20th July 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,549

WEDNESDAY, 20 JULY, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Remi Tinubu reports Melaye to APC, Saraki

•46 rights groups back Tinubu •Melaye apologises to Senate, says 'I have moved on' •Learn from Hilary Clinton, —P4 Kogi women advises Tinubu

Nigerian Tribune

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Corruption: My ministers being —P6 blackmailed, Buhari cries out

Rice importation scares govt, threatens naira—CBN gov •Foreign currency inflow dropped from $3.4bn per month to $400m •Request for school fees of children abroad stood at $2bn —P4 •Request for rice importation rose to $14bn •IMF predicts economy will shrink by 1.8% in 2016 —pg11 •Country will get out of economic recession —Senate

Why Rivers is hosting 2016 Editors' Conference —Wike

IGP orders reopening of Onitsha NBA chairman's 2002 murder case

—P8

—P32

Murdered Abuja preacher for burial on—P6 her birthday

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki (middle), receiving one of the 600 malnourished children from the Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, during his visit to the special malnutrition care unit established by Borno State government in Maiduguri, on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

Electricity tariff hike reversal: DISCOs threaten outright blackout —P11

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Rice importation scares govt, threatens naira —CBN Gov

•Nigeria will come out stronger —Senate •It will soon overcome economic challenges —Dogara TaiwoAdisa,AyodeleAdesanmi, Jacob Segun Olaunji and KOlawole Daniel -Abuja

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OVERNOR of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Godwin Emefiele, has said the nation’s economy is in bad shape.

He disclosed this to senators at a closed session on Tuesday.

Emefiele, while briefing the lawmakers at a closed session, said his leadership had tried all it could to defend the Naira and stabilise the economy.

Sources at the closed session told the Nigerian Tribune that the CBN governor declared that continuous barrages on the Naira by importers, especially those paying for school fees abroad and rice importers, was threatening the Naira, thus compelling the government to introduce control measures on the currency.

He said notwithstanding the stout defence of the currency by the CBN, huge demands for the dollar forced a change of decision which allowed designated banks to sell the currency.

He said the nation’s foreign currency inflow had dropped from $3.4 billion per month to $400 million, adding that requests for forex to import rice as well as to pay school fees abroad threatened the Naira the most.

He said at a point, request for school fees stood at $2 billion, while request for rice importation, which rose to $14 billion, scared the government.

He also said as a result of the huge demand for forex to import rice, the government decided to support local production of rice which President Muhammadu Buhari launched in Kebbi State recently.

Emefiele was, however, quoted as saying that Nigeria was lucky to have the current level of foreign reserves which could last six months of importation, adding that global practice is for countries to have foreign reserves that would last three months.

However, the leadership of the Senate, in a statement on Tuesday, said the economy was on its way to recovery, through the policies introduced by the CBN. After two hours of interaction with Emefiele, the Senate said it acknowledged the state of the economy and the difficult times being faced by Nigerians.

In a statement issued by the leadership of the Senate, after the closed door session with the CBN governor, it admitted that these were indeed difficult times in Nigeria and all over the world, going by information made available to them.

According to the statement, “following an exhaustive response by the CBN governor and his team, the Senate acknowledged that these are indeed difficult times all over the world and not just Nigeria.

“The Senate also acknowledged the pains that many Nigerians may be facing at this time, especially in the light of increase in price of electricity and fuels.”

The Senate raised issues concerning the banking system, the slippage in economic growth for the first quarter of 2016, the gradual rise in inflation, fall in foreign exchange reserves and policy coordination between the fiscal and monetary authorities.

It, however, expressed

strong conviction that going by policies already put in place by the CBN, the nation’s ailing economy would eventually come out of the woods.

Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, is to take her turn before the senators today.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari was doing everything possible to address the present economic challenges facing the country,saying that it would soon be history.

Dogara, who gave the assurance in Abuja, at the Chattered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) Abuja Tax

week on “the dilemma of improving tax revenue in tough economic times,” declared that the government was resolute and determined to bring succour to millions of Nigerians.

He noted that survey of the Economists on growth rate for the West African region was put at 5.4 per cent while that of Sub-Saharan Africa was 4.6 per cent.

He further stated that the consensus in the fact that diversification of the economy was no longer a politically expedient tool but an urgent economic renaissance, which must occur for Nigeria’s continued survival and sustenance.

According to Dogara, “midway into fiscal year 2016, the challenges of meeting

yearning expectations is still as daunting as ever but the government is as resolute as it remains dedicated to bringing succour to the plight of the average Nigerian.

“To do this, the government deliberately tinkered with the federal budget in order to ensure that it delivers a 70:30 recurrent to capital spending per total bud-

Nigeria’s oil, gas sector will continue to flourish —IBB Adelowo Oladipo -Minna FORMER military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has said Nigeria’s oil and gas industry will continue to flourish.

He stated this when he

Ogun lawmaker’s wife kidnapped, rescued OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta SUSPECTED kidnappers, on Tuesday morning, abducted Mrs Felicia Oyenuga, wife of a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Honourable Olufowobi Oyenuga, at Odoladelepo, in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.

The woman was, however, rescued unhurt, while no ransom was paid.

Nigerian Tribune recalled that there were rising cases of kidnapping in the state in recent times, the last of which was the abduction of the wife of the former deputy speaker of the assembly, Dr Tokunbo Oshin, Bola, who was released two weeks after

abduction.

Also, the mother of another lawmaker, a former deputy speaker, Honourable Remmy Hazzan, Mrs Racheal Hazzan, was also kidnapped at her country home in Omu, Odogbolu Local Government Area some months back.

It was the same scenario when the wife of a former member representing Ijebu East, Honourable Samson Onademuren, was also kidnapped by the hoodlums.

Mrs Oyenuga, it was gathered, was kidnapped shortly after her son dropped her at their farm at about 10.00 a.m.

The quick intervention of members of the vigilante from Ijebu-Ife and the police

led to the eventual arrest of the driver of the gang, identified as Ahmed Folorunso, at Ondo road area of Ijebu-Ode. According to the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Folorunso was said to have been arrested in the operational vehicle of the gang marked LAGOS EPE 663 AJ, while the other members went away with the victim.

Adejobi said “we got a report that a woman was kidnapped this morning at Ijebu Ife. We learnt that some members of the state vigilante service in the area gave the kidnappers a hot chase.

“Another police patrol team were detailed to join them in the pursuit. They caught up

get expenditure, in order to boost capital formation in the economy.”

He called on Nigerians to pay their taxes as patriotic and law abiding citizens, while he also asked wellmeaning Nigerians and foreign business owners to declare their incomes and pay their taxes to the Nigerian government.

with one of the members of the gang, Ahmed Folorunso, at Ijebu Ode, in their operational vehicle with number plate EPE 663 AJ. The suspect is already in our custody.”

Later in the evening after the woman had been rescued, Adejobi said another member of the gang was arrested by the police and their operational vehicle impounded.

She confirmed the released of the woman, adding that no ransom was paid.

Nigerian Tribune also learnt that the kidnappers had reached out to the lawmaker, who is representing Ijebu East state constituency in the assembly, and had reportedly demanded a ransom of N25 million.

paid host to the Niger State controller of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr Abdullahi Isah Jankara, who paid him a courtesy visit at his Hilltop mansion, in Minna.

According to IBB, “I appreciate the evolution of history of petroleum in the country.

I considered it very important during our tenure. We discussed a lot with my Minister of Petroleum Resources, Professor Jibrin Aminu and our vision for the sector is still working and will continue to flourish.”

He commended the efforts being put in place in oil and gas sector by the incument Federal Government and assured the DPR of maximum support and assistance.

Earlier in his remarks, Jankara lauded the machineries put in place by the former military administration of General Babangida.

He said as a visionary leader, he saw to the establishment of two deports in the state, as well as siting of DPR office.

Remi Tinubu reports Melaye to APC, Saraki •46 rights groups back Tinubu •Melaye apologises to Senate, says ‘I’ve moved on’ •Learn from Hilary Clinton, Kogi women advises Tinubu TaiwoAdisa,AyodeleAdesanmi, Olayinka Oladoyinbo, YejideGbenga-Ogundareand Christian Okeke SENATOR Remi Tinubu, lawmaker representing Lagos Central senatorial district and wife of national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Bola Tinubu, has written a petition to the chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun against the senator representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye.

Senator Tinubu also wrote a formal complaint of gross misconduct by Senator Melaye to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, alleging improper behaviour during the executive session of the Senate on July 12.

Remi Tinubu, in the letter dated July 18, 2016, stated that the letters were a formal complaint regarding the improper and harmful conduct of Senator Melaye towards

her during the Senate session, adding that it was nothing short of a threat of physical assault and abuse against her She described Melaye’s act as an affront to the Senate, the government and the party, adding that “for a party member to so antagonise and hector another APC member in this fashion places the party in disrepute and undermines the unity needed to accomplish the sober task of reforming Nigeria for the better.”

She explained that though the incident was no more news, she decided to lodge the complaint for record purposes and in the hope that the party would act to appropriately sanction Senator Melaye for his behaviour.

According to her, she was duly recognised to speak by the Senate President after Senator Melaye had spoken

and berated some colleagues over their perceived roles in the judicial case involving the Senate leadership, adding that although she remained silent and attempted no interjection during his statement, Senator Melaye tried to abridge her rights as a senator by hectoring at her and interrupting her contribution.

“I cautioned him about the use of his language and the threats made, reminding him that other senators were there by equal right as he and represented their constituents.

“In a burst of apparent rage, Senator Melaye charged at me in what can only be seen as effort to physically attack me. The attack was only prevented by some respectful senators who moved to impede his path or otherwise block him from approaching.

“Senator Melaye hurled foul

and vulgar language, what he said should never be heard in any public institution let alone the floor of the Senate.

Denigrating me as a woman, Senator Melaye threatened to beat me on the floor of the Senate simply because I dared to express an opinion different from his,” she said.

In her letter to the Senate President, Senator Tinubu noted that a week had passed since the indecorous eruption

by Senator Melaye and the Senate leadership had been silent and had not reacted to the threatening misconduct.

She formally submitted for the record that she objected to the reckless misconduct of Melaye, adding that what he did was completely unjustifiable and contrary to the established customs and norms that governed the behaviour of members.

Meanwhile, about 46 women rights groups, on Tuesday,

asked the APC and the Senate President, Dr Saraki, to wade into the recent altercation between Senators Melaye and Tinubu by compelling the former to retract his abusive statements against the latter and apologise for his alleged obnoxious conduct against his colleague.

This was even as the groups, under the aegis of Legislative Advocacy Coalition on Violence Against Women (LACVAW), would hold a rally today against Melaye, over what they described as his verbal assaults of unparalleled crudity.

Speaking in Abuja, the chairperson, Board of Trustees of LACVAW, Dr Charmaine Pereira, said for the Senate to remain silent about Melaye’s conduct on the basis that it took place during a closed-door session would not only be ethically Continues pg8

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My ministers being blackmailed, Buhari cries out Leon Usigbe - Abuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has raised the alarm over what he said was ongoing blackmail of officials of his government.

A Presidency statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in Abuja, on Tuesday, decried reports linking some of the ministers to corruption.

It particularly mentioned the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, whose activities as Group Managing Director (GMD) were being investigated.

The statement rejected

the assertion and appealed to Nigerians to ignore such reports.

The statement said Buhari “appealed to discerning Nigerians to ignore orchestrated attempts to sully the integrity of ministers and other senior government officials, who are being tarred with the brush of corruption without any concrete evidence.”

The statement said Buhari was reacting to reports, “particularly by online media, that the immediate past GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who is also Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Kachikwu, is being investigated over crude oil swap

deals and gas liftings during his tenure as GMD of the petroleum corporation.

President Buhari appealed for decent and civilised comments, particularly

when it has to do with the integrity of those who are serving the country.”

It added: “Terrible and unfounded comments about other people’s integ-

rity are not good. We are not going to spare anybody who soils his hands, but people should please wait till such individuals are indicted.”

Buhari reiterated the ad-

ministration’s commitment to probity, accountability and integrity, promising that transparency remained a watchword, which would never be trifled with.

Murdered Abuja preacher for burial on birthday Collins Nnebufe- Abuja THE Abuja preacher, Eunice Olawale, who was murdered over a week ago, while evangelising, will be buried on July 23, her family has said.

Mrs Olawale, 42, was murdered in the early hours of Saturday, July 9, in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja.

Her sister, Bola Fatuashi, said the burial activities would commence with a wake keep at 5.00 p.m. on Friday, July 22, at the New Life Assembly Parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Kubwa.

She said lying-in-state would begin at 8.00 a.m. on Saturday also in Kubwa.

She also said the burial day of Eunice Olawale coincided with her birthday celebration.

Mrs Olawale is survived by aged parents, six siblings, husband and seven children.

Mrs Fatuashi had said that due to their aged father’s state of health, they could relay the news to him.

“We have not told my fa-

ther, but my mother already knows. My mother is stronger than my aged father. We will all meet at the village, after everything, then find a way to relay the news to him, in such manner that will prevent another tragedy,” she said.

State of the hostel of the Federal Government Boys College, Garki, Abuja. PHOTO: NAN.

Rowdy session in Benue assembly Johnson Babajide - Makurdi FEAR of impeachment of Speaker of Benue State assembly, Honourable Terkembir Ikyangir, on Tuesday turned the House into rowdy session, leading to adjournment till Thursday.

Consequently, a group, named ‘Consensus for Change’, has asked the Speaker to resign from office as the only panacea to peace to reign in the House.

It will be recalled that the House had been enmeshed in corruption which has stalled legislative activities in the past

three years, just as majority of the members had been guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged misappropriation and diversion of N750 million meant for purchase of cars.

Earlier, the Nigerian Tribune learnt that the crisis started when a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member from Logo State constituency, Honourable Kester Kyenger, raised an order of public importance which was jettisoned by the Speaker, while other members insisted that Kyenger should be allowed to raise the order.

It was gathered that

the APC members, who thought that Kyenger was raising an order to pass vote of no confidence on the Speaker became violent, which divided the House along party lines.

The Speaker had to suspend the sitting for 30 minutes and when it reconvened, it later adjourned till Thursday, to calm the frayed nerves.

Leader of the Consensus for Change, Honourable Kyenger, who addressed newsmen after the House adjourned, said members had passed vote of no confidence on the Speaker and asked him to resign immediately.

Giving reasons for the

call, Kyenger said there were gray areas that needed to be addressed by the Speaker, which included reasons workers in the state were yet to be paid, despite the bailouts given to the state, to explain the controversial N750 million meant for the purchase of the vehicles to members and why members were shortchanged in the car purchase.

Others included that the Speaker should with immediate effect clear the air on the reported N500 million found in his account and what happened to the N86 million meant for the purchase of biometric machines which were yet to

Rerun: INEC to deploy 5,603 personnel in Imo, Kogi elections Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will deploy 5,603 personnel for the conduct of outstanding rerun in Imo and Kogi states holding this Saturday.

This was contained in the daily bulletin of the commission which was made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Tuesday.

According to the bulletin, “for the Imo rerun, the commission will deploy

4,105 personnel to conduct elections into one Senatorial District of Imo North and three State Constituencies of Isiala Mbano, Oru East and Owerri West with a total of 390,311 registered voters in eight local government areas, 64 Registration Areas and 817 polling units.”

It stated that a breakdown of personnel to be deployed indicated that INEC “will deploy one Returning Officer for the Senatorial District election; three Returning Offi-

cers for the State Constituency elections; eight Local Government Area Collation Officers; 78 Registration Area (RA) Collation Officers; 82 Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs); 817 Presiding Officers; 2,742 Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs).

The others are “175 Assistant Presiding Officers (VP); 146 Reserve APOs; 9 LGA Supervisors (plus one reserve); 40 RA Cluster Supervisors and four Constituency Supervisors (1SD; 3SC).”

According to it, “the Kogi State rerun will be conducted to fill vacancies into one Senatorial District of Kogi East and two state constituencies of Ofu and Idah, across eight local government areas with a total of 140,297 registered voters in forty five Registration Areas (RAs) and 236 polling units.”

The breakdown of personnel to man the elections are as follows: “One Returning Officer for the Senatorial District elec-

tion; two Returning Officers for the state constituency elections; eight local government area Collation Officers; 45 Registration Area Collation Officers; (RA) 45 Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs); 236 Presiding Officers; 915Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs); 135 Assistant Presiding Officers (VP); 53 Reserve APOs; 9 LGA Supervisors (plus 1 reserve); 46 RA Supervisors (plus one reserve) and three Constituency Supervisors (1SD; 3SC).

be seen.

Kyenger explained that there was nothing to suggest that the members planned to impeach the Speaker, “but what we demand is transparency in the activities of the House,” adding that it was unfortunate that the Speaker had refused to be transparent in his financial dealings in the House.

The chairman, House Committee on Information, Honourble Bem Mgutyoh, who spoke to newsmen after the House adjourned, said the PDP member who raised motion on order did not follow the House rules as contained in Order 8:4, which he said prompted the Speaker to ask him to sit.

Mgutyoh noted that before the House convened on Tuesday, security report hinted the House leadership that the PDP members were out to disrupt Tuesday meeting, acknowledging the fact that the House had a problem at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but stated that the aggrieved members ought to have waited until the issue was sorted out before the House comes out of ways to resolve their internal problems.

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Nigerian Tribune

Lagosmetro

olanreade@yahoo.com

2 kids burnt to death in Ipaja fire

Govt working hard to rescue Iba monarch, others

Opeyemi Owoaseye

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WO siblings have been killed in a fire incident which was suspected to have been caused by a candle in Ipaja area, on Tuesday.

The victims, five-year-old Rokibat, and three-year-old Amirat, were burnt to death at their parents’ house in Ifelodun Close, Ajasa Command.

It was learnt that their mother, during the fire outbreak, hurriedly took two of their siblings to safety and had returned too late as the gate was already jammed Lagos Metro was told that the Lagos State Fire Service received the alert late and had difficultly in locating the area, as the sympathisers had put out the fire before the Fire Service officers arrived.

The corpses were said to have been taken away by their relatives.

One of the tenants said that the fire started at about 12:00 a.m. “I don’t really know how it happened, but at 12:00 a.m., my wife raised the alarm while I was asleep, that our neighbour’s apartment was on fire. By the time we got there, we discovered that

it had taken over the whole room.

“We later heard that one of the children screamed and told his mother and three siblings that there was fire outbreak. That was how the mother took him and the last born to safety. As at the time she came back to rescue the other two girls who were still asleep, she discovered that the door could no longer open. The sympathisers had to pull her back when they saw that the fire was much.

At this time, the two girls were already burnt to death,” he said.

A resident said that some hoodlums took advantage of the incident to loot people’s valuables, stating that three of his phones were stolen.

Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, confirmed the fire accident.

He said the agency was not able to locate the place on time and the residents were, as a result, angry and became aggressive towards the fire fighters.

“A bungalow building with three bedroom and two bedroom flats were affected by the fire. The problem was that we were not reached on

Container-laden truck kills one in Sango–Ota THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Ota Unit Command, Ogun, on Tuesday confirmed the death of a truck driver in an auto accident at the Lagos-Ogun border toll-gate.

The unit commander, Mr Leye Adegboyega, who confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the accident occurred around 12 midnight.

Adegboyega, who blamed the accident on the deplorable state of the roads, said the truck with registration number XN 233 LSD was fully loaded.

According to him, the truck was heading to Lagos from Sango-Ota when it ran into a pothole at the toll-gate and lost control.

“Unfortunately, the driver’s legs slipped-off while trying to escape, but the container fell on him,’’ he said, adding that the motor boy, however, escaped unhurt.

Adegboyega said that it took the intervention of the

Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and police to remove the remains of the driver from under the container.

He added that the corpse of the victim had been deposited at the State Hospital, Ota.

time. When we investigated, we discovered that there has not been light in the area for

some days. Residents said that the fire was caused by a candle that was lit which

A 55-year-old man, Ebere Akpu has been stabbed to death by his nephew on Sunday.

Both the deceased and the killer, Monday Eze were said to be members of the same family and they hail from Ebonyi State.

Eze before the incident was an apprentice at a laundry shop owned by a man named Gozle John. Lagos Metro gathered that an argument ensued between the deceased and Eze around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, and that while Akpu went to sleep; Eze allegedly stabbed him to death, with a

Lanre Adewole 0811 695 4647

–Ambode

Abductors yet to establish contacts with family –Son Bola Badmus

Scene of the fire accident.

Hoodlums attack school during valedictory service •7 suspects arrested –Police •It was minor incident –Proprietor Opeyemi Owoaseye SOME hoodlums, struck and attacked a school in Orile Agege area and allegedly destroyed the school’s valuables and beat up the principal and one of the staff during the school’s valedictory service day on Saturday.

A source told Lagos Metro that the attackers were prepared to cause trouble. “It happened that the school held its valedictory service on Saturday. After the party ended around 5:00 p.m., some of the hoodlums refused to leave. They became angry because the Disc Jockey (DJ) stopped the music.

Another witness said that

the guys then took to breaking the chairs in the school.

“We discovered that some of them ran outside and were making calls, after sometimes, we saw so many of them numbering up to 50 with different weapons, knives, cutlasses, sticks and they wore different kinds of ‘fetish’ rings on their fingers.

“Not too long again, they returned, they were about 100 this time. A staff called the police who came to the scene to save the situation.”

Another witness stated that the attackers were not moved by the presence of the police. “They refused to run, even after sighting the police. In fact, some of them knelt down while oth-

Laundry apprentice stabs uncle to death while asleep Opeyemi Owoaseye

I think the woman did not remember to put off,” he added.

Edited By

knife.

A neighbour told Lagos Metro that, “when Akpu arrived around 9:00 p.m., I called and warned him against joining them in their baseless argument since he was religious as if I knew he was going to die.

“The deceased does not live or work there, he only comes to visit his nephew once in a while.” Another neighbour who spoke under condition of anonymity said that they tried to rescue him but it failed. “The deceased did not die immediately; he struggled and was heard crying in agony and shouting ‘Oga Monday!’. He crawled

to the toilet area before he collapsed.

“A tricycle driver took him to a private hospital where he was rejected and later died.

The suspect has been taken to Elere Police Station.

His family have resolved that the case will be between him and the government.

The police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmus confirmed the case. She said, “The victim died on the way to the hospital. The corpse had been deposited at Mainland Hospital Yaba, the suspect had been arrested and the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.”

ers prostrated and begged the police to shoot them directly and not shoot into the air. They said that they preferred direct bullet than stray bullet. It took the intervention of a community leader who live within that area to calm them down.

“The police arrested seven of them who were said to have started the whole problem.”

The proprietor of the school, Chief Otubela, however denied the incident, saying that it was only a minor disagreement among pupils of the school.

“It was all about some teenagers who had a little disagreement among themselves on where to park their cars. Although, the police, who were on duty at the school gate intervened, no school property was damaged and our valedictory service was peaceful.”

The Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus, confirmed the attack, adding that seven suspects had been arrested.

“Some hoodlums entered the school’s premises and got some valuables destroyed. They allegedly made away with a sum of N1.5 million. When our operatives from the Elere division were contacted, they moved in immediately and arrested seven of the suspects. The suspects had been handed over to the Area G headquarters for further investigation,” she said.

LAGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has assured residents that efforts are being put in place to make kidnapping a thing of the past in the state.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, who briefed journalists at the end of the meeting, said government and all security agencies in the state were bothered about the emerging crime of kidnapping, assuring that efforts were on to rescue all those kidnapped recently in the state, including the Oniba of Ibaland, Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni.

“What we want to assure the people is that we are putting efforts together to ensure that not just the monarch is rescued, but other victims are rescued and we bring those criminals to justice,” Owoseni said.

Meanwhile, as anxiety mounts in Iba, headquarters of Iba Local Council Development Authority, findings have revealed that abductors of the traditional ruler of the town. Oseni are yet to establish contacts with the family.

It would be recalled that suspected gunmen last Saturday evening stormed the Iba Community at about 8:00 p.m. and abducted Oba Oseni from his palace.

One of the children of the abducted Oba, who spoke anonymously on phone with newsmen on Tuesday, lamented the development, saying that the monarch’s immediate and extended families are apprehensive and worried about the situation, as well as the health of their father as the abductors were yet to establish any contact with the family.

“We are not just worried, but greatly worried that 72 hours after, the abductors have not established contacts with us. We are appealing to them not to hurt him but they should allow him, return home safely.

“We are also praying and fervently wishing that he will return home safely,” he further added.

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Why Rivers is hosting 2016 Editors’ Conference —Wike

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LL is now set for the 12th edition of the All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC), holding from August 3 to August 7 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The conference will have as theme: “Economic Diversification: Agriculture as Option for a Prosperous Nigeria.”

No fewer than 300 Nigerian editors, a collection of

mainstream farmers, agribusiness financiers, policymakers and captains of industry are expected to grace the event.

The host governor, Nyesom Wike, said the conference would afford the state the opportunity to showcase its investment potentials.

In a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic

Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, the governor noted that the conference would be a fitting platform to partner with editors and the media to consolidate development in both the state and the nation at large.

Wike noted that the state was hosting several national and international events as a demonstration of the fact that Rivers was an investors’

destination, stressing that the state was peaceful and the people hospitable.

“Hosting this year’s conference will also make the editors witness first-hand the development projects and programmes of my administration which has improved the living standard of the people,” the governor said.

The All Nigeria Editors’

2 Nigerians named among 10 wanted fraudsters in UK TWO Nigerians are among 10 wanted fraudsters in the United Kingdom (UK), according to a list published on Tuesday by City of London Police and the National Crime Agency.

The 10 wanted fraudsters were linked to over £20 million worth of fraudulent acts

in the UK and abroad.

Forty-one-year-old Bayo Lawrence Anoworin is wanted by Lincolnshire Police in connection with fraud offences and money laundering.

Anoworin was alleged to have been part of an organised crime group that defrauded a number of NHS

Trusts in the UK and Guernsey.

The scam reportedly earned them a total of £12 million and they laundered the money between January 1, 2011 and July 31, 2012. Anoworin was arrested in November 2012, but he disappeared into thin air after being granted

Fish out killers of Plateau monarch, Reps order IGP JacobSegunOlatunji,Isaac ShobayoandKolawoleDaniel, with Agency Report THE House of Representatives has directed the acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to fish out an prosecute the killers of Saf Ron Kulere, Lazarus Agaie, the first class traditional ruler of Bokkos in Plateau State.

The House also directed all security agencies in the country to deploy personnel in the area, with a view to forestalling any breakdown of law and order.

The resolution was sequel to a motion by Honourable Solomon Maren and when it was put to vote by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, it was unanimously supported.

Meanwhile, as security agencies intensify the search for the killers of the monarch, more condemnations have trailed the shocking incident.

This was as the state governor, Simon Lalong, condemned the assasination in strong terms.

Senator Jeremiah Useni, who represented Plateau South senatorial district, described the incident as “terrible and wicked,” adding that “it is a shocking development; I have just been told and do not know the details, but I find this incident particularly painful because the man was

a very peaceful ruler.”

Honourable Solomon Maren representing Bokkos/ Mangu, regretted that the monarch was killed by those he had spent much time struggling to protect.

Governor Lalong, in a statement by his Director of Press Affairs, Emmanuel Nanle, said security agencies had swung into action to unravel the identity of perpetrators of the dastardly act.

110 million people have no business being poor in Nigeria —NEITI boss EXECUTIVE Secretary, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr Waziri Adio, has said that there is no reason for Nigeria to have 110 million people living in poverty.

“With the kind of money

Nigeria made from oil in the past decades, there is no reason it should have 110 million poor people,” Adio said during a visit to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The NEITI boss said the visit was aimed at renewing

Remi Tinubu reports Melaye to APC, Saraki Continued from pg4

inadequate, but would also indicate complicity with the prevailing impunity against gender-based violence and discrimination.

Describing the verbal assault as an embarrassment, she said Melaye’s confrontation with Tinubu represented yet another occasion when the democratic values that ought to underpin women’s legitimate right to hold public office were undermined.

According to her, Melaye’s abusive language and threats constituted offences under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015.

Meanwhile, Melaye, in an exclusive reaction to the Nigerian Tribune, said he had moved on after the incident.

In a text message response, he said “great men don’t dwell on issues. They act and move on. I have moved on, quote me.”

Melaye also apologised to

bail.

Alexia Thomas, a 43-yearold female, allegedly “supplied false immigration documents to people wanting to become British citizens.”

According to the publication, Thomas, who operated online, claimed to be a professor and sold documents for around £300 each.

Her false identities include Elizabeth or Lizzy with the surnames Henz, IkuweHenz, Iheyen, Ikue-Henz, Ihenyue, Ikwue, Herz and Ihenyen.

Thomas has also used the following names: Professor Thomas, Professor Summers, Martha Peterson and Alexia Bridget.

Donald Toon, director of the NCA’s economic crime command, said the UK loses “more than £190 billion annually” from fraud.

the Senate at the closed session held by the lawmakers at the start of Tuesday’s sitting.

Sources at the session told the Nigerian Tribune that the Kogi lawmaker was asked to apologise to the Senate for divulging what transpired at the closed session during an interview.

Senators at the closed session were said to have expressed outrage at Melaye’s conduct, which they said was capable of bringing the Senate into disrepute.

The Kogi senator then rose to apologise to the Senate for his attitude.

“The Senate was unhappy at the outburst of the senator, especially at the press briefing which he addressed on the issue between him and Senator Tinubu. He was promptly asked to apologise to the Senate and he did.

“He rose to say he was apologising to the Senate for his conduct,” the source said.

In another development,

women from Kogi West senatorial district of Kogi State, on Tuesday, expressed disappointment over the outrage of Senator Tinubu.

The women, who spoke with newsmen in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, urged Tinubu to learn from the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton, Dora Akunyili and other noble women around the world.

Speaking on behalf of the women, Funmilayo Olumodeji said they were disappointed with the manner Senator Tinubu carried herself in the Senate, saying she had failed to represent the women folk in the country.

Olumodeji also condemned the women that protested in Lagos over the issue, asking where the women were when an innocent woman preacher was killed in Kubwa.

The women asked external forces to stay off the legislators and allow them to perform their duties.

collaboration between the two organisations to end corruption, impunity and mismanagement in the country’s oil, gas and mining revenues Adio said for years, Nigeria enjoyed being an oil producing nation and reaped trillions of dollars in oil wealth, yet did not reach all levels in the society due to mismanagement and corrupt practices.

“For too long, our country is used as a symbol for anything that is wrong in terms of countries that are endowed with resources. We want that narrative to change.

“If you recall, countries like Ghana, Kenya and others have also discovered oil and the first thing they do is to say how do we ensure that this resources will not lead us to the situation where Nigeria has been, a situation where natural resources lead to corruption, mismanagement and acute poverty.

“The vice-president recently said that about 110 million Nigerians are poor. With the kind of trillions that we have made from oil, we have no reason to be there.

“We have no reason to have even 10 million Nigerians poor. So we want to change the narrative of Nigeria from the Norways of this world to the UAEs and the Botswana of this world,” he said.

Conference is the largest gathering of Nigerian editors.

It is a watering hole of ideas that have shaped government policies and programmes over the years.

The maiden edition was held in 2004 at Ada, in Osun State. Subsequent editions have been held in different parts of the country.

The conference also attracts both local and foreign speakers as well as editors from organisations such as the West African Editors Forum (WAEF), the African Editors Forum (TAEF), the World Editors Forum (WEF) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

At this year’s edition, founder of HoneySuckle PTL Ventures, Mosunmola Cynthia Umoru, would speak on “Agriculture as Panacea for Un-

employment,” while Mr Kola Adeniji of Niji Farms would talk on “Agriculture as a Foreign Exchange Earner.”

The Chief Executive of Bank of Agriculture, Professor Danbala Danju, would be explaining the “Role of Banks in Agriculture Financing,” while Kano-based farmer, Muhammad Abubakar, the Managing Director of L&Z Integrated Farms, would experientially explore the topic: “Making the Most of Agriculture Value Chain.”

The acting president of the Guild, Funke Egbemode, said “the sole emphasis on agriculture for this year’s conference was in response to the falling price of crude oil at the international market, which has automatically reduced government’s earnings and revenue base.”

Why I visited APC secretariat —Atiku Kolawole Daniel -Abuja FORMER vice-president and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday, explained that the purpose of his visit to the national secretariat of the APC on Monday.

The Turaki Adamawa, through a press statement by his media office in Abuja, noted that his visit to the party secretariat was not a response to summon by the leadership of the party as widely reported.

According to the statement, Atiku said: “my visit to the

national secretariat of our great party was to rub minds with the party hierarchy and it was of a routine kind as a chieftain of the party.

“I was neither summoned nor queried by the party on any issue as being speculated.

Rather, my visit was at my own behest.

“As a party chieftain, I owe it a duty to my party to appraise challenges within the structures of the party and also proffer suggestions on how to manage those challenges “I urge you all to discountenance any malicious insinuations about my visit to the party secretariat.”

9

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune Wednesday, 20 July, 2016 10 businessnews Inflation: Economy already in recession —Analysts ‘NNPC to set

•Counsel CBN on interest Chima Nwokoji-Lagos

F

OLLOWING the 16.5 per cent rise in inflation, policy analysts have advised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to tighten (raise benchmark interest rate) Monetary Policy rate further, as this could stifle growth and increase unemployment in the economy said to be in recession.

The July inflation according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), rose to highest price level in Nigeria since October 2005, (11years) when it was 18.6 per cent.

The CBN only recently reported that economic activities declined faster in June, confirming that the nation’s economy formally entered into recession in the second quarter of the year.

Ahead of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting scheduled for next week, Olakunle Ezun, an analyst at Ecobank Transnational said it would not be appropriate for the MPC to tighten monetary policy as the country is already in recession and an increase in benchmark rate would further choke the economy.

He wants the fiscal authority to seek out ways to take the economy out of recession by taking proactive measures.

His words: “I don’t think it will be appropriate for the MPC to react with a hike in rates, based on the level of the inflation rate.

Taking a second look at the items that are driving the rise in inflation, they are basically not monetary issues. It depends on how much the fiscal authority can respond to the imbalances that we have today in the economy.

“If technically the economy is in recession, it is not by hiking rates that the economy that it will be taken out of recession. I think there is a limit to how much increase they can do to address inflation. The focus should be on what the government is doing to help the economy through employment creation and

others. Going forward we may start seeing a drop in inflation rate because of all these items.”

Analysts at Cowry Assets Limited said the inflationary pressure will remain for the remaining part of the year, as long as Nigeria’s foreign exchange mechanism and export earnings remain challenged.

For the fact that the equity and other market are expected to be negatively impacted by higher interest rates, Cowry Assets managers in their note to investors wants the interest rate to remain at the level it is if not reduced further.

“The equity market is expected to be negatively

From left: Head of Customer Care, Himanshu Joshi; Business Manager, Ibadan, Richard Ajayi; Chief Executive Officer, David Venn; Head Technical, Vikas Tyangi; Head Marketing,Mike Ogor; Head Sales, Pankey Manan and Marketing Manager, Samson Akejelu, at the launch of Spectranet, held at Kakanfo Inn, Joyce B, Ibadan.

PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE.

Naira heads South to N294.57/$ at interbank market Chima Nwokoji-Lagos AT the interbank foreign exchange (forex) market, the naira eased by 0.83 per cent, trading at N294.57 to a dollar from Monday’s close of N292.15 to the greenback.

Also, the local currency at the official window exchanged for N387.3672 to the Pound Sterling and N 322.8936 to the Euro on Monday, it weakened at the parallel market

against the Pound Sterling, but maintained same value with the Euro as it exchanged for N475 and N400 respectively, from N470 and N400 it traded on Friday.

Nigeria’s currency has remained at N365/$1 at the parallel market Tuesday, July 19, as it was on Monday, July 18.

Currency traders said this leaves Naira’s black market value unchanged since it

narrowly dropped 2 point from N363 to trade at N365 by midday on Tuesday.

While some of the traders in Lagos blamed the poor performance of the local unit on scarcity of the greenback, adding that the demand for dollar far outstripped its supply, some currency analysts attributed it to the decision by authorised dealers to restore the 50 kobo offer spread on the currency in the forex

How petroleum ministry truncated PIB —BPE boss Sanya Adejkun-Abuja

ACTING Director- General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Dr. Vincent Onome Akpotaire has explained how the Ministry of Petroleum Resources truncated the first passage of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) first prepared by the bureau, lamenting that since then, it has become difficult to put a new one in place.

Akpotaire who spoke while delivering a paper on Petroleum Industry Reform in Nigeria: Reinventing the Wheel by Innovation which he presented at the National Stakeholder’ Workshop on the Petroleum Industry Reform in Abuja on Monday, said the

impacted by higher interest rates. Hence, a reduction in consumer confidence will be an indicator of future decline in output.

We expect fixed income investments to remain attractive as investors are compensated with higher yields, subject to favourable exchange rate regime,” the analysts said.

way forward is to revert to the PIB version of produced by BPE, which was already in its second reading stage before the Ministry truncated it over 10 years ago.

It was at that point of public hearing that the Ministry made additional legal and regulatory provisions for a third regulatorthe mid-stream petroleum sector regulator as well as other ancillary provisions that were claimed to have been omitted in the FEC’s approved draft Bill.

“This consequently led to the redrafting of other versions the PIB which he noted, conflict with the NCP’s reform mandate and the globally accepted framework in the sector”,

he disclosed.

He enumerated the various faults inherent in the 2009, 2012 and 2015 versions, which made them unrealizable.

He narrated that the 2009 version of the PIB seeks among others; to promote transparency and openness in the administration of the petroleum sector in Nigeria, separate the commercial institutions in the sector from the regulatory and policy making institutions deregulate petroleum product prices, increase domestic supply and put in place a fiscal framework for increased revenue.

Similarly, he said that the 2015 version of the PIB which is privately sponsored is outlined in only

two parts, not properly structured into parts, creates an Asset Management Company, creates a Frontier Exploration Services, does not state who carries out the implementation of the reforms in the Oil and Gas Sector; and also does not state who manages the funds on behalf of the Petroleum Host Communities Fund (PHCF).

Akpotaire recommended that since the 2009 PIB approved by FEC had no controversial provisions, having had the benefit of review by stakeholders, it should be represented with necessary adjustments to reflect the current realities in the sector to the National Assembly for enactment.

market.

Diana Egeolu, Head, Foreign Exchange Trading at Sterling Bank, speaking on the directive by the Financial Market Dealers Association (FMDA) that its members should restore the 50 kobo spread on offers, explained that the move entails that “you can buy at any price, but when you are selling to your client, the spread should not be more than 50 kobo.”

Shedding more light in a TV program monitored in Lagos, she said what necessitated the decision was the anticipated funding of the one-month forward contracts of $698 million by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The first tranche of the N280/$1 30-currency forward contract is expected to mature this Friday, and will be funded by the CBN. Egeolu added that it is expected that the naira does not fall below N300 to a dollar before the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting next week.

However, dealers said the three-month nondeliverable forward contracts jumped 4.1 per cent to a record N329 a dollar, while contracts maturing in a year rose 3.3 per cent to N363, the highest level on a closing basis.

up energy renewal plant in Benue’

THE Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said plans are underway to set up an energy renewable plant that will use agro products to generate energy.

Its Group General Manager in charge of Renewable Energy Division, Rabiu Suleiman, said this on Tuesday in Makurdi during a courtesy call on Governor Samuel Ortom, at the Government House.

Suleiman said the project, which would cost about $300 million, would be financed through joint partnership with foreign partners.

He said the corporation had already secured technical partners that were ready to support the project.

Rabiu said the decision to diversify energy generation from existing sources to agricultural products was conceived by the Federal Government in 2005 but had been in the pipeline.

Nigeria’s NAHCO Aviance wins global risk award in London Shola Adekola-Lagos

THE Nigerian Aviation Handling Company PLC (nahco Aviance) has beaten four international companies in far away London to win the 2016 Global Risk Award.

The awards, which covered 13 categories in 40 countries is one of the most coveted risk management awards in the world.

According to the organisers, it was at this event, where global players were in attendance that “nahco Aviance demonstrated its resilience spirit by coming tops in probably the most competitive category, ‘Excellence in the Face of Adversity.”

The category had as shortlists, world-renowned ArcelorMittal (UK), Leicester City Council (UK), Nigerian Aviation Handling Company PLC (nahco aviance) (Nigeria), Roy Hill Holdings Pty Ltd (Australia) and Council Services & Chancellery, University of Newcastle (Australia). At the end of it all, NAHCO emerged winner.

11

businessnews

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

IMF predicts Nigeria’s economy will contract by 1.8% in 2016 Sanya Adejkun-Abuja

N

IGERIA’S economy, the biggest in Africa, is likely to contract by 1.8 percent this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday, as the country grapples with the impact of low oil prices.

The sharp fall in global prices since 2014 has led to a prolonged economic crisis since the crude sales make up around 70 percent of government revenue.

The IMF’s projection for this year, contained in its World Economic Outlook update, is down from the 2.3 percent growth it foresaw in its April forecast. It now forecasts 1.1 percent growth for 2017, down from 3.5 percent in the April forecast.

Gross domestic product contracted by 0.36 percent in the first quarter of the year and the central bank’s governor has said a recession appears to be imminent.

“In Nigeria, economic activity is now projected to contract in 2016, as the economy adjusts to foreign currency shortages as a result of lower oil receipts, low power generation, and weak investor confidence,” the IMF said.

Central bank currency restrictions imposed last year in an attempt to protect dwindling foreign reserves prompted investors to flee and led to dollar shortages, pushing down the naira currency’s value on the country’s burgeoning black market.

The peg on the value of the naira, which had been in place for 16 months, was

removed in June but liquidity remains thin.

Militant attacks on oil and gas facilities in the southern Niger Delta en-

ergy hub have cut oil production, pushing what was Africa’s largest oil producer behind Angola and threatening the coun-

THE Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded goods worth N702, 060,650.00 between January to June 2016, apprehending 126 suspects in connection with the seizures during the same period. This is even as the unit recorded 494 different remarkable seizures with a payable duty of N186,252,540.00 only and a total DPV of N888,313,190.00 only.

A breakdown of the seizures revealed a total of 22,763 bags of 50kg parboiled rice valued at N113,940,000.00 only with a payable duty of N34,182,000.00 only and a DPV N148,122,000.00 only.

Also intercepted were 29,684 cartons valued at N133,578,000.00 only, with a payable duty of N26,715,600.00 only and

only 55 percent of what the government had targeted. He said the attacks on oil facilities were largely to blame.

Electricity hike reversal: Nigerians risk outright blackout —Discos Adetola Bademosi-Abuja

From right: Group CFO, Jagal, Richard Turner; Director of Operations, Rack Centre, Ezekiel Egboye; the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright; the Trade Development Manager, UK Trade & Investment, Rukayat Lawal, and Business Development Director, Rack Centre, Frederick Udoaka, during the High Commissioner’s visit to the centre.

FCMB receives $2m innovation grant from EFI-nA Chima Nwokoji-lagos

ENHANCING Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA), has disclosed that it released $2 million (N564, 000,000) Innovation Grant to support First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited with its “Group Lending and Agency Banking” project.

Chief Executive Officer EFInA, Chidinma Lawanson, said: “the FCMB

group lending project seeks to drive financial inclusion by targeting lowincome women and micro business owners directly through digital financial services and agent banking. The project is estimated to impact over 200,000 customers by providing them with a minimum loan of N30, 000 per beneficiary, including a compulsory savings element of the loan which will deepen the sav-

Customs impounds N702m goods in 2016 H1 Tola Adenubi-lagos

try’s main revenue source.

Last week the budget minister told lawmakers that the country’s first quarter revenues reached

Nigerian Tribune

a DPV of N160,293,600.00 only. 50 vehicles comprising of 38 units of assorted vehicles and 12 cut buses valued at N68,000,000.00 only, with a payable duty of N23,800,000.00 only, and a DPV of N91,800,000.00 only.

3,174 jerry cans, 286 cartons, 120 PCS of 10 liters and 1,250 empty jerry cans were also intercepted, valued at N21,196,000.00 only with a payable duty of N7,359,950.00 only with a DPV of N28,555,950.00 only.

Assorted general merchandise including new and used textile materials, new and used shoes, vegetable oil, insecticide, wine, various types of spaghetti and noodles, soaps and detergents valued at N365,346,650.00 only with a payable duty of N94,194,990.00 only with a DPV of N459,541,640.00

only.

Similarly, the Controller confirmed that over N312,870,295.00 only, was recovered through the various interventions during the same period.

ings culture among the financially excluded population.”

EFInA’s innovation grant will enable FCMB to extend facilities to prospective customers in twelve states: Bauchi, Kaduna, Sokoto, Niger, Kwara, Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, AkwaIbom, Rivers, Cross River and the Abia States.

This is even as the has said that holders of its MasterCard, Visa and Verve Cards are in for better value, seamless service and excellent experience following the full implementation of its recently commissioned technology solution, otherwise named, Finacle 10.

FCMB said holidaymakers will now have access

to over 850 airport lounges around the world with their priority pass card (available only to MasterCard holders) since the cards are acceptable all over the world.

Compared to commonly issued cards, FCMB MasterCard, Visa and Verve cards (Verve is for local transactions only) are configured in variants that suit different lifestyles, usable by all segments of the society and are quite easy and simple to activate.

This lender, with a robust product suite for businesses and individuals alongside its award winning service culture is said to be leveraging diverse capabilities by investing extensively in channels to reach more customers.

VoguePay wins African online payment platform award

By Bode Adewumi

VOGUEPAY.COM, an epayments service provider, has won the African Online Payment Platform of the year award at the sixth edition of the African Achievers Award 2016 held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja last week.

The awards organised by the Institute of Leadership and Management and Achievers Media have consistently rewarded and honoured great African Achievers across the continent. It is recognised as one of the biggest gathering of influential and glob-

al African achievers and is rated by Forbes Magazine as one of the most prestigious awards on the African continent.

Principal partner of African Achievers Award, Tonye Rex Idaminabo, remarked that VoguePay won special recognition award as the African Online Payment Platform of the year as a result of its contribution to online payment in Nigeria and Africa in general. VoguePay is a secure payment gateway launched in 2012 with the vision to make online, cross-currency payments

and transactions safer, cheaper and more accessible for businesses, traders and consumers in Africa and internationally. It has offices in Lagos, Nigeria and United Kingdom with expansion plans to other African countries.

While acknowledging the award, Ibrahim Mohammed, Head of Business Development, Africa, VoguePay, reiterated his company’s commitment to excellence as the award came on the heels of VoguePay’s recent honour as the best emerging online payment in Africa.

GOING by the recent court judgment, directing the reversal of electricity tariff hike, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) has warned that the country may be further thrown into blackouts if the order is to go by.

It said this is because the shortfalls in the power sector is taking its toll on electricity distributors as well as generation companies.

While briefing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja on the court judgment and the current state of the sector, the Executive Director, Sunday Oduntan, said the issue bothering on the sector is mostly deficits and the inability the Nigerian banking system to finance the tariff deficits.

In his explanations, he maintained that Nigerians have a choice between incremental power supply and blackouts saying, “Nigeria has an option between light and darkness, if we choose darkness let’s continue the way we are doing, let’s continue to say that they should reverse the tariff, let’s continue to say that they should not pay for anything, let’s continue to vandalise gas pipelines, let’s continue to vandalise the power structures, if we continue, darkness looms.”

He stressed the need for the Federal Government FG to roll out mechanisms aimed at dealing with the shortfalls, noting that this can not be financed for a long time.

“The issue of the industry is about industry shortfall and the inability of the Nigerian banking system to finance the tariff deficit , that is the shortfall overtime. That happens because the business is not bankable. If your business is being run at a loss, I know that from day one that money will just sink nothing will come back.

“That is why we are saying that the federal government needs to come out with mechanism to deal with the shortfalls which can not be financed for a long term because the shortfalls is adversely impacting the ability of the discos to make capital investments in the system, like metering, like network expansion, equipment rehabilitation,” he said.

12 news Court assumes jurisdiction in N10bn suit against Lafarge, others

By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

J

USTICE (Mrs) A.A Babawale of an Ogun State High Court sitting in Sagamu, has held that the court has jurisdiction to hear a N10.5 billion suit instituted against Lafarge Africa Plc, Asiwaju Solomon Onafowokan and three others over alleged acquisition of over 2380 acres of their land.

The court further held that it was not willing to strike out the name of the Lafarge Africa Plc (1st defendant), from the suit at this stage.

The claimants, Abibu Sotunminu, Lasisi Adunmo, Ganiyu Sunmola, Alhaji Yekeen Oyeyemi and 35 others (for themselves and on behalf of members of WAPCO Sagamu Works Land Owners’ Association), had through their lawyer, Babatunde Oshilaja, sued Lafarge Africa Plc, Asiwaju Onafowokan and Sagamu Community Development Committee (2nd defendant), over the disputed land.

Other defendants in the suit are Olotu-Omoba Michael Oyedele (3rd defen-

dant), Asiwaju Onafowokan, (4th defendant) and Eso-E Micro-Finance Bank limited (5th defendant), respectively.

But Asiwaju Onafowokan and Eso-E MicroFinance Bank Limited, in their Notice of Preliminary Objection filed by their lawyer, Michael Lana, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit on the grounds that there is no reasonable cause of action against the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants.

However, while ruling on the preliminary objection, Justice Babawale, held that the claimants’ griev-

ance is in relation to deductions of certain money due to them, hence, it cannot be said that the suit did not disclose reasonable cause of action.

Justice Babawale held further that the argument canvassed by the defendants in their preliminary objections is incapable of defeating the respondents’ case at the preliminary stage when evidence is yet to be led by both sides.

Justice Babawale also ruled that the respondents can litigate in respect of issues which arose after the settlement agreement was executed.

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016 Wednesday, Wednesday,20 20July, July,2016 2016

Nigerian Tribune

13

editorial

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Lessons from the British transition

T

HE world was recently treated to the British smooth transition from one government to another through the resignation of former Prime Minister David Cameron and the assumption of office of Theresa May as the new Prime Minister. Given that, under the parliamentary system, what took place was a change in the leadership of the Conservative Party which has majority in the Parliament, the change of guard was not expected to have been triggered by a general election. Yet, no critical observer would have been unimpressed with the whole process of managing the uncertainty tossed up by the Brexit vote in Britain.

It is remarkable that Cameron, who called the referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU) in order to get voters’ endorsement for his position on Britain retaining its membership while also vigorously campaigning for this position, did not try to hang on after the electorate rejected that position and voted for exit from the EU. Mr Cameron promptly announced his resignation from office, recognizing the implication of the rejection of his own position by the voters and the importance of allowing somebody who could more easily relate to the Brexit sentiments to preside over the country going forward. Even after recommending that he would continue as Caretaker Prime Minister to allow the Conservative Party to exhaust the process of getting a new leadership perhaps by the end of September 2016, he was also quick to indicate that he would leave within the spate of two days when it became clear that Theresa May had become the only contender for the post.

And it is instructive that Mrs May became the only contender when her opponent for the vote among the membership of the Conservative Party throughout the country, Andrea Leadsom, withdrew from the race suggesting that she no longer felt that she had enough support, arguing that ‘business needs certainty’ and that the country needed ‘a new Prime Minister as soon as possible.’ This was Mrs Leadsom putting the interest of the country before her own, as nothing stopped her from proceeding with the vote and allowing the party membership to weigh in until September before she would accept defeat. The country would have lost a lot

to the uncertainty between now and then and she was prepared to save the country from such a loss. This is what is expected of those who aspire to leadership. It should be about the collective and not about self, as is often the case within the Nigerian clime.

Mrs May has since assumed duties, moving rapidly to put in place her cabinet. It did not take the new Prime Minster more than a few days to complete all the appointments into the cabinet, with even major appointments made immediately after her assumption of duties. This speaks to a leadership readiness that is glaringly absent in Nigeria as the experience here is about campaigning for an office first and getting to the office before scampering to determine what to do in office. We must also acknowledge how easy it was for Mrs May to put in place a competent cabinet given that the Conservative Party, just like any other political party competing for power in serious environments, has a leadership core that is populated by different and wide expertise deliberately geared towards solving the problems of the society.

This shows that individuals do not just go into politics without having an expertise that could be deployed in the public processes, unlike what we often find in Nigeria where government appointments are devoid of known expertise. This means that the smooth transition in Britain remarked here teaches a fundamental reordering of the system of politics in Nigeria, such that politics becomes inspired by the desire for collective aspirations rather than personal accomplishments. In the same vein, the country must seek to be governed through a leadership that is based on competence and expertise instead of having ill-informed governance feeding all the negative propensities in the country.

What has been demonstrated in Britain is not a lack of disagreements among leaders, but a process in which disagreements are managed through the deployment of what is best for the country at any time, given that the whole public process is built on the use of personal expertise for the realisation of collective goals. It should be clear that Nigeria has to imbibe such sentiments if politics is to have any positive meaning and be the basis of sustainable development in the country.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

editor

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

Before the Niger Delta situation degenerates further

I

am happy that President Muhammadu Buhari is showing commitment to dialoguing with the Niger

Delta Avengers, but the militants themselves are snubbing the olive branch the president is waving at them. It is unfortunate that

On Ibadan-Ilorin Road I want to call on the Federal Government to complete the Ibadan-Ilorin Expressway; the first part of the project from Ibadan to Oyo had been completed by the past administration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and the second part is just from Oyo to Ilorin.

This road needs to be completed fast because of the high rate of accidents happening on the Oyo-Ogbomoso road.

Before the completion

of the Ibadan-Oyo section, many innocent people died on the old road to Oyo, but the expressway has brought about a drastic reduction in road accidents.

It is, therefore, important that the Federal Goverment also takes the second section of the project seriously so that innocent people will not be losing their lives on the OgbomoOyo road.

•Salau Ajibade, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

Tackling hate preachers to curb terrorism ONE thing we must know about the rise of extremism in the world today is that hate preachers are responsible for fuelling terrorism. They make committing crime in the name of God as being a ‘passport’ to heaven, and in a world that is full of suffering, many disillusioned youths will rather die ‘doing God’s will’ and go to heaven than continue to suffer in this world.

That is why I want to commend the step the Kaduna State government has taken to tackle hate preaching, although the decision to licence preachers is not the best way to go about it.

Still talking of hate preaching, religious leaders, especially those in the Northern part of the country, need to do more to tackle the false teachings that when a man kills, he is doing it for God, and would get to Al-janah (paradise).

Just a couple of years ago, a man was reported to have ‘donated’ his daughter as a suicide bomber in Kano. It was when her suicide bomb refused to go off that she was apprehended, and she led law enforcement agents to her father, who had told her that if she carried out the evil order, she would find herself in

paradise. How could a man have been so brainwashed to the extent that he would ‘donate’ his daughter for suicide attacks?

Now, the easiest way to counter false teachings and hate preaching is for the Federal Government to make primary and secondary education compulsory and free for all children in the country, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

An educated mind is hard to manipulate; when one is educated, one would ask questions, especially on how someone who kills other people and causes destruction would go to paradise. God cannot be fought for and He would never support the destruction of his handiwork.

I, therefore, want the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Saad, who is the leader of Muslims in Nigeria, to convey a summit of all religious leaders and preachers in Northern Nigeria. The essence of this summit would be that religious leaders and preachers must return to their bases and start telling people that no one would get to Al-Janah by destroying other people.

•Usman Habu, ushabu65@gmail. com

those who are parading themselves as fighting for the Niger Delta people are just criminals and nothing more.

If the Niger Delta militants are really after the emancipation of the region, then they will not be causing the destruction they are causing. It is surprising that a group could say it is fighting for its people and it is using the most inhumane ways in airing its grievances.

The destruction of pipelines is not good for the environment, as the majority of the Niger Delta people survive on fishing. With oil pipeline bombings come the pollution of the waters and the death of fishes.

Although President Buhari has appointed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to dialogue with the militants, it seems that they are really not ready for talks and they have continued wreaking havoc on oil installations.

The fact that the Federal

Government is determined to dialogue with the militants does not portray it as being weak.

The president can order a full scale military action against the terrorists, but

being a father, as well as a soldier who experienced the civil war, he knows that women and children suffer most in war situations and this is what he wants to avoid.

I, therefore, hope that these militants will allow reason to prevail before things degenerate further in the region.

•James Oyibo, Benin, Edo State.

Juxtaposing Nigeria, UK’s electoral systems AS a British citizen, I voted in the referendum that decided the fate of the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union. I had also voted in previous elections here in the UK and I keep wondering what a sane country this is. Even during the last referendum, I voted close to my child’s elementary school. Unlike in Nigeria, there was no public holiday declared for the referendum, and while taking my daughter to school, I branched at the polling station to cast my vote. She was with me all through the process, and she asked when she would also be able to vote, and I told her when she turns 18.

While growing up in Ni-

geria, public holidays were declared for elections, and people’s movements were strictly controlled. It was also tough at the polling stations as political thugs unleashed mayhem on voters. In those days, my parents wore smart clothings to their polling centre just in case they needed to run from political thugs. We were also warned to stay indoors throughout the day. Today, nothing has changed in how we conduct our election.

However, we ave a lot to learn from the West as far as democracy is concerned.

In fact, by now, we should be talking about Diaspora voting and mail voting, but I doubt it if we are ready

for this in Nigeria.

For example, my wife knew she would not be able to go to the polling centre to vote on the day of the referendum because of her work, and she had her vote mailed a day before the opening of polling centres.

I pray for a day when Nigeria will be so advanced democratically, and the day will only come when politicians begin to see that serving the people is not by force; a day when politicians will resign at will when they know they can’t fulfil the wishes of their people.

•Oladele Adeyanju, maildes02@yahoo. co.uk

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opinion

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Nigerian lives also matter

By Inibehe Effiong

I

wholeheartedly endorse the inauguration of a Special Military Task force by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 in Zamfara State to tackle the menace of cattle rustling which has made life and business hellish for herdsmen in the state.

The decision by the Federal Government to deploy hundreds of troops to combat armed bandits that have been terrorising members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and stealing their cattles became expedient following repeated calls by cattle breeders and residents of the affected communities on President Buhari to come to their aid. There is no doubt about fact that the mass stealing of cattles has a negative effect on the economy of Nigeria with the attendant increase in the cost of meats.

The President acted decisively and responsibly. However, I find it rather curious and upsetting that a democraticallyelected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can take such drastic action just to safeguard the lives of cows (a non human creature) while we are still experiencing the continued annihilation of innocent farmers, community members and citizens by herdsmen, religious extremists, criminals and terrorists, for whatever reason, across the country. This is sickening to say the least.

Since the birth of this dispensation, innocent citizens have been gruesomely murdered by non-state actors and extrajudicially exterminated by security agencies with impunity.

Save for its appreciable successes in the fight against Boko Haram in the North Eastern part of the country, the Federal Government has failed to live to up its primary purpose and most sacred responsibility of protecting and securing the lives and properties of Nigerians as stipulated in Section 14 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

How else can one explain the incessant killings that are going on in the country? From Benue, Enugu, Kano and other parts of the country, the story has been killing upon killing; sorrow upon sorrow and destruction upon destruction.

Currently, the land is literarily littered with the blood, tears and agonies of innocent citizens whose existence have been terminated or degraded by murderous and rampaging groups of people and individuals who have suddenly found unprecedented but debase courage and tenacity to kill at will;

unchallenged and without consequences or proportionate reaction from government and and its agencies.

In order to properly situate my views, few worrisome examples will suffice. Barely one month after the murder of Mrs Bridget in Kano by a senseless mob for alleged “blasphemy”, a 42-­year-­old mother of seven and an assistant pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mrs Eunice Elisha, was in the early hours of Saturday, July 9, 2016 murdered by assailants, while preaching around Gbazango-­West area of Kubwa in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The killing of Mrs Elisha has continued to provoke outrage across the country.

Till date, the avoidable killings of about 347 Shi’ites in Zaria, Kaduna State on December 12- 14, 2015 following the clash between soldiers and members of the Islamic Movement in Nige­ria (IMN), headed by Sheik Ibra­heem Zakzaky, has not received appropriate response from government. The Federal Government has refused to properly investigate the killings. No disciplinary actions has been taken against the soldiers who took laws into their hands by murdering hundreds of Nigerians in unjustifiable circumstances.

I was one of those who condemned the Islamic Movement for blocking public highway and stalling the movement of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.Tukur Buratai. I have consistently expressed my disapproval for religious extremism and bigotry of any form. However, we cannot sacrifice the sanctity of human life in the guise of exterminating religious extremists.

Nobody should be deprived of his or her life except in legally permissible circumstances.

Again, herdsmen in Nigeria are presently operating like a state within a state. They kill, maim and destroy at will without provocation, or at the slightest provocation.

The recent massacre of innocent citizens in Benue State as reported by international news channel, Al Jazeera, in its report on Sunday July 17, 2016 deserves attention.

I agree that the lunacy and atrocities of the nomadic herdsmen did not start on May 29, 2015 when this government came to power. What is apparent is the fact that the herdsmen now kill and destroy not only with atavistic impunity, but with an unquestioned aura of legitimacy.

The general perception today is that the herdsmen are emboldened because one of their kinsmen, who is reportedly a Patron of the Miyetti Cattle Breeders Association, is now in power. This perception may be wrong, but government should do more to tame the killer herdsmen.

Also, with the killing of pro-Biafra protesters, there have been numerous allegations and established cases of extrajudicial murders of these people in the South Eastern part of the country by the Nigerian government.

The Ikorodu killings is another sad chapter in the history of Nigeria. On Thursday, June 23, 2016 no fewer than 50 persons were allegedly feared killed when militants invaded border town communities between Ogun and Lagos states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the areas affected are Elepete and Igbo-Olomu, a border community in Ikorodu North Local Government Area.

Unfortunately, security agencies have failed to stop the militants from killing residents of the area. The President of the country did not make a public statement about all these killings. However, some people have argued that the President cannot publicly respond to every killing in the country, but my reply is that those who canvass this view are making a mockery of democracy and the sanctity of human life. What is really the worth of a Nigerian life in the eyes of government?

How do leaders in saner climes respond when their citizens are murdered in circumstances that provokes national mourning?

•Effiong, a legal practitioner, is the convener of the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COHRD).

Improving US anti-corruption policy in Nigeria

By Matthew Page

Kerry, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew have defined anticorruption efforts as a US policy priority in Nigeria; they see it as part of a global effort to combat illicit finance, poor governance, and violent extremism. Yet, officials serving at the US Embassy in Abuja— diplomats, military liaisons, and intelligence officers—are mainly concerned with cultivating strong relationships with a wide range of elites, including those complicit in corruption.

As a result, US anti-corruption policy remains broad-based and untargeted, centered on modest assistance programs for police investigators and civil society watchdogs.

One area where this tension occurs is visa sanctions under Presidential Proclamation (PP) 7750. Local US diplomats insist visa revocations unnecessarily antagonise their Nigerian counterparts and should be used sparingly. In 2013, an attempt to revoke the visa of a corrupt former minister was derailed by a senior embassy official who claimed that doing so would put US oil companies’ business dealings at risk. Little evidence supports this argument, however, given that when the United States revokes visas, the target is not made public. And at least, one state governor still routinely meets with US diplomats even though he allegedly had his visa revoked under PP 7750 nearly a decade ago.

CORRUPTION is endemic in Nigeria. It drains billions of dollars a year from Africa’s largest economy and most populous country. Systemic corruption also undermines Nigeria’s ability to combat Boko Haram, the world’s deadliest terrorist movement, which has displaced two million people in the country’s war-ravaged North East. Although the United States and Nigeria have been close partners since Nigeria’s democratic transition in 1999, elite corruption has undercut diplomatic relations and undermined US investments in the nation’s development, security, and governance.

Following Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 presidential election victory, senior US policymakers saw an opportunity to support his aggressive anti-corruption efforts. However, U.S. efforts have thus far been non-confrontational—limited to public speeches and high-level discussions—and have yet to translate into policy action. Corruption is still treated as a secondary, stand-alone issue rather than as a potent threat to US interests.

To move beyond past mistakes, US policymakers should commit to deterring official corruption in the sectors and institutions in which the United States invests significant attention and resources. At a minimum, this plan should establish an interagency working group on Nigerian kleptocracy, station a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigator in Abuja, and promulgate an executive order (EO) restricting financial transactions by corrupt Nigerian officials.

Nigerian official corruption is not new. It has thrived under both civilian and military-led governments, and has involved leaders of all ethnic and religious affiliations.

However, US anti-corruption policy continues to be ineffective in Nigeria for four reasons. First, the interests of senior US policymakers and working-level officials diverge. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John

Second, US officials are not using existing tools—such as consular databases, local law enforcement records, or online searches to conduct basic due diligence—to identify and avoid enabling corrupt officials. As one example, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funds a rice cultivation project owned by a former attorney general whom the United States sanctioned for corruption in 2010. In April 2016, the US ambassador and USAID officials visited and toured the farm with the owner.

Third, the anti-corruption work of US law enforcement agencies is under-resourced given the size and scope of corruption in Nigeria, its destructive impact on U.S. policy interests, and its role in fueling illegal financial transactions in the United States and Europe. Although the FBI’s International Corruption Unit recently tripled in size, its worldwide focus, heavy caseloads, and long prosecution timelines mean that it can only investigate a handful of the many potential cases involving corrupt Nigerian elites.

Fourth, as with other policy efforts, anti-corruption action is hindered by interagency divides. The US Department of State, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. intelligence community rarely collaborate to combat corruption in Nigeria. For example, the State Department and the intelligence community do not routinely provide tips, background information, or expert advice to Justice Department investigators working to locate and seize assets stolen by Nigerian kleptocrats. Further, frequent personnel turnover has hindered attempts by some working-level officials to improve communication and policy coordination.

It is, therefore, important that the United States can combine its anti-corruption policy rhetoric with measurable actions and significantly reduce illicit financial outflows from Nigeria, which Global Financial Integrity estimates exceeded $178 billion from 2004 to 2013.

•Page is an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, USA.

16

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

tribune cartoons

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

GIANT IN THE TROPIC OF AFRICA

SEGELUULU

CHURCH BOY

FUNOLOGY

Jim Ovia •

Born on Sunday, 4 November, 1951 in Agbor, Delta State.

•

Jim Ovia is the founder of Zenith Bank Plc where he retired as the pioneer Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer after two decades of meritorious leadership, which positioned the bank as one of the largest and most profitable banks in Africa.

•

He is also the founder of Visafone Communications Limited.

•

Jim Ovia, an alumnus of Harvard Business School, is a member of the Governing Council of Lagos State University, Lagos and also a member of the Board of Trustees, Redeemer’s University For Nations, Lagos.

•

Forbes listed Jim Ovia as the 30th richest man in Africa in the year 2014.

THERE ARE 10 DIFFERENCES IN THE CARTOONS BELOW. THE DIFFERENCES SHOULD BE MARKED IN B

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

A

B

17

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

inside

nigerdelta Calabar: Upsurge in crime worries residents Anthony Ubong-Calabar

U

NDOUBTEDLY, Calabar, the Cross River State capital, had, over the years, carved a niche for itself as a crime-free city.

In fact, it was described with the phrase ‘Come and live and be at rest’. This was so because you could hardly hear of any criminal incident.

The peaceful nature of the city assuredly made Calabar the safest destination for businesses and leisure. It, therefore, became a home for people with diverse cultures. This placed the state on a high pedestal and made it a preferred tourism hub in Nigeria. In fact, it became an epicentre for national and international events.

Unfortunately today, the city has cut another image for itself. It has become a safe haven for criminals. Kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching and other nefarious crimes which were hitherto alien to the city, have escalated. Residents of the city now sleep with one eye open as they do not know when these dare devil criminals would strike.

In fact, the once peaceful city had been turned into a crime resort as criminals now operate in broad daylight without being challenged by security operatives.

This development has, however, slowed down business activities in the city as scared investors and businessmen now close shops early as some are planning to relocate.

Penultimate Friday, dare devil armed robbers invaded eateries and shops along Ndidem Usang Iso Road, leaving many people scampering for safety. The invasion came few hours after the governor had met with security chiefs to strategise on how to tackle the menace of crime in the state.

Also, a third Republic Senator, Mr Patrick Ani, was last Wednesday kidnapped. Ani, who represented Cross River South Senatorial district on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), between 1992 and 1994, was kidnapped in his farm in Akpabuyo, near Calabar.

Ani, who is the younger brother of the former finance minister, Chief Anthony Ani, was allegedly picked up without any resistance in his farm by gunmen suspected to be militants that had been terrorising the Southern part of the state, Similarly, Mr Ededem Ita, former Special Adviser, Labour Matters, to Senator Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, was allegedly kidnapped last Thursday.

This is came exactly 16 days after five foreign expatriates and two Nigerian staff of Macmahon, a contracting firm with the United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM), now larfarge Holcim, was kidnapped at the Idundu axis of the Calabar-Oban road by suspected militants. They were, however, released with injuries after a staggering sum of money was said to have been paid as ransom.

Before these last two kidnappings, about 15 top Igbo businessmen had been kidnapped in the early part of the year and were forced to pay staggering sums of money as ransoms before their release.

The Ibom Layout axis of Ndidem Iso Road in the state capital was also under attack on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, as robbers invaded shops and went

away huge sums of money and other valuables.

In the same vein, car theft has also astronomically increased in the once peaceful city. On a daily basis, cars are snatched from residents at different locations in the city.

Also within the period under review, about 15 young men were gruesomely murdered in what could be described as a renewed cult clash between rival cult groups.

Commenting on the upsurge of crime in the state, a Calabar-based legal practitioner and member of the Cross River State law reform, Ndoma Egodo, said: “You will agree with me that since the advent of the Buhari administration, things have been very difficult and people who lived their lives in a particular way find it difficult to adjust.

“Due to the generosity of the previous administration, people had illegal means of livelihood, fake contracts as it was being revealed of recent from the Dasukigate. But because of the change and some people who had been benefitting from these illegal proceeds are the ones who

are now stranded, they are hungry. This is in addition to the huge unemployment of the very active age. When you are hungry, you can do anything to survive. That is the cause of the problem” In view of this, Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has warned criminals to look elsewhere for their nefarious activities as he would stop at nothing to flush them out of the state.

To achieve this, the governor and Service Commanders in the state, last Saturday, embarked on “operation show of force” across Calabar.

Ayade explained that the exercise was a deliberate measure to let the miscreants know that his team was in absolute control of the entire situation.

His words: “We are out here as a show of force to demonstrate that we are in absolute control and we are going to keep Calabar totally safe,” adding that “we have done a complete surveillance of all the possible routes, all the water areas through which these criminals escape.”

Continuing, he said: “We know who they are, the security and intelligence report has shown clearly the people who are be-

hind all these activities and I can assure the people of Cross River State that Calabar is indeed peaceful and they should go about their legitimate businesses peacefully.”

The governor, who affirmed that all specific locations had been marked, even as access to water fronts would be cut off, hinted further: “We are also embarking on a door to door search, and cordoning off Calabar to ensure that nobody exits without a thorough search.”

Ayade further added: “I am sure that with the number of combat vehicles, with the armory they (criminals) saw on display today, including military officers, combined team, Operation Skolombo, all on duty, you are told that Cross River State is an action state and we can’t afford the agony of having any tension anymore.”

On measures to sustain the exercise, the governor explained: “As a fallout of our security meeting yesterday (Friday) and today, we will make adequate budgetary provision, reduce some of our spending while transferring some of the overheads to guarantee sufficient ammunition as well as other security and logistics support.”

All the arrested criminals in Calabar. Inset: Cross River Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Oze-Obeh

Ikimi drags Okowa to court over passenger welfare levy Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri WARRI-BASED fiery lawyer and human rights activist, Oghenejabor Ikimi, has dragged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to a High Court, sitting at Otor-Udu, Udu Local Government Area, over the introduction of Passenger Welfare Scheme levy.

Ikimi, in the originating summons in Suit No: OUHC/111/2016 OGHENEJABOR IKIMI, ESQ., VS. GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE and 2 ORS, filed on July 8, is asking the court to determine “whether the Defendants’ Passenger Welfare Scheme and the daily tax paid by operators of motorcycles and tricycles in Delta State are in tandem with the taxes and

levies approved for collection by the state government under Part II of the Schedule to the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, 2004 (as amended).”

The human rights lawyer is also asking the court to determine whether “the Defendants can collect taxes and levies that are not listed in Part II of the Schedule to the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, 2004 (as amended) in Delta State.”

Ikimi’s third plea centers on whether “the assessment or collection of taxes or levies on behalf of the Defendants by private tax consultants or private individuals and bodies is in tandem with the provisions of Sections 2(1), 3 and 4 of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Col-

lection) Act, 2004 (as amended).”

The applicant is, therefore, praying the court to restrain the Defendants from further execution of the Passengers Welfare Scheme and daily tax collection from operators of motorcycles and tricycles and any other reliefs deemed fit.

It will be recalled that Ikimi had, earlier in June, given the state government a seven-day ultimatum to discontinue the the collection of taxes and levies imposed on commuters in a petition sent to Governor Okowa.

The legal practitioner, in the petition sent to the governor and published in , threatened to approach the courts after the expiration of the seven days if his advice was not heeded.

18

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

By Wale Ojo-Lanre 0803 349 0986 waleojolanre@gmail.com

Cote D’ivoire Director of Tourism Santiero Jean Marie Somet, Director General Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Dr (Mrs) Sally Mbanefo, Cote D’ivoire Ambassador in Nigeria, Her Excellency Kone Epouse Maman Toure and Nigerian Ambassador in Tote D’voire, Her Excellency Ifeoma J. Akabogu Chinwuba in Abidjan.

By wale Ojo Lanre

R

EGIONAL economic integration which is one of the main objectives of ECOWAS was stoked by the Government of Cote D’Ívoire and Federal Government of Nigeria when the sector was placed in the front burner of explorative discussion between June 30 and July 6, 2016 in Cote D’ivoire.

The explorative discussion was a part of a regional tourism economic initiative between the two countries which is the output of a consistent stride of the Cote D’ívoire Ambassador to Nigeria, Her Excellency, Ambassador Kone Epouse Maman Toure, who fervently believes that there should be more beneficial synergy between the two countries especially in the tourism sector.

Ambassador Maman Toure believes that diplomatic relationship must be enhanced beyond the rhetorics and expanded for better exploration of the potentialities of the two countries for the benefits of the ordinary people of the nations.

Hence, proud of her drift, the government of Cote D’Ívoire packaged the first ever Eductour of Cote D’ívoire for a delegate of Nigerian tourism stakeholders led by Dr Sally Mbanefo, Nigeria’s chief tourism promoter and Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, (NTDC), which included, Ambassador Wanle Akinboboye, President Lacampagne Tropicana Beach Resort and initiator of Motherland Beckons, Mr Nicolas Kiva, representing, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission, (NCPC), Eben Ndoma Egba, Charlene Makai, among others.

The Government of Cote D’ívoire packaged the Eductour proactively from day one to the end making sure that the Nigerian delegates have a deep and thorough comprehension of the need why the two countries must collaborate in shoring up their revenue from tourism and allied matters not only by visiting some of the priceless and exciting tourism sites, but by dialoguing with sectoral officials and personalities.

In every office and tour sites, Cote D’ívoire Ambassador to Nigeria, Her Excellency, Ambassador Kone Epouse Maman Toure proved her calling as she showcased Nigeria as a country with immeasurable love for Ivoiriens. To her, Ivoriens second home is Nigeria, presenting the Nigerian delegation at the Cote D’Ívoire, office of the Minister of Tourism, Ambassador Kone Maman Toure described Nigeria and Nigerians as the most hospitable people in the world.

The Cote D’Ivoire Tourism Minister, Mr Roger Kacou who warmly welcomed Nigeria’s delegates to his office commended Dr

Nigeria, Cote D’ívoire ties tourism integration •As Tourism Minister applauds Mbanefo’s cultural dress sense Mbanefo for her passion at selling Nigeria wherever she goes “I am happy to welcome you all to Cote D’ívoire. The land of tourism. I must also use this forum to commend Dr Mbanefo for her agrarian passion at selling Nigeria’s cultural value. This lady must be thinking Nigeria, dreaming Nigeria for she dressed a la Nigerian. This is great”.

Mr Kacou declared “Nigeria is not only our big brother, but the two countries are blessed with unimaginable tourism potentialities which are unique and as well simi-

lar. This called for a concerted symbiotic tourism economic initiative between the two countries. And I am glad that Nigeria is ready and willing as shown by this representation”.

He informed that Cote D’ívoire will not leave anything positively undone at enhancing and harnessing the tourism potentialities of the country for regional integration and benefits as well as ensuring the safety of tourists.

Dr Mbanefo in her response said; “I am here with fraternal greetings from the Pres-

I must also commend Mrs Sally Mbanefo for her agrarian passion at selling Nigeria’s cultural value. This lady must be thinking Nigeria, dreaming Nigeria for she dressed a la Nigerian. This is great —Cote D’Ívore Tourism Minister

ident of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari who has ensured the establishment of good governance in Nigeria and my Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who did not only endorse this trip of mine, but has a special interest in tourism economic integration of the West African region.”

Dr Mbanefo assured the Minister “I will definitely deliver your message to my Minister. However, I have to thank you for this Eductor which is, going by this encounter and the tour content will clear a path of symbiosis for tourism engagement between Nigeria and Cote D’ívoire. There are many areas of which the two countries can be mutually beneficial to each other. It will be enduring for, I see a two – way tourism traffic at both ends.

It was with the high spirit of brotherhood that the Cote D’ívoire Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Albert Abdallah Toikeusse MABRI ushered in the Nigerian delegate into his office where he lauded the efforts of President Buhari and commended the administration for its vision on Africa’s unity, peace and economic integration.

The Minister also commended Dr Continues on pg19

Emirates named World’s Best Airline at Skytrax World EMIRATES was recently named the World’s Best Airline 2016 at the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards 2016, in addition to scooping up the awards for World’s Best Inflight Entertainment for a record 12th consecutive year, and Best Airline in the Middle East.

Based on the results of the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey in the industry, the World’s Best Airline Awards are considered a global benchmark of airline excellence. This year’s Skytrax awards were based on a total of 19.2 million completed surveys covering 280 airlines, by customers hailing

tourism How I Escaped from Gorilla at High Impact Planet Amusement Resort, Lagos?

19

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

By wale Ojo Lanre HIGH Impact Planet Amusement Resort, located on kilometre 12, Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Ibadan bound was gleefully inaugurated and opened to the public in December last year.

Undoubtedly, the best of such amusement park in Nigeria and one of the best three in Africa with all international standard and appurtenances.

When it was inaugurated, the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who was busy with state function earlier that day sent a representative, but when the man he sent must have told him that High Impact Planet was not one of the run–in–the–mills tourism projects, the Governor excused himself out of the cosy office in Oke Imosan and stormed the site!

On seeing what has been planted by Prince Adeyanju Lipede, President Solution Media and InfoTech, Governor Amosun was not only visibly impressed but happy that “A son of Egba has planted world best amusement park in Ogun territory.

High Impact Planet is it – the best Amusement park in Nigeria, West – Africa and possibly now in Africa.

The theme park has a clinic and a resident doctor for emergency, full scanners at the entrance for luggage and visitors and a police post within the premises for security. The fun facilities include, animatronics, including semi-live lions, fun food court, food court, enterprise ride, 90 toilets for convenience, souvenir court, bumper cars, eye-combat games, 40-metre high spring ride, a freestyler that simulates surfing, kite flyer, hoopla, dream machine, ferry spin, samba balloon, Mexican theatre, a 10-seater HiImpact airplane, a multi-purpose hall with acoustics for stage production, railways, 5-D cartoon animation studio, Imax cinema and watermania.

Everything planted on the ground and fitted was of international standards, ethics, quality and stipulation.

Being a live witness and participant at the opening ceremony, I thought the fun had stopped and that I had seen it all.

But I remembered that, Prince Adeyanju Lipede, President, Solution Media and High-tech, owner of Hi Impact Planet Amusement Park made a promise during the opening that “You will have cause to always visit. We are going to constantly renovate, innovate and dazzle your imagination.”

On Thursday 14 July, I got this journalistic hunch of testing the sincerity

of Prince Lipede’s covenant of operation.

After being scanned and searched by the polite guards who smiled at me insisting and telling me why I must drop this and that inside my car.

As I approach the Planet arena, the first thing that caught my eyes was a big black ‘Statute ‘of a Gorilla which looks like the famous king Kong, the one who fell in love with a lady in one of the best Hollywood films ever produced.

Oh! I exclaimed, King Kong is here.

And I moved towards it.

And behold, the supposed statute grunted, saw the big thing moving towards me, raising his hands up as if to grab me.

Tourism Minister applauds Mbanefo’s cultural dress sense Continued from pg18

Mbanefo for being a good promoter of Nigeria culture adding that “Dr Mbanefo’s mode of dressing which always bears the Nigeria national flag is not only commendable, but tells a lot about her passion for her country . I am glad she is a guest of Cote D’ívoire Tourisme.”

Dr Mbanefo who expressed herself in impeccable French thanked the Minister for objective opinion about Nigeria as she emphasised the strides of President Buhari at cleaning the Nigerian system of corruption and fraudulent activities thus paving way n for credibility and thrust for foreign investors and investment.

Airline Awards 2016 from more than 104 countries. The Skytrax survey measures quality standards across 41 key performance indicators of front-line products and services in the airline industry.

This is the fourth time Emirates has won the top accolade since the airline awards were introduced 15 years ago; the airline won the first ever Skytrax World’s Best Airline in 2001, again in 2002 and in 2013. In total, Emirates has won a total of 20 Skytrax World Airline Awards since 2001.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said: “We are honoured to be recognised by the prestigious Skytrax

I retreated fast, causing a show to make the matter worse, the black thing screeched as it approached me and belched out smoke from its mouth.

As I retreated with fear, it paced squeezing his face in terror again and screamed as if determined to catch me at all cost.

Not to cause a stir at the Park, I noticed the black silver going back slowly , gnashing its teeth in regret of failing to have a grip of me.

Doused with fear, as I was watching it retreating a sonorous voice like that of Angel said “it is not a life Gorilla. It is robotic.”

I did the sign of the Holy Cross, OMG! I thought it was real!

Victoria Odimba, the Marketing Executive, Solution Media and InfoTech informed “it is one of the new facilities just planted for the consumption of the patrons. You know we promised to be proactive, to innovate, renovate and keep patrons guessing about our facilities.”

Miss Odimba added “this is not the only new facility here.”

She then, in her stride conducted us round the new facilities which included the first of its kinds in Africa 12D Cinema, which has nine movements and five effects, and the first to be made by the company with 150 seating arena.

Then, we moved to the 3 functions Halls which are wonderfully designed and suited for theme marriage, conference, seminar, play and symposium while the icing on its cake is the Car racing tracks with racing cars like the one used in Formular 4 and its well endowed tracks of about five kilometres!

“These are just a tip of the iceberg. You know our President will never do anything haphazardly or in half measure.

Whatever you get here are globally acceptable and sealed best practices.”

Saving the patrons who might have to stay one day or more days at the resort, High Impact Planet service apartments are ready and have been in use by those who deserve luxurious and far away from the maddening crowd home away from home.

Prince Lipede revealed “We have kept faith with our covenant of services which we signed in December. We did promise to ensure not only in offering an international amusement services of exceptional ethics and standard obtainable anywhere in the world, but also assured you that we would keep faith with periodic maintenance, innovation and renovation. This is we have done in the past few weeks by not only bringing in new facilities, but making sure that the High Impact Planet you knew before is anew again, and it will be opened to the public again on Saturday 6 August, 2016. For, the taste of the pudding is in the eating.”

awards. Emirates has always put our customers at the heart of what we do, and we work hard to deliver the very best experience possible to our customers at every touch point, every day, all around the world. We constantly invest in our product and services, both on the ground and in the air. We listen carefully to our customers, and then relentlessly challenge ourselves to deliver and exceed expectations. The fact that these awards are based on the direct feedback from passengers is gratifying and wonderful recognition for all of the hard work that’s gone into creating the Emirates experience.”

She pointed out some of the investible areas where Ivoriens could invest particularly in the agriculture and tourism sectors adding that “President Muhammed Buhari is priority to the agricultural sector especially in the rehabilitation of Cocoa plantation and others which I am sure your people are good at.”

The Cote D’Ívoire Eductour 2016 took the Nigerian delegate on a voyage to exciting and exquisite religious, health, agricultural, historical and cultural sites which include the biggest and tallest Basilica in the world in Yamoussukro, the shrine of Mother Mary, the finest Mosque in Cote D’ívoire, the first Church in West Africa, the sacred Crocodile Pool, Coca plantation, Grand Bassam, Trenchville Market and Dress Museum.

The Nigerian embassy laced the icing on the cake of the tour when the Ambassador, Her Excellency, Ifeoma J Akabogu – Chinwuba, hosted the Nigerian delegate in Nigerian House where she had a fruitful dialogue and conversation with the visitors.

And before their departure for Nigeria, the Cote D’ívoire government held a reception for the delegation at the National Office of Tourism where all members of the delegation were endorsed, certificated and conferred with Goodwill Ambassador of Cote D’ívoire Tourisme.

According to Santiero Jean Marie SOMET, ‘it pleased the government of Cote Dívoire to appoint you as Goodwill Ambassadors for Cote D’ívoire Tourisme. By your conduct and penchant for details throughout your tour of Cote

D’ivoire you have demonstrated remarkable candour and exemplary character which set you apart from others and make you worthy to be appointed as Goodwill Ambassadors for the Republic of Cote Dívoire Tourisme . I thereby charge you to continue to spread the good news of the country and bring forth both investors and investment to Cote D’Ivoire.”

Dr Mbanefo in her response gave kudos to the Government of Cote D’Ivoire and the Eductour for the professional handling of.

“Going by the professional touch at which the Educator was packaged, I am particularly intrigued at the symbiosis advantage which this tourism initiative holds in stock for both countries . It is a manifestation that the region is poised to claim its tourism revenue from the global shelves. I thank you for your warm and exceptional hospitality.”

Commenting on the Eductor, Ambassador Akinboboye commended the initiative “my commendation will be tripartite in nature. First, I am applauding the Ambassador of Cote D’Ívoire in Nigeria and the Government of Cote D’ívoire for this wonderful initiative that was conceived, planned and implemented with glowing results. Secondly, I must also praise Dr Mbanefo, and the Nigerian delegation for making Nigeria proud lastly, I must commend the Nigerian Ambassador in Abidjan for the wonderful hosting at the Nigerian House. In all, I am assuring that with this the Cote D’ívoire Eductour has just begun.”

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21

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

with Doyin Adeoye

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

Once climate change becomes a defining issue for financial stability, it may already be too late —Mark Carney

ecoscope Bridging the gap between

Ogun govt, TASUED to establish zoological, botanical garden THE Ogun State Ministry of Forestry, last week signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) with the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), to finalise plans on establishing a zoological and botanical garden in the state.

While signing the MOC at the university in Ijagun, the state’s Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal, said that the ministry and the university decided to collaborate on the project, as it will yield various socio-economic benefits for the state, especially in the area of boosting its’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

The Deputy Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, also noted that the strategic location of the project would attract travellers from all walks of life and increase the university’s IGR and project the university farther, when completed.

According to the university’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Bakenne Nureni, the discussion on the establishment of a zoological and botanical garden at the university has been on for some time now.

“Now that a Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) has been signed, I am sure that the project will spring up any moment from now. The university has provided some hectares of land for the project. And the commissioner alongside the members of staff that were here with him went round the site to see what needs to be done.

“The state is ready and we believe strongly in the ability of the state government, the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, as the government has given us the backing to kick start the project,” he said.

Chief Lawal also commended the state governor for approving the commencement of the project, adding that the ministry would ensure its success, as it would be an avenue for provision of employment opportunities particularly for the youths, besides serving as a recreational centre for tourists.

forestry and agriculture to improve food security

W

NBMA describes Biosafety Act as safety valve THE Director General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Rufus Ebegba, has described the 2015 Act that established the agency as a safety valve for the adoption of modern biotechnology in Nigeria.

Ebegba, also noted that the calls by a group and some individuals for the repeal of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act, 2015, is frivolous and most unpatriotic.

“The request is a call for the opening of the floodgate, thus subjecting Nigeria to unrestricted importation and production of unregulated modern biotechnology products. It is also intended to render the more than 20 indigenous research institutes, universities, agencies and private concerns that have competence in this sector stagnated and redundant, in a global sphere that is fast moving towards safe modern biotechnological advancement,” Ebegba said.

In a statement made available by Ovuakporie Efe, Ag. Head, Press and Protocol Unit of the agency, Ebegba noted that the Nigerian Biosafety Act has been adjudged

by international watchers as one of the best in Africa after having painstakingly passed through stringent processes that lasted for more than a decade.

“It is pertinent to advise that criticism be constructive with a view to improving Nigeria rather than carrying out a malicious propaganda to run down genuine government actions,” he said.

He, however, urged all well meaning Nigerians who genuinely feel that a gap exists in the Act to be patriotic enough to collaborate with the agency in seeking the amendment of the knotty section, instead of carpeting the National Assembly and calling for a legal lacuna that would give room to anarchy in the modern biotechnology sector.

HILE agriculture remains the most significant driver of global deforestation, there is an urgent need to promote more positive interactions between agriculture and forestry to build sustainable agricultural systems and improve food security.

This was the key message of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations’ flagship publication: ‘The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO),’ presented on Monday at the opening of the 23d Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO).

Forests play a major role in sustainable agricultural development through a host of channels, including the water cycle, soil conservation, carbon sequestration, natural pest control, influencing local climates and providing habitat protection for pollinators and other species.

“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the Paris Agreement on climate change, recognises that we can no longer look at food security and the management of natural resources separately,” FAO Director-General, Jose Graziano da Silva said in his opening remarks to the Committee on Forestry.

“Both agreements call for a coherent and integrated approach to sustainability across all agricultural sectors and food systems.

Forests and forestry have key roles to play in this regard.

“The key message from SOFO

is clear: it is not necessary to cut down forests to produce more food,” he said.

Agriculture accounts for the lion’s share of the conversion of forests. According to today’s report, in the tropics and subtropics large-scale commercial agriculture and local subsistence agriculture are responsible for about 40 per cent and 33 per cent of forest conversion, respectively, and the remaining 27 per cent of deforestation happens due to urban growth, infrastructure expansion and mining.

On the flip side of the coin, the report stresses that forests serve many vital ecological functions that benefit agriculture and boost food production.

“Food security can be achieved through agricultural intensification and other measures such as social protection, rather than through expansion of agricultural areas at the expense of forests,” Director of FAO’s Forestry Policy and Resources Division, Eva Muller said.

“What we need is a better crosssectoral coordination of policies on agriculture, forestry, food and land use, better land use planning, effective legal frameworks, and stronger involvement of local communities and smallholders.

“Governments should provide local communities not only with secure land tenure but also with secure forest tenure rights. A farmer knows best how to manage his or her own resources but often lacks legal instruments to

Lagos sets 10 million tree-planting target by 2020 LAGOS State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has said that the state would achieve the target of planting 10 million trees by 2020, in its bid to create a greener city and lessen the impacts of climate change.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, Governor Ambode while speaking at the 2016 Tree Planting Day held at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp, Iyana-Ipaja, noted that tree planting was necessary to combat the effects of climate change.

“Tree planting has been iden-

tified as one of the most reliable and cheapest means of combating the effect of global warming and climate change. The peculiarity of our state as a coastal city-state makes it compelling to ensure a healthy balance between the quest for infrastructural development and the need to preserve the environment.

“This calls for strict adherence to all the town planning and greening regulations in the state. I am pleased to note that with over six million trees planted, we are progressively moving toward achieving the target of planting 10 million

trees by 2020,’’ Ambode said.

Also speaking at the event, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Dr Babatunde Adejare, said that collective effort must be made to preserve lives through tree planting.

“It is a known fact that the destruction of trees and other woodlands is on a steady increase.

Human infrastructural activities are threatening the survival of tress.

“We are therefore soliciting that, irrespective of human needs for survival, we must also ensure that environmental degradation is min-

imised so that we can jointly protect the environment,’’ Adejare said.

Mrs Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun, the General Manager, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), said trees were being planted in 83 different locations simultaneously to mark the day in the Gov Ambode state.

do so,” she added.

Well-managed forests have tremendous potential to promote food security. Besides their vital ecological contributions, forests contribute to rural livelihoods and poverty alleviation through income generated by engaging in the production of forest goods and environmental services.

About 2.4 billion people rely on woodfuel for cooking and water sterilisation. And forest foods provide protein, minerals and vitamins to rural diets and can also serve as safety nets in periods of

food scarcity.

According to SOFO, since 1990, over 20 countries succeeded in improving national levels of food security while at the same time maintaining or increasing forest cover - demonstrating that it is not necessary to cut down forests to produce more food. Twelve of these countries increased forest cover by over 10 percent: Algeria, Chile, China, the Dominican Republic, the Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Morocco, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Viet Nam.

ecofact

SOLAR Energy Facts • Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth with 173,000 terawatts of solar energy striking the Earth continuously. That amounts to more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use.

• Though the sun is 90 million miles from the earth, it takes less than 10 minutes for light to travel from that much of distance.

• The first solar power station was built in 1912 • The Solar City Tower is being constructed for the Brazil 2016 Olympics. At 100 meters tall, it will provide enough solar energy to power the Olympic Village and Olympic venues

all day long.

• The amount of solar energy that hits the earth in one minute meets the world’s energy needs for one year.

• Solar panels have a lifespan of between 25 and 30 years.

• The largest solar power plant in the world is located in the Mojave Desert in California, covering 1000 acres.

• Solar power is noise-pollution

Abolition of DECC, major setback for UK’s climate change efforts THE abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been condemned by former ministers as a major setback to British efforts to combat global warming.

DECC was closed in a series of sweeping changes to the government unveiled by the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, recently.

Its functions, which include representing the UK at international climate talks, responsibility for meeting carbon targets and levying subsidies for green energy, have been transferred to a beefed-up business department.

According to the UK guardian, a group of international statesmen and women including Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu issued a statement saying they regretted the decision and it failed to encourage leadership on

climate change.

Many environmental groups strongly criticised the decision as downgrading action on climate only months after more than 170 countries signed the Paris climate deal in New York. The UK is under pressure to ratify the agreement, both as part of the EU and domestically.

“This is shocking news. Less than a day into the job and it appears that the new prime minister has already downgraded action to tackle climate change, one of the biggest threats we face,” said Craig

Bennett, the CEO of Friends of the Earth.

Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas described the decision as deeply worrying.

“Climate change is the biggest challenge we face, and it must not be an afterthought for the government. Dealing with climate change requires a dedicated Minister at the Cabinet table. To throw it into the basement of another Whitehall department looks like a serious backwards step,” she said.

An environmental economist at the New Economics Foundation

FG to enforce tobacco law, inaugurates advisory committee THE Federal Government will adopt all legal and administrative measures to ensure effective implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has said.

The minister who spoke in Abuja recently at the inauguration of the National Tobacco Control Committee (NATOC) affirmed Federal Government’s commitment towards safeguarding and protecting the health of Nigerians from the risks posed by the use of tobacco and tobacco products.

“There is no permissible limit for tobacco use in whichever method, form or disguise, because it is harmful to health. Tobacco, when used exactly as intended by the tobacco industry will maim and kill more than half of its users.

Globally, tobacco use is responsible for six million deaths through

many medical conditions notably cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and cancers,” he said.

He also charged the committee members to take on their roles and responsibilities effectively, adding that tobacco has been red-flagged by both local and international health communities as a poisonous and highly addictive substance that requires urgent intervention.

The committee, which is headed

by Professor Ukoli Onawefe of the University of Jos, will advise and make recommendations to the minister on the development and implementation of tobacco control policies, strategies, plans, programmes and projects, in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), its implementing guidelines and protocols.

(NEF), Stephen Devlin, said the department’s abolition was “a terrible move by our new Prime Minister.”

He said it appeared to signal “a troubling de-prioritisation of climate change by this government.

“Tackling climate change is an era-defining challenge that must direct and determine what industries we develop, what transport infrastructure we construct, how we manage our land and what our diets look like. It requires a central co-ordinated strategy; if we leave it to the afterthoughts of other departments we will fail,” he said.

Theresa May

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Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

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

IPMAN members laud Petroleum Minister over conflict resolution

From left: Chairman, Technical Information/Technical Standing Committee, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Nigeria Council, Mr Debo Fagbami; Secretary, SPE Nigeria Council/Nigerian Annual International Conference and Exhibitions 2016 (NAICE 2016) Secretariat Sub-Committee Chairman, Mr Ignatus Anyanwu; Chairman, SPE Nigeria Council, Mr George Kalu and Vice Chairman, SPE Nigeria Council, Dr Saka Metemilola, at the media briefing on SPE/NAICE 2016 in Lagos.

EKO Disco disconnects military formations over N6bn debt Stories by Olatunde Dodondawa, Lagos

T

HE management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) Plc has informed that it was compelled to disconnect all military formations in its network due to non payment of over N6 billion debt.

Speaking with journalists recently, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, EKEDC, Mr Oladele Amoda, stated that the ministries and departmental agencies were owing a total of N18 billion, out of which the military formations within the zone accounted for N6 billion.

“We were forced to disconnect all military formations within our network due to over N6 billion debt. About N18 billion is being owed by various electricity customers within the network which posed serious setback to our operations. Power consumers are owing the 11 distribution companies over N90 billion,” he said.

He, however, hinted that the military formations have been reconnected after an agreement was reached on how debt settlement would commence.

He also condemned the increase in equipment vandalism within its operations, adding that it has forced the company to spend money meant for network expansion and other electricity development projects to be used to replace vandalised cables.

“Electricity materials such as cables

and wires, among others, had either been stolen or vandalised with the recent one taking place in Apapa, Mushin, Ikoyi Ajegunle and Festac area of Lagos State.

Equipment such as 300KVA and 500KVA were vandalised within our network.

“In the last four months, we have recorded increasing acts of vandalism of nine transformer substations. The vandals carted away eight metres of 150mm 2x4 core cable, cable sockets and ferrules.

A yard of such cable costs N30,000. When they cut the cable in the middle because they cannot get the whole cable, we will have to replace the entire cable because such cables cannot be joined. We have raised the alarm over the increased rate of vandalism of our equipment in recent time, while we beefed up surveillance,” he said.

Furthermore, he stated “We are committed to meter all our customers by end of 2018 as contained in our performance agreement with the government. In fact, we recognised the fact that patronage of indigenous meter manufacturers will promote employment; that is why we have dedicated purchase of smart meters to indigenous meter manufacturers.

“They have been doing wonderfully well and we will continue to empower them. It is only the Maximum Demand (MD) meters that we are purchasing from a foreign company.

“We are committed to eradicating esti-

mated billing because it is not profitable to us. We are ready to install 600,000 smart meters in next two years to ensure that our customers pay for what they actually consume.”

On the issue of tariff reversal, Amoda, stated that the singular act (order) will affect the power sector negatively. He said over 10,000 workers may be sacked, while investors will not just shy away from investing in the sector, international donors will also be discouraged from participating in the sector.

“On the court order on tariff reversal, we have appealed the court order for stay of execution. Meanwhile, that singular act will affect the power sector negatively. Investors will be discouraged from further investment in the sector, donor agencies may have a rethink.

“But the biggest one is that it may lead to job loss. More than 10,000 workers may lose their job if that judgement stands.

The company cannot continue to run a business at a loss. If we are not making profit, at least we try to cover our cost.

“Another thing is that if we go to status quo as contained in the judgement, we will reintroduce fixed charges. Right now, the increase in tariff doesn’t cover our cost entirely. Many things have to be done by reinforcing our network which are dilapidated. With this judgement, banks may not offer us credit because they will realise we may not recover our cost,” he said.

SOME members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), have lauded the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, for his quick intervention and resolution of internal conflict that rocked the association for years.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on the issue, a member of IPMAN who also is the Chairman of Obasi Vanguard, South Western Zone, Dr Kolawole Adewoyin, thanked Kachikwu for his efforts at restoring peace into the association and urged other IPMAN members to support the Federal Government’s aspiration to ensure products availability to all Nigerians at all times.

Dr Adewoyin also congratulated the Chairman, Board of Trustees, IPMAN, Alhaji Aminu Abdul Kadir, and other BOT members including Mr Tunji Adeniji, on their new appointment as BOT members.

He, however, called on the new president of IPMAN, Chief Lawson Obasi and the entire members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to carry all stakeholders and members of the association along. He said this will go a long way in uniting the association.

“I want to congratulate Chief Lawson Obasi for his new role as the IPMAN President. I will like to advise him to carry all members along irrespective of location or region. I want him and his team to continue to support the Federal Government’s aspiration to ensure availability of products at all times to all Nigerians.”

He also called on the IPMAN president to liase with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in ensuring that the issues of outstanding members’ tickets are addressed.

“I want to plead with my president to liase with the NNPC to ensure that all pending tickets at various depots are looked into as a matter of urgency. Our members have paid for products since December 2015 and are yet to load products. You should work with the NNPC to clear the backlogs of tickets nationwide and also work with the government to ensure that all NNPC depots become functional so that we don’t continue to suffer in the hands of private depot owners,” he said.

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Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Chevron invests $1.4m in health despite attacks on installations Stories by Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos HEVRON Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture (JV), has announced the launch of a $1.4 million two–year project in Bayelsa State, aimed at preventing the transmission of HIV from mothers to their newborn babies.

According to a statement by the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA), Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL), Deji Haastrup, the community–based Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission project (PROMOT II) is coming on the heels of PROMOT-I, a four-year project, which was earlier implemented in Bayelsa State between September 2012 and March 2016 and to which Chevron committed $5.3 million.

Both phases of the project were implemented in partnership with PACT, an international non– governmental organisation with active programming in Nigeria for more than a decade.

The PROMOT (II) project was officially launched on July 12, 2016 by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, who was represented by the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), Chief David Serena Dokubo-Spiff, at Ebbis Hotel, Yenagoa, in Bayelsa State.

The Bayelsa State Governor thanked Chevron for providing additional funds for the extension of PROMOT for another two years.

“Chevron is a good company and I commend the firm for providing additional fund for the extension of PROMOT for another two years, in spite of the harsh economic climate,” the governor was quoted to have said.

He noted that PROMOT (I) was a great success, as it contributed to the reduction of Bayelsa State’s HIV prevalence rates from 9.1 per cent in 2010 to 3.8 per cent by the end of the project’s third year in 2015.

Clay Neff, Chairman Managing Director, CNL, explained that the PROMOT (II) project is part of the company’s social investment efforts in the Niger Delta.

“Chevron invests in programmes aimed at improving access to healthcare to support the communities where we operate. Working with partners globally and at local levels, we dedicate our capabilities, resources and people to support initiatives that build local capacity and deliver real, lasting gains in the fight against devastating diseases, particularly HIV/ AIDS,” he said.

Clarifying the reason for the project, Haastrup, stated that “Fighting AIDS is not our core business, but it is essential to the success of our business. As a company, we depend on a healthy society. We therefore, promote healthy communities and improved access to health care aimed at eradicating diseases.

“The PROMOT (II) project, be-

C

ing implemented by PACT, will focus on promoting health careseeking behaviour among women of reproductive age (15–49), including those living with HIV, to utilise antenatal care (ANC) and Prevention of Mother-To-Child

Transmission (PMTCT) services in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state: Ekeremor, Brass and Southern Ijaw. Additionally, PROMOT (II) aims at strengthening community structures to advocate for accessible,

quality ANC, PMTCT and broader health services in Bayelsa State.

“Since the commencement of PROMOT (I) in 2012, over 386,000 people have been reached with HIV messages and 53,686 pregnant women were

tested for HIV and received their results. Additionally, 670 people have been trained on the latest PMTCT approaches and techniques and over 300 HIV-exposed infants were tested at six weeks.

“It is expected that during the two–year span of the project, at least 2,000 pregnant women will be tested for HIV and receive their results, while at the same time building the capacity of community structures of governance to achieve increased healthcare performance,” the statement stated.

Stakeholders to discuss depleting oil reserves at SPE conference

SSAEAC canvasses more options for TCN DETERMINED to entrench efficiency in power transmission in the country, electricity workers under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), have canvassed two additional options for the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to enhance its operational effectiveness.

In the last four years, TCN has been under Manitoba Hydro International (MHI), a foreign management company. Although its contract has since expired, it still got one year extension from government last year.

The President General of SSAEAC, Comrade Chris Okonkwo, however, suggested a re-composition of MHI counterpart management team and injection of new technocrats from the sector into areas that require strengthening.

He also suggested that MHI and its Nigerian counterparts should form a new structure.

In the third option, he also suggested that MNI can function as advisers to the Nigerian Management team with definite Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), even as he urged government to revise the cost component of MNI contract.

Okonkwo also called on government to revise the cost component of MHI contract and ensure an upward review of the remuneration of Nigerian Management team.

It would be recalled that in a memo it forwarded to the presidency recently, SSAEAC called for outright transfer of management of TCN to a reconstituted Nigerian management team.

Its position was premised on alleged poor performance of the foreign management contractor; perception of wastages of resources

due to non-performance; lack of clear Key Performance Indicators and lack of appreciable change in operational challenges from commencement of contract including system collapses, poor funding, process bottlenecks, etc.

Moreover, Okonkwo said in a statement made available to newsmen, that the union was giving the additional options in view of the possible misrepresentation of the first and preferred position of SSAEAC, which is now offering more options to widen government’s choice in taking informed decision on TCN. “One option is to have TCN HQ structure collapsed to have one MD/CEO (no MD TSP, MD ISO) with the following structure: MD/ CEO, ED (Tech. Service), ED (Market Operations), ED (System Operations), ED (Human Resources) and ED (Finance and Accounts). The General Managers and AGMs will fall under the EDs except for those to report to the MD/CEO. “The present structure of TCN with MD/CEO TCN, MD TSP and MD ISO may also be used. However, it could be suspended to achieve some measure of targets by compressing it as suggested above, without loss of positions,” he said.

He listed the problems impeding the growth of TCN to include, poor budgetary funding for completion of a ring grid by constructing/ completing critical lines to stem system fragility and poor tariff for wheeling of electricity.

NERC’s indisposition to good tariff for TCN using same considerations for Gencos and Discos; One-sided Orders against TCN in favour of other stakeholders

by NERC. For instance, TCN surcharge for low energy delivery without corresponding sanction

for GenCos for low generation and DisCos for rejecting loads and Surcharge of higher Transmission Loss Factor (TLF) without corresponding reward for TLF below benchmark of 8.05 per cent.

Others include non intervention of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to cover TCN underpayments in the market for services rendered; poor collection by DisCos and low payment to TCN from the market purse and poor salaries and remuneration for TCN staff in line with industry reality to reduce/stop loss of skilled workers.

On the need to improve the performance of Discos, Okonkwo said “government should renegotiate or review the operating contracts to remove power availability factor or clause to encourage total energy accountability, every amount of energy received must be paid for without excuses, otherwise, the sector will never takeoff in the direction of growth with so-called guaranteed or adequate power level.

“There is need for strong proportional representation of government in all Discos’ Boards to protect the remaining 40 per cent stake. Including restoration of Escrow accounts to check abuses of under remittances since discretion can never give objective results.

“Others include auditing of Discos accounts vis-à-vis energy received and amounts remitted, to ascertain real financial standing of each Disco and enforcement of payments for debts from the above audit taking into account the difference between new tariff and old tariff, to eliminate argument about tariff, among others.”

On the Gencos, the union leader called for a technical audit of all Gencos to ascertain real capacities vis-à-vis values at takeover and declared values today.

STAKEHOLDERS in the Nigerian oil and gas industry are set to discuss the challenges of depleting crude oil reserves which has fallen to about 36 billion barrels.

There have been calls for the Federal Government to ensure enabling framework that will encourage more investment in exploration activities in the sector.

Addressing journalists on the forthcoming Annual Conference

by Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the President of SPE Nigeria Council, Mr George Kalu, stated that after 40 years of existence, the SPE Nigeria Council has focused on what the future of the Nigeria’s sector would be in 2017.

“We have decided to focus on discussing the challenges of the oil and gas sector and recommend, via a communique, to the government for implementation.

We are not a profit making organisation and we don’t influence policy, but suggest ways on the way forward.

“In fact, SPE Nigeria Council was established over 40 years ago. Since then we have been delivering on our mission to support the development of technical manpower for the industry, provide catalyst and support indigenous participation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, while encouraging best practices amongst the producing companies.

“We have engaged and partnered with government, oil and gas producing and service companies on initiatives geared towards addressing pertinent strategic issues. This strategic focus has helped us to provide input to major Nigeria oil and gas policies. Key among these policies are on gas flare, marginal field development, and Nigerian content, among others.

“Our success has a lot to do with your sustained support and participation in our flagship programs; the Oloibiri Lecture Series & Energy Forum (OLEF), Student Technical Conference, Young Professionals Workshop and the Nigeria Annual International Conference & Exhibition (NAICE),” he said.

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politics&policy

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

Wadata Plaza

Sheriff

Sheriff: End of the road to Wadata Plaza?

LEON USIGBE writes on what becomes of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff against the backdrop of the Federal High Court Judgment affirming his ouster as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Makarfi

J

ULY 4 has been the most anticipated date in the life of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) this year. It was the day Justice Abdulahi Liman of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, chose to deliver judgement on the legality of the May 21 national convention of the opposition party. The implications of the date were grave and the parties in the leadership crisis waited with bated breath to learn their fates.

The court was to determine whether or not the convention was validly convened and its outcomes, legal.

Even the Independent a National Electoral Commission (INEC), which had been in quandary over the PDP crisis, was also waiting to be guided by the judgement. It will be recalled that former National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, had convened the Port Harcourt national convention in due consultation with all the organs of the party at a time he believed the convention would ratify him as the substantive national chairman of the party.

At the time the convention was being cooked, the post had been zoned to Sheriff’s North-East and indeed, he was chosen as the sole candidate of the zone in the run up to the event. But out of the blues, trouble germinated.

The former Borno State governor who had been the beautiful bride of the all powerful PDP state governors, sensed that something was fishy - the governors had a change of heart.

Working with a few members of the extant National Working Committee (NWC), he scrambled for court orders barring the conduct of election into the office of the national chairman, national secretary and the national

auditor. The governors’ apparent u-turn on his choice did not deter him at that point as he headed to Port Harcourt for the convention. But while in Port Harcourt and with the writing clearly visible on the wall, he hastily called a press conference in his hotel room and announced the cancellation of the convention while delegates from all around the country were already seated inside. He subsequently flew out of the Rivers state capital and convention went ahead without him. By a resolution of the delegates, the convention dissolved the NWC which he led and replaced it with the National Caretaker Committee led by Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi.

Armed with the order restraining the PDP from conducting elections into the three aforementioned offices, Sheriff argued that the national convention was invalid and continued to lay claim to the office of the national chairman. The PDP had rushed to the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to attempt to affirm the legitimacy of the convention and its resolutions.

On the judgement day, Justice Liman decided that the PDP national convention in Port Harcourt was duly constituted, declaring that the dissolution of the NWC and the National Executive Committee (NEC) by that convention was also valid. Similarly, the court held that the appointment of the Caretaker Committee of the PDP to oversee its affairs was legal and in line with the provisions of the PDP constitution. Justice Liman affirmed that Article 31 (1) of the PDP constitution vested the powers to convene a national convention on the NEC of the party.

The court ruled that pursuant to the constitution of the party, the former acting National Chairman had no powers to unilaterally postpone the properly constituted national convention on a day all delegates had converged on Port Harcourt. He described the action of Sheriff as most unconscionable, pointing out that Sheriff

With the national convention scheduled for August 17, Sheriff has another opportunity to rebound as he can play a vital role in the reconstitution of the PDP’s new national leadership.

participated in all the processes leading to the national convention only to make a u-turn at the final minute after he was screened and disqualified.

INEC needed no further convincing Nigerians as to whether to deal with the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee or the pretender to the throne, Senator Sheriff.

The electoral body got what it waited for - the Liman judgment and immediately recognized the caretaker committee as the authentic leadership of the former ruling party. Even though Sheriff had obtained another ruling which had ordered INEC to recognize his faction pending the determination of the case before it, the Port Harcourt High Court Judgement rendered the ruling a mere academic exercise.

The full weight of Sheriff’s twist of fate was given clarity

by INEC’s rejection of his candidate for the Edo state September 10, 2016 gubernatorial election. Having shied away from efforts to amicably resolve the leadership crisis all the while, he suddenly became more amenable to peace talks but his move was too little too late. At the week-end, he refuted claims that he has reconciled with the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party, against the backdrop of reports that the warring factions had buried the hatchet during a meeting held several days ago.

“I have the express permission of Sheriff to inform our teeming supporters and PDP faithful nationwide that he has not reached agreement with anybody, neither has he permitted anybody to conclude on any processes on his behalf,” Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Sheriff’s deputy said on Saturday. He added: “We are continuing with our cases in court, we respect the rule of law. Sheriff will address a press conference on Monday on the state of our party, PDP. Our goal remains to return the party to the people and stamp out impunity.”

However, although he has indicated that he would appeal the judgment, his camp has apparently crumbled on his head with his major backer, Senator Buruji Kashamu, abandoning him after the court judgment.

Former National Secretary and former National Treasurer of the PDP, Professor Wale Oladipo and Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, respectively, who were the only members of the previous leadership to remain with Sheriff, are now likely to jump ship since they were dragged to him by Kashamu.

Sheriff now apparently realizes that as far as the party chairmanship post is concerned, he may have reached the end of the road, but he does not want to be humiliated. All hope is not lost for him. For the umpteenth time, Makarfi stressed last week that there is enough room in the party for the former party boss and his supporters. And so, with the national convention scheduled for August 17, Sheriff has another opportunity to rebound as he can play a vital role in the reconstitution of the PDP’s new national leadership.

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politics&politics

AST year, Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa had emerged Speaker of the Lagos State house of Assembly in a keenly contested battle between him and some of his colleagues.

Some had thought he was unlikely to triumph. But even after his victory, some felt he would cringe with fear while being stalked by the long shadows of his intimidating predecessor, Rt. Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji, whose leadership stance held many spellbound for years. But with 88 resolutions and six bills passed in just one year, opinions are beginning to get moulded that Obasa has not only emerged from his predecessor’s shadows; he has carved a niche for himself in the sphere of legislative leadership.

No doubt, the state legislature had from onset set a clearly defined mission, when it was inaugurated by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, on the same date in 2015. Obasa, who is a fourth timer in the House, did not mince words in his inaugural speech, where he set an agenda of the state legislature. His words: “We are here to serve the people. Our new members will find that we are often besieged by lobbyists.

Their advocacy plays a valuable role here.

But, we must never forget whom we really serve – the people of Lagos State.”

In line with the objective, the House revved its engine, re-ordering the state budget to enable Governor Ambode deliver on his promises to the people of the state in good time. This, no doubt, was like a stitch that saved nine, as the re-ordering of the budget enabled the government to purchase state-on-the-art crime fighting equipment running into billions of Naira.

This in itself is historic as no state in the country had ever procured such equipment which included surveillance helicopters, patrol vehicles, armoured personnel carriers and more at the same time.

Noteworthy is the fact that Ambode administration’s first major challenge was tackling an upsurge in crime which greeted his assumption office. This was even as the state 2016 budget was delivered to the state Chief Executive in record time as promised by Speaker Obasa when the document was laid by the governor.

Close watchers of the Obasa-led Lagos Assembly believe that this move may not be unconnected with the promise that the lawmakers would not unnecessarily tackle the executive in the overall interest of the state. It was therefore not unsurprising that the Lagos Assembly made giant strides in the last one year, passing 88 resolutions and six bills within the period.

These included the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund law, 2015, aimed at tackling unemployment in the most populous state of the country. This is aside the Local Government Administration (Amendment bill), to deepen grassroots democracy, Neighborhood watch Bill to enhance Security. Some of these bills have been signed into law by the governor.

Apparently keeping to its promise to Lagosians, the House is currently working on a bill to stem the spread of cancer among Lagosians. Putting it more succinctly, Honourable Tunde Braimoh, chairman, House Committee on Information said the bill, which is one of the four sponsored by Speaker Obasa in the last 12 months aims to assist ‘poor’ Lagosians in the high cost of cancer treatment spread and generally look for the cure of the deadly disease.

When the Lagos Assembly therefore hosted media executives and civil society organisations to unveil her social media platforms, it was joy flowing like a river

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Bills, resolutions: Issues as Lagos Assembly raises the bar With 88 resolutions and six bills passed in just a year, the Lagos State House of Assembly may have set a template for governance in the state , CHUKWUMA OKPARAOCHA writes.

Ambode

Obasa

The 8th Lagos Assembly seems to be more active and less controversial than its predecessors which were engulfed in one crisis or the other. among the lawmakers and others present.

Obasa seized the opportunity to reel out the House achievements under his leadership and formally unveiled four the online platforms. He said: “For purpose of record, I will like to state that this House within one year has passed about 60 resolutions while 6 bills have been passed and consequently signed into law by Governor Ambode. These resolutions and laws are those that border on the security and wellbeing of Lagosians, and have direct impact on them. We shall remain undaunted and resolute in our resolve to take Lagos to a greater height. “I wish to reiterate that I am passionately committed to my 10-point agenda, as stated in my inaugural speech.

Within one year that I took over the mantle of leadership of this great House, we have had landmark achievements in prompt but thorough passage of the year 2016 budget, timely commencement of plenary sittings, organising constituency stakeholders’ meetings simultaneously for the first time in all the 40 constituencies

of the state, holding the MDAs to account through intensive and effective oversight activities and in responding earnestly to the petitions by Lagosians through appropriate standing or ad hoc committee.

Apart from this, we have not relented in organizing training programs for lawmakers and staff, a factor that has improved them.

“Today, I am delighted to inform you that this House now has a multidimensional and functional website, which we shall be unveiling today. For the first time in the history of this hallowed chamber since its 36 years of existence, you can now communicate with the honorable members through the official email address of the House. All the website’s social media platforms such as Facebook, twitter, youtube and instagram are also functioning properly. it is our belief that with all of them well harnessed, Lagosians can interact with us and also get first-hand information of whatever that goes on in this

Assembly.”

“May I also add that very soon, Lagosians would be watching live streaming of the plenary sessions from the chamber,” he added.

Like it did on june 8, the Lagos Legislature played host to a renowned constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) and rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), and a former Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Alhaji Musliu Smith on June 13, 2016, in continuation of its anniversary to mark the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election won by late chief Moshood Abiola had ‘’ Lagos State in a true federalism and state police’’ as theme.

The two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) agreed that Nigeria needed both political and physical federalism for rapid development. Both observed that Nigeria is the only Federal Republic without a state police and that States, Local Governments, and even schools could have their own police.

Falana revealed that Lagos for instance provided the Federally-controlled Nigeria police with not less than 600 vehicles in 16 years while the Federal government accorded the state with less than 200 within the same period.

Their agitation for state police was supported by the former IGP who said Lagos in particular was ripe for state police by virtue of its peculiarities and special position in Nigeria.

In his remarks, Speaker Obasa declared that every state that has the resources should be allowed to have state police in the spirit of true federalism. He equally demanded a special status for Lagos in view its strategic position and contributions to national development.

Appraising the 8th Lagos assembly a former chairman of the ikeja branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Monday Ubani thumbed up the performance of the Lagos lawmakers in the last one year. He said “I have watched the proceeding of the Lagos House. Most times, their debate is only centered on how to better the living standard of the people of Lagos, how to improve their welfare and how to ensure that the issue of basic infrastructure is addressed. Most of the people elected in this 8th Assembly are masses-oriented people; you will see it in their pronouncement, actions and debate at all times. Therefore my view and opinion of this 8th Assembly is that they have done some things that show that they are very sensitive to the yearning and aspiration of the people which is very key,” he added.

Ubani’s views were shared by the first elected female chairman of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) Mrs. Olufunke Fadugba.

“I will say the 8th Lagos Assembly seems to be more active and less controversial than its predecessors who had always been engulfed in one crisis or the other.

‘This particular Assembly seems to be focused and we can only pray that the situation remains so till the end of their tenure because it is not the beginning that matters but how well you end,” she said.

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politics&policy

Senator Yayi

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Governor Amosun

Isiaka Nasiru

Yewa and the quest for power in Ogun Yewa people of Ogun West Senatorial District of Ogun State are currently doing all within their power to ensure one of them succeeds Senator Ibikunle Amosun in 2019. TUNDE BUSARI examines the issues at stake.

S

INCE February 3, 1976 when the late General Murtala Muhammed carved Ogun State out of the former Western State, Ogun West Senatorial District comprising Yewa/Awori sub Yoruba ethnic group, has played a key role in determining electoral victory or otherwise of political parties with its current population figure at 1,109,884, according to the census conducted 10 years ago, the district is a force to reckon with, an attribute widely acknowledged by the other districts of the state.

Controlling five local government councils including Yewa North, Yewa South, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ipokia and Imeko Afon, Yewa West is blessed with the largest portion of Ogun State landmass. This and its geographical proximity with Oyo, Lagos and Benin Republic thus confer an added advantage on the zone.

In terms of quality personalities, who have made a mark in both private and public life, the zone can conveniently boast of figures like the late Chief Jonathan Odebiyi, late Dr Tunji Otegbeye, late Professor Afolabi Olabimtan, Professor Biyi Afonja, Professor Anthony Asiwaju, Dr Samuel Ayinde Ibikunle, Senator Felix Bajomo, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, Chief (Mrs) Ebun Oyagbola, Chief Adetunji Fadairo (SAN), among others.

This blessing, however, has not transformed the dream of the people to govern the state into a reality. The political actors from the zone, according to analysts, have not explored the natural advantage, hence their limited aspiration in the scheme of things in the state.

Both Ogun East and Central have produced two governors each in the late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Chief Olusegun Osoba and the incumbent, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. The most Yewa people would occupy is the position of the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly.

But it seems the people have woken from their 40-yearold slumber, evidence of which was seen at the launching of Ogun West: The Dawn Of New Political Era, a book authored by former Commissioner for Housing, Honourable Daniel Adejobi, on May 12, 2016 in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. At the well-attended event, the handwriting was too conspicuous on the wall. The body language was proportional with the voice of the sons and daughters of the senatorial district in attendance. It was obvious that the people had made up their mind to make their voice heard this time.

The representative of Ogun State Governor and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affair, Hon. Jide Ojuko, could not but challenge the people to work in unity towards the realisation of their dream. He reminded them that they would not get the power on a platter of gold but on the strength of unity of purpose.

In view of this, analysts are of the opinion that the Ogun West people need to reach out to the other senatorial districts with a view to articulating why they must support them to have their own share in the state power distribution.

One sure way to convince other senatorial districts, analysts submit, is to present a more credible candidate whose track record in politics is far above average and whose passion for the state is second none.

Of course, there was Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka. There was also Chief Adetunji Olurin. Both Yewa indigenes contested gubernatorial elections in 2015 under the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), respectively.

Although none made it in wrestling the baton from Senator Amosun, their participation was a strategic statement underscoring the potentials of Yewa people. With the experience of the duo in governorship election, they appear to stand a good chance of getting recognition if they show interest in 2019 elections.

But some stakeholders seem to be looking to the direction of Senator Solomon Adeola, another Yewa son but based in Lagos from where he was elected first into the House of Representatives, and the Senate at 2015 elections. Argument about Adeola’s indigenship was laid to rest when his origin was traced to Ishaga Pahayi, in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area.

While he was born and bred in Lagos, the senator, however, never disconnected with his people back home. There was hardly any major occasion he would not attend in solidarity with his root, a practice that has helped him build a strong, vibrant political base.

At the Ninth Synod Yewa Catholic Diocese Church of

Both Ogun East and Central have produced two governors each in the late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Chief Olusegun Osoba and the incumbent, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. The most Yewa people would occupy is the position of the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly.

Nigeria Anglican Communion function which he attended in June, the senator popularly called Yayi practically stole the show as the Bishop of Yewa Diocese Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd Micheal Adedayo Oluwarohunbi praised him for his interest in liberating Yewa people from political oblivion. Senator Adeola correspondingly responded with a reference to the theme of the synod as his motivation to show interest in governing the state. “I must say that the story surrounding this verse in the Holy Bible has a similarity to the modern day situation of Yewa people in Ogun State in their attempt to redress age long inequity and injustice that has manifested in economic underdevelopment and untold suffering of our people,” he said.

Another thing that may work for Senator Adeola’s aspiration is the recent reconciliation which has brought the former Governor of the state, Aremo Olusegun Osoba back to All Progressive Congress (APC). The reconciliation purportedly initiated by the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, did not lose in Senator Amosun who is alleged to have not been favourably disposed to Osoba’s return after the latter had walked out of the party soon before 2015 elections in the state.

However, it is not going to be a walk over for Yayi. Dynamism of politics will still come to play as party supporters would always spring surprise based on where their interest is better protected. Governor Amosun also would not fold his arm and allow his anointed candidate humiliated.

With the instrumentality of state resources available at his disposal, it is going to be his final battle to remain in good stead in his post-administration in Ogun politics.

Relying by the experience of his predecessor, Daniel who did not succeed to install his anointed candidate at 2011 elections, it is not impossible that the battle ahead will be tasking.

But relying on the goodwill Governor Amosun has garnered in his two-term tenure, undermining his strength will amount to a major error by his opponents.

In this circumstance and given the balance of power between his camp and that of Yayi, coming to mind is the Lagos State experience in the run up to the aborted Third Republic election in which the late Pa Micheal Otedola of the National Republican Convention (NRC) emerged the ultimate beneficiary of the division in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP).

It stood a better chance to produce the state governor at the 1991 elections. But the inability of the party to manage its post-primary elections crisis became its albatross and the last straw that eventually broke its back and offered a free meal to NRC. Regardless of which aspirant makes it, some analysts believe the Yewa people look good to have it in 2019, given Senator Amosun’s favourable disposition, as well as a recent interview by Chief Bode Mustafa, a strong member of APC, who unequivocally declared his support for the people.

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Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

features

Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 081 118 450 48

As NAFDAC workers prepare for another nationwide strike The lingering issues over poor working conditions due to unpaid allowances, among others are being viewed with serious concern by workers of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Members operating under the umbrella of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), have once again threatened to embark on a nationwide strike action that would paralyse the activities of the agency should the management fail to listen to them, writes BOLA BADMUS.

T

HESE are not favourable times for NAFDAC as members of the agency are threatening to once again down tools. The workers, operating under the umbrella union of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), on June 22, rose from its general meeting to mandate its congress to shut down its offices across the country should the management fail to listen to them.

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), an Agency set up by the Federal Government and authorised to regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and chemicals in the country, has been mainly in the news for wrong reasons for some time now, all because members of staff of the agency are not finding the workplace comfortable any longer. Due to this, a long sustained strike action that will culminate in the shutdown of the office nationwide is being planned by members of staff through their union, Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN).

But meanwhile, the union leadership, who has since issued this threat, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, appoint a substantive director-general for the agency in order to avert trouble.

Chairman of the union, Comrade Peter Joseph Anzaku, while making the appeal during a recent media parley in Lagos, said that the workers had endured for too long the debilitating conditions of service in the agency as opposed to better treatment their counterparts working in much similar agencies were enjoying, lamenting that all the grievances of the staff tabled before the immediate past director-general, Dr. Paul Orhii, with the intervention of the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had been jettisoned by the current administration of NAFDAC headed by Mrs Yetunde Oluremi Oni. According to Anzaku, the agency is now in a comatose state as it could not run most of its activities smoothly, accusing the current acting DG, Mrs. Yetunde Oluremi Oni, as being part of the problems that had occasioned the workers to go on strike many times in recent past.

The union chairman, therefore, demanded that the acting DG should go on her terminal leave before the agency is

plunged into further mess.

He said the union was making such demand because the acting DG had refused to honour the minister’s order to solve all the internal crises in the drug house and provide a template for the salary structure for workers, despite the intervention of all the stakeholders on the plight of the staff.

“A letter has been sent to the management in which the union gave a week ultimatum to address all the issues holistically. Failure to act, the union would have no other option than to embark on an indefinite strike. That, however, seems to be the only language the management understands,” Anzaku added.

MHWUN, through its congress, is also demanding an upward review of Job Specification Allowances as approved by the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission. Other demands, according to the union, include: immediate implementation of skipping of Consolidated Research and Allied Institute Salary Structure (CONRAISS) as directed by the extant circular of November 4, 2015. The union said this is based on the National Industrial Court judgment in favour of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and the non-payment of eight months pension arrears from May to December, 2011.

“The conditions that we are passing through are simply appalling and will no longer be tolerated. Staff morale has never been this low, coupled with the insensitivity of the leaders to the plight of the workers. We believe the time has come for us to take the bull by the horn and fight this cause to a logical condition.

“Our motto, ‘Safeguarding health of the nation,’ seems to have been compromised because of misplaced priority by the

NAFDAC generates about nine to 12 billion naira every year and to our understanding, 75 per cent of the funds normally should go for recurrent expenditure. But that is not the case.

top management. NAFDAC generates about nine to 12 billion naira every year and to our understanding, 75 per cent of the funds normally should go for recurrent expenditure.

But that is not the case. There are no capital projects that we are witnessing, which makes us come to the reality that the condition of service for us is a mirage,” the union leader said.

Anzaku, however, contended that the absence of a board in NAFDAC had set the organisation backward.

He said this had resulted in the workers being owed 13 months arrears to date, adding that, “Contractors are honoured more than staff members at NAFDAC and this is among our grievances.”

“We are highly resolved that this effort will be a huge success. We will also press for the acting DG to proceed on terminal leave having served her term,” Anzaku declared.

Anslem Okonkwo of the Public Relations Unit of NAFDAC in a swift reaction stated that “There is no serious issue with the management and the union. Like every other organisation, agitations would come and they would be addressed.

The management and union are always engaging in dialogue.

But towards the end of last year, there were some issues that they could not resolve before the new acting DG came on board. The dialogue is still ongoing. The management is trying to address some of the issues.

“The issue of allowances that they talked about is under salaries and wages commission. We cannot approve allowances on our own without government approval. It becomes effective with a circular. If a verbal approval is given, one must wait for a circular to make it effective. The discussions are ongoing. The agency is not in a comatose state.”

It will be recalled that on October 28, 2015, MHWUN gave a seven-day ultimatum to its management to address their welfare issues or face the consequences.

Incidentally on November 12, 2015, the workers made good their threat and embarked on a total strike. Following the move, the union had succeeded in shutting down the premises against management and the general public nationwide, thereby, paralysing all activities in the drug house.

While the threat lasts, one expects that the relevant stakeholders would rise to the occasion.

28 feature

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Women pharmacists strategise for drug-free Nigeria

By Kate Ani

T

HE Association of Lady Pharmacists in Osun State, recently, joined the rest of the world to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, with the theme: “Country with Drug-Free Lives.”

The commemoration which was aimed at raising awareness on the major problems that illicit drugs present to the society, as well as reminding youths and adults to avoid experimenting with drugs, was held at Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubese Town Hall, Ile-Ife. The programme had in attendance prominent personalities in relevant fields in Osun State such as the Chief Medical Director, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Professor Adebayo Adetiloye; educationist and chairman, Foreign Links Campus, Dr Fola Akinosun; the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura; Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Osun State command, Mrs Ekaete Egwunwoke; Osun House of Representatives members, representative of corporate organisations, OAU students and others.

The chairman of the event, Dr Fola Akinosun, in his speech, stressed the importance of sensitising Nigerians to dangers associated with drug abuse and trafficking. According to him, the menace of drug abuse was so enormous and intimidating that well-meaning people and professional societies cannot afford to fold arms and look the other way.

“There are staggering statistics and intimidating facts and figures that send cold shivers down the spine, as far as drug abuse is concerned. This day serves as a reminder of the goals of creating a drug-free Nigeria.”

He lamented the rate, owing to drug abuse, at which Nigerians engage in vices such as thuggery, cultism, armed robbery,

From left, Drug Department Unit, NDLEA, Osun State, Dr (Mrs) Yetunde; chairman, Foreign Links Campus, Dr Fola Akinosun and Dr (Mrs) Margaret Afolabi of the Faculty of Pharmacy, OAU, at the event. rape, murder and suicide.

“We must be decisive on seeing the end of this scourge. All hands must be on deck.

In addition, the NDLEA can still raise the tempo of its effectiveness by investing even more on technologies that can enhance its

ability to detect hard drug traffickers or consumers to thwart and frustrate their efforts.

Given the enormous damage narcotics do to humanity, no effort should be spared by any government to curb its menace,” he said.

There are staggering statistics and intimidating facts and figures that send cold shivers down the spine, as far as drug abuse is concerned. This day serves as a reminder of the goals of creating a drug-free Nigeria.”

The chairman, Association of Lady Pharmacists and the chief organiser of the event, Mrs Olubukola Iyiola, in her remarks, said the goal of the association was to ensure the eradication of drug abuse and drug-related offences in the state. She urged pharmaceutical companies to partner with the association to make the fight against drug abuse realisable.

“The association is passionate about this cause and we saw the need to help our community and ensure that people are properly taken care of, in terms of their health.

I would also urge governmental bodies and other associations to partner with us in order to reach our goals,” she said.

At the event, the cultural troupe of the Department of Theatre Arts, OAU, performed a short play on the dangers of drug abuse.

We plan to reduce road carnages through training of fleet operators —Oyo FRSC

By Oluwatoyin Malik NIGERIANS who access the internet were greeted with the gory pictures of victims of a tragic road traffic accident involving a commercial bus owned by a fleet operator and a truck which occurred on Sunday, May 22, along Umuahia-Okigwe road in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. Bodies of passengers were wedged between the vehicles which had a head-on collision while others thrown out of the commercial bus were strewn across the road.

With the comments of people when the story and pictures of the incident were posted, it was evident that the Federal Road Safety Corps has a lot to do with fleet operators, especially as road constitutes 80 percent of transportation in Nigeria.

It was in line with this that the Oyo State Command of the FRSC recently held a oneday workshop for fleet operators in the state to sensitise them on the enforcement of specific areas of Road Transport Safety Standard Scheme (RTSSS).

The workshop with the theme “Actualisation of the Corps Mandate on RTSSS Standards”, held at the FRSC office at Eleiyele, Ibadan, had representatives of several fleet operators in attendance. Among the attendees were Imo Transport Company, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Pacesetter Transport Company, Union of Tippers and Quarry Employers of Nigeria, haulage companies and Bovas and Company Limited, among others.

In his welcome address, the Corps Head

of Operations, Mr Segun Martins, who represented the Sector Commander, said the Corps’ mandate is to expand and cover operators that are having more than three vehicles against the initial that targeted operators having more than five vehicles.

“We are extending the number to reduce the rate of road traffic crashes. The workshop is one of our enlightenment programmes that are organized to sensitise and reawaken them to their responsibilities and to gear them to tell them the implication of not complying with the rules of the standard safety scheme. The forum is equally used to issue the certificates to those who have fully complied in 2015. ”The goal is to get them prepared and improve n their existing standard. They should ensure that they train and retrain their safety managers every year. We use this to sensitise those who have not registered to register their safety managers and ensure that they participate so as to improve their performances,” Mr Martins stated.

Speaking on the FRSC mandate on RTSSS, an Assistant Corps Commander, Henry Salami stated that Sections 197-202 of NRTR 2012 empower the FRSC on the scheme. He added that the scheme makes it compulsory for all fleet operators, whether private, corporate or government transport companies with at least three vehicles to be properly registered and regulated to improve the safety of their operations in the transport sub-sector of the economy.

Salami said that the RTSSS is implemented through public education and enlightenment of stakeholders, creation of database for all

Participants at the event registered companies to enable the commission to have necessary information for planning, regulation, certification and monitoring of all registered relevant companies to ensure better road usage, as well as continuous inspection, assessment certification and de-certification of relevant companies and organization in accordance with the set standards.

Salami also highlighted FRSC’s expectation from the fleet operators to include the establishment of functional safety units headed by qualified competent safety managers, provision of standard terminals in locations that will not lead to congestion, standard recruitment policy, training and retraining of drivers, comprehensive vehicle maintenance policy and implementation of approved passengers’ manifest, among others.

In his own address, the Route Commander,

RTSSS, Mr Femi Adeyemo enjoined all fleet operators to key into the scheme, as violation would attract prosecution.

He listed some of the violations that would attract penalty as failure to register with RTSSS, conduct annual training of safety managers and drivers, participate in the annual certification of fleet operators nationwide, prepare and implement safety policy for company, implement approved passengers’ manifest, appoint qualified safety manager and observe rest periods for drivers on transit, among others.

Adeyemo concluded by saying that the FRSC would be ready to prosecute any fleet operator that fails to comply with RTSSS standards. At the end of the workshop, certificates were presented to certified fleet operators who went through training in 2015.

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Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

FG must promote entrepreneurship —Awopegba Reverend Dr Remi Awopegba is the senior pastor of Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan. In this interview

by KEHINDE OYETIMI, he speaks on the state of the nation, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) among other issues. Excerpts:

land. He is a man of wide and varied experiences. He can be trusted with money and women. We congratulate him on his investiture as the new CAN president.

Many people are of the opinion that the church in Nigeria is not doing enough in arresting the economic challenges in Nigeria. In fact some people are of the opinion that the church is part of the rot in the country. How do you react to this?

The problem of our beloved country, Nigeria, is multifaceted. All Nigerians are responsible and accountable for what we are going through economically today. It is not the problem of only a particular group, and we cannot hold a particular group solely responsible for our woes. Individually and collectively we have contributed significantly to the rot in the country through our actions and inactions. However, as a church of God in Nigeria, Christians owe it a duty to rise to the challenge to build rather than to destroy.

Y

OUR church has grown significantly. What exactly is responsible for this growth?

Yes, Oritamefa Baptist Church is growing in leaps and bounds, in fact, it is tremendous. God and God alone is directly responsible for this growth. To Him alone be all the honour and praise. Jesus said “I will build my Church” (Mathew 16:18). The Lord, the owner of His Church, is the one building His church. We are only partners with Him in the kingdom enterprise.

In our church, there is an enabling environment for enhancement of growth, which includes; preaching and teaching of the undiluted word of God; free flow of the Spirit of God; love and unity; the spirit of concern and care in the church. Indeed God is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13).

What other areas of expansion are you envisaging and what are the seeming obstacles?

As we are growing spiritually and numerically, other areas of growth and expansion are also in progress. We are moving on with establishing of more churches for kingdom expansion. We are expanding in the areas of infrastructure and provision of facilities to promote worship, evangelism and missions. The major area of limitation or obstacle is financial constraints and we are praying that the Lord will continue to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19).

The President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Reverend Supo Ayokunle, just emerged as the new CAN president. What does this signal for the convention?

Rev. Awopegba

It signals something good and great for our great convention and the nation at large, particularly the entire Christian community. My President, the Rev Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle is a tremendous man of God, a man of no mean stature spiritually, intellectually, morally and in all areas of life. He is a colossus of our generation. We are blessed and very fortunate to have him on board at such a critical time in the history of our Convention and our nation. I have known him for over 36years, so I can say much about him. He is an epitome of dexterity, love and integrity. He ranks among the choicest of human beings to lead a people of his time and generation. He possesses the candor and charisma to lead the entire Christian community in Nigeria to our promised

Nigeria’s economy is at its lowest. Unemployment, crime, terrorism have taken centre stage. How do we get out of all these?

For all these problems and vices, ungodliness is the foundation. Ungodliness includes the corruption, which has become the cancer that is working at destroying us both economically, morally and in all dimensions. The antidote is for us a nation to repent of our evil ways and return to God. Where in your estimation do you think the Federal Government should focus its strength in fighting the economic shortfall of the country?

The Federal Government should face the issue of corruption and see to its end in Nigeria, or at least getting to the bearest minimum, that is not harmful to the nation, corruption is the bane of our economic problems in Nigeria, a nation blessed with enormous human, natural and material resources.

The government should promote entrepreneurship, education, healthy living, industry, food production, export products, godliness and unity of Nigeria.

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Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Hijab: Osun High Court strikes out stay of execution suit filed by CAN Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

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N Osun State High Court, sitting in Osogbo, on Tuesday, struck out application for the stay of execution of June 3 judgment which allowed Muslim students freedom to wear hijab to public schools.

The state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had on June 22 filed an application before the state high court asking for a stay of execution of the judgment.

But, at the court sitting yesterday, the presiding judge, Justice Jide Falola, in a brief ruling struck out the case based on the fact that the state Christian Community had approached the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, to sit on the matter.

Many adherents of the two religions and their lawyers, who had trooped

Ooni, Alaafin, Awujale, govs, others converge on Ibadan to celebrate Fajuyi Bola Badmus - Lagos ROYAL fathers including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, will on July 29, 2016 converge on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to mark the 50th memorial of the death of the first military governor of Western Region, Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi.

Other personalities expected at the event include governors from the South West states, Senators and House of Representatives members, cultural and political leaders, professional bodies and youth associations.

Organisers of the event, the Yoruba Think -Tank, an association of Yoruba professionals, made this known in a release made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Lagos, on Tuesday, through Mr Yinka Odumakin, saying the anniversary would be marked with a lecture by an Award-winning professor of English and poet, Niyi Osundare.

According to him, the lecture titled, “Fajuyi: The Politics of Remembrance,” will be followed by discussions featuring speakers from the academia and civil society, including the serving Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare; ex-Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank, Mr Fola Adeola and Professor of African-American Studies, University of California-Davis, United States, Wale Adebanwi.

to the court premises at Oke-Fia area of the state for the resumed hearing of the stay of execution application filed by CAN, met empty courtroom due to brief ruling of the judge.

The state CAN had in fresh affidavits deposed to

by Reverend Jacob Asani and Reverend Olasunbo Ige, urged Justice Falola to hand-off the case as the state Christian community had already gone to Court of Appeal, Akure, to adjudicate on the matter.

Consequently, Justice Falola, who had abandoned the on-going court recess to attend to the case due to its importance, struck out the stay of execution application filed before his court.

Osun CAN had through its counsel, Mr Olufemi Ayandokun, on Monday, July 18, headed for the Appeal Court to file all necessary papers including a fresh application for a stay of execution of the June 3 Hijab judgment.

During the last court

sitting on July 8, 2016, Justice Falola had admonished all the parties in the matter to refrain themselves from doing anything against constituted authority, saying his judgment was based on the law and facts before him “at that material time” and that the case was a constitutional issue that would still be taken to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the state CAN chairman, Reverend Elisha Ogundiya, called on

Christians across the state to be law-abiding pending the determination of the case before the Appeal Court while wishing that the state government would ensure that statusquo be maintained in the state public schools.

According to him, the state CAN would pursue the matter to a logical conclusion, just as he urged his members to be vigilant and prayerful for a successful conclusion of the suit at the Appellate court.

From left, Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Olasimi Akindele-Odunbaku; wife of the state governor, Olukemi Mimiko; Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his deputy, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, at the official inauguration of the Ondo State food palliative, on Tuesday.

Inflation: Ondo begins food distribution, targets 100,000 women THE Ondo State government on Tuesday kicked off with a food palliative programme (Eto IgbeAyo) targeted at 100,000 women resident in the state, even as Governor Olusegun Mimiko mentioned that the programme was blind to political affiliations.

Speaking at the flag off in Ikare, North Senatorial District, where about five thousand women received food items, Mimiko said the Ikare event was the first phase of the programme designed to draw beneficiaries from the 18 local government areas of the state.

The governor expressed concern at the sudden increase in the prices of food stuffs in relation to the dwindling economic situation in the country. According to him, his inauguration promise to share in the joy and sorrow of the people would never be jettisoned at any time.

Stressing the need for the Palliative programme, Mimiko said “when a man is hungry, he is hungry, when a woman is hungry, she is hungry, when a child is hungry, he is hungry,” adding that hunger is no respecter of gender, insisting that government cannot watch its people die.

Mimiko said some of his government’s intervention programmes like the Bus

Shuttle, Mother and Child Hospitals and the Mega School were meant to assist the less privileged in the society, adding that with the Eto Igbe-Ayo programme, government found it appropriate to provide food for the vulnerable in the society because “when you target women and children, you have targeted the family.”

According to Mimiko, the

programme was politically blind as it had been designed to benefit residents in the state irrespective of political interest, adding that the only condition was that residents must provide their Smart Card (Kaadi Igbe-Ayo) to benefit.

Submitting that the Palliative programme was designed to cushion the effect of the prevailing increase in price of food stuffs,

Mimiko said in the last one year, the nation’s income had nosedived drastically because of the fall of the global market of crude oil.

“As you are aware, revenue from oil constitutes about 90 per cent of our national earning, with the fall, the revenue accruing to our state has fallen to about 65 per cent. Just as income is falling, the price of goods and services are increasing.

Kidnap of Lagos monarch, a sacrilege to Yoruba tradition —Afenifere Bola Badmus - Lagos AFENIFERE Renewal Group (ARG), a sociopolitical organisation in the South-West, has condemned the abduction of the Oniba of Iba, Oba Goriola Oseni, and two other residents of Iba. Suspected Niger Delta militants had, on Saturday, invaded the palace of the monarch in Iba Local Council Development area of Lagos State and kidnapped him after shooting one of his wives and killing a guard.

Olawale Oshun, chairman of the group, in a statement released Monday evening, said, “ARG views the monarch’s kidnap as a sacrilege and violation of Yoruba morals and values.

“We note that kidnapping

and violent crime have for a while become the scourge of residents close to shoreline of Southwest states.

“ARG submits that security is at best a proactive concern and at its worst a reactive one. Consequently, the existing security framework in Nigeria, being largely reactive and unduly centralised, has never been efficient and reliable to support the policing of large parts of Nigeria in general or Southwest region in particular.”

The ARG also used the opportunity to advocate for state and community policing while calling on the six south-west governors to formulate an “acceptable security policy” for the region.

“One of the reasons the ARG has consistently been

advocating the institution of state policing in conformity with federalism principles is the escalating crime rate, despite the sacrificial funding of the centralised police force by respective state governments.

“We believe that security will be more efficient if state governments dedicate their resources to funding state and community policing in their respective jurisdictions.

“How worse should things get for Yoruba people and states before our governors realise the imperative need to work around the constitutional impediment on state policing and also, in spite of partisan bends, collaborate with one another to ensure that the security and wellbeing of their people are paid paramount attention.

Nigerian Tribune

Decision to re-open Bola Ige’s murder case welcome development —Omisore SENATOR Iyiola Omisore has described the decision of the Federal Government to revisit the killing of the former Minister of Justice and a political icon, late Chief Bola Ige and Chief Dokubo as good and a welcome development.

Senator Omisore, who spoke through his Media Director, Mr Diran Odeyemi, however, urged the Federal Government to extend its search towards unraveling the killers of late Funso Williams and Odunayo Olagbaju, just to mention a few.

Sen Omisore also advised the Federal Government and the acting Inspector General of Police to widen the scope of their investigation to all areas rather than limiting themselves to a particular area or section.

Speaking further, Sen Omisore said “I am particularly happy that fresh investigation will further exonerate me and others who were wrongfully framed up, suffered untold hardship before we were finally acquitted and discharged by the court.”

He, however, prayed to God to expose all the people and whoever was connected to all the killings under investigation while wishing the new IG the best of luck in the task.

OGSIEC collaborates with INEC, other stakeholders on successful LG election OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta THE Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), on Tuesday, promised to provide a level playing ground for all political parties in the October 8, local government election.

The electoral body said it would collaborate with the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), the National Orientation Agency, different political parties, civil societies and security agencies, to conduct a free, fair and credible election.

This was disclosed by OGSIEC chairman, Alhaja Risikat Ogunfemi, at a one-day stakeholders’ workshop for Ogun Central senatorial district, towards the election, held at the Centenary Hall, Ake, Abeokuta.

The OGSIEC boss, speaking on the theme “Organising and conducting free, fair and credible local government election: The Role of Stakeholders,” promised that the electoral body would work on the success recorded in the 2012 local government election.

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EFCC lied on Ekiti MDGs fund —Govt

•As govt, APC trade words over funding of Fayose’s EFCC case Ayodele Adesanmi-Abuja

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KITI State government has denied that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had discovered that N59.6 million meant for projects under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the state was diverted by Mr Abiodun Agbele.

In denying a media report alleging the above on Tuesday, the state government said “contract for the supply of nine units of ambulance, motorcycles and other medical equipment was duly awarded to BYKD Consult Limited and the contract was executed as awarded.”

The government, in a statement by the Special Assistant to Governor Ayodele Fayose on Public Communications and New Media, Mr Lere Olayinka, advised the EFCC to stop its media trial and investigations by trial and error, adding that “claiming that Abiodun Agbele bought choice cars from Affordable Cars Limited when there are records of purchase of nine ambulances from the auto firm is irresponsible.

For the avoidance of doubt, EFCC should kindly tell Nigerians the type of exotic cars that were bought with the MDGs funds. Are ambulances now exotic cars?”

Meanwhile, the APC)in Ekiti State has alleged that Governor Fayose is spending the state’s money to prosecute his legal matter with the EFCC. Publicity Secretary of Ekiti APC, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday, that “the party is in pos-

session of fact that the N22 million spent to charter airplane that conveyed his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome from Lagos to Akure

airport was allegedly taken from the state’s treasury.”

Olatunbosun said: “We gathered from a reliable source that a warrant for

Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, planting a tree during the kick-off of the tree planting ceremony held at the Babalola Memorial Secondary School, Efon Alaaye, on Monday.

GOVERNOR Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, on Tuesday, explained that the failure of Nigerians to think outside the box had led to the current economic crisis.

He said this during a breakfast meeting with organised private sector, held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, OkeIgbein, Abeokuta.

Amosun said the state of the nation’s economy had made governors “endangered species” among the people they are serving, adding that governors were erroneously accused of squandering the bailout funds made available to them by the Federal Government.

He submitted that over

and the money released almost immediately by the Office of the Accountant General.

“The N22 million is outside of the legal fee, which has been reportedly paid to Ozekhome by the state government, to pursue a personal matter for the governor whose private account was frozen.”

But the state government said the allegation “is baseless and untrue,” saying “the APC is well known for its lies and half truths and that kind of allegation can only come from the dirty mind of APC members in Ekiti.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, who reacted to the allegation, said “there is nothing like that .

He said: “the APC should stop disturbing the sensibility of Nigerians and face squarely the myriads of problems confronting the people because Nigerians are hungry and have never had a bad government as this.”

At summit, Fayose asks FG to declare emergency on agric 94,982 Ekiti farmers receiving support —FG Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti GOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the agriculture sector to stem the tide of hunger and poverty ravaging the country.

This is just as the Federal Government announced that 94,982 Ekiti farmers were currently receiving support from it, saying this was as it was captured in the 2016 budget.

The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, represented by the Federal Director of Agriculture, Ekiti State, Mr Oladipo Kolade, noted that Ekiti was naturally endowed and could adequately cater for its citizenry if adequately harnessed.

These were disclosed at the opening of Ekiti State Agriculture Summit 2016 with the theme “Rebirth of Sustainable Agriculture: Exploring New Investment Frontiers in Wealth Cre-

Economic crisis: Nigerians failed to think outside the box —Amosun Olayinka Olukoya-Abeokuta

the payment of N22 million being the cost of chartered aircraft that flew Ozekhome twice from Lagos to Akure was issued

dependence on oil had made every Nigerian to be very lazy, insisting that the era of free money had gone for good.

Amosun said: “We all know where over-dependence on oil has landed us, because every one of us wants quick money. Oil made us all to be so lazy.

“Governors are now endangered species because people believe that governors collected this (bailout) money and they cannot pay and they have mismanaged.

“You know why? Because everybody is so complacent.’’

People will just say ‘no problems, allocation is coming from Abuja;’ and nobody wanted to think out of the box. And when

the money stopped because we didn’t prepare for it, then there was a crisis.

“Everybody now is down.

So, those are our challenges. For us to now surmount those challenges, what we need to do is to work with the private sector and create the enabling environment.”

ation,” on Tuesday.

Governor Fayose said there was so much hunger ravaging the country, saying that the development demanded a swift and drastic response from the nation’s leadership.

He said: “The Federal Government must declare a state of emergency in the agriculture sector and also provide a bailout for the sector as people want to see food on their tables. It is then that people will be able to use agriculture to turn around their lives.

States are already under bailout as far as salary is concerned and there is little most states can do.’’

“FG must also do more in road and power sectors. Most farmers find it difficult to get their produce to the market.

There must be more investments in irrigation across the country too. Storage facilities are important as well. I implore the FG to complete and make functional, the silos it is con-

structing in Ekiti State. We need assistance to also finish the yam storage facility we are putting on in IlasaEkiti.

“On our part, we have created farm banks to allow people who don’t have land for farming have access to farmlands across the state. They only need to contact us and we will make land available anywhere in the 16 local governments of the state.”

In a keynote, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), called for reform in land ownership, saying this affected large scale agriculture.

Chief Babalola suggested that local governments in the state as well as families could establish farms, saying “local governments should encourage cooperative systems in each local government areas across each state of the federation.”

Ondo 2016: PDP aspirants, group kick against alleged imposition of candidate Hakeem Gbadamosi—Akure

AHEAD of the governorship election in Ondo State, governorship aspirants and some leaders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the northern senatorial district of the state, on Monday, said the zone would not accept an al-

leged plan by the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, to impose a candidate from the Central senatorial district.

This was contained in a communiqué issued by the aspirants and stakeholders after their meeting, expressing their displeasure over the endorsement of an aspirant

by Mimiko.

The aspirants, however, called on the state governor and proponents of the central senatorial district agenda to drop the idea and align with the rotational/zoning principle of the party, saying the preferred candidate is from the same district with the incumbent governor.

Tokyo no longer NURTW member let alone leader —Fele

By Olawale Olaniyan

THE Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde (Fele), has reacted to the media report where Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (Tokyo) claimed to be the Oyo State chairman of the union.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, Oyerinde maintained that he is the bonafide chairman of NURTW, just as he urged members of the union to disregard the purported claim.

Oyerinde, who is also the South West chairman of NURTW, declared that the court judgment was explicit.

“The court order Alhaji Tokyo was referring to was not in his favour, but in favour of NURTW and I don’t know why he is still referring to himself as the chairman of the union. He should allow peace to reign.

“He’s a joker and he’s not a member of the union anymore.

WEMABOD loses staff THE Controller, Human Resources, WEMABOD Estates Limited, a subsidiary of Odu’a Investment Company Ltd, Mrs Abigail Olaoye, is dead.

According to the Controller, Public Relations of Wemabod, Laolu Olatubosun, Mrs Olaoye, an Associate member, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, died on Tuesday, June 28, 2016, during an illness.

Olaoye, a 1988 graduate of English and M.ED (Guidance & Counseling) (1991 – 1992) both from the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State, before joining Odu’a Group, had worked with the National Board for Educational Measurement, Minna, Niger State.

When she joined Odu’a Group, she worked with Lagos Airport Hotel Limited between 1998 and 2005, Cocoa Industries Limited from 2005 to 2008, Lagos Airport Hotel Limited from 2008 to 2009 before moving to Wemabod Estates Limited in December 2009.

The final burial arrangements will be announced by the family.

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OPC threatens reprisal over Ijaw militants’ attacks on Yorubaland

By Kunle Oderemi

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HE Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has threatened sustained reprisal attacks on individuals and business interests of the Ijaw extraction in the South-West, over the spate of killings and kidnapping in Ogun and Lagos states by suspected Niger Delta militants.

The body warned that its members were increasingly becoming restive because they could no longer tolerate the Ijaw militants for misconstruing the hospitality of the Yoruba people for a sign of weakness and stupidity.

Scores of residents have fled their communities when the militants invaded Imusin and Ogijo in Ogun and riverine communities in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, with dizzying rise in cases of kidnapping of persons, including the traditional ruler of Iba land in Lagos, Oba Goriola Oseni.

Acting under the aegis of OPC (Reformed), the pan-Yoruba organisation declared, in a statement issued by Comrade Dare Adesope and entitled: ‘‘Incursion of Ijaw militants into Yoruba land: Enough is enough,’’ stated that the attacks “right on our own soil” amounted to an affront to the Yoruba nation and would henceforth at-

tract “decisive but comprehensive actions.

“Enough of these invasions, killings and kidnapping of our people right on our own soil. We of the Oodua Peoples Congress (Reformed) have waited for this long, hoping that the government would curb the deadly acts of the Ijaw people on our kinsmen in their fatherland in Ogun and Lagos states.

But, it has now dawned on us that the lives and properties of our people and, indeed, the masses are of no importance to those in authorities and the marauding militants.

“We are not amazed at all, because if the deputy governor of a state, who was carrying out an assignment on the instruction of her governor, could be shot at, either directly or indirectly by the so-called Ijaw militants, and up till now, nothing has been done about it, then the Yoruba need to take their collective destiny in their own hands,” the OPC stated.

Wondering if the current development was not an indication that certain categories of Yoruba leaders had been compromised by external forces, the body

said its primary mandate as a pan-Yoruba organisation was to protect the interest of the Yoruba race at all times, especially when it

was under serious threats.

It said its members had resolved to pick the gauntlet to pay the Ijaw militants back in their own coin if,

IGP orders reopening of Onitsha NBA chairman’s murder case Chris Agbambu-Abuja

ALL seems not to be going well in the police family as the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has ordered a special committee on investigation to reopen the murder case of Mr Barnabas Igwe and his wife Amaka, with the aim of bringing perpe-

trators to book.

The acting IGP expressed shame that all murdered cases in the past had never been successfully concluded and prosecuted.

He has consequently directed the team to dust up all high profile murder cases, as he is ready and prepared to make a difference in investigation.

A top reliable police

source disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune that the brutal murder of Igwe who was the chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Onitsha, was another case which was not properly prosecuted.

Igwe and his pregnant wife were killed in front of their house while alighting from their car in September 2002.

The police source revealed that despite the progress made on the case by investigators, the case was at the end of the day muddled up.

The source stated that even the main suspect who pulled the gun on the couple was arrested and confessed to the killing.

Wike promises to relocate street traders to new markets Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, addressing street traders at Rumuodomanya, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

APC protesters block high court, assembly complexes in Rivers •Protest, ploy to scuttle legislative rerun —PDP Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt RIVERS State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led hundreds of protesters who temporarily took over the complexes of the state High Court complex and House of Assembly complex, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

The protesters were demanding the swearing-in of two members of the House of Assembly, who were elected on the APC platform, Victoria Nyeche (Port Harcourt Constituency I) and Andrew Anderson Miller (Opobo/ Nkoro Constituency).

Reacting however, the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Felix Obuah, said the protest was a strategy by the APC to perpetually put on hold the rescheduled legislative rerun in the state, adding that the opposition was not prepared for the exercise.

The protesters, made up of APC members and some civil society organisations, first matched to

within 14 days, their leaders failed to call them to order and arrest their incursion into the South-West.

the main gate of the state judiciary complex on Station Road and later moved to the House of Assembly Complex,on Moscow Road, to register their protest.

Addressing newsmen later, national assistant secretary of APC, Oji Ngofa, accused the state judiciary of being the legal caucus of PDP and wondered why a judge of a state High Court would allegedly overrule the ruling of the Court of Appeal on the matter.

“We are here to demonstrate our disgust and to protest against the rascality of the Rivers State Judiciary. The Rivers State Judiciary has been made like the legal caucus of the PDP and judgments that have been given are so partisan.

“So today, we came as a people that will no longer tolerate a judiciary that have been knocked down by the state government.

The judiciary is meant for everybody; the judiciary shouldn’t have any party colouration. The judiciary should dispense justice to everybody equally,” he said.

However, Rivers PDP chairman, Obuah, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, said apart from the protest, the ploy by the APC included cooked-up fallacies and spurious allegations, all in a bid to stop the legislative rerun from taking place in the remain-

ing eight local government areas of the state on Saturday, next week.

He said, before the protest, he had wondered why the APC leadership in the state had not been campaigning ahead the rerun, but rather demonstrated complacency, unlike its PDP counterpart.

“The ploy centred mainly on giving names and blackmailing some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who they have not been able to buy over, wanting only compromised INEC officials who will do their bidding during the elections.

Assets declaration: Buratai discharged duty placed on him by 5th schedule —Solicitors

By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

A group of solicitors, under the umbrella of St. Francis Xavier Solicitors and Advocates, based in Abuja, has stated that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, having so declared the property as required of him by law, has discharged the duty placed on him by the fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. The solicitors, in a release signed by its princi-

pal, Osuagwu Ugochukwu, stated that by a letter dated June 29 2016, their law firm requested the Code of Conduct Bureau to clear the air over the said United Arab Emirates Property bought by General Buratai’s spouse, adding that the CCB responded to their inquiry.

“Without much delay, the CCB responded in her letter dated July 11, 2016 and stated clearly from the asset declarations filed by General Buratai that the said property was duly filed by the Army General and in the spouse’s name,”

the release said.

According to them, “having so declared the property as required of him by law, the Chief of Army Staff has discharged the duty placed on him by the fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. The Chief of Army Staff never made any false declaration and the said property was not acquired after he became Chief of Army Staff to warrant the invocation of Section 15 (3) of the CCB Act.

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has promised to build new markets and relocate traders trading on major streets and roads in the state capital and its environs.

He made the promise during his meeting with hundreds of street traders at Rumuodomanya, Rumuokoro and Okoronuodo communities of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, on Tuesday.

The governor said his plan to build the new markets was in view of his consideration for safety of the traders, noting that they were exposed to danger as they plied their trade on the busy expressway.

“I am here to personally talk to you because I know the level of support I got from the markets during the last elections. Therefore, all my actions are geared towards improving the environment where you do business.

“I know that you are on the road to seek your daily upkeep. But it should not be at the expense of other road users and your own well-being,” Wike said.

He said the street traders on the Rumuodomanya Road would be moved to a location provided by the community, assuring that the new market would be ready in two months.

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Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

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news

Wednesday, 20 20 July, July, 2016 2016 Wednesday, Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Crisis rocks NBA over election as aspirant drags association, Alegey, others to court Sunday Ejike - Abuja

W

ITH less than two weeks to its 2016 general election, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has been engulfed in crisis as one of the aspirants has dragged the association, its national president. Augustine Alegey and four others before a high court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, challenging the adoption of the Internet Voting (I-Voting) for the election and his disqualification to contest.

The plaintiff, who is the immediate past assistant publicity secretary of the association and currently an aspirant for the national publicity secretary, Mr John Unachukwu, joined

Ambassador Tabari dies in auto-crash at 64 A former Nigerian envoy to the Central African Republic, Ambassador Yahaya Tabari, is dead.

AmbassadorTabari died in an auto-crash on Monday night, on Kaduna-Zaria Expressway.

A close relation to the family, Alhaji Abdurrahman Nuhu-Bayero, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Zaria, on Tuesday, that the deceased died at the age of 64.

He said Ambassador Tabari had worked with Nigerian Foreign Mission in several countries including Saudi Arabia, Benin Republic and Central African Republic among others.

Tabari was survived by a wife, Hajiya Binta and five children.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Miss Miss Osifo Osifo Irene Irene II formerly Egbebalor now now MRS MRS ADEYEMO ADEYEMO Egbebalor IRENE EGBEBALOR. EGBEBALOR. All All former former IRENE documents remain remain valid. valid. Coscharis Coscharis documents Motors Limited, Keystone Bank Plc Motors Limited, Keystone Bank Plc (BVN), GTBank GTBank Plc, Plc, Heritage Heritage Bank Bank (BVN), Plc, FCMB FCMB Plc. Plc. and and general general public public Plc, takenote. note. take

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION Agienoji Mac-Maurice Mac-Maurice Ayodele Ayodele I,I, Agienoji am the the same same person person bearing bearing am Agienoji Mac-Maurice Ayo. Agienoji Mac-Maurice Ayo. Henceforth, II wish wish to to be be addressed addressed Henceforth, as AGIENOJI MAC-MAURICE as AGIENOJI MAC-MAURICE AYODELE. All All documents documents bearing bearing AYODELE. these names names remain remain valid. valid. General General these publictake takenote. note. public

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Miss Miss Gbetsere Gbetsere Toritseju Toritseju I,I, formerly Ebiere, due due to to the the change change in in marital marital Ebiere, status, wish to be addressed as MRS MRS status, wish to be addressed as TORITSEJU MAC-MAURICE TORITSEJU MAC-MAURICE AGIENOJI. All All former former documents documents AGIENOJI. remain valid. valid. General General public public take take remain note. note.

the chairman of NBA electoral committee, Mr Ken Mozia, Grace Infotech Limited, Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama and Mr Abubakar Mahmood, as respondents in the suit.

In the suit No. CV/449/16, instituted on his behalf by Chukwuma Ekomaru, the plaintiff prayed the court to restrain NBA, Alegey and the chairman, NBA Electoral Committee, from conducting the election for national officers by Internet Voting pending the determination of his suit.

Unachukwu also prayed the court for an order compelling NBA Electoral Committee to issue guidelines stipulating that the Electronic Voting (E-Voting) for the NBA general election be conducted in all branches of the NBA and that results be collated at branch level before transmitting same to the national secretariat of the association.

The plaintiff also asked the court to nullify his disqualification by NBA Electoral Committee and to declare him as the sole candidate for the office of the national publicity secretary of the association.

He also asked the Abuja High Court for an order compelling NBA Electoral Committee to issue guidelines allowing the use of manual voting alone in branches where available information technology infrastructure is clearly inadequate.

He averred that the NBA electoral committee had scheduled the 2016 general election for Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31, saying that he had expressed interest to contest and actually emerged sole

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Alabi Alabi Kehinde Kehinde II formerly Olanike now now ADEGOKE ADEGOKE Olanike KEHINDE OLANIKE. OLANIKE. All All KEHINDE former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

candidate for the office of the national publicity secretary only to be disqualified by the committee.

Unachukwu claimed to be an associate of J.K Gadzama Law Firm and

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

that since he was called to Bar in 2004, he has never worked for any public body or government agency, but in the private sector and in private law practice.

However, when the mat-

ter came up on Tuesday, the defendants prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable them respond to issues raised by the plaintiff in the originating summons.

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, after taking submissions from parties in the suit, adjourned till Monday, July 25, for hearing of all pending applications and the substantive suit.

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION Bose Balogun Balogun am am the the same same I,I, Bose person bearing bearing Tope Tope Bose Bose person Mowonuola .. Now, Now, II wish wish to to be be Mowonuola known and and addressed addressed as as BOSE BOSE known BALOGUN. All All documents documents BALOGUN. bearing these these names names remain remain valid. valid. bearing General public public take take note. note.

General

formerly Miss Miss Daramola Daramola II formerly Ebunoluwa Deborah Deborah now now MRS MRS Ebunoluwa OLAREWAJU EBUNOLUWA EBUNOLUWA OLAREWAJU DEBORAH. All former DEBORAH. All former documents remain remain valid. valid. Access Access documents Bank Plc Plc and and general general public public take take Bank note. note.

formerly Jennifer Jennifer Conniff Conniff II formerly Kumapayi now JENNIFER Kumapayi now JENNIFER YETUNDE KUMAPAYI. KUMAPAYI. All All YETUNDE former documents documents remain remain valid. valid. former United States States Embassy, Embassy, Niger Niger United Delta University University and and general general Delta public take take note. note. public

Abdulgani Olaide Olaide Ismail Ismail am am the the I,I, Abdulgani same person person bearing bearing Abdulgani Abdulgani same Akanni Ismail.

Now, I wish to Akanni Ismail. Now, I wish to be known known and and addressed addressed as as be ABDULGANI OLAIDE OLAIDE ISMAIL. ISMAIL. ABDULGANI All documents documents bearing bearing these these names names All remain valid. valid. First First Bank Bank Plc Plc and and remain generalpublic publictake takenote. note. general

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerlySalau SalauAbiola Abiolanow now II formerly SALAWU MORISELADE MORISELADE SALAWU ABIOLA. All All former former ABIOLA. documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerlyOkoye OkoyeEbuka Ebukanow now II formerly OKOYE CHUKWUEBUKA OKOYE CHUKWUEBUKA OLUCHUKWU. All All former former OLUCHUKWU. documents remain valid. documents remain valid.

General public take note.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

CORRECTIONOF OFNAME NAME CORRECTION

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Miss Miss Kazeem Kazeem II formerly Olubunmi Olayemi Olayemi now now MRS MRS Olubunmi OKUNLOYE OLUBUNMI OLUBUNMI OKUNLOYE OLAYEMI. All former OLAYEMI. All former documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General CORRECTIONOF OFNAME NAME CORRECTION

Akpodonor Obatare Obatare Loveth, Loveth, I,I, Akpodonor my name name was was erroneously erroneously written written my as Akpodowor Akpodowor Loveth Loveth O. O. and and also also as rearranged as as Akpodonor Akpodonor Batare Batare rearranged Loveth.

Now, I wish to be known Loveth. Now, I wish to be known and addressed addressed as as AKPODONOR AKPODONOR and OBATARE LOVETH. LOVETH. All All documents documents OBATARE bearing these names remain valid. valid. bearing these names remain Generalpublic publictake takenote. note.

General

formerly Ibraheem Ibraheem Idowu Idowu II formerly Abdulahi on on my my Account/ Account/ Abdulahi BVN now now IBRAHEEM IBRAHEEM BVN IDOWU. All former IDOWU. All former documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General

formerly Miss Miss Jombo Jombo Feyisayo Feyisayo II formerly Bukola now now MRS MRS JEGEDE JEGEDE Bukola FEYISAYO BUKOLA. BUKOLA. All All FEYISAYO former documents documents remain remain former valid. Ministry Ministry of of Works Works and and valid.

Transport, Ado-Ekiti Ado-Ekiti and and Transport, general public public take take note. note. general

formerly Miss Miss Omowumi Omowumi II formerly Oluwaseun Beloved Beloved now now MRS MRS Oluwaseun BRIGHT OLUWASEUN BRIGHT OLUWASEUN BELOVED.All Allformer formerdocuments documents BELOVED. remain valid. valid. NBA, NBA, GTBank GTBank Plc, Plc, remain FCMB Plc, Plc, UBA UBA Plc Plc and and general general FCMB public take take note. note. public

Salako Abdulkadir Abdulkadir Oluwagbemiga Oluwagbemiga Adeyinka Adeyinka I,I, Salako am the the same same person person as as Salako Salako Yinka Yinka Abdulkadir, Abdulkadir, am Salako Abdulkadir Abdulkadir Yinka, Yinka, Salako Salako Abdulkadir Abdulkadir Salako Olugbemiga Ade, Ade, Abdulkadiri Abdulkadiri Oluwagbemiga Oluwagbemiga Olugbemiga Salako Adeyinka Adeyinka A.O. A.O. Salako, Salako, Salako Salako Abdulkadir Abdulkadir Salako Gbemiga Adeyinka.

Adeyinka. Henceforth, Henceforth, II wish wish to to be be Gbemiga knownand andaddressed addressedas asSALAKO SALAKOABDULKADIR ABDULKADIR known OLUWAGBEMIGA ADEYINKA. ADEYINKA. All All documents documents OLUWAGBEMIGA bearingthese thesenames namesremain remainvalid. valid.General Generalpublic public bearing takenote. note. take

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Miss Miss Adewole Adewole II formerly Adenike Jumoke Jumoke now now MRS MRS Adenike OLADIPO ADENIKE OLADIPO ADENIKE JUMOKE. All All former former JUMOKE. documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General

Amao Samson Samson Oyekan Oyekan am am the the I,I, Amao same person person bearing bearing Amao Amao Samson Samson same Oluwakayode .. Henceforth, Henceforth, II wish wish to to Oluwakayode be known known and and addressed addressed as as AMAO AMAO be SAMSON OYEKAN. OYEKAN. All All documents documents SAMSON bearing these these names names remain remain valid. valid. PP && bearing G, First First Bank Bank Plc, Plc, GTBank GTBank Plc, Plc, Stanbic Stanbic G, IBTC Bank Bank and and general general public public take take IBTC note. note.

formerly Ishola Ishola Adebisi Adebisi II formerly Jelilat now now ALOLA ALOLA JELILAT JELILAT Jelilat OYINDAMOLA. My My correct correct OYINDAMOLA. dateof ofbirth birthisis12/4/1981 12/4/1981and andnot not date 1/3/1981. All All former former documents documents 1/3/1981. remain valid. valid. General General public public remain take note. note. take

Onawoga Amusa Amusa Saidi Saidi am am the the I,I, Onawoga same person person bearing bearing Hamuzat Hamuzat Saidi Saidi same Akinloye and Amusa Saidi Akinloye Akinloye and Amusa Saidi Akinloye ..

Now,IIwish wishto tobe beknown knownand andaddressed addressed Now, as AMUSA AMUSA SAIDI. SAIDI. All All documents documents as bearingthese thesenames namesremain remainvalid. valid.Oyo Oyo bearing State Civil Civil Service Service Commission Commission and and State generalpublic publictake takenote. note. general

formerly Mrs Mrs Oshiba Oshiba II formerly Rebecca Olubunmi Olubunmi now now Rebecca RISIKAT OGUNLANA. OGUNLANA. All All RISIKAT former documents documents remain remain former valid. Oyo Oyo State State and and general general valid. public take take note. note. public

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerlyMiss MissOkeoghene Okeoghene II formerly Jombo now MRS Jombo now MRS OKEOGHENE ADUKE ADUKE OKEOGHENE SALIMONU. All All former former SALIMONU. documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Mrs Mrs Oni Oni Mariani Mariani II formerly Apeke now now MRS MRS ONI ONI Apeke MARIANI DURO. DURO. All All former former MARIANI documents remain remain valid. valid. documents Union Bank Bank Plc, Plc, Skye Skye Bank Bank Union Plc and and general general public public take take Plc note. note.

formerlyMiss MissLawal LawalBukonla Bukonla II formerly Nurat now now MRS MRS ALABI ALABI Nurat ADEBUKONLA NURAT. NURAT. All All ADEBUKONLA former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

CORRECTIONOF OFNAME NAMEAND AND CORRECTION DATEOF OFBIRTH BIRTH DATE Oyesile Oluwafemi Oluwafemi Emmanuel Emmanuel am am I,I, Oyesile not Chris Chris Emmanuel.

Emmanuel. Henceforth, Henceforth, not my correct correct name name isis OYESILE OYESILE my OLUWAFEMI EMMANUEL. EMMANUEL. My My OLUWAFEMI correct date date of of birth birth isis 31/01/1983.

31/01/1983. correct All documents documents bearing bearing these these names names All remainvalid. valid.General Generalpublic publictake takenote. note. remain

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Micheal Micheal Godwin Godwin II formerly now OGBONNAYA now OGBONNAYA MICHEAL GODWIN. GODWIN. All All MICHEAL former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Adebola Adebola Morenike Morenike II formerly Kolawolenow nowABASS ABASSADIJAT ADIJAT Kolawole MORENIKE. All All former former MORENIKE. documents remain remain valid. valid. Skye Skye documents Bank Plc Plc and and general general public public Bank take note. note. take

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Miss Miss Olajumoke Olajumoke II formerly Titilola Funmilayo Funmilayo now now Titilola MRS OLOGUN OLOGUN TITILOLA TITILOLA MRS FUNMILAYO. All All former former FUNMILAYO. documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Miss Miss Bunmi Bunmi II formerly Jumoke Ogunlade Ogunlade now now MRS MRS Jumoke ESAN BUNMI BUNMI JUMOKE. JUMOKE. All All ESAN former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Iyabo Iyabo II formerly Alimotu Owodunni Owodunni now now Alimotu OWODUNNI ALIMOTU ALIMOTU OWODUNNI SADIA. All former SADIA. All former documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Obadara Obadara Isaac Isaac II formerly Olawale now now AIJOTAN AIJOTAN Olawale ISAAC OLAWALE. OLAWALE. All All ISAAC former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION

formerly Miss Miss Olayiwola Olayiwola II formerly Ayoka Ganiyat Ganiyat now now MRS MRS Ayoka YONUSIMI AKANDE YONUSIMI AKANDE YANMIFE FAVOUR. FAVOUR. All All YANMIFE former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Akintayo Akintayo Kudirat Kudirat II formerly Funmilola now now OYEPADE OYEPADE Funmilola KUDIRAT FUNMILOLA. FUNMILOLA. KUDIRAT All former former documents documents All remain valid. valid. General General public public remain take note. note. take

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Faith Faith Omoniya Omoniya II formerly now MRS MRS AKINBODE AKINBODE now BOLATITO VICTORIA. VICTORIA. BOLATITO All former former documents documents All remain valid. valid. General General remain public take take note. note. public CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Miss Miss Aderibigbe Aderibigbe II formerly Esther Omolayo Omolayo now now MRS MRS Esther OGUNSEYE ESTHER OGUNSEYE ESTHER OMOLAYO. All All former former OMOLAYO. documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Alli Alli Tina Tina II formerly Adebimpe now now ALLI ALLI Adebimpe TOYIN DUPE. DUPE. All All former former TOYIN documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Miss Miss Oladele Oladele II formerly Olajumoke Aminat Aminat now now MRS MRS Olajumoke BINUYO OLAJUMOKE BINUYO OLAJUMOKE AMINAT. All former AMINAT. All former documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION Orimolade Omolara Omolara am am the the I,I, Orimolade same person person bearing bearing Alarape Alarape same Eunice Orimolade Orimolade .. Henceforth, Henceforth, Eunice wish to to be be known known and and II wish addressed as as ALARAPE ALARAPE EUNICE EUNICE addressed ORIMOLADE. All All documents documents ORIMOLADE. bearing these these names names remain remain valid. valid. bearing General public take note.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION Sulaiman Wasiu Wasiu Adigun Adigun am am the the I,I, Sulaiman same person person as as Sulaiman Sulaiman Wasiu Wasiu same Ayanwale .. Henceforth, Henceforth, II wish wish Ayanwale to be be known known and and addressed addressed as as to SULAIMAN WASIU WASIU ADIGUN. ADIGUN. SULAIMAN All documents documents bearing bearing these these All names remain remain valid. valid. General General names public take take note. note. public

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Sunday Sunday Sanni Sanni II formerly Bakarenow nowABU ABUSUNDAY. SUNDAY. Bakare All former former documents documents All remain valid. valid.

General remain General public take take note. note. public CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Osunkunle Osunkunle II formerly Olajumoke Anuoluwapo Olajumoke Anuoluwapo now Falayajo Falayajo Olajumoke Olajumoke now Anuoluwapo. All All former former Anuoluwapo. documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Mr Mr Abass Abass II formerly Ibukunoluwa now now MR MR ABASS ABASS Ibukunoluwa IBUKUN MOBOLUWADURO. MOBOLUWADURO. IBUKUN All former former documents documents remain remain All valid. GTBank GTBank Plc, Plc, NYSC NYSC and and valid. general public public take take note. note. general

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Miss Miss Akinade Akinade II formerly Abiodun Dorcas Dorcas now now MRS MRS Abiodun BABALOLA ABIODUN ABIODUN BABALOLA DORCAS. All All former former DORCAS. documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

Ilemona Adama Adama isis my my correct correct name name I,I, Ilemona and not not Ilemona Ilemona Abubakar Abubakar Adama Adama and as erroneously erroneously written written in in my my First First as Bank Account.

Account. Henceforth, Henceforth, II wish wish Bank to be be known known and and called called ILEMONA ILEMONA to ADAMA. All All documents documents bearing bearing ADAMA. these remain remain valid. valid. First First Bank Bank Plc Plc and and these general public take note. general public take note.

formerly Mr. Mr. Ojebode Ojebode Sunday Sunday II formerly Rafiuu now now MR MR OJEBODE OJEBODE Rafi SUNDAY AKANJI. AKANJI. All All former former SUNDAY documents remain remain valid. valid. DUFIL DUFIL documents (DeUnited UnitedFood FoodIndustries IndustriesLtd.) Ltd.) (De and general general public public take take note. note. and

formerly Miss Miss Dauda Dauda II formerly Khairat Arike Arike Mojisola Mojisola Khairat now MRS MRS ABDULSALAM ABDULSALAM now KHAIRAT ARIKE. ARIKE. All All KHAIRAT former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION Kareem Iyabode Iyabode Abosede Abosede am am I,I, Kareem the same same person person as as Kareem Kareem Bose.

Bose. the Henceforth, II wish wish to to be be known known Henceforth, and addressed addressed as as KAREEM KAREEM and IYABODE ABOSEDE. All IYABODE ABOSEDE. All documents bearing bearing these these remain remain documents valid. General General public public take take note. note. valid.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Salawu Salawu Fatai Fatai II formerly Ogunremi now now SALAWU SALAWU Ogunremi FATAI AKANNI. AKANNI. All All FATAI former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Kareem Kareem II formerly Mukila Ajisafe Ajisafe Taiwo Taiwo now now Mukila ADELEKE MUKAILA ADELEKE MUKAILA AJISAFE. All All former former AJISAFE. documents remain remain valid. valid. documents General public public take take note. note.

General CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

formerly Mr. Mr. Adeoye Adeoye II formerly Asimiyu Oyedele Oyedele now now MR MR Asimiyu ASIMIYU ADEOYE. ADEOYE. All All ASIMIYU former documents documents remain remain former valid. Skye Skye Bank Bank Plc Plc and and valid. general public public take take note. note. general

CORRECTION OF OF NAME NAME CORRECTION

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE

CONFIRMATIONOF OFNAME NAME CONFIRMATION Adewale Sola Sola Racheal Racheal am am the the I,I, Adewale same person person bearing bearing Adewale Adewale same Sola Bolanle.

Bolanle. Now, Now, II wish wish to to Sola be known known and and addressed addressed as as be ADEWALESOLA SOLARACHEAL. RACHEAL.All All ADEWALE documents bearing bearing these these remain remain documents valid. General General public public take take note. note. valid.

CHANGE OF OF NAME NAME CHANGE formerly Abiodun Abiodun II formerly Taiwo now now OYEWOLE OYEWOLE Taiwo SAFURAT ABIODUN. ABIODUN. All All SAFURAT former documents documents remain remain former valid. General General public public take take valid. note. note.

35 CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Daniel Chidima Sabina now MRS CHUKWUDI CHIDIMA SABINA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Wale Dairo now DAIRO TOHEEB ADELANI. All former documents remain valid.

UBA Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Miss Sadiq Adetutu Rukayat now MRS OLAJIDE ADETUTU RUKAYAT. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Toyin Samuel now AWOGBEMI O L U WA T O Y I N ADERONKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Sarafa Adekunle Azeez am the same person bearing Sarafadeen Adekunle Azeez. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as SARAFADEEN ADEKUNLE AZEEZ. All documents bearing these names remain valid. UBA Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Mathew Kehinde Cecelia now BABATUNDE CECELIA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Kabiru Musari Hassan now HASSAN GBENGA KABIRU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Mrs Bunmi Olanipekun now MISS ADEDAPO AGNES OLUBUNMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Miss Dawodu Adebamigbe Busola now MRS DADA ADEBAMIGBE BUSOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly AmbeLamidi Anifat Ibironke now LAWAL ANIFAT IBIRONKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Mrs Adewuyi Justinah Atinuke now MRS ADEWUYI YEMISI ATINUKE. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc, Oyo State SUBEB, Ogbomoso South L.G.E.A and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Hassan Tolani Alimot now MRS OKE OMOTOLANI MARIAM. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Adebowale Faith Olabisi now ADEBOWALE FATIAH OMOBONIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Moshood Rasheed Ajani now OGUNDIRAN RASHEED AJANI. All former documents remain valid.

EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Olapeju Jegede now JEGEDE CECILIA KIKELOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Destiny Ehikioya Saints now EHIKIOYA GODSTIME. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I formerly Miss Abass Bolanle Adenike now MRS SOMIDE BOLANLE ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, Asukwo Bassey Okon am the same person bearing Asukwo Bassey.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ASUKWO BASSEY OKON. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc., UBA Plc, Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Faoye Bolaji now OMITIRAN BOLAJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Aderonmu Serifat Taiwo now MRS OLAOYE SERIFAT TAIWO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oladele Roseline Adesewa now MRS ADEOSUN ROSELINE ADESEWA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Miss Abimbola Salako now MRS YUSUF BIMBO FUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid.

Wema Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Olujobade Funmilayo now OLADAPO MOROMOKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Ihiansekhien Joseph Obhonkeghan am the same person bearing Ihiansekhien Atalebonamhienle Joseph, Ihiansekhien Amienbhona Joseph. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as IHIANSEKHIEN JOSEPH OBHONKEGHAN. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I formerly Miss Aremu Ronke Damola now MRS RONKE DAMOLA AREMU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Ikotun Evelyn Temilade now MRS OGUNTOMINIYI EVELYN TEMILADE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Momoh Wasiu Adisa now JIMOH WASIU OLASUNKANMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Awoyera Kafaya Bolanle am the same person bearing Bose Oguntimileyin. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as AWOYERA KAFAYA BOLANLE. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Ahmed Isiaka now AHMMED ISIAKA AMODU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Miss Ajimobi Ifedolapo Karimot now MRS OJO IFEDOLAPO KARIMOT. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Adelana Oluwaseun Oluwadamilare am the same person bearing Adelana Oluwaseun Cruise Dare. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as ADELANA OLUWASEUN CRUISE DARE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. GTBank Plc, First Bank Plc, FCMB Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Shodipe Adebola Florence now MRS ANDRE ADEBOLA FLORENCE. My correct date of birth is 28th of May, 1981 All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Miss Adetoro Tolulope Omolara now MRS AKINBI TOLULOPE OMOLARA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Olusoga Oluwayemisi Abigael am the same person bearing Odumusi Yemi Nike. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLUSOGA OLUWAYEMISI ABIGAEL. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Guranty Trust Bank and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Manyude Samson Nwaibe now ENEMAKU LUCKY NWAIBE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Agbaje Simiyu Ajibola born on 18th day of August, 1977 am the same person bearing Ajibola Semiu Agbaje.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AGBAJE SIMIYU AJIBOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Aluko Kehinde Adewumi am the same person bearing Aluko Kehinde.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ALUKO KEHINDE ADEWUMI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public take note.

I, Jinadu Akeem Tunde am the same person bearing Jinadu Akeem Oloso. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as JINADU AKEEM TUNDE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Austine Chiboy now AKACHUKWU AUSTINE CHINEDU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Raji Abisola Alake now RAJI RAFIYAT ABISOLA. All former documents remain valid.

EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Adedokun Rose am the same person bearing Rosemary Raymond.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ROSEMARY RAYMOND. All documents bearing these names remain valid. GTBank Plc, First Bank Plc, and general public take note.

I formerly Miss Joseph Margaret Blessing now MRS ADEBOGUN MARGARET BLESSING. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Morufat Amodu now AYOADE AYOMIDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Suleiman Abosede Olabisi now SULEIMAN NAFISATU ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Mrs Jubril Serifat Ajiun now MRS JUBRIL SERIFAT MOJISOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Muibi Raheem now OGUNSANYA RAHEEM BOLATITO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Ogunniyi Toyosi Janet now MRS AWOBAMIRO TOYOSI JANET. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Miss Olaniyi Kafayat Abimbola now MRS ADEBUSOYE KAFAYAT ABIMBOLA. All former documents remain valid. Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Salami Funsho Abake now MRS OJO-KAYODE FUNSHO ABAKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Rabiu Suraju am the same person bearing Rabiu Surajo and Suraju Rabiu. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as RABIU SURAJU. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public take note.

I formerly Miss Hassan Rafiat Aramide now MRS BALOGUN RAFIAT ARAMIDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Ilori Bisiriyu Alabi now ILORI BISIRIYU OLAEGBE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Kolawole Shefinat Bolanle now MRS OLADEJI SHEFINAT BOLANLE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I formerly Omoye Idoboiwa now OMOYEMI BOBADE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Lawal Ganiyu A. now LAWAL REMI GANIYU. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Victoria Olusola now VICTORIA ADENIRAN. All former documents remain valid. Ministry of Education and School of Handicap Oyo State and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Akinsuroju Ola Moses now AKINSUROJU MOSES DAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Miss Orimoloye Tosin Mercy now MRS ADETIBA TOSIN MERCY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Olayemi Bola Folasade now AJIBADE OLUYINKA ADEJUMOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Ogunniran Oluwabunmi Folasade now MRS ADEBISI OLUWABUNMI FOLASADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Osunkoya Tinuola Adesiyan now ADERIBIGBE TINUOLA ADESIYAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Chukwu Uloma now MRS EZEBUIRO ULOMA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Esiemieghan Micheal now ESIEMIEGHAN MICHEAL EBIJOH. Ebijoh being added to my name. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Ethofe Oghale now MRS OKENINI OGHALE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I Ton-Emi Ofiriki Gbeperekomo am the same person as Ton-Emi Ofiriki.

Now, I want to be known and addressed as TON-EMI OFIRIKI GBEPEREKOMO. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

I Oweikiri Patrick am the same person as ANTHONY OWEIKIRI BIBOBRAKE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

ADDITION OF NAME

ADDITION/ CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Abdulrauf Mutiu now ADEKUNLE RAUF MUTIU OKUNOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Adejayan Stella Mowaola now ADEJAYAN STELLA ALABA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Aremu Yekini Adegbindin now LASISI YEKEEN AREMU. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Odorewhu Onoriode Moses, Odorewhu Onos Moses now ONAEMOR ONOS MOSES. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CORRECTION OF NAME I, Idris Babatunde Nureni hereby declare that I am not Babatunde Idris Nureni. Henceforth, my correct name is Idris Babatunde Nureni. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

GTBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Adeshida Aina and Amos Aina now OTOKITI AINA ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olaiya Tayo Bunmi now MRS FADAHUNSI OLUWABUNMI TEMITAYO. All former documents remain valid.

Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission, SUBEB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Charles Ebikabowei now PAKEMI EBIKABOWEI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

ADDITION/ CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I formerly Airaodion Okhievute now IKOLO OKEREMUTE QUINCY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Maureen Osharejirue am the same person as Maureen Katie Osharejirue. Now, I want to be known and addressed as MAUREEN KATIE OSHAREJIRUE. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Kalejaiye Modupe Oluremilekun now ADETAYOKALEJAIYE MODUPE OLUREMILEKUN. All former documents remain valid. General public and Authority concerned take note.

I formerly Miss Osikomaiya Iyabode Asake now MRS OSILAJA OLUWAPELUMI OLUWATOYOSI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Hassan Rafiat Aramide now MRS BALOGUN RAFIAT ARAMIDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Miss Ngozi Assumpta Emeh now MISS NGOZI ASSUMPTA OKEKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly Afolabi Adenike Mojirayo now ADEYEMO ADENIKE MOJIRAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

THIS BOX IS FOR SALE

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Ahaiwe Goodluck Chigaemezu now MRS JEREMIAH GOODLUCK IKECHI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Majekodunmi Funmilayo Moronke Ronke Hephzibah now MRS OLORUNKOSEBI FUNMILAYO HEPHZIBAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

36

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Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

We’re strengthening Public Procurement Act to check corruption —Dogara

Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel - Abuja

S

PEAKER of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday, called for the need to strengthen the Public Procurement Act for optimal budget performance and to check corruption.

This is coming just as the House Committee on Public Procurement advocated for new procurement system for the nation’s defence sector.

The speaker, while declaring open the public hearing on a bill for an Act to amend the public procurement Act, 2007, HB. 475, charged the Committee on Public Procurement to get inputs from stakeholders for the purpose of amending the Public Procurement Act in line with international best practices and report back to the House.

He, however, recalled that the Public Procurement Act 2007 was enacted to curb the excesses in the award and execution of government contracts and the sheer inadequacy of existing regulations.

He said that “It has, however, become inevitable in the light of recent happenings, that the Act is due for amendment to further check corruption and procurement irregularities.”

In considering the amendments, he advised the committee to look at the possibility of shortening the time spent on public procurement in order to ensure budget execution within a budget year.

He equally asked the committee to consider the issue of mobilisation fees for government, adding that the committee should also look at the composition of the National Council on Procurement to ensure its neutrality and effectiveness.

On his part, the Chairman of the committee, Honourable Wole Oke, maintained that, “There is urgent need to create a new procurement system for our defence sector.”

According to him, “the events of last few months underscore this need for a paradigm shift in the way we conduct our defence procurement. We need a system that is backed by the right and most appropriate legal framework. A system that has global reference and that we can be proud of in the comity of nations.”

Part of the amendment the committee is working on, he said, has to do with inclusion of “a new member to the council, amending the procedure for appointing the Director General and fully extending the applica-

tion of the Act to Defence procurement.”

Speaking further, he said, “The legislative intervention we are taking in reforming the procurement system in Nigeria is the review and amendment of the public procurement Act.

“The enactment of the Act has over the years proven to be counter-productive and so not reflecting contemporary developments in the procurement sector. Similarly, some key provisions of the Act have not been fully implemented by suc-

cessive governments.

“A notable example is the failure to appoint members of the National Council on Public Procurement (NCPP). This has gravely affected the rapid advancement of our procurement system in a manner that can

be likened to an aircraft flying on only one of two engines. If we must prevent a crash, we must turn on the second engine to create the needed balance,” he stated.

Why I’m circulating ‘simple agenda’ —Ize-Iyamu Banji Aluko - Benin City

From left, Lagos State governor and Chairman, National Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Akinwunmi Ambode; APC gubernatorial candidate in Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki and the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, during Governor Ambode’s visit to Edo State, on Tuesday.

The Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru Ikelebe III (right) and the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, at the palace of the Otaru, when the latter took his gubernatorial campaign to Etsako West Local Government Area of the state, on Tuesday.

EDO State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has explained the reason behind his widely circulated campaign brochure called ‘Simple Agenda’, declaring that the printed material would be used by the people of the state to assess his government.

He said in the years to come, Edo people would be able to look at the brochure and place it with his achievements, adding that politicians could no longer stand on a podium and recite their plans and manifestos without a proper documentation of how they would be assessed.

The PDP governorship candidate, who spoke at the palace of the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliu Momoh Ikelebe III, when his campaign team berthed in Etsako West Local Government Area, said a major town such as Auchi and some other towns deserve modern development with modern schools, hospitals, markets and infrastructures.

Responding, the Otaru of Auchi said, “The hour is near when the heaven and earth will be no more. Depending on what we do in this life, we will get reward here and hereafter. We should do justice to all, either Christian or Muslim.”

Treasury looters can’t be Edo gov —Oshiomhole Banji Aluko - Benin City

GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says self-confessed treasury looters will be rejected at the polls on September 10, by the people of the state.

Speaking during a visit to him by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said those who looted the nation’s treasury and have confessed to stealing public funds are now offering themselves to govern Edo State.

He said: “I know there are a lot of people who don’t quite understand what is

going on. Our party inherited a federal treasury that was completely bastardised, emptied from the vaults to soakaway pits, to farm houses.

“The choice is between a bunch of people whose philosophy is ‘share the state money’ and those who believe that the state money belongs to the people, and the task is for the governor to manage it in a way that will deliver prosperity to the people.”

On his part, Governor Ambode said “I am very pleased and humbled by that appointment. And I have come here, firstly,

to apologise for not being around on Saturday when the committee was inaugurated because of some exigencies, and to show my presence a few days after, and my commitment to ensure that our gubernatorial candidate not only wins the election, but he is able to show his footprints just like what the present governor has done, that the APC and the change mantra is really in totality about what we want governance to be in Nigeria.”

In a related development, gubernatorial candidate of APC in Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has asked his

counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to explain to the people of the state the source of his wealth.

Speaking in Benin during a town hall meeting with artisans on Tuesday, he said unlike Ize-Iyamu, he is not afraid to speak on how he made his money because he has worked in many establishments.

Obaseki, who was flanked by his running mate, Philip Shuaibu, said he was almost discouraged from participating in politics due to what he described as the attitude of some politicians.

Nigerian Tribune

NLC calls for abolition of security vote, immunity THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the abolition of security vote for the president and governors in the country.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that security vote had become an avenue for siphoning public funds.

“The issue of security vote is another form of corruption; in fact, there was a particular state which took N1 billion in one month as security vote.

“It is an avenue for corruption. In good governance, all monies spent by government are budgeted and transparently applied.

“That is what happens in other spheres; so for our sake, the issue of security vote should be done away with.

Also, Waba called for the removal of the immunity clause from the constitution, to enable the president, his vice, governors and their deputies to be prosecuted for a criminal offence.

Oyo Prisons pulls out retiring Controller with pomp

By Oluwatoyin Malik

OYO State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has described the retiring Controller of Prisons in Oyo State, Mr Tairudeen Adewumi Ogunmola, as a diligent and an unassuming officer who ensured he was always punctual at State Security Council meeting.

The governor showered the encomiums on the retiring officer on Tuesday at the pulling out ceremony held at the state prisons’ headquarters in Ibadan.

The state governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Olalekan Ali, remarked that the outgoing Controller of Prisons featured eminently and contributed effectively to deliberations as a member of the State Security Council.

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, appreciated the outgoing Controller for his contributions in ensuring security in Oyo State while in service.

The outgoing Controller, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity given him to serve, saying that he was delighted to be celebrated.

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Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

Court to decide Fayose’s aide’s N500m suit against EFCC tomorrow Sunday Ejike-Abuja

J

USTICE Olukayode Adeniyi of an Abuja High Court, will tomorrow, deliver judgment in the N500 million suit filed by Abiodun Agbele, an aide to governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court had, last week, slated Tuesday to deliver judgment in the fundamental human rights enforcement suit but could not do that as the judgment was not ready as of Tuesday.

Agbele, who claimed in the suit that he had been detained in the custody of the EFCC since June 27, 2016 regarding an alleged N1.3 billion reportedly traced to the personal account of governor Fayose, is challenging his deten-

tion without trial by the anti-graft agency.

In the suit filed on his behalf by his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, Fayose’s aide prayed the Abuja High Court to award him a sum of N500 million as compensatory damages for his unlawful arrest and detention by the EFCC. In the motion on notice filed along with his originating summon, Agbele asked justice Olukayode Adeniyi to order his immediate release from EFCC detention.

The suit seeks enforcement of his fundamental rights to freedom of liberty, human dignity and the right to acquire and own

properties in line with provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

He claimed that unless and except the court come to his rescue, his rights to freedom of liberty would continue to be trampled upon by EFCC. Agbele’s counsel, Chief Ozekhome prayed the court to order the EFCC to release his client on self-recognisance or on a very liberal terms, saying that the offences for which his client is being held in EFCC custody are bailable.

He said the EFCC did not state in their counter affidavit that his client embezzled money, saying that he only paid money into

somebody’s account. He added that the anti-graft agency ought to have arraigned his client within 48 hours instead of holding him in detention since June 26, 2016.

Ozekhome said the prosecution had not placed anything before the court to show that his client would jump bail if granted.

In his objection, the prosecution counsel, at last week’s proceedings, Andrew Akoja told the court that the issue of breach of the applicant’s fundamental rights did not arise, saying the court should strike out the suit.

He said EFCC investigation had pinned Agbele to

the commission of the offences for which he is being held, saying that the applicant was granted bail by the EFCC. He said what he ought to have done was to approach the court for variation of the bail conditions, if they were stringent and not to file a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the commission.

He said the alleged violation of the applicant’s right in Lagos, did not fall within the jurisdiction of the Abuja High Court, and argued further that the applicant had not placed any evidence before the court to warrant the court granting him bail.

Princess Omidiora for burial Aug 6 THE burial arrangements for Princess Eyinade Oyindamola Omidiora JP, wife of Balogun Bisi Omidiora, the Balogun of Ife, will be held on August 6, at St Peter’s Anglican Church, Iremo, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Aged 81, she died at the First Cardiology Consultants, Ikoyi, Lagos.

She was born on Thursday, February 7, 1935 to the late Sir Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni of Ife (1930-1980) and Yeyelori Eludoyin Aderemi (nee Adegoke), a direct descendant of the Lafogido Ruling House of Ile-Ife. Late Princess Omidiora attended St Anne’s School, Ibadan; Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife and the North Western Polytechnic NW5 England.

She was a member of the Hotel and Catering Institute of England and Wales and had a distinguished career at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) where she retired many years ago.

Her husband was a former President of ICAN, a two-term chairman of Ogun/Osun River Basin Development Authority and chairman of Wemabod Estates and Lapal Estates Limited, subsidiaries of Odua Investment Company.

Princess Omidiora

Oyo ANCOPSS apologises to govt over students’ protest OYO State branch of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) has apologised to the state government on behalf of principals, teachers and students of public secondary schools across the state over the June 6 violent disturbances in Ibadan.

A statement by the ANCOPSS state president and secretary, Pastor Ranti Obafumiso and Deacon Mathew Ogunkunle respectively, conveyed the apology in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

The confederation also dissociated its members from any group or association that might have instigated the students to embark on what it called the ugly incident.

It pledged its cooperation to the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration and pleaded with the government to accept its apology.

Prof J.D. Adeniyi for burial Saturday

Staff members of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), jubilating over the directive of the Federal Government to the institution’s Senate to appoint an acting vice chancellor for the institution, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN.

Militancy may grow worse if... —Diete Spiff Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt

THE first governor of the old Rivers State, His Highness Alfred Diete Spiff, has attributed the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta to unemployment, warning that the situation could become worse, should government at all levels, fail to address the increasing financial criss across the country.

He said this while speaking on the sideline at the 2016 edition of the Partners for Sustainable Development (PSD) Forum, organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), held in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

Spiff, who is also the Amanayabo of Twon-Brass Kingdom in Bayelsa State, further said youths in the region and the elderly, including pensioners, were not receiving their pension because the earnings had dropped drastically.

“Everybody is agitated and what you see is a spill over.

When a kettle or pot boils, it spills over and so the Niger Delta is boiling. We are trying to get to the root of it and see how we can control and make everybody cool down,” he said.

He said the various state governments in the Niger Delta region could do little or nothing to arrest the

situation as, according to him, the governors were battling with the issue of finance.

“The state governments are cash-strapped because the oil is not flowing and if it goes beyond this, the Federal Government will also be cash-strapped too.

We must attend to these little problems and go from there,” he said.

The former military governor-cum traditional ruler, however, said the problem of militancy could be curbed if some steps (which he did not disclosed) were taken, adding, “It is quite simple; just some little things. In the Niger Delta, we say ‘kalaye opuye, opuye kalaye’, meaning one little step will be a mighty stride.”

FCTA officials defy rain to shut sub-standard schools Christian Okeke - Abuja CLOSURE of sub-standard schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, eventually commenced on Tuesday, as officials of education secretariat of the FCT administration defied rain to carry out the exercise at Durumi district.

The closure came weeks after a sensitisation exercise carried out by the Quality Assurance Depart-

ment of the secretariat.

Two of the schools shut at the district, had operated illegally for about eight years.

They were shut in 2014 over poor facilities and failure to register with the relevant government agency but the owners later reopened them for studies.

Speaking during the exercise, the acting secretary in charge of education secretariat, Naomi Vikki, be-

moaned the poor condition under which the schools operated.

She stated that the affected schools were not registered with the secretariat and did not plan to do so.

“They only started operating because of vested interest,” she said.

She noted that the secretariat had put more machinery in place to monitor if the shut schools would re-open.

THE first elected Dean of the Faculty of Public Health, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Professor Joshua Dada Adeniyi, will be buried on Saturday, July 23, 2016, at his Kisi hometown, Oyo State.

Adeniyi, a Professor of Public Health and immediate past chairman of the Oke-Ogun Development Council (ODC), is a Fellow of the World Health Organisation and a Consultant to WHO and UNICEF. He transited on 2 April, 2016 at age 76.

The funeral ceremony for the deceased professor and community leader, which began on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 with a public lecture in his honour, held at the College Auditorium of the UCH, continues today with the celebration of his life and times, at the same venue, and a service of songs scheduled for Abaal Hall, Akobo, Ibadan by 5. p.m.

Lying-in-state and academic procession holds by 7.a.m. on Friday, at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan; lying-in-state at his residence and a Christian Wake at Kisi later in the day. Funeral service follows on Saturday, at the First Baptist Church, Kisi, while his body will be interred at his Dariagbon Avenue home, Kisi.

Prof. J.D Adeniyi

38

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

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08116954632 with seyi gesinde foreignn ewseditor@gmail.com

US election: Melania Trump accused of plagiarising Michelle Obama’s speech

D

ONALD Trump’s wife, Melania, took centre stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention but faced accusations that a portion of her speech plagiarised Michelle Obama.

Her speech, which brought the convention to its feet, had themes of inclusivity, honesty and hard work.

Commentators noticed similarities with Mrs Obama’s 2008 convention speech, BBC said.

But Mr Trump’s team said Mrs Trump used “common words” and blamed Hillary Clinton for the row.

“There’s no cribbing of Michelle Obama’s speech,” said Paul Manafort, Mr Trump’s campaign manager.

“I mean, this is, once again, an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, how she seeks out to demean her and take her down,’’he added.

It was Mrs Trump’s first speech of the campaign and she had the help of a speechwriting team.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus he did not blame Mrs Trump, but added he would “probably” fire the speechwriter over the controversy.

Melania Trump

Michelle Obama. PHOTO: CNN

Earlier, Mr Trump’s communications adviser Jason Miller issued a statement saying a “team of writers” used her life’s “inspirations” as source material.

Meanwhile Mr Trump himself described her speech as “absolutely incredible”.

In a section, Mrs Trump said: “My parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise; that you treat people with respect.”

Mrs Obama’s speech in 2008 carried the lines:

“And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them.”

Mrs Trump’s speech continued: “[My parents] taught me to show the values and morals in my daily life. That is the lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow,

Trump’s campaign chairman blames Hilary Clinton for attack on speech

Hilary Clinton

DONALD Trump’s presidential campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has attributed attacks on Trump’s speech to Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, being “threatened”

by Trump.

“This is once again an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, she seeks out to demean her and take her down. It’s not going to work,” Manafort said.

Speaking to reporters in Cleveland later, Mr Manafort said “there’s a political tint” to the allegations of plagiarism, accusing the Clinton campaign of being the first to spread them without offering any evidence.

The Clinton campaign’s

German train attack: IS releases video of Afghan knifeman THE so-called Islamic State has released a video purporting to show an Afghan asylum seeker making threats before attacking a German train.

The 17-year-old injured four people with an axe and knife, one critically, in the attack in Wuerzburg on Monday evening. He was shot dead by police.

In the video, a young man brandishing a knife says he is an “IS soldier” preparing for a suicide mission.

BBC reported that German officials said they later found a hand-painted IS flag in his

because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”

Mrs Obama said: “And Barack Obama and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generations. Because we want our children, and all children in this nation, to know that the only limit to the height of your achievement is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”

The Slovenian-born former model had used the speech to portray her husband as a tough but compassionate unifying force.

“He’s tough when he has to be but he’s also kind and fair and caring,” Mrs Trump said.

“The kindness is not always noted, but it’s there for all to see. That is one reason I fell in love with him to begin with.”

Mrs Trump has kept a lower profile compared with other spouses of major candidates. Her husband’s adult children have often been more prominent.

room.

The teenager reportedly shouted the Islamic phrase “Allahu akbar” (“God is great”) during the attack.

The self-styled news agency of IS said he had launched the attack “in answer to the calls to target the countries of the coalition fighting the Islamic State”.

The attack comes days after a lorry ploughed into a crowd in Nice in France, killing 84 people. The self-styled Islamic State group said one of its followers had carried out that attack.

In the video, IS identified

The teenage boy who attacked a German train has been linked to ISIS

the attacker as Muhammad Riyad, who can be heard speaking Pashto.

Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of the state of Bavaria, said the flag had been found among the teenager’s belongings in his room in his foster home in the nearby town of Ochsenfurt.

communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, said Manafort’s comments about Clinton’s involvement were untrue.

Melania Trump used “common words and values” in her prime-time Republican National Convention speech Monday night, Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort said Tuesday, blaming Democrat Hillary Clinton for allegations that Mrs. Trump’s remarks were plagiarized from First Lady Michelle Obama’s 2008 convention address.

Mr. Manafort said on CNN that allegations that presumptive nominee Donald Trump’s wife, a Slovenianborn former model, spoke words lifted from Mrs. Obama are “absurd.”

“There’s no cribbing of Michelle Obama’s speech.

These were common words and values, that she cares about her family, things like that,” said Mr Manafort. “I mean, she was speaking in front of 35 million people last night. She knew that.

To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama’s words is crazy.”

otherNEWS Mugabe: Evan Mawarire sponsored by foreign countries greeted his release His calls on social media for a boycott earlier this month drew a strong response from people frustrated by Zimbabwe’s deepening economic problems.

Mawarire was arrested ahead of the strike.

Al Jazeera reported that the 92-year-old Mugabe accused the pastor of urging Zimbabweans to engage in violent protests, questioning whether he was a “true preacher”.

“You can’t urge people to adopt violence, violent demonstrations as the way of life or a way of solving grievances, no. We will say no, forever no,” Mugabe said at the burial of a senior politician in Harare.

“So beware these men of cloth, not all of them are true preachers of the Bible. I don’t know whether they are serving God. They spell God in reverse,” the president said.

Robbert Mugabe

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has accused a pastor who organised a nationwide strike against the government of being sponsored by foreign countries allegedly trying to destabilise his administration.

It was the first time President Robert Mugabe had mentioned Evan Mawarire publicly by name.

Mawarire last week was briefly arrested and charged with subverting a constitutionally elected government before being freed by a court in the capital, Harare. Hundreds of cheering supporters

Man stabs mother, three daughters at French Holiday Park A woman and her three daughters have been attacked by a knife-wielding man at a holiday camp in the south of France, French media report.

All four were wounded, and the youngest of the victims was given emergency surgery because of her wounds.

BBC revealed that a man, 37, was arrested trying to leave the scene in a vehicle after the attack, which happened around 09:30 local time (07:30 GMT) near Sisteron.

Local prosecutor Raphael Balland said the motive was still “very vague”.

The mother, 46, and her daughters aged eight, 12 and 14 were regular visitors to the holiday camp at Garde-

Colombe and had been having breakfast when they came under attack. All four were taken to hospital and the youngest suffered a punctured lung, reports said.

According to authorities, the suspect in custody was of Moroccan origin and had been staying on the site with his own family next door to the victims.

Although he had been in trouble with police many years ago, reports said there was no indication of a religious link to the case.

Unconfirmed reports suggested he had objected to the light clothing worn by his victims but Mr Balland said “it’s all rumour, the man’s not said anything”.

Brexit process will not begin this year, court told UK PM Theresa May

THE United Kingdom government does not plan to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty initiating the UK’s departure from the European Union before the end of this year, the country’s High Court was told Tuesday.

The British position was revealed at the opening of the first legal challenge to the Brexit process.

Lead claimant Gina Miller, founder of London-based investment group SCM Private, is arguing that neither the UK government nor the

prime minister can trigger Article 50, which would kick off negotiations over the UK’s exit, alone.

“We will be making the argument that the correct constitutional process of parliamentary scrutiny and approval as well as consultation with the devolved administration in Scotland and Northern Ireland and the Welsh Assembly needs to be followed,” Miller told CNN. “Otherwise the notice to withdraw from the European Union would be unlawful and subject to legal challenge.”

39

Wednesday, 20 July, 2016

corporatesport

With Niyi Alebiosu adeniyi70@yahoo.com 08116954642

Golfers storm Ibadan for maiden BOVAS invitational tourney

By Olawale Olaniyan

From left: Managing Director, Multichoice Nigeria, John Ugbe; Super Eagles and Watford FC striker, Odion Jude Ighalo and General Manager, Marketing, Martin Mabutho, during the unveiling of Ighalo as brand ambassador for Multichoice Nigeria held at the company’s headquarter in Lagos.

MultiChoice signs Ighalo as Ambassador

L

EADING video entertainment company, MultiChoice Nigeria, has announced Super Eagles and Watford football club striker, Odion Jude Ighalo as brand ambassador.

The endorsement deal was signed recently at the MultiChoice head office in Victoria Island.

Ighalo will feature in a soon to be launched DStv campaign which includes TV, Out-of-home, digital, radio and press adverts and make special guest appearances at major DStv events amongst other activities.

Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe speaking on the endorsement said the company is pleased to welcome Odion Ighalo to the family as an ambassador.

According to Ugbe, Ighalo’s zest and brilliant accomplishments as a footballer, locally and internationally, made him a perfect fit for the brand.

“From his humble beginnings of playing football on the streets of Ajegunle to scoring big on the international scene, the Odion Ighalo success story is one that deeply resonates with

the brand. We believe his energetic display and results on the pitch will inspire Nigerians as they work on achieving their dreams”, he said.

Speaking further, Ugbe said, ‘Over the past few months we have increased the quality of content across packages on our DStv platform to cater for the varied tastes and preferences of our subscribers.

Additionally, we revamped our Compact bouquet, offering more value to our subscribers at no extra cost! We believe that Ighalo’s endorsement will further drive our continuous efforts to provide our subscribers with the best in video entertainment experience”, he said.

Speaking on his partnership with the brand, Odion Ighalo said, “I am happy

to be part of the MultiChoice family. Growing up, we couldn’t afford to have DStv in our house, so I used to pay to watch football at viewing centres.

It is a dream come true and I am looking forward to this new relationship with MultiChoice”.

Odion Ighalo joins other celebrities who have in the past represented various brands of the company.

National Hockey Championship:

NO fewer than 150 golfers across the country have signified their intention to participate in the maiden edition of BOVAS invitational golf tournament scheduled to hold between July 22-23, 2016 at the Tiger Golf Club (TGC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Odogbo, Ibadan.

According to the Competition Secretary, Gabriel Eneware, the tournament will attract both amateur and professional golfers from different golf clubs accross the country.

He stated that one of completed block of chalets built and furnished by Engineer Frank Nwalaka on the club’s premises will be put into use during the tournament.

Eneware revealed that Ibadan Golf Club, Jaji, Ilorin Golf Club, Ekiti Golf Club, Benin Golf Club, Ogbomoso Golf Club, Abeokuta Golf Club, Ewekoro Golf Club, MicCom Golf Club, Ada, IITA Golf Club, kaduna among others have shown interest in participating.

The club Captain, Dr John Dongo said the club is indeed glad to partner with BOVAS as part of our corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

He disclosed that a lot of Nigerians know that the Chairman/CEO of BOVAS, Architech Dele Samson is a man of proven integrity saying its a big boost for TGC for him to identify with them.

Dignitaries expected to grace the two-day tournament include the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment and who double as the patron of the Club, Major General Kasimu Abdulkarim, immediate past Minister of Police, Alhaji AbdulJelili Adesiyan, Lady Captain of the Club, Mrs Oyinlola Omajuwa, Captain, Abeokuta Golf Club, Dr Soyinka, General Samuel Adejumo Rtd, Oyo State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Issac Ishola Chief Seye Omisore among others.

The cocktail which proceeds the tournament has been scheduled for Friday while the tournament proper will tee off by 7am on Saturday while the closing ceremony also holds the same day by 6pm.

Union Bank team vies for honour in Abuja

By Nurudeen Alimi

THE union bank hockey team will tomorrow travel to Abuja to join its counterparts from across the country to feature in this year’s National Hockey Championship scheduled to hold between 21st and 30th July, 2016.

Speaking with Corporatesport at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Ibadan, shortly after the team’s training session on Tuesday, the coach of the team, Tunde Adedokun not-

ed that Union Bank’s hockey team can not settle for less at the championship.

He said:”We’ve been in camp for the past nine days now and I want to state here categorically that the boys are in high spirit, their fitness level is quite encouraging and I am absolutely sure that we are coming back with the trophy”.

Adedokun, however, called on government and other stakeholders in sport to encourage the game of hockey by giving adequate support

which can actually midwife the development of the game. “It is a fact that hockey is not among the first-class rated sport in Nigeria but we need a lot of encouragement as you can see now, we are making use of a football pitch which is not suppose to be.

“What we are using now can be described as a makeshift because this not actually a hockey pitch. We are making use of it because of the fact that hockey is played on artificial turf. We need more

turf around the country, this became very imperative so as to develop the game”.

Also speaking with Corporatesport, Sport Manager, Union Bank Sports Club, Peter Okoro, commended the team for their efforts since the opening of the open camp in Lagos and the close camp in Ibadan. He, therefore, urged them to do all they could to win the championship in Abuja, while assuring them of management support both morally and financially.

John Dongo, TGC captain

SIDELINES

NO 16,549

N150

WEDNESDAY, 20 JULY, 2016

Le Guen

Few days ago, 71 trailer loads of rice meant for internally displaced persons in Adamawa State reportedly disappeared, leaving the IDPs in despair and the children looking like walking skeletons.

Why will people steal 71 trailer loads of rice? Why should they steal from the needy? Who did it? The law of Karma will inevitably ensure the future of these thieves are also stolen by hunger.

Pinnick

Le Guen rejects Eagles job over contractual dispute

Nigerians will know our next action today —Pinnick Saliu Gbadamosi -Abuja

T

HE efforts of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to prepare in earnest for the Super Eagles’ African qualifying series of the 2018 World Cup suffered a setback as Frenchman Paul Le Guen has turned down the offer of the Technical Adviser of the country’s senior national team barely 24 hours after he was given the job.

Le Guen was named on Monday by the NFF Technical Committee to lead the Eagles in the quest to berth a place at the next World Cup for which Nigeria was drawn in a tough group consisting of Zambia, Algeria and perennial foe, Cameroon.

The committee, according to its spokesman, Mr Paul Bassey, selected Interim Super Eagles coach, Salisu Yusuf, as the team’s head coach under the new dispensation. Rangers of Enugu coach, Imama Amapakabo will be assistant coach, while ex-international, Alloy Agu will be the Eagles’ goalkeepers’ trainer.

The NFF, through the committee, had

last week shortlisted Le Guen, Yusuf and Tom Saintfiet from a horde that applied to tinker the Eagles ahead of the Russia 2018 Mundial.

According to reports, Le Guen, who led Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions to qualify for the first ever World Cup to be held in Africa, South Africa 2010 World Cup, rejected the Eagles’ coaching job citing inability of the NFF to agree to some of his conditions.

The report, quoting the authoritative French tabloid, L’Equipe, stated that the 52-year-old tactician turned down NFF’s offer after several conditions he tabled were not met.

L’Equipe cited “contractual disputes” between Frenchman and the country’s footballgoverning body as the reason for Le Guen’s decision, adding that the former Lyon coach was adamant he would not shift from his position on several of the contending issues on his contract.

According to the report, among Le Guen’s conditions was that he would come to Nigeria with his own support staff, including an assistant and a goalkeeper trainer.

Confirming the development, the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, told Tribunesport on phone that Le Guen told the federation that he would not be staying in Nigeria and did not want any condition in his contract.

According to Pinnick, “He has the right to accept or reject the offer. He told us he does not want to stay in Nigeria. You don’t want to stay in Nigeria yet you want to coach Nigeria.”

When asked what was the next action to be taken by the NFF, Pinnick said Nigerians “will be briefed between today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (today).”

Also when contacted, a member of the committee that selected the Frenchman for the job, who craved anonymity, told Tribunesport on the telephone that members of the technical committee were not aware of the development.

According to the source, the committee had delivered on the mandate given to it by the NFF executive committee, adding that members picked the Frenchman subject to the acceptance of the terms of contract.

Pre-season tour: Iheanacho left out of Man City squad

KELECHI Iheanacho has been left out of Manchester City’s provisional pre-season tour squad.

City manager, Pep Guardiola, has named a 32man traveling party for the tour of Germany and China and Iheanacho is conspicuously missing.

But the squad list is subject to change due to visa applications.

It is not yet clear if this latest development will open up an opportunity for Iheanacho to represent Nigeria at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

City blocked Nigeria’s attempts to include Iheanacho in their Olympic squad, with Guardiola insisting on the striker joining him for pre-season, rather than taking part in the Rio Games.

The 19-year-old will be given the chance to establish himself as Sergio Aguero’s understudy next season and the tour was going to be his chance to make an impression on City’s new manager.

He could yet be added to the squad for the games against Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund in Beijing and Shenzhen.

Aguero, David Silva, Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling are among those who will meet up with the squad in China.

Iheanacho scored 14 goals in all competitions for City last season.

Odemwingie on trial at Hull City PETER Odemwingie will feature prominently for Hull City in pre-season on trial as the club continue to evaluate his suitability to Premier League football.

The 35-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Bristol City was released

by Stoke City this summer at the end of his contract and has since been without a club.

The ex-Cardiff and West Brom forward trained with the Tigers on Monday and will play a part in Steve Bruce’s pre-season friendly against Mansfield on Tuesday.

Hull boss Steve Bruce has tracked Odemwingie in recent seasons and will offer the Nigerian a contract if he impresses enough in their preseason friendlies.

Odemwingie

Rio Olympics: Only those who have business should go —Buhari Leon Usigbe -Abuja ANY sports official who has no business with Rio Olympics must not travel for the games, President Muhammadu Buhari had warned.

Speaking on Tuesday during the official handover of Team Nigeria to the Nigerian Olympic Committee in Old Banquet Hall, presidential villa, Abuja, he said whoever was interested in the game but not part of the official delegation could go at his own expense.

The ceremony also witnessed his investiture of the as the Grand Pa-

tron of the Nigerian Olympic Committee.

The president assured that money for the games commencing from 5th to 21st August, would be released without further delay and admonished that it must be properly utilised.

He said: “We are all aware of our nation’s dwindling revenue and the current global economic challenges.

It is therefore imperative that funds provided for the Games are utilized judiciously.

“In this regard, any official who has no business at the Games

should stay at home to cheer the team from here and if they must travel to the Olympics, they should do so at their own expense.”

Buhari congratulated the athletes for their qualification for the games despite the daunting economic challenges in the country, warning them to stay away from anything that would bring disrepute to the country particularly doping.

Buhari stated: “As the Federal Government formally hands over our athletes and officials for the Rio Olympics to the Nigeria Olympic Committee today, I want to charge

all athletes and team officials going to the Olympic Games to be worthy ambassadors of our great country, both on the field of play and outside the sporting arena.

“The eyes of the global community are on you and as such, you should desist from acts that could dent the image of our great country, Nigeria.

“You are very aware of recent doping allegations which cast aspersions not only on the individual athletes but on their home countries.

Please keep Nigeria clean.

“The menace of drug use in sports is threatening the core foundation

of sports and has led to embarrassing situations as well as sanctions of some great sporting nations.

“I therefore urge you to keep the integrity of our nation intact by competing clean and fair at the Olympic Games.

“Please bring as many medals back home as a result of your efforts and endeavour. But remember it is more important to compete and acquit your country as a fair sporting nation than to bring a pack of medals as a result of bending the rules and denying the Games of fair competition.”

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. 20/7/2016.