15th March 2016 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,457

TUESDAY, 15 MARCH, 2016

I stand on my position on Yoruba obas' ranking, Alake replies Awujale

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

Lekki Gardens: Ambode sacks LASBCA GM, others

@nigeriantribune

Nigerian Tribune

N150

Perpetrators of Benue killings won't go unpunished —FG

FG uncovers N3.3trn fraud in govt agencies —P14

—P8

—P40

NNPC — Failed to remit N3.235 trillion to Federation Account NLNG — Failed to remit $235.685m gas proceeds to Federation Account —P2 Prisons Service — Failed to remit N2.036 trillion tax to FIRS

Members of Ekiti State House of Assembly protesting the arrest of four members of the state legislature by operatives of Department of State Security (DSS), at the American Embassy, Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI STORY ON PAGE 15

2 news FG uncovers N3.3trn fraud in govt agencies Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi -Abuja

HE Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr Samuel Ukura, on Monday, said the Federal Government has uncovered a fraud of about N3.3 tillion said to have been perpetrated by different ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and foreign missions in 2014. The Auditor General, who presented the 2014 Annual Audit Report to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, said the report contained unremitted government’s

earnings and sales from gas proceeds. The document indicated that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) did not remit the sum of N3,234,577,666,791.35 to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in 2014. It also indicated that the sum of $235,685,861 proceeds of gas sales acruable to the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) was not remitted to the Federation Account, but rather, the sum was transferred to an undisclosed Escrow Accounts. Besides, the report added

that the sum of N36.4 billion was released to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) as funds for rehabilitation and construction of dams, whereas the money was meant for the Ministry of Water Resources. The report also stated that another N2.8 billion was spent for the procurement of hand sanitisers for schools and critical public places during the fight against Ebola epidemic. “The sum of N31,324,952,239.87 was payment of subsidy on fertiliser and youth employment in agricultural programmes.

“The sum of N2,395,851,978.00 was payment for Group Life Assurance Premium for Armed Forces budget in 2013, but not backed. The sum of N500,000,000 was made as payment for agricultural programmes. “These were variances with the purpose of the fund. No evidence of these lines of expenditure in the 2014 Appropriation Act,” the report stated. The report also indicted the management of the National Assembly, headed by the clerk, for allegedly spending the sum of N9.5 billion without raising payment vouchers.

Protest in Ile-Ife over appointment of new Obalufe It followed due process —Ooni’s aide Oluwole Ige -Osogbo THERE was mild protest at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Monday, when members of the Aga Orunto ruling family kicked against the appointment of new Obalufe by the monarch. The protesters, who described the appointment of Chief Idowu Olaniyi Adediwura as the new Obalufe of Iremo quarters as wrong, implored Oba Ogunwusi to reverse it in the interest of peace and justice. They contended that the Ooni made a wrong decision not to have appointed someone from Aga Orunto family as the new Obalufe to replace Oba Folorunsho Omisakin, who hailed from Ado, just as they listed eligible families for the appointment of Obalufe as Ajagbusi, Ado Gbodo, Aga and Jaojo. The protesters maintained that the candidate who was selected after the screening from the Aga Orunto family be appointed. But, the director of media and public affairs to Ooni, Moses Olafare, said the appointment of Adediwura as Obalufe followed due process, stressing that all stakeholders in the town should collaborate with Oba Ogunwusi in his efforts to ensure peace, unity and development of Ife. “The appointment of Obalufe is in order and followed the right process. “The appointment was done after wide consultations with appropriate quarters and followed the laid down procedures. We urge the few people that are aggrieved to allow peace to reign. The new Obalufe is capable,” he stressed. However, speaking dur-

ing a chat with journalists, one of the protesters, Prince Oluwasegun Olayade from Aga family, said “we are protesting today because my family has been deprived of the Obalufe position that we are entitled to, based on the order of the gazette. “Four ruling houses are

entitled to it (Obalufe position) based on that existing arrangement and there was no disorder until it is our turn now. “When the issue was getting hot, the Ooni called us to present candidates that can occupy the throne and that if we do not present the names on time, he will

choose for us. “We submitted the names as at when due, but he refused to call us to back as we agreed. Suddenly, we heard that the Ooni has appointed someone that is not from our Aga ruling house, which is the next house to be appointed Obalufe.”

Women, children rescued from Boko Haram face discrimination —BBOG Collins Nnabuife -Abuja THE #BringBackOurGirls group has said women and children rescued from Boko Haram captivity currently face discrimination from their communities. The group further said the members of the communities where the women and children were rescued called them Boko Haram wives. This was disclosed during a monthly press briefing by the coordinator of the BBOG group, Aisha Yesufu, to mark the 700 days since the abduction of the Chibok girls. According to her, “women and children rescued from Boko Haram captivity are facing stigmatisation and discrimination. The women are unfairly termed Boko Haram wives.” While expressing hope of the safe return of the girls, she said in four weeks’ time, it would be exactly two years since their abduction. “In exactly four weeks from today, it will be two full years since the abduction of our Chibok girls in their school on April 14, 2014. We are hopeful of their rescue before then. “Irrespective of what may come to be, whether they are successfully rescued or not, we shall mark the milestone with a global week of

action starting Friday April 8, through to Thursday April 14. The symbolism of what our Chibok girls represent must never be lost on us,” she said. While commending the

efforts of the Nigerian military, the BBOG coordinator further expressed confidence that normalcy would return to the North-East following the present counterinsurgency.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

It added that the management of National Assembly violated the financial regulations of the country in making the payment. The report also indicated that in 2014, the management of National Assembly granted 112 staff members personal advances from recurrent votes, while 50 others were granted advances from general service votes between July and December of 2014. The report gave the total figure for the said advances as amounting the N1.16 billion. Also in the report, the Auditor General stated that the Nigerian Embassy in Washington D.C., United States of America, realised the sum of $3,705,428.00 as internally generated revenue between 2012 and March 2015, but the same amount was spent on sundry expenses. The report stated that whereas huge sums of money was being expended on maintenance of the 22-storey building housing the Nigerian Consulate-General, the National Boundary Commission of Nigeria and the National Intelligence Agency, yet the building remained in deterioration shape. According to the report, the management of the Nigerian Prisons Service deducted ‘Pay As You Earn’ tax of N2.036 billion from its staff, which it failed to remit to theFederal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The report also revealed that some underhand ac-

tivities took place in respect of the purchase of a vessel in Singapore on behalf of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources,adding that the vessel had been abandoned for five years. “The cost of the purchase and how much was paid before the vessel was abandoned could not be ascertained, due to the fact that the contract was awarded without involvement of Nigerian mission in Singapore,” it added. The report stated further that while about $1.6 million had been paid out of the contract sum of $2.3 million earmarked for the building of a school by Nigeria in Haiti, nothing had been done on the contract till now. “As of the time of inspection, there was no evidence of memorandum of agreement between Nigeria and Haiti Government for the construction of the school. “Moreso, the location of the school was not affected by earthquake in 2010. Therefore, the purpose in which the money was given cannot be achieved,” the report stated. Besides that, the report also alleged that another N3.8 billion from Ecological Fund was disbursed to Lagos, Ogun, Kebbi and Sokoto states as grants but later changed to capital votes. The Auditor-General of the Federation stated that despite repeated demands for the vouchers, the office had not been able to verify the nature of the grants.

Rivers rerun: DIG reads riot act to politicians Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt DEPUTY Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 6, Calabar, Mr Sotonye Wakama, has warned troublemakers to steer clear of the legislative rerun taking place in Rivers State, on Saturday. The police boss gave the warning when he visited the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying “if you bring out knife, we will bring out knife; if you come out with gun, we will bring guns.” He expressed the likelihood that the rerun may be contentious, but assured that the police would leave no stone unturned in ensuring anybody caught trying to instigate trouble was dealt with according to the law. The Okrika, Rivers Stateborn police officer also assured the management and staff of INEC of adequate safety during and after the

election, adding that the police would bring in the necessary security across the state. Wakama, accompanied by the Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police (AIG), zone six, Mr Adisa Bolanta, said “we all know that reruns in Rivers state are likely to be competitive if not contentious. “A lot has happened in the state that call for concern to both the indigenes and residents in the state and beyond. It is for this reason

that I have come down to the state to speak to all the stakeholders involved in the election and to reassure INEC of safe polls. “[I have also come] to warn that if anything happen in this state; if we see anybody for any reason doing anything that is untoward, which will harm any individual or destroy any property, we will stretch the elasticity of the law in respect to that offence to fullest extent and deal with such person(s).

“However we are not carrying a knife to a gun fight. But should anybody brings out a knife, we will bring out our own. If they bring out guns, we bring out our own and if they want to harm anybody, we will ensure that they will be decapitated.” He urged eligible voters to come out and cast their votes in accordance with the INEC stipulated rules, admonishing those who have no reason to come out to remain indoor until after the voting exercise was over.

Church bans wearing of revealing dresses to wedding THE Anglican Archdiocese of Enugu has officially banned wearing of sleeveless dresses to church weddings, reception and services. The Archbishop of the Archdiocese, Most Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu, on Monday. Chukwuma said the ban was to return moral chas-

tity on persons, especially women, who attend such functions in the church. He said that the Archdioceses had directed priests and senior clergymen to henceforth inspect wedding gowns and approve them before the solemnisation of weddings. The cleric also said using veils to cover sleeveless wedding dresses would not be allowed again in Anglican

churches in Enugu. “I have directed ushers and wardens in various churches in Enugu to ensure that no sleeveless-dressed girl, lady or women enters into the church under any guise. “Whether it is the church wedding, reception or any other programme celebrated in the church or within the church premises, it will not be allowed,” he said.

3 news

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Repositioning economy our priority —Saraki Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja

ENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, said on Monday that the repositioning of the Nigerian economy to effectively meet the challenges of the 21st century is a major priority of the eighth Senate. He was speaking while declaring open a one-day public hearing on a bill to repeal and re-enact the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of 1979, organised by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, in Abuja. The lawmaker stressed that the Senate had prioritised business environment reform that would create more jobs and opportunities for the youth, promote and sustain domestic entrepreneurs, as well as to attract new investors into the country. Saraki, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mohammed Isa, said “we believe it is important for us to continue the process of strengthening Nigeria’s business-related legislations by examining our bankruptcy laws. This is because global best practices have taught us that the bedrock of modern competitive economies is based on free entry and free exit. “This would also mean that for free exit to be orderly in the event of losses, Nigeria needs stronger bankruptcy and insolvency laws to guide the process that would ensure that such firms that incur losses can easily break even and exit the markets using several market tools and intervention mechanisms.” The Senate President said insolvency system and practice played an important role in attracting both domestic and foreign investments, as well as in promoting investments and entrepreneurial development, adding that “given these opportunities, there is urgent need for us to repeal and re-enact this Act which has become obsolete and outdated.” He reiterated the commitment of the Senate in delivering on its legislative agenda to enable the executive to effectively undertake diversification of the economy and expand people’s opportunity to contribute to better governance, as he noted that “however, this requires all hands to be on deck; we cannot do this alone.” The Senate’s public hearings, he said “are crucial avenues for us to distil public opinion and check the pulse of the nation over

our policies and activities. Our objective is to provide our people with the needed space to participate in our lawmaking processes. These hearings are very important to us, as overtime, the input

of actors from various fields and diverse backgrounds on particular legislative issues, have given our work here at the National Assembly, consensus and depth. “As we settle in to con-

sider the issue before us at this session on the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, our contributions to the discussion of the day must be guided by the fact that Nigeria is undergoing

change; a re-evaluation, redefinition, and re-construction across all sectors of our lives.” Chairman of the committee, Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, said the bill was

From left, Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume; Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Raifu Adebayo Ibrahim, during a one-day public hearing on a bill to repeal and re-enact the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of 1979, at the National Assembly, Abuja, on Monday.

targeted at revitalising and enhancing the operational frameworks on bankruptcy and insolvency matters, so as to strengthen their applicability in addressing challenges in line with international best practices. The event, according to him, was not aimed at witch-hunting, but rather at generating authentic information to enhance and guide the committee. Ibrahim disclosed that the bill was referred to the committee on November 3, 2015, made up of 13 parts rendered in 269 clauses, an improvement on the existing Act with 143 clauses, most of which have become outdated and could not sustain contemporary developments and changes. Among stakeholders that attended the public hearing were office of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, Asset Management Corporation (AMCON), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), among others.

8-yr-old teachers on Bauchi payroll —Verification committee A committee set up by the Bauchi State government to fish out ghost workers, has said it has discovered names of eight-year-old children as teachers on the payroll of the government. State Accountant-General and also a member of the committee, Alhaji Abubakar Gabi, made this known on Monday in Bauchi, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). “We have discovered that names of children between eight and ten years of age appeared as ‘teachers’ on the payroll of the state. “We also discovered that some of the pensioners duplicated their payment papers; had same names, same BVN, same GSM numbers

and same account numbers, but bearing different photographs. “Again, we discovered instances where deceased families who had earlier submitted death certificates of their heads and were paid bulk pension entitlements, fraudulently working their way back and are still collecting pensions,” he added. Gabi explained that 4,500 state civil servants out of the 33,000 inherited by the present administration in the state were ghost workers. He further explained that 7,300 local government workers out of the 27,000 handed over by the last administration, were ghost workers. Gabi also explained that

7,300 teachers out of the 29, 000 teachers handed over by the last administration were also discovered to be ghost teachers. “We have so far discovered over 19,000 ghost workers, while only 7,000 pensioners out of the alleged 14,000 pensioners have turned up for screening,” he revealed. NAN recalled that the state government had, on March

9, declared that it had so far discovered 19,241 ghost workers and saved N797.46 million from the ongoing verification exercise. Meanwhile, the state governor Mohammed Abubakar, has vowed that perpetrators of the crime and their collaborators will be brought to book in line with the change agenda of the All Progressives Congress

Nigerian troops kill more insurgents, recover weapons Chris Agbambu - Abuja TROOPS of 254 Task Force Battalion, 25 Task Force Brigade, in conjunction with vigilantes, have again recorded another

feat by clearing remnants of Boko Haram terrorists at Gwashari Village, on Damboa-Bale Road, Borno State. This was contained in a press statement issued

I am back for good —Odigie-Oyegun

Says getting replacement for Lai Mohammed difficult Kolawole Daniel - Abuja AMID speculations that some forces in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are working round the clock to ease him out, national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Monday, returned from his 10-day leave and declared that he is back to the office for good. Odigie-Oyegun, who had asked the national vice chairman (South), Engineer Segun Oni, to act while he

was away, said that he was glad to be back. Speaking with newsmen at the party’s national secretariat, Chief Odigie-Oyegun said: “I’m glad to be back. I told you I was going on a break because I needed it. I’ve had a good break, I’ve had a bit of rest and I’m back to the office.” He also said major activities of the party planned before his leave would hold as scheduled, saying “yes, all scheduled meetings of the party will run as planned,

(APC). Abubakar issued the threat in a statement signed by his Press Secretary, Abubakar Al-sadique and made available to NAN on Sunday, in Bauchi. “l assure you that persons found to have hands in the ghost workers issue will face the full wrath of the law; this is a promise,” the governor was quoted to have said.

the (national) caucus on the 21st, the Board of Trustees (BoT) on the 22nd and the National Executive Committee (NEC) on the 24th. Everything will go as planned.” He, however, stated that the party was still finding it very difficult to find a replacement for its erstwhile national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is now Minister of Information and culture. According to him, “I think arrangements have been

completed to hold the necessary congresses to nominate the spokesperson. I think that should be done very shortly. In fact, the issue is getting somebody that can be as close as possible to the outstanding performance of Lai Mohammed. “I think that has been the issue. As a matter of fact, if it means making adjustments, somebody who is good is priority number one and you can make adjustments subsequently,” he stated.

and signed by the acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, on Monday. The release further added that the troops encountered some elements of the insurgents, in which they dislodged them, killed and recovered some weapons from their territory. According to the statement, “during the patrol, the troops encountered some elements of the Boko Haram terrorists, in which they killed one and captured three others. “They also recovered one dane gun, AK-47 rifle magazine, two knives, assorted drugs and the sum of N142,000 from the terrorists,” it added.

4 news

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Rivers rerun: People’s army will defeat Amaechi’s army —Wike •Wike lacks capacity to govern —Amaechi •NSCDC deploys 2,000 personnel Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

IVERS State governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that Rivers people, translating into an Army of voters, will defeat what termed an illegal Army, allegedly imported by former governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, in the forthcoming legislative rerun in the state. This was as he described his immediate predecessor as a trader, who had the spirit of selling everything in sight, vowing, however, that the former governor would not be allowed to sell the state. The governor said this during the grand finale of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign, held at Bori, in Rivers South-East Senatorial District, on Monday. However, the former governor and Minister of Transportation, hit back at his successor, as he accused him of lacking the political will and capacity to govern the state. According to a statement issued from his media office, on Monday, the former governor made the accusation on Sunday, at a rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC), held in Rumueme, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, ahead the state and national assemblies rerun. Addressing PDP members and supporters in Bori, Governor Wike said the alleged reliance of APC on soldiers for rigging would be defeated, adding that the people would defend their hardearned freedom. He said Amaechi’s technique of killing Ogoni people by allegedly tagging them as militants before the Nigerian Army would be rewarded with electoral defeat on March 19. “Why are the leaders of the APC running away from election after their victory at the tribunal? They have refused to campaign; all they do is to boast that that they will flood the state with soldiers, who will rig the elections. “We have a mass movement of Rivers people who represent an army of voters. They will subdue the rigging army imported by Amaechi. All those celebrating the killing of Ogoni people will face the wrath of the people during the rerun,” he said. He also accused Senator Magnus Abe, the APC senatorial candidate in Rivers South-East, of refusing to

defend his Ogoni kinsmen, but rather chose to describe the 28 Ogoni people killed in a clash with the military as militants. He, however, assured the people of the senatorial district that he would construct critical roads, hospitals and schools in the area, beginning next month, noting that contract for the Sakpenwa-Bori Road and Opobo Link Road would be awarded in April. Presenting party flags to PDP candidates for the rerun, the party’s deputy national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said PDP had been winning all rerun because Nigerians were

tired of suffering due to the failure of the APC-led government to keep its promises. He advised President Muhammadu Buhari to watch the Minister of Transportation closely, noting that he had already started claiming the position of Commanderin-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, with his open declaration that military would be used during the rerun. However, former Governor Amaechi, in a statement from his media office, described Wike as a “man who lacked character and a bushman with a penchant for unbridled corruption.”

“Wike lacks capacity to govern. Somebody who just knows how to steal money is a bushman. Wike said I am corrupt; he should bring evidence to show. I will bring evidence to show that Wike is corrupt. “Wike did the Rukpoku/ Eneka Road during my tenure; he did not complete it. I gave Wike the contracts to do all the roads around Aristle House (a hotel in the Port Harcourt GRA), but he failed to do them. I gave him 14 schools to give to Obio/ Akpor people, he stole them. He lacks character,” he said. Amaechi also restated his stand on the security situation in the state, as he said:

“When I was the governor, one thing that I kept thinking of was how to chase these criminals away. “But during Nyesom Wike-led administration, he meets with them. If Wike does not secure you people, the Federal Government will secure you. If he doesn’t want to be ignored, he should go and secure you people, because the Federal Government will no longer tolerate these killings in Rivers State.” He also told the APC supporters not to be intimidated by Wike’s alleged threat, adding “Saturday is your day, come out and vote.They will no longer have the police

President Muhammadu Buhari receiving bouquet from a young girl on his arrival at Malabo International Airport, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on a two-day state visit for talks on maritime security, on Monday. He was received by President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Mr Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (middle) and the Ambassador of Nigeria to Equatorial Guinea, Mr Adadu Echi (right).

they had, they will no longer have the army they had. “We pray that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be neutral. Your job is to match out and vote for APC. We will not write results like Wike. So, go back to your wards and do door-to-door [campaign].” At Akuku-Tori Local Government Area, the former governor told his party members and supporters to be courageous in exercising their franchise without fear of intimidation. He also assured that arrangements had been made to beef-up security ahead the legislative rerun in the state, noting that “there will be enough security on the Election Day; there will be enough security to protect lives.” Meanwhile, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, has approved the deployment of one Assistant Commandant-General (ACG), four Commandants and 2,000 personnel for the rerun in Rivers State. He directed the Assistant Commandant-General in charge of Zone E, Owerri, Alhaji Abdullahi Lapai, to relocate to Port-Harcourt, to oversee the operations in the state rerun, with four Commandants from the zone and 2,000 personnel from neighbouring commands to complement the personnel of the Rivers State Command on March 19.

Kogi guber: Faleke closes case as INEC opens defence today Sunday Ejike - Abuja RUNNING mate to late Prince Abubakar Audu in the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State, Honourable James Faleke, on Monday, adopted his written statement in the petition he filed before the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, challenging the declaration of Yahaya Bello as governor of Kogi State. Led in evidence by his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, at the resumed hearing on Monday, Faleke told the tribunal that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ought to have declared him governor of the state, having contested and won the election with the late Audu on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He told the court that his

party, APC, elected him and Audu, the governorship candidate in a primaries and sponsored their election, which was won, saying he premised his petition on the November 21 governorship election in the state, saying he did not participate in the December 5 election, because he won the earlier one in a keenly contested election. He, therefore, asked the court to order INEC to declare him governor of Kogi State. Faleke was the only witness of the petitioner and by the adoption of his witness’ statement and document tendered to prove the case of the petitioner, Faleke had closed his case and the Tribunal adjourned till today for INEC to open its defence in the petition. Parties in the petition had already filed and exchanged

their pre-hearing reports, having distilled all the issues they wanted the court to resolve, with a view to determining whether Governor Bello was validly elected to pilot the affairs of the state for the next four years. The Halima Mohammedled three man panel tribunal directed the parties to return on Monday to adopt the reports, so as to enable it to commence full-blown hearing on the substantive matter. The panel had earlier adjourned the petition that was brought before it by the immediate past governor of the state, Captain Idris Wada (retd), who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the election. The petitioners are praying the tribunal to invalidate the process that led to the emergence of Governor

Bello as winner of the governorship election that took place in Kogi State, last year. Specifically, Faleke went to the tribunal to challenge INEC’S refusal to declare him as the valid winner of the governorship election in the state. He is, among others issues, praying the tribunal to declare that INEC acted wrongly when it declared the outcome of the November 21, 2015 governorship poll inconclusive. Faleke, through his team of lawyers, led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, contended that the initial election had produced a winner in late Prince Audu, saying his death arrogated to him the status of governor-elect. Insisting that he had a joint ticket with late Audu, Faleke argued that INEC should not have declared the elec-

tion inconclusive, since they had already secured enough votes to warrant the declaration of a winner on the basis of the total number of votes that was cast. On his part, Wada went to the tribunal to protest what he termed “gross irregularities” during the polls. He wants the tribunal to determine if Bello was qualified to be declared governorelect even though he did not take part in all the electoral processes that led to the supplementary poll. Wada maintained that INEC contravened the electoral law by accepting to allow the APC to replace the late Prince Audu with Bello. The former governor, through his team of lawyers, led by Chief Chris Uche, claimed that his successor went into the supplementary poll without a valid running mate.

news

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016 Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

You’re defending real economic saboteurs, NUEE accuses Lai Mohammed Soji-Eze Fagbemi - Abuja

HE National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), has accused the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, of defending the real economic saboteurs against Nigerians and the working people, saying that the minister is rather engaging Nigerian workers in defence of his cronies. The General Secretary of NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said in a statement, on Monday, said that very soon, the minister would fight all Nigerians and their families. In reaction to the minister’s statement, the NUEE general secretary, said workers in the electricity sector, have read with worry the report attributed to the Minister of information “in which he called us; Economic saboteurs and vowed that the government which he represents, will go after us.” Ajaero said: “Nigerian

workers in the power sector would want to ask the minister to tell Nigerians whose interests he represents? Is he on the side of Nigeria and Nigerians or on the side of some vested interests, who have hijacked power sector? “Clearly, the minister has shown that he does not speak for the ordinary Ni-

tinued abuse and denigration of workers’ rights and privileges in these companies; of course, Lai was not expected to speak for inconsequential nobodies like Nigerian workers but, he woke up from slumber the moment workers decided to resist the continued impunity. He told the minister

that the real saboteurs are those who refused load allocation from the National Grid for onward distribution to our factories and homes so that they can continue the rip – off; and those that punish Nigerians with estimated billing whether there was electricity supply or not. He said that the sabo-

teurs also include those that continue subjecting Nigerians to untold darkness without reason and those that increasd tariff every time “with the support of people like Lai Mohammed.” Ajaero insisted that these are the real socio-economic saboteurs and challenged the minister to go after them as promised.

Lead campaign against maternal, child death, minister tells Sultan Soji-Eze Fagbemi - Abuja

THE chairman, National Council on Health and Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has called on the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, to lead the campaign against maternal and child death during pregnancy and delivery. The minister made the plea over the weekend, when he led state commissioners of health, who converged on Sokoto, for the 58th council meeting to

New Telegraph holds economic summit March 17 THE maiden edition of New Telegraph Economic Summit, will hold in Lagos on March 17. This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the organisers of the summit ,on Monday. The summit, organised by the New Telegraph Newspapers, is tagged: ‘Nigeria: beyond the oil economy.’ The one-day event, which would hold at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Lagos, would be attended by political officeholders and other major stakeholders. It will be declared open by the Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode. Speakers expected at the event include, Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele and the former Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Board, Chief Olusegun Runsewe and they are expected to proffer suggestions on how the nation’s economy could be diversified to break the age-long reliance on oil revenues. Fayemi and others, at the one-day event, are expected to deliver papers on how the Federal Govern-

gerians, who he ought to defend as a minister but has chosen to become a defender of the powers that have remorselessly ganged up against Nigerian workers and masses. “He never saw anything wrong in the illegal sacking of about 400 workers of the electricity sector just by one Disco; the con-

ment could diversify the nation’s economy as a way of broadening the federal revenue stream, especially, in the area of earning of foreign exchange. The guest speakers will look at other sectors of the economy the Federal Government could grow to make them viable as alternatives to oil and how to achieve the objectives.

pay a visit on the Sultan in his palace. ProfessorAdewole explained that the council members were committed to implementing universal health coverage in Nigeria, which would ensure that every Nigerian, irrespective of where she or he lives, would be able to access health care delivery without suffering financial jeopardy. The minister said: “One thing that is clear to us is your intervention in every health matters would produce dividend, we want to use your name, office and personality to drive our efforts to reduce maternal

and new born death in Nigeria as you did on polio”. “What we want is a situation where our women would survive when they carry babies in their wombs and also that the children they deliver should survive, no woman should die just because she wants to give birth and we believed that your words, your leadership in this initiative would help to convince people that a pregnant woman needs care in the hospital,” he said. The Sultan of Sokoto, called on leaders to provide affordable healthcare services to the people. “We want to have a hospital

where I will be treated and discharge free, we want a clinic where a pregnant woman would go and when she comes out, she is much better than when she went in”. He said: “Men must allow their wives to go to hospital if they really want their wives to be what they are, unless you are tired with your wife and even if you are tired, there, are better ways to relief her, don’t kill your wife by refusing to allow her to go to hospital when she is pregnant,” he said. The sultan said that the maternal and child health would be part of their

agenda during next Northern Traditional Council Committee on Primary Healthcare meeting “We would put it in the agenda, how to embark on sensitisation across the villages on allowing our wives, sisters and mothers to go to hospitals when they are pregnant. We have done that on polio and we have succeeded, we are going to place it on our board now the fight against maternal and child mortality in Nigeria”. He urged government at all levels to provide free antenatal care to attract the pregnant women to the hospital.

news

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

$2.1bn arms deal: Court orders unconditional release

of Dasuki’s aide Sunday Ejike-Abuja

High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Jabi on Monday ordered the release of Col. Nicholas Ashinze, a former aide to the ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) unconditionally from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Army without any condition. Ashinze has been in detention since December 13, 2015 when he was arrested by EFCC operatives over an alleged link with the $2.1billion Dasuki arms deal. But, in spite of the long detention, he has not been charged with

•EFCC behaving like under military era, Judge says

any offence. Ruling on a fundamental human rights suit filed by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) on behalf of Col. Ashinze, Justice Yusuf Haliru ordered that the applicant be released on bail on self-recognition. Justice Haliru said the court will not allow the antigraft agency to act as in the instant case as if it is above the law, adding that the era of over zealous officers arresting and detaining citizen without arraignment on alleged offence is over. The Judge said Ashinze’s detention for over three months without trial, was illegal, wrongful, unlawful and constituted a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of the applicant”.

The judge also ordered the immediate release of documents and items the antigraft agency seized from the house of the applicant. The Judge held that although, fundamental human rights enforcement proceedings were not meant to be an escape route for suspects of crimes, they were to help in containing the excesses of government agencies and wondered why EFCC kept Col Ashinze in custody for long without charge or is it that he has been found guilty by EFCC or the Army without trial. “The EFCC Act is not superior to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The respondents in this matter have not behaved as if we

are in a civilised society. They have behaved as if we are in a military dictatorship ?where they arrest and release persons at will. “The respondents, I must be bold to say- the EFCC and the Army- have behaved like illiterate”, Justice Haliru added and also held that by virtue of section 36 of the 1999 constitution, as amended, an accused person was deemed innocent until proven guilty in a competent court of law. He said although, EFCC and the Nigerian Army who is Ashinze’s employer are creations of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, they are to operate within the ambit of the laws that established them. In his words, “the deten-

Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu signing the condolence register at the residence of the late Senator Felix Ibru, in Lagos, on Monday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Fulani herdsmen: Kogi councils set up special security measure Yinka Oladoyinbo Lokoja

FOLLOWING the attack on their communities by Fulani herdsmen, local government authorities in Okun area of Kogi State have concluded plans to organise a joint security force for the patrol of the communities to ensure the security of lives and properties of their people. The chairman of Mopamuro Local Government area of Kogi State, Funso Daniyan, told Nigerian Tribune on Monday that the affected local government areas were already working on how to make their communities safe. He said members of the local vigilante had already been deployed to various wards in the local government to beef up security and ensure safety of the people. The affected local government areas are Mopamuro, Yagba West and Yagba East.

He said, “The chairmen of the three contagious local government areas, Mopamuro, Yagba East and Yagba West are talking and we are trying to put up a metric that will cover the three local government areas but we can put the details in public domain.”

According to him, the move became necessary because of the latest attacks on Aiyede and Amuro by Fulani herdsmen, who allegedly killed a former councillor and a nursing mother. Daniyan said the local vigilante in the local government areas had also

been reinforced to ensure that the people were adequately protected. The local government boss also said he had met with traditional rulers in the area to sensitise them on the need to talk to their subjects to support the moves being made to ensure security of lives.

Irate youths burn police station in Jos Isaac Shobayo - Jos

THE entire Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State was thrown into confusion on Sunday, as some irate youths burnt down a police station for protesting the operation of men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police in the area. Nigerian Tribune learnt that men of the NDLEA had strormed the area to arrest suppliers and users of a popular illicit drug known

as goskolo and other dangerous drugs on Sunday evening, but were initially resisted by hoodlums in the vicinity. It was leant that when the situation was becoming tense the police was drafted into the area to maintain law and order and also to help the NDLEA and local security outfit trying to fish out the undesirable elements behind the illicit business. Nigerian Tribune further learnt that after the police had calmed the situation, the youths in the area, who alleged that four of them

were shot, mobilised and descended on the police station in the area and set it on fire and later returned before daybreak to pull down the remnant of the fire incident. Resident of the area, who did not want his name in print, disclosed that the youths had also returned to the station on Monday morning to level the police station to the ground. She said the altercation between the youths and the police followed the arrest of over 10 suspected suppliers of the illicit drug.

tion of Col Ashinze for three months without arraignment before a competent court or an administrative bail is unfortunate. “It is illegal, unlawful and a violation of his fundamental human rights to have detained him for more than 48 hours without charge”, he ruled. Justice Halilu also asked, “Why has the 1st respondent kept the applicant without bringing him to court? Why was the applicant, being a serving military officer, who could be easily reached, not granted administrative bail? Or is it that the applicant has been found guilty and already serving his jail term?” He added, “Nobody should be subjected to the whims and caprices of the EFCC. The essence of the rule of law and constitutional provisions is to ensure a just balance between the ruler and the ruled, between the powerful and the weak. “Though the EFCC has the responsibility to investigate financial crime, it must however conduct its operations in accordance with the rule of law. “The court is empowered to guard against i?mproper use of power by any member of the society or agency, EFCC inclusive. The court refused Ashinze’s prayer for perpetual injunction to restrain the respondents from arresting him, saying that such an order will amount to stopping EFCC and the Army from carrying out its lawful functions. Justice Haliru also declined to award N500million damage asked by the plaintiff for the wrongful arrest and detention, on the ground that Col Ashinze is a serving military officer and the damage asked of can not be justicable. Earlier, before the ruling, counsel to the EFCC, James Ojogbana has announced an appearance and urged the court to adjourn the ruling to enable EFCC filed response to the suit. Dismissing the EFCC application Justice Haliru said that all the respondents were duly served with the documents and hearing notices but failed to enter appearance or filed counter affidavit. The respondents in the suit, the EFCC, the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army have not shown interest in the matter. Ashinze had prayed the court for an order releasing him from custody, that his arrest and continued detention since December 23, 2015 “without being given any reason and without granting him administrative bail within 24 hours or 48 hours of his arrest and detention, is illegal, wrongful, unlawful and unconstitutional.”

Orbih returns as Edo PDP chairman Banji Aluko - Benin City

FORMER chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Dan Orbih, has been re-elected as chairman of the party in the state. Orbih, whose tenure expired last September, was returned chairman at a state congress held in Benin, on Monday, after his only challenger, Simon Akharame, informed the chairman of the electoral panel, Sergeant Awuse, that he was withdrawing from the race. Others who emerged at the congress included Emma Ogbomo (deputy chairman), secretary (Felix Imoisili) Henry Tenebe (organising secretary), Chris Nehikhare (publicity secretary) and 26 others. In an address, chairman of the electoral panel, Sergeant Awuse, encouraged PDP members in Edo State to be united, pointing out that the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state would signal the turning point in the resurgence of the PDP in the country.

Fayose condoles with Olofin family, Onigede, community over death of APC chieftain Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

EKITI State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has described the demise of All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mr Gbenga Olofin, as “very sad and unfortunate.” Governor Fayose said during a condolence visit to the Onigede of Igede-Ekiti, Oba James Adelusi Aladesuru, described the late Olofin as “a very formidable man, a man of strong will and a wonderful friend who believed in achieving whatever he set out to achieve.” A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, said Governor Fayose noted that he was in Igede, the home town of the late politician to condole with his family, the monarch and the entire people of Igede-Ekiti. He said “we are saddened, we are unhappy and we have come to encourage Kabiyesi and the people of Igede to take solace in the fact that it is God that giveth and it is God that taketh.” Fayose added that “he has gone. It is we that will go and join him when the time comes. So, God will grant his family, Kabiyesi, people of Igede and the entire Ekiti people the fortitude to bear this loss. It is a great loss.”

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Lagosmetro Months after the government revoked the licence of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) BRT scheme, the company is presently evacauting its buses from the Ojota BRT Bus Garage. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Lekki building collapse: Ambode fires building

control GM, 3 others BolaBadmusandChukwuma Okparaocha

AGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday approved the dismissal of the General Manager of the Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Adeigbe Olushola, following his alleged negligence in handling the issue of Lekki Gardens building collapse. The governor also approved the dismissal of three others on the same basis. They include the Head of Inspection and Quality Control in the Agency, Adeoye Thomas Adeyemi; the Zonal District Officer in the Agency, Dosunmu Gbadebo, while the Zonal Head of Eti-Osa West of the Agency, Mrs Akinde Adenike Sherifat was compulsorily retired from the civil service. Ambode, in a statement signed by the State Head of Service, Mrs Olabowale Ademola, said the affected officers were dismissed having been indicted of negligence, which according to him, is an act of misconduct under the Public Service Rule 040401. The Head of Service said the disciplinary measure was the outcome of the recommendations of the Personnel Man-

agement Board to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who was personally grieved by the high number of fatalities that occurred as a result of the building collapse. “It is also a clarion call to them to be alive to their responsibilities as any act of negligence will face sanctions, while hardworking officers will be rewarded appropriately,” the Head of Service said. Trial ‘exhibit’ missing —Builders’ association alleges Professional builders in Lagos have raised the alarm over the attempt by unknown individuals to remove useful items and equipment needed for the legal prosecution of those found culpable in the Lekki collapsed building. A builder and member of the Lekki Chapter of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Mr Godfrey Chukwurah, disclosed this to Lagos Metro, which had earlier gotten wind of the report that one of the three pieces of foundation drilling equipment earlier kept on the site had been removed. Chukwurah noted that the development had the tendency of disrupting and ultimately affecting all legal proceedings that would be instituted against all those found culpable in the sad

incident which claimed no fewer than 34 lives. “Frantic efforts are being made by the pilling contractor to remove the remaining two rigs at the site of the

collapsed building at Lekki Gardens. A third has earlier been secretly removed. The rigs are valuable evidence for the suspected foundation failure,” he said.

Identifying the missing equipment as the foundation drilling rig, Chukwurah called for adequate security to be beefed up at the site, saying any disruption of the

current state of the equipment would ultimately frustrate all legal proceedings in the matter, which could make those affected by the collapse to be denied justice.

Mosafejo demolition: 75-year-old blind man

sleeps in the open, begs Ambode A 75-year-old visually impaired man, Alade Irawo, whose house was demolished in Mosafejo community, in Ikeja Local Government area has appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to return his land, as well as rebuild his demolished house. Irawo made the appeal over the weekend at the demolition site where he joined other victims to appeal to Governor Ambode. He stated that since his house was demolished about a month ago, he is yet to have a place to lay his head. “I have been living in Mosafejo community since 1940 without any problem. We were surprised when our houses were demolished after being served only seven days notice. We are good citizens of this state; we pay our land use charge and other money demanded by the government. “Since my house was de-

molished, I having been wearing only one cloth, since all my properties were destroyed in the demolition. I call on Governor Ambode to take a second look at our plight and return our lands or he should relocate us to another place.” Another victim of the demolition, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ezeifechkwa Clement, also said all that he laboured for during his service in Nigeria Police, has been destroyed. “All we are calling for is that the community to be restored and properties returned to the original owners,” he said. Also joining in the appeal for the resettlement of the victims are three human rights group namely: Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and African Youth Coalition Against Injustice and Impunity (AYCAII).

Comrade Buna Isiak the National Coordinator of HURMA said, “we are here to appeal to Governor Ambode to have mercy

Pa Irawo

on the victims of the demolition. They are not illegal residents, the government should do something about their plight,” he said.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By Lanre Adewole

08037863902 | olanreade@yahoo.com

Businessman in prison over alleged N171.2m fraud AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin

A businessman, Femi Ogunlowo, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding a Switzerland company to the tune of $859, 940 equivalent of N171. 2 million Ogunlowo, whose address was not given, was arraigned before an Igbosere High Court alongside five companies, Forston Construction Limited, Cheslinks Power System Limited, Cheslinks Concept Investment Limited. Other accused include, De Beauvior Intergrated Limited and Crestcom Educational Development Limited. According to the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, Ogunlowo allegedly collected the said amount from one Uralkali Trading SA of Geneva Switzerland through false pretences. “Sometimes in January 2015, the accused with false pretences and with intent to defraud induced the above company to deliver the said money to them. The accused with a dishonest intent also converted the said money to their use,” Oyedepo alleged. He also alleged that on January 6, 2015, the accused conducted a financial transaction which involved the proceeds of a specified unlawful activity to enable them disguise the source of the said money. “The accused also retained the control of the proceeds of a financial crime, which they knew was a result of a criminal conduct,” EFCC alleged. Oyedepo also alleged that on October 4, 2014, in Lagos, the accused knowingly

forged a document titled “Federal Republic of Nigeria National Driver’s Licence No: YYY 13850AA” dated

February 22, 2014. Ogunlowo however denied all the charges. The prosecutor urged the

court to remand the accused to prison custody and for a short adjournment to enable him bring his witnesses.

Justice Raliat Adebiyi, however, remanded Ogunlowo in Ikoyi prison and adjourned the case till March

A beggar sweeping a pedestrian bridge in Ilupeju. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Amosun’s ex-ADC appointed Lagos Task Force boss Bola Badmus

A new helmsman, SP Saidi Yinka Egbeyemi, has taken over at the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force). Egbeyemi, according to a statement made available to Lagos Metro, on Monday, by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, replaced SP Olubukola Abe.

Egbeyemi has since assumed duty. The newly appointed Task Force boss was the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Sango-Ota Police Station until his new appointment. SU Egbeyemi is an indigene of Owu in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He obtained BSc in Philosophy at Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University) and also had a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies at Lagos State Univer-

sity (LASU). He did his mandatory national youth service at Ikono, Local Government Area (LGA), Akwa-Ibom State in 1999 to 2000. SP Egbeyemi between August 15, 2002 and February, 2004 was at Nigeria Police Academy (POLAC) where he was trained as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). Before he was deployed as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Sango-Otta Police Station, he was an ADC to

Governor Ibikunle Amosun and also served as DPO at different police stations across Lagos (Aguda, Surulere, State CID, Panti, Yaba, deputy Police PRO Lagos, Staff Officer to former IGP

5 in trouble over Skye Bank’s N114.8m AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin

FIVE men, Odewale Moroof 29, Sylvester Ozoike 36, Dickson Ologwu 23, Akinsanya Olayiwola 35, Adejumo Saheed 37, who allegedly stole N114.8 million,

17, for hearing of the bail application and April 18, 19, 25 and 28, for commencement of trial.

belonging to Skye Bank Plc, have been charged to court. According to the prosecutor ASP Henry Obiazi, the offences were committed sometimes in November 2014, at Skye Bank Plc Headquarters, in Victoria

Island. The men however pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge, bordering on conspiracy and stealing brought against them by the police, when they were arraigned before an Igbosere Magis-

trate Court. The Magistrate, Miss M. O. Awogboro, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100 million, each with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case to March 23, for mention.

Egbeyemi

Mike Okiro and Area Crime Officer 1, Ogba, Lagos. He equally did ad hoc duties with the Joint Task Force at Potiskum, Yobe and Kano in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

businessnews

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigeria set to sign UN gas flaring 2030 deadline agreement —Osinbajo •As FG calls for APPA partnership on gas infrastructure •Funding, major challenge in oil and gas sector —Kachikwu From Ruth Olurounbi and Adejola Adegbte

IGERIA is set to sign the United Nations agreement on Zero Routing Gas Flaring by 2030, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed. Osinbajo, representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the 6th African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition, organized by the African Petroleum Producers Association (APPA), in Abuja, said ending gas flaring was an imperative for African oil producers considering the amount of waste involved, calling on African countries to take advantage of the gas-to-power potential. “Nigeria is a member of the World Bank Global Gas Flaring Reduction (GCFR) Partnership and with the support of our legislature; we will sign the United Nations Agreement of “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030,” he said. While saying that Nigeria established the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) to provide gas transportation to newly established Power Plants and to facilitate domestic energy supply, he pointed out that Nigeria was actively involved in the West African Gas Pipeline Project that would deliver clean and safe natural gas from the country to many West African countries at the sub-regional level. Osinbajo, who intimated that the federal government had set an earlier national target of 2020 to end gas flaring in the country, said: “There is also the gas-to-power challenge in many member-states and the paradox of much gas but precious little gas to fire power plants,” adding that “it’s time to take a much further stand on gas flaring, both from environmental and a waste-ofneeded-resources perspectives.” According to him, of the over 150 billion cubic metres of associated gas is flared annually in the world, “Africa flares an estimated 40 billion cubic metres, while about half of that is flared by Nigeria.” Saying that Nigeria has the seventh largest deposit of gas in the world with reserves estimated at over 185 trillion cubic feet (TCF), Osinbajo challenged African Petroleum Producers Association (APPA) member-countries to recognise the latent and huge resources in Africa

and develop the strategy for the development of domestic refining capacity in the oil and gas critical for sustainable economic growth. “We must explore mechanisms to expand regional refining capacities in an efficient and cost effective manner,” he submitted, recalling Nigeria’s active involvement in the West African pipeline project expected to deliver clean, safe natural gas from Nigeria to countries in the subregion. Calling on the APPA to jointly address the issue of the development of a

robust gas infrastructure, if Africa must meet her future energy needs, Osinbajo added that the environmental issues must be accorded huge priority in processing Africa’s hydrocarbon resource. “I urge all APPA member countries to set realistic targets for gas flare-out in the region,” Osinbajo said, urging APPA member countries to enter into profitable partnerships in Natural Gas Business with Nigeria, assuring that the nation’s Gas Master Plan and the Gas-to-Power-Initiative clearly exemplified Nigeria’s focus as nation.

“The resulting “Green Gasoline” will reduce the volume of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, improve air quality and ultimately reduce global warming and its catastrophic consequences. This renewable energy initiative will not only help the Nigerian economy but will also assist other APPA countries to create jobs,” he said. Earlier, the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, said the major challenges of the oil and gas sector in Africa, and Nigeria was funding.

“Major challenge is funding. Obviously skill sets are there already and technology is not an issue but funding remains key. Policies are also critical because African governments have to develop policies that will enable backward integration into their own systems,” Kachikwu, the African Petroleum Producers Association (APPA) president, said. Kachikwu, who said the price volatility was threatening oil and gas investments, noted that the situation is creating opportunities for new energy sources.

Eko Disco blames faulty line from Egbin for power outage Olatunde Dodondawa-Lagos

THE management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko Disco) has blamed the power outage being experienced in some areas within the company’s operational territory since Sunday, March 13, 2016, on faulty line from Egbin Power plant. A statement by the company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Godwin Idemudia, in Lagos attributed the outage to a line trip from Egbin Power Station. According to the statement, the line trip had made it impossible for customers being serviced from Ajah, Lekki and Alagbon transmission injection sub-stations to receive power supply. Areas listed to have been affected by the outage include Lagos Island, Ikoyi, Victoria Island Lekki, Ajah, Ibeju and their environs. The statement further stated that concerted efforts are already being made by generation and transmission technical personnel to clear the fault and restore supply in record time. Idemudia then appealed to customers to please bear with the company adding that supply to all affected areas would be restored as soon as the fault is cleared.

OPEC daily basket price close at $35.62/b

From left: Executive Director and Co-Founder, Sahara Group, Tonye Cole; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and Minister of State for Petroleum/Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, at the ongoing 6th African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition, in Abuja, on Monday.

UBA makes N60bn profit, pays additional 40 kobo dividend UNITED Bank for Africa Plc, in its audited full year results for the year ended December 31, 2015, released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Monday, recorded a 10 per cent growth in gross earnings, closing at N315 billion and a 25 per cent growth in profit-after-tax to N60 billion; translating to a 20 per cent return on average equity. Similarly, the bank grew operating income by 10 per cent to a record N205 billion in December 2015; from N186 billion in December 2014. The board is proposing a final dividend of 40 kobo

per share. This brings to 60 kobo the total dividend for the 2015 financial year as the bank had earlier paid an interim dividend of 20 kobo per share, following the audit of its 2015 Half Year Results. Commenting on the result, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, the GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, said “our 2015 profit is a new high, reflecting the hard work and discipline of our board, management and staff in creating value for all stakeholders. We remain committed to growing in a responsible manner that aligns with our vision of building an enduring institution”.

He said the bank’s resilient business model, geographic diversification, proactive strategies, and strong governance created an edge for it through the year. “We will continue to invest in our future whilst managing cost tightly to generate strong returns to shareholders,” he assured. Also speaking on UBA’s financial performance and position, the Group Chief Finance Officer (GCFO), Mr. Ugo Nwaghodoh, said, “amidst macroeconomic volatilities, we leveraged efficiency gains in our business development and operations to grow earn-

ings. We improved on our balance sheet management and pricing, thus ensuring a strong 19 per cent growth in interest income as well as an enhanced net interest margin of 6.3 per cent. Our improved service delivery and customized offerings helped in growing transaction banking volume, with attendant fee income. “Whilst we were exposed to some external cost pressure, we managed to keep our cost growth at 5 per cent (below the average inflation rate of 9 per cent in Nigeria; our core market which represents three-quarter of our operations)”.

THE price of OPEC basket of 13 crudes stood at $35.62 a barrel on Monday, compared with $35.23 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). Meanwhile, the Brent crude posted its third weekly gain on Friday, March 10, supported by an optimistic report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). However, analysts warned that a large glut of oil remained, with Goldman Sachs warning that U.S. crude could saturate storage in the coming months.

businessnews NERC assures new electricity tariff will bridge N180bn market gap 11

Olatunde Dodondawa Lagos

HE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said the new electricity tariff regime would help in bridging the over N180 billion market gap recorded in 2015. Acting NERC Chairman, Mr Anthony Akah, who gave the information in an interview with reporters recently, threatened to hold all the distribution companies accountable if they failed to meter all the consumers within one year, as stipulated in the service agreement signed by both parties. He said, “If we don’t provide the right pricing, it means fundamentally that the financial institutions will not provide the muchneeded loan facility to our providers to go into the operations to the extent that we are not able to cover the market gap. “We have a situation where all those market gaps, like last year, we had well over N180 billion not covered by the market regime, so those have to be

Emefiele visits Calabar branch Chima Nwokoji-lagos

GOVERNOR of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),Mr. Godwin Emefiele on Monday visited the Calabar branch of the bank that was rocked by gas explosion on Friday. The governor, who refused to speak with journalists, also visited the victims of the blast at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. Mr. Emefiele inspected the site of the blast before leaving the bank’s premises immediately for Abuja. Four persons were reported dead in the blast, while several others were injured. Journalists were not allowed in when the CBN governor visited the victims in the hospital. The News Agency of Nigeria reported that arrangements had been concluded for those who were in severe conditions to be transferred to other health facilities within or outside country where necessary. This was even as skeletal banking operations had resumed at the Calabar branch.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

inputted back into the tariff. “So it’s fundamentally important right now that since we’ve balanced that aspect of it, we as the regulator, are holding the operators, especially the distribution companies accountable for every bit of

their service agreement,” he added. Akah noted that NERC has also embarked on massive consumer education so that Nigerians will be well informed and well equipped to insist on their rights. “Compelling Nigerians or

communities to buy electric poles buy transformers, repair transformers are totally not acceptable and we are holding the Distribution Companies accountable.” The NERC boss allayed the fears of Nigerians amidst the lingering crisis

trailing the new electricity tariff and assured that the commission has given “clear directives that with all the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria facility (loan), they must be able to meter Nigerians within the timeline.”

From left: Posi Williams, Chief Operating Officer, Oando Marketing Plc; Hamisu Dantiki, Winner, Oando Lubricants Distributor of the Year 2015; Adegboyega Bello, Chief Finance Officer, Oando Downstream and Lillian Ikokwu, Head, Lubricants, Oando Marketing Plc, during the award ceremony held at Oando Marketing head office, in Lagos.

GTBank declares N120.7bn PBT for FY 2015 Chima Nwokoji-lagos

FOREMOST African Banking Group, Guaranty Trust Bank plc has released its audited financial results for the year ended December 2015 to the Nigerian and London Stock Exchanges. A review of the 2015 results shows positive performance across all financial indices, reaffirming the Bank’s position as one of the most profitable and well managed financial institutions in Nigeria. The Group delivered an impressive Profit Before Tax of N120.7billion, an increase of N4.3billion or 3.7per cent over the N116.4billion reported in December 2014 and Gross Earnings of N301.9billion an increase of 8.4per cent from the N278.5billion recorded in the same period

of 2014. In terms of value creation for its shareholders, the Bank recorded pre-tax Return on Average Equity (ROAE) of 31.0per cent and Return on Average Assets (ROAA) of 5.0per cent respectively. The Bank’s balance sheet remained strong with 7.2 per cent growth in Total Assets, from N2.36trillion in 2014 to N2.52trillion in the year under review. Loans to customers grew by 7.5 per cent to close at N1.37trillion from N1.28trillion in 2014. Despite the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the federal government,the Bank said its customer deposits remained relatively stable with a marginal year-onyear decline of 0.49 per cent from N1.62trillion in

2014 to N1.61 trillion in 2015. GTBank continued to maintain a disciplined and prudent approach to loan growth in line with its Risk Management framework. Its Non-Performing Loans (NPL) ratio remained low at 3.21 per cent; up slightly from 3.15 per cent in the comparative period of 2014. Against this back drop of strong financial showing, the Bank is proposing TotalYear Dividend of N1.77k per share (inclusive of the 25kobo interim dividend paid at half year 2015). Commenting on the financial results, Segun Agbaje, the Managing Director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, said that the Bank’s financial performance in 2015 is an indication that “we have earned the loyalty of our custom-

Buhari appoints Radda as DG SMEDAN Clement Idoko-Abuja

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the appointment of Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, as the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). The appointment, which takes immediate effect, is for a period of

five years. This was contained in a statement by the Director Press, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Bolaji Adebiyi Dr. Radda graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Economics and Extension from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, in 1996. He obtained two Master’s Degrees in Agricultural

Extension and in International Affairs and Diplomacy; and also his Ph.D Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, all from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, between 1998 and 2015. A former Teacher, Banker and Local Government Chairman, Dr. Radda until his new appointment, was the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Katsina State.

ers and an attestation of the hard work and dedication of our staff, management and Board.” The Group has delivered a respectable Profit Before Tax of N120.7billion despite an extremely challenging business environment in 2015. He further stated that “As a Bank, we will continue to actively partner with our customers and grow our business in a sustainable manner that is not only driven by profit objective, but with an increased focus on empowering our customers with a view to growing Nigerian economy. “Also, we remain committed to maximising shareholders’ value and delivering superior and sustainable returns whilst actively expanding our franchise in select, high growth African markets where we believe we have a competitive advantage.” In due recognition of the Bank’s leading role in Africa’s banking industry, owing to its bias for world class corporate governance standards and excellent service delivery and innovation, GTBank has been a recipient to numerous awards over the course of the year. They include Best Bank in Nigeria by Euromoney, 2015 Bank of the Year by African Investor and Best Banking Group Nigeria by World Finance.

Nigerian Tribune

Online energy trading platform berths in Nigeria Compareenergyprices.ng, Nigeria’s first online platform to connect buyers and sellers of energy products has been launched in Nigeria. Speaking on the development, Mrs Ugonwa Okolo, Founder, CEO, Compare Energy Prices, stated that the innovative platform, which will focus on deregulated energy products like Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) otherwise called cooking gas, diesel and aviation fuel, will provide options of dealers from which buyers can choose from while also exposing suppliers to prospective customers. According to her, “We are an open online marketplace where prospective buyers can save money by comparing prices of energy products’ vendors, whilst keeping in mind other factors such as ratings, reviews, payment plans, delivery speed etc. We let you make your own choice, which saves you money and time. “This unique proposition is set to redefine the purchase and supply of cooking gas, diesel and aviation fuel as we know it in Nigeria. Most businesses and households in the country use some of these products and for them, getting the products at competitive prices is a key issue.”

EU, ECOWAS, OPS meet in Lagos over EPA KEY stakeholders interested in the shaping of trade policy in Nigeria and West Africa will attend a one-day seminar in Lagos on March 17. A statement issued by Dr Mark Abani, Chief Executive Officer, MSCA Projects, said the seminar was on the EU-West Africa Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Abani said the seminar was organised with the support of ECOWAS Commission, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Crown Agents Nigeria, and MSCA Worldwide Projects. According to him, the seminar would provide an informed view of the content and objectives of the EPA and explain the new business opportunities that the EPA will offer to private investors. ``The issues of rules of origins; increased opportunities to invest in Nigeria and to export to the EU will be discussed,’’ he added. Expected to attend the programme include: EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Michel Arrion; Group Vice President, Dangote Group and Chairman Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) Sani Dangote.

business

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

DAILY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) FOR MONDAY, 14 MARCH, 2016

TOP 5 GAINERS

TOP 5 LOSERS

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016 With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

From left, clerk, Kwara State House of Assembly, Mr Simeon Okeare; Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad; Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kamaldeen Ajibade, during the signing of 2016 appropriation bill by the governor, at the Government House, Ilorin, recently.

From left, chairman, Primewater View Holding, Mrs Morola Babalola; Mr Dele Agekameh and the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, during the visit of Primewater View Holdings team to the Oyo State CP, in his office, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Monday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Dr and Dr Mrs Gbade Ojo during their daughters, Kike and Topeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convocation ceremony at the Osun State University, Osogbo, recently.

From left, Legal Adviser II, Diocese of Kubwa, Mrs Dorcas Ngwu; Lay President, Diocese of Kubwa, Sir Friday Ekpety; Methodist Bishop of Kubwa Diocese, Right Reverend Rufus Babalola; Synod secretary, Very Reverend Abel Amuta and the Legal Adviser III, Diocese of Kuba, Sir Emmanuel Onuoha,during the fourth annual diocesan synod of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Kubwa, in Abuja, on Sunday. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI.

From left, representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Hussain; Head of Media, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Bisi Kassim; Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi and the Corps Secretary, Mr Kayode Fanola, during FRSC strategic meeting in Enugu, on Monday.

From left, Director, Drug Evaluation and Research, Titilope Owolabi; Head, Anti-Corruption Transparency Unit, Secretariat, Mr Justin Kuatsea; Acting Director-General, NAFDAC, Mrs Yetunde Oni and the Head, ICPC, Lagos Zonal Office, Mr Shintema Binga, during a sentisation workshop on anti-corruption gender and service, organised by the reform unit of NAFDAC in Lagos.

From left, chairman, House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Honourable Yusuf Tajudeen, MD/CEO, Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), Zaheera Baba-ari, Honourable Abonta Ozoma and Honourable Adebanjo Olufemi, during the oversight function to the NCX, in Abuja, recently.

From left, Mrs Olufunke Fowler-Amba, director of the college; Miss Kigibola Charles-Ambaiowei, student; Mr Segun Dada, guest speaker; Miss Olamide Akinyemi, student and Mr Ray Halpin, Marketing Manager, Dublin International Foundation, at Vivian Fowler School, Lagos, recently.

For bookings, contact â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Laolu Afolabi on 08054681741 or Tommy Adegbite on 08116954631

south-westnews

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Alake replies Awujale: I stand on my position on Yoruba Obas’ ranking OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta

HE Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, on Monday, said he will not shift

ground on his comment on the ranking of Obas in Yorubaland. Nigerian Tribune recalled that Oba Gbadebo had during the visit of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye

Ogunwusi, sometimes in February, said that Ooni of Ife is one of the five principal traditional rulers in Yorubaland in which hierarchy are Alaafin of Oyo, Oba of Benin, Alake of Egbaland and

Awujale of Ijebuland. But, Awujale not comfortable with the comment, had last Thursday, during the launch of Endowment Fund for a Chair at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-

Striking Ogun State workers during a mega rally, on Monday. PHOTO: OLAYINKA OLUKOYA.

Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (right), presenting an Eyo statue to the Olu of Warri, King Godfrey Ikenwoli Emiko, Ogiame Ikenwoli I, during a courtesy visit by the Olu of Warri, at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Monday.

Iwoye, held in Lagos, said the statement credited to the monarch was falsehood and misrepresentation of facts from the Ake Palace. Addressing a news conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the Aare Baaroyin of Egbaland, Chief Lai Labode, flanked by the Baameto of Egbaland, Chief George Taylor; the Balogun of Ilawo, Chief Adebayo Shoyoye and the Agbaakin of Egbaland, Chief Rasheed Raji, said they have not been goaded into making the statement by Oba Gbadebo or anybody, but to put the records straight. Labode, in an address signed by the Balogun of Egbaland, Chief Sikirulai Atobatele, submitted that Oba Adetona churned out outright historical falsehoods in the presence of knowledgeable audience during the launch. The chiefs maintained that Oba Gbadebo quoted a Government Gazette, Colony of Lagos, dated February 20, 1903, to back his statement and not a mere newspaper publication as alleged by the Awujale. Also, the Council of Chiefs confirmed that the duo of Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and Oba Adetona made several calls to Alake on whether his claim on the Obaship was not quoted out of context, but which he (Alake) confirmed that he said so and that the ranking issue could be supported by documentary evidence. “Our concern is predicated on the self-indulgence of our respected monarch to churn out outright historical falsehoods in the presence of knowledgeable Nigerians. In spite of our belief that his audience would have taken his attempt to rewrite contemporary history as his personal views, we feel compelled to state the facts for record pur-

...Stop making inciting statements, Akiolu tells Yoruba obas As Olu of Warri calls for peaceful coexistence Bola Badmus - Lagos

OBA of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, on Monday, cautioned Yoruba Obas against making inciting statements capable of causing disaffection among the various traditional institutions in the country, urging that emphasis should be on fostering peaceful coexistence. Oba Akiolu made this plea when the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, visited him at his palace, saying it was not in the tradition of traditional rulers to be making statements that could lead to disharmony among the subjects.

“By the grace of God, I pray for peace and progress. Olu of Warri this is your home. It shall be well with you. God will grant you a peaceful and prosperous reign. You were not poor before you became the Olu,

I have been blessed more than I was before I became the Oba, and you will also be blessed beyond measures.” The Olu of Warri, in his remark, called for peaceful coexistence among the ethnic groups in the country, saying,

“What I have seen here is to show that you are a father indeed. You have accepted us with open hands and demonstrated brotherhood.” “You are much older than me but instead of seating on your seat, you came to

seat close to me. You came out today and prayed for the success of everyone. You also commended our daughter, Senator Remi Tinubu. She is a good ambassador of the Itsekiri nation and that is how we are.”

Strike: Angry workers attack lawmaker in Ogun OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta

THE ongoing workers’ strike in Ogun State, on Monday, took a frightening dimension as angry workers attacked a member of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Olayiwola Ojodu. Ojodu, representing Abeo-

kuta North State Constituency, who was at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) secretariat, to deliver a letter on behalf of the Assembly, was walked out of the premises with workers shouting “Go out, we don’t want you here.” The angry workers, de-

spite peace appeal by the state NLC chairman, Comrade Akeem Ambali, pelted stones and sachet water on the lawmaker. The workers’ had stormed the secretariat for a mega rally as part of the strike which entered the second

week. They were in the midst of the rally when the lawmaker, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, walked in. The situation turned rowdy when the workers sighted him and chased him out of the premises.

poses. “The Awujale alleged that Alake quoted wrongly from a 1903 Government Gazette which was a newspaper publication, but, we can say categorically that Oba Gbadebo quoted a Government Gazette, Colony of Lagos, dated Saturday, February 20, 1903. Page 100, paragraph 16. Gazette is a subsidiary legislation which has force of law and therefore a public document available for verification. “Both Awujale and Oba of Lagos actually called Alake on the ranking of Yoruba Obas, Alake responded that his ranking was supported by documentary evidence and he therefore stands by his position,” the Council of Chiefs added. The Council of Chiefs noted that the categorisation of the Yoruba traditional rulers was done by the then Ooni of Ife at the Central Native Council Meeting, which was said to be chaired by Sir Williams Macgregor, the then GovernorGeneral, at the Government House, Lagos, in 1937. Those said to be in attendance were the Ooni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba of Benin, Alake of Abeokuta and Awujale of Ijebu-Ode. The chiefs also addressed the issue on the claim by the Awujale that Alake was a junior traditional ruler under Alaafin at Orile Egba before fleeing to Ibadan for refuge, saying that 20 Alakes had reigned in the Egba Forest prior to the founding of Abeokuta in 1830. “There was no Alake that fled to, or took refuge in Ibadan. The Egbas arrived and settled in Abeokuta mainly in 1830. The first Alake in Abeokuta was installed in 1854, followed by the Olowu in 1855, Agura in 1870, Osile in 1897 and Olubara came in 1952. “By the Egba United Government Proclamation of February 1, 1898, approved by the then Governor of Lagos, the Egba cabinet was as follows: The Alake-President; The Osile-Minister of Justice; The Agura-Minister of Communication and Works and the Olowu-Minister of Finance. “Just as there were the Awujale of Ijebu-Ode, the Akarigbo of Sagamu, the Soun of Ogbomoso, the Olowo of Owo, Oba of Lagos and so on, there was the title of “Alake of Abeokuta. “Alake is only comparable with the Awujale even now that they are both Paramount Rulers and Rotational Chairmen of Ogun State Traditional Council of Obas. Historically speaking, Alake was higher by salary differentials paid by the colonial government,” they said.

south-westnews

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Invasion of Ekiti assembly: Lawmakers take protest to US, UK embassies Segun Olatunji Jacob and Sunday Ejike - Abuja

EMBERS of the Ekiti State House of Assembly have taken their protest over the March 4, 2016, invasion of the House of Assembly complex and subsequent abduction of four of the assembly members by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom. The lawmakers, numbering about 18 and led by the Speaker, Honourable Kola Oluwawole; his deputy, Honourable Segun Adewumi and House Leader, Honourable Adetunji Akinyele, called on the international community to intervene and save democracy in Nigeria from imminent collapse. They submitted a letter entitled; “Re: Political intolerance in Ekiti State,” and the resolution passed at its sitting of Wednesday, March 9, in which the lawmakers stated expressly that they were solidly be-

hind the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose and can never be coerced or induced to sign any impeachment notice against him. Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the lawmakers said: “We want to state here categorically that no amount of intimidation, harassment and oppression will make us impeach our leader and benefactor, Governor Ayodele Fayose. The DSS should therefore know that the 2006 theory they are working on will not work this time around.” Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: ‘DSS

harassment is about 2018, we won’t be cowed’, ‘DSS, this impunity must stop! This is democracy, not dictatorship’, ‘DSS, don’t destroy our democracy, respect rule of law’, ‘Fayose remains our leader, we won’t impeach him, Nigerians need change, not chains’, ‘Buhari, face economy and security, not opposition’ and ‘DSS, free Ekiti lawmakers; we are legislators, not criminals.’ The lawmakers, who spoke through Dr Samuel Omotoso, Honourable Gboyega Aribisogan and Honourable Adewumi, alleged that they were be-

ing harassed, with some of their houses being visited by men who claimed to be DSS officials. They contended that the process of abduction of the four assembly men was illegal, crude, uncivilised and barbaric because the DSS neither formally informed the speaker nor the state governor of their intention to arrest any member of the assembly. The protest letter read in part; “The Federal Government set up an inglorious military panel to probe the level of security involvement in that peaceful governorship election of June

21, 2014. These were the same security agencies that had been commended for their efficiency in that election. The Federal Government is bent on scuttling the election of Governor Ayodele Fayose through diabolical means. “After the failure of the military panel to achieve its desired objective, another plot is now being hatched. The APC-led Federal Government has orchestrated a wave of arrest and intimidation of members of the House of Assembly and cabinet members of the present administration in Ekiti State.”

Mimiko signs 2016 budget into law Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

ONDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, on Monday signed into law, the 2016 appropriation bill, which was increased from N118 billion to N123.720 billion by the state House of Assembly. The budget comprised of a recurrent estimate of N69,194,325,000, representing 55.93 per cent and capital estimate of N54,526,375,000, representing 44.07 per cent. Speaking during the signing of the budget, Governor Mimiko said “in the last seven years, God has granted our prayers for the transformation of both the land and the people of the state through the instrument of our yearly budgets. “This has enabled us to implement the several game-changing initiatives and programmes all across the state. “Our Sunshine State has inevitably been placed on the global scene as a worthy reference in good and innovative governance.” Mimiko explained that “the overarching rationale of this year’s budget is to ensure the continuity of the amazing social re-engineering process of the last seven years.”

Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko (middle), signing the 2016 appropriation bill into law, in Akure, on Monday. With him is the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo (right) and the Speaker, Honourable Jumoke Akindele.

75-yr-old beaten to death over electricity bill Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

A 75-year-old landlord, Kayode Osunkalu, was at the weekend beaten to death by one of his tenants over an argument on electricity bill. Osunkalu, who was said to be a retiree of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the landlord of the building located at No 17, Ayeferere Street, Ondo, was hale and hearty in the morning of the incident before the argument ensued between him and his tenant, Tope Akindeji Tragedy struck on Saturday morning when the octogenarian called his tenants to intimate them about the new development over the electricity bill brought by the officials of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). It was gathered that the late landlord threatened to disconnect all lines leading to the tenants’ rooms if they

fail to pay the bill within 24 hours. This, according to a source, infuriated the tenants, especially Akindeji who the deceased specifically accused of avoiding payment of his bills regularly. The source explained that this led to hot argument and exchange of words before the landlord held unto the suspect’s shirt for several minutes and in the process, he hit the octoge-

narian. The source said: “Baba slumped in the process and was rushed to the State Specialist Hospital in Ondo by some residents but was confirmed dead at the hospital.” Confirming the development, the Divisional Police Officer at Enuwa, Kunle Omisakin, said the suspect had been arrested and preliminary investigation had been carried out by his men He, however, said the sus-

pect has been transferred to the homicide section in Akure for further investigation. He stated that the remains of the late landlord have been deposited at the morgue of the Ondo State Specialist Hospital, while investigation has continued on the matter. Efforts to confirm the incident from the State Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, were not successful.

UCH resident doctors suspend strike THE Chairman, National Association of Resident Doctors, University College Hospital (UCH) Branch, Dr Adebayo Ogunjimi, said on Monday that the strike proposed by the body had been suspended. Ogunjinmi made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in

Ibadan. “The proposed strike was suspended at the congress this morning following the timely intervention of the minister of health and more importantly for the sake of our patients. “We have given the management 30 days ultimatum within which all outstanding demands must be met and we hope they will

not disappoint us again,” he said. NAN reported that the resident doctors are demanding the prompt payment of their salary arrears. They are also seeking the skipping of CONMESS 12 salary grade for doctors and the documentation of all demands raised by the association since negotiations commenced.

Nigerian Tribune

Ekiti private school owners reject levy on students Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

THE Ekiti State chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) has decided to shut their various institutions for three days in protest against what they described as high levies by the state government. NAPPS, on Monday, alleged that the government was engaging in “indiscriminate and unconstitutional imposition of education development levy on students of their schools.” According to members of the association, who spoke through their president, Alhaji Saka Adeleye, their action was in reaction to a gazette they received from the state government, in which it was stipulated that their pupils/students must pay development levy of N1,000 each. Alhaji Adeleye contended that development levy on private school students negated a contractual agreement he said they had with parents and guardians of their students. Numerous proprietors of private schools in the state had gathered at the Secretariat of NAPPS in Ado Ekiti to show their grievances, and rejected the levy. Adeleye said the state government introduced N1,000 development levy on public schools during the recent education submit, but they were surprised the same was later extended to private schools through some circulars from the Ministry of Education which they claimed was contrary to the decision at a recent education summit held by the state. He alleged that despite paying about 12 different taxes to the state government, “owners of private schools in Ekiti State enjoy no benefit from the government.” He said: “No infrastructural development to private schools. Nothing was given to us to develop our schools. All they do is to extort us with taxes. Even during the outbreak of the deadly disease, Ebola, no kit was given to us. We use our capital to fund our schools. Not even textbooks, chalks from the government. The government distributed laptops to public school but not only one was given to private schools. So, what are we gaining? “Even if the government decides to reduce the development levy, we are not ready to pay. We have made several attempts to meet the governor but all effort proved abortive.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

agriculture

COLLINS NNABUIFE visited the poultry farm of a retired Chief Superintendent of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Ojo Adewale, who revealed why he engaged in poultry farming after retirement.

FTER your retirement from service, what made you to engage in poultry farming instead of surviving with your pension and gratuity? I chose to go into poultry farming mainly because by

Why I chose poultry farming as retirement plan

— Former Immigration officer

virtue of my statistics, I discovered that Nigeria have not been producing enough for her own local consumption and that was what aided the idea of importing poultry products. I strongly believe that if I can go into poultry farming and produce at my own

level, at least that one will subsidise the little thing that Nigeria still needs to produce. Moreover, the government is trying to look into diversification of the economy, so we need to be a little bit self-reliant and going by Nigerian culture, we are farm-

ers, there is nothing stopping us to be much more farming intensive, and that’s why I chose to go into poultry farming after my retirement. Has the government assisted your poultry farm in any way?

15% of women farmers own farmlands — OXFAM Collins Nnabuife - Abuja

THE Head of Programme, OXFAM Nigeria, Constant Tchona, has said that despite that women constitute over 60 per cent of agricultural labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa, it’s only about 15 per cent of them that have farmlands. He also said that if women have the same opportunities in agriculture like their male counterparts, they would be able to increase yield by 20 to 30 per cent.

Tchona made this known at the launch of Kilimanjaro Initiative, organised by ActionAid OXFAM and Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation (SWOFON). “According to experts, women represent more than 60 per cent of the agricultural labour force in Africa. They account for 60 to 80 per cent of food production in the continent. 80 to 90 per cent in food processing, storage and transportation as well as hoe and weeding.

“Only 15 per cent of women farmers own their farmland, while women herders who manage production and play an increase role in small ruminants breeding and poultry farming have very little or no knowledge on how to secure protection of their breeding pasture,” he said. He further said that there was no argument against the fact that rural women are powerful drivers for agricultural development, adding that their potentials are

hampered by the disparities between men and women farmers. He, therefore, said “we believe in OXFAM and research have shown that if women farmers have the same factors of production and opportunities as their male counterparts in the world, they would be able to increase their crop yields by 20 to 30 per cent thus helping prevent millions of people from starving.”

So far, I have not gotten any assistance from the government, the ones you are seeing here are as a result of my personal effort which I strongly believe that if I have the means, I want to grow bigger. So I am a little bit handicapped because of my little resources as a public servant. The little one I have is the one I used to invest to this level. I will appreciate it if government can come in with various agricultural incentives in which smallholder farmers can grow. How many birds do you have and what are your major challenges? I have close to 1,000 layers and on daily basis, I feed them with nothing less than five bags of feeds and each bag cost N2,400, it has not been easy. Finance is one of the major challenges, because, if I have my way, I will want to grow bigger than this. I also

need land which will enable me to have more birds. Government should be able to make land available to farmers so that we can grow in large scale. They should also organise trainings for farmers, this is computer age, things are changing, so to meet up, there is need for trainings and retraining of farmers. What is your reaction when people say that farmers are poor people? Farmers are not poor, it is a wrong orientation that farmers are poor, we are the feeders of the nation, so who feeds the nation is not supposed to be seen as poor. If you are not rich, you can’t feed, so that impression that farmers are poor should be erased. Farmers should see themselves as the richest set of people. I’m emphatic that farmers are not poor, I do not seeing myself as a poor man.

IITA study reveals gaps in Nigeria’s extension system A study on the Training Needs Assessment of extension agents in Nigeria has revealed several gaps and constraints that have hitherto limited the effectiveness of extension service in the country. Godwin Atser, a Communication and Knowledge Exchange Expert at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria who presented the paper also noted that the current farmer-extension ratio of one extension worker to 3011 farm families was a major constraint limiting the effectiveness of extension system in Nigeria. “The ratio of one extension worker to over 3,000 farmers drastically fell short of the target of the Nigerian government to have one agricultural extension worker attached to 800 farmers, posing a serious challenge to the agricultural transformation agenda of the government,” he explained. Atser said that apart from the grossly inadequate number of extension workers, his study indicated that the existing workers were older, lacked capacity development as a result of underfunding and basic requirements, causing inefficiency. The study, which was funded by the IITA Cassava Weed Management Project specifically, investigated the capabilities of extension staff of Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) in weed management in cassava systems in Nigeria. “The findings of the study, showed that more than 80 per cent of extension staff have not had training that specifically targets weed management in cassava,” he said.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

integrated catfish productiong UI trains 1000 Osun indigenesbleon ern integrated farmin the efforts of the state utilization

THE Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan (UI), on the platform of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD), has trained over about 1000 indigenes of Osun State how to produce integrated catfish, rice and poultry for better income and employment generation. The three-day training, which was conducted in Oyan, Odo otin Local Government of the

state, was to empower existing and new fish farmers to combine fish farming with poultry and rice production to increase household productivity and income. Head of Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Omitoyin Bamidele, while briefing the participants of the training on Monday, said integrated farming, involving catfish, rice and poultry production, would enable farmers to make effective and

THE Federal Government and the Ministry of Agriculture have been advised to encourage an end-user-driven agricultural researches and application so that such products will no longer stay forever in the laboratories. This was part of the recommendations of Professor Tajudeen Olayanju, a professor of Agricultural Mechanisation in his inaugural lecture titled “Man, material and machine: the tricycle for Agricultural Mechanisa-

profita of the available space and other resources for maximum production. He added that integrated farming utilizes waste from poultry production by using such to produce insect larvae and manure for use in fish and rice production respectively. Omitoyin said the objectives of the training were to train and empower young, retired and unemployed people in the state for productive lives and food security, supporting

would show young government to reduce farmers how to prot loymen poverty, unemp duce rice, poultry and food ensure and rate fish without necessarsecurity. ily experiencing the Professor Emmanuel drudgery of the older of Ajayi, Coordinator generation farmers. said t, projec RD WECA Chief of Staff to the integrated farming State Governor, Osun for empowerment of ga Oyetola, while Gboye houserural farming ing the training declar to dear very was holds open, emphasized the World Bank and the imperativeness of other international youth participation in agencies as a means modern, sustainable y povert ng reduci of and integrated agriand hunger, as well as associated vices such as business as a way out of unemployment and terrorism. poverty. modthat argued He

‘Boko Haram is affecting fish farming in Nigeria’

COLLINS NNABUIFE, in this interview, speaks with a young fish farmer, Mohammed Sani on the challenges they are facing in the fish sub-sector. HOW is your fish farm fairI treat the water and the ing? feed they eat, the water in I started breeding this the pond is so big, so the fish this year, I have been drugs I buy to treat the wafeeding them with different ter will cost a lot of money, types of feeds, some are lobut if I use local ones like cal while some are foreign. ash, salt, corn, and treat the Most of the feed that give water, or poultry dungs, we them vitamin are foreign use it to treat the diseases and they are very expensive, inside the water. Then we what we are getting from treat the feed with tetracythe foreign feeds, we don’t cline, amozline, potassium have them in the local feed. and ampiclux, we mix them The foreign ones is 15 kg and up with the feed for the fish, the feeds are size by size acit will kill the diseases that cording to the size of the fish. they contact. The problem we are having is that before we used Sani at his fish farm What are your expecto go to Maiduguri and buy tations from the govcerning the local feeds. Tilapia, it is a type of feed ernment? How much have you we give to our fish, but due I’m expecting the governHow many fishes can you spent so far in fish farmto the current security chalment to give capital, even produce from your pond? ing this year? lenges in Borno State, we loan, I have been in this I have 5,000 fishes in the I have spent about business for about seven can’t go there and even if we pond, the pond can contain N500,000 on the fish busigo there, it’s very difficult to years, I raise my own cap12,000 fishes, but, you stock ness this year alone, from get the feed there. ital, I rent the pond for according to your financial renting pond, buying feeds In the past, we buy a bag N100,000, I buy one bag of capability, you stock what and the fingerlings, if I have of Tilapia for N7,000 or feed everyday for N6,000, you can feed. If you don’t harvest the fish, I will make N8,000, I used to buy and in a month I will be spendhave enough capital to feed at least, N500,000, I have to supply the feed to other ing N180,000 on feed alone, them well, you will end up get double of what I spent. farmers, but now, I can’t in the next month, I will be having losses, so that is why But there are some hazards go there, and the price have buying two bags of feed I decided to stock 5,000 if in the business the fish die also increased, a bag of Tidaily and that is N360,000 I get profit, I will increase due to infection, but I have lapia feed is now sold for a month. And I am going to their number to 6,000 or been treating them, I just N15,000. That is the major do this for four months be7,000. recorded only one death. problem we are facing confore I harvest.

Agric researches must be end user driven —Don By Tunde Ogunesan

Nigerian Tribune

tion” delivered at the 51st inaugural lecture 2016 of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, last week. Olayanju said as Nigeria as a nation “begins to gear up towards the non-oil manufacturing phase of her industrial development”, there is need to draw attention to the role of good engineering design practice. He added that such has not only become urgent but extremely crucial to the realisation of agricultural engi-

neering in this age. Stating the relevance of his recommendation to really drive agricultural mechanisation, he proposed among others, that “research should be geared seriously toward developing machines and plant for secondary processing of our crop and animal materials to final products. Researches must be end-user-driven and applied so that such products will no longer stay forever in the laboratories. He also advised “promotion of local capability in the

design and fabrication of process equipment and machinery for processing of local raw materials; infusion of engineering design concepts into engineering practice in Nigeria, so as to enhance standard and quality of locally fabricated process equipment and machinery; a medium of interaction among academia, industry and government establishment on the need to inculcating engineering design concepts in the fabrication equipment and plants for sustainable industrial development.

Apart from insurgents, what other challenges do you face? My major challenge in this business is money to expand my business. If I harvest these fishes, in the next one hour, I will get my money, up front. We don’t have problem concerning market, if you have fish of N50 million, it will be sold out immediately. The fish they are supplying to Abuja is not enough for people in Abuja. There is not enough fish in circulation, if I have 20,000 pieces of fish, it will be sold out on that very day.

Make local farmers centre of your food production policy, don advises FG By Gbenga Olumide A Professor of Agriculture at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Professor Oluyemisi Akinyemiju, has advised President Mohammadu Buhari to make peasant farmers the centre of his intervention in its local food and cash crop production policy if he wants to succeed in food security programme. Professor Akinyemiju gave the advice in Ile-Ife while delivering the 283 inaugural lecture of the institution entittled: “Weeds:Dispensable Companion of farmers.” Akinyemiju, a Professor of Weed Science at the institution said peasant farmers, who constitute over 70 per cent of the Nigeria population and who have continuously be the major producers of food crops in the country have benefited very little from the huge investment of the various governments in agriculture in the last decades. According to him, “much of the funds of this huge investiment of Government in Agriculture has gone to support the 100 per cent or so, on medium and large scale farmers whose agricultural practices are largely unsustainable.” He said government at all levels must make the peasant farmers the centre of its intervention for agricultural production and, indeed, if food production will increase in Nigeria in short and medium term.” Akinyemiju said to achieve this, farmers must be trained on all aspects of modern agricultural practices using on shelf innovative technology available in all higher institutions.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@tribune.com.ng or by sms to 08053412982. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Surviving tough economic situations

AST week, some oil workers went on strike because of the Federal Government’s restructuring of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and a day later, the strike was called-off after assurances that the restructuring would not lead to job

cuts. I continue to wonder how workers hold government to ransom in this country. If laying-off ineffective and incompetent workers will make an organisation, institution or even government function better, then why shouldn’t it happen? Today, many states can-

not pay the minimum N18,000 per month wage; many states are owing workers more than four months salaries, and the truth is that the resources being generated internally cannot even pay workers, as well as embark on capital projects. In the same situation ,

the head of the Federal Civil Service union, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, recently claimed that the Federal Government was planning to retrench some workers, while capitalising on the 23,000 ghost workers discovered by the Federal Ministry of Finance recently. And when this

Solution to Fulani herdsmen/farmers’ clashes ONE of the ways through which we can stop, or reduce the incessant Fulani herdsmen/farmers’ clashes is for the Federal Government to order cattle owners to have enclosed spaces for their livestock. What many people don’t understand is that many rich people own cattle in Nigeria, and they have herdsmen who manage the livestock.

As a result, the Federal Government should come out with a policy that will make it compulsory for cattle owners to have defined spaces for their animals’ grazing. The herdsmen shouldn’t be selfish; while trying to make profit on their livestocks, they destroy people’s farms. Do we then expect the farmers to be happy after spending so much money and time

Still on Ocholi’s death THE accident that claimed the life of the Minister of State for Labour, Mr James Ocholi, alongside his wife and son, is just so unfortunate. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has blamed the accident on speeding, and it is high time the road safety organisation started a course for drivers of people in positions of authority.

Many drivers of influential political leaders just drive as if they own the road. Drivers of bullion vans should also be cautioned. With this, I also want to urge the Federal Government to rehabilitate our roads since it is the major cause of accidents in Nigeria. •Felix Udoh, Port Harcourt.

We need patriotism in Nigeria THERE is the need for Nigerians to be patriotic to their fatherland. The truth be told, the majority of Nigerians are not patriotic; our people can do anything for money, even if it means negatively affecting fellow citizens. A good example is the hoarding of fuel by oil marketers, as well as vandals who destroy oil pipelines. Even if we make all the money and send our children to the best schools abroad, they will still remain foreigners there, and will one day experience racism. Why don’t we then

make Nigeria great? Why don’t we contribute our quota to its development? Americans so much love their country that they declare: ‘God bless America’ every morning. Someone who wants God to bless his country will also be a good citizen. This is not how to do things in Nigeria. We can start instilling the values in our children from now on. Nigeria can still be great if we want it to be. •Idayat Kassim, Ilorin, Kwara State.

cultivating their farms? Now, if poultry and piggery farm owners can have enclosed spaces, then nothing stops cattle owners as well. We must begin to do things as they are done in advanced economies. Nigerians are tired of the continued killings in parts of the country, and something must be done to stop the destruction once and

for all. If we fail in this aspect, it will definitely affect agriculture in the country. I am, therefore, appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to convene a stakeholders’ meeting on how to bring an end to these frequent killings. •Hilary John Odeh, Benin, Edo State.

is the case, it is better we look at the 20/80 per cent rule, which states that in any country, only 20 per cent of the people hold the wealth of the country. The same thing goes for an organisation, or state; meaning that in a state or organisation, 20 per cent of the people can achieve the success of the whole organisation. So if states are having problems paying workers, or in a bid to restructure the NNPC, it becomes imperative to downsize, then the workers need to accept the outcome. The situation is like a fully-loaded ship in the midst of turbulence, and the solution might be to throw some goods overboard to prevent the ship from capsizing. If the Federal Government, states or organisations like the NNPC feel

the easiest way to ‘lighten’ their financial burden is to retrench workers, then nobody should protest against such move. This is why we need to develop a capitalism economy in the real sense of it. Our most important sectors are still being controlled by government, but if government can privatise every sector, then it will be in the best interest of the economy. Therefore, the essence of this letter is to let people know that laying-off workers is one of several survival strategies when things are not going on well for an organisation or even government. It is not a weapon to punish workers, but to make the organisation survive difficult times. •Usman Ahmed, Kaduna.

editorial

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Patronising Nigeria

ATELY, there has been a clarion call from official quarters on Nigerians to patronise made-inNigeria goods. The call grew strident when it became apparent that the country’s insatiable appetite for foreign products was taking a dangerous toll on its foreign reserves. The plummeting oil price in the international market which caused Nigeria’s chief foreign earner to lose two thirds of its previous value influenced the current advocacy. Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, among others, have been directly linked to this call. The presidency was not left out. In Doha, Qatar, President Mohammadu Buhari re-affirmed his decision not to devalue the naira or provide foreign exchange for frivolous importations meant to sustain the foreign taste and exotic lifestyles of some Nigerians. In the same vein, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo ruled out food importation to implement the Federal Government’s School Feeding Programme. Although the latest call is not a proactive one but a mere reaction to the dire state of the national economy, it is nonetheless a patriotic one which, if heeded, is capable of helping the economy tremendously. No nation can continue to import everything it fancies, including toothpick, and expect to make economic progress. There is therefore an urgent need for the government to facilitate a production culture while sensitizing Nigerians on the patronage of local products. A critical success factor, however, is for the political leadership to walk the talk. If the leadership sets the example, the people will follow. Happily, there are examples in the past that many Nigerians would recall with nostalgia. During the very short but eventful regime of late General Murtala Mohammed, he directed that no car in the convoy of any public official should be more expensive than Peugeot 504. The directive was strictly implemented, and federal commissioners and military governors, among others, had the car procured from Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), Kaduna, Kaduna State, and allocated to them. The directive worked because the initiator showed leadership. The Federal Government can certainly use fiscal policy measures, especially as they relate to sales tax and tariff on imported items, to discourage consumption of foreign products.

However, in addition to fiscal policy, there must be conscious efforts to sensitize Nigerians continuously on embracing and appreciating their own things. A society that does not appreciate its own products cannot grow in the desired direction. A majority of the Nigerian elite have stereotyped the use of made-in-Nigeria products as the exclusive preserve of the poor. Indeed, importation and use of foreign products is seen by them as a veritable status symbol. This is a dangerous orientation that must yield ground to a more forward-looking disposition to the domestic economy if the nation is to experience real development. Symbolically, Indian lawyers wear Sari, a national attire, in court and put jackets on it. The key issue, then, is about Nigerians returning home in their consciousness. To be sure, there are issues of quality to be addressed regarding made-in-Nigeria products. But this does not provide sufficient justification for the apathy exhibited by a powerful segment of the society to local products. In any case, how do you improve on Nigerian products if you don’t use them? Sadly, the impression in some quarters that the Nigerian elite are not interested in allowing the nation to improve rings true, as many of them see patronage of madein-Nigeria products as a leveller which they detest with passion. As a public affairs commentator recently posited, quite rightly in our own view, Nigeria is too rich for the kind of abject poverty experienced by a large number of Nigerians, and too poor for the ostentatious lifestyle of its elite. Indeed, there are many aspects of public and private life where Nigerians, in particular the elite, require re-orientation. The bottom line, however, is the urgent need for them to begin to value and appreciate Nigerian things. Finally, if the intertwined and monstrous challenges of unemployment and poverty must be properly addressed, enhanced production culture and massive patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods and services are inevitable. Issues of non-competiveness of Nigerian manufactured products in the international market should therefore be addressed. The infrastructural support system should also be improved upon to enable manufacturers to rein in high costs of production. It is unacceptable that Nigeria after 55 years of independence is yet to be a net exporter of manufactured goods. The current appeal to Nigerians to begin to look inwards should engage the attention of all; otherwise, the future is endangered.

AFRICAN NEWSPAPERS OF NIGERIA PLC Founders: Chief Obafemi Awolowo GCFR, SAN (1909 - 1987)

Chief (Dr) H.I.D Awolowo CON (1915 - 2015)

Chairman Rev. (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran Co-Chairman Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Edward Dickson Controller (Business Development) Fola Oke Chief Accountant Oluremi Olufisayo, ACA

Ibadan Office (Advert Hot Lines): 08077227269; 08034135733 Lagos Office (Advert Hot Lines): 08055333067; 08033013177 South South Regional Office: No. 50 Ikwerre Rd., Mile 1, Diobu, P/Harcourt, Rivers State

Snr. Manager (Advertisements) Kayode Titiloye Sales Manager Omotayo Lewis, Ph.D Consultant/Director Segun Olatunji, Ph.D

GOT NEWS?

Abuja Office: Suites G2. 05-07, PEB04 Plaza, Plot 2027, Dalaba Street, Beside NAPTIP Headquarters, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja Advert Hot Lines: 08033199716; 08078891797 Kaduna Office: AN 20, Lagos Street, by Keffi Rd., Kaduna. Ikeja Marketing Office. Block C, First Floor, Motorways centre, Opp., 7up Alausa, Ikeja.

Contact: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com or call:08055069471, 08116954630

opinion

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Will this jail term stand?

ODAY, I remember the fable of the slow and steady tortoise that outran the hare and it brought about a reminiscent smile to my face because that story had a happy ending. The bureaucracy that exemplifies the Nigerian legal system today may be aptly depicted by the same story, as the arm of the law tarries almost indefinitely, but while I am certain about how that fable ends, I remain chronically unsure if ultimately justice ever gets to be served in its best state-cold. Last year, I had lamented about the recklessness of celebrities, not only in Nigeria, but all over the world. I bemoaned the sadistic consequences of their crazy attitudes, which in almost every unfortunate case, birth an acidic havoc-wrecking rain that gruesomely melts away their innocent victims. Most profound, however, was my passionate disapproval of the disgusting manner in which “celebrities re-define the law and defile it by whipping the horse of justice in the direction that best suits their image.” Veracity’s outcry was encapsulated in the piece titled “Celebrities and the Law” in May, 2015, but harrowingly, I am depressingly livid about the fact that barely a year after that publication, Veracity stands, again, drifting between the devil and the deep blue sea for I must, yet again, put on some sack cloths and contend with the same wraiths from last year. It has become pertinent for me to pour some ash over my head and walk that dingy tunnel all over again because I fear that for some nefarious reasons, Hades, the master of all shenanigans, paltered with the minds of men and cast a spell of deafness over the humans against my heartfelt sobs last year. In 2005, at the Lekki area of Lagos State, Nollywood actress and embattled President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima, knocked down a Lagos State medical doctor, Suraj Giwa, snuffing life out of the middle aged man. What was her punishment? She was given an N100,000 fine as an option to seven-year imprisonment on the first charge of causing death by dangerous driving and two years behind bars on a second charge of reckless driving. This was pronounced by the presiding Judge, A. O Isaacs, a Lagos State Chief Magistrate, who sat at Igbosere Magistrate’s court. That judgment, however, went down in the Nigerian legal history as one of the most incredibly stupefying acts of the judiciary because N100,000, which is the cost of some middle classed Nigerian’s smart phones in this era of androids, would

veracity with Vera Onana

veraonana@gmail.com 08054680688

have been translated into the worth of Giwa’s life save for the intervention of Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of the Lagos State High Court, four years after the Magistrate Court’s verdict. These were her words “the nature of the offense is so grave that I do not know how the magistrate came about an option of fine. N100, 000 is not a reasonable judgment for someone who has taken the life of another person. I hereby set aside the judgment of the Magistrate Court and impose five years imprisonment on the convict.” That was seven long years ago, but while Doctor Giwa’s remains became earth, Fiberesima had been basking in the euphoria of fame, presiding over the Actors Guild and jumping from court to court, appealing for the reversal of Justice Oluwayemi’s five-year jail term verdict until last Friday, March 11, 2016. The media went agog as the news filtered in with different headlines. The Court of Appeal, had on that day, ruled that the court upheld the 2009 high court ruling and dismissed Fiberesima’s appeal, saying it lacked merit. Now, the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, after over a decade of recklessly ending the meaningful life of a medical practitioner, may be on her way to prison, but will she actually serve this jail term? That is the nerve-wrecking question that comes to mind as

Veracity recalls other cases of celebrities and jail terms. At this point, you may need to join me take a quick trip from Nollywood to Bollywood. On September 28, 2002, in an alleged inebriated condition, Bollywood superstar, Salman Khan, had rammed his Toyota Land Cruiser into a bakery in suburban Bandra, killing homeless Noor Ullah Khan, as he slept on the pavement and injuring four others. On May 6, 2015, the world thought that the infamous 13-yearold hit-and-run case of Salman Khan had reached a definitive end after the verdict of Judge Deshpande of the Bombay City and Civil Sessions court, but justice was far from being served. Khan appealed against his conviction and in December, that same year he was cleared of all charges. “The appeal is allowed and the decision of the trial court is quashed and set aside. Salman Khan is acquitted of all charges,” judge Anil Ramchandra Joshi told the court. Joshi said the prosecution had failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that Khan was driving his SUV and under the influence of alcohol when it rammed into a group of homeless men in suburban Mumbai in 2002. As Fiberesima and her lawyers head to the Supreme Court for a final appeal, I hope that for Giwa’s sake, this protracted trial ends like the fable of the tortoise and the hare. For the law says, “Qui parcit nocentibus innocentes punit: He who spares the guilty, punishes the innocent.” RE: IS RETURNING ESE ORURU ENOUGH? I will be pleased to read about how Yunusa would be severely sanctioned and saddled with stiff penalties for this obnoxious act. If handled properly, I believe that it will serve as a deterrent to other criminally minded people living in Nigeria — Lanre Oseni .......................................... It is a really sad story. If it is confirmed that Yunusa is responsible for the pregnancy, then that child would have to grow up to face the reality of having an irresponsible and wicked being as a father. Yunusa could end up going to jail for years, what becomes of that child? Cruel fate! +234805740****

Ese Oruru: From the creeks to the savannah By Yushau A. Shuaib

“DADDY, there is something else which bothers me. I’m in love with one charming young lady from this place (Southern Nigeria).”- YAShuaib December, 1992 The above quote were the exact words in my harmless and innocent “Open Letter to My Parents in the North” during my youth service. The letter, which was published in some national dailies, was one of my articles published during the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) between 1992-1993 in Asaba, Delta State. Surprisingly, some contents of the Open Letter generated controversies which prompted a rejoinder from the management of NYSC and a summon from Communication Adviser to Governor Felix Ibru, Chief Paulinus Akpeki, for clarifications. Meanwhile, the intervention of the Asagba of Asaba, the traditional ruler of my host community, Professor Chike Edozie, was the soothing balm that boosted my confidence to serve in Igboland in the Niger Delta. While the government officials and the traditional institutions ensured the safety of youth corps members, especially those from other parts of the country, I nevertheless sustained constructive engagements with the host community through my writings. Faiths, tribe and culture were never barriers in the relationship between non-indigenes and members of the communities as inter-tribal marriages were prominent features of Delta people. During Islamic festivities, the traditional ruler organised special feasts for Muslims in his palace. On such occasions, Muslim youth corpers, mostly from Northern Nigeria, were treated to bumptious meals and non-alcoholic exotic wine. The generous hospitality of the people, encouraged some ‘corpers’ to stay behind after the service year. I accepted an offer of automatic employment in the Government House, Asaba as Public Relations Officer after the service. The government of this predominant Christian state, in its magnanimity, also sponsored my Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca for Islamic obligations. I was sincere with my reference to ‘young charming ladies’

in the Open Letter because of what I witnessed with my naked eyes. I must confess that before the end of the youth service, some of my colleagues, especially from the North, had picked some of those damsels legally or otherwise as their partners, which in some cases resulted in marriages. While I could not confirm if all the female partners were overage or under-age, since only parents can determine that, most of the ladies looked very mature, intelligent and responsible in every sense. At that period, non-indigenes and corps members were not treated with suspicions but dignified and respected by parents of those ladies who welcomed them to their abodes with open heart. It is, therefore, unfortunate the current unnecessary bickering over the allegations of abduction or elopement, as the case may be involving a young lady, Ese Oruru and a young man, Yunusa Dahiru who left Bayelsa State in the creek of the Niger Delta to Kano, a core northern state in the savannah. After media reports on the alleged abduction, the police have taken over the case by flying the two young Nigerians from Kano to Abuja and later to Bayelsa State. Meanwhile, the police have arraigned Yunusa in handcuffs for criminal charges of abduction of the teenager. In between these periods, the family of the two young

Nigerians were being quoted in the media exonerating their wards of any offence. Rather than douse the tension through fair and objective editorials and news contents, some media were busy aggravating the tense situation by provocative coverages of the event that tend to create divisions in the polity. Some ridiculous reports claim that a popular traditional ruler encourages abductions of young girls from other parts of the country for monetary compensation, including limousines and mansions for abductors. Another news item claims the abduction saga is to depopulate a particular region and increase the population of another region. On the social media, the debate has shifted to abusive rancour, with most disparaging derogatory remarks between Muslims and Christians as ethnic jingoists are fanning ember of hatred between southerners and northerners. Meanwhile, it has been discovered that Yunusa, who had been in love with Ese, took her to Kano and claimed that he had converted the young lady to Islam. The conversion seems to be a ploy by the young man to hoodwink his parents and members of his community to accept his proposal to marry the teenager, whose age is right for marriage in some cultures. The fact that cannot be denied is that Esese was neither a victim of ritualists who could have harvested her body parts for diabolic spirituality, nor a victim of kidnapers who could have demanded for ransom payments. She was neither a victim of a slave master who exploits the vulnerable into child-labour nor a victim of wicked merchants of infancy who proliferate baby factories for money-making. Ese, and to some extent, Yunusa are merely victims of infatuation, foolish love that went awry. While we must condemn the abduction saga, we should not lose our sense of reasoning and decency. We should eschew sectional sentiments and encourage our youths to establish relationship based on trust, love and respect. •Shuaib sent in this article via yashuaib@yahoo. com

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com

Mimiko

Akindele

Ondo assembly’s dramatic U-turn on speaker’s impeachment

Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, last Tuesday in a dramatic move, impeached the speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Jumoke Akindele and it took the intervention of the state governor, Olusegun Mimiko, to reverse the decision. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI writes on the impeachment drama.

N the middle of the night of Tuesday, March 8, 2016, 18 out of 26 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, after sitting in an undisclosed venue, announced the impeachment of the first female Speaker of the state, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele, her deputy, Fatai Olotu and other principal officers of the House, which was the first in the history of seven year old administration of Dr Olusegun Mimiko .

This action caused a stir in political circle in the state, as many wondered about the motives behind the impeachment of Akindele in a House which has been peaceful and working towards the progress of the state. But the lawmakers hinged their action on the Speaker’s incompetence, arrogance, high handedness and poor leadership. The lawmakers stated in the impeachment notice that, “ Consequent upon the

incompetence, high handedness, drunkenness, easy virtues, lack of focus and lack of transparency, arrogance and poor leadership, we the undersigned elected Honourable members move for the impeachment of Mr Speaker and all the principal officers in Ondo state House of Assembly with immediate effect.” Subsequently, the lawmakers elected Honourable Iroju Ogundeji from Odigbo local government area of the state as

the new Speaker while Honourable Ayo Arowele from Owo local government was elected as the Deputy Speaker for the state Assembly. But the impeachment of Akindele lasted barely 24 hours after the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, waded into the crisis. Immediately the news hit ground, the governor called about 13 lawmakers electContinues on pg22

politics&policy

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Implications for gov election Continued from pg21

ed on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to an emergency meeting that same night but details of the meeting were not revealed. So, the lawmakers returned to the drawing board the following morning where the governor met with the larger house for about five hours before the issues were amicably resolved. It was gathered that it took the intervention of Mimiko for the lawmakers to reverse their decision, while the governor pleaded with the lawmakers to give the Speaker and other principal officers a second chance. The lawmakers, however, had driven home a point that all is not well in the state’s hallowed chamber. The chairman, House Committee on Information, Honourable Olamide George, while addressing journalists after their meeting with the governor, said members of the House had resolved to allow the status quo ante of the leadership of the House to remain, describing the impeachment of the Speaker as a family affair which members and the leadership of the House have resolved amicably. He said “ On Tuesday, a sizeable number of Ondo State House of Assembly members met on some burning issues touching on the leadership of the House. Before Plenary today, Wednesday 9th March, 2016, members, at a larger and official gathering met to review the situation and consequently resolved to allow the status quo Ante on the leadership of Ondo State House of Assembly as at 7th March 2016 to remain.” George, who said there was no crisis within the house, said it remained focused and would keep working for the development of the state and its people. He added: “The House of Assembly remains United, cohesive and alive to its constitutional responsibilities. The issue of leadership of the House is an internal affairs and has been treated as such.” This development however attracted reactions within and outside the political circle in the state. Some analysts have argued that the impeachment would not have sailed through because the 18 lawmakers seated outside the state House of Assembly to move the impeachment notice. An analyst queried: “Why would our lawmakers decide to sit in a beer parlour to issue an impeachment notice to the speaker in the wee hour of the night?” Others who are opposed to the Speaker alleged that the she got wind of the plans of the lawmakers to remove her on the floor of the House earlier in the day and had to cancel the session for the day. The action infuriated the lawmakers and had to converge late in the night to hatch their plans and would have sailed through if not for Mimiko’s intervention. But some observers alleged that the action of the 18 lawmakers could not have been carried out without the knowledge, support and consent of Mimiko. According to them, the impeachment threat was to bring back the Speaker back to the track. The argument of the observers was that almost all the lawmakers that carried out the impeachment are barely a year in the House, while all the second term lawmakers abstained from the impeachment plot. Those who signed the impeachment paper were Arowele Ayodeji ( Owo 1), Iroju Ogundeji ( Odigbo 1), Olusola Oluyede (Ose), Akindiose Olusiji ( Ondo East), Akintimehin I Tuyi (Idanre) and Akinruntan Abayomi (Ilaje 1), Fajolu Abimbola ( Ileoluji –Okeigbo), Araoyinbo Olugbenga ( Akoko North East), Other signatories included ;Olusegun Ajimotokin (Irele), Jamiu Suleiman Maito ( AKoko North West 1), Felemu Olusegun ( Akoko South West II). Coker Adeniyi Malachi ( Ilaje II) Towase Kuti ( Akoko South East) and Kazeem MOS (Akoko South West 1 The remaining signatories were Obadiah Vincent ( Ese Odo) Ade Adeniyi, (Ondo West 1) Olamide George ( Akure North) and Mukaila Musa ( Owo II). However, a source within the House said the governor had been privy to some information about some leaders of the House on their alleged romance with the opposition party, in the last five months. But the governor allegedly kept his cool for political reasons. According to the sources, part of the grand plot was to impeach the governor before the expiration of his second term of office. But

Clement Faboyede, Ondo PDP chairman

Olotu

the governor reportedly called his loyalists to be on guard. However, a political movement in the state, Ondo State Today, described the dramatic u-turn of the 18 lawmakers as an act of cowardice, mockery of democracy and show of shame on the part of the legislative members who set aside the rules of the House by impeaching the Speaker outside of the Assembly floor in a private residence at 10 pm. The coordinator of the group, Akinwunmi Bayode, explained that the reasons given by the lawmakers for Akindele’s impeachment are not strong enough. According to him, “the legislative members, especially the ruling PDP members, should perhaps share part of her blame of lack of focus, transparency, incompetence, arrogance and poor leadership also leveled against her for electing her

for a second term in office as speaker and for staying this long before discovering all these traits. “The legislators should be wary as this could just be a ploy to divide and disorganise them from finding a common ground to continue to demand their welfare, as since their inception, no official vehicle has been provided for them neither was their apartment furnished and other benefit due was made available to them. “ But the state publicity secretary of PDP, Banji Okunomo, lambasted the group and the opposition party in the state for bringing Mimiko into the crisis in the House of Assembly and said the opposition dream of seeing an assembly in disarray will never come to fruition. Okunomo pointed out that the opposition accused Mimiko of fueling the crisis but when the governor quickly called the aggrieved members and the Speaker to a round table talk, the opposition still condemned the role of Mimiko in settling the problem within the state House of Assembly and said He absolved Mimiko from the crisis and said the governor had to wade in to guide against anarchy, which might affect smooth administration of the state. “The impeachment which we heard about had also been reversed by those who have the legitimate right to do so and it is the legitimate right of the 26 members to say they are impeaching or not, it is their constitutional power vested in them. We are in a democracy and the house of Assembly is an independent, autonomous body which has its rules and regulation guiding it. “We are not privy to their reason to impeach the speaker, the government and party are not privy to it too, and the same set of lawmakers said they are rescinding their decision in the interest of moving the state forward. I know it has been a source of bitterness in the camp of opposition because the impeachment was not successful but they should not drag governor Mimiko into this,” Okunomo said. Though the lawmakers have reversed their decision, the fact remains that the recent face-off between the 18 lawmakers and the Speaker indicates that all is not well among the members and the leadership of the Ondo state House of Assembly.

Though the lawmakers have reversed their decision, the fact remains that the recent face-off between the 18 lawmakers and the Speaker indicates that all is not well among the members and the leadership of the Ondo state House of Assembly.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

leadership &

management with Sulaimon Olanrewaju

m:08055001708 e:lanresulaimon@yahoo.com t:@lanresulaimon

The 60-second

business coach PAGE 24

PAGE 24

Leaders’

forum PAGE 24

Quote LEADERSHIP

We will either find a way, or make one. – Hannibal Barca

Ensuring continuous customer base growth By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

HE major factor that determines whether an organization is a going concern is its customer base. If the customer base keeps growing, the business keeps soaring and the

owners have little or nothing to worry about. But the customer base heading south is an indication that the organization is headed for trouble unless the trend is arrested. Continues on pg24

Rosalind Brewer, President and CEO, Sam’s Club

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

leadership&management BOOK

Leaders Open Doors By Bill Treasurer WHEN I went to my first serious job, there was a big buzz about the ‘Open Door Policy’. Bill dispels that myth in the context of open-door leadership. He says “Open Door” is not a policy of keeping your door open, it’s about taking action to open doors for others. You will love the story he shares on this topic. In fact, this book is full of stories that will make the subject of being an open-door leader come alive. In a candid, easy conversation style of writing we all understand, Bill Treasurer gives us the keys to understanding what an open-door leader does and how to transform from problem-solving, critical thinking mentality to a mindset that treats leadership challenges as opportunities, not problems. Bill asks the question, “Do you aim to be a problem-focused leader or an opportunity-focused leader?” What if, instead of thinking about what keeps you up at night, you transformed your thinking into what gets me up every morning? At the root, the situation is the same, but the reaction breeds a different result. Are you a spiller or a filler? Spillers motivate people by stroking their fears. Fillers motivate people by appealing to their desires to excel. Bill talks about focusing on opportunities to ‘fill’. Opportunity attracts; fear repels. Opportunity points in the right direction. Contrast the impression you get when you say, keep the ball in the air or say, don’t drop that ball. Seriously, how hard can it be to change your speech just a touch? Think about these. Opportunity activates imagination, opportunity inspires courage, and opportunity begets opportunity. There is nothing quite as motivating as having something

to prove, and so the Proving Ground Door is introduced. As a leader, you are responsible for assigning challenging work to people, but give them these opportunities in absorbable doses. Allow them to prove themselves without setting them up for failure. In your strategy for opening doors think of opportunities in graduated stages: small, medium, large The Thought Shifting Door discusses the mental nature of providing opportunities. To open up opportunities, people need to think imaginatively. This chapter introduces three aspects of thought shifting. 1) disrupt normal thought patterns; 2) use symbols or metaphors to spark new thought; 3) small language changes – this, to make a difference in thoughts and attitudes. For example say “pretty good” instead of “not bad”. The Door to a Second Chance speaks volumes, doesn’t it? The open-door leader has a responsibility to the enterprise as well as to the individual. The leader has to be thoughtful with authority to give someone a second chance. The essence of a second chance could involve strategic forgiveness which recognizes that the person who gets the second chance could change from being destructive to constructive behavior. How do you know if the second chance should be permitted? Bill offers some guidance for that determination. We gravitate toward people most like us, don’t we? That’s not a bad thing, but we can all use a little work in the area of welcoming ‘Others’ who are different from us. In this chapter we learn the way to a stronger, more diverse organization is through opening doors for people who are not just like us.

Keeping customer base on steady rise Continues from pg23

Having a stagnant customer base means that the organization is stagnant and unless urgent steps are taken to grow the customer base, the business may be on its way to the Golgotha because stagnation of customer base is a prelude to a slide which may sound the death knell for the business. Growing the customer base is critical to a business outfit because, as noted by management guru Peter Drucker, a business exists to create customers. So, the proof of an organisation’s success is its growing customer base. A stagnant or declining customer base puts a huge question mark on the relevance of the organization to the market where it operates. This is a pointer that something is wrong with the processes or the products of the organization. Unless drastic steps are taken to redress this, the organization may be headed for extinction. Factors relevant to growing customer base To keep the customer base on a steady rise, a company has to be conscious of the following factors. Convenience for customers More than any other thing, what customers want is convenience. If a product gives great satisfaction but is difficult to access, customers will opt for a less satisfactory product which could be accessed without stress. In the same vein, if an item gives an extremely satisfactory service but is difficult to manipulate, consumers will go for one with less satisfaction but with a great ease of manipulation. Amazon.com understands this quite well. With the introduction of the one-click buying, it has made the customer experience a great one because within a couple of hours after clicking on the desired item, it will be delivered to the customer. This has resulted in sales figures soaring over the years. To record an increase in customer base, an organization must pay attention to the convenience or hardship it creates for its customers. In the 2016 World Bank Doing Business-Trading Report, Nigeria was placed far below Ghana with respect to the ease of doing business. According to the report, while it takes an importer about 23 days (564 hours) to complete all necessary border

Folake Folarin-Coker, Artistic Director, Tiffany Amber and documentary compliance certificates to bring in goods into Nigeria, it takes an exporter only eight days (197 hours) to complete all necessary documents for export in Ghana. The report adds that this is the reason there is a lull in cargo throughput at Nigeria’s seaports as cargoes are being diverted to neighbouring countries. Because of the inconveniences caused importers, Nigeria loses a fortune in revenue to her neighbours. Customers always gravitate towards companies and products that are serious about giving convenience to them. Therefore, businesses that want to go far do not joke with customers’ convenience. Determine which segment of the market you want to play A company cannot satisfy all the segments of a market. So, a company must decide which of the segments of the market it wants to serve. The company must decide whether it wants to be a niche player or a mass player. It must determine whether it wants to cater to the whole market or it wants to concentrate on just a

Peter Bamkole, Director, EDC, Atlantic University segment or some segments. Doing this will enable the company to tailor its products to meeting the identified needs of the segment(s), create a niche for itself and be a market leader. Being a market leader speaks of knowing a segment of the market so well that the company can practically read the mind of the market to the extent of knowing what it wants at any point in time. This results in bonding between the product users and the product. Once bonding exists between a product and its consumers, patronage will soar because the product’s patrons will not seek any alternative as the customer sees himself as part of the organization and seeks its good always. It is critical for a business to decide on which segment of the market it wants to focus on. In every endeavour focus is important because diffused light has limited effect but concentrated light when passed through a magnifying glass can burn a paper. When more focused, the light becomes a laser and laser can burn steel and destroy cancer. So, focusing on a segment of the market strengthens

Yewande Zaccheaus, CEO Eventful Nigeria Limited

an organization and has the ability to make it a focus of the market. Offer great customer service Research has shown that it costs five times more to get a new customer than to retain the current one. One way of retaining current customers is through customer service. Customer service is the process of ensuring customer satisfaction with a product or service. This usually takes place during a transaction, which may be in form of an in-person interaction, a phone call or self-service systems. If properly handled, customer service can result in customer base increasing. But research has shown that poor customer service is the major reason for customers calling it quits with a company and its products. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 68 per cent of customers leave because they are upset with the treatment they’ve received. Harvard Business Review also states that 48 per cent of customers who had a negative experience told 10 or more others. That means, not only did the customers leave the company, they

leadership &

management DISCOURSE

Parkinson’s Law, propounded in 1955 by Cyril Northcote Parkinson says, ‘Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.’ Parkinson, a British naval historian, posits that the more time allocated to a task, the longer its accomplishment takes. In other words, having ample time to do a job has little or nothing to do with how well it is executed. Is that the case? Doesn’t the quantum of time available to complete a task play a critical role in the quality of such task? Let us have your thoughts about the veracity or otherwise of Parkinson’s Law. Please, send your reactions to lanresulaimon@yahoo.com or lanresulaimon123@gmail.com. Parkinson

Readers’ responses will be published.

took others with them. In Understanding Customers, Ruby Newell-Legner, the author, says it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience. A report by McKinsey has it that 70 per cent of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. Another report by RightNow says 89 per cent of consumers began doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience.

So, customer service is critical to growing the customer base. If customers are not well treated, they seek an alternative where they believe their expectations would be adequately met. However, so much has been said about customer service. But stripped of the ornaments and getting down to brass tacks, what really is it? Customer service is treating a customer like royalty. It is giving customer an experience that makes them want to repeat their patronage of a service or product. Customer service as a concept is understood but it is not often practiced by customer service staff often because they do not understand the Golden Rule principle. If they did, they would treat others as they would want to be treated were roles to be reversed. What makes customer service staff commit to customer service ideal is if they imbibe the Golden Rule principle. If this is understood, no employee will want to treat a customer shabbily because he knows that he will also be a customer somewhere else.

able for the customers with sustained patronage. In the 1980s, new models of medical scanners were introduced to the market every year by the major players in that sector. That meant hospitals had to keep changing their scanners every year. This cost them millions of dollars but they did not have a choice because they were involved in a business that required precision. However, General Electric saw this as an opportunity and cashed in on it when it introduced a scanner which only required an upgrade to work with new versions. The import of this is that rather than disposing of the whole scanner, with a fraction of the cost of a scanner, a part could be upgraded and the facility would have access to the latest technology. This gave General Electric an advantage over competition as all users of the device switched to the upgradable scanner. Although other companies later came up with their own version of upgradable scanners, GE had the advantage of pioneering that effort.

Be ahead of competition In the business world, competition is a reality that will never go away because several interests want the same thing. It is only those organizations that are able to think ahead, see through what the market will need before this becomes visible to all and take steps to make same available that will always have an advantage over others. The market always rewards those organizations that beat others to making life more comfort-

Keep your promise Every pro duct makes a promise to the customer. As a matter of fact when a customer picks a product, he does not just buy a product, he buys the promise made by the product. One of the reasons that make a customer to abandon a product is if the product fails to keep the promise which the manufacturer has made to the market. To ensure repeat patronage, a product must meet the expectation of the customer.

THE 60-SECOND business coach

5 things great bosses do daily By S. Chris Edmonds EVERY morning, your team members rally themselves to come to work. Some are enthused about what they’ll experience that day. They feel trusted, honored, and respected. They’re optimistic about what they’ll learn, how they’ll partner with peers, how they’ll contribute to customers’ quality of life that day. Those team members don’t have to work hard to rally themselves. Other team members are not enthused about what they’ll experience in your team’s work environment. They might feel it’s much more likely they’ll be demeaned and discounted than trusted or respected at work that day. Those team members have to rally themselves hard to get into work. If your workplace culture doesn’t treat team members with trust, respect, and dignity in every interaction, you’ve got work to do. You need to embrace the best practices of great bosses.

Over 30 years of research and experience have helped me identify these five best practices that help great bosses craft high performing, values-aligned teams. These practices are easily remembered - they form the acronym GREAT. Great bosses inspire growth. They create avenues for team members to learn new approaches, develop new skills, and gain confidence to put those skills into action in the workplace. They don’t allow team members’ skill sets to stagnate. GREAT bosses help team members continually boost their contribution and value to the company. Great bosses honor relationships. They know that positive relationships based on shared values create mutual trust and respect in the workplace. They create and maintain positive relationships with team members and expect the same among team members. They act to maintain a safe, inspiring, productive workplace so employees feel valued and honored at work. GREAT bosses know that trust and respect is a fragile state; it must be tended and monitored daily. Great bosses inspire excellence. They set clear performance expectations and coach team members to exceed them, every time.

High standards met consistently help differentiate the team’s contribution to the company and to their customers. They must create a work environment that enables team members to apply their knowledge and skills in service to the team’s performance standards. Great bosses ensure accountability. They know that consequence management is the avenue to high performing, values-aligned teams. They praise and encourage progress & accomplishment of both goals and valued behaviors. They redirect and, if needed, reprimand values mis-aligned behaviors and/or missed performance standards. Great bosses spur teamwork. They know that cooperative interaction among team members maintains trust and respect more than competitive interaction does. They align all players to norms that enable sharing of information, skills, and support across their team. They hold teams and team members to high standards, not just for performance but for citizenship, as well. By embracing these best practices, you can create a safe, inspiring, productive work environment that team members thrive in - and love being a part of.

leadership&management

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

TOPE POPOOLA is a Human Capital developement Consultant and Pastor. Please feel free to send questions, feedback comments on this column to

topheritage@yahoo.com or visit http//turbochargedforsuccess.blogspot.com

Stacking the odds in your favour - 3

LIFE will always attempt to trip you by tossing a few setbacks your way. A sack when you expected a promotion. Losing all your money in an investment that you were so sure could not fail. Yours truly lost a lot of money in the stock market many years ago when the market went bust. I know quite a number of people who developed high blood pressure and heard of one or two who committed suicide as a consequence. A journey you had set your heart on and planned for, only to be denied a visa at the last minute. There is no gainsaying the fact that any of these could result in a setback. To be successful, you must learn the art of bouncing back from a setback. It is really not a setback until you allow it to hold you back. An undying romance with the attendant frustration caused by problems is a sure assassin of a glorious future. Great leaders are not problem-free. They simply refuse to internalize their problems! Tell yourself, “It could have been worse” and decide to get up and move on! In the battles of life, you win some and lose some. Quite often, you are not even in control when it comes to which battles you have to face; although life can give you the privilege of choosing which ones to fight. Losing some battles is something every General is comfortable with as long as the troops stay in the war. The war is not won until someone surrenders. That should not be you. The phoenix is a prominent feature of Greek mythology. Legend has it that the bird lived for over a thousand years and then disintegrated in a fiery display. Out of the ashes, a new bird was born. Like the phoenix, champions learn to reinvent themselves in recognition of the fact that only God endures forever and even He modifies His operational strategy from time to time. No one has lost anything until he has lost hope. Greatness is incubated in the prison of hope. Hope is the anchor of every great dreamer. It is the basis of every expectation and the attendant driving passion. No farmer has a guarantee from nature on the certainty of a given quantum of harvest. Yet every farmer ploughs in

hope. Sometimes, he gets a bumper harvest that exceeds his expectation. At other times, he can barely survive on the proceeds. Some other times, the entire farm may be wiped out. But he goes ahead to farm again. Environments can have a powerful influence on destiny. You cannot rise above an environment that conditions your thinking. You probably have heard the story of the eaglet that was raised among a pack of chickens. It soon learnt to peck the ground and eat corn like a chicken. As it grew, its wings began to develop but it could not fly because it had never seen the chickens around it do so. It would see other birds fly but it never attempted to. Strong talons and pinions but no resolve to do beyond the mundane parameters set by its chicken existence. In the business of real estate, we are told that the first three rules for success are, ‘Location. Location. Location.’ One of my mentors taught me a lesson that has stuck with me like glue. Summarized, it reads ‘Locate. Relocate. Or suffocate’! When an environment begins to hold your greatness hostage, it is an indication that relocation is necessary if you do not want to be choked to death. No one shrinks into greatness! The scriptures counsel us that if we want to be wise, we should walk with the wise because a companion of fools will end up being destroyed. The temptation when in a rut and you feel that things are not working well for you is to seek partners in misery whose stories merely help you to reinforce your frustration and its attendant dysfuntionality. A person with a broken marriage is more likely to court the company of someone with a similar or worse story if only to reassure himself or herself that his or her story is not the worst. But misery cannot cure misery. So stop developing relationships around your frustration but around your destination. Where you are headed is of greater value than where you have been. Develop relationships with people who speak the language of your destination, not the language of your history. Surround yourself with the empowering influences of mentors and people who can charge up your spiritual battery and rev up

the emotional engine of your life. Court the company of people who are currently living in the reality of what to you is still a dream! A stretched mind is practically impossible to bring back to original state. Yet, until you stretch your mind, you cannot grow. Until you grow, you cannot rise above your environment or your circumstance. If you do not want the odds of life stacked up against you, become a life-long learner. Information is the strength of strategic, victorious warfare. The internet, books, articles are replete with information relevant to your dream. The man who will not read has no clear advantage over the one who cannot read. Bookstores are filled with stories of people who have been in worse situations than you have been but who turned the tides in their favour. Such stories simply affirm possibilities in the midst of adversity, power in spite of pain and success on the other side of failure. No matter what you desire to become, there is ample information out there about it. Seek, acquire and use it! When the student is ready, he will find the teacher already waiting. Furthermore, be grateful to God for little successes along the way. Learn to celebrate significant milestones of achievements on the journey. Until you know how to be thankful for what you have and where you are now, you will never appreciate where you are going and what you set out to get. No matter how bad things are or have been, never lock yourself in victim mode. You can make yourself tougher than adversity. Robert Schuler put it very nicely in his book of that title “Tough times never last but tough people do”! Nobody walks backwards into the future. No man can climb the ladder of success with his hands in his pockets. Spending valuable time merely analyzing your problems does not solve them. It can only end in analysis paralysis. Instead of moping around hoping that something will shift, you shift things. Move. Take action. Do something. Keep moving. Aim for the stars. You may not get there but nobody will accuse your feet of not having left the ground! Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!

What causes the leader to stay the course HISTORY has it that when Germany seemed poised to defeat England and win World War II, Winston Churchill made his most famous speech in which he said, “we will never surrender!” He proclaimed these defiant words even when others were urging and advising him to make peace with Adolph Hitler. Behind closed doors, Churchill explained why he refused to give in. “I study history,” he said. “And history tells you that, if you hold on long enough, something always happens.” The truth is, Churchill was right! Less than a month after this clandestine and concealed conversation, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hitler declared war on the United States, and the greatest industrial power on the planet ended up joining forces with Churchill’s England. I gave birth to today’s piece because I do know that there are many religious, business and institution leaders—who are currently at the verge of giving in. I have come to tell you this day that you should not give in yet. If you will hold on long enough, a great change is going to hit you and what you have been working on for years. That ‘water’ is not coming out of the ‘well’ that you have been digging for years does not mean that you are not going to get to ‘water’ real soon. If you will dig long enough, ‘water’ is going to spring forth. Do not stop, keep digging. Do not fold that business up yet. It is going to become a success story very soon. Do not pack out of that marriage yet. You will laugh last! I do know this like I do know my fingers. No matter how tough it gets, no matter how much tension or stress you are facing today, stay the course and hang in there. From time to time, on the condition that you stay the course long enough and hard enough, the sun will break through the clouds and things will happen for you. If you do not have courageous patience, you cannot become successful as a leader in the 21st century. It takes courage to win as a leader.

One interesting point on the issue of courage in leadership is that no leader either alive or dead was born with it. No one came from heaven with the virtue of audacity and courage. Every successful leader that I do know in the now and every leader I have read about developed the import, essence and substance of courage. You can develop the habit of courage by practicing it. Whenever you have a tendency to shilly-shally or back off from a challenge, force yourself to go forward. If you want to become successful in both life and leadership, always be moving frontward toward the things you dread. Every day, you must make it a habit to meet head-on the things you fear, to face the people or situations you fear. Remember, each time you face a fear and conquer it, your courage grows. You do not run away from what you fear, you face it and get it out of the way. Leaders do not run away from challenges, they face them and conquer them. It takes courage to launch something that has never been done before on earth. It takes courage to stand when others blend. It takes courage to say what has never been said before. It takes courage to run when others sit. It takes courage to leave a familiar territory for an unfamiliar territory. It takes courage to say the truth when others lie. It takes courage to dare to lead in a 3rd world country as Nigeria. When it comes to leadership, courage is everything. It is the difference between a leader and a follower. One of the keys to courage is boldness. It takes boldness to speak when others hug and kiss fear as a bride. It takes a bold, brave and audacious leader to stand to speak—even at the risk of either his or her life. History does not have a space for spineless leaders, history only talks about courageous leaders—leaders, who dared to birth new things when everyone was celebrating old-fashioned things. When I started what I am doing today in Nigeria and

across the planet-earth, I had no money and I knew no one, but I decided to act boldly and as an effect of this, unseen forces came to my aid. Buddy, if you will launch yourself continually, things will end up working for you. You cannot stay where you are and expect to make a difference. You will need to step out with courage. When you step out without fear and resources, some people are going to jeer at you. Do not let that stop you. Those who laugh at you today are going to laugh with you tomorrow. One of the generals I studied was Frederick the Great of Prussia. Frederick was one of only a few people to be known as “the Great” in his lifetime. Whenever he met the enemy, no matter how big the forces, he attacked. If you were an enemy force facing Frederick of Prussia, when he came across you, he would attack you. If he had 10,000 men and you had 70,000, he would attack you. His motto: de l’ audace, de l’ audace, et toujours de l’ audace—audacity, audacity, always audacity. What an audacious leader! Furthermore, Frederick lost a lot of battles, but he won the critical ones and ended up becoming one of the foremost and prime rulers of his day. In the long run, other leaders knew that if they crossed Frederick of Prussia, he would always attack with all his force to defeat them. One great lesson that stands out of the life of Frederick is that leaders do not wait for others to act before they act. Lastly, the question is: Do you want to become a notable leader in Nigeria and on this continent? You cannot afford to let others act before you act. Leaders act first before others act. And it takes a lot of courage to do this. Also, once an idea drops into your mind, act on it almost immediately. If you do not promptly and swiftly act on it, others will do so and you will lose out. Your time to lead for others to follow is right now. Rise and take your own place in leadership in Nigeria and Africa.

28 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Living in fear in their fatherland

Continues from pg27

floor of the Senate in Abuja, agonized on the quantum of destruction unleashed on Benue communities and urged the Federal Government to develop grazing space for the cattle to curb further destruction of farms. “As we speak, Agatu is under siege,”he lamented. Gemade, however, said that the incessant attacks were the fall out of the displacement of Boko Haram insurgents from their traditional zone by Nigerian Army, adding that “Boko Haram insurgents were mixing with herdsmen to cause trouble.” Imagine this. The time is 3:20pm and an Air flight was billed to land at the Akure Airport in Ondo State, but the pilot was notified that the airport was out of service as the Fulani herdsmen and their grazing cows have taken over the runway and would be cleared in the next 20 minutes. This is a scenario at the airport in Ondo State. This scenario happened some few weeks before the abduction of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae on his birthday, in September last year by men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen who invaded his farm in Ilado in Akure North Local Government Area of the state. Falae was accused by the herdsmen to be a stumbling block to the grazing of cows in his farm, accusing him of reporting the herdsmen many times to the security agencies in the state and the septuagenarian had to pay for his freedom after being a guest to the herdsmen for four days before he was released. Prior to the kidnap of Falae, there had been series of clashes between herdsmen and farners in the state, with the conflicts turning violent and killing of farmers and destruction of farms when the farmers tried to resist invasion of herdsmen and their cows in their farmland . The main cause of the frequent clashes between the Fulani herdsmen and the farmers in Ondo State can be traced to the invasion of these herdsmen and their cows to various farms within the state which has led to destruction of lives and properties especially farm produce. Speaking on the frequent crisis between the Fulani cattle rearers and farmers in the state, Chairman of Ondo Farmers Association, Mr Akin Olotu decried the rate of destruction by the cattle rearers and their cattle on farms across the state, saying

farmers have been subjected to hardship and loss. Olotu noted that the activities of the Fulani herdsmen have become a serious threat to the security of the nation saying farmers in the state have come together to call the attention of the state and federal governments to the hydra headed problem of normative cattle rearing which is gradually snowballing into rape, robbery, kidnapping and setting of farms on fire . He said “ The menace is not restricted to crops alone; fish ponds are being ravaged as well. Cattle are brought there to drink water continuously and the net used in covering the ponds are destroyed; fishes in those ponds are stolen and growth of the remaining ones are hampered. “Bee-Keepers are not left out. A prominent Bee-Keeper in the state lost over N2 million last year when his hives were gutted by fire. What is more painful is that, a lot of our farmers are on loan from different financial institutions. Who bears the loss? Several thousands of hectares of cassava, maize, vegetable farms are either grazed upon or gutted by fire.. “Farm investments running into several billions of naira had been ruined and our farmers are licking their wounds. When a young cocoa tree is lost to fire, the loss is not just restricted to the yield of that year, but the investment in land preparation, planting, nursing and the potential yield projected over 10-15 years. “ Apparently irked by the activities of these nomadic cattle rearers, the Association of Farmers in Ondo State, after a one day summit came up with a communique suggesting how to put an end to the atrocities of these Fulani herdsmen before it will further snowball into ethnic war between Yoruba and Fulani/ Hausa in the state.

The farmers said in the communique “That neither grazing zone nor growing routes are feasible or acceptable in Ondo State, because the lands are not available, while federal government should encourage and facilitate the option of feed lots by making hays and establishment of mega ranches up North; “that the nomadic herdsmen are entitled to settled life too, therefore it is inhuman, retrogressive and gross violation of their human right to continue to subject them by federal overlords and the wealthy ones, to an unsettled nomadic life of wandering about in the jungle under the pretence of keeping their culture; “that the Federal Government must compensate our farmers that are victims of the herdsmen to the tune of N2 billion immediately; that our representatives in the senate and House of Representatives should champion this cause for the state. When tree crops are ravaged by fire, it takes a couple of years for them to recover, if they do at all. “That Ondo State Governor should liaise with other South-West Governors, so as to present a common front in view of the peculiarities of the zone in terms of tree crops farming, while Speakers of the South-West zones should meet urgently and facilitate a bill to safeguard our farms.” However, at a meeting of the stakeholders organised by the State ministry of Environment, where stakeholders expressed their displeasure over the activities of the herdsmen, the state government took a stand on the activities of the Fulani herdsmen. The meeting was attended by security agents, farmers, cattle breeders, cattle rearers, traditional rulers, community head, government officials among others where a resolution was reached by all parties involved. Representative of the state Commissioner

Ondo State Governor should liaise with other South-West Governors, so as to present a common front in view of the peculiarities of the zone in terms of tree crops farming, while Speakers of the South-West zones should meet urgently and facilitate a bill to safeguard our farms.

of Police, Mike Ogbodu, at the one day stakeholders meeting, DSP Femi Joseph said the crisis between the herdsmen and farmers had been giving the command serious headache but said the Command has really done a lot to eradicate the frequent face off between the farmers and herdsmen. He said the command had held series of meetings with the leadership of the group on several occasions and said “ This issue is a national issue and the federal government is worried, but on our part here, apart from the fact that we always engage the Fulani herdsmen to discuss the way out, we also sensitise them on the need to avoid friction with the farmers. “From the beginning of this year, we have been arresting anyone caught committing offence of malicious damage by taking them to court, but we know that might not solve the problem but the good news is that even the federal government is doing everything possible to ensure that the issue is handled holistically so that the incessant clashes between the herdsmen and farmers will be a thing of the past” But the state Chairman, Cattle Market Association, Musa Ahmed, said all the allegations against the herdsmen in the state should be shifted to members of Cattle Breeders Association who employed the services of immatured persons who move cattle across the state even to restricted areas. He said the movement of their cattle is restricted to a certain area along Ado road where they can move their cows before they are sold which was established some 26 years ago. The Chairman Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Bello Garuba, however denied the allegation against his men saying those perpetrating the acts are not from the state saying Fulani herdsmen in the state are peace loving who will not destroy the existing peace in the state. Garuba said the herdsmen have suffered the same casualty like the farmers saying there had been cases of farmers shooting their cows which they care for like children and said many of their men had been killed in the process But the Head of Department, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Akure, Mrs Christianah Kazeem said no fewer than 40 cows on a daily basis are visible at the airport, urging the state government to prevail on cattle owners and herdsmen as they Continues on pg29

29 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Allegations against us not true — Fulani leader Continues from pg28

pose a serious threat to flight operations To avert the lingering crisis between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the state, the state government, last week, banned grazing within the state capital and other community which include Airport road, Army Barracks, Oba Ile, Oda road, Adofure, Idanre and FUTA.. Speaking on the development, the state Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Sola Ebiseni ordered the immediate evacuation of cattle within Parliament Estate, behind School of Nursing, while cattle herdsmen and owners were asked to register with the state government with immediate effect. Investigation by the Nigerian Tribune indicated that of recent, there has been no clash or hostility between the farming communities in Osun and Fulani herdsmen. But, security agencies were not resting on their oars to sustain the existing peaceful atmosphere. As part of the moves to avert possible crisis, the Department of State Security (DSS), late last year, in Osogbo brokered peace parley between the leadership of Yoruba Socio-cultural group, Afenifere and Miyetti Allah Cattle Rearers Association over the unhealthy relationship between them in some parts of the South West. Former Director of the DSS in Osun, Mr Andrew Iorkay, who presided over the peace parley said the development was aimed at dousing growing tension between the leadership of Afenifere and Fulani herdsmen as a result of the recent abduction of Chief Olu Falae. At the meeting, a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Osun State, Mr. Niyi Owolade, represented the Afenifere while the Miyetti Allah team was led by its chairman, Salihu Ismael; secretary, Aliyu Kamilu and Sarkin Hausasa, A. Ahmadu were part of the peace meeting. According to the source at the meeting, “the DSS boss maintained that it was imperative for the two groups to co-exist peacefully and urged their members, including other stakeholders, to sustain reigning peace. Iorkay implored the leadership of the two groups to prevail on their members to shun acts inimical to peace and security. “The DSS would not hesitate to deal decisively with anybody caught promoting violence through their words or actions”, Iorkay further cautioned. In his remark, Owoloade was said to have expressed satisfaction over the peace parley but warned that Fulani herdsmen must refrain from destroying farms during the grazing of their livestock, just as he observed that Yoruba people were peace loving and accommodating but would not tolerate the destruction of their farms by the activities of the cattle rearers. The activities of Fulani herdsmen had continued to be a source of concern to residents of some communities in Ogun State. Mostly affected were some communities in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area about a year and a half ago, but the quick intervention on the part of the state government to check mate the excesses of the Fulani cattle rearers had been effective. Reports then from the community leaders in the area were that of rape, incessant killing and wanton destruction of farmlands. Recently,the Council of Obas in IjebuIgbo, in Ijebu North Local Government raised the alarm over alleged destruction of their farmlands and sexual violation of Yoruba women by Fulani herdsmen in the locality.

The traditional rulers at a meeting held in Ijebu-Igbo, last week, had it that the activities of the herdsmen and their cattle posed serious threat to the security of the people of the area. Three out of the six traditional rulers who made the Council include: the Sopen Lukale of Oke-Sopen, Oba Mufutau Yusuf; the Kegbo of Atikori, Oba Ibitoye Solaja and the Bejeroku of Oke Agbo, Oba Olaoye Abass described the activities of the herdsmen as heinous. They jointly submitted that the destruction of the town’s farmlands by the herdsmen had imposed untold hardship on the people of the community who are mainly farmers. While speaking, Oba Solaja said that his palace had daily been inundated with complaints by the victims of the Fulani herdsmen. The monarch said, “Everyday, my people run to me with complaints about Fulani herdsmen destroying their farms. I always ask them to report to the police because we don’t want the people to take laws into their hands.” A community leader, in Japara, IjebuIgbo, Chief Bayo Dayo said the herdsmen who who were always armed,allegedly rape women in the area while their cattle had continued to destroy large farmlands. “If we are not careful here in Ijebu Igbo, all our farms may be wiped out. All our farms in Eyin Oshun are now being destroyed by cattle. The cattle destroy the

farms and the herders too rape women. In Japara, I have over 10 acres of farmland, the herdsmen destroyed it and now I had to fence it round to stop them from destroying the farm completely. If care is not taken, the cattle rearers may cause war,” Dayo said. The traditional rulers in the area have therefore appealed to the Ogun State Government to take urgent steps to stop the herdsmen and their cattle from the community to avoid any form of confrontation that could lead to crisis. They said it had become imperative for government to check the alleged destructive and nefarious activities of the herdsmen in the area before it got completely out of hands. The Obas also agreed that “necessary steps be taken to ensure that Fulani cattle rearers go about their business without destroying the crops on our farms and raping and maiming of our women.” The activities of Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti State leave much to be desired. There have been reports of destruction of cultivated farms in parts of the state. However, in some other parts, their activities are said to go beyond the routine leading of their cattle to graze in peoples’ farms. They have also been accused of armed robbery and rape. For instance, many people in some communities in southern area of the state have on many occasions reported alleged armed robbery by people they claimed were Fulani cattle rearers. Reports of armed robbery on

Alhaji Bello Garuba, however denied the allegation against his men saying those perpetrating the acts are not from the state saying Fulani herdsmen in the state are peace loving who will not destroy the existing peace in the state.

the Ado Ekiti -Aramoko road at a point on the road between Igede-Ekiti and Aramoko (in the central district of the state) has also been heard in recent times. Nigerians using the Ikere-Ekiti - Ise road are used to the sight of a military checkpoint on the road, somewhere between the two communities. The soldiers, according to some of the users of the road were deployed there following incessant reports of armed robbery there. Motorists plying the road too have sad tales to tell about their ugly experiences, allegedly in the hands of the cattle rearers. It was so disturbing at some period in the state that commercial motorists had to device means of communicating before using the road. Those of them who are about to take off in Ise would call their colleagues on the way to know the condition of the road before taking off while those coming from Ikere axis would also do the same. They do not ply the road when it is six o’clock. However, with the deployment of soldiers on the road, the tales of robbery and rape and sundry crimes have been greatly reduced. However, the destruction of cultivated farmlands has endured. The destruction of farmlands had led to several skirmishes between the herdsmen and members of their host communities. In one of the reported clashes, a Fulani man was said to have been killed by a farmer, who was said to have reacted angrily when he arrived in his farm and found that his crops had been destroyed. The man was paraded by the police in Ekiti State. In the recent past, when Mr. Taiwo Lakanu served in Ekiti State as the Commissioner of Police in the command, he convened a meeting of traditional rulers, community leaders and representatives of herdsmen at the command headquarters. At the meeting, which was an all-comers, the various stakeholders bared their minds on the issue of herdsmen/farmers incessant clashes. The police had called the meeting to find a midway in what has remained a bitter, incessant division between the cattle rearers and the people of the various communities where their cattle are found and domiciled. Among other top-ranking community leaders, monarchs from Oke Ako, Iyemero, Itapaji and Oloje were among the numerous participants at the meeting. Also there were the leaders of the Fulani community as well as the police hierarchy in the state. One after the other, the communities listed all manner of infringements they had suffered from the herdsmen. But they were similar. The Fulani defended themselves and denied committing the offences and in some cases, tried to differentiate between what they said was the “Bororo” and the others. But the police was suing for peace, and charging the two sides to find a peaceful means of coexistence. The Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State has also suffered the same fate with the school authorities raising alarm over the destruction of the school’s farmlands by suspected Fulani herdsmen. At a pre-convocation news conference in Ado-Ekit, the Ekiti State capital, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Taiwo Akande, revealed that the institution had lost several millions in monetary terms to the menace. In view of the loss, Akande called on the federal government to intervene in the crisis, regretting that the intervention by the police and Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), whose university is located directly opposite the Continues on pg30

30 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Yoruba/Fulani crisis, any end in sight? Continues from pg29

polytechnic, had not stopped the invasion. The herdsmen, she stated, continued to bring their cattle to the campus environment and eat up every green leaf I sight. “This menace of these herdsmen has been most destructive on many of our demonstration farms and pilot plantations. “It is most painful to also disclose that some of the pilot farm projects, academic, research demonstration farms and recently established plantations on which we pinned our hope for future revenue enhancement have been destroyed one after the other by these people,” she said. According to her, this systematic destruction of the institution’s farms and project has been on since over two years, adding that activities of land grabbers and illegal settlers had also constituted a menace to the academic community. On April 13, 2015, a bloody clash erupted in the sleepy and agrarian town of Oro Ago in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State between the Yoruba indigenes and the nomadic Fulani, popularly referred to as Bororo. The incident reportedly claimed many lives among the two groups of people. It was gathered that the traditional ruler of Oro Ago town, Oba Johnson Dada, in conjunction with other village chiefs/council of elders had said that no one was allowed to carry along with him/her weapons to the market venue on any of the market days in the town. Speaking on the development, the president of Oro Ago Development Union, Chief Richard Olushola, said, “when the Bororo, who carried weapons along with them to the market on a market day were challenged to know why they had to flout the monarch’s order, rather than explain or in the least be apologetic, they threw caution to the wind, initiated mayhem and matcheted some indigenes of Oro Ago. Thus confusion and chaos ensued, putting an end to the hitherto peaceful transactions in the market as indigenes ran helter skelter scampering for safety. The degenerated criminal acts led to a complete breakdown of law and order with vehicles, motorcycles and houses belonging to indigenes set ablaze”, he said. Chief Olushola, who said the alleged criminal activities of the Bororo settlers were not the first of its kind, added that, “we have had to bear with their excesses for the sake of peace in times past. Some of their past nefarious acts include constant encroachment into indigenes’ farmland with their cows thereby destroying agricultural products such as maize, guinea corn and. cassava, intermittent robbery-with arms, shooting/macheting indigenes while working on their farms for challenging them for allowing their cows to graze on their farms and raping”. Recently, the Kwara State government made known its intention to strengthen security across the state by setting up special security committee comprising security agencies and the Fulani community to check kidnapping, cattle rustling and other criminal activities among cattle breeders in the state. Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed , who stated this while receiving members of the Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, led by its sstate chairman, Alhaji Usman Adamu at the Government House, Ilorin, expressed concern over Farmers/ Fulani clashes in the state, saying that the government was working round the clock to curtail the problem through the establishment of grazing reserves and stock

Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Chief Sola Ebiseni (in suit); Kabiesi the Ogbolu of Ita-Ogbolu, Akure North LG with representatives of farmers/ community leaders and heads of the Fulani herdsmen at the end of a one-day Stakeholders meeting on ‘Cattle Rearing and the Environment’ in the Ministry last Thursday. routes across the state. Earlier, the State Chairman of the Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Usman Adamu praised the governor for carrying them along in his administration. Alhaji Adamu sought for the government’s assistance to enable them overcome the problem of kidnapping of their kinsmen and the menace of cattle rustlers among others. Speaking on the development, the spokesperson of the Kwara state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi, absolved the command of partisanship in past clashes involving indigenes and the Fulani herdsmen in any part of the state, saying the police was out to ensure peace, harmonious relationship and maintain security, law and order. Okasanmi, who said the Oro Ago case was investigated by the police headquarters in Abuja when “some Fulanis and the natives had some scuffle that led to death of some people of Oro-Ago. But eventually the Force CID of Nigeria police force requested for that matter to be transferred to Abuja for further investigation and we did that. Since they have taken over the case from us, they have every authority to go anywhere in this country to get the root of the entire matter. At present, Oyo State is relatively enjoying peace following a peace brokered by the Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade five months ago between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the state. The peace pact came after the abduction of Chief Olu Falae and the Yoruba elders issued an ultimatum, citing various crimes committed by the Fulanis in the region. Though some of the points raised during the peace parley brokered by Oyebade, according to some, still persist today but at a relatively lower point. Some of the farmers who spoke with Nigerian Tribune disclosed that “the herdsmen are still enmeshed in their crime game.” Gabriel Akande, is a farmer in one of the towns in Oke-Ogun area. He said it is difficult to separate Fulani from crimes which has anything to do with farmers because they live in the bush. He said because they have to move their cattle around farmlands across the region make it a confrontational issue any day. Apart from crisis on the farms, some people have also alleged that the high rise in robbery on the high ways in the region have been unofficially traced to gangsters among the tribe. Though, in some situation, the relationship between the parties has continue to

grow to an unimaginable bond, the thin line which has continually make them sleep is still sacrosanct. For example, some Fulanis are even members of vigilante groups set up by the Local Government Councils. Five months ago, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade summoned a peace meeting between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen to curb the perennial conflict of the warring parties in Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, Oyo, Ogbomoso and other parts of the state. The meeting, which according to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) was held at the Conference hall of the state headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, had Police management team, Divisional Police Officers (DPO) of the affected areas, representatives of farmers and Fulani herdsmen, traditional rulers and chiefs as well as other stakeholders in attendance. Some of the agreements reached and represented in a communiqué at the meeting include a pledge of peaceful co-existence between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the state. Others are: proper screening of the all herdsmen coming into any area by both the natives and Fulani leaders; no herdsman should allow his cattle to damage any farmland, no farmers should deliberately poison any source of water used by either cattle rearers or any other person, no night grazing, no herdsman should harrass or intimidate any farm owner and vice versa for any reason, all related conflict between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen should be referred to the committee constituted in each local government area. The communiqué which had 21 signatories, also stated that on no account should any Fulani herdsman or anybody be in possession of prohibited firearms, personal firearms or any lethal weapons without permit by relevant authorities and that elders from both farmers and Fulani herdsmen should monitor movement and lifestyles of their younger ones among others. And recently, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Adeleye Oyebade, in one of his visits to the divisional stations in the state appealed for constant dialogue on the need for respect of rules of engagement and peaceful co-existence as a major tool for eradicating communal clashes arising from grazing on farmlands across Nigeria. He further pointed out that the recommendation was the way forward in the bid to control and avoid incessant communal clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers. He also added that there is need for all concerned parties to realize and

respect that there are boundaries from both sides that must be respected in the interest of peace. Some traditional rulers were accused of granting permit to cattle rearers without consent of farm owners while some of the Fulani herdsmen claimed that some of the farmers have poisoned water sources for their cattle, thus making them suffer huge losses resulting from the death of their poisoned cattle. Oyebade then ordered that the agreement contained in the earlier peace accord must be obeyed and also ordered the newly deployed Divisional Police Officers in the affected communities to ensure that they do not take sides, even as they respond promptly to distress call. In Kogi State, the news of the killing of a former councilor of Mopamuro Local Government Council, Paul Oluwole, reverberated through Ayede Oke-Agi Amuro, last Thursday. Oluwole was said to be on his way to his farm when two suspected Fulani herdsmen shot him at a close range. The incident was a repeat of that of the one in which a female farmer was also attacked, raped and mutilated a week earlier. According to the Oba of Ayede Oke-Agi Amuro, Chief Matthew Obasa, killings of farmers in Amuro communities allegedly by herdsmen had been a recurring decimal. In an interview on Saturday in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, he said, “Our lives and the entire community are not safe from the hand of these evil men as they go about with guns and dangerous weapons. “My people can no longer go about their farming activities because of the fear of being attacked by these deadly herdsmen. “We are calling on government and all security agencies to come to our rescue in Mopamuro as the situation has already gone out of hand.” Obasa urged the Inspector-General of Police and Commissioner of Police in Kogi State to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous acts were brought to justice. Police Public Relations Officer of Kogi State Command, Williams Anya, said the police was not aware of the incidents but promised that the matter would be investigated. Contributions from Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta Tunde Busari — Ibadan Biola Azeez - Ilorin Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure Sam Nwaoko - Ekiti Tunde Ogunesan - Ibadan Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

31 thesouth-west The transition of the late Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale in 2010 made a way for the rise of Oba Jimoh Olanipekun as his successor a few months later. TUNDE BUSARI writes

HE emergence of Oba Jimoh Olanipekun (Larooye II) followed a keen contest among the royal blood including a former member of the House of Representatives, Prince Leo Awoyemi and a Director at Obokun Local Government Council, Alhaji Kayode Adebisi. However, wisdom of Osogbo kingmakers prevailed and the ancient town was saved from impending vacant palace. Remarkably, the Ataoja does not lose sight of his voyage to the Oja Oba palace, hence his consistent supplication to God for seeing him through the selection process and coronation. Oba Olanipekun easily recalls his days as a civil servant, describing the period as crucial to his current position. “I am one of the advocates of no knowledge is a waste. Whatever assignment you do today is preparing you for higher responsibilities in the future. I can conveniently say my civil service years prepared me for the throne. That is the summary of my story. Those who knew me then are in the best position to tell the whole story,” he said. One of people through whom Oba Olanipekun passed is Alhaji Ajadi Badmus. As a school teacher, Oba Olanipekun was one of the staff of Alhaji Badmus at Muslim Grammar School, Oke Osun, Osogbo in the late 80s. He was a permanent name on the good book of the principal emeritus, whose no nonsense approach to work was an albatross to lazy teachers. “Kabiyesi exhibited high commitment to work throughout the time we worked together. He keyed into my philosophy as soon as he was engaged and rose to be one of my favourites based on his attitude,” he attested. The Ataoja is a devout Muslim, hosting Islamic activities at the palace and also attending others outside his domain. Yet, he is the custodian of the popular Osun Osogbo festival, an annual culture fiesta which draws a large number of tourists to Osogbo. Ask him on the seeming contradiction in his faith, he would smile and offer an answer that would daze any interviewer. His argument is premised on the sanctity of Osun goddess as the mother of the town. It is said that Osun’s voice guided the settlement of Larooye and Timehin, the founders of the town. One instruction the goddess gave the duo was the annual observance of the festival, failure of which could attract a repercussion. “Then how does anyone want me to default? How does anyone want me to derail from the history? Whoever accepts to be the Ataoja does not need to be told again that preserving Osun festival and other traditional activities are his obligation to his people, regardless of his faithfulness to mosque or church,” he said. The UNESCO declaration of Osun groove as one of the world best preserved heritages in 2005 further validated the Ataoja’s claim. Also, naming the state after Osun and making Osogbo the capital is a masterstroke which provides more convincing justification for the Ataoja to stick to the significance of the goddess to his town. “How can one wish that away? Can we have a better benefit? That is why, come August, we shall be all out to celebrate yet another Osun festival. It has become the synonym of us and there is nothing we can do about it apart from being proud of it,” he said.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

My civil service years prepared me for the throne —Ataoja

The role played by the Ataoja-In-Council in steering the ship of Osogbo with the Ataoja is as inspiring to Oba Olanipekun as it is significant. Led by the Ajagunna of Osogboland, Chief Gabriel Oparanti, the council, comprising traditional chiefs, readily responds to issues concerning the welfare of the town. Family matters are regularly resolved amicably without resort to the law enforcement agency. Oba Olanipekun acknowledges and appreciates the chiefs whom, he said, gave him the needed springboard at the inception of his reign. He stresses that no traditional ruler can successfully administer his town without the support of his chiefs, recalling that from the beginning of his reign his chiefs have shown tremendous support in navigating through the royal terrain.

“I can say I am blessed with chiefs who key into my vision for the town. We may disagree. It is natural when you have sound minds. But our disagreements dissolve immediately there is need to move forward in the interest of the town. That is the beauty of it and the town is better off,” he stated. Though installed and crowned as the Ataoja of Osogboland by the former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in 2010, Oba Olanipekun’s bond with the incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola is phenomena, and the monarch is unapologetic about his position and indeed very proud of the governor. The physical transformation of Osogbo from its former glorified local government headquarters to an emerging capital of Osun State in the last five years, is one of the reasons Oba Olanipekun would always stand by Aregbesola through thick and thin,

I can say I am blessed with chiefs who key into my vision for the town.

Nigerian Tribune

especially in face of the current socio-economic reality. Regardless of criticism trailing his progovernor stance, the Ataoja would urge the public to show understanding rather than crucifying the governor, whom, he said, cannot be insulated from harsh economic weather biting the nation on account of the unfortunate free fall of oil price in world market. ”I don’t know why those who are criticising the governor cannot understand that the situation in the country is not affecting Osun State alone. Criticising him is not the best option for a governor whose first tenure witnessed the kind of change the state needed in the area of development. The projects like schools, roads and school meal are not something we can just overlook. They are huge projects only committed governor can embark upon and deliver. Workers are important elements of governance but they should not heat up the polity,” he said. Having travelled to America and Europe where Osogbo indigenes played host to him, the Ataoja urged his sons and daughters in the Diaspora to direct their investment drive back home to compliment the effort of the state government. “The enabling environment the government has created has made Osogbo different from the town they left many years ago. The town has been opened up by the government. So, they should come and join hands with the developmental project going on to have Osogbo of our collective dream. Oba Olanipekun is always grateful to his predecessors for laying a good foundation on which the current development is erected. Osogbo, in pre-independence Nigeria, was an important commercial centre with a major railway station serving traders as far as Niger River. The Ataoja is particularly impressed by his immediate predecessor, Oba Iyiola Oyewale whose reign witnessed the creation of Osun State and Osogbo emerging as capital among other landmark achievements. “My predecessor raised the bar of the stool during his lifetime and there is nothing to say than to give thanks to God for what He has done for my town. We received His grace and we are still receiving it with what Ogbeni Aregbesola is doing. Married to delectable wives and promising children, the Ataoja’s pro-polygamy stance is an asset based on his faith in his religion which permits him to marry more than one wife. Besides, he declares that as a traditional ruler, who needs the service of his wives in the palace to attend to visitors among other assignments, his marital status is in order. What is most important, he maintained, is the capability to take a good care of the wives to justify the practice. “Once this is done with a sense of fairness and fear of God, one is okay,” he clarified. The ebullient monarch is, however, averse to parents who abandon their responsibilities thereby making the wives and children vulnerable. He reasons that such category of people is enemies of God and humanity taking into cognizance the effect on the innocent kids most of who stray to the streets and become social miscreants. Although confident of his sons and daughters as people with no crime history, he is conscious of the cosmopolitan status of his town, insisting parents would bear the blame of their children’s misdemeanor. “It is high time every parent looked after his children in order to save the society of crime. What we read in newspapers about kids taking into crime is mind-boggling. When parents fail, society is at receiving end,” he said.

32 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Awo’s legacy: Roadmap to South-West development nights carousing in clubs or in company of men of shady character and women of easy virtue, I, like a few others, am always at my post working hard at the country’s problems and trying to find solutions for them. this when he stated With them the slogan that, “it has been always is: Drinking a l m o s t 7 0 y e a r s From left, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Dancing till Day ; Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Sir Olaniwun Ajayi on the since Chief Awolowo occasion. Break; but with those first published and of my breed, it is: Hard enunciated some of Work Till Midnight these ideas in his or the Early Hours Path to Nigerian of the \morning. Freedom (1947) Now, when out of the with subsequent inflated emptiness of reformulations and their minds they speak, refinements in his they are naturally other books and superficial. Only the monographs. Since deep can call to the then, and especially deep. When on the since his passing, other hand, others of every serious my ilk speak out of the contribution on the fullness of their minds, matter of Nigerian what they say more social and political often than not command Fro challenges has been Biy m right, Professor A.B.O.O. Oyediran; his wife, Tol a; Chief (Mrs) Alaba Oniru i Durojaiye. attention and sometimes ; Mr Asaolu Olatomiwa and a series of footnotes Senator appeals to the majority on his seminal of the people. This is the ideas. difference,” the sage said. “An interesting Throughout his life, the question presents sage advocated for the itself; How is it that common good of all as Chief Awolowo, a opposed to the special politician who interest of a few, indeed, never attained the this was the battle cry highest political of the progressive office in the land, government. And continues to be according to Gbadegesin, relevant to social “in the wake of political and political tension in the horizon, discourse in in the face of economic the land almost inequality, in the climate thirty years after of religious bigotry and his transition?” educational decline, this Fro m lef t, Og un State governor, Senato the Professor r Ibikunle Amosun; keynot is an opportune time for Director, Obafemi Awolo e speaker, Professor Seg wo queried. un Gbadegesin; Executive progressive thinking and Adamolekun, at the 201 Foundation (OAF), Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunb 6 Obafemi Awolowo Memo o Aw And he rial Symposium held at Ike olowo Dosumu and Professor Ladipo action,” he said. nne, Ogun State. answered the The professor concluded books question thus, “an answer is not farthat now the country is fetched: It is not Awo the body that which I have written, the lectures fortunate that the facts are still there, the moral is resonates. It is Awo the mind that which I have given and the many still there and the masses are still here, adding that, “in the continues to animate and confound. Awo speeches and statements which I have circumstance, the solutions and responses of Awolowo made. You will find there is no problem the mind remains an enigma of immense and his team are still unassailable, especially for a self – proportion. Awo the mind remains an confronting or about to confront Nigeria acclaimed progressive party, which has a pillar of its enigma of immense proportion. This to which I have not given a thought manifesto, political restructuring and devotion of power is an interesting thought which is again and for which I have not proffered to the states. intelligent and reasoned solutions in The traceable to him. Didn’t the sage himself “Chief Awolowo did what was humanly possible to place premium on the development Framework of National Policies in Path make Nigeria great. But like the last son of Orunmila, of the subjective mind? Indeed Awo to Nigerian Greatness, 1981, page 89. Nigeria shunned and disrespected him. He left for the “I have never regarded myself as himself was not shy about his worth land of ancestors. But for the faithful who believe in him having a monopoly of wisdom. The in ideas and thoughtful solutions to and his strategies for making Nigeria great, he left them national challenges,” Gbadegesin stated. trouble is that when most people in the tools, the outcome of his sleepless nights, the result The sage himself proved this during his life and in position of leadership and of his deep thoughts, to consult and reflect upon as we lifetime when he stated that, “look at the rulership are spending whole days and continue to struggle for the progress and development of dear country. It is in our interest as a nation to go back to him from time to time to make our nation as great as it is destined to be,” Gbadegesin said. For the southwest to be great again, the reasoning and logic of the sage may be the way out – development of human beings as the most important resource, education of the children, revival and strengthening the system of public education, revisiting the challenge of school drop outs who end up in the slaughter slab of political thuggery and terrorist camps.

Stakeholders in the South-West converged on Ikenne Remo, Ogun State recently for the 2016 Obafemi Awolowo memorial symposium where speakers submitted that Papa Awolowo’s logical reasonings remain a panacea for sustainable development in the South-West. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports.

HE Southwest, in recent years, has been on a continual path of self rediscovery to restore its pride as a homogenous entity in the Nigerian society and in its continuous search for growth, many have advised that the region retrace its steps and borrow a leaf from the theories of its heroes past. This also formed part of the keynote address at the 2016 Obafemi Awolowo memorial symposium held on March 3, at Ikenne in Ogun State. The keynote address delivered by Professor Segun Gbadegesin cited the deep and logical thoughts of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his postulations as a panacea to the ills ravaging the Southwest in all important spheres of endeavors. According to him, deep thought has to precede great achievement and Chief Awolowo was a thinker who was true to his humanity and put his mind to work for the progressive advancement of the nation that he believed in, adding that “it was thus that progressive governance has its thought leader and its foremost agent of praxis, he was an active thinker and a thoughtful actor.” Professor Gbadegesin stated that Awo’s logical reasoning on three existential issues; education, economy, political structure and constitutional arrangement, sampled as an easy path to development. On education, Awo believes that human beings are the sole dynamic agents of development while education is fundamentally important for humans as individuals, family and society to fully develop their skills and that the state has a duty to provide free education at all levels to citizens. And on economy, the sage postulated that the welfare of citizens is the most fundamental concern of the government as the economy is the most fundamental social political arrangement that impacts the welfare of citizens, he added that a good economic outcome requires adequate planning and a progressive government must have a sound economic plan that prioritises diversification and integrated rural development And on the third challenge; political structure and constitutional arrangements, he held that there is a scientific and objective formula that determines the best political and constitutional arrangement for nation-states while the best political and constitutional arrangement for a multi-ethnic and multi- linguistic state is a true federal system, therefore, the best political and constitutional arrangement is a true federal system. These theories of the sage are decades old but they have been established by scholars to be very relevant for development in the Southwest today as it was relevant to the Western region and Nigeria as a whole in times past. They hold a strong belief that the theories and postulations of Chief Awolowo can be used to restore the southwest to the glorious position it occupied in the past among other regions. Professor Gbadegesin was succinct in

Chief Awolowo did what was humanly possible to make Nigeria great. But like the last son of Orunmila, Nigeria shunned and disrespected him.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

infotech

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Bode Adewumi

m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

Why MasterCard is empowering women in Nigeria —Ojomuyide

Omokehinde Ojomuyide is the Vice President and Area Business Head for West Africa, MasterCard. Based in Nigeria, Ojomuyide is responsible for advancing acceptance and issuance of MasterCard’s payment products in Nigeria and other English speaking countries in West Africa. In this interview with INFOTECH, she speaks about the company’s recent initiative with the United Nations (UN) to empower women in Nigeria and around the world. Excerpts:

HAT is the idea behind the Mastercard, UN women collaboration? Around the world, nearly 2.4 billion people live without any form of official personal identification, and the majority of them are women. As part of broader International Women’s Day activities, MasterCard and UN Women signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address this imbalance and advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. The first initiative in the relationship is the launch of a pilot in Nigeria, which aims to provide half a million Nigerian women with ID cards enabled with electronic payments functionality. Our partnership with UN Women is the result of a shared vision of a world where women are empowered to achieve their true potential. Lack of identity is a critical barrier for women seeking to do something as simple as voting, own property or open an account to receive or send money. Together, we can make a real difference in these women’s lives. According to the World Bank, only 47 per cent of women worldwide have access to formal financial services, compared to 51 per cent of men. In Africa, this number increases to more than 70 per cent of women. We look forward to working together and see the potential of expanding the model to benefit women also in other countries. It is also encouraging that we will collaborate on knowledge generation, advocacy and resource mobilisation for greater investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment thereby reflecting MasterCard and its deep commitment to a Planet 50/50 and to supporting UN WOMEN’s efforts. Under the programme, MasterCard and UN Women will further explore how and when Nigerians have signed up for the country’s national identity card programme. Based on these insights, a targeted programme will be launched to educate women on the benefits of the programme and enrol them for the identity card. This campaign will help at least half a million women in Nigeria gain access to financial services, many for the first time, and the support their need to enter the country’s formal economy. UN Women is focus on women empowerment, and we also have a relationship with Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which focuses on identification. So, we are bringing these two organisations together because we have a relationship with them. Right now, we are planning five million women in Nigeria, but we are saying we want to get Identification Cards to five

Why Nigeria? We decided to use Nigeria because of what was already happening, the size of Nigeria and if you want to do anything good and big, then you must do it in Nigeria, that’s what we think in MasterCard. When it comes to Africa, because you want to do something that makes sense, you will be exposed to a lot of complexity that would make you learn and make you learn better and make greater impact so that is why Nigeria. So, it makes a lot of sense to start with Nigeria and we are going to continue in other countries together with UN women. We are piloting it in Lagos, Edo, Kaduna and Adamawa States. It is just a pilot stage; we are going to take it to other states as we progress. Why those states? The UN Women will be the one to do the grassroots work as it is UN Women driven project, but for instance in Lagos, you have vibrant women movements and I think that would be easier for them, when women have already brought themselves together for a purpose. So, they can join many women groups together and that’s why they are doing it in Lagos for instance. But I want to let you know that every state is important to us and it is something that will grow.

Ojomuyide million Nigerian women, leveraging on the work of UN Women as well as work with NIMC and we believe that once they are able to get a form of identification, they move a step closer to being included in the card financial service sector. If we can move them a step closer into financial inclusion as we call it, then it is easier for a bank and anyone to be able to reach them. Is it only for banks? No, we are not talking about banks; it is the ability to save, insured, get loans, get to financial service sector. When you talk about MasterCard,

Our partnership with UN Women is the result of a shared vision of a world where women are empowered to achieve their true potential.

you talk money or isn’t this true? It is not only about money at all. It is about trying to leverage the strength of this organisation to help them achieve their objectives because they are both achieving their objectives, but in also doing that, we get to achieve our own objectives too. So, the real beneficiaries are the Nigerian women, not you that have many forms identification, but for people that have zero form of identification. Is this for the illiterate women only? We are not specific about illiterate women. Out there are women who are educated and don’t have a means of identification or even in the formal and financial service sector. It is not only about the illiterate, because immediately you set a dichotomy, you lose focus. So, this is for every Nigerian woman out there now. But majorly, it is for UN Women and MasterCard and we have a global focus on this. We are just piloting in Nigeria. We will limit it to Nigeria for now, what is important is that we are organising Nigeria as a test bed, we will replicate what we are doing all over the world. It might not be with NIMC, because NIMC is mainly Nigeria, but we are going to surely replicate this. We are learning from here and we’ll take it outside.

What about the financial implication, don’t you think this will be enormous? The UN Women representative also mentioned something about the budget, which is very huge, so you see why they will need all the support they can get from everybody. MasterCard as a partner is the first private sector top partners and they need a lot more people to step into the game and support what they are doing. How do Nigerian women key into this? You know it is your right to get the National Identification and it is a privilege. So, you can go and get it because when you give the information to the registration centre, you can start the process anywhere around. But for Nigerian women, many might have the information or don’t even know at all, so what we are going to do is to have education camps that are going to be for information, leveraging the relationships that are already in the state. They are going to work with these women groups to bring women together and make it easy for them to register. The idea behind it is for women to be able to get registered easily and get their cards without stress.

infotech

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

NCC will continue to support WATRA- Danbatta Stories By Bode Adewumi

HE Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, has said that having been involved in mid-wifing and the birth of the West African Regulatory Assembly (WATRA), that the NCC is duty bound to continue to lend a helping hand to the activities of the ECOWAS body. The EVC spoke when he received the Executive Secretary of WATRA, Alhaji Maman Laminou in his office in Abuja recently. Danbatta assured the visitors that they are welcome to the Commission any day. “Take this place as your home,” Danbatta assured. He told the visitors that the NCC’s broadband plan will cater for everybody including those in the rural communities, adding that the NCC hopes to leverage on WATRA’s expertise to actualise the recently unveiled eight-point agenda whose focus is on the turnaround of the telecommunications sector. The EVC assured the visitors that the National Broadband Plan (NBP) will be pursued vigorously and that attaining the 30 per cent minimum coverage by 2018 is possible. In his remarks, Laminou congratulated Danbatta for his appointment as the EVC of the NCC and pledged the support of WATRA to NCC at all times. Laminou said that WATRA was in the process of harmonising the roaming activities of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He said guidelines are being developed for a seamless interconnection and roaming of telephone users in West Africa. He said this and many others will form discussions at the yearly general meeting in April, 2016. Laminou said that WATRA has

From left, Mr Nnamdi Anionwu, Channel Manager, Mobile Banking; Mr Rob Giles, Head, Transaction and E- Banking , both of Diamond Bank Plc; Mr Callistus Anowai, One Millionth Diamond Mobile app customer, rewarded with N1 million; Nnenna Achife, Head Consumer, Channels Transaction and E-Banking and Mr Sam Aneke, Head, Business Channels, Transaction and E- Banking, all of Diamond Bank Plc, at the One Millionth Diamond Mobile app reward ceremony held recently in Lagos. been taking its activities to several member countries in the last year or so. Some of these activities include Technology Conversion (in Senegal) and has been involved in the campaign for infrastructure

Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo, Director, Human Capital and Infrastructure Group, Hajia Maryam Bayi and Chief of Staff to the EVC, Mr Usman Malah among others.

Diamond Bank rewards one millionth mobile app customer with N1m IT was all excitement at Diamond Bank headquarters in Lagos when the management of the bank recently rewarded Callistus Anowai, a 27-year-old trader and apprentice plumber with N1 million for emerging the one millionth customer to download, register and use the bank’s mobile app. The lucky Nnewi indigene, who is resident in Warri, Delta State, told journalists that he downloaded the app on Valentine’s Day after seeing how easy and simple his friends did their banking transactions using the app on their mobile phones. “I see my friends use the mobile app on their phones and that night I decided to download the app be-

Organisers unveil plans for TechPlus 2016 event RIDING on the success of its maiden edition, Connect Marketing Services, has unveiled plans for the 2016 edition of Nigeria’s biggest tech event – TechPlus. According to the organisers, the 2016 Techplus event is billed to hold between 21 and 23 July at the Eko Hotels Conference Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. The theme for this year is ‘A Connected World’. In its second year, Techplus is a gathering of everything technology, providing a robust tripartite tech experience through its conference, exhibition and gaming structures, while also serving as a platform for knowledge sharing, networking and market place for consumers and businesses. Convening over 6,000 techy and non-techy participants with 30 other speakers and panelists at its 2015 edition, Techplus has positioned itself as the premier and most authoritative tech gathering in Nigeria. The maiden edition of the event also saw the display of

sharing among operators. WATRA has also been involved in capacity building for members on Quality of Service (QoS). The WATRA team was received by the EVC in company with the

hi-tech innovations and gaming solutions, recording over 1,096 gamers. In a statement published on the event website, the 2016 edition of the event will provide an avenue to advance technological discourse, ideas, displays and networks in and around Nigeria. Techplus Conference and Expo is a place where new technology comes to life, new products are launched and innovations converge, providing manufacturers, concept generators, software and hardware companies, content developers a platform to bring their products and services to life. The event is primed as the “main platform for innovations and new products to be introduced to consumers and businesses.” Speaking on the plans for Techplus 2016, Executive Director, Connect Marketing, Mr Kazeem Abimbola, noted that the event will capture emerging realities of global technological revolutions and how Nigeria can benefit from such.

cause I was tired of stressing myself always to go to my branch to transact business, little did I know that I will be getting a valentine’s gift from downloading the app that fateful day,” he said. Overwhelmed with joy and appreciative to the bank for the monetary reward, he stated that the money would go a long way in helping him to beef up his business capital, pointing that he recently graduated as an apprentice, after learning and acquiring trading and plumbing skills for six years. The chief executive officer of the bank, Mr Uzoma Dozie, stated that the reward ceremony was not just to celebrate the lucky customer but a celebration of the bank’s leadership role in driving personalised digital banking, noting that having a million persons change their financial lifestyle using the Diamond mobile app is a milestone achievement. “The implication of today’s celebration is that we have committed a million persons to a lifestyle of

executing financial transactions from anywhere in the world for as long as they have a Diamond Mobile App on any of their mobile devices,” he said. According to him, the bank’s strategic goal is to ensure that people can do their banking on-the-go without their wallet or debit card but with just their mobile phone with a Diamond Mobile App. “And we intend to achieve two million mark faster than we did for the one million mark because Diamond Mobile App is not just convenient way of banking but a secure one because the complain of fraud on the platform is much more lower than other channels,” ne added. In the sane vein, Mr Rob Giles, Head, Transaction and e-Banking, explained that the advantage of the Diamond Mobile App over others in the financial services subsector is hinged on the simplicity and top-level security that eliminates most of the risks associated with executing financial transactions.

Nigerian Tribune

Truecaller App introduces new features for users TRUECALLER, a leading mobile communication application in the world has introduced new exciting features on its Truecaller App. The new features, Smart call History, Availability, and a Builtin dialler feature, are configured to make communication safe and more delightful for users by providing more information about those they communicate with. Explaining the rationale behind the new additions during the formal launch, Alan Mamedi, co-founder and CEO, Truecaller noted that since Truecaller has become a necessity for hundreds of millions of mobile phone users all over the world, it is therefore imperative to improve the way these people make phone calls with Truecaller Apps features. He said, “Truecaller has become a necessity for hundreds of millions of people in their daily communication by always knowing who’s calling them and protecting them against spam calls. We are now taking this to the next level by changing the way people make phone calls with our integrated dialler and adding more context to your contacts that has never been seen before.” With the Smart Call History feature, Truecaller app users need not save contacts to their phonebook if they wish not to. This feature replaces unknown numbers with real names and faces in users’ call history even when the numbers are not saved in their contacts by looking through the Truecaller data base. The Availability feature shows the user if the contact he or she intends to call is free to talk or not. This means that when a user is on a call or in a meeting (which must have been scheduled on the Calendar App), Truecaller shows him/her as busy (a red dot) to the contact on his/her phonebook that also use Truecaller. So you no longer get a busy signal or interrupt someone. With the built-in Dialler feature which allows Truecaller users make calls directly with App, users can also completely replace their existing dialler and only use Truecaller for all their calls.

Huawei G-Power takes over Computer Village with the Gamicon experience HUAWEI consumers were given the opportunity within two days to experience the newly-launched G-Power smartphone in computer village, Ikeja, Lagos, recently. The event entitled “Huawei G Power Gamicon” treated consumers to music, food, drinks, games and lots of gifts like the Huawei Bluetooth Speakers, Flash drives, Refrigerators and the Huawei G-Power smartphone. The Huawei Gamicon kicked penultimate Friday with energising amusements like the Nintendo Wii and ice hockey for guests to play and win various

gifts. These guests dressed up in exciting props for a photo opportunity within a Huawei branded photo booth. The event was a success as it came to an end in the evening of Saturday. According to some of the winners, the Huawei Gamicon experience was exciting, engaging and fun. Cynthia, who won a refrigerator, thanked Huawei for the opportunity created for consumers to interact with the Huawei G-Power in a relaxed and exciting atmosphere with plenty of freebies given. “From now on, I will proclaim Huawei as the best smartphone

both in quality and customer engagement,” she added. Speaking on the rationale, the Country Manager, Huawei Consumer Business Group Nigeria, Mr Leo Jiang said: “The Huawei Gamicon was created to give consumers the opportunity to interface directly with the brand while having fun, playing games and winning gifts.The brand recognises the importance of continuous advancement in technology with priority to ensuring that consumer needs are met so we wanted our consumers to experience all the features of the phone first hand.”

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

brands& marketing

Consumers’ Rights Day and the Nigerian consumer Stories By Akin Adewakun - Lagos

ODAY, Tuesday, March 15, Nigerians will, again, join the rest of the world to observe the Consumers Right Day, an annual event, designed to beam the searchlight on issues affecting consumers globally and fashion out ways to tackle them with innovative solutions. Interestingly, not a few believe that there is no environment that is more qualified to stir up such a topic as the nation’s marketing environment, where the much-touted consumers have been turned out to be villains of every sales transaction. Curiously, no sector is spared. The Nigerian consumer has continued to be the ‘fall guy’ for every brand offering products and services, across the various sectors of the nation’s economy, with abundance of evidences showing such consumer infractions. Narrating his experience on the floor of one of the nation’s banking halls, recently to Brands & Marketing, Mrs Esther Olaniyi said she had visited one of the branches of her bank to effect a fund transfer to another bank from her account domiciled in that branch. After filling in the necessary details in the transfer form and waiting on the queue for what seemed an eternity, she was shocked when told that she would not be able to transfer the sum of N200,000 over the counter, but should use the ATM instead. “Even after I had told the cashier that I always prefer to do such transfer in the banking hall and that I didn’t even have an ATM card, the cashier still insisted that he was not going to process the transaction. “I was shocked that as a customer, I was not being given a choice. Instead of telling them what I want, they are the ones telling me what they want. Definitely, the customer is not the king in this instance, because I cannot be the king and my bank will still be dictating to me,” she complained. Curiously, while Mrs Olaniyi’s rights were being trampled on by the bank, another customer was also having a rough time with the same bank in the banking hall. “It was amazing. The customer had wanted to deposit some amount, about N47,000 on the counter only to be told by the cashier she had to go to the counting room to go and pay the money since the amount was below N50,000. Unfortunately, she was being asked to do this after waiting endlessly on the queue and no amount of pleas would sway the cashier. It just looks to me as if trampling on the customers’ rights has become a pastime of the bank,” Mrs Olaniyi stated. Goddie’s experience was a bit different. He was surprised that his bank would ask him to pay the sum of N210 for a transfer form, before he could be issued one. After all attempts at making the bank see reason failed, he had to cough out the amount since the transaction was urgent. Though he eventually did the transaction, but not without leaving with that impression that he had been short-changed.

Ms Sola Salako, CEO, CAFON The above represent a small fraction of the huge number of infractions that today’s consumers experience on their rights on daily basis, and Ms Sola Salako, Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON) and convener of the

No-Banking-Day believes there is that urgent need to step up consumerism in the country, since it is glaring that the consumers in this part of the globe are under siege.” According to her, “the decision to collaborate with other consumer advocacy groups

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Akin Adewakun

m:08054683584 e:akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk

to organise the recent bank fast was a way of sensitising stakeholders to the plight of the Nigerian consumer, though she wouldn’t see this as an indictment on the regulatory agencies, statutorily mandated to protect such consumers. ‘The fact remains that the agencies cannot do it alone. All hands must be on deck if that culture of consumerism is to be fully entrenched in the country,” she argued. But Mr Kokumo Aina, a consumer would want to differ a bit from Salako. For instance, while he agrees with the fact that there is the need to entrench consumerism in Nigeria, he however finds it odd that despite the army of regulatory agencies in the country the Nigerian consumer is far from being protected. “What is CBN doing about these infractions on the consumers in the banking hall, despite all these glaring evidences? If even if it is doing anything at all, the consumer seems not to be feeling the effect,” he argued. No doubt, the 2016 World Consumer Right Day symposium, being organised by the Brands Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) and expected to feature stakeholders in the nation’s financial system will go a long way in engaging customers on the need to strengthen their relationship and explain reason behind alleged excessive charges. Perhaps the event, which will feature a key note paper from the Chairman, TPT International, Adetokunbo Modupe and representatives from the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), Union Bank of Nigeria and Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON), will go a long way in re-igniting the fire of consumerism in the nation’s market place.

Shoprite doles out 10,000 gifts vouchers to mark 10th anniversary AS a way of appreciating its teeming customers for their loyal patronage, since opening its doors for business in the past one decade, the management of Shoprite has announced the company’s decision to give out 10,000 gift vouchers worth thousands of naira to mark the anniversary. The point-of-sale at Shoprite’s till points will randomly select winners in the reward initiative, expected to last till next month,

April. According to the company’s Executive Director, Adeola Kagho, consumers will automatically be entered into the competition when shopping at Shoprite, with N1, 000, N10,000 and N100,000 worth vouchers up for grabs. “We are so excited to celebrate ten years in Nigeria with loyal customers who have been with us over that period and that are

why we are giving away lots of vouchers in all our stores across the country,” Kagho stated. Kagho explained that the company is not placing any spending limit on the consumer, adding that once a consumer wins, all that is needed for such consumer to redeem his prize is to take his winning till slip to the Shoprite store manager, who will issue him the gift vouchers.

Skye Bank PR account changes hand FEW weeks after witnessing a movement of one of the PR account of the nation’s frontline breweries, the Nigerian Brewery Plc, there are strong indications the rumour mill is again alive that the PR account of a major player in the nation’s financial sector, Skye Bank Plc, may be moving out of the The Quadrant Company, where it presently domiciles. Sources close to Brands & Marketing disclosed that the account may be heading towards the direction of another PR agency in the industry, Powerlight Communications, being over-seen by the banks former Corporate Affairs and Communications Manager, Mr Kayode Akinyemi.

The decision to give the account to this relatively new agency, Brands & Marketing discovered may not be unconnected with the fact that besides making a very strong impression at the pitching process, Akinyemi’s years at the Corporate Communications department of the bank also put the agency in good stead to wrest the account from TQC. Interestingly, while all the parties to the pitching process were not available for comments, a practitioner who was in the know of the whole exercise expressed delight at the development, describing it as an indication of the growth the industry is witnessing of late. “It simply means that the nation’s

marketing communications industry is growing. Clients are looking for agencies that can deliver and meet them at their pain-points. It is not about the name this time around, but the value that you are bringing to the table as an agency. ‘The fact remains that Akinyemi’s days at the corporate communications department of the bank must have also counted in the agency’s favour. No doubt, it is an added advantage since he is already used to the system and the idea is that whatever solutions the agency is bringing to the table will be tailor-made and value-driven,” argued the practitioner who would not want his name in print.

brands&marketing

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Cussons Baby declares Nina Grant Moment 3 winners

From left, Akin Oyegun, Regional Brand Manager, Homecare; Bayo Obarotimi, Group Brand Development & Activation Manager; Christos Giouras, Executive Director Brand Development & Activation; Alex Goma, Managing Director, Family Care, Nigeria; Mina Georgewill, Brand Development & Activation Manager, Morning Fresh; Jim Judson, Regional Marketing Director; Roy Ekekwe, Regional Head of Category Fabric & Homecare; Jimi Taiwo, Regional Homecare Director during the launch of Morning Fresh Kitchen Moakeover promo at the PZ Headquarter, in Lagos.

Lafarge Africa rewards over 700 customers in Buy & Win promo Stories By Akin Adewakun - Lagos

VER 700 customers of Lafarge Africa Plc were rewarded with various prizes at the company’s Buy & Win raffle draws held at different locations in the South West, with Mrs Yeside Oduyebo clinching the star prize of 50 bags of cement at the final raffle draw of the promo held in Lagos. Marketing Director, Lafarge Africa Plc, Bruno Hounkpati described the promotion as part of an overall strategy to win with the customers and create value for them. “What we want to achieve is to increase our customers’ loyalty. A repeat business or behaviour can be bribed, but customer loyalty has to be earned. We believe our customers have been good to us considering the competitive environment that we are in and this is the only way we could have said thank you to them for their patronage over the years,” Hounkpati noted. He said the promo which started in December 2015 and ended in March 2016 was targeted at retailers and block-moulders with a view to stimulating end user demand and enhancing sales from key distributors, while also rewarding patronage

and loyalty, as well as engendering user recommendations and empowering the retailers and artisans. Explaining the mechanics of the promo,Hounkpati said “for the first phase, consumers who purchase 100 bags of cement received an instant umbrella gift while in the second phase for every purchase of twenty bags the retailer gets a coupon which qualifies him to participate in a raffle draw with the chance of winning several gift items.” The promo, which had its focus on the key regions of Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, West and South West, he added, had witnessed nine different raffle draws with 60 winners emerging from each location.

For the raffle prize, customers were rewarded with cement ranging from five bags to a star prize of 50 bags and other point of sales materials like Shovels, Head-pans, Pouches, Jackets, Almanacs, and T-shirts. According to Hounkpati over twelve trucks, each containing 600bags of cement, have been given out since the commencement of the promo. Reiterating the company’s commitment to reward its consumers, Mrs Modupe Oshibowale, Managing Director, Ebony De Great Nigeria Ltd one of the key distributors of Lafarge in Ikorodu, commended the company for honouring its promise to reward its loyal customers.

CUSSONS Baby’s promotional flagship platform, Cussons Baby Moments 3, was brought to an end in Lagos recently, with the declaration of Oritsejolomisan Nina Grant as the overall winner of the competition and the unveiling of Cussons Baby’s new logo. Grant emerged winner of the competition after defeating over 500 babies who entered for the season 3 of the competition. With the feat, Grant was rewarded with N1 million educational grant as grand prize, Cussons Baby products, a smart learning tablet, shopping voucher and Thermocool refrigerator. Baby Nina was closely followed by Similola Alexis Onabanjo and Obianamma Adele Anammah who emerged first and second runners up respectively. While Baby Simisola won N500,000, Cussons Baby products, shopping voucher, a smart learning tablet, and a Thermocool generator, Anammah won N250, 000, Cussons Baby products, a smart learning tablet, shopping voucher, and a Thermocool microwave. Other 20 babies who made it to the semi-final stage were also rewarded with shopping vouchers and Cussons Baby products. Speaking on the initiative, the Managing Director, Family Care, PZ Cussons, Alex Goma stated that it was aimed at offering parents the opportunity to share and celebrate their babies’ amazing moments. On the new logo, Goma said “It’s all about the emotion, actually the insight for us is that everything the parent or the mother does comes out of love and that is what the heart is all about.” In her reaction, the winner’s mother, Mrs Eraromena Grant, expressed shock that the baby eventually won the competition despite making a late entry into the competition.

Dulux declares Monarch Gold 2016 Colour of the Year CHEMICAL and Allied Products (CAP) Plc, a subsidiary of UAC of Nigeria Plc. (UACN), manufacturers of Dulux premium brand of paints has named ‘Monarch Gold’ as the Dulux 2016 Colour of the Year. This is in line with the AkzoNobel global tradition and Dulux brand leadership positioning in colour mastery.

According to Dulux Colour Experts, Monarch Gold was chosen out of a broad palette of yellows that best represent the golden influence of this year’s colour trends. Monarch Gold, the experts submit, captures a friendly palette but with a dark mysterious side that adds to its beauty Speaking during a special briefing ses-

Lagos NIPR elects new Chairman AFTER two botched attempts at conducting an election that would usher in a new set of leadership for the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the Chapter recently constituted its new executive members, with Mr Segun McMedal emerging as the chapter’s new chairman. McMedal had out-polled his main opponent, Mr Joe Okonmah, the chapter’s immediate past chairman, after the third candidate at the election was disqualified for failing to meet some of the requirements set by the electoral committee. Speaking on the elections, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Col. John Agim of the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI) expressed delight that the election, held under close monitoring of the national body of the chap-

Nigerian Tribune

ter, was held without rancour. The NASPRI Commandant explained that though three candidates had signified their interests to vie for the chapter’s most exalted office, office of the chairman, one of the candidates, Rev. Olusola Niyi, was disqualified from contesting, for failing to meet part of the stipulated requirements of the elections. “We were given bye-laws that the candidates should meet before they are accepted as candidates for elections, and one of the laws is that the candidate must be an effective member, that is, he must have 50 per cent of attendance in a year, without apology. The second one is that the candidate must have scaled through the institute’s on-going recertification exercise and must be financially active, both at the national and the state chapter. “We had three candidates for chairman-

ship, but one of the candidates did not meet some of these. He met up with the attendance requirement, he was up to date with his payment at the national level, but when we checked the state, he owed some money. That was why the committee disqualified him,” he stated. Prior to this, it will be recalled that the chapter had not been successful in its first two attempts at electing a new set of exco of the chapter at the expiration of Joseph Okonmah’s tenure in July last year. While the July 2015 election was annulled by the national body due to what it described as failure of the then chapter’s exco to submit the audited report of their stewardship one month before the elections, the one slated for February 25, this year was shifted to allow the candidates more time to unveil their manifestoes to the electorate.

sion with professional stakeholder bodies including Interior Design Association of Nigeria (IDAN), Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Nigerian Institute of Architects, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and Dulux Decorators Club, the Managing Director, Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) Plc, Mrs Omolara Elemide stated that it had become imperative to always come up with Dulux Colour of the Year, a platform the company uses to always communicate the annual global colour trend to Nigerians. “For the past 11 years, Chemical and Allied Products Plc. (CAP Plc.), a subsidiary of UACN Plc. and also the technological licensee of AkzoNobel, the world’s largest paint producer has been sensitising Nigerians about the annual global trends, overriding mood and colour that embodies this overriding mood.” she said. In his presentation, the company’s Marketing Manager, Mr Dominic Oladeji, explained that this year’s Dulux Colour of the Year ‘Monarch Gold’ was derived from the overriding theme, Looking Both Ways, which attempts to strike a balance between two opposing worlds such as Dark and Light, Heritage and Future, Words and Pictures and The Grid and Letting Go.

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

property

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Chukwuma Okparaocha

m: 08038984495 e: chukscop2005@gmail.com

Finding lasting solution to building collapse menace Chukwuma Okparaocha - Lagos

HE building collapse at Lekki has again brought to bear the need for the government to sanitise the housing sector. The sad incident it will be recalled claimed the lives of no fewer than 34 lives in one fell swoop. This latest in the series of such cataclysm that has been befalling the nation came barely one and a half years when a multi-storey building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed and brought to an abrupt end the lives of about 130 people. Strangely, the two incidents are somewhat similar in the sense that, the developers of both properties have been accused going beyond the approved plan, by adding unapproved additional floor. As a matter of fact, it has been suggested that yearly, over 200 buildings collapse in the country, however, many of such collapse go unannounced because they occur in remote and places that do not readily come to mind when information are being gathered or disseminated, and also because of the fact that attention is more often than not given to the most devastating of such collapse. This recent development, coupled with the fact that many buildings had collapsed in the past without anybody being brought to book, lend credence to the call in some quarters that it was high time the government did something about the national building code and all relevant building laws in the country. Many professional bodies such as the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN), the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and others, as well as individual stakeholders in the built environment have at one time or the other called the attention of the government and the National Assembly on the need to pass the Bill to enforce the National Building Code which, it was gathered has been redundant in the National Assembly. “The Bill to enforce the National Building Code which has been languishing in the National Assembly should be passed into law without any delay. This will allow the prescribed sanctions against those responsible for collapse of buildings to be activated as a matter of routine,” this was the view of the

ex-Chairman of CORBON, Professor Akin Akindoyeni, when making comments about building collapse problem in the country, recently. An overview of the National Building Code, according to Professor Akindoyeni, reveals that the code was approved by the National Executive Council and then Council of States in 2006. The code, according to him, also stipulates the minimum practice requirements for the development of the various types of buildings required for human occupancy in Nigeria. Tribune Property was able to gather that the seven professional institutes and regulatory councils responsible for the development of the built environment, are currently backed by a code that does not give them the power to sanction or prosecute offenders, a mere code, which does not give relevant bodies within the built environment the power to prosecute those found culpable in the collapse of buildings. The call has therefore gone out for a review of this law so that those councils can be empowered, with the full backing of the court to prosecute any builder, whether local or an expatriate, found to have been involved in the construction of substandard buildings. According to information gathered, only three states of the federation – Lagos, Adamawa and Ogun could be said to have taken positive steps towards the establishment

Government, to me, has not taken the issue of building collapse seriously, and only a revolutionary approach can solve the problem.

of Urban Planning Commission Bill, which provides for the Building Code, and which was submitted by CORBON to each state of Assembly. It was gathered that it is only Lagos State that has actually inculcated the provisions of the code into its laws. What this implies is that in other states of the nation, apart from Lagos, anyone (including quacks and semitrained builders) can submit building and construction development applications, and also start and complete the construction of buildings without a single input from any of the registered professionals in the country. This means any Tom, Dick and Harry can breeze into the country, under the guise of being an expatriate, secure multi-million construction contracts. Complete such a job without a single effort of a Nigerian expert. This, on the other hand, is practically impossible in many of the countries such expatriates come from. This trend will not only spell doom to the nation in the long run, it will by no means help in the fight against substandard and collapse of buildings in the country. At this juncture, every state of the federation as well as the Federal Government are enjoined to borrow a leaf from the book of Lagos State, by ensuring that the fight against building collapse is tackled professionally, by giving necessary legal power to regulatory councils within the nation’s built environment by giving necessary legal backing to the National Building Code. In a chat with Tribune Property over building collapse problem in the country, with special focus on the latest incident at Lekki, a seasoned builder and president of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Mr Kunle Awobodu, insisted that the government had not taken the issue of building collapse serious. He premised his argument on the belief that the housing sector is in dire need of total cleanup, because housing has become an all-comers affairs who he said were taking of the advantage of government’s neglect of the sector to turn housing into a mere business venture, where little regard is given to quality of work and product as well

as safety of lives. “Bad eggs in the housing sector, including those among the professionals should be identified and weeded out. Government, to me, has not taken the issue of building collapse seriously, and only a revolutionary approach can solve the problem,” said Awobodu, who also called for a prompt conduct of integrity tests on all nearby buildings to the collapse one. Mr Awobodu’s latest submission seemed to be in line with what he had stated in an earlier interaction with the media over building collapse menace in the country. “Lagos State has become a conurbation, a congeries of towns of mega-city status. Such vastness has made the state difficult to monitor in the face of rapid physical development. “Lagos remains the pulsating heart of the nation’s building construction. As at 2008, the Lagos State Government engaged 200 site inspectors to monitor construction works in over 42,000 sites. “This, obviously, was a mismatch. Government manpower is grossly inadequate to thoroughly cope with rapid physical development in the state. If numerical strength and ubiquity of construction professionals can be taken advantage of, a proper monitoring mechanism can be installed,” Awobodu had declared. However, other experts have suggested that all stakeholders in the housing sector – occupants, housing authorities as well as the government – must play the roles allotted to them so as to forestall future loss of lives as a result of building collapse. In the meantime, another builder has also urged the government to ensure that adequate arrangement, even if it is going to be on a temporary basis, is made to shelter people who will have to move out of any distressed building. It’s also been suggested that appropriate housing authorities which have the mandate of fishing out and marking such distressed buildings for demolition must ensure that occupants evacuate such buildings, while occupants themselves must comply with the instruction to move elsewhere.

property

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Low cost housing estates possible only if —Experts StoriesbyChukwumaOkparaocha-Lagos

HE federal and state governments have been urged to work on the provision of low cost mass housing for Nigerians, as this will go a long way in saving many citizens nationwide the problem of building houses which is usually done at a very expensive cost. An estate valuer and property consultant, Mr Kunle Adedeji, disclosed in a recent chat with Tribune Property, where he stated that land which is about the most important of all things needed in building houses, should be provided and made readily available for would-be house owners. “If I got something from the government for so high, I will also sell or make it available for others at a very high rate,” he disclosed. “Apart from this, the government should encourage the use of locally made building materials, and if imported materials must be used at all, the import duties on such materials must be reduced, and they should be sold to people at low rates,” Mr Adedeji said. “Mortgage loans with low, simple and single-digit interest rates should be encourage,” he added. Mr Adedeji further insisted that government should also encourage private participation, as well as creating a general conducive atmosphere. In a similar vein, another estate developer and property manager, Mr Kelvin Ofili had also opined that provision of low cost mass housing estates was a difficult thing to carry out, because other essential amenities, such as roads, drainage, good sewage system as well as borehole must be provided which would unavoidably lead to high cost of production. He expressed his reservation about the idea of government building houses for people, saying this would be very expensive at

the end of the day. Rather, he said “government can help by providing land free of charge and infrastructure at low cost, while people

Fashola

ment decides to build houses for people, the perennial problems of government’s inefficiency as well as other factors relating to the at-

titude of contractors could make such a venture expensive, and thus, the original aim would be defeated,” Mr Ofili declared.

Buhari

FHA calls for calm over FESTAC land appeal judgment THE Federal Housing Authority has urged its land allottees in FESTAC Phase II, Festival Town, Lagos to maintain peace and refrain from joining issues with the Kuje-Amuwo community which recently secured a court judgment against the Authority over a disputed portion of the Area. The indigenes, relying on a Federal High Court, Lagos judgment had embarked on harassment of allottees and demolition of the property of residents of FESTAC Phase II in a bid to enforce the judgment delivered by Justice Okon Effreti Abang on 29 February, 2016. The FHA, in a statement signed by its Head, Corporate Communications, Mr Tunde Ipinmisho, decried the resort to self-help by the plaintiffs in the case even as the copies of the judgment were yet to be obtained. Noting that only court bailiffs,

Efficient waste control: Experts harp on recycling RECYCLING has been described as an aspect of environment management which, apart from serving as a means of waste control in any society, also serves as a means of turning waste materials into wealth. According to a report entitled “Waste management: The recycling option,” made available by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), experts suggest that recycling involves the recovery of discarded materials from the waste stream for other beneficiary uses. It was also revealed that recycled materials which are often degraded somewhat by use or processing, must be converted to another purpose. “Recycling has been used in different parts of the world as a means to better manage resources and reduce costs and the impact of waste materials on the

are allowed to build according to their taste, but in conformity with standing rules and regulation “If on the other hand, the govern-

environment,” the report revealed. Tribune Property also gathered that in Lagos, recycling of waste has been chosen as an alternative way to encourage the participation of Lagosians, school children and other stakeholders in waste minimisation to conserve energy, recover resources, protect the environment, save on disposal costs and generate revenue and new employment. “Recycling helps reduce pollution, prolongs the usefulness of landfills and conserves natural resources,” experts have suggested, adding that “public sector investment in local recycling programmes pays great dividends by creating private sector jobs.” Nigerians are therefore urged to embrace the culture of recycling because according to the report, recycling helps to sustain the environment for future generations.

sheriffs and the police were empowered to enforce court judgments under the Sheriff and Civil Processes Act, the FHA said the wanton destruction of property and the demolition of the ongoing FHA approved projects in FESTAC Phase II, including projects of the Federal Government concessionaire for the reclamation and sand filling of the area amounted to self help and a blatant breach of the law. It appealed to the Kuje-Amuwo community to give peace a chance by ensuring the sustenance of the rule of law in the process of ascertaining their rights on the disputed portion of land. The FHA, which said it had proceeded to the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision of the Federal High Court in the case, warned the Kuje-Amuwo community to desist from further harassment and intimidation of law abiding citizens and the willful destruction

of property. The Authority also said it has invited the Law Enforcement Agencies to protect the lives and property of citizens in the FESTAC Phase II area. The Alamuwo of Kuje Amuwo, Oba Isaac Owolabi and three others had instituted a suit against the FHA claiming that about 4.017 hectares being a portion of land in the Phase II of Festival Town belong to the Amuwo community and was not properly acquired. By the Federal Government Gazettes No 54 of November 6, 1975 and No 45 of September 9, 1976, the government acquired about 2,024.60 hectares of land along Badagry Expressway and lying between Amuwo Odofin Scheme, International Trade Fair Complex and the Military Cantonment and referred to as Festival Town in the Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State. The Lagos State government on

11 May, 1988, granted an Indenture covering the Federal Government Acquisition to the Federal Housing Authority. The tenor of the grant is in perpetuity for as long as the Federal Government or the Federal Housing Authority requires the land. The judgment against a Federal land duly acquired after payment of compensation and partially developed since 1977 as FESTAC Phase 1, is perverse and an abuse of court process. FHA has therefore requested the relevant security agencies to preserve law and order in the area while the Federal Government in collaboration with the Concessionaire/Developer duly contracted by the Federal Housing Authority is taking steps to vacate the judgment. The general public is therefore advised not to have any dealing with the Kuje Amuwo family and its agents on the land.

Private estate developer to launch housing scheme in Ondo Hakeem Gbadamosi -Akure

AS part of effort to bridge the housing deficit in the country, a private Estate Developer, Bev Services Limited (BSL), has stated its plan to launch the first affordable housing scheme in Akure, the Ondo State capital. The Chief Executive Officer of BSL, Mr Tolulope Ayowunmi Eluwa who disclosed this in Akure during a press conference stated that the launch of the housing Scheme would help to alleviate constraints to a rapid housing development in the state and the nation as a whole. Eluwa who explained that the Housing Estate would be located along Akure-Ondo Road, said the estate would be named after a former governor of the state, Chief Bamidele Olumilua, as a mark of honor for the former governor of

the old Ondo state. the National Housing Fund. This He said the 60 units housing can enable you to own a house projects would consist of 25 units through your equity contribution of Three Bedroom flats and 30 over a period of time,” he said. units of two-bedroom flats and Speaking on mode of payment, would be completed within the he said, “Those who are part of the next three months. Contributory Pension Scheme can He explained that the three-bed- use part of their savings to pay, I room apart would go for N5.5 mil- think this should be around 25 lion, while the two bedroom will percent and they can pay directly go for N2.5 million, disclosing that to the construction company who the housing unit was basically for will do housing project for them.” civil servants in the state. He said the aim of the scheme “Our target is the state work- was to open up the housing and ers and the mode of payment will urban development components come through installment pay- of the state and also to create jobs, ment while outright purchase is impact local economy and also also available. to contribute significantly to the “We are also encouraging our gross domestic products of the people to be active contributors to state. In the last edition, we used a picture to illustrate the story: ‘Time for govt to gainfully use N5bn-worth abandoned properties in Lagos.’ We have found out that the picture is not an abandoned project. The error is regretted.

news

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Our intelligence report uncovered Tarfa’s alleged bribery —EFCC Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin Lagos ESPONDING to embattled Senior Advocate of Nigeria Rickey Tarfa’s bid to quash bribery charges against him, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, revealed why they docked Tarfa for alleged attempt to pervert the course of Justice. Tarfa had filed an application before Justice Aishat Opesanwo of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere praying that the corruption charges against him be quashed. It would be recalled that Tarfa was arraigned before the court on February 16, on a two count charge bordering on alleged wilful obstruction of an officer of the agency to carry out his duty. While the second count alleged that Tarfa attempted to pervert the course of justice, to which he pleaded not guilty. In the counter affidavit filed by the anti-graft agency in opposition to the application to quash the charge, deposed to by one Sanusi Mohammed, an agent of the commission, EFCC revealed how Tarfa allegedly committed the said offences. In a 28 paragraph affidavit, Mohammed averred that in the process of investigating a petition dated December 16, 2013, the defendant filed two fundamental rights enforcement suit No FHC/L/ CS/715/2015- Rena Prestige Industries Nigeria Ltd and Mr Gnanhouse Sourou Nazaira V EFCC and 2 others and FHC/L/CS/716/ 2015 - Hair Prestige Manufacturing Nigeria Ltd V EFCC and 2 Ors respectively at the Federal High Court, Lagos on behalf of his clients against the commission. He averred that Justice Mohammed Yunusa, who

presided over the two suits delivered judgement on September 8, 2015 in favour of the defendant and his clients, and also awarded a total sum of N10million in the two cases as damages against the commission and two other respondents. EFCC further stated that while the suit was going on, the commission received

intelligence that the defendant was communicating with Justice Yunusa with a view to get a favourable judgment against the commission. The anti-graft agency also stated that the investigation confirmed this report and further revealed that the chambers of the defendant were in the habit of instruct-

ing the registrars of the Federal High Court to assign matters being handled by the chambers to Justice Yunusa. At yesterday’s proceedings, counsel to Tarfa, Nnaemeka Nigige SAN, told the court that the EFCC served them their counter on Friday at about 2:50pm, which made them not to re-

From left, Mrs Kemi Alao-Akala; Prince Adetunji Ogunwusi; Chairman, Prime Water View Holding, Mr Dele Agekameh; Mrs Morola Babalola and Mr Eric Balogun, during the groundbreaking of Praise Court, at Jericho GRA, Ibadan, on Monday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Army seeks media cooperation on national security Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt THE Nigerian Army has called for a good rapport between the security agencies and the media as a means to promote national security and portray the military in good light to the public and before the international community. General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Major-General Ibrahim Attahiru, made the call while delivering a lecture

at the First Quarter 2016 Study Period and Media Workshop, organised by the Directorate of Army Public Relations, at the 2 Brigade Officers Mess, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday. The training workshop was held with the theme, “Bridging Communication Gap between Nigerian Army and the Media.” Speaking on “Media Reports of Nigerian Army Activities: Implications of Nigerian Security,” the top

military brass argued that the relationship between the Nigerian Army and the media has been that of ‘we versus them.’ He said analysis revealed that the media portray the Nigerian Army in the negative light such as human rights violators, weak and occupational army, noting that while the role of the media was to inform and educate the public that of the military was to secure the country. General Attahiru also

Alleged N3.9bn fraud: Badeh’s trial stalled

Sunday Ejike - Abuja THE appearance of a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), on Monday, stalled the scheduled trial of the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, for allegedly diverting funds meant for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). Badeh engaged the former AGF to defend him in the 10-count charge preferred against him and Iyalikam Nigeria Ltd, a company believed to be owned by him. The Federal Government, through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had on February 29, 2016, filed the

ply on time. The EFCC counsel, Gbolahan Latona, in his response confirmed that they received further and better affidavit adding that they needed more time to study the reply served on them. Justice Opesanwo adjourned the matter till March 21, for the hearing of the pending application.

charges against the former CDS and his company before a Federal High Court in Abuja. EFCC alleged that Badeh, while serving as Chief of Air Staff and Iyalikam Nig Ltd, between January and December 2013 did use Dollar equivalent of N1.1 billion removed from NAF’s accounts to purchase for themselves a mansion at Maitama, Abuja. After Badeh’s former lawyer, Samuel Zibiri (SAN), helped him secure his bail last week, the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang slated Monday to commence trial. But when the matter came up yesterday, Badeh’s new lawyer, Olujimi, sought for an adjournment to enable him prepare ad-

equately for his client’s defence, saying that he had not been adequately briefed by his client. He added that the prosecution had also filed a new proof of evidence that would require time for him to respond to. In his response, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), opposed Badeh’s application for adjournment, saying that the suit was fixed for definite trial yesterday. Justice Abang adjourned the matter till tomorrow, Wednesday, March 16, 2016 for day to day trial. Justice Okon Abang had last week admitted Badeh to bail in the sum of N2 billion and two sureties in the sum of N1 billion each. Badeh and his company were accused of remov-

ing money from NAF’s accounts and did use Dollar equivalent of N650 million to purchase a commercial plot at plot 1386, Oda crescent Cadastral zone Ao7 Wuse ll Abuja. The offence, the EFCC said was contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act. The defendants were also said to have, between March 28 and December 2013, in Abuja did use an aggregate sum of N878,362,732.94 removed from NAF accounts and paid into account of Rytebuilders Technologies Ltd with Zenith bank plc for construction of a shopping mall on plot 1386, Cadastral zone.

emphasised that information from the Nigerian Army is often classified in order to protect the national interest, describing the media as a battle field of ideas and influence between national institutions and stakeholders. As a means to forming a common front between the two organs, he said the media needed to be part of the country’s security architecture and called on army personnel, particularly the information officers to always be diplomatic in their responses when asked questions by media practitioners. Earlier in his welcome address, the acting director, Directorate of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Colonel Sani Usman, said training was intended to sustain relationship between the army and the media. This, he said, became imperative especially at this critical moment when the country was faced with myriad of challenges, including insecurity, oil theft and criminality. Usman added that the training was very crucial for the internal operations of the Nigerian Army and called on the participants to make good use of the opportunity presented by the workshop.

Katsina to conduct LG elections soon —Masari GOVERNOR Aminu Masari of Katsina State, on Monday, reiterated that the state was committed to conducting credible local government elections soon. Masari gave the assurance at an interactive session with people of the state, organised by the BBC Medical Action. He said that the state, apart from conducting the local government elections, would also make the councils autonomous. “You know when we assumed mantle of leadership; we received many petitions over the elections in the councils and their administrations. “We followed the constitutional provisions and dissolved all the 34 local councils and their chairmen challenged our decision in court. “Don’t forget during our campaigns, we promised to give them their autonomy. “So, I want assure Katsina people that the government will conduct the elections after the court case and give them their autonomy as we promised,” he said.

Benson re-elected speaker of Bayelsa assembly Austin Ebipade - Yenagoa AMIDST tight security of combined team of security operative in the state, former Speaker, Friday Konbowei Benson, who was issued certificate of return after winning the re-run election, was yesterday reelected and reinstated as the Speaker of the house by no fewer than 20 members of the assembly. The oath of office and allegiance was administered on the Speaker, Benson, representing Southern Ijaw Constituency IV by the Clerk of the house, Mr Fumiye Aaron. The session was tense, but Hon Tonye Isenah, representing Kolokuma/ Opokuma Constituency II, moved the motion for the reinstatement of Rt Hon Benson, which was seconded by Hon Monday Obolo, representing Southern Ijaw III in the assembly. However, the inauguration of the Speaker, Benson, has put an end to clandestine moves and scheming by some members to occupy his seat that had been vacant since last year, sequel to the annulment of his earlier victory at the polls in April 12, 2015.

40 news We can’t wait anymore for Shiite’s memorandum –Judicial Commission Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Muhammad Sabiu -Kaduna

HE Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the recent army versus Shiite clash in Zaria, Kaduna State, said it would no longer wait for the sect to submit their memorandum because they were given ample time to do so. This was just as the commission had adjourned again for the fifth time till March 21, 2016, to enable the counsel to the Shiite gain access to its leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El- Zakzaky. Adjourning the sitting, chairman of the commission, Justice Muhammadu Lawal Garba, said the commission was running out of the six weeks allotted to it by the Kaduna State government, stressing that the adjournment would be the last whether or not the legal team had access to its leader. He urged the legal team to the Shiite to submit its memorandum on or before March 21, adding that the commission would go ahead on that day to hear army’s side of the memorandum. “We give another opportunity to allow the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) to see their leader because the application for adjournment is supported by all the parties appearing before the panel,” the chairman said. Earlier, at Monday’s sitting, one of the leading counsels to the commission, Yunus Ustaz Usman, told the commission that all efforts made to gain access to the leader of the Islamic Movement proved abortive. Usman explained that in order to ensure that El-Zakzaky was seen and met before yesterday (Monday’s) sitting, the Kaduna State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Amina Dyeris-Sijuwade was contacted, who in turn contacted the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for the sect’s legal team to gain access to the IMN’s leader, yet to no avail. He, therefore, appealed to the commission to give another opportunity to the IMN, by adjourning to another date, in order to make further attempts that might lead to access to the IMN’s leader. “We did the best we could, but because of the busy schedule of the Attorney General of the Federation, we could not go through him, but we met with the Attorney General of Kaduna State, and she spoke to the Attorney General of the Federation on phone in our

presence, and we were in Abuja for four days, trying to see him, but he was too busy. And before we know, it he flew out of the country. “We are still very optimistic that the Attorney General of the Federation will facilitate IMN’s counsel access to the leader of IMN. This is how far we have gone.

“In this circumstance, we crave for the commission’s indulgence for another opportunity, the last opportunity for the IMN counsel to get access to their client,” Usman pleaded. The counsels to the army and IMN, Mr Biola Oyebanji and Maxwell Kyon, respectively, supported the appli-

cation for the adjournment. Meanwhile, the secretary to the commission, Dr Bala Babaji addressed the press shortly after the adjournment. Babaji emphasised, “The commission has strived hard to afford all parties to be fairly represented and treated with justice and fair-

ness in all its deliberations. “The commission intends to proceed with its deliberations on Monday, March 21, 2016 by taking the memorandum submitted by the Nigerian Army. “The Commission will furthermore issue to the public its schedule of appearances and presentations in due

course. “Counsel to the IMN are to submit their memorandum no later than March 21, 2016. “The Commission reiterates its commitment to encourage the authorities to facilitate access by the IMN counsel to its principal client.”

Shiite children hold peaceful protest in Kaduna Muhammad Sabiu -Kaduna HUNDREDS of Shiite children whose parents were allegedly killed during the sect’s clash with the army, took to major streets in Kaduna on Monday, calling for the release of their mothers and the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El- Zakzaky. A pupil who spoke on behalf of the protesters, on Monday, Mujahid Ibra-

him of the Fudiyya Islamic Schools Foundation Kaduna, said: “We are calling for the unconditional release of our spiritual leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky.” The pupils, who came from various schools across Kaduna, staged the peaceful protest from the gate of the Kaduna Polytechnic to the centre of Tudun Wada in Kaduna metropolis. The children accused the Nigerian government of

impunity for the killing of their parents, saying: “We wonder what moral lessons the government is imparting to the coming generation with such acts of impunity that could only be described as state terrorism.” They said no fewer than 60 children were born by mothers whose husbands were killed in the incident. “Over 60 children have so far been born, including a set of twins, since the unfortunate massacre.

“It behoves on us to ask what these innocent children have done to be denied seeing their parents in life. Definitely this is a big crime against humanity that remains unforgivable. “We condemn the government and the Nigerian Army’s brutality and their arrogant display of inhumanity against us and call for the release of all our members. “Most importantly, we demand the immediate

and unconditional release of our leader Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.” It will be recalled that in December last year, the motorcade of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant- General Tukur Buratai was allegedly blocked by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, which led to the killing and detention of many members of the movement, including the leader Sheikh Ibrahim El- Zakzaky and his wife.

Perpetrators of Benue killings won’t go unpunished —FG Clement Idoko -Abuja FEDERAL Government has vowed that the perpetrators of the horrendous killings in Agatu and other communities in Benue State will be apprehended and punished. Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdurahman Dambazau, has accordingly ordered the police and other security agencies to go after the perpetrators of mayhem in some communities in Benue State. A statement by the Press

Secretary to the Minister, Mr Osaigbovo Ehisienmen on Monday, in Abuja, said Dambazau was shocked by the incessant attacks on innocent Nigerians in Agatu. The statement said: “Minister of Interior has received with shock the sad news of incessant attacks on innocent Nigerians in Agatu and other communities in Benue State by unknown gunmen and has therefore vowed to mobilise security forces to decisively deal with the perpetrators of these dastardly acts.

The Interior Minister, who had earlier directed the Inspector General of Police to carry out on-thespot assessment of the situation in the communities, while on an official assignment, noted that perpetrators of these dastardly acts were unwittingly testing the will and capabilities of government securities. While expressing his condolence to the government and people of Benue State, over these highly reprehensible acts, he noted that to guarantee the security and welfare of the people

North will not tolerate any extreme group again —Ortom BENUE State governor, Samuel Ortom, on Monday, declared that the North will no longer tolerate any extremist group which threatens the peace of the region. The governor, who made this declaration, while addressing a group of protesters led by a civil rights organisation, Conference of Minority Tribes, at the Benue Peoples House, also assured the people of government’s continued protection from external attacks. Ortom also assured the protesters that the government was looking into the issue of further attacks by herdsmen even as he informed of increased security presence in the affected areas. Meanwhile, the leader

of the group, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi in his speech, accused the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Shiite Islamic sect of instigating the current wave of killings by Fulani herdsmen. Okpokwu called on the presidency to look into the matter in the same manner the Shiite uprising in the north was handled, to halt all attempts to spread extremism to other parts of the country. He further lamented the scale of destruction caused by the crisis, describing it as an ethnic cleansing exercise labelled Fulani-Agatu crisis to desensitise the national consciousness. “The ongoing ethnic cleansing has been mischievously labelled Fulani-Agatu crisis under

circumstances that are at best efforts to desensitise the national consciousness to the enormity of the scale on which Benue State people are being wiped out on a daily basis,” Okpokwu said. Furthermore, the group had also requested the Federal Government to provide compensation and relief to the victims of the invasion, while asking the government to come out with a definite policy to curtail extremism. “Individuals fingered in the Shiite crisis and those threatening the state as clearly seen in the published videos must be arrested and prosecuted. Government must then come out with a definite policy to curtail any form of extremism,” he said.

as enshrined in section II, subsection (2b) of 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, remained the primary purpose of government. The Interior Minister had, therefore, directed the

Inspector General of Police and other heads of security agencies under the ministry to synergise with other security services to speedily arrest this ugly trend and bring its perpetrators to justice.

I will put end to Fulani herdsmen invasion —Mark Johnson Babajide -Makurdi DESPITE the attack on his convoy, last weekend, former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has vowed to do everything possible to put an end to the crisis rocking Agatu and Fulani herdsmen in Benue State. Mark, who was speaking to the party supporters, during the first leg of his ‘thank you visit’ to Agatu, Apa and Ohinmini, on Monday, said he would partner all relevant authorities in order to ensure an end to the crisis. Mark’s convoy was shot at by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Akwu community, during his tour of the affected communities to assess the level of destruction. He vowed to ensure that the crisis was brought to an end as soon as possible, so as to allow the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), to return to their ancestral homes. The former senate president lamented the level of devastation in the affected communities, and promised not to abandon his people at the time of need and grief, but to stand up

to ensure their safety and well-being. “In thanking you for giving me your support during the last rerun , I want to assure you that my victory is for everyone in the Benue South district irrespective of our political party divide. “I commend our people for standing with me at that election, on my part as the Senator representing this district, I will continue to work for the peace, unity and progress of our people so that we can all usher Idoma land to another level of development. “While I enjoin all our people to stand with the people of Agatu in their moment of grief, I promise to liaise with the relevant authorities to ensure that the crisis is brought to an end as soon as possible,” Mark stated. The former Senate President, who was received at the three local government areas by political party supporters and stakeholders, youths, women and elderly people, appreciated the full support given to him during the re-run and promised not to disappoint them.

41 news

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Ese Oruru: Police seek secret trial of abductor A ustin E bipade - Y enagoa

ROSECUTORS of Yunusa Dahiru, the alleged abductor of Ese Oruru, at the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday, requested the judge to take evidence from the victim behind closed doors. Dahiru was on March 8, charged with abduction, kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation by the police. Dahiru had pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him before the

court. Counsel for the prosecution, Mr Kenneth Dika, who made the oral application before the trial judge, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, noted that the victim, 14-year-old Ese Oruru, was a minor and deserved the protection of the court.

Counsel to Dahiru, Mr Kayode Olaoshebikan, who opposed the application however, urged the court to rule on the pending bail application which according to him, was filed on March 8 However, the prosecuting counsel, who opposed

the bail application, argued that the accused, who was not resident within the jurisdiction, is likely to jump bail. The judge, who had noted that the lawyers on both sides had failed to provide the authorities they had cited to buttress

their arguments before him, adjourned the case till March 21, to enable counsels to provide the authorities. He ruled that the accused should be remanded in prison custody till March 21, when he will rule on the bail application.

Police parade ex-soldier for stabbing girlfriend to death in Plateau Isaac Shobayo - Jos PLATEAU State Police Command has arrested an ex-soldier, Sunday Umaru, formerly with Sector 7 of Operation Safe Heaven, in the state, for killing his girlfriend, one Miss Charity Thomas, by stabbing her to death. Parading the suspect on Monday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Adekunle Oladunjoye, who said the incident occurred in Riyom Local Government Area of the state, said the suspect lured his girlfriend from Kaduna to stay with him in the state on the pretext of helping her. According to the Police boss, Umaru suddenly went beserk when he discovered several love text messages from other men in her handset and decended on her and in the process, stabbed her in the stomach, adding that the suspect would be charge to court. Also paraded by the police boss was one Dabung David Dele, who strangled to death, Nanchi Zakariya, a student of Psychology, University of Jos, adding that the suspect was apprehended by police detectives from Nassarawa Gwong in Jos North Local Government Area of the state. According to him, the suspect, on interrogation, owned up to the crime, adding that the case had already been charged to court. The police boss said that there would be no hiding place for criminals in the state as the command is intensifying efforts through intensive patrols, intelligent-led policing and community patnership to checkmate criminal elements in the state.

Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, addressing the leadership of the traders’ union, at Ogere, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, on Monday.

SGF decries high rate of road accidents Jude Ossai - Enugu SECRETARY to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has decried high rate of road accidents in the country, urging the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), as a lead agency for the nation’s road management, to stem the carnage. Declaring open on Monday, a four-day FRSC capacity building programme for unit commanders, at the Corps Academy, Udi, Enugu State, Lawal lamented incessant road accidents, which he said, had claimed quite virile citizens, who could have continued to contribute to the socio-economic devel-

opment of the nation. Lawal, who was represented by the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari, on Policy Development and Analysis, Ibrahim Bapetel Hassan, noted that the current administration at the centre, was worried by the unfortunate road accidents in the last few days, where several people lost their lives.” According to him, road accidents would not be allowed to go on unabated by any serious government, adding that to overcome the challenges, modern techniques and approaches must be desired. “The task of creating safer monitoring environment

is quite herculean and often fraught with daunting challenges. In rising up to the challenges therefore, modern techniques and approaches are desired and these cannot accrue magically, except with painstaking engineering of processes and procedures which can only be accomplished through capacity development of personnel,” he said. He also warned FRSC personnel to be mindful of their conducts and shun negative tendencies likely to prejudice national security, especially, as the country passes through a critical phase of national development. “In accordance with the

change mantra of this current administration, indiscipline and corruption cannot be tolerated. All cases of misconduct will therefore, be exhaustively investigated and appropriately dealt with promptly,” he said. Earlier, the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, had explained that the capacity development, is being undertaken in collaboration with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), adding that the programme was strategically targeted at unit commanders of FRSC ,who are the representing authority of the Corps Marshal as devolved through the other tiers.

Nigeria loses $2.9bn annually to tax incentives —Action Aid Kolawole Daniel - Abuja THE Action Aid Policy Advocacy and Campaign Manager, Mr Tunde Aremu, has disclosed that Nigeria is losing about $2.9 billion annually to tax holiday granted to multinational companies operating in the country. This is coming just as a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Kehinde Odeneye, vowed that he would move

against tax holiday through legislation in the House as to save the country from losing such huge revenue to multinational companies. This came to the fore when Action Aid led by Mr Aremu, paid Odeneye a visit at the National Assembly, on Monday. Addressing the lawmaker, Aremu said that there was the need for the National Assembly to review the laws that granted incentives to multinational companies.

According to him, the legislature should also probe the processes of granting tax incentives, stressing that, “How are these incentives negotiated because some of our suspicion is that the processes of negotiating these incentives are not open”. “The Nigerian parliament should start querying the processes and demand that they should be open as well as transparent. As the representatives of the people, you should be informed

when these incentives are being negotiated in order to have a say if they are necessary or not,” he said. “The bulk of the money leaving Africa that we are losing contrary to impression is not due to corruption, crime, drug trade or trade in human trafficking or other crimes. Over 75 per cent of the money leaving Africa is actually through tax avoidance practices, which unfortunately, are not regarded as illegal”.

Ogun relocates Kara Market to Ogere

OGUN State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on Monday, completed the process of relocating traders from the popular Kara Market to Ogere. The process, which commenced on Friday, saw the government providing the traders with about 300 hectares of land in Ogere. The new market space has a sleeper road to ensure free flow of traffic in and out of the complex, without adversely affecting the expressway. Also, in a bid to ensure the traders do their business in a conducive, secure and healthy environment, Governor Amosun had also ensured that the new market complex was provided with about four boreholes, with the presence of a stream at the location. The governor, while welcoming the traders to the new location, on Monday, assured them of his administration’s determination to provide them with a modern market fitted with fire service centre, modern stalls, a police station, an abattoir, as well as other services. Governor Amosun explained that the decision to relocate Kara market to the present Ogere location, had been taken since 2012.

FCT Area councils’ polls hold April 9 —INEC Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the Area Councils elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, earlier scheduled for Saturday till April 9. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of FCT, Professor Jacob Jatau, announced this on Monday, in Abuja, during an emergency meeting of stakeholders on the polls Jatau disclosed that following consultations with stakeholders based on shortage of adhoc staff needed for the conduct of the polls,”the commission has decided to shift the elections by three weeks.” “The new date for the Area Councils elections in the FCT is April 9,” he said. “There is a challenge currently as the commission has not been able to get the required of corps members for the elections scheduled for March 19,” he said.

communitynews

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Why I empowered 250 constituents with N5m —Lam-Adesina by moses alao

The member representing Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East Federal Constituency, Honourable Adedapo Lam-Adesina, presenting a cheque to one of the beneficiaries of the first phase of Omo Oloore Women Support Scheme, during the event held in Mapo Hall, Ibadan, recently.

Ikire residents petition police, demand redeployment of DPO

THE member representing Ibadan North East/ South-East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Honourable Adedapo Lam-Adesina, has explained that his desire to reduce poverty, unemployment and hunger in the face of Nigeria’s current economic realities informed his recent decision to empower 250 constituents with N5 million, urging the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunity given to them. The beneficiaries, who were drawn from market associations, youth groups and community development associations across

•We cannot do anything without follow-up —Police By Gbenga Olumide

ESIDENTS of Ikire community in Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State have called on the Osun State Police Command, Osogbo to redeploy the Divi-

sional Police Officer (DPO) attached to the area. Their demand is contained in a petition signed by Barrister Musafau Adufe Oyeyinka, on behalf of members of the community, a copy of which was made available to Community News, on Thurs-

day. They accused the police officer of indiscriminate arrest of innocent members of the community. The people also alleged that the DPO employs Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to intimidate motorists, stressing

We need festival of unity to boost tourism in Delta—Okowa Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri

WITH his eyes on other sustainable means of creating employment and generating more revenue for the state, Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, is considering the tourism sector with a call for the inauguration of “Festival of Unity” in the state. Okowa made this known when the President, Mr Kester Ifeadi and members of the Organisation for the Advancement of Anioma Culture (OFAAC) paid him a visit in Asaba, last week. The governor, who opined that the festival would foster the bond of friendship and unity among Deltans, said that the various festivals across the state had a lot of tourism potential waiting to be harnessed. He, therefore, charged the state’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism to develop the potential of the festivals through the organisation of what he termed, “Festival of Unity” in the state. He, however, commended OFAAC for promoting the culture and customs

of Anioma people in the state and the various innovations introduced into the annual festival. Okowa said: “Your festival has created a bond of friendship among Anioma people and boosted tourism in the area.” While also commending OFAAC micro-credit scheme which has empowered over 2, 000 entrepreneurs, the governor added that, “through the micro credit scheme, many people have been gainfully employed and empowered and have deviated from criminal ten-

dencies.” He called on traditional rulers in the state to establish vigilance groups in their domains who would work with security agencies in the maintenance of peace and security. Earlier, the President of OFAAC said the group was in Government House, Asaba, to felicitate with Governor Okowa on his electoral and judicial victories as well as intimate him on the activities of the organisation, especially the forthcoming OFAAC festival and the micro credit scheme.

that the APC, supposed to be used in times of distress, had been turned to a money-making equipment. The petition, dated February 8, 2016, read: “It is apt to state that the said police officer lacks listening ear and his behaviour could be hazardous to the community if urgent action is not taken. “....... Without mincing words, we all live in fear now as raiding starts as early as 6:00 a.m., while those arrested with no just cause pay between N10,000 and N20,000 as bail fee. “What we are experiencing now is unbecoming, as we have never had it so bad. The entire community is groaning in silence and we urge the command to swap the police officer, so that the people can heave a sigh of relief.” When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs Folasade Odoro, confirmed that the command received the petition, but said the command cannot do anything about it without proper follow-up by the petitioner. According to her, “we re-

3,000 get free healthcare in Ibadan Biola Azeez-Ilorin

A pharmacist and entrepreneur, Alhaji Yakubu Layi Gobir, has said that no fewer than 3,000 people living with different health challenges were offered free medical test and treatment by his company—Invivo Pharmacy + Free Clinic at the Palms Shopping Mall in Ibadan, Oyo State capital in the last 10 months. Alhaji Gobir disclosed this at the weekend in Ilorin, the Kwara State capi-

tal, while fielding questions from journalists. He explained that many of the patients were also given the opportunity to consult the company’s medical doctors free of charge. Apart from the 3,000 patients, the phamaceutical outfit has also intervened by correcting about 90 drug mismanagement cases, including unnecessary drug use, wrong dosage, adverse drug reaction, inappropriate compliance, among others. According to Alhaji

Gobir, the company was primarily established to address bottlenecks and social problems that had hindered many Nigerians from accessing quality healthcare. He disclosed that due to the collaboration of the company with agencies of government and nongovernmental organisations, patients with critical health challenges were referred to some hospitals close to the Palms Mall which is situated on Ring Road in Ibadan. The proprietor disclosed

ceived the petition but we expect the petitioner to do follow-up, by then we will be able to do our investigation. How can someone write a petition and cannot stand by it? Till now, the petitioner has not shown up. What do you expect us to do? There must be a witness to that effect. We are still waiting for the petitioner, if he wants us to carry out our investigation on the allegations against the officer.”

different political parties in the 24 wards of the constituency, were recently provided with financial grant to the tune of N5 million to either improve or startup businesses, under the lawmaker’s Omo Oloore Women Support Scheme. Speaking at the event at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, LamAdesina explained that a training session handled by professionals in business management had earlier been organised for all the beneficiaries, where they were exposed to practical approaches to self-reliance, financial discipline, starting small businesses and so on, adding that he launched the scheme to fulfill one of the promises contained in his 8-point integral action plan. At the event, the first phase of the scheme, the lawmaker said: “This will be the first time a scheme of this nature and magnitude will be organised in our constituency, let us also make history with our creativity by multiplying the money into something great in the nearest future.” Also speaking, community leaders such as Chief Mufutau Adisa and Kayode Morofolu lauded the qualities and achievements of the young lawmaker in less than a year, charging other public office holders to emulate him

Emir cautions against rumour The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has urged the general public to disregard a rumour making the round that the Makama of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Oniye, has been suspended. Speaking with journalists in Ilorin at the weekend, the monarch stated that he received the rumour with rude

shock and disappointment, stressing that the Makama of Ilorin is a trusted and competent member of the Emirate council. Alhaji Sulu-Gambari, however, maintained that only peaceful coexistence can translate into the desired growth and development of the state and urged masterminds of the falsehood information to desist from such act.

that the pharmaceutical company had entered into bilateral agreement with Metro Eye to provide eye check-up as well as conduct glaucoma screening for patients. Gobir added that the company had also collaborated with the Primary Healthcare Department in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State to offer free immunisation to children aged 0-59 months. He stated that the company had moved from being product-centered (sup-

ply of medicines) to being patient-centered, adding that it had also shifted from being business-focused to being health-focused. “We provide services to the general public, and every patient that sees us has the benefit of a free medical check-up and consultation with a medical doctor. Our health team is made up of two pharmacists, two doctors and a nurse, who give a basic appraisal of the blood pressure, pulse, temperature, BMI and free optional HIV tests after counseling.

biola azeez-ilorin

communitynews FG boosts water supply in Osun communities

by gbenga olumide

32 million cubic capacity dam was, at the weekend, handed over to the Osun State government by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to boost the provision of potable water in the state. The Director of Dams and Reservoir Operation in the ministry, Mr Reginald Ikpeawujo, who was represented by the Deputy Director/Project Manager, Mr. John Ochigbo, led the Federal Government team during the handover ceremony at Kajola community. Ikpeawujo described the project as a contribution of the Federal Government towards the provision of potable water for the people of the state, especially Ilesa and environs. According to him, “the project started in 2006, but it was delayed as a result of paucity of funds. We came back to site in 2012 and completed it in 2014. It is 32 million-cubic-capacity. “It cost the Federal Government about N3.3 billion, to complete the pump and power house. “The second phase, which is the downstream, will be for treatment plant and

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

transmission, which would be taken over by the state government. “There was a year liability period to ascertain the condition of the pump and power house to ensure that they are in good condition. “The project is strictly for

water supply, knowing full well that it is the responsibility of the state and Federal Government to provide water for the people. “The power house and the pump are in good condition and we are handing them over to the state government for the day-

to-day running of the dam as from today,” he said. Responding, the Consultant to the Osun State Government on Water Resources, Engineer (Mrs) Tawa Williams, said the state government was grateful to the Federal Government for the ges-

ture. She added that there was still a lot of work to be done on the second phase, promising that the people of Ilesa and Kajola communities would start benefiting from the scheme in the next two years. Williams, however, com-

Traders urge Kwara govt to establish modern market in Omu-Aran

The Consultant to Osun State Government on Water Resources, Mrs Tawa Williams (second right); flanked by the Federal Government representative, Mr. John Ochigbo (middle); the Chief Engineer of Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), Edan Koren and the General Manager, Water Corporation, Gbenga Owojuyigbe, during the handover of Ilesa Water Dam Scheme at Kajola.

Ekiti govt takes steps to avert flood ahead rainy season

EKITI State government said it had commenced the dredging of rivers in flood prone areas in the state capital and other major towns to avert flood during the forthcoming rainy season. The state Commissioner for Environment, Chief Bisi Kolawole, who said this recently, explained that the exercise would include desilting of drains across the state. Speaking during the take-off of the project in Ado-Ekiti, Kolawole said that the focus was to guarantee a flood-free rainy season, particularly in the usually problematic urban centres. He urged all stakeholders to support government’s gesture and cautioned against indiscriminate dumping of waste into drains. He appealed to people in the state to steer clear of acts that may lead to the blockage of drains to forestall avoidable disasters. The commissioner also emphasised the need for corporate bodies, shop owners, landlords and

mended the people of the host community, Kajola for their cooperation and hospitality while the project lasted. She implored them to jealously protect the project and utilise it effectively for their benefit. Earlier in his welcome speech, the General Manager, Osun State Water Corporation, Engineer Gbenga Owojuyigbe, praised the donor of the water scheme, saying the gesture would go a long way in averting epidemics in the communities.

other stakeholders to ensure regular cleaning of drains in their business premises and residences

rather than waiting for government. “Environmental Sanitation officers will regularly

monitor activities in the state to ensure compliance with sanitation laws,

“Anybody caught blocking drains will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly,’’ he said.

Lawmaker empowers 300 in Ekiti communities Sam Nwaoko-Ado Ekiti THE member representing Ekiti North Federal Constituency II in the House of Representatives, Chief Akinola Aina, has given more than 300 people in various communities that make up his constituency various forms of empowerment in the first phase of his “constituency empowerment programme.” At the event held at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Ilogbo-Ekiti, in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the state, beneficiaries including artisans, farmers, traders, students and others received various empowerment items. Among the items distributed are 70 vulcanising machines; 143 tailoring machines; 170 hair dryers for professional hairdressers; 73 welding machines; 35 electricity generating sets; 57 sets of catering

equipment; 15 iPads for students and 13 complete working tools for professional vehicle panel beaters. Speaking on the occasion, Aina attributed some social menace like armed robbery, kidnapping and prostitution to the poor economic situation of the country and its attendant increasing rate of unemployment. According to him, “this programme and many of its kind to come by the grace of God, are aimed at addressing this challenge by equipping our people with needed tools, training and making provisions for cash where appropriate to put them on the pedestal to earn themselves a living and consequently reduce pressure on government and lower poverty to its permanent grave among our people.” He thanked the people of the various communities in

the constituency and party chieftains across the state, for the confidence reposed in him through the mandate given to him to serve them at the National Assembly and expressed appreciation to the governor of the state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, “for the various developmental and masses-oriented programmes and projects which are visible across the length and breadth of the state.” In his remarks, Governor Fayose, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, lauded the efforts of the lawmaker for giving back to the people of the constituency. Governor Fayose said the programme was “timely considering what Nigerians are going through,” adding that “the price of everything is on the increase on a daily basis. Economically, things are not easy but we believe through this empowerment, things

would change for the better for beneficiaries.” He appealed to beneficiaries to support the state government and the governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Idowu Faleye, also commended Honourable Aina for “the good gesture and for giving back to the communities that produced him and gave him an opportunity to represent them in the National Assembly.” The beneficiaries commended the lawmaker for “fulfilling his electioneering promises,” and promised to make judicious use of the items received. The beneficiaries consist of various categories of people from the communities in the constituency and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ido/Osi, Ilejemeje and Moba Local Government areas of the state.

TRADERS in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, have called for the establishment of a modern market in the area to boost socio-economic activities. The market leader in the council, Mrs Mogbonjubola Awoniyi, made the call during an inspection of markets in Omu-Aran, on Monday. Awoniyi, who was accompanied by some market task force members, said the establishment of such modern market by the state government in partnership with the council was long overdue. She said the renewed appeal was informed by the ongoing expansion and infrastructural development in the community. Awoniyi said with the establishment of MTN and Airtel service centres in the community, there was need for a befitting market to further enhance socioeconomic development in the area. She explained that her unscheduled visit was to ascertain the traders’ level of compliance with a directive prohibiting the display of wares by the roadside. “The whole essence is to make them (traders) realise the dangers involved in engaging in trading activities very close to the road,” she said. The market leader also used the opportunity to appeal to some commercial banks in OmuAran that had closed their branches to reopen in the interest of the people. She noted that the development had impacted negatively on the economy of the town and forced some people out of business.

Tuesday, 14 March, 2016

foreig naffairs

08116954632 with seyi gesinde foreignn ewseditor@gmail.com

German voters move against Makel over migrant policy

E R M A N Chancellor Angela Merkel said her party had a “difficult day” after rightwingers made gains in state elections. The anti-immigrant AfD party had campaigned against what it called Mrs Merkel’s “catastrophic” decision to accept a million migrants and refugees. However, a German government spokesman said the country’s immigration policy would not change, BBC reported. The chancellor said a European solution was needed for the crisis. “The fact is that in the eyes of the people no appropriate and satisfactory solution has yet been found and this had a very great impact on the vote,” she said. Germany and other countries have reinstated some border controls in response to the flow of migrants. Despite making gains in all three states where voting took place, the AfD remains a minor force, especially in western Germany. Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) lost votes but remained the strongest party in the poor eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD made its biggest gains, taking a quarter of the vote. That made it the second-

biggest party there. The CDU lost a third of its vote in BadenWuerttemberg, reaching a historic low of 27 per cent The Green party came first, while the AfD gained about 15 per cent of the vote.

In Rhineland-Palatinate the Social Democrats maintained their position as the strongest party, the CDU came second - in a state they had hoped to win - and the AfD came third with 12.5 per cent

Clinton, Sanders accuse Trump of inciting violence HILLARY Clinton and Bernie Sanders both accused Donald Trump of inciting violence, with the former secretary of state calling him “bigoted” and alleging he had perpetrated “political arson,” while the Vermont senator labeled him a “pathological liar” at a town hall on Sunday night. “It is clear that Donald Trump is running a very cynical campaign pitting groups of Americans against one another. He is trafficking in hate and

fear,” Clinton said during the event at Ohio State University hosted by CNN and TV One. “He actually incites violence in the way he urges his audience on, talking about punching people, offering to pay legal bills.” Clinton charged that Trump was guilty of a case of “political arson” by throwing fuel on political divisions in the country. “He has been incredibly bigoted towards so many groups,” she continued.

“You don’t make America great by tearing down everything that made America great.” Clinton followed Sanders at the town hall moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and TV One’s Roland Martin. Sanders and Clinton are making closing arguments to voters in their increasingly contentious Democratic nominating marathon, two days before five states vote in crucial primaries that could set the tone for the rest of the contest.

Death toll in Ivory Coast attack hits 21 OFFICIALS in Ivory Coast have said that a total of 21 people were killed in Sunday’s attack by jihadist militants on a popular beach resort. The country’s Interior minister, Hamed Bakayoko, said on Monday that the dead include 15 civilians, three soldiers

Markel

American IS militant surrenders to Kurds in Iraq UNITED States officials are checking reports that an American member of the so-called “Islamic State” group (IS) has been held in northern Iraq. The fighter gave himself up when he was approached near the town of Sinjar on Monday morning, an Iraqi Kurdish general said. He was reportedly carrying a large quantity

of cash, three phones and a US driving licence. The US is leading an international military coalition against IS. The US state department said that it was aware of reports that a US citizen had been captured by Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, Reuters reports. “We are in touch with Iraqi and Kurdish authorities

to determine the veracity of these reports,” a state department official said. CBS News said the man was trying to enter Turkey when he was intercepted by Kurdish forces. Maj Gen Feisal Helkani of the Kurdish peshmerga forces said the man was currently being held by the peshmerga for interrogation, AP reports.

otherNEWS Hundreds of migrants cross from Greece into Macedonia HUNDREDS of migrants have crossed from Greece into Macedonia after finding a way through the border fence. Earlier, some 1,000 migrants, including children, left their sprawling camp in the Greek village of Idomeni and crossed a river near the border. Some 14,000 people have been stranded at the camp,

where conditions have deteriorated following days of rain. Macedonia last week said it would no longer let any migrants in, blocking the socalled Balkan route north. The migrants - many carrying all their belongings - were seen walking in a long snaking line along a

hilly road on Monday. The group included a number of children. When they reached the river, they passed a rope across it and formed a “human chain” to help each other to get to the other side. The migrants said they were trying to find a gap in the barbed-wire fence on the

and three gunmen. Thirty-three people were wounded. Earlier reports put the number of gunmen at six. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Francois Dominique Delafosse, told VOA’s French to Africa service that officials have no information that other assailants are in hiding. The spokesman said heightened security is in place around hotels and restaurants. Al-Qaeda’s North African

A body lays on the beach were gunmen attacked people in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast, March 13, 2016. PHOTO: AP

border. “We hope we can cross because we are a lot of people. Our number is big now,” 24-year-old Syrian migrant Aziz told Associated Press Television News (APTN). “We don’t want to stay here [Idomeni] in that camp, because we are tired of being Macedonia there,” he added.

Tensions building ahead of Republic of Congo presidential election

President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou N’Guesso. PHOTO: REUTERS

THE Republic of Congo heads to a presidential election next Sunday amid deepening distrust as President Denis Sassou N’guesso seeks to extend his already three decades in power. The country’s electoral campaign is in full swing, but the main opposition coalition, the IDC-Frocad, said

affiliate al-Qaida in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted hotels in the city of GrandBassam. This was the third time in four months Islamist militants have targeted hotels in West Africa, following deadly assaults in the capitals of Mali and Burkina Faso. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara declared three days of mourning and was expected to address the nation later Monday.

authorities are preventing the candidates from campaigning. IDC-Frocad Spokeperson Guy Romain Kinfoussia said police recently threw tear gas into a meeting held by a candidate of the opposition. And another candidate was refused the right to hold a meeting in a public square. Nine candidates are running,

including N’Guesso, already in power for 30 years. The president held a referendum in October to change the constitution to remove the two termmandate limit and 70-year-old age ceiling for candidates. The referendum passed with 92 percent of vote, a result rejected by the

opposition which had called for a boycott. N’guesso said he aims to win re-election in the first round. Last week, the opposition coalition announced the creation of its own organisation to tally votes, claiming the official electoral commission is biased in favor of the incumbent president.

45 foreig naffairs Putin orders Russian forces out of Syria -Reports

USSIAN President Vladimir Putin announced Monday that he has ordered Russian forces to begin withdrawing from Syria, saying they have achieved their goals in the country. CNN said the pullback will

begin Tuesday, the staterun Sputnik news agency reported. “I think that the task that was assigned to the Ministry of Defense and the armed forces as a whole has achieved its goal, and so I order the defense

Putin

minister to start tomorrow withdrawing the main part of our military factions from the Syrian Arab Republic,” Putin said. Russia began air strikes in September in support of the Syrian government, which has been fighting Syrian

Assad

Tuesday, 14 March, 2016

rebels and ISIS in a war that is now nearly 5 years old. Putin told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of the decision in a telephone call, Sputnik reported. Military analysts say the Russian intervention helped push back rebel and ISIS forces and bolster the position of Assad, whose government, for a time, appeared to be teetering on the edge. The announcement of the withdrawal comes the same day as Syrian peace talks resumed in Geneva, and is seen by some as evidence that Putin is sending a message to Syrian and other forces in the region to reach a political solution, CNN’s Matthew Chance reported from Moscow. “You can’t ignore the timing of this, and the symbolism,” he said.

22 killed in post-election violence in Uganda —Police FRANCE’S foreign and interior ministers will travel to Ivory Coast today (Tuesday) to offer support after al Qaeda’s North African arm killed 16 people, including a French national, at a beach resort there on Sunday, diplomatic sources said. Reuters said that some 18,000 French citizens live in the former French colony. As well as JeanMarc Ayrault and Bernard Cazeneuve, France is

sending counter-terrorism officers to help the investigation. France already has 3,500 troops stationed in West Africa, trying to help restore stability after a rebellion in 2012 by ethnic Tuaregs in Mali that was later hijacked by jihadists linked to al Qaeda. Its forces drove the Islamists out of urban centres in northern Mali, but did not eradicate their networks. French

Soldiers stand in guard on the beach in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast. PHOTO: REUTERS.

Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan, takes the oath in court during his trial against Gawker Media, in St Petersburg, Florida, recently. PHOTO: REUTERS.

officials have warned that the militants are likely to change their methods, and that West African security forces should increasingly prepare for counterterrorism operations. “The militants’ modus operandi has changed,” said a senior French official. “Before, they had armies; now they have turned to pure terrorism.” Barely two months ago, Islamists killed dozens of people in a hotel and cafe frequented by foreigners in neighbouring Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou. Gunmen also attacked a hotel in the Malian capital, Bamako, late last year. Both of those attacks were, like the Ivory Coast attack, claimed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and suggested that militants were extending their reach southwards from their traditional zones of operation in the Sahara and

Sahel regions. Though previously untouched by Islamist violence, Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy and the world’s top cocoa producer, has long been considered a potential target for militants.

Death of pregnant woman provokes debate in Cameroon HUNDREDS of people protested in Douala, Cameroon, on Sunday, a day after the death of a pregnant woman who was reportedly left untreated by hospital staff because she was not able able to pay consultation fees. Cameroon officials denied the charge, VOA said. “This problem is terrible. It is horrible and Cameroon is very very sad. [But] I would say that it is not a problem of negligence in the district hospital or in the Laquintinie hospital in Douala,” Cameroon’s Health Minister Andre Mama Fouda said. Fouda claimed the pregnant woman and her unborn fetuses were already dead before arriving at the hospital. Monique Kumate, 31, and her twin fetuses were said to have died Saturday at Laquintinie when no medical staff attended to them. Her sister allegedly tried to perform a cesareansection-type procedure to remove the fetuses in an effort to save them.

However, the tragedy had led to criticisms and protests from political parties, human rights groups and angry youths, as well as sparked debate about the quality of services delivered in Cameroonian hospitals. Professor Tetanye Ekoe, vice president of Cameroon’s medical council, said there have been calls for the government to close 1,000 hospitals and training centers allegedly operating illegally and without the necessary staff and equipment, which is putting the lives of millions of people in danger. Ekoe said the health ministry must enforce laws to punish medical staff who seek payment before treating patients. Dr. Nick Ngwanyam, who trains doctors and nurses, said the country also has too few doctors. Ngwanyam cited doctor pay as an issue. He said many trained doctors seek higher pay in European countries; newly trained doctors receive about $250 a month.

EU suspends direct aid to Burundi government THE European Union has suspended direct financial support for the Burundian government after concluding that it had not done enough to find a political solution to conflict that has so far cost more

Burundi’s President, Pierre Nkurunziza

than 400 lives, Reuters said. Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza triggered the crisis in April last year when he announced a bid for a third term. He went on to win a disputed election in July, in the face of street protests and violent clashes. The European Council, the body that represents the 28 EU nations, said in a statement on Monday that it had finished talks with Burundi and declared that commitments proposed by Bujumbura were insufficient to address EU

concerns. The European Union funds about half the annual budget of Burundi and has imposed sanctions on officials close to Burundi’s president. Neven Mimica, the EU Commissioner for international cooperation and development, said that the EU remained committed to providing emergency assistance and was preparing projects to ensure basic services for the population, but without channelling resources through the government.

otherNEWS Gawker swings back in Hulk Hogan sex-tape trial THE former Gawker editor who posted a sex tape of celebrity wrestler Hulk Hogan testified in a Florida courtroom on Monday that he found the footage strange and “amusing,” as the website argues it exercised its press freedom in the 2012 release.

A.J. Daulerio, Gawker editor at the time, emerged as the face of the former professional wrestler’s contention that the company had few limits in using sexual content. He was Gawker’s first defense witness in the trial over Hogan’s $100

million privacy-invasion lawsuit. The one-minute, 41-second edited video features Hogan having sex with the wife of his then-best friend, radio “shock jock” personality Bubba the Love Sponge. Hogan, 62, said he did

not know the consensual encounter, which took place nearly a decade ago in Bubba’s home, had been recorded. Daulerio said wanted to focus on “innocuous” conversation between the celebrity and his friend’s wife.

London mayor, Johnson, blasts Obama over reported UK visit LONDON mayor Boris Johnson on Monday accused Barack Obama of “hypocrisy” following a report that the US president is heading to Britain next month to make the case for the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union. “Coming from Uncle Sam, it is a piece of outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy,” Johnson, a leading member of the campaign for Britain to leave the EU in a June

referendum, wrote in his regular column for the Daily Telegraph. “Can you imagine the Americans submitting their democracy to the kind of regime that we have in the EU?” he asked, adding: “This is a nation born from its glorious refusal to accept overseas control.” Johnson went on to point out that the United States does not accept that its own citizens could be subject to the rulings of the

International Criminal Court and does not recognise other jurisdictions. “In urging us to embed ourselves more deeply in the EU’s federalising structures, the Americans are urging us down a course they would never dream of going themselves,” he wrote. “That is because they are a nation conceived in liberty. They sometimes seem to forget that we

are quite fond of liberty, too.” The Independent newspaper on Sunday reported that Obama, who has already expressed support for Britain’s EU membership, was expected to come to London at the end of April. The visit would take place around two months before the June 23 referendum in which British voters will decide whether to leave or stay in the 28-country bloc.

Obama

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

ITF/CAT Junior tourney:

Osewa lands in q/f, floors top seed

Osimhen dazzles against Brazil at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.

EIGNING FIFA U-17 World Cup adidas Golden Boot winner, Victor Osimhen, is looking forward to scoring against Brazil, as he arrived in the camp of Nigeria’s U-23 national team, Dream Team, ahead of the international friendly against the Junior Samba Boyz later this month. The Wolfsburg striker, who arrived at the Star View Palace Hotel camp of the Dream Team about 1pm last Sunday was received by interim head coach, Fatai Amao. Speaking on arrival, Osimhen, who was part of the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations-winning team to Senegal last year, told thenff. com that he is poised to fight for a shirt in the team. “It’s always fun for me to come to camp and play for my fatherland. I see it as a privilege and will always honour such invitations any time I am called upon. “I have come to fight for a jersey in this friendly match that is part of preparations for the Rio Olympics and I am happy to be among the invited

U-23 friendly:

I want to punish

Brazil again players. “You know I was part of the Golden Eaglets team that defeated the Brazilians at the last U-17 World Cup in Chile and so, it will a pleasure for me to play them at their backyard and hopefully find the back of

—Osimhen

the net, as I did against them (Brazil) in Chile,” said the Edo State-born lad who became the only player ever to score 10 goals in a single FIFA U-17 World Cup tournament. Meanwhile, Osimhen became the first foreign-

based player to arrive in the camp in preparation for the friendly billed for Brazil on March 24. The Dream Team is expected to depart Nigeria on Sunday aboard a South African Airways flight for the friendly.

Confederation Cup:

Nasarawa should forget about qualification ticket —Algeria coach Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja

THE Brazilian head coach of Algerian clubside, Club Sportif, Didier Gomes, last Sunday told Nigeria’s flag bearer in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup,

Nasarawa United to forget about the second leg tie in Algeria. Gomes gave the warning shortly after his club lost 0-1 to Nasarawa United in their first leg tie decided at the National Stadium,

11TH Police Games begin Chris Agbambu - Abuja AS part of activities designed to celebrate this year’s Police Week, the 11th biennial Police Games commenced on Sunday. Addressing a press conference on Monday, the chairman, Central Planning Committee of both 11th biennial Police Games and the 2016 Police Week, James Caulcrick, stated that the games were meant to discover more talents for the country to be used at international sporting meets. According to Caulcrick, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), holding the police games was aimed at keeping the police sports tradition alive, having produced talents, including the first individual Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa, who had made Nigeria proud at international cham-

pionships. He noted that the 11the biennial games demonstrated the police authorities’ determination to making sure that the legacy of the police sports fiesta was kept alive. “In addition, the Nigeria Police by this year’s sports fiesta have again demonstrated further steps in ensuring that the legacy of the founding fathers of the police institution, which first organised the maiden edition of Nigeria Police Sports Athletics Championship in 1946 at Obalende Police Sports Ground, Lagos, is kept alive,” the chairman said. He added that the sporting events would provide an avenue for police personnel not only to compete for honours during the games but also come together to socialise among themselves.

Abuja. “We are going to qualify at the expense of Nasarawa United. They were very lucky that we did not score in the first half, but with the situation of things, we would surely overrun them in Algeria,” the Brazilian boasted. According to him, the vociferous fans of Club Sportif back home would serve as a major force in propelling his boys to victory against their Nigerian counterparts during the second leg encounter in a fortnight. “We have our fans who are over 45,000. They will give us all we need to move ahead,” he said. Gomes, however, described the Nigerian representatives in this year’s edition of the championship as a good team, assuring that his boys would not underrate Nasarawa United.

NIGERIA’S Michael Osewa caused the biggest upset so far at the ongoing 39th ITF/CAT Africa Junior Championship in Pretoria, South Africa by beating tournament’s number one seed, Younes Adnane of Morocco 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 to qualify for the quarter-final of the boy’s 14&under. The sixth-seeded Osewa started the tournament on a poor note as he fell 6-4, 6-4 to Eliakin Coulibaly of Cote d’Ivoire, but bounced back with victories over Salum Mutabazi of Burundi and Namibia’s Codie Van Schalkwyk to set up a last-16 clash with Adnane. The game at the the University of Pretoria High Performance Centre, seems to be heading the way of form book as the Moroccan took the first set in a convincing manner bitting series of winners for a 6-1 triumph. However, Osewa, a semifinalist at the last edition in Tunisia, took the second set 6-3 forcing Adnane to lose his unblemished record as he was yet to drop a set before. Osewa completed a memorable win in a 6-2 final set to set up a quarter-final clash with Jason Espitalien of Mauritius. Team Nigeria had on Sunday recorded seven wins out of the nine matches they featured

Mcleod

but Monday was not all rosy as Gabriel Friday was knocked out by South Africa’s Kholowalm Montsi 6-4, 6-4. It was the same fate for Christopher Bulus and Barakat Quadri who both lost their round of 16 matches. Friday was adjudged as one of the standout performers of the tournament winning all his preliminary matches the most memorable of which was against Morocco’s Assil Boussairy - in straight sets but had his run halted by the homeboy. Christopher Itodo also exited from the boy’s 16&under on Monday as he lost 6-0, 6-0 to Philip Henning of South Africa to join Adetayo Adetunji, Angel McLeod and Marylove Edward who all failed to progress from the preliminaries. Fortunately, all the Nigerian players are still in the race for the doubles title with Adetunji and McLeod qualifying for the quarter-final of the girl’s 16&under doubles, while Quadri and Edward are also in the lasteight of the 14&under. Osewa and Gabriel are also through to the lasteight in the boy’s 14&under doubles, while the pair of Itodo and Bulus have also booked a spot in the 16&under doubles.

tribunesport

Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

Doping:

Nadal to sue ex-France sport minister R AFAEL Nadal plans to sue an ex-French government minister who said his seven-month absence in 2012 was “probably due to a positive doping test”. The Spaniard is upset with comments made by Roselyne Bachelot, who was formerly Minister for Health and Sport. The 14-time Grand Slam winner, 29, says he will sue anyone else who alleges “something similar in the future”. Nadal says he is tired of the allegations and is no longer prepared to let them pass unchallenged. “A minister of France should be serious,” he said. “This time is the time to go against her. We are going to sue her. “This is going to be the last one, because I’m going to sue her. I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. Not any more.” Bachelot, 69, served as Minister for Health and Sport from 2007 until 2010, under the government of former president Nicolas Sarkozy. She made the allegations about Nadal last week, when addressing Maria Sharapova’s failed drugs test. “When you see a tennis player stopping for months, it’s because there’s been a positive control,” said the French politician.

Nadal

Nadal has already spoken out about the speculation surrounding him. Following Sharapova’s admission last week of a failed test, the former world number one said: “I am a completely clean guy. “I have never had the temptation of doing something wrong.” Nadal has never failed a drugs test but has been the subject of speculation that he dopes. In 2011, former French Open champion Yannick Noah

wrote a newspaper article saying Spanish sporting success was due to doping. A year later, a satirical French TV show featured a lifesize likeness of Nadal filling up his car’s gas tank from his own bladder before being pulled over by traffic police for speeding. Then in 2013, Belgian former professional player, Christophe Rochus questioned Nadal being able to dominate the 2012 French Open and then be injured two weeks later at Wimbledon.

Edo coaches protest over certificate, promotion As Commissioner rubbishes circular Abiodun Jimoh - Benin City EDO State Commissioner for Sports, Youths and Social Mobilisation, Honourable Presley Ediagbonya has dissociated himself from the circular which stated that the position of any functional coach no longer exists in the Edo State Sports Council. Dated March 1, 2016, the circular which was signed by the secretary of the council, Lucky Adagboyin on behalf of the Director of Sports, Mr Sunny Airende went viral across the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium penultimate Tuesday which hitherto, led to the protest by coaches and athletes who felt aggrieved by the content of the memo. During the protest which was also against the recent promotion carried out by the sports council, the protesters made up of coaches and athletes as early as 7am locked the entrance of the stadium. Bernard Joman, the leader of the protesters said “We are not against education but we are against

using certification and not performance as a basis for promoting coaches.” The circular entitled ‘The position of functional coach no longer exists’ in the sports council reads: “This is because the National Sports Festival is now open. Therefore all programmed athletes hitherto referred to as functional coaches are to start training in order to participate and win medals for Edo State in the festival. “I am further directed to add that anyone in the above category who is still interested in serving as a coach in the service of the Edo State Sports Council should seek for (sic) admission to pursue and obtain the relevant coaching certificate from a recognised institution (National Institute for Sports (NIS) or University of Benin). “Those staff with NCE (certificates) in Physical and Health Education who is (sic) interested in coaching should apply for conversion into the coaching cadre. However, this category of staff when

converted are advised to proceed to the NIS to obtain professional coaching certificates in their sports to enable them to grow in the cadre. “The coaches with NIS Basic Coaching certificates are advised to proceed to acquire the NIS Advanced coaching certificate in order to have further elevation in the coaching cadre and avoid being stagnated.” However, speaking with Tribunesport, Ediagbonya said the circular which was without his knowledge was wrong in the first instance, as the sports council remains a parastatal under his ministry. Ediagbonya disclosed that he had since addressed the aggrieved persons to bring the situation under control. “In January some promotions were made and the affected officers have been duly notified, those who are qualified for the promotion will be considered. I was in the stadium and saw a notice there. It was not all staff of the

sports council which protested. Again, there was no demonstration at the stadium. In fact, the coaches told me that they were going to carry out picketing before the protest and I asked them why and they said a few days ago, the Director of Sports put up a memo that henceforth, all functional coaches should be certificated. “This circular was issued without my knowledge. I phoned the chairman of the board, Honourable Harrison Omagbon and he also dissociated himself from the content of the said circular. I think he (Airende) has since retracted that circular,” Ediagbonya said. He stated that “what took place at the stadium did not concern all athletes as we have more than 700 athletes in the state and the coaches are less than 100. We have reached them since their annoyance was based on that circular and that has been withdrawn. There is no problem, we have been able to resolve this issue amicably. “Those who met with you

were not the total number of the athletes and coaches in the sports council, but those who were affected by the circular. I had told them to withdraw the circular and we have addressed their grievances. Even about the promotion, Bernard led some workers to my office and he was even involved in the promotion exercise. If they are saying it is because of the promotion they are picketing or protesting is a lie. The cause of the annoyance at the stadium was due to that of obnoxious circular made by the Director of Sports. He would have been here (office), but he is in Lagos for a seminar on the Olympics day run. “Functional coaches are different from real coaches. Functional coaches are impromptu coaches that are rapt, they are used and paid within a specific period and either after training or competition, they are on their own until they get another opportunities. So, they have no job security and that is what they (real coaches) now quarrel about and afraid that

if that word is not well defined, it will affect their job security too. “This thing is about performance, athletes could only get promotion by winning laurels. Before you can be promoted, you must win gold, silver or bronze medal in either national or international events. “In other words, the circular issued was without my consent and that was why I have meddled into the issue before it gets out of hand.”

Gov Adams Oshiomhole

SIDELINES

NO 16,457

TUESDAY, 15 MARCH, 2016

N150

Over 1,000 applicants were reportedly compelled to write examinations with only their underwear in an open field on the ground or on their thighs, by the Indian Army to guard against cheating. Will it not be right to give all the candidates pass mark after all, going through the bizarre experience is enough exam regardless of answers on the scripts submitted?

Playing at Wembley, a dream come true

Ighalo (right) celebrates with team-mates after scoring.

— Ighalo By Ganiyu Salman

Today's Champions League fixtures

IGERIAN international, Odion Ighalo, says playing at the legendary Wembley Stadium is a dream come true for him. Ighalo, it will be recalled last Sunday, ended the ambition of the back-to-back FA Cup holders, Arsenal when he inspired Watford to a 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium. The Super Eagles striker opened the scoring in the 50th minute, while Algerian Adlene Guediora doubled the lead in the 63rd minute, to render Danny Welbeck's 88th minute strike insignificant. The feat gave Watford its first ever ticket to play in the semi-final of the FA Cup and Ighalo is happy that his dream of playing at Wembley will be realised at last. “I’ve never played at Wembley before. It’ll be a dream come true for me to play there. Not only to play there but to win and play in the final would be great," the Edo State-born player told Hornets PlayerHD. “We came here (Emirates) with confidence and worked hard together as a team, and we got the result. Although I haven’t been scoring for the last couple of games, I keep on working hard because I know strikers go through what I’m going through. “But I keep my head up and keep on working because I know the goals will start coming again. I hope it’s a start of goals coming again." Ighalo who remains Watford's leading scorer

Atletico Madrid Man City

PSV Dynamo Kyiv

8:45pm 8:45pm

AFCON qualifiers: Egypt

names 5 foreign pros for Nigeria clash

this season in the English Premier League with 14 goals lamented the previous games he had played after January 23 when he last scored, before his comeback at the Emirates last Sunday. “Goals always give confidence to strikers. When you’re not scoring you think about a lot of things and do things you shouldn’t do. But the gaffer has always said that I’m doing everything right and that I just need to keep working hard and doing what I’m doing, and the goal will come.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m letting the team down by not getting the goals because when you don’t score goals you don’t win games. So that’s why every time I want to do my best and try to score," said the former Granada player. Meanwhile, Ighalo believes he will be fit enough for Saturday's EPL clash with Stoke City at Vicarage Road, after he limped out of the Cup clash with the Gunners. “I just need two days to rest and some massage and I will be ready for the weekend’s game,” he said.

Wenger blows hot ahead Barca showdown ARSENE Wenger has hit out following further speculations regarding his future at Arsenal, claiming the mounting pressure has become a "farce". Speaking with reporters after Watford handed down a 1-2 defeat to the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Cup last Sunday, Wenger was full of lamentation ahead of his team's trip to Camp Nou to face Barcelona in the Champions League last-16 reverse fixture tomorrow.

v v

“The next game is always a big challenge and you are always in the middle of a drama. It is becoming a farce. We have lost a game. "We are sad and we want to focus on the next game. Arsenal have lost games before in history and we will lose again in the future. We will stick together and cope with it and prepare for the next one with complete belief. "We want to make the impossible possible [in Barcelona] and we know we play against a very strong, strong

Wenger side and it’s important we go there and focus and show a very good response. "Supporters stand behind the club and we want to fight until the end of the season

for every single game. That is what we did. What is going on at the moment is very, very difficult to take for the players but judge us at the end of the season," Wenger said.

HEAD Coach of Egypt national team, Hector Cuper has named five foreignbased professionals he would parade in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Super Eagles later this month. Topping the list is Roma’s Mohammed Salah and Arsenal’s January signing, Mohamed Elneny, who has begun to book a regular place in the Gunners’ starting line-ups. Egyptian winger, Mahmoud Trezeguet’ Hassan who is on loan from Ander-

lecht is also listed as he will be replacing injured winger Mohamed Abdel-Shafi, who plays for Saudi side Ahly Jeddah. The Pharaohs full squad including local based players will be released later today. Egypt is leading group G having garnered maximum six points from its first two games, while Nigeria is second on the table with four points as only the group winner is guaranteed automatic qualification for the 2017 AFCON.

FIFA bans ex-SAFA boss, Sedibe for 5 yrs FIFA'S ethics watchdog on Monday banned a former South African football chief, Leslie Sedibe, for five years after an inquiry into matchfixing surrounding the national team. Sedibe, who was South African Football Association chief executive for one year including through the 2010 World Cup hosted by the country was also fined 20 000 Swiss francs (18 200 euros/$20 000). Two former referees officials, Steve Goddard and Adeel Carelse, were also banned for two years by FIFA's ethics committee adjudicator chamber. All were found guilty of

breaches of conduct and disclosure. But FIFA did not give details of the case. It said only that the three cases were linked to "international friendly matches played in South Africa in 2010" before the World Cup. Another former SAFA referees chief, Lindile Kika, it will be recalled, was banned for six years last October for his role in the matchfixing inquiry. Kika was one of five senior SAFA officials, including the former president Kirsten Nematandani, put on 'special leave' in December 2012 following a FIFA report into match-fixing.

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. 15/3/2016.