16th February 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,437

TUESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY, 2016

Electricity tariff: Court warns NERC, DISCOs to obey orders —P2

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Nigerian Tribune

Naira slumps further at parallel market, now 345 to dollar —P10

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OBJ's govt awarded Abuja rail project without design —Senate Committee •Says contract inflated by N10m per kilometre —P4

Sack of 24 DGs: Lobbying, horse-trading rock APC •DG Budget Office removed •More sack this week

—P4

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, inspecting one of the range of cars manufactured by Innoson Motors, in Abuja, on Monday.

Buhari’s N500bn social investment vote, greatest duty to Nigerians —Budget historian

—P42

2 news

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

2016 budget rushed —Senate Leader We’ll pass it in March —Reps Leon Usigbe, Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel - Abuja

S

ENATE Leader, Mohammed Ndume, met with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, for consultation, after which he told State House correspondents that the 2016 budget submitted to the National Assembly by the president was having problems because it was rushed.

He said the problems associated with the document would, however, be sorted out, to enable the budget to be signed into law.

Fielding questions after the meeting with the president, he said: “We are working on the budget daily. We are working on it collectively for the first time.

“The Executive and the Legislature are looking at the budget collectively.

“This is the first time we will be doing it this way.

“The matter is not about a date. If we can finish it today, we will hand it over for signature tomorrow.

“Those days, we just passed budgets that were normally not implemented.

This is the first time we are doing a budget the president is looking forward to implement.

“This budget was done in a rush and you know there are some issues cropping up. It is no longer going to be business as usual.

“So, those unusual things, if detected, would be worked on. It is not as if we are hold-

ing on to the budget. We are working collectively.”

He said his consultation with the president was also necessary, because there were bills pending before the National Assembly which required such consultations.

According to him, “there are issues that are really on ground. One is the budget.

We also have two bills before the Senate that we need to start working on when we resume tomorrow. The Money Laundering Bill and the Criminal Information Sharing Bill.

“There are issues other than those ones that are re-

ally on ground. This is how we were supposed to be doing it earlier. That is, coming into the Villa to consult and guide the proceedings in the Senate appropriately.

“Other than that, I don’t want you to see it as an unusual visit. I will be doing this often, because this is how it is supposed to be.

“Again, I normally consult with the president on a personal basis long before he became the president, so it is not unusual.”

Ndume dismissed suggestions that he may be interceding on behalf of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, over his ongoing prosecu-

tion at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

He said: “I am not the Senate President. The question should be directed to the Senate President.

“You are asking me what I do not know. I consult and if I have to mediate on anything, there should be a problem. I do not know of any problem.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, on Monday, confirmed that it was working towards passing the 2016 Appropriation Bill in the second week of March.

The House equally stated that it had not suspended work on the budget pro-

posal.

Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, who disclosed this while receiving report of the House Committee on Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on the defence of the budget, also explained that only plenary sitting was suspended to accord committees’ adequate time to screen the budget proposal.

He said “the passage of budget has not been suspended indefinitely. What we say is that due to the errors discovered, we will need additional time to take a second look at the budget

Electricity tariff: Obey orders, court warns NERC, others Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin - Lagos FOLLOWING a suit challenging the proposed increase in electricity tarriff, the Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, warned the Federal Government and Distribution Companies (DISCOs) against disobeying subsisting court order.

The court ruled that the government must not act in a way that showed disdain for the court in a constitutional democracy.

“The point must be made that obedience to the rule of law by all citizens, but more particularly, those who publicly take the oath of office to protect and preserve the Constitution is decideratum to good governance and respect for rule of law. In a constitutional democratic

society like ours, this is meant to be the norm.

“It is an act of apostacy for government to ignore the provisions of the law and the necessary rules meant to regulate matters.

“I must say it loud and clear, that the government of this country shall be a government of laws and not of men,” Justice Mohammed Idris ruled.

It will be recalled that activist and lawyer, Toluwani Adebiyi, had filed a suit seeking a perpetual injunction restraining NERC from implementing any upward review of electricity tariff without significant improvement in power supply to at least 18 hours a day.

Justice Idris had made an order directing parties to maintain status quo.

But while the suit was pending, NERC announced

the tarriff hike.

At Monday’s proceedings, Adebiyi informed the court that he had initiated contempt proceedings against NERC chairman and DISCOs’ Managing Directors, for disobeying the court’s orders.

The lawyer is praying the court to commit the alleged contemnors to prison.

NERC’s lawyer, Chief Anthony Idigbe, however, said he had filed an appeal against the order by Justice Idris.

He said he also had a pending application for stay of proceedings pending determination of the appeal.

Adebiyi said the contempt charge should be heard first since NERC had undermined the court’s authority, but Idigbe said the application for stay of proceedings should take precedence since an appeal had been lodged.

Ruling, Justice Idris said after a careful examination of the records of court that there were a number of pending applications to be dispensed with.

Among them was the Form 49 filed by the plaintiff and a motion for leave to serve the purported contemnors through their counsel.

He said there was also an application by second to 12th defendants to set aside the Form 49, as well as an application by NERC, challenging the motion on notice for committal.

Also pending is an application to stay further proceedings, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal to the Court of Appeal against the orders made on July 23, 2015.

“I understand it to be the law that contempt proceedings are criminal in nature

Supreme Court gives reason for affirming Ajimobi, Udom, Geidam, Okowa’s elections Sunday Ejike - Abuja THE Supreme Court, on Monday, gave reasons for affirming the victory of governors of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom; Yobe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam and that of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, in the April 11, 2015 governorship elections held in their various states.

Giving the reasons for the judgment of the apex court delivered on February 2, the seven-member panel of justices of the court, headed by Justice Walter Onnoghen, said the appeals against the elections of the governors, affirmed earlier, lacked merit.

In the case of the appeal

by Senator Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord, challenging

and to also take on the minister of finance and the minister of budget and national planning.

“I can confirm to you clearly that the extension of time is to allow appropriation committee to do a necessary cleaning up. Taking this into consideration, the budget will be passed by the second week of March.”

The chairman disclosed that from Tuesday till Friday, the appropriation committee would be engaging the standing committees of the House to receive their reports and compile them for onward forwarding to the plenary by next week.

Ajimobi’s victory in the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State, the court held that the appeal was dismissed for constituting an abuse of court process and lacking in merit.

The court, in its reasons for the February 2 judgment, said Ladoja and his party could not prove the allegation of misconduct and gross violation of Electoral Act which they claimed marred the election that produced Senator Ajimobi as governor of Oyo State beyond reasonable doubt, as required by law.

Giving reasons for setting aside the judgment of the Akwa Ibom State governorship election petition tribunal and that of the

Court of Appeal, in a petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Umana Umana, the court held that the petitioners, who are appellants before the court, could not prove the allegation of criminal acts against the respondents beyond reasonable doubts as required by law.

The court also stated that allegation of disenfranchisment must be proved polling units by polling units, which the seven-member panel of justices of the apex court, said was not proved by the petitioners.

The court also held that there was a wrong reliance on the petitioners’ witness number 48 by the lower court to decide that there was disenfranchisement of voters in 18 out of the 32

local governments areas in Akwa Ibom State, though the said witness admitted that he was not at his polling unit as of the time of the polls.

The court also held that the over-generalisation that there was anarchy in Akwa Ibom State during the polls was not wrong, because the Nigeria Police report of the polls largely contradicts that of the witnesses which were relied upon by the court.

Justice Centus Nweze, who gave the reasons of the court held that “the two lower courts metamorphosed into an inquisitory forum shopping for skirmishes, even though there was no demonstration in court.”

The apex court held that the judgment by the tribunal and the appellate court were not consistent with the

law and were accordingly set aside.

Giving reasons for affirming the election of Governor Geidam of Yobe State, the court held that the appellants failed to prove the criminal allegations levelled against the governor, adding also that the Yobe State Election Petition Tribunal had no jurisdiction to entertain the criminal allegation.

Reasons of the apex court’s judgment in upholding the election of Governor Okowa of Delta State included, among other things, the inability of the petitioners to prove the allegation of irregularities, malpractices and violations of Electoral Act, which they claimed marred the April 11, 2015 election, from which Okowa emerged winner.

and should, therefore, ordinarily in the context of our jurisprudence be first dealt with, either by the court trying the case when the alleged contempt took place or by another court.

“The purpose of taking contempt proceedings first, is to demonstrate to the public that the court being the creation of the constitution to decide cases between all manners of litigants vide Section 6 of the constitution should protect its dignity and will neither allow a citizen nor any other arm of government to brazenly do an act that will diminish the powers duly invested by the constitution and the common law in the administration of justice.

“On the other hand, the basis upon which the contempt application is premised, which is the order that parties maintain status quo ante-bellum, is on appeal, and there is a motion for stay of proceedings in this suit pending appeal.

“It is in the interest of justice, therefore, that this application to stay further proceedings be heard and determined.

“Until then, no further proceedings should go on.

I will, therefore, take arguments on the application to stay further proceedings in this suit,” the judge said.

Adebiyi said he was served with the application for stay of proceedings last last week and needed time to respond.

In the suit, Adebiyi is praying for an order of court mandating NERC to generate more power to meet the the country’s power needs, and to develop a multiple long-term financing approach, sourced from the banks, capital market, insurance and other sectors to finance the power sector.

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Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Sack of 24 DGs: Lobbying, horse-trading rock APC More sack this week From Taiwo Adisa, Lanre Adewole, Clement Idoko and Bola Badmus

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EMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have kicked off intense lobbying over the positions left vacant by the sack of 24 Directors-General of federal agencies, sources close to the party have said.

President Muhammadu Buhari had, on Monday, announced the sack of Directors General of key government parastatals.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir David Lawal, who conveyed the sack in a statement in Abuja, said “the president has approved the immediate disengagement of the chief executive officers of the underlisted parastatals, agencies and commissions.”

The president also approved that the most senior officers in the parastatals, agencies and councils oversee the activities of the organisations, pending the appointment of substantive chief executive officers.

Buhari, in the statement, thanked the affected chief executives and directorsgeneral for their invaluable services to the nation, while

wishing them well in their future endeavours.

Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Professor Suleiman Bogoro; DirectorGenerals of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Sola Omole and those of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Ladan Salihu; Voice of Nigeria (VON), Sam Worlu; National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mike Omeri; Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Emeka Mba and the Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ima Niboro, were affected in the mass sack.

Others affected were the heads of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Petroleum Equalization Fund.

Also affected in the mass sack were heads of Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC), Bureau of Public Procurements (BPP), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency

(PPPRA), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Bank of Industry (BoI), National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) and Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Also sacked were the Directors-General of Nigerian Export-Import Bank and National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP).

Sources confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that following the sack on Monday, intense lobbying of party leaders had intensified.

It was learnt that the party had decided to draw up its own list of would-be heads, which would then be forwarded to President Buhari.

“The president would make the final decision and everyone knows he has his ways of vetting things, but the party will draw up its list of members who worked assiduously and are seen to be square pegs in square holes,” a source in the party said.

It was learnt that the party was liaising with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on the way forward, as many of the agencies are under his direct supervision.

It was also confirmed that

the president would soon announce fresh sack of the leadership of the federal parastatals and agencies, with a source saying that the new sack may be announced during the week.

“The lobbying is not just about those that have been relieved of their positions.

There are over 600 parastatals whose headship are already pencilled for removal.

All of them are being taken together and our members with interests in the different agencies are already showing signs,” another source close to the party said.

Against the backdrop of outcry over perceived marginalisation by some sections of the country, the Presidency had declared that the number of vacancies to be filled, in apparent reference to pending appointments into federal departments, corporations and agencies.

The delay by the government in sacking those appointees, coupled with the intense lobbying by the various APC leaders had a source of friction, as many of the leaders felt they were yet to be properly accommodated in the scheme of things, in view of their immense contributions to the success of the APC and the president in the 2015 election.

It was learnt that the schism culminated in the

leaders of the different power blocs in some states sending separate lists of their candidates for federal appointments into federal boards and paratastals.

Each state was required to send 50 names for such appointments.

A source said the list sent by a governor from one of the six states in the SouthWest contained only his loyalists, thus the raging disputes among parties membership on the legacy parties that coalesced into the APC in 2014.

It was gathered two APC influential figures in another state from the zone could not harmonise their list because of mutual suspicion, as each camp was said to have sent separate list comprising 50 loyalists to be considered for the board appointments.

The power tussle involved ministers, some of whom were said to not to be enjoying the best of relationships with the governors in their home states, as well as some perceived kingmakers in the APC. There is also an unconfirmed report that the vacancies would be shared among the six geopolitical zones, to have a proper sense of balancing.

Those pushing this argument were said to have proper integration of the

Buhari removes DG Budget Office, appoints replacement Leon Usigbe - Abuja FOLLOWING the hiccups that had dogged the the 2016 Appropriation Bill sent to the National Assembly for consideration and approval, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, removed the Director-General (Bud-

get), Mr Yahaya Gusau and approved the appointment of Mr Tijjani Mohammed Abdullahi as his replacement.

According to a statement issued by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, in Abuja, Abdullahi is a fellow of the Certified National Accoun-

tants of Nigeria and a banker of repute, with experience in managing public finance.

It said the new DirectorGeneral (Budget) is expected to work with the Minister of Budget and National Planning, to efficiently deliver on the mandates of the Budget Office of the Federation.

The statement also announced the approval of the appointment of Mr Ben Akabueze as the Special Adviser to the President on National Planning. He will work with the Minister of National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma.

Akabueze, who is the im-

mediate past Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in Lagos State, has worked in senior management positions in Citi Bank, Fidelity Bank, United Bank for Africa, NAL Merchant Bank, Sterling Bank and BIA Consulting Limited, among others.

OBJ’s govt awarded Abuja rail project without design —Senate Committee

•Says contract inflated by N10m per kilometre Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja THE Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Monday, said the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo awarded the contract for Abuja rail project in 2007 with neither design nor memorandum of understanding (MOU).

The discovery came into the open during an oversight function conducted by the committee, led by its chairman, Senator Dino Melaye.

The Abuja rail project was said to have been signed

on behalf of the country by the former Minister of FCT, who is now the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.

It was alleged that the former minister awarded the contract based on what was called uncalculated estimates.

The Senate committee also discovered that the length of the rail project, which stood at 60.67 kilometres, was inflated by N10 million per kilometre.

According to the committee, when the length of the project was later reduced to 45 kilometres, the contractors failed to refund the cost

for the 15.67 kilometres that was cut off.

While addressing newsmen at the project site, chairman of the committee, Senator Melaye, demanded the refund of the sum of N195.8 million, being the amount for the 15.67 kilometres cut out.

The project manager of the company, Etim Abak, who answered questions from members of the committee during the visit, said the contract was signed by the then FCT Minister without design and MoU, saying it was carried out based on what he simply identified as conceptual design.

Senator Melaye replied that his research had shown that rail project was inflated by over N10 million per kilometre, wondering why such corrupt act was perpetrated by the handlers of the project.

He noted that the contract sum was $841.645,898 and the project completion period was 48 months, while the scope of work was 60.67km standard gauge, with double railway tracks and associated permanent way within FCT. The lawmaker, however, said the whole project was shrouded in fraud.

He wondered why the

project, which length initially stood at 60.67 kilometres, was later reduced to 45.245 kilometres without reduction in the cost of the project.

“The Federal Government has so far invested $31.5 billion and another $7.6 billion from the SURE-P fund and if you put these together, we have altogether $39.1 billion invested in the rail project.

He wondered why it was costing the Federal Government so much to construct a railway of just 45 kilometres, unlike the construction of the same specifics across the globe.

South-East in mind, considering the marginalisation cries emanating from the zone.

However, those seeking to be appointed are reportedly co-opting emirs, traditional rulers and political leaders in their bids to get chummy positions.

A former accountant of one of the vacant agencies, who was reportedly indicted for fraud before being eased out of the system, was said to be mounting an aggressive lobbying to return as the chief executive officer.

The accountant who is from the North has reportedly been on the road for weeks, seeking the support of emirs to land the job.

When the Nigerian Tribune contacted a senior official of the agency to inquire about the development, he literarily went into a spin when the name was mentioned.

He concluded by saying that his planned return as the head would sound the death kneel for the thriving agency and would be a slight on Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign.

A senator in the seventh National Assembly from a South-West state is reportedly being tipped by southern forces to land a major vacant position which has direct bearing with managing government policies, but forces from the North were reportedly arguing that another Yoruba director general was just removed from the job.

Reacting to the development, spokesman of the party in Lagos, Mr Joe Igbokwe and a former member of House of Representatives, Honourable Arole Fancy, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on phone, said they expected the president to follow with more sack, of those they said are loyalists of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to Igbokwe, “Buhari’s action is a very good one and long expected since he was sworn in,” saying there was the need for the president to clean the Augean stable and bring in party loyalists, who could deliver for the government.

The APC spokesman, who insisted that the sacked officials were PDP loyalists who should have been replaced long ago, counted that the challenge being faced at the Senate where the PDP appeared to be dictating the pace, the brouhaha over the 2016 budget proposal, among others, were the results that the Augean stable needed to be cleaned by Buhari as quickly as possible.

5 news 3 die of Lassa fever, 2 on admission in Kano

WHO donates drugs, equipment Kola Oyelere - Kano

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HE Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabir Getso, has confirmed that the state recorded three victims of Lassa fever from December 14, 2015 to date, just as two

suspects are on admission.

This is just as the World Health Organisation (WHO) donated drugs and equipment to the state in its effort to fight against Lassa fever.

Dr Getso, who disclosed this on Monday, in Kano,

Nigerian govts gloated over Lassa fever for 47yrs —Expert Banji Aluko - Benin City

A member of the National Committee on Control of Lassa fever, Professor Dennis Agbonlahor, has said that successive Nigerian governments gloated over how to tackle the dreaded Lassa virus since 1967 without setting control measure in motion.

Professor Agbonlahor, who has undertaken extensive research on Lassa fever treatment and prevention, described budgetary allocations to the treatment of Lassa by the Federal Government in the past 47 years as waste of public funds.

Agbonlahor, Professor of Microbiology and former vice-chancellor of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, disclosed this at the distinguished University of Benin lecture, entitled: “Combating Lassa Fever: A National Health Challenge,” held at the university.

The don, who quoted the chairman of the National Committee on the Control of Lassa fever, Professor Oyewole Tomori, noted with regret that Nigeria, in the past 47 years, made much noise in the name of creating awareness during outbreaks but goes to sleep at the end of each episode and only wakes up when the next outbreak occurs.

“For the past 44 years, Lassa fever has remained an annual budget of death for the poor people of Nigeria because we have lived in a state of denial of the disease and handled it with a characteristic laxity, laissez-faire, negligence, sloppiness, slackness, disregard and triviality.”

He noted that inconsistency in government policies occasioned by lack of political will by past governments robbed the nation the possibility of attaining the threshold of

discovering the Lassa fever vaccine, while Illiteracy, harmful traditional, cultural, customs and religious beliefs have been largely attributable to under reporting of Lassa fever cases.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Faraday Orumwense, said the institution has set up a committee to sensitise the university community on ways to prevent the disease by collaborating with the government and non-governmental organisations to either eradicate or “keep this monstrous disease,” at bay.

It will be noted that since the recent outbreak of Lassa in the country, it has claimed some lives which cut across some states.

while addressing newsmen, said the first reported case of Lassa in the state was on December 14, 2015, reported by the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital of two confirmed cases from Garun Malam Local Government Area.

According to him, the two confirmed cases died in the hospital on December 4, while recently, the state recorded the third victim, a young businessman from Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, who travelled from Benue State to Kano.

His words “Since the beginning of this outbreak to date (February 14, 2016), the state recorded three confirmed cases in two council areas,” adding that all contacts were identified and followed up and more than 70 per cent have completed their 21 days follow up or dropped due to negative results.

He, however, noted that since the beginning of the outbreak, the state government through the Ministry of Health instituted several control measures.

These measures, according to him, includes setting up of rapid response team, establish Lassa fever emergency operation centre to coordinate day to day response to the current outbreak.

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

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Lagos

Spiritualist dupes woman N1.6m for poverty deliverance Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin A teacher has narrated how a self acclaimed ‘spiritualist’ duped and coerced her into parting with N1.6 million.

Peace Igboanusi recounted that she met 37-year-old Udochi Obimba on her way to work and he offered to conduct spiritual deliverance for her.

The incident happened at Ikotun, where they both reside.

She alleged that Obimba approached her and offered to assist her spiritually to overcome her financial predicament.

“He first made a revelation concerning my life and members of my family,” she said, adding that he reportedly took her to an undisclosed place in Ikotun where other members of his gang, who are now at large, told her that she needed prayers which entailed that she would pay certain amount of money to be free from spiritual bondage.

She further alleged that he subjected her to taking an oath and undergoing other rituals and after which she was ordered to go and get the money needed for her deliverance.

She was also assured that after the prayers, she would become rich and successful.

The victim said she did not know what came over her when she believed them and started borrowing money. She stated that she went to her relatives to borrow money for the gang and promised to pay back soon.

She had hoped that after the prayers she would have enough money and would refund all the money. When the prayers did not work, the victim opened up and Obimba was arrested in a bank where he had gone to withdraw the money she paid into his bank account.

Ongoing construction of a bridge across the Lagos Lagoon, at Eko Bridge, in Apogbon. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Valentine tragedies: ACP drowns in hotel pool, 2 killed in cult clash Olalekan Olabulo

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T was a tragic Valentine celebration in Lagos State on Sunday as an assistant commissioner of police drowned in a swimming pool in a hotel in Ajah area of the state, while two people died in a cult clash during the same celebration in Oworonsoki area of the state.

The deceased police chief, Osung Ekpo, was until his death the Area Commander in charge of the Area M police command in Morogbo, comprising Badagry and neighbouring communities.

There is however two conflicting reports on the mission of the deceased police chief to the hotel, where the incident took place.

Some police source revealed to Lagos Metro that the deceased Ekpo, who was at one time, the divisional police officer in charge of Ajah, had gone to the hotel with some of his friends to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The police in the state, however, insisted that the deceased had not gone to the hotel to celebrate, but on a routine swimming exercise at the hotel.

It was gathered that Ekpo and his friend were in celebration mood, when suddenly he decided to join funseekers at the swimming

pool. Some of his friends, who saw him were said to have raised the alarm.

The deceased Area Commander was rescued from the swimming pool and rushed to an unnamed hospital, where he later died.

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmus confirmed the incident to Lagos Metro, but insisted that he had gone to the hotel for routine swimming exercise.

ACP Osung Ekpo was en-

listed into the Nigeria Police in the year 1990, and worked in various formations of the force. He assumed his last duty post as Area Commander, Area ‘K’ Morogbo on November 14, 2013, a position he held until his untimely death.

“The Command will miss him for his gallantry performance while he held forth as the Area Commander. Lagos State Police Command sympathises with his family and pray that Almighty God

The drowned Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)

give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” police said.

In another related Valentine tragedy, two people, suspected to be cult members were between Sunday night and Monday morning killed as two cult groups clashed in Oworonsoki area of the state.

Five people have since been arrested in connection with the killings by anti-riot policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), who were drafted to the scene.

Residents of Ferry area of Oworonsoki, where the incident took place have continued to live in fear, following the reported threats from members of the two warring groups.

Lagos Metro gathered that some youths around Ferry were organising a Valentine’s Day party, when a member of one of the two cult groups was stabbed to death.

Some of his colleagues reinforced and a free-for all ensued between the two groups, leading to sporadic shootings in the area.

One other person was said to have been killed as the two factions of the cult members continued their war till the early hours of Monday, before they were dispersed by policemen, who were drafted to the scene.

Efforts to get the reaction of the image maker in charge of the police in the state, Dolapo Badmus on the Oworonsoki cult clash failed as calls to her mobile phone lines were not answered.

Traffic Task Bola Badmus LAGOS State Task Force has on Monday arrested a total of 50 people from three different locations, Ikeja, Obalende and Osodi-Isolo for committing traffic and environmental offences, with the Mobile Court convicting them accordingly.

The Task Force made this disclosure in a statement made available to Lagos Metro by its Public Affairs Officer, Mr Adebayo Taofik, saying the Mobile Court sitting in Ikeja, under Magistrate Nurudeen Layeni convicted 15 offenders.

According to him, 12 out of the 15 were arrested for street trading with each of them fined for N3, 000 or one month imprisonment after being convicted.

He said two people were also convicted for street fighting that could lead to breach of peace contrary to

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metro

Nigerian Tribune

Edited by

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Court orders arrest of state chairman of Marwa riders Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin THE state Chairman of Tricycle Owners and Drivers Association (TODA), Aiyenogun Babatunde, who is accused of murder, is to be arrested wherever he is seen.

This is consequent upon a court order, mandating his arrest, following his absence from court.

Babatunde was accused of murdering one Yusuf Ademola by the state government but has failed to appear before an Igbosere High Court where he was arraigned.

This prompted Justice Adedayo Akintoye to renew the bench warrant issued against him.

Counsel to the State Government, Tunde Sunmonu had on October 13, 2015, asked the court to issue bench warrant against Babatunde in order to prevent him from moving outside the jurisdiction of the court, the court granted the prayer and adjourned the case till October 19, 2015 but on the adjournment date, the defendant’s counsel, Lukman Imam filed an application seeking the

court to set aside the bench warrant against his client.

Babatunde’s counsel also prayed the court to make an order directing and mandating the Attorney General or the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the state, to obtain the additional two statements made by Salihu Ademola, the deceased’s father and Abdul Rasaq Olawunmi (both prosecution witnesses) at the office of the Inspector General of police, on further investigation of the case, and serve both on the defendant to enable him prepare his defence before his plea can be taken in the charge against him.

Bad portions of road at Itire and Ilasamaja Bus Stops along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Thugs raid General Hospital, stab patients, staffers, Chukwuma Okparaocha HELL was let loose around 11:00pm on Sunday, February 14, when thugs invaded the General Hospital, OrileAgege, Lagos with cutlasses, knives and other dangerous weapons attacking and stabbing members of staff and patients.

The thugs also invaded

the engineering department and the office of the drivers, where they reportedly stabbed some members of staff.

A parent, who brought his daughter to the hospital, was also stabbed. According to him, he was only allowed to go after he told the hoodlums that he was a pastor.

The hoodlums, who at-

Force convicts another 50 •2 convicted for street-fighting section 166 (1) h and punishable under section 166 (2) of criminal law of the state.

Taofik said they were given four hours community service as punishment, while a Marwa operator, who was among those arrested, was discharged

and acquitted.

At Obalende, under Magistrate Patrick Nwaka, five people were convicted and fined N1, 000 each for unlawful parking, even as each driver presented tickets issued to them by the Local Government.

Also, four commercial bus

drivers were convicted for dropping and picking passengers from unauthorised bus stops and were fined N20,000 each or six months imprisonment, while one person was convicted and given one hour community service for hanging on the door of a commercial bus.

...Govt lawyers to defend offenders MEANWHILE, the Lagos State government has said lawyers from the office of the Public Defender (OPD) will be available to defend any traffic offender who so desires to be defended, before the state Mobile Court recently inaugurated in the state.

The state government had a fortnight ago, inaugurated the Special Offences (Mobile) Court to summarily deal with growing cases of traffic and environmental

abuses in the state.

Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, who spoke at the inauguration of five vans for the kick-off of the court, gave this assurance to residents of the state, saying the mobile court would dispense justice in accordance with the dictates of the law and respect fundamental human rights of defendants charged before it.

According to Kazeem, lawyers in the Ministry of Justice

will be directly involved in defending the traffic offenders, saying that he would directly supervise the operation of the prosecuting counsel.

The Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice said the introduction of the court was one of the ways through which Governor Akinwunmi Ambode aimed to broaden the pathway that guarantee citizens’ access to justice and at the same time ensure the preservation of civility in the society.

tacked several other people in the hospital, were said to have carted away valuables of the patients such as money and handsets.

Recounting her ordeal, one of the nurses, said one of the hoodlums, possibly from a rival group, had been rushed to the hospital after he allegedly engaged in a fight with another fellow and doctors in the hospital attempted to save his life but she said this infuriated his attackers who felt the doctors shouldn’t have done that.

“They wanted the man, whose name was given as

Taye, to die but our doctors attended to him, just to save his life,” she said.

It was gathered that a doctor, who went to the children ward to hide from the hoodlums was so unsettled that he could not attend to a child, who was in dire need of urgent medical attention.

Some elderly individuals employed to guide the gates of the hospital were not spared from the urchins, as they were allegedly beaten mercilessly.

An observer recounted that the hoodlums also attacked okada (motorcycle) riders and passersby on the

road leading to the hospital.

Some of the patients in the hospital, appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the state and the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, to provide security in all the state’s general hospitals in order to forestall a recurrence.

Also speaking on the matter, Chairman of the Committee on Health in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Segun Olulade, promised to raise the issue of security in the state hospitals on the floor of the House as a matter of urgent public importance.

Businessman jailed 6 years for fraud committed in 2002 Gbemi Solaja A businessman, Samuel Nzewo, has been sentenced to six years jail term for obtaining money under false pretence and stealing in 2002.

An Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Chief Magistrate O.I. Adelaja (Mrs), sentenced the convict after finding him guilty of the two-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence and stealing levelled against him by the police. In the charge marked B/114c/2005, the police stated that the convict collected the sum of N1, 550, 000 million, from one Sir Eugene Mba under the pretence that he had a

plot of land to sell to him in 2002.

During the trial of the case, while being cross-examined, the convict had admitted that he collected the said sum from the victim.

He said the victim first gave him the sum of N1,490,000, which he said was to assist the victim in importing empty Compact Disk (CD) from Singapore.

He stated further that when he could not supply the CD as promised, he told the victim to add N50, 000 to the money with the promise of giving him a plot of land around Ojo area of Lagos. He said the N50, 000 was for the perimeter fencing of the supposed land.

Sentencing the convict,

Chief Magistrate Adelaja said that the prosecution proved the case against the convict, beyond reasonable doubt.

After pronouncing the convict guilty, his lawyer, Chief Antia U.O.R.U. urged the court to be lenient in sentencing the convict, stating that the convict is a first term offender.

Consequently, the Chief Magistrate sentenced the convict to three years on each count with hard labour. She equally ordered that jail terms should run concurrently.

Counsel to the complainant Mr Martins Oyigbo, said the judgment would serve as a lesson to others who engage in fraudulent acts.

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Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

AMCON set to sell Keystone Bank Chima Nwokoji-lagos

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HE Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) said on Monday that it was seeking prospective investors to buy Keystone Bank, the last of the nationalised banks yet to be sold.

AMCON said in a public notice it had decided to divest its 100 percent interest in the bank and ask prospective buyers to submit their bids by March 4.

AMCON appointed Citibank’s local unit and FBN Capital as financial advisers to manage the process, asking prospective investors to submit bids, showing evidence of credibility and eligibility for the transaction.

Nigeria nationalised

three lenders, Afribank, Spring Bank and Bank PHB in 2011, while AMCON then recapitalised them and changed their names to Mainstreet Bank, Enterprise Bank and Keystone Bank. Two of the banks have since been sold.

Based on audited ac-

count as of June last year, Keystone bank has a total assets of about 317.6 billion naira ($1.60 billion), equity of 18.9 billion naira and a loan portfolio of about 98.2 billion naira.

By December 31, the Bank had 156 branches across the country with

four subsidiaries, of which two are international, AMCON said in the notice.

Nigeria’s Sterling Bank told Reuters on Friday it was aiming to buy one or two mid-sized commercial lenders as sharp falls in the value of the naira and increased regulatory pres-

sure are forcing banks to recapitalise.

AMCON was set up in 2010 to absorb non-performing loans in exchange for government bonds, after the central bank injected $4 billion to rescue nine lenders from collapse seven years ago.

Naira hits record low of 345 to dollar NAIRA weakened to a record 345 to the dollar on the parallel market on Monday, increasing pressure on the government to devalue the official exchange rate to narrow the gap and spare Nigerians from huge bills for imported goods.

The local currency eased 1.47 per cent from Friday’s close of 340 to the dollar, while the official rate remained at 197.50 to the dollar at the close of trading on Monday.

Traders said the black market rate had slipped as Nigerians with school and medical bills to pay abroad anticipated the central bank would stop allocating currency for such payments. The bank has not denied or confirmed any such plans.

Tumbling global oil prices have battered Africa’s top crude exporter, with foreign exchange reserves down to an 11-year low at $27.85 billion by February 11.

Nigeria’s government is concerned that further depreciation will hurt poor Nigerians, but the bank’s refusal to revise the pegged exchange rate has widened a chasm between official rates and the parallel market.

“In my own view, the central bank should address the supply side of the market by allowing oil companies and banks to sell dollar to bureau de change operators as an immediate measure to reduce pressure on the naira,” said Aminu Gwadabe, head of the Association of Bureau de Change Operators of

From left: Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Finance, Marshal Gundu; Head of Efficiency Unit, Federal Ministry of Finance, Oniha and the Deputy Director of Press, Patricia Deworitishe, during the media roundtable, in Lagos.

Shell finally acquires rival BG Group for $52bn

•CEO expects output in Brazil to quadruple by 2020

By Ruth Olurounbi

OWNING to Shell’s $52 billion takeover BG Group Plc BG.L, approved in late January, which took effect on Monday, February 15, 2016, the company’s CEO Ben Van Beurden now expects that the company’s output in Brazil will quadruple by 2020.

Shell had announced in statement on Monday that it had taken over its rival BG group in $52 billion takeover, thus cementing its position as the world’s top liquefied natural gas company, in spite of current fall in oil prices.

It will be recalled that Shell had in the past said it would cut 10,000 jobs and would sell $30 billion of assets over the next three

years in order to finance the deal, buy back shares and support dividends, which it has vowed to maintain or increase.

“This combination brings together two world-class portfolios creating a more competitive company. We have acquired productive oil and gas projects across countries including Brazil and Australia and will be able to shape a simpler, leaner company. Together we will focus on our core expertise in deep water and liquefied natural gas (LNG),” the company said.

Speaking shortly after the takeover, Ben Van Beurden said Brazil would be a key area for the Anglo-Dutch company as it focuses its expanded operations in lique-

fied natural gas (LNG) and deepwater oil production.

“We believe in the strong fundamentals of Brazil and the fundamentals of its geology. We will be looking at a substantial part of our production from Brazil,” he told reporters in Rio de Janeiro.

By adding BG’s large Brazilian offshore assets, Shell’s local output rises to about 240,000 barrels of oil and natural gas equivalent a day (boepd), or 13 per cent of its total of 1.8 million boepd, analysts said.

Shell explained that consequent upon the new scheme, its capital consists of 4,209,649,877 Shell A shares and 3,745,486,731 Shell B shares, each with equal voting rights.

Oil spill management market to reach $114.4bn by 2020 —Report

By Ruth Olurouni

A new Transparency Market Research report states that global oil spill management market stood at $94.2 billion in 2013 and is predicted to reach $114.4 billion by 2020. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 2.80 per cent from 2014 to 2020.

The report, titled “Oil Spill Management Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2014 – 2020,” stated that increasing safety concerns,

coupled with the rising number of incidents of oil spills in the past few years, are predicted to boost the market for oil spill management, saying that rising pipeline and seaborne transportation of chemicals and crude oil all around the world were among the prime factors fuelling the oil spill management market.

The report, explaining what would stimulate the market for oil spill management, said strict regulations made by governments around the world for using safety technolo-

gies and devices during transportation and drilling of crude oil were a major factor.

“The rising offshore and pipeline tanker transportation of oil and gas is also predicted to have a positive impact on the demand for oil spill management.

Additionally, the rising research and development spending by top oil spill management companies for rapid and efficient spill cleaning is predicted to lead to promising opportunities for the growth of the market in the coming years,” the report added.

It added that the total number of Shell A shares and Shell B shares in issue will be 7,955,136,608, saying “this figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculation by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, Shell under the FCA’s Disclosure and Transparency Rules.”

Meanwhile, analysts are saying that the acquisition may transform Shell into a more specialised group focused on the rapidly growing LNG market and deepwater oil production.

According to Reuters, “Van Beurden’s vision won overwhelming support from shareholders, though a number of major investors had voiced concerns that the forecast slow recovery in oil prices would strain Shell’s financials and risk its growth plans.”

In the media organisation’s view, the deal, announced 10 months ago creates a combined group which will leapfrog Chevron (CVX.N) to become the world’s second-largest public oil and gas company by market value behind Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N).

Shell is betting heavily on a rapid growth in the global LNG market over coming decades as the world turns to less polluting sources of energy.

Nigerian Tribune

Nigeria committed to free trade, Buhari assures WTO Leon Usigbe-Abuja

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari said Monday that Nigeria remains fully committed to free international trade, despite its present economic circumstances.

President Buhari spoke at an audience in the Presidential Villa with the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ambassador Roberto Azevedo.

He assured him that Nigeria will remain part of the world market, in spite of the dwindling price of oil.

“I am glad that you are aware of the position we’ve found ourselves, the state of our economy, our consumption pattern, and many others. Despite it all, we remain committed to the ideals of free international trade championed by the WTO,” the President said.

The WTO boss expressed delight that Nigeria continued to work with multilateral organizations, adding that the trade group will soon start conversations on important issues for the country, including development of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), which he described as biggest employers of labour in developing countries.

‘Electricity tariff increase bad for economy’ THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kebbi state on Monday said the electricity tariff increase approved by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was a bad omen to the economy.

Alhaji Murtala Adamu, the NLC Chairman in the state, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi.

He said members of the congress in the state have endorsed the proposed nationwide peaceful protest by consumers against the hike and called for a reversal of the hike.

Adamu said that any increase in tariff would compound the economic recession already being felt due to drop in the price of oil.

He said the tariff increase had negated the principles of due process especially as electricity supply had not stabilised and called on NERC to reverse it until power supply improved.

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Bristow incident: FG to fly black boxes to UK for analysis Shola Adekola-Lagos

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HIRTEEN days after a Sikorsky 76C++helicopter in the fleet of Bristow Helicopters ditched into the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos with nine passengers and two crew, the black boxes of the ill- fated helicopter is to be flown to the United Kingdom for analysis.

This is just as the officials from the aircraft manufacturers who are being expected in the country to take part in the investigations have been denied entry visa into Nigeria.

Speaking to aviation journalists on Monday, the Commissioner for Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Dr Felix Abali, said as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident, essential flight recorders of the helicopter would be flown out for downloading, while its actuators will be sent to the manu-

facturers for investigative testing.

Abali said crew of the aircraft which departed ERHA Oil Platform en route Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, declared May Day twice indicating danger.

“The first was declared by the crew at the 78 Nautical Miles from Lagos complaining of instrument problems. The aircraft descended from 3000 feet to 1500 feet.

“At this time the Flying Officer (FO) was the Pilot Flying (PF).

“The Captain took over control expecting to stabilise the helicopter but the aircraft was not responding to control inputs. She declared the second May Day to the Radio Operator at the offshore platform, which was relayed to the ATC by two separate aircraft. One aircraft was following the communication and relayed the ditching,

which occurred at 10:20am at 29 Nautical Miles away from the platform.All the eleven souls on board were rescued alive.

“The crew were met on arrival by AIB at the Eko Support Quay where they were transferred to Lagoon Hospital, Lagos Island.

“Already, toxicological tests were administered on the crew, which proved negative of any substance abuse while an initial field investigation was car-

ried out by AIB and vital components relevant to the investigation including Flight Data Recorder/ Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Cockpit Image Recorder were retrieved for further investigation,” he said.

The AIB Chief added that further Investigation will focus on the aircraft controls with avionics interface just as maintenance records including Technical Logs will be examined.

APMT, Dangote in war of words over seaport access road Tola Adenubi-lagos

THE decision by the Dangote Group to rehabilitate the Lagos port access road, wharf road, has led to a war of words between two neighbours inside the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), APM Terminals on one hand and Greenview Development Nigeria Limited (GDNL), a subsidiary of Dangote Group on the other hand.

It will be recalled that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) had published an advertorial in national dailies on February 8, 2016, stating that a subsidiary of the Dangote Group and a sister company to GDNL; Messrs AG Dangote Construction Company will begin rehabilitation works on the wharf road leading to the Lagos port.

This publication had drawn commendations from all stakeholders in the maritime sector giving the fact that it is not the job of any terminal operator to repair ports access roads.

Many had commended Dangote for taking the initiative when least expected.

However, in an exclusive chat with the Nigerian Tribune on telephone, Spokesman of APM Terminals, Augustine Fischer.

From left: Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman; Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu and the Regional Corporate Executive, South South and South East, Sterling Bank, Emmanuel Emefienim, during a courtesy call on the governor by the management of the bank in Aba, at the weekend.

World Bank projects Africa’s GDP to rise to 4.8% in 2017 •Says yearly $114bn needed to meet water and sanitation goals

By Ruth Olurounbi

THE World Bank has projected that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa would pick up to an average of 4.4 per cent and 4.8 per cent in 2016 and 2017 respectively, as the continent’s growth dropped by 0.9 per cent last year.

The continent’s growth dropped from an average 4.6 per cent in 2014 to an average of 3.7 per cent in 2015.

The increase will be driven by domestic demand, supported by continuing infrastructure investment and private consumption fuelled by lower oil prices, while external demand is also expected to support growth, “because of stronger prospects in high-income economies,” the bank explained.

The bank added that: “Consumption dynamics will differ for oil export-

ers and importers. Private consumption growth is expected to slow in the oil exporters as cuts to subsidies to alleviate pressure on the budget result in higher fuel costs.

“Purchasing power is also expected to decline due to currency weakness, which would push up the cost of imports in local currency.

“By contrast, lower fuel prices are expected to contribute to lower inflation in the oil importers, which should help boost consumers’ purchasing power and support domestic demand.

“The price level impact of currency depreciation could, however, offset some of these effects.”

In another development, the bank said more money was needed to reach water and sanitation goals.

The bank, which said “2.4 billion people still live without access to improved sanitation, while about one billion people

defecate in the open and more than 640,000 people lack improved drinking water sources,” said to meet the Sustainable Development Goals on water and sanitation (SDG 6), more money, strong institutions, accountability and mechanisms that turn investment into effective services for people who need it, are critical to achieving universal water access and safe human waste management.

In a World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) in partnership with the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation report, the bank said if the current global expenditure, estimated at around $28.4 billion per year, were to be targeted properly, every household in the world would have access to drinking water, an adequate toilet and a suitable place to wash their hands by 2030.

Saying that the SDG water and sanitation targets go beyond basic services, the bank said the total cost of providing wash services at these levels is estimated at around $114 billion per year, three times the current investment levels.

“Considering the amount of estimated investment needed, efforts to meet the SDG targets on drinkingwater and sanitation will require not only additional public funding, but also greater service efficiency and increased engagement from civil society and the private sector,” WSP Senior Economist, Guy Hutton, who is the lead author of the study, said.

Speaking also, Jyoti Shukla, WSP’s Senior Manager said: “There is no doubt higher levels of financing are needed; however, universal and sustainable WASH services also require strengthened institutions and better policies.”

NSE continues gaining streaks by 0.56% Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

THE Nigerian equities market continued the gradual northward march of recent times as the NSE All Share Index appreciated by 0.56 per cent to close at 24,827.50 basis points, compared with the 0.10 per cent appreciation recorded previously.

Also market capitalisation appreciated by N47.4 billion to close at N8.54 trillion naira as against N8.49 trillion recorded at the close of trade last week.

Market breadth however closed negative as Cutix Plc led 13 gainers against 25 losers topped by Tiger Branded Consumers Plc, an improved performance when compared with previous outlook.

Market turnover closes negative as volume declined by 9.01 per cent against 24.80 per cent decline recorded in the previous session.

Meanwhile Fidelity Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc were the most active to boost market turnover.

While Zenith Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc top market value list with N2.02 billion worth of shares.

At the end of stocks trading at the Nigerian Bourse, 131,600,820 shares worth N1.14 billion was traded in 2,069 deals.

Customers urged to boycott banking services on March 1 Akin Adewakun - Lagos

BANK customers in Nigeria have been told to embark on a passive, nationwide consumer action to avoid all banking services on March 1, 2016 as a form of protest against excessive bank charges in Nigeria.

Making this call on Monday, at a consumer Advocacy Forum, organised

by Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON), in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of the group, Sola Salako, said the call had become imperative since the nation’s financial institutions “are becoming increasingly insensitive to the plight of their customers.”

According to her, the organisation is collaborating with other consumer groups such as the Coalition of Nigerian Consumer Protection Associations (CONCA) to protest the series of unsatisfactory services bank customers had been subjected to by their financial services over the years.

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Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

news Anti-graft war: I’ll stick to rule of law —Buhari

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Leon Usigbe-Abuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has assured that his administration will follow the rule of law in the prosecution of the ongoing war against cor-

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

ruption.

Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the United States Institute of Peace in State House, Abuja, on Monday, he assured the delegation that his administration’s ongoing war against cor-

ruption would be fought within the ambit of the law and that mechanisms had been put in place to ensure respect for human rights in the fight against terrorism.

“We attach great importance to human rights. If

there are breaches, they will be investigated and dealt with,” he said.

He also assured that the Federal Government would secure the Niger Delta and rebuild areas ravaged by effects of Boko Haram insurgency in the

North-East.

In line with this, the president noted that government had begun mobilisation of the military and task forces to stop the sabotage of oil facilities and kidnapping of citizens for ransom in the coastal areas of the country.

Buhari also said his administration was giving the highest priority to the resettlement of displaced persons and rehabilitation of infrastructure in the North-East.

He welcomed the growing international support, especially from the United States and Europe, in Nigeria’s efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

The president also ex-

pressed happiness with the support of Nigerians for the cardinal programmes of his government, the security of the country, the war against corruption and revival of the economy, which, he said, would continue to be vigorously pursued.

Leader of the Institute’s delegation, Ms Nancy Lindborg, applauded the progress being made by the Buhari-led administration at ensuring greater security in Nigeria, promising that the institute would continue to assist in the reconstruction and development work going on in the country.

Bello sacks AG, sends PS, DLGs, others on compulsory leave Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

President Muhammadu Buhari, after he appointed Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa as his Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, on Monday.

THE Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Monday, sent all permanent secretaries, heads of administration in the employ of the state government on compulsory

FG begins $1bn clean-up of Ogoni next month •To embark on fresh arms mop-up in Niger Delta •Programme may last 35 years —UNEP Taiwo Adisa adn Chris AgbambuAbuja

THE Federal Government, will, next month, commence the clean-up of the oil spill affected areas of Ogoniland and the Niger Delta, in accordance with the recommendations of the United Nations Environmental Programme(UNEP).

Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs and coordinator of Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh(rtd), who gave the indication on Monday, in an interaction with newsmen, also said the government would embark on a fresh mop-up of illegal arms in the Niger Delta area.

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) had, in October 2015, approved the cleanup of Ogoniland at the cost of $1.04 billion. The programme is expected to last between 30 and 35 years.

Funds for the programme is to be contributed by the Federal Goverrnment and the oil companies.

The Special Adviser stated that the clean-up exercise would involve the Ministry of Environment

and other stakeholders on a clean environment.

According to the Special Adviser, the clean-up would start from Ogoniland in Rivers State and move to other parts of the state and then to Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo and other parts of the oil producing areas affected by oil spills over the years.

While speaking on the planned mop-up of illegal arms, the coordinator of Amnesty Programme lamented that there were still a lot of arms in the hands of those not expected to have them.

He insisted that in order to have a lasting peace, the government would commence the mop-up of arms.

“It is good to encourage those who want to disarm, but we have to plan because they have seen the programme as beneficial.

“A lot of arms are in the hands of those who are not supposed to have them. A good example is the Bayelsa election. A lot of people died and many are still missing,” he said, adding that the Federal Government had decided to mop up illegal arms to ensure peace.

Speaking about the success of the Amnesty Programme, General Boroh said the Federal Government had designed an exit programme that would last for the next two years to ensure the programme did not run into troubled waters.

He said in the past five years, the Amnesty Programme had secured admission and given scholarships to 5,234 beneficiaries in tertiary institutions.

Out of that number, 3,082 gained admission locally, 2,150 gained admission abroad, while 272 beneficiaries had graduated.

According to him, out of the 30,000 ex-agitators captured by the programme, 17,322 had been trained, leaving a balance of 12, 678. He stated that the balance would be taken care of within the two-year exit window.

He also stated that the programme was embarking on a domestication exercise to ensure that 95 per cent of beneficiaries were admitted into local institutions to save cost.

He added that the programme would exit 3,232 beneficiaries by the end of February, adding that exiting that number would

save the government N2.5 billion in stipend payments.

“The Presidential Amnesty Programme is exiting 3,232 beneficiaries from the programme who have been trained as enterpreneurs and have received business and set-up starter packs. Also affected are all beneficiaries of the Oil and Gas International Foundation(OGIF) programme and the 400 for whom the office has secured employment,” he said.

He discovered that exiting the 3,232 beneficiaries would save the sum of N2.5 billion for government in 2016, in stipend payment, while another batch of 1,042 who were currently being given starter packs to establish their individual businesses were

soon to be exited from the programme, which would result in a further gain of N813 million for the government this year.

The Special Adviser added that the Amnesty office plan to exit additional 2,958 beneficiaries by the end of the year would amount to a saving of N2.3 billion for the government.

He regretted that the exercise, which was originally planned for five years, had no exit programme which led to the failure of the previous holders of the office to exit any of the beneficiaries.

Towards this end, the Amnesty office has set up a Task Force to work out the exit strategy of the Amnesty Programme, with timelines that will not compromise national security.

Abike Dabiri gets SSA Diaspora post Leon Usigbe-Abuja

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Honourable Abike DabiriErewa as Senior Special Assistant on Foreign and Diapora Affairs.

She picked up her letter of appointment from the

Office of the President in the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

Dabiri-Erewa, a former member of the House of Representatives from Lagos State, was the pioneer chairman, House Committee on Diaspora.

leave.

The governor has also sacked the Accountant General of the state, while he ordered his second-incommand to embark on compulsory leave.

Apart from these groups of people, Governor Bello also directed the Directors of Local Government (DLGs), treasurers, education secretaries and cashiers at the local government level to also proceed on compulsory leave with immediate effect.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo, said the order did not affect people on acting capacity and the permanent secretary, Government House.

Bello said the directive, which took effect on Monday, was geared towards ensuring a more efficient and productive civil service.

It was, however, learnt that the governor took the decision as the first step towards the reform of the civil service in the state.

Bello is said to be of the view that leaving the affected people on their desks and in the service would hinder some moves he planned to make to sanitise the service in the state.

It was further gathered that the government believed that some of the people had become institutions in the system such that it might be difficult for government to perform if the people remained in the system.

It will be recalled that the governor had, in his inaugural speech, promised a reform of the civil service of the state to make it more efficient and productive.

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Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Extradition: Senate AGF, NDLEA agree to respect rule of law over Kashamu •Only court can order extradition Taiwo Adisa-Abuja

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HE Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Office of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have agreed to respect the rule of law in respect of the planned extradition of Senator Buruji Kashamu to the United States of America.

The Senator, representing Ogun East Senatorial District, had petitioned the Senate Committee alleging plans to extradite him to the US, despite a pending matter in court.

But the Senate committee, headed by Senator Sam Anyanwu, announced in Abuja, after a tripartite meeting involving the office of the AGF and the NDLEA that the Federal Government had agreed to respect the rule of law.

He said the parties had resolved not to harass Senator Kashamu as far as the case was pending in court.

Kashamu’s lawyer, Mr Ajibola Oluyede, had, two weeks ago, petitioned the Senate alleging a plot to abduct the senator and extradite him to the United States of America (USA) to face charges bordering on drugs peddling.

Anyanwu told newsmen that the parties to the case had unanimously resolved to halt any further action on the matter pending the determination of the suit.

He said: “The Senate, AGF, NDLEA have unanimously agreed to stop further harassment, intimidation, abduction and extradition of Kashamu until the conclusion of the matter at the law court. We also agreed that the rule of law and due process must be followed in the case” While appearing before the Senate alongside his client on February 3, Kashamu’s lawyer alleged that the NDLEA was plan-

ning to abduct the senator and extradite him to the United States.

He said: “It is also even a criminal act under the US law, but the US govern-

ment does it and the Supreme Court of the United States, more or less, allowed it by saying that well, if you come to our country illegally, it doesn’t

matter to us, so long as you are here, we have jurisdiction over you and we will try you on any offence for which you are brought here.

FACED with dwindling federal allocation among other financial challenges, the Kwara State government is set to conduct staff verification for its civil servants, basic level teachers, local government workers and pensioners to weed out ghost workers.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting with leaders and supporters of the

only done it in what they call enemy territory and only against terrorists.

“We have had only one instance in Nigeria where they have done rendition and that is against a motor dealer here, Lanre Shittu, who was carried suddenly and exported to the United States.

“Now this is what is being planned currently against Senator Kashamu and we have it on very good authority and you will see we have quoted from an agent of the NDLEA, a sympathetic agent, he was even among those who were sitting in his bedroom with guns and wearing masks for six days.

“There are some of them who are giving us information and till today, there are still people in the NDLEA who have conscience. When they see any bad thing going on, they want to be whistle blowers, but we know there is a problem with being a whistle blower in Nigeria.”

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo with residents of a farm settlement in Ikenne, Ogun State, at the weekend.

Appeal Court confirms nullification of Bayelsa speaker’s election Austin Ebipade-Yenagoa

THE denial over the nullification of the election of Southern Ijaw Constituency IV seat in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly by the Speaker, Friday Konbowei Benson, has been laid to rest, as the Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has confirmed the nullification of the election.

The affirmation by the appellate court has clarified the weeks of denials by Benson that the December 9, 2015 judgment declared his election null and void.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Ebifaghe Orunimighe, had filed the suit against Benson at the Court of Appeal.

Benson had refused to

relinquish the Southern Ijaw Constituency 4 seat and his position as Speaker, insisting that the written judgment was different from the court’s records of proceedings which dismissed the appeal.

He continued to retain his seat and also chaired the assembly that received the state’s 2016 Appropriation Bill from Governor Seriake Dickson.

But on February 10, 2016, the court, ruling on a fresh application filed by Benson, validated its earlier judgment that nullified the election of the former speaker.

The court, presided over by a new panel of five justices, admitted that the December 9 lead judgment was prepared

by Justice Ejembi Eko in

agreement with Justices Mohammed Garba and Stephen Adah.

The new Justices that validated the judgment were Abdu Aboki, Sidi Bage, Samuel Oseji, Ibrahim Bdliya and Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf Aboki. They delivered the ruling on Benson’s application and explained that the judgment was delivered by Garba, because Eko who prepared it was on an assignment outside the division.

On making entry in the record of proceedings, Aboki said Garba erroneously indicated that the lead judgment of Eko dismissed the appeal, contrary to the clear conclusion in the ruling that the appeal was substantially allowed in part.

But he said: “It is my view that a different entry made in a court record, albeit erroneously, does not alter the effect of judgment of the court in which the rights of the party are determined one way or the other.

“The judgment of a court consists of the collation and analysis of evidence as presented before the court and making of findings, reasoning and the conclusion. This can be seen to wholly exist in Exhibit A, the lead judgment prepared by Ejembi Eko. “It forms the only source of drawing up an enrollment of the order of this court and not from the notes made during a court proceeding.”

Aboki added that the argument of Benson that

ber (BVN) to detect those collecting multiple salaries.

The governor also said the new Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) drive was yielding positive results, assuring workers that all outstanding salaries would be cleared before the end of next month.

On the proposed N20 billion bond, Governor Ahmed said the process had reached advanced

stage with the Security and Exchange Commission, Debt Management Office and the Federal Ministry of Finance in order to access the bond for capital projects.

The governor promised that his government would continue to meet its obligations despite the prevailing economic situation in the country.

In his remarks, the state chairman of the APC, Alh-

aji Ishola Balogun-Fulani, commended the state governor for his commitment to improving the living standard of the people despite the current national financial challenge.

Alhaji Balogun-Fulani appealed to the APC supporters to continue to support the present administration and protect public installations across the state against vandalisation.

Kwara set to audit staff Biola Azeez

“So, on that basis, the American security agencies often kidnap people and take them to the US to face what they call justice.

Most of the time they have

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ilorin, on Monday, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed blamed inability of local governments and state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to pay workers’ salaries, regularly, on some workers who allegedly received multiple salaries.

He said the government was already collaborating with banks to use the Biometric Verification Num-

two judgments emanated from the court on the same case was incorrect since he (Benson) failed to present to the court a proof of another ruling.

He asserted: “The onus, therefore, is on the applicants who are alleging that there are two different judgments emanating from this court with respect to the appeal to prove same which they have failed to do.

“The lead judgment of Justice Ejembi Eko is the judgment of this court. It is obvious that in the process of making entry of the judgment in the record, his lordship, Justice Mohammed Garba, made a mistake when he stated that the entire appeal was dismissed.

“The entry in the record of book clearly does not constitute the judgment of the court. If the entire judgment is read, it will be obvious and clear to any unbiased and dispassionate reader that the entry in the record is a mistake.” Drawing relief from the apex court in the case between Ibe vs Onuora, Aboki said, “the courts are presided over by human beings and being human, they are prone to mistakes and slips in the course of execution of their judicial functions.”

16

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Femi Ibirogba adefemi2007@yahoo.com 0811 695 4646

Cassava has huge advantage over maize in animal feeds —Thailand’s researcher

Uthai Kanto

Uthai Kanto, Associate Professor, Kasetsar University, Thai Tapioca Development Institute, Thailand, spoke with FEMI IBIROGBA in China recently, revealing how cassava can replace maize as animal feeds base ingredients and that 200 metric tonnes of cassava is now possible in Thailand.

Y

OU said cassava could replace maize 100 per cent in animal feeds. How would you describe your experiment in Thailand?

We have two types of feeds. One is, we use maize as the base of ingredients and the second is the one we use cassava as the base of ingredients. Of course we cannot feed animals with either maize or cassava alone because the protein content is not adequate for the animals. So, for the feeds to be balanced, protein sources and minerals have to be added to the feeds for the animals.

If the cassava diet has the balanced ingredients, the performance is not different from maize, but you need to have quality cassava chips for the chips. The problem in Thailand is that sometimes, the quality of cassava chips is low, with high level of fibers. If cassava has too high fibers, it will deteriorate the quality of chips for animal feeds. But if you have high quality cassava chips; if the chips have no more than 4 per cent of fibres, you will automatically get cassava chips with 70 per cent starch.

In that case, cassava as the base of animal feeds ingredients is not different from maize as the base of feeds ingredients.

Can you explain in details how you

process cassava into animal feeds?

What we do in Thailand is cutting the roots from the farmers’ fields, remove sand and dirt, and the cassava is put into the chipping machines which will then be sundried for about three to four days. During sun-drying, we need to overturn the chips.

What about using flash dryers?

I will not recommend that because, one, it is quite expensive. And second, cassava contains glycoside which contains acids.

When we chip cassava, the enzymes in the chips hydrolyse the glycoside continually as you sundry and overturn. If you flash-dry, the heat will destroy the enzymes and you will have dry cassava chips with high level of ACN. I think the best way to process is sun-drying.

What impact will this cassava inclusion in feeds have on the competition between animals and humans?

We don’t consume cassava as a staple food in Thailand. We eat rice as a staple food. So cassava is produced mainly for animal feeds and for exportation for starch. In this case, the competition does not happen in Thailand. Bu I will like to add this comment. To me, cassava can produce much more yield than we have today, because the plant itself

has high yield potential. I think what we get, 20 t0 40 metric tonnes of cassava per hectare, is much lower than the potential of cassava yield per hectare of land. Most people think that cassava is completely drought tolerant; that it does not need water. This is not true. Being drought tolerant means it can tolerate drought if there is one.

But if you wand high yield, you need to give cassava adequate water.

If the cassava diet has the balanced ingredients, the performance is not different from maize, but you need to have quality cassava chips for the chips. The problem in Thailand is that sometimes, the quality of cassava chips is low, with high level of fibers.

How can Africa benefit from value addition technologies developed in Thailand and other parts of Asia?

At the moment, what I do is that I research into utilisation of cassava for animal feeds in Thailand and not only that; I extend the research technologies to farmers. And farmers in Thailand have been using cassava for animal feeds for over 15 years in poultry, piggery and dairy cattle, and a lot of fish farmers also use it. My duty also includes increasing yield of cassava per hectare in Thailand. My concept is that since farmers do not add adequate water and fertilizer to cassava, I try to encourage them to provide water and essential minerals to the plant. And we have since found that the yield increment is tremendous.

So, on the average, what do you get per hectare of land in Thailand as a result of the efforts?

In my presentation at the plenary, I indicated that the maximum we could get was 200 metric tonnes per hectare, with adequate water and minerals. That is the maximum we can get now. That tells you the plant has high potential yield per hectare. So, the bottom line is that if we can maximize the yield, there is no competition between animals and humans.

33

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

infotech

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Bode Adewumi

m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

How maiden Communications Sector Retreat panned out

By Bode Adewumi

T

HE maiden Communications Sector Retreat organised by the Federal Ministry of Communications and which took place at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has come and gone, but the echo still lingers. For one, the retreat was the first of its kind in the life of the current administration and again, the caliber of stakeholders in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector it attracted spoke volumes of the outcome and the impact it will have on this important sector of the country’s economy in the long and short terms.

Led by the Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, other stakeholders present for the 2-day brainstorming included captains of industry, heads of government agencies and parastatals like the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Garba Danbatta; the acting Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr Vincent Olatunji, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Arc Sonny Echono, the Managing Director, Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat), Ms Abimbola Alale.

Others are the Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Mr Yusuf Kazaure; Sir Demola Aladekomo, former managing Director of Chams plc, Chief Exexcutive Officer of MainOne Cable,Ms Funke Opeke, Group managing Director of Omatek, Dr Florence Seriki, the Chief Executive Officer of Zinox Technologies, Dr Leo Ekeh and politicians like Senator Abiodun Olujimi, Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT, Mr Fatia Buhariand the Rwandan Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Kamanzi Stanislas, among many others.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications, Arc Sonny Echono, opened the floor on the first day of the retreat by welcoming participants and stakeholders alike to the forum as he outlined the essence of the retreat, saying it was to brainstorm and adopt strategies for the rapid and sustainable development of the ICT sector. He said that resulting from the full deregulation of the country’s ICT sector, that it is currently the largest and fastest growing ICT market in Africa and among the ten fastest telecoms markets in the world.

Echono pointed out that it is on record that the communications sector plays a strategic and pivotal role in the growth of many other sectors through its value added services and as an overall enabler of socio economic development as attested to by the World Bank and the World Economic Forum more than ten years ago. He stressed the fact that the forum therefore became a crucial interaction, which he said represented a new vista in the collective drive to evolve a workable synergy that would seek to reposition Nigeria’s communications sector as one of the key drivers of

From left, Mr Adeyanju Binuyo, Chief of Staff to the Minister; Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications and Mr Enoch Ogun, acting Postmaster General, Nigeria Postal Services, during a media parley between the Minister and ICT Journalists in Lagos, last week. the nation’s economy.

The governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, while delivering his speech at the event posited that ICT is pervasive and that it is useful in all aspects of the people’s endeavours, adding that the illiterate of tomorrow will not be somebody who cannot read nor write but somebody who does not have a knowledge of the ICT and what it stands for.

The governor, while declaring the retreat opened congratulated the ministry and its officials as well as the Minister for their foresight in organising the retreat and for choosing Oyo State as the host state. He said his administration is always happy to support any activity that would reposition the country and that as such, the retreat and what it stands to achieve were all welcomed.

According to the governor, the retreat was

ICT is redefining the ways of life of the people, the time has now come to fully embrace ICT to enhance the quality of lives of Nigerians.

auspicious coming at a time the country is facing dwindling oil revenue and therefore the need to have a shift in revenue and job creation policies. He said it was his belief that the ICT sector is capable of generating revenue and also arrest the menace of unemployment in the county. To this end therefore, Governor Ajimobi enjoined stakeholders to work together to ensure that the country benefits fully in the opportunities that are abound in the ICT sector of the nation’s economy.

The Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, in his speech entitled, ‘Continuing Innovation While Innovating Continuity: Creating a Smart Digital Nigeria’, at the retreat, said that the Ministry of Communications Technology under his watch is desirous of leveraging on the growth that has been recorded by past administrations in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector of the Nigerian economy by ensuring that the growth reaches every farm and factory, hamlets and homes in the country.

Shittu opines that it is common knowledge that ICT is redefining the ways of life of the people, the time has now come to fully embrace ICT to enhance the quality of lives of Nigerians, transparency and good governance if Nigerians were to fulfill the ‘change’ mandate that Nigerians voted President Muhammadu Buhari to bring about.

The Minister said the retreat with the theme, ‘Repositioning the Nigeria ICT Sector as the key Driver of the Nigeria Economy’, was about the ICT as a key element for inclusive as well as progressive diversification and development of Nigeria’s economy.

According to him, the ministry is out to create a Smart Digital Nigeria to bring

about the change that the country seeks. To achieve this aim, he said five steps had been identified or elements that will get the country towards the Smart Digital Nigeria.

“We are building on the ICT sector growth by improving infrastructure and quality of service and also using Smart Government to deliver ICT and broadband penetration via government, soft infrastructure, commerce, broadband penetration, and security and information accessibility.

“We are also determined to increase revenue and reduce waste while fostering transparency and accountability and to focus more on innovative continuity for private sector led continuous innovation and growth. At the same time, we to migrate to a digitally Smart Nigeria through capacity building, job and wealth and creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship to flourish,” he said.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Garba Umar Danbatta stated that the commission is working tirelessly to improve on the mandate given to it by the government, while also listing some of the challenges being faced in the course of doing this and how these challenges could be overcome.

According to Danbatta, the nation’s teledensity as of November last year stood at 110 per cent with active phone users standing at about 150.6 million and active internet users stand at 97.9 million. He listed some of the challenges being faced to include Quality of Service (QoS), multiple taxation, multiple regulations, insecurity, power supply, Right of Way, damage to infrastructure during construction works and vandalism.

34

infotech

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Etisalat denies filing multiple suits against NCC, MTN

Stories By Bode Adewumi

E

TISALAT Nigeria has issued a statement denying filing a separate suit challenging the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and MTN Nigeria, saying it has only filed one suit against MTN and visafone following the acquisition of the latter by MTN Nigeria.

The statement read in part: Our attention has been drawn to misleading insinuations doing the rounds in the media that Etisalat Nigeria has filed multiple suits against the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC and MTN Nigeria. The insinuations have arisen largely from a press statement reportedly issued by MTN Nigeria and published by some print organisations and online media platforms under the headline, “MTN confirms legal fireworks with Etisalat over Visafone.”

It added that it was compelled to set the facts straight on the intent and status of the legal action it instituted against the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and MTN Nigeria in July 2015, due to the misrepresentation of facts about the case as contained in some print and online media reports of Wednesday 9, February 2016.

The company said it wishes to state categorically that at no time were multiple suits filed either against the NCC or MTN on the same matter as insinuated. It affirmed that the current litigation against MTN Nigeria and Visafone is on a completely different issue and that it is germane to state for clarity that the current litigation is not pricing or tariff related. The suit under reference, it said, was instituted by Etisalat Nigeria against MTN Nigeria and Visafone Ltd to challenge MTN’s use of the 800MHz spectrum following the acquisition of Visafone, while adding that it is therefore materially different in intent

from the former action.

“The current action is considered necessary, as it will entrench the dominance of MTN in the retail data services market. It would be recalled that MTN Nigeria was declared dominant by the Nigerian Communications Commission ‘NCC’ in 2013 and remains dominant in the wholesale leased line and retail voice markets. The use of the 800MHz spectrum to deploy broadband services ahead of its competitors, particularly those who

Etisalat Nigeria thereafter filed an action against NCC and MTN Nigeria seeking a reversal of the waiver as it was in contravention of the subsisting obligation imposed on MTN Nigeria under the Determination of Dominance.

“In response to Etisalat Nigeria’s legal action, NCC filed processes stating categorically that it had directed MTN Nigeria “to maintain status quo of the dominant obligation, that is, to revert to maintaining parity between on-net and off-

net tariff charges with immediate effect.”

This was effectively a reversal of the waiver that Etisalat Nigeria had challenged in that particular suit.

“Consequently, Etisalat Nigeria filed a notice of discontinuance in the suit and withdrew the action in December 2015, because the objective of the suit had been accomplished. The latest legal action is therefore materially different in intent from the former and the recent insinuations are therefore misleading and unfortunate to say the least,” the statement added.

Ghana, Zimbabwe students scoop honours at 5th DStv / Eutelsat Star Awards

From left, Marketing Manager, Smartphones, Lenovo Technologies West Africa, Mr Bolade Oyekanmi; Slot brand ambassador and ace entertainer, Dbanj; Sales Manager, Slot Systems Limited, Mr Jonathan Uzomba and Head, Lagos Office, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mr Joshua Nggada, at the final draw of the Lenovo National Promo in Lagos, last week.

Nigeria’s future lies in software technology —Systemspecs’ boss NIGERIA has the capacity to influence the global software technology landscape and reap the huge attendant benefits if the government makes a conscious effort to actualise the prosperous future that beckons the country in software technology.

This was the view shared by Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of SystemSpecs, Mr

Vodacom Business partners Etisalat to provide superior enterprise solutions VODACOM Business Nigeria and Etisalat Nigeria have announced a partnership agreement that enables Vodacom provide mobile voice and data services to its customers and equips Etisalat to provide improved enterprise solutions to its customers. This strategic partnership brings together two forward-looking companies focused on delivering superior telecommunication services to businesses in Nigeria.

With this Partnership, Vodacom is now well-placed to offer a fuller package of custom-made enterprise class Mobile Services to businesses in Nigeria through its Enterprise Mobile Voice Solution. This is aimed at improving productivity and response time for corporates, especially those businesses with large number of staff on the move. Large cooperates in Nigeria would now have

prior to MTN’s purchase of Visafone, held similar spectrum bands as MTN, will further entrench MTN’s dominance in the Nigerian telecommunications sector.

“Sometime in 2015, Etisalat Nigeria’s attention was drawn to a waiver granted by NCC to MTN Nigeria to offer a 30 per cent differential between its on-net and off-net retail tariffs, contrary to the obligation imposed on MTN Nigeria under the Determination of Dominance.

access to high performance easy to manage mobile communication solutions for their business.

The Partnership enables Etisalat to provide point to point and point to multi-point connectivity solutions to its customers, thereby offering them a one-stop shopping experience. Furthermore, Vodacom and Etisalat customers will be provided with a single billing platform to negate the trouble of dealing with multiple communications service providers.

Commenting on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher said, “In the fast paced telecommunication market of today, the successful companies will be those who build the right strategic partnerships to accelerate innovation, growth, and offer customers more value for their money.”

John Obaro, during the visit of the Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, to the head office of the company regarded as Nigeria’s leading software house, in Lagos recently.

The Minister said the visit was to encourage the company and appreciate its flagship indigenous software, Remita. He said had Remita been introduced to the federal government earlier, government’s revenues would have improved significantly than it is now.

“We owe Systemspecs a debt of gratitude for introducing Remita.

The electronic payment platform has saved Nigeria about N2 trillion. In the area of e-government, SystemSpecs has done well for Nigeria,” he said.

According to Obaro, the country should quit focusing on agrarian initiatives at the basic levels, and concentrate on the potentials of software technology wherein the future lies.

To attain this, he rolled out steps that the federal government should take. He asked that government delegations should no longer embark on foreign trade missions without the inclusion of Nigerian software entrepreneurs or products.

He requested that the federal government should not receive foreign software as aids donated to the country in areas where the country has demonstrated local

competence that can be polished.

“No longer should our young and virile tech talents be allowed to succumb to foreign exploitation that retains them on foreign soil rather than become a blessing to their fatherland,” he said.

This is the time, according to him, for the country to seize advantage of the opportunities inherent in software technology, when oil prices are at their lowest.

He believed the present situation in the country may be a time of divinely orchestrated providence, expected to jolt the country from oil dependency to harnessing the huge potentials presented by software technology.

WINNERS have emerged in this year’s edition of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards. They were announced last week at a ceremony held in Nairobi, Kenya, where rising student interest in science and technology was also celebrated.

The fifth edition of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, organised by MultiChoice and Eutelsat, reached a record participation with nearly 2,000 entries from 18 countries.

The winner in the Essay Category, Ayawen Asuinura from Ghana won a trip to Paris and onwards to a launch site to witness a rocket blast into space to place a satellite into orbit. This is the first win in the essay category for Ghana that has already produced two winners in the poster category.

The runner-up in the essay category was Sara Eribo from Equatorial Guinea who wins a trip for two to visit MultiChoice facilities and the South African National Space Agency near Johannesburg.

In the essay category, students were asked to interpret the quote

by Socrates “Man must rise above the Earth, to the top of the atmosphere and beyond, for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives” and to show how satellites help understand and take care of our planet.

In the poster category, Mallon Marume from Zimbabwe scooped the first prize for artistic creativity and will visit Eutelsat in Paris to understand how satellites are operated and piloted in space and the many ways they benefit users.

Zinox Group invests in Inxputer FOREMOST ICT Group, Zinox Group, has extended its sphere of dominance in the marketplace, with a major investment inXputer, a leading and strategic software development and managementcompany based in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The investment, which was sealed recently, will see Zinox led by serial digital entrepreneur, Mr Leo Stan Ekeh, further expand its range of capabilities in line with its vision of becoming the single largest 360 degrees ICT Group in Africa.

Set up in 2004, Xputer Technologies is a fast growing Information Technology outfit, with proven capabilities in designing, devel-

oping, deploying and supporting cutting-edge software solutions for small and medium scale businesses, with a number of critical projects in the retail, service and educational sectors to its name.

Expressing his delight on the development, Chief Executive Officer, Xputer Technologies, Mr Abimbola Omotoso affirmed the far-reaching implications the investment will have in taking the company to the next level.

“Our core speciality is in providing and delivering custom-built software solutions that have powered a number of businesses in various sectors.

35

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

brands& marketing Nigerian creative agencies have every chance to win at global stage — MD, Chini Productions

Chini Productions is the official representative of Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, the biggest creative festival in the world, in Nigeria. In this interview, the Managing Director of the company, Mr Nnamdi Ndu, speaks with AKIN ADEWAKUN about the company’s preparations for this year’s edition of the festival, the state of creativity among the nation’s creative agencies.

P

REPARATIONS for 2016 Cannes Lions Festival The fact remains that as Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity launches its communications campaign for 2016 titled ‘Thank You Creativity’, we at Chini Productions, the official festival representative in Nigeria, have also rolled out plans for the pre Cannes local events in Nigeria. And some of the activities lined up in Nigeria include the Roger Hatchuel Academy, the Young Lions Competitions, the Miami Ad School Scholarship competitions, Lions Edit and Lions Night and awards, with these holding from April 5 to April 9, 2016. We’ve already opened entries for Roger Hatchuel Academy, Young Lions Competition and Miami Ad School Scholarship competitions.

For instance, the Roger Hatchuel Academy is the oldest academy in Cannes Lions and is named after the first festival chairman. It is a high profile intensive training for students in the university who intend to work in advertising on graduation.

Plans at promoting creativity in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, CHINI Productions has partnered with the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON), the apex regulatory body in the industry, for about nine years to promote The Roger Hatchuel Academy Awards programme. This year again, this programme will see talented students gather from campuses around Nigeria to learn from leading professionals in Lagos and visit organisations in the industry during their three-day intensive residential programme. Companies that have already decided to host the students include Noah’s Ark Communications and STB McCann. The Roger Hatchuel Academy awards this year will include Best Teacher and Best School awards. The best academy student as usual will be sponsored to attend the international academy in Cannes and the first runner-up will be sponsored to attend a sister regional festival, the Dubai Lynx.

The Young Lions competitions will hold in film, design, print, cyber and media categories. These are competitions among young professionals of 30 years and below, working in agencies in Nigeria. The winners from each category will represent Nigeria in their respective categories at the international competitions during the Cannes Lions Festival in June.

This year also, we are partnering with Miami Ad School again to offer talented Nigerian creative scholarships to study at Miami Ad Schools around the world for the certificate, first degree and master’s degree programmes respectively. This is the sixth consecutive year of the scholarship

Nnamdi Ndu, MD/CEO, Chini Productions programme and earlier beneficiaries are already contributing to the industry both locally and internationally.

New creative offerings A new introduction to the local offering of the pre Cannes programmes is the Lions Edit. This is a platform offered to agencies, digital companies, production outfits and brands to connect their practice to the creativity essence of Cannes Lions to make top notch presentations that will educate, inspire, enrich and grow the industry. Interestingly, several companies have already indicated interest to be part of this. Special

roles are expected to be played by communications experts in health and technology as well as Nollywood and Music in line with the new specialised festival extensions in Cannes-Lions Health, Lions Innovation and Lions Entertainment.

Pre-event activities and Nigerian agencies For many in the industry, this is as close as they can get to Cannes Lions. This is our own creative carnival! There is no reason in the world why any major brand or agency in Nigeria should not be at the forefront of this. More than ever before, we need cre-

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Akin Adewakun

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

ative solutions to get out of the present challenges we find ourselves in as a nation. And, here’s an open invitation for all hands to come on deck. If we don’t build our industry, no one else will. All the pre Cannes Lions national activities for Nigeria will come to a head at the Lions Night & Awards in the evening of April 9, 2016 at the Muson Centre Onikan, Lagos. This event will feature a colourful graduation ceremony of the Roger Hatchuel Academy, the Roger Hatchuel Academy awards, the Young Lions awards, the Miami Ad School Scholarship awards and other exciting activities.

Creative standards in Nigeria The standard of creativity in Nigeria is no longer what it used to be among agencies in Nigeria. But the good news is that for those that want to enhance their creative skills, the opportunities are there for them. For instance, we are working directly with professionals in the industry to enable us address this skill gap. Besides, we are partnering with the Miami Ad School, a very reputable advertising school, to provide professionals here the opportunity to further hone their skills.

We also have a Creative Club, meant for practitioners in the industry to interact and exchange ideas. Unfortunately, you find out that it is the junior ones that attend activities of the Club, the seniors will not come, neither will the clients come.

And don’t forget, it is the senior ones that sign on the jobs.

Nigerian agencies place at the festival I don’t think we have any excuse. All this talk about our culture differences and the claim that what would make sense in this culture may not necessarily make sense to an average European, hence our inability to win laurels at the international creative festival will never hold water. For instances, we have the Indians, the Arabs, even the Brazililans win at the Festival, and these are also peoples with different cultures from the Europeans. The problem we have is that despite the fact that we have a lot of stories to tell here, we still allow the Europeans and the rest of the West to tell such stories for us. Until we begin to tell our stories ourselves, we may find it very difficult breaking out of this logjam. This is what agencies from here must begin to do to be recognized on the global stage.

Dufil Prima Foods awards N5.4m scholarships 12 Nigerian students AS part of its efforts at assisting in training high level Nutrition and Dietetic manpower in the country, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie, has awarded 12 Msc students of Nutrition and Dietetic with scholarship worth N5.4 million in its annual MSc Nutrition award.

Presenting the cheque to the beneficiaries, the Brand Manager, Indomie, Mr Amber Yadav described the Dufil Msc Nutrition scholarship scheme as a noble course the brand is pleased to be associated with, since it serves as a means of giving back to the society, while also helping in producing highly trained nutritionists that would drive devel-

opments in the food sector.

Also speaking at the event, the company’s Group Public Relations and Event Manager, Mr Tope Ashiwaju re-emphasised the company’s commitment to being a socially responsible brand, committed to the development of manpower in the field of nutrition and dietetic in which the brand remains a major player.

‘It is the hope of Dufil that in the nearest future, Nigeria can boast of quality manpower in the area of nutrition and dietetics as very few universities offer nutrition at the first degree and master levels at the moment, a situation that has led to short-

age of manpower in this sector.

‘We want to re-write the nutrition template of our dear country, and Dufil as a brand is committed to raising seasoned professionals in this field who in the nearest future can place us as a nation side by side other developed nations in this regard,’ he said.

The 12 recipients of the scholarship grant which were drawn from a pool of over a hundred entries received nationwide came from five different universities, and have their origin from twelve different states which cuts across the six geo-political zones of the country.

36

brands&marketing

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Firm launches empowerment initiatives campaign

Dr Kwabene Adjei, Founder/Chairman, Kasapreko (middle) and friends and family at the 5th edition of Ernst and Young Master Entrepreneur of the Year, in Lagos.

We’ll continue to expand the limits of innovation —MD, Eko Supreme Resources

O

NE of the frontline players in the nation’s detergent powders market, Eko Supreme Resources Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of SOKLIN and Good Mama product, has reiterated its commitment to expanding the limits of technological innovations in its bid to provide high quality products to the Nigerian consumers, as it marks its 20 years of operations in Nigeria.

Giving this assurance in Lagos, at a media chat aimed at marking the company’s two decades of doing business in the country, the company’s Managing Director/CEO, Mr Hendra Sunardi stated that the company will continually strive to incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies in

the production of its brands as recently demonstrated with SOKLIN’s recent reformulation.

According to him, the brand’s reformulation is imbued with New Stain Magnet Technology, a combination of broad spectrum enzymes that release and removes all dirt faster from cloth fibre.

Besides, he stated, the SOKLIN brand now adorns a new pack upgrade with glossier and trendier look and feel, in tandem with its premium status and for maximum shelf appeal.

He argued that SOKLIN, the first brand to be launched by the company 20 years ago into the Nigerian detergent market, remains the first detergent brand to be presented in sachet as white colour powder detergent,

Close Up inspires youths with #MakeYourMove campaign TOOTHPASTE brand, Close-up, has announced the flag-off of a six-word #MakeYourMove challenge, aimed at inspiring youths to express their bold desires in creative ways, yet leaving room for much imagination.

According to the toothpaste brand, to participate in the campaign, the consumer will visit the Closeup website www.closeup. com.ng and select a background picture or upload own image and enter his six word story about a bold move to get close on the recently held Valentine’s Day. Once completed, the participants are encouraged to share on their social media channels (YouTube, Facebook or Instagram) with the hashtag #MakeYourMove and win exciting prizes.

“Nothing replaces the intensity of being

physically close, but sometimes the closer we get, the less confident we feel. A breath of freshness and confidence is all we need for an intense, unforgettable moment. And since Close-Up guarantees 12 hours of freshness, this is why we have created a platform to help young people express themselves both online and offline,” explained the Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever, Mrs Bunmi Adeniba.

She added that the brand is enlisting key opinion leaders to share stories of their own bold moves as a way of encouraging young people to create their own stories.

“We want to use these stories to inspire everyone to #MakeYourMove this Valentine’s Day. We are giving the confidence to seize intense (exciting) moments of closeness,” she stated.

containing high active ingredients that cater for Nigerians’ desire for high performance dirt removal till date.

He explained that the Good Mama brand, introduced in 2009, had equally benefitted from the company’s advanced technologies, as it recently launched an additional Lemon variant, and is now fortified with improved cleaning power In her remarks, the company’s Marketing Manager, Mrs Abimbola Alabi, revealed that due to the increase in ownership and use of washing machines that cater for the busy lifestyle of the Nigerian Consumer, the company will soon launch Low Suds Detergents for both TOP load and FRONT load washing machine users, to meet their needs.

This, she emphasised, was in line with the company’s strive for innovation and cardinal objectives of continuous improvement of their brands and introduction of high quality products that offer value and address the needs of the modern consumer.

“These milestones clearly underscore our unflinching drive to continually produce same high quality detergent products for our consumers’ satisfaction, despite the current harsh economic environment in the country which has put huge pressures on manufacturers,” she added.

While taking a subtle swipe at some competing brands, taking advantage of the nation’s inclement business weather to reduce the quality of their products, Mrs Alabi reassured consumers that Eko Supreme, through its different brands, will continue to be reliable and deliver on its promise to offer high quality detergent products to its teeming consumers and trade partners.

Kwabena, Kasapreko Chairman bags Master Entrepreneur Award Dr Kwabena Adjei, Founder/Chairman of Kasapreko Limited has been awarded Master Entrepreneur of the Year in the West African edition of the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year awards, held at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, Nigeria on February 5, 2016.

His firm, Kasapreko Company Limited based in Accra, Ghana, is the maker of authentic Alomo Bitters the brand named by CNN as one of the top five emerging drink brands in the world recently and has seen major success across West Africa and beyond at the 5th edition of the award.

The World Entrepreneur of the Year Award programme was created by Ernst & Young to

recognise the accomplishments of entrepreneurs with Award programmes in more than 60 countries around the globe.

Members of this elite community are exceptional leaders, who defy the status quo, drive innovation, create jobs and transform economies.

In the wake of all his achievements, Adjei recently launched a $70m state of the art bottling plant for Kasapreko in Ghana, which will churn out hundreds of thousands of bottles a day, of a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks which include Kalahari Bitters and Carnival Strawberry.

The award was launched in West Africa in

Nigerian Tribune

2011, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award programme is about honouring and celebrating entrepreneurs who have combined ingenuity, hard-work and perseverance to create and successfully sustained growing businesses and has enjoyed international recognition for the past 30 years.

EY started the Entrepreneur of the Year awards programme in 1986 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States, to celebrate successful entrepreneurs, so they could share their stories, inspire others and receive the recognition they deserve. By 1987, it was held across 11 cities, and by 1993, the programme started to expand internationally.

AN avenue to Wealth Ltd, marketers of Ruzu Bitters has announced the launch of its Helping Lives Initiatives campaign, aimed at empowering Nigerians.

The initiative, which is a collaborative effort between A2W Ltd, Natures Pure Marvel and Generis Solutions, according to the Managing Director, Mr Adeolu Akinyemi, seeks to address three key issues of health, wealth and education.

Akinyemi described the initiative as a revolution that exists as a loyalty plan for everyone who seeks to help others live healthy, wealthy and wise.

“Deeply entrenched in every human being is a desire to help others. Helping Lives, offers an amazing opportunity to be a part of people’s healthy living, financial success and education while you also achieve amazing results for yourself,” he said.

On the connection between Ruzu Bitters and empowerment, he said to achieve the goal of helping lives, the company has formulated a loyalty program based on the fact that you use the products and tell your friends about it, when you do this you can earn a million naira, when you earn a million naira, you partner another organisation called Slum to School.

“Apart from the fact that you have the company sponsor six children to primary school in your name, you also have the opportunity to know that you’ve given opportunity to six people in your name,” he stated.

According to him, “the product, manufactured locally and which has been in the market for about six years, gained prominence a year ago through A2W’s style of marketing.”

Cowbellpedia top winners to get N1m each IN a bid to further reinforce its mathematics intervention initiative, Cowbellpedia, Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, manufacturers of Cowbell Milk and sponsors of the programme, has announced its decision to increase the top winning prizes in each category as a way of further arousing the interests of the Nigerian students in the subject.

Speaking at the flagging off of the this year’s edition of the programme, the Managing Director of the Company, Mt Olivier Thiry, informed that the company had significantly increased the prize money for the finals for both students and teachers in this year’s programme, with the top prize student winner in each category going home with N1Million in addition to other prizes, while the teacher will be awarded N400,000.

Top winners of last year’s edition bagged the sum of N750,000 each.

He also stated that the company had taken a strategic decision to bring all Mathematics intervention activities by Cowbell under one umbrella, Cowbellpedia, adding that the company would continue with its Mathematics intervention activity for Secondary Schools in Nigeria using the name Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show.

He disclosed that over the years, Promasidor’s involvement in Mathematics for both junior and senior secondary categories had evolved from the humble beginning of a Lagos state only examination to a nationwide examination that had received the support of the Federal Ministry of Education.

37

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

property

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Chukwuma Okparaocha

m: 08038984495 e: chukscop2005@gmail.com

How high agent fees put houses beyond Lagos residents StoriesbyChukwumaOkparaocha-Lagos

I

N densely populated cities like Lagos, there has been a continuous rise in fees charged by estate agents from prospective tenants, a development that has taken house rents (for decent apartments) beyond the reach of many people.

Shelter has been described as the third most important of all human needs after food and clothing. It is such an indispensable need that man would go to any length to ensure that he has a roof over his head.

Therefore, people often give a substantive part of their earnings to be sheltered; those who cannot reside in high brow cities go for suburbs, while there are millions who, based on the strength of their incomes, could either settle in slums or well-developed areas.

However, it has been observed that one of the major factors contributing to this trend, is the attitude of many landlords who connive with estate agents to strip people of their incomes. They usually achieve this by taking advantage of the desperation of tenants to have accommodation.

According to a survey conducted

by Tribune Property, the charges often demanded by estate agents in Lagos usually shoot up house rents by as much as 30 per cent of the actual rent.

For instance, a house whose rent is pegged at N200,000, might have agency fee of N60,000 (30 per cent of the actual rent). This is aside other forms of fees and charges that will be also be charged.

The problem is also aggravated by the fact that many landlords have continuously spurned the government’s tenancy law and still demand for rents of above one year.

When narrating his experience to Tribune Property, a tenant, Mr Dele Oyegoke, who claimed to have spent virtually all his savings on paying for a new house, said, “I wanted a mini-flat at Okota area that would suite me and meet my needs.

“I was informed by the agent that the house rent itself was N220,000 per annum. But I was stunned when I was shown other fees and charges to be paid. Those were: agent’s charges, N50,000; agreement N50,000; caution 20,000; cleaning, N10,000 and security, N10,000. The total package was therefore N470,000. It was just too high for me.”

Sharing a similar experience was a single lady, Miss Anu Awomolo,

who also insisted that the different categories of charges new tenants were made to pay had made houses very expensive in Lagos.

“I was desperately looking for an accommodation – just one room – which I eventually got at Akoka.

I was told the rent was N150,000, but only to also be informed that the total package would cost N250,000,” said Miss Awomolo.

To many Lagosians, such moves have made decent accommodation to be beyond their reach in places such as Palm Groove,Yaba, Akoka,

Anthony, Fadeyi, Ilupeju, among others, thereby making many to go for less fancied places, especially in the suburbs, such as Ajegunle, Abule Egba, Iyana Ipaja, among others, in a bid to cut their coats according to their cloth.

“The situation is rather very sad.

It is like leaving from hands to mouth. Without proper planning one would just be working for landlords and agents from year to year,” said Mr Ayo Oyinde, a Lagos-based estate surveyor and valuer.

He also insisted that the situation

seemed to have degenerated since the advent of the so-called Lagos Tenancy Law, which he said had, so far, proved to be a wild goose chase on the part of the government.

“Many landlords seem to have used the occasion to indiscriminately increase their house rents, while agents have also followed suit in all their charges. As a matter of fact, it will be a miracle for one to find an accommodation where they will be willing to collect just a year rent.”

He further insisted that this was

exactly what experts had foreseen and which had made them to frown at the Tenancy Law before it eventually became a public law.

“The situation will persist as long as demand outstrips supply, especially on the mainland. Since people cannot sleep in trees like birds, or reside in water like fish, they will go through any length to get shelter. Many will divert all their earnings to this, while many also will resort to borrowing, and those who cannot afford to pay such huge amounts would remain in slums and other less developed places, where they will hide their heads for years,” he added.

When giving the way forward, a property consultant and ex-Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos State Branch, Mr Elias Ovesuor, posited that the government should work towards creating an enabling environment for more people to be able to build their own houses, within the shortest time possible, in addition to building more of low cost housing for residents.

“If the purchasing and economic power of people are increased, and if land is made available with less cumbersome conditions, if prices of building materials such as cement are very bearable, then many people can easily become house owners within a short time, and therefore, there will be an increase in supply,” he stated.

Protecting your home from wildfires As N5.95b property value lost to fire incidents in 5 years A shocking piece of news has just been unveiled in a report made available by a team of safety providers, which indicated that Nigeria lost N5.95 billion worth of property to fire-related incidents in the last five years.

According to Mr Femi Young, Executive Director, Safety Consultants and Solution Providers Limited, the country lost over N5.

95billion to different fire incidents which ravaged parts of the country from 2012 till date.

Citing statistics from the Federal Fire Service, Young said, in Lagos alone, five major fire incidents led to loss of property valued at several billions of naira just as similar incidents were recorded in other parts of the country.

The disheartening statistics also showed that 185 lives were lost in 470 fire incidents in same year with the oil and gas sector recording the

highest incidents. The data further revealed that private residences recorded 96 fire incidents that claimed eight lives, while 10 lives were saved in the fire incidents in the period under review.

Thus, in order to protect life, property and other valuables from future ravaging fire incidents, Tribune Property got the following recommendations which were formulated by safety experts, which, if adopted, could go a long way in saving one from future disaster and heartaches brought by fire: Clear combustible debris from around your home The first step is often the most effective, and it’s a doable project for a homeowner: clear combustible debris from around the house. This includes obvious things like dry grass, brush, stacks of firewood and debris – and some not so obvious

things like a wood fence and even a wooden deck. Defensible spaces should stretch out at least 30 feet from a house, and large concentric rings of fuel reduction set further out improve the odds. The clearer the area, the better the chance a fire crew will stay to protect your property.

Secure your home’s eaves and vent openings Eaves and vent openings are a perfect place for embers to fly into and start a home ablaze from the interior. Making sure they are properly screened and maintained may seem like a little detail, but it is often the first place embers can enter a house in a wildfire. Even keeping gutters clean can help protect your home’s vulnerable eaves.

Protect your home’s roof Roofs are often the most vulner-

able part of a house in a fire, so it goes without saying that cedar shakes are out of the question – even in urban areas. Class A rated roofs are the norm, including many asphalt shingle types, but tile and steel are preferred options.

Same goes for siding—a shingle or wood wall offers very poor fire resistance while fiber cement or stucco stands up well. A low or non-flammable underlayment dramatically improves the fire resistance.

Upgrade your windows and drapes Windows are also exceptionally venerable, as the intense heat can go right through and actually catch drapes and furniture on fire. The easy solution is replacing the window fabric with a more heat-resistant product. Windows can break as well, so smaller tempered units are more stable than large windows.

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property

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Lagos HOMS housing project and poor funding debacle Stories by Chukwuma Okparaocha - Lagos

L

ESS than three years when the Lagos Home Ownerships Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) was unveiled with fanfare, lack of fund and poor financial mobilisation of contractors are threatening to derail the multi-billion naira project.

Much has been said about the state of many of the Lagos HOMS estates, many of which have been in a state of near neglect since the administration of ex-Governor Babatunde Fashola which conceived the idea, came to an end, but last week, some of the contractors of handling some of the projects said that poor funding had affected the progress of the project in the state.

Some of the contractors made this revelation to the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Housing during the committee inspection tour to some project sites.

The contractors spoke in response to the Committee Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Layode’s complaint that the work pace was slow.

In his response, Mr Obi Bombey, the Managing Director, Cyrou Turnkey Builders handling one of the project sites at Ilubirin in Victoria Island told the committee that the work had been slowed down due to finance constraints.

According to Bombey, 66 blocks of 19 flats each were awarded to the company in March 2014, but only 27 per cent of the project had been completed.

He said that the work was still on the first phase which comprised 20 blocks due to the problem of finance.

“We started in March 2014 but we could not do much until Feb. 2015 except the skeletal 27 per cent of the contract done so far.

We could say we stop work in April 2015 because of elections and funding.

“The biggest things we have been facing is finance,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr Reuben Oyewole, one of the contractors handling four blocks of the 12 blocks of the project at Lekki Phase I, said,” we are mobilised with 20 per cent and later another 10 per cent, that is why the work stands at 40 per cent.

“We have written to the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation for more payment, we are still waiting,” Oyewolesaid.

Another contractor handling four blocks also at the site, Mr Rotimi Ogunlola of Hammer Realtors and Developer Limited said, “ We have challenge of finance, so far we have got 30 per cent and the project is 40 per cent completed.”

Similarly, Mr Biliaminu Fashola, who is believed to be a relative of the ex-governor, one of the

contractors handling the project atLekki Phase II said he was given only 40 per cent of the two blocks contracted to his company, Bikafash Construction Company.

“The work is 70 per cent complete, I would have finished the projects if other payment had

been made,” Fashola said.

But apparently not convinced, the lawmaker, Layode said, “what we saw is slow, we have other thing to use our money for.

We need to sit down together to know what the problems are.”

The lawmaker said that the

committee would invite all contractors to the Assembly to see all the challenges and ways to address them.

He threatened to drag any contractor who “planned to waste the public funds to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission

Nigerian Tribune

(EFCC).”

The Committee described the pace of work on Lagos HOMS Project as not commensurate with the tax payers’ money paid some contractors.

Layode said that the committee would facilitate completion of the 338 buildings spread across 24 sites in the state under LagosHOMS Projects for the good of residents.

It was gathered that contractors of Cyrou Turnkey Builders, LA Rosa integrated Services Limited, Hammer Realtors & Developers Limited, Divine Gate limited, Hanorado Global Solutions, Waba Adeola & Sons, Palladion Company, BikafashConstruction company and others would be summoned.

The committee commenced its two- week tour to the projects aimed at providing affordable accommodation for residents on February 3.

The committee had visited Randle in Akerele, Surulere, Iponri, Ijora Badia and Oyingbo, Mushin, Gbagada, Ilupeju, Omole 1 and 2, Oko Oba, Akanimodo and Amuwo-Odofin.

Lagos Home Ownerships Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) is the initiative of the former Gov. Babatunde Fashola to provide affordable houses for residents.

Lagos HOMS Project encourages and supports home ownerships on First-Time- Buyer (FTB) residents of Lagos State to purchase a decent and affordable homes through the provision of accessible mortgage finance.

77 million Nigerians can’t afford houses worth over N1m A seasoned property developer in Nigeria has enjoined Nigerians to work within the limits of their income when buying or building houses because as many as 77million Nigerians cannot afford houses above N1 million.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Millard Fuller Foundation (MFF), Mr Sam Odia, made this disclosure recently when attempting to describe the concept of affordable housing, and while also trying to explain why Nigerians should not be overly burdened with the desire to build expensive houses such as flats and duplexes.

The developer asserted that 77 percent of Nigerians earn around N40,000 per month, thus finding it difficult to buy houses valued at over a million naira.

Odia, whose company recently developed studio apartments (self-contained apartments) in Luvu Madaki, Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, urged Nigerians to stop craving to own three-bedroom flats when they can’t afford them, but that rather, they should opt for studio apartments, which in some places could

be bought for as low as N1 million.

Speaking at a forum in Abuja tagged: “Affordable housing: Bridging the 17 million housing deficit - building for low-income earners,” Odia described affordable housing as that which the

population’s median income could afford to buy.

He said, “We must come to terms with our present economic conditions and cut our coats according to our size. Must we each have a three-bedroom house even

though we can’t even afford a studio apartment?”

Odia maintained that “affordable housing is not a duplex affordable to only a select and privileged few earning incomes of over N10 million per annum.”

OPIC unveils new Makun City

By Joseph Ajayi

OGUN State Property and Investment Corporation ( OPIC ) has unveiled a new development located at Km 52 Sagamu interchange along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway known as the New Makun City.

At the unveiling and commissioning of the first phase of the New Makun City held in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Ogun State; the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun said OPIC had contributed through its development activities to the fulfillment of the Mission to Rebuild the State and his administration’s effort and vision to provide affordable housing for the residents of the State.

Babajide Odusolu, the Special Ad-

viser/Managing Director (OPIC) told pressmen that on completion, New Makun City (which covers an area of 750 hectares) would have both Residential and Commercial districts with key attractions including cycling trails, a racing track, executive golf course and a mini water park for recreational use.

According to him, New Makun City was being developed, using a twin strategy of OPIC direct intervention and development agreements with private organizations such as Property Mart, Lafarge, Practical Habitat and other infrastructure service partners.

He added that the first phase being commissioned covered 180 hectares and was focused on creation of a 5km asphaltic road net-

work and development of pilot units of 3 bedroom detached bungalows.

According to him, OPIC had partnered with contractors such as Lafarge Holcim to put up the concrete carcass units, while the actual finishing was done by OPIC. The first ten of such units were fully delivered within a 21 day period with plans on going to develop 100 more units within the next 6 months. In addition, OPIC will be delivering serviced plots for willing buyers to purchase.

The general public were further enjoined to take the OPIC advantage which is a purchase-plan that is open to intending-buyers, allowing a minimum of 30% deposit, with the balance spread over a period of 3 years.

news Borno begins relocation of IDPs from schools 39

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Jettisons donor agencies’ terms, conditions James Bwala - Maiduguri

T

HE Borno State government has commenced the relocation of first batch of 602 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Yerwa, to Dalori resettlement camp, for the re-opening of closed public schools over Boko Haram insurgency in Maiduguri metropolis.

The planned relocation, according to the Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Musa Inuwa Kubo, was postponed four times.

Addressing journalists at a news conference on Monday at the premises of GGSS, Maiduguri, Kubo disclosed that “the relocation of the first phase of IDPs could have started last year, but logistic and security reasons however halted it; until today with 602 displaced persons along with their family members in other camps for relocation to Dalori.”

His words: “We thank God; it is a reality, we are conveying this morning 602 IDPs to Dalori camp with their families, as we have assured the people that this exercise takes care

of the basic needs of the displaced persons.

“We promised them earlier that whenever we are taking them from the schools, where we will take them to will certainly not be less than the conditions they are leaving behind in the schools turned into a resettlement camps.”

He said that lack of basic facilities and the security of the IDPs delayed their relocation.

He said schools like GGSS will be re-opened for students who had been forced to remain with their parents and guardians at homes.

He, however, noted “Now that we have gotten these basic humanitarian and camp facilities in place; we are starting the relocation; and immediately after the relocation; the schools are going to re-open.”

Speaking on the state of Dalori camp, Kubo maintained that; “As far as we are concerned, the basic necessities needed are on ground. There are also kitchens and toilets put in place for them.

“And if there is any other thing that they want us to provide before we begin the relocation exercise, it is unfortunate; we may not

start this exercise for public schools to re-open next month.”

The commissioner also warned that the ideal might not come; “but the basic things that are necessary for the relocation exercise are on ground.”

He said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has built enough family size tents for the reunifications of IDPs with their wives, who had been living separately in other camps in the metropolis for over two years.

Meanwhile, the Borno State government has jettisoned the donor agencies’ terms and conditions of relocating IDPs from public schools to established resettlement camps.

The relocations of displaced persons were, however, postponed four times because, according to the United Nations Donor Agencies, camp facilities and security of IDPs in Maiduguri were not met by the Kubo-led committee; before the commencement of Monday’s relocation exercise.

The commissioner for education said “We cannot stop this relocation exercise; which has commenced

Task force inaugurates court martial for erring officers in Plateau Isaac Shobayo - Jos THE Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), in Plateau State, has inaugurated a court martial for some of his men alleged for manslaughter and other offences.

Inaugurating the court martial on Monday at the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigeria Army, Rukuba, Plateau State Commander OPSH, Major General Tagbo Ude, said it was a well known fact that discipline is the bedrock of the Nigerian military hence power conferred on him by virtue of Section 131 to try the said accused persons.

According to him, the offences the accused persons would be tried ranges from manslaughter, offences in relation to public and service property, as well as conduct to prejudice of military discipline, all punishable under Armed Forces Act CAP A20 Laws of Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.

He explained that the court martial is only one of the apparatus put in place by the Armed Forces to discipline its erring personnel.

He assured the accused and others that justice will be done on the entire trial and urged members of the court

martial to be “just and fair” in the conduct of the trial.

“This is not only that the case against each accused was thoroughly investigated, to ensure that an innocent person is not wrongly accused, as I pointed out earlier, but for the fact that my command has painstakingly selected credible officers from various services of the Armed Forces, who are well knowledgeable of

military law,” he stressed.

The OPSH commander maintained that the trial is not just for the guilty to be punished, but to serve as deterrent to others. “Justice is a three way traffic; justice for the accused, victim and to the state. I must state categorically that the accused persons are presumed innocent until proved guilty by this court,” he emphasised.

Adamawa hunters honour 12 for gallant fight against insurgents THE Association of Hunters in Adamawa State has honoured 12 of its members for their gallantry in the fight against insurgency in the state.

The secretary of the association, Salisu Buba Wakinso, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola, on Sunday.

Wakinso said the members were honoured during the general meeting of the union held recently.

He said the gesture would boost the morale of the beneficiaries and that of other members of the

group assisting security agencies in the counter insurgency in the area.

“Those honoured included two women selected based on their outstanding performance.

“We also hope that the measure would go a long way in encouraging them and other members to do more for their fatherland.

“While we laud the support and cooperation the association has been receiving from government and the public, we need more vehicles, guns and ammunition to enable us to be more effective,” the secretary said.

today. It is so important to us. The entire global community is watching us that we have closed schools and we cannot afford to continue like this.

“The fact of the matter was that we work in synergy. We collaborate for the success of the whole relocation exercise of IDPs. “If we are to stay and ac-

cept their terms; we might not open these closed schools this year. It is going to cause more problems than the solutions we are looking for.”

Nigeria, Cameroon troops rescue 112 from B/Haram in Borno Chris Agbambu - Abuja TROOPS of 26 Task Force Brigade, together with the Cameroonian forces have rescued a total of 112 victims from Boko Haram in Borno State.

The rescued victims included eight men, 36 women and 68 children.

A statement from Army headquarters which confirmed this said that the Cameroonian forces also handed over two suspected Boko Haram terrorists to the Nigerian troops.

The statement noted that

the vehicle of one of the Cameroon’s units ran into an Improvised Explosive Device buried along Pulka-Ngoshe road where an officer and eight of their soldiers sustained injuries.

It said, unfortunately, the officer died while being evacuated to Douala by air.

“We wish to commiserate with the Cameroonian forces for the incident and the demise of the officer,” the statement reads.

It said, “Troops of 113 Battalion on patrol to Ng-

wala cleared Boko Haram terrorists’ camps at Ngorta and Aritimie villages.

“The troops also came across the terrorists market at the area. However, on sighting the troops, the suspected Boko Haram terrorists ran and abandoned their supplies.

“The patrol also conducted cordon and search operations around Ngwala and recovered two pick up vehicles and 12 motorcycles belonging to the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists. The market has been closed indefinitely.”

AMORC charges FG over Boko Haram, Biafra Joe Nwachukwu - Owerri THE Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crusis has requested the Federal Government to look at the remote causes of Boko Haram insurgency and pro Biafra protests among others in the country and find a solution to stop them.

Briefing newsmen in Owerri on Monday, the Vice President of AMORC (Nigeria), Frater Professor Jonathan C. Nwigwe, explained that the economic meltdown, hardship, Boko Haram insurgencies and pro-Biafra protesters were tantamount to ruining Nigeria.

Nwigwe, who said this at the beginning of the 40th Eastern Regional Conclave of the sectarian group in Owerri, capital of Imo State, themed, “National Integration for Global Peace,” noted that peace is sine qua non to national development.

He stated that there was no nation in the world that had developed in a state of disharmony. He said that unless humanity come together to agree on issues, there won’t be peace.

Nwigwe, a senior lecturer at the Imo State University, Owerri, further said that the hosting of the conclave in Imo State, which is 40 years in the East, was apt as the state celebrated her 40 years of existence.

He advised Nigerians not to look up to government for every of their needs,

saying that government cannot do everything for her citizens.

“It is high time Nigerians borrowed a leaf from the American parlance of, “Think of what you can do for America and not what America can do for you,”

he said.

He later called on those in authority to be very prudent in the management of the affairs, as he said that any policy neglected or not well carried out would affect the nation and her citizens as a whole.

Insecurity, setback to reconstruction —Borno commissioner James Bwala - Maiduguri COMMISSIONER in charge of Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Borno State, Dr Baba Gana Umara Zulum, has said insecurity is a setback to the reconstruction of the area.

He disclosed this at a one-day brainstorming session in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Dr Umara said the issue of reconstruction was not easy and that it requires both the assistance of the Federal Government and the development partners to achieve.

According to him, the state government is currently making blocks to reconstruct Bama town, but the problem they are having is how to take the blocks to the required places of reconstruction.

“This has not been possible due to insecurity in those areas. In fact, I always travel from here to Bama and Gwoza with not less than 59 soldiers.

The last time we were go-

ing to Gwoza, it took us four hours and we detonated two bombs on the way. You cannot travel to Bama from here as we speak without security, so, there is no how people can return to their homes,” he said.

Speaking on the victims’ support fund which is a project led by General T.Y Dajuma, the commissioner said the people were yet to receive a kobo from the fund.

“Once there is security, people will naturally go back home because it has not been easy for them at the IDP camps. Our people are used to freedom, camp is like a prison.

We need to put heads together, Bama people are known for brevity. We must come together to raise hunters to support the Nigerian military who are doing everything possible to ensure our peace.

The soldiers do not know our areas, so, it is difficult for them unless we come in to help them,” Dr Umara said.

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Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education protest late registration fee Management orders semester break

By Tunde Ogunesan

S

TUDENTS of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, on Monday, protested a hike in late registration fee, halting academic and business activi-

ties inside the Oloo campus of the institution.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the students, citing harsh economic condition, said the N5,000 late registration fee is high, calling on the management to have a re-think.

Another source however, hinted that the students were protesting a hike or an alleged hike in their school fees, while a top source from the institution denied hike in school fees, saying, “our fees are the cheapest in the state.”

The source added that “there is nothing like hike in school fees. The students are only protesting N5,000 late registration fees in this age.

The school fees still remains N29,000 for new students and eight thousand naira for final year students, so what

Members of the National Association of Polytechnic Students, during a condolence procession to the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, on Monday, over the death of their colleagues. PHOTO: NAN.

are we talking about?”

It was also gathered that the protesting students, having grounded the institution, forced the school’s management into an emergency meeting, after which it declared an emergency semester break.

The institution, according to a statement issued and signed by the Registrar of the institution, Mr Teslim Ladimeji Adediran, then directed all regular students to proceed on inter-semester break, to curtail the situation.

According to the Registrar: “The Management of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, has directed all regular NCE students of the college to proceed on inter-semester break with immediate effect.

“Meanwhile, the College Management is appealing to all parents and guardians to ensure that their children/wards vacate the college premises immediately.

The resumption date will be communicated to affected students later.”

Accident: Offset medical bill of our colleagues, Ibadan Poly students appeal to Ajimobi Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors paid condolence visit

By Tunde Ogunesan STUDENTS of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, on Monday, made a peaceful procession from their school to the state secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, appealing to Governor Abiola Ajimobi to help in offsetting the bill of four of their colleagues still receiving treatment at the University College Hospital (UCH).

The students, who were led in the peaceful procession by the National President of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Adeyeye Olugbenga, were guided by men of the state police command during the procession to the state secretariat.

It would be recalled that 18 of the students were involved in an accident last week, with six people dead, while 12 sustained various degrees of injuries.

Of the 12 people that were taken to the hospital, eight were treated and discharged within 48 hours, while the remaining four victims, one still under Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and three others were also receiving treatment at the moment.

The students took off at the main gate of the institution and proceeded

through Sango-BojidaAwolowo Road to the Secretariat and were received by the deputy governor of the state, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, in company of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Olalekan Alli, at the main gate of the state secretariat.

The National President of NAPS, Adeyeye Olugbenga, who briefed the state government, commended the deputy governor and his team for their prompt response in less than five minutes that they had gathered.

In his address, Olugbenga revealed that “upon solidarity visit to The Polytechnic Ibadan campus and the University College Hospital (UCH), where those students are currently receiving treatments, NAPS delegation reliably gathered that huge medical bill is being procured to sustain their treatments.

Of a particular concern is the one with a complicated case and therefore, currently placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and by implication requires much fund for maintenance and sustenance.

“It is worthy of note and commendable that the Management of the concerned institution were

responsive and they might have footed part of the incurred bills so far. However, due to the limited economic realities of same, such gesture might be abdicated, leaving the accident victims to fate.

“In the light of these, and in a bid to rescue the life of our fellow students, we passionately request the spontaneous intervention of the Oyo State government in rehabilitating the surviving victims of the ghastly motor accident which claimed the lives of our colleagues on February 8, 2016.”

In his response, the deputy governor, Chief Adeyemo, commiserated with the students and appreciated them in the way and manner at which they comforted themselves.

He however, promised to deliver their message to Governor Ajimobi for prompt response, hoping that as a parent, the governor would react as the father of all in the state.

Meanwhile, a high powered delegation from the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors paid a condolence visit to the department of Quantity Surveyor, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, the rector and some of the students of the institutions on admission at the UCH,

Ibadan, following an accident which claimed the lives of six people from the institution last week.

The delegation from Abuja, was led by the national president of the association, Mrs Mercy Iyortyer, with other members of the national executive; the national treasurer,

Mr Tunde Adesiyan; secretary, marketing and corporate Affairs, Mr Jide Oke; chairman, Oyo State chapter of the association, Mrs Samuel Olaniyan; chairman and secretary; Young Quantity Surveyors Forum, Mr Kabir Ahmed and Bola Adeyera, among others.

Nigerian Tribune

Police recover snatched rifles from land grabbers Olayinka Olukoya, Abeokuta THE Police in Ogun State have recovered two rifles forcibly snatched from two mobile officers in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, in 2013.

The four suspects were paraded to newsmen at the Police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, on Monday, by the state Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali. The arms stolen were one AK 47 rifle with serial number 348417 and nine rounds of live ammunition, one Type 06 rifle with serial number 07010583 and a one automatic pump action gun with serial number 42716.

He said the suspects were arrested by policemen attached to Special Anti-Robbery Squad last January and that the case is under investigation.

Other suspects paraded were a four man robbery gang who snatched a Bajaj motorcycle at gunpoint, along Ode-Remo area of the state.

One locally made cut-tosize gun, one live cartridge, one Bajaj motorcycle and assorted charms were recovered from them.

Also, three members of a gang of armed robbers/ cultists alleged to have perpetrated the killings of no fewer than nine persons in Ijoko area of Sango Ota were equally paraded.

Items recovered from the suspects included three single barrel-cut-to-size pistol, two double barrel pistols, one pump action gun, assorted charms and five machetes.

Another ‘lunatic’ arrested with 18 ATM cards, cash in Ondo Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure MEN of the Ondo State Police Command, on Monday, in Akure, Ondo State capital, arrested a middle aged man who claimed to be a lunatic, while about 18 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards of different banks were found on him.

It was gathered that the residents of Ijapo Estate, who suspected the suspect to be a robber after they have monitored him loitering the area, apprehended him and handed him over to the security agents at Ijapo Police Station where the ATMs were found on him with some other items.

One of the residents, who spoke to Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity, said the man was taken to the station after

it was discovered that he was not actually insane and could not give genuine explanation about himself.

The source explained when the suspect was arrested, cash of various denominations were found in his possession with the ATM cards despite claiming to be a lunatic but said from the interrogation, the young man was not insane.

He said, “After carefully looking at the man, we discovered that he was a normal human being, because how could a mad man be counting huge sum of money and also have different ATM cards in his possession?”

It was also gathered that some valuables, including costly jewellery and clothes, were neatly packed in a bag by the suspect.

The Police Public Rela-

tions Officer (PPRO) for the state Police command, Mr Femi Joseph, confirmed the development and said the suspect has been arrested by his men and the suspect would undergo medical test to ascertain his level of mental fitness.

He said, “We don’t want to presume that he is a mad man. There are medical tests he needs to undergo for us to believe him. If at the end of the day he is found to be a robber as it is being speculated, he will face the wrath of the law.”

Joseph said the arrest of the suspect was made possible through the cooperation of the residents of the area, saying that the suspect is currently being detained at the Ijapo Police post, where he is also being interrogated by his men.

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Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Stop parading yourself as Eze Ndigbo of Ibadanland, Olubadan-in-Council warns Anozie Yejide Gbenga - Ogundare

T

HE Office of the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Olubadanin-Council have issued a warning to Dr Alexander Chukwudum Anozie, to stop parading himself as the Eze Ndigbo and also stop all persistent and provocative publicity to that effect.

The council sent the warning in a letter signed by their lawyers, Chief Ladosu Ladapo (SAN) and Co, which was sent to the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, asking that Dr Anozie stops parading himself as the Eze Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo State without the approval, recognition, acceptance and authorisation of the Olubadan of Ibadan land.

The council stated that Dr Anozie’s action and that of the group he purportedly represents in Ibadan and Oyo State in general, amounted to an act of insubordination, illegality and a calculated attempt to cause chaos and breed a state of anarchy in the state.

According to the Olubadan-in-Council, “Ibadan is a peace loving state and very accommodating community which expects every resident to respect its traditional institution and will not tolerate in any way or allow the crowning of two Obas in Ibadan.

“It is forbidden for you to wear a crown in Ibadan.

We also want to refer you to a letter dated 14th day of July, 1997 in which Dr Alex Anozie was stripped of a revered chieftaincy title ‘Atojuse,’ earlier conferred on him by the Olubadan of Ibadan land.”

The Olubadan-in-Council had, at a meeting held on July 14, 1997 at the Olubadan Adeyemo Operinde’s palace at Isale Ijebu, unanimously revoked the title of Atojuse of Ibadanland earlier conferred on Dr Anozie and he was informed of the revocation in a letter with reference number EAA3/132/Vol.I/97.

Reasons given for the re-

vocation, which was made public, included the fact that he allowed himself to be misled by countering the pronouncements of the Olubadan of Ibadanland on the matter and choice of Eze Ndigbo and by also allowing himself to be called and addressed as such in line with his association’s guidelines.

The letter stated that: “you knowingly adhere strictly to be bound by such constitution even when it is clear to you the Olubadan of Ibadanland cannot and should not be subjugated to the level of being controlled by an association’s constitution.

“You compounded your pillage of insult on Ibadan’s customs, traditions, rules and regulations by wearing a crown in Ibadanland. You knew it was wrong to wear a similar crown or even any crown of any sort in Ibadan.

You know it is ultra vires to do any and all of the above in Ibadan and yet you did it,” the council alleged.

It further accused Dr Anozie of persistent provocative advertisements in the press, calling himself the Eze Ndigbo NMA, knowing it could anger the indigenes thereby inciting the breach of peace.

This, the council states, is wrong, in view of the fact that the chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Eze Dr C.I. Ilomuanya, the Obi of Obinugwu, had in a letter dated 13th July, 2010 with ref/sector/ch/vol. III/022, intimated the Oyo State government of a proposed visit to formally present the elected leader, Chief Aloysius Okwudili Obi to the government.

The Office of the deputy governor had replied the said letter on October 10, 2010, stating that the request would be difficult to grant based on subsisting controversies on the title; asking which of the two organisations has the authority to approve and grant recognition on chieftaincy matters, and whether the Ohanaeze Ndigbo was aware of the visit of the

royal fathers to Oyo State on July 14, 2009 at which some resolutions were passed in the presence of Dr Anozie and erstwhile Eze Ndigbo James Oramadike.

The resolutions, according to the deputy governor’s letter included the fact that the Eze Ndigbo title on its own stands completely abolished, that all factions be dissolved immediately and that within a given period, election should be conducted by the caretaker committee to elect the approved Onye Ndu Ndigbo as the leader of Igbos in

IT was a moment of sadness and tears as the remains of Mr Marquis Olatunji, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) attached to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, were buried in Osogbo, on Monday, just as family members, friends and colleagues gathered to pay him last respect.

His corpse was interred

at Oke Ayepe area of Osogbo, at about 12:45 p.m, shortly after a service conducted by Reverend D. D. Olaonipekun of the Foursquare Gospel Church, at the graveside.

Earlier, the coffin bearing his remains was conveyed to the NSCDC headquarters along Ilesa Road, Osogbo for a brief lyingin- state, where a parade of honour was held for Olatunji, who was shot to death at his duty post on

Ohaneze Ndigbo, is aware of all their activities including the visit to Oyo State and all actions taken during the visit, adding that the trip was sponsored by the government of the Southern Eastern states.

It stated further that the bodies have chosen Chief Aloysius Okwudili Obi, adding that it is the responsibility of the South East Council of traditional rulers to confer him with the title “Onye Ndu Ndigbo.”

The Olubadan-in-Council concluded that it is disheartening to note that 18

years after, he is purportedly being crowned as Eze Ndigbo and gave a final warning that Dr Anozie is not allowed by the custom and tradition of Ibadan land to be installed as a chief or be called Eze Ndigbo and should not attend any function that is associated with Olubadan until he has purged himself of the disobedience to the traditional institution.

The council said that failure to heed its warning will leave it no choice than to ban the association in Ibadan land.

Oyo Assembly reveals LGs caretaker chairmen today Use of caretaker chairmen for LGs unconstitutional —NBA chairman

By Wale Akinselure

IDENTITIES of Caretaker Committee Chairmen for the 33 local governments in Oyo State appointed by Governor Abiola Ajimobi will be revealed at an emergency plenary of the Oyo State House of Assembly, today.

The Assembly had at its last sitting on Thursday, February 11, adjourned till March 1, with a caveat that an emergency plenary could be called if a vital message from the executive was received.

It was gathered that the Speaker, on Monday, had instructed that a text message be sent to honourable members asking them to attend an emergency meeting at 9a.m. on Tuesday, while plenary would commence an hour after.

Though the motive of the emergency meeting and plenary was not disclosed in the message, it was gathered that such call pointed to a message or directive from the executive.

Adeyemo is expected to reel out the contents of a letter forwarded to the Assembly by Governor Ajimobi detailing the names of chairpersons to be appointed to run the affairs of the 33 local governments..

Also, it is expected that the newly appointed chair-

Slain NSCDC officer attached to Ooni, buried amidst tears in Osun Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

Oyo State.

The letter added that government was informed that the election subsequently held and produced the Onye Ndu, Aloysius Okwudili Obi as James Oramadike and Alex Anozie declined to contest and urged the factions to reach an agreement to enable government grant the recognition being sought.

The South East Traditional rulers had replied the letter, stating that every authority in the South East, including the

February 7, 2016 by some gunmen.

In his sermon during the service held at the headquarters of the NSCDC in Osogbo, the clergy tasked people to be conscious of death as the inevitable end of all mortals.

According to Olaonipekun, “death is the ultimate end of every mortal man.

We all must be ready to give an account of how we spent our lives here on earth one day.”

men, upon confirmation, would have three to four months tenure, as Ajimobi had hinted of the conduct of a local government election in June.

However, Oyo State Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Kazeem Gbadamosi, has described the continued use of caretaker chairmen to run local governments as unconstitutional, noting that the legislative arm had continued to approve of unconstitutional acts such as appointment of persons by the executive arm of government to run the local governments.

Gbadamosi noted that the

legislative arm had continued to turn a blind eye to the constitutional provision for elected local government chairpersons.

“Does the constitution provide for caretaker chairmen? Things must be done properly. The House of Assembly constitutionally should perform their role as enshrined in the constitution. Does the constitution provide for Caretaker Chairman? Where is Caretaker Committee in the constitution? They should perform their duties in the interest of the constitution not their own interests.”

“The executive is not to

blame but the legislative arm that has the constitutional duty to check excesses and correct any misdeed by the executive. The legislative arm should be blamed for allowing such unconstitutional acts to continue. What is their basis for screening and approving such nomination?”

“The executive has the power to nominate but it is the duty of the legislature to see if such nomination is in conformity with the constitution. If it is not, the legislature should not approve of such. The legislative must perform its role for our democracy to thrive,” he said.

Ojewumi exhibited loyalty, honesty, exemplary qualities in his lifetime —Aregbesola Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

OSUN State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday, said that the former editor of the Nigerian Tribune, late Chief Ayo Ojewumi, exhibited loyalty, honesty, dedication to duty and other exemplary qualities while alive, saying there was need for Nigerians to shun the desperation for acquisition of wealth by struggling to leave good legacies.

He made this known in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, during the 25th year remembrance anniversary of Ojewumi.

Aregbesola, who lauded the virtues of the former editor of the Nigerian Tribune maintained that “today, we are celebrating a man with loyalty, honesty, integrity and dedication to the cause of humanity.”

He stated, “For you to leave enduring legacy in life, there is need for all to stand by the truth. In politics, one has to persevere and be tolerant. A politician with a promis-

ing future would not give in to selfishness, impatience and desperation.

Any assignment given to you must be pursued with vigour and commitment.

This is what counts for late Chief Ayo Ojewumi today.”

While tasking the people to emulate exemplary virtues of great Nigerians, Aregbesola contended that whatever we do today would be a reference point or history tomorrow, saying everybody must strive to impact positively on the society in any capacity we find ourselves.

He, however, assured that his administration would not abandon any project already embarked on, stressing that “though it may seem difficult, but I can assure the people of Osun that we would complete all the road projects and other capital projects.

“I cannot constitute my cabinet because there is no money to pay commissioners. The lawmakers recently requested for new cars.

I told them that we cannot afford them. They have to

wait. They also demanded for furniture allowance, there is no fund to back up these requests,” Aregbesola remarked.

In a brief lecture delivered during the event, former Nigerian ambassador to Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, charged media practitioners to be societal agents of positive change in a bid to build a better society.

He averred that the media should not shirk in their responsibilities of being the watchdog of the society, stressing that there was need for journalists to put those in position of authority on their toes so that they deliver on good governance and abide by the rule of law.

Dignitaries at the 25th year remembrance of late Chief Ojewumi included Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; former Nigerian Ambassador to Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi; Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa; Senator Ayo Fasanmi, among others.

42 news

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

I neither took N9bn from Jonathan nor $22m from Ghadaffi —Gani Adams Bola Badmus - Lagos

N

ATIONAL coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Gani Adams, on Monday, again denied ever collecting N9 billion from former President Goodluck Jonathan or receiving $22 million from the late Libyan president, Muammar Ghadaffi, describing the al-

legations as the ranting of a set of disgruntled people.

Adams also denied allegations that he received another sum of N1.6 billion from a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

The OPC national coordinator debunked all the allegations in his reaction to a purported press conference organised by some former state coordinators of the congress, led

by one Moruf Salami, who were recently dismissed from the congress for acts bordering on alleged indiscipline, anti-congress activities and outright corruption.

Adams, in his reaction entitled: “The many lies of Moruf Salami and his sponsors,” said he would ordinarily have ignored these allegations from those he described as disgruntled elements, but for

the knowledge that a lie told overtime, without any effort to disprove it, begins to take the form of truth.

“Therefore, it is for this reason that I have decided to make this explanation: one, to disprove all their lies and secondly, to prove that they and their sponsors are the real thieves,” he alleged.

He said, the allegation that he took N9 billion from the former Presi-

dent Jonathan was particularly laughable, saying it amounted to a woeful display of ignorance that somebody would believe such story.

The OPC leader, who traced the genesis of the allegation to one of the campaign press statements issued then by All Progressives Congress (APC) national publicity secretary and now incumbent Minister of Information and

Buhari’s N500bn social investment vote, greatest duty to Nigerians —Budget historian A don and budget historian has described the social investment votes of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2016 Appropriation Bill as the greatest service to Nigerians.

Making the assertion on Monday, Dr Adetunji Ogunyemi, a Senior Lecturer and Economic Historian in the Department of History, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, noted that “there can be no better way of executing a social contract between the citizenry and the state,” than the unprecedented social investments the Buhari budget had done.

He made the observations in a statement he issued, en-

titled: “Reconstructing the social equity blocks of the Nigerian State: The Buhari 2016 Budget Template.”

“Still the greatest social responsibility portion of the 2016 budget and particularly, in the capital budget, is that which earmarks the sum of N500 billion directly to job creation, financial support to artisans and cash grants to the extremely poor segment of the Nigerian population.

“This involves the direct cash transfer under the programme government has chosen to call Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), wherein one million extremely poor Nigerians would receive N5,000 every month in the form of social

safety net to shield them from total pauperisation.

“There is another N60 billion soft loan to one million small scale producers and artisans via Bank of Industry, in an apparent support for small scale enterprises and the creation of jobs in the rural areas.

“This plan of expenditure which factors into the calculus of Federal Government’s spending profile, I regard as the greatest duty ever done the Nigerian State since 1982,’’ Ogunyemi added.

The historian, who is also a lawyer, said the plan of the Buhari administration to directly employ 500,000 graduates and NCE teachers and deploy them to the rural areas “is another pan-Nige-

rian outlook of this 2016 budget.’’

The lecturer noted that the provision for skills acquisition training to 370,000 non-graduates and onemeal-per day to 100,000 pupils were exemplary.

According to him, there could be no better way of executing a social contract between citizens and the state than this.

“I insist that this 2016 budget, if faithfully implemented, would lead to the reconstruction of those blocks of social equity long pulled down by the harsh capitalist orientation of government at the centre since the 1980s,’’ he stated.

He explained that this year’s budget is a relief to

Dankwambo’s 2019 presidential bid posters surface As PDP picks national chairman today Leon Usigbe -Abuja AFTER weeks of speculations, indications have emerged that Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, of Gombe State may, indeed, be gunning for presidential slot of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019.

This was as posters urging for support for his ambition have surfaced in parts of the state.

Signed by one Bappaji Musa Nafada, one poster directly canvassed for vote for the governor, who is serving his second tenure and is the senior PDP governor out of the two governors elected on the party’s platform in the North.

One poster produced in PDP colours and symbols announced: “Talba for President 2019 Insha Allah, vote (Dr) Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, Talban Gombe for President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Various social media platforms thought to have his blessing have also started to support for him for the race.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that Dankwambo’s alleged interest in the 2019

Presidency had direct bearing on the ongoing leadership crisis in the former ruling party, as he was said to be resisting the emergence of a chairmanship candidate from his geopolitical zone, the North-East, even though other stakeholders in the region were pressing for an opportunity to serve out the tenure of former Gombe State governor, Dr Adamu Muazu, who resigned as the national chairman last year, following the loss of the party at the general election.

However, spokesman for the governor, Junaidu Usman, denied knowledge of any campaign by Dankwambo for the 2019 presidential election, even though he maintained that the governor was qualified for the position.

He told the Nigerian Tribune: “All I know is Governor Dankwambo, Talban Gombe, is among the leading figures, who want the best for PDP. Talban Gombe wants it to stand up to its responsibility of a sound and formidable opposition party.

“But as for his ambition to aspire for the highest seat, we have not talked

about that with him yet and for now, Talban Gombe is only talking about retructuring the party.

“Talban Gombe is there to mend all fences and reconcile all the factions in PDP.” Meanwhile, the PDP national organs, including the National Caucus, Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) are meeting this week, to resolve the issue of the national chairman for the party.

It is expected that a new national chairman of the party will emerge today, after the scheduled meetings of its national organs in Abuja.

Following their inability to present a consensus nominee, states in the North-East have presented their individual candidates for the consideration of the party’s organs as requested by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Borno State is insisting on former Minister of State for Power, Honourable Mohammed Wakil, who had earlier been picked by a section of the North-East

stakeholders of the party, but rejected others.

He is now to be considered alongside candidates presented by Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe states in the party hierarchy meetings.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that Gombe State had decided to nominate Alhaji Sa’idu Kumo, while Adamawa State was presenting Wilberforce Juta, one-time governor of old Gongola State.

National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the PDP, Senator Girgir Lawan, was also said to have had his wish granted to be the candidate nominated from Yobe State.

In Bauchi State, former director of Contact and Mobilisation of the defunct Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Campaign council, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, was preferred to immediate past Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Bala Mohammed.

He was nominated by a resolution of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party in Bauchi, at the weekend.

“those who have ceaselessly clamoured for the rebuilding of the social blocks of equity between the government and the citizen by transferring a significant proportions of public expenditure to the greatest number of the population.”

Ogunyemi, who is often featured on TV shows on budget and economic affairs, also noted that for the first time since 2010, the Federal Government had taken a bold step in the provision of infrastructure by making capital provision of N1.8 trillion, being 30 per cent of the N6.08 trillion appropriation.

He observed that the capital allocation in 2016 was about 223 per cent higher than the N557 billion allocated for capital projects in 2015.

He said previous allocations had focused more on governance and providing for political office holders’ needs, than on provision of infrastructure for the common good with recurrent estimates taking between 67 per cent and 89 per cent of budget between 2010 and 2015.

“No greater disservice to economic development could be more than that, particularly to the building of critical economic infrastructure,’’ he said.

Ogunyemi hinted that budgets should not be used only as instrument of economic growth and development, but also as an instrument of social equity, balance and camaraderie among the population.

“I see this year’s budget as an attempt to, in real terms, transfer resources from the resource-surplus to the resource-deficient sectors of the economy especially the poor,’’ he said.

According to him, the Buhari budget, despite some of the errors indicated, was an attempt to build human capital, reduce poverty and create inclusive growth pattern in the economy, such that the poor were directly touched by government spending and were no longer alienated.

Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, alleging that the congress took the money as payment for the pipeline surveillance contract to prosecute the election, said such allegation had since been proved to be false.

“His allegation was shortly after our protest against the former INEC chairman’s distribution of PVCs, which we felt was skewed in favour of the North at the time. And to the glory of God, all the fears we raised during the protest were proved during the elections. Mohammed’s allegations have also been proven to be false.

“It is on record that we have not received any kobo from the government as payment for the pipeline contract. Such allegation coming from a person, who today occupies the office of the nation’s Minister of Information is rather unfortunate and sad,” Adams said.

On the issue of $22 million he was alleged to have received from the late Libyan leader, Ghadaffi, Adams also denied such allegation, declaring: “All my life, I have never set my foot on Libya; neither did I meet the late Ghadaffi or his agent at any time.

“Let me state here that when this issue first came up, I took it upon myself to write a petition to the State Security Service (SSS), informing them of the allegation and pleading with the service to help investigate its source, in order to get to the root of the matter.

“As I speak with you, I am still awaiting the response to my petition. Having said that, I want to, once again, plead with the SSS to, as a matter of urgency, make sure that these people, who have alleged me of this grave crime are made to prove the source of their allegation and if they are not able to do so, should be made to face prosecution for their actions.”

This was just as he debunked the allegations that he collected N1.6 billion from Obanikoro and was being disrespectful to Yoruba obas, insisting that the truth of all the matters raised by the expelled chieftains of OPC, led by Salami, would emerge soon, as a new coordinator would emerge for Kwara State today, to take over from him (Salami).

“Despite all their efforts to rubbish my time-tested reputation and integrity, God, in His grace, has always stood by me and uplifted me. I am convinced that He will again vindicate me,” the OPC leader said.

43 news

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

They want to kill me, Mark alleges Taiwo Adisa - Abuja

C

RISIS looms in Otukpo the political seat of the Benue South senatorial district, as plots to assassinate former Senate president, Senator David Mark, ahead of the Saturday, February 20, 2016, rerun election for Benue South, has been uncovered.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that police said to be attached to the convoy of the state deputy governor, Mr Benson Abounu, fired several gunshots into the residence of the former number three citizen around 10.30p.m, on Sunday.

The media director of Mark, Dr Adakoleh Elijah, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on phone, on Monday, said the same police escort on the convoy of the deputy governor, had earlier in the day, shot at Marks’s family house along Enugu road in Otukpo.

Though no reason was given for the unprovoked attack and no arrest made so far, Elijah said shells were recovered from Marks’s house, shortly after the police shot at the house.

He explained that the shells were the exhibit taken to the Divisional Police Officer in Otukpo, where complaints were lodged.

When contacted, the state police spokesman, ASP Moses Yamu, said he was yet to receive any brief concerning the incident.

But in a swift reaction, the press secretary to the deputy governor, Mr Ede Ogaba Ede, said nothing of such nature happened, saying, “there was no shooting at the residence of Mark, and such information has not been

brought to the knowledge of the deputy governor.”

He added that nothing could have warranted such provocation on the former senate president, which he described as “unwarranted and mischievous”, adding that should anything happen to Mark, his men should be held responsible.

It will be recalled that former Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, had raised the alarm a few weeks ago about the plot by elements in APC, that had listed many of the supporters of Mark for elimination, in a bid to win the rerun scheduled for this Saturday.

Meanwhile, a press state-

ment issued by Media Assistant to Mark, Paul Mumeh, on Monday, noted that following the threat by APC stalwarts in the state to unleash terror on the PDP men in the zone, Senator Mark had alerted the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase of the plot by the APC stalwarts in

Wike reinstated suspended commissioner, AG Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt SUSPENDED Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Fred Kpakol and state Accountant-General, Sir Abere Dagogo, have been restored to their respective offices.

The duo were suspended by Governor Nyesom Wike, via a press statement issued by his special assistant on electronic media,

Simeon Nwakaudu, last Friday.

Though their offence was not stated, the statement said the suspension was an immediate effect.

However, Governor Wike, on Sunday night, lifted the suspension of Kpakol and Dagogo, citing pleas by political leaders in the state, for his latest action.

The latest directive was contained in another state-

ment issued by his media aide and made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, on Monday.

According to the statement, the governor announced the lifting of the suspension while addressing public servants and political leaders in the state, during a Special Valentine Couples’ Night organised by his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-

Wike, at the Government House.

Governor Wike said the suspension was lifted in deference to the interventions by different political leaders and as a show of love during the Valentine.

He, however, charged political appointees to differentiate between friendship and governance in the discharge of their respective functions.

extradite some Nigerian fugitives, including some officials of the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan who had corrupt cases to answer.

According to the source, some individuals who served in one capacity or the other in the administration were being investigated by the commission, informing that some of them had left the country immediately after the expiration of the Jonathan-led administration.

The source added that the only way to bring these fugitives back to the country was to invite the Interpol to

arrest them anywhere they could be in the world.

“We are making moves to contact the Interpol to get some Nigerians who have corrupt cases hanging on necks. This becomes imperative considering the fact that some of these individuals have run out of the country,” the source told the Nigerian Tribune.

The source, however, declared that the commission would not disclose how it would do its work in the media, saying that it would only inform Nigerians of its activities only when necessary.

Only last month, the Interpol wrote EFCC in

response to the letter written to it last November by the commission’s acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, requesting for the extradition of Rasheed Maina, an ex-chairman of pension task force set up by the Federal Government.

The Interpol stated that it had issued a red alert for the arrest of Maina, who was believed to currently be in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

President Muhammadu Buhari had, during his state visit to UAE, signed an agreement with the Arab nation government on repatriation of stolen funds from Nigeria stocked in the country by some Nigerians, including government officials.

In another development, the commission, on Monday, disclaimed some recruitment advertisement purportedly for recruitment into the anti-corruption agency.

A statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune

by EFCC’s head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, alerted the general public to the activities of some unscrupulous elements who had cashed in on the plan by the commission to recruit more personnel to defraud unsuspecting job seekers.

The statement stated that some unscrupulous online portals had, in recent times, featured advertisements supposedly from the EFCC, inviting applications for employment into the service of EFCC. The commission, therefore, dissociated itself from the advertorials, declaring that, “for the avoidance of doubt, there is no recruitment currently going on in the EFCC.”

Corruption: EFCC to use Interpol to extradite indicted fugitives •Disclaims recruitment advert Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja IN a bid to ensure no individual found wanting in the ongoing war against corruption, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is said to leave no stone unturned in making such individuals to answer questions, as well as made to face the full wrath of the law of the country.

In order to achieve this, a source within the antigraft commission informed the Nigerian Tribune on Monday that arrangements were being made to use the International Police (Interpol) to arrest and

Sterling Bank presents highway kits to Gov Ikpeazu DETERMINED to sustain its commitment to a clean environment through its “Sterling Environmental Makeover” (#STEM) series, staff of Sterling Bank Plc, at the weekend, embarked on a national cleaning exercise, and also presented reflective kits to the Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, for street sweepers and highway managers in the state.

The staff of the One Customer Bank, according to a statement, cleaned major markets, highways, streets and motor parks, among others, in several states of the federation.

The exercise which is one of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of the bank, focuses on environmental sustainability, aimed at promoting a clean environment and good health among Nigerians.

The bank in a statement highlighted that arrange-

Benue to assassinate him.

While reacting, the state chairman of APC, Comrade Abba Yaro said it is PDP that has vowed to import thugs from Niger/Delta through Enugu to Ogbadibo, saying, “we are ready for anything, we will give them thugs for thugs if they do not want free and fair election.”

ments were made in partnership with the waste management authorities in the several states for the exercise, adding that it had won various awards for its environmental sustainability initiatives.

It disclosed that apart from Lagos where the exercise held in two locations on the Island and

Mainland,other locations where the exercise ran simultaneously were Aba, Abuja, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Owerri, Oshogbo, Port Harcourt and Uyo. The bank explained that it came up with the exercise in 2013 in furtherance of its core purpose of enriching lives, assuring that it would continually

engage in initiatives that would promote a healthy environment, especially those that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It also disclosed that it had executed this commitment over the years, through its renowned partnership with various waste management agencies.

Alleged N3.1bn fraud: Suswam’s trial continues today Sunday Ejike - Abuja TRIAL continues today in the nine-count charge preferred against former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

When the matter came up on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, tendered some documents as exhibits before the court through the prosecution witness, Mrs. Bridgid Shietu.

Suswam was arraigned

alongside his Finance Commissioner, Omodachi Okolobia on a nine-count charge of money laundering, mismanagement of funds to the tune of over N3.1 billion belonging to the state when he held sway as Benue State Governor.

The document tendered as exhibit, through the witness, who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPCL), include a letter written by the EFCC to the

Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), requesting for the certificate of incorporation of the Benue State Investment Company Limited.

When asked whether she was aware that one of the accounts in which the proceeds of some of the shares were paid into, did not belong to the Benue State government, the witness said, “I was not aware that one of the accounts was owned by a private company.

I got the two account numbers from the former Commissioner of Finance (Okolobia).

Council workers shut secretariat over salary arrears in Bayelsa Austin Ebipade - Yenagoa WORKERS of the Yenagoa Local Government Council in Bayelsa State, on Monday, blocked gates leading to the council secretariat, in protest over non-payment of four months salaries.

The over 100 workers, who protested at the entrance to the council’s secretariat, also prevented visitors from gaining access into the premises.

The workers, who blamed the council’s chairman, Mr ChubbyBenWalson, for their plight, demanded the immediate payment of the arrears of salaries.

Chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Mr Kwaku Oyoro, decried the situation, saying such unfair treatment to workers was unacceptable.

“The council has received allocations for October, November, December 2015 and January 2016, but yet the workers’ salaries have not been paid.

“We have talked about this issue over and over again, but Mr Ben-Walson, who is the council boss, has not explained to us what he has been using our money for in the past four months.

“We are saying that the internal revenue of the council should not be in a private account, but paid into council’s treasury; council workers are not slaves, they should be treated like human beings.

“On this note, the council secretariat will remain locked until this matter is settled.

“We congratulate our able Governor, Seriake Dickson on his second tenure and we believe that his next four years in office will bring more developments for the people,” Oyoro said.

Reacting to the situation, Mr Ovienadu Torutein, Head of Administration, Yenagoa Local Government Area, said the council’s workers were owed just three months salary for October, November and December 2015.

Torutein explained that while the senior workers were being owed three months salary, junior workers were owed arrears of two months.

44

communitynews

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Rotary club presents borehole to Akeetan community

By Tunde Adegbola

Chairman on the occasion, Dr James Ojebode (right); President of Rotary Club of Oyo Metropolis, Mrs Fadeke Kasika (left) and others, during the inauguration of the new bolehole at Akeetan in Oyo.

THE Rotary Club of Oyo Metropolis, at the weekend, inaugurated and presented a new borehole to Akeetan community in Oyo West Local Government Area of Oyo State.

In his remarks, the chairman on the occasion, Dr James Ojebode, lauded the club for identifying the major challenge facing the community and for taking a bold step to address the problem.

Ojebode observed that government alone cannot provide the needs of each community in the country. He, therefore, urged

Aregbesola Market traders lament govt’s planned demolition

T

RADERS at the Rauf Aregbesola Market, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, have appealed to the Lagos State government to intervene in the impasse between them and Alimosho Local Government Council.

The local government, on Friday, threatened to eject the traders to pave way for the demolition of the structures to upgrade the market.

The traders told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that this was the second attempt by the local government authorities to forcefully eject them from the market.

According to the traders, in 2012 when the market was under Egbeda/Akowonjo Local Development Authority, the council asked them to submit their allocation papers for an upgrade of the market.

They said the upgrade was suspended when their lawyer challenged the council after an advice from the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

According to them, the ministry advised that the structures in the market be maintained as any attempt to raise the shops to high rise would affect the structural integrity of the entire market.

Mr Isaac Ilesanmi, a trader in the market said: “We forwarded the Town Planning report, through our lawyer, to the Governor’s Office and copied the council and the upgrade was suspended.

“But now, they have come back.”

The traders queried the rationale for government’s plan to take over the shops

that were sold to them on owner-occupier basis at the first instance.

“We bought these shops in 2004 at the price range of N300,000 for those located inside and N400, 000 for those facing the road.

“We pay our yearly permit of N4, 100 as responsible citizens, abide by every rule governing the state and expect due consideration from government,” he said.

Mrs Ayoola Aromolaran, another trader in the market, said: “We are not against the plan to upgrade the market, but what we are saying is that no trader was consulted about the project.

“I feel this is wrong, we own the shops because we bought them from the state government in 2004, therefore, we should be engaged in issues that affect the market.

“The purported committee that has been dealing with the council is not representing us; we did not elect or nominate them to speak on our behalf.

“They have no stake in Rauf Aregbesola Market; they do not own any shop or sell in the market, so, they can never understand our plight or be our representatives on this issue,” she said.

Mr Moses Njoku said the desperation with which the council was going about the market upgrade showed there is an ulterior motive.

“The council is trying to deceive us. We heard that current tenants will have to pay one million naira, while new tenants will pay two million naira to acquire the shops after the upgrade.

“This is not fair considering the economic situation of the country and the fact

that we are paying again for what we had previously bought.

Another trader, who simply identified herself as “Iya Nimota” said: “In 2001, Iyana Ipaja Shopping Complex was upgraded with pillars without demolition, the traders were not told to pay extra money.

“If the government has our interest at heart, as claimed, then they should do the same thing.

Mr Lateef Abiodun, the Market Master for Alimosho Local Government, told NAN that the planned up-

grade of the market was in line with the megacity plan of the state government.

Abiodun also serves as the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Alimosho Branch.

He said: “There’s going to be an upgrade, but we will not displace them, all the previous tenants will be put back in their rightful places.

“We have had meetings with the committee members set up by the market on this issue. We do not in-

tend to create untold hardship for them, but rather to protect them.

“If they are resisting, what happened in Oshodi market may happen here, we are not saying we are the ones to do it.

“Because, those people (Oshodi) were on it for quite a long time, the state government just took action, we do not want that to happen here.”

NAN reported that the Rauf Aregbesola Market is a bungalow structure market, created in 2004 with 110 shops.

NGOs, individuals and corporate organisations to start to give back to the communities and initiate programmes that would make life better for the people.

Also speaking, the district governor of the club, Mr Mike Omotosho, urged members of the club not to relent in their efforts to promote the ideals of the club, adding that the club’s focus in preaching peace and conflict resolution across the country is unstoppable.

Chief Omotosho, who was represented by Mr Olusoji Sangobiyi, also commended the club for making the club’s ideals a reality.

In her remarks, the president of Oyo metro club, Mrs Fadeke Kasika, expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of the project, saying that without their support, morally and financially, the project would not have been actualised.

She said aside from the borehole, the club has been able to execute other projects and programmes which include the award of scholarship to students, sponsoring the handicap to school among others.

In his remarks, the Baale of Akeetan, Chief Jimoh Oyeleye, expressed gratitude to the the club for deeming it fit to execute the project for the use of the community.

Medical practitioner decries state of primary health centres Alphonsus Agborh-Asaba

THE Chairman, School of Health Technology, Ofuoma-Ughelli, Delta State, Dr Nelson Ejakpovi, has decried the deplorable state of primary health centres in the country.

Dr Ejakpovi said this while inspecting the primary healthcare centre at Owa-Alero, Ika South Lo-

cal Government Area of Delta State.

Accompanied by members of the governing council of the school, Dr. Ejakpovi observed that the primary health centre at Owa-Alero “has been abandoned despite the huge benefits the community was supposed to get from it and this is the situation in most health cen-

tres across the country.

“Primary health centres are vital to the healthcare delivery system. We cannot afford to toy with them because a certain level of healthcare services require that the health centres be the first point of call,” Dr Ejakpovi said, adding, “even in developed countries, there are primary health centres that are very close to the people but, we

Kwarapoly fumigates neighbouring communities against Lassa fever Biola-Azeez-Ilorin

THE committee on War Against Lassa Fever of the Kwara State Polytechnic Environmental Task Force has been commended for its timely campaign on the deadly disease.

The committee recently embarked on a fumigation exercise of communities around the institution.

The commendation came from Oke - Apon, Ara and Akuo communi-

ties located around the polytechnic area.

The communities, which expressed their gratitude on the prevalence of the campaign, said the communities were not aware of the disease before the intervention.

The chairman of the task force, Mrs Oyewole Adedayo, said the entire polytechnic and over 80 per cent of communities around it had been fumigated.

Adedayo, however, advised members of the communities to avoid contact with rats, particularly with bare hands, adding that they should block all the places where rats could gain entrance into their homes.

She further advised that food items should be covered properly.

The campaign is part of the Community Social Responsibility of the polytechnic.

don’t have that consciousness. We need to build it and encourage people to use the health centres.”

He further disclosed that efforts would be made to enable the state government acquire the primary health centre at Owa-Alero for it to serve as one of the practical training centres for the School of Health Technology, OfuomaUghelli.

According to him, “in a nutshell, the place has been abandoned, nothing is working there. A community like this needs a very functional health centre,” adding that, “primary health centres are run by the local government but, the School of Health Technology is interested because we train people who are supposed to be masters of primary health care in community healthcare delivery, and it is in our curriculum to get these people to go to rural areas, stay with the people, observe their challenges. This is part of their training.”

45

foreig naffairs

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Israel’s ex-PM Olmert starts 19-month prison sentence

E

HUD Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister, has begun serving his prison sentence, making him the first Israeli head of government to go to prison.

Olmert will enter Ma’asiyahu prison near Tel Aviv on Monday to start serving a 19-month sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice.

Hours before, Olmert released a video message saying that he “rejects

outright” the bribery charges he is convicted of.

“When I was prime minister, I was given the highest responsibility of safeguarding the security of the citizens of Israel and today it is I who am about to be locked up behind bars,” Olmert said in a video message, calling the experience “painful and strange”.

He admitted to having “made mistakes”, but said these were “not criminal”, and denied having taken

bribes.

“Life is offering me today no simple test. I go towards it with great sadness,” he said.

The 70-year-old was convicted in March 2014 in a case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a controversial real-estate project in Jerusalem.

The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister, years before he became prime minister in

2006.

Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israel Prison Service had set up a special wing for him at the Ma’asiyahu Prison complex in Ramle.

Olmert will be held in Wing

10 and will be considered a “protected person” whose environment and contacts will be monitored.

Wing 10, a self-contained section, will reportedly supply all “prisoners’ needs, including visits,

medical care, education and therapy”.

“The wing has six cells with three beds each. Each cell has a shower and bathroom, a closet, a table and chairs and a television,” Haaretz reported.

Zimbabwe seizes plane with dead body, cash on board A plane with a cargo of millions of South African rand has been impounded in Zimbabwe after a dead body was found on board, state-run media report.

Blood was seen dripping from the South Africabound cargo plane during a refuelling stop, the Herald paper said.

Zimbabwe’s Civil Aviation Authority said the matter had been handed over to the police to investigate.

Its chief, David Chawota, said the cargo on the US-

owned plane belonged to the South African Reserve Bank.

A senior official at the bank, Pradeep Maharaj, said: “The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is aware of an aircraft carrying a SARB consignment that stopped in Harare and was detained following the discovery of an unidentified body that is presumed to be a stowaway on the aircraft.”

The bank was working with authorities to ensure that the cargo was released and transported to South Africa, he told the BBC. The plane had been

travelling from Germany to South Africa and belonged to Florida-based Western Global Airlines, Zimbabwean officials said.

Olmert (second right) made a last-minute plea to salvage his legacy, appealing to Israelis to remember his peacemaking attempts as leader. PHOTO: Abir Sultan/Reuters/Files.

Deadly air strikes hit hospitals in Syria

AT least 21 people have been killed and dozens others injured in air strikes and rocket attacks on a school and two hospitals in separate locations in northern Syria, Al Jazeera has learned.

In the deadliest incident, at least 14 people were

killed and about 30 injured when air strikes and rocket artillery damaged parts of a hospital in the town of Azaz in Aleppo province, the media office at the rebel-controlled Aleppo local council said on Monday.

In the same raid, a

Ugandan police detain, release opposition leader Besigye UGANDAN police detained opposition candidate Kizza Besigye in the capital Kampala on Monday as he campaigned for the country’s presidential election this week.

Witnesses said police fired tear gas at a Besigye event and took him into custody.

He was then taken to another location outside of Kampala before being freed.

Besigye has lost three disputed elections to President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in

power since 1986.

Uganda’s assistant inspector general of police accused Besigye of violating campaign rules.

“If you choose because it is political period, to campaign, to go to a place where you are not supposed to be at that time, and then lead a procession through the central business district, the nerve center of economic activity, at such a time, I think we must protect other people,” he said.

One of Besigye’s lawyers, Lukwago Shifrah, said she was in a car with the opposition candidate when they were stopped by police and tear-gassed.

“We were together and actually we finished the first rally which was carried out there, and then we left to go to the convoy and then we had another rally but we were blocked, and they had to tear-gas us, which wasn’t called for because he’s a candidate like any other people,” Shifrah said.

otherNEWS Pope visits Mexico’s poorest state

Pope Francis kisses a baby in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, on Monday.

PHOTO: AP

THOUSANDS of indigenous Mexicans gathered in a sports field in the impoverished southern state of Chiapas where Pope Francis will preside over a Mass conducted in three indigenous languages - Chol, Tzotzil and Tzeltal.

Francis arrived by aircraft on Monday in the Mexican mountain town of San Cristobal de las Casas, a center of Mayan indigenous culture.

During his visit, he is expected to turn his attention to poverty and the plight

school where refugees were sheltering was also hit. No death toll has been confirmed.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a news conference in Kiev on Monday that a Russian balistic missile hit the school and hospital in Azaz.

The head of the media office, Abu Thaer alHalabi, told Al Jazeera that a section of a highway that facilitates the main supply line for humanitarian aid to the region was destroyed in the raids.

Halabi also said the strikes were carried out by Russian fighter jets Meanwhile, two strikes on Monday morning targeted a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the town of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib province, killing at least seven people.

The medical humanitarian organisation said the hospital was hit by four missiles in two attacks within a few minutes of each other.

MSF says destruction of the hospital leaves the local population of around 40,000 people without access to medical services. PHOTO: MSF.

of migrants. Francis will also issue a decree allowing indigenous languages to be used during Catholic masses.

From San Cristobal, the pope then visits Morelia, the capital of the western state of Michoacan where farmers in

2013 took up arms to battle the so-called Knights Templar drug cartel.

On Sunday, Francis held an open air Mass for some 300,000 Roman Catholic faithful in Mexico City’s gritty suburb of Ecatepec.

US celebrates Presidents’ Day MILLIONS of workers and school children in the United States have the day off Monday for the annual Presidents’ Day holiday.

It is officially known as Washington’s Birthday, which became a federal holiday in 1879 to celebrate the February 22 birthday of the first United States president, George

Washington.

But over time the celebration evolved to include the February 12 birthday of the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, as well. Lincoln was never honoured with an official federal holiday, although many states celebrated a day in his honour.

In 1968, Congress passed a

law shifting the celebration of several federal holidays to predetermine Mondays in order to give people threeday weekends instead of a single day whenever that date happened to hit during the week.

Washington’s Birthday became the third Monday each February, and by a quirk

in the calendar, the holiday can never fall on Washington’s actual birthday.

The first president was also the first individual American to get a federal holiday celebrating his life. Martin Luther King Jr., who has been honoured with a January Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. holiday since 1986, was the Millions of workers and school children in the United States have the second. day off Monday for the annual Presidents’ Day holiday. PHOTO: AP

46

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016 PHOTOS: TOMMY ADEGBITE

25TH REMEMBRANCE ANNIVERSARY OF CHIEF AYOADE OJEWUNMI (a.k.a PEN ATALANTA)

The widow of Chief Ayoade Ojewunmi, Mopelola (left) with Senator Ayo Fasanmi, at the 25th remembrance anniversary of Chief Ojewunmi, held at the Fun-Field Park and Events, Osogbo, Osun State, on Monday.

From left, Mrs Dupe Ajayi Gbadebo, guest speaker, Ambassador (Dr) Yemi Farounbi and Chief (Mrs) Ojewunmi.

Children of the late Ojewunmi and the widow, from left, Dr Olukayode Ojewunmi, Mrs Titilayo Oyenusi-Ojewunmi, Bolajoke Ojewunmi, Mr Ayodeji Ojewunmi, Chief (Mrs) Mopelola Ojewunmi (widow), Dr (Mrs) Olubunmi ModupeOjewunmi and Mrs Olufunke Ibitoye.

From left, Chief (Mrs) Ojewunmi, Ambassador (Dr) Farounbi and Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa.

From left, Oyo State chairman of APC, Chief Akin Oke, Senator Fasanmi and Chief Sola Akinwunmi.

From left, Senator Fasanmi, Senator Akinfenwa, Chief Akinwunmi and Chief (Mrs) Omowunmi Akande.

The Elerin of Erin-Osun, Oba Yusuf Kolawole Omoloye (left) and the Olufon of Ifon-Osun, Oba Al-Maroof Adekunle Magbagbeola Olumoyero.

Prince Solagbade Araoye (left) with Dr Peter Babalola.

From left, Dr Olukayode Ojewunmi, Mrs Dupe Gbadebo and Ambassador (Dr)

From left, Dr Ojewunmi, Mrs Oyenusi, Chief (Mrs) Ojewunmi and Dr Modupe.

47

Tuesday, 16 February, 2016

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Obafemi awaits China visa to complete new deal NIGERIA striker, Obafemi Martins is waiting for an entry visa to China to complete his move to Chinese Super League club, Shanghai Shenhua.

A source close to the former Inter Milan player disclosed: “Martins is only

Edo Speaker launches football academy Banji Aluko - Benin City YOUNG boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 20 years in Esan Central district of Edo State now have the opportunity of honing their football skills as the speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Honourable Victor Edoror, has established a football academy for them.

The academy, which is to groom young footballers for the U-15, U-17 and U-20, is to open at Irrua in Esan Central Local Government Area of the state.

Trials and selection of players into the academy will be held at the school fields of Eguare Primary School and Annuciation Catholic College, both in Irrua.

Programme Director of the academy, Ferdinand Ojiemen, said the project was a development programme

by Edoror targeted at youth empowerment in the whole of Esanland.

Ojiemen expressed optimism that the academy known as Victor Tiger Edoror Football Academy would produce future football stars for the county as a whole in the near future.

Veteran coach, Godwin Izilein, is to serve as Technical Director of the academy, which is expected to start on March 5 in Irrua.

waiting for his visa to fly out to China.

“It’s a done deal and he is very excited about it.”

Senegal star, Demba Ba and Australia World Cup star, Tim Cahill feature for Shanghai Shenhua.

Both Major League Soccer (MLS) side, Seattle Sounders and Shanghai Shenhua have yet to announce the

transfer, but that will done this week.

Martins is one of Nigeria’s most travelled stars having

Quadri wins ITTF Top 16 in Sudan NIGERIA’S Aruna Quadri has emerged victorious in the men’s singles of the ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup which ended on Monday in Khartoum, Sudan.

The African number two seed defeated Africa’s number one Egyptian Omar Assar in the final 4-1.

Quadri had defeated another Egyptian El-Sayed Lashin in the semi-final before he conquered Assar, who dumped six-time and veteran Nigerian player, Se-

gun Toriola.

All the qualifiers will represent Africa at the 2016 ITTF World Cup ahead of the Rio Olympics which holds later this year in Brazil.

The Oyo State-born athlete enroute to his triumph defeated Togo’s Mawussi Agbetoglo, Algeria’s Aissa Belkaddi and Sudan’s Mohamed Nadir in the group stage, while he dumped Suraju Saka from Congo Brazzaville in the quarterfinal.

Chukwueze during the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Eaglets star Chukwueze jets off to Arsenal

N

IGERIA U-17 star, Samuel Chukwueze is upbeat about his future at English Premier League (EPL) club Arsenal.

The FIFA U-17 World Cup ‘Chile 2015’ adidas Bronze

Ball winner was expected to jet out to London aboard British Airways on Monday night to sort out his future at Arsenal.

The teenage forward was issued his British entry visa last week and he will

be accompanied on the trip by his mum, Mrs Chinyere Serah Chukwueze.

He will team up with his compatriot Kelechi Nwakali who earlier left for London a fortnight ago.

Both players will have to

wait until their 18th birthday to be handed professional contracts at Arsenal, but are expected to sign long-term deals with the club imminently.

“My trip to London is on Monday night,” Chuk-

Confederation Cup: Al Makura happy with Nasarawa Utd outing Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja NASARAWA State governor, Tanko Al Makura, on Sunday expressed satisfaction with the 2-1 win recorded by the state government owned side, Nasarawa United FC in its CAF Confederation Cup first round, first leg clash with AS Academie Generation Foot of Senegal.

The Solid Miners made a return on the continent last Sunday with a goal in each half by Tayo Fabiyi

played in England, Italy, Germany, Russia, Spain and most recently the United States of America.

and Seun Sogbeso in the game decided at the National Stadium, Abuja.

“They exhibited skills and professional football,” Al Makura said of the club’s outing.

“They have come a long way; only a few years ago, they were in the National League, today they are in the Premier League. They are not only in the Premier League, they are one of the best three in the country.

“What they have done and what they have been doing,

I am very, very sure they are going to bring success to this country,” he added.

The governor, however, assured of the state government’s readiness to support the club to achieve success also on the continent.

He added that his administration was trying to improve on the welfare of the players.

“We are trying to improve their conditions of service.

We are also trying to provide all they need in terms

of incentives.”

He further stated that the ongoing renovation of the

Lafia Township Stadium in the state capital would soon be completed.

Nasarawa Utd striker, Esosa Igbinoba.

wueze told AfricanFootball.com.

“I’m happy that everything is going well and I will do my best when I get there by the grace of God.” The lad had earlier hinted about the prospect of joining the English Premiership side: “Arsenal as you well know are a very good club and it will be good for my career since I will be able to learn many new things.

“I like Arsenal because they are a club who give young players the opportunity to showcase their talents and I believe I would be given the chance to play too.”

Chukwueze scored three goals at Chile 2015, where Nigeria won the global cadet championship for a record fifth time.

SIDELINES

NO 16,437

N150

TUESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY, 2016

I'm fighting against injustice

City can still win EPL title

—Platini

EMBATTLED suspended FIFA chief, Michel Platini, says he is fighting to ensure justice.

Platini stated this when he appeared at FIFA's headquarters on Monday to appeal against his eight-year ban from the sport over ethics violations.

"I am not fighting for my future, but against injustice," the former French star told journalists outside the Zurich headquarters of the world football's governing body.

FIFA judges last December banned Platini from all football activities for eight years over a 2 million Swiss franc payment ($2 million, 1.8 million euros) he received from FIFA's disgraced president Sepp Blatter in 2011.

At the initial hearing, FIFA's tribunal dismissed explanations from Platini's lawyers that the payment -- reportedly for consulting work done a decade earlier -- was part of a legitimate oral contract between the Frenchman and Blatter.

Platini boycotted that hearing, claiming judgement against him had been pre-determined, but he appeared on Monday, vowing that if the evidence against him had been credible, he would have stayed away.

"If I had anything to feel guilty about, I would be in Siberia, hiding in shame," the ex-Juventus great told journalists outside FIFA.

Today's Champions League fixtures Benfica vs PSG vs

Zenit Chelsea

A 'madman' nabbed in Lagos had in his possession 22 ATM cards of different banks and two mobile phones, with N700,000 worth transaction traced to him. Another self acclaimed 'mad man' was nabbed in Ondo State with 18 ATM cards and cash of various denominations. These are indeed Specialist Madmen.

—Iheanacho

By Ganiyu Salman

N

IGERIAN youngster, Kelechi Iheanacho remains confident that Manchester City can still claim the English Premier League title this season, despite the six-point lead by Leicester City.

His submission came on the heels of the 1-2 loss the Citizens suffered last Sunday at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium.

Iheanacho who scored his side's only goal in the 74th minute of the match, expressed disppointment at the defeat which extended the lead of Leicester City on the log.

“I think we tried very hard but unfortunately lost the game, and we are very disappointed. We will put that behind us and keep going.

“I thought the goal I scored would motivate my team towards getting another goal and win the game, but

Iheanacho

...As Henry berates goal celebration snub FORMER Arsenal star, Thierry Henry has questioned the unity within the Manchester City squad as he berated lack of celebration

after Kelechi Iheanacho's equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday at Etihad Stadium.

The Nigerian forward cancelled out Harry Kane's second-half penalty but Christian Eriksen scored a late winning goal for Spurs to earn

Emenike relives Turkey prison detention NEW West Ham signing, Emmanuel Emenike has relived his time in Turkish prison saying he was treated like a common criminal.

The former Nigerian international initially joined Turkish giants, Fenerbahce from fellow Turkish side Karabukspor, but was quickly sold on to Russian side Spartak Moscow within two months amid matchfixing allegations despite not playing a competitive

game.

The 2014 World Cup star was later cleared of those allegations and has spoken out about the troubled time he had in detention.

Emenike, while speaking to reporters said given the prison episode, he had no option but to leave Turkey so as to give his career a new lease of life.

“I was treated like a common criminal. I cried like a

unfortunately it didn’t happen and we lost the game.

“I’m pleased to score my third goal in the English Premier League but we are disappointed we lost.

“No one is happy because we gave enough for the people in front but I think if we work hard and concentrate on every game, I think we would close the gaps,” Iheanacho said on the club's website.

The 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner and Most Valuable Player (MVP), has been in a devastating form in recent times as he scored a hat-trick in his team's 4-0 win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup early this month.

The Manuel Pellegrini side which last won the EPL title in 2013/14 season, is fourth on the log with 47 points and has Liverpool as next opponent.

baby because it was strange to me.

“At a point, the trauma was so much for me to bear, so I had to go for counselling. After I was released it was difficult for me to concentrate. There was no way I could remain with Fenerbahce and be focused,” said the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner and Goal King of the tournament with four goals.

Emenike

the visitors a crucial three points.

"I know you have to go and get the ball back [to ensure a quick restart with the score level at 1-1 at the time] but no one went to celebrate with Iheanacho," Henry told Sky Sports.

"That's something that, I don't know… you scored a goal, go and celebrate with the guy. 'Let's go, get the ball back'. No one went to celebrate with him. He was in the corner there.

"I think Vincent Kompany went with him and someone else but that's it. Maybe I'm reading too much between the lines about that Man City team, but no one went to celebrate with him, that's a bit weird."

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. 16/2/2016.