NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,551
FRIDAY, 22 JULY, 2016
Buhari confirms ongoing talks with N/Delta militants —P4
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Appeal Court grants Lagos public school students right to wear hijab —P38
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Elujoba emerges OAU acting VC —P38
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Free falling naira is now N330/$1 —P12
Budget padding: Jibrin opens—P4 can of worms in House of Reps •Alleges Dogara, 3 principal officers allocated N40bn to themselves out of N100bn NASS budget •Wants Dogara, Lasun, Ogor, Doguwa to resign
•If he had all these ‘facts’ before, why didn’t he make them public? Why is he doing that now? —House leadership
Economy in recession —FG —Pp7,12
•FG announces release of N248bn capital vote •FAAC shares N559.032bn for June
From right, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and the Anambra State governor, Chief Willy Obiano, as Vice President presides over National Economic Council meeting, at the Council Chamber in State House, Abuja, on Thursday.
Saraki reshuffles committees, Marafa, Tinubu get new posts —P39
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•Alleges Dogara, 3 principal officers allocated N40bn to themselves out of N100bn NASS budget •If he had all these ‘facts’ before, why didn’t he make them public? Why is he doing that now? —House leadership Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel - Abuja
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HE last has not been heard of the Wednesday removal of Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin as the chairman, House Committee on Appropriation. The lawmaker has threatened to expose how the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Speaker, Honourable Yusuf Lasun; minority leader, Honourable Leo Ogor and the House whip, Honourable Ado Doguwa, tried to influence him when he held sway as the appropriation chairman. He also called on the four principal officers of the House to resign from their exalted offices. In a statement he issued in Abuja, he said: “I strongly believe with every conviction that in cleaning up the budget system and considering what transpired during 2016 budget, which I have all the facts documented, Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa and Ogor should resign.” According to him, “these members of the body of principal officers were not comfortable with my independent disposition and my refusal to cover up their unilateral decision to allocate to themselves N40 billion out of the N100 billion allocated to the entire National Assembly. “The four of them met and took that decision, in addition to billions of wasteful projects running to over N20 billion they allocated to their constituencies. They must come out clean. My inability to admit into the budget, almost N30 billion personal requests from Mr Speaker and the three other principal officers, also became an issue. I wish I could but where will I get such money in a tight budget year like this? “I have every documented evidence to this effect. After the submission of the first version of the budget which was returned by Mr President, I briefed members in executive session and I told them as agreed at our prebudget meeting with chairmen and deputy chairmen of standing committees, we simply adopted their reports with little amendments. “Nobody faulted my submission. Members insisted they must know how the N100 billion was allocated. I told them the truth. Since after that meeting, Mr Speaker with the support of the three other principal
officers effectively blocked me from briefing members, ensured I was not at the last executive session and refused to investigate issues I raised that I believe must be addressed if we intend to build a better budget system for the House. “I gave Mr Speaker statistics of 2,000 new projects introduced into the budget by less than 10 committee chairmen without the
knowledge of their committee members, he did nothing about it because he was part of the mess, yet he is talking about improving the budget system. “I did nothing wrong. I worked within the rules of the House and instructions of Mr Speaker. During the budget period, Mr President graciously granted myself and Senator (Danjuma) Goje audience. It was a very
good meeting. “Speaker Dogara took it extremely personal that we saw the president without his knowledge and went on to scuttle all our efforts to help the president during the budget process because he wants to be seen by the president as the only good man.” “I am glad that I am finally free from his emotional blackmail of constantly try-
ing to make me see my appointment as appropriation chairman as a favour.” He promised to release more detailed statement in due course, adding that he intended to explore all avenues of the House to brief his colleagues and testify against Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa and Ogor on why they should resign. “If I am not allowed to exercise my privilege, I shall
The bus which lost control and caught fire with 11 passengers burnt, at Otedola Bridge, Berger, Lagos on Thursday. PHOTO: LASEMA
11 burnt to death in Otedola bridge accident Isolo General Hospital razed Gbemi Solaja - Lagos NO fewer than 11 people, three female and eight male have lost their lives after a 14 passenger volkwagon commercial bus lost its brake, summersaulted and caught fire, on Thursday evening. Three men were however rescued alive and taken to accident and emergency unit at toll gate area of the state The bus was moving toward Berger by Otedola
Bridge, when the incident occurred. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) response team, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Fire Service and the Nigerian Police were involved in the rescue. Meanwhile, a fire outbreak in Isolo General Hospital, Isolo in the early hours of Thursday has destroyed numerous valuables, properties including wards and offices.
The inferno in which there was no injury or loss of life was said to have been as a result of electrical power surge within the store department. According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the prompt response of the Lagos Fire Services and other emergency responders assisted to salvage the further spread of the inferno to other adjoining offices, wards and other facilities
within the hospital complex. The agency added that a distress call received via the CRM prompted the agency to activate her Emergency Response Team (ERT) and other stakeholders which include the Lagos State Fire Service and the Nigerian Police Force to the scene. The General Manager LASEMA, Mr Michael Akindele said proper investigation would be conducted on the matter to prevent future occurrence.
Buhari confirms ongoing talks with Niger Delta militants Leon Usigbe - Abuja PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed that his administration is in talks with Niger Delta militants through oil companies and law enforcement agencies, towards finding a lasting solution to insecurity in the region. He gave the confirmation, on Thursday, while speaking at a farewell audience with Mr Michael Zinner, the outgoing Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, at the State House, Abuja. He said government was
studying the instruments of the amnesty programme inherited from the previous administration, with a view to carrying out commitments that were undelivered. “We understand their feelings,” he said, adding that “we are studying the instruments. We have to secure the environment, otherwise investment will not come. We will do our best for the country.” President Buhari thanked the government of Germany for its continuing sup-
port to Nigeria in the efforts to tackle insecurity and the ongoing rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced citizens in crisis areas in the north-eastern parts of the country. Similarly, he thanked Nigeria’s neighbours for their firm and unflinching support in the war against terror. The outgoing German Ambassador noted that bilateral relations between Nigeria and Germany “had improved very much in the last 12 months of the ad-
ministration.” He expressed the readiness of Germany to assist Nigeria in the rehabilitation process in the NorthEast and to help displaced persons return to their villages. He also expressed the eagerness of German businesses to invest in the country, now that “conditions for investment have been put in place.” He reiterated the standing invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel to President Buhari to visit Germany.
consider legal options. I can no longer bear the brunt of abuses and baseless allegations keeping quiet all in the name of ‘confidentiality’ expected of an appropriation chairman,” he added. Reacting to the allegations, chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Honourable Abdulrazak Namdas, said the allegation was baseless, adding that Honourable Jibrin was validly relieved of his duty as appropriation chairman. “Our attention has been drawn to media statements made by the former chairman of House appropriation committee, Hon Abdulmumuni Jibrin, wherein he made wild allegations against the House of Representatives and its leaders. “We wish to say that it is the prerogative of the selection committee of the House to appoint and remove committee chairmen. That power has been so exercised in the case of Honourable Jibrin as chairman of appropriation committee. “Most of the allegations on the 2016 budget process and his opposition to immunity of presiding officers are non-issues and mere afterthought manufactured simply because the House relieved him of his position. “If he had all these ‘facts’ before, why didn’t he make them public? Why is he doing that now? “Honourable Jibrin, like any other member of the House, knows that there are conventions and precedents as it relates to budgets and projects for principal officers of the National Assembly. “Why is he making it an issue now? In any case, he is entitled to his opinion as a Nigerian and as a legislator while acting within the laws of Nigeria and rules of the House. “We must make it abundantly clear that he was not removed because of his support or otherwise on immunity bill. Afterall, he is not the only one who opposed the bill. “It is a cheap blackmail on the part of Honourable Jibrin to even insinuate that he was removed because he opposed immunity bill. “He should not distract the House from giving legislative support on important issues facing the government concerning the revival of the economy, insecurity in the country, pursuit of anti-corruption measures, poverty alleviation, infrastructural development etc,” the statement read.
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Nigerian varsities require additional 100,000 lecturers —ASUU
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HE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says no fewer than 100,000 lecturers were needed to beef up academic activities in the nation’s public universities. Union’s president, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, in Lagos. Ogunyemi made the revelation against the backdrop of worries being expressed by education stakeholders on the dearth of academic staff in the country’s tertiary institutions. According to him, going by the report of the 2012 NEEDS assessment survey sponsored by the Federal Government, there were 37,504 academics in the public university system. He said 70,000 lecturers were needed at that time to serve the universities. “From available records, the system had 37,504 academics during the 2012 NEEDS assessment of universities sponsored by the Federal Government. “This is grossly inadequate as the system is in need of 100,000 personnel for academic workforce. “Out of the 37,504 lecturers in the system as at 2012, only 40 per cent of them had Ph.Ds. “Today, we have more universities and this means that to actualise the mandate given to them (universities) and remain relevant, the system will need not less
than 100,000 lecturers,’’ he said. According to him, the development was worrisome and called for concern as it was a major threat to government’s quest for national transformation and development. “This is one thing we, as members of ASUU, have been engaging successive governments about. “Today, we have less than 40,000 lecturers in the entire university system, which is grossly inadequate. “There has not been provision for enough manpower over the years in tertiary institutions,’’ he said. The unionist recalled that
at a time, even the National Universities Commission (NUC) also came up with an estimate of 60,000 lecturers needed for the university sector alone. He said that as that period, the country had less than 20,000 lecturers in the system. “This is made worse today with the proliferation of private universities in the country. “The demand is more than what the requirement was, four years back,’’ Ogunyemi said. He stressed that the union was not against the establishment of more universities, but in doing so, “there
is need to ensure that proper feasibility studies were carried out and requirements met before establishing them.” Ogunyemi recalled that when the union started en-
gaging the Federal Government on some of the challenges noticed in the system in 1992, one of the main issues was on how to tackle brain drain. According to him, brain
We’ll follow procedure, agreement in future arms deal —Nigeria, South Africa Chris Agbambu - Abuja THE Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni and his counterpart from South Africa, Dr Sam Gulube, on Thursday, revealed that acquisition of military platforms and equipment
for the Nigerian Armed Forces from South Africa would, forthwith be governed by government-government agreement and procedure. According to them, the relevant agencies in both countries would work on finetuning the procedures, with a
Wife of the president, Mrs Aisha Buhari, presenting a gift during the launch of ‘Get Involved’ quick interventionist programme, at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.
Aisha Buhari launches project to combat children malnutrition WORRIED by the heavy morbidity rate of malnourished Nigerian children, wife of the president, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, has launched a Quick Interventionist Programme named “GET INVOLVED” to prevent annual death of thousands of malnourished children in the country. The “GET INVOLVED” programme, which was launched at the State House on Thursday, by Mrs Buhari, is a major component of her “Future Assured” pet project, which encompasses health care delivery, education and other facets of lives of Nigerian Woman and Children. Announcing the take-off of the “GET INVOLVED” project, Mrs Buhari called for the active participation and support of a broad spectrum of Nigerians and organisations, especially Organised Private Sector, Development Partners, Relevant United Nation Agencies and Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGOs). She explained that with the participation of these bodies, this new initiative would also help to combat the alarming endemic problem of malnutrition of children at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the
country. Accordingly to her, with the collective efforts of wellmeaning Nigerians, no child in this country should lack a good nutritional diet. Relying on the UNICEF Scary Statistics of 2.5 million malnourished Nigeria
drain was still a major concern. Ogunyemi noted that most scholars had been frustrated out of the system due to poor operational environment.
children and annual death of 500,00 of such children, the wife of the president said this situation was highly unacceptable and must be reversed with collaboration of Nigerians and organisation, through her “GET INVOLVED PROJ-
ECT.” She, therefore, appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians, Organised Private Sector and NGOs to rise up to the challenge and support the programme, in order to eradicate completely this ugly trend.
view to making hardware acquisition faster and hitch-free. While addressing newsmen after the end of a twoday meeting of the Nigeria-South Africa Defence Committee (DEFCOM), held in Abuja, between July 20 and 21, Ambassador Sheni said the discussions were based on considerations that were beneficial to both South Africa and Nigeria. According to him, “we have agreed on certain agenda items including but not limited to issues of military training, platform acquisitions; vehicles mainly for our military establishment.” We have emphasised in our discussions that given our level of security threats the acquisition of military hardware and platforms would be fast tracked with our South African brothers.” He explained that other areas of the planned new military pact with the South Africa included training and technology transfer in the areas of space technology and military medicine. He said: “In that context, we have also agreed that a technical team consisting of our experts from the various services will within a very short time go to South Africa to ascertain our requirements and needs. Also speaking, Dr Gulube assured Nigerians that his country would work with the Federal Government’s new military procurement policy, adding that the would also respect Nigeria’s new regulatory environment in the procurement of military acquisitions and capabilities.
Sacked Army General asks court to order his reinstatement Sunday Ejike - Abuja MAJOR-General Ijioma Nwokoro, who claimed he was unlawfully retired from the Nigerian Army, on Thursday, asked the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja to reinstate him as a serving Major-General in the Nigerian Army, pending the determination of a suit challenging his compulsory retirement on June 9, 2.016. Counsel for the claimant, Benson Igbanoi, who held the brief for Chief Mike Ozekhome, on Thurday, told the court to restore his client to his position as at June 9,
in the interim. Arguing a motion ex parte for an interim injunction following the absence of defendants: Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and the Minister of Defence, who appeared to have ignored the court summons, the counsel urged the court to order parties to “maintain status quo ante bellum.” According to the counsel, the order was necessary to stop the Nigerian Army requirement that the claimant must complete all necessary forms for his retirement entitlements within 90 days or forfeit same.
Stating that the time has started to run since June 9 vide the compulsory letter of retirement, the counsel prayed the court to put it on hold until the suit was determined. Igbanoi said the defendants in the said letter of compulsory retirement had listed “serious offence, corruption, electoral malpractices as their reasons,” for retiring Major-General Nwokoro, but they did not give him any hearing at all, not to talk about fair hearing. He was just informed by his junior through a text message.”
The trial judge, Justice E.O. Esowe, reserved ruling till July 26, after she observed that hearing notice on the motion was issued by the court on July 18. “Today, the defendants are not represented and there are evidence in court that they have been served,” she stated and ordered that a fresh hearing notice be served on them to appear on July 26. In the substantive suit, Major-General Ijioma Nwokoro is challenging his compulsory retirement from service without an offence committed by him.
He has also asked the court to award him N1billion general damages for an unlawful and illegal retirement as he has not committed any offence. General Nwokoro, one of the 38 senior army officers compulsorily retired last month, claimed the action taken by the Nigerian Army had caused him and his family embarrassment and ridicule, as the reasons for the retirement had linked him to offence he did not commit neither was he interrogated by the probe committee on arms purchase.
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Economy in recession —FG
•I am not worried by IMF projection —Finance Minister •FG announces release of N248bn capital vote Taiwo Adisa, Ayodele Adesanmi and Leon Usigbe -Abuja
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HE Federal Government has confirmed that the nation’s economy is now in recession, following two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, made the assertion while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in Abuja, on Thursday. The minister was joined at the briefing by Governors Darius Ishaku and Abubakar Bello of Taraba and Niger states respectively. Also on Thursday, Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Nelson, who appeared at the Senate plenary, said the nation’s economy had technically entered into recession, going by the two digit inflation rate it recorded in June. The miniser, who briefed lawmakers on the strategies and policies being adopted by the Federal Government to address the economic problems, however said the recession being experienced was not full blown, adding that she was not bothered by the report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). When asked to confirm reports on the negative status of the economy, Udoma after the NEC meeting, said since there had been two quarters of negative growth, the economy could be said to be technically in recession. He noted that the result of the performance of the economy for the second quarter was being expected, adding, however, that the expectation was that it would still be negative. He, therefore, said government was addressing the poor economic situation of the country, which he blamed on low oil production occasioned by the activities of militants in the Niger Delta. He said such activities had also had a devastating impact on power supply in the country. The minister, however, assured that things were looking up, as there were reasons to believe that the economy would be marginally better at the end of the year before assuming much better growth next year. Udoma noted that the current challenges presented a good opportunity for the nation to move away from a single product economy,
noting that government was now focusing on the area of non-oil. According to him, the responsibility to shift the country away from a single economy was that of the private sector with the Federal Government providing an enabling environment. He said revenue accruing to government had improved, especially from the activities of tax collection by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). “Recession is basically when you have two quarters of negative growth. We had a first quarter of negative growth and we are still waiting to get all the figures for the second quarter which has just ended in June. “The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) will be giving us all the figures, but if as we suspect, the second quarter is also negative, then, of course, technically, you could say that we are in recession if those figures turned out to be so. “But even if we are not, the
situation in the economy right now is one that, of course, we are addressing. “Some of it were expected, some of it were not. We did expect the low oil price but we did not to expect the level of disruption that we got in the Niger Delta, such that oil production went down and we are not likely to achieve the 2.2 million barrel per day because it went down to 1.2 million barrel per day, a little over about 1.3 million barrel per day. “So, you can imagine the impact. Measures are being taken to address those issues. We expect that by the third quarter, we will start to pick up and we expect to finish the year in positive territory. That is what we are expecting.,” he said. On increase in tax collection, he disclosed that more money would be shared among the tiers of government in the next meeting of the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). While noting that the Fed-
eral Government had continued to pay salaries, he said “let me also say that we are about to have FAAC this month, there is actually an increase in the amount that is going to be available in FAAC. There is an increase because of FIRS, our tax collection is going up. “Our tax collection is already improving. There is no doubt that we are actually going through a difficult time, but things are improving.” The minister disclosed that he presented the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2017-2019 to the council, which provides the broad framework for annual budget planning and fiscal management over a three-year period. He said NEC also received an update on the budget support facility offered by the Federal Government with 35 states applying for the facility. Out of this, 28 states met the requirements while seven states sent their required
documentations late and were being processed. Minister of Finance reported to the council that the balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) as of July 20, 2016 stood at $3.93 billion. The council was informed by the Central Bank Governor that all bank customers that operated domiciliary accounts were now permitted to lodge dollar cash into their non-export domiciliary accounts, subject to the provisions of the Money Laundering Act. NEC also received a proposal for a self-funded JVC Cash calls as against the present situation where upstream JVC arrangement in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry were incorporated JV with NNPC and the IOC partners. At the Senate hearing on Thursday, Adeosun, who briefed the lawmakers, said “technically, our economy, for now, is in recession because if you go into two quoters of negative growth,
Alleged sexual misconduct against 3 Reps members weak, lack evidence —Minister •Accused lawmakers threaten legal action •Drama as co-chairmen of panel disagree Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja MINISTER of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Thursday, said the allegation of sexual misconduct brought against three members of the House of Representatives by the immediate past United States (US) Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, was weak, defamatory and lacked merit in nature and could be pursued at the law court if the accused lawmakers so desired. The minister, speaking before the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges, headed by Honourable Nicholas Osai and the Committee on Foreign Affairs Relations, headed by Honourable Nnenna Elendu Ukejeh, stated that there was no single evidence against the accused lawmakers. He pointed out from his interaction with the former ambassador, the letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, was purely private and diplomatic, which was just to inform him about the allegations and the need to guide against future occurrence that could tarnish their images and that of Nigeria. The minister condemned what he termed the “undiplomatic” channel of communication used by the former ambassador for the invita-
tion of the lawmakers to the International Leadership Exchange Programme, as well his letter to the Speaker conveying the said allegations to the panel, adding that neither himself nor his ministry was aware of the trip, despite the fact it was a government-government programme. Onyeama said in a meeting he held with the ambassador in his office, he clearly expressed his dissatisfaction, because of his failure to communicate the participation of Nigerian lawmakers in a “supposed government-to-government” leadership exchange programme facilitated by the US government and coordinated by the ministry. According to him, “I called the ambassador to my office and told him that I was surprised he could not brief the Foreign Ministry on this matter before it came to the public. He apologised and said he wrote the letter as a private diplomatic discussion between himself and the Speaker and that it was not meant to be a public show.” He further said “when I asked him as to what evidence he has to warrant the allegations because if they are found to be defamatory, legal actions could be taken, he said he wrote the letter without making any judgment.” According to him, “I asked
further that on what basis were the allegations made, he said the US government did not make any judgment because the lady who complained of being sexually harassed said she wasn’t going to testify anywhere - which made it difficult for the Home Office to go further with the investigation. “I also asked him how they identified the accused lawmakers as the culprits, he told me they got their identities from a group photograph. This clearly presents a possibility of proceeding for defamation because I thought that there would have been a stronger evidence of wrongdoing before this kind of judgment is reached.” When asked if the said programme was brought to his attention, being a “government-to-government arrangement as claimed, the minister said “no,” stressing that ‘‘the known diplomatic procedure would have been to channel whatever communication through him.” On whether there were sanctions for this kind of behaviour, the minister again said “no,” explaining that “the ministry will just make sure this kind of thing does not happen again to any Nigerian.” The minister, while explaining the justiceability of the allegation, following the lack of critical evidence aside the mere verbal allega-
tions, said “the US ambassador did not present any corroborative evidence, neither did he say there was any.” The ambassador, according to the minister, only said his letter was just to bring to the notice of the Speaker that some allegations were levelled against the lawmakers and that he confirmed they were made, though, there were no evidence to substantiate them. The minister stressed that “the leakage of the letter brings to question the integrity of the communication channel used between the ambassador and the Speaker,” adding that “his ministry does not know the internal processes and working of the US government which may have informed the ambassador to do what he did. “The ambassador is an envoy here, the US government may have instructed him to do the things he did, the US Embassy has total discretion over their visas, they don’t have to give reasons for denying visa to anybody or withdrawal of same.” He, however, observed that the acrimonious manner in which the meeting between the lawmakers and the embassy officials held might have given rise to the extreme measures taken by the embassy, as the three lawmakers were said to have Continues pg39
your economy can be said to be in recession. Thus, technically, we are in recession, but I don’t think we should dwell on the definition. I think we should really dwell on where we are going.” On the report of the IMF, which indicated that the economy would shrink by more than one per cent, the minister said that the government was not bothered, adding that the projection was not accurate. “I am not too worried about the IMF projection, because the projections have not always been accurate. They equally issued a negative report on Britain as a result of Brexit. I don’t think we should panic every time IMF speaks. I think we need to be confident around what we are doing and where we are going. I remained extremely confident as I said around Nigeria,” she said. Adeosun further explained that the government was making efforts to turn things around fast, by implementing the 2016 budget in a strategic manner. According to her, the government had, so far, released a total of N247.9 billion as capital components of the 2016 budget, adding that out of the amount so far released, N74 billion went to the Ministry of Works for infrastructural development; while the sums of N21.6 billion and N22 billion were released and cash backed for execution of capital projects in the agriculture and transport sectors. She also said another N60 billion of capital projects would be released for projects execution in a few weeks. “I think at a time like this, blaming who was responsible doesn’t actually take us anywhere, but I will tell you what I inherited. I inherited very little by way of reserves, I inherited significant debt, contractor debt. Cash calls of $5 billion outstanding to the oil companies. “Many of the contractors, even though we have paid them N107 billion, find it very difficult to work because they are owed and some of them have not being paid since 2012. Their claims are over N390 billion. “So, I didn’t inherit reserves that are positive, I inherited reserves that tend to be more negative than positive and we are doing absolutely our best to get through this difficult period,” Adeosun added. She called on Nigerians to, henceforth, patronise made-in-Nigeria goods to enhance local production and strengthen the Naira.
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Imagine the power was in your hands
29.07.2016 #IMAGINE
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We have degraded Boko Haram, victims are returning home —Dambazau
As Police, DSS plan improved collaboration against insecurity
Chris Agbambu - Abuja with Agency Reports HE Federal Government has stated that Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East have been degraded and routed out from their major enclaves while victims of the crisis are returning home. The Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Dambazau, said this at the regional seminar on Media engagement in crisis management, organised by the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. “The war in the North-East with Boko Haram has been fought and won. The Boko Haram elements have been routed, degraded and are being decimated,” he said . “The task before us is winning the peace, as the victims are gradually returning to their homes and the government is rebuilding, reconciling and rehabilitating the victims. And this is where crisis communication and management becomes indispensable in building confidence and consensus among the people” The minister, who was
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represented by the director, Press and Public Relations, Willy Basey, also called on the media to support the peace-building and political stability through fair and objective reportage. “The government and the media are partners in progress. Activities and programme sof government, if not properly disseminated by the media, could create a gulf between the people and the government, therefore, engendering crisis. Also, the Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of 42 Boko Haram insurgents during a clearance operation at Garere Village, in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman. Colonel Usman also said that 80 hostages comprising 38 women and 42 children were rescued during the operation late Tuesday evening. He said the operation followed an intelligence report on the convergence and massing up of the insurgents in the area. He said the intelligence re-
port indicated that the insurgents were planning attacks on communities in the area. “The operation tagged “Operation Tiger claw”, followed a confirmed intelligence report on the convergence and massing up of dislodged Boko Haram terrorists at Garere Village, in Kukawa. Meanwhile, Police personnel and their Directorate of State Services (DSS) counterpart have commenced moves aimed at improving the collaboration in the fight against insecurity in the country. The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who said this when he visited the headquarters of the agency, said the force needed to seek the cooperation, as it was only through synergy with relevant security agencies that the country could overcome the current security challenges. Responding, the Director General, DSS, Mr Lawal Musa Daura, commended the IGP for the visit, assuring him that the Department of State Security Services will give maximum support to the drive of the IGP in ensuring that the country overcomes its security challenges.
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businessnews FAAC distributes N559bn for June 12
Friday, 22 July, 2016
As FG releases N248bn for capital budget Sanya Adejokun- Abuja
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or the first time in over a year, theFederation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) on Thursday distributed N559.032 billion for the month of June 2016. Finance minister, Kemi Adeosun who stated this shortly after the FAAC monthly meeting in Abuja also said that so far, the Federal Government has released N247 billion for the first quarter capital allocations out of a total N350 billion. According to the Minister, the N559.032 billion was N129.198 billion more than was was shared for May. The improvement came from an additional 1.9 million barrels of crude produced N165 billion from Federal Inland Revenue Service (IRS), N12.6 billion
from Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and N79.272 billion exchange rate gain. Also, Adeosun disclosed
that a total $3.094 billion is presently kept in the excess crude account. On capital budgetary re-
leases, she explained that Ministry of Works got N74.9 billion, Ministry of Transportation got N22.1
billion, while Ministry of Agriculture got N21.9 billion allocation among others.
From left: Mr Christopher Ifejika, Installation Director, Africa, General Electric; Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Jega, Director of Business Development, Africa, VoguePay and Kemi Oreola, Chief Executive Officer,Vivacity PR international, during the presentation of the African online payment award toVoguepay at the African Achievers Awards in Abuja, last week.
Nigerian naira weakens to 330.50 in off-market trades Nigeria’s naira fell to an all-time low on Thursday, crossing 300 to the dollar for the first time on the interbank market after the
Central Bank last month lifted its peg on the currency to allow it to trade freely. The naira fell 5.4 per cent against the greenback to
309 at 1224 GMT on dollar supply shortages. It later recovered to close at 292.40 on the interbank market on thin trades. The interbank
Made in Nigeria must be promoted, prioritised across all sectors —Adeosun Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun on Thursday said the Federal Government has disbursed a sum of N247.98 billon as capital release so far this year. The minister, who made the disclosure in her presentation to the Senate, explained that the disbursements were being made in line with strategic priorities to address infrastructure deficit and drive domestic growth. The latest figure of N247.98 billion, she noted, compares to a sum of N387 billion capital spent for full year 2015. She stated that N21.6 billion released for agriculture in 2016 is 4.9x of N4.5 billion spent in 2015; N118.0 billion released so far to the power, works and housing in 2016 is 4.0x amount spent for full year 2015 which was N29.3 billion; N24.0 billion was disbursed to Transport Ministry so far and that this is 3.6x of N6.5 billion spent for full year 2015. She added that N9.5 billion released in 2016 to Interior Ministry is 6.2x amount spent for full year 2015, which was N1.5 billion; N32.7 billion for Defence Ministry has been disbursed in 2016 and this is 1.3x of N26.1 billion total released for 2015. Adeosun, who noted that debt owed to contractors has slowed the pace of implementation, however
explained that contractors and cash call arrears totalling N5 billion Joint venture funding arrears are being addressed. The minister stated that in order to achieve the objectives of capital spending, the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment is also working on government’s soft infrastructure (N465.12 million in capital spend released to date). She listed one of the objectives to include improvement in Ease of Doing Business ranking to 100th position from current position of 169th. The minister said the current stability in oil price has raised hope for Nigeria, noting that oil prices are up 75 per cent per barrel since hitting a 12-year low of around $27barrel. Adeosun, who stated that oil production volumes are expected to rebound in the near term, explained that ongoing fiscal reforms are bearing fruit. She disclosed that for instance, the Federal Government is making a N8 billion savings on payroll to date, while a N14 billion in estimated savings on overhead is expected by year end. “While production volumes have increased, the damage to oil facilities are concentrated on onshore oil fields from which we get our
greatest volumes and revenues. The gap in production volume is being plugged by production in off-shore fields (Production Sharing Contracts) from which we incur higher costs. This therefore, minimises the effect of increasing production in revenue terms,” the minister stated. She stressed that Investment in critical infrastructure is key to unlocking economic growth, while Cost reductions being achieved through fiscal reforms create head room for capital investment. The Federal Government, she said is effectively managing debt overhang; forming strategic alliances with private sector to implement key projects with limited budgetary provision; restructuring of outstanding PPPs to address legacy issues and initiate New PPPs to ensure efficient delivery of infrastructure and value for money efficiency gains. The minister explained that current FAAC disbursements are low due to the three-month lag in sharing of oil revenues. “Crude oil proceeds in April are being shared in June and therefore, do not reflect recent increases in production volumes,” she stated. “Our revenues are looking well; FIRS and Customs are doing well in terms of this” Mrs Adeosun also stated.
market traded a total of $7.27 million. Traders were expecting the Central Bank to intervene to ease dollar shortages, which did not materialise. The bank has not intervened for most of this week, they said. Instead it was mopping up naira liquidity to support the currency. After market closed at 1300 GMT, a total of $7.10 million trades were done as low as 330.50 naira to the dollar. “Now that the market has adjusted upwards it seems people are comfortable and that’s why we are seeing some trades,” one trader said. Banks had been quoting
the dollar at 281 to 285 naira after the Central Bank lifted its 16-monthold peg of 197 naira to the dollar last month. But the lack of liquidity at those levels has curbed activity, leaving the Central Bank as the main supplier of dollars, traders say. On the interbank money market, overnight rates has been stuck at a high of 40 percent for much of this week, traders said, as the central bank mops up naira liquidity through treasury bill issues to attract offshore investors into bonds. The naira traded weaker on the black market to 375 against the dollar on Thursday.
Nigerian Tribune
CBN affirms confidence in Skye Bank, institutes guarantee line The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has affirmed its confidence in Skye Bank Plc., through a guarantee line which ensures that withdrawals it suffered in the wake of the undue panic of last week does not adversely affect its operations. This development analysts believe lends credence to the regulator’s earlier assertion that Skye Bank is a Strategically Important Bank (SIB), with substantial market share, interconnectedness and significant relevance to the nation’s financial systems stability. A leading international news organisation, Bloomberg, reports that the apex bank confirmed this development through a statement by the CBN spokesman, Isaac Okoroafor who stated that the undisclosed guarantee sum would assist the bank to shore up its liquidity and maintain its level of operations. “The short-term lending facility will allow the management of the bank to ensure that some withdrawals it suffered in the wake of the undue panic of last week do not adversely affect its operations,” Okoroafor said. In addition, “the CBN issued guarantees to depositors and creditors of Skye Bank as a demonstration of the bank’s health,” Okoroafor further explained. The guarantee line is coming on the heels of CBN’s recent intervention in the bank following the voluntary resignation of the Board of Directors of the bank and the consequent re-constitution of the board with a new management team.
Refiners shun Nigerian crude over militancy Olatunde Dodondawa With Agency Reports Refiners abroad may have shunned Nigeria’s sweet crudes due to militancy and incessant attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta region. Nigerian militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, have said last Friday that it would not permit foreign oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region to carry out repairs on bombed oil pipelines, threatening more devastating attacks on any repaired facility. “There is no guarantee the Nigerian crudes will load and set sail safely. It’s very risky,” said a Singapore-based sweet crude trader. Moreover, a number of Indian state-owned refiners, reportedly, have been actively picking up Malaysian oil cargoes for loading in July and August amid growing
uncertainty over the exports of Nigeria’s crude grades, according to regional sweet crude traders. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited on Monday issued a spot tender to purchase several Malaysian light sweet crude grades, raising expectations that more Indian endusers could switch their focus to Southeast Asian supplies, Platts reported. BPCL was said to be seeking up to one million barrels of various Southeast Asian light sweet crudes, including Malaysia’s Miri Light, Labuan, Tapis, Kikeh, Kimanis and Bintulu as well as Brunei’s Seria Light and Champion crudes for loading over September 11-20, according to an official tender notice seen by S&P Global Platts. According to the latest shipping fixtures seen by Platts, India Oil Corporation fixed Olympic Sky and Seafalcon
to move a total of about 1.2 million barrels of Malaysian Labuan crude for loading in July, while BPCL fixed Nordic Jupiter, Mare Siculum, Shah Deniz and Pavino Spirit to move around one million barrels each of light sweet Kikeh and Kimanis crudes for loading in July. The tender closes today, July 22, with validity until July 26. The latest spot tender raised a few eyebrows in the Asia-Pacific sweet crude market, as the Indian state-owned company does not regularly seek Malaysian and Bruneian crude grades in the spot market. However, BPCL’s latest move was seen as necessary, as the procurement of any Nigerian crude grades would be a big risk amid ongoing production hiccups caused by militant attacks in the Niger Delta, a company source said Tuesday.
13
editorial
W
Friday, 22 July, 2016
Nigerian Tribune
That bloodshed in Plateau
HILE the country is yet to unravel the mystery behind the gruesome murder of Eunice Olawale, a female pastor in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), some gruesome killings were reported in Plateau State on Monday. A 76-year-old first-class traditional ruler who had been on the throne since 1974, Saf Ron-Kulere, his police orderly, Inspector Sunday Wuyah, together with his wife and son, were waylaid by suspected Fulani herdsmen and mowed down while returning from the farm. The dastardly killing of the late monarch and chairman of the Bokkos Traditional Council, was reportedly carried out in Sha village in Bokkos Local Government Area. The killing sparked off a protest by youths in the area, who burnt down Fulani settlements. Even though the leadership of Fulani herdsmen in the country absolved its members of blame in the brutal killings, natives of Bokkos insisted that they were indeed culpable, and that the killings were a fallout of the protracted battle over grazing reserves in the area. According to Solomon Maren, the member representing the Bokkos/Mangu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, such conscienceless killings had persisted in the area since January this year. Maren noted that the village head of Makayi and the district head of Manguna were killed in similar circumstances, apparently without justice being done. Senator Joshua Dariye, a former governor of the state and native of Bokkos who represents the Plateau Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, also expressed indignation. Ironically, Saf, who was said to be the symbol of harmonious co-existence among the natives and other ethnic groups in the area, was murdered in cold blood, along with his family members. Naturally, eminent and well-meaning Nigerians including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’aad Abubakar III, have roundly condemned the latest development. The Sultan described the incident as barbaric, calling for concerted efforts to fish out the perpetrators. However, the protracted killings in Plateau State require deeper
reflection and a coordinated programme of action. If anything, it can be said with certainty that the prevailing peace in the area is that of the graveyard. The authorities have shirked their responsibility to resolve the riddle surrounding previous killings in similar circumstances. They pretend that all is well when, in reality, there is much to be afraid of in the belly of time. Justice and peace are intertwined in the affairs of people and nations. Neither can you guarantee peace where nepotism and mutual suspicion reign supreme. Therefore, reassuring as the statement of the state government that it would collaborate with all peaceloving citizens of the state to ensure peace is, it must go beyond paying lip service to security of lives and property, especially the imposition of a curfew. The fundamental issues fuelling this savagery over time have not been addressed. Why have the authorities failed to arrest and bring to justice, those suspected to have been responsible for similar killings in the past? Government must act fast and rekindle public confidence. Otherwise, it might be inadvertently widening the propensity for the aggrieved to resort to self-help, with grave consequences. Plateau, like Kano and Kaduna states, remains one of the hotbeds of ethno-religious conflicts in the country. Certainly, with thousands lost to sectarian violence since 1999, it will be a disservice to the nation if the blood-letting is not stopped. The latest dastardly act is sufficient to elicit serious apprehension and tension in a state that was once famed as a tourist destination in Nigeria. The Plateau killings are not only callous and ungodly, they are indicative of the maniacal disposition of certain individuals who are bent on setting the whole country permanently on the edge, securitywise. The gun-wielding herdsmen have continued to hold the country by the jugular, especially in Benue, Nasarawa, Enugu and, lately, Ebonyi State. Having been committing murder with reckless abandon, they should be made to pay the supreme price based on the law of the land. The blood of the innocent requires no less.
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14 LETTERS TO THE
Friday, 22 July, 2016
editor
Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo. com or by sms to 08054005323. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.
How to resolve the OAU crisis
I
am deeply convinced that it is indefensibly wrong to dissolve the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Governing Council because of two uncoordinated unions (NASU and SSANU), which do not even have a say in the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor (VC). Till the time of the writing of this piece, there has not been any evidence produced by the two unions or any other group to support the claim that the Governing Council tinkered with the procedure on the appointment of Professor Ayobami Salami as the VC of the university. May we report to the President and the conscientious members of the public that the discovery by members of the university is that the law governing the appointment of VC was not ignored by the Governing Council in the process that produced the current VC.
It is impossible to embark on that evil considering the fact that varied layers are involved in the process. Rather than dissolve the body, it is this process that the Visitor should have investigated. And the unions which claim a court issued a restraining order against the Governing Council have not shown anybody a copy of the judgement. The copies bona fide members of that university have is one of notice, which the university Registrar reported the school acknowledged. But to these unions and their nondescript supporters, there is no difference between notice of a court case and direct restraining order. Moreover, it has since been discovered that the actions of NASU and SSANU are in two parts; one, the unions are afraid that Prof. Salami will act like his predecessor by not paying
their allowances. Smart, albeit only by half, the unions refrain from saying this so as not to be viewed as being lawless and impatient with the new VC. Again, SSANU and NASU, as it was discovered, have two failed candidates for the position of VC and as such, felt they had failed when none of the two was appointed. However, to resolve the stalemate in OAU, it will be wrong for the Visitor to commit another illegal act by appointing an Acting VC when there is a substantive one in office. Since only a court can nullify the appointment of Professor Salami, the Visitor should put an end to the embarrassing deadlock by constituting another Governing Council that will work with the VC in place, while the court case should go on. It is unacceptable and evil to keep the innocent
students at home because some unions which do not have a say in the appointment of a VC cannot be
bold enough to make their demand for the payment of their owed allowances without joining forces
with bad losers. •Kunle Orelope, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Pensioners’ plight fuelling corruption in civil service I want to call on state governors to stop inflicting pain on pensioners with the non-payment of their gratuities and pension arrears. After working for 35 years for their various state governments, it is so unfortunate that our senior citizens are left to suffer in their old age. I know this is what is fuelling corruption in the civil service today, as current civil servants now do everything in their power to make money before their retirement so that they won’t have to suffer in their old age. It is painful seeing senior citizens struggling so much before they can
receive their monthly pensions, and even their gratuities. Most of them go for years without collecting their gratuities, while their monthly pensions are not regular. While current civil servants are still strong and can run around to raise money, our senior citizens have used all their energies in the service of their state governments, and they just resign to fate when they are not paid. Some even go as far as begging for what to eat. It shouldn’t surprise
anyone that some retirees still have children who are yet to be gainfully employed, while some even still have children in tertiary institutions. With all these, why should it surprise anyone that current civil servants are corrupt? State governors should, therefore, do everything in their power to ensure that retirees are well taken care of. It is the Federal Government that is trying in this area.
FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo’s comments last week in Ibadan that the government has no business in agribusiness is the truth from the horse’s mouth. The Nigerian government has shown that it does not have the capacity to operate any business successfully, including agribusiness. What I think the government should focus on is supporting enterpreneurs who have interest in agribusiness with start-up funds. Raising funds in Nigeria today is
a huge task, and agribusiness needs constant flow of cash before it stabilises. On several occasions, we have heard that the government had set aside certain billions of naira to support agriculture, but real farmers don’t get to access such. I hope Chief Obasanjo can charge the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to make funds accessible for farmers.
•Ola-Olaniyi Bamgbola, Ibadan.
For agribusiness to thrive in Nigeria
•Taiwo Adejumo, tt_dejumo@gmail.com
Appeal to NDA THE Niger Delta Avengers should allow peace to reign in the Niger Delta. As a result of their activities, our farmlands are being polluted, while fishermen can no longer go to the waters to fish. Apart from that, our people no longer feel safe because of the influx of soldiers into the region. We can never achieve our vision with violence; a good example is Syria. When the people tried to revolt against the Bashar Al-Assad regime, little did they know that it would
turn into a full scale war. Today, Syrians are refugees all over the world and if they could turn back the hand of time, they wouldn’t have taken up arms against the regime. I hope the militants in the region will give peace a chance because they are doing no one any good with their violent activities. The Federal Government should also quickly convene a meeting with the militants in order to bring an end to the crisis. •Tuope Henry, Port Harcout.
15
opinion
Friday, 22 July, 2016
Constituency projects: Of wealth distribution and corruption By Poju Akinyanju
O
N resumption from a three-week Sallah break, our legislators focused on three issues — all about themselves. Immunity for their leaders (House of Reps); protection of their leaders from criminal charge of forgery (Senate) and the bid to ensure that their constituency projects are funded (Senate). It is incredible that our legislators are so unaware of the picture they cut as being self-centered. Or they just do not care about what we think of them. However, I will like to focus on the constituency projects; these are projects inserted into the national budget by the legislators to, as they claim, bring something home to their constituencies. There is no evidence that feasibility studies are done for such projects. The aim is that each legislator has a project in his/her constituency. If we take the figure for this year as stated during the agitation of the Senators for N60 billion, and we have 109 Senators and 340 House of Representative members, on average, the constituency projects will run into trillions of naira. Unfortunately, as we all know, the projects are not the target of the legislators, but the money in their pockets! The concept of constituency projects is not peculiar to Nigeria. Most legislators around the world angle for such projects, so that they can appeal to voters in their constituents since they seek votes just as the executive does. In some political circles, it is known as pork-barrel politics. As Wikipedia explains it, it is a process used to obtain funding from a central government to finance projects benefiting the legislators’ local constituents. The benefits of such projects do not extend beyond a legislator’s constituency, even though the funding was obtained through taxation of the larger geographic region. It is also known as earmarking in some nations. There is opposition to constituency projects all over the world as they are used in fuelling corruption, and there have been agitations that an end be put to it. An example of constituency project at its most licentious can be found in the Philippines, where funds are allocated to members of the House of Representatives
and Senate to spend as they deem fit. It can be used for ‘hard’ projects such as buildings and roads or as ‘soft’ projects like scholarships and medical expenses. In that country, the practice was so replete with corruption that there were massive public protests against it in 2013 and the Supreme Court abolished it as unconstitutional in the same year. In Nigeria, information gathered for this write up shows that the distribution of project fund goes through many channels in a way that it actually results in wealth distribution. Post budget approval, the first beneficiary is the bureaucrat. He is consulted to ensure cash backing and release of fund for the project. Then the legislator takes the lion share of the money. He gives some money to the contractor whose name/company had been used as front and who will process the papers back to the bureaucrat. The bureaucrat takes a second helping in certifying the project completed. Where some circumscribed work had been done (in quite a number, nothing at all is done), the community leader ( Emir, Oba, Chief, ward leader, among others) are ‘encouraged’ to attend the launching. The press is also co-opted into the gravy train to favourably report on the project ‘execution’. At the end of the day, the legislator who takes the lion share has enough money to give as largesse to his penurious constituents, stash away some for the next election and record a handsome profit on his investment of contesting for public office. Of course, this scenario will be disputed by the legislators, but there is a way to resolve the issue. The Senate and the House of Representatives should publish a year-by-year records of their constituen-
cy projects. The details should contain the project name, the location and the cost. We will then require two levels of certification as to the existence, completion and durability of the projects from their constituents and anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The BudgiT Organisation has done some work in this respect. Their efforts should be complemented and the CSOs should popularise the report using it as a basis for nationwide campaign. Constituency projects have the following wealth distributing effects — the politician who benefits most from the fund of the project is able to give some cash/material gifts to his poverty-ridden constituents, sustains young men on his pay as thugs, acquires properties and is able to stash away some money to prosecute the next election; we have been told several times that politics in Nigeria is an investment. Clearly, one of the profit lines is the constituency project, and there are more. The bureaucrat who earns like N150,000 per month is able to make the equivalent of six months’ salary from just one constituency project. He can leave a more handsome feeding allowance, send her/his children to that exclusive school he would not otherwise be able to afford. He has excess cash to satisfy his friends, and in particular, girlfriends. With a consistent flow of constituency projects, he/she could start that housing project which he would otherwise not have been able to afford in his entire 35-year career. The contractor makes a few million naira for just been close to the legislator and serving as a front. The community leader makes a cool earning from the launching; he smacks his lips and may just acquire a new wife. On the negative side, however, the constituency projects do not add to societal development, as most of them do not serve the needs of the people. Constituency projects destroy the soul of the nation in ways deeper than we will acknowledge, and it should be discontinued. Civil society organisations should, therefore, include mobilisation against constituency projects in their campaigns for a more just and prosperous nation. •Akinyanju is of the Dept of Microbiology, University of Ilorin. (pakinyanju@yahoo.com)
Addressing the challenges of business development By Chimezie Uzoigwe
BUSINESSES are important for wealth creation and development of any society because they undertake huge risks to innovate, create and market value, bringing prosperity to themselves and society. The impact of businesses is not just limited to creativity and wealth creation, they foster interactions in communities and ensure the survival of people tied to the business activities. Many believe that business entrepreneurship is Africa’s best bet to attain economic and social development. Leading entrepreneur, Mr. Tony Elumelu, who professes the Africapitalism philosophy, believes that “entrepreneurs will play a central role in bringing together private wealth and public need and that the transformative impact of economic growth unleashed by a fully empowered, socially conscious entrepreneurial class will dwarf the results achieved by the previous aid-driven approach to Africa’s development.” Despite Africa’s attractiveness for business, there are still many challenges facing businesses on the continent. While many businesses have fallen on the way, the thriving ones have grown to be resilient to these challenges. But this still comes at a huge cost – a loss in business and social prosperity that could have been attained if businesses do not have to invest in adaptation strategies. Nigeria is a good case study of how business potentials are unnecessarily undermined by state ineffectiveness. With a youthful population, a growing middle class and a huge consumer base, Nigeria’s business environment is naturally favourable for businesses to excel. But government’s overwhelming presence in some aspects of the economy (doing what it should not be doing) and underwhelming presence in other aspects of the economy (failing where it is needed) is hurting the ability of entrepreneurs to utilise these favourable natural conditions to create wealth. Largely due
to state ineffectiveness, entrepreneurs in Nigeria continue to face difficult challenges in several areas. Finance is key to running any successful enterprise. Lack of access to finance is perhaps the biggest challenge for intending entrepreneurs and a constraint to growth for existing enterprises. Banks generally prefer to invest in government bonds and treasury bills and to lend to influential and billionaire businessmen, most of whom invest majorly in somewhat ‘sterile’ activities like oil importation, rather than lend to SMEs. Thus, government’s overwhelming presence in the economy partly crowds out financing for private enterprises from the banks. Although there are many government intervention schemes for enterprise financing, these schemes are not unified, are poorly co-ordinated and implemented and thus, do not achieve set objectives. The enabling environment for business in Nigeria is poor. Insecurity is still a major threat to businesses. For example, the Boko Haram insurgency has crippled economic activities in the North-Eastern part of the country. A new wave of militant insurgency in the Niger Delta has led to the destruction of major oil and gas pipelines and facilities, and caused production shut-in. The implication of this for the national economy can best be imagined. Nigeria also continues to suffer from a severe infrastructural deficit. From poor transportation networks to epileptic power supply, the story is the same. One of the key challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria at present is unfavourable government policies. For example, the ideological posturing of the government on the issue of devaluation and the rationing of foreign exchange by the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) for about 16 months denied many entrepreneurs access to foreign exchange to purchase critical goods that serve as inputs in their operations. Nigeria’s land tenure system is also a key constraint to business success. Getting a governor’s consent for a land an entrepreneur intends to acquire takes many months and years in some states. Even the process of registering a business is very tedious. The high level of bribery and corruption and a culture of patronage increases the cost of doing business in Nigeria and reduces efficiency in business operations. For example, the foreign exchange crisis which is harming businesses would have been better managed if the country saved and grew its foreign reserves amidst high oil prices instead of mismanaging the oil windfall. Multiple taxation is also harming entrepreneurs, making many to seek to invest in tax havens. In Nigeria, once you set up shop for business, you are confronted with taxes, rents, rates and levies to be paid to different levels of authorities. Now, nothing kills businesses more than uncertainty, but in Nigeria, entrepreneurs face many uncertainties. It took President Muhammadu Buhari up to six months to constitute his cabinet, it took a lot of unnecessary drama to get the 2016 budget passed. Thus, the Nigerian stock market that surged and led the gains among world equity markets on the back of the president’s electoral victory almost collapsed due to the uncertainty created by the halt in governance for the six months. At present, the government’s policy direction remains unclear as many final business and investment decisions are put on hold. The truth is that businesses can help build the Africa of the future, but what is needed is a smarter leadership that can work together with all stakeholders to address the challenges facing businesses and put Africa on the path to transformation. •Uzoigwe can be reached via Chimezie. uzoigwe@gmail.com
16
Friday, 22 July, 2016
H
ISTORY will continue to remember all the great men and women who have contributed a lot to the advancement of the societies that have produced them. We will continue to mention on this page that the greatness of God lies in the fact that God is the Supreme Being that knows when a man will die. The Igbo of Nigeria have a saying about God that just cannot be faulted – “ONYEMACHI, ECHI DI IME,” meaning, it is only God that knows the events of tomorrow. The saying remained a constant mention in the mouth of the ace Igbo musician, Celestine Uku, until he died. It is just unbelievable that a great Nigerian like Papa Ooni Sijuwade, Olubuse II, is no more. When his death was announced by the media, many Nigerians and observers of events in Nigeria just did not believe the story. Ooni Sijuwade dead? I say it again that the story was simply unbelievable. The reason for this unbelief was simple. Everything Papa Ooni did while alive had an instant midas touch. He did it well. He was a man of history – a man who knew what he wanted in life. As a business man, he put his hands in correct businesses. He never gate crashed into doing any business. He knew what he wanted to achieve and by dint of luck and God’s manifest blessings, he achieved them all. This is not to say that Papa Ooni Sijuwade did not ignite deep seated antagonisms against his person. His opponents were exceptionally active throughout his sojourn as the Ooni of Ife; he was, however, a ruler who did a lot to write a golden history to Obaship and traditions, in the world. Let me mention a few of these gang ups against Papa Ooni Olubuse II. In 1984, the Federal Military Government restricted Papa Ooni of Ife and his bossom friend, the Emir of Kano, in their palaces for visiting Israel. Details of that offence were never given to Nigerians till this day. We can mention it here now that Alhaji Ado Bayero, the Emir of Kano, the Obi of Onisha and the Oba of Benin (all now dead) were some of the close friends of Papa Ooni Sijuwade. The enemies of Papa Ooni and Nigeria never wanted this union to last. From 1984 until Papa Ooni breathed his last, he (Ooni) was put on the security note of the country. He was accused often by many of the succeeding military regimes of importing arms to the country to create and fight a phony Republic of Oduduwa. It was only the Babangida (IBB) regime that did not join in the charade of accusing Papa Ooni of Ife of importing arms to fight the government in Nigeria. And these regimes knew that all these stories were just not true. Papa Sijuwade’s offence was just that the man’s image loomed simply larger than life. When Papa Ooni sneezed, difficult interpretations were given to such sneezing by desperate people. This, however, did not come as a surprise to all those who knew the special relationship between the Avatar of Nigeria’s history, Papa Obafemi Awolowo and Papa Ooni Sijuwade of Ife. Papa loved him with passion. As I mentioned it last year when Papa Ooni died, I was privileged to have been on the entourage of Papa Awolowo when the great leader went to pay a condolence visit to the chiefs and kingmakers of Ife when Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the then Ooni of Ife, died in 1980. Our team first visited the private estate of Papa (then Prince) Okunade Sijuwade at Ile-Ife before we moved to the palace to see the kingmakers. The spokesperson for the Ife chiefs said it clearly to the hearing of all that Papa Awolowo had innocently brought them the successor to the throne of Ife. The popular choice of Papa Sijuwade as the Ooni of Ife was announced few days after Papa Awolowo’s visit to the Ife palace. The late Ooni Olubuse II had achievements galore during his reign. Papa Ooni Sijuwade believed in intellectualism and he mobilised all these intellectuals for the progress of Ife, Yorubaland and Nigeria. His closeness to the late Professor Saburi Biobaku, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, and the late Professor Jacob Ade-Ajayi, also a former Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG was very well known. The two men were historians. No matter what anyone will want to say, no one can deny the fact that Papa Ooni Sijuwade spent a lot on research of the rich history and culture of the Yoruba people in all parts of the world. Papa Ooni Sijuwade pulled together all the Yoruba speaking territories in West Africa, Brazil, Cuba and other parts of the world. He brought many of these
With
Ebenezer Babatope
0805-500-1735 (SMS ONLY PLEASE)
Remembering Papa Ooni Sijuwade
•The late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade
people home and established very close contacts with them in the promotion of the unique culture of the African people. Papa Ooni was, indeed, a visionary African who believed religiously in the unity and closeness of the African people. Abike Dabiri, who is doing much now to project the viewpoints of Nigerians in Africa and the Diaspora, must seek the assistance of the new Ife Palace authorities on all the good works done by Ooni Olubuse II in the enterprise. The young woman as Adviser to President Buhari on events of Diaspora, must be assisted to succeed. The late Ooni Olubuse II had opened the door. The door must never be closed again. One of Papa Ooni Sijuwade’s achievements during his rule was his ability never to be ruffled by the antics of his opponents. I remember how some miscreants and thugs had assaulted the houses of a close Nigerian to Oba Sijuwade somewhere in Ikeja, Lagos during the June 12 crisis of 1992. All the accusations against Papa Ooni were frivolous and unintelligent. He took them all with calmness and dignity. He gave traditional rulership in these parts of the world an outstanding face. He was graceful in power and he was magnificent in the discharge of his traditional roles. He never regarded anyone as his enemy. He was father to all. He honoured all social invitations by Nigerians with keenness and joy. He was loved and adored for this by old and young. Papa Ooni Sijuwade never discriminated in the choice of the social events he participated in. His emphasis was how he could use such participation to encourage the pioneers of such events. Papa Ooni was a great Oba. He was imaginative as well as being
a seer. I have a regret that I will keep to myself until I too answer the supreme call. Sometime in 2005, Papa Ooni called me to the palace and told me: “My son, you are the person delaying your installation as a Chief of the Source. When you are ready, you let me know.” It was as if the old man had truly read my mind for he had given me a hint about two years before, of his decision to honour me with a traditional chieftaincy title from the Source. For one reason, I had held back from giving a positive nod to Papa Ooni’s gesture. I kept on procrastinating until Papa died on July 28, 2015 and the title has vanished from me forever. Bode George and ‘Tony Adefuye are my friends who are lucky today to be chiefs appointed and installed by the late Papa Ooni Sijuwade of Ife. We will continue to mourn with the people of Ife, Yorubaland and Nigeria on the death of this great son of Africa. We will mourn with the entire family of Ooni of the world, Papa Okunade Sijuwade. We will commiserate with his look-alike son, Prince Tokunbo Sijuwade. We will continue to echo and re-echo his name in the achievements that can never be denied his era. Papa Ooni Sijuwade, Olubuse II, Odabo (Good-Bye), Odaaro (Good-Night) and Odi’gbose (until we meet again)! Papa Ooni Okunade Sijuwade, sun re o! (Rest in Peace)!! EBINO TOPSY – 0805-500-1735 (SMS ONLY PLEASE) NEXT WEEK WALE ADEBANWI ON MAMA H.I.D. - 9 (BOOK YOUR COPY IN ADVANCE)
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
eyesof islam
Saheed Salawu yinkadejavu@yahoo.com 0811 695 4643
The call of Islam:
Peace and moderation, not intolerance and extremism
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SLAM is salaam (peace) and tasleem (submission to the Divine). In Islam, peace is the standard, it is the principle, and each person of faith has the moral obligation to maintain peace, without compromising on justice and truth. Islam invites to the subul as-salaam (pathway of peace); peace of mind, peace of conscience, peace in the family and society, peace with one’s Creator and His creation. One of the attributes of the Divine is As-Salaam (The Source of Peace) and Muslim greeting universally, upon meeting and departing, is as-salamu ‘alaykum or “peace be unto you.” The final and ultimate reward for human endeavor is Paradise, referred to in the Qur’an as Dar-us-Salaam (Abode of Peace) The believers were intended to be an ummah (community) that serves as a standard/model for others. “And we have made you (ummatan wasata) a median community/a people of moderation/a balanced medium in order that you may be a testimony or model for humanity.” [Qur’an 2:143] It is the absence of the balance provided by wasatiyyah (moderation) that extremism creeps in. Wasatiyyah is an antidote to … ghuluww (excessiveness), tanattu’ (harshness), tashaddud (severity), tatarruf (extremism) … in all its forms. Intolerance whence? How is it then that some Muslims are so intolerant of other faiths, involved in atrocious and heinous acts of violence and senseless killing? Are they oblivious to the historic example of how the Prophet engaged those of different faiths? It seems that some among Muslims seem to have lost sound understanding of the teachings of our faith and are substituting the sublime message of Islam by a discourse of anger and the rhetoric of rage. There is no command or teaching in Islam that can be referenced as the direct reason behind an extreme act, and killing. Those who are planning and orchestrating any senseless killings are the worst representatives of their religions and enemies of their communities. Those who are perpetrators acts of wanton violence in the name of Islam are doing a most grievous disservice to Islam. Others take pride in being Muslims however un-Muslim their stance may be. Then there are those who cheer acts of violence because they too have degenerated into a hateful people. Zealots are a plague upon religion Extremists, whether reactionary or radical are a bane to religion. Reactionary extremists do not want any pluralism;
they view the world in black and white, good and evil terms. They are good and anyone who opposes them is evil. From among the Muslims these are people who ‘excommunicate’ any Muslim who fail to share their interpretations of the Qur’an and their understanding of the faith. They use takfir (denouncing a Muslim as an unbeliever) and character assassination as a tool for marginalising any criticism directed at them. Radical extremists differ only in that they will use violence to further their cause and that the end justifies the means. They see any act as acceptable if it will further their ’cause.’ This is blatantly anti-Islamic. In Islam the means must reflect its noble ends. Any means that does not embody the core truths and ethics of Islam is not from Islam and thus denounced as aberration. Islam is not a secret society of conspirators who no one knows what they are planning. Islam declares openly its aims and objectives and these are recognized by good people everywhere as pure and congruent with their own wisdom and traditions. Islam never allows a Muslim to kill the innocent and the helpless Labelling something Islamic does not make it justifiable Realise, that just because you are religious does not mean
There is no command or teaching in Islam that can be referenced as the direct reason behind an extreme act, and killing. Those who are planning and orchestrating any senseless killings are the worst representatives of their religions and enemies of their communities.
that you are right. Desiring to implement Islamic values is always noble, but having a meaningful and effective strategy is indeed most significant. Forcing other is never an acceptable resort and certainly not the first resort; especially since our deen/way of life commands us not to use compulsion as a tool. Just because something needs to be done does not mean that anything that is done is okay; and just because something is done in religious fervour does not in any way prove that it is Islamically correct. According to the Qur’an [5:32]; Muslims have inherited the command from that prescribed to the Children of Israel “whoever takes a single life without justification is as if he has killed the entire humanity.” Furthermore we are reminded, If Allah had not repelled some people through others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques; all in which Allah’s name is much celebrated, would have been destroyed. Allah will certainly help those who help His cause and surely, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty’ [Qur’an, 22:40] If we do not abide by these principles established in the Qur’an, then we are undermining the very spirit of our Deen. We must heed the Qur’anic warning against extremism in religion. … do not be extreme in your religion [Qur’an 4:171] The Prophet further warned, My intercession will not be availed two categories of my community; an oppressive/unjust ruler and a rebellious extremist [Tibrani] I warn you regarding extremism, because communities before you were destroyed due to extremism [Nisa’i] Injustice of the self-righteous Some deviant people/groups are committing acts in the name of Islam which are contrary to the fundamental of our faith, while not enough seem courageous enough to openly stand up to these bullies who are denigrating the name and image of Islam. Remember the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “A Muslim (one who proclaims faith) is that person from whose hands and tongue other Muslims are safe; A Mu’min (one who manifests faith) is that person in whom humanity find safety and security regarding their lives, property and honor.” [Baihaqi] The Prophet (pbuh) further advised …Allah is kind and loves kindness in every matter, and kindness has been granted capacity which violence could never attain. [Sahih Muslim] May Allah protect the innocent from the injustices of the self-righteous. Source: IslamiCity – Sadullah Khan
18 islamicnews
Friday, 22 July, 2016
Muslim woman denied employment for refusing to remove hijab
Chairman, Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim Wing), Alhaji Taofeek Akeugba-gold, addressing intending pilgrims before embarking on a Hajj simulation during the start of a two-day seminar, at the Hajj Camp, Olodo, Ibadan, on Wednesday.
A Muslim woman seeking work at a jewellery store was told not to bother applying for the position because of her headscarf. Mona Alfadli, 25, originally from Kuwait but now living in Auckland, New Zealand, was turned away from the Stewart Dawsons store in New Lynn last week. Ms Alfadli claims the store manager told ‘don’t waste your time and don’t waste my time’ after she said she would not remove her hijab, and told the NZ Herald she ‘felt embarrassed’ about the ordeal. “I felt embarrassed as it took a lot of courage to walk into the shop and speak to the manager regarding a job, especially since I was afraid of the rejection,” she said.
Oyo intending pilgrims undergo Hajj simulation, receive safety tips By Oluwatoyin Malik and Saheed Salawu
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HE Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim Wing), on Wednesday and Thursday, sensitised intending pilgrims to the process of performing Hajj Mabrur (accepted Hajj) and how to achieve this without compromising personal safety. The highlight of the seminar, held at the Hajj Camp, Olodo, Ibadan, was a reproduction of the essential features of Hajj to familiarise the prospective pilgrims with the real situation as they prepare to participate in the world’s largest annual spiritual gathering in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. At the event organised by the board, in conjunction with the Muslim Community of Oyo State and the state chapter of the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), the intending pilgrims from across the state received verbal instructions from experienced tutors and participated in the practical training session, led by the chairman of the board, Alhaji Taofeek Akeugba-gold. According to Akeugbagold, the seminar was meant to prepare the intending pilgrims in every respect for the reality in Mecca and other venues used for Hajj as well as consolidate on the track record of the board in the holy land. “We started the practical demonstration, the first of its kind in Nigeria, last year
and we were highly commended for it by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria. Even we were given awards by two groups in Abuja. “We copied the idea from the Malaysian and Indonesian Hajj systems. Today, we are adding another feather with this seminar on possible dangers during Hajj exercise and how to avert them. And Alhamdulillah, our lecturers have done their best and all the [intending] pilgrims really appreciate our effort. “We are trying to prepare their minds for possible dangers during the Hajj exercise. There are danger signals and we are trying to teach them to recognise such signals so that they can take precautions. We want them to go there prepared,” the renowned preacher said. However, he noted that the best way to avoid danger in the Hajj exercise is prayer, saying the intending pilgrims needed to put their trust in Allah. “They should not rely on their strength, capability or wealth. What they should do is to rely on Allah. Prayer is very essential when it comes to protection during Hajj exercise,” he added. He described the seminar as the end of the board’s orientation programme for Hajj 2016 in Nigeria, saying the rest of the programme would be taking place in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Alhaji Akeugba-gold gave the assurance that in two weeks, Oyo State
would start to airlift its pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. “We are hoping that by August 8, the first batch of our pilgrims will be in Saudi Arabia. Our preparations are in top gear. We have reached about 95 percent level of preparations. Today, we will give them some materials like uniforms and bags to use for the Hajj exercise. But the material they need most is orientation and prayer,” he said. He urged the intending pilgrims to be good ambassadors of Oyo State and Nigeria by following instructions and adhering to the rules and regulations of the authorities throughout their
stay in Saudi Arabia. A representative of the Muslim Community of Oyo State, Alhaji Abdul Rasak Olajide; a former coordinator of NACOMYO in the state, Alhaji Moshood Akintola and a scholar, Dr Sharafdeen Gbadebo gave talks on proper conduct and dangers to avoid, especially during the critical five days of performing Hajj rites. In a sermon, renowned preacher, Sheikh Muyideen Bello, described piety as the only article of trade between the pilgrim and Allah in the performance of valid Hajj. He urged all Muslims willing to participate in the holy
pilgrimage to be God-conscious as a condition for the performance of acceptable Hajj. Sheikh Bello advised any intending pilgrims lacking fear of God or nursing the idea of engaging in frivolities and base desires in the holy land not to waste their time. Rather than embark on the spiritual journey, he advised such people not to hesitate to ask for the refund of their Hajj fee from the board. The Sabigana of Iganna, Oba Abdul Azeez Oyemonla and his wife, Olori Latifat Omolola, were among those who participated in the seminar.
US Muslim leaders urge more Muslims to vote A campaign that aims to register one million Muslim voters by November is in full swing, as organisers and volunteers canvass college campuses, bus stations and gas stations in Muslim neighbourhoods across the United States. The “One America” campaign, launched in December and spearheaded by the US Council of Muslim Organisations, is part of a broader effort among American Muslims to increase voter turnout for the 2016 presidential election. If successful, organisers say, the campaign could impact the outcome of the election and give Muslims a more prominent voice in American politics in the future.
Though “One America” does not endorse any specific candidate, leaders say many new voters have registered in response to strategies proposed by presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, to combat radical Islam, including a ban on Muslim immigrants to the US. Since the last presidential election, more than 300,000 Muslims have reg-
istered to vote, according to the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations (CAIR). In a Reuters interview, CAIR’s executive director, Nihad Awad, attributed the recent growth in political activity among Muslims to an “unprecedented rise in Islamophobia.” In the months following terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., last year, crimes against Muslim Americans nearly tripled, according to a study by the Centre for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University. The most effective way to combat anti-Muslim sentiment, advocacy groups say, is to get more Muslims into the voting booth.
The 25-year-old’s family fled to New Zealand from Kuwait in 2008, and she has been seeking work sending out up to five applications a day since she finished her diploma last November. “I can do any job, I don’t mind, but I will keep my hijab, I will keep my identity, and respect my culture and my religion,” Ms Alfadli told the publication. The jeweller has responded to the accusations in a statement posted online, saying they were “extremely disappointed” with the “discrimination against a potential employee.” “We are extremely disappointed about the way Ms Mona Alfadli was treated and this by no means is reflective of the company’s policy,’ Stewart Dawsons said. “Stewart Dawsons is an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on any grounds. “We apologise sincerely to Ms Alfadli and have invited her back for a second interview,” the statement read.
355 UAE residents embrace Islam THE Dar Al Ber Society (Dabs) helped 355 residents convert to Islam during the holy month of Ramadan. According to Emirates 24/7 News, the new Muslims, originally from 17 different countries, were enlightened about Islam by the competent scholars of the Islamic Information Centre, a leading branch of the society. Abdullah Ali bin Zayed, Executive Director of Dar Al Ber Society, said the centre spares no effort to develop the awareness of Muslims and non-Muslims about the tolerance and moderation of Islam. “Staff preachers of the Centre distributed 53,000 books and held 294 lectures and classes during Ramadan,” he said. “The Centre has also organised 20 diverse activities and events this Ramadan, including collection of Eid clothes and Zakat Al Fitr which were distributed to 400 indigent people, including new Muslims,” he added. Rashid Salem Al Junaibi, Manager of the Islamic Information Centre, said that the Centre, in collaboration with philanthropists here, runs a variety of activities, services and courses to new Muslims and foreign community children in the most tolerant and attractive way as advised in the Holy Qur’an.
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
fridaytreat
Nigerian Tribune
Rotimi Ige rotimiige@yahoo.com 0811 695 4636
s ’ a i r e g i N s i n a j T
eek Artiste of the w
’ e k u d A ‘ new
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JAN real name Tijani Olasunmbo Fowosere born in February 21, 1992, into a family of four with two elder brothers and a younger sister. As a kid, he grew up listening to gospel music everyday in Surulere, he listened to the likes of Ron Kenoly, Alvin Slaughter and Don Moen among others. He was born into a family that loved music so much and from a tender age, he has always wanted to sound different from everybody, creating his own style called Soul Afro Pop with influences from his father and elder brother who is a rapper. He started writing his songs when he was in SSS1 at the age of 14 and recorded his first song at the age of 17 titled ‘What you like’ but revealed he didn’t promote it due to some circumstances. He later enrolled at the Muson School of Music where he studied music and vocal training and while he was at it, he got admission into North American University, Houdegbe, Benin. Although he did his music on the side, there was no proper push because he had no money and no label. He was in his final year when he took part in the Nigerian Idol Season 3 where he was among the last 20 contestants out of over 2000 people from different states in Nigeria. He later went ahead to win the Airtel music competition in Delta State, Iseluku, where he did his three weeks National Youth Service Corps
(NYSC) orientation. It was through this platform that he was discovered by Right Entertainment and Achievas music who decided to partner and give him a proper push so the world could be exposed to his music. From then onwards, Tjan has, within a short period of emergence in the music scene, carved an envious niche for himself with a growing array of fans and soulful songs that keep both the young and old gyrating. The handsome singer with the silky voice copped the award for the Best New Act at the recent Miss Tourism Nigeria 2016. Tjan has been on a steady rise especially with his newest release, ‘Aduke’ which Cobhams Asuquo produced. The video was also directed by the prolific Kemi Adetiba. Tjan is enormously talented and headlines an array of R n B stars emerging across the country and ‘Aduke’ proves it as it currently tops the Cool FM Charts amongst other radio/blog charts across Nigeria.
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
Rotimi Ige rotimiige@yahoo.com 0811 695 4636 twitter: @rotifizzle twitter: @fridaytreat
fridaytreat
MSSL to build entertainment equipment plant in Nigeria By Joan Omionawele CHIEF Executive Officer of Nigeria’s foremost entertainment industry equipment deployment company, Mobile Screens and Sound Limited (MSSL), Tunbosun Kola-Daisi, has revealed that the entertainment industry in the country will in the next 10 years, overtake the oil and gas industry, and agriculture in contribution to the nation’s GDP. Kola-Daisi who made this revelation during MSSL’s 10th Anniversary Media Chat, in Lagos, based his projection on the astronomical growth recorded by the industry in the last 10 years. Nigeria’s entertainment industry is currently estimated to be contributing 1.4 per cent of GDP, next to oil. It is also estimated to have grown by 19.3per cent in 2014 to reach US$4 billion. By 2019, the market is estimated to be more than twice as big, with estimated total revenue of US$8.1 billion. Describing the Nigerian entertainment industry as, “A gold mine waiting to be tapped,” Kola-Daisi noted, “I see the Nigerian entertainment industry becoming as globally competitive as the United States and our content will be fully global if properly harnessed.” “With the quantum of untapped raw talent and potentials that abound in this country, Nigeria’s entertainment industry will overtake oil and gas industry, and agriculture in contribution to the nation’s GDP; and become the dominant employer of labour, creating perceptive entrepreneurs, cultural ambassadors, and global brands,” he stated. Rating Nigeria’s entertainment industry as biggest in Africa, with Nollywood, Nigeria’s budding film industry, as second in the global film markets in terms of volume of production, and third, behind India’s Bollywood and America’s Hollywood in revenue, he noted however, that Nigeria’s entertainment industry is still at its budding stage saddled with low quality in terms of production and deployment of equipment. This he said would record huge improvement with adequate training, adequate funding and appropriate deployment of equipment. Speaking on his company’s plan to build a basic entertainment equipment plant in the country he noted that having been in the business of leasing, installation and maintenance of audio/visual equipment for 10 years, he was aware of the great vacuum that existed in the industry especially in the areas of quality production and equipment deployment. He stated that “Apart from assembling basic entertainment equipment locally, the plant when established would offer free training to young school leavers in the areas of equipment assembling and deployment; and music and movie production.” This, he said, would be his company’s way of carrying out its social responsibility; reducing youth unemployment, and harnessing the raw skills that are lying untapped in Nigeria. Mobile Screens and Sound Limited specialises in the sales and leasing of entertainment equipment. As sole representatives of the manufacturers, ADI in UK, it has within the 10 years of operation in the Nigerian market brought to bear its range of LED screens and comprehensive sound equipment in social and political events, product launch, award ceremonies, and corporate events, advertisements, sporting activities, concerts, festivals and religious events.
Stardom beckons on 20 Fuji Stars for Goldberg Fuji T’o Bam semi final
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HE ancient city of Oyo was agog for Goldberg Fuji t’o Bam Quarter Final Concert held in Durbar Stadium on Friday, July 15, 2016 where 20 out of the 40 Fuji contestants that participated scaled through to the semifinal after a stiff, entertaining and creative Fuji contest that lit the entire city. To qualify, the contestants had to display elements of originality, stage craft, good vocalisation and great appearance as these were the key assessment criteria by the three judges: Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Agboola (aka SK Sensation), Chairman, National Project Committee for Fuji Musicians Association of Nigeria; Deinde Kabiru (aka Baby Barrister) and Adebayo Falake (aka Kakaki Olodumare). One of the lucky contestants who made it to the semi-final, Ilesanmi Sogo (aka Aro-National) revealed that his Fuji sojourn has spanned seven years, despite the fact that he is disabled and on a wheelchair. In his words, ‘Disability is not inability, and I believe that there is nothing I cannot do and achieve with my Fuji talent.’ Aro-National saw himself as a self-motivator and displayed his confidence despite his physical challenges. According to him, his ultimate goal is to become the Wura 1 of Fuji music on a wheelchair. Also lighting up the stage were three A-list Fuji stars, Alhaji Abass Akande Obesere, Pasuma Wonder and Adigun Abolore (aka 9ice), who thrilled fans to various tunes and rhythms of their songs.
Oyo fans were star-struck by the presence of the three artistes as each of them put up breathtaking performances that kept the fans clamouring for more. The night witnessed cheers from the fans that
collaborated with some of the stars in their performances by backing them up both in singing and dancing. This, no doubt, was informed by this year’s theme: Let’s Collabo, which went from just the
contestants collaborating on stage with each other to the fans collaborating with the guest Fuji artistes. Amongst the lucky contestants for the semi-final is the first female Fuji contes-
tant, Bukola Omo-Daddy, who has scaled through to the semi-final stage for two years consecutively. Her words: “I think it is high time a female became the Wura 1 of Fuji music in
Top officials of the Nigerian Breweries with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III during their courtesy visit to his palace last Friday
Nigeria. Fuji music is not restricted to gender, so I believe a lady like me who is really talented and works hard can clinch the title and be crowned the Wura 1.’ She expressed her delight at the Goldberg concert and praised the brand for promoting entertainment and culture through Fuji t’o Bam. The concert, which had the veteran actor, Odunlade Adekola, as its anchor was characterised by fans that were eager to see Fuji music in its originality as well as the stars that graced the occasion. The eventual 20 winners were all called out by the ace star, Obesere, who called out their names while entertaining them in the process. The 20 stars beamed with excitement as well as anticipation for the semi-final in Ado-Ekiti today, July 22, 2016 at Midas Hotel and Arena.
Bulk records set up strictly for aspiring artistes Adekunle Kayode is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bulk Records. A native of Abeokuta, Ogun State, now a United States-based businessman recently returned to Nigeria to give back to his community through entertainment. In an interview with OLAWALE OLANIYAN, he revealed his plans for Nigerian artistes, among other issues. Excerpts:
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HAT does Bulk Records stand for? I plan on using my platform as a record label owner to help discover new
Taye Diggs joins season 3 of ‘Empire’ series TAYE Diggs has signed on for a major recurring role on Fox’s Empire. The Private Practice vet will first appear in the Fox drama’s September 21 Season 3 premiere as Angelo Dubois, a city councilman hailing from a respected and affluent New York family. With his pedigree and a Harvard law diploma, Diggs’ Angelo could have made a fortune in the private sector. Instead, he is ruled by his sense of noblesse oblige, and focuses his energies on community organising and local politics, inviting comparisons to Barack Obama. Diggs, who is currently starring in TNT’s anthology drama ‘Murder in the First’, joins a Season 3 guest roster that also includes singer
MUSIC BUSINESS 101
Sierra McClain, rapper French Montana and music mogul Birdman (as himself). As TVLine scooped last month, rapper-actor Xzibit — who joined Empire last season as Lucious’ drug-dealin’, music-makin’ adversary Shyne Johnson — has been promoted to a series regular. ‘Empire’ stars Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere “Yazz” Gray, Trai Byers, Grace Gealey, Kaitlin Doubleday, Gabourey Sidibe, Ta’Rhonda Jones and Serayah McNeill. It has also featured guest appearances by celebrities like Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Marisa Tomei, Naomi Campbell, Ludacris, Adam Rodriguez, Vivica A. Fox, Rosie O’ Donnell
and Andre Royo. “Empire” centers around a hip hop music and entertainment company, Empire Entertainment, and the drama among the members of the founders’ family as they fight for control of the company. The show returned for its second season on Wednesday, March 30, 2016. In season two finale, Lucious got married, and the season ended with the possible death of a Lyon. With 35 nominations, the FOX show was the most-nominated television series last season, and was named a Top 10 Television Programme of the Year by the American Film Institute. In 2016, Taraji P Henson won Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama.
talents and support them to get their music out to the world. What are your plans and what motivates you to do this business? In Bulk Records, we want artistes that are talented, individuals that possess a unique quality and are very hardworking. It all started in January this year and it is my love for music that motivates me to go into the business. What kind of artistes are you looking at and what do you stand to benefit? It would make me happy to help upcoming artistes achieve their goals of becoming known and getting their music out there. For the business part of it, every
business has to make profit so I look forward to making money eventually from every artiste that we invest in. Where do you see Bulk Records in the next two years? I see us becoming a house hold name and our artistes doing very good in the music industry both in Nigeria and all over the world. What is your relationship with Olamide because you are to feature him in a concert very soon? Jiron, one of our artistes worked with Olamide on one of his songs and since then, Olamide became a friend of Bulk Records. What is your advice for upcoming artistes
and made ones alike? Staying humble, hard work, perseverance, persistence and loyalty would take anyone far in life regardless of who you are. Why the name Bulk Records? We chose Bulk because we felt it represents positively and increase for example, bulk talent, bulk money and so on. Just positivity and increase!
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
travelpulse&m.i.c.e
’Wale Olapade 08055201323 wale11g3@gmail.com Winner, NMMA, Tourism Reporter Of The Year
‘Nigeria is ASKY’s biggest market in West Africa’ The Managing Director, ASKY Airlines, Mr Henok Tefferra, a recipient of the Balafon award for the Aviation Personality of the Year in West Africa, at the just concluded Accra Weizo, a travel and tourism show, speaks with WALE OLAPADE in Ghana on seamless air connectivity, problems facing the travel industry in Africa and ASKY brand focus among others.
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ASKY Brand Focus INCE ASKY is a customer focused airline we want to meet your expectations. One is safety, the highest; the maximum international safety standard possible, ASKY is an IOSA certified airline. Secondly, we bring you on time, our flights are 80 per cent on time, so we have a very on time performance, punctuality and the friendliness, the courteous, the hospitality of our staff both on ground and in the air. We now have a fantastic airport in Lome, a new airport terminal was inaugurated in May this year, I would say this is the best airport I have seen in this region, it has fantastic services, free WiFi access, fantastic duty-free shops, really very spacious, the most modern facilities and amenities you will imagine to get in Europe. With that airport and also with our latest aircraft that is very modern, all these factors make the customer experience as agreeable as possible, that is why flying with us more time and more is a wonderful experience. Bridging connectivity gap in Africa Yes, West African connectivity gaps still exist, and the reasons for it are two-fold, one is that the aviation policy environment is not very conducive to be very frank, you still have traffic rights restrictions, I for example cannot fly as many times as I want to all the destinations that I want. There are still restrictions which I don’t understand because over 20 years ago that the Yamasukuro decision was adopted by the leaders of Africa, liberalising African skies for African airlines, especially fifth freedom as is slow in implementation, you still have an initiative by African Union to create a single African aviation market which we support, we want to push, but fragmented and the traffic right restriction is a very difficult issue, the environment is not conducive. And secondly, the cost of environment in West and Central Africa is prohibitive. Why is it that the cost of over- flying here is twice as expensive as in East Africa? Why is it that ground handling here is 30 – 40 percent more expensive here, why is that the same aircraft fuel which I know aircraft consume everywhere is 20- 30 percent more expensive here. It is prohibitive, it is not conducive for business growth and on top of that you have taxation, the taxation regime which considers aviation not as a strategic sector which enables trade, investment, tourism, and economic development and integration, but merely as a luxury sector, as a cash cow, with that mindset, aviation in this part of the world will have difficulty in providing initial air connectivity, it is not conducive. We can learn from what Singapore, Dubai and others did, so that we can have a growing economy in this region with young population. This is the region that has the highest demographics in terms of the population size and a fast emerging middle class, and these are the people who have the ability to travel with disposable income, so why are we hindering it and hindering aviation from playing its rightful role? It can be a catalyst, aviation today is responsible for eight million jobs directly
or indirectly in the continent, which could be much more, because it contributes significantly to the GDP of the continent. It could be much more, though is much already. Imagine what it could be if all these restrictions and obstacles are removed. African airspace I will be telling them what I have said now, remove all barriers and restrictions for African airlines to operate freely to your airports. If I am an African carrier, I should be able to operate freely anywhere I want in Africa, just like European carrier operate freely on the European airspace or in Europe. Two, treat aviation as a strategic asset, as an enabler of economic growth because it is only through aviation you can develop and encourage trade, investment, tourism and development in your country. You can have airport taxes and charges that are not prohibitive for the development and growth of aviation. Plans on long haul destination Yes, we are planning to start the major markets for West African region which are London and Paris. Now that our regional network is strong with 23 destinations covered, I think we are talking about our second phase of our development where we are looking at starting long haul flights to Europe. Achievement It was something that was planned, but the growth exceeded our expectations, is something that we worked hard for, but is
Biggest Market Obviously is Nigeria, because of the market size, Nigeria is by far the biggest economy, by far has the highest population, has the volume of the population with disposable income and Nigerians are very industrious people, people who do a lot of business, a lot of trade and you also have a lot of companies and organisations based in Nigeria like ECOWAS, so naturally is Nigeria to all the networks, Dakar is a big market for Nigeria, Abidjan is a big market for Nigeria, all over the network are big markets for Nigeria.
Mr Henok Tefferra only the beginning, in the West African region, the airlines are very small even the socalled big ones, Ethiopian airlines, Kenyan Airways, South African airlines everybody put together, we are merely 20 per cent of the long haul market from Africa, merely we are in infancy of aviation. But there is a promise because Africa is growing as Africans are travelling more and more. But Africa should not be a consumer base for the global economy; Africa should be an economic player in the global economy. Africa should be an economic player, playing an active role in the global economy. African airline should have a fair share of the travel and tour from Africa and that is what we are aiming to tap into.
Airline partner This is the beginning, the success is a small one, Africa needs a strong African airline that can work together and tap into the African market which is currently being dominated by non-African carriers which should not be. As far as I am concerned, ASKY is managed by Ethiopian airlines. Ethiopian is the strategic partner of ASKY, it manages the airline and provides the technical and commercial support and it also has equity in the airline. I was seconded by Ethiopian Airlines to manage ASKY and previously, before coming here, I was the vice president at Ethiopian Airlines in charge of strategy, alliance and communications. Expecting We are working on flying to Paris, working on plans to secure rights to fly to Paris that is what we are working on for now.
Motherland Beckons rallies multibillion dollar investment for Ife Tourism FOLLOWING the recent declaration of Ile Ife as Tourism Zone by the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, Osun State has been experiencing a beehive of business and investment drives to put the sleeping town on the global radar. Subsequently, the development drive has yielded positive result as Motherland Beckons in pursuant of its continent building project and rallying of The Diaspora to heed the call of motherland, has raised the bar of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) sector in Nigeria, as it has facilitated a $1.4 billion Technology City project in Ile - Ife, Osun State. However, Motherland Beckons has invited renowned US – based business groups, SprintPort Technological Group and Image Consulting to partner with the House of Oduduwa, the Ooni of Ife, on the building of the technology, media and agriculture city in Ile – Ife with the recent signing of Memo-
randa of Understanding (MoU). Following this development, the representative of SprintPort Technological Group, Victory Yemi Oluwasegun, disclosed that the Technology City, is designed to make Nigeria a leader in ICT, create millions of jobs, promote tourism to grow Nigeria’s economy. ‘‘This is for everyone and we want a situation where we have 24/7 electricity, where we have 24/7 internet access, where we have various productions and people have the opportunity to live their lives like we live in overseas.’’ According to him, the city is going to be a hub for all the sectors of the economy and all forms of human activities, but driven by the most modern technology. ‘‘We are looking at technology companies coming in, the likes of Google, the likes of Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon, all having an environment where they can strive just the same way that they strive in other parts of the world. He explained that the city would be built by Nigerians and Nigerians in Diaspora who would be wooed and encouraged to invest in it and also transport Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, signing an MoU on Technology City for their expertise. Ife Tourism Zone with officials of SprintPort Technological Group and others in Ife, recently.
‘‘So Nigerians are going to be the core people here, those who are in elementary school, secondary school and now moving on to the universities, we are looking for those who have new experiences. “We want them to go into the Technology City and learn software development, hardware development and other projects whereby they can allow their minds to just go free. Funding for the project, according to him, would not be an issue as he disclosed that ‘‘investors are coming, investors want to put money into great, great ideas, the next Google is going to be birthed right here in Nigeria. This is a fact, I am not just saying this, but it is a fact and when this happens the Technology City will be ready for those people to come on board.” The Chief Executive Officer of Image Consulting, Mrs Remi Duyile, who is the former Vice President of Bank of America and one of the facilitators of the project, expressed appreciation to Motherland Beckons that invited her from the United States alongside other professionals, to witness the declaration ceremony of Ile – Ife as a Tourism Zone. ‘‘The funding is $1.4 billion, and it will be coming from America, Asia and a lot of other places,’’ said Mrs Duyile, explaining that. ‘‘these are funds that we don’t have to go and look for, but these funds are already established. The only requirement is for the MoU and the identification of the land and we have got all these.’’
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Friday, 22 July, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com
Saraki
The main actors in the 8th Senate have been in and out of courts in recent times, but the decision to put the duo of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu up for alleged forgery trial is raising questions whether the lawmaking institution is practically not on trial? Group Politics Editor, Taiwo Adisa examines the issues.
I
S the Senate on trial, going by the decision of the Federal Government to file criminal charges bothering on alleged forgery of Senate Rule Book, 2015? That is the question the Senators were confronted with on June 21, when it blew open that the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu were being charged before an Abuja Federal High Court. The matter of alleged forgery has been on the table for some time now. Indeed, it was an issue raised early in the life of the current Assembly by members of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF), who are loyal to the hierarchy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) immediately they lost out in the titanic battle for the Presidency of the 8th Senate. Senator Kabiru Marafa, spokesman of the SUF had raised the allegation on the floor of the Senate in an attempt to nullify Senate’s inauguration of June 9, 2015 but was overruled as the chamber voted to adopt the 2015 Rule book as the document it would rely on for the conduct of affairs in the 8th Session. Speaking in an interview, Marafa hinted that he had no apologies over the move. His words: “I have no regret at all. At my age and status, do you think I will do something wrong and be reluctant to apologise? I am of the conviction that what I did was the right thing. And for your information, I am trained to speak the truth.’’ Not satisfied with the ruling of the Senate, members of the SUF landed a petition before the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the matter. The same members had filed two suits before the High Courts, seeking to pin down forgery charges on the leaders of the Senate. In June, the Federal Government took a plunge into the feud when it filed alleged forgery charges against Saraki, Ekweremadu, the former Clerk to the National Assembly
Malami
Ekweremadu
(CNA), Salisu Maikasuwa and the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Ben Efeturi. It was an unprecedented measure. While the executive and the legislature had since the restart of democratic rule in 1999 been at loggerheads at different instances, at no time has the leadership of a chamber been dragged to the courts. Now, Saraki has to face not just one suit but two criminal trials, while his deputy, Ekweremadu is to join him in the other. The Senate did not lose sight of the political implications of the above. Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senator Dino Melaye immediately raised a motion calling attention of his colleagues to attempts to truncate democracy. His motion, which sought to summon the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to appear before the Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters was generally carried and the stage, was set for the confrontation that could define the shape of the politics of this era. Melaye, in his motion, raised the alarm that the executive was playing anti-democratic games. He said that the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja was a violation of the ruling of another Federal High Court in the Federal Capital which last year struck out the case of alleged forgery against
the National Assembly on the grounds that the National Assembly was an independent arm of government and hence, it would be wrong for another arm to interfere in its affairs unless such matter is proved to be in violation of the constitution. Melaye said: “The Nigerian Senate has observed the ongoing systematic degradation and abuse of the office of the leadership of the National Assembly by the executive arm of government through intimidation and harassment. This Senate notes regrettably that the executive arm of government as presently constituted is still to come to terms with the constitutional tenets of separation of powers and the independence of the legislative arm of government. “This Senate notes also the lack of respect for judicial decisions and the resolutions of the National Assembly by the executive which is beginning to arrogate itself unifying powers of the federation.The Senate notes that the current attempt to arraign the leadership of the Senate over an internal matter of the Senate and claims spuriously a forgery that does not exist is a smokescreen for an impending attempt to overthrow the legislative arm.” Following the outbursts in the Senate on the matter, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir David Lawal, on June 30, expressed an opinion in the media to justify the charges against Saraki and Ekweremadu. The SGF was quoted as saying: “It is important to emphasise that this case involves only the accused persons and should not be presented to the unsuspecting public as involving the entire Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. To bring the National Assembly as a body into this court case is totally unwarranted. It can only be for other purposes and reasons outside the investigations and legal proceedings.” He cited the case of the sacked Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari, who was discovered to have forged his certificate and age after emerging Speak-
When can the Senate be on trial?
In the tradition of the Senate and Nigerian parliament, only few officers of the parliament can represent the institution.
Continues on pg 24
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politics&policy
Friday, 22 July, 2016
The legal fireworks Continued from pg 23
er in 1999 adding: “What he did was to resign honorably… the individual involved did not drag the entire legislature into the matter. The provisions of the separation of powers are entrenched in our Constitution and should guide everyone in our conduct. The rule of law is indeed supreme. This particular case is before the judiciary and is not being decided by the executive arm of the government. We should allow the process to take its course in consonance with the dictates of the rule of law and total obeisance to the cardinal democratic principle of the separation of powers.” That statement, in itself immediately made the SGF a marked man in the Senate and he has had to defend himself after being summoned before the lawmakers. But the question remains, whether the Senate is on trial. In the tradition of the Senate and Nigerian parliament, only few officers of the parliament can represent the institution. Whenever the Senate President, his deputy, the Senate Leader and the Senate spokesman express views, they are taken as the views of the Senate. They are the four seen as representing the Senate at all times. Outside that, the Senate also speaks at plenary, where motions and bills are ratified. Thus, it could be deceitfully ingenuous to claim that anything involving the presiding officers of the Senate does not involve the Senate as a whole. Indeed, the offices of the Senate President, his deputy and the Senate Leader can hardly be separated from the Senate. The Senate in itself, being an abstract power, only represented in flesh and blood by the elected officers. But Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana, while speaking on The limit of executive immunity in Benin, Edo State, alleged that Saraki and Ekweremadu were playing politics with the issue. He claimed that the Senate was merely alleging political victimisation, but not that the offence was not committed. “As leaders of the National Assembly, you are supposed to be above board and that is even the more reason you must be careful. But I want to remind the senate that the Attorney General of the Federation is only answerable to his boss, which is the President and not body else,” he said. Another legal practitioner, Mr Remi Agwuezie, toed Falana’s line of argument, urging the Senate to face the business of lawmaking rather than dissipating energy on the trial. “They should allow the Senate President to face his trial as an individual not as Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We have 109 Senators and when one is facing trial, others should continue to make laws for the country. It is not the senate as an institution that is on trial but Saraki as an individual; so, the law should be allowed to run its full cause, while the senate as an institution moves on,” he said. A fresh dimension was however added to the saga by the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, which faulted the two-count forgery charge. Ruling on a motion ex-parte filed by Senator Gilbert Nnaji, Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that the charge which was endorsed by the Attorney General constituted a gross abuse of judicial process, as it was initiated despite the pendency of a suit challenging the police report on the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rule 2015. He added that both the AGF and the Inspector General of Police are not only defendants in the matter, but have also joined issues with plaintiff. Justice Kolawole said he would have nullified and setaside the forgery charge for being a gross abuse of court and legal process if it had been filed before his court. He said: “In all of these facts and issues, having regard to the pendency of this suit in which the defendants have both filed processes, one question that did not cease to resonate in my thoughts is why this “desperate haste” to prefer the criminal indictments in exhibit “B” the investigation of which is at the heart of this suit and of the parallel suit in exhibit “E”, and which indictments, by law are not time barred as the substantive suit before this court, had by consent of both the Plaintiff’s Counsel and the 1st defendant’s Counsel, been scheduled for 6/7/16 for hearing. It is the event of the steps taken by the defendants in utter defiance of this pending suit, that in my view, unobtrusively betrayed the possible genuineness of the defendants’ intention and of the 2nd defendant’s motives as steps taken which are beyond serving the “public interest” by the commencement of a criminal trial in the FCT High Court in order to subvert the pending suits in the Federal High Court one of which has been fixed for 6/7/16. “By the extant Supreme Court’s decisions, once a court comes to the decision that a particular process before it constitutes abuse of judicial or legal process, the appropriate orders it can make, is to put an end to the continuation of such proceeding. But as it is, it is pending before my learned
Falana
Professor Nwabueze brother, the Hon. Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High court, which is a court of co-ordinate jurisdiction and who has become seized of the charge as at 21/6/16 when he adjourned it to 27/6/16 for the arraignment of the defendants listed in Exhibit “B” attached to the Plaintiff’s “Motion Ex parte.” Elder statesman and erudite lawyer, Professor Ben
This particular case is before the judiciary and is not being decided by the executive arm of the government. We should allow the process to take its course.
Nwabueze (SAN) was to drive home the point about the inseparability of the Senate leadership from the Senate in a piece published last week and made available to the leadership of the National Assembly. He wrote: “First, the Senate, as an institution, cannot be divorced from its President and his deputy. The two presiding officers personify the Senate which is an abstraction, an artificial entity endowed by law with a legal personality as expounded by the highest court in England, the House of Lords. In an authoritative pronouncement in Lennard’s Carrying Co. v Asiatic Petroleum Co. Ltd [1915] A.C 705, a case in which the managing director of a company was being prosecuted for an offence committed by the company, Viscount Haldane, Lord Chancellor, delivering the judgment of the House of Lords, said: “The Senate President and his deputy are therefore the alter ego, the personification, of the artificial entity, the abstraction, called the Senate which cannot in law be divorced or separated from its President and his deputy. It is therefore the Senate that is being dragged to court in this case. Second, the prosecution of the Senate President and his deputy for forgery clearly offends and violates the principle of the separation of powers. The statement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation speaks glibly about the separation of powers without appreciating its implications and incidents. “The pronouncement by the United States Supreme Court is very significant in relation to the prosecution of the Senate President and his Deputy for forgery which is an attempt by the Executive to exercise coercive influence over the Senate as personified by its President and his Deputy. It is therefore a blatant assault on the separation of powers whose implications and incidents are expounded in the above quoted pronouncement by the Supreme Court of the United States. “Third, the effect of the prosecution as an assault on, and violation of, the principle of the separation of powers is brought out emphatically by the fact that the prosecution is, not for forgery of the certificate of the individuals being prosecuted, as in the Salisu Buhari case, but of the Standing Rules of the Senate, made pursuant to its power under section 60 of the Constitution to make rules “to regulate its own procedure.” “The Standing Rules are therefore a matter relating to the internal affairs of the Senate. To quote the US Supreme Court again “the sound application of the principle that makes one master in his own house precludes him from imposing his control in the house of another who is master there.” The principle of the separation of powers recognizes the Senate as master in its own house, with the power to regulate its internal proceedings by means of the Standing Rules. It makes hardly any sense for the Standing Rules to have been forged by Dir. Saraki and Dir. Ekweremadu otherwise than in their capacity as President and Deputy President of the Senate respectively. “If those Standing Rules have been forged, as alleged, it is for the Senate, as master in its own house, to decide and, if it so decides, to say what sanctions to impose on the culprits. It is the Senate that elected the President and his Deputy and can vote to remove them from office. The Executive has no right to interfere by using the coercive process of the judiciary which is another arm of the government of the Federation, separate from both the National Assembly and the Executive.” “This matter transcends partisan politics and has nothing to do with the war against corruption, which we all stand for. The matter demands of the National Assembly, irrespective of party affiliations, to appreciate that what is involved in this case is an attempt to erode not only its powers but also the cardinal principles of the Constitution; it touches indeed the heart of our democracy, and imperils our engagement with it.” It is obvious to the senators engaged in the fight at hand that the battle is an admixture of politics and law. In fact it has little to do with the latter. The fear among the lawmakers is that the Federal Government decided to flag off the planned clean sweep of Senate leadership following the delay being experienced in the suit against Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). They believe that the plot this time is to keep Saraki and Ekweremadu out of the chamber on criminal trial such that a leadership change could be effected. Even if that is the target, it is certain that the dynamics of Senate’s composition would still pose huge challenges. The APC is divided between the Saraki loyalists and those loyal to the APC, while the Senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are more than one third of the chamber, see Saraki as a victim of power play rather than an offender of the law.
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politics&policy
MUHAMMADU SABIU brings the undercurrents in the impeachment moves by members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly against Governor Abdulazziz Yari.
T
wo major events that have elicited a lot of public curiousity in the last few days are the military coup in far away Turkey and the attempt by members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Abdulazeez Yari. Indeed, the incidents share a number of similarities. While, the Turkey coup did not succeed, the plot to remove the governor also suffered a sort of setback. Whereas the Turkey putsch was resisted by the people, who stood behind their president, Tayyip Erdogan, the plan to impeach Yari was foiled by youths. Not much was also known about the reason detre for the two ugly scenarios, though a series of allegations soon trailed the move by the Zamfara lawmakers against the governor. One of the allegations against him was perceived nonchalant attitude to security, especially against the background of the activities of cattle rustlers in the state. Many alleged the suspected criminals were on the loose wreaking havoc in the state. In fact, the cattle rustlers are believed to have sacked many communities spreading across seven local government of the state. They are said to have not only taken over most of the villages and towns in the communities but also acted like Boko Haram members by appointing their cronies to over the affairs of the ‘conquered’ territories. Indeed, the situation was so serious that recently, a Senator, Saidu Mohammed Dansadau, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state because of alleged wanton killings and destruction of properties by the criminals almost on a daily basis. He claimed that most of the villagers had been turned to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Apart from the security issue, it was gathered that the lawmakers alleged that the governor disbursed more than N4 billion even before he appointed his commissioners, apparently eithout appropriation. Thus, they were of the view that the action of the governor constituted a serious impeacheable offence. They equally raised issues over the manner the N10.8 billion bailout fund from the Federal Government. The lawmakers alleged that the government flouted the guidelines on how it should be spent, resulting in the alleged serious embarrassment to both the government and people of the state when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) listed the state as one of the defaulting states. The legislators also alleged that the names of more than 1,000 civil servants were removed from payroll by the government in the name of a verification exercise.
Friday, 22 July, 2016
Yari: The tension over impeachment threat
Yari It was gathered that to perfect their plot, a total of 24 lawmakers converged at the residence of the Speaker, Honourable Sanusi Garba Rikiji, instead of the Assembly complex. But, one of them was said to have leaked the plot, hence hundreds of youths stormed the residence of the Speaker, calling for the head of the lawmakers. But they managed to escape from the mob before the youths could cause further havoc. Addressing newsmen thereafter, the leader of the protesters, Sufyanu Shehu said they got wind of the plot of the lawmakers, he and other youths quickly mobilised and stormed the residence of the speaker, where they found the vehicles of the lawmakers parked outside the premises. He described the action of
Rikiji the lawmakers as unpatriotic as it was antithetical to their preelection promise. He declared: “The people of Zamfara did not elect them to impeach anybody but to work with the executive towards moving the state forward.” He accused the lawmakers of pursuing their personal interest without recourse to the welfare of the people of the state. Shehu also alleged that they collect a sum of N75 million subvention from the governor every month, adding that the time had come for the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to probe the lawmakers. He accused the lawmakers of mounting pressure on the governor to buy new vehicles for them. “Where is the money to buy these vehicles? After all, most of them have been given one vehicle during their
Investigation has revealed that a stakeholders’ meeting will soon hold to settle the rift between the governor and the lawmakers.
first tenure,” he alleged. Shehu further alleged that the lawmakers decided to move against the governor because he refused to yield to their demand for N15 million each.” The protest, according to Nigerian Tribune investigations, led to the destruction of 10 vehicles, as the lawmakers had to jump over the fence at the Speaker’s residence to save their lives. It took the intervention of the police and other security agencies to bring the situation under control. Though, there was no official statement from the government over the rift, the governor was said to be in Abuja to see the president at the time of the incident. It was gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari had, during his recent visit to the state, promised to repay the sum of N58 billion spent by Zamfara to rehabilitate and reconstruct federal roads in Zamfara. However, the state House of Assembly has reacted to the development. The chairman House Committee on Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Dayyyabu Rijiya, denied any crisis between the legislative arm and the governor. He categorically said the Assembly
did not meet to plot the impeachment of the governor. Instead, he said the lawmakers met at the Speaker’s residence to identify ways of addressing the issue of bailout funds released to the state by the Federal Government. “For instance, we want to make our own input on how the money that will be spent by the state government,” he stated. He also said the problem of massive deduction of civil servants salary, fate of 1, 400 youths employed by the government about three years ago and were yet were yet to be paid and the sacking of local government workers in the name of ghost workers were some of the things to be discussed. Rijiya, who is also the chairman the House Committee on Information, described the action by the youths as politically motivated. He said the youths acted based on an outright rumour, affirming that the Assembly would continue to support government programmes that have direct bearings to the common man. The spokesman called on the people to desist from emgaging in activities capable of jeopardising peace in the state. Reacting to the purported imContinues pg 26
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
A
S last week’s aborted coup in Turkey unfolded, my mind raced to the country’s relationship with Nigeria which is quite close on the political, economic and military spheres. It has grown particularly from the early part of the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to the present day. I was with the former president on a two-day state visit to the country in 2011 as he was hosted by the then President Abdullah Gul. It was his first ever state visit to any country. That was indicative of the bond between the two countries. With a direct air link from Nigeria, Turkey has been a favourite destination for Nigerian traders, in particular, who procure merchandise including fashion, furniture, building materials among others, for the Nigerian market. Presently, Turkey’s total trade volume with Nigeria is put at $1.145 billion with the country’s export to Nigeria being $314 million while Nigeria’s export to Turkey is worth $831 million. Turkey offers advance technology in building and construction which Nigeria has benefitted from, just as it provides educational opportunities at various levels for Nigerians, including undergraduate scholarships. I recall that it was the need to bolster the already warm relations that Jonathan undertook that trip, leading a 15man Federal Government delegation, comprising state governors, ministers and captains of industry. The business gurus participated in Turkish-Nigerian Business Forum. There were bilateral talks which led to the signing of historical agreements with the potential to heighten trade volume between the two Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) and Developing 8 (D-8) member-nations to over $2 billion. An agreement to open up the economies of the two countries to each other for agreed business relations was also formally announced. Before Jonathan’s visit to Turkey, there had been a history of high-level traffic of officials to and from the two nations, continually striving to better the relations including the one made by President Gul to Nigeria in July 2010. Late Ojo Maduekwe as Nigerian Foreign Minister, was in Turkey in 2008. Former Turkish Minister of state and deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek was also in Nigeria in November 2010 just as its former Minister of
inside
aso rock WITH LEON USIGBE
08078891838 leonusigbe@ yahoo. co.uk
Erdogan, Turkey’s coup and s Nigeria State, Zafer Çaglayan, was in Nigeria in December 2010. Former Nigerian Foreign Minister Aminu Wali, was also in Turkey in December 2015 to explore new cooperation opportunities in various fields and subsequently completed the legal basis for bilateral relations between the two countries with the signing of agreements in political, military, economic, commercial, cultural and educational fields. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the target of last week’s putsch, was received at the presidential villa, Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari for an official visit to Nigeria between March 1-3 this year at the head of a large Turkish delegation including Turkish Foreign Minister, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister of Economy, Minister of Environment and Urban Planning and Minister of Defense. Erdogan was keen to stress that Nigeria was an important partner to Turkey as a regional and global actor and was confident that the bilateral agreements signed between both countries during that visit would help strengthen their relations. During the last Eid-el-Fitr, he was the only foreign leader on record to send goodwill message to Nigeria Muslims. In power for 14 years, Erdogan has brought immense progress to his country and is at the verge of clinching a European Union (EU) membership for it. But he has also been accused of becoming increasingly despotic, with
aso rock
his repressive government muzzling the press, curbing freedom of speech even 08078891838 though the same media he had WITH LEON leonusigbe@ co.uk constrained was what saved his yahoo. neck from the dangling sword off Damocles that night. Gradually, he is shedding Turkey of its secular status in favour of an Islamic state. He has initiated laws including on anti-terrorism that make it hard for opposition to thrive. These foibles were what the putschists sought to latch upon to oust him. Many Nigerians must have watched with horror and apprehension as the revolution was televised that night, taking cognizance of the close affinity Erdogan’s Turkey had developed with Nigeria. But around the world, there was a sense that some governments wanted to see the backs of Erdogan and thus, quietly hoped that the coup succeeded. That explained the tepid or lack of prompt condemnations of the military action from particularly Western nations. Pundit after pundit celebrated the fact that one more strongman was about to see the end of his empire and some even suggested that Erdogan might have already fled the country to seek political asylum in an undisclosed country. His supporters at home and many people in Nigeria would no doubt have been relived that democracy and power of the people prevailed. But for Erdogan himself and other authoritarian leaders, the experience of the night would have proved an invaluable lesson.
As lawmakers relocate to Kaduna Continued from pg 25
peachment saga, the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, condemned the move. Speaking through the state publicity secretary, Alhaji Sani Gwamna, the party reaffirmed its support for the governor, stating: “We will resist any attempt to impeach the him.” On his part, APC Youth leader in the state, Abdullahi Sani Dan Azumi, said the problem between the governor started during the recent visit of Buhari to launch operation HARBA KUNAMA, as all the lawmakers stayed away. He promised to mobilise 10,000 youths in support of the governor. Meanwhile, investigation has revealed that a stakeholders’ meeting will soon hold to settle the rift between the governor and the lawmakers. It is expected to be chaired by the APC leader in the state, Senator Ahmed Sani. In another development, operatives from the Department of State Security (DSS) arrested the speaker of the, Alhaji Sanusi Garba Rikiji, his deputy, Muhammad Abubakar Gumi, the majority leader, Isah Abdulmumini and the chief whip, Abdullahi Dansadau. It was gathered that the Buhari
The lawmakers accused Governor Yari of crippling governance in the state through his constant travelling abroad and his refusal to address the issues raised by them.
remaining 20 members of the.Assembly fled to Kaduna, where they issued a statement, calling on President Buhari to intervene in what they described as alleged abuse of office by Governor Yari. The statement, which was signed by the House Committee Chairman on Information, Mannir Aliyu Gidan Jaja, also accused the governor of “corrupt usage of local government funds for state purposes.” Other charges against the governors by the legislators include “inadequate explanation of N1 billion commercial agriculture (CBN) loan, non-remittance of pension funds to pension administrators, non-remittance of 5 percent emirate councils funds, the gross misappropriation of bailout funds to the state by the federal government to settle workers’ salaries, including N10b for 2014 and N1.46b in 2016.”
Ibrahim Idris The lawmakers also accused Governor Yari of crippling governance in the state through his constant travelling abroad and his refusal to address the issues raised by them. “Rather he resorted to political intimidation, arrest and detention of principal officers of the House and other supporting staff.” The statement, therefore, called on President Buhari to give directive for unconditional release of the affected officers. Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Police Commissioner, Mr Istifanus Shattima, has deployed additional operatives to stop miscreants from disrupting normal activities at the House of Assembly. He said that the deployment of policemen to the Assembly was in response to the action of a mob which attacked the private residence of the speaker.
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
heartcopy
Monica Taiwo monicataiwo@yahoo.com 08055001724
D Am I the father of these boys?
EAR Monica, I need you to help me out, I am down and out; though still on my feet, but I can tell you I am flat out; emotionally and in any other way you can describe it. I never knew I have been living on a keg of gun power which is about to explode and this situation depends on me; yes, it is in my hands. I could either keep quiet or burst the bubble. Unfortunately, it is not a type of issue you can confide in anyone or a family member because all I have worked for will crumble like the cookies. For over two weeks now that I learnt of this bitter truth, I have not been able to look at my wife in the face. She has been asking me if anything was wrong with me, but how will I tell her that I have discovered she has been unfaithful to me and that I am not the father of our two boys; those beautiful angels? She is guilty, yes; I am equally guilty. My inability to tell her is as a result of my guilt as well. She must have taken the bull by the horn and looked for a solution to our problem especially her trauma in my mother’s hands. I am my mother’s only child, and I came into her life quite late when she was advanced in age. My father, typical of most African men couldn’t wait; he had married another woman who had already bore him children. God however gave my mother joy through me. Being an only child, one would believe that my mother would spoil me silly, but trust her she didn’t. She was firm and made sure I went to school and I became a graduate and even had post graduate degrees. You know what teenage years were like, especially when you find yourself in
DEAR Taiwo, Please, help me. I have dated a lady for seven years. I loved her and believed she loved me until she started showing me her other side. I discovered and actually caught her with other men. Before now, whenever I discovered her infidelity, she would plead with me. But in recent times, she became confrontational. I am also tired of the relationship and I want to be out, but my problem is the oath we both took. When our relationship was at its peak, she suggested we took an oath because she was afraid another lady would snatch me from her. We cut our hands and touched blood vowing not to leave each other. I don’t know if this oath means nothing to her because I am afraid if it has any consequence. Please, I am tired of my relationship with her, how can I break the oath? Chidima Dear Chidima, I really don’t know why you will take an oath with any one, talk less of a lady who is only your girlfriend and not even your wife. Well, I am sure you have learnt your lesson now.
the wrong group. This was what happened to me just when I gained admission into the university. My friends and I planned and gang raped a lady almost all of us had asked out, but she refused to date any of us. After this incident, I started feeling uncomfortable with my organ. I couldn’t urinate and when I raised this with my friends, they said they felt the same way. One of us who was then older said we could have con-
tracted gonorrhea from the girl, but the others said it was not it. Eventually, we concluded that it was gonorrhea; a friend said we should visit a herbalist who would treat us. The man actually treated us all. I felt better, but the cure was not complete. I had traces of Sexually Transmitted Diseases STDs, off and on, despite the fact that I didn’t have sex with any other woman. Eventually, I had to confide in my mother
I want to break this oath! I can only suggest solutions because I am not an expert in this field.
Though you did not state your religion or belief, but from your text, you must be somebody who fears God, so please, see your pastor or someone who is spiritual so that he or she will help you with prayers that can break the oath. As for your girlfriend, let her be.
about two years after when I couldn’t have an erection. Though she was shocked, but she took me to a doctor who treated but failed to tell me that I could have long lasting damage. After I was healed, life continued and after my Masters degree and a well paying job, I met and married my wife. Like every mother who has an only child, my mother was impatient with us. She wanted grand children without delay. My wife went from pillar to post, the pressure was quite much, I knew it. I wasn’t of much help too because I refused to see doctors with her. I derided myself with the belief that she was the one with the problems. Eventually, she became pregnant seven years after our marriage. Even before she gave birth to our first son, my mother was ecstatic and pampered her. When Oluwasinaayomi was born, our marriage and home became magical and it wasn’t a surprise to anyone when she announced when Sina was about nine months that she was pregnant again. Our joy knew no bounds when she gave birth to another boy, Ayomidipupo. I love my wife and boys with my life and will do anything for them. We are a happy family until few months ago when in the bid to better the lot of my family; I applied and secured a better job. This job however required that I undergo a comprehensive series of medical checkups. It was during this process that I was told that I cannot father a child due to the fact that my sperm had been destroyed by the fact that I left the gonorrhea I contracted while I was young untreated for too long. I didn’t believe this and I went to two other doctors, our family doctor who treated my wife all the while for infertility, inclusive and the answer was the same. Our family doctor read my mind perfectly, and he counseled me to take things easy. I have since been baffled and depressed. My wife as I stated above has started asking me questions. What would I tell her? How do I handle this situation? I am so sad; help me before I do something desperate. Anonymous.
share a burden
With Monica Taiwo
08055001724(sms only) monicataiwo@yahoo.com
You really do not know what she had done after you both took the oath. Sort yourself out and ask God to forgive you, so you can move on with your life.
I’m not menstruating at 19! DEAR Taiwo, I am 19 and I have not started menstruating. All my friends and class mates have started long before now. I cannot tell my mummy this because she will not answer me. I also want to start menstruating, please, what can I do? I am resuming school next week and I also want to talk about it with my friends. Tina.
PHOTO: Google.com
Dear Tina, I am not a medical personnel, but I can tell you now that you
need to see one to get help. Starting your menses as early as nine or as late as anytime is a function of your biological makeup which cannot be similar to your friends’, but not withstanding, at 19 you should have started your menstrual cycle. I will also advise that you speak with your mother about this; she is the only one you can confide in and rely on. Do so without delay so you both can seek medical help.
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Friday, 22 July, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048
features By Gbemi Solaja
N
ormalcy is yet to return to Iba community in Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, as anxiety and apprehension still pervade the air in the community. It is now four days since the traditional ruler of the community, the Oniba of Iba kingdom, His Royal Highness Oba Yushua Goriola Oseni, was whisked away by suspected militants. It will be recalled that the armed men stormed the community at about 10: 30 pm last Saturday, shooting sporadically into the air to announce their presence, before abducting the royal father. The attack, which unfortunately claimed the lives of a security guard who was on duty at the palace that night and that of another resident of the community, saw the monarch’s wife, Kuburat, sustaining gunshot injuries. However, for many residents and sympathisers, trying to come to terms with what happened that night is as difficult as the realisation that the Oba is yet to return to the community. To the residents, the manner in which the traditional ruler was whisked away is a major concern for everybody in the community, with a middle-aged man describing it as an abomination. It was learnt that the suspected militants, numbering about six, burst into the bedroom of the royal father after they had successfully overpowered the palace security. They met the traditional ruler who was on his way to the bathroom, and four of the armed men dragged him out, while shooting at anyone who attempted to rescue him. While describing the attack on the palace and the abduction of the king as a taboo, Comrade Saheed Oseni, the second son of the monarch, described the act as shocking. “In Yorubaland, we all know that this is a taboo; for a king to be abducted in this manner,” the prince said. However, narrating his experience, Mr Jimoh Lawal, who had been working in the palace for the past 17 years as a security guard, explained that security within and around the palace had been near perfection over the years and no one would ever have thought that the palace could be attacked in the way it was. “What happened is just so painful; the Oba is a very jovial person, and he relates with everybody well. You would hardly know that we work for Baba, because he took all of us as his own children. “Everybody is still in a state of confusion; in fact, it is like a dream to me. I cannot believe that this is happening. If you look at the palace, within his own capacity, Kabiyesi did everything to secure himself, but of course, God is the utmost security. What we are praying for now is for him to be rescued,” the security guard said. Speaking on what could have been the motive for the kidnap, Prince Oseni revealed that, “this is not the first or second kidnap attempt in this area. We have been hearing that there had been series of kidnap attempts around this Ojo/ Badagry area, but we hope the security agencies will be able to unravel this mystery,” Prince Oseni said, while revealing that the kidnappers are yet to contact the family to demand for ransom. Speaking further, Prince Oseni, who is the Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, (SSANU), Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, blamed
•The palace of the Oniba of Iba. Inset is the royal father, Oba Goriola Oseni.
One kidnap, much agony Oniba of Iba:
•It’s a taboo for a king to be abducted in this manner —Son
the security situation in the country on the economy, saying that if nothing is done to arrest the situation, then things will get worse. “While blaming people who engage in this kind of evil acts, the truth is that the government is not rising up to its responsibilities because, in a country where there is high unemployment rate, where university graduates can’t find anything doing, and where the employed are losing their jobs on a daily basis, then such things are bound to happen. “Having said this, I am not encouraging this kind of heinous act, but it is high time government rose to its responsibilities;
If you look at the palace, within his own capacity, Kabiyesi did everything to secure himself, but of course, God is the utmost security.
I believe community leaders, as well as traditional rulers are also trying in their own little ways to improve the lots of their subjects. “I am, therefore, using this opportunity to call on the abductors to release the king as he is a man of the people; many people depend on him for survival, and it is even a taboo for a royal father to be so kidnapped from his palace,” Prince Oseni said. At the vicinity of the palace, residents of the community could be seen gathering to discuss the incident, with one middle-aged man who gave his name as Olu, charging security agencies to rescue the traditional ruler. “This is really shocking to have happened in Yorubaland, and every hand must be on deck towards ensuring that the traditional ruler is returned to the palace safe,” Olu said. Another sympathiser who gave his name as Taiwo, described the situation around the palace since the abduction as worrysome. “Everybody is in a state of shock; nobody is happy at all and we are all waiting for positive news concerning the king. “It is so unfortunate that we have allowed the situation of the country to degenerate to the situation where kings are no longer respected but are targets for kidnappers,” Taiwo said. For another resident, Fatai Adebule, the kidnap of the royal father should serve as a wake up call to everybody, particularly the government, that the security situation in
the country is deteriorating everyday. “Nobody is safe in the country any more; when we sleep in our homes, we fear that criminally-minded people will come to attack us; when we go about our lawful businesses, we don’t know who will come to attack us. “Everything, however, boils down to the fact that things are not good for the country economically. Our leaders have failed to use our wealth to provide for the citizens, and that is why we have this type of incident happening. “What we want now is for the security agencies to rescue Baba, and then guarantee his security,” Mr Adebule said. Suggesting that those who kidnapped the royal father could have been the same set of militants disturbing the peace of the people at Ikorodu township, a trader in Iba, Madam Suliat Ramoni, said most of her relatives who live close to the water in Ikorodu have all abandoned their homes because of the activities of these militants. “We expect that the security agencies, particularly the navy, will start manning the waterways, but we are yet to see this. “If the navy had deployed its officers to the waterways since the Ikorodu crisis started, there was no way the militants could have abducted the royal father,” Madam Ramoni said, while calling on the Federal Government to come to the rescue of the Lagos State government in the area of security.
29 news No impeachment move against me —Yari •As Zamfara speaker, others regain freedom From Leon Usigbe and Muhammadu Sabiu
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MBATTLED Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State has rejected reported attempt by the state House of Assembly to impeach him for alleged abuse of office. He told State House correspondents on Wednesday night, in Abuja, that there was no such move as, according to him, even members of the state legislature had acknowledged that there was only a misunderstanding. “Even the assembly says there is no such move and that there was a misunderstanding. “But you know, it is democracy we are practicing and everyone can be hurt. We are peaceful,” he said. The assembly had claimed that it embarked on the impeachment proceeding against the governor for allegedly abusing his office. In the statement, signed by Mannir Jaja, chairman of the house committee on information, the lawmakers said he had crippled governance in the state through his constant traveling abroad. They accused him of not providing adequate explanation of N1 billion commercial agriculture/CBN loan. Other allegations against Yari were non-remittance of pension funds to pension administrators, nonremittance of five per cent emirate councils funds, the gross misappropriation of bailout funds to the state by the Federal Government to settle workers’ salaries, including N10billion for 2014 and N1.46billion in 2016. The governor, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke after presiding over a meet-
ing of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) where he was also the chairman. On the NGF meeting, he revealed that the forum received some presentation from the German ambassador to Nigeria, in connection with a planned trip for vocational programme.
He said the forum also received a presentation from Vodacom “on the area we are going to partner is in the area of health and agriculture.” Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Garba Rikiji, and three
BENUE State House of Assembly, on Thursday, slammed five months suspension on the leader of ‘Consensus for Change,’ group, who are mostly Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the assembly, Honourable Kester Kyenger, representing Logo state constituency for gross misconduct. The suspension came on the heels of the crisis that rocked the assembly on Tuesday, and subsequent call by the group on the Speaker, Honourable Terkimbir Kyanger, to resign. Majority leader of the as-
Whip, Abdullahi Dansadau. Findings gathered that the lawmakers were arrested as a result of crisis that emanated between the 24 members of the state house of assembly and the governor. The lawmakers had,
among other things, accused the governor of being economical on how the N1billion agriculture fund was spent, non-remittance of pension funds to pension administrators, nonremittance of five per cent emirate councils funds, gross misappropriation of bailout funds to the state by the federal government. However, a reliable source told the Nigerian Tribune that the state governor, Alhaji Yari, had directed for the immediate release of the affected officers.
Amaechi pegs AbujaKaduna train fare at N500 per trip Tyavzua Saanyol - Abuja
National Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni (left); national chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun (second left); Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi (right) and the deputy national chairman (South), Mr Segun Oni, during the final inspection of Nigerian modernisation railway (Abuja-Kaduna), ahead its inauguration, in Abuja, on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN
Detention: Court grants Fayose’s aide bail, slams •EFCC to appeal N5m fine on EFCC Sunday Ejike-Abuja
JUSTICE Olukayode Adeniyi of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Thursday, admitted Abiodun Agbele, an aide to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, to bail in the sum of N50 million and one surety in the like sum. The judge, while delivering judgment in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed against the anti-graft agency by Fayose’s aide, slammed a N5 million damages against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) as compensation for his unlawful arrest and detention. Justice Adeniyi held that the detention of Agbele since July 1, 2016 till date in Abuja by the EFCC was wrong, unlawful unconstitutional and a gross violation of his fundamental rights. Adeniyi, in the judgment, agreed with Agbele’s counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo, that the detention of the applicant beyond the period stipulated under Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, was a gross violation of the rights of the appli-
Benue assembly slams 5-month suspension on PDP member Johhnson Babajide-Makurdi
other principal officers that were detained in Abuja, by the Department of the State Security (DSS) have regained their freedom. The others were the deputy speaker, Muhammad Abubakar Gummi, the majority leader, Isah Abdulmumini and the Chief
Friday, 22 July, 2016
sembly, Honourable Benjamin Adayin, had moved a motion backing it with house standing order 10 rule 5 which makes the house to punish any erring member. Adayin, in his submission, said Kyenger had, at various times, granted interview with media organisations which painted the assembly in a bad light and called on the members to punish him to serve as deterrent to others. While seconding the motion, Honourable Adam Okloho, All Progressives Congress (APC) member from Adoka/Ugboju state constituency, said Kyenger
was liable and must be sanctioned in line with the dictates of the assembly so as to instill discipline. However, in a counter motion raised by Honourable Lanna Jato of the PDP, Katsina Ala, told the assembly that the rule was that the matter should be referred to the judiciary, ethics and privilege committee where he would be given fair hearing. This was supported by Honourable Egli Ahubi PDP representing Otukpo/ Apa state constituency, who called on the assembly to toe the right path in line with the rules of the assembly.
cant to freedom of liberty, dignity and right to own properties. The judge condemned the action of the EFCC for brazenly violating fundamental rights of individuals under the guise of performance of its statutory functions, adding that the fine imposed on the antigraft agency was to make it operate within the ambit of the law. The court also took swipe at the EFCC for not being honest to the Magistrate Court to obtain a remand order to detain Agbele, adding “That if the Magistrate Court had been informed of the pendency of this fundamental rights suit, definitely, it will not have granted the remand order, upon which the applicant was detained.. “The detention of the applicant after a suit had being lodged at this court is unconstitutional and illegal as the applicant has already ran to this court to seek refuge from the violation of his rights by the respondent,” he said and voided the remand warrant issued by the Magistrates Court for being of no effect to the applicant, having been obtained during the pendency of the instant case. Justice Adeniyi also lambasted security agents, especially the EFCC, for imposing stringent condi-
tions on suspects in the name of granting administrative bail, adding that the stringent conditions violated Sections 30-33 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. Meanwhile, the EFCC has said it will immediately appeal the ruling of a Federal Capital Territory High Court which, on Thursday, granted bail to Mr Abiodun Agbele, a suspect who is being investigated by the commission for a range of alleged criminal infractions bordering on fraud and money laundering. Justice Olukayode Fadeniyi, in a ruling which the commission described as “shocking” offered bail to Agbele and ordered the EFCC to pay the suspect N5million as compensation for unlawful detention. The judge claimed that the failure of the EFCC to charge Agbele to court, since his arrest, amounted to an abuse of his fundamental rights. But the commission described Justice Fadeniyi’s conclusion as “curious” against the background of the information presented to the court, which included the fact that the suspect was being held with valid remand warrants issued by competent courts. The EFCC, however, said it was filing a motion for a stay of execution of the ruling.
MINISTER of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed that passengers will not pay more than N500 train fare from Abuja to Kaduna or vice versa, when the project is finally flagged off by next week Tuesday. Amaechi disclosed this on Thursday, in Abuja, when he toured the rail project to ascertain its readiness for public use. The Minister during a chat with some passengers at one of the rail stations at Shem, asked for their opinion on how much they thought government should be collecting, and thereafter pegged the fare at N500. According to him, “the passengers have asked me to bring the fare down to N500 and I think I can do that,” he stated, noting that originally they (government) had planned to collect N900 for business class and N600 for economy class. The Minister was accompanied by the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun, who said the project is an indication that, indeed, change has come to Nigeria. Oyegun stated that, “you know, we all sit in Abuja, we hardly know the reality of what is going on, I think the only way I can describe this project is that, it is the beginning of those things that the future holds under this present administration of change.” Also speaking during the tour, the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said the project was ready for public usage, though he noted that the speed of the train was slow at 30 kilometers per hour.
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South-westnews
Friday, 22 July, 2016
SDP raises the alarm over plot to arrest Olu Falae Says party, not Falae, collected N100m from PDP Jacob Segun Olatunji—Abuja
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head of the Ondo State gubernatorial election, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on Thursday, raised the alarm over the alleged plot to arrest its national chairman, Chief Olu Falae, by linking him with the ongoing arms probe under the office of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd). Addressing newsmen in Abuja, on Thursday, the national publicity secretary of the party, Alhaji Alfa Mohammed, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call those behind the plot to order in the national interest, saying that “the motive behind the plot is to keep our chairman out of circulation before and during the election, and thereafter release him.” Mohammed, who explained that contrary to the rumour making the round that Falae collected a sum of N100million from Dasuki for the 2015 presidential election in order to support the re-election of President Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, said “it was not Chief Olu Falae that collected the money but the SDP which had a working agreement with the PDP at that time.” While insisting that such an agreement was normal in a democracy, he dismissed the claim in some quarters that it was Falae that single handedly collected the money which was now being linked to the arms scandal at the office of the national security adviser. He said that the truth of the matter was that Chief Falae, in his capacity as the national chairman summoned the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and informed the party that Chief Tony Anenih, in his capacity as the chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP, had visited him in his house at Akure, to request for a working electoral arrangement with the SDP towards
the 2015 presidential election. According to him, “Chief Falae further informed us that he gave Chief Anenih six conditions which the PDP must fulfill before he could present their request to the (SDP) for consideration. The oral discussion was followed by a letter from Chief Falae, asking Chief Anenih and PDP to confirm acceptance of the
six conditions in writing. “The money promised by the PDP was not received for about two months and was only received on 25/3/15, three days to the presidential election. It is important to note that following the delay in the arrival of the money, the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the SDP mandated Chief Falae to raise and advance to the party, some funds pending
the receipt of the financial support promised by the PDP. “Subsequently, the national chairman transferred N30.5milion to the party’s headquarters account on 3/2/15 and arranged lodgments of N70million on the same account on 6/2/15, making a total of N100.5million. “On receipt of the PDP contribution on March 25,
Pulling-out ceremony of Controller of Prisons Oyo State, Ogunmola Tairudeen Adewumi and his wife, Diana, at the Prisons service, Oyo State secretariat, Ibadan, on Tuesday. PHOTO: Tommy Adegbite.
‘Prevalence of genital mutilation in Osun worrisome’ Oluwole Ige—Osogbo
The wife of Osun State governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, has described the highest prevalence of female genital mutilation in the state as worrisome, contending that sensitisation and awareness campaign must be stepped up to stop the practice. Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital, Aregbesola, who is also the president of Sheri Care Foundation, said concerted efforts should be made by all relevant stakeholders to tackle the growing menace of female genital mutilation, which is more prevalent in the Southern zone than the Northern re-
gion of the country. She maintained that data from National Demographic Health Survey, 2013 indicated that “Nigeria has the third largest absolute number of women and girls (19.9 million) who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) worldwide after Egypt and Ethiopia.” Quoting the data from the National Demographic Health Survey, Aregbesola asserted that “80 per cent of women in Nigeria undergo circumcision before age five. FGM is more prevalent in the Southern zones than the Northern zones. The result of this survey puts states with the highest prevalence as Osun (77 per cent),
Ebonyi (74per cent), Ekiti (72per cent), Imo (68per cent), Oyo (66per cent) and Lagos (34.5per cent).” “It is more worrisome from the above data that our state (Osun) stays on top
A cleric has called on the Senate to legislate against rape and noise pollution, which he described as heinous crimes against the victims. Making the call on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of his church, Christ Apostolic Advent Church, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo State
on Sunday, Reverend Dr Joseph Kayode, noted that rapists have messed up the social and marital lives of their victims while sound pollution in churches and mosques have led to sleepless nights and hypertension among members of the society. According to the man of God, rapists should “be punished accordingly be-
cause they have wickedly destroyed the lives of those they raped, especially infants.” Reverend Kayode also urged government not to take the issue of rape lightly. On noise pollution, the cleric said before the advent of sound instrument in the country, people prayed to God and God hearkened to their prayers, adding that
of the national prevalence data. This calls for concern and the need to mobilise all stakeholders to help stop this unwholesome practice,” she remarked.
states. “The Central Working Committee further decided that an amount of about N12.1million should be transferred to some leaders, stakeholders and candidates for election purposes while a sum of N21.7million was made as a token refund to the national chairman out of N100.5million he had advanced to the party. About N78.1milion is therefore, still outstanding out of the funds arranged and advanced by the national chairman. From the foregoing, it is clear that it was the SDP as a party that utilised the money provided by the PDP for legitimate election purposes.” He recalled that in 2007, “Chief Falae was the national chairman of Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA). In that year’s general elections, while other parties in the country did not support General Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the DPA under the leadership of Chief Falae adopted General Buhari as its presidential candidate since the DPA had no presidential candidate of its own. “It is on record that the DPA made financial contributions of about N20million to Buhari’s campaign in the South West which was championed and led by Chief Olu Falae. If that did not constitute a crime or an offence to warrant investigations then, inter-party electoral cooperation in 2015 can neither be novel nor constitute a crime.”
Police arrests 2 suspected kidnappers of Ondo monarch Hakeem Gbadamosi— Akure
Men of the Ondo State Police Command on Thursday arrested two suspects who were allegedly involved in the abduction of the traditional ruler of Iyasan community, in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Abiodun Oyewumi.
Legislate against rape, noise pollution, cleric urges Senate By Taiwo Olanrewaju
2015, the Central Working Committee further requested that the national chairman should further transfer a sum of N66.150million to the account of the national secretariat of the party for disbursement to various state chapters of the SDP for prosecuting the elections. A disbursement committee was setup to effect the disbursement according to identified needs of the
using horn speaker to pray was hypocritical. His words: “People that are using horn speaker, especially in the midnight, are propagandists. Praying to God does not require shouting and the use of horn speaker.” The cleric, however, called on Christians to move closer to God and do His will always.
Oba Oyewumi was kidnapped in his palace at Iyasan in Irele by some hoodlums who came through the waterways and abducted the monarch before regaining his freedom some seven days after his abduction. The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Femi Joseph, said the suspects were arrested at Gbelegun community in Edo State, on Wednesday, through activities of the intelligence officers of the command. The PPRO listed the names of the suspects to include Ewerikuno Meretighan and Dede Ebelo. He said, “The suspects were arrested last night (Wednesday night) at Gbelegun town in Edo State through intelligence
by our anti-kidnap team led by Superintendent Adekunle Onabanjo.” Joseph said the suspects had confessed to the crime, adding that the men of the command were already on the trail of the fleeing members of the gang. “Our men are on the trail of the fleeing hoodlums and very soon we will catch them and show them to the world but the suspects are in our custody helping us in our further investigation,” he added. The PPRO appealed to the people of the state to always assist the police command in giving out information that could lead to the arrest of hoodlums in their environment.
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
Communiqué Issued at the end of the Meeting of Traditional Rulers in lIaje Local Government Council Area of Ondo State with Representatives of lIaje Forum At Williams Place, Igbokoda, Ondo State. 24 May, 2016
A
o
n emergency meeting of the Council of traditional Rulers in llaje was held on Tuesday 24 May, 2016 at Williams Place, Igbokoda at the instance of Ilaje Forum.The meeting received reports on the activities of Ilaje Forum especially the preparation for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State and the Forum's efforts at positioning lIaje indigenes to contest for the highest office in the State. The meeting reviewed the near absence of infrastructures in lIaje land inspite of the fact that the Local Government Area is the only Oil producing in the State and as such a member of the NDDC. The meeting discussed the unique location of lIaje land as a major oil producer a fact which is responsible for the establishment of OSOPADEC by Ondo State Government as an Agency to drive the development of infrastructures in lIaje land. The meeting further analyzed the development and poor state of infrastructures in the Local Government Area since 1999 inspite of the existence of these Agencies.The place of the Local Government area in the geopolitical equation of Ondo State was evaluated and the cooperation and peaceful coexistence of the people with oil companies operating in the area commended. After an exhaustive deliberation thorough analysis of the developmental issues articulated and detailed evaluation of the state of infrastructural development in lIaje (especially) since the return to democratic government in 1999, the following were observed. (i) (ii) (iii)
(iv)
(v)
That the interventionist Agencies established as vehicles for development in lIaje land have recorded minimal impact in their core mandate areas. That Ondo State Government would appear to have surrendered the development of Ilaje land to the interventionist Agencies. That the near absence of infrastructures in the Local Government Area has been attributed by Ministries, Department and Agencies of Ondo State Government to what they describe as difficult terrain. That the pace of development and state of infrastructures in lIaje does not justify Ilaje land's membership of NDDC and “Ownership” of OSOPADEC. That Ilaje has competent sons and daughters who are qualified to administer the State for the benefit of all its citizens.
(vi)
That all the major ethnic groups in Ondo State namely: Akoko, Owo, Akure, Ondo and Ikale except lIaje have produced Governors of the State at one time or the other except lIaje.
RESOLUTION In the light of the forgoing, it was resolved: (i) That the two interventionist Agencies i.e, NDDC and OSOPADEC should henceforth undertake infrastructural development in lIaje Local Government Area in line with their statutory mandates. (ii) The Council of Obas will resolutely support any lIaje son/daughter in his/her desire to contest the gubernatorial election in Ondo State. (iii) That Town Hall meetings should be organized in the domain of all traditional Rulers opinion leaders to articulate the desire of Ilaje to produce the next Governor of Ondo State as well as galvanize support for the “project” (iv) That all the Obas and opinion leaders in the local government Area should network and seek the cooperation of other traditional Rulers in Ondo State to support the election of an Ilaje as the next Governor of Ondo State. HRM OBA LAWRENCE A.A OMOWOLE III (JP), THE AMAPETU OF MAHIN KINGDOM, THE CHAIRMAN COUNCIL OF OBAS ILAJE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HRH OBA ANDREW IKUESAN, THE OLUBO OF OBE-NLA HRH OBA ELIAS IKUOMOLA, THE ALAGHO OF ODO-NLA HRH OBA ADEOYE EDEMA, THE MOLOKUN OF ATIJERE HRH OBA AFOLABI OLADIMEJI ODIDI OMO, LARADA I, THE OLU OF IGBOKODA HRH OBA OBAFEMI OGBARO, THE ODOKA OF OBE OGBARO ASIWAJU OLUYEMI OGUNYOMI For Ilaje Forum Dated this 24th day of May, 2016
34 news We didn’t pull out of CAN, Northern Christians say Collins Nnabuife -Abuja
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orthern Christians on Thursday debunked the rumour that they have pulled out of the Christian body, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) due to the controversy that trailed the just concluded CAN presidency election. The 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) affirmed that the just concluded election
which produced Dr Samson Ayokunle as CAN President was all inclusive and peaceful, adding that they stand by the election and the new leadership of CAN. Speaking on behalf of other Northern State CAN Chairmen, the Borno State Chairman of CAN, Bishop Mohammed Naga, told journalists in Abuja that those who carried such rumours were trying to disunite the body. Bishop Naga said that
‘Why poverty remains high’ By Wale Akinselure Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) Ibadan has associated the high rate of poverty and youth restiveness with the poor implementation of social protection programmes in the country. The institute held that government programmes such as Conditional cash transfer to the vulnerable, health fee waiver for pregnant women and children, communitybased health insurance scheme failed to yield impactful results due to poor funding, poor coverage, political manipulation and wrong targeting of beneficiaries. Dr Hakeem Tijani of the Public Sector Group, SGPRD, NISER, Ibadan decried these developments while presenting a research report at the monthly seminar series of the institute held on Tuesday.
While noting that social protection programmes for children of under-five, such as immunisation, free health care and free insecticide treated nets were successful in eradicating child mortality, Tijani said same success had not been recorded among youths and the elderly. Chairman of the event, Dr Charles Akinola, of the office of the Economic Development and Partnership, Osun State Government, maintained that poverty rate remained high because social protection programmes failed to get to the real beneficiaries. Giving instance of the success of the home grown feeding programme in Osun state, Akinola, who chaired the event, maintained that the effective implementation of such protection programmes would be impactful on the masses and many Nigerians.
Impeachment move against Buhari baseless —Oyo Chief of Staff By Remi Anifowose THE Chief of Staff to the Oyo State governor, Dr Gbade Ojo, has described as baseless the impeachment move against President Muhammadu Buhari. Ojo, who disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Ibadan, on Wednesday, said the move could not have been serious, saying the president had not committed an offence that could have warranted such move. He said Nigeria as a democratic country was being
guided by the rule of law; hence the president’s fight against corruption was worthwhile “even at this time.” Speaking on the ongoing investigation of principal officers in the National Assembly, the Associate Professor of Political Science said it was only the governors and the president that had immunity according to the 1999 constitution, but “the immunity doesn’t say they can not be investigated, only that they can’t be tried in any court until the end of their tenure.”
Robbers kill vigilante member in Omu-Ijebu A member of the Vigilance Security Organisation (VSO) in Omu-Ijebu area of Ogun State, Rafiu Shittu a.k.a. Agbede, has been reported killed along Ala/ Omu-Ijebu road in an attack by armed robbers. According to an eye witness account, late Rafiu Shittu, an indigene of OmuIjebu and a timber merchant, aged 42, died when he was accosted by some armed robbers as he was going to Igbile to meet his other colleagues in respect of a recent armed robbery
attack in the area. After he was shot, he managed to escape and call his colleagues who traced him to a nearby bush along the road. They, however, took him to the General Hospital, Omu-Ijebu, but died by the time he got to the hospital. Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the death of Shittu, noting that the corpse had been released to the family for burial on request, adding that investigation was ongoing.
all the statutory leaders of CAN in Northern Nigeria including the Zonal and State Chairmen were all present the election. “The election was peacefully conducted. It has been one of the peaceful elections conducted. “Pulling out of CAN? There is nothing of that na-
ture. Those who are saying this are just agents of division and disunity. These are the chairmen of northern Nigeria 19 states plus Abuja making 20. We are their representatives, there have never been such a meeting and nobody speak on our behalf, except we seat there
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
as executives of Northern CAN,” he said. While calling on the present CAN President to always stand for Christians in the north, Bishop Naga commended the immediate past administration of CAN led by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, for standing by the northern
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Christians during the hit of Boko Haram insurgency. “The past administration was one of the most wonderful administration the country, community had ever experienced, he (Oritsejafor) speak on our behalf and was sincerely known in the interior of the north,” he said
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35 CONFIRMATION OF NAME
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THIS BOX IS FOR SALE
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CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Oladosu Olasunkanmi Abraham am the same person as Oladosu Olasunkanmi and Oladosun Olasunkanmi A. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLADOSU OLASUNKANMI ABRAHAM. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and general public take note.
I, formerly Miss Olawusi Hannah Olubusayo now MRS ONI HANNAH OLUBUSAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.
I, formerly Kolawole Morufu now KOLAWOLE MORUFU AKINTUNDE. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.
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news Dokpesi lobbies South-West leaders for PDP chair ahead Lagos meeting today 36
By Kunle Oderemi
S
OME eminent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have begun
Friday, 22 July, 2016
intense lobbying of party leaders in the South-West for the position of national chairman at next month’s national convention in Port
Harcourt, Rivers State. One of them is the proprietor of Daar Communications, owners of Ray Power and African Independent
NGO, stakeholders interact with parents on disabilities, stigma By Joan Omionawele
IN a bid to combat disability in the society, a six-hour Parents’ Summit tagged: “Overriding Stigma with Compassion in the Community”, was recently held at Sam Shonibare Community Development Centre, Surulere, Lagos. It was co-sponsored by Promasidor Nigeria Limited and Fidson. The stakeholders in the community were made up of individuals, and service providers which comprised Autism Parents’ Association International, Mrs. Delphine MisanArenyeka, Patrick Speech and Language Centre and Down Syndrome Foundation. The Summit evolved through the Children Development Centre (CDC), a serviceoriented, non-profit organisation, a major contributor that PROBATE PUBLIC NOTICE We, MRS THERESA ODEYEMI and MR JOHN ADENIYI ODEYEMI C/O their solicitor OLUFEMI AMOKO ESq of Providence Law Chambers, F111, Ayeso Street, Ilesa, Osun State of Nigeria have applied to the Probate Registry of the Customary Court of Appeal, Osogbo for Letters of Administration to administer the Estate of late MR ISAAC AYINLA ODEYEMI of Igbigbon Ijesa, Iwara, via Ilesa, Osun State, who died intestate on the 1st day of March, 2016. Any objection to the application is to be forwarded to the Probate Registry of Customary Court of Appeal, Osogbo within 14days of this notice.
has been providing support in all areas regarding child care and services, along with the Autism Parents Association International, Mrs Delphine Misan-Arenyeka and Naomi Saliu-Lawal of Special Olympics. The organisation used its 20th Anniversary platform for many of the stakeholders in the disability community to address, interact and support parents, and listened to the families on how could help and build up better support systems. They chose July 6, 2016 to address the challenges that parents, guardians, families and care givers encountered while managing their children and young adults with disabilities. Each session was moderated by Mrs. Bolanle Adewole and supported by ace broad-
PROBATE PUBLIC NOTICE
I, ADEDOTUN SAIDI ADEBAYO C/O his solicitor YEMI IBRAHEEM ABOLUSODUN ESq of Yemi Abolusodun & Associates, 20, Ajegunle Street, Beside Ore-Meji Welder, Olorunsogo Area, Osogbo, Osun State of Nigeria have applied to the Probate Registry of the Customary Court of Appeal, Osogbo for Letters of Administration to administer the Estate of late ADEDOTUN TAOFEEK ADEWALE of No 2, Bamigbola Street, Sabo, Osogbo, Osun State, who died intestate on the 6th day of March, 2016. Any objection to the application is to be forwarded to the Probate Registry of Customary Court of Appeal, Osogbo within 14days of this notice.
caster, Adesuwa Onyenokwe of Today’s Woman. Other stakeholders include Learning Place, Nobelova Gradani, LASODA, Cerebral Palsy Centre, Benola CP Initiative, ANWAB, Axiom Learning Solutions, LUTH (Neurology Unit of Paediatric Department and Community Health Department), Special Olympics Nigeria (SON) and Children’s Development Centre.
Television (AIT), Dr Raymond Dokpesi, who has written a letter intimating them individually of his intention to contest for the post already zoned to the Southern part of the country. This came amidst indications that some influential PDP caucuses across the country were keen on having a former Minister of Education, Professor Tunde Adeniran and another chieftain, Chief Olabode George, join the fray. It is only the South-West out of the six zones in the country that was yet to occupy the seat since the birth of PDP in 1998. Dokpesi is from Edo State in the South-South zone,
where the hitherto acting national chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus, comes from, while all substantive chairmen came from the North. The party had zoned its presidential ticket for 2019 to the northern axis, but the South-East produced deputy Senate President in the current political dispensation. Some powerful caucuses in the northern wing of the party were believed to favour Professor Adeniran (South-West) becoming the next chairman, because of “his pedigree and contribution to the growth of the party since its inception.” However, Dokpesi, in jus-
tifying his serious lobbying of the South-West leaders to back his ambition, said it was meant to place PDP in a vantage position to return to power in 2019. In his letter to them sent by MMS, he stated: “under my watch in the PDP, our country, Nigeria, can indeed achieve greatness in the true meaning of the words in a manner not known since our independence in 1960.” Meanwhile, the SouthWest leaders are to hold a make or mar meeting in Lagos today, as part their ongoing moves to cement all cracks and harmonise the structures of the party in the six states in the zone ahead the convention.
LEGAL NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE EKITI STATE OF NIGERIA PROBATE DIVISION WHEREAS the person whose names are set out in the first column of the schedule herein died Intestate on the date and at the places mentioned therein. WHEREAS the person whose names and address are set out in the second column of the schedule with particulars of their relationship have applied to the High Court of Justice, Ekiti State for letters of Administration. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the letters of Administration will be granted unless notice to prohibit is filed within 21 days. DECEASED APPLICANTS 1. FATOKE VICTOR BAMIGBOLA Late of Erinjiyan Ekiti, who died On 2nd March, 2013.
SEGUN FATOKE, LOLA FATOKE, SOJI FATOKE AND JOHNSON OLABODE FATOKE of A 41 Ogbonna Street, Erinjinyan Ekiti. Children of the deceased.
2.
SHEIDU OJO Late of Iyin – Ekiti, who died On 13th September, 2013.
SHEIDU OLAWALE of No. 13 Aragbo Street, Oketoro quarters, Iyin – Ekiti. Son of the deceased.
3.
EMMANUEL DADA OMOLUSI , Late of Igede Ekiti Who died on 11th day of February, 2016.
OMOLUSI KEHINDE AND OMOLUSI IDOWU of No. 1 Okelesi Street, Odogede quarters, Igede – Ekiti. Two of the Children of the deceased.
4. OGEDENGBE RUFUS KAYODE Late of Ado – Ekiti, who died on 20th December, 2015.
AJAYI OLUWASEUN TAIWO (NEE OGEDENGBE) of No. 133 Surulere Street, Opposite Sadiat Complex, Ilawe road, Ado – Ekiti. Daughter of the deceased.
5. OMONIYI SUNDAY ADEBAYO Late of Ile Ife, Osun State, who Died on 3rd day of September, 2013.
OMONIYI MULIKAT AND OMONIYI OLAYINKA of No. 3 Olorunsogo Street, Off Nova road, Basiri, Ado – Ekiti. Widow and son of the deceased.
6.
MRS AJAYI RACHAEL OLUSOLA of Behind Hope paper Mill off Ikere road, Ado – Ekiti. Widow of the deceased.
AJAYI RICHARD OLAJIDE Late of Ilupeju Ekiti, who died On 12th day of November, 2014.
7. ILORI JOSHUA ROTIMI Late of Ilesa, Osun State, who died On 27th October, 2015.
ROTIMI ILORI GRACE AND ROTIMI ILORI DAVID of A3B Ereja Street, Ilesa, Osun State. Two of The children of the deceased.
8.
ONIPEDE AKINMAYOWA OLUWASOLA, Late of Otun Ekiti, who died on 11th June, 2014.
MRS ONIPEDE OLUBUKOLA EUNICE of Oluwasefunmi Street, Ireje, Ado – Ekiti. Widow of the deceased.
9.
YUSUF SHUAIB AKANO Late of Osogbo, Osun State Who died on 11th February, 2016.
MRS SHUAIB JELILI ADESINA of No. 12 Esiko Street, Omuo – Oke Ekiti. Son of the deceased.
10. AFUYE ADEBAYO ADEWALE Late of Iluomoba Ekiti, who deid On 15th November, 2015.
MR AFUYE IDOWU PATRICK AND AFUYE TEMITOPE of No. J/2 Ijoka Street, Iluomoba Ekiti. Junior brother and Son of The deceased.
11. OSUNRINDE MATHEW Late of Efon – Alaaye, who died On 14th March, 2015.
MRS FELICIA KEHINDE OSUNRINDE AND MR SUNDAY OSUNRINDE of No. 56 Itaimesi Street, Efon Alaaye Ekiti. Widow and Son of the deceased.
12. OLUFUNMI MOSES ABAYOMI OLUFUNMI GRACE AND TIJANI WAKILI Late of Oba Akoko, Ondo State, of Plot 8 road T, Oba – Ile housing Estate who died on 22nd day of November, Akure, Ondo State. Widow and Cousin of 2008. the deceased. 13. CHIDINMA MADUAGWU Late of Abia State, who died on 7th March, 2016.
ODIAKA NGOZI OKECHUKWU AND ODIAKA MICHAEL OLISE – EBUKA of ABUAD, Ado Ekiti. Widower and Son of the deceased.
14. ADESOYE SAMUEL OLUTAYO Late of Imesi – Ekiti, who died on 11th day of March, 2016.
ADESOYE FOLUSO STEPHEN AND ADESOYE VICTOR OLUBUNMI of No. 17 Ijumu Street, Imesi – Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
15. TAIWO ADUKE BAJULAIYE Late of Ado – Ekiti, who died on 29th November, 2014.
MRS KEHINDE ADUNNI OWOLABI and MR IDOWU ADENIYI No. 151 Ajilosun Street, Ado – Ekiti. Sister and Brother of the deceased.
16. CHIEF ADEDAMOLA ADEBAYO SAMUEL, Late of Iyin Ekiti, who died on 26th day of May, 2014.
MRS OLANIYI ADEOLA OLUWATOYIN (NEE ADEBAYO) AND MRS OLAJIDE ADETUMBI ADEBOLA (NEE ADEBAYO) of No. 125 Oba Owolabi road, Iyin Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
17. SAMUEL BABAFEMI AKOMO- LAFE, Late of Ijesa – Isu Ekiti, who died on 2nd October, 2012.
OLUKAYODE AKOMOLAFE AND AKOMOLAFE TOPE of L 2 Ileje quarters Ijesa – Isu Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
18. FADIYA VICTORIA SUBUOLA Late of Ifaki – Ekiti, who died on 4th day August, 2015.
FADIYA SAMUEL OLUWABUNMI and FADIYA DAVID KEHINDE of No. 6 Araromi Street, Ifaki – Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
19. ADELAYO GBEBIKAN Late of Ibadan, who died on 21st day of May, 2015.
MR AKEEM GBEBIKAN and SURAJU GBEBIKAN of No. 22 Irona quarters, Ado – Ekiti. Two of the children of the Deceased.
20. ISAAC AYODELE OWONIFAARI Late of Ise – Ekiti, who died on 18th day of April, 2016.
ESTHER IDOWU OWONIFAARI and TITILAYO EZENMA of No. 19 Oke Oniyo Street, Oraye quarters Ise – Ekiti. Widow and daughter of the deceased.
21.
BABALOLA AKIN ARIBISALA and OLUFEMI FISAYO (NEE BABALOLA) of No. 10 Bawa Street, Ado – Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
BABALOLA FUNMILAYO GRACE, Late of Ijero – Ekiti, Who died on 29th day of March, 2016.
22. ALESE OLAYEMI CHARLES Late of Ilawe – Ekiti, who died on 1st day of July, 2014.
ALESE AYOMIDE AND MRS ALESE FUNMILAYO of No. 7 Moferere, Jehovah Witness, Ajilosun, Ado – Ekiti. Son and Son and Widow of the deceased.
23. ODERINDE ITUNUOLUWA Late of Ogbomoso, who died on 21st day of September, 2014. 24.
MR ODERINDE ZACCHEAUS OLATUNJI of No. 10 Orire quarters, Zone 3 Opa Ilesa road, Ile – Ife. Father of the deceased.
OJO ROSELINE OLUFUNKE PASTOR OJO ROBERTS AND OJO Late of Erhurun Uneme, Akoko PEACE of behind south western Hotel off Edo local government, area, Edo Ikere road, Ado – Ekiti. Widower and State, who died on 27th September, 2015. daughter of the deceased.
25. SAMUEL AKINOLA OLAGBUYI Late of Ipele – Owo, Ondo State Who died on 21st March, 2016.
ADERINOLA TOYIN Of No. 3 Okeriwo Street, Ipele – Owo, Ondo State. Nephew of the deceased.
26. CECILIA ADUKE OBAYEMI Late of Ado Ekiti, who died on 19th day of January, 2008.
OBAYEMI DAPO AND OBAYEMI TOPE of No. 1 water works road, Ado – Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
27. AFOWOWE OMOLARA GRACE Late of Ilawe – Ekiti, who died on 6th day of May, 2014.
AFOWOWE JAMES OLUWASUYI AND AFOWOWE OLUMIDE VICTOR of Aanu Oluwa Avenue, Basiri Street, Ado – Ekiti. Widower and Son of the deceased.
28. OGUNTOBA MICHAEL AKINBO Late of Ado – Ekiti, who died on 29th day of December, 2014.
AYOKOMOLA TOYIN VERONICA AND LEKAN OJUMOOLA of No. 4 Adewumi Street, Federal poly. Satellite campus, Ado – Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
29. OGUNDAHUNSI EMMANUEL OJO, Late of Ire – Ekiti, who died On 28th day of January, 2014.
AYODELE OGUNDAHUNSI AND DAMILOLA OGUNDAHUNSI of behind Nova international Secondary School, Ado – Ekiti. Two of the Children of the deceased.
30. UMORU MOHAMMED Late of Borno State, who died on 24th day of December, 2015.
MARY MOHAMMED AND AYUBA ISHAKU of opp. Fountain Hotel, Basiri, Ado – Ekiti. Widow and Junior brother of the deceased.
31. RTD COL. BABATOLA SAMUEL AFOLABI, Late of Ado – Ekiti, Who died on 20th December, 1999.
MR GBENGA BABATOLA AND MRS BAMIDELE ETIOLOJA of No. 6 little By little street, Iworoko road, Ado – Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
32. ADEYEMO OLOYEDE EMMANUEL, Late of Ibadan, Who died on 7th September, 2013.
ADEYEMO JOEL AYOMIDE AND AJISOLA OMOYEMI of No L 45 Okebola Street, Ado Ekiti. Son and Widow of the deceased.
33. FABAMISE SAMUEL OLUWA- MRS FABAMISE FUNKE FLORENCE DAMILARE, Late of Ikere Ekiti, of No. 34, Ijoka Street, Odo – Oja quarters, Who died on 7th day of January, 2016. Ikere – Ekiti. Widow of the deceased. 34. ANIMASHAUN ADESANMI OLAYEMI, Late of Erio – Ekiti, Who died on 15th October, 2015.
MR ANIMASHAUN SAMSON of No. 24 Better life street, Iyin road, Basiri, Ado – Ekiti. Brother of the deceased.
35.
MRS AMONKO DORATHY APEIDOO and AMONKO THELMA SHIEKUMA of Fayose Housing Estate, Fagbohun, Ado - Ekiti Widow and daughter of the deceased.
AMONKO JOSEPH AONDOANA Late of Uchi Mbakor in Tarka local Government, Benue State, who died On 14th day of May, 2016.
36. PAULINA TITILAYO OWAJOBA Late of Emure Ekiti, who died on 9th day of December, 2015.
OWAJOBA CHARLES OPEYEMI and OWAJOBA MARTINS AYODEJI Of No. 11K Ajebamidele road, Emure Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
37. CHIEF SOLOMON ADEOYE FADIYA, Late of Ifaki Ekiti, who Died on 18th January, 2006.
OLUWABUNMI SAMUEL FADIYA and KEHINDE DAVID FADIYA of No. 6 Araromi Street, Ifaki – Ekiti. Two of The children of the deceased.
38. ABIFARIN SAMUEL OLADELE Late of Omu – Aran in kwara State, Who died on 10th day of February, 2016.
ABIFARIN OLAWALE FEMI AND OLUWABUSAYO RUTH OLUWAKEMI (NEE ABIFARIN) of Adewumi Street, Nova road, Ado – Ekiti. Two of the Children of the deceased.
39. OMURU JOHNSON OKANGA Late of Benue State, who died on 4th of March, 2016.
OMURU VICTOR ALEX AND OMURU JOHNSON HENRY of Civil Engineering Department, Federal Polytechnics, Ado Ekiti. Two of the children of the deceased.
40. DR. ALADESANMI TUNDE RICHARD, Late of Egbe Ekiti, Who died on 24th day of April, 2016.
TIJESUNIMI AANUOLUWAPO ALADESANMI AND DR. MRS ALADESANMI OMOBOLA AGNES of beside Oriapata Nathaniel off Basiri, Nova road, Ado – Ekiti. Son and Widow of the deceased.
41. DR. OLAJIDE OLAYIWOLA OMONIYI, Late of Ayede Ekiti, Who died on 24th day of April, 2016.
MRS OLAJIDE ROSELINE ABIOLA, ENGR. OLAJIDE OLADAPO AND DR. OLAJIDE OLABODE TEMITOPE of No. 1 Lekki Avenue, State housing, Ado – Ekiti. Widow and Two of the senior Brother of the deceased.
Dated this 22nd day July, 2016
37
news
Friday, 22 July, 2016
FG okays 14 solar investors to generate 1,125 megawatts Adetola Bademosi - Abuja
T
HE Federal Government, on Thursday, gave 14 front-line solar developers a go ahead to generate about 1,125 megawatts, through solar, to the national grid. The energy to be generated, is valued at 11.5 cents approximately N23. Speaking in Abuja at the signing ceremony, organised by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, explained that the price is expected to drop further as the technology grows better. He stated that with the determination of the present administration to provide incremental, stable and uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians, all areas would be explored to deliver on this. He said it was the policy of the government to utilise every source of energy, wind, solar, gas, coal, biomass to create a robust dynamic energy mix.
PENGASSAN, NUPENG meet FG over threat by Niger Delta Avengers Soji-Eze Fagbemi - Abuja THE Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has warned the Federal Government not to take it lightly the recent threat by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) that oil workers should vacate, immediately, all oil fields and terminals in the Niger Delta region. PENGASSAN President, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson, who was speaking at the 3rd Women in PENGASSAN National Conference, in Abuja, on Thursday, said the leadership of PENGASSAN would meet with the Federal Government over the threat issued by the Avengers to oil workers. The Niger Delta Avengers had warned members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the PENGASSAN and foreigners to “leave all oil fields and terminals in the Niger Delta,” saying “things will get dirty very soon.” The group made the declaration in a statement by its spokesperson, self-acclaimed Brigadier General Mudoch. However, Comrade Olabode, who addressed journalists on the issue at the venue of the conference, said the threat should not be taking lightly; adding, however, that the workers would have to put their feet down.
“We feel this is a good place to begin and we say that this pioneers have opened the door for other players to come in and we expect that the price will drop further as the technology gets better,” the minister said. While stressing the need
for investors to ensure quality products in building their power infrastructures, he said “I want to say briefly that as you go towards the process of building, remember never to compromise quality, we must stop managing, we must insist on the best.”
“This is an opportunity to ensure that our people get the best the sector has to offer to the real and responsive economy. Your investment in solar power today takes us to the global stage of nations committed to renewable energy.”
Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu (right) with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Thomas Arkwright, after the latter’s visit to INEC boss, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Earlier, representative of the Pan Africa Solar Investor, Mr Marcus Heal, expressed the investors’ readiness to provide uninterrupted power to Nigerians through solar. According to him, the $1.75 billion investment is one of the largest investments in power infrastructure. He observed that there was much to be done in the electricity sector, noting that Nigeria has all that is needed to improve on the sector. He said “Nigeria will be among the developing world where her greatest energy is generated through sun.” The 14 developers are; Pan Africa Solar (75MW), Kastina; Nigerian Solar Capital Partners (100MW), Bauchi; Afrinigergia Power Limited (50MW), Nasarawa; Motir Dusable Limited (100MW), Enugu; Nova Solar 5 Farm Limited (100MW), Kastina; KVK Power (Nig) Pvt Limited (100MW), Sokoto and Middle Band Solar (100MW), Kogi. Others are; LR Aaron Power Limited (100MW), Abuja; Nova Scotia Power Development Limited (80MW), Jigawa; CT Cosmos (70MWs), Plateau; eN Africa (50MW), Kaduna; Oriental Renewable Solutions (50MW), Jigawa; Quaint Abiba Power (50MW), Kaduna and Anjeed Innova Group (100MW), Kaduna.
Edo guber: INEC rejects Accord Party candidate
•Otaru of Auchi supports Oshiomhole •Women march for Ize-Iyamu By Banji Aluko and Muhammad Sabiu Following a court order barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting the name of Don Pedro Obaseki as the candidate of the Accord Party, the party may not have a candidate in the forthcoming Edo State governorship election. Obaseki had won the primaries of the Accord Party
held in Benin last month, but a factional chairman of the party in the state, Samson Isibor, secured a Federal High Court order asking it not to recognise Obaseki as the candidate of the party. In a telephone interview, Obaseki said he was not aware of the suit until INEC was served the injunctions granted by the court. Meanwhile, the Otaru of Auchi, His Royal Highness, Haliru Momoh, Ikelebe III,
has expressed support for the political moves of Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Speaking while receiving the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Godwin Obaseki, along with his running mate, Mr Philip Shaibu, who were led to the palace by Governor Oshiomhole, on Wednesday, the Otaru of Auchi commended Oshiomhole for his performance as governor.
Court to hear Aisha Buhari’s suit against Fayose after vacation Sunday Ejike-Abuja
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, will commence hearing of the suit brought before it by the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State for accusing her of being involved in the infamous Halliburton corruption scandal. Nigerian Tribune gathered from Court 24 of Abuja High Court, which Justice Olukayode Adeniyi is sitting presently as vacation judge, that there was an exparte order on Wednesday for a substitut-
ed service of court processes on Governor Fayose. It will be recalled that Fayose, shortly after his account was frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claimed through his media team that President Muhammadu Buhari could not say he was free of corruption as his wife, Aisha, was named in a bribery case involving a convicted former U.S. lawmaker, Williams Jefferson. According to Fayose, “His wife (Aisha) was indicted over the Halliburton scandal when that Ameri-
can, Jefferson, was being sentenced, the president’s wife was mentioned as having wired $170,000 to Jefferson. Her name was on page 25 of the sentencing of Jefferson. We can serialise the judgment for people to see and read.” The president’s wife, however, denied the allegation and asked Governor Fayose to retract his false statement published in various media of June 20, 2016, and subsequent dates regarding her, but the governor had refused to retract his statement, insisting that he was right about his allegation.
Speaking earlier, Governor Oshiomhole commended the Otaru of Auchi for his cooperation with the state government which made the urban renewal drive in Auchi a success and assured him that Mr Obaseki will excel. In a related development, women in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State under the auspices of Akoko-Edo Women for Good Governance (AWGG), on Monday, marched through the streets of Igarra, the headquarters of the local government, to offer their support for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The women, who were led by Mrs Philomena Balogun and Mrs Bola Agbaje, said Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, if elected governor, would not abandon Akoko-Edo Local Government Area like the APC government, which they said “only remembers AkokoEdo Local Government Area during election period.” Also, a candidate of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP) for Edo State governorship election, Mr David Okoror, speaking in Kaduna, faulted the leadership style of the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
Nigerian Tribune
2014 immigration stampede: Victims protest again in Abuja Ademola Adegbite - Abuja THE victims of the immigration stampede of 2014 recruitment which claimed several lives in the National Stadium, Abuja, on Thursday, again staged a peaceful protest at the entrance of the National Assembly. The victims protested against what they described as injustice against the victims of the stampede, alleging that only 15 victims were among the 500 candidates who are currently undergoing training in Kano State. The National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Edmound Osumah, who addressed newsmen, lamented that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior was not sincere with the victims, as many were still roaming the streets. He said that the National Hospital, Abuja, has the list of the victims of the stampede, stressing that the Federal Government could visit the hospital to confirm the names of the victims. Comrade Osumah further alleged that some names were later substituted against real names of the victims, as against the directive of former president Goodluck Jonathan.
‘Death rate from road accident in Oyo is 46.73%’ By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare A global organisation, the Junior Chambers International (JCI), Ibadan chapter, on Thursday, stated that human factor accounts for up to 99 per cent of accidents and mechanical and environmental factors are subservient to it. It revealed that the percentage of deaths from road accidents in Oyo State was 46.73. “Drivers of trucks and other vehicles in Oyo State must learn patience with other drivers and tolerance while driving,” it advises. JCI stated that it will in a few days start a campaign, Safe Highways Project, to reduce to the barest minimum incidents of human error leading to accidents. Speaking at a press conference held at the Training Room of Space FM Ibadan, the President, Wale Bakare, stated that lack of knowledge of road signs and regulations, illiteracy, health problems like poor eye sight, excessive speeding, alcoholism, drug abuse, arrogance and over confidence are some of the human factors that cause traffic accidents.
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Friday, 22 July, 2016
Protest over murder of Plateau Monarch turns bloody •4 killed, 3 injured •Govt declares 24-hr curfew •IGP orders arrest of his killers Isaac Shobayo - Jos
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HE flaming passion over the assassination of a first-class traditional ruler in Plateau State, His Royal Highness Lazarus Agai, took a frightening dimension on Thursday, as four protesting youths were killed and three others sustained fatal injuries. It will be recalled the traditional ruler of Bokkos, alongside his orderly, driver and son, were killed on Monday, while returning from his farm by some unknown gunmen, who opened fire at his convoy. Nigerian Tribune learnt that the protest over the assassination which had been on since Tuesday, turned violence on Thursday, when security operatives were attempting to escape with an Ardo, a Fulani chief, from the community. This further aggravated the tense situation, as the irate youths became more aggressive and poised for confrontation with the security men. In an attempt to take the Fulani chief out of the tense environment, the security men shot into the air to disperse the protesters and in the process gunned down four youths, while three others sustained injuries. This development led to declaration of a dusk till dawn curfew in Bokkos by security operatives and the state government. Spokesman of the ‘Operation Safe Haven’ deployed
to restore law and order in the state, Captain Ikedechi Iweha, said a dusk till dawn curfew had been declared in Bokkos town following the unfortunate killing of the traditional ruler by unknown gunmen and the hijacking of the situation by some irate youths, thus
disturbing the peace in the local government area. Meanwhile, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police in charge of operations, Joshua Habila, has appealed to youths in the area not to take law into their hands and cooperate with the security agencies
towards restoring normalcy to the community. The DIG, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, told the people of Bokkos while on an assessment visit to the area that the police was making concerted efforts to fish out the perpetrators of the das-
tardly act. According to him, the police had deployed more of intelligent personnel to the community, adding that investigation revealed that the perpetrators were still within the community. The DIG also left behind the chopper which bought
Acting Vice Chancellor (VC), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Professor Anthony Elujoba (left) and the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Abidun Olarewaju, with some supporters, rejoicing over the election of Professor Elujoba as the acting VC, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN.
Elujoba emerges OAU acting VC Oluwole Ige - Osogbo THE Senate of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Thursday, elected Professor Anthony Adebolu Elujoba as the acting Vice Chancellor (VC) of the institution. The development was in compliance with the Monday’s directive of President
Muhammadu Buhari to the university Senate to appoint an acting VC, pending the appointment of a substantive VC. According to release signed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, the emergence of Elujoba came after more than two hours of heated
debate, presided over by the outgoing Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Omolayo Ajayi. It added that more than 200 professors of the institution, who came for the meeting, eventually elected Elujoba with 201 votes over his compatriot, Professor Adebayon Lamikanra, who
polled less than 10 votes. The new acting VC is an accomplished academic, who had served as the Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy; chairman, Committee of Deans and chairman, Ceremonials Committee of the University for several years. It will be recalled that the workers of OAU, under the
Live chicken smell prevents malaria, research in Ethiopia reveals THE smell from a live chicken could help protect against malaria, researchers have found. Ethiopian and Swedish scientists discovered that malarial mosquitoes tend to avoid chickens and other birds. The experiments, conducted in western Ethiopia, included suspending a live chicken in a cage near a volunteer sleeping under a bed net. Last year, malaria killed nearly 400,000 people in Africa, the United Nations (UN) said. Infection and death rates are declining, but health officials are continuing to look for new ways to prevent the spread of the disease. Field trials for this stage of the research are now “in the pipeline,” he told the Brit-
him to comb the area to fish out the perpetrators. Meanwhile, hundreds of youths under the aegis of ‘Plateau Speak’ trooped out in their large number on Thursday, to protest the killing of the traditional ruler. They carried placards with different inscriptions denouncing the Federal Government posture to the killings in the state, but were dispersed with teargas by security men deployed to the government house. In a related development, the acting Inspector-General of Police (I-GP), Mr Ibrahim Idris, has directed the Deputy-Inspector-General of Police, Operations, Joshack Habila, to ensure the arrest of the killers of Chief Agai, the traditional ruler of Bokkos in Plateau. The directive was contained in a statement issued by the Force spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Don Awunah, in Abuja, on Thursday. Idris said those behind the gruesome murder of the monarch would be fished out in record time for prosecution.
ish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences were also involved in the project.
Compounds extracted from chicken feathers were also used in the experiments, as well as live chickens. Researchers discovered
that the use of the chicken and the compounds “significantly reduced” the number of mosquitoes that were found in the trap nearby.
The scientists said with reports that some mosquitoes were developing resistance to insecticide “novel control methods” need to be embraced.
Lagos public school students can wear hijab —Appeal Court Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin - Lagos THE Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, on Thursday, set aside the judgment of the Lagos High Court which banned students in public primary and secondary schools in Lagos State from putting on hijab (Muslims headscarf) with their school uniforms. A special panel of the court presided over by Justice A B Gumel, held that the appeal was meritorious and same should be allowed.
In his lead judgment, Justice Gumel held that the use of hijab was an Islamic injunction and also an Act of worship, hence it would constitute a violation of the appellants’ rights to stop them from wearing hijab in publics schools. Resolving all the five issues raised in favour of the appellants, the appellate court held that the lower court erred in law when it held that ban of hijab was a policy of the Lagos State government (respondent). The court noted that no
circular was presented before the lower court to show that it was a policy of Lagos State. The court further held that if there was a policy, such policy ought to have emanated from the state House of Assembly and not the executive arm of government. Consequently, the court held that the fundamental human rights of female Muslim students as enshrined in section 38 (1) of the 1999 Constitution was violated by the respondent. The court dismissed the ar-
gument of Lagos State that it made exception by allowing female Muslim students to wear hijab during prayers. Other Justices in the fiveman panel set are Justice M. Fasanmi, Justice A. Jauro, Justice J.S. Ikyegh and Justice I. Jombo Ofor. It will be recalled that Justice Modupe Onyeabor of an Ikeja High Court had on October 17, 2014, dismissed the suit instituted against the Lagos State government by two 12-year-old girls under the aegis of the MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit.
aegis of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technoligists (NAAT), had protested the methods used by the dissolved Governing Council in the selection of Professor Ayobami Salami. They equally petitioned President Buhari, who subsequently ordered the university’s Senate to pick a man of integrity to serve as the VC of the 54-year-old university in acting capacity. The emergence of Elujoba elicited jubilation, as the workers led him in a convoy of cars to the Senate car park, while others trekked, exuding joy and satisfaction over the development. Reacting over the emergence of Elujoba as the acting VC, the chairman of SSANU, Mr Ademola Oketunde, expressed satisfaction over the development, describing Elujoba as people’s choice, just as he charged him to make welfare of the staff and students his priority. Similarly, the chairman of NASU, Comrade Wole Odewumi, commended the university Senate for choosing the right person to lead the institution in acting capacity.
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news
Friday, 22 July, 2016
Senate reshuffles committees, Marafa, Tinubu get new posts Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi -Abuja
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HE Senate, on Thursday, reshuffled the standing committee and increased it from 65 to 66. The parliamentarians also began the routine sevenweek annual leave with the
Senate resuming on Tuesday, September 13. Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, while announcing the recess to his colleagues, disclosed that during the period, members would be performing their oversight responsibilities through the committees. He also announced the
names of the new members of the committee during the plenary. The reshufflement saw Senator Hope Uzodinma, who was chairman of the aviation committee, moved to committee on customs. Senator Adamu Aliero swapped position with Uzodinma, becoming chair-
man, aviation committee, while Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who formerly headed women affairs, now in charge of Environment. Senator Kabiru Marafa, who rejected his former position as the chairman of committee on popula-
tion and national identity, would now chair petroleum (downstream). Also, Barau Jubril, who was the acting chairman of the committee on petroleum (downstream) is now in charge of the committee on tertiary institutions, while Senator Binta Garba Masi, formerly in tertiary
IMN condemns alleged mayhem plan in Kaduna THE Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has condemned as false and baseless, the allegation by “Kaduna State Citizens for Peace” that it was planning a coup and was set to unleash mayhem on Kaduna State. IMN further chided accusations of being responsible for violent protests in the state, because the move-
ment rejected the report of the judicial commission of inquiry into the clash between the movement and the Nigerian Army. Specifically addressing allegations levelled by the group, Kaduna State Citizens for Peace, IMN, in a statement signed on behalf of its Resource Forum, Professor Abdullahi Danladi, maintained that Shittes,
Lagos Reps member dies in Abuja Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja A member of the House of Representatives from Lagos State, Honourable Adewale Elijah Oluwatayo, died in Abuja in his sleep on Thursday morning. The late lawmaker attended House plenary session on Wednesday. He was said to have died in his sleep at his Abuja residence.
The leadership of the House, it was learnt, got wind of the lawmaker’s demise while the House was still in session. The late lawmaker defeated Honourable Abayomi Ogunnusi in 2015 to win Ifako Ijaiye federal constituency. Meanwhile, the House has proceeded on seven-week break, the House is expected to resume on September 6.
over time, was not associated with violence and had continued to campaign for peace in the country. Describing the allegations by “Kaduna State Citizens for Peace” as malicious, unfounded and mendacious, the movement dissociated itself from any action that may lead to breach of peace in Kaduna State. “We want to state in clear and strong terms that the claim by ‘Kaduna State Citizens for Peace’ that the IMN are said to be on standby to unleash mayhem citing the rejection of the panel’s report as the reason for violent protests in the state, which would then be spread to other parts of the country, is false and baseless. “The Islamic Movement in Nigeria has been in ex-
istence for about 40 years. Members of the movement are fully integrated in the society, their methods of operation and activities are open and well known to the world. “So it is malicious and open mendacities for any group to associate violence to the movement. It is on record that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria has never breached any peace, even on provocation. When in 2014, the then government decided to attack and killed 34 members of the Islamic Movement; there were insinuations from the security quarters that IMN members were going to take retaliatory measures by attacking military and police installations and barracks. “The unfounded allega-
Alleged sexual misconduct against 3 Reps members weak, lack evidence —Minister Continued from pg39
walked out of the meeting, following a shouting match between them and the Deputy Chief of Mission, Maria Brewer. The panel also took testimonies from some lawmakers who were on the trip with the accused lawmakers and they all denied witnessing any misconduct act from them throughout the duration of the exercise. The accused lawmakers, in the final words, expressed gratitude to the joint committees for holding a public hearing that had eventually changed the narrative of the matter regarding their innocence as evident in the submission by the minister and the ambassador, despite his absence all along. There was, however, mild drama at the sitting as the two co-chairmen, Honourable Osai and Honourable Ukejeh, openly disagreed on whether or not an oath should be administered on the minister before making his submission before the panel. Trouble started when Osai directed the minister, who had started giving his submission, to stop, so that the clerk of the Foreign Affairs Relations should administer
the oath on him, but Ukejeh kicked and directed the clerk not to do it. Honourable Osai, however, insisted that the oath must be administered since the minister would be giving an evidence before the panel. Honourable Ukejeh, however, stood her ground before other members of the panel persuaded her to allow the oath, in line with the House rules. The same scenario also played out when the committee wanted to know whether the minister was in possession of the copy of the ambassador’s letter to the speaker to enable the members to ask questions on it, which he said no and the chairman said the clerk should give him a copy, but Honourable Ukejeh again interfered, saying the minister should not be given a copy, since he was not the author of the letter. At this point, Honourable Osai advised her to stop it and directed that a copy should be given to the minister. “Stop interfering please my co-chairman, I am the one presiding over this panel and you are the cochairman,we have to follow the rules,” he said.
tions were repudiated and dismissed as evil machinations of the security apparatus to stage false flag operations and blame the Islamic Movement. Even after the December 2015 attack on the Islamic Movement, which saw over a thousand innocent lives lost to the bullets of the ‘gallant’ Nigerian Army and the arrest of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and hundreds of his followers, the Islamic Movement has never lost focus of being civic in its operations. “It is on this note we want to disassociate the Islamic Movement from any form of action that may lead to the ‘breach of peace’ in Kaduna State or anywhere talk less of a coup in Kaduna State,” the statement read.
SATURDAY, 23 JULY, 2016
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entertainment
Buhari should institutionalise fight against corruption, not personalise it –Kwara Speaker
Why I motivate youths against rape,
domestic violence —Foluke Daramola
Without the support of South West, Buhari wouldn’t have emerged as president —Ajomale, Lagos APC Chairman
womenaffairs
Marriage is blissful when you are married to your friend —Mrs Adeola Bamgbose, Director, EAC
institutions, is the new head of the women affairs committee. Committee on Public Procurement would now be chaired by Senator Joshua Dariye, who was in solid minerals committee, while Senator James Manager, who was in committee on power, now takes over the solid mineral committee. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, formerly in information and national orientation, now to head committee on power while Senator Adokwe Sueiman now chairs information and national orientation. Senator Baba Kaka Garbai takes over rules and business from Babajide Omoworare, who now oversees legislative compliance. The committee on Federal Character is now to be headed by Senator Tijani Kaura, while Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi is the new chairman of national identity committee. Senator Ahmed Ogembe becomes vice chairmen of committee on marine transport, while land transport committee is now headed by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. Petroleum (downstream) now have Senator Philip Aduda as the chairman.
Nigeria needs prayers, Yoruba must be vigilant —Elebuibon
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SIDELINES If just one state, Kaduna, is populated by as many as 1.6 million malnourished children, according to UNICEF, shouldn’t government at all levels see this as a national emergency? n150
Friday, 22 JULY, 2016
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Iheanacho makes 10 world’s best U-21 players By Ganiyu Salman
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igerian international, Kelechi Iheanacho has been named among the top 10 world’s most valuable young players by Soccerex. The Soccerex 20 U-21 report made use of Prime Time Sport’s football value index to rank footballers born on or after July 1 1995. The Manchester City forward, however, is rated ninth on the list dominated by Manchester United’s Anthony Martial Martial with €47.150m as his valuation. Leroy Sane of Schalke 04 occupies the second place with €37.132m as Renato Sanches of Bayern Munich follows with €34.550m. Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur is fourth with €34.140m as Kingsley Coman of Bayern Munich takes the fifth with €30.694m. Breel Embolo of Schalke 04 (€25.441m), Marcus Rashford of Manchester United (€22.509m) and Max Meyer of Schalke 04 with €21.644m valuations followed in that order. Iheanacho is rated above Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Weigl who completes the 10-man list having been valued at €19.823m. Iheanacho’s valuation of €20.066m is made bearing in mind both personal attributes and pitch performance, using his cur-
rent personal information and the performances of both current season and the previous one. Iheanacho, who emerged the Most Valuable Player of the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, was also ranked among the top ten emerging talents in the English Premier League last season. The starlet finished the season with 14 goals in all competitions under former manager, Manuel Pellegrini, a feat which earned him accolades from the Citizens chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak. “We’ve had some good experiences this year with pushing some of our talents from the academy and Kelechi is a great example of that,” Khaldoon said of Iheanacho, who also clinched the award of being the best finisher with his record of a goal-perminute ratio, a few months ago.
Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho (right) challenged by AS Roma’s Salih Ucan during their International Champions Cup game in Australia last year. PHOTO: EPA
Aiyegbeni family donates facility to Oyo boxing association By Nurudeen Alimi THE family of the late hotelier and boxing promoter, Chief Francis Aiyegbeni, has donated a boxing facility to the Oyo State Amateur Boxing Association (OSABA), in a bid to immortalise him. The gymnasium located on the premises of Walan Hotel, MKO Abiola Way, Ibadan, which com-
prises boxing ring, bathroom and toilet was handed over to OSABA led by its chairman, Baron Akintunde, during a ceremony which had in attendance stakeholders in boxing, boxers, coaches and the family of the late Aiyegbeni. Speaking on behalf of the family, Bolade Aiyegbeni said
her late dad worked tirelessly to develop boxing till he died. “Considering the love our late father had for boxing and his contribution towards the development of boxing both at the amateur and professional level in Oyo State in particular and Nigeria in general, it is the desire of my humble self and the Aiyegbeni family to uphold this and
Rio Olympics: Russian athletes remain banned —CAS Meanwhile, some Russian field is getting really bad. If you THE Court of Arbitration for Sport athletes could compete in Rio cheat or go or against the rules, (CAS) has ruled that the ban placed It’s sad —Bolt as neutrals if they meet a numon Russian track and field athletes by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from competing in the 2016 Olympics remains in force. This followed claims that Russia ran a state-sponsored doping programme. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and 68 Russian athletes attempted to overturn the suspen-
sion, implemented by the body that governs world athletics. “It’s sad but rules are rules,” said Olympic 100m and 200m champion Usain Bolt, who is targeting more gold medals in Rio 2016 scheduled to begin on August 5. The Jamaican mega-star said it was important to send a strong message to the dopers. “Doping violations in track and
this will scare a lot of people,” Bolt said. However, Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva - one of the 68 to appeal to CAS - said the ruling was “a blatant political order”, while the Russian Foreign Ministry called it a “crime against sport”. Isinbayeva, the 2012 gold medallist, 34, told the Tass news agency: “Thank you all for this funeral for athletics.”
ber of criteria, including being repeatedly tested outside their homeland. At least two - 800m runner and doping whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova and US-based long jumper Darya Klishina - have gone down that path. Now the ruling by a three-person Cas panel has cleared the way for others.
immortalise his name with the game he loved so passionately. “On behalf of the family, I hereby wish to put the boxing ring alongside the gymnasium left behind by our father under the management of the Oyo State Amateur Boxing Association. I will like to stress that the boxing facility is open for use by all boxers in Oyo State and will be privately managed by the association. “By doing this, we sincerely hope that the boxing legacy of Chief Francis Aiyegbeni will be preserved and could continue to contribute to the development of boxing even in his sleep,” Bolade noted. In his remarks, Chairman of OSABA, Baron Akintunde thanked “the family of our late mentor, Chief Francis Aiyegbeni for deeming it fit to immortalise his name by putting the boxing gym he left behind under the care of OSABA. We believe this gesture will in no small measure help the development of the game”.
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