group stated that if its warnings were not heeded, it would sink two mother vessels of oil multinationals as deterrent to others.

“The high command of the NDA is using this medium to restate that there are no new items to put on the table for dialogue.

“We only want a genuine attitude and conducive atmosphere that will make us commit to any proposed dialogue and lasting peace talk.

“We want the Federal Government to commit members states of the multinational oil corporations to commit independent mediators to this proposed dialogue.

“We believed that it is only such environment that will engender genuine dialogue that will be aimed at setting up a framework for achieving the short, medium and long term demands of the Niger Delta to de-escalating this conflict and bring about a lasting peace,” it admon-

ished.

The group said its high command was more than ever before, committed to attack the interest of oil corporation and oil multinationals, who bring vessels to the region to buy crude oil.

“The NDA high command is restating our commitment to attack the interest of oil corporation and international refineries operators that bring in vessels to the Niger Delta territory to buy our oil that every successive government have refused to used and reapply the proceeds towards any development in the region since 1958.

“If they refuse to heed to our advice will result to sinking of two their mother vessel as examples to others. They should not undertake any repair of pipeline, oil and gas facilities that is damaged or attacked by our forces during this period of “Operation Red Economy” until and/or after the dialogue,” the Avengers warned.

The group also took a swipe on what it called “brands of social media agitators” being used by some politicians to promote their criminal ways in the affairs of the region It noted that if need be, it might review its stance of not shedding blood while carrying out its activities in the creeks.

“We are using this medium to warn and condemn the activities of all brands of social media agitators being peddled around by some politicians to promote their criminal ways in affairs of the Niger Delta.

“This genuine spirit behind our struggle for the Niger Delta cannot be derailed on

the basis of connivance by politicians, traditional rulers, settled ex- agitators and criminals moving around to fill their pockets.

“The issues of the Niger Delta are as old and as new as the days of Pa Dappa Biriye, Major Jasper Isaac Adaka Boro, to Ken Saro Wiwa

He said the online recruitment, through the portal, npower.gov.ng, came on stream at the weekend.

Mohammed said an agreement had been signed to reposition the River Basin Development Authorities within the next 18 to 24 months.

According to him, the agreement signed with the Songhai Farms of Benin Republic included training of unemployed youths in integrated farm practice.

“This programme is complimentary to the forthcoming Youth Agriculture Empowerment Programme being planned

by Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.”

The minister assured that the process of every employment opportunity by the government would be made transparent.

On the economy, he said government was working to provide fresh, but condi-

tional financial support for states, many of which have been finding it difficult to pay their workers’ salaries.

“This will be a follow-up to such support – call it bailout if you like – which the Federal Government gave to the states last year.

“This will go a long way in ensuring industrial peace and providing succor to thousands of Nigerians and their dependents,” he said.

He then thanked the host governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, for the warm reception and immense support to the success of the town hall meeting.

He said “this is the first time we are holding this town hall meeting in a state that is not controlled by our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and we are surely not disappointed.

“You have proven that though we may not share the same political platform, we all believe in the oneness of this country.

“You have set a good ex-

tators and criminals have being sponsored by the job seeking corrupt political class to save faces before the government of the day.

“Finally, if need be, we may review our earlier stance of not taking lives.

We are going to redirect and reactivate all our activities if

the government, oil companies and their services firms don’t heed to these modest warnings of not carrying out any repairs works and suspend the buying of crude oil from our region as we await the right atmosphere that will engender genuine dialogue,” the group stated.

Youths protesting against establishment of grazing reserves in Plateau State, in Jos, on Monday.

Controversy trails donation of 55,000 hectares of land for grazing reserve in Plateau Isaac Shobayo -Jos THE prevailing peace in Plateau State is being threatened by the controversy trailing the inclusion of the state as one of the states set to donate 55,000 hectares of land as grazing reserve, even as youths in their large number, trooped out on Monday,

‘Contractors have returned to 5 FG road project sites’ Continued from pg 2

and the government of President Musa Yar’ Adua.

“We are warning this government of President Muhammadu Buhari, not to turn the essence of genuine peace talk and dialogue to political jamboree that is prevailing now where all manner of social media agi-

ample that we hope all others will follow.

“It has lent credence to the statement by President Buhari, that he will be the president of all Nigerians, including those who voted for him and those who did not,” he said.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, who was at the meeting, told the audience that the 2016 budget of the Federal Government “is unique and restructured completely from the past.”

He said 30 per cent of the budget was allocated to capital project compared to last year’s budget, which had only 11 per cent capital.

The minister also said that N250 billion was voted for road projects compared to N18 billion voted in 2015 budget.

He said the government had built strategic implementation plans with 24 measurable actions to ensure the execution of the budget.

to condemn the listing of Plateau among states that have made such donations.

Since the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, announced in Abuja, that 11 states, Plateau inclusive, had indicated their interest to donate 55,000 hectares of land for grazing reserve, the people of the state have been making inquiry on how they arrived at the decision.

On Monday, a group under the aegis of Plateau G-17 Youths for Peace and Progress Forum, trooped out in large numbers and stormed the Government House to express their displeasure over the listing of Plateau among states that had given land for grazing reserve and called on the state government to rescind the decision.

The youths, who arrived the Government House at exactly 9:00 a.m, carried placards with the following inscriptions: ‘‘No grazing reserve in Plateau State,’ ‘Save our Land

for our children,’ ‘Our land is for farming not for cows,’ We will stand against land grabbers through the back door,’’ among others.

The spokesman of the group, Comrade Dachung Musa Bagos, said proper sensitisation and awareness on the controversial policy had not been done and the various representations on the issue sorted so far had further created confusion, as well as heightened suspicious.

Bagos warned Plateau State government to be careful not to take decision that would mortgage the future of the state and that of generations yet unborn with the likely consequences of further throwing the state into a state of chaos as the policy had been rejected by majority of the people of the state.

“We, therefore, wish to state, unequivocally, that we stand here today, in protest against any form of land grabbing and exclusive privi-

leges to any group, under the guise of a government-sponsored grazing reserve policy.

“From time immemorial, through the period of agriculture to the period of industrial development, land has remained the most valuable property in the life of a man and his development. It is a source of wealth to those who have it and the mother of all properties.

“It is in response of this that we are presently gathered to peacefully protest the unilaterial inclusion of Plateau State, as well as demand that the state government under Barrister Simon Lalong, rescind its decision on this obnoxious policy and follow the path of honour by removing Plateau from the list of states that have agreed to provide 55,000 hectares of land, owing to the huge disadvantages the policy will have on the vast majority of the peace-loving indigenes of Plateau who are predominantly farmers,” he said.

‘Buhari has not allocated any oil bloc’ Continued from pg 2 According to him, “it is time to end the blame game and move forward to concentrate on the delivery of democracy dividends.”

He said government would deliver the Calabar to Lagos coastal rail line project; the Calabar to Port Harcourt, and Lagos to Kano rail projects to ease movement of

people and goods.

Responding to an allegation from a member of the audience, Amaechi said he did not influence the appointment of the DirectorGeneral of Niger Delta Development Commission, Mrs Ibim Seminitari.

He said the insinuation that he lobbied the president to take the position from an indigene of Akwa Ibom for

Seminitari in negation of zoning arrangement, was wrong.

The minister said the president had noted the zoning arrangement and correction would be made.

Amaechi also said that government was in the process of restructuring NIMASA, in order to reposition it to deliver on its statutory mandate.

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6 news Drama as Sheriff retakes PDP secretariat

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

•Says his term ends 2018 •Directs ex-NWC members to resume work •Makarfi to respond today From Leon Usigbe and Jacob Segun Olatunji -Abuja

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HERE was high drama on Monday when Senator Ali Modu Sheriff returned to the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja to resume duty as its national chairman.

The party’s national caretaker committee, led by former Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, had been working at the secretariat for the last two weeks.

After his three previous attempts to gain access into the Wadata Plaza Wuse national secretariat were rebuffed by policemen stationed to protect the office, he was finally allowed in at the fourth attempt.

He had initially stormed the office at about 7. 15a.m alongside former National Secretary and former National Auditor, Professor Wale Oladipo and Adewole Adeyanju, respectively; former Special Adviser to the president, Ahmed Gulak and former Minister of State (Finance), Yerima Ngarma, with tens of supporters but were prevented from entering the premises on each of the three occasions he tried.

Denied access, he left his convoy and drove away in a single car.

It was learnt that he had intended to meet with the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to find out why he would not be let in.

He returned to the party secretariat at about 11.00a.m and his second attempt to go into the office was also resisted by the police.

When his convoy was denied access the second time, Sheriff came down from his car and approached the most senior officer who was on guard at the gate, but all his entreaties to the officer to let him in fell on deaf ears.

He was forced to take refuge under a neem tree.

Sheriff later made a third attempt to ride into the premises accompanied

by Anambra State PDP chieftain, Chris Uba, Oladipo and Adeyanju, but was again denied access.

As he tried to drive through the gate, policemen quickly formed a human barricade in front of the iron obstacle at the gate.

The embattled former party boss then ordered his driver to turn the car around and drove off to an unknown destination.

Before his departure at about 12.25p.m, he was overheard saying he would return to the party secretariat.

True to his words, Sheriff returned and after a brief altercation with the policemen at the gate, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ciroma Bala, directed that the gate should be opened to allow his convoy in.

Addressing a press conference a short while later, he rubbished the Senator Ahmed Makarfiled national caretaker committee, which, he said, was a contraption alien to the party’s constitution.

Sheriff said he remained the party boss until 2018 based on a valid court order until the court decided otherwise.

He explained that he did not bother to come to the party secretariat before now because there was a contrary ex-parte order obtained from a Port Harcourt court which has now expired.

Acknowledging that the PDP was in crisis, he said the party must obey valid orders from the courts, saying that while the court processes were still on, there were a lot of illegalities committed in the party.

He said: “You are all witnesses to the effect that, while the court procedures are still going on, a lot of illegalities; in clear defiance of the law, have been taking place in the party, under the guise of a contraption called caretaker committee.

“I had hoped that, for once, the PDP, which have been accused of promoting impunity and declining lawful orders will purge itself, which informed my decision to obey the courts.

“Permit me to state that lawful pronouncements by courts, no matter how inconvenient they may be,

are to be obeyed, no matter one’s position. And no person should be seen to be above the pronouncements of competent courts of this country.

“Be that as it may, let me state for the avoidance of doubt, that, beyond the court orders, the PDP operates with a set of laws, which guides the conducts of our affairs.

“I, therefore, call on everyone to shun all acts that will tend to portray the party as being lawless.

We must learn to obey our own laws first before we can hope to provide the desired leadership.

“Against this background, I, hereby, declare as null void and of no consequence whatsoever, any action taken by any person or group of persons, except by my leadership which is

recognised by the law.

“After due consultations with serious-minded stakeholders of the party and my lawyers, against the background that have remained committed to lawful procedures, l have come, fully armed with all the necessary court orders to resume as the national chairman, as directed by a court of competent jurisdiction.”

Sheriff vowed to remain in office, saying that he was not interested in becoming the chairman, but was begged to take the position.

He said all governors of the party, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) begged him to take up the post and he was subsequently elected after scoring 69 votes during the NEC meeting called for the

purpose.

The embattled party boss advised other members of the NWC who had willingly resigned, following the Port Harcourt convention to resume work on Tuesday or they would be replaced by their deputies.

Sheriff immediately announced the setting up of screening committee for Edo State gubernatorial primary and named Senator Hope Uzodinma as its head.

He also announced that the cost of expression of interest and nomination forms was now N10million as against N16million for which they were being sold.

Similarly, he said as long as aspirants who may have purchased the forms did so by paying into the party headquarters’ account, the excess would be refunded to them.

When contacted, Makarfi who did not show up at the secretariat on Monday, told the Nigerian Tribune that his committee would give a comprehensive response on the matter on Tuesday.

EFCC defends action on frozen funds under investigation From Saliu Gbadamosi and Chima Nwokoji

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PHOTO 1: Former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, arriving at the party secretariat, after the consultation from Force headquarters, Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO 2: Bailiff Officer from Federal High Court, Mr Bentu Moses, with the document that affirms Senator Sheriff as authentic chairman of the party.

N1.04trn MTN fine: Reps summon AGF, communication minister, NCC boss, others Jacob Segun Olatunji, Kolawole Daniel and Sanya Adejokun -Abuja THE House of Representatives Committee on Communications, on Monday, summoned the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Malami Abubakar; Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu; the executive vice chairman of Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta and other involved in the negotiation of reduced fine for the MTN Group.

The House Committee chairman, Saheed Fijabi, who issued the summon, said the minister, the NCC boss and the AGF must appear unfailingly before the lawmakers on Monday, June 20, at 11.00 a.m.

The NCC had fined the communication giant N1.04

trillion in October, 2015, for its delay in disconnecting 5.1 million improperly registered lines within the prescribed deadline. But the fine was reportedly reduced to N330 billion.

The committee was particularly miffed that it was shut out of the negotiation with MTN to reduce the initial fine.

The committee, at its sitting on Monday, had expected the Minister of Communication and the executive vice chairman of NCC to appear before it to address the issue of reduction in MTN fine.

Although the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Communications, Sunny Echono, represented the minister and the Director of Public Affairs, Mr Tony Ojobo, represented the executive vice chairman of NCC, but the lawmakers maintained that the heads

of the government offices should appear in person.

Addressing the gathering, chairman of the committee said “Nigerians worry at NCC’s current position of high self error, where its earlier penalty of about N1.04 trillion is being taunted as having been reduced to about N330 billion; a little above 30 per cent.”

“I am in position to confirm to the honourable committee that government has approved the sum of N330 billion as full and final settlement imposed as fine by the NCC.” He explained that this was pursuant to series of procedural and other review, including the constitution of inter-ministerial committee under the auspacies of the AGF since the case went to court and the court decision to go into negotiation.

However, some com-

mittee members, notably Douye Diri, Chukwuemeka Ujam and Johnson Agbonayinma, said they were infuriated by the reported reduction of the fine after an agreement was brokered between government and MTN on the N1.04 trillion fine.

Meanwhile, contrary to the irrevocable terms of agreement between NCC and MTN Nigeria upon which the N1.04 trillion imposed on the telecoms company was reduced to N330 billion, the South African company has said it is not in a hurry to list its shares in Nigeria.

Part of the settlement with NCC announced last Friday, was that MTN group would list its subsidiary in Nigeria, which is its largest subsidiary in the 22 countries, where it operates on the stock exchange in Lagos.

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday defended its regarding frozen funds, saying that freezing of accounts of those being investigated for financial crimes is lawful and not vindictive as speculated.

Wilson Uwujaren, Head of Media and Publicity of the commission, explained this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

The Federal Government in an interim report on financial and asset recoveries from May 29, 2015 to May 25, recently revealed that the Department of Security Service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has frozen huge amount of looted funds deposited in Nigerian banks in Naira, United States dollars, pound sterling and Euros.

The frozen funds it said are as follows: N48,818,108,518.9, $7,131,595,974.69 and £605,647.55. Also, it said cash in bank under interim forfeiture amounted to: N8,384,802,453.33, $1,837,031,911.23, £3,800 and €113,399.17.

Uwujaren explained that the action was a lawful mandatory investigative step.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Only 38 officers were retired —Army Chris Agbambu -Abuja

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HE Army headquarters, on Monday, clarified that only 38 senior officers were affected by the retirement exercise.

Army spokesman Colonel S.K Usman, said for the avoidance of doubt, the following was the statistics of the officers retired compulsorily; nine Major Generals, 10 Brigadier Generals, seven Colonels,

11 Lieutenant Colonels and a Major.

He noted that some mischievous elements were trying to whip up sentiments.

According to him, ‘‘it is quite unfortunate because all the affected officers were retired based on Service exigencies, in line with the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“It is pertinent to remind all that the Nigerian Army

Why we couldn’t contain Boko Haram —Admiral Ola Sa’ad Chris Agbambu -Abuja FORMER Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, on Monday, revealed that there were so many distractions which the military faced in containing Boko Haram up to the time former President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the NorthEast.

Answering questions from newsmen in Abuja, after delivering a lecture on leadership in the military, at National Defence College, Admiral Sa’ad noted that while they were negotiating here and there, the North-East elders were worried that it was an army of occupation.

He asked: “Can you imagine fighting a war and the people you are trying

to protect are thinking that soldiers on the streets of Borno are an army of occupation? That brought a lot of political dimension to the issues at hand.”

The former CDS noted that when the state of emergency was declared, “I thought there was a little celebration, all be it not for long because the political dimension was like giving you a job and trying your hand behind your back.”

He also said the resources to take on such challenges were neither here no there, to the level they would have expected, adding that they were not prepared for the nature of insurgency.

“So we tried to approach the containment of the Boko Haram from the conventional point of view, it couldn’t solve the problem,” he said.

is a professional institution that is based on highest standards of discipline and conduct.’’

Consequently it’s personnel must remain professional, neutral and apolitical at all times”.

Meanwhile the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Alli, on Monday, disclosed that all senior officers retired over the weekend were indicted by a board of inquiry.

Answering questions from newsmen in Abuja, after delivering a paper on peace support operations at the National Defence College organised for course 24 participants , Alli said they were given fair hearing as they were called by the board and they went and testified.

According to him, “what we did was to make sure that all those that were indicted in one way or the other, both on professional and monetary corruption, were retired.”

He said those retired based on professional corruption were those found to be partisan, ‘‘this is what exactly happened to all those that were indicted and asked to go. Of course, they were given fair hearing, they were called by a board and they went and testified, don’t forget that in the military, there is no half way of doing things. The moment you are found wanting, you have to succumb and you will go.”

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

LET'S USE THE POWER OF IDEAS TO CHANGE THE GAME. Global music star Akon joined Shell to shine a light on the power of innovative options for access to smarter energy by unveiling Africa’s first human and solar powered football pitch. The new pitch, at the Federal College of Education Lagos, was developed by the Shell #makethefuture programme, which puts bright energy ideas into action to bring benefits to local communities around the world.

Learn more at www.shellnigeria.com.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

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businessnews

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Most govt officials ignorant of capital market potential —Adeosun Sanya Adejokun-Abuja

M

INISTER of Finance, Kemi Adeosun has lamented the ignorance among public officials of how the capital market works and how its potentials can be unlocked to finance infrastructure gap.

Speaking when stakeholders in the market, led by the Chairman, Capital Market Master Plan Council (CAMMIC) visited her on Monday in Abuja, the minister said there is a lot to be done in terms of enlightening stakeholders “at every level, especially at political level because I am not sure every minister truly understands what the capital market means for his portfolio.”

According to her, a lot of people do not really understand the capital market and what it could do for the development of the country.

She said, “there is a lot to be done on your part around literacy and awareness and stakeholders engagement at every level especially at the political level “Because I am not sure every minister truly understands what the capital market means for his portfolio.”

Adeosun explained that the capital market had potentials to solving most of the nation’s financial problems adding that the government would ensure to leverage on the opportunity and harness the potentials.

However, “there is a lot of misunderstanding around, the pension fund, there is a sense that the pension money is there just waiting to be tapped but it is not!

It is money that needs to

earn a return and the return will largely be driven through capital market.

“We need to create the instruments, we need to de-risk certain sectors, we need to look at procedures, at the moment we are working on the physical sustainability plan and one of the thing that we are saying to the state government is, we want to steer you away from the banks.

She said that was need to lighten capital market procedures to encourage states that have bankable

projects to go to the capital market which will provide a cheaper source of fund, a more transparent source of fund, a more sustainable source of funds than the bank?

There is also a need for the capital market to compete with the money market and to do that, they need to be faster at getting approvals, and we need to be very clear that it is a competitive market, so we need to increase the competitiveness of the capital market to ensure that it

MINISTER of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has called on all electricity distribution companies,in the country to stop the importation of smart metres from China and other foreign countries, saying they should patronised local manufacturers, who are doing same, so as to boost the nation’s economy.

This is just as he added that if electricity distribution companies could patronise metres of the local manufacturers, such move would enhance expansion of opportunities, employment and economic growth.

Fashola, who made the call on Monday, in Kano during the flag-off of me-

2025).

Monolaurin said the council also sought the assistance of the government towards ensuring that the Capital Market Master Plan was mainstreamed into the National plan.

He explained that the capital market was usually neglected and had not found the right attention in the government.

He urged the government to support the market to enable it add its quota to national economic development.

From left: Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Insurance &Actuarial Matters, Henry Daniel Ofongo; NDIC MD/CE Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim mni; Chairman of the Committee Hon. Olufemi Fakeye at the NDIC organised retreat for the members of the Committee held in Abuja at the weekend.

Investors stake N2.3bn on 152m shares as equities dip 0.47% KehindeAkinseinde-JayeobaLagos

THE equities market closed on a bear note, as NSE ASI depreciated by 0.47 per cent to close at 27,103.89 basis points, compared with the 0.19 per cent depreciation re-

corded on Friday.

This leaves its Year-toDate (YTD) returns currently at -5.37 per cent as investors on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) traded 152.33 million shares valued N2.3 billion in 3,406 deals, as market capitalisation stood at

Fashola tells power distribution companies to patronise local meter producers Kola Oyelere-Kano

takes its rightful place.

The minister said there was need for the capital market to compete with the money market but in order to do that, operators needed to increase its competitiveness.

Earlier, Mr Olutola Mobolurin, Chairman, Capital Market Master Plan Council (CAMMIC) said the visit was appraising the Minister on efforts of the council and seek necessary support that would drive the Capital Market Master Plan (2015-

tre deployment scheme by Kano Electricity Distribution Company KEDCO, said “I had personally inspected products of some local metre manufacturers and found them having similar qualities with those imported from China.

According to him, if the locally meter manufacturers can be patronised, apart from providing job opportunities for many Nigerians,it would also assist the country in saving foreing exchange Fashola said KEDCO had so far spent N5.7 billion on the procurement of its smart metres addign that, “if KEDCO and other distribution companies could patronise metres of the local manufacturers, such move would enhance ex-

pansion of opportunities, employment and economic growth,” he said.’

N9.31 trillion.

Market turnover also closes negative as volume declined by 20.10 per cent against 4.37 per cent uptick recorded at the end of last week trade.

Analysis of price movement showed that Unilever Old led the gainers for the day, from the opening value of N32.00, it closed at N33.02 having added N1.0, Forte Oil came second with price appreciation of N0.99 to close at N197.99 from the N197 it

opened with.

Guiness Nigeria Old which opened the day trading at N97.65 closed at N98.00 having added N0.35.

Access Bank was the fourth most appreciated stock of the day as it added 0.23 to move from N5.52 to N5.7, while Champion Breweries came fifth with price appreciation of N0.16 and from its opening value of N2.71, it closed at N2.87.

Microfinance bank offers N5bn lifeline to SMEs ACCION Microfinance Bank has offered a loan facility of about N5.45 billion to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to assist them to remain afloat.

The Chairman of the bank, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan, made the disclosure at the 10th Annual General Meeting of the bank in Lagos on Monday.

He said the sum was disbursed to the SMEs, starting from 2010 till date.

Akinwuntan said the lifeline was to assist the SMEs to stay in business in the face of the current harsh economic climate in the

country.

He said, however, that the bank had witnessed a marginal decline in profit this financial year, compared to previous years.

The banker said the company recorded N838 million after tax profit in 2015, compared to N911 million after tax profit posted in 2014.

The chairman announced that the bank’s active loan clients grow from 34,245 in 2014 to 43,788 this financial year.

Akinwuntan said that total loan disbursed grew from N10.33 in 2014 to N13.77 billion in 2015,

indicating a 33 per cent growth for the period.

He said the bank’s efforts to inculcate savings culture in its customers had started yielding results, resulting to savings accounts increasing by 48 per cent from 150,321 in 2014 to 222,158 in 2015.

“Deposits grew by 49 per cent from N1.4 billion in 2014 to N2.1 billion in 2015,” he added.

The Managing Director of the bank, Mrs Olubunmi Lawson, said the bank had opened eight additional branches to bring the total to 24.

Nigerian Tribune

SMEDAN, Sokoto train 100 youths on skills acquisition JacobSegunOlatunji-Abuja

THE Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN and the Sokoto State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, SOSMEDA, have organised a skills acquisition training programme for 100 youths in the state on entrepreneurship.

The three-day programme was organised as part of efforts to provide the youth with skills on business development and establishment with a view to reducing youths unemployment in the state.

Speaking while declaring opening the training in Sokoto last week, the Director-General of SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Radda, lamented that Nigeria was now unacceptably faced with large-scale youth unemployment.

Radda, who was represented by the Director, Engineering Technology and Infrastructure of the agency, Mr Abu Ozigi, however, declared that the present administration was committed to combating the menace with all the seriousness it deserved by providing the nation’s youths with the needed skills to be self reliant.

According to him, “SMEDAN is now set to reposition itself for a focused delivery of business development services to micro, small and medium enterprises in the country, with particular emphasis on micro enterprises.

“SMEDAN is desirous that most of the enterprises in the micro category, which currently constitutes 99.8 per cent of MSMEs, grow to small and subsequently, medium enterprises. In this way, more jobs will be created and contribution to the Gross Domestic ProductGDP, will be enhanced”, he stated .

The SMEDAN boss, who pointed out that the two agencies were working out a sustainable funding mechanism for the beneficiaries of the training programme, promised that steps would be taken to upscale the gesture, while access to information on investments would be boosted.

He further disclosed that SMEDAN and Sokoto State government had commenced discussions on the re-development of the Sokoto Industrial Development Centre (IDC) as part of efforts to sustain the programme in the state.

news Gunmen abduct judge, kill orderly 12

Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

B

ARELY three weeks after the Nigeria Police claimed to have stepped up the war against kidnapping in Kogi State, a judge with the Kogi State judiciary, Justice Isa Usman, has been abducted by gunmen.

The kidnappers were said to have killed the orderly to the judge, while his driver sustained gunshot wound

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

in the process of abducting their boss.

The gunmen were said to have abducted the Customary Court of Appeal judge along Itakpe-Kuroko road in Adavi Local Government Area of the state on Sunday evening while on his way to Lokoja, the state capital.

It was gathered that the judge had gone to his country home for the weekend and was returning to Lokoja, to resume work on Mon-

day, when he was forcefully taken away by the gunmen.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the kidnappers stopped the official car of Usman and ordered him to come down following which his orderly attempted to resist the abduction.

However, the ensued argument was said to have led to gunshot and the kidnappers in the process, shot the orderly and wounded the driver before taking away

the judge to an unknown destination.

The driver was said to have managed to escape from the scene and receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

The Information Officer, Kogi State Ministry of Justice, Mr Saqeeb Saeed, confirmed the incident.

Workers, lawyers and parties before the courts were seen discussing the development, during a visit to the

state judiciary on Monday.

It was also gathered that the abductors have opened a line of communication with the relatives but were yet to make demand for ransom.

However, efforts to get the confirmation of the state police command proved abortive as calls put through to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Yakubu Usman and the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), William Anya, were not answered.

It will be recalled that the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, had deployed a special squad and a helicopter in the state following an increase in the activities of kidnappers.

But barely one week after the special squad of Federal SARS returned to their base and the helicopter stopped hovering over the state, kidnappers seemed to have re-launched themselves for their criminal activities.

Soldiers kill 5, destroy 3 cultists’ camps in Rivers From left, Lagos State deputy governor, Dr Oluranti Adebule; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode; Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello and Senator Olamilekan Adeola Solomon, during the swearing-in of local government sole administrators in the state, on Monday.

Era of impunity, recklessness over in Lagos — Ambode As he inaugurates 57 LG sole administrators Bola Badmus - Lagos LAGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Monday, sworn in new sole administrators for the 57 council areas in the state, warning that it was not going to be business as usual as his government would not hesitate to replace any administrator who failed to serve the people diligently or abuses his/her office.

The governor gave the warning at the swearing in ceremony held at the Government House, Ikeja, on Monday, declaring that the era of financial recklessness and impunity was over in the state.

Governor Ambode told the newly sworn-in sole administrators that the essence of their appointments was to give governance back to the people of the state with a view to making the local governments and local councils vibrant, responsive and viable.

According to him, a strict monitoring, control and feedback process will be put in place to ensure that there are no excesses or excuses, adding that strict accountability must be their watchword.

“Your appointment today as sole administrators

should, therefore, be seen as a call to service of our people. You are relay runners on a journey of reform that will ultimately culminate in the election of people that will carry on the baton of good governance for our people. For the duration of your race, I urge you to run the race efficiently with diligence so that you do not betray the trust that has been placed in you.

“It will no longer be busi-

ness as usual. Rather, it will be a tough journey requiring character, leadership, commitment and resilience of those at the helm of affairs to actualise our dreams,” Governor Ambode stated.

Ambode stated further that “Our state is growing so fast that the concept of the rural area will not be applicable to any part of Lagos very soon.

Our government is working hard to meet the yearnings of our people who live in

what I term semi-urban areas by providing them with services like water, good roads, street lights, efficient refuse collection, cleaning of drainage and roads, primary healthcare, recreational parks and sports facilities to make those areas liveable and economically viable. We are dedicated to this and will deliver on our promise of a government of inclusion where no one is left behind.”

Edo 2016: PDP delegates emerge Banji Aluko - Benin City AHEAD of the September 10, 2016 governorship election in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, on Monday, conducted the election of ad hoc delegates, who will elect the governorship candidate of the party on June 20.

The election, which was held in all the 192 wards of the state, was monitored in some wards by a committee sent by the national caretaker committee of the party and members of the state working committee led by the state chairman, Dan Orbih.

The committee had a former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, as chairman, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Steve Oru, as secretary and Dr Akilu Ndabawa, Honourable Bobo Misau, Mr Nonye Nwangu and Honourable Ejike Ani as members.

A consensus arrangement held sway in all the wards visited in Ikpoba-Okha, Oredo and Egor local government areas, while reports from other parts of the state indicated that the same consensus arrangement produced the three delegates per ward arrangement.

In Ward 3, Oredo Local Government Area, the

trio of Faith Osadolor, Dan Orobedoh and Hannah Igie emerged delegates through a voice vote.

Speaking on the conduct of the exercise, former governor, Gabriel Suswam, expressed satisfaction, remarking that with the support given the exercise by party stakeholders, the PDP in the state is committed to reclaiming Edo State from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I’m satisfied. I’m particularly impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of the people, especially the chairman and his members, stakeholders and the aspirants.”

Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt THE Nigerian Army have disclosed that its men killed five suspected cultists and destroyed three cultist camps in Iba and Obelle communities in Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State, at the weekend.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Captain Eli Lazarus, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, on Monday.

He said the army personnel carried out the operation following a tip off on the activities of suspected cultists in the two communities.

“In continuation of its operation against cultists and criminal gangs in Rivers State, men of 2 Brigade Nigerian Army conducted operations to clear suspected cultist camps in Iba and Obelle communities in Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State over the weekend.

“The operation followed a tip off on the hideout of the cultists in the communities.

Five suspected cultists were killed; two pump action rifles and 26 phones were also recovered. Three of the suspected cultist camps were destroyed during the operation,” Lazarus stated in the statement.

The spokesman assured that the current operation against cultists and other criminals would be sustained in order to safeguard lives and property.

Nigerian Tribune

Teachers embark on indefinite strike in Nasarawa Godwin Agwam - Lafia THE Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nasarawa State Chapter, has embarked on indefinite strike over payment of salaries by the various council areas in the state.

The state chairman of the union, Comrade Jatau Francis, who addressed journalists during a peaceful rally in Lafia, to mark the commencement of the strike, on Monday, said the strike had been long overdue.

He explained that since January 2015, teachers in the state have been receiving part payment of their salaries thereby making it difficult for them to meet their needs.

He lamented that previous payments made in percentages do not service the needs of teachers in the state, hence, the need for government to clear all outstanding salaries.

Jatau decried that “primary school teachers in the state are dying of heart attacks due to the percentage payment of salaries.”

Benue gov appoints acting SSG Johnson Babajide - Makurdi FOLLOWING the illness of Benue State Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tergema Takema, last Friday, the state governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, has approved the appointment of Dr Bem Meladu, as the acting SSG until further notice.

The SSG had collapsed last Friday in his house and rushed to the State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi and later flown to the National Hospital, Abuja, on Saturday in an air ambulance.

Dr Melladu, before the new assignment, had been Special Adviser on Economic Investment.

According to the letter conveying the appointment, which was signed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Honourable Terwase Orbunde, the appointment followed the ill health of the substantive SSG, Mr Takema.

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and ICT, Mr Tahav Argezua, the Chief of Staff also conveyed Governor Ortom’s directive deploying Dr Benjamin Teryima Ashaver, Special Adviser on Revenue and Taxation, to cover his colleague’s duties at the Special Duties office.

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editorial

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

The Biafra Day confrontation

HE second Biafra Day anniversary celebration ended in violence on May 30, 2016 when soldiers and policemen clashed with pro-Biafra groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM). The Biafra Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony was first held in 2015, purportedly in memory of the over 2.5 million Biafrans killed during the 1967 civil war. It was on 30 May 1967 that Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the secession of Biafra from Nigeria. The war ended in Biafra’s defeat after seven months of hostilities.

The violence that greeted the second Biafra Day celebration is one in a series of clashes between security forces and the pro-Biafra groups. The groups have always asserted their right to peaceful public demonstration while the security forces have argued that such demonstrations must be done with appropriate permit and guidance of the security forces to avoid the activities from being hijacked by hoodlums and deteriorating into anarchy. It seems however that the arrangement between the security forces and the groups have never been successful. Indeed, demonstrations by the proBiafra groups frequently end up in violence, involving a clash between the security forces and the groups.

The 2016 event was particularly marked by remarkable violence. Two policemen were killed while several others were wounded. Several members of the pro-Biafra groups were killed, others injured and several others still were arrested. The groups have maintained that they were celebrating Biafra without any form of violence. But the police maintained that the protesters took to attacking the policemen deployed to monitor the protest, while the Army issued a statement in which it said troops had to “resort to self-defence” after IPOB members attacked security agencies with “firearms” and various weapons including dynamite. It also emphasised that a number of persons from the settler communities that hailed from other parts of the country were selected for attack, killed and burnt. Two personnel of the Nigeria Police

were killed, several soldiers were wounded, a police vehicle was completely burnt down, while another of the Nigerian Army was vandalized. However, Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian Army of killing no fewer than 17 protesters with nearly 50 injured, adding that “the real number is likely to be higher”.

What is not controversial is the fact that there is a growing movement to resuscitate the ghost of Biafra.

The proliferation of pro-Biafra groups thus needs to be thoroughly investigated by the government. In doing this, the government must aim to understand the underlying causes of these agitations and positively engage the issues and the groups. Such occurrences must not be treated with kid gloves or high handedness.

Secondly, we commend the effort of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who tried to galvanise the force to restore order. He immediately called for the arrest of those involved in the killing of policemen during the clash and ordered that they be tried for murder. He also called on his men to disarm IPOB members wherever they were found bearing arms. We think a more embracing investigation must be carried out to ascertain the real situation in those parts of the country where the killings occurred. The government must also investigate the matter to ascertain whether disproportionate violence was employed by the security forces. Lessons must be learnt to avoid a future occurrence. The right of citizens to lawful gathering and assembly must be upheld at all times.

We commiserate with the families of the members of the pro-Biafra groups who lost their lives during the protest. We also commiserate with the families of security agencies who died in the events. The protests have served to remind Nigerians of the painful experience of the civil war and the need to dialogue and prevent a future occurrence. Efforts must be made to ensure that such demonstrations in future do not end up in violence and loss of lives. Arguably, restructuring the country along the path suggested by the 2014 National Conference will douse the Biafra fire.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo.com or by sms to 08054005323. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Govt, banks must support small businesses

T

HE latest data from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveals that the unemployment rate in the country is rising, and this tells us that something must be done urgently about it by government.

Just recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) advised the Federal Government that the country must create about 10 million jobs in the next decade in order to develop.

What the IMF suggestion highlights is that we need to provide jobs for the country to achieve economic prosperity, as well as to curb youths’ involvement in crime and other unproductive ventures.

The truth is that unemployment is the reason we have high crime rate, but when jobs are created, our youths will be gainfully employed, thereby taking them away from criminal activities.

It is, therefore, expected that the Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, will take the advice from the IMF seriously by working towards creating jobs for the youth for the country’s economic development.

While it is the responsibility of government to tackle this challenge, it cannot provide all the jobs for our youths, and this is where the financial institutions can come in. Youths should be supported to set up businesses, particularly small scale businesses, and they need all the help they can get, particularly from government and the banks.

A situation whereby banks lend to only established businesses will not take us anywhere.

It is high time banks began to lend to start-ups.

Apart from banks, wealthy businessmen should also identify new businesses, while investing in them.

Nigeria needs restructuring IF we truly want to experience peace in this country, then it is high time Nigeria is politically restructured.

Today, there is insurgency in the North East, the Igbo people are fighting for a separate homeland, while the Niger Delta militants have resumed their attacks on oil installations.

Nigeria will never develop with this present political set-up. The lumping together of all the regions is not allowing for competition, and that it why some regions are lazy, hoping that at the end of every month, the Federal Government will share the allocations.

It is this same reason that some governors only rely on the bailout from the Federal Government to pay their workers.

Today, many states are owing several months of arrears, and the latest trend is the terrible situation whereby some governors are now paying just 50 per cent of civil servants’ salaries.

So, for us to build a more viable and prosperous Nigeria, we need to allow the regions to compete.

We should allow the regions manage the resources in their localities, while they contribute a certain percentage to the Federal Government.

The South South can focus on its oil, while the South West and the North can focus on agriculture.

The South East will focus on entrepreneurship, and within a short period of time, Nigeria will be prosperous.

The arrangement will also bring an end to the secession bids by certain sections of the country.

I don’t know the views of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the restructuring of the country, but the truth is that this is what Nigeria needs at this period in time, and we cannot continue to act as if everything is fine with the country.

•Henry Okolo, Asaba, Delta State.

It is as a result of this that I want to commend Mr Tony Elumelu, who has be committing his money towards promoting entrepreneurship in Africa.

Today’s big businesses started from somewhere, and this is why we also need to support small businesses, particularly agricultural businesses, to grow.

When I visited Italy several years ago, I discovered that most of the popular shoe brands known all over the world were produced in cottage industries. Each of such businesses employed over 10 people. We can replicate this in Nigeria. Banks must support small businesses in the South East with low interest loans to expand.

We should also focus on developing agribusiness in the South West and the North; this is the only way we can create jobs for our youths.

However, if government

does not succeed at this, then we will continue to experience high crime rate, and nobody will be safe in

the country any longer.

The data by the NBS is, therefore, a pointer that there is ‘fire on the moun-

tain’ for us in Nigeria.

•Dr Taju Alalade, Ilorin.

Insurgency: Let’s use coal for electricity generation EVERY time the Niger Delta militants attack oil pipelines or installations in the region, there is the likelihood that electricity generation in the country will drop because of the disruptions to gas supplies.

Experts have, on several occasions, linked economic development to power generation, that is, there is no developed country that is still facing electricity challenges.

This goes further to say that with Nigeria’s poor electricity supply, then we are not near being a developed country.

The fact that we are the biggest economy in Africa is just on the paper; it does

not reflect in the lives of Nigerians. South Africans, Egyptians, and even Tunisians, have better living indices than Nigerians.

So we must start looking at how to increase our power generation, which has never risen beyond 5,000MW at the best of times. Unfortunately, the destruction of oil installations by Niger Delta militants is making our dream of generating more electricity a dream, as most of our electricity plants are powered by gas. That is why it is important that we focus on using coal to power our electricity plants.

Coal, which is still being used by China to power its

electricity, as well as industrial plants, can be found in commercial quantities in the Eastern part of the country.

It is high time our leaders began to see into the future, thereby moving our power plants from being dependent on gas to coal, since we will always have the problem of the Niger Delta militants destroying oil pipelines.

The Nigerian government has no choice than to quickly look at other sources of power generation if we truly want to experience rapid economic growth.

•Philomena Agu, Lokoja, Kogi State.

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opinion

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

A ‘Sani’ in every Northerner

I

cannot comprehend it! My very apt logical reasoning gets the palsy every second I try to rationalise what spurs these dastardly actions or better still, understand the reasoning of the humans that perpetrate them. While we are yet weeping for Bridget, while the police still fumble with gargantuan chunks of puzzles, the Vikings have struck again. What on God’s green earth do these people want? I am aggrieved, my heart is fraught with pain and the sting spreads rapidly through my body like the venom of a rattle snake.

Oyinbo! Thou are the black man’s eternal bane. Yes, I say so for good reasons…the Oyinbo’s avariciousness for more products and services from the Niger company led to the unfortunate 1914 amalgamation. Now that all hell is breaking loose, the Oyinbo is not here to soothe the blisters from the fiery furnaces we have to endure because of Lord Lugard’s unholy matrimony.

The Northerners should have been left on their own, there should have never been any form of collapsing the southern and northern protectorates. If they remained independent, we would be free of all the pain we feel now, wouldn’t we? Or so we think.

Francis Emmanuel, a 41-year-old carpenter, was stabbed by a group of youths for eating during the Ramadan fast.

Emmanuel, who was luckier than Bridget in the other case, survived the attack, and narrated it thus “It happened around 2:30pm at Sokoto Road, Kakuri, on Tuesday, when I went to the market to buy wood to do some work.”

“When I got back, I bought food to eat. As I was eating, about six Hausa boys came to ask me if I am a Muslim or a Christian, but I did not answer them.

“They asked why I was not fasting, then, I told them that I am not a Muslim. Before I knew it, one of them slapped me. As I stood up, the rest came and surrounded me and started attacking me with knives.”

However, what is done is done. Nigeria is one and we have to find a way to keep it that way. We have no other choice but we cannot continue as one if a particular set of people fall prey all the time.

Therefore, I write this letter to my brothers, our brothers in the North. I would have wanted to vent and let off boiling steams but

the good book, via the mouth of the great King Solomon, custodian of eternal wisdom, says, “a gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” So, I would rather let the fountains of spring from within me flow….

Half a dozen years ago, I was posted to Kano State, Nigeria’s city of commerce to answer the clarion call. My mother lapsed into despair, “I don’t like the North, the people are hostile,” she kept screaming. However, try as she may to turn the Kano verdict around, it seemed more of a reality with the dawning of every day.

So, as deracination took over, I journeyed for several hours, unsure of what I would meet in Kano.

Hundreds of corps members camped at Karaye camp, Kussala Dam, about two hours from Kano city and after the three week camping period; fate thrust us to different local governments areas. I was lucky to get posted to Kano town as a member of the Orientation Broadcasting Service (OBS).

In fact, the very heart of town, Faggae Local Government but reality was yet to begin. I couldn’t successfully move from one point to the next without almost getting lost due to inability to communicate. One crazy day, I took a Hausa boy’s Okada, assuming he understood my destination alas; he had no idea what I said or

veracity with Vera Onana

veraonana@gmail.com 08054680688 where I was going. I was in the middle of nowhere with an agitated Hausa boy, confused and scared to death, but that was the day I met, Sani, the taxi driver, that did not only become my GPS in Kano but became a great friend and till date is. Sani stopped his Toyota Carina, painted with the official yellow and blue Kano taxi colour and walked towards me. He spoke English and I felt relief ripple through me. He helped sort out the mess with the okada rider, took me safely to my destination and we exchanged numbers. I told myself I was employing Sani as my personal Taxi driver to save myself such recurring hardships but providence had given me more. Sani soon became very popular among other corps members. Everyone wanted the services of my taxi driver because he could communicate and was very nice.

A few months after I met Sani, the post election violence took place. Several corps members were slain in cold blood. We were targets, we couldn’t go out. We couldn’t go to the market for the fear for our lives, but Sani was our miracle. He visited our lodge, took every body’s orders and bought us all we demanded from the market. He told us of places not to go and where to go. He was like a guardian angel.

On a certain occasion that I spoke to my mother about Sani bringing us supplies, she gagged on the phone, “ what if he poisons the food,” she screamed but I simply laughed off her negativity with the answer, “ Sani is not like that.” I could go on and on about the great deeds of Sani the taxi driver but words will fail me. Till date, Sani contacts me and simply says, “Vera, hope you are alright?”

I want to believe that in every Northerner, there is a Sani, who would care if the man next door is alright irrespective of his religion. Sani was not educated; he was born in Kano and lived all his life there. So, the excuse of being literate doesn’t arise. I, as well as several others, survived post election violence in Kano because of Sani.

Therefore, I appeal to you dear brothers on the North Pole. Allow the Sani in you gain ascendancy over the strife and hostility. We are brothers, we are kin and it is an aberration for the fowl to eat another fowl’s intestine. We have bigger problems at hand as a nation but we have failed already if we stay divided. Let these killings stop.

Why God must be a Nigerian

By Fola Ojo

THE Ancient of Days is one of the very many names people of faith all over the world call the Creator of mankind. From age to age, God is the One who has an exclusive and divine oversight on the ageing process of all created beings. From Ghana to Guyana, from Gabon to Gibraltar, He is ageless, and He towers over every tongue.

It was more than a sloganeering for Americans when they engrafted, “In God we Trust” on their coins in 1864; and then on the paper currencies in 1957. They meant it. But not even the most pious nation can claim a sole “ownership” of the Supreme Being. He is God by Himself. From Kenya to Kiribati; from Korea to Kuwait, the mysterious Creator rules over all tribes; and yet not identified by tribal marks.

No ethnic group can hold God in exclusive embracement; no one can put Him in the cubicle of unshared “ownership”; and no created being can grind down in a gasconade that God springs from his stock. God is not partial but He takes sides in battles to help advance the cause of technological advancement and humanity. Americans are inventing medicines that prevent and cure diseases; the Japanese are creating forays in technology; and the Chinese are innovating beyond human comprehension. God gave them the wisdom.

I have been privileged to travel the world, and have, in varying high and low capacities, worked with citizens from developed nations. Each interaction I have had with other nationals gave me the fact-finding opportunity to ascertain if these men are from Jupiter or Mars. Do citizens of developed nations of the world possess human endowments above and beyond Nigerians? No! Nigerians have globally showcased their cutting-edge cognitive capability, razor-sharp mental aptitude; and imitable, incomparable, unsurpassable cerebral endowment and quick-wittedness.

The ingenuity of Nigerians shakes the lintel in all fields here in the US and around the world. They are stupendously and diligently industrious and prodigiously creative. When

I think back to the horde of graduation ceremonies I have attended and blessed in the last 20 years alone, it is gladdening to note how Nigerian children are making waves and not letting up.

Unfortunately however, the womb of the country that conceived these men and women is rottening off with corruption and depraved leadership. The more we strive to move forward, the quicker we doubly strut backwards. And this One God who created the Americans, Japanese, Chinese, and the rest of humanity also breathed Nigerians into existence.

Through faulted leadership and docile following, we have taken our destiny from our hands and positioned it under our feet for self-immolation.

Leaders have come and gone and played their parts in the field of history in Nigeria. Some are away in their mansion hideouts, some still hanging around power, and some are gone into the world beyond. While in power, many of them killed us instead of making us live. They bruised us instead of healing us. They robbed us instead of enriching us. As those who came to kill, bruise and rob unleashed their worse, Nigeria is still standing. Soldier-come-soldier go, is a common aphorism in Nigeria. The nation, however, soldiers on. God is a Nigerian, my friend. And this is not a blasphemous submission.

We learnt that the sum of N38tn has been stolen since our independence. All our patrimonies have been historically freely heisted and taken abroad. Between May last year and today, purloined funds, we were told, were recovered by the government. In naira, it was N204.8bn; in dollar $9.275bn; in pounds, £5.92m; in euro, €314.649m. A total of N3tn heisted from a country’s lifeline. It was half of the annual budget of Nigeria; and less than 100 powerful people are behind the Bunco and flimflam. But Nigeria throttles on. God’s got to be a Nigerian.

Pain is growing in the land and yet people are partying hard. I heard that last year alone, about N3bn was spent gulping down on beers. A broke nation has become a beering nation. On the flip side, the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, one of the parastatals of Nigeria’s Ministry of Finance, reported last week that Nigerians who have more than N500, 000 in their accounts were just two per cent. Men are poor! But one man in Lagos lately donated 700 Toyota Corolla 2016 model to a big church. Between Abuja and Lagos branches of another big church, about N3bn is raked in every month in tithes and offerings. Where did the money come from? I don’t know. What I know is that God’s got to be a Nigerian.

The conclusion of the matter was that this God who is a Nigerian concluded the matter in His own chosen way. Nigeria came out of the trauma and hardship. When God concludes a matter, it becomes conclusive. God’s got to be a Nigerian.

If this God loves us, why don’t we love ourselves? I hope those who are killing in the name of religion stop the madness. I hope leaders who are stealing and pillaging stop the craziness. I hope those who make men work hard without paying them their due salaries stop the oppression. I hope those who lie to us on a daily basis; who call white black, and black white stop the deception. God, who is a Nigerian, will soon fight for Nigeria. When God fights, no one has the might to fight back!

•Ojo is a public affairs analyst.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

agriculture Oil price fall:

Value chain sustainability key to economy —Expert Collins Nnabuife - Abuja

WITH the dwindling pet?rol dollar oil price and oil price war, the Managing Director Eurobase Consult Limited, Don Ekesiobi has said agriculture value chain realisation is the only way for economic recovery and job creation in Nigeria.

Speaking in Abuja at a press briefing on Agriculture Value Chain Workshop, Ekesiobi maintained that agriculture is the base of economic development of any nation.

Addressing the challenges facing poor yield, poor farm infrastructure, poor post harvest preservation which usually result in crops decay and waste, he said agricultural value chain workshop on diversifying Nigeria for export development will hold on July.

According to him, the workshop was conceived with the aim of assisting the Nigerian Government and private sector companies in the agro-food sector to interface with world largest players and gain some knowledge.

“Our partners are from United States of America (USA), Germany, China, India, and Turkey. Their business scope includes but not limited to commercial aqua culture / fish farming equipment and 21 century technology, farm crop irrigation complete solution with green house, farm crop / food processing machineries and technology, onions and tomatoes, carrot fruit and vegetables, grain handling, storage facilities and silos”, he added.

The National Chairman on Potatoes, Daniel Okafo added that farmers are suffering not that they are not producing but because there is no preservation, “if Nigerians farmers preserves what they have, they will do a lot. It will also create market for them”.

FG distributes 500 threshers, 100 tillers to rice farmers Collins Nnabuife, Abuja

T

HE Federal Government, on Thursday, in Abuja, distributed 500 units of threshers and 100 units of power tillers to rice producing farmers in 12 states.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh listed the benefiting as Ebonyi, Niger, Taraba, Kaduna, Enugu, Kebbi, Jigawa, Katsina, Oyo, Anambra, Kano, and Bayelsa.

Ogbeh said in the next two years, the government would facilitate another 5,000 of the machines for farmers across the country.

He said 95 per cent of the expected machines will be fabricated locally as the country now has excellent fabricators and engineers.

He announced a ban on the importation of threshers into the country saying that experts in the country would be supported to produce the locally.

“I want to ask Nigerians to continue to support our efforts in agriculture because we are in very serious crisis

with food; this country cannot continue to import food.

“These machines are to support our farmers; a lot of them are getting old, if we do not support them, the days are coming when we can no longer buy rice and we cannot grow rice.

“We need seven million tonnes of rice annually, and in 34 years time, this country will five per cent of the entire humanity; we to mechanise to make life easy for farmers and to get the youth involved in agric,’’ he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Mohammed Mongun said the implements would boost local rice production and will fast track the end of rice importation.

He said the National Assembly would collaborate with the executive arm of government to ensure increased funding for the agric sector.

The lawmaker said legislators were working on a bill that would ensure farmers had access to finance at single digit inter-

est rate.

Speaking on behalf of the benefiting states, Ebonyi State Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Udenna Orji, applauded the Federal Gov-

ernment for the initiative.

Orji said the government at the centre had demonstrated genuine leadership qualities in diversifying the economy saying that the states will queue into vision

to attain national success.

He pledged that the states will effectively utilise the implements to engage youth in rural areas in agriculture for the overall development of agriculture.

ACAI commences trials on cassava agronomy in Nigeria, Tanzania The African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) Project has established 137 limiting nutrient trials, and 70 intercrop trials in a bid to crack the agronomy of cassava, according to a fivemonth progress report of the project.

A breakdown of the work done so far indicates that 20 limiting nutrient trials have been established in Nigeria and 117 in Tanzania. For the intercrop trials, 29 cassava/ maize trials have been established in Nigeria, and 41 cassava/sweet potato trials in Tanzania.

Dr Abdulai Jalloh, Project Leader for ACAI said the trials would help researchers answer key questions relating to cassava agronomy.

“Understanding the agronomy of cassava is a crucial step towards maximizing the genetic gain of the root crop,” Jalloh said.

The ACAI project plans 667 trials in both Nigeria and Tanzania across the four use cases directly associated with field experimentation. These are as follows: fertilizer recommendation (295); best planting practices (150); intercropping (202), and staggered planting (20).

The trials so far established represent about 44 per cent of the targeted total number of trials.

The progress report shows that across countries, establishment of trials has been higher in

Tanzania (82%) compared to Nigeria (26%). This is mainly due to the varying rainy season and farming systems in the two countries. The rains for the first planting during which most of the planting has been done in Tanzania are relatively earlier (March/ April), while the main planting season for cassava in Nigeria is April/May. The remaining trials will be planted by the end of May/June in Nigeria while the rest of the planting in Tanzania has been shifted to the second planting in October/November. In general, the trials will be established within the window of planting by the farmers in both countries.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

IITA-CWMP gets approval for 58 on-farm trials Targets 11,000 farmers across Nigeria THE Steering Committee of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture-managed Cassava Weed Management Project (IITA-CWMP) has approved the establishment of 58 on-farm trials across Nigeria for the 2016 season.

The plan is to reach, through the on-farm trials, at least 11 000 farmers with a basket of weed control options, and offer

farmers the opportunity to by themselves choose weed control methods that best suit their locality and address their needs.

This decision was part of the resolutions and recommendations from the 2016 Steering Committee meeting held in IITA, Ibadan, 28-29 April 2016.

Professor John Ayoade, a Deputy Vice Chancellor from the University of Agriculture Makurdi, who

FG signs MoU with Dutch Company on dairy programme Collins Nnabuife - Abuja

THE Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Abuja has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FrieslandCamoina WAMCO Nig plc to develop the dairy sector in the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, said that government’s target was to ensure each child in the country have three pint of milk a day.

According to him, the business of dairy and cattle rearing are fundamental to the nation’s survival and as such, government is taking seriously; it will not be business as usual.

“The signing of this agreement is the beginning of a very long journey, whoever comes in the future, be it a civil servant or a politician, let them recognise that the country’s existence must continue.

“I assure you that whenever there is need for us to review or improve upon what we have signed do let us know.

“Continue to grow and expand, the country is large, the market is huge as it will take a lot to satisfy the country’s demand,’’ he said.

Ogbeh urged unemployed graduates to venture into cattle rearing as five cattle could earn the keeper half a million naira a month.

He said government was doing a lot to ensure that cattle rustling become a thing of the past in the

country.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of the company, Mr Rahul Colacom said the company had over 150 years of experience in dairy development.

He said the mission of the company was to nourish Nigerians with quality dairy products as over 1000 children below the age of five die every due to malnutrition.

Colaco said the company would invest three billion naira into the programme promising that it would also keep to the terms of agreement and would deliver on their mandate.

chaired the meeting on behalf of the Executive Director of the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Dr Julius Okonkwo, said the on-farm trials would validate the two-year results obtained from research stations.

The on-farm trials will involve farmers from Benue, Abia, Oyo and Ogun states on different aspects of weed control including the use of motorized mechanical weeders, bestbet agronomic practices including correct spacing, improved variety, cassava/maize intercrop, use of fertilizers and tillage practices, and the use of environmentally friendly herbicides. Each on-farm trial is about one and half acres and will be researcher-managed.

Project Leader, IITACWMP, Dr Alfred Dixon said the on-farm trials would provide opportunity for both researchers and farmers to work together on the path of discovery in a participatory manner.

“Our research approach is inclusive and farmers are important stakeholders in this equation,” he said.

World Environment Day: Ogun cautions against desert encroachment THE Ogun State government has called on residents of the state to desist from acts that could lead to desert encroachment in an attempt to mitigate the effect of climate change.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Bolaji Oyeleye, stated this while briefing newsmen in commemoration of the 2016 World Environment Day. He added that desert encroachment was a critical environmental challenge that the state had to deal with in recent times.

Oyeleye cited areas that had been seriously affected by the environmental hazard in the state to include Ipokia, Imeko-Afon, Yewa South, Yewa North, Abeokuta North and Odeda Local Gov-

ernment Areas.

“The people of of the affected council areas are vulnerable to this environmental hazard and we will ensure all our ability to curtail the effect of climate change in those areas,” Oyeleye stated.

He urged the people of the state, particularly the affected areas to cultivate the idea of tree planting, cautioning against indiscriminate felling of trees so as not to jeopardise the eco-system.

Oyeleye said the state was not unmindful of the human tendencies of extracting earth resources without recourse to preservation of the environment, adding that Government had been monitoring activities of industries to ensure proper disposal of waste.

Empowerment: L-R: Olatunde Ogunsanya, Project Supervisor, British American Tobacco Nigerian Foundation /International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (BATNF/IITA) Cassava Enterprise Value-chain Development Project, Otu Community; Mrs. Janet Ajao, beneficiary; Tajudeen Akinwande, BATNF Communications and Events Manager; Mrs. Kehinde Alawode, beneficiary; and Ajao Sunday, Chairman, BATNF/IITA Cassava Value Chain Enterprise Committee, during the tour of the project sites in Otu community, Itesiwaju Local Government of Oyo State recently.

BATNF’s agricultural interventions boost revenues of rural farmers

By Rotimi Ige

THE British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, (BATNF), has received further commendations for its efforts in enhancing farming practices among smallholder farmers in rural communities across Nigeria.

The Foundation’s interventions have created unique opportunities for smallholder farmers, enabling them to better contend with farming challenges such as lack of capital even while empowering them with technical know-how, among others. Some of the beneficiary farmers now operate at commercial levels.

Olatunde Ogunsanya, Field Supervisor, BATNF-International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Oke-Ogun Cassava Enterprise Value-chain Development Projects said that BATNF’S agricultural interventions have had positive and wide impact on the lives and businesses of the beneficiaries of the BATNF Cassava Enterprise in Otu Community, in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State. He stated that about 46 smallholder farmers, including women, who originally operated at the subsistence level, now own hectares of farmland, including having access to inputs such as improved varieties of cassava stems, pesticides and herbicides to preserve their crops.

“We are proud to say that BATNF’s intervention has positively impacted scores of lives, especially those of

women farmers who hitherto operated at subsistence level. Due to support from BATNF, they now work on a large scale, with established market links giving an average women farmer the growth opportunity to net over five hundred thousand naira annually,” said Ogunsanya. He noted further that “the beneficiaries, who now pay labourers to work on their farms, happily share the news of their successes, having triumphed over challenges ranging from limited farmlands, insufficient inputs, lack of resources to expand their farmlands, to encroachment on farmlands, which have drastically reduced.”

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Victoria Ojumola, who started

farming about 10 years ago, commended the Foundation for coming to the aid of farmers at a time when the community was confronted by a myriad of challenges.

“Before BATNF’s intervention, farming, though lucrative, was not encouraging as most farmers did not have the financial muscle to combat farming challenges.

With the coming of the Foundation, farmers were given fully prepared hectares of land, together with sufficient cassava inputs, fertilizers and lots of chemicals to preserve our crops.

Most importantly, BATNF supported us by erecting customised signposts to mark boundaries so as to protect our farmlands from further encroachment; said Mrs Ojumola.”

Extreme weather constitutes threat to food security-DG NIMET Shola Adekola - Lagos

EXTREME weather events such as drought, flood and heat waves constitute a serious threat to food security at both the household, community, regional, national and global levels, the Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Dr. Anthony Anuforom has declared.

Dr. Anuforom who made the declaration Tuesday as Guest Lecturer at the 10th Annual Lecture Series of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Nnamdi Azikilwe University, Awka, said the threat is as a result of the high vulnerability of agricul-

tural production to weather variabilities.

Speaking on the theme, “The Impact of Extreme Weather Events on Food Security in Nigeria”, Anuforom said that throughout history, the search for food has been the most fundamental human activity, and has influenced human behavior and activities.

While regretting that man’s quest for food security has continued to be hampered by extreme weather events, the NIMET boss said in Nigeria, agriculture is predominantly rain-fed system and therefore highly vulnerable to rainfall extremes.

18

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

From left, Comrade Dede Uzor, Tope Olaniyan, Ifeanyi Odili, coordinator, Campaign for Democracy; Segun Oyesanwo, former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Abdulahi M. Jobi, Ogbonnaya Onu and others, during a courtesy call on Chief Obasanjo by Campaign for Democracy, at his Abeokuta residence, recently.

From left, Ahmed, Abubakar, Mohammed and Bello Bamangar Tukur; Professor Taoheed Adedoja, Mrs Jamila Tukur Adedoja and Sauda Bamanga Tukur, at the wedding reception of Professor Taoheed Adedoja and Jamila Tukur Adedoja, at Civic Centre, Ibadan, recently.

Former District Governor, Rotary Club Oluyole, Mr Gbadebo Falayi (fourth right), presenting an award to one of the 2015/2016 beneficiaries of Rotary Club Oluyole projects, Mr Olatunji Arigbamu (left), while another former president, Mr Biyi Adesanya, Dr Dele Omidiran and the current president, Tolu Ogunjobi, watch, at the Rotary Club, Iyaganku, Ibadan, recently. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE.

From left, wife of the celebrant, Evangelist Toun Soetan; President, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Reverend Olasupo Ayokunle and the ICAN President, Deacon Titus Soetan, at a thanksgiving service for his installation as the 52nd President of Institute of Chartered Accountants

From left, groom’s mother, Mrs Oluwafunmilayo Adisa; the groom, Prince James Fisayo Adenle; his bride, Elizabeth Damilola Adenle and bride’s parents, Pastor (Mrs) Abiodun Afolabi and Bishop Mike Afolabi, after their wedding at Hand of Grace Christian Centre, Ibadan Oyo State, recently

From left, Past President, Muslims Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN), Mr Adekola Mustapha; National President, MULAN, Dr Kamald Dawud and the Chairman, MULAN Abuja chapter, Mr Olori-Aje Adam, during a press conference on the forthcoming public annual lecture of the association, in Abuja. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI.

From left, wife of Region 21 Pastor, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Temitope Balogun; wife of the Pastor in charge of RCCG, Oyo Province 2, Pastor (Mrs) Rachael Tomoloju and Pastor Enoch Tomoloju, during the sister’s convention 2016, held at the province headquarters, RCCG Oyo 2, Oluwo-Nla, Basorun, Ibadan, on Sunday.

PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU

The newly wedded couple, Mr and Mrs Kayode Okelabi, during their wedding at Agugu area, Ibadan.

For bookings, contact ’Laolu Afolabi on 08054681741 or Tommy Adegbite on 08116954631

19

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com

Why critics of 2014 confab are recanting —Okurounmu

Dr Femi Okurounmu, a chieftain of the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) and former senator, was the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the 2014 National Conference. He fielded questions from journalists during press conference organised by the YUF last week. ABIODUN AWOLAJA was there. Excerpts:

I

N the Yoruba Unity Forum’s press statement on the state of the nation, you listed many challenges facing the nation. Are you making any plans to see President Muhammadu Buhari and dialogue with him?

We are already contemplating booking an appointment to see the president. As you know, the Vice President is our man (from this side of the country). We had tried to meet with him, so that we could dialogue with him and, maybe through him, get an opportunity to see the president. But, it appears that his schedule has been very tight. He has not been able to find the time to meet with us. But all the same, we are going to continue with our attempt to see the president. I am definitely sure that if the president gives us an appointment, we would love to go there to see him and raise some of these issues addressed (at the press conference) personally with him.

Recently, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lent his voice to the call for restructuring in the country, and many eminent Nigerians have said that the report of the 2014 National Conference provides a template for achieving that. So, what next for Yoruba leaders if President Buhari maintains his position that the report will remain in the archives?

Well, I am sure that even within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC), there is division. When we were having the national conference, the APC as a party was opposed to it. Buhari and the core North were opposed to the National Conference.

In fact, at the conference, the core North made every attempt to scuttle it. It was just because of the diplomacy on the part of the rest of the country that they did not succeed in scuttling it, and we were able to take all those decisions we took, even though they didn’t like most of the decisions, by consensus, over and above their own objections.

So, I’m sure that now that the APC is in power and Buhari is the president, they believe they have won and that the conference is going to be rubbished. But after all, Atiku himself is a member of APC. Even during the time of the conference, he wrote a paper recommending restructuring. But apparently, his own people did not listen to his ideas.

There were some progressive voices

within the North who supported the idea of restructuring but they were a very small minority. But now I am happy that even our own people here in the South-West with whom we have been struggling for almost three decades now, before the annulment of Chief MKO Abiola’s election and ever since, have now seen their error. We had been struggling for restructuring; a Sovereign National Conference. But many of them, because of party affiliation, turned their backs on the conference.

And when we were saying that in fact, if you could implement the recommendations of that conference, it would solve most of our problems, they turned their backs on us.

Now, they have seen that they have made an error, although it is embarrassing for some of them to admit it. Many of them are more or less recanting their position at that time.

So, I am sure that even within their ranks, the voices are going to get louder and louder for restructuring, because they are not even getting what they expect from the government they voted for. They too are just as disappointed as other Nigerians about the state of the nation, the way it is going. I’m very optimistic that, before long, the voices of the progressives in the country will queue behind the idea of restructuring and Buhari will find himself more or less swept off his present position. That is my expectation.

The YUF thinks that all anti-graft agencies should be put under the judiciary, but there are fears that the judiciary is just as corrupt, if not more corrupt, than the executive. Are you not worried?

Of course, there is no guarantee that if they are under the judiciary, they cannot be abused, or that they cannot be corrupt. But it is better to put them under the judiciary than to have them under the executive, because the executive as we saw under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and as we are now seeing under Buhari, can always abuse all those agencies, to witch-hunt its opponents. But things can be better under the judiciary, provided that we are able to have a credible judiciary; a judiciary that believes in maintaining its independence from the executive. The beautiful thing about this system that we are operating is separation of powers. A judiciary with sensible men, credible men, will want to maintain its own independence from executive interference.

And once we are able to get that kind of

Okurounmu judiciary, I think it will be easier for them to keep all these anti-graft agencies under check, and not allow them to be used by the executive. Everything is a matter of probability. I think the probability is higher that we can get them to perform more independently under the judiciary than they are performing currently under the executive.

What form do you expect the restructuring that you have canvassed to take?

Well, the answer is obvious. Now, we have states that cannot even pay salaries. If we just look back, under the Action Group government in the former Western Region, one government based here (in Ibadan) was governing eight of our states today, because the six states of the South-West plus Edo

I’m very optimistic that, before long, the voices of the progressives in the country will queue behind the idea of restructuring and Buhari will find himself more or less swept off his present position.

and Delta were all under one government.

You can now imagine the duplication of all the bureaucracies in all the states. If that one state in the Western Region had 10 people, all those 10 people are present in each of the states that we have today. That means we have to be paying 80 people instead of 10. So, clearly, the idea of state creation has been taken too far. Initially, there was some justification for creating more states. After all, when Chief Awolowo was in government as chairman of the Federal Executive Council, it was then we had the 12-state structure under (General Yakubu) Gowon. The 12-state structure had a basis, because the Calabar/Ogoja people had been advocating for their own region a long time before that.

The people in the Middle Belt had been advocating for their own region a long time before then. So, while we were fighting the Civil War, it was an opportunity to get the minorities in the South to support the war effort. Their long-standing demands were then met by giving them states of their own. In fact, that was what gave the nation the support of the SouthSouth people during the war.

When the war ended, the 12-state structure remained and everybody was happy with the structure. If we had retained that structure, we would not have had this crisis that we are having today. But because we had most military heads of state and governors, they started sectionalising the thing (creating states) and more and more states to have an advantage over the South, until we had 19 states in the North and 17 in the South. Now, we are being forced to cut our coat according to our cloth. So, I believe we should go back to the regional system.

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politicscommentary

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

How NASS can improve elections in Nigeria

By Mahmood Yakubu

I

consider this Summit important for the novelty of the idea and the pro-activeness of the Senate Committee on INEC. First, it is really refreshing to convene a forum of this nature to discuss the challenges arising from the processes, procedures and actual conduct of the 2015 and more recent elections, and thereafter fashion out appropriate constitutional/legal response. I am particularly glad that this is a Summit, distinct from a public hearing, for the amendment of the Electoral Act, but our constitutions are intended to enrich the legislative process. This is a new and commendable approach to legislation.

Secondly, this initiative is coming relatively early in the life the 8th National Assembly. Previous attempts came literally on the eve of General Elections and were focused more specifically on legal amendments rather than reform. The first Electoral Act under the current democratic dispensation was amended in 2002 – or the eve of the 2003 General Elections. The 2006 amendments came just before the 2007 Elections and in 2010, the Act was further amended in the run up to the 2011 General Elections. Most interestingly, the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 was only assented to on the 26th of March 2015, barely two days to the last General Election, a copy of which only surfaced several months after the election. Consequently, the amendments were not used for the 2015 elections. Therefore, there is a history of acting too late, and sometimes too little as well, which makes the current effort truly unique. In addition, there is also a context unique to the current effort. The number of elections conducted by the present INEC is the highest in the history of elections in this country outside the context of general election. The statistics are highlighted in four categories as follows: 1. Forty-nine re-run elections in 16 states of the federations out of 80 elections nullified by the courts.

2. Ten (10) By-elections in 8 states across the country, caused by death or resignation (but mainly death) of elected members of the National and State Assemblies.

3. Three (3) end-of-tenure Governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and 68 Area Council Constituencies in the FCT. 4. The Courts have so far upturned 23 Constituency elections (Senate, House of Representatives and State Assembly) and ordered the Commission to withdraw Certificates of Return from those adjudged not to have been validly elected and issue same to the rightful winners. We have since complied.

When I addressed a similar forum organised by the House of Representatives about two weeks ago (May 27), I reported that INEC had conducted 127 elections since the 2015 General Election. About two weeks ago, we conducted two more by-elections in Kwara (Oke-Ero State Constituency) and Nasarawa (Nasara/Toto Federal Constituency). The new figure of elections conducted by INEC in the last six months is 129. And we still have 31 more to conduct, which we hope to round up by next month i.e. July 2016.

Most importantly, for the purpose of this Summit, is that some of the recent elections have challenged our electoral jurisprudence. For instance in Kogi State, a candidate died in the middle of an election before the declaration of result.

The Kogi experience was indeed a legal conundrum, not envisaged in our Constitution or the Electoral Act. INEC had no recourse to judicial interpretation because, as we were advised, our courts are not advisory institutions. They are courts of litigation.

In Nigeria, we have no Constitutional Court. We were advised, one way or another by some lawyers, almost all of them, on the basis of logic rather than clear constitutional or other legal provisions. Under the circumstances, INEC had to rely on Section 36(1) of the Electoral Act, which is the most proximate section of the law to get out of the conundrum.

Any electoral reform, going forward, must make clear provision against such a possibility. In doing so, we should look beyond the governorship candidate. What if it happens that a presidential or deputy governorship candidate dies in the middle of an election before the declaration of result? What if it happens in the case of the Senate, House of Representatives, State Assembly elections, or in an FCT (Federal Capital Territory) Area Council Election conducted by INEC? These are scenarios that sounded far-fetched before the Kogi experience. Now, they have become possible and there must be appropriate legal response. This is part of the comprehensive proposals for legal reform that we are submitting for consideration by the National Assembly.

Another area that has already attracted public attention and commentary is the status of the Smart Card

Yakubu

The most intractable challenge in the administration and management of elections in Nigeria can be summarised in the phrase –“door-die” – by some (not all) of our political actors. Often this is expressed in open violence or the threat of violence leading to the subversion of the popular will of the people.

Reader (SCR) in the light of the recent Supreme Court judgment. One legal opinion says that in the light of the power conferred on INEC by the 2015 amendment of the Electoral Act to determine the mode of elections, there is no longer any prohibition to the deployment of technology, including the SCR, for elections. However, others feel that there should be explicit provision in the Electoral Act. Already, proposals to that effect have been tabled before the two Chambers of the National Assembly by way of private members’ bills.

INEC feels that while there is need for a more explicit provision in the Electoral Act, it should be generic enough to cover the use of technology generally rather than a specific type of electronic device. Doing so will allow for flexibility without breaking the law in case the Commission introduces a new device other than the SCR. A generic provision will also cover some of the new innovations we intend to introduce ahead of the 2019 General Elections, especially with regard to electronic collation and transmission of result.

I have earlier referred to the large number of nullified elections, resulting in court ordered re-runs in 80 constituencies nationwide. In addition to obeying court orders, we have carefully studied the court judgments with a view to learning lessons. One clear lesson is the large number of nullified elections, arising from the disqualification of candidates earlier declared winners. Here culpability lies with the political parties. The judgments show that in some cases,

names of candidates were submitted to INEC without (the candidates) going through valid primaries. In other cases, political parties failed to do due diligence on their candidates, with respect to their personal integrity, academic qualifications, failure to resign from public office within the time frame allowed by law before joining politics and, most extraordinarily, even age.

Under Section 31 of the Electoral Act, INEC has no power to disqualify a candidate duly nominated by a political party.

The failure of political parties leads to the nullification of elections and wholesale re-run of the elections. Here, we are not asking for the restoration of INEC’s powers to disqualify candidates. Rather, parties should contribute to deepening our democracy by conducting their primaries and forwarding the names of properly screened candidates to INEC. The Electoral Act should be amended to make a clear provision that where an election is nullified because the winning candidate was disqualified, there should be no re-run election in that Constituency. Rather, Certificate of Return should be issued to the runner-up. Doing so will compel political parties to toe the path of propriety and save the nation the cost of conducting re-run elections arising from candidate disqualification.

However, the most intractable challenge in the administration and management of elections in Nigeria can be summarised in the phrase –“do-or-die” – by some (not all) of our political actors. Often this is expressed in open violence or the threat of violence leading to the subversion of the popular will of the people. Our responsibility as the electoral umpire is to ensure that votes truly count, but this cannot be achieved where election has become akin to war.

While INEC has been strenuously applying our Guidelines as well as provisions of the Electoral Act, those determined to ignore the law and the Guidelines appear undeterred.

Our members of staff have been harassed, intimidated, compromised or even killed. Consistent with our Guidelines and the Electoral Act, INEC has declared some elections inconclusive and conducted supplementary elections.

In some other cases, elections were cancelled in entire constituencies or in specific polling units based on the powers of the Commission under Sections 26 and 53 of the Electoral Act, in order to ensure that votes truly count and the people ultimately decide who their leaders are.

Where suspects were apprehended, we have worked jointly with the police to prosecute them under Section 150(2) of the Electoral Act The INEC believes that the time has come to revisit the issue of Electoral Offences Tribunal to deal with violators of the Electoral Act, whoever they are – political actors, INEC staff – whoever. We are submitting a proposal to that effect for appropriate legislation by the National Assembly.

There are a number of other areas requiring constitutional and legal amendments such as: i. Diaspora voting (including the power of political parties to organize abroad and maintain foreign accounts); ii. The duration for Presidential/Governorship run-off elections (Sections. 134 and 179 of the Constitutions provide only one week); iii. Clear provision in the Electoral Act, in line with subsisting judgments of the Supreme Court, on which organ of a political party should submit list of candidates to INEC; iv. Clear provision on the time limit in the Electoral Act, for the determination of pre-election matters, similarly to election petition cases so that they do not drag on for too long (Ondo – State Assembly and Kebbi Governorship – still on-going one year after).

Let me conclude the way I started this presentation by once again commending this laudable and unique intervention by the Senate Committee on INEC. I hope work on the Electoral Act will be concluded very soon so that there will be ample time to plan for the next General Election in 2019 on the basis of additional legal provisions.

I want to say that there is really no time. The 2019 General Election is to be held at least 30 days to the handing over date, which is 29th May 2019. This means that elections must be held latest by the end of April 2019. There is really no much time considering the fact that we have approximately 1,087 days to the last date for the elections. If you removed the weekends and public holidays, we have approximately 750 working days to the next General Elections. We therefore have to proceed in earnest.

Professor Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), delivered this paper at a summit organised by the Senate Committee on INEC under the theme: Legislating for Electoral Reform, on June 6,2016 in Abuja.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048

features

Religious extremism: Different zones, similar tones One of the tragedies of modern age is the perpetuation of hate teaching, with its attendant evil of religiously motivated killings. Across the globe, this is manifest in various shades. ADEWALE OSHODI reports.

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T is still surprising that in this modern age, some fanatics can hide under the cloak of religion to perpetrate evil, particularly against people of different religious background, and which in most cases, leads to injury or death.

Unlike in the good old days when everyone saw people who profess other faith as brothers, these days, religious extremism is on the rise, and that it is why a group of people who profess a particular faith despise those with different religious inclinations.

In Nigeria, the recent killings of Methodus Emmanuel, a 24-yearold Igbo trader in Niger State, as well as 75-year-old Madam Bridget Agbahime, are the latest by criminals who have come to hold the view of religious supremacy; that is, they see the religion they profess as being superior to those of others.

Also shocking was the case of a carpenter in Kaduna State who was, last week, severely beaten by some Muslim fanatics because he was eating during the period of Ramadan. It is so shocking that the plea by the victim to his attackers that he was not a Muslim but a Christian fell on deaf ears, and the beating was enough to land him in hospital.

As expected, in reaction to the recent killings in Niger and Kano States, the Northern arm of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), described such killings as barbaric, and which must henceforth stop.

Speaking on the heinous crimes, the public relations officer of the Northern CAN, Reverend John Hayab, lamented the manner in which Christians were being attacked in Northern Nigeria by Islamic fanatics, saying that the Federal Government must do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators to justice.

However, the good news is that President Muhammadu Buhari immediately condemned the kill-

ings, promising that those who took laws into their hands must surely pay the price.

However, an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Salaudeen Buseeri, while speaking on the issue, said those who kill in the name of religion are not true Muslims.

“Prophet Muhammed (SAW) preached love, and whatever they feel these people have done, there are constituted authorities they can report to.

“They can even report such people to the religious leaders of their faith, so as to continue to promote religious harmony.

“One thing is true about violence, no one has the monopoly of violence, and if the faithful of the other religion begin to retaliate, then we can imagine what we will have on our hands,” Sheikh Buseeri said, while explaining that what these fanatics need is just sensitization.

“Religious leaders at all levels must sensitise their followers not to take laws into their hands no matter what happens; when we preach the sanctity of life, then there will be religious harmony in the country.

“In this modern age, we should have passed the era of religious intolerance, but unfortunately, we still find ourselves struggling with it, not only in Nigeria, but across the world,” Sheikh Buseeri said.

While also speaking on the issue,

However, the issue of religious intolerance is not only a Nigerian thing; the fact that it is a big problem in the country, it is also a problem in other parts of the world, and it needs to be tackled head-on. a pastor based in Northern Nigeria, Pastor Akinola Oladipupo, lamented the intolerance against the minority Christians in the North.

“It is so sad that anybody can cook up lies against a Christian, and the next thing is that a mob will appear and that person will be lynched.

“I am really happy that President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest killings in Kano and Niger States, and I am also happy that those from the South East whose citizens have been

killed have not retaliated. But it is high time Muslim scholars began preaching religious tolerance in their worship centres.

“If we see the problem like the HIV/AIDS pandemic, then the awareness campaign can be intense, and then we will be able to achieve a degree of success,” Pastor Oladipupo said, while urging speedy trial of those who have been arrested in relation to the two killings as this will help dissuade others from also taking laws into their hands.

However, the issue of religious intolerance is not only a Nigerian thing; the fact is that it is also a big problem in other parts of the world which needs to be tackled head-on.

For example, in the Central African Republic, the anti-Balaka militia, who are mostly Christian faithful, had been accused of several attacks against the minority Muslim population.

In Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, India, and several other South Asian countries with high Buddhist population, Muslim and Christian faithful are being subjected to religious attacks.

In Bangladesh today, non-Muslims, particularly atheists, are being killed daily because they would not embrace the Islamic religion.

According to a global body that is charged with tackling religious

intolerance, religious tolerance, the amount of religious hatred, oppression, and violence in the world is not only appalling, it is also difficult for many people to understand.

The organisation admits that a larger percentage of people find themselves born into their religion, and what one learns as a child is very difficult to change when one grows up.

“Religion, like eye colour, is inherited at birth; this is true because a person born in Egypt or Pakistan is likely to be a Muslim, or somebody born in Burma or Tibet is likely to be a Buddhist, while somebody born in India is likely to be a Hindu, so all religions give a person same chance for salvation.

“It is, therefore, shocking today that some people can view their religion as being superior to others; this is how religious intolerance begins.”

However, when prominent people in the society openly show their disdain for other religions, then we know that we still have a long way to go in promoting religious tolerance.

The statement by the United States Republican presidential candidate, Mr Donald Trump, saying that there should be efforts towards preventing Muslims from coming into the country is not good enough, and according to American sociologist, Christopher Bale, “Trump’s comments can be a springboard towards promoting hate crimes in the US. “Many people are easily influenced by the comments of public figures, and when somebody like Donald Trump is calling for a ban on Muslims coming into the country, then many other Americans will begin to see Muslims as enemies, thereby promoting hate crimes.

“Since 2011, Muslims in this country have come under the spotlight, and the opinion of Trump is another sad issue for the promoters of religious tolerance in the US and across the world,” Bale said.

Back in Nigeria, it is, therefore, important that the relevant religious authorities begin to promote the respect for other faiths among their faithful.

According to a human rights activist, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, “Religious intolerance will only divide us the more, but when religious leaders take it upon themselves to tell their faithful that people of all faiths are one before God, then we might just be able to overcome religious intolerance in the country.”

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features

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Why I created a board game to fight corruption –Professor Akinyemi

different sections to represent the four phases of the WAI. However, I had to change the concept because the different phases kept running into each other. Eventually, I did a version I presented to my students at the University of Ilorin at the time, and they were amazed. I continued to work on it and I took it to France for the International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference. When I presented the game, it interested a lot of people and I got a lot of suggestions which I incorporated into the first final version of the WAI game. When Idiagbon and Buhari were ousted, I changed the name to ‘Nation on the Move.’ It was produced by the Federal Ministry of Information. I presented it to General Abisoye, because I was close to him, and he involved Prince Tony Momoh, who called the presidential commission on information and I was scheduled to make a presentation at the national theatre. They were impressed with my presentation and they offered to produce it. This was in the 1980s. I was even promised N150,000, although I didn’t get a kobo till today. The only benefit I derived was that I gained recognition and it helped my assessment educationally. That I am grateful for. I did this concept for Ghana, Botswana, Oman, UAE, and the US.

An academic of Educational Technology, Professor Adekunle Akinyemi, in an interview with KEHINDE OYETIMI, makes an analysis of Nigeria’s educational system compared with international standards, why he set up a book trust in Nigeria, and the motive behind the creation of an anti-corruption board game. Excerpts:

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OU left Nigeria for the United States of America. Was it for personal or professional reasons?

It’s the way I wanted it. I got my PhD in 1977 and before then, I used to work for Nigeria as a consultant to the University of Connecticut in the US, on a Nigerian project called Training and Education for Nigeria Development (TREND). After my PhD, I was brought back to Nigeria, and I worked for the Federal Ministry of Establishments. I found that there was no training or research involved, so I was released for research at the University of Ilorin and I was there from 1979 till 1998 when I retired. I retired because I had put in enough years. When I retired, I left for Ghana and was at the University of Winneba as a visiting professor on education, after which I left for South Africa on contract to be the director of the centre for educational technology, and head of department of educational technology. Afterwards, I left for the Sultanate of Oman and was there for two years and went to the United Arab Emirates University for one year. I decided afterwards to float a consultancy in Dubai and I was there till around 2001/2002, before I decided to go back to the US because my family was there. In the US, I was at a university there. Now, I’m trying to see if I can come home because I don’t like what is going on in Nigeria.

You’re the chairman/chief executive officer of Book House Education Trust. Why was that Trust set up?

The genesis of the Trust began from the CEEZEK Foundation, which is involved in the collection of books and making them available to schools and children. Each time I travel, I buy clothes, records and good books. By the time I retired, I had collected so many books, so I decided to give them to libraries. We have sent books to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Lagos State University, colleges of education, sec-

Akinyemi ondary schools in Abuja, Lagos, Oyo State, primary schools, among others. I’ve had the support of Senator Bode Olajumoke, Professor Wale Omole, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Archbishop Makinde of the Methodist Church Nigeria as grand patrons. With the support of the board of trustees, we have distributed books for free to those who want it. However, we evolved a policy where shipment of the books is paid for but the cost of the books is free.

You are a major proponent for the fight against corruption. What recommendations would you propose, particularly in the consciousness of Nigerians?

I’ve been concerned with this issue of corruption since 1984 during the Buhari/Idiagbon take-over, during the different phases of the War against Discipline (WAI). Then I thought I could use the concept of the Ludo, using the four

Do you think our leaders place enough value on education?

No, not as in some of the countries I’ve visited. For example, in Oman, UAE, the leader goes from place to place to interact with the citizens, ask them what they need. They have a responsive government, that’s why they don’t revolt in the Middle East.

How do you relate to the present war on corruption championed by the present administration?

When I read about this government’s focus on corruption and bringing guilty persons to book, I was impressed.

My goal with this game is to make government see how we can use the game to penetrate schools, social setups, offices, homes, clubs, and refectories, especially to echo the message of the dangers of corruption. It’s a three-in-one game. The first part contains the rules on how to play the game, materials used and other instructions as it relates to the game. The second part contains information on corruption such as what is corruption, causes of corruption, how to curb it, how one can be a volunteer against corruption, and disadvantages of corruption. The third part is a list of quotes on corruption from notable leaders like Awolowo, Azikiwe, Soyinka, among others. Then there is the board game, which gives points for fighting against corruption and prosecutes persons found guilty of corrupt practices.

How Ibadan M’esiogo gave smiles to special children

By Tunde Ogunesan THE memory of the 2016 Children’s Day celebration will for a very long time linger in the minds of special children of Jesus Kids Orphanage, Monatan Road, Ibadan.

On that day, members of a non-governmental organisation, Ibadan M’esiogo Worldwide, chose to identify with the physically challenged children of the orphanage.

The orphanage, founded by Pastor (Mrs) Ololade Adamolekun in 2010, with four children, now caters for 65 children with 14 workers.

Of the total number, 35 of them live and receive both treatment and education at the home while the rest, according to Pastor Adamolekun receive psychological and social support in their various homes. She said the home was run at cost of around N2million.

“We always need assistance to fulfil our pledges to these children. That’s why we are seeking for support from the people.

We go to churches, friends and people of like minds to support us. As you can see, the task is enormous and we cannot stop taking adequate care of the children.

They need physiotherapy and other treatments. In managing our expenses, we con-

Deaconess Olufemi Osunseyi of Ibadan M’esiogo (left), presenting a gift to the proprietor of Jesus Kids Orphanage, Pastor Ololade Adamolekun. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE sult some physiotherapists on daily basis ised us that they can help do the surgery to come here and attend to the children and she will get better,” Adamolekun said.

The enormous task of fulfilling these and get paid whenever we’re able to raise obligation prompted Ibadan M’esiogo money.

“There is one particular girl, Funke, who Worldwide’s initiative to aid the adminwe’re currently raising funds in the region istrator and bring smiles to the faces of of N250,000 for her surgery. She was the children. Members of the club danced abandoned because she had cerebral pal- with these children, some of them apsy. We have contacted a doctor who prom- peared to be in a dream world while the

ceremony lasted.

The organisation provided refreshment, presented the Home with various goods and promised to always partner with the home in seeing that the children have access to proper care and have a chance to live out their dreams.

The Founder/President of the NGO, Adeola Adepoju in a message said, “Like a hapless new born babe, the less able, the visually impaired, the physically and mentally challenged; basically, the bulk of the socially, politically and economically ostracised population cry out for our help, our attention, and our thoughtfulness.

These are our society’s secret shame that we conveniently ignore, conveniently forget, and conveniently hide; for we do not identify with them openly lest we lose the patronage and respect of our neighbours, friends, followers and benefactors. Yet, we are all bound by flesh and blood. Just because they are assailed by one sickness or the other should not earn them the red card to obscurity.

“This is why Ibadan M’esiogo Worldwide is using today, the Children’s Day, to make a clarion call to the rest of us that whosever you have the capability and/or wherewithal to help is indeed your neighbour – help him/her!’’

23 thesouth-west Tunde Busari 08127593530 Yejide Gbenga - Ogundare 08116706853 Tunde Ogunesan 08116954634

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

The

South-West Editor Wole Efunnuga 08111813056

Got news for us; contact: southwesttribune@yahoo.co.uk or southwesttribune@gmail.com

Aso Oke: Yoruba’s silent path to riches

Aso Oke is a vintage fabric that has responded positively to contemporary dynamics and transformations to remain relevant socio culturally. Today, it appears as an untapped source of wealth particularly in the South-West.

YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE writes on the challenges and prospects of the age-long fabric.

A

A weaver working on the loom.

Inside

marriage ceremony in Yoruba land is an important event and it is incomplete in the absence of a particular kind of fabric, the Aso Oke. From time immemorial, Aso Oke (which is also popularly called Aso Ofi), is a name derived from the Yoruba sentence, Aso Ilu Oke, meaning clothes from the country side. Aso-Oke is a cloth that is worn on special occasions by the Yoruba people especially for marriages, chieftaincy ceremonies, traditional events and festivals and is usually a uniform for Yoruba traditional rulers.

This traditional fabric has been in existence for centuries and it is an age-long material that has not been put on the back burner in spite of civilisation. In fact, Aso Oke has maintained a pride of place among the Yoruba people and has now extended to other regions in Nigeria.

The production of the Aso Oke fabric, though synonymous with some towns, cuts across the different towns and states across the South Western part of Nigeria.

In Oyo State, the craft of weaving the Aso Oke is predominant amongst the Iseyin people and in Osun State, the people of Ede town take the lead. The craft is however not restricted to these two states, in Ogun, in spite of the love for Adire,

Aso Oke weavers are still scattered around communities while the mat weaving craft in Ekiti and Ondo has in no way eradicated Aso Oke weaving. For the Kogi people, Okene is the base for traditional Aso Oke weavers.

The Aso Oke fabric has however gone beyond a cloth used in the ancient period as rather than suffer extinction like other old age products, it continues to move with the times and maintains relevance. Indeed, it is one of the few fabrics that has not faded out of fashion and had not suffered any damage from colonial influences, economic policies, global influences or contemporary political innovations.

Though Aso Oke has witnessed diverse changes over time and is regularly undergoing contemporary innovations, it has retained its original essence and has become a bigger business among the Yoruba people especially the elite. Now, across the major cities in the South West, there are big Aso Oke weaving companies that had helped to generate employment, open exportation opportunities, help entrepreneurship and empowerment projects.

Unveiling the new face of Ooni’s palace

Continues on pg24

—p26

24 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Aso Oke: Driving new trends the old way Continues from pg23

Aso Oke has existed across eras in Yorubaland and at different times, it has taken on a relevance which goes beyond functional clothing for ceremonies and is now a source of income, not for poor artisans but even for those who have the ambition of setting up a small to medium scale industry.

The beauty of the Aso Oke from ancient times lies in the fact that it can serve as a link between this modern period and the olden days as it has sustained its relevance since as a cloth for prestige, ceremonies, casual outings and traditional functions.

This traditional fabric is a cultural heirloom in the Yoruba community and it plays an important role in wedding ceremonies from times past till the present time; the use of Aso Oke during marriage ceremonies in times past serves to show affluence, royalty and the ability of the groom’s family to shoulder the responsibility of the bride and this use has become part of the Yoruba culture.

And in some states, Aso Oke weaving is peculiar to particular cities and family, making it a hereditary trade. In Oyo State, the rustic town of Iseyin, is known as the home of Aso Oke, having been adjudged the largest producer of the fabric in the state. What stands Iseyin out aside claims that they were the original weavers in the olden days is that the trade is one that involves almost all residents as they engage in this trade in one form or the other with many that have other businesses and trade, adding Aso Oke sale to it.

This traditional fabric which comes in various designs and colours, is very popular among the Yoruba people. However, gone are the days when the weaving and trade of Aso Oke is restricted to particular cities. Today, in virtually all cities and towns in Yoruba land, there are Aso Oke weavers and sellers in large numbers and some have even established it to the standard of a medium scale business.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that daily, fund that runs into millions of naira is churned out of the industry especially in Yoruba land where there is a continuous demand for Aso Oke. The Aso Oke is no more an industry of traditional importance but one that is economically relevant and has been a source of job creation for many; both old and young. Also, the trade has gone beyond one for the illiterates as the industry is now being taken over by graduates that had revolutionised the industry and molded it to modern trends without undermining its cultural aspect.

To many that inherited the trade, their academic pursuit till the university level is sponsored with proceeds of the Aso Oke business and rather than seek white collar jobs in their chosen fields after graduation, most opt to stay in their father’s trade while those that take salary jobs still continue the Aso Oke business by the side especially in Iseyin.

And with civilisation, many graduates that had no background in weaving, in a bid to be self employed, ventured into the business and expanded it by introducing modern looms and such equipment to make it a less tedious job and also improve on styles and designs while so many weavers have moved from the initial town to other towns to practice their trade.

Aso Ofi is an age long fabric that was the family trade of some families in Iseyin area and though the craft of weaving the Aso Ofi is practised throughout the town, some families are known with this trade. They can be found in areas like Isalu, Koso, Oke Ola, Arapa compound and Ijemba. In these families, no matter how educated they are, the all practice the craft of weaving Aso Oke. These families use the traditional method by spinning the thread themselves and are very versatile in colour coding and combinations. Aso Oke comes in different styles and quality; etu, sanyan and alari.

A school of thought however believes that what is called Aso Oke now is not the original Aso Oke as it is inferior in quality to what is being produced now due to civilisation and a change in method of weaving, their argument is focused on the fact that the Aso Oke of tester years are very thick and endures abuse more than the modern ones because they are stronger.

But many people that spoke with Nigerian Tribune punctured this argument. Adejoke Odusote, a trader that deals in Aso Oke in Ibadan stated that the lighter Aso Oke is not inferior as some think, adding that it is rather better and more beautiful.

“In times past, the Ofi used to be very heavy but that is rather a disadvantage now because people no longer want to wear heavy clothes because it is difficult to wash and usually generates heat. The new ones are however more beautiful and easier to maintain than the heavy ones. Also, for us that

Completed Aso Oke for wedding ceremony

Completed Aso Oke fabrics

We still use the same technique that is used to weave in the early days, the only difference is that we use lighter threads and now add designs to make it attractive and more competitive. sell, it is easier to package and lighter. It also sells faster than the old ones as the demand for it is higher,” Adejoke said.

Corroborating this view, Tunrayo Omomowo of Olori Tunsbabe Aso Oke, a big firm in Lagos, stated that the fact that the new Aso Oke is lighter does not mean it is inferior but rather, it makes it easier for it to compete with other fabrics imported from other countries “We still use the same technique that is used to weave in the early days, the only difference is that we use lighter threads and now add designs to make it attractive and more competitive. Now, the Aso Oke designs we have can compete favourably in terms of aesthetic and quality. The Aso Oke is still the same only better. And for those that prefer the thick designs, we still produce them, everything is based on demand,” she said.

Ola Sheu is a weaver based in Lagos and one of the many weavers that work at a medium scale Aso Oke industry, Ol-

Aso Oke being stoned ori Tunsbabe Ofi industry. Sheu is one of the people that entered the trade hereditarily, having started the craft with his family from early childhood but contrary to expectations, Sheu is not from Iseyin but from Ilorin.

“Weaving is a family craft. I inherited it from my forefathers’ right from childhood during my primary school days. I started this in Ilorin because that is my hometown, I’m not from Iseyin like many people tend to expect,” he said.

He further told Nigerian Tribune that sourcing for materials is very challenging as they face diverse setbacks in this process. “We face lots of challenges starting from sourcing for materials. Sometimes we buy thread and by the time we set the job, the thread starts changing colour, in such situations, customers sometimes reject the job and we have to make another one thereby causing a shortage. Space is also another challenge but the major challenge is sourcing for raw materials.”

And for Sheu, Aso Oke weaving is a very lucrative and fulfilling trade that can easily be learnt between six months to two years depending on the ability of the person learning the trade.

Continues on pg25

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Nigerian Tribune

‘Foreigners appreciate Aso Oke more than Yoruba’ Continues from pg24

Speaking further on how weavers have continued to move with the trend without losing the local touch, Sheu stated that, “Like I said, I inherited the trade from my father and moving with the trend still depends heavily on the old ways which we inherited; the old experience is what we use to move with the trends. Weaving is not for lazy hands. But it is very lucrative and I encourage people to learn it,” he concluded.

However, other weavers that spoke with Nigerian Tribune in Iseyin revealed that Aso Oke dealers make more profit than the weavers as what they make in one day can rival what weavers make in over a week as the efforts are not commensurate with the earnings while dealers make more with little effort. They believe that for one to make profits easily, the individual should have a department that markets its product rather than selling to dealers that will inflate the price and make so much money.

“It is easy to be a millionaire from this business if you weave and sell to individuals and businesses yourself but setting this up as a industry is not an easy feat because it entails a lot; land, equipment, staff, resources and networking abilities and because we have little value for local industries, things are more difficult. People will rather import very inferior materials from other countries,” he stated.

Equipment used for the tedious process of Aso Oke weaving include a spindlier (orun), propeller (akata), short wheel (akawo), long wheel (iye), strikers (aasa), rollers (gowu and kigun) and extender(omu). The process of weaving Aso Oke is also long and tedious; it starts from the processing of cotton which is planted during the rainy season between the month of June and July and is harvested between November and February of the following year. The planters, after harvesting the cottons, keep them in the bar for spinning, which is the first process.

Spining is the separation of the cotton seed from the wool and this is done with the Spindlier, the wool is spread and rolled on the loom and while the spindlier is being turned, it will start thinning the cotton. After this comes the sorting which is the separation of dirt from the wool in order to make the wool fit for use.

After this is the paterning, where designs and patterns are made on the Aso-Oke while the cloth is being woven and during this process, the cotton reels are hanged upon the hangers on the sets of the metallic pegs on the ground in order to make the cotton into bundles. The weaving starts after this, the rolled cotton will be neatly inserted into the striker through the extenders. The weaver will tie Iro (filler) on his seat. There are two or more holes on the staff in which a small peg is tagged. On the upper hand of the Omu (Extenders), there is Okeke (Wheel or Axle) for pulling the Omu up and down.

There are two step pedals under the extenders (Omu) which the weaver presses down interchangeably during weaving. The pedal when pressed enables the cotton to open and the Reeler put through to one side while the Striker knocks the reel to and fro to another side. This Striker allows the reel to be finely set interchangeably. The weaver handles the Oko (Motor) throws it inside the open cotton to be received by his other hand, movement of the Motor continues and faster as if the weaver is not touching it at all.

The reel inside the motor will start giving a peculiar sound; Sakala - si - sakala – sa over and over.

As this process continues, the cloth is weaved and gradually extends forward. The weaver uses the drawer to pull the cloth towards his direction and the carrier obeys the force and moves towards him while weaving continues.

Speaking on what could be done to help the industry, a dealer in Oje market identified as Adunni, stated that there is a need for government to see the industry as one that can generate income for the nation.

Her sentiments were emphasized by Mrs Tunrayo Omomowo, the Chief Executive Officer of Olori Tunsbabe indus-

Already weaved Aso Oke being designed.

try in Lagos. She further stated that at a period when there is a need for the nation to look for other means of income generation, the government should consider the Aso Oke industry as it has vast potentials in export.

“Aso Oke is not a trade for the backyard; it has great export potentials and can help to generate foreign exchange.

More money is made from selling Aso Oke to foreign countries as they appreciate it more than we do here in Nigeria,” she concluded.

Aso Oke in its array of beauty and radiance is one local fabric that has not only stood the test of time but is a money silent money spinner that remains untapped.

Completed Aso Oke fabrics

This trade is more lucrative than a salary job —Tunsbabe Motunrayo Sadiat Omomowo is the Chief Executive Officer of Olori Tunsbabe Aso Oke in Lagos.in this interview, she speaks on relevance of Aso Oke culturally and economically, the export potentials and sundry issues. Excerpts:

H

OW significant is Aso Oke weaving to Yoruba culture?

Aso Oke is very significant to the Yoruba culture. It is a traditional attire of the Yoruba people from the ancient time and remains significant to Yoruba culture but with the moving trend, it is not only the Yoruba people that wear Aso Oke, many other tribes now crave Aso Oke even more than the Yoruba.

Is Aso Oke basically for bride or marriage ceremonies?

Aso oke is not only for marriage ceremonies but for different kinds of festive occasions; birthday, burial, festivals etc The general belief is that one needs to go to Iseyin town to get quality Aso Oke, what is your opinion about this?

That is not true. Aso Oke means aso ilu oke, that is, fabric from the himterland. We can get aso oke from Ilorin. In fact, the major people that weave Aso oke are Ilorin people, Iseyin and Igbira.

How profitable is this business?

To God be the glory. It is very lucrative and profitable Is there prospect of export in the Aso Oke business?

The foreigners appreciate Aso Oke more than we the Yorubas. 90 per cent of our buyers are not even Yoruba and basically they don’t stay in Nigeria. So, we do a lot of export.

What profit margin can prospective entrepreneurs look at?

I will just say that the profit margin is one that will bring smiles to the face of any entrepreneur.

Olori Tunsbabe Would you take a salary job over this?

I was once a salary earner but when I started the trade it was like if I had known. This is much better and more lucrative than a salary job There is a belief that Aso Oke weaving is a craft for illiterates, as a graduate, what do you think of this belief?

That is peoples’ belief but education goes a long way in anything you do. I have a big advantage over others because I am educated. I do more of e-business, colour combinations too. In fact, that I am educated made it easier for me to move more rapidly and expand than the people I met on the job How many people are in your employ?

More than 20 Do you face any challenge sourcing for materials?

Yes I face challenges. The challenges are enormous but one that I face regularly is getting colour of threads, this is sometimes difficult.

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Unveiling the new face of Ooni’s palace

Renovated main entrance of the Palace

The palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi is living to its status, combining tradition with modernity, in terms of aesthetics.

TUNDE BUSARI, who recently visited the palace, gives the account of development in the palace

O

N the Television screen, the Ooni of Ife’s palace is a 21st century architectural masterpiece exclusively designed only for royalty.

The all-white edifice is an eye delight from whichever side and whenever it is viewed. The epigraph inscribed on the building, however, revealed a structure which foundation stone was laid on August 1937 by the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi.

Remarkably, a visitor to the palace this time last year when the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade was the occupant, would not but marvel at the physical transformation the Ile Oodua has passed through after the coronation of the current Ooni, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) in December 2015.

From the main entrance, opposite the Enuwa Square, the panoramic view of the palace is a beauty to behold with white colour adorning every structure, including the security post.

The Directorate of Media and Public Affairs naturally ushers visitors into the palace from the left side with a police post located at few metres away on the same side of the premises.

The Art Gallery, in which sculptures and other works of arts are displayed, stands a distance further on way to the gate leading into the man building which houses the Oonirisha and his household.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the gallery used to be the office of the immediate past Press Secretary to Oba Sijuwade, Chief Funmilola Olorunnisola.

Though only few art works are currently on display, efforts are said to be underway to stock the gallery with variety of artifacts with which Ile-Ife is reputed.

Access to the Ile Oodua, as the palace is otherwise called, poses no problem going by the human traffic recorded on daily basis.

The sight undoubtedly shares a close affinity with what is seen at government secretariat which gate is often flung open to the general public.

But the free access ends when one moves beyond the gallery and makes it to the last entrance into the palace. The first obstacle is two security posts built with the fence.

Scaling through the routine security screening, the visitor is face-to-face with the magnificent building sitting like a rock in an expansive compound.

VIP Hall

Ooni’s garage The 79-year-old edifice consists of two sitting rooms and six bedrooms. The rooms are complimented by a dining and kitchen.

A few metres away, there is a reception hall reserved for very important guests of the monarch. The hall has hosted crème-de-la-crème of the society on visitation to the Ooni.

This hall is a compliment to the bigger one located outside the premises.

The one outside has 200 seat capacity and floored with a massive purple rug dotted with the Ooni’s royal insignia.

A garage in which the monarch’s cars are parked is also sighted at the left side while what can go for a staff quarter is located at the back of the palace.

No fewer than 50 aides of the Ooni including chief security officer, chief cook, Olori’s secretary and her personal assisContinues on pg27

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The rebranding of Ooni’s palace

Main building

Changing the face of the palace is one of the processes in ushering a new traditional ruler into his reign after the belongings of the immediate past have all been removed

The art gallery

Media office

Continues from pg26

tant, occupy the structure.

The Director of Media and Public Affairs, Comrade Moses Olafare, who conducted our correspondent round the palace premises, affirmed the Ooni’s modest taste as expressed in the renovation of the palace with

locally sourced materials.

Olafare said changing the face of the palace is one of the processes in ushering a new traditional ruler into his reign after the belongings of the immediate past have been removed.

This, he maintained, is the standard practice across the length and breadth of Yoruba

nation while he also did not overlook its spiritual significance in conformity with traditional requirement.

“What we have done here is not different from that culture.

The only difference I observe is that what happened here is the mother of renovation in terms of effect.

“But at a second thought one should not be surprised going by the background of Kabiyesi as one into property development and also into hospitality business. If you visit Inagbe Grand Resort in Lagos, you will understand what I mean,” he said.

The director also confirmed the Ooni’s unique taste as well as his philosophy of developing local materials to make amazing

structure.

Oba Ogunwusi, according to Olafare, does not see any justification in combing Europe and elsewhere for materials available locally but only need developing.

“No one has ever complained of the beauty of the palace. Many still believe it’s the handiwork of expatriates. But it is an experiment that we can make things happen right here,” he said.

To further demonstrate this, the Ooni is currently constructing a replica of his Inage Grand Resort in his domain with a fat budget unprecedented in the history of the ancient town.

Named the Ife Grand Resort and Leisure and located some kilometers away on the Ile-Ife-Ibadan expressway, the N7.6 billion project is gradually taking shape.

Workers were seen sweating it out to give the town and indeed Osun State an hospitality haven that would boost internally generated revenue of government at all levels.

Features of the project include a seven-star hotel of 300 rooms, an artificial lake, floating bar, a golf course, three swimming pool, a lawn tennis court, an indoor sports hall, 30 horses, quad bikes, children play centre, mud brick houses and a guest hall.

Many Ile-Ife youth are eking out a living from the project, an empowerment that has impacted on crime rate in the town.

Besides, the Ooni has also distributed one million cocoa pots and trees to the youths and widows as part of his determination to create a lifeline to the beneficiaries.

As the grand patron of the Graduate Farmers Association of Nigeria, Oba Ogunwusi believes investment in cocoa production is a panacea to the current oil crisis.

About 100,000 youths and widow are expected to benefit with the scheme to breathe a new life to them.

28 thesouth-west

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Nigerian Tribune

We are surrounded by hills for spiritual protection —Onijare of Ijare Oba Adegbemigun Kokotiri II is the Onijare of Ijare in Ifefore local government area of Ondo state was an Engineer before he ascended the throne. He speaks with HAKEEM GBADAMOSI on his vision for the people of the town and his expectations from the state government to the people of the town. Excerpts:

W

HILE growing up, did you ever dream of becoming the King of this town and how was the journey so far?

I must tell you that as a young man, I was focused and my dream was to become an engineer and be one of the best. I thank God for this and with the support of my parent who valued education at that time and gave me all the support that I needed to make my dream a reality. I left Nigeria for London in 1964 and came back in 1971 and started work almost immediately because I was employed right from United Kingdom and I only came to Nigeria to resume. I was with Shell Oil for 35 years before I retired for a good rest. But I was enthroned some four weeks after my retirement from shell as Head of maintenance Engineering. I thought I will come and rest after a long service with Shell and look forward to how to spend my retirement but alas when the greater call to service beckons, I have to heed to the call of my people to serve them. I wouldn’t know if they delayed and prepared the throne for me but it was exactly a month after my retirement that I was enthroned as the traditional ruler of Ijare. The journey so far? It’s been hectic and time consuming even more than my previous work on the high sea, though it’s been interesting because I’ve been enjoying the support of my people ever since I ascended this throne in 1997 My people have been very supportive, my chiefs are always ready to give me the maximum corporation and I must tell you that Ijare has been experiencing unprecedented peace ever since then.

You said the town has been enjoying unprecedented peace since ascended the throne, was there no peace in the land before?

Before I came as the traditional ruler of this town, armed robbers had turned this town to their haven. Even in broad daylight, people were being attacked and the people of this community hardly slept with their two eyes closed. This was the first challenge I had but when I sought the cooperation of my people on fighting the hoodlums they supported me, we flushed out those hoodlums from this town within my first six months on the throne. I enjoyed the cooperation of my subjects in fighting armed robbers and today, no armed or unarmed thief or robbers will dare enter Ijare. The town has been peaceful and this is because of the cooperation of the people of the town.

Your vision for the town.

I enjoyed the support of my people when ascended the throne but I have not been able to realize my dreams of turning the town around. I enjoyed some support but I think the economic situation of the country has not been helping matters. We have sons and daughters from this town in various fields across the globe but they’ve not been supportive in the area of developing this town. Most of them are not helping the people of this community. I can hardly point to any project facilitated by these people. But with appeal and counseling, some of the sons and daughters of this town have started coming home to develop the community, sponsoring the education of some young indigent students from the community and contributing to other needs of the people. I must commend Major General Omoseebi for his support to the land and the two Oluwoles who were conferred with National awards recently single handedly constructed a road in the town. Another illustrious son, Plus Ayodele,known as Alpha has contributed positively to the development of Ijare. Omoseebi, brought College of Education to Ijare and this has brought some development to this town, economically and socially.

Has your background assisted you in governing the town?

Yes, I think it has really helped me a lot , because once you are an engineer you think like an engineer and what’s paramount to me is how to develop this town, though the

Oba Adegbemigun work of an engineer is different from that of a traditional ruler but it encompasses all profession because I deal with everybody irrespective of your area of professionalism.

Can you tell us how the name ‘Ijare Onile obi’ (land of Kola) came to be?

Ijare happened to come from Ile Ife , we came from Ilare, in Ile Ife. We left Ile Ife with some people who now settle in different places like. Ikare, Ijare and Ikere . Ikere and Ikare passed through this place with us and we have bond with these people. So when we got here, we decided to take a rest under a big tree. There was a kola that our forefathers brought from Ile Ife and when they got here, they planted the Kola near the river which is now known and called Ogudo River and waited for the Kola to germinate but the Ikere and Ikare people could not wait for the kola nut to germinate but to the surprise of our forefathers the kola nut came out good and they decided to settle here. So, that’s why they always refer to us as Ijare, omo Olobi, obi lori Ogudo.

Our historical background related with the other two towns i mentioned earlier because we were together before they proceed to where they are today, so historically we are related because they moved from here to their final destination too. We are never consumed or defeated by war and this is because of our surrounding, we are surrounded by hills and not an ordinary hill but hills that provide spiritual protection for the people of this town, so we live in the valley surrounded by hill.

What’s the town known for?

We have the best kola nut around here, I mean in the

We have the best kola nut around here, I mean in the south west.

Our kola nut is regarded the best and most of our people engage themselves in kola nut farming.

south west. Our kola nut is regarded the best and most of our people engage themselves in kola nut farming. Our women are traders of kola nut while we also have farmers who engage themselves in cocoa farming and other crops.

Expectation from the government.

The people of this town have never witnessed the kind of development from all previous administrations. We must commend the present administration in the state, headed by governor Olusegun Mimiko. We felt the impact of the current government but like Oliver Twist and we will continue to ask for more in order to develop our land. The road leading to the town is bad especially the roads within the town. We appreciate the recent rehabilitation of the only road linking Akure with Ijare. The road had been in bad shape for so many years but only recently the state government reconstruct the road and the journey of thirty minutes in the past has been reduced to just ten minutes drive from here to Akure. Apart from the road construction, the state government has built a modern market for us, renovation of school buildings, loan for our women among others.

But we are calling the attention of the state government to reconstruct the road between here to Ikere, the road had been abandoned and it’s less than thirty minutes to Ikere.

The was constructed by Pa Ajasin during his time as the state governor but it’s nothing to write home about now.

Greater development will be witnessed in this town if all roads leading to this town are constructed or rehabilitated.

Government should help in rehabilitating and construction of all the major roads leading to the community. Priority should also be given to our educational system in the state especially, the standard of education is falling day by day.

Teachers needed to be motivated through prompt payment of their salaries while other stakeholders including parents, teachers, lecturers, and students and should join hands and fight the rot in our education system because education remains the key to building a great nation. This state can be great but it demands the efforts of all of us. Let us remain good citizens.

Constitutional role for traditional rulers.

Yes I think our constitution should accommodate this because we are the voice of our people and closer to them than those in government. We know their challenges and they seem to be close and free to discuss their problems with us than government officials. The constitution should be made to ascribe some roles to our traditional rulers to develop our various communities.

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Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

with Soji-Eze Fagbemi m:08179047919 e:sojiezek@yahoo.co.uk

ILC closes, targets decent work, poverty eradication by 2030 Soji-Eze Fagbemi

T

HE 105th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), came to end in Geneva Switzerland with a resolve to promote decent work in global chains and end poverty by the year 2030.

The yearly event closed, following two weeks of exhaustive deliberations on key world of work issues, including decent work in global supply chains, employment for the transition to peace, maritime labour issues and basic labour rights.

The world parliament of labour has d finitely set the course for global action to shape the future of work, in order that poverty would be thing of the past in the next 14 years.

Giving his closing remarks in a session that was hugely successful, the ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder said:

“ILO sets course to promote decent work in global supply chains, in transition from conflict and crisis and in making poverty history by 2030” Ryder said: “We worked out what needs to be done to ensure that the ever increasing organisation of production in global supply chains contributes to the promotion of decent work. We began the job of delineating the way that decent work can and must contribute to peace and stability in the wake of conflict, crisis or disaster.”

He added that the conference set a compass to guide member states to meet their obligations to apply ratified conventions, refined the world’s maritime labour code, and pointed the way for the ILO to organise its own work.

“And if all of that were not enough, we set the course for making poverty history by 2030,” he concluded, refer-

ring to his report to the ILC entitled “The End to Poverty Initiative: the ILO and the 2030 Agenda.”

The ILO received important messages from its host country Switzerland and the European Commission.

The President of the Swiss Confederation, Johann Schneider-Ammann and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, who was guests of honour in this year’s con-

ference, highlighted the centrality of social dialogue between governments, employers and workers in shaping the future of work.

The Conference also held a World of Work Summit.

Young people and highlevel representatives of governments, employers and unions discussed how to shape the future of work for youth. In the run-up to the World Day Against Child Labour (on June 12), another

high-level panel discussed child labour in supply chains.

Delegates also discussed a report of the Director-General drawing the world’s attention to the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories.

A record 5,982 delegates from 187 ILO member States attended the 105th ILC. The Conference was presided over by Mildred Oliphant, Minister of Labour from South Africa.

THE Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has elected Ambassador Seidenberger from Germany, as its new chairperson after the 327th session of the body.

Ambassador Seidenberger from Germany will head the International Labour Organisation’s executive body for the period 2016-2017.

Dr Seidenberger, Ambassador and Chargé d’affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of Germany to the International Organisations in Geneva, replaces Misako Kaji, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations in Geneva, who served as Governing Body Chairperson since June 2015.

As a lawyer, Ambassador Seidenberger looks back at a long diplomatic career with the German Federal Foreign Office, including an assignment to the United Nations in New York.

Jørgen Rønnest, Director,

International Affairs, Danish Federation of Employers was re-elected as Employer Vice-chairperson.

Luc Cortebeeck, President of the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions in Belgium, was re-elected Workers’ Vice-chairperson.

The two vice-chairs will also serve as spokespersons of their respective groups.

The three will serve as Officers of the Governing Body during the period 2016-17.

The 327th Session of the Governing Body also considered a range of other business, including reports of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association.

The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) . It meets three times a year, in March, June and November, and takes decisions on ILO policy, the agenda of the International Labour Conference, and the draft programme and budget of the Organisation for submission to the conference.

THERE are major topical issues address by the Conference committees during the 105th session of the ILC. Four conference committees dealt with topical labour issues, which include: Global supply chains, Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006; Social Justice Declaration; Application of Conventions and Recommendations and General Survey concerning migrant workers’ instruments .

Global supply chains The Committee on Decent work in Global Supply Chains held nine days of intense tripartite discussions to explore how global supply chains can effectively contribute to decent work and sustainable development.

The committee adopted by consensus a resolution and set of action-oriented conclusions. These give a strong mandate to the ILO to lead the global call for action to bridge governance gaps in sectoral, national, regional and international supply chains.

The ILO members called upon the Organisation to implement a timely and dynamic programme of action and to convene, by decision of its Governing Body, a tripartite meeting to assess the failures that lead to decent work deficits in global supply chains, identify salient challenges of governance, and consider what programmes, measures, initiatives or standards are needed to promote decent work in global supply chains.

ILO Governing Body elects Dr Ulrich Seidenberger as new chairperson Soji-Eze Fagbemi

Major issues addressed at 105th Session of ILC

Dr Ulrich Seidenberger

MLC and Convention No. 185 amendments THE Conference voted overwhelmingly to approve two amendments to the Code of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006.

The first amendment concerned the adoption, in the framework of occupational safety and health, of guidelines for the elimination of shipboard harassment and bullying. It includes a reference to the Guidance on this subject jointly published by the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

The second amendment allowed for a five month exten-

sion of the validity of Maritime Labour Certificates in circumstances where ships have passed the relevant inspection but where a new certificate cannot be issued and made available on board.

Another vote adopted an amendment to the annexes of the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention, (No. 185), to align seafarers’ identity documents with the specifications of the International Civil Aviation Organization . Concretely, identity documents will, in future, use facial images stored in a contactless chip.

Social Justice Declaration The Committee for the Social Justice Declaration adopted a resolution which calls for concrete action to achieve the full potential of the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalisation, 2008 through its actions in the framework of the UN’s 2030 Agenda and integrating decent work into national sustainable development strategies.

The resolution also calls for the promotion of decent work through partnerships and policy coherence at country level with international and regional eco-

nomic and financial institutions. It further underscores the need to strengthen the ILO’s capacity and that of its constituents to contribute to the achievement and related goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Employment and decent work for the transition to peace Delegates to the conference held a first discussion concerning the revision of the Employment (Transition from War to Peace) Recommendation, 1944 (No. 71) to take account of the contemporary context and the need to respond to conflict and disaster situations.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

with Bode Adewumi

m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

Banks stand to lose immensely from the implementation of TSA —Salami

Mr Ayo Salami is the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of COINMAC International, an ICT and management/human capital development consultancy firm. In this interview with BODE ADEWUMI, speaks on how the ICT sector can become the mainstay of the nation’s economy vis-a-vis using it to block leakages in government revenue among other issues.

banks hold about N2.2 trillion of public sector funds at the beginning of sector quarter of 2015. The impact of this amount of money leaving the system can be imagined when one considers the fact that each time the monthly federal allocation is released, the banking system is usually awash with liquidity and, as soon as this public sector funds dries up through withdrawal by the states, liquidity tightens again with interbank rates going up. Of major impact will be the movement of funds of revenue generating parastatals such as the NNPC, out of commercial banks.

At full implementation of TSA, banks may be compelled to downsize their staff strength.

H

OW can the nation leverage on the opportunities in ICT to generate additional revenue for government?

ICT is a great source of revenue to government considering the potential growth of e-commerce, as the number of people connected to the net increases. Consumer shopping online is also quickly gaining acceptance worldwide. E-commerce is defined as all the commercial transactions that take place over the Internet, including retail sales of products and services, advertising and business-to-business commerce. Given that the current revenue collection strategy of government Board of Internal Revenue Service at Federal and state levels does not fully contemplate purchases from a home computer or sales from a web-based platform, greater harmonisation and training is required immediately in order to address this problem.

The emerging online marketplace has generated debate over the taxation of transactions on the internet. stakeholders deliberate on whether cyber-purchases should be subject to the same sales taxes levied on brick-and-mortar retailing. The supersonic growth of the sale of goods over the Internet shows that there’s plenty of revenue at stake for government.

The Treasury Single Account (TSA) scheme designed by an ICT service provider, SystemSpecs on the Remita platform has been widely acknowledge locally and internationally, as one of the major gate keepers against corrupt practices in the public sector. As an ICT expert, you must have taken your time to look at the conjecture called Remita, what loophole do your suspect and what precautionary measure should be taken to avoid it being counter-productive?

The Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) project, which seeks to establish a unified structure of government bank accounts, is a public accounting system under which all government revenue, receipts and income are collected into one single account, usually maintained by the country’s Central Bank and all payments done through this account as well. The maintenance of a TSA will help to ensure proper cash management by eliminating idle funds usually left with different commercial banks and in a way, enhance reconciliation of revenue collection and payment. The initiative should help to reverse the situation where idle cash balances in bank accounts of MDAs, often fail to earn market related remuneration and would avert the situation where “government, being unaware of these cash balances, incurs unnecessary borrowing costs on raising funds to cover perceived shortage.” From the foregoing, the TSA mechanism provides for proper monitoring of government receipts and expenditure and will help to block most, if not

Salami all the leakages that have been the bane of the growth of the economy. The maintenance of a single account for government will enable the Ministry of Finance monitor the flow of fund as no agency of government is allowed to maintain any operational bank account outside the oversight of the ministry of finance.

However, as a matter of fact, deposit money banks stand to lose immensely from the implementation of TSA. This is because of the fact that public sector funds constitute a large chunk of commercial banks deposit.

Indeed, it is estimated that commercial

What does COINMAC stands for and what innovative contributions have the organisation brought to the nation’s ICT sector?

COINMAC is an organisation of competent, motivated and creative professional establishment dedicated to deliver the right technology in I.T consultancy, and computer know-how. COINMAC was founded in 1994.

We have developed a fairly long tradition in credible advocacy and expertise in consultancy and information technology nation-wide. COINMAC represents, and in fact is foremost, among the category of seasoned and tried “private initiatives or I.T. consultants” who can be relied on for better and greater achievements by government functionaries, academics and the private sector.

COINMAC is reputable nation-wide. The NNPC and its entire subsidiaries have benefited from our wealth of experience.

From Left, Zone A Coordinator, National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), Usman Babankakin; President, National Association of Nigeria Student (NANS), Tijani Usman; Senate President, National Association of Nigeria Student(NANS), Ochai Odoh and President, National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education Students, Comrade Adedewura Adeshina during a press briefing on the Nigerian Students’ Uniform Identity Card,in Lagos, last week. PHOTO: OVADJE ELLIOT.

Nigerian Tribune

Samsung unveils interactive whiteboard solution to boost learning, productivity Samsung Electronics has launched its new interactive whiteboard solution, an integrated all-in-one digital solution designed to help schools, government and corporate organisations enhance learning and productivity. The solution delivers convenience and compatibility through an upgraded design and enhanced functionality.

Mr Changwook Lee, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, said that the highly connected Samsung Interactive White Boards with unique display solution is effective in such areas as decision-making, business processing, costs and risk reduction, boosting business performance of workforce. For schools, the white boards will help enhance the teaching environment. These key advantages deliver a more collaborative employee environment and also a more elevated learning environment.

“At Samsung, we understand the unique challenges that owners face when it comes to selecting and implementing technology.

This product was built to address the market’s need for a cost-effective, easy-to-manage, professional-grade solution that is better suited for these environments.

With Samsung Interactive White Boards, we are giving corporate organisations, schools, and governments the power to optimize communication infrastructure to interact better, making meeting rooms and classrooms highly intuitive for use by every individual,” he said.

Available in 65, 75 and 82-inch display models, the interactive boards help to deliver flexible and complete offering that enhance the teaching environment and elevate learning, while enhancing employee and customer communication, collaboration and interaction in organisations.

The Interactive White Board features an integrated touch screen, which helps simplify content delivery. It is also equipped with the Samsung smart signage, pen tray, and touch overlay; a feature that allows for better interaction between the user and the board.

NANS to introduce uniform biometric card for Nigerian students THE national leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is set to introduce a uniform identification card, the Nigerian Students Uniform Identification Card (NSUID) for Nigerian students at home and in the Diaspora.

The card, according to the NANS leadership, is aimed at putting an end to the constant harassment and the challenge of insecurity being faced by an average Nigerian student as well as to alleviate the eco-

nomic hardship on students.

Comrade Tijani Usman, the NANS President, while speaking in Lagos last week on the newly introduced card, said, “the challenges facing the average Nigerian student in tertiary institutions are numerous .The prevailing security challenges and the economic situation in the country are not making the challenges easier. This secured benefit based identity card will be called the Nigerian students Uniform Identification Card

(NSUID) and the website will go live on June 16.”

The NANS president continued that, “the number of tertiary institutions in the country makes unequivocal verification of the identification of bonafide students difficult. This gets more challenging with the ease in which forged identity cards can be acquired today, given technological advances in desktop printing.”

“In order to arrest this unfortunate situation and give

the Nigerian student a system that will create unequivocal identification with benefits, I am honoured to announce that the National Association of Nigerian Students at the last Senate meeting held in Jos ,Plateau State between 23 and 15 May has agreed as announced in the communique released at the end of the meeting to implement an initiative to create a secured benefit based Uniform Identification Document for all Nigerian students,” the NANS president said

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 32 south-westnews Strike: Oyo govt threatens “no work, no pay” rule MMPN holds

•Resolution of crisis depends on govt’s disposition

By Tunde Ogunesan and Wale Akinselure

G

OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi has appealed to labour leaders to call off the ongoing strike to give room for dialogue, warning that government might be forced to apply the “No work, No pay” rule after Tuesday.

Noting that the labour movement neither had a dispute with the state government nor gave the government any ultimatum, in compliance with labour laws, Ajimobi maintained that the industrial action was ill-advised.

He, therefore, urged the labour leaders to call off the strike to enable those he called the committed and hardworking among the workers to resume work in their own interest and the larger interest of the state.

“We don’t have problem with them, except for some that are being politically motivated. It is just a few who are using politics and are being influenced by failed politicians who want to get through the backdoor what they failed woefully to get from the ballot box.

“We are appealing to them to come and dialogue with us. It is the major ingredient of democracy.

Consultation, participation, rule of law and peace that is all we want. But anybody who breaks the law will be prosecuted. We may be forced to apply the no work no pay from Tuesday if they ignore my appeal,” Ajimobi said.

Reacting, the labour movement has also urged workers to discountenance the announcement by the Oyo State government that it would open a register of attendance for workers on Tuesday, as unexpected and a mere threat.

Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Waheed Olojede, however, noted that the resolution of the crisis is dependent on the disposition of the state government at meetings between the two parties scheduled to commence Tuesday.

It was gathered that the process of dialogue between the state government and the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Nigerian Union of Teachers might commence today, consequent upon a letter written by the state government to the national leadership of the NUT, requesting for a meeting.

In the same vein, the Oyo State House of Assembly has requested to meet the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday.

“The resolution of the crisis depends on the disposition of government at the meeting venue. If the government is serious about the issue and is ready to dialogue constructively to the benefit of the masses and workers of the state, the issue will be resolved. The outcome of the meeting will determine the resolution or non-resolution of the crisis. But where the outcome of the meeting is non favourable, the struggle will be sustained,” Olojede said.

Meanwhile, the labour movement in Oyo State has disregarded the call by Governor Ajimobi on the labour leaders to apologise for disrupting the aborted June 1 stakeholders’ consultative meeting or pay for an alleged destruction of properties at the meet-

ing venue as uncalled for and cheap blackmail.

Chairman, NLC, Mr Waheed Olojede also bemoaned the allegation that the labour movement roughhandled the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Olalekan Alli, as false and misleading.

Laying claim to the presence of security agencies and the fact that no arrest was made on the said day, Olojede said it was inconceivable for the SSG to be harassed or for the labour movement to be destructive or harmful, as alleged.

Rather than ask for an apology, he said the state government owed the entire workers of the state, an apology, for “unlawfully and unjustly detaining labour leaders for four days.”

“We maintain that our schools should not be pri-

•We owe govt no apology —NLC vatised and our schools should be prepared to pay outstanding arrears of salaries and pensions. Also, government has taken us to court on frivolous allegations and should go to court to withdraw the case against us because we have not destroyed any government property and not rough handled the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Alli. Alli, who was alleged to be on hospital bed, had the strength that day, the day after to address the press. Government has gone about with cheap blackmail, telling lies to the people of the state and is misleading the people.”

“It is quite unfortunate that the government of Oyo State will continue to mislead the public. You will recall that our rally

was conducted under strict protection and supervision of the police. We never destroyed any property of government at that event.

If we were destructive, don’t you think the police would have arrested some of us, but no arrest was made that day. That means that the exercise was peaceful. Since we have not damaged any government property, the labour is not ready to give any apology for an offence we have not committed. Rather the Oyo state government should tender an apology to the entire workers of the state for unlawfully and unjustly detaining the labour leaders in the state. Rather than the government demanding apology from us, we should be the ones demanding apology from the government.”

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and his deputy, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, during the official launch of Standardised Weighing Scales in Osun markets, (Osuwon Omoluabi), at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo.

Osun inauguratestheOsuwon Omoluabi in markets 1999 Constitution of the sures Regulations, 1992 and Ondo State and that only Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

THE government of Osun State, on Monday, formally inaugurated the use of standardised weighing scales in all its markets as Governor Rauf Aregbesola said the move was to make the state the preferred destination for commercial activities in the sub-region.

Inaugurating the new standardised scales at Nelson Mandela Freedom Square, Aregbesola said his administration would not relent in its goal of developing economic activities in the state, recalling that Osogbo in the 60s and early 70s was a great centre of commerce because of the railway that passed through the city.

He emphasised that “Osunwon Omoluabi” policy was backed by law, saying Weights and Measures constitute item 63 on the Exclusive Legislatives list of

Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Aregbesola noted that the laws made in this regard include Weights and Measures Act CAP W3LFN, 2004, Pre-Shipment Inspection of Export Act CAP P25 LFN, 2004; Weights and Measures Standardisation of Indigenous Mea-

the Weights and Measures Fees Regulations.

He, however, said all hands must be on deck to revive the economic status of the state, adding that the state had in the past attracted sellers and buyers from neighbouring states, as far as Akure in present day

Ibadan was greater in trade and commerce than Osogbo in the region.

Aregbesola stressed that “Osunwon Omoluabi” would eliminate cheating and other underhand practices that have become the hallmark of trading in most markets.

Ramadan lecture

MUSLIM Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), Oyo State chapter, will hold its 2016 Ramadan Lecture on Thursday, June 16, 2016, at Bodija and Environs Muslim Community Mosque, Housing Corporation, Bodija, Ibadan.

The theme is Anti-corruption war in Nigeria (Whiter the Muslims?) while Dr Taofeeq Adekunle Abdul Hammed, the Imam of Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, will be the guest lecturer. Time is 10.00 a.m.

Olubadan appeals to Oyo labour unions, govt over strike THE Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, has appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and all other labour unions in the state to see reason with the state government and find a lasting solution to the on-going impasse in the interest of the common man.

According to a statement by the monarch’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Mr Adeola Oloko, Oba Adetunji made this call on Monday, during the yearly Ramadan Tafsir, at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan Palace.

The first class monarch reasoned that dialogue had been adjudged the best solution to crisis the world over; saying violence doesn’t solve all crises while patience doesn’t spoil anything.

He, however, called on the state government to see to the demand of the labour unions and try to shift grounds where necessary; as life is a matter of give and take.

Ondo guber: Bad leadership, bane of development —CPP Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

A governorship aspirant on the platform of Citizens Popular Party (CPP) in Ondo State, Prince Oyeleye Fasua, has identified bad leadership as bane of development in the state, saying past leaders have failed to explore the wealth and mineral deposit in the state to turn around the state positively.

Fasua, who stated this in Akure, Ondo State capital, during his public declaration to contest in the

forthcoming governorship election in the state, described the various problems faced by Nigerian youths as resultant effect of bad leadership, which his administration would correct if elected as the governor of the state.

The CPP aspirant blamed the rampant youth unemployment in the country on enthronement of bad leadership, saying “leadership is a necessary factor in every sphere of life,

especially at the political level where decisions and actions affect the entire members of a nation.

“Ondo State is sitting on honey, but past leaders have failed to tap this honey to develop the state, alleviate the sufferings of the people and eradicate poverty in the land because Ondo State has no business with poverty.”

“My political vision and mission is not to criticise any government but to

turn the state around positively and to let the people of the state feel the impact of a professional in politics by witnessing a new era of development in the state.”

Speaking during the declaration, the national chairman of the party, Sam Eke, assured the people of the state that all the policies of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, which ranked the state among the best in the country would be revisited by the party.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 Tuesday, Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 Tuesday,14 14June, June,2016 2016

Hijab Judgment: No going back on Christian students wearing religious garments —Osun CAN youth wing Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

A

S the controversy generated by the recent court judgment, which allows female Muslim students in Osun public schools to wear hijab continues to fester, the youth wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of the state chapter, on Monday, said there was no going back on the plan

by Christian students to wear religious garments to schools today (Tuesday).

The youth wing of CAN declared that it was not against wearing of hijab in Osun public schools, but Christian students would also adorn themselves with religious garments when going to school today.

In a communiqué issued at end of their meeting held in Osogbo, the state capital, the youth wing of CAN contended that the judgment of Justice Jide Falola that legitimised wearing of hijab in public schools was a direct opposite of the mutual agreement leaders of National Inter-religious Council (NIREC), Osun State chapter, reached on the issue.

Signed by the state chairman, Youth Wing of CAN (YOWICAN), Mr Nicholas Owo-Ofe and his secretary, Mr Popoola Timilehin, the group said “we believe this is the process of Aregbesola Islamisation Agenda in the state, which was earlier stated in 2012 by the Directorate of Military Intelligence and corroborated

by OS-CAN in 2014. The Christian youths will oppose this dubious agenda.”

The communiqué read in parts, “Implementing the judgment will show the whole world that Aregbesola-led administration is trying to disturb the peace that the state is enjoying.

We want to call on all the security operatives, DSS, Police, NSCDC to advise the state government accordingly on the security implication of implementing such judgment.

“We will like to emphasise that we are not challenging the right of Muslim

PAN-YORUBA socio-political group, Afenifere, on Monday, demanded immediate release of former Minister of Aviation, Mr Femi FaniKayode, who it said would be clocking his five weeks in the Economic and Financial Crimes and other Related Offences Commission (EFCC) cell, on Wednesday.

Fani-Kayode, who was Director of Media and Publicity of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign organisation for the 2015 Presidential Election, was accused by EFCC of collecting campaign funds running into millions, for which the agency has obtained court order to detain him in its cell.

The group made this call in a release issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin, saying it was making the demand because it heard that EFCC was planning to get another detention order to ensure that Fani-Kayode was made to remain in detention.

“Afenifere demands im-

ment decide to implement the judgment; the State YOWICAN will mobilise and instruct all our youths in different blocs and schools to start wearing their Christian garments and vestments as part of their school uniform for propagation of our faith.”

DSS screens Aregbesola’s commissioner-nominees Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

THE Department of State Security (DSS) might have begun the screening of individuals being considered for appointment as commissioners in the new cabinet of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Nigerian Tribune’s investigation has revealed.

Though Aregbesola was yet to announce a new cabinet, almost two years into

his second tenure as governor of Osun State, credible sources informed Nigerian Tribune that late last week, some people who were expected to make the new cabinet were guests at the state headquarters of DSS, situated along Gbongan-Ibadan expressway for scrutiny.

As of the time of filing this report, the state governor had not forwarded list of his potential commissioners to

the state House of Assembly for consideration.

One of the sources privy to the screening exercise disclosed that a lecturer in Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree, said to be on the list of probable commissioners, from Osun Central Senatorial district, had been screened by DSS. “According to him, “everything is being kept under wrap. Some people have been screened al-

aged and re-launched on April 30, 2012, currently feeding 252,000 pupils in elementary 1-4 in public schools at the cost of N3.6 billion per annum.

With the introduction of free meals, she maintained, the government had recorded phenomenal increase in the enrolment figure in public elementary schools by 25 per cent within the first six weeks of implementation.

“We also observed increased retention and completion rate of pupils in the public schools. Since the programme is integrated with the state’s empow-

erment programme, the economic spin offs include the employment of 3,007 food vendors.

“Agriculture is the major beneficiary of the programme. For example, 8,400 crates of eggs, 15,000 broiler chickens, five metric tons of catfish and 35 heads of cattle are consumed weekly among other agricultural products, all of which are sourced locally,” she said.

The deputy-governor added that through the implementation of Osun Fisheries Out-growers Production Scheme (OFOPS), it has empowered 462 of job-seeking youths as fish out-growers for mass fish production in the state.

Doubting individuals or group, she stated, should embark on fact finding visit to the state to observe the implementation of the programme and its effects on the morale of pupils.

Going by the success OMeals has so far recorded; the deputy governor disclosed that all the SUBEB chairmen in the country have visited Osun to understudy its effectiveness.

Osun deputy gov clears the air on O-Meals CONTRARY to a report, the Deputy- Governor of Osun State, Grace Tomori-Laoye, has shed light on the significance of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme (O-Meals)

by Osun State government.

In a release by her Chief Press Secretary, Tope Ademakinwa, the deputy-governor said the programme was part of the efforts of the state government to promote functional education with a view to producing well-fed and healthy pupils.

She disclosed that OMeals commenced as a pilot programme in 2006, after which it was repack-

Afenifere demands immediate release of Fani-Kayode Bola Badmus - Lagos

students to wear hijab for the propagation of Islam in public schools. What we are saying is that this should not be extended to schools that are originally owned by Christian missions as contained in the Osun State NIREC agreement of 2014.

“Should the state govern-

mediate release of Femi FaniKayode who will be clocking five weeks in EFCC cell on Wednesday. We are being

told that EFCC is planning to get another detention order to continue his incarceration,” the statement said.

Ogun govt, patients appeal to striking doctors to resume work OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta

THE Ogun State government on Monday, appealed to doctors serving in the state-owned hospitals to resume work in the interest of the citizenry.

Just as in and out-patients, who were directed to return for medical attention on Wednesday, also begged the doctors to return to their duty posts.

Nigerian Tribune recalled that the doctors under the umbrella of National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), last Friday, threatened to embark on “staggered” strike on Mondays and Tuesdays indefinitely.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the State Hospital in Ijaiye, Abeokuta, out-patients were

turned back as the strike entered day one.

Some of the issues raised by the doctors were poor condition of service, shortage of manpower and relativities.

ready. But this does not mean the list would be made known anytime soon. But let’s wait.”

But, the screening exercise was already heightening tension within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state, as candidates of two former governors, Chief Adebisi Akande and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who were expected to make the list of candidates for screening exercise were not included.

It will be recalled that top notchers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun, about a week before August 9, 2014 governorship election, dumped the party and followed Oyinlola to APC. Few of those that decamped with Oyinlola into APC were former Secretary to Osun State Government (SSG), Alhaji Kazeem Adio; former chairman of Osogbo Local Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye and former Osun PDP Central Senatorial Secretary, Alhaji Aliu Akinloye and few others.

CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME

formerly Okwor Abigail I,I, I, formerly formerly Okwor Okwor Abigail Abigail Ifebuche now CHIMEE Ifebuche Ifebuche now now CHIMEE CHIMEE ABIGAIL IFEBUCHE. All ABIGAIL ABIGAIL IFEBUCHE. IFEBUCHE. All All former documents remain former former documents documents remain remain valid.

NYSC and general valid. valid. NYSC NYSC and and general general public take note. public public take take note. note.

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formerly Adeniyi I,I, formerly Adeniyi I, formerly Adeniyi AanuOluwapo Grace now AanuOluwapo now AanuOluwapo Grace Grace now ADEPOJU AANUOLUWAPO ADEPOJU ADEPOJU AANUOLUWAPO AANUOLUWAPO GRACE. All former documents GRACE. GRACE. All All former former documents documents remain valid NYSC and general remain remain valid valid NYSC NYSC and and general general public take note. public public take take note. note.

CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME

formerly Aigbedion Itohan I,I, I, formerly formerly Aigbedion Aigbedion Itohan Itohan Gloria now KIKIOWO Gloria Gloria now now KIKIOWO KIKIOWO ITOHAN GLORIA. All ITOHAN ITOHAN GLORIA. GLORIA. All All former documents remain former former documents documents remain remain valid.

NYSC and general valid. valid. NYSC NYSC and and general general public take note. public public take take note. note.

CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME

formerly Samuel Deborah I,I, I, formerly formerly Samuel Samuel Deborah Deborah Damilola now AMOSU Damilola Damilola now now AMOSU AMOSU DEBORAH DAMILOLA. All DEBORAH DEBORAH DAMILOLA. DAMILOLA. All All former documents remain former former documents documents remain remain valid.

NYSC and general valid. valid. NYSC NYSC and and general general public take note public public take take note note

CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME formerly Inyang, Aniebiet III formerly formerly Inyang, Inyang, Aniebiet Aniebiet Pius now SYLVESTER, Pius Pius now now SYLVESTER, SYLVESTER, ANIEBIET. All former ANIEBIET. ANIEBIET. All All former former documents remain valid. documents documents remain remain valid. valid.

NYSC and general public NYSC NYSC and and general general public public take note. take take note. note.

CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME formerly Zainab Ummy III formerly formerly Zainab Zainab Ummy Ummy Usman now ZAINAB Usman now Usman now ZAINAB ZAINAB UMMY ADAM. All former UMMY UMMY ADAM. ADAM. All All former former documents remain valid documents documents remain remain valid valid NYSC and general public NYSC NYSC and and general general public public take note. take take note. note.

Strike: Ekiti workers go spiritual, declare 3-day fasting, prayer Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti

WORKERS in Ekiti State have resorted to spiritual means to seek ways of ending their ongoing strike in the state by declaring days of fasting and prayer to seek the face of God. The labour centres in the state, through a statement on Monday, said they had declared a three-day fasting and prayer for striking workers in the state.

The statement, signed by the secretaries of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr O. P. Olayemi; Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr J. A. Adebayo and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Mr Oladele Ayodeji, said the spiritual exercise would begin on Tuesday (today) and end on Thursday.

They said: “In view of the current situation in Ekiti State as regards the ongoing strike embarked on by the entire workers in Ekiti State, all workers in Ekiti State are invited to a threeday fasting and prayer from Tuesday to Thursday, June 16.

CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME

formerly Ibrahim Aisha I,I, I, formerly formerly Ibrahim Ibrahim Aisha Aisha Abdulsalam now HASSAN Abdulsalam now HASSAN Abdulsalam now HASSAN AISHA HUSSAINI. All AISHA AISHA HUSSAINI. HUSSAINI. All All former documents remain former former documents documents remain remain valid.

NYSC and general valid. valid. NYSC NYSC and and general general public take note. public public take take note. note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME AND CONFIRMATION OF AND CONFIRMATION OF NAME NAME AND CORRECTION OF DATE OF BIRTH CORRECTION CORRECTION OF OF DATE DATE OF OF BIRTH BIRTH

Mr Charles Lawal as stated I,I, I, Mr Mr Charles Charles Lawal Lawal as as stated stated on BVN is the same person on on BVN BVN is is the the same same person person as Mr Charles Ariyo Lawal. as as Mr Mr Charles Charles Ariyo Ariyo Lawal.

Lawal.

Now wish to be known and Now Now wish wish to to be be known known and and addressed as MR CHARLES addressed addressed as as MR MR CHARLES CHARLES ARIYO LAWAL. Likewise ARIYO ARIYO LAWAL. LAWAL. Likewise Likewise my correct date of birth is my my correct correct date date of of birth birth is is 14th July, 1982 and not 14th 14th July, 1982 and not 14th 14th July, 1982 and not 14th August, 1982 as stated wrongly August, August, 1982 1982 as as stated stated wrongly wrongly on my account documents. on on my my account account documents. documents.

All documents bearing these All All documents documents bearing bearing these these names remain valid.

FBN Plc, names remain valid.

FBN names remain valid. FBN Plc, Plc, GTB Plc and general public GTB GTB Plc Plc and and general general public public take note. take take note. note.

CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME

formerly Mr Wale III formerly Mr formerly Mr Wale Wale Opemipo Awobamise now Opemipo Opemipo Awobamise Awobamise now now MR OLAWALE OPEMIPO MR MR OLAWALE OLAWALE OPEMIPO OPEMIPO OLUBAMISE. All former OLUBAMISE. OLUBAMISE. All All former former documents remain valid. documents documents remain remain valid. valid.

General public take note.

General General public public take take note. note. and and and formerly Miss Temitayo III formerly formerly Miss Miss Temitayo Temitayo Hannah Daramola now MRS Hannah Hannah Daramola Daramola now now MRS MRS TEMITAYO HANNAH TEMITAYO HANNAH TEMITAYO HANNAH OLUBAMISE. All former OLUBAMISE. OLUBAMISE. All All former former documents remain valid. documents documents remain remain valid. valid.

General public take note.

General General public public take take note. note.

PROBATE PUBLIC NOTICE PROBATE PROBATE PUBLIC PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE

I,Mrs Ebelechukwu Nneka OkangI,Mrs Ebelechukwu Nneka OkangI,Mrsc/o Ebelechukwu Nneka Okanggba her solicitor Barr (Mrs) gba Barr (Mrs) gba c/o c/o her her solicitor solicitor Barr (Mrs) R.O Moses-Oke, Obada Chambers R.O Moses-Oke, Obada Chambers R.O Moses-Oke, Obada Chambers of No. 18, Aderemi Road, Ile-Ife of 18, Road, Ile-Ife of No. No. 18, Aderemi Aderemi Road,Registry Ile-Ife has applied to the Probate Probate has applied Registry hasCustomary applied to to the the Probate Registry of Court of Appeal Appeal for of Customary Court of for of Customary Court of Appeal for Letters of of Administration Administration to to adadLetters Letters of Administration to administer the Estate of LATE MRS minister Estate minister the the IHEOMA Estate of of LATE LATE MRS MRS CHINYERE NWOKEDI CHINYERE IHEOMA NWOKEDI CHINYERE IHEOMA NWOKEDI of Road 10A House 3, Obafemi of Road 10A House 3, Obafemi of Road 10A House 3, Obafemi Awolowo University University Quarters, Quarters, IleIleAwolowo Awolowo University Quarters, IleIfe who died intestate on the 9th day Ife who died intestate on the 9th day Ife who died intestate on the 9th day of June, 2014. of 2014. of June, June, 2014. to this application Any objection Any to application Any objection to this this application is to objection be forwarded forwarded to the the Probate is to be to Probate is to be forwarded to theCourt Probate Registry of the Customary of Registry of the Customary Court of Registry of the Customary Court of Appeal, Osogbo within 14 days of Appeal, Osogbo Appeal, Osogbo within within 14 14 days days of of this notice. this this notice. notice.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

FRSC boss warns officers against extortion, fake driver’s licence Says corps not recruiting Clement Idoko - Abuja

T

HE Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, has warned officers and men of the corps against involvement in extortion and production of fake driver’s licence for applicants.

He also said that FRSC is neither recruiting nor doing any form of replacement as is being insinuated by some fraudsters , warning staff to desist from such rumour or face the wrath of the law in accordance with the corps’ disciplinary code.

Oyeyemi spoke on Monday, in Abuja, while addressing staff at the national headquarters, during the Corps Marshal’s weekly parade, a statement by the Head, Media Relations and Strategy of

the Corps, Mr Bisi Kazeem said.

He described the current licensing system as foolproof and technology-driven, which makes it easy to detect fake from genuine ones, saying any one caught would be dealt with.

The Corps Marshal was said to have frowned at the activities of some staff, who involved in criminal acts like extortion, stealing and connivance with any people or group to commit criminal acts and urged those concerned to stop.

Boboye said any staff caught would be promptly handed over to the appropriate authorities and would not enjoy any form of protection from the corps.

He was emphatic that any staff, who is traced to any fake licence would pay dearly for the act, including criminal prosecution in court.

On staff welfare, the Corps Marshal reiterated his commitment to providing welfare for the staff, adding that N200 million has been approved from

the Post Service Scheme (PSS), to serve as loan for staff.

On the rumour of recruitment being spread by some fraudulent people with intent to dupe unsuspecting members of the public, Oyeyemi said such information should be ignored as the corps is not recruiting.

He stressed that there was no way FRSC could engage in recruitment exercise without following due process, which includes wide publicity to give every Nigerian opportunity to participate in it.

The Corps Marshal expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its logistics provisions for FRSC, saying that the 283 operational vehicles which President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated for the corps last month, coupled with the ongoing construction of office accommodation in five states, demonstrates Buhari’s passion for road safety.

Oyeyemi warned that FRSC, as a disciplined organisation, will not condone any form of criminal act from any staff.

Children, wives of prominent persons on councils’ payroll in Katsina, —Masari KATSINA State government has said it detected names of children and wives of some prominent persons on the payroll of local government councils in the state.

Governor Aminu Masari said this while briefing newsmen on the ongoing verification of local government staff in Katsina, on Monday.

“It is unfortunate that these people have been on the list collecting salaries for over 20 years.

“It is also disheartening to note that some people who do not live in the state are collecting salaries every month”, he added.

Masari said before the commencement of the verification, government introduced signing of attendance register so as to detect ghost workers.

“We asked every worker to sign during the verification after which we compared the signature with the one on the attendance register.

“We discovered that some people are just collecting what they did not work for”, he said.

According to the governor, the delay in the payment of May salaries for local governments’ staff is due to the verification.

Masari expressed hope that government could save about N500 million after the exercise every month.

He, therefore, called on the workers affected to be patient because the exercise was necessitated by the decrease in the federation account allocation to the state.

Alonge for burial

MR Olusola Alexander Alonge, is dead. He died at the age of 46 years, on Saturday, June 4.

Christian wake keep/ Day of Tributes will hold on Thursday, by 5.00 p.m, at his residence, Plot 2, Block XVII, behind Adabeji Baptist Church, Adabeji, Oluyole Extension, behind Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, Oyo State, while commendation/funeral service will hold on Friday, by 10.00 a.m, at Adabeji Baptist Church, behind I.A.R & T, Adabeji, Oluyole Extension, Ibadan.

He was an alumnus of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), IkejiArakeji, Osun State. He was survived by family members, wife and children.

He was an agriculturalist at the Federal College of Agriculture, Moor Plantation, Ibadan and member of professional organisation such as; Nigeria Association, Animal Health and Husbandary Technologies (NAAHT), Nigeria Society for Animal Production (NSAP) and Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria (AESON) among others.

From left, Edo State Commissioner for Works, Mr Osarodion Ogie; Secretary to State Government (SSG), Professor Julius Ihonvbere; Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his wife, Iara, during the kick-off of Uzebba-Okpuje-Okabhor Road project in Owan West Local Government Area of the state, on Monday.

Edo’ll build roads even if oil price crashes to zero —Oshiomhole GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has affirmed that his administration will not stop work on ongoing road projects and construction of new ones, even if the price of crude oil crashes to zero.

Speaking at the flagoff of the 10-Kilomtre Uzebba-Okpuje-Okabhor Road, Owan West Local Government Area of the

state, on Monday, Oshiomhole said “like I promised during campaign in 2007, I said I have not come to join people to lament the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I have not come to shed tears about missed opportunities. I have come together with my colleagues on a rescue mission, to show that whatever they said was

not possible, to demonstrate that it is possible and that everything they refused to do, we will try to do it.

“We started by building schools and I am sure in this local government ,you have what they now call the red roof schools. I am sure in some places, we have also sunk boreholes and I am sure, some of your sons and daughters,

Farmers/herdsmen clash: Stick to areas of comparative advantage, LCCI tells states THE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and industry (LCCI), on Monday, said that states should be allowed to promote and practise agriculture in the areas they have comparative advantages.

Mr Adeola Elliot, the chairman, Agric and AgroAllied sector of LCCI, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that this would enhance keen competition among the states.

Elliot said this would also encourage bumper harvest of farm produce and engender employment opportunities for many.

He, however, said that having grazing routes

around the country was not necessary.

According to him, “If states in the Northern part of the country see grazing as part of what they can promote as their own agriculture, they should develop grazing lands there.

“If Lagos is interested in fishing, it should be allowed to utilise part of its land and not be bothered about grazing.

“However, any state that is interested in grazing, should provide grazing lands and not routes for such activity,’’ he said.

Elliot said that farmers interested in husbandry and dairy farms, should also be allowed to have ex-

panse of land for grazing.

He said that the genuine Fulani herdsmen knew where to pasture their animals and would not go to any village to destroy farm crops.

The chairman said that those entering villages and towns, destroying farm crops, were not herdsmen and that the law enforcement agencies should arrest them for interrogation.

Elliot said that genuine herdsmen sourced all kinds of foods from their cattle for their wives to sell.

He advised the various state governments to set aside large expanse of land in their states for lease to herdsmen for husbandry and grazing.

who are working for the state government, their salaries for May, has been paid and the wage has even been increased.

“I can assure you it has been tough and it is still tough. It might get even tougher in the very near future. But, there is nothing we have started in this state under my stewardship that we have abandoned. And therefore, this one is yet another project that we will complete. It will not be abandoned. Even if oil price crashes to zero, this road will be done.

“We have already mobilised the contractor, so ,we are not owing. . He must ensure that this road is better than any other road that we have built so that it will last much longer than 25 years because, for me, a government must never deceive the citizens because we don’t settle for less than the best.

“That is why all the roads that we are constructing, we insist that they must have not just laterite base, we also ensure they have stone base to make sure that the asphalt does not peel off fast and that we create drainage wherever it is necessary.

Mr Olusola Alonge

Burial MRS Akiode Esther Adebowale (nee Sanya), is dead. She died on March 18, 2016, at the age of 82 years.

Christian wake keep will hold on Thursday, at Aro Village, Somorin, Obantoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, by 5.00 p.m.

Funeral service will hold at Methodist Church, AgoOko, beside State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, while interment is at Jagunna Street, Leme, Sam Ewang Way, Abeokuta. Entertainment of guests is at St John’s Primary School, Kuto, Abeokuta.

She was survived by children and grand children.

Mrs Esther Adebowale

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Clear backlogs in 48 hrs, Immigration boss orders passport offices

Clement Idoko-Abuja

T

HE ComptrollerGeneral (CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr Muhammad Babandede, on Monday, gave all Passport Control Officers (PCOs) nationwide, as well as Passport Issuing Desks in Nigeria’s Foreign Missions 48 hours to clear all backlogs of passport applications.

A statement by the spokesman of the Service, Mr King Ekpedeme, in a statement in Abuja, said this ultimatum followed complaints and agitations from passport applicants concerning service delivery at various passport offices.

He added that failure to comply with the directive would be interpreted to mean the officers in charge were incompetent and would therefore be removed.

He warned that the timeline for processing of passports remains 72 hours, adding that he expected every passport office to conform to the policy forthwith.

Babandede also called on “passport applicants to always get their breeder documents such as birth certificate, age declaration, certified guarantor’s forms from the right sources to avoid delay in the processing of their passports”.

In a related development, the Immigration CG said he had inaugurated a committee “comprising the Assistant Comptroller-General of Immigration (Passports) Ndubisi Ndife and NIS

Technical Partners, Messrs Iris Technologies Ltd and NewWorks Limited, to reconfigure the NIS Passport platform, in order to enable state passport offices to reissue passports to applicants who want to change their data

on account of marriage or due to loss of previous ones.”

With this development, such category of applicants would need not travel to Abuja to effect any change in their travel documents but go to the passport offices in the

states they reside to do it.

Currently, women who wish to change their data such as name due to marriage are required to travel to the Service Headquarters in Abuja to effect those changes, which at times, results in their staying

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, (second right) and the Chief Executive Officer, Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Dr Jamil Isyaku Gwamna, at the launching of the mass meter deployment of Kano Disco, in Kano State, on Monday.

Again, EFCC grills ex-Gov Chime, Asogwa in Enugu Jude Ossai- Enugu

FORMER Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime and two of his former aides, on Monday, appeared again at the Enugu office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over their alleged involvement with the N450 million Diezani Alison-Madueke saga.

Chime drove into the EFCC office around

10:58a.m in a black Ford Explorer jeep with number plate CV 950 ENU, while the ex-state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ikeji Asogwa got to the office at 10:10a.m.

As of the time of going to press, Chime’s ex-principal officer, Mrs Rita Mba, was yet to report to the anti-graft office.

Although the former PDP

governor was evasive when reporters wanted to have a chat with him, the newsmen who had besieged the zonal office of the EFCC on the Federal Government College Road, Enugu, met a brick wall in the bid to have officials of the Commission speak on the development.

Inside source, however, said both Chime and Asogwa were grilled by the EFCC

Nimbo killings: Factions threaten panel sitting THE commission of inquiry into the Nimbo killings in Enugu State has expressed worry over threats by factions claiming to be representing the community at its sittings.

Speaking during proceedings in Enugu, on Monday, the chairman of the commission, Justice Chukwuma Eneh, said the situation was not healthy for the assignment.

Eneh, who was reacting to different memoranda sent by two factions purporting to be representing Nimbo community, however, said all the perceptions must be heard.

He said the panel was out to do its job to get to the root of the incident.

“What worries me is that it has become clear that we have two factions and perceptions from Nimbo, one saying one thing and the other saying another.

“We cannot ignore any party that said it did not happen the way the other

in Abuja for up to three days, a situation according to the Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdulrahaman Danbazau’s (retd), exposed applicants to unnecessary risk of life and waste of funds.

group said it did.

“We must hear the entire community in order to make a fair decision at the end of our assignment,” he said.

Eneh said the panel was not concerned with any local politics in the community, adding that it was after delivering on its mandate.

The chairman called on all interested parties in the matter, especially the Fulani community in the state, to send their memorandum within the time allotted for such.

“We pray you to give us your sincere cooperation to achieve something on the subject matter of the tribunal. We have devoted enough time to ensure that everybody in Nimbo is aware of our sitting,” Eneh said.

A drama ensued when one Mr Matthias Nwande announced his appearance for Nimbo community, led by the traditional ruler, Chief John Akor.

Another faction led by

Chief Marcel Akor protested the appearance of Nwande on the grounds that he was not their counsel.

He said that Chief John Akor was not the traditional ruler of the community and as such was not representing

their community.

The panel was forced to adjourn to Wednesday, to enable all the parties, including the Fulani community, represented by Alhaji Ardo Basso, to put their house in order.

officials.

The trio of Chime, Asogwa and Mba were picked by the EFCC last week’s Wednesday, to explain their roles on the 2015 presidential election campaign funds sent to Enugu State by Fidelity Bank, on the instruction of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison- Madueke .

Chime had tried to absolve himself on the issue of the campaign funds, when he was reported to have said last week, that he was not involved personally in disbursement of said amount shared, which the state received from the poll cash, alleging that it was received

by Mrs Mba who was the secretary to the campaign office.

Pipeline vandalism by NDA has significant impact —Fashola Kola Oyelere Kano

MINISTER of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola has admitted that the vandalism of pipelines by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has a significant impact, saying however, that it is temporary, as they were trying their best to restore the damaged pipelines This is just in a communiqué issued after a meeting with the operators of power sectors in Kano, read by the Managing Director of the Kano Electricity Company Distribution (KEDCO), Gemilu Gominaa, indicated

that the communities were not supposed to provide transformers at their own expenses, in order to have access to service they pay for.

Fashola disclosed this on Monday, in an interview shortly after the sixth monthly meeting held with the operators of the power sector in Kano, adding that “we are reviving our energy resources,” According to him, “Let me say first that the first major pipeline vandalism was the one that happened in Volcanoes on February

14. Before then, as at the 2nd of February, we were generating 5000 megawatts. When that pipeline was vandalised on the 14th of February, we dropped to 3000 megawatts.

“Since then to the 2nd of June, there have been 14 attacks on oil pipelines; and so, as a result of that, the 23 gas pipelines that we have, are not getting enough gas to fire their turbines. So, we are gradually and entirely dependent now on the hydro power which is coming from the Kainji,” Fashola stated.

Troops repel Boko/ Haram attack in Borno, kill 6 Chris Agbambu - Abuja

TROOPS of the 121 Task Force Battalion, 26 Task Force Brigade, on Sunday, repelled an attack on their location, by suspected Boko Haram terrorists at Pulka.

The terrorists, who came through Banki axis of Sambisa forest, attempted to inflict damage on the troops, but the vigilant soldiers rose to the occasion and dealt decisively with the terrorists and killed six of them.

They also recovered a Fabrique Nationale (FN) rifle with registration number 167229, two belts of 148 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition and an FN rifle magazine loaded with 7.62mm ammunition (Special).

The troops also blew up three vehicles laden with improvised explosives devices.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that five soldiers who sustained varying degrees of injuries during the attack, were moved to the unit’s Medical Reception Station for treatment.

Famuyide’s 10th anniversary THE 10th remembrance anniversary of the famous Ijesha political giant, Alhaji Saliu Adebodun Famuyide, holds this Friday.

A family statement signed

by Mr Henry Dagunduro disclosed that the biography of the late great politician, who was a four-term councillor and chairman of Ilesa Local Government Area and honourable member of the Federal House of Representatives in the second Republic, will also be launched same day.

Alhaji Famuyide was a founding member and fourth chairman of Nawairud-deen Society, Ilesa, cofounder of Ijesa Muslim Grammar School, Ilesa and leader of Muslim Community in Ijesaland.

The Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, will be the guest of honour while the Speaker of the Osun State Assembly, Honourable Najeem Folasayo Salam will be chairman on the occasion.

The ceremony takes place at the Nawair-ud-deen Mosque, Itabalogun, Ilesa at 10:00 am.

Famuyide

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communitynews

Needy youths benefit from agro-business training in Lagos bola badmus-lagos

A total of 5,700 underprivileged youths from across Lagos State have been picked for agrobusiness training and empowerment programme, which began yesterday.

Project Coordinator of National Images Agro-Business Training and Empowerment Programme, Mr. Seyi Bamigbade, said this while speaking with newsmen at the Youth Sport Centre, Allen Avenue, venue of the screening exercise.

According to him, the beneficiaries will be taught how to write business proposals and draw business plans, as well as how to access loans from the Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Bank of Agriculture.

He said they would also be enrolled in the cooperative scheme of the programme.

Bamigbade, while disclosing that arrangements had been perfected for proper take-off of the empowerment programme in Epe and Ikeja areas of the state, disclosed that over 11, 500 people had so far applied for the programme.

He said applicants had to be screened and shortlisted because organisers have capacity for only 5,700 people, even as he said the programme was for the underprivileged.

He informed that the first batch of 1,000 youths would be trained and empowered at the Epe Youth Recreation Centre, starting from June 13, 2016 (yesterday), while another 1,500 youths would be trained and empowered at Ikeja Youth Sport Centre from June 20, 2016.

Bamigbade added that the training of the second batch would take place in November 2016.

He revealed that the programme was in partnership with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN).

While thanking Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for his support, he solicited for more support from governments, private organisations and well-meaning Nigerians.

Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Address yourselves as Kabiyesi not Sheu, Yoruba monarchs in Kwara told biola azeez-ilorin

A

retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and community leader in Igbomina, Mr Ayodele Ishola, has called on traditional rulers in Yorubaland, particularly those of Yoruba speaking communities in Kwara State, to bear the title Kabiyesi and nothing else.

In a statement issued and signed in Ilorin, on Tuesday, the community leader urged the traditional rulers to ensure they are addressed as Kabiyesi and not Sheu.

Making reference to the Emir of Ilorin who, he said, had repeatedly rejected the appellation of Kabiyesi because of his ancestral link to Sheu Usman Dan Fodio, the community leader urged the Yoruba monarchs to take on the proper title which is Kabiyesi.

He, therefore, appealed to the traditional council and Igbomina descendant unions to correct the age-

long mistake.

The statement said: “Yoruba traditional rulers in

Kwara State should stop the practice of being called and addressed as Sheu and re-

vert to Kabiyesi, their real title.

“Doing otherwise

amounts to abomination, illegality and impersonation.”

OneofthebeneficiariesoftheempowermentprogrammereceivingasewingmachinefromHonourableOlamideOni(right).PHOTO:AYODELEADESANMI

Lawmaker marks Democracy Day with empowerment of constituents by ayodele adesanmi

A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Olamide Oni, has given out over N60 million worth of empowerment tools to the people of his constituency, to celebrate the 2016 Democracy Day and mark the one year anniversary since he became a lawmaker in the National Assembly.

The tools included 150 motorcycles, 140 sewing machines, 120 grinding machines, 100 hair dryers, 100 generators, 100 helmets, 100 reflective jackets, while 90 widows and the aged received cash gifts.

Honourable Oni, who represents Efon, Ekiti West and Ijero council areas of Ekiti State, said he chose May 29 which is a Democracy Day for the programme as a mark of respect for past national heroes who made the country’s present democratic system possible.

The lawmaker, who observed that one year might be too early to assess his performance, stated that he had not betrayed the confidence his people reposed in him by giving him the opportunity to represent them.

He said the welfare of his people had been his priority, adding that the tools were his own little way of

making beneficiaries selfreliant and employers of labour.

He told the widows and the aged, who were given cash gifts not to see it as the

end of what he called the “handshake” between the two of them but the beginning of good things to come, praying God to give him the ability to sustain it.

While appealing to beneficiaries to make optimal use of the materials, he urged those who did not benefit this time round, to be patient as it would soon be their turn.

THE Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Omu-Aran Business District in Kwara State, has begun the installation of 517 free prepaid meters.

An official of the company, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that the district was already in possession of 517 meters for distribution to customers freely.

“Presently, the district has installed 60 meters free of charge out of the 517 in its stock.

“This figure may not be enough at the end of the day due to the high number of electricity consumers and the kind of excitement it had generated.

“The whole essence is to curb wastage and boost the confidence of customers in the operations of the electricity distribution company,” the source said.

The source said the project was part of the company’s efforts at addressing energy wastage in parts of the district.

He also disclosed that the company had earlier embarked on data capturing of electricity consumers in the district.

It was further reported that the district, with its headquarters in OmuAran, covers Offa, AjaseIpo, Oro, Oke-Onigbin,

The lawmaker assured his people of robust and qualitative legislation that would have positive impact on their lives and that of their children.

IBEDC commences distribution of free prepaid meters in Omu-Aran

Oko, Osi and Egbe.

The gesture, which is in phases, is under the company’s Free Prepaid Meter Roll-out Scheme.

Arewa community expresses fear over IPoB activities alphonsus agborh-asaba

THE Arewa community in Delta State has expressed fear over the threat to their lives by the activities of members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB).

The community was reacting to the killings and destruction of property that trailed the procession of the IPoB during its celebration of the Biafra Day in Asaba, recently.

The group made their fears known at a press conference in Asaba.

It urged security agents to be up and doing to avoid a repeat of the occurrence which left two of their members

dead.

Addressing reporters, the South-South Chairman of Moslim Lawyers Association, Mohammed Nduka Elunor, said the IPoB members invaded and vandalised the mosque at Cable Point, Asaba, threw the Koran into the drain destroyed many tricycles belonging to their members and killed two of their members.

Flanked by other members of the community, Elunor said the Biafra activists had earlier killed one of their members at Ugbolu near Asaba, adding that “we are under severe apprehension since the mayhem a fortnight ago as we no longer

sleep with our two eyes closed.

“This press conference has become imperative to avoid a counter reaction that can disrupt the fragile peace in our society, leading to total breakdown of law and order.

“While we are against the killing of innocent Nigerians, we are not in any way supportive of any group or elements among us that may be out to foment trouble.”

The northerners said despite drawing the attention of security agents in the state to the training camp of IPoB members on Anwai Road in Asaba, they failed to act promptly to nip the recent incident in the bud.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Paul Cox (right) leans on the shoulder of Brian Sullivan, as they observe a moment of silence, during a vigil for a fatal shooting at an Orlando nightclub. PHOTO: AP

Orlando massacre case of home-grown extremism —Obama

P

RESIDENT Barack Obama says the deadly Orlando nightclub shooting appears to be a case of “homegrown extremism,” with no direct evidence the gunman was part of a larger plot.

Obama said Monday that the killer, Omar Saddiqui Mateen, was apparently “inspired” by extremist information on the internet.

VOA revealed that authorities in Orlando are working on a hundred leads to try to determine if the suspected shooter at a gay nightclub had help in carrying out the biggest mass killing rampage in United States history.

“There may be prosecutions down the road,” Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Paul Wysopal told reporters in the south-eastern U.S.

city. “No stone will be left unturned.”

He spoke a day after officials say Mateen, a 29-year-old American Muslim born to Afghan parents, gunned down 49 people and wounded 53 others at the Pulse bar and dance club in a middle-of-the-

More anti-gay rampages likely —Analysts NIGHTCLUBS, restaurants, bars, vacation beaches and concert halls have all been targeted by militants in the West, either directed or inspired by the Islamic State (IS) terror group. But in the Orlando, Florida massacre on Sunday, young gay revellers were specifically targeted in a homophobic rampage.

Analysts fear that the Pulse nightclub won’t be the last

US Senate Democrats push for new gun control measures LEADING U.S. Senate Democrats on Monday urged quick passage of legislation defeated last year to impose additional gun controls in the wake of the weekend mass shooting in Florida.

Four Democratic senators, led by Chuck Schumer of New York, the number two Senate Democrat, called for immediate passage of a bill preventing people on “terror watch lists” and other “suspected terrorists” from buying firearms or explosives.

Last December, Democrats attempted to pass this legislation but were blocked

by Republicans, who said the government could mistakenly place innocent people on watch lists.

The new push for legislation came after a man with an assault rifle entered a gay nightclub in Orlando and killed 49 people and wounded

night assault.

Authorities say that during his attack on the club, Mateen called Orlando’s 911 emergency line and pledged allegiance to Islamic State and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and also referenced the 2013 Boston

Marathon bombing that killed three people.

U.S. Attorney Lee Bentley said that others who may have had connections to Mateen are being investigated, but that there is “no reason to believe” the public may be in further danger. The FBI twice in recent years questioned Mateen about possible connections with terrorist groups but found nothing to warrant any charges.

Police ended the early Sunday mayhem at Pulse after three hours; shooting Mateen to death after heavily armed police tactical units raided the club, which calls itself the “hottest gay bar in Orlando.”

Orlando police chief John Mina said the raid “saved many, many lives.” He said one policeman was hit in the head by one of the gunman’s shots, but that his Kevlar helmet saved his life. Officials said two of the gunman’s weapons, including a semiautomatic rifle, were found in the club and a third located in his car.

53 others. The gunman subsequently was killed by law enforcement officers.

Federal agents had interviewed the gunman twice in recent years.

Joining Schumer in calling for passage of the legislation are Senators Dianne Feinstein of California, Bill Nelson of Florida and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

Meanwhile, Democratic President Barack Obama on Monday blamed weak gun laws for allowing disturbed individuals to gain access to powerful weapons.

Hillary Clinton, the leading Democratic candidate to replace Obama in the White House, said people on watch lists should be barred from buying guns and said there should be a debate about possible restrictions on assault weapons.

gay venue in the West to be targeted by militants.

“Nightclubs have been c o n s i d e r e d Police officers as easy soft direct family targets for members away a fatal jihadists for from shooting at a while,” says Pulse Orlando Olivier Guitta, nightclub m a n a g i n g in Orlando. director at PHOTO: AP GlobalStrat, a security and geopolitical risk consulting firm. He points out that in February, some IS followers were arrested in France for planning terror attacks on nightclubs, VOA reported.

Such attacks are an easy score for IS. “They can just inspire followers to carry

out terror attacks and claim credit,” Guitta adds, without having any operational involvement.

The slaughter at Pulse follows two years of persecution and killing of gays in territory controlled by IS in the group’s self-styled caliphate straddling Syria and Iraq.

Tech giant Microsoft agrees to buy LinkedIn for $26.2bn MICROSOFT says it has signed a deal to buy the professional social networking site LinkedIn for $26.2bn.

LinkedIn’s shares surged 48 percent to $194.28 on Monday, in a deal that the chairman of LinkedIn’s board, Reid Hoffman, defined as a “re-founding moment”.

According to a statement from the two companies, LinkedIn “will retain its distinct brand, culture and

independence”.

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner will remain CEO of the social networking site but will report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

“Just as we have changed the way the world connects to opportunity, this relationship with Microsoft, and the combination of their cloud and LinkedIn’s network, now gives us a chance to also change the way the world works,” Weiner said in a statement.

otherNEWS Ethiopia, Eritrea blame each other for border clash ETHIOPIA and Eritrea have exchanged accusations over who started Sunday’s fighting at their disputed border.

Ethiopia’s Information Minister Getachew Reda described the clashes in the Tsorona area as “an Eritrean initiative”.

Earlier, the Eritrean government said that Ethiopia had “unleashed” the attack.

A peace deal in 2000 ended the countries’ two-year war border war but it has not been fully implemented.

Ever since, the countries

have been in a state of “neither war nor peace”, says the BBC’s Ethiopia correspondent Emmanuel Igunza.

Residents on the Ethiopian side of the border reported hearing gunfire and seeing a large movement of troops and artillery towards the frontier on Sunday.

There were reports that clashes continued into Monday morning but neither side has mentioned if there have been any casualties.

It’s not clear why the fighting has erupted now.

Broken Pistorius should be hospitalised, not jailed —Therapist

Tuesday before Judge Thokozile Masipa.

Psychologist Jonathan Scholtz said the events of the Oscar Pistorius (left) past few years have taken a severe toll on PHOTO: REUTERS Pistorius.

THE sentencing hearing “Mr Pistorius has elevated for South African runner levels of anxiety that are Oscar Pistorius began in clinically significant. These Johannesburg Monday. include symptoms and The former Olympic athlete signs of social phobia, faces at least 15 years in agoraphobia and panic jail after an appeals court disorder,” said Scholtz. overturned.

“In terms of his general The former icon is now mental health it was found a broken man, Oscar that he had deteriorated Pistorius’ psychologist says since 2014. Apart from a — and needs a hospital, not worsening in his clinical a prison cell, VOA said. condition, he has become The athlete was back in despondent, lethargic the dock Monday after an and disinvested, leaving appeals court convicted him his future in the hands of of murder for killing his God. In layman’s terms, girlfriend in 2013. Now he one would describe him as faces a minimum sentence broken. In my opinion, his of 15 years. The sentencing current condition warrants hearing will continue on hospitalisation.”

Bangladesh arrests thousands after series or murders POLICE in Bangladesh have arrested 3,245 people in the past 24 hours, as security forces continue their crackdown on those suspected of involvement in the slayings of secular activists and religious minorities.

The total number of suspects arrested since the campaign began on Friday stands at 8,192, police spokesman Kamrul Ahsan said on Monday.

Al Jazeera stated that at least 103 of those arrested were tied to the spate of killings targeting religious minorities and secular activists, with about 6,000 on other charges related to firearms, drugs, and other offences, police said.

Over the past week, an elderly Hindu priest, a Hindu monastery worker, and a Christian shopkeeper were hacked to death in attacks for which the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility.

The Muslim wife of a “counter-terrorism” police official was also stabbed and shot dead in a seperate attack.

The attackers have killed more than 30 people in Bangladesh since early last year, with atheist bloggers, liberal academics, gay rights campaigners, foreign aid workers, members of minority Muslim sects and other religious groups among the victims.

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

BURIAL OF CHIEF (MRS) REMILEKUN PHILLIPS GEORGE IN PIX

Children of the deceased, from left, Mrs Abimbola Sakirat Majolagbe, Chief Bode George, his wife, Roli and Mrs Ibironke Onojobi, at the burial of Chief (Mrs) Remilekun Phillips George, in Lagos, recently.

PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

From left, Lagos State PDP gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 election, Jimi Agbaje; his wife, Biola; wife of Ondo State governor, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko; Governor Olusegun Mimiko; Director-General, NDLEA, Mrs Roli Bode George, her husband and the deceased’s only son, Chief Bode George; Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose; former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel and Ambassador Toye Olofintuyi, at the burial.

From left, Chief Gbenga Daniel, Governor Fayose, Mrs Mimiko and Governor Mimiko.

Remains of Chief (Mrs) Phillips George being lowered to the grave at Ebony Private Cemetery, Ikoyi.

Officiating Bishops at the funeral service.

Relatives of the deceased.

Deceased’s brother, Oluwaseun Phillips and wife, Lola.

Jimi Agbaje and wife, Biola.

From left, Lagos State publicity secretary of PDP, Mr Toafeek Gani; former minister, Adeseye Ogunlewe and Federal Commissioner, Nigerian Population Commission, Bimbola Salu.

Pallbearers carrying the remains of Chief (Mrs) Remilekun Phillips George.

For bookings, contact ’Laolu Afolabi on 08054681741 or Tommy Adegbite on 08116954631

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Tuesday, 14 June, 2016

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Toriola tops 64-man ITTF list to Rio Olympics

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IGERIA’S Segun Toriola has topped the list of players released by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) for the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Toriola, remains the only table tennis athlete who will compete in seven Olympics at Rio 2016.

According to a release by ITTF, the Olympic table tennis event will hold from August 6 to 17 at Rio Centro Pavilion 3 with four gold medals at stake in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s team and women’s team.

Toriola will join 63 others including compatriot – Aruna Quadri to compete in the men’s singles event of the Rio Olympics, while the Africa’s most decorated player will lead the continent’s representative- Nigeria with other 15 best teams on earth to battle to be crowned Olympic Team Champion.

As the first African to be competing at seventh Olympics after qualifying through the 2016 ITTF-Africa Olympic qualification tournament, Toriola

equalled the record set

by Olympic legends Jorgen Persson of Sweden, Jean-Michel Saive of Belgium and Zoran Primorac of Croatia.

Toriola’s appearance in Rio will also be the most by an African in any sport, writing himself into African sporting history.

Meanwhile, history will also be made at the Rio Olympics table tennis event with two Paralympians competing, showing the world that impossible is nothing. Three time Paralympic Champion, Natalia Partyka of Poland will be playing in her third consecutive at Rio 2016, and she will be joined by Australia’s Melissa Tapper. The 26-year-old Tapper will become the first ever athlete to represent Australia in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Gerard Pique (right) beats Petr Cech with a header for Spain’s winner over Czech Republic during their group D clash at the ongoing Euro 2016 championship in France.

Oyo SWAN backs Akinwunmi on solving problems in women football

By Nurudeen Alimi THE Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo State chapter has thrown its weight behind the first Vice-President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi’s stand on the solution to Nigerian women football problems.

Oyo SWAN, in a statement signed by its chairman, Niyi Alebiosu, a copy of which was made available to Tribunesport on Monday noted that it is quite unfortunate that Akinwunmi’s observations during the association’s forum tagged: Hot Seat on the challenges of administering women football in Nigeria were being given negative interpretations.

“Ordinarily, his comments represent an

Orlando Pirates mourns Amodu THE management of Orlando Pirates has mourned the death of its former coach, Shuaibu Amodu.

It will be recalled that the late Amodu coached the Soweto giants side in the second season of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in the 1997/98 campaign.

In a statement on the club’s website, Pirates management and the Bucs family sent their condolences to Amodu’s family.

“Orlando Pirates management and the extended Bucs family would like to extend its heartfelt condolences to the family of Shaibu Amodu who has passed away,” reads a statement.

“Though from Nigeria, Amodu is no stranger to South Africa having been an assistant coach and then a head coach of the Mighty Buccaneers in the late 90s.

“We convey our heartfelt and deepest sympathy to the Amodu family and pledge our profound

moral support. We supplicate that God gives you fortitude at this moment of your extreme grief and pain. May his soul rest in peace.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung has described the death Amodu as devastating..

“This is terrible and shocking.

On April 18, 2016, Shuaibu Amodu was in my office and we discussed many issues affecting Nigerian coaches and their weldfare

including ways of moving Nigeria’s football forward. He personally presented to me, a booklet he had published which contained ways of improving the country’s football and its administration. We were already charting a course in this direction when the news of his sudden death came to me,” he said.

Dalung stated that “I am short of words over this tragic news.

Shuaibu was one of the very intelligent coaches Nigeria had.”

honest diagnosis of the arrested development of women football which should be commended and placed on the front burner of conversations for the development of that genre of football.

“We wish to place it on records that the observations of Barrister Akinwunmi, who is the first vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is being interpreted out of context and being promoted in negative connotations by those bent on mischief, most of who were not present at the forum.

“Akinwunmi, in his response to the question by one of the participants began by owing his huge passion for women football and grassroots

Ogun FA mourns ex-Secretary, Leo Oyenekan LESS than a week after the nation lost two high profile coaches, Stephen Keshi and Shuaibu Amodu, football followers in Ogun state on monday were thrown into further mourning when news filtered the the immediate past secretary of the state football association, Leo Kehinde Oyenekan died.

The highly experienced football administrator died after a brief illness in Abeokuta aged 57.

According to a release by the me-

Amodu’s demise, another heavy blow —Globacom OFFICIAL sponsor of Nigerian National teams, Globacom, has expressed grief on the sudden death of former Coach of the Super Eagles and Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Shuaibu Amodu.

The company in a press statement in Lagos on Monday de-

scribed the death of Amodu as unfortunate and sad; especially happening barely three days after the country lost another renowned coach, Stephen Keshi.

The deaths of the two legends in such a short space of time, Globacom noted, were quite saddening, adding that the sports community

football which his administration as Chairman of Lagos State Football Association has championed.

“His only mention of Lesbianism was in general terms and not relative to women football and it does not in any way suggests an opinion on sexual orientation of any player. Sexual restriction in football camps is also enforced in men’s teams and the reason is obviously to reduce distractions”.

Oyo SWAN drumed up support for the position expressed by Barrister Akinwunmi and called on the Nigeria Football Federation to give Akinwunmi adequate support to revive women football in the country.

and Nigeria as a whole had been robbed of two icons.

Globacom stated that Amodu, 58, left indelible footprints on Nigerian football, and that his outstanding contributions to the development of the round leather game in the country would be remembered for a long time.

dia officer of the state football association, Wole Otayemi, the entire members of the football family in the gateway state, who are yet to come to terms with the demise of Coaches Stephen Keshi and Amodu Shuaibu are finding it difficult to believe the Uncle Leo as he was fondly called by the state youth teams was no more.

The chairman of the state football association, Alhaji Ganiu Majekodunmi described the late secretary as a diligent, hardworking and committed officer, who spent over fifteen years with the association.

He added that Leo’s death has left a huge vacuum behind which may be difficult to fill.

Majekodunmi added that the football family has joined millions of Nigerians to mourn the late national team coaches, Stephen Keshi and Shuaibu Amodu, who passed on last week in their 50’s.

SIDELINES

NO 16,523

TUESDAY, 14 JUNE, 2016

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Within 36 hours, over 400,000 applicants, 25 million people have hit the portal created for employment purposes by the Federal Government. This is just another proof that the unemployment crisis in the country has assumed frightening proportions.

Rio Olympics qualifier:

D'Tigress lose to Belarus

By Ganiyu Salman

Euro 2016: England

Nigeria's Adaora Elonu (left) challenges Belarus Anastasiya Verameyenka (middle) during their group C Olympics qualifier on Monday in Nantes, France.

fans jailed for violence

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WO England fans have been jailed and banned from France over the violence which they caused at the ongoing Euro 2016 last weekend during England's clash with Russia.

Alexander Booth, a 20-year-old chef from Huddersfield, was jailed for two months for throwing a bottle at police and banned from France for two years, while Ian Hepworth, 41, a psychiatric nurse from Sheffield, was given a threemonth sentence for the same offence and the same ban.

The unruly behaviour of the duo led to widespread trouble during the Euro 2016 opener in Marseille.

Before his sentence, Booth told the judge: "I would like to say sorry to the police and to the people and city of Marseille.

"This is not like me. I'm not a violent person. I love my job and my family. I've never been involved in football hooliganism. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Booth was accused of throwing a plastic bottle at the police during the trouble.

Still wearing his England shirt, he said it may have looked like it was aimed at

the police but it was not.

He said: "I have never had problems with the police. I respect the police very much. I am hard working."

According to court papers,

it was Booth's 20th birthday yesterday.

After his son was jailed, Booth's father Chris, who was later seen in tears, said "I'll fight it' and 'miscarriage."

Wilshere leaves camp to meet girlfriend ENGLAND midfielder Jack Wilshere took full advantage of his afternoon away from training by meeting up with fiancee Andriani Michael on Monday.

The 24-year-old was pictured receiving a kiss from the glamorous Andriani as he took time out of England's busy schedule in France.

Wilshere started dating Andriani – the daughter of his barber – following the break up of his relationship with the mother of his two

children and proposed to her in May. The midfielder got down on one knee at his other half's surprise 25th birthday party and celebrated his engagement at swanky north London party venues Shaka Zulu and Gilgamesh.

Wilshere was named on the substitutes' bench for England's opener against Russia but the Arsenal man replaced Wayne Rooney after 78 minutes in Marseille.

The Three Lions came close to starting their tour-

nament with a win after Eric Dier opened the scoring in the 73rd minute before Vasili Berezutski broke England's hearts with a last-minute strike.

Wilshere and his England team-mates will have to meet up with their respective partners outside the hotel premises as Roy Hodgson has reportedly banned WAGs from coming to their team base.

Hodgson is said to have set the rule to ensure his players remain fully fo-

cused on the job at hand.

Players can meet up with their lovers when they have the afternoon off and have been given permission to leave their £500-a-night hotel.

England will face Wales on Thursday before ending their group B campaign against Slovakia next Monday.

Wilshere's team-mates Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, Harry Kane, James Milner and Tom Heaton decided to use their time off to play a spot of golf.

NIGERIA'S D'Tigress on Monday began its campaign in the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in France, on a sad note following a loss to Belarus.

The tournament scheduled to end on June 19, will produce five more teams that will join other teams that have qualified for the Rio Olympics.

However, D'Tigress lost its opening game at City Arena, Nantes 60-71 to its European opponents.

After the first quarter had ended in 14-14, the Belarus ladies led the second quarter 24-18 and maintained their lead in the third quarter 20-13, while the Nigerian ladies won the last quarter 13-15, but the effort was not good enough to prevent their defeat.

Ndidi Madu was outstanding in the Nigerian team as she recorded 10 points with seven rebounds, one assist and two steals, while Anastasiya Verameyenka proved better in Belarus colours with her superb performance.

Verameyenka did not make her first field goals until early in the third quarter, but that didn't prevent the 1.95m center from finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. In the process, Yelena Leuchanka complemented her twin tower with team-best 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Nigeria's Adaora Elonu tried to row against the tide with her game-high 19 points, but the game belonged to Belarus coached by Anatoli Buyalski.

The Game Hero turned out to be Maryia Papova even though Leuchanka finished with a team-high 15 points.

Papova became the gamechanger for her lethal scoring in the third quarter.

D'Tigress which won the bronze at the 2015 AfroBasket Women championship in Cameroon, will know its fate today as it confronts South Korea in a must-win encounter.

Nigeria needs to come out of group C if it is to advance to the final phase where a quarter-finals win or triumph in the fifth-place game will earn her a place at Rio 2016.

Meanwhile, the second African representative at the qualifiers, Cameroon also on Monday lost 64-75 to Argentina.

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. 14/6/2016.