21st March 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,461

MONDAY, 21 MARCH, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

2016 budget NASS uncovers fresh N500bn 'padding' —P31

Nigerian Tribune

CCT: Prosecution in fresh dilemma over Saraki —P3

@nigeriantribune

Nigerian Tribune

Be patient with Buhari's govt, Tinubu begs Nigerians —P34

N150

No plan to retrench civil servants —FG —P3

Wike, Amaechi clash at police station —P2

•APC, PDP in counter claim over alleged attack on Peterside outside DSS office •Govt demands unconditional release of SSG, SA •Why SSG was arrested —Army •4 died, we made 24 arrests —Police •INEC suspends election in 2 more LGs

Mark to Nigerians: Rise up against insecurity —P4

300-level UNILAG student commits suicide —P6

Parishioners of Our Saviour's African Church Cathedral, Agege on a procession to celebrate Palm Sunday, in Lagos. PHOTOS: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Obama makes historic visit to Cuba —P38

2 news

Monday, 21 March, 2016

Wike, Amaechi clash at police station Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

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OVERNOR Nyesom Wike and the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, locked horns on Sunday, as the Rivers State governor pointed fingers at the minister as the mastermind of the sudden disappearance of the collation officer for the legislative rerun at the Ward 10, Port Harcourt Local Government Area, on Saturday.

The governor also alleged that the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs Ibim Semenitari and the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside, aided Amaechi in abducting the electoral officer.

Amaechi, through the NDDC acting Managing Director, also fired back at Governor Wike, saying that both the governor and his media aides were only trying to distort the facts of what really happened.

The collation officer, Mrs Ekwi Adebisa, was said to have left her job inconclusive and suddenly disappeared, only to surface at the Mile 1 Divisional Police Headquarters, Port Harcourt, on Sunday morning.

The sudden disappearance of the INEC collation officer led to the suspension of the collation of result of the election in the constituency.

Following her dramatic appearance, Governor Wike also came to the police station, along with some chieftains of the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Those seen on the governor’s entourage included a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Austin Opara; Senator Sekibo George, among others.

Moment later, the Minister of Transport also came into view, accompanied by the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Peterside; state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Davies Ikanya and the acting Managing Director of NDDC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari.

While the details of what transpired was not known, the meeting of the political bigwigs in the state was said to have almost degenerated into a clash between the governor and his predecessor.

Governor Wike, in a statement issued later by his media aide, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, alleged that Mrs Adebisa was abducted on Saturday night by former

Governor Amaechi, aided by about 100 soldiers.

“She was first taken to Novotel Hotel where Amaechi and Peterside were lodged and results doctored. In the morning of Sunday, she was placed on protective custody by Amaechi, Peterside and Semenitari,” the statement read.

The governor said he and some leaders of the PDP got wind of the fact that the collation officer had been placed in a protective custody, hence he (Wike) visited the Mile 1 police station for explanation.

“Immediately Governor Wike and the PDP leaders arrived at the station, more than 400 soldiers stormed the station, alongside the Minister of Transport and the NIMASA Director General, Peterside and directed that Mrs Ekwi Adebisa be released to them.

“Amaechi, Peterside and Semenitari and the AIG left with the ward collation officer, Mrs Ekwi Adebisa,” the statement added.

Reacting, however, the NDDC acting Managing Director said the state government and its image managers were only trying to distort the facts of the incident that took place at the Mile 1 police divisional headquarters.

In a separate statement signed and issued by her media aide, Mr Bekee Anyalewechi and made available to newsmen, she said “...Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, in company with a retinue of aides, invaded the police station, held the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation officer for Port Harcourt Ward 10, Mrs Ekwi Adebisa, hostage.

“Whereas it is not in our style to join issues with any tier of government, it is imperative that we state the facts because of the need to safeguard our electoral process and strengthen the confidence of our people in their leaders.

“Mrs Adebisa, the Port Harcourt City ward 10 collation officer for the March 19 legislative election in Rivers State was moved by force to the police station. The result she had collated was separated from her.

“While at the police station, agents of the Rivers State government brought her under duress to write a statement that she had been abducted and made to falsify the ward result by agents of the APC. “That they forced her to the police station and kept under traumatic condition

was, in itself, criminal. But that they had forced the result she had lawfully collated out of her custody was more criminal.

“Governor Wike had arrived the police station accompanied by Senator George Sekibo, Mr Austin Opara and Azubuike Nmerukini, as well as other aides of the governor.

“As a leader in APC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, being in attendance at the meeting, was among those delegated to go and see what the actual development was. When Semenitari and others arrived the police facility, they confirmed the report,” the statement read.

The NDDC acting Managing Director said she was shocked by the statement issued by the governor’s media aide, adding that as a responsible citizen and public officer, she could not have engaged in any conduct unbecoming of her status.

When contacted, spokesperson of the state police command, Ahmad Muhammad, confirmed that the INEC collation officer actually was at the Mile 1 police station but had been taken to the police headquarters for further investigations into her sudden disappearance on Saturday evening.

In a related development, the state government has demanded the unconditional release of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Kenneth Kobani and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, Mr Cyril Wite.

Kobani and Wite, arrested by soldiers during the rerun on Saturday, were separately accused of disrupting the electoral process and moving about with security uniform during the exercise, respectively.

However, the state Commissioner for Information, Dr Austin Tam-George, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, said the duo were arrested and detained on the election day by the Nigerian military, simply for being members of PDP. “Their fate is the same with thousands of PDP supporters who were brutalised, arrested, shot at, and even killed by the military and thugs of the APC during the rerun on Saturday,” the statement read.

They have federal might, we have the people —Wike

Governor Wike, however, said the rerun in the state had shown clearly who is on ground and who is accepted by the people.

He said the reruns had proved that the control of INEC, federal might, military, police and other security agencies could not translate to electoral victories, as the people would always resist agents of rigging.

Governor Wike also accused Peterside of hijacking results from Isiokpo in Ikwere Local Goernment Area of the state on Sunday.

In an interactive session with newsmen on Sunday, Governor Wike alleged that most military men deployed for the elections were used

by APC leaders to hijack materials, illegally arrest PDP members and manipulate the process.

He insisted that INEC was not prepared for the election in terms of logistics and planning.

APC, PDP in counter claim over alleged attack on Peterside outside DSS office

There were heavy shootings outside the office of the Department of State Security (DSS), Port Harcourt, on Sunday evening.

While the details of the shooting and the mastermind(s) could not be ascertained as of the time of writing the report, the place was full of heavy security presence, shortly after the shootout.

However, Governor Wike, while confirming the incident, said an aide of his Chief of Staff, Emeka Woke, lost his life in the shootout.

Speaking with newsmen after the incident, the governor blamed it on what he said was the desperation of some politicians, noting that such was not in the interest of the state.

He further alleged that the perpetrators hatched the plan in Isiokpo and intended to execute it at the state headquarters of INEC, on Aba Expressway, Port Harcourt.

“I detailed my Chief of Staff to be following them.

But, when they reached the INEC office, they drove past. I told my Chief of Staff to continue to follow them.

They continued up to UTC Junction where they started shooting.

“I called the Brigade Commander thrice about when I heard of the plan, that they (gunmen) were pursuing INEC staff to snatch result sheets,” he said.

However, the DirectorGeneral of NIMASA, Dr Peterside, claimed that he and some APC chieftains in the state were the target of the shooting.

He further alleged that two SUVs, belonging to the

Chief of Staff, carried two unknown gunmen who trailed him, Rivers APC chairman, Dr Davies Ikanya and Honourable H. O. Asita to the UTC Junction and opened fire on them.

“The car carrying me did a detour to the DSS office in Port Harcourt. At the DSS office gate, where I drove to seek refuge, the unknown gunmen opened fire again at the SSS men.

“The exchange of fire between DSS and the assailants lasted for more than 30 minutes. My orderly, Emma Esi, was shot by the unknown gunmen,” Peterside said in a sms he sent to the Nigerian Tribune.

Why SSG was arrested —Army •4 died, we made 24 arrests —Police

The Nigerian Army has explained that the Rivers SSG, Chief Kenneth Kobani, was arrested because he was allegedly disrupting the legislative rerun held in the state on Saturday.

Commander of 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, BrigadierGeneral Stephenson Olabanji, made the clarrification while speaking with newsmen at the state police headquarters, Port Harcourt, on Sunday.

This was as the Nigerian Police confirmed that no fewer than 24 persons were arrested from different parts of the state for alleged various criminal and electoral offenses during the exercise.

Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police in-charge of Zone 6, Mr Baba Adisa Bolanta, made the confirmation, adding that those arrested, 22 males and two females, were currently undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Port Harcourt.

The state police imagemaker, Ahmad Muhammad, had also, on Saturday, faulted the number of people killed, as he said he was only aware of one person.

Speaking further, General Olabanji said the law of the country was no respecter of anybody, irrespective of his or her position in the society.

“Many people were arrested yesterday (Saturday) for disrupting the electoral process and the law is not meant for just the lower cadre alone.

“No matter who you are, if you go against the law, you will definitely face the music. There is nothing like being Secretary to the State Government. Many people were arrested, as you have been told; a lot of people

were arrested,” he said.

He, however, denied the claim by the state government and the PDP that some of its commissioners and other top officials were manhandled by soldiers during the rerun.

“If you say arrest, we can say yes. But there was nothing like manhandling. We are meant to protect civilians, not to manhandle them,” he explained.

In the same vein, Bolanta dispelled reported death of about six people in the rerun, claiming that only four persons were killed in three local government areas in the state.

According to him, two persons were killed at Buguma, in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, while two others were killed at Nonwa-Tai and Omuanwa communities, in Tai and Ikwerre local government areas, respectively.

“It is pertinent I let you know that we have 24 suspects, comprising 22 males and two females in police custody, who were arrested from different parts of the state.

“They are presently undergoing interrogation on allegations of criminal or electoral offences or both.

“I am startled this morning after seeing outrageous figure of deaths associated with the elections as dished out by the media. To put the records straight, four deaths were recorded with two in Buguma, while Nonwa-Tai and Omuanwa each recorded one,” he said.

INEC suspends election in 2 more LGs

Meanwhile, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, has announced that the legislative rerun held in Etche and AsariToru local government areas, on Saturday, had been cancelled.

This brought to eight the number of local government areas which election had been suspended as the REC had, on Saturday, disclosed the suspension of the exercise in six others - Bonny, Khana, Andoni, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, due to reported violence.

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the rerun in the affected eight local government areas, as Rivers INEC is currently auditing the personnel and materials deployed for the exercise on Saturday.

Rivers INEC, in a statement issued on Sunday, said it would, after the auditing exercise, meet with critical stakeholders before a new date would be fixed for the reruns.

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

CCT: Prosecution in fresh dilemma over Saraki

As legal advice faults his prosecution •Group asks FG to discontinue case From Taiwo Adisa and Biola Azeez

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HE prosecution in the ongoing trial of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, appears to have run into fresh dilemma following the release of a legal opinion from the Ministry of Justice, which faulted the procedure for initiating prosecutions at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

The legal opinion, which was originally released in respect of the case filed against the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe and which informed the withdrawal of the suit against the former minister at the CCT, had indicated that failure of the prosecution to obtain a statement from the suspects before filing that case was highly detrimental to the success of the suit.

Sources at the ministry confirmed that in line with the legal advice, the government, last week, withdrew the suit bordering on false asset declaration against Orubebe.

Sources confirmed that the decision to withdraw the charges was based on a legal advice from the Federal Ministry of Justice. in which it was strongly canvassed that the case against Orubebe as presently constructed and filed was fundamentally defective.

The Legal Advice issued by the Ministry of Justice, according to sources, was to the effect that since Orubebe was not invited to make a statement before he was dragged to the trial, the process might have negated the provisions of Section 379 (1) (a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

The section lists prerequisites for embarking on criminal trial, indicating that one of the main items is the “copies of statements of the defendant.”

The Act also mentioned other ingredients of a trial to include the list of witnesses; list of exhibits to be tendered; summary of statements of the witnesses; copies of statement of the defendant, as well as other documents, report, or material that the prosecution intends to rely on for the prosecution.

The new criminal administration law also indicates that the prosecution must produce particulars of bail or bond, particulars of place of custody, particulars of plea bargain

arranged and particulars of any previous interlocutory or remand proceedings in respect of the charge.

Legal luminaries at the Ministry of Justice were said to have told the Federal Government that without the statement of the defendant, the case could easily run into a hitch, adding that a similar situation led to the striking out of the suit filed against former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, in 2012.

A source had said: “That case against Saraki is already being encumbered by emerging details. The withdrawal of the suit against

Orubebe is a clear pointer to the contents of a legal opinion in the Ministry of Justice, having looked at the contents of the Administration of Justice Act 2015.

Saraki’s counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, had also last week, argued before the CCT that the Senate President’s case should be handled the same way as that of Tinubu, who was discharged on the basis of the failure of the CCT to invite him for his statement before the trial.

Agabi had told the CCT last week that panel that the case against Saraki was flawed since the Senate President was not invited to

clarify issues concerning his asset declaration form before he was charged before the CCT. He had submitted that the failure of the CCT to act on the asset declaration forms of Saraki for 13 years should constitute a peril to the suit.

He told the court: “If for any reason, the defendant has committed any offence he should be informed. The defendant has not been given any opportunity to defend himself against the charges. The AGF has no jurisdiction to prefer the charges and, therefore, the Tribunal has no jurisdiction to hear it.

“Under our constitution,

the moment a man comes under justifiable suspicion, he must be informed promptly of the reasons for the suspicion.”

Meanwhile, a group known as the Nigeria Needs Positive Change Group (NNPCG) has asked the Federal Government to discontinue the case it instituted against the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

In a statement made available to journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Sunday, by the secretary of the group, Mr Jide Jokotade, the group said the need to discharge and ac-

From left, President/ Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Professor Ademola Tayo; inaugural lecturer/ Vice Chancellor, Caleb University, Professor Ayandiji Aina; Vice Chancellor, Mountaintop University, Professor Elijah; Vice Chancellor, Lead City University, Professor Femi Onabajo; Vice Chancellor, Kings University, Professor Diran Famurewa and the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka, at the ninth inaugural lecture of Babcock University, recently.

quit Dr Saraki became imperative in view of developments at last Friday’s sitting of the tribunal.

“The fact that two charges were dropped by the Federal Government owing to lack of evidence against Dr Saraki is a clear testimony that there were and there are still errors in the charges.

“And this confirms earlier claims by Saraki and his supporters that the exercise at the CCT is persecution, not prosecution and it is politically motivated,” it said.

It described the continuation of the trial at the CCT as an abuse of power and judicial process, adding that “since the prosecutor had pronounced publicly and admitted to established flaws in the trial, any further action in that direction amounts to persecution and political vendatta.

“If Dr Saraki is not acquitted immediately, the Federal Government must be honourable too to rearraign former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, whom the same prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, equally admitted was discharged in error.”

“The NNPCG having considered the credibility of this trial, came to the conclusion that it was politically- motivated and orchestrated to deceive and mislead Nigerians. The credible option would be to discharge and acquit Senator Saraki.”

No plan to retrench civil servants —FG

MINISTER of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, has said there is no plan by the Federal Government to retrench civil servants.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday, in Abuja, by the Director of Information in the ministry, Mr Charles Dafe.

The statement quoted Ahmed to have said this when Mr Makhtar Diop, Vice President African Region, World Bank, visited the minister in Abuja.

It, however, stated that the present administration was committed to removing ghost workers from the public system.

The statement also said the Federal Government was making a thorough scrutiny on public expenditure to guarantee better returns on expenditure.

“This is to ensure that Nigerians receive better returns on their expenditure, especially in the productive

sector of the economy,” it said.

According to the statement, the minister requested the assistance of the World Bank to address challenges confronting the country’s agricultural and economic sectors.

“We shall send some of

our specific requests to your bank, like assistance in agriculture and public expenditure review, as well as empowering our national bureau to perform household, inflation and poverty measurement surveys, including approaching other development partners to

provide more grants support to Nigeria,” the statement said.

The statement also quoted the vice-president of the World Bank to have said the bank understood the present plight of Nigeria, challenges of security and the present fall in oil price,

resulting in dwindling revenue.

He, in the statement, promised that the bank would provide helpful economic advice and better financial services to help Nigeria’s economy, as well as support the country to grow its agricultural sector.

ICPC loses criminal case, cites lack of fund Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja THE Okene High Court has quashed an 18-count corruption charge brought against two staff members of the Local Government Education Authority School in Kogi State, Mr Jimoh Salihu and Mr David Asun, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The commission said it could not diligently prosecute the case because of lack of fund, occasioned

by the “delay in budget approval.”

The commission had preferred the charges against the duo, accusing them of criminally conspiring to defraud the school, located in Ohadagadakara, Okene, of various sums.

However, when the suit came up for hearing on Friday, counsel for the ICPC, Ayo Adepoju, was said to have sent a short message service (sms) to the court clerk, Ibrahim Sadiq, demanding for another adjournment.

But the defence counsels, Yakubu Shuaibu and Tony Eghieye, however, opposed the move and asked the court to quash the charges, claiming that the commission was not ready to prosecute the case.

Justice Josiah Majebi, of the court, however, granted objection to the application for adjournment of the case, which had already lasted more than two years.

The court noted that for mere hearing of the application to prefer criminal

charges against the accused persons, the prosecuting counsel had caused the case to drag for too long against the spirit of the administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and the Kogi State High Court Policy Direction, which frowned at delaying hearing of criminal cases.

Majebi warned that seeking adjournments on frivolous grounds or refusal by counsel to appear in court without cogent reasons would no longer be tolerated by the court.

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Troops ambush, kill 8 terrorists in Borno Chris Agbambu - Abuja

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ROOPS of 7 Brigade have ambushed and killed seven Boko Haram terrorists at Dawashi, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, early this morning.

This was contained in a statement issued by the acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman.

According to the statement, “the gallant troops that laid in wait for the terrorists at suspected crossing point, engaged them on sight, killed the seven terrorists and recovered one Peugeot Station Wagon loaded with 2,010 litres of Premium Motor Spirit packed in 67 jerry cans, as well as uniforms, some materials and improvised explosive making devices.

Other items recovered were dry cell batteries, one AK-47 rifle, tools and fishes.

Also, troops of 25 Task Force Brigade ambushed and killed a Boko Haram suicide bomber at Kumala and Musafanari villages general area, in Borno State, last night, effectively saving lives and properties of innocent citizens.

According to a statement issued by the acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, the troops, who on receipt of information, laid an ambush for the terrorist

at suspected Boko Haram terrorists crossing point, engaged the terrorist, who was obviously on a suicide mission from Sambisa

general area.

The statement also noted that the bomber paid the price for his wicked activities, as he was dealt with

decisively.

“The troops recovered a motorcycle, 12 primed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and a hand

bag containing personal effects, which included a hijab, obviously meant for disguise and concealment of explosives for the in-

Fresh crisis brews in PDP over moves to retain Sheriff as national chair

•Cracks in NWC •Sheriff spits fire, woos BoT members for tenure elongation Jacob Segun Olatunji and Leon Usigbe - Abuja A major crisis is now brewing in the main opposition political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over moves by some individuals and groups to retain the current chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, till 2019, when a new zoning formula would be announced to pave the way for a northern presidential candidate.

This came just as the Nigerian Tribune gathered that there was a crack in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) already, over the move and other sundry issues, including the claims of Senator Modu Sheriff that he had uncovered some alleged shady dealings in the party, perpetrated by some members of the NWC which he reportedly vowed to expose in a matter of days.

It was also learnt that Senator Sheriff had started moving round to reach out to some party leaders, to

woo the members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party to his side for the needed support and endorsement of his staying in the office till 2019.

The various statutory organs of the party, namely the national caucus, BOT and the National Executive Committee (NEC) had met recently in Abuja and gave Senator Sheriff May 21 deadline to organise the national convention of the party, during which new national officers would emerge.

The South-West Zone of the party had, last week, paid a solidarity visit to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, during which the zone canvassed that Senator Sheriff should be allowed to stay in office till 2019.

It was learnt that the visit of the South-West zone to Senator Sheriff as well as the position of the group was already generating crisis within the zone, as most of the party leaders in the zone had kicked against the

visit, which they said was personal agenda of a party chieftain in the zone.

“The visit to the national chairman of our party last week by a group parading itself as the South-West zone of the party, during which it was canvassed that Senator Sheriff should stay till 2019, to us the geninue party leaders in the zone, is laughable.

“Already,the NEC of the party had met and taken a position on this, that is where we stand as a zone.

We cannot change it. The people canvassing this are jesters,” a member of the BOT of the party told the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday.

The BOT member told the Nigerian Tribune that Senator Modu Sheriff had been reaching out to some of them, either directly or through a third party, an attempt he said would fail.

Senator Sheriff, last week, visited both Ekiti and Ondo governors, Ayodele Fayose and Olusegun Mimiko respectively, during which he

commended the two governors for their roles in making him the national chairman of the party and, as well, attended rallies for the legislative reruns in Rivers State with Governor Nyesom Wike.

Also last week, some state chapters of the party visited Senator Modu Sheriff at the national secretariat in Abuja, which some viewed as part of moves to support his stay in office.

It was also learnt that a crack had been noticed in the ranks of the members of the NWC and Senator Modu Sheriff over some alleged strange discoveries in the financial record of the party which the national chairman had reportedly vowed to expose soon.

According to an insider source, Senator Sheriff was said to have openly complained at one of the NWC meetings recently that some things were being kept away from him since his arrival and expressed dissatisfaction over the development.

Mark to Nigerians: Rise up against insecurity Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja THE immediate past Senate President, David Mark, has again tasked Nigerians to rise up against the unabating insecurity in the land, in order to stop the needless killings of country men and women.

He noted that although insecurity had taken a global trend, Nigeria could not afford to allow it degenerate to an intolerable level.

Mark was speaking at the weekend, in Ogume, Delta State, when he bagged a Doctorate degree in Intelligence and Security Studies (Honoris Causa) from Novena University, at the institution’s convocation ceremony.

The university also established a new faculty, named Senator David Mark Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, to study issues relating to insecurity and conflicts.

tended nefarious act.

“The morale of troops remains high, as they continue to mop up remaining terrorists,” the statement added.

According to him, it was sad that hundreds of thousands of lives had been lost to conflicts and insurgency, regretting that “productive men and women, who should ordinarily have contributed to national development been needlessly wasted. That is why we must all rise up to say enough is enough.”

He was pleased with the establishment of the Intelligence and Security Studies Faculty named after him and requested that higher premium be placed on strategic research that would provide better understanding and knowledge of the security challenges facing the nation today.

Senator Mark, therefore, tasked security agencies and scholars alike, to take advantage of the Intelligence and Security Studies Faculty of the university to focus on research, teaching and learning, in order to fashion out a blue print to navigate through the myriad of secu-

rity challenges.

Presenting the certificate to the awardee at the university campus, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Chris Okafor, acknowledged the role Senator Mark played as the president of sixth and seventh Senate, in bringing peace, stability and security to the national polity, which he described as unprecedented in the history

of Nigeria.

He particularly extolled the wisdom with which Senator Mark piloted the affairs of the National Assembly, stressing that “the David Mark Centre for Intelligence and National Security Studies will work closely with the distinguished senator and some international partners from the Republic of China, to fully train the under-

graduates in personal and national security.”

The event was attended by the Delta State governor, Mr Ifeanyi Okowa; his cabinet members, former Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro; House of Representatives Committee chairman on Air Force, Honourable Samson Okwu, Honourable Ezekiel Adaji, among others.

However, the national publicity secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, told the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, on Sunday, that “all is well with the party now, as its national secretariat, which had been deserted after the last year’s general election, is gradually coming alive again with the coming of Senator Sheriff.”

According to him, “Senator Modu Sheriff is on course, he is doing his best and we the party members must support him to bring the party alive again.

“We the NWC members are having a good working relationship with him, individuals or groups have been coming to the national secretariat again, all party members are welcome to join hands together and move the party forward.

They are free to canvass for anything but that does not mean that such a position must be imposed on the party.”

Also, the South-West zonal vice chairman of the party, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, said the rejection of the position of the national chairman of the party by the zone “does not mean that the position cannot be taken up by the South-South or South-East zones.”

According to him, “our position is that whoever that will take up the position must share the vision of moving the party forward, after the woeful performance of the party in the last general election.”

Emir of Kano chairs UNILAG alumni’s 30th anniversary THE Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, will chair the grand finale of the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni’s (UMA) 30th anniversary, which will hold on Sunday, April 17, at the Grand Ball Room, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

A statement by the planning committee chairman, Alhaji AbdulMumini Alao, said the event would feature

the launch of a N150 million Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Alao said the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, would deliver a keynote address on “Nigeria: Strategies for a sustainable economy.”

Other guests expected at the event include SouthWest governors; Lagos State deputy governor, Dr Idiat Adebule; Oba Rilwan

Akiolu of Lagos; MD/CEO, Sigma Pensions Limited, Alhaji Umaru Modibbo; Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Rahaman Bello; Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Mr Biodun Shobanjo of Troyka Holdings; Alhaji Tajudeen Owoyemi of Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Alhaja Wonuola Folami, among others.

Alao said post-humous merit awards would be

conferred on former Baba Adinni of Nigeria, Alhaji Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo; former Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao and Alhaji Rasheed Oyekan.

He said plans were on to visit to Bab Es-salam Orphanage in Ikeja; Modupe Cole Orphanage at Akoka; Federal Prisons in Ikoyi, Lagos, as part of activities for the anniversary.

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Nigerian Tribune

Lagos

Edited by

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Okada menace resurfaces, govt vows fresh crackdown Chukwuma Okparaocha

Roadside traders with wares displayed close to a gutter blocked with plastic waste, in front of Unity Bank, Ketu. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

WORRIED by the rising cases of motorcycle-related accidents in the state, the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Transportation said that state government will again begin massive enforcement of the state traffic law in order to end the activities of commercial motorcycles.

Mr Fatai Mojeed, the Chairman of the Committee gave this assurance during an inspection visit to the BRT depot Majidun in Ikorodu Area of the state, on Wednesday.

Govt commences road reconstruction in 40-year-old Gowon Estate

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HE Lagos State Government has commenced road reconstruction of Gowon Estate, a Federal Housing Estate built about 40 years ago in Egbeda, Ipaja area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rehabilitation, which started early this month, is being carried out through the Alimosho Local Government/Mosan Okunola Local Government Council Development Areas.

NAN reports that the work which has a 16-week completion schedule, is being carried out on one of the estate’s major access roads, 41 Road and that the kerbs, this is, the concrete pavement and the coal tar have

been excavated.

The Chairman, Community Development Association (CDA) of the Estate, Mr Nathaniel Okoro, told NAN that the residents were happy that for first time, the state government remembered those who pay taxes into its coffers.

“We want to believe this is the beginning of good things to come because there are so many other roads that are bad in this estate. While we express our joy for the reconstruction of 41 Road, we pray that other roads will receive due attention. These are 4th and 5th Avenues, 3rd, 411, 401 and 1st Avenue,’’ Okoro said.

The CDA chairman noted that the community was not informed of the specification or scope of the work to

be done. “This will make it difficult for the community to check whether the work is according to specification or not. Also, we don’t know if there will be walkways, because if there will be, the contractors will need the community’s co-operation to inform those who had built shops around the road to shift backwards,” he added.

A top official at the Engineering Department of the Council, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that the drainage systems in the area were already being worked on. The official said the drainage system in the estate was underground and that was why the ongoing work was not noticeable.

He added that the drainage must first be cleared before the actual reconstruction

300-level UNILAG student commits suicide Naza Okoli - Lagos A 300-level student, names withheld, of Microbiology at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has died after reportedly taking a portion of the insecticide, “Sniper.”

According to one of his classmates, Jacobs drank the insecticide Saturday afternoon, and was rushed to the

Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) soon after, where he was said to be responding to treatment until Sunday afternoon when he gave up the ghost.

Other sources, however, claimed that Jacobs was “forced” to take the deadly liquid by cultists who wanted him dead, for unknown reasons.

Attempts made by La-

gos Metro to reach the University spokesman, Mr Toyin Adebule, were unsuccessful, as his phones were switched off. However, his deputy, Mrs Nonye Oguama, told Lagos Metro that she was yet to be informed about the matter.

“I have heard about it, but until I get to the office tomorrow (Monday), I cannot tell what really happened.”

can commence.

The official decried the extent to which the drainage system was blocked with disused tyres and other non-biodegradable refuse by the residents and added that, “Gowon Estate is Federal Government-owned but the state government in collaboration with the local

government has been magnanimous to repair a portion of it.’’

According to the official, the council is working assiduously with the site engineers to ensure that the reconstruction is completed within the 16 weeks stipulated on the project’s bill board.

Mojeed said that the new administration in the state would intensify efforts at ensuring strict compliance with the state traffic laws.

“The state government will not relent in ending the era of insanity of commercial motorcyclists who disregard traffic laws at will. We are ready to revisit the enforcement of the law to ensure compliance,” he said.

Reacting to some of the challenges facing the new operators on BRT corridor, the lawmakers assured the operators of the determination of the assembly for a robust partnership to enhance efficient transportation system that would encourage the elites to patronise mass transit service.

The Managing Director of Primero Company Limited, one of the new operators, Mr Fola Tinubu, who took members of the committee round the depot, said that the agreement with the state government was to last for five years.

“The company is poised to give a world class transport system,” he said.

Truck crushes Marwa passengers to death Olalekan Olabulo TWO people were over the weekend crushed to death as a truck mangled a tricycle, popularly known as ‘Marwa’ in Elere area of Lagos State.

Two other people, which included the rider of the tricycle were injured in the accident and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment The driver of the truck, Emmanuel George had been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command and would in the next few days be transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti for onward investigation and prosecution.

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos confirmed the incident and equally confirmed the arrest

of the driver.

Lagos Metro gathered that the incident, which happened at NITEL bus stop along Old Ota Road, created panic among pedestrians. It was gathered that the tricycle was on its way to the abattoir, when the truck, a Mercedes model with the Registration No LSR 615 XB, belonging to CY Incorporation Limited ran over the truck.

One person died on the

spot while another passenger also reportedly died on the way to the hospital, where she was being rushed to.

The police image maker Dolapo Badmos, while speaking with Lagos Metro, said that investigations had commenced on the accident, adding that information available to the police had it that only one of the occupants of the tricycle died.

Poly student assaulted by lover AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin A man, Temitope Samuel, has been arrested and remanded in prison for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend who is a student at a Nigerian polytechnic.

According to the Police, Samuel allegedly invited the girlfriend, known as Temitope Adekunle, to his house

at 20, Alhaji Yaya Street, Ilasamaja. The Police also accused Samuel of forcefully dragging her out after they had sex which made Adekunle sustain serious injury.

She reported the matter at the Ijeshatedo Police division and Samuel was arrested.

He was charged with assault under the Criminal

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

metro

We pose as policemen, military officers to steal Okada — Suspect Olalekan Olabulo

Waste on the newly constructed Pedestrian Bridge at Mile 12 Bus-Stop. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

19-year-old defrauds American N12bn, sentenced to 37 years in prison 19-YEAR-OLD Tobechukwu Igbokwe has been jailed 37 years for defrauding an American of $40 million (about N12 billion).

Justice Lateef Lawal Akapo of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted the secondary school leaver, over his involvement in the scam.

The convict was arraigned on Monday, October 28, 2013, on a 12-count charge bordering on forgery, conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences.

The judge found him guilty on all 12-counts and sentenced him accordingly.

The sentence is to run concurrently with effect from October 28, 2013. The court also ordered Igbokwe to return the $40 million as res-

titution to the victim and forfeit a Toyota Corolla car, proceed of the crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He initially pleaded “not guilty” but later changed his plea to “guilty” and was convicted by Justice Akapo accordingly. Before the conviction, the prosecuting counsel, Kayode Oni tendered various exhibits before the court which were all admitted and marked as such. However, defence

The victim was asked to send money to “process” the transfer and in the process, he wired $40 million in several instalments through Western Union to Igbokwe.

Igbokwe also confessed that he had duped other foreigners. Some of them are: T. Bedwell, $6,000 and R. Hunt $15,000.

Igbokwe (right) and his accomplice.

A member of a three-man okada robbery syndicate, Goodness Allison, has confessed that members of his gang usually disguise as policemen and military officers in order to rob motorcyclists of their motorcycles popularly called “okada”, which they later sell.

The suspect was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), who were on a routine patrol around Ikotun, Ijegun, Ejigbo and neighbouring communities.

Allison, 31, from Idda Local Government, Kogi State stated that the syndicate which also had Wilson and Aboki, as members, had snatched over seven motorcycles from riders in Ejigbo, Ikotun, Bucknor, which were later re-sold.

He disclosed that they operate from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. “We normally meet at Isheri Junction but the last operation, Wilson told me to meet him at Bucknor. Wilson dresses like soldier. He wears military polo, long sleeves with camouflage trousers and black shoes. Aboki wears black pullover with black trousers and shoes.”

He added that “I was coopted into the team two weeks ago. Wilson and Aboki ‘arrested’ me at Bucknor on that fateful day at about 9:48 p.m. They

said I took restricted road.

I pleaded with them to let me go but they told me that I was going to take them somewhere. I took them to Ejigbo, where a boy was arrested. I helped them to arrest the Hausa boy and we took his okada.”

Alison claimed that “I don’t know what they did with the okada but the following day, they called me and offered me N10,000. Since I have joined them two weeks ago, we have collected more than seven okadas. We pretend as policemen and seize motorcycles from riders. Some we negotiate and collect money but mostly we collect the motorcycles, especially if it is new.

“We were on operation to seize another motorcycle when I was arrested by the police. As the duo of Wilson and Aboki alighted from my okada, they walked a few distance and I noticed they have been mobbed. I have taken RRS detectives to the residence of Wilson and Aboki because they live together, unfortunately, we didn’t meet them at home.

How I wish, we had gotten them to corroborate my statement,” the suspect said.

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest of the suspect to Lagos Metro and added that efforts were on to arrest the other members of his gang.

Businessman accused of forging documents to defraud Afromedia AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin

after sex Code and pleaded not guilty when arraigned. The Magistrate, Mrs A. K. Shonubi granted him bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum.

Samuel was remanded in prison custody at Kirikiri pending when he will perfect his bail. The matter was adjourned till 20 April, 2016.

counsel, D. A. Omougbai, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.

Tobechukwu Igbokwe (Alias David Prince) and his accomplice, Ifeanyi Obi, were alleged to have duped an American: M. Silva, the sum of $40 million in an inheritance scam. Silva was made to believe that Igbokwe and his accomplice had a huge inheritance which they wanted to move to a foreign account for safekeeping.

Nigerian Tribune

AN alleged fraudster, Mohammed Gobri, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for committing a multi -million dollar fraud.

Gobri was also alleged to have obtained the sum of $2.102 million, and the sum of £51, 000, under false pretence that the money would be used to facilitate and securing the sum of $70 million, from his account with NATVEST Bank, London, United Kingdom,

as his investment fund in Afromedia Plc out of the sum of $250 million.

He was also accused of dishonestly converting the sum of $1 million, and the sum of N123 million belonging to the firm to his personal use, among other charges.

Gobri however pleaded not guilty to all the counts in the charge when docked before an Igbosere High Court.

Upon the plea of the accused person, the EFCC asked the court for a trial date, while urging the court to re-

mand the accused in prison custody pending trial but lawyer to the accused person Mr Bolaji Ayorinde informed the court that on serving the charge on the accused, he had filed a summon for bail, which he urged the court to grant the accused on liberal terms.

Consequently, Justice Raliat Adebiyi, adjourned the matter till March 22 and ordered that he should be remanded in prisons custody and fixed the trial of the accused to May 9, 10, 11, and 12, 2016.

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businessnews

Monday, 21 March, 2016

Nigeria’s GDP projected to hit $6.4trn by 2050

By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

N

igeria’s GDP is projected to rise to $6.4 trillion by 2050, thereby moving the country to the ninth position on the world ranking, surpassing Germany, United Kingdom, France, and Saudi Arabia says PwC report To achieve this, however, diversification from the economic overdependence on crude oil is required.

Nigeria’s intrinsic potential lies beyond oil and harnessing this potential has become an imperative given the expectations of lower for longer oil prices and heightened competition in the oil market.

Based on recent trends, the report reviews the impact of low oil prices on key economic indicators and the real sector as well as addresses the question of priority sectors that should be targeted for diversification efforts.

The PwC report identifies Agriculture, Petroleum, Retail and ICT as priority sectors with the most dominant transmission links to the overall economy. Forward linkages to Agro-processing and other services such as logistics as well as backward integration to input supply sectors could improve farm incomes, increase employment and improve domestic food security.

Potentially, Nigeria’s global agriculture exports could take-off at a rate similar to Brazil’s, with $59 billion in export revenues by 2030.

Similarly, values added to Oil and Gas output needs to urgently improve by implementing diversification within the sector. This implies investments across the downstream sector to develop petrochemicals, fertilizers, methanol and refining, industries rele-

vant in both industrial and consumer products which Nigeria currently imports.

Commenting on the findings of the report, Uyi Akpata, Country and Regional Senior Partner for PwC Nigeria and the West Market Area noted; “Consumer spending is

the largest driver of the economy, accounting for about 70 per cent of GDP and this is expected to be the boost for the retail sector growth even as population continues to expand.

“Thus, as incomes rise along with rapid urbanisation, it is projected that

household consumption expenditure could reach US$1.1 trillion by 2030, from $317 billion in 2014 – this implies a CAGR of 9 per cent through 2030. With tele-density at 107.87, a large population of urban, young people and massive scope to improve

From left: Member of the Senate Committee on National Planning, Senator Danjuma La’ah; Dr Olawale Cole, Council Member, LCCI; Country & Regional Senior Partner, PWC Nigeria, Mr Uyi Apata and GMD/CEO, Skye Bank Plc, Mr Timothy Oguntayo at a Roundtable with the Theme: Nigeria, Beyond Oil which held in Lagos.

Lafarge Africa Plc declares dividend of N3 per share and 1 for 10 bonus share Lafarge Africa Plc has reported its 12 months 2015 results with revenue up 2 per cent against last year’s reaching N267 billion, in a challenging transitional market. South West operations grew by 8 per cent behind a number of initiatives such as the Key Distribution Scheme, a strong route to market and solid capacity utilisation.

ReadyMix Nigeria continued its strong growth with a 29 per cent increase over prior year. South African revenues grew by 7 per cent in the last quarter. Ashaka operations are normalized, following the security challenges in

the region which affected demand for cement in the North. Management remains very optimistic about the long term outlook for Ashaka, which is foreseen to return to strong growth in 2016.

Plant operations were mostly stable with gas utilization in the 90s in South West and Mfamosing operations. The South African cement operations returned to growth in Q4 with production up by 28 per cent vs. last year, following the kiln overhauls in Q1 2015.

Group after tax profit declined by 20 per cent versus last year, when taking into account the one-off

restructuring costs and the unrealised exchange impact on the Mfamosing operations foreign currency borrowings from the parent group, LafargeHolcim, the world’s largest building materials company.

The Nigerian operations of Lafarge Africa have been successfully unified and rationalised under one management team while being cognisant of the different stakeholders. Lafarge Africa has strengthened its foundation further by increasing its shareholding in Mfamosing operations from 35 per cent to 50 per cent, with full management control and consolidation.

Lagos attracts N5bn FDI in first quarter of 2016 —Lagos Global Bola Bafmus-Lagos

Lagos State government has disclosed that it has been able to attract foreign direct investments worth N5billion to the state in the first quarter of this year through which hundreds of Lagosians became employed, projecting that more investments was possible in the year giving the trend being recorded currently.

Permanent Secretary, Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment (Lagos Global), Dr Yakub Olajide Basorun, made this known while speaking with newsmen shortly after the end of a 1-day Sensitisation Programme for all MDAs in Lagos State.

The programme was organised to educate stakeholders, which also include members of the State

internet broadband penetration, Nigeria is likely to see accelerated growth of its digital economy.

“More importantly, the opportunity to leverage technology to generate improved social and economic outcomes across other sectors has to be created.”

House of Assembly, on the creation and mandate of the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment.

According to Basorun, that alone represents over 50 per cent of what has come to the country this year in the same period under review, saying the investments covered areas such as Agriculture, power, transportation, sports, tourism, ICT, education, entertainment and so on.

“Oh, the projection is very high, in the first quarter of the year, we have brought about N5billion worth of investments to Lagos, creating hundreds of jobs for Lagosians and that is over 50 per cent of what has come to the country this year. And so you can imagine what we

still be done with this sensitisation workshop with everybody being on the same page on Agriculture, in power, transportation,

sports, tourism, ICT, education, entertainment and so on. These are sectors we are receiving proposals on everyday,” he said.

Similarly, the shareholding in Ashakacem Plc. also increased from 58.61 per cent to 82.46 per cent in the year. The unified management team promises to drive efficiencies and ultimately generate synergy savings of N9 billion for the group by mid-2018.

Commenting on the results, CEO, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr Peter Hoddinott said “our company continues to deliver good performance with significant upsides to come as new cement and power generation capacities come on stream and synergy benefits from the merger in Nigeria flow through. Our business integration process has been successful and as a Company we are optimistic to deliver improving performances in 2016 and beyond, improving value to our shareholders.”

UBA to sustain net interest margin at a minimum of 6.3% in 2016 —GMD Designate Pan-African financial services group, United Bank for Africa Plc has reiterated its commitment to sustain net interest margin at a minimum of 6.3 per cent in 2016. Kennedy Uzoka, Group Managing Director Designate, said this during the presentation of 2016 Strategic Imperatives and Earning Guidance at the Investors and Analysts Conference held in Lagos on Tuesday.

The UBA Group had last week released its audited 2015 financials announcing

N69 billion profit before tax; representing a 22 per cent year-on-year growth.

“We will leverage on our balance sheet optimisation initiatives, to further improve asset yields. Interestingly, our improving deposit mix and funding cost will enhance our ability to sustain our NIMs,” Uzoka said.

Uzoka noted that despite the external cost pressures, UBA Group would remain committed to its cost efficiency initiatives. He emphasised that UBA will keep its cost growth below

inflation rate and further moderate the cost-to-income ratio to a level below 65 per cent.

“Whilst we are not completely immune to the impact of macroeconomic pressures on risk assets, we are confident in the quality of our portfolio. We are working closely with our customers and will continue to proactively monitor developments in the global and domestic economic environment to address its probable impact of our portfolio.”

Skye Bank introduces Skyewise target account Skye Bank Plc has introduced a new savings product known as the Skye Wise Target savings account.

The product helps customers and account holders to save towards their goals or projects.

According to a statement issued by the bank, Skye wise target savings account makes saving towards a goal faster as it offers interest at fixed deposit rate. The bank explained that the product is the ultimate solution to help account holders realise their dream houses, cars and other goals.

The bank advised people with great dreams and goals to open a SkyeWise target savings account and set their target and contribution patterns, and then sit back and watch their money grow.

The new product comes with a lot of values and benefits which include interest at fixed deposit rate on credit balance of N100,000.00 and above, easy access to funds using MasterCard debit card, cheque book, mobile banking App,and internet banking

British Council, First Bank partner on Playable City Lagos First Bank of Nigeria Limited under its Arts initiative, First@arts is collaborating with British Council Nigeria to announce the launch of Playable City Lagos, a series of creative, collaboration workshops bringing together artists, producers and technologists from Lagos and the UK as part of UK/Nigeria 2015/16.

The Playable city concept is a network that convenes creative practitioners to develop and exchange ideas and solutions that make the city more fun, reimagines the way in which public spaces within the city are utilised and can be transformed into places of amazing interactions and play.

In a statement, the bank said, “First Bank is again pleased to support this initiative under the auspices of its First@artsinitiative which is driven by the quest to promote the arts and preserve cultural heritage.

Playable City Lagos further underpins First Bank’s vision to promote creative arts as a veritable vehicle for cohesion amongst family and friends through the entertainment.

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businessnews

Monday, 21 March, 2016

NPA levy: Congestion looms at seaport today Tola Adenubi-Lagos

F

ollowing the failure of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and truck operators under the aegis of the Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST) to reach a consensus over the payment of N10,000 permit fee by the truckers, the leadership of the JCOST has decided to down tool and stay at home if the NPA insist on collecting the permit levy come Monday, 21st of March, 2016 JCOST which is a fusion of all the truckers association namely Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Truck Terminal Users Association, Truck Drivers Unit (TDU) of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO); told Nigerian Tribune in an exclusive chat that they will stop working if NPA does not rescind its decision.

According to the Chairman of JCOST, Kayode Odunowo, in an exclusive chat with our Correspondent, “we have tried our best to make the NPA see reasons why we cannot pay that amount. We have held several meetings but all has been deadlocked because they have refused to shift ground. Now, they have given us a deadline of March, 21, 2016 to pay or not be allowed to go inside the ports to lift cargoes.

“Since they have refused to see reasons with us, then we are also going to embark on a nationwide strike if we are not allowed to go inside the ports come 21st of March, 2016.”

It will be recalled that the

management of the Western ports of the NPA early this month introduced the implementation of truck entry permit and also asked the truck drivers and owners to pay a fee of N10,000 before they could be allowed access to the

port.

The Western ports of the NPA comprises of the two busiest ports in Nigeria, the Apapa ports and the Tin-Can Island Ports.

The NPA had initially shifted the deadline for the

implementation of the policy from the 29th of February to 21st of March because according to the authority, the numbers of trucks that have complied with the N10,000 permit levy are not enough to lift the volume of cargoes

From right: Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman of Troyka Holdings; Jimi Awosika, Group Managing Director, Troyka Holdings, and Bolaji Okusaga, Managing Director, The Quadrant Company at the media conference on the partnership deal between Publicis Groupe and Troyka Holdings in Lagos, on Thursday.

As MPC meets, key monetary policy rates to remain unchanged —Analysts Chima Nwokoji-lagos

Investment bankers and top financial analysts at the Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited and Afrinvest West Africa Limited have in their different analysis of developments in the economy, concluded that the Monetary Policy Committee(MPC) which holds its second bi-monthly meeting in 2016 today and tomorrow will keep all policy rates unchanged.

While FDC analysts said, “We expect that the policy makers will maintain status quo on key monetary rates,”

those at Afrinvest concluded that MPC is likely to hold all rates constant and continue to harp on structural reforms and policy coordination with the fiscal arm.

Afrinvest further gave other likely policy decisions that may be considered, stressing that where the committee attempts to make any adjustment, it might be adjusting the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) which is the benchmark interest rate upwards by 100 basis points(bps) – 200bps in order. to compensate investors for low-

ered real return and attract foreign private capital.

The MPC according Afrinvest may also consider increasing the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate by 200bps, while leaving other rates constant, to force an upward movement in the yield curve and mop up liquidity in the financial system.

“Whilst acknowledging the need to compensate investors for the depressed real return, we have placed an 80.0per cent probability on option 1 and 10.0 per cent apiece on Options 2 and 3 due to the fact that the

FRCN ignored banking industry input in national code —CBN Chima Nwokoji-lagos

The Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) has said that most of its inputs/ observations, submitted to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria(FRCN) during the public hearing, were not considered in the released drafts of the National Code of Corporate Governance.

It said the ignored inputs were considered critical to the smooth operation of the banking industry.

Following the public hearing held by the FRCN on June 30, 2015, the council released drafts on the National Code of Corporate Governance, for Private, Public Sectors as well as Not-for Profit Organizations, on December 29, 2015.

The CBN also observed that other significant con-

that come in at the nations seaports.

The NPA had insisted on the permit levy following incessant falling of containers off the back of trucks along busy road inside and outside the ports.

tributions from a number of banks and other financial institutions on the private sector code were not also considered.

The apex bank in a notice to all banks signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation department CBN, Mr. Kelvin Amugo advised on the need to ensure that relevant inputs that would enhance the status of the codes as well as facilitate the efficient and effective operation of the financial system are factored-in by the FRCN before the codes are finalised.

In the light of the above observations, CBN wants stakeholders in the banking industry to forward inputs and/or concerns on the National Codes to it before the end of March.

“Accordingly, we invite

you to forward your inputs and/or concerns on the National Corporate Governance Codes to the Director, Financial Policy and Regulations Department by

March 29, 2016 to enable us articulate a common position for the banking industry and to engage with the FRCN in respect thereof,” the notice read in part.

members are increasingly communicating dovish statements and are likely to rest on the (valid) evidence that current pressure on prices is feeding from cost push factors and not liquidity driven to dismiss the option of using the MPR or SDF instruments to stabilise prices,” the company noted.

Another reason given for the above options by the analysts at the investment banking and research company is that focus of committee members has shifted from attracting short term private capital that typically responds to tightening and also that a policy tightening without adjustment of exchange rate or allowing more flexibility to deepen liquidity and access will only result in tightening of financing conditions in the economy and pressure cost/prices further.

Introduction of SAP, other neo-liberal policies killed jobs and economy —NLC president Soji-Eze Fagbemi-Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has taken a retrospective to the cause of the collapse of textile industry in the country, saying that the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and other new-liberal policies by successive governments led to the de-industrialization process that kill jobs and the economy.

President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, who was speaking at the 11th National Delegates’ Conference of

the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) held in Kano, said since the introduction of SAP, followed by other neo-liberal policies, Nigeria industrialization and economy has been in comatose.

Former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida introduced SAP despite agitations and resistance from Nigerians during the inglorious era of military dictatorship.

Wabba, who was speaking during the conference

with a theme: “Labour and Industry: Back to Basics,” said the textile industry, the biggest employer after government in that era was the hardest hit “I owe it a duty to my conscience and my country to state that since the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programme in the mid 80s and the implementation of other neo-liberal policies subsequently; the country has witnessed a progressively painful de-industrialization process that killed both jobs and the economy.

Nigerian Tribune

Publicis Groupe partners communication companies to drive growth Publicis Groupe has entered into an equity partnership with the communications arm of The Troyka Group, the first wholly integrated marketing communications service provider in West Africa, including a total of six agencies: Insight Communications, The Thiinkshop, All Seasons Media, Media Perspectives, The Quadrant Company, and Hotsauce.

Publicis Groupe, which has invested in Africa for a number of years now, is taking advantage of the strong growth potential in the African market, with the partnership, the company said.

Through this equity acquisition, Publicis Groupe will launch its network in Nigeria from within the Troyka Group, creating a powerful communications entity that will allow for competitive advantage across all areas of operation in the West African landscape, the company added.

According to Kevin Tromp, CEO of Publicis Africa Group, “the Troyka Group communication companies are the gold standard in Nigeria, with a range of long-term bluechip client relationships, and a portfolio of multidisciplinary work that is world-class.

“We are very excited about the opportunities that this partnership presents for our clients, and believe that the combination Publicis Groupe’s global expertise combined with the Troyka Group’s local strength will provide an unbeatable partnership in this challenging and fast developing market.”

Speaking on the partnership, Chairman of Troyka Group, Biodun Shobanjo, said “we are indeed excited with the opportunities being thrown open with this partnership. The choice of Publicis as an equity partner advents a new epoch in marketing communication services in Nigeria as it up-scales the value we currently deliver to clients.

“Being the first of its kind in the Nigerian environment, the Publicis / Troyka partnership, will avail us access to global tools, process and platforms while helping to redefine route to market for the brands we work for, the ultimate consequence being better outcomes in terms of market expansion and growth.”

news IPI world congress kicks off with focus on safety of journalists 12

T

HE opening ceremony of the 2016 International Press Institute (IPI) world congress in Doha, Qatar, commenced on Saturday, with priority on the safety of jounalists The ceremony kickedoff with a three-day conference hosted in partnership with Al Jazeera tagged“Journalism at risk”, Journalists from all over the world are currently taking part in the seminars, panels and workshops. The 2016 theme focused on safety and professionalism in a dangerous world.

“Journalists are people’s eyes on the news,” said Master of Ceremonies, Khadija Bengana, principal presenter for the Al Jazeera Media Network.

Following a brief intro-

duction, Bengana introduced the first speaker, Al Jazeera Media Network, acting Director- General Mostefa Souag.

“Everyday, journalists deal with dangers that threaten them, their families and their acquaintances,” Souag said, speaking in Arabic.

Those dangers were many, he noted, ranging from violence and injury, to imprisonment and even death.

“We have lost dear colleagues, who paid with their lives for the truth and the dignity of the profession,” he said . He said that it was important to fight for justice for those fallen journalists.

“Despite the dangers, we need to continue to pursue the truth,” he added.

The executive board chairman,IPI,John Year-

wood, who is the world editor for the Miami Herald and head of IPI’s North American Committee, followed Souag and spoke of IPI’s numerous achievements in recent years. Yearwood noted that they included advocating for the release of imprisoned journalists around the world, including Syria’s Mazen Darwish and Al Jazeera staff held in Egypt and for the progress in the fight to decriminalise defamation, particularly, in the Caribbean.

He also cited IPI’s efforts in the fight against digital attacks on journalists and IPI’s work in support of safety of freelance journalists. In the latter, IPI played a key role initiating a campaign that has garnered support from more than 80 media companies worldwide.

Monday, 21 March, 2016

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editorial Nigeria’s membership of Islamic coalition against terror Monday, 21 March, 2016

W

HEN President Muhammadu Buhari visited Saudi Arabia in February 2016, he told King Salman Al Saud that Nigeria would not be part of the Islamic coalition against terror, an organisation announced by the Saudis on December 15, 2015. He said: “Even if we are not a part of it, we support you. Nigeria will support your efforts in keeping peace and stopping the spread of terror in your region.” However, later on in an interview granted to Aljazeera in Doha, the president said: “We are part of it because we have got terrorists in Nigeria which claim that they are Islamic.”

Naturally, the sudden announcement that Nigeria had joined the Saudi-led military alliance became a source of debate, and a series of arguments were advanced to support the president’s latter position. Apologists of the move stressed that the military alliance is to fight terror, especially the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), a source of inspiration to a number of terrorist groups which have pledged allegiance to it, including Boko Haram; that it is the major initiative for non-aligned nations and nations challenged by terrorism to tackle the scourge from the roots, and that Nigeria’s presence in the coalition is in its national interest, being a prime victim of a group affiliated to ISIS. Finally, it was argued that terrorism poses a common threat to global peace and people of all religious affiliations.

On the contrary, there are more compelling reasons Nigeria should never have joined the coalition. One, Nigeria is a secular state and should not join a religious alliance whether for dealing with terrorism or other purposes. Such membership detracts from Nigeria’s secular status and suggests that Nigeria is an Islamic country. This partly accounted for the opposition to Nigeria’s enlistment into the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in the 1980s. Indeed, this argument was captured succinctly in a statement by the General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Musa Asake: “This singular gesture tends to confirm our fears that underneath everything this government is doing, there is an agenda with strong Islamic undertones, aimed at undermining Nigeria’s pluralistic character and neutrality regarding government’s affiliation to any one religion.”

The title, “Islamic alliance,” appears to suggest hidden intents.

Although many countries in the alliance are wholly Muslim while others are not, there is a plausible interpretation that the nomenclature is not an oversight. This is further buttressed by the methodology of the alliance which is to provide aid

Nigerian Tribune

and weapons to members to deal with terror groups in their territory. Two, ISIS attacks nations that support the fight against terrorism. Countries which have been bombing ISIS for some time in Syria, such as Russia and France, have been victims of terrorist attacks. Therefore, Nigeria’s membership of the alliance is an open invitation to new terrorist attacks in its territory.

Again, the alliance is driven largely by the interest of Saudi Arabia. Although it is in the interest of Nigeria to join the fight against global terrorism, it should not be a vehicle with which another country advances its national interests. Saudi Arabia has shown that its interests come before any commitment to counter-terrorism. Nigeria must maintain its independence and sovereignty at all times. Besides, the stampede at the Hajj last year in which a number of Nigerians died revealed a lot about the disposition of the Saudis towards Africans. A Saudi prince was reported to have said that “some pilgrims with African nationalities” caused the stampede. This was most insensitive given the fact that over 70 Africans died in the event. Saudi Arabia offered no apologies or sympathy to Nigeria or other countries involved. A country that does not respect racial equality should not be an ally.

Besides, as we have noted in our earlier intervention, it is desirable that the coalition embraces all Muslims in the world regardless of whether they are Shiite or Sunni, for a concerted global effort to fight terror. The current exclusion of Iran, Iraq and Syria may drive Iran towards the formation of a rival Shiite alliance. Such a development might have destructive consequences, as is currently the case in Yemen and Syria.

Currently, Nigeria has had some challenges with the conflict between the security forces and Zakzaky’s Shiite group, risking another serious challenge to Nigeria’s stability. Thus, a coalition that embraces all Islamic countries, whether Sunni or Shiite, would be ideal. The Saudi-led alliance is largely built on a sectarian foundation and seems to serve as one of the more recent maneuvers in the Sunni-Shiite conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran and its affiliates.

President Buhari should be reminded that there are clearly stated constitutional provisions regarding the deployment of troops outside the shores of Nigeria. These provisions must not be subordinated to any operational mechanism or framework that may emanate from the alliance. The constitution clearly bars the adoption of state religion under any guise.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Monday, 21 March, 2016

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@tribune.com.ng or by sms to 08053412982.

It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Curbing cultism among youths

L

AST week, it was reported that two students were killed during a cult clash at a university in the South East. The report said the victims had their heads severed, with the cult group that carried out the dastardly act promising to kill 21 more people.

Before this, some students had been killed during a cult war at a university in Edo State, and in Rivers State, gang rivalry is so common that people are being killed daily in superiority clashes.

In Lagos State, apart

from students who are involved in cultism, we now have street gangs that terrorise some areas in the Centre of Excellence. Some of these criminals have constituted themselves as nuisance to the communities in which they operate.

Just recently in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, about six people were killed in a gang war in Oja’Ba area of the state.

The rise in cultism and gangsterism among youths is becoming worrisome in the country. Youths who should be contributing to the economic development

Nigerian parents, human traffickers are on the prowl PERMIT me to use your widely-read newspaper to reach out to Nigerian parents to beware of too-goodto-be-true opportunities for their children, particularly female children.

I read the story of two Nigerian girls who were recently rescued from traffickers in Libya, and I think it is high time Nigerian parents began taking responsibility for their children.

The first girl was a Senior Secondary School (SSS) Two student who was promised a job in the United States of America. The trafficker went to her parents, promising that she would be taken to the US where she would continue her schooling, as well as work to support the family back home. To make the assistance look real, the trafficker said the parents would need to pay for feeding for about a month before their daughter starts collecting her salary. Thinking it was a life-time opportunity, the parents raised N250,000 for the trafficker.

The second victim, a 22-year-old nurse, was also told the same story. After falling for the trick, the trafficker collected N1million from the nurse’s parents as money for her accommodation and feeding.

On the day of their departure, instead of heading to the airport in Lagos, they headed for Kano State, where the girls were linked with other girls who were

also embarking on the same journey.

From Kano, they travelled to Agadex in Mali, from where they were handed over to some Arab drivers who took them across the desert into Libya. The rescued girls told the story of the terrible experience they had in the desert, with many of them falling off the Hilux Jeeps and immediately buried under the desert sand. In the end, they arrived in a town in Libya, where ‘Welcome to New York’ was written boldly in front of the brothel where they were to start ‘work.’

Luckily, the two girls were able to contact their parents back home in Nigeria, and efforts were made to arrest the trafficker.

The girls said they had to sleep with about 15 men every day for about N1,000 per man. This is so terrible.

Despite all efforts of government to bring human traffickers to justice, it is so unfortunate that the industry is still thriving due to the ignorance of some parents.

It is as a result of this that I want to warn parents to beware of ‘opportunities’ meant to take their daughters into foreign lands. Such could be the ‘New York’ in Libya.

Government should also continue its anti-human trafficking efforts in the country.

•Yetunde Soares, Surulere, Lagos.

of the country now find themselves involved in antisocial activities. It is easy to call in the police to deal with such criminal elements, but have we really asked why many of our youths are going into crime?

The reason is simple, and can be found in the popular saying that, ‘An idle

hand is the devil’s workshop.’ Youths are at the peak of their lives; it is at this period that a man is most creative, but unfortunately, our country has not provided them the opportunities to channel their creative energies into something positive.

I want to lay the blame

at the feet of our political class. The misappropriation of funds that we are currently hearing about is a testament to the fact that our leaders have failed us.

The resources that should have been channeled for the development of the youth, particularly in the creation of jobs, have been

On Eagles new foreign coach SINCE the resignation of former Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, several foreign coaches have been jostling to replace him.

The coaches are capitalising on the fact that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Mr Amaju Pinnick, had said the country would now appoint a foreign coach to replace Oliseh.

While this is good, we should not just appoint any foreigner because he

is White, we should appoint someone who knows his onions; we need someone who will be committed to the job.

In my own opinion, the person who fits the bill is former Congo, Tunisia, Cameroon and Cote D’Ivoire coach, Claude Le Roy. Here is someone who has worked for several years in about five countries on the continent. Le Roy knows African football inside out, and he is also committed to the conti-

nent.

Giving him the opportunity to coach the Super Eagle will impact positively on the team; he will bring his wealth of experience spanning several years to bear on the team.

I hope those who will be in charge of selecting the new coach will look at the commitment and experience of the applicants.

•Vincent Egbe, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

stolen by those who had the opportunity of holding positions of authority in the country.

When youths are not being taken care of, then they tend to lose their focus, and this is what we are currently facing in the country.

I am happy with the manner in which the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari has been bringing those who have stolen from the country to face justice.

I hope that the monies recovered from them will be set aside to empower the youth economically.

Youths with business ideas should be supported financially to set up businesses.

Taking care of our youths is the only way we can reduce crime in the country.

•Dr Tajudeen Alalade, Ilorin, Kwara State.

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opinion

Monday, 21 March, 2016

Lasisi Olagunju Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

Brothers Wike, Amaechi and Donald Trump

“All these thousands of men. Many of them not much more than boys. Each one of them some mother’s son, some sister’s brother, some daughter’s father. Each one of them a whole person loved and cherished in some home far away. Many of them will never return. “- Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in Gods and Generals.

D

ONALD Trump, Rotimi Amaechi, Nyesom Wike. Interesting threesome who have dominated my media time in recent weeks. I wish we could order some DNA checks on the three for some ancestral links. I particularly enjoy watching the histrionics of Trump, the United States’ Republican party’s likely candidate in the November presidential election. He never appears like someone who would be interested in taking prisoners even before winning his present war. He is likely looking in the way of digging graves and burying alive victims of his victory. Trump has proved to us that gods of feet of clay exist also in pantheons outside Africa. He has so consistently shown that the narcissist is no native of Africa, that he is American. Profuse thanks to Trump, the November elections in the United States are increasingly looking like they are what we just witnessed in Nigeria’s Rivers State. The rhetorics are the same. The narratives are similar. Trump last week threatened that “there will be riots, there will be riots” if he is denied the ticket at the end of his current ego trip. Elections were held in Rivers State on Saturday. And the battle cries that ushered in the epic event have not stopped reverberating everywhere. We have not finished counting the cost of that expensive tragedy. Forget about whatever happened or did not happen on election day. Look at the days before the D-Day, the blood, tears and sorrow, the headless bodies and the body-less heads strewn on the walkway of politicians whose love for the people of that state made them declare war.

The way of God is inscrutable. He has reasons for carving every of His creations with special features and abilities. There must be a divine reason why a Trump is trampling on the face of owners of America and the whole lot appears lost. And he does it with messianic zeal. Amaechi was on Channels TV some days before the Saturday

elections. He wore the costume of dove and love in that early morning programme proclaiming himself a “man of peace” who is “God-fearing.” Wike too was on air everywhere, giving his own message of Pentecostal warnings.

Their international brother, Trump, is another self-professed Christian who tells his sheep to punch any protesting face. He is the unusual Christian; a saint, who says he “never asked God for forgiveness.”

My friend lives in Port Harcourt. On Thursday, my friend went to work. She didn’t know of the holiday that commenced 48 hours before the less than 10-hour elections.

On Friday, it rained so heavily but politics had fouled the air so much my friend couldn’t enjoy the coolness of the rainy morning. She, hours earlier, had listened with fear to several on-air gubernatorial chants of “rest in peace,” —funeral prayers for the living. She couldn’t understand why blood smelt so strongly in the air. She couldn’t answer why there was danger so palpably in every space.

She felt so much threats across divides, crossfires from ex- friends who cared no hoot for collateral victims. People had died, more people may die but what happens to the conjurers of these rains of blood? My friend wondered why foot soldiers were always ready to die miserable deaths, unsung. I remembered that many see Generals as “incompetent, uncaring” sadists who hurry (and harry) their troops to untimely, stupid deaths. I told my friend it is the destiny of soldiers to die so that Generals could dine at their funerals. Generals very rarely die in battle. They live to bury their soldiers. Sol-

diers fight battles which are won by Generals. The commander gets the epaulets, his men get the bullets. It has been the same with Rivers State these past weeks, even months.

Back to Trump, there are reports that the Republican party’s establishment is seriously shopping for a cure for the headache that Donald Trump has become. The wise can be stupid at times. And Trump said so two weeks ago; “the GOP establishment is stupid,” he said. If they are wise, by now they ought to have known exactly where to seek an effective solution to the Trump problem. The solution is in Nigeria, not in the United States. They need a combination of Gentleman Amaechi’s ‘godliness’ and Barrister Wike’s ‘legalese’ to fix the man. And the two friends will feel highly honoured to forget their present local derby, collaborate and do the job. They won’t mind that while the job is being done, many tools will get lost. If you do not understand me, go watch video clips of Trump’s campaigns and the punches that are thrown.

The anthem of Trump and his Nigerian brothers is Julius Caesar’s famous declaration as he crossed River Rubicon: “Here I abandon peace and desecrate law; fortune, it is you I follow. Farewell to treaties. From now on, war is our judge!” Generals will always abandon peace, follow fortune and make war the judge, because they are never the casualties - those who lose in their bloody campaigns are always the unthinking masses. Check the bloodied faces in the rallies of the man who wants to “make America great again.” Check the recent campaigns of the good men of Rivers state. Check if any big man suffered any bruise despite the horrors their politics brought. Those who punch, or who get punched; those who get bruised and injured; those who get killed are the rabbles, and as Chamberlain said, “each one of them some mother’s son, some sister’s brother, some daughter’s father. Each one of them a whole person loved and cherished in some home far away.” So, when you look at Trump charging his men and women to shoot or punch whoever in the face; whenever you see your own local Mr Trump promising war, remind his troops that they are also, like the big boss, somebody’s son who shouldn’t be fools destined never to return from battles.

Ogun institute as a metaphor

By Soyombo Opeyemi

THE diamond anniversary of the Social Development Institute (Shasha), Iperu literally caught me flat-footed. The news clip on Ogun State Television (OGTV) on Thursday afternoon somewhat jarred me. The human lenses that beheld the ruins of this college should have been part of the historic 60th celebrations. It was a brisk moment of self-flagellation.

This imagery extract from one of the works of Wole Soyinka is most fitting for this exercise: “Usually one sees them in still photos – images of dying cattle in a land overtaken by drought, now landmarked by carcasses and skeletons, withered shrub and dry water holes. Occasionally however, the cine-camera takes charge, lingers over a calf that is reduced to nothing but skin stretched over a cage of ribs, and the final contractions of emaciated muscles. Flies settle and crawl over what remains of moisture on the prostrate beast, mostly around the eyes, ears and nostrils. It makes a feeble attempt to lift itself, scuffing dirt with the sides of its hooves, then settles back on its side, immobile. Its enlarged eyes stare blankly into the lens. This disproportioned frame with extended ribs sinks slowly into immobility. At some point, you know the calf is doomed, its life slowly ebbing into the sands.

The lens lifts towards the desiccated horizon, rises directly upwards to reveal a cloud of swooping vultures, suspended, circling, blotting out the pitiless sun.”

This allegory of “dying cattle” could perspicuously substitute for the narration of this author in 2013 after the visit of the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to the institution that had sunk into atrophy due to decades of neglect: “...Just picture structures abandoned in the bush for decades or that have lost their innocence to wars or some natural disasters... The termite-infested hall - the best of the buildings - the (high) table and chairs standing grudgingly on legs that had lost their souls to the rage of termites, the pock-marked asbestos ceiling,

windows without covers, roof threatening to collapse at the slightest fury of the elements...”

What made that visit by the governor in June 2013 more poignant was that there were actually some students in that school – doing what then? Studying? Were they up to 100 at the time? The sight was most affecting as one took time to know the mission of those hapless youths in what might pass for a deserted jungle.

It was not totally an overcast day, and nothing had really forewarned the governor and his small entourage on how the day might turn out to be when the convoy left the state capital after noon and pulled up about an hour later at the Social Development Institute (Shasha), Iperu, a college established on February 20, 1956 by the government of Western Region, led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to offer leadership training to community leaders, traditional rulers and politicians. It offers Certificate and Diploma in Social Works and Social Development to youths in affiliation with the Olabisi Onabanjo University.

After a tour of the college, the governor was downcast.

Although he managed to lighten up the shoe-string cultural display of the students, it was evident that the mind of the state’s helmsman had been taken up in some cogitations – the ramifications of his mission to rebuild Ogun State, knowing full well that Shasha was just one of the thousands of institutions across the state that had paid the heavy price of decades of neglect - the Nigerian factor - not just in education but health, agriculture, and so on.

The journey from Iperu to Lagos afterwards was expectedly sombre and I fantasized the governor retiring to his bed by 1 a.m. or thereabouts mulling the ‘sight of the day’ over, imagining the number of such scenes of regression yet to be identified in addition to the thousands already known, in the face of scarce resources of the state.

Efforts had to be redoubled in the renovation of existing schools while building new ones in order to expand access to education. Any new school built that does not factor in the age we are is not worth it. So the state govern-

ment had to be futuristic in the design of its new schools, a template that can now be imitated by any individual, group or future governments. Indeed, in every new project embarked upon by the Amosun administration in every sector of the state’s economy, compliance with the 21st century was an article of faith. Reclaiming the state is not a work of one, two, three or four terms. As one observed then, “Even if you devote the entire yearly budget to education alone and consecutively for 10 years, you will still be left with one or two dilapidated buildings.”

But the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.

What is of moment now is that the pace and tempo of the ongoing development must not abate...

At the end of that enervating tour of Shasha, the governor promised to rehabilitate the institution. Did I hear some heckling? Such promises were not new to the school; they heard them for decades. But to the glory of God, it was a renovated institution that celebrated its 60th anniversary last week Wednesday. You only need to request from the state television station the video clip of the college when the governor visited in 2013.

Indeed, as I watched the news flash of the 60th, the state’s officials that sat on the high table, in the very space that the governor was received in 2013, it was evident that from the ashes of neglect, a bright future had emerged for the students of Social Development Institute (Shasha), Iperu. I congratulate the students and staff of Shasha and laud the state governor for fulfilling his pledge to the premier institution. Of course, the government still has plans for the second phase of the reconstruction when finances of the state improve, but the image of a dying calf, some neglected jungle or an institution in the throes of death has now been supplanted with prospects of a bright and flourishing future for the students and people of Ogun State.

•Soyombo sent in this piece from Abeokuta via densityshow@yahoo.com

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Monday, 21 March, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

Senate’s shock find at Abuja rail mass transit site AYODELE ADESANMI, who was on the entourage of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory FCT) during an oversight tour of Abuja Mass Transit Rail project, reports the shock find of the committee.

T

HE Abuja rail project was conceived essentially to ease transportation and provide succour for commuters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and its environs. The project, which was conceived in 1977, did not however come to fruition until May 7, 2007, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo, during an official tour of the FCT, performed the ground-breaking ceremony with a completion date of four years. The rail project was practically on a snail speed from 2007 till 2010, when the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, directed attention its way. The government then fixed December 2015 as completion date. With part funding coming from a $500 million loan from China-Exim Bank, the project was sure to take to the fast lane.

Though it was not completed in 2015, the project has shown signs of nearing completion. But a twist to the tale surfaced recently when the Senate Committee on FCT, led by Senator Dino Melaye, embarked on a tour of the site. Melaye, during the tour, alleged that the project cost was inflated by as much as N10 million per kilometre, adding that even when the length of the project was reduced, the reduction did not reflect in the cost. That has since become the subject of further investigation by the Senate committee. The rail, which was designed to carry commuters from satellite towns to the city centre, is expected to handle a combined daily figure of 400,000 riders. Some of the benefits of the rail project, when completed, include reduction of traffic congestion in the city, shortening distances and reducing pressure on existing public transport services.

The project had an initial cost of $841.64million, which was later reviewed to $823 million and it is being financed with a loan from the China-Exim Bank with the balance to be paid by the Federal Government and additional N10 billion from the Subsidy Re-investment Project (SURE-P) when it came on board. The project has passed through four different ministers namely, Alhaji Aliyu Modibo (2007); Alhaji Adamu Aliero (2008 to 2010); and Senator Bala Mohammed from (2010-2015.

The present occupier of the seat, Mohammed Bello, is the fifth Minister to handle the project. The Chinese Construction firm, the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC), which won the contract, moved to site in 2009, even though it was paid the sum of $148 million which represented 20 per cent of the contract sum, but said to be lower than the original mobilisation fee. According to the design, the rail project would be delivered in two different models - Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Rapid Rail Transit (RRT). It was designed to be run by diesel power but hoped to be converted to electricity when power become more stable in the country.

Originally, the completion date was fixed at 2013, but incessant changes of helmsmen at the affairs of the FCT and inadequate funding have combined to delay the completion date, which at a time, stood at the unrealistic 2015. Stakeholders, who are eager to see the project completed, have continuously worried at the slow pace of delivery on the sites. The administration of President

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

Jonathan, which brought the project to a considerable stage, had promised to deliver it in 2015, but it eventually failed to ensure its completion, shifting the completion date forward once again.

When he came on board, the incumbent FCT Minister, Bello, pledged to ensure that the much awaited rail project would commence operations in the city. The House of Representatives had offered to assist towards early

The sum of $3 billion dollars was proposed in the 2016 budget of the FCT for the rail project. I did a personal research and looked at rail construction of the same specifications, of the same technology across the globe and one cannot but complain that the cost of this railway project in Nigeria is on a very high side.

completion of the project when the House Committee on FCT embarked on an oversight tour of the project site.

The committee led by Honourable Herman Hembe expressed satisfaction with progress of the project so far.

FCTA’s Director of Public Building, Anwaninu Anthony, said that the project was conceived in 1977 as contained in the Abuja master plan, adding that inadequate funding was responsible for the delay on the part of the contractor to meet the December 31, 2015 deadline set by the previous administration. A member of the committee, Jibrin Satumari, said there might be another way of sourcing funds to complete the projects, especially funds from idle projects explaining that “I will prefer that the money earmarked for the building of the Vice President’s residence is channeled toward this project because of its potential to the people.”

However, the director of Transportation and Light Rail Project Implementation Unit at the FCTA, Kashim Ali, told the committee that the “sum of $249 million has been spent from the $500 million Chinese EXIM Bank loan which the Federal Government obtained, while $162 million has been spent by the Federal Government.”

Further twists emerged when the Project Manager of CCECC, Etim Abak, alleged that former President Obasanjo awarded the Abuja Rail Project in 2007 without engineering design or Memorandum of Understanding, and that that the former Minister of FCT and current governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, signed the $841.645,898 contract based on uncalculated estimate.

Abak explained that the “contract was awarded based on a conceptual design and estimates were not properly done.

There was no formal design submitted and rail bridges and crossover bridges were not captured in the contract.”

He claimed that the contract sum was $841.645, 898 and project completion period was 48 months while the scope of work was 60.67km standard gauge, with double railway tracks and associated permanent ways within FCT. He alleged that the contract, which stood at 60.67km, was inflated by N10 million per kilometre and that the length was later reduced to 45km, whereas the reduction did not reflect in the cost. He said that the amount for the 15.67 km dropped off from the project did not reflect in the final figure.

The committee chairman, Melaye, wondered why the project, whose length initially stood at 60.67 kilometres, was later reduced to 45.245 without cut in the initial cost.

He disclosed: “If we are to spend $841 million for 60.67 kilometres and now you have reduced it to 45.245 kilometres and the only reduction in terms of monetary value is from $841.6 million to $823 million and with reduction of just about $17 million dollars— that, to me, is not commensurate with the reduction in length.”

He added: “The Federal Government has so far invested $31.5 billion and another $7.6 billion from the SURE-P fund and if you put these together, we have $39.1 billion invested in the rail project, leaving the balance of $113.

233,155.32million. The sum of $3 billion dollars was proposed in the 2016 budget of the FCT for the rail project. I did a personal research and looked at rail construction of the same specifications, of the same technology across the globe and one cannot but complain that the cost of this railway project in Nigeria is on a very high side.”

The lawmaker wondered why it was costing the Federal Government so much to construct a railway of just 45 kilometres, unlike the construction of the same specifics across the globe questioning the rationale behind the government’s loan of $500 million from Exim Bank of China for the project, believing that the money the Federal Government had so far injected into the project was far enough to execute the entire project.

17

politics&policy

Monday, 21 March, 2016

The ‘unsenatorial’ divide over Ekiti assembly raid .

Penultimate week, the Senate adopted a motion seeking the probe of the invasion of Ekiti State House of Assembly by men of the Department of State Services (DSS). The impending probe did not come as a surprise to many but the Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, reports some unparliamentary acts during the consideration of the motion.

T

HE National Assembly does not like to miss any opportunity to showcase its love for legislative autonomy. At different times, it has resisted interventions from the executive in choosing its leaders, while also taking over the functions of state assemblies that are seen as coming under the hammer of the executive. Thus, when reports indicated that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) invaded the chambers of the Ekiti State House of Assembly on March 4, a reaction from the Senate or the House of Representatives was expected.

Penultimate week, deputy Senate Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi took the matter to the Senate floor, asking her colleagues to condemn the incident and institute a probe into the development. Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Honourable Kola Oluwawole, who narrated the development to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, had stated that operatives of the DSS invaded the premises of the Assembly March 4, catching the personnel and the lawmakers unawares. He said that the operatives shot sporadically within the assembly complex, heightening tension among the bewildered staff. He described the incident as “the clandestine plot by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government to destabilise the Ekiti state government.”

The Speaker alleged that since the attack was orchestrated by the APC-led government, the lawmakers would not succumb to intimidation or any form of harassment, adding that the plan was to arrest top officials of the government in view of the critical stance of Governor Ayodele Fayose against the Federal Government. He said the situation could be likened to the invasion of Akwa Ibom State Government House by the same DSS in 2015 adding that the legislators were surprised the DSS had not come up with reasons for the invasion.

“Up till today, Nigerians are yet to be told officially why, in a federal system of government in which federating units enjoy some degree of autonomy, the Government House occupied by a governor who enjoys the same immunity enjoyed by the president as provided by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was invaded by armed men of the DSS,” he said.

In furthering the protest, Senator Olujimi moved a motion on the floor of the Senate last Wednesday, seeking to get the Senate to condemn the invasion of the Ekiti State House of Assembly. In the motion titled, “the invasion of Ekiti State House of Assembly by Armed men of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) on Friday, March 4, 2016,” the Senator noted that on Friday 4, 2016, the hallowed chambers of the Ekiti State House of Assembly was invaded by armed men of the DSS. According to her, the Ekiti parliament was invaded at a time various Committees of the House were busy with their legislative duty. She added that the DSS men threw the State Assembly complex into chaos when they allegedly shot into the air sporadically in a bid to carry out the planned arrest of the lawmakers. She expressed worries that four members of the House of Assembly could not be found after the incident adding that the infor-

Lawal Daura, DSS boss mation available to her showed that Hon Afolabi Akanni, the member representing Efon Constituency was abducted and taken to Abuja.

The former deputy governor of Ekiti State also berated the DSS for refusing to make public, the reasons the Ekiti lawmakers were arrested even after five days of their arrest. “The Action is not only unconstitutional, illegal, and unlawful but is a plot calculated to harass, intimidate and embarrass the people and government of Ekiti state,” she said. She equally reminded the Senate that a similar incident had taken place in September 2015, when “the Akwa Ibom State Government House was invaded by armed men of the same Department of State Security (DSS) without any formal explanation as to the reason for the invasion.”

Olujimi also blamed the incident on the Federal Government, alleging that the action must have been motivated by “political vendetta and muzzling of the opposition” which she said was dangerous to the survival of democracy in the country.In her prayers, the senator asked the Senate to :(a) condemn in the strongest terms the illegal and unlawful invasion of the Ekiti State House of Assembly by armed men of the Department of State Services (DSS) and (b) direct its Committee on National Security and Intelligence to conduct an investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the action of the DSS and report back to the Senate within two weeks.

At that point, partisanship crept in. instead of allowing the motion to be seconded, senators of the APC attempted to gloss it over. Senator Isiaka Adeleke (APC, Osun West) immediately took the floor and told the senate he was opposing. But his action attracted protests from Senators of the Peo-

Olujimi ples Democratic Party (PDP), who insisted that the motion must first be seconded before debate can ensure.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), who seconded the motion, told his colleagues that it was wrong to impute partisanship to a development that threatens the survival of the legislature. He insisted that the conduct of men of the DSS was against the spirit and letters of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act, which designates the legislative chambers as sacred places.

Senator Abaribe said: “I wish to second this motion and also note that we have taken something of this nature in the 6th Senate and we resolved in this chamber that we cannot also condone the breaking of the laws that actually give us our powers that we are using today and that is the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act. It was a law passed in 1953 and is still subsisting up till date. Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers and Privileges Act states thus in 14(1): “No stranger in respect of the legislative house shall be entitled to enter or remain within the chamber or precincts of that legislative house without the authority of the President or Speaker as the case maybe.

“The second part is that we must also ask a question and that question is who is in charge of security in a legislative house. We have never answered that question because that question continues to reoccur. For each and everyone of us, we have to make it abundantly clear the people that are in charge of security within our precincts are the Sergeant-at-Arms, which means that we must take a look again at the laws establishing the Sergeant-at-Arms within legislative houses so that an outside agency will not

take over the functions because I know that sometimes about a year ago, we also had an incident in which the police invaded the National Assembly seeking the Speaker of the House of Representatives and it happened here. We must take a stand according to the laws of this land and that is the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act.” His admonition did very little to caution his colleagues who were bent on displaying party loyalty rather than protect legislative independence. Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’allah, in his contribution, urged the Senate to tread with caution on the matter of Ekiti, adding that the state is a peculiar environment where, according to him, acts of recklessness had been perpetrated in the past allegedly by people in position of authority. He referred to time when a judge of a High Court was beaten in the state by alleged thugs adding that there are many other instances of unlawful acts that had taken place in the state.

The partisan outlook further showed clearly when the Senate President Bukola Saraki put the question to the prayers raised

by Senator Olujimi as senators of the APC defeated the prayer seeking to condemn the action by DSS. The Senate only passed the resolution directing its Committee on National Security and Intelligence to conduct an investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the action taken by the DSS and report to the Senate in plenary within two weeks.

Senator Olujimi was to later condemn the partisanship displayed by some of her colleagues. She insisted that when the Senate refuses to condemn in strong terms the invasion of lower parliaments, security operatives will someday be embolden to extend same to the National Assembly.

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

Issues and challenges of governance in Nigeria exploitation of mineral resources particularly petroleum which can therefore be squandered, spent imprudently or unaccountably or simply misappropriated into personal accounts. It is a situation best captured in the statement “money is not our problem but how to spend it.”

By Akin Mabogunje

M

Y views on these matters are predicated on three propositions.

First, that because of the windfall from oil revenue and its own operational structure of a unified command, the military regime transformed the country away from its federal and democratic trajectory of development; secondly, that since the end of the military regime, our political leaders and various professional groups particularly the Nigerian Bar Association have failed the nation in not legally challenging some of the non-democratic distortions to our governance system, especially at the local level; the third is that unless we seriously re-visit these distortions and rectify them appropriately the nation will continue to be hostage to a dysfunctional and disempowering governance system in the country.

I have therefore divided the lecture into four parts. The first examines the nature and legacy of the military era in the governance of this country. I have referred to this legacy as the rise and fall of the “awuff” society. The second part then assesses the twist this legacy has made in leaving the nation with a most expensive and dysfunctional governance system at the federal, state and local level in the country. The third section attempts to show how the nation can get itself out of this morass by looking intelligently at its own rich historical and cultural experience in governance whilst the fourth presents some lessons of international experience especially of countries similarly caught in a situation of sudden access to “windfall revenue” from petroleum resources such as ours but which made more prudent and sustainable choices than we did about what to do with the windfall.

A concluding section considers the way forward in the context of the recent National Conference and other attempts to amend our present flawed Constitution.

The rise and fall of the “Awuff” society Let me begin then with the story of the rise and fall of the “awuff” society. To appreciate the thrust of this story, I must go to the year 1951. In that year, a group of young men met in the town of Owo determined that if the evolving political situation gave them the chance, they will provide this part of the country, that is Western Nigeria with a governance system of which the citizens would all be very proud. I believe the term “governance” as distinct from “government” in the title given me for this lecture is deliberate since it encompasses not just the government as “the formal institutional structure and location of authoritative decision making” (Stoker, 1998: 34) but also its interrelationship with its citizens and other stakeholders in the determination of desirable outcomes in the civic public realm

(Swilling, 1997). To this end, this group of young men produced a number of policy papers of what they would do if they got into government. Perhaps the most revolutionary of their policy papers was the one that indicated that they would provide free and universal primary education to all of the citizens.

When they did get the chance and got into government in 1952, in executing their scheme for the free and universal primary education, they began by setting for themselves a target date of January 1955. They decided to find out how many children would by them be qualified to enter school at that date, how many teachers would they have to train to cater for this number, how many teacher training colleges would they have to build to train these teachers, how many school books would they have to ensure are available and so on and so forth.

Then, they set out to worry about the resources to make this realizable. Of course, it all had to come from increased taxes from the citizens. So, they raised the capitation tax from sixpence to ten shillings and six pence. They imposed tax on salt and petrol. They put on an entertainment tax. The idea was to make every adult taxpayer pay whether he or she had children of school going age or not. Not unexpectedly, there was resentment and even open riot in some parts of the region. But the government went out to try and further explain and enlighten citizens in those rioting areas about the long term goals of the programme. In spite of this, this political party in power in the region still lost the federal election of 1954 to its opposition party. But when in August 1954, the government asked parents to register their children for the universal and free primary education, as against the anticipated

When in August 1954, the government asked parents to register their children for the universal and free primary education, as against the anticipated 170,000, the number rose to close to 400,000.

170,000, the number rose to close to 400,000. (Awolowo, 1981). Not daunted, the government had to find additional sources of finance.

It struggled to have the centralised commodity board regionalised so that it could impose export tax on crops emanating from the region.

It appealed to leadership of communities to assist in building additional classrooms with government providing corrugated iron sheets for the roofing. It appealed to all retired former teachers to come out in January 1955 to help fill the manpower gap until additional teachers could be trained.

It all became an interesting challenge to patriotism not only for the government but for the people as a whole. Thus, when the system stabilised, every one took pride in the achievement. And it is important to stress that what was “free” in this whole programme was the access of the children to education for which every taxable adult in the region had to pay.

Almost 20 years later in 1970, at the end of a Civil War remarkable for the fact that Nigeria did not borrow to prosecute the war, the same proponent of this regional feat argued that the resources mustered for fighting the War could now be prudently diverted to organize and provide free, universal primary education for all children in the whole country. The greatest antagonists to this proposal were federal civil servants who argued that it could not be done, that resources were inadequate to promote such a national programme. Yet, two years later, with the beginning of the windfall from the rise in the price of petroleum due to the Arab-Israeli War, without any plan whatsoever, the Federal Government announced that it was launching a nationwide free and universal primary education to start at the beginning of the following year, less than six months away. There was no plan whatsoever to find out the number and distribution of the children that would be involved or to plan for the training of their teachers.

Instead, the Federal government advertised all over the world and brought in teachers from Egypt, South Africa, Phillipines, India, Pakistan and many other country.

For classrooms, it got architects in Lagos and elsewhere to design model primary schools even for places as far away as Sokoto and for building these classrooms and other public buildings it began to engage contractors and, in the process, provoked a “cement armada” in anticipation of the massive construction binge. This was the beginning of the “awuff” society in the country.

It is necessary at this juncture to define the word “awuff” as used in this lecture. This is a word used commonly in pidgin English to signify “free” money or unearned income which is not the product of a person’s labour and therefore can be squandered or spent imprudently. In applying it to governance, it is meant to describe a situation in which fiscal resources accrues to government not from tax revenue assiduously and diligently collected from citizens but from royalties and rent from the

Consequently, in the situation in Nigeria in the 1970s, instead of using the accruing resources from the windfall from petroleum to improve and modernize our colonial infrastructure, we began by establishing a Public Service Review Commission which enhanced personal emoluments of civil and public servants dramatically resulting in a national spending spree that depleted commercial stores all over the country of durable consumer goods such as airconditioners, refrigerators, electric cookers, television sets, radios and so on. This, of course, forced a sharp rise in the demand for electricity beyond the capacity of the National Electric Power Authority to provide and the consequence of that singular miscalculation is still with us till today.

More serious was the impact of this “awuff” mind-set on the governance system itself. Just before the Civil War, the military government had had to announce the creation of 12 States out of the 4 regions of the country at the time.

These were to be six states in the north of the country and six states in the south. The reason for this was exigent. It was a response to long-standing agitation for a more equitable federation in which no one state would be so big as to bend the will of the federation to itself. It was a decision which did a lot to undermine the attractiveness of the Biafran secession and to consolidate widespread loyalty of people behind the Nigerian federation. But as the windfall from petroleum continued to pour in, it was decided to tamper with the fundamental fiscal arrangement of the Federation. That arrangement was based on the “derivation principle” in which regions retained 50 per cent of royalties and rent paid in respect of mineral exploitation as well as import and excise duties of goods and services consumed in the region whilst 20 per cent went to the Federal Government and 30 per cent to a distributable pool shared among the regions on an agreed formula to even out development in the country.

Continues tomorrow

Being text of the Guest Lecture delivered by Professor Mabogunje, on the occasion of the launching of the endowment fund for the Oba Sikiru Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance, Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos on Thursday, March 10, 2016).

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

+ entrepreneurship inside Local govts must promote entrepreneurship — Oladele —Pg 21 quote

In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. — Harold S. Geneen

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Ruth Olurounbi

m:0811 695 4637 e:ruth.olurounbi@tribuneonlineng.com t:@Olurounbi

5 things business owners should consider before going digital

By Bruno Berthon

W

ith the Paris UN Climate Change Conference in the rearview mirror, the path to reducing carbon emissions is a lot clearer. At that meeting, the world’s nations agreed to limit global warming to below 2°C, with 185 countries making tangible plans to achieve this. Thousands of businesses have also made pledges to aggressively decarbonise their operations and supply chains.

What will they gain? A way to disrupt their markets with business models that rewrite the rules of competition. Innovative business models that – with a digital foundation – create new ways of operating that were inconceivable even a few years back.

Consider areas like mobility and logistics, manufacturing, agriculture and energy. Digital drives down carbon and enhances competitive positioning across all these areas. In mobility and logistics, it does so through things like real-time traffic management. In manufacturing, it does so through customer-centric production and circular supply chains. Smart agriculture drives water and energy efficiencies to boost crop yields, reduce food waste and ease access to markets. In the electricity sector, digital platforms help integrate renewables like solar and wind onto the grid, improving the efficiency and dynamics of the energy grids and enabling customers to make considerable savings. Digital transformation of industries will be worth over $100 trillion by 2025.

Linking the chains All these new ways of working are built on a foundation of collaboration that brings corporations together from beyond their typical ecosystems. Finding the right opportunities requires a good understanding of the overall landscape: What are the regulatory issues? Who are the key players both up and downstream? How can collaboration be best managed? And, of course, what’s the carbon impact and shared value for the collaboration? For companies embarking on a low-carbon journey, the following guiding principles should be considered before kicking off collaborative efforts: 1. Harness the end-to-end value chain That begins by identifying common opportunities with other players in the value chain that will increase the scale of the action taken, and, in turn, the economic and environmental impact. Initiatives that cannot be achieved solely by an individual company can become very attractive when delivered in partnership.

2. Go beyond “the usual suspects” in your ecosystem to find the right partners Finding the right partners to involve in the value chain means looking beyond the “usual suspects”.

Continues on pg21

20

+ entrepreneurship

BoI launches YES project, rewards vocational competition champions

T

he Bank of Industry (BoI), last Thursday, formally launched a N10 billion Youths Entrepreneurship Support (YES) project to empower youths with loans to start businesses.

Speaking at the launch of the project in Abuja, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, said that his ministry would partner all agencies of government to create new jobs.

He said that more than 40 per cent of Nigerian graduates had no jobs, adding that an average of eight million Nigerians entered the job market annually.

The minister said that the ‘YES’ project of BoI was part of the Federal Government’s youths employment scheme, stressing that about 36,000 jobs would be created annually through ‘YES’.

He appealed to prospective beneficiaries to repay the loans for the success and sustenance of the project.

In his address at the ceremony, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, the acting Managing Director of BoI, said a participant under the scheme could access up to N10 million loan with single digit interest rate, adding that the loan would be repayable over three to five years.

He said that an applicant must present NYSC or higher education certificate as collateral to qualify for the loan with two external guarantors.

The Acting MD also said that the bank was partnering 11 consultants across the country for the first phase of the project.

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

Mr. Afolabi Imokhuede, a Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, who represented the Vice President, said that job creation was important to the current administration. He said that government intended to create 3.5 million jobs in the next three years, adding that the ‘YES’ project was one of the programmes that would facilitate the realization of the aspiration.Imokhuede advised participants to take the ‘YES’ seriously as online courses were now popular means of job creation worldwide.

Later in the day, BoI presented plaques and cheques to winners of its Vocational Skills Competition which it put in place to support and promote vocational skills acquisition among Nigerian youths.

The competition, a partnership between BoI and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), had participants from NBTE-accredited Vocational Enterprise Institutions. The participants, who were top graduating students of the institutions, showcased their finalyear projects and demonstrated the skills involved in their execution.

The vocational courses that were considered for the competition are automotive, mechatronics/ mechanic, carpentry and joinery, fashion designing, electrical and electronics, painting and tiling, plumbing and fittings as well as welding and fabrication.

In his welcome address, Acting MD of BoI, Waheed Olagunju, said the bank embarked on the programme

Local govts must promote entrepreneurship — Oladele For effective business leadership and growth in relation to governance, it has been suggested that local governments of Nigeria do require brand leaders, who will take leadership and followership as reciprocal transactional investment.

According to Rotimi Oladele, Executive Secretary, Institute of Entrepreneurs of Nigeria,

such administrators must be able “enterprise driven” in addition to the abilities “to research and buy into branding philosophy, dyadic leadership and followership theory; leadership as platform for service and committed as well as credible representation, accountability,” and must possess the abilities to develop “creative project ideas in

Cross section of vocational skills competition winners. to sensitize the nation to the need to promote vocational skills.

According to him, “When Alhaji Aliko Dangote was building his cement plant at Ibeshe, he had to bring into the country about 3,000 welders from The Philippines. He had to do this because he could not get welders with the requisite skills in the country. The same thing is happening now. He has brought in about 4,000 welders from outside Nigeria to work at the petrochemical plant he is building. We complain that our youths don’t have jobs yet we give the available ones out to foreigners. So, we have to develop vocational and technical skills

among our youths to provide them job opportunities.”

Talking about the parameters used in assessing the participants, he said they were creativity, resourcefulness, communication, passion and flexibility.

The Acting MD said the winner in each category would get equipment worth N2million as well as a cash gift of N200,000. The first runner up would get equipment worth N1.5million and N150,000 cash gift while the second runner up would get equipment worth N1million and a cash gift of N100,000. Others would get a consolatory prize of N50,000 each.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President said the societal perception about artisans had to change so that they would not feel like the rejects of the world.

He also said that the country had to go beyond training artisans to placing them in jobs and enterprises.

Jamiu Bello won in Mechatronics/Mechanic category, Chimezie Bethel won in Carpentry category, Amarachi Abufobi won in Fashion Designing category, Ojuolape Dorcas won in Painting and Tiling category, Sanni Wasiu Temidayo won in Plumbing and Fitting category, while Johnson Enoch won in Welding and Fabrication category.

Paris, Prague to host 2016 CES Unveiled events The fourth consecutive CES Unveiled for 2016 will hold in Paris, while a debut event, CES Unveiled will hold in Prague, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), announced last week.

These two events, uniting innovative technology companies, top members of the press, industry analysts, buyers and key consumer technology influencers, will serve as a prelude to the innovation that will

be showcased at CES 2017, which will hold in Las Vegas, USA, the organizers said in a statement.

According to information obtained on the CEA website, this year’s CES Unveiled events series will kick off with CES Unveiled Prague on Thursday, October 20 followed by CES Unveiled Paris on Tuesday, October 25.

Accordingly, breaking CES news and global market research headline conference programming during this half day event, followed by a ta-

How I started corporate business as school cert holder — Nana Joseph Kokosami Nana, Warri-based Elder Joseph Kokosami Nana is chief executive officer of Crown Kings Consultancy (CKC) which is into registration of business names, clubs, association, NGOs & schools as well as incorporation of companies and churches, filing and certification of true copy (CTC) of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents and changes of directors, among others. He narrates how he started his business from the scratch to EBENEZER ADUROKIYA and WISDOM ALOKPA. What do we call your entrepreneurial outfit?

We are into Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) agency that borders on tax matters, properties, registration of companies, etc.

How did you start your business?

I started some time ago; it started from the desire of the people here.

When did you start the business?

I started the business on March 20, 1996. I began by printing complimentary cards and distribution, selling of tables, chairs, fans, books and so on.

What amount did you start the business with?

Not really any specific amount. I just got an office, furniture, with a small capital -

tandem with the resources of the local government.”

Oladele who gave a lecture at the annual programme of the Students of the Local Government Administration Department, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), recently, said getting this done would require “bold steps of building good governance” which include: “struc-

it’s just a step by step thing.

How many staff members did you start with and how many do you have for now?

I started with two persons and presently, I have 10 staff members and still counting. We have an accountant, sales executives and so on.

How did you start the business, I mean is it a family thing?

No, I started it myself; no relation; nobody, no friends.

What challenges are associated with your business?

Our major challenge is that we face delays in getting certificates from our clients. Of course, the epileptic power supply also hinders our operations.

How has your firm grown?

When you are determined to get something done, you will gradually get it on course. We were determined and today, we have grown in leaps and bounds.

What are the loopholes you avoided while growing your business?

Sincerity. When you have tough people to deal with, keep to your words – do exactly what you have agreed on. Do what is right and provide your clients with the right satisfaction.

How do you ensure continuity as an entrepreneur?

We pay our bills; we make sure we settle our staff. In fact, paying of bills, salaries and any bill at all that comes our way we

make sure we settle them not allow them to accumulate. So, we pay our bills on time; meet clients’ desires first, before our goals. We plow back money gained into the business before any other thing outside our bills.

What is your piece of advice for young or budding entrepreneurs?

They should be sincere to themselves.

They should avoid cheating or swindling their customers. They should be sincere and honest, doing the right thing. Always do what you have collected money to do.

What are the banes of failing entrepreneurs?

Impatience. They are often too impatient. The epileptic power supply is also another factor. This often pisses off our clients when we are unable to engage our

generating set maybe due to fuel scarcity.

So, government needs to improve electricity supply to save dying businesses.

The bad roads, like we have in Warri, is another problem. We used to have companies like Shell, it was booming here.

But many of them have left. We need to appeal to Shell to return to Warri so that business life can come up again.

What will you tell unemployed graduates of today?

They can do something; they can look elsewhere for employment. Government cannot employ everybody, so they can fix themselves into something they know they can do very well. People like Dangote started from somewhere, today they are among the world richest men.

Does your outfit have branches

elsewhere?

We have people and other agencies’ offices that help us within Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states. They help us in different aspects. There are things we process to them which we work with.

What skills can one acquire before venturing into your kind of business?

It does not require much skills or educational qualifications. When I started then, I only had a school certificate; so it does not require much education; with much commitment, one can go into it.

Is there competition in the business?

Yes, the business is a competitive one. It is a job of chartered accountants; teachers, lawyers others also do the business.

bletop exhibition networking reception, the organizers added.

Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association, said: “Every year we assess the global technology landscape in target markets when deciding where to host our CES Unveiled events abroad, and the entrepreneurial spirit that France brings to the tech eco-system through its innovation cities and startup parks makes it easy for us to come back to Paris year after year.”

ture with effective chain of command, system that will touch every phase, unit and process of information flow, power flow and money flow of the local government, strategies that will tap the resources of the local government and transform them to fulfill the expectations of the communities and citizens of the local government.”

He added that “the structure and organogram of today’s local government needs to accommodate prominence for new portfolios and roles, for things like expansive and highly professionalised community relations that will drive big data, analyzed feedback for planning and re- information.

Policy and project marketing via ICT in the language of the people need prevail.

“We are no longer in the era of information officer but in the era of ‘immediacy’ courtesy of

the ICT – social media dilemma, local government must create a department for entrepreneurship and job creation. The local government must be in-ward looking for economic relevance.

Any local government that will be on global map of development today should take the steps listed above to attract direct foreign investment, attract existing industries in the country to establish within its catchment area in relevance to resources of the local government, for example, Nestle and Cadbury may remain in Lagos for other reasons but if Milo production unit is in Ife Central Local Government, Bournvita unit of Cadbury is in Ife East and Fanta Unit of Nigerian Bottling Company is in Ife North, there will be jobs, economy of scale in many respects and more attraction for farming of cocoa, kolanuts and orange, just as examples.”

Before going digital...

Continues from pg19

The challenge is to find the ideas best suited to address the specific value chain challenge, and create partnerships with the organizations that are best able to realize those ideas. Building successful partnerships requires a good understanding of the sources of value (social, economic and environmental) for all stakeholders and sharing them equitably and proportionately to the effort expected from a given partner.

3. Leverage resources and define roles to build a scalable initiative Scaling up any initiative requires commitment and investment (both time and resources) from all partners, and the careful monitoring of performance so that plans can be refined quickly to address issues. Roles and priorities need to be clearly defined. That way they’ll be used as efficiently as possible to achieve the maximum impact.

4. Embrace digital Open access, digitally-connected value chain collaboration platforms provide a straightforward way of collecting and sharing important information among players along value chains. Connecting this way reduces the effort and transaction costs involved in scoping and implementing collaboration. Depending on the nature of the initiative, such as the problem to solve, what is needed, and the barriers to be addressed collaboratively, the platform can play different roles.

For instance, it can serve as an on-

line information and partner hub, providing a searchable database of key contextual information, like legislative information, value chain maps and case studies to inspire and support organizations planning new initiatives. It can also make it possible for organizations to search for partners to join their initiative according to variables like an organization’s capabilities and geographical location. Furthermore, digital industry platforms are recognized as an effective way of broadening an ecosystem of collaborators to drive open innovation. As an added bonus, the platform reduces the cost associated with finding the right partners to collaborate with and it creates a quick, low-cost way of sharing data on value chain activities, issues and opportunities.

5. Unlocking hidden value As the world embarks on a low-carbon transition, leading companies are looking towards new business models, including circular economy approaches that have collaboration and innovation at their core. Digital technology underpins these efforts.

Those that successfully collaborate have the opportunity to unlock hidden value in their operations as they move towards becoming industry leaders in a low-carbon economy.

Berthon, Managing Director, Accenture Strategy, Digital Strategy and Europe, Africa, Middle East and Latin America, wrote this article for World Economic Forum (WEF).

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

tribune

Group Business Editor

business

Herbert Wigwe, MD Access Bank

Phillips Oduoza, MD, UBA

Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

Mounir Gwarzo, DG, SEC

Profit warning:

Bad times for investors?

Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba - Lagos

L

ast year, especially during the second half and last quarter, when the economy was faced with the turmoil of oil price crash, devaluation of the Nigerian currency and exit of foreign investors, optimism was high that things would get better as a new government came into power with so much promises to stabilise the plummeting economy.

While the challenges faced in the economy were not restricted to a country, Nigeria was hard hit by the combined forces of varying degree of weak microeconomics fundamentals. As the stock market is the barometer through which economic development and health of a country are measured, from the results posted in the first quarters, it seems there is no end in sight to the slide in the economy.

In 2015, the Nigeria capital market remained unstable, as the Naira hovered above N230 to the dollar for the better part of the year in spite of the various measures adopted by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The pressure during the period followed what market analysts attributed to the dwindling global crude oil price and pressure at the foreign exchange market leading to the exit of foreign investors.

The Nigerian stock market tumbled to its worst performance in three years in 2015. In spite of a massive two-day rally that added N648 billion to market values of quoted equities, the benchmark index at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) indicated that investors lost almost one-fifth of the values of their portfolios during the year. As

of December 31, 2015, the All-Share Index, the benchmark index that tracks prices of all quoted equities, depreciated by about 17.36 per cent to close trading at 28,642.25 points, as against the opening index of 34,657.15 points. While the market capitalisation, which opened trading for the year at N11.478 trillion, lost N1.63 trillion to close trading on December 31, at N9.851 trillion.

The Director-General of the Security Exchange Commission (SEC), Mounir Gwarzo, while describing the state of the market in 2015 as a true reflection of the nation’s economic situation, expressed dissatisfaction on the market performance in 2015. “I’m not too happy the way the market is today, but it’s a swinging market,” he said.

However, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr Oscar On-

The profit warning didn’t mean they are not going to perform at all, it means that they may perform less than they did last year.

Nigerian Tribune

yema, said opportunities still exist for investors in stocks, in spite of the current downturn in the capital market, while noting the need for investors to dig deeper and understand the dynamics of the market.

Recently, some companies had released profit warning to their stakeholders, alerting them to the prospect of not meeting performance expectation. A profit warning is usually done two or more weeks before an earnings announcement to avoid negative earnings surprise. Companies do this to soften the blow to investors, thus giving the investors and the market more time to adjust accordingly before the public release as some of the stings are taken out of the expected price adjustment.

Meanwhile, dividend paying companies like Courteville Business Solutions Plc; FCMB Group Plc; and the First Bank Nigeria Holdings Plc had issued profit warnings which signpost likely poor outings in the expected financial year numbers.

Analyst are, however, optimistic that these companies’ results might exceed expectation. “The profit warning didn’t mean they are not going to perform at all, it means that they may perform less than they did last year. But I believe that by the time we begin to see the result it may be a far cry from our expectations and by the time they release it and it is even better than what the market is expecting, there will be turnaround in the prices of their stocks,” an analyst at Gruene Capital Limited said.

While this development might suggest that investors expect that returns-on-investment (RoI) in these equities will be somewhat insignificant as some linked it to

economic headwinds that took a toll on their earnings, investment analysts say profit declines are going to be prevalent in the days ahead as more full year and nine-months 2015 results come out.

Despite the discomfort the bad news of profit warning might bring to investors and its attendant effect on the stocks of such companies, brokers noted that there was no residual effect on the share prices, which would likely pick up after the initial dip that might accompany the profit warning.

Courteville, a relatively smaller cap company, having issued profit warning, still believes the future is looking good. According to the Group Managing Director, Mr Adebola Akindele, Courteville is considering other ways of helping government and private sector to collect more revenue thereby increasing the company’s volume of business. “Courteville is thinking about diversification and that is the future. Shareholders would say are they going to smile? But they have been smiling; we hope that the smile going forward would hopefully turn into a lot of laughter and Courteville is a company that pays dividend regularly. We would resume that and we have not failed in a year yet to put something down in a calendar year, let them appreciate it.”

Based on the companies that had released their 2015 full year financial results so far, analysts believe that the results which might be lower than that of the preceding year, are far from poor. Zenith Bank Plc results which were released last week showed that the full year Profit Before Tax (PBT) came in at N126 billion, well below the N145 billion that management guided to back in August 2015.

Analysts at FBN Capital had expected the PBT to come below N145 billion guidance.

“The bank has proposed a final dividend of N1.55. This is well ahead of the N1.26 we had forecast. The implied yield is 12 per cent. We believe the aggressive dividend is likely to overshadow the weaker-than-expected PBT results initially. Once the dust settles, we expect the market to focus on the potential implications of the weaker revenue lines on 2016 results,” analyst said.

Access Bank Plc, on Friday, also reported Q4 2015 results which showed that PBT of N14.7 billion grew 43 per cent, while PAT of N15.7 billion grew at a slower rate of 23 per cent because of base effects stemming from trends on the other comprehensive income (OCI) line.

In Q4 2014, Access had reported N5.3 billion gain on the OCI line compared with a loss of N2 billion in Q4 2015. This result in Q4 2015 more than offset the positive impact of a tax rebate of N3 billion. The strong year on year (y/y) growth in PBT was driven by both revenue lines, that is, funding income grew 23 per cent while non-interest income grew 45 per cent.

According to an analyst at FBN Capital, “Compared with our estimates, the overall picture across the board was very strong.

PBT and PAT beat our forecasts by 54 per cent and 92 per cent respectively. Both revenue lines surpassed our expectations and loan loss provisions were half of what we had modelled. Only opex surprised negatively, coming in 26 per cent higher than our forecast.”

Continues pg23

23

Monday, 21 March, 2016

moneymarket

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Chima Nwokoji

m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com

weeklyreview

From left; Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Sola Oladipo; Chief Country Representative, Global Transaction Banking, Deutsche Bank, Mr Andreas Voss; Deputy Country Representative, Mrs Adeola Azeez; Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu and Director, Africa Coverage DCM Financing and Solution Group, Corporate Finance, Duetsche Bank, Mr Paul Agbaje at the Zenith Bank International Trade Seminar in Lagos, recently. PHOTO: Sylvester Okoruwa

Despite challenges in 2015, 4 banks declare N330.66 total PAT

D

espite challenges posed to banks by slow economic growth occasioned by oil price plunge, Treasury Single Account mop up and narrow streams of income in 2015, four Nigerian Banks have declared a combined total of N330.66 billion Profit After Tax (PAT).

Breakdown of their financial reports contained in the companies’ audited results recently released

by the Nigerian Stock Exchange in Lagos show that the United bank for Africa (UBA) Group recorded a remarkable 24.5 per cent year on year (Y-o-Y) growth in PAT to N59.7 billion from N47.9 billion in Financial year (FY) 2014.

UBA’s gross earnings expanded 9.8 per cent Y-o-Y to N314.8 billion in FY:2015 from N286.6 billion in FY: 2014.

Access Bank’s PAT was up 53 per cent in Full Year

2015 to N65.9 billion from N43.1 billion in FY 2014; Return On Average Equity (ROAE) of 20.4 per cent in FY 2015, from 16.5 per cent in FY 2014, indicative of the Bank’s commitment to maximising shareholder returns; Interest Income grew by 17 per cent y/y to N207.8 billion in FY 2015 from N176.9 billion in FY 2014 as a result of improved income from lending activities and increased yield on investment securities.

Declining profit: Bad times for investors?

Continued from pg22

Despite the fair 2015 financial results released so far, especially in the banking sector, all is not well with the stock market as it was on the southward move despite a bit of lift recorded over the past few days. Brokers believed the government has to put in stringent measures to salvage the fall that had crept into the first quarter of 2016 by improving microeconomic variables.

Samuel Enechusue of Investment One Financial Service Limited noted that the government, as a matter of urgency, needs to put a leverage on the currency so as to attract foreign investors back into the country as the present restrictions on foreign exchange are driving investors away.

“We are not saying the government should further devalue naira but there

are measures that should be put in place to protect investors in the different tiers,” he said.

For Jimoh, the equities market would only improve when the microeconomics variables improve.

He observed that an improvement in the global crude oil price would go a long way to lift the market.

“If there is any reason oil price goes back to $80 and budget is passed and government begins to spend money, and there is money in circulation, market will improve. If there is a dip in the price of oil it means that we might experience budget deficit which may impact negatively as the government would have to borrow to fund the budget.

When government borrows they are paying either in the local currency or externally. But if oil improves and there is a surplus, the

government can undertake project as it is government spending that improves the economy. And when there is development in the economy, we have the multiplying effect on the exchange,” he said.

Analysts at Afrinvest said the five major signals that would herald the change in market sentiments and garner investors’ confidence for equities are fiscal pronouncements, removal of subsidy on petrol, infrastructure spending, accommodative stance on FX policies and economically viable states.

“It is our view that the current equities market condition may persist with pockets of opportunistic value-seeking position-taking that may guarantee short-term market gains which may not be sustained until any of the “five signs” comes into force,” they said.

Also, Guaranty Trust Bank’s PAT growth remained within single digit region (5.3 per cent Y-o-Y vs 9.6 per cent Y-o-Y in FY 2014) rising to N99.4 billion in FY: 2015, A review of the Q4:2015 numbers revealed PAT rose 11.4 per cent quarter on quarter (Q-o-Q) due to lower effective tax rate, however, it dipped 24.0 per cent Y-o-Y, mirroring the difficult operating environment.

Zenith International Bank Plc declared a profit after tax of N105.66 billion for the financial year ended December 31, 2015.

This is against the N99.46 billion recorded in 2014.

The Zenith Bank’s profit represents an increase of 6.23 per cent or N6.21 billion when compared with the figure for 2014.

Its profit before tax stood at N125.62 billion compared with N119.79 billion declared in the corresponding period of 2014.

Commenting on the profit of banks despite a turbulent 2015 the Director General of the West African Institute for Finance and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Professor Akpan Hogan Ekpo regretted that banks make profit by investing in government financial papers which is risk-less rather than longterm investment, stressing that the banks interest is in making profits for its shareholders. A situation he said is not healthy for the economy in future.

Money Market review/outlook As expected, money market rates (MM) trended higher at the start of last week consequent on lower liquidity levels in the system from the levels at the close of the previous week, but steadily declined in the days leading to the end of the week.

On Monday, the Open Buy Back (OBB) and Overnight (O/N) rates closed at 7.4per cent and 7.9 per cent respectively. However on According to dealers at Afrinvest West Africa Limited Tuesday, liquidity levels rose by about N44.3 billion on the back of coupon payment on the FGN 2024 bond and as a result, money market rates declined as the OBB and O/N rate fell to 7.0 per cent and 7.7per cent respectively.

Money Market rates hovered around the same level on Wednesday as OBB rates inched 4bps higher while O/N rates declined 18bs to close at 7.1 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively on the back of Open Market Operation (OMO) maturity of N45.5 billion hitting the system and a T-bills maturity of about N172.0 billion, system liquidity rose while OBB and O/N rates declined, subsequently, OBB and ON rates closed at 5.3 per cent and 5.8 per cent respectively.

Money market rates continued its decline on Friday as OBB and ON closed at 4.8 per cent and 5.3 per cent, dropping 0.3 per cent each week on week (W-O-W) respectively.

Dealers said the Treasury-bills market was broadly bearish last week as average rates trended higher than last week’s level. Average T-bills rates closed on Monday at 7.0 per cent, up 10 basis points (bps) from the previous trading session on the back of lower financial system liquidity.

As liquidity levels remained low amid deposit money banks (DMBs) provisioning for CBN foreign exchange (FX) intervention auction, average T-bills rates inched even higher by midweek to 7.9 per cent, up 0.9 per cent from Monday’s close.

Average rates however declined 0.2 per cent on Thursday as liquidity levels increased. Average T-bills rates declined on Friday closing at 6.9 per cent, up 2bps W-O-W. It is expected that this week, money market rates will trend higher if liquidity continues to shrink.

Foreign Exchange/outlook The foreign exchange market maintained relative calmness last week as players await the Monetary Policy committee meeting scheduled for today and tomorrow. As there has been no announced change in the stance of the CBN as regards maintaining exchange rate yet, the Naira/Dollar exchange rate at the CBN and Interbank remained at N197.00/$1 and N199.50/$1 all week.

Activities in the Bureau De Change (BDC) and parallel market were similar to the regulated segment of the market as it witnessed stability all week. Naira/Dollar at the BDC traded at N324.00/$1 on Monday and Tuesday, appreciating to N322/$1 by Thursday. Activities at the parallel market trended similar to the BDC, as Naira/Dollar traded N324/$1 on Monday but remained at N325/$1 till the end of the week.

This week, Afrinvest analysts expect that activities in the foreign exchange market may be dictated by expectations and a lot of speculative pressure arising from early “hearsay” reports on the would be, should be, could be, pronouncements from the deliberations at the MPC meetings.

However, the analysts do not expect that there would be any major pronouncements by the MPC as status-quo may likely be maintained.

Bond Market Review and Outlook Last week, activities in the bonds market remained broadly bearish amidst expectations from the outcome of the MPC meeting this week. Average yields across benchmark bonds rose 0.1 per cent from the concluding trading session of last week on Monday as investors reposition ahead of Wednesday’s N100.0 billion bonds auction, closing 10.8 per cent.

On Tuesday however, following the release of the Monthly Nigerian Inflation report which showed inflation levels for February at a 38-Month high (11.4) investors’ sentiments turned bearish and sell offs were recorded across board as average yields rose to 11.3 per cent. Typically this implies that Investors real return on Investments has significantly declined; hence there was increased expectation of higher rates at the March bond auction given that investors would require a premium to invest in Nigerian Bond Instruments.

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tribunebusiness

Monday, 21 March, 2016

Financial discipline: Making every naira count

By Kemi Adeosun

E

conomists have long found Nigeria to be something of a conundrum.

The macro picture has always appeared compelling - large population, oil reserves, mineral reserves, endless tracts of arable land, land and sea borders for regional domination. Indeed the absurdity of our underperformance is only surpassed by our ability to accurately quantify our losses and missed opportunities.

In the short period that I have been privileged to serve as Minister of Finance, I have observed that even the most basic systems and controls over the management of our resources are in dire need of strengthening. While we are regaled with and shocked by details of amounts stolen, diverted or wasted, we must face the cold reality that such acts are facilitated by weaknesses in our systems. Even if we successfully prosecute and jail every looter, ghost worker and other economic saboteur, there is every risk that those caught will only be replaced by persons who are just as bad, or worse - unless we radically strengthen our systems and institutions.

Our President’s brave and committed fight against corruption and waste is as much an economic crusade as it is a moral one. The objective is not just to stem the corruption and loss but to execute an economic plan to channel those monies into much needed areas that will support and reposition the economy. In short, the fight against corruption is not about “retribution” and meting out punishment, it is about releasing funds for our economy. I am humbled to be part of the ongoing work on recovery and can report that the urgency in the work, especially our interface with nations where our money has been stashed, is propelled by our need for funds to invest into our economy.

Our economic plans are not about austerity and frugality; if that were the case then we would not be attempting an expansionary budget.

We could have pursued fiscal consolidation and maintained 2015

budget size, and then introduced severe public spending cuts to balance the books by laying off workers and cutting projects. Had we done so, we would by now be the darling of the IMF and other multi-laterals.

Conversely, we are undertak-

There is a need for disciplined and effective system of managing our financial resources to ensure maximum value.

ing an ambitious counter cyclical strategy to stimulate our sluggish economy and expanding government spending with a focus on infrastructure, the true catalyst for economic growth. This will have contractors returning to site and re-engaging workers, it will see new projects commencing, arrears released and economic activity reinvigorated across the nation. We plan to take advantage of low global prices for commodities and contract prices. Existing contracts are being renegotiated downwards, with significant savings recorded and new projects priced to reflect current commercial realities. Our spending stimulus is private sector driven, supported by a robust procurement system that will see permanent local capacity built in a number of sectors including oil and gas, housing construction and agriculture. However, and this is the key differentiator, we plan to spend in a disciplined manner that will extract the maximum value for every naira spent.

The process of building the internal control framework to support

this need for disciplined spending has begun in earnest. Our Efficiency Unit has reviewed four years of detailed expenditure data to identify trends and is already negotiating volume discounts that appropriately reflect the buying power of government. Personnel remains our largest cost. In addition to the BVN driven cleaning of our payrolls that has so far removed 23,000 fraudulent entries, we have initiated significantly stronger controls over our payroll.

These efforts will exert a constant downward pressure on personnel costs until such a time as we have assurance that every payment is accurate and valid. A similar process is now commencing in Pensions. The N160 Billion spent monthly on personnel and pensions related costs demands this as an absolute minimum.

The revenue focus is non oil. We are revisiting historical decisions that are no longer in the best interests of the national economy. The establishment of various Boards and Parastatals to undertake the operational and revenue gener-

Nigerian Tribune

ating business of government was a well-intentioned attempt to provide separation from policy makers. However, as the economy has grown, so too has the revenue earned in these agencies and their financial autonomy has grown in a manner that no longer fully serves the public interest.

Port charges, maritime charges, airport landing fees, visa charges, passport charges, telecoms licence fees, among many others, must be tracked and accounted for. While the Fiscal Responsibility Act was designed to provide control, actual compliance has been poor.

The result has been leakage on a staggering scale, as findings from our ongoing audits suggest. This is a serious issue. The upside is a significant revenue opportunity which the TSA implementation has given us sight of, and which we are supporting with a proactive drive for improved accountability.

At the same time, our traditional revenue sources are being supported to be more effective. In Customs, we are making the necessary investments in container scanners and other equipment required to improve collection efficiency. This is combined with the results of a compensation survey which will see the introduction of performance related pay, to reduce corruption and create an alignment of interest that will enhance revenue generation. With FIRS there is a well-defined plan to enhance compliance by widening the tax net. Using data to drive tax compliance, we will ensure that the tax regime is efficiently administered and that everyone pays their fair share.

There is a need for disciplined and effective system of managing our financial resources to ensure maximum value. We will no longer measure performance by the size of our budget or the amount disbursed; we must measure by the impact of that expenditure on the lives of Nigerians. To measure and manage this we have already made some key changes in the way funds are released. We have abandoned the old system of capital releases that funnelled a proportional share of available funds released to each Ministry, Department and Agency. We have a robust system in place where funds are tied to specific outcomes as documented by each agency. This is being supported by follow up reviews to ensure implementation.

As Benjamin Disraeli once said, “We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance.” I am firmly convinced that Nigeria is on the right path.

The path of discipline will confront some age old destructive habits. It will challenge some unwritten rules, and I personally will step on some highly placed toes on this journey. All this I am fully prepared for, and so I do not expect nor do I particularly want to be popular.

However, I will act in the best interest of all Nigerians to ensure that we build the economy that we desire and richly deserve.

Adeosun is Finance Minister.

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

labour Buhari can’t succeed in war against corruption, if workers are poorly paid — Adeyemi, NASU Gen Sec Following a crucial meeting jointly held by the three non-academic workers’ unions in the university system, NASU, SSANU and NAAT, Peters Adeyemi, the General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); spoke with SOJI-EZE FAGBEMI, on the crisis in the university system and various contentious issues.

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he three unions in the university system; NASU, SSANU and NAAT held a very crucial meeting at the University of Abuja, what informed the meeting and what are the issues involved?

The first major issue that is important to the three unions, that is, NASU, SSANU and NAAT is the issue of the staff school. Of course, for some time now SSANU staff have been on national strike over this matter and we have managed to take this matter up to the level of the Minister of Education. The Federal Ministry of Labour also intervened; but unfortunately up to this moment, there has not been any positive solution. There is no iota of sign on the part of those in government to resolve the matter; that is the most unfortunate thing.

All the unions had an agreement, the university-based union agreement of 2009, where it was clearly stated that the staff school will be funded by government, and suddenly along the line, the government decided to abdicate its responsibility by issuing notices to university’s authorities to now privatise these university staff schools and stop funding them.

The staff who clearly have been employees of universities are now being short-changed. Our position is very clear; these staffers were employed the same way other workers in the university were employed, so you can’t shift the goal post in the middle of the match.

If you no longer want to fund the staff school, take these workers back to the universities, the main campus. There is no way you can do otherwise.

What of the issue of funding?

For the university, we also have the issue of funding. That has always been a major crisis in the university sector. The National Assembly is currently debating the budget and we had the privilege of appearing before the Senate Committee on this matter and there are quite a number of elements that are within the budget. The issue of earned allowance of university staff it has been there for a long time. The government of Goodluck Jonathan managed to pay some part of the money but substantial part of the earned allowance is still outstanding. So, we appeared before the Senate Committee to tell them what our

views are and our other colleagues from tertiary institutions were also there to defend their own matter.

That for us is also key, we need to fund education adequately and this budget needs to put more money into education. Let me also say clearly that it is not about only what the workers are suppose to take that engaged our attention as trade unions. What also engaged our attention is that the facilities and infrastructure that will guarantee comfort for students; that will guarantee an environment that is conducive for learning are in place.

What is your position on 2009 Federal Government agreement with the unions?

Of course, you are also aware that we were supposed to have renegotiated our agreement but nothing has happened in that direction.

We are also conscious of the fact that if we insist on renegotiating agreement right now, then it can be either way. We can renegotiate for an increase and renegotiate for a decrease, but we are conscious of the fact that quite a number of issues within the agreement itself have not been fully addressed.

So it makes more sense to insist

that the unimplemented parts of the agreement are implemented rather than insisting on renegotiation. Those are the issues that engaged the attention of the JAC. Ultimately we must confess that we feel a little bit short changed because the yearnings and aspirations of our members particularly as regards the Earned Allowance is something that is giving us a

We are committed to industrial peace, but of course we can’t assure that, if our rights and privileges are not given to us when they are supposed to be given to us

lot of worries and we are not very sure that we can even guarantee it, expect something miraculous happens because it is very obvious to us that it is like the government itself has not taken off from all we have seen. We are also watching because even now, we are having problem with some of the institutions, their salaries are not paid as promptly as they should be paid.

The problem of the state is directly or slowly creeping into the federal and if this trend is allowed to continue, it would really be a problem.

We are committed to industrial peace, but of course we can’t assure that, if our rights and privileges are not given to us when they are supposed to be given to us.

What about the release of the intervention fund?

One of the issues that led to ASUU embarking on strike some years back that lasted for several months was the issue of lack of adequate funding of the universities system. To get ASUU back to work, government at that time promised to release intervention fund of over N1 trillion, out of which government released only N200 billion. Since then, no ad-

ditional fund has been released.

That itself is another area where the government is reneging on its agreement. So, the intervention fund has not come, beyond the N200 billion which was released during former President Jonathan’s tenure. Ordinarily, it is supposed to be coming yearly and you know that, that would also cause another dispute between government and the unions. For the fact that the government had agreed to release an intervention fund, it means government itself had agreed that it is not properly funding the education sector. There is also the issue of NEEDS assessment. One area which we also talked about is the fact that there are more non-teaching staff than the teaching staff in the university.

This is normal because you can’t go to Maintenance section in a university and find teaching staff; and as you know, a lecturer cannot go and switch on the generator, provide computer services and a host of others. So, we are saying that any attempt to hide under any guise that teaching staff are more than the non-teaching and sack our members; we will not accept that, because the APC-led government promised to provide jobs and not to create more unemployment.

The N18000 minimum wage is also overdue for review, but considering the bad state of the economy, what is labour doing?

It is even more desirable now to review the wage because naira has been destroyed. As at when the current wage was negotiated, the exchange rate was between N130 and N140 to a dollar, today you can’t even predict what it is. So, let us be fair to Nigerian workers, with this policy somersault of Buhari government, the wage has been decimated so badly that it cannot be up to $50. How then would you say we shouldn’t ask for increase? So, the effect of that currency devaluation is that everything would go up automatically. However, with that, there is no way any leader in Nigeria will say the minimum wage should be N18,000. You said you are fighting corruption, if you don’t pay people money that can sustain them, you can’t succeed in that fight because people would be forced to steal money. So, the only way to succeed in war against corruption is to pay workers well and that would also improve productivity.

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tribunebusiness

Monday, 21 March, 2016

Package grains as seeds, go to jail —NASC

geria (MAN) is putting together a platform in collaboration with the Council where members would mount demonstration plots around their farms in their various locations also for this purpose.

As the regulator of the seed sector, what role is NASC playing to bring these stakeholders together in extension service, having realized the importance of extension to productivity and food security?

We are relating and trying to bring them together, and very soon, we will organize stakeholders’ conference for all stakeholders in the seed industry and this is one of the issues to discuss during the workshop. The private sector operators should be able to complement the efforts of the government in this direction.

The Kano State government and farmers are reported to be planning establishment of a wheat flour mill. Is this sustainable?

It is possible that the state government is planning something like that and with the present effort of the Kano State government at stepping up wheat production and increasing effort of Lake Chad Research Institute at making seeds available to farmers within Kano State in addition to the release of some high yielding wheat cultivars for use by farmers, it is hoped that if this effort is complemented with provision of efficient and reliable irrigation and mechanization facilities for all year round wheat production by farmers, this is achievable in the long run.

Dr Olusegun Ojo is the DirectorGeneral of the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC). He spoke on on efforts to rid the market of adulterated seeds and increase agricultural productivity through extension services involving the private sector operators, among other issues.

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he National Agric Seeds Council (NASC) organised a road show in Ibadan.

What is the show all about?

The road show was organised to enlighten all stakeholders in seed business and farmers on the identification and use of quality seeds to ensure compliance with provisions of the National Agricultural Seed Act and Harmonized ECOWAS Seed Rules and Regulations.

It is learnt that grains are often packaged as seeds. What is NASC doing to really get rid of the malpractices?

Efforts of the council to get rid of malpractices/sharp practices on the part of the players are: Regular seed market surveillance and intelligence gathering by the seed law enforcement officers of the Council; warning and imposition of fine on offenders that ranges from N800,000 or six months imprisonment for a first-time offender to N1.6 million or two years imprisonment for a second-time offender and confiscation of adulterated seed lot by the Council as well as public destruction of confiscated seeds to serve as deterrent to others.

How often does the group do this?

The road show and the awareness campaign we did today would continue monthly and prior to the planting season, the group will go to the markets and raids stores, and whoever has adulterated seeds would have their products confiscated and burnt.

The National Varietal Release Committee of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has approved and released many new im-

Nigerian Tribune

You mean wheat importation to the country could become drastically reduced soon because of the effort?

If the effort is sustained and at the rate LCRI the institute that has the mandate for genetic improvement of wheat and Kano State is going, importation will be reduced. proved crop varieties, but most farmers still hold on to low-yielding varieties.

What is the problem and how would you suggest we bridge the gap?

A lot of platforms are being put together where demonstration plots would be sited by seed companies and assisted by the ADPs closer to the sites.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture is doing a lot in this direction. The Federal Department of Agricultural extension has been created for the first time and a lot is being done, even e-extension service has been introduced and the machinery has been set in motion in conjunction with NAERLS. Extension is actually a vehicle through which research efforts and technologies could reach the farmers, but because the extension system is almost comatose in the ADPs, the ratio of extension workers to farmers is very low today. And another way is the promotion of demonstration plots. A lot of platforms are being put together where demonstration plots would be sited by seed companies and assisted by the ADPs closer to the sites.

Also, NASC established demonstration plots in all the regional offices yearly. We intend to have them established in all geopolitical zones and all the local government areas, but you know that the

governmental budget and releases are dwindling. However, we are requesting the private sector operators to come in, especially the seed companies. The ongoing seed demonstration initiative between NASC, seed companies and the Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN) is aimed at increasing adoption and uptake of new varieties.

Is it actually expedient for the private sector operators to participate in extension services, knowing they are for profit, and if yes, how?

There are now private sector extension service providers and the farmers just have to pay a token for the service. When we talk of the private sector, the seed companies are very important part of it and they are being encouraged to participate actively in seed extension. Notore, a seed company, is actually doing this. And some other seed companies are doing so too. The Maize Association of Ni-

Considering the restriction on maize importation, low production at home and the role it plays in food and animal feeds, do you foresee a maize crisis in Nigeria soon?

SEEDAN and maize commodity value chain are at present meeting with the banks to finance an initiative being put together to enlarge maize production to feed flour mills, etc. It is a private sector initiative and they are even discussing with the Nigeria Commodity Exchange on how to expand the programme.

This is an addition to the efforts of the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh. Actually, a lot of maize is needed, but I know that with the efforts being made, some of the challenges in maize production would be a thing of the past. Also, there are a number of newly released hybrid maize varieties that are capable of yielding up to 7-10mt/ha, with the adoption and uptake of these varieties, the country is not likely to witness maize crisis.

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Monday, 21 March, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 0811 184 5048

features 36-yr-old mega prison project lies in ruin Turns black spot for crime

Long before congestion in Nigerian prisons became an issue, the foundation of an ultra-modern prison facility was laid somewhere in Ibadan. Yet, over three decades have passed without its completion. PAUL OMOROGBE tells the story of how this facility has become an albatross to residents in the area.

O

LOMI, Olunde and Ayegun in Ibadan are major communities along the Ayegun-Olojuoro Road that stretches several kilometres from the popular Academy bus stop along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, down to Ayegun community and beyond.

Olomi, when mentioned to many of the city’s dwellers, sounds like one the ‘new sites’ the people in the city usually are on the lookout for. Reason is that such new sites attract lower charges for plots of land. Building a house for the average Ibadan dweller is a top priority and any area that can make that possible becomes an attraction. This has been the case of Olomi and its environs in recent times where there has been an upsurge in people migrating there because prices of lands have hit the roof in several other new sites of the city.

However, according to the secretary of Ayegun-Immaculate Joint Communities Forum, Mr Adesina Akinbola, there are in-

dications that Olomi and its environs have been in existence and were inhabited since 1925.

“We know that the original bridge near Fatusi bus stop along the Olojuoro Road had been constructed since 1925 before it was washed away recently and reconstructed by the state government two or three years ago. It is not possible that the colonialists who built that first bridge at that time did it for animals to cross from Ayegun to get into Olomi,” he said.

“These areas are not new sites as such because they have been populated long before places like Akobo, Ologuneru and others like them,” Akinbola claimed.

The Olojuoro Road is quite motorable until one gets to Olunde area. From then on, it takes dexterous driving to make it through to Fatusi, Arolasebioba, Ayegun, Arowojeka, Aba Ige, Olode, Latunde and other communities beyond Olunde.

One time councillor for Ayegun Ward 1,

Entrance to the facility at Prison junction.

Honourable Areo Azeez claims that there are over 140 communities in these areas.

According to him, many of the people of these areas have developed via community efforts in repairing roads, constructing makeshift bridges.

The road, residents say, is a major heartache for them. “This is the reason it has taken these areas this long to develop. Despite our increasing population which you can see is evidenced by the amount of traffic on the road, we have never had it good when it comes to roads. If this Ayegun-Olojuoro Road is repaired, things would be much better, development here will increase and we won’t have to spend so much maintaining our vehicles like we now do.”

However, there exists yet another cause for concern situated along the road, at Prison junction, rightly so-called because that is

the site of a prison project. This is the place residents say is a black spot for criminal activity.

Located a short distance away from Fatusi bus stop, the project is not just a building, but a large estate with access road, fencing, electric poles and a number of completed buildings erected at different locations within the estate.

The road is tarred beginning from the junction with Olojuoro Road and continues for a few metres after which it transits into an earth road that stretches further into the estate. Concrete gutters on both sides of the road were quite visible through the dry weather-beaten shrubs that had colonised the earth road in their prime during the rainy season.

Continues on pg28

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features

Monday, 21 March, 2016

Criminal activities take place there —Community leader Continues from pg27

These shrubs and grasses had filled every place that was left empty. What looked like a parade ground would have been completely covered with grasses if not that the weather had caused the grasses to wither for it to become visible.

No faint-hearted person could venture this far into the estate as the area is really lonely and very quiet. The buildings inside were roofed, painted, complete with doors and window fittings. Some plastic water tankers were found in the vicinity of the buildings which wore signs of damage due to the elements or possible vandalism.

This is the area where residents claim is the site of several atrocities. There are fears that the abandoned project has become a lair for criminals to wreak havoc on hapless victims travelling along the road.

“We have heard of crimes taking place in that area. We have heard stories of taxi cabs and motorbikes driving into the project area with passengers to rob them,” a community leader, simply identified as Alhaji Folorunsho said.

Though such stories were dismissed as rumours by police officers in the area, Nigerian Tribune met with an elderly resident who said her firstborn son was a victim of a crime that occurred in the abandoned prison site.

The woman, who did not give her name said, “It was God that saved my son that day.

Sometime last year in November, he came home bleeding from his head. We rushed him to hospital and that is where God saved him. He told us that when he was coming home, the taxi he entered suddenly swerved into Prisons. He said there were two women in the car with him and one man who was blocking door. After shouting and asking where he was being taken to, he summoned courage, got hold of the driver and struggled with him over the steering wheel. The car ran into a ditch and luckily in the commotion they were able to escape from the car and ran to the main road where he and the other women in the car were rescued.”

“When they are talking about over-populated prison cells and the need to decongest them, we are surprised the government has left this place to waste away,” Azeez noted.

We have not abandoned the project—Nigerian Prisons Service When Nigerian Tribune spoke to the Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Command, Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Mr Anjorin Olarenwaju, he said the service was aware of the project and that it was not an abandoned one. He said the project was meant to be a complex incorporating medium and maximum security prison cells, female prisons and staff quarters. He claimed that it was only the staff quarters that were accessible to the public, but the main prison cells were under lock and key by prisons security staff on ground.

“It is a large environment that can reduce the rate of overcrowding in prisons. The project is being handled by the Federal Government. They have been working on it and once it is completed, we are ready to move in,” he said.

Some residents say that the project had commenced since the time of the Shehu Shagari administration. Others say they had noticed work done at the site over eight years ago. The PRO on his part agreed that the project had been on for a long time, but that the delay was on the part of the Federal Government. He said, “The land has been allocated a very long time ago, but the project did not start at that time.”

On the cause of the delay, the PRO only said, “they build for us and then we move

Adeleke Abdulazeez

One of the buildings at the site.

We have heard of crimes taking place in that area.

We have heard stories of taxi cabs and motorbikes driving into the project area with passengers to rob them. in. Let me assure you that there have been efforts to make sure we move in. If you ask the people living around that place they will tell you activities have been going on there to ensure that prison comes up.”

However, the only activities residents who spoke with Nigerian Tribune said they had noticed around the area were tankers said to be carrying human waste for dumping.

On the security issue, Olarenwaju said the

prisons service and police had combed the area and found no evidence of atrocities being committed in the area. He dismissed the noise being made over security by residents of the area, saying that it was simply because they wanted something to be done about the project.

Other sources at the Oyo State Command of NPS said that the damaged buildings were a result of a storm that hit the area a couple of years ago, claiming that the proj-

Areo Azeez ect was being delayed due to lack of funding.

Meanwhile, the Baale of Ayegun, Chief Adeleke Abdulazeez said the area would be safer if the authorities concerned would do something such that the project surrounding could be full of activity.

“Our major concern has been the road leading to this place. We thank God for helping us security-wise because we have not had any problem in this area. Perhaps it is because they prison site is not in this place. But I have received news that people have been taken there to rob them and commit other crimes.

“I suggest that government does something so that the areas surrounding the prison are busy so that criminals will not take advantage of the lonely environment to commit crime,” the chief said.

Cost of completing the project has jumped from N500m to N3 billion—Contractor Chief Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim is the Chairman/Managing Durector of Inaolaji Builders Ltd, the firm the Olomi prison project was contracted to. He spoke to PAUL OMOROGBE on the history and current status of the project.

WHEN was the project awarded?

The project was awarded around 1980 which is 36 years ago. When the project was awarded, we started the project. It moved very fast and was going on well. However, the cash flow problem of the Federal Government did not allow us to continue with the project, and the project was suspended.

Then the project was suspended between 1984 and 1985.

About seven years ago, they called us back to the site; we have the contract and it was never terminated. When they came back it was not in full force.

What did the project entail?

The project includes staff quarters, female ward, male ward, administrative hall, tower house, hospital, roads which make it a gigantic project.

By the time it was awarded, I don’t remember the exact figure unless I go to the records, but it was about N500 million then. But now, with the situation of things in the country, if we are going to complete everything, that project should cost government not less than two to three billion naira.

Didn’t you go back to work after that long while?

We started again about six years ago. The work was being awarded in piecemeal. And the work that was awarded in piecemeal was not paid for regularly. Certain payments last-

Chief Ibrahim ed for years. At times, we wrote letters and for years there was never a reply.

About two or three years ago, when there was a heavy rain in Ibadan, with strong winds, some of the buildings there at the site were damaged. They came to inspect, they asked us to repair. After giving them the estimate for the cost of the repair, they said arrangements would be made to pay the money. So that there would be no further damages, we did the repairs; we gave the valuation of the cost. For the past two years now, they never replied.

The land the project covers is about 50 acres.

This year again, they came to inspect the site.

I have used part of my money to complete the male ward, administrative hall, kitchen and washing room. They are thinking of starting the female ward which they came to re-estimate about a month ago. We are waiting for them.

By the time this contract was awarded, there were about four or five maximum prison projects that were awarded: in Ibadan, PortHarcourt, Sokoto and two others. There were smaller ones awarded too: in Ile-Ife, Oyo and other places, in the 1980s.

The design of the one we are doing is an American design which when finished would be very decent.

Last year, they came with representatives of the British government when they wanted to return Nigerians in UK prisons back home. They promised financing it, they did some measurements and we have not heard anything since. They inspected Lagos, Abeokuta and Ilorin prisons, but they chose Ibadan as the best standard they could use.

At this rate, how profitable has this project been?

We are losing heavily. We have to clear the bush about twice a year to maintain the place, but we have been paid for clearing only three times. If we had not been clearing, it would have become a thick forest by now.

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news

CAN president sues for unity Adelowo Oladipo - Minna

across the country to be united in order to ensure peaceful co-existence with adherents of other religions.

He made the call on Saturday, while addressing del-

egates during the election of new executive members into the Niger State chapter of CAN, at the ECWA Goodnews Church, Minna, adding that there is no better

is depicted in an early 1900’s Bible card illustration.

“The church re-enacts or celebrates Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish His paschal mystery. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, was recorded in the four gospels.

“Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem; the celebrating people spread their clothes on the road, while others cut branches from palm trees and spread them on the road,” he said The Director of Social Communication, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, . Gabriel

Osu, told NAN after the service that Palm Sunday, was a call for everyone to follow the spiritual path as Christ did.

According to him, if we are not willing to acknowledge sin as sin and just ignore it, we are stuck outside the door of God’s mercy.

“There will be a day when every knee will bow and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord.

“The Jews, of course, expected a literal king to restore the kingdom of Israel, not realising that his kingdom was spiritual — his kingdom on earth is the church.

P Be humble, Lagos Catholic archbishop tasks Christians T RESIDENT of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has called on Christians

HE Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Adewale Martins, on Sunday, urged Christians to live peaceful and humble lives as taught by Jesus Christ’s symbolic entry into Jerusalem.

Martins made the appeal while delivering a sermon at the Holy Cross Cathedral in Obalende, Lagos, to celebrate 2016 Palm Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Christians celebrate the event every Sunday preceding Easter in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

He urged Christians to always conduct themselves peacefully as Christ’s followers.

Martins said that Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace and not a war-waging king.

“Palm Sunday is marked with the distribution of palm leaves, often tied into crosses to the assembled worshippers.

“Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey

time for the church to pray for the country than now.

The cleric, who was represented by the Director of National Issues, CAN, Elder Sunday Oibie, said Niger's election was the best election of CAN so far conducted in parts of the country.

“If there is anytime the church needs to come together, it’s now. This is the time the church needs to be knitted together, he said.

of the governor of Kebbi State.

According to Mrs Osinbajo, everybody is important no matter what he or she eats, where they live and what they wear.

She commended Mrs Bagudu for inaugurating the foundation to serve the interest of the masses.

She also thanked cheerful giving Nigerians that had

Before now, the elections of CAN have the capacity to tear the church apart but God in His infinite mercy, has been helping us to conduct the elections without any problem.

“To avoid unnecessary petitions and court cases, we have made it compulsory for the national body to be fully involved in all state elections.”

The CAN president, while speaking on the topic ‘The

end is better than the beginning’, charged the new executives to embrace forgiveness and live in peace.

The electoral committee has coordinators from the 25 local government areas of the state which formed 87 accredited delegates.

Also, the national legal adviser, CAN, Mr Albert Uko ,while stressing that this is the most transparent election organised by CAN in the country.

Catholic bishop, PFN endorse Easter Fiesta in Ibadan THE Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, the Most Reverend (Dr )Gabriel Abegunrin and the president of Oyo State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Taiwo Adelakun, have endorsed the maiden edition of the Easter

Support the needy, Mrs Osinbajo tells Nigerians WIFE of the vice president, Mrs Oludolapo Osinbajo, has pleaded with Nigerians to support the Almajiris and children of the less privileged.

She made the plea in Abuja, on Sunday, in a remark at the inauguration of “Mass literacy for the less privileged” — a foundation inaugurated by Hajiya Aisha Bagudu, the wife

Monday, 21 March, 2016

assisted the poor and the needy, praying to God to bless them.

Earlier, Mrs Bagudu had listed education of the less privileged children as a priority of the foundation.

Other areas of concern of the foundation ,according to her, are eradication of extreme poverty, health issues and assistance in agriculture and craft making.

Fiesta programme organised by Cletcom Services in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The Bishop of Oyo Catholic Diocese, Most Revd (Dr) Emmanuel Badejo, is also expected to perform as a special guest artiste, at the Easter Fiesta, on Easter Monday.

Other men of God expected at the event include the Anglican Archbishop of Ibadan; Pastor-in-charge of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), in the three regions in Oyo State and Pastor-in-charge of Living Spring Chapel, Pastor Femi Emmanuel among.

The Managing Director of Cletcom Services, Mr Cletus Iloabanafor, said the organisation is happy that

notable men of God would be at the Easter fiesta, adding with the development, it is sure that Ibadan people would be happy during Easter period.

As a leading media and advertising agency in the city, Cletcom is partnering other leading firms in Nigeria such as CEOAFRICA, a leading online TV and news portal in Africa, KPC, AIT, Signal7000, Splash FM, Maltina, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Space FM Ibadan, Brighton Hotel Ibadan, Minimie Chin Chin, among others.

Special guests expected to grace the occasion include Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Senator Teslim Folarin, Mr Seyi Makinde and Honourable Olatoye Temitope.

news DSS has reneged on promise to free detained Akanni —Ekiti Speaker 30

Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

S

PEAKER of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, on Sunday, alleged that the Department of State Services (DSS) has failed to release the detained member of the assembly, Afolabi Akanni,

Monday, 21 March, 2016

as promised.

According to Oluwawole, in a statement by his media aide, Stephen Gbadamosi, on Sunday, the Federal Government should run the country with the fear of God, saying “the Department of State Services (DSS) has, again, reneged on its promise to release illegally incar-

cerated member of the Assembly, Afolabi Akanni, on Saturday.”

He said: “If it was not a case of political vendetta, the DSS would have fulfilled its promise to release the incarcerated lawmaker latest

by Saturday, 20 March.”

He said it was “undemocratic and ungodly for the

DSS to have promised that the service was already contemplating releasing Akanni before the House staged a protest to its state office in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, only for the lawmaker to still be in custody of DSS till Sunday.”

He said: “Members of Efon Alaaye town, where Akanni

Senior Superintendent Gabriel F. Akinadewo (Omo Jesu II) with choristers of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, Restoration Parish, Akute, Ogun State, during the Palm Sunday service.

APC, PDP members defect to SDP in Ondo Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure HUNDREDS of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the weekend.

The defectors, who declared for SDP during the visit of the SDP aspirant, Dr Olu Agunloye, to Ipogun Village, said they decided to join the party because both the PDP and APC had failed the people of the country and the state.

A former chieftain of the APC in the area, Adewale Dada, said APC had failed to meet the expectations of the people of the country in the last one year.

Dada also noted that the PDP in the state has been ill and in disarray, saying “PDP has failed to recover from the loss of the last general election.”

“We have always seen PDP as a better alternative but the party is dead in the state. The APC that we hinged all hope upon to put the country on the path of progress has derailed and also slow. No positive change witnessed in the last one year “We need to experience purposeful leadership which we believe Dr Agunloye could offer this state.

The party is on the path of

progress and will be a party to beat in the governorship election in Ondo State because of the support of the grassroots.”

Receiving the new members into the SDP, the Chairman of the party in the local government, Honourable Ayodele Fagbe, assured the new entrants that the party will be fair to

them.

Fagbe, who presented membership cards to the defectors, urged them to start mobilising for the party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election, saying “Agunloye antecedents as a straightforward and honest person will win the election for him.”

Speaking after their defection, Dr Agunloye assured the defectors of integrating them into the party.

Agunloye called for their support in mobilising for the party to ensure victory in the next governorship election, pledging that he will fulfil all his electoral promises to the people of the state.

Constitute your cabinet now, progressives tell Ajimobi A coalition of progressives in Oyo State under the aegis of Progressives for Good Governance (PGG), has called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi to constitute his cabinet, as further delay may worsen the socio-economic condition in the state.

A statement issued in Ibadan, on Sunday and signed by the secretary of the organisation, Mr Samuel Babatunde, said PGG made the call in the interest of the people of the state and to correct the impression that “the governor relishes the one-man show that governance in the state had become since May 2015.”

PGG observed that the governor needed to “get his government to take off after taxiing needlessly on the runway for one year” and “to put a lie to the impression being created by opposition elements that the state had been run aground

and become an unproductive asset.”

The professionals explained that the cabinet members would be available to carry out government policies and programmes and thus change “the current atmosphere where the state is shut down when the governor travels outside the country.”

“While we throw our weight behind the governor’s decision to run a slim-sized government in view of the ever dwindling receipts from the federation account, we urge Governor Ajimobi to do so without further delay.

“We pride ourselves in having a governor who broke the second term jinx in the state, against the armageddon threatened by the conservative parties.

This victory provides a golden opportunity to better the lot of the citizenry and show

them that investing their votes in our party is worthwhile.

“We do not pray that the current state of inactivity continues because it will justify the narrative woven by the opposition figures that regrets and gnashing of teeth awaited anyone who contemplated the second coming of our governor.

“It is not that the appointment of commissioners in itself will mean an El Dorado for the people. But the economy of a state like Oyo, which is heavily dependent on the activities of government to function well, will be better for it.

“If the state of inertia in the pacesetter state continues, then the goodwill account of the progressive elements will be in red, God forbid. A stitch in time can still save nine, if Governor Ajimobi is willing to do the needful.”

hails from, also told journalists on Thursday that while the state SSS Director was assuring them that Akanni was still alive, they extracted same promise from the SSS that Akanni would be released on Saturday.

“We have said that injustice to one is injustice to all.

This is the only one of our missing four lawmakers that the DSS has accepted is with them. We said if you are holding him, tell us why, or if you have any evidence against him, charge him to court. We are law-abiding people in Ekiti.

“If you can’t charge him to court, then, you have no reason under the law to continue to hold him. He has been in your custody for close to three weeks now, yet, you have not proffered any charge against him. What kind of democracy is this?

“On Thursday, the Director of State Security Service (SSS) in Ekiti State promised us that they were already contemplating to release Afolabi Akanni, and that latest, by Saturday, he would be released. Why is he not with his family now?

We forced them to show him on television to know whether he is alive or not.”

Ondo 2016: Group re-echoes support for Akure to produce next gov Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure THE four local government areas within the Ondo central senatorial district, known as Akure division, have re—echoed the commitment of the people of the division to produce the next governor in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

This was contained in a communique issued by the Akure Division Agenda at the end of a meeting held at Jojein Hotel, Akure, last week.

According to the communiqué, signed by the Director of Organisation of the group, Oguntuase Joshua, all the governorship aspirants from Akure have collectively agreed to work together for the realisation of the Akure agenda.

Oguntuase said though the group will be neutral, it will work for Akure Division and all aspirants from the four local government areas that fall within the old Akure division.

He, however, called on all the aspirants to shun politics with bitterness, violence, war of words, hostility and vendetta.

Nigerian Tribune

Explain how Osun got N6m federal allocation in Feb, group tells Aregbesola Oluwole Ige - Osogbo AS reactions continue to trail the February N6.23 million allocation received

by Osun State from the Federation Account, a group under the auspices of Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS), on Sunday, asked Governor Rauf Aregbesola to explain circumstances surrounding the receipt of such paltry sum.

The group lamented that while other states in the country were getting an average of N2 billion and over N1 billion, it was disheartening to note that a whole state like Osun received only N6.23 million.

In a press statement signed by the chairman of CSCEO, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman Alimi, the group demanded public explanation from Aregbesola on the debt profile of the state which 99.8 per cent of her monthly allocations were used to service in the recent time.

The group equally warned the Federal Government against releasing any fund to Aregbesola under the guise of embarking on federal projects, especially on the acclaimed roads project, urging the Federal Government to come to the state and re-award all the acclaimed Aregbesola’s federal road projects.

TASCE matriculates 800 students

By Kehinde Adio NOT less than 800 students took the matriculation oath of Tai Solarin College of Education for the 2016 academic session.

Addressing the students at the matriculation ceremony held recently, the Provost, Dr Abiodun Ojo, charged the new students to give the vocational training in the college deserving priority alongside their academic studies.

According to him, “to be self-sufficient in the labour market, vocational training is the only antidote to the current unemployment challenges in the country.”

While the provost enjoined the new intakes to shun all forms of social vices that could frustrate their academic activities on the campus, he assured them that the college would provide environment conducive for learning.

The provost attributed the success story of the college to the efficient and dedicated staff and the state government’s moral support.

31 news

Monday, 21 March, 2016

Budget 2016: NASS uncovers fresh N500bn ‘padding’

•Questions over N370bn in Service Wide Votes •Agric, Transport, Power ministries top list •All ministries, agencies mentioned Taiwo Adisa - Abuja

T

HE National Assembly Budget Office has discovered fresh padding of over N500 billion contained in the budgetary proposals for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the 2016 budget proposals being worked upon by the legislature.

Sources at the National Assembly told the Nigerian Tribune that the discovery of the bogus figures was responsible for the failure of the committees on appropriation to lay the report on the budget in the Senate and the House of Representatives last week Thursday.

A booklet containing the errors and padding were release to the senators and members of the House of Representatives on Thursday last week.

The National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO), which published the questionable figures, said in the preface to the publication that it embarked on the scrutiny of the budget “to give technical support to member of the legislature, by pointing out some errors in the bill.”

It further said “given the current challenge of abnormalities in the 2016 budget proposal, where projects are repeated more than

once in the budget and others undefined, NABRO rose to the occasion by providing the legislature with an accurate and inclusive review of the line items in the 2016 appropriation bill.”

The breakdown of repeated items showed that items totaling the sum of N1.030 billion were repeated in the estimates for Ministry of Agriculture.

Some of the items include the N20 million repeated in the name of “water reticulation in main station” repeated twice as N15 million and another N5 million for the National Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Benin; the sum of N 198 million for the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan; another N98 million for the Federal College of Agriculture, Moore Plantation, Ibadan; the same of N676 million for the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos; N23 million for Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Kuru, Jos and the sum of N14 million for Nigerian Institute of Animal Science.

The Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan, Oyo State, had the sum of N64.3 million repeated for “advertisement in the dailies, opening ceremony and commencement of train-

ing programme, purchase and distribution of startup kits, closing ceremony and departure.” The same item was captured with the sum of N43.3 million in the same budget.

The same institute also has different figures captured as “substructures, concrete works, block works of roof and roofing coverings, metal work (windows), doors and ironmongery and plumbing installation,” which has the sum of N43.3 million and N37.1 million in the same budget.

NABRO submitted that the above represented repetitions in the Ministry of Agriculture, with some items captured as recurrent and capital projects at the same time.

It stated that the projects in the ministry were not detailed in terms of location and scope.

The NASS Budget Office also raised issues with the contents of the Service Wide Votes, which had the sum of N370.003 billion in its capital component, but was recalculated to the sum of N7.4 billion by NABRO. The office said the difference stood at the sum of N362.5 billion.

Also affected is the Ministry of Communications Technology which had the sum of N6.7 billion repeated in different subheads.

For instance, the office said the ministry had different figures for one line item “supervision of the work,” which was repeated with figures including N832,300, N381,600, N2,064,000 and N1,231,600.

It also had the sum of N302,801 and N1,933,250 as amount for “preliminary works” in the same budget.

The Ministry of Environment accounted for repeated amounts totaling N367.7 million; National Park Headquarters, N5.5 million; Federal Capital Territory (N6.9 billion); Foreign Affairs (N10.04 million); office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (N152.8 million); Ministry of Science and Technology, N382 million; Ministry of Works, Power and Housing (N8 billion).

Of that amount, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) accounted for N828.7 million, while the headquarters of the ministry accounted for N6.47 billion.

The document also discovered a repetition of the sum of N1.4 billion under the National Rural Electrification Agency and another N206.8 million for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The document also indicated that the Ministry of Transport repeated a number of items in the recur-

rent and capital projects.

The ministry, according to the document, had a line item captured as “Furniture, Electronic gadgets, electrical appliances, stationeries and essential commondities” in the capital and recurrent votes. The item has N27,200,000 in capital votes and N43,856,016 in the recurrent.

It also had a subject considered as curious by NABRO captured as “to ensure effective operation of the parastatals’ which has the sum of N25 million under recurrent expenditure. The office remarked that “more details may be required.”

The ministry also repeated the item “provision of sports equipment for participation in sports activities” and another purchase of sporting/gaming equipment which got allotted the sums of N33 million under capital votes and another N47 million in the recurrent votes.

NABRO described the items as “similar projects.”

The Ministry of Interior, according to the report, had the sum of N150 million repeated under the item “purchase of 6 nos marine patrol boats” which appears as recurrent and capital votes, while it also had the sum of N200 million as both capital and

Court slams N50m damages on police Sunday Ejike - Abuja JUSTICE finally smiled on one Joseph Martins, who was shot by a policeman in Abuja, as the Abuja High Court ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to pay him the sum of N50 million as damages.

The trial judge, Justice Olasunbo Goodluck, in her judgment, delivered on Thursday, in the suit filed since 2013, held that the police should pay the plaintiff the money as compensation, for inflicting bodily harm and injuries on him (Martins), as well as for deprivation and psychological trauma he had suffered as a result of the gunshot from the police officer.

Martins’ ordeal started in 2013, when a Sergeant, Olumide Ariyo, deliberately shot him at a football viewing centre, at Utako District of Abuja, where he went to watch Nigeria vs Liverpool match.

Martins, a bricklayer, said in an affidavit that he was shot by Ariyo on that fateful day for challenging him to pay for the two bottles of beer he consumed at the joint.

He averred in the 38-paragraph affidavit that he met Sergeant Ariyo, armed with an AK-47 rifle alongside some people at the joint, pointing out that the policeman was posted to be on guard duty at RCC, Utako, by the Commander, Special Protection Unit, Base 7 of the FCT Police Command.

He said Ariyo bought two bottles of beer and refused to pay the bar tender, who was a small lady and was walking away, claiming to be a uniform man, who was immune from payment for any number of bottles of beer consumed.

“I intervened by telling him not to use his uniform to intimidate and cheat the innocent girl and to also avoid been insulted while

on uniform, on account of his refusal to pay his bill.

“He became angry and threatened to kill me and thereafter lose his job and nothing will happen. True to his threat, he corked his gun and shot at me in the thigh, leaving my bone completely broken and shattered. The matter was well reported by many newspapers,” he said.

He added that people around overpowered the trigger-happy police sergeant and disarmed him, after which they called the Divisional Police Officer, Utako, who took Ariyo to the station.

After the incident, Martins was dumped at Wuse General Hospital in Abuja and the bullet was in his thigh for 25 days before it was finally removed at the Air force Hospital close to Abuja Airport.

Martins’ legal battle to get justice started in December 2013, when his condition attracted an Abuja-based

lawyer, Tolu Babaleye, who took the matter to court after writing petitions to various offices of government in protest, but nothing was done.

Babaleye filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit on behalf of Joseph Martins with the IGP, FCT Police Commissioner, the Commander, Special Protection Unit, Base 7, FCT Command and the Police Service Commission as respondents.

Justice Goodluck, in her judgment, held that the action of the police Sergeant by shooting the plaintiff on the thigh was illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of Martins’ right to life, personal liberty, dignity of his person and right and freedom of movement as enshrined in the constitution.

The judge awarded the sum of N50 million to be paid to Martins as compensation for the injuries on him, as well as for de-

privation and psychological trauma he suffered as a result of the illegal act of the Sergeant.

The court also ordered the IGP to produce and charge Sergeant Ariyo to court for attempted murder of Martins instead of assault he was earlier charged for before a Magistrates’ Court by the police.

Justice Goodluck, in the judgment, berated the policeman and said he was a disgrace to the Police Force for infamous conduct of visiting a beer parlour for a drink with his service gun.

Commenting on the decision of the court, Babaleye, who handled the matter free-of-charge for the plaintiff, said he was thankful to God and grateful to the judge for doing judicial activism on the matter.

He reaffirmed his belief in Nigeria and the judiciary as the last hope for the downtrodden and the oppressed in the society.

recurrent votes under the line item “purchase of generating set,” aside the sum of N1.5 billion captured as “rehabilitation/renovation of existing barracks” which also appears in the capital and recurrent votes.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the report noted, also had the sum of N2.6 billion and another N801.9 million repeated as purchase of security equipment and purchase of defence equipment.

In the Ministry of Health, NABRO queried the sum of N209 million it described as “bilateral discussion with agencies of the Ministry, BOF and NASS monitoring and evaluation, e-payment and procurement of office equipment,” and another N1.9 billion described as “new items requesting.”

The office said explanations had to be provided for the said items.

In the Ministry of Education, NABRO discovered that the sum of N1.9 billion was captured under repeated items.

While the ministry allotted the sum of N1.9 billion for an item “acquisition of 17 offices for federal education quality assurance service,” under capital votes, it equally allotted the sum of N53 million for the same item under recurrent votes.

The Budget Office of the the National Assembly also discovered the curious allocation for “other maintenance services” captured in the allocation for West African Examination Council (WAEC); National Library of Nigeria; National Educations Council; Mass Literacy Council; Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria and the National Commission for Colleges of Education Secretariat.

The NABRO concluded that: “The 2016 budget proposal of the Federal Government of Nigeria has many areas that definitely require strict oversight by the legislature.

“The identification of repeated and undefined projects in the budgeted proposal is an area of concern that National Assembly Budget and Research Office consider necessary for effective legislative oversight.

“The need to make ‘The Change Mantra’ a reality also includes thorough legislative input into the budget as well as ensure full implementation by the Executive.”

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

Secret recruitment: Withdraw job offers now or we’ll sue, SERAP warns CBN

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OCIO-ECONOMIC Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), requesting him to “immediately withdraw hundreds of letters of employment issued following

a seriously flawed recruitment process.”

He is also urged to put in place, a system of recruitment and hiring based on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency, participation and objective criteria such as merit, equity and aptitude.”

The group warned that

“Should Mr Emefiele and the CBN fail and/or neglect to act as requested within 14 days of the receipt and/ or publication of this letter, the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take appropriate legal action to ensure effective remedies for millions of Nigerians that have been denied equal opportunity

to participate in the recruitment process. And this may be without further notice to you.”

The letter dated March 18, 2016 and signed by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, reads in part: “This corrupt process amounts to a fundamental breach of constitu-

From left, Acting Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Waheed Olagunju; winner of vocational skills competition in Electrical and Electronics, Nkwo Ogochukwuka and the Senior Special Assistant to Vice-President on Job Creation and Youth Development, Afolabi Omokhuede, during the award presentation in Abuja, at the weekend. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI.

Kogi govt plans to sack 40% workforce —Labour Wait till end of screening —Gov Bello Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja THE organised trade union in Kogi State, under the auspices of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Sunday, accused the state government of planning to sack 40 per cent of the present workforce in its employ.

The union also said government had set up a parallel six-man committee, sitting at the glass house of the Lugard House, with a mandate of reducing the workforce at all cost.

The state chairman of TUC, Ranti Ojo, who said this while addressing newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital, demanded for the disbandment of the committee; failure of which the union might withdraw its members serving on the screening/ verification committee of the state government.

He also alleged that the state government was engaging in witch-hunting by extending the 30-day compulsory leave it sent permanent secretaries and other top government functionaries for another 30 days without coming out to make public the offences committed by these categories of workers.

According to him, the union kept quiet when the first compulsory leave was given to the people by government, thinking that their offences would be made public before the expiration of the 30 days.

Ojo said: “But we are taken aback by another circular No HSC/KGS/ CIR/3/VOL.V/542 dated 15th March, 2016 titled, Re:Urgent Directives from the Executive Governor extending for another 30 days the compulsory leave granted to our members in the service of Kogi State even when none of them has actually been accused

of and found guilty of any gross misconduct.

Reacting to the allegations, the state government through the special adviser to the governor on media and strategy, Abdulmalik Abdulkarim, said the extension of the compulsory leave of the affected officials was not made out of malice and not intended to punish anybody.

He said when they were sent on leave initially, government explained that they were to go on the leave to enable it look into staff and financial records of the state uninterrupted, saying the exercise was yet

to be completed.

On the accusation of a plan to reduce the workforce, Abdulkarim said the union was only jumping into conclusion unnecessarily as the committee in question was set up to ascertain the exact number of bonafide workers in the state.

He, however, said the committee had already completed its assignment in one of the senatorial districts, noting that startling revelations would be unveiled when the committee complete its duty across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Police warn against unauthorised protest in Kano THE Police in Kano State have warned against any unauthorised protest on the suspension of Alhaji Haruna Doguwa, the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Magaji Majiya, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, insisting that any unlawful protest would attract sanction according to the law.

Majiya said the warning

became necessary as intelligence report indicated that some sponsored “undesirable elements” from the 44 local government areas of the state were planning a protest.

He alleged that they planned to hold illegal meeting in Kano, on Sunday.

“The command hereby warns those planning the illegal meeting to desist from doing so as its men are ready to deal decisively with anyone caught in the act.

“The command has not

given permission to any group of persons to hold meeting.

“So, it will not hesitate to deal ruthlessly with any person or group of persons that violated the order,” Majiya said.

According to him, the command has already arrested some persons who allegedly sponsored the planned meeting.

“The suspects are currently assisting in our investigations which will lead to the arrest of principal organisers,” he said.

tionally and internationally recognised human rights of millions of Nigerians, particularly the right to equality and non-discrimination, to work and to human dignity.”

“Instead of the CBN promoting equality of opportunity and access to employment for all Nigerians, it has perpetrated discrimination, and therefore denied an opportunity for economic selfreliance and in many cases, a means for millions of Nigerians to escape poverty and live a life of dignity.”

“The process also directly breaches article 7 of the UN Convention against Corruption which Nigeria has ratified. Article 7 requires institutions like the CBN to adopt, maintain and strengthen systems for the recruitment and hiring of civil servants that are based on principles of transparency and objective criteria such as merit, equity and aptitude.”

‘Kogi going through revolution’ Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja THE Kogi State government, on Sunday, stated that an uncommon trend of revolution that would reposition the state and set her on the path to true greatness and social responsibility was already going on in the state.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, said critics of the Yahaya Bello administration were people who had fed fat on “filthy lucre” and were ready to frustrate the ongoing processes aimed at ensuring that resources of the state are used for the common good of a good percentage of the populace.

According to him, the governor has remained unwaveringly focused on his determination to purge the state of the people, who see the commonwealth of the people as the resources of a few.

He said, “Kogi now has a governor who is not just mouthing corruption. Governor Yahaya Bello has shown his determination to kill corruption before corruption kills the state. The revelations emanating from the ongoing staff screening exercise across the state is an indication of the fact that with a common will, Kogi can cage corruption and free the finances of the state from cankerworms who are enemies of the people.

Nigerian Tribune

NASS hosts roundtable session on economy Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja THE National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER) will hold today, in Abuja, with key stakeholders drawn from the executive, legislature and the private sector coming together to seek workable solutions to the nation’s economic problems.

In a statement in Abuja, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the session would deliberate on the recommendations of the Business Environment Legislation Review Report, which was submitted by a team of experts on February 29.

Professor Adeyeye delivers 284th OAU inaugural lecture A Professor of Governance Studies, Michael Ola Adeyeye, is billed to deliver the 284th Inaugural Lecture of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, on Tuesday.

Adeyeye’s lecture will centre on “Governing the Localities: Lessons (Un) Learnt.”

The event, to be delivered at Oduduwa Hall, will be chaired by Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Bamitale Omole.

From his initial interest in separation of powers and the presidential system of government in Nigeria, Adeyeye, who is lecturer in the institution’s department of Local Government Studies, turned his attention to the problems of inter-governmental relations during the Nigerian Second Republic, before finally engaging the dynamics of administrative reform, addressing local reform implementation in Osun State.

Adeyeye is a member of various professional associations, including the Nigerian Political Science Association, African Association of Political Science, International Political Science Association, Political Studies Association of Ireland, and he is a Fellow, Centre for Gender and Social Policy Studies, O.A.U, Ile-Ife.

Professor Adeyeye

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

34

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Monday, 21 March, 2016

Be patient with Buhari, Tinubu begs Nigerians

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ational leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, while in Sokoto on Saturday, took the lead in reassuring Nigerians that the change agenda under President Muhammadu Buhari is still on course.

Tinubu spoke at the 40th Convocation ceremony of the Usmanu DanFodiyo University, Sokoto where he was conferred with Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa, on Saturday, March 19, 2016.

According to Tinubu, the change process requires time, especially coming after “the conscience of our nation has been under attack for many years, adding, “We were handed a way of governance in which anything goes and too much went - as if gone with the wind. Our present was squandered and future mortgaged.”

Tinubu while pleading for support and patience with the APC administration, offered the truth, saying “The truth today is that Nigeria has the greatest opportunity

Sheriff will revive, rebuild PDP —Lamido Adamu Amadu -Dutse

Former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has declared his support for the current Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman and former governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, expressing the confidence that soon, the PDP will revive its good image and regain its power.

The ex-governor made the disclosure at the weekend, at his village, Bamaina, in Birninkudu Local Government Area of the state, during a political rally organised by the state chapter of the PDP, where it also honoured 12 immediate past local government council chairmen, and their 15 deputies, who did not defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Lamido explained that the selection of the current interim national PDP chairman was in good tack and at the right time because of his outstanding political performance since 1998, when democracy returned.

According to him “Sheriff is a guru in the Nigerian democracy, who has a good record in terms of contest and winning election, adding that, “since the return of the longest civilian’s administration in 1998 he never lost in the election field.”

to get it right with a leader like Muhammadu Buhari.

There is much to fix. President Buhari is committed to fixing them. But he needs your support and patience.

“He cannot do it all alone.

We must stand beside him

or else we may be knocked down and not stand at all.

Thus, let us be resolved to see reform and change that will make Nigeria rise as the nation it should be.

“It’s easy for those who are greedy to think that change

is easy. Change is not about comfort of today, but the success of tomorrow. Nigeria was in the rollercoaster of losing hope. Then our party brought cure. Don’t let anyone deceive you, the cure is here,” Tinubu said.

He stated further that “I am honoured to be at the historic seat of the Caliphate a place where history, culture, religion and tradition merge to form the architecture of one of the world’s most impressive and venerable civili-

sations.

“The man after whom the institution is named was a foremost Islamic scholar.

An extraordinary leader who understood the deep yearnings and needs of the people.”

NGE seeks strong policies to protect rights of underage girls Call for immediate closure of sub-standard JAMB centres The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called on the Federal Government to come up with strong policies to protect the rights of underage girls in the country.

This was contained in a communiqué at the end of its 2016 first quarterly Standing Committee meeting held at the weekend in

Abuja.

It said the call became necessary due to the rising cases of abduction and abuse of minors nationwide.

“Government should adopt very strong policies that would protect the rights of children, and in particular underage girls, in the light of the rising cases of abductions and abuse of

minors across the country,” the guild said in a communiqué.

The communiqué was jointly signed by its President, Malam Garba Deen Muhammad and Assistant General Secretary, Mary Atolagbe.

It called for the immediate closure of all JAMB centres that lacked the capacity to

NUC accredits 17 courses in Plateau State Varsity —VC The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted full accreditation to 17 academic programmes of the Plateau State University, Bokkos, its Vice Chancellor, Professor Doknan Sheni, has said.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bokkos, on Sunday, that the institution needed the accreditation to operate as a full-fledged university.

“For more than 10 years, we have been operating as if we are not a university; without one of our courses accredited.

“But thanks be to God, today all our 17 programmes in the four faculties have been accredited by the NUC,” he said.

The vice chancellor said t with the accreditation,

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the university would admit more than 1,000 students in the 2016/2017 academic year.

Sheni said the university had been admitting between 300 and 400 students but with the accreditation, it would be admitting between 1,000 and 3,000 applicants.

The vice chancellor lauded theTertiary Education Trust Fund for assisting in the infrastructural development of the university to the tune of N4 billion.

“Even though we need N5.6 billion for the completion of some ongoing and new projects to the desired infrastructural development, we have what it takes to admit more students now,” he said.

Sheni also commended

the Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Professor Attahiru Jega for the role he played in the accreditation of the programmes.

ensure seamless conduct of its computer-based examinations to ensure credibility of the exercise.

“The guild expresses serious disappointment over the poor conduct of the last JAMB computer-based examinations, describing it as a national embarrassment capable of truncating the destinies of future leaders.

“The guild, therefore, implores government to immediately halt the approval of centres that lack the capacity to ensure seamless conduct of such examinations.”

It expressed concern over the state of the Nigerian media, stressing that the prevailing economic challenges had negatively affected the performance output of the

traditional media.

“The guild further notes with concern that the media industry, like most other sectors, is suffocating under the prevailing economic challenges, which poses a threat to the survival of traditional media in particular and credible information dissemination.

“It, therefore, asks the government to review policies that impede the operations of the media in order to sustain democracy and avoid job losses.”

Reviewing the state of the Nigerian economy, the guild urged government to fast-track the diversification process of the nation’s economy to prioritise the development of the agriculture and mining sectors.

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I, formerly Olaifa Oluwatoyin Esther now IFETOYE OLUWATOYIN ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. TESCOM, First Bank Plc, EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ayodele Olufunmilola Taiwo (nee Ogungbesan) now MRS YEKINNI OLUFUNMILOLA TAIWO (nee Ogungbesan).

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Adekanmbi Lawrence and Adetokunbo Modupe now LAWRENCE A D E T O K U N B O ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Emidun Stella now MRS OWA STELLA OLANIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Momohjimoh Mummy Halimat now OWURI HALIMAT ONYIENEOYIZA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr. Mikail Saheed Ayinla now MR. ADEGBOLA SAHEED MIKAIL. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

That my correct name is OGHALI CHUKWUWEIKE CHUKS and was spelt wrongly on the certificate issued to me by WAEC as OGHAI CHUKWUWEIKE CHUKS with candidate number 4250142099 and Certificate No. NGWASSCS 15039260 in June 2011 examination.

I, formerly Miss Fapojuwomi Abiodun Oluwasola now MRS. OGUNDANA ABIODUN OLUWASOLA. All former documents remain valid.

Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria and general public take note.

I, Oladipo Oluwadamilare am the same person bearing Oladipo Dare Victor. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLADIPO DARE VICTOR. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oludare Precious Kemi now MRS. AKINREFON PRECIOUS KEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Bamigbade Risquot Folashade now OWOADE RISQUOT FOLASHADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Eniola Aminat Odunola now MRS LAWAL-ENIOLA AMINAT ODUNOLA. All former documents remain valid.

UCH, Ibadan and general public take note.

I, formerly Mr Fatiregun Olubiyi Olaoluwa now MR AKINTOMIDE OLUBIYI OLAOLUWA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oyebode Oyebisi Kafilat now MRS. OLADEJO KAFILAT OYEBISI. All former documents remain valid. Fidelity Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Naomi Asabe Egamana now MRS. NAOMI MABEUN VICTOROCHEJA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Emiola Opeyemi Semiu now MRS. ADESINA KAFAYAT OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ikhuoshio Ihilosen Grace now MRS. ADENIYI IHILOSEN GRACE ST. JOE. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Limited and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Otukoya Adenike Olabode Kudirat now MRS. ADEBANJO ADENIKE OLABODE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Jennifer Adeteju Okonji now MRS. JENNIFER ADETEJU POPOOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akinrinade Fausat Funmilola now MRS. ADEKUNLE FAUSAT FUNMILOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

36

Monday, 21 March, 2016

37

communitynews

Monday, 21 March, 2016

Lawmaker empowers 50 women with skill acquisition bola badmus-lagos

The Alamo of Ilamo-Ekiti, in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Oba Adebayo Awoseyila; the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose and Eleise of Ilamo, Chief Alaba Olanipekun, at a meeting to settle the dispute between the Oba and the chief by the governor at the Governor’s Office, in Ado-Ekiti, recently.

FIFTY constituents in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, were recently named as beneficiaries of the empowerment programme organised by a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Rotimi Agunsoye.

The beneficiaries, who gathered at the Kosofe Local Government secretariat hall, with dignitaries and traditional rulers in attendance, including the General Manager, Lagos Television, Mr. Deji Balogun; the Alaketu of Ketu, Oba Isiaka Oyero, among others, are to be trained by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in various trades.

The trades include hair-

I won’t dabble in the selection of Onisan —Fayose

E

KITI State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said that he will not meddle in the process of selecting a new Onisan of Isan-Ekiti or any traditional ruler in the state.

He stated this on Saturday when some community leaders from Isan-Ekiti visited him at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor said filling vacant traditional stool is a sacred assignment that must be allowed to take its natural course.

The governor opined that whoever perverts justice and fair play in selecting rulers for vacant traditional stools might not be able to stand the consequences later in life.

“I am not interested in who becomes the Onisan of Isan-Ekiti. I am not part of the process of selection. My role is to present the Staff of Office and other paraphernalia of office to whoever is selected. People aspiring to be the new Onisan have the right to be members of the political party of their choice.

“The stage the matter is now does not concern me.

“I won’t impose anybody as king. The constitution does not allow the governor to witness the selection of an Oba-tobe by Ifa Oracle. There are procedures. Let the system produce the oba in line with God’s will. It is noteworthy that former Governor Kayode Fayemi

is from Isan and in handling such on issue, we must not only do what is right but be seen to do what is right.

“People should stop coming to me over the new Onisan. I have in-

stalled 13 new Obas since I assumed office and everything has gone well. After the normal procedure has been followed, anybody who feels aggrieved should go to court,” he said.

Earlier, the people from

Ilome Ruling House, led

by Chief Agboola Ariyo and Oluwasiku Williams, had said that some people within the ruling house were using their influence and wealth to manipulate the process of selecting

a new monarch for the town.

They also accused some people of dropping the name of the governor and going about to say that the governor had approved their choice of the new Onisan of Isan-Ekiti.

dressing, fashion designing, soap/cream/bead making, wire works and others.

Speaking at the event, Agunsoye said the empowerment programme was designed mainly for women because of the need to bridge the gap existing between men and women in skill acquisition and economic freedom.

The lawmaker, who noted that lack of good education through skill acquisition creates a disadvantage, said the programme being offered like others in such category, had always been an avenue for women to attain economic freedom.

“My message is simple: We need a 21st Century mentality for women’s economic emancipation.

We need to flush out the negative gender inequality and give women economic freedom,” the lawmaker said.

Speaking further, Agunloye, while justifying investment in women empowerment, pointed out that women were more likely to spend their resources on health and education, creating a powerful ripple effect across the society and across generations when they become skillful and employable.

Delta deputy speaker wants company to construct roads in host communities alphonsus agborh-asaba

THE Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Honourable Friday Osanebi, has appealed to Sterling Global Oil Company operating in parts of Ndokwa land to immediately commence the construction of roads in Okpai, Umusadege, Beneku and Asemoku communities to forestall further crisis in the area.

Osanebi gave the directive in Asaba, at a meeting between the oil company and Okpai community.

The deputy speaker said it was unfortunate that the oil company allowed the situation in Okpai to degenerate to crisis point before responding to the genuine demands of the people, adding that while the company must make profit, it should not disregard its corporate social responsibility, to its host communities.

He enjoined oil companies to ensure that a visible project is excuted every year in their host communities, adding, however, that Sterling Global Oil had

made tremendous success in the area with well over 40 productive oil wells in Okpai alone.

He also admonished the company to adhere strictly to the Nigerian Local Content law by ensuring that jobs for which Nigerians, especially indigenes of host communities can handle, were not given to foreigners.

Honourable Osanebi drew the attention of oil companies operating in the area to a recent direc-

Community leader decries action of adamant motorists

By Gbenga Olumide

A community leader in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Chief Muritala Adebayo Adetunji, has appealed to the state government and the Commissioner of Police in the state, to rescue him from recalcitrant drivers who, despite repeated warnings, still park vehicles in front of his building.

Adetunji, owner of Omola-

bake House beside an event centre on Molete-Challenge Road, Ibadan, in a statement personally signed and made available to Community News, at the weekend, lamented the way motorists have turned the front of his building into a park.

He said: “When their action became unbearable, I reported the matter at appropriate quarters and security agents intervened by placing a ‘No Parking’ order

along with an iron barricade in the place.

“In spite of the police order, vehicles are still being parked there, thus blocking easy access to and from the house.

“I am, therefore, appealing to the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the Oyo State Police Command to come to my aid by adopting a stiff penalty against these adamant motorists.”

tive by the state government to the effect that all oil companies operating in Delta State should relocate their operational headquarters to the state, adding that the governor had graciously provided land for that purpose.

In his response, the VicePresident of Sterling Global Oil Company, Chief Arvind Mahamuni, promised to abide by the agreements reached at the meeting and assured the deputy speaker that the road projects would commence immediately while the renovation and fencing of Okpai Mixed Secondary School will be completed in six months.

On its part, the management of the company said, “we work in consultation with host communities in undertaking community development projects as mutually agreed in MoUs” and listed 200 school desks, scholarship, science laboratory, sport equipment, five 18-seater buses, speed boats, renovated health centres and 50kva generator as some of the facilities they had so far provided for their host communities.

The company further

said it had employed over 600 indigenes of Ndokwa, including 366 rig workers and awarded contract to 234 contractors and 291 suppliers.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Okpai Community Development Committee (CDC) Chief John Emordi, said Okpai people had waited for six months after an earlier meeting with the company before embarking on a recent protest.

In his comments, the Commanding Officer of the Amphibious Battalion, Warri, Lieutenant-Colonel Matthew Oyekola, thanked the people for their patience but said he was unhappy with the youths for not informing him of their grievance before embarking on the violent protest.

He, however, assured the people that his duty was to protect lives and property, adding that so far, he had not had any problem in Ndokwa land before the recent crisis.

The peace meeting held at the instance of Honourable Osanebi also resolved among others, that the three-year MoU signed between Okpai and Sterling Oil Company will be collapsed to enable the company execute the road project in the community.

38

Monday, 21 March, 2016

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Cuba rolls out red carpet for historic Obama trip despite embargo

P

RESIDENT Barack Obama arrives in Cuba on Sunday for a historic visit, venturing into what was once enemy territory where a Communist government that vilified the United States for decades has prepared a red-carpet welcome.

The three-day trip, the first by a United States president in 88 years, was unthinkable until Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro agreed in December 2014 to end an estrangement that began when Cuba’s revolution ousted a pro-American government in 1959.

Plainclothes police have blanketed the capital with security while public works crews have busily laid down asphalt in a city where drivers joke they must navigate “potholes with streets.”

Welcome signs with images of Obama alongside Castro popped up in colonial Old Havana, where the president and his family will tour on Sunday afternoon shortly after landing.

Since rapprochement, the two sides have restored diplomatic ties, signed commercial deals on telecommunications and scheduled airline service, and expanded cooperation on law enforcement and environmental protection.

“Obama has been brave

US President Barack Obama (right) during his last meeting with Cuba’s Raul Castro. PHOTO: STRAIT TIMES.

for agreeing to relations with Cuba,” said school teacher Elena Gonzalez, 43.

Major differences remain, notably the 54-year-old economic embargo of Cuba.

Obama has asked Congress to rescind it but has been blocked by the Republican leadership.

Instead, he has used executive authority to loosen

trade and travel restrictions.

Cuba also complains about the continued occupation of the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, which Obama has said is not up for discussion, as well as U.S. support for dissidents and anti-communist radio and TV programs beamed into Cuba.

“There are many years of mistrust and we are not going to change our system, our values,” said Ileana Valdes, 55, a nurse. “Although one must highlight that there are no longer invasions.”

FlyDubai flight FZ981 crashed early on Saturday in stormy weather while attempting a second landing [Reuters]

Cleanup operation ends at FlyDubai crash site RUSSIAN emergency workers completed their search and cleanup operations at the site of a FlyDubai passenger plane crash, while scores of mourners gathered at the airport in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don to leave candles, toys and flowers.

US election: Anti-Trump rally in New York, Arizona HUNDREDS of protesters have rallied outside Trump Tower in Manhattan while demonstrators briefly shut down an Arizona highway leading to a campaign rally for Donald Trump.

According to Al Jazeera, at least one person was arrested at the tower on New York’s famous Fifth Avenue during a brief skirmish on Saturday, as demonstrators voiced their opposition to the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.

“Donald Trump, go away, racist, sexist, anti-gay,” shouted the demonstrators who gathered at Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, near one of the billionaire real estate mogul’s luxury

Clashes between police and protesters were witnessed in midtown Manhattan [Reuters]

buildings overlooking Central Park.

Amid a considerable police presence, protesters held up signs that read “Deport Trump” and “Build a wall around Trump”.

Earlier, demonstrators blocked a major road in Arizona in the latest attempts by opponents to disrupt

the campaign of the top United States Republican White House hopeful who

staged a campaign rally on Saturday just days ahead of the Arizona primary.

Tempers flared at the rally itself, but without the violence that marred Trump’s event in Chicago a week earlier. A handful of people were arrested, police and witnesses said.

New York’s demonstration was organised by a group called Cosmopolitan Antifascists and included immigrants’ rights activists, students and socialists.

SALAH Abdeslam, the prime surviving suspect for the Paris attacks, has told investigators he planned to blow himself up at the Stade de France but then

changed his mind, the Paris prosecutor said.

“Salah Abdesalam today during questioning by investigators affirmed that, and I quote, ‘he wanted

Salah Abdeslam ‘changed his mind in suicide plan’

otherNEWS Congo’s presidential election poll opens VOTERS in the Republic of Congo are going to the polls Sunday for the country’s presidential election.

VOA reported that on the eve of the vote, the government ordered telecom providers to block all service during Sunday’s vote.

Congo Interior Minister Raymond Zephirin Mboulou sent a letter to the country’s two main telecom firms, saying that for reasons of national secu-

Voters are seen at a polling station during presidential elections in Makelele, Brazzaville, March 20, 2016.

PHOTO: AFP

rity, they are to block all communication, including text messages on both Sunday and Monday.

The letter, copies of which have appeared online, also refers to a list of numbers that will continue to receive communication during the vote.

The order could raise tensions in the country where longtime President Denis Sassou Nguesso is running for re-election against eight opponents, including former general Jean-Marie Mokoko.

Mokoko, who is seen as the president’s strongest challenger, was summoned to report to police headquarters in the capital, Brazzaville, Saturday for unspecified reasons.

FlyDubai flight FZ981 crashed early on Saturday in stormy weather while attempting a second landing in Rostov-on-Don, killing all 55 passengers and seven crew members on board.

A seven-minute recording of the final conversation between the pilots has revealed concerns about the weather before the Boeing 737-800 went down nose-first, at an angle of 60 degrees, and exploded when it hit the ground.

While the FlyDubai plane was circling, two other planes headed for Rostovon-Don - one belonging to Russia’s Aeroflot and another to Czech Airlines - were diverted to the Krasnodar airport 250km away.

Russia’s state-run RT network tweeted a clip of what appeared to be a large explosion.

Turkey blames IS for Istanbul bombing THE suicide bomber who killed four people in Istanbul’s main shopping street belonged to so-called Islamic State (IS), the interior minister says.

Efken Ala named the man as Mehmet Ozturk. He told reporters that five people had been questioned so far.

Mr Ala announced a review of security measures and curfews in seven Turkish provinces, BBC said.

Three Israelis - two with Israeli-US nationality - and an Iranian died in the attack. Another 36 were injured.

People dropping flowers at the scene of the attack. PHOTO: AP

Eleven Israelis were among the injured. Two Irish citizens, one national each from Germany, Iceland, Dubai and Iran were also injured.

The coffins of the Israeli nationals were being flown out on Sunday. The Israeli government advised its citizens to avoid Turkey.

“It has been established that he is a member of Daesh,” he said using another name for IS. Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against IS and allows coalition planes to use its air base at Incirlik for raids on Iraq and Syria.

It has been attacked by IS in the past - most recently in January when a suspected suicide attack in Istanbul killed 12 German tourists.

to blow himself up at the Stade de France and that he had backed down’,” Francois Molins told reporters, adding that Abdeslam’s initial statements should be treated with caution.

The prosecutor said that, at worst, it could take three months for Abdeslam to be handed over to France after the 26-year old said he would oppose extradition to his homeland.

Al Jazeera’s Jacky Rowland, reporting from Brussels, said that proceedings against Abdeslam were expected to begin before Sunday.

Salah Abdeslam. PHOTO: CNN

39

Monday, 21 March, 2016

schoolsport

Nigerian Tribune

Anchor: Nurudeen Alimi oladimejialimi@yahoo.co.in 08111847089

Red House wins Oluyole Private School meet

R

ED House has emerged the winner of the 11th inter-house sports competition of Oluyole Private School, Ibadan, held last Thursday at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

With 283 points, Red House finished tops ahead of Yellow House which amassed 258 points as Green House placed third with 239 points, while Blue House came last with 210 points.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ezekiel Alebiosu, CEO of OJ Electrical Ltd in his remarks commended the governing council of the school for consistently organising the inter-house sports competition annually.

“This is commendable as part of their measures to also promote academic excellence among students.

“Physical education in schools must therefore be pursued vigorously and the students well motivated to key into it.

“With this, I implore all school owners in Oyo State and the country at large, to always create an enabling environment for students to effectively combine aca-

demics with sports.

“This is by ensuring that each school has a play ground where students can always train, while facilities for basic sporting events such as football, athletics, tennis, basketball, handball and table tennis, should be provided by the school authorities,” Ezekiel said.

He also implored “all school owners including public schools across Oyo State to engage the services of professionals

or coaches in training their students in sports.

“I also want to appeal to well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to join in developing sports from the grassroots through sponsorship of school sport competitions and provision of equipment that would encourage parents to release their wards to always participate actively in sports.”

Meanwhile, in her remarks, head

teacher of the school, Mrs Iyabo Ogunlowo reiterated that sporting activities are essential part of the school co-curricular activities, which ensure the physical and mental development of the body.

“This sporting event is a function of the education process put in place to service the pupils’ psychomotor; so as to ensure that they do not read and write alone but also exercise their body,” Ogunlowo noted.

‘Students need to combine sports with academics’

By Tunde Oguensan SPORTING activities in schools have been described as part of measures towards giving total education to students at all levels in addition to moral and academic education being taught by teachers in schools.

Baale of Anko, Major T. L. Olaoye (retd) made the submission while speaking at the 11th bi-annual inter-house athletics competition of Ifelodun Private School,

Eruwa.

He called on parents, philanthropists and government at all levels to support sports development in schools and the grassroots in general.

The Principal of the school, Mrs Funmilayo Aderoju noted that the competition became necessary in order to develop the students’ academic, moral and psychomotor.

Speaking at the event, the Green House owner, Mr Wole Olawore who was repre-

sented by his wife, Mrs Opeyemi Olawore, the Public Relations Officer, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, noted that sporting activities would assist in the discovery of young athletes who could make the nation proud and as well replace the ageing athletes.

He enjoined the students to be lovers of peace, obedient, focused, hardworking and to also justify their parents investment in them by being committed to their academics.

Oluyole Private School’s 11th inter-house sports

Members of Yellow House displaying the winner’s trophy they won during the march past event.

Proprietress of Oluyole Private School, Ibadan, Chief (Mrs) Modupe Adeleke (middle), presenting the overall winner’s trophy to the representatives of Red House.

Mr Ezekiel Alebiosu (left), presenting the march past’s winner’s trophy to the representatives of Yellow House.

Members of the victorious Red House celebrating their victory.

SIDELINES

NO 16,461

MONDAY, 21 MARCH, 2016

T

HE current times cannot but mean different names and attitudes to many of us. Some of us may say we are living in magnificently entertaining times.

Some others may say we are in an era of unquantifiable depravity. Yet others will say that our current times are those of uneasy compassion engendered by the barbarity of unappeasable demons in our political landscape.

But whatever thoughts we abandon ourselves to we must all the time strive to nurse in our hopes flashes of lightning beauty of elegant times we must house in our memories and imaginations. In my own case, these assume a lunch-flask of very rare tomato and sweet potato and spiced spinach which respectively religion, literature and politics were to me in my years of schooling, colleging and universitying.

Yes, in our classroom years, religion, literature and politics were subjects we enjoyed as delicate and rare dishes that enervated our moral sensibilities and values. Of course, politics was served us as part of social studies/civics in elementary school, as government in secondary school and as political science in the university. How we had palate for each of the delicacies served us by respective cooks and stewards we called teachers and lecturers who groomed us well, very well for the tomorrow of our respective occupations and lives. Despite our foibles, our generation never generally followed the broad path of crookedness. We never for once gave thought to the acts and subjects of killing, murdering, stealing, or swindling anyone in order to hit big game in the neighbourhood of thousands, millions and trillions of money. We didn’t know what we see or perceive everywhere about us today as ritual abuse and ritual murder. Today, we see little boys and girls and youths suffering from what the French call folie de grandeur, that is, delusions of grandeur that compel them to arm-rob and ritual-kill for ephemeral power, influence, positions and money, all of which are useless winds of transience.

And many of them passed through

N150

Bakare Kabiru, a man accused of setting his girlfriend on fire in a fit of rage, accidentally wounding his friend in the process, has told the police in Oyo State that he mistakenly stepped on the keg of petrol that reduced his lover to a most horrible sight before her gruesome death.

Anger is a most vicious fuel which burns faster than petrol. But those who are controlled by it become gentle when they face certain death.

in&out with Tony Afejuku

08055213059

Religion, literature and politics in the classroom today different schools, colleges and citadels of learning. What is going on?

Our newspapers diurnally are full of reports, comments and essays on sordid avarice and conspicuous cases of sordid salacity and ritualistic lechery. What is going on in Nigeria?

I think it is time, because our current times are more than ripe for it, for us to know what our kids and boys and girls and gentlemen and ladies are learning today in the classrooms where they take lessons in religion, literature and politics. If pastors and imams have failed in the churches and mosques to touch the hearts of especially their impressionable adherents, who are straying from the narrow path of heavenly blessedness because of the hypocrisy of their pastors and imams themselves, we cannot but be anxious to ask teachers in our schools to device every method of redeeming our kids and youths. What religious attitude and morality are being currently taught in the classroom of religion today? Do our teachers of religion as an edifying subject relate Christian and Islamic teachings to the happenings in the streets, markets, football-pitches, the creeks, rivers, deserts, savannahs and in our polity - as they should or ought to do?

And what literature books do our kids and youths read in the classroom? Do our teachers teach them the subject or

And what literature books do our kids and youths read in the classroom?

theme of the beautiful ones who must be born and re-born in the Nigeria of their dream? Do they teach them literature books that eschew dishonesty, gluttony, vile deeds in our religious practices, communal and family settings and democratic culture generally? Are our literature teachers becoming classroom bishops and imams as they should? Are they relating happenings in books they teach realistically to our merciless times of merciless demons in power at our local, state and national levels? These questions we must not dismiss as ones belonging to the realm of aesthetic rhetoric. Alas! We are undone if we do.

And the politics of literary interpretation and of religious digestion of a text literary or religious, how do our teachers respond to it? Do our teachers of religion, literature and politics – as government, history of our contemporary times or

as civics/social studies – give interlapping or over-lapping meanings and relationships to these delicacies in their classrooms wherein they give us delicacies of craftsmanship evidenced in the de luxe kids and youths our university professors of delirium tremens worry about?

(As I am writing this, in my Tuesday joyous contemplation, I am reading the horrifying story of “Horror in varsity” as “cultists [go] on rampage [in a] varsity” in the South East where cultists “Behead 4 students [and] vow to kill 21 more” (Daily Sun, Tuesday, March 15, 2016, page 5).

Alas! There is no time better than now for our research students, scholars and professors to find out through worthy researches the state of the teaching of Religion, Literature and Politics in our various schools and colleges today. Money, I mean real money, must be moved to this direction now. If our pastors, imams and political gladiators have failed to give our kids and youths moral light, our teachers must be the genies to rescue our sinking youths from the perfidious wretches. The time is ripe for the rescue. The politics of violence anywhere in the land must be beheaded now – for good. Our president must start something now in this direction. Let each genie work in earnest in the classroom.

AFCON qualifier: IGP Arase counsels Eagles against floppy defence •Assures of adequate security Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja

AS the clock ticks faster for the March 25 all-important 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs of Egypt in Kaduna, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, has urged the Nigerian senior team to make its defence impenetrable for the visitors.

The Eagles will be filing out at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna to trade tackles against the visiting Egyptians in a must-win encounter to bolster their hope of returning to the AFCON after missing out on the last edition in 2015.

The Nigerians will be heading for the re-

turn fixtures in Alexandria, Egypt in four days after and avoid defeat.

Speaking with sports journalists at the National Stadium, Abuja, last weekend, shortly after the opening ceremony of the 11th biennial Police Games, the Inspector-General of Police warned the Eagles against conceding any goals, which he said would be of advantage to the visitors.

In order to avoid this, Arase said the Eagles had to make sure that their defence was solid, adding that while ensuring this, the team had to equally score the vitals goals to give Nigeria the much-needed victory.

“We have to make sure that our defence is very solid; that we don’t concede any

goal because if we do, it is an advantage to the team that is visiting,” he admonished.

According to the police boss, “once we are able to ensure that our defence is good and we are able to score; we have the assets to do that, I think we are home and dry.”

He, however, assured football-loving Nigerians that adequate security measures had been put in place by the police to ensure a hitch-free match in Kaduna.

He informed that police authorities had held discussions with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick and Super Eagles interim head coach, Samson Siasia, declaring that a very robust security measure had been emplaced.

IGP Arase

EPL RESULTS

Newcastle 1 Southampton 3 Manchester City 0 Tottenham 3

Sunderland 1 Liverpool 2 ManUtd 1 Bournemouth 0

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. Telephone: 08165728976; 08073598322. 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. 21/03/2016.