22nd September 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,595 THURSDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER, 2016

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Nigerian Tribune

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TODAY'S SPECIAL

Shed the tears, boost your health Vera Onana with Agency Report Often times we hear people say “be a man”, this expression translates into the fact that crying is a sign of weakness a man who is considered valiant must never exhibit. But how true is this?

Dr Uthman Mubashir, a public health physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital has declared the

contrary while stating as a matter of fact that crying is extremely beneficial to health.

Mubashir told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, that emotional tears have special health benefits for people. “Tears are protective and they lubricate the eyes, remove irritants and reduce stress hormones.”

He added that, “tears equally contain antibodies that fight pathogenic microbes.”

Continues pg7

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Corruption freezes development, Buhari tells UN —P5

•Says Nigeria to become investment destination soon •Appeals for $14bn assistance for Lake Chad

Recession: Senators disagree on sale of national assets —P4 •Seek dialogue with Niger Delta militants •Redeploy Adeosun, Udoma, Ekweremadu tells Buhari •Dogara calls for emergency measures

Coronation of Benin Crown Prince postponed to Oct 20 —P5

CBN's 14% lending rate will ensure foreign inflow —Experts —P33

IGP stops attachment of mobile police to individuals —P7

Members of the House of Representatives donning mufflers to show their solidarity to the Speaker of the House, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, at the plenary session, on Wednesday.

Budget padding: Reps in rowdy session •Jibrin's allegation destroyed NASS integrity, image —Dogara •Ethics Committee gets one week ultimatum to probe Jibrin •I won't appear before any committee except... —Jibrin —P6

APC primaries: Protest in Ondo over NWC's decision to reject panel's report —P35

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Recession: Senators disagree on sale of national assets

•Seek dialogue with Niger Delta militants •Redeploy Adeosun, Udoma, Ekweremadu tells Buhari •Kwakwanso asks for increment in workers’ salary Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

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ENATORS were, on Wednesday, divided over the appropriate model that could see Nigeria out of the current economic doldrums.

The lawmakers, who began a debate on the ways out of the recession, sharply disagreed on the propriety or otherwise of the need to sell national assets to shore up the foreign reserves.

On Tuesday, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, had advocated the sale of national assets to shore the nation’s foreign reserves, adding that such a step would encourage investors and calm currency speculators.

But at the Wednesday’s sitting, the lawmakers were divided on the idea. While some agreed with the idea postulated by the Senate president, others disagreed and insisted that national

assets should be kept sacred.

Some of the senators who spoke against the sale of national assets the organisations could end up in the hands of persons who had illegally acquired money.

Canvassing for the sale, on Tuesday, Saraki had said “the measures should include part sale of NLNG Holdings; reduction of government share in upstream oil joint venture operations;

sale of government stake in financial institutions, e.g.

Africa Finance Corporation; and the privatisation and concession of major/regional airports and refineries.”

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Wednesday, led the pack of those who spoke against the sale of national assets, adding that doing so would impose more economic woes on the people.

“I have heard about the

Recession: Dogara calls for emergency measures SPEAKER, House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, on Wednesday, called for application of emergency measures to pull the country out of current economic recession.

In a welcome address to mark the resumption of the House after its annual recess, Dogara called for increased consultation with economic experts to deal with the crisis.

He advocated collective efforts to address the

challenges, adding that it was unnecessary to trade blames.

“What is required is that the present government takes responsibility and actions to stimulate the growth of the economy.

“As leaders, we must take responsibility for the present economic situation, although we are not directly responsible for it.

“We must admit that this is a difficult thing to do in the present generation

that spurns responsibility.

Everyone wants to blame someone for something that goes wrong.

“These are no times like any other. I, therefore, call on all of us and, indeed, the National Assembly, to continue giving legislative support to the executive on all well-thought-out and effective solutions to our economic problems,” he said.

He said that Nigeria had gone into recession is a

worrisome development which calls for emergency measures to be taken.

“All hands must be on deck to tackle the myriads of problems facing us.This is not the time for partisanship; this is not the time to score political points.

“This is not the time for grandstanding; this is not the time for blame games.

The situation and the times call for bold, courageous, enlightened and purposeful leadership,” he said.

NLC calls for national dialogue to address economic challenges FACTIONAL leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has called on the Federal Government to organise a national dialogue that would address the country’s economic challenges.

Ajaero, who fielded questions from journalists in Lagos, on Wednesday, said such a national dialogue should include the organised labour and civil society groups in the country.

According to him, Nigeri-

ans needed concrete steps to rekindle their hope and help them stand together collectively to weather the economic storm.

The union leader said the president should address the people to reassure them of

government’s programmes and actions, with guarantees of meeting stated timelines.

“This will help rebuild the people’s confidence and trust and make them buy into government’s policies and programmes,” he said.

NDLEA makes twin arrest on Nigeria/Brazil route Suspects insert cocaine in alimentary canals Shola Adekola -Lagos OFFICIALS of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, have made a twin arrest on Nigeria-Brazil route.

The agency recovered 700 grammes of powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine from two suspects, during the inward screening of passengers on a Royal Air Maroc flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Casablanca, Morocco.

The suspects inserted seven wraps of cocaine, each weighing 350 grammes, into their alimentary canals to evade arrest.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, said “preliminary investigation revealed that both suspects planned and executed the unlawful act together. They inserted seven wraps of cocaine each into their bodies weighing

350 grammes.”

One of the suspects, who hails from Enugu State, said accepting to smuggle drugs was due to frustration and as a means of returning from Brazil.

According to him, “I was stranded in Brazil where I worked as a waiter in a restaurant for two years. Life was awful as I was strug-

gling daily just to feed myself.

“When I was contacted to smuggle cocaine to Nigeria, I was happy because it was an opportunity to return home. My sponsor also promised to pay me half a million naira, with which I had planned to start a business,” he said.

The second suspect, who

had also spent two years in Brazil, described his arrest as ill-luck.

“I am a businessman. I import female shoes from Brazil since 2014. This arrest is just bad luck for me because I was already calculating my profit from the deal,” the 37-year-old who hails from Anambra State stated.

FG to boost school enrolment by 13.6 million in 2020 THE Social Intervention Investment Programme has said the Federal Government will boost school enrolment in the country by 13.6 million children by 2020.

Mrs Afiniki Dauda, the Focal Person of the programme in Niger State, made this known in Minna, on Wednesday, on assumption of duty in the state.

“The government also plans to ensure that these pupils are physically and mentally fit to face the challenges of education

and life.

“This is one of the reasons the Federal Government introduced the home-grown school feeding and health programme and other social security schemes,’’ she said.

Dauda, who did not give number of children currently in school across the country, said government was also determined to bring back into the school system, 11.4 million school children currently out of school, especially girls.

“The arrangement will

prepare them for tomorrow and discourage them from being involved in criminal activities,” she said.

She said that the first activity to be carried out by the Niger office of the agency was the kick-off of the empowerment scheme for which participants in the first phase had been selected.

The participants, she said, were drawn from the three senatorial zones of the state, based on statistics on the poor and vulnerable in the society provided by the World Bank.

issue of selling our assets. I need to caution that other countries are not doing the same. The United Arab Emirates does not even allow people to have access to their oil wells, let alone selling them. And, of course, a country like Saudi Arabia, their budget each year is run by investments from their oil revenue, not even the earnings from other sources.

“So, while other countries are investing and we are planning to sell the investments we have, we have to be careful because I am not sure we will be fair to the next generation. If we must sell, we have to sell the non-performing assets so that people can turn them around and create employment,” he said.

Former governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, also opposed the sale of national assets, adding that those canvassing the sale could be persons with deep pockets and eyes on the assets.

“Our assets must remain for us: even Saudi Arabia didn’t sell part of their national assets as alleged.

There are other areas that we can tackle,” he said.

Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, also a former governor, however, supported the suggestion that national assets could be sold, adding that the sale appeared the most viable option before the country at the moment.

In his further contributions, Senator Ekwermadu asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately redeploy the Finance minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and her Budget and National Planning counterpart, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, to other ministries, to enable fresh hands to work on the economy.

Ekweremadu insisted that the president needed to look at his cabinet and put square pegs in square holes.

According to him, while Udo Udoma is well known to him as an accomplished lawyer, he believed that the former senator could do better in a ministry like Trade and Investment rather than Budget.

“At this critical time, we need somebody who is more experienced to man the ministry of finance, so that he can be able to coordinate the strategies for this recovery,” he said.

Ekweremadu also asked the president to deliberately release funds into the economy, especially funds already recovered

through the anti-corruption war.

“Yes we are saying there is no money; the oil price had dropped but we were also told that through the TSA, we have about N3 trillion somewhere. We were also told that the former Minister of Petroleum returned $20 million. We were also told that politicians have returned several billions of Naira, dollars and pounds.

“It is either that this is not true or that the money is somewhere and if it is not true, someone needs to apologise to us and state the correct thing. And if it is true, this money has to be released to contractors so that they can be able to go to work and those in the construction industries will be paid and then they will pay the school fees of their children and money will circulate.

“If we have money in the economy, I am sure that shortly, we will also find some reliefs,” he said.

Other senators who contributed to the debate on Wednesday also canvassed the injection of money into the economy and massive investments in agriculture, as well as diversification of sources of foreign exchange as some of the ways out of recession.

Senator Mathew Urhoghide said government must urgently enter into dialogue with Niger Delta militants to stabilise oil production in the area.

In his contribution, former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, supported the idea of dialogue with Niger Delta militants, adding that other security challenges like kidnapping, incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen, as well as cattle rustling should be tackled.

The senator also suggested that workers’ minimum wage should be increased, to reduce the plight of the workers.

“The current minimum wage is no longer realistic, due to rise in prices of commodities and services such that today, the minimum wage of N18,000 can hardly buy a bag of rice.

“It is, therefore, only logical for a review of such minimum wages and demand for higher productivity from the workers,” he said.

He also insisted that the government must pursue areas of affordable power to jumpstart the economy and ensure diversification.

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Corruption freezes development, Buhari tells UN

•Appeals for $14bn assistance for Lake Chad •Nigeria to become investment destination soon, he says Leon Usigbe - Abuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has told world leaders that corruption freezes development and undermines the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Presenting Nigeria’s statement at the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71) in New York, United States, on the theme: “Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform the World,” on Tuesday, he restated that “fighting corruption remains a cardinal pillar of the current administration.”

President Buhari said Nigeria remained committed to achieving the SDGs, which he noted “underscore the imperative for our collective will towards finding enduring and sustainable solutions to addressing global disparities.”

He also expressed delight that the anti-corruption campaign had started yielding positive dividends, including significant recovery of stolen assets.

“The recovered funds are being channeled towards the development of critical infrastructure and the implementation of social inclusion programmes for our people,” President Buhari said, adding that the capacity of government agencies was being strengthened to institutionalise reforms that would ensure transparency and good governance.

He said Nigeria would continue to call for speedy and unconditional recovery of illicit assets stashed abroad, stressing that “Nigeria supports the development of an international legal framework to enforce anti-corruption measures and strengthen existing international institutions to effectively deal with corrupt practices.”

While acknowledging that Nigeria is not spared the adverse effects of the current global economic downturn, the president noted that his administration remained undeterred and had embarked on comprehensive diversification reforms by shifting emphasis to nonoil sectors of “mining, agriculture, industrialisation, infrastructure development and the creation of the enabling environment for Foreign Direct Investment.”

He stressed that “our strategic objective is to stimulate the economy, restore growth and accelerate re-

covery. In doing this, we are taking measures to reduce the cost of governance and increase expenditure on infrastructure and ensure environmental best practices.”

Speaking on climate change, President Buhari said Nigeria was proud to have been part of the process leading to the adoption of the Paris Agreement in December 2015 and supports the African Union initiative on the Great Green Wall to halt desertification.

While attributing the drying up of Lake Chad to the negative consequences of climate change, he called for global support to raise $14 billion being the estimated cost of restoration of the Lake over a five-year plan.

The president said it was in furtherance of the country’s commitment to environmental sustainability that Nigeria launched the clean-up of Ogoniland, even as he called on development partners and multinationals

to contribute to the Ogoniland Restoration Fund.

He also spoke on dangers posed by global terrorists, adding that “Nigeria has made remarkable progress in our resolve to defeat Boko Haram, whose capacity to launch orchestrated attacks as a formed group had been severely degraded. In the last few months, their operations had been limited to sporadic use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) against soft targets.”

Meanwhile, President Buhari, on Wednesday, assured potential investors that Nigeria would soon be one of the most attractive places to invest, as his administration has embarked on significant economic reforms to realise that goal.

He gave the assurance while addressing a gathering of political and business leaders from the United States, Africa and other regions of the world at the second United StatesAfrica Business Forum in the

President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha, flanked by wife of the Oyo State governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi (right); wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs Olufunso Amosun (second left) and wife of the Lagos State governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode (left), shortly after President Buhari addressed world leaders at United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, on Tuesday.

Buhari, Daniel, Obey, Okoroji, Kosoko eulogise KSA at 70 Leon Usigbe - Abuja with Agency Report PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated music legend, King Sunny Ade, as he turns 70 today.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja, on Wednesday, Buhari joined friends, family and fans of the instrumentalist, songwriter and dancer in celebrating his remarkable life, which had been graced by numerous awards for outstanding performances, including nominations for the Grammy.

It said as a Nigerian musician, the president believed the Septuagenarian had, over the years, brought pride to his country by mastering his art against all odds, taking the African musical genre to the global stage and serving as an inspiration and mentor to up and coming artistes.

Also, the immediate past governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, said the legendary juju musician had been described

as one of the greatest musicians Nigeria had ever known.

In his congratulatory message to the king of world beats on the occasion of his 70th birthday anniversary, issued by his media officer, Ayo Giwa, the governor said “with a career spanning over five decades and unparalleled honours, awards and encomiums garnered both locally and internationally, KSA, as fondly called, remains one of the most influential musicians of all time.

Chief Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, in his own words, de-

scribed KSA as one of the most gifted artistes in the world.

Obey told the News of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, in Lagos, that KSA had contributed to the development of the industry in the country.

“On this occasion, I am thanking God for his life and celebrate him as one of the most gifted artistes in the country and the world,’’ Obey said.

In the same vein, Chief Tony Okoroji, chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), said KSA inspired him and many people

with his wonderful music.

Okoroji added that the veteran musician still looked very fit, even as he turned 70, describing this as an intriguing character for a man of that age.

For Jide Kosoko, a veteran actor, KSA is a father, because he had greatly supported his career and encouraged him in the movie industry.

“KSA is my mentor. He has advised me over the years and provided me with materials that have really come in handy in getting me to where I am today,’’ he said.

New York.

The session was organised by the United States Department of Commerce and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The president said the presidential enabling business environment council headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, would soon come out with wide-ranging business environment reforms on ports, visa-on arrival, improving the speed and efficiency of land tilting and business registration.

Some fiscal incentives, he noted, included, up to five years tax holiday for activities classified as “pioneer;” taxfree operations; no restrictions on expatriate quotas in Free Trade Zones and a low VAT regime of five per cent.

“We intend to make Nigeria one of the most attractive places to do business,” he declared, even as he noted that Nigeria remained the number one investment destination in Africa.

President Buhari added that his administration would continue to strengthen government institutions, in order to address the concerns of investors and ease investments in the Nigerian economy.

He said: “We are weaning ourselves from a historical dependence on crude oil, diversifying our economy and putting it on the path of sustainable and inclusive growth.

“To this end, we have embarked on policies aimed at establishing an open, rulesbased and market-oriented economy. We will continue to actively engage with the private sector at the highest levels to listen to your concerns and to assure you of our commitment to creating enabling policies in which your businesses can survive and thrive.”

President Buhari further urged participants to “take advantage of this Forum to establish and strengthen business relationships, share valuable experience and collaborate for mutual benefits.”

Coronation of Benin crown prince postponed to Oct 20 Banji Aluko and Biodun Jimoh - Benin City THE Benin palace has announced that the Benin kingdom will have a new king on October 20.

The much awaited coronation of His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Ambassador Eheneden Erediauwa, Edaiken N’ Uselu, as the new Oba of Benin Kingdom had been billed to hold on Monday, September 28,

before Wednesday’s announcement.

Chairman, Coronation Planning Committee, His Royal Highness Professor G. I. Akenzua, the Enogie of Evbuobanosa/Abudu disclosed this at a media briefing held at the Palace on Wednesday, adding that burial ceremonies are prohibited throughout the period of the coronation.

Speaking further, HRH Akenzua said “As a result

of this change, HRH, the Edaiken N’ Uselu will now depart from Uselu Palace for Eko-Ohae on the 8th of October. He will normally perform some important ceremonies connected with the coronation everyday for seven to ten days prior to the day of his final departure from Uselu.

“We like to inform the general public through this medium that from the day Edaiken N’Uselu leaves his

palace for Eko-Ohae on the 8th of October, the use of coral beads by those who are normally entitled to it will be restored, and the current use of white beads, Omo N’ Orhue, would be discontinued.

“We wish to state that the inconvenience this unavoidable change of date may have caused all the numerous well-wishers interested in attending this important event is greatly regretted.”

news Budget padding: Reps in rowdy session 6

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

•Jibrin’s allegation destroyed NASS integrity, image —Dogara •Ethnic committee get one week ultimatum to probe Jibrin •I won’t appear before any committee except... —Jibrin Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel-Abuja

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here was rowdiness in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, when the point of order was raised to look into the allegation of budget padding raised by former House Committee Chairman on Appropriations, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, while the House was on two months break.

This came just as the House resolved to refer Honourable Jibrin to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for proper investigation, over the allegation he raised against some principal officers of the House including the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara.

The chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Honourable Oker-Jev Emmanuel, had, after the Speaker’s opening speech, raised a point of order where he first reminded members about provisions in the House rule that spelt out penalty for any member that snatches the mace in the chamber.

He equally pleaded with members to conduct themselves in orderly manner and shame those who had expected that the House will be in turmoil over the allegation of budget padding raised by Honourable Jibrin.

While still addressing the House, Honourable Aliyu Madaki started shouting point of order Mr Speaker, but he was shut down by the Speaker, who reminded him that the chairman, House committee on Rules and Business should be allowed to finish his address.

To this end, Honourable Oker-Jev told the Speaker that he should be allowed to move a motion on the allegation of budget padding raised by Honourable Jibrin, which he said was in breach of privilege of members.

Immediately he made his intention known, some members started shouting “no, no, no” while others started shouting “yes, yes”.

While this was going on, the official police of the House, sergeant-at-arm, took position to safeguard the mace and the Speaker.

The atmosphere in the House was charged for a while, with Deputy Speaker, Honourable Lasun Yusuf, moving around to pacify members to calm down, including Honourable Madaki, who stood for some time to have his point of order heard.

While the commotion was ongoing with members raising their voices, Honourable Oker-Jev continued with the motion as the loud speakers

in the chamber failed to work properly.

The Speaker, however, reminded members that copies of the motion were already shared among them and volunteered to read the prayers of the motion.

The motion was entitled, “The breach of privileges of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (The House), breach of the privileges of members of the House, breach of the practices, precedents and usages of the House and sundry Acts of misconduct against the members of institution of the House and National Assembly; breach of the provisions of the legislative Houses (powers and privileges) Act, CAP. L12, LFN.” In the motion, Honourable Oker-Jev chronicled all the allegations raised by Honourable Jibrin, which, he said, was aimed at tarnishing the image of the House as an institution and members.

The allegation raised by Honourable Jibrin while the House was on recess, he said, was contrary to sections 24 and 30 of the Legislative (Powers and Privileges) Act. He also said that the allegation was “in breach of the Standing orders of the House of Representatives, particularly the provisions on privileges of the House

and that of members thereof touching or seizing the mace order 10 rule 5 (13) and 15.

The above statements are contemptuous of the House of Representatives as an institution.

Punishment: Suspension not less than six months.”

After the chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business was through with his motion, attempts by Honourable Madaki to have his point of order heard was rebuffed by some members, but through the intervention of the Speaker, he was allowed.

The speaker pointedly told Honourable Madaki that “you are reaping what you sowed” as he reminded him that when Honourable Oker-Jev was presenting his motion, he was part of those that were shouting on him to stop.

But Honourable Madaki, in his point of order, told the Speaker that Honourable Jibrin had raised grievous allegation against him and other body of principal officers, the allegation, he added, rubbed off on all members and called for resignation of those named as part of budget padding.

The Speaker, in his ruling, asked Honourable Madaki to first tender his resignation, saying that there was no provision in the rules that

supported his submission.

“I will wait for you, as the Speaker, to receive your resignation first. You said that the allegation has been made against the Speaker and all of us,” he said.

At this point, some members close to where Honourable Madaki was sitting offered him paper to tender his resignation.

Meanwhile, a tactic vote of confidence was passed on the Speaker as muffler with inscription: “I stand with Dogara” was distributed to members with majority of them wearing it on their necks.

A shout of “Dogara, Dogara...” rented the air. Some members, however, refused to have the muffler on their neck, including Honourable Madaki.

Honourable Earlier, Dogara, insisted that the House would not fall for any blackmail in view of budget padding allegation levelled against him and some other principal officers of the House.

This is coming just as the House asked the Federal Government to put more money in circulation by releasing money for capital project.

In his welcome address, entitled: “We shall not be distracted,” on the occasion of resumption of the House,

the Speaker, however, said that truth would prevail on the matter.

To address the economic recession, the Speaker said, “government expenditure envisaged in effective budget implementation helps to put more money in the hands of citizens, puts more money in circulation and helps to reflate the economy.

We, therefore, welcome increased budgetary releases for Capital projects just announced and request for even more as provided by law.”

According to him, “the events of the recent weeks give cause for grave concern and pose existential threats to the corporate integrity and image of the House as a democratic institution designed by the Constitution to play a vital role in our nation’s governmental system.

“This is a patriotic call to action from all stakeholders and indeed all Nigerians. We must unite as a people to rescue Nigeria from the shackles of poverty, social and economic underdevelopment,” he stated.

To this end, he called on the National Assembly to continue giving legislative support to the Executive on all well thought out and effective solutions to the country’s economic problems.

Members of National Youth Council of Nigeria, during a protest demanding the suspension of former chairman, House Committee of Appropriation, Honourable Abdulmumin Jubrin, in Abuja, on Wednesday. photo: Sunday Osunrayi.

Protesters storm NASS, want Jibrin suspended, prosecuted Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel-Abuja

Protesters in their numbers coordinated by a civil society group, Coalition of Defence of Democracy (CDD), on Wednesday, stormed the National Assembly to demand for the suspension and prosecution of former chairman, House committee on Appropriation, Honourable Abdulmu-

min Jibrin.

The CDD, led by Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere, in company of scores of protesters with banners said that the former House chairman, should be dealt with for bringing the House to disrepute.

Inscriptions on the posters reads: “NASS sanction Jibrin for bringing the House to disrepute; Jibrin is not fit to be a member of the House of Representatives,

EFCC prosecute Jibrin for operating foreign account...”

In a prepared speech, convener of the coalition, Mr Ugochinyere noted that, “We are committed to reforms in the National Assembly to give it a true face Nigerians expect of it.

Hence, we are committed to supporting the advocacy for open NASS and also bridging the communication gap between the National As-

sembly and the people.”

According to him, “This dastardly plot to destabilise the parliament is real.

It aims at discrediting the parliament to enable them force a leadership change to suit the whims and caprices of those external forces who could not win on the floor of the parliament, who are now using Jibrin to continue a battle in which they were roundly defeated.

On effective oversight function, he said “the budget is, therefore not just a piece of paper to be treated with disdain. When the revenue targets are not met, both the Executive and the legislature are enjoined to work in a cooperative manner to remove any issues arising there from. Indeed, the 2016 Appropriation Act in Section 6 has given an indication on how it should be resolved. When a Budget is not effectively implemented by the Executive, and adequate reasons are not given, it undermines citizens’ faith in governance, as the budget is perhaps the most effective tool for addressing poverty and underdevelopment.

Speaking further he said, “In furtherance of the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly to act as an effective check on the Executive on behalf of the Nigerian people, I hereby direct various House Committees to conduct a fact finding exercise on the extent and level of budget implementation by various MDAs. “We must take our oversight responsibilities very seriously and report back to the House. It is the Report of the House Committees that will determine Appropriation to any MDA in 2017,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the embattled former chairman, Honourable Jibrin, has said that he would only appear before the ethics and privileges committee asked to probe him over the allegations he raised on the budget padding, if the committee will conduct its proceedings in the open.

The lawmaker, in a statement said “I will take up the opportunity provided by the Ethics Committee to state my case under the condition that the hearing will be public and will allow the Press, CSOs, NGOs, NLC, ASUU, NANS, NBA and the general public to witness the entire proceedings.”

He added that “this is the only way that I can have the comfort and confidence that the proceedings, the investigations and the outcome will not be manipulated or compromised. I am ready to appear before the committee even today, if the proceedings will be public.”

He, however, said that he was shocked by the way the proceedings of the House was handled by the Speaker.

According to him, “I attended the sitting of the House today and carefully observed the proceedings concerning the allegations of budget fraud and corruption I levelled against Speaker Dogara and three other Principal Officers”.

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Shed the tears, boost your health Continued from front page

When a baby is born, relief fills the air at the shrilling sound of tits cry because it signifies that the child is alive but as people grow up, they tend to stifle their tears, trying to be in control. On the contrary, experts advise that having a good cry can sometimes be the remedy the body needs and they even warn that people may be doing themselves a great deal of disservice by not tearing up regularly.

Mubashir further explained that tears most times decrease the arousal of distress and make people feel better. According to him, reflex tears are 98 per cent water where as emotional tears contain stress hormones which get excreted from the body through crying.

Astonishingly, some cultures have taken crying to the next level. In Japan, there exists crying clubs which are formed solely for tearing. According to the Japan Times, a new social phenomenon, dubbed “rui-katsu” (tear-seeking), is spreading across Japan as adults gather together to watch tearjerking movies and cry in public as a way of releasing stress.

After attending a rui-katsu session, the Japan Times reported that a 49-year-old male participant confessed to feel so much better.

The participant who attested to always being so tense at home and in front of his subordinates at work declared to have entered into a new mental and emotional state.

This was corroborated by Mubashir while stating that emotional tears shed those hor-

mones and other toxins that accumulate in the body during stress.

He explained that crying stimulates the production of endorphins which are known as the body’s own pain killer and have thus gained the epithet, feel good hormones.

“Crying makes us feel better, even when a problem persists. It detoxifies the body and heals the heart,” he said.

Mubashir therefore warned against discouraging people from holding back their tears and bottling up emotions which could trigger stress and other health problems. He announced that though we are in a society where crying is considered a weakness, “the new enlightened paradigm of what constitutes a powerful man and woman is someone who has the strength and self-aware-

ness to cry.”

Little wonder, the great William Shakespeare, several centuries before now admonished men in these words, “Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak, Whispers the over-fraught heart and bids it break.” If you don’t, you may need to cry more often to shield your heart from being broken.

Mubashir shares the same thought with Shakespeare for he reiterated while speaking with NAN that “it is good to cry, it is healthy to cry.” Crying, he pointed out is essential to resolve grief when someone dear is lost. “Tears helps us process the so we can keep living with open hearts. Otherwise, we will be depressed if we suppress these potent feelings.”

IGP stops attachment of mobile police to individuals

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HE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris, on Wednesday, said the force would no longer deploy personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) to guard individuals.

Idris made the disclosure at a meeting with Commanders of PMF, Special Protection Unit (SPU) and the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), in Abuja.

“Therefore, in line with these responsibilities, it will be against force policy to deploy police mobile force personnel to guard individuals or fragment their personnel into smaller units,“he said.

He said that the PMF, CTU and SPU, were currently undergoing reorganisation and restructuring in accordance with their responsibilities.

The IG said the force had put in motion strategy to ensure that PMF personnel were gradually replaced with SPU personnel, who were saddled with the responsibility of close protection of VIPS.

Idris said that the special police units occupied the central aspects of policing all over the world.

“It is, therefore, important that we as a nation, ensure

that our special police units are given adequate training and resources to enable them carry out their responsibilities,“he said.

He said that in order to

enhance the capability of the SPU personnel, they would be stationed in all police commands as against zonal commands.

Idris restated his admin-

NGO to honour Stella Adadevoh today

By Seyi Sokoya

Former vice president and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, exchanging pleasantries with the wife of late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, Bose, during a visit to the former vice president in Abuja, on Wednesday.

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The company explained in a statement issued in Lagos that a subscriber who recharges with N300 will get N330, while a N600 recharge now gives N660 airtime. Similarly, a recharge of N1,200 on the e-Top Up platform, will now give the subscriber N1,320 airtime.

The e-Top Up service, Globacom stated, has been enhanced to avail subscribers the full benefits of any of the plans they subscribe to such as G-Bam, Infinito, Free Tomorrow, Glo Bumpa or the newly launched Jolific8.

istration’s resolve to ensure that all police training facilities operated optimally.

He said that the force was also proposing the establishment of a Police SPU training school for enhanced service delivery.

The IG said the force would seek the support of the Nigerian Navy to establish a marine police training school in Bayelsa to enable the police dominate the creeks of Niger Delta region.

He said that the measures being taken by the force would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the police and address the major security challenges in the country.

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It also saves the environment from being littered with used recharge cards,” Globacom said..

Globacom said that the enhanced service was introduced to reward and motivate its subscribers who recharge with the eTop Up service on the Glo online platform. The company added that it “ understands the specific needs of its subscribers and will continue to develop products that address their requirements and offer best value for money”.

To use the Glo e-Top Up platform, the company explained that all a customer needs to do is to log on to https://www.quick-

teller.com/Categories/MobileRecharge, or visit an ATM, a Gloworld shop or a Glo dealer outlet to top up virtually.

3 dead, 14 missing, as bus plunge into river in Kaduna THE Kaduna State sector command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has confirmed the death of three persons and declared 14 others missing, after an 18-seater bus plunged into River Rijana on KadunaAbuja Road.

The sector’s Head of Operations, Mr Salisus Galadunci, said that the accident occurred around 11. 00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Galadunci told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday, in Kaduna, that the 18 persons, who were from one family, were returning to

Lokoja from Kano, when the accident occurred.

According to him, only one person survived the accident, adding that three bodies were recovered from the river.

“An 18-seater bus travelling to Lokoja from Kano plunged into River Rijana with about 18 persons, all related, returning from Sallah break.

“The incident was reported by the only survivor, a woman, who manage to report to an FRSC ambulance stationed at Doka unit, along Kaduna-Abuja expressway, around 7. 00 am on Wednesday.

THE Essence Award Nigeria (TEAN), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), an initiative of Women of Essence, will today (Thursday), decorate the late Dr Stella Adadevoh, with a posthumous award, following her heroic effort to prevent the outbreak of Ebola disease in Nigeria.

The Christian intercessory organisation which provides strong outreach that addresses women’s needs in particular and the needs of the community in general, will also decorate other personalities at the event slated to hold at Four Points by Sheraton, at Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO ) of the NGO, Mrs Tosin Popoola, told the Nigerian Tribune that the third edition event will also launch ‘Splendour Magazine’.

She also said that the initiative is not limited to women alone but inspired to honour and support people as well organisations that selflessly impact on communities and society at large.

Prophet Salawu for burial September 29 THE final home journey activities for the great Missionary, founder and General Overseer of Christ Apostolic Church (revival centre), Agbara Jesu wa sibe, Prophet Michael Olutayo Salawu, who died on Monday, July 18, at the age of 73, will begin on Wednesday, September 28, with a 12 hours service of songs where eminent gospel songs ministers will feature at CAC Revival Centre, Agbara Jesu wa Sibe (Headquarters), Apata, Ibadan, by 4.00 pm. Lying-in-state will hold at the Christ Interdenominational Camp of Fire-City of Salvation, Oru-Ijebu, on Thursday, September 29 by 12 noon.

There will be wake keep service on the same day, by 4. 00 p.m. at Christ Apostolic Church, Revival Centre, Apata, Ibadan. Funeral service will hold on Friday, September 29, at the church headquarters by 10. 00 a.m. While interment will hold at Micheal Olutayo Salawu Museum, on the church headquarters’ premises.

Thanksgiving service will hold at the Christ Apostolic Church. Anniversary day service will hold on Saturday, October 1, by 10.

00. a.m.

Prophet Salawu

8 news Kiriji Day holds Friday

By Gbenga Olumide

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he celebration of the 1886 Pan Yoruba Peace Treaty (Kiriji) Day will hold on Friday, September 23, at the Peace Treaty Site, Imesi-Ile, Osun State.

The three-day event, which commenced yesterday, September 21 with a symposium entitled: “Role of youths in the Yoruba Unity Project, was initiated by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II. The 130th anniversary lecture was delivered by Professor Siyan Oyefeso with a candle light procession round Imesi-Ile by the Yoruba Youths Alliance.

On Thursday (today), some

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Akhigbe Onohi now AKHIGBE SONIA ONOHI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Majaro Musiliu Adio now wish to known and addressed as MAJARO ADIO MUSILIU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Yoruba elite will chart the way forward in yet another symposium entitled: “The sanctity of the 1886 Pan Yoruba Peace Treaty as panacea for peaceful coexistent among Yoruba traditional rulers and their subjects”, where Dr. Adisa Ogunfolakan, Director, Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife will be the resource person.

In a release signed by the Founder/President of Kiriji Cultural Foundation, Chief S.L. Ojo-Williams

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Onuh Ijato Blessing now MRS MATTHEW BLESSING IJATO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olaniwun Francis Ajayi now ORIMOLADE TEMITOPE FRANCIS. All former documents remain valid. OOHRHII Global Services Ltd and general public take note.

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

and Secretary, Mr Kehinde Kolawole respectively, the Aare Ogboni Agbaye, Adetoyese Olakisan; the Awise of Osogboland, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon and other Yoruba traditional priests will observe a vigil between 9:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. on Thursday to pray for continued peace in Yorubaland.

The outcome of the divination will guide Yoruba leaders on their peace and unity messages on the Peace Treaty ground in Imesi-Ile.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ogunade Iyioluwa Danielle now PHILLIPS IYIOLUWA DANIELLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

And I, formerly Miss Ayonrinde Oluwatomiwa Priscillia now MRS PHILLIPS O L U WAT O M I WA PRISCILLA. All former documents remain valid.

University of Ibadan and general public take note.

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businessnews

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Sanusi carpets finance ministry, backs CBN on monetary policy rates Chima Nwokoji-Lagos

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HE Emir of Kano and former CBN governor, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said that the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria not to follow the views of the Finance Minister on bench mark interest rate signifies the beginning of independence of the apex bank.

The Emir said he respects the Finance Minister, but that the CBN has to do what is needed at this time in the economy.

Speaking at the launch of the Afrinvest 2016 Banking Sector Report in Lagos on Wednesday, Sanusi said the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN had taken the best decision as cutting rate would not translate to credit growth.

The MPC, rising from its meeting on Tuesday, had maintained monetary policy rate at 14 per cent which was not in line with recent comments by the Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, that the apex bank should consider lowering interest rates.

The Emir of Kano stated that he had been worried that the CBN would bow to pressure to cut rates.

“I personally felt it is a positive trend. When the fiscal authority and many people said they wanted lower rates, I was concerned the CBN would succumb to pressure. The fact that CBN did not seems to me that the CBN is beginning to reclaim its independence which to me is a good thing for this economy.

“If you are irritated by what I say and do take the right decision, that is all right. We are in crisis economy, but it is not impossible to surmount.”

He noted that reversing its tightening stance will further fuel inflation and reduce yields at a time when the country is trying to lure in foreign investors, adding that the country is in dire need of foreign exchange.

Sanusi also commended the flexible exchange rate policy of the CBN as well as its tightening stance saying, “some decisions will seem to fly in your face within the first week or two. The naira today is undervalued and if you take Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) as well as look at the stock market, you see gross under valuations. The fixed income is offering high yields.

“If you allow people to come in with their dollars and sell at whatever rate people want to buy. People see they are going to make huge profit on fixed income, on equity market or currency appreciation and you have liquidity in the market.”

According to him, CBN needs to be encouraged to effect full flexible exchange rate.

Commenting on the economy, Emir Sanusi said the Buhari government cannot be held responsible for the present predicament of the country stating that the crisis had been inherited from past administration.

“This present government inherited a real mess.

I was there, I know that the reserves that were left in 2015 should have been much higher if we did not have the kind of leakages we were having. As far back as 2013, I warned and told the government that this is where we are, this is where I think reserves should be. I think we were losing about $1 billion a month, I warned that if we didn’t do something about it and the price of oil falls I think we are going to be where we are today. That did not happen and we are here.”

Nigerian Tribune

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editorial

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Developing herbal medicine

GAINST the backdrop of the recession in the country, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu, has for some time been drawing attention to the fact that Nigeria has what it takes to diversify its economy through earnings from traditional and herbal medicines. On one occasion, the renowned expert in pharmacognosy said: “There are over 48 commercial plants in Nigeria and 30 of these plants are food plants. We are hoping that, one day, herbal medicine practitioners will be able to look at the global trend and key into it. We are convinced that traditional medicine is the key to the future of Nigeria’s health system. We have a lot of functional foods like cashew nuts; cocoa is an antioxidant proven to fight cardiovascular diseases, and we also have dogonyaro. What we lack mainly is awareness of the abundance of these herbs. Even today, many don’t know the efficacy of bitter leaf, which is good for fighting diabetes.” Iwu’s position is in perfect agreement with the observation of the director of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Segun Awolowo, that the time has come for the country to look in the direction of non-oil exports.

In the past 25 years at least, the world has tilted towards natural remedies for numerous ailments, especially in the light of the many deleterious side effects of synthetic drugs.

The moringa seed which has become a universal wonder seed offering proven relief to numerous health conditions from high blood pressure to piles and haemorrhoids, grows and flourishes all over the country and can be found in many markets. Similarly, the sour sop plant, reputed to be an effective prophylaxis for cancer and diabetes, is generously available in the country.

Although a few states recognise herbal medicine and actually have boards that control the activities of its practitioners, the nation is yet to put in place a comprehensive blueprint to structure and regulate this area of potential national growth and global influence.

The government should show more than a passing interest in developing this area by encouraging research and development in pharmacognosy. This can be done by supporting research institutes in the relevant areas of

pharmacognosy through grants. This will go a long way in harnessing this potentially great sector of the economy which has been neglected over the years.

Already, the Nigerian market is awash with the Chinese variant of herbal medicine and there is evidence that China has been making more than a brisk business in Nigeria. What stops Nigeria from taking a similar step?

If the government kindles the interest of the people in this area, they will embark on the cultivation of acres of land for these plants like lemon, lime moringa and sour sop. Lemon planted in an acre of land will actually fetch a lot of money. Apart from saving the lives of citizens who may otherwise die prematurely, this initiative will offer alternative livelihood to a country hooked on rent. The eventual operations of the sector will enjoy a transparent and independent supervision, unlike the oil sector which is criminally opaque and out of control.

As the people cultivate the land for food, so will they cultivate these crops for which alternative uses have been identified, and the country will be the richer for it. There are efforts already being made at the Obafemi Awolowo University’s Faculty of Pharmacy and similar faculties in other universities to develop herbal medicine, not to mention a private initiative in Edo State where herbal medicine has been upgraded. The global trend in medicine even favours a preference for organic and natural drugs over chemicals, and the country will do well to seize the advantage of nature’s blessings and endowments to diversify its economy.

Apart from saving lives, Nigeria will make a lot of money because, in the age of the internet, Nigeria’s practitioners of herbal medicine have a global market that they can explore, not to mention the foreign exchange that will be saved when the sector has been effectively keyed into by the federal and state governments through policy frameworks and funding. The practice of herbal medicine should be elevated and structured to be ready for the export market.

The current sad and painful experiences fostered by economic recession should actually spur the country to seek a more productive alternative national livelihood.

Nigeria needs to get out of the economic quicksand where it is currently mired.

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yournews

•’The girl is mine!’ Two he-goats lock- horns over a she-goat. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Our problems not beyond redemption NIGERIA’s problems are not beyond redemption; however, the real challenge we are facing is that of leadership.

It is unfortunate that we have been on the same spot for too long, and all we get from our political leaders are just empty promises.

We need leaders who know what it takes for the economy to thrive.

Today, the citizens are suffering as a result of past government’s failure to take certain steps, but one must commend the present government for the steps it is taking towards correcting the mistakes of the past.

Having said this, I hope that this current administration will focus on boosting the economy, which is currently suffering as a result of the fall in the price of crude oil in the global market. The government should work towards reducing imports, while boosting exports.

•Dise Young, 07068212015

Forex: Between CBN and banks

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), some time ago, directed that the Bureau De Changes (BDCs) should stop participating in the forex business and directed all end users of foreign exchange to source their needs through the commercial banks.

The CBN’s directive was promptly obeyed by all, especially the BDCs that were at the receiving end of the directive. They carried on with their business, believing that sooner, the apex bank would see reason with them and allow them to return to their traditional business.

However, the CBN, after a careful review of the explanations by the BDCs, made a reversal of its decision by directing that the Bureau de Changes be allowed back into the forex business, saying the BDCs be allowed to sell all inflow of foreign currencies to the public.

But that directive to the commercial banks is yet to be obeyed as the commercial banks have continued to hold on to the business

already ceded to the BDC by the CBN. As a participant in the BDC business, one is confused as to who holds the sway or simply put, who controls the lever of power on monetary policy between the CBN and the commercial banks.

If in the wisdom of the

apex bank, it directed the commercial banks to sell all inflow of foreign currencies to the public through the BDC, but the banks just refused, carrying on as if their obedience of the directive was just voluntary, it worries one because the powers to regulate banking activities in the country

rests with the CBN. It is on this note that I’m writing this letter so that the CBN and all concerned authorities will once again intervene and call the commercial banks to order.

•Mudasiru Bolatito, 09171600777

Towards achieving a great Nigeria POLITICAL office holders must justify people’s confidence in them by striving to fulfill their promises, especially the ones they made during the campaign period.

The reason for this is because this is the only way that the change of government can make meaning to Nigerians.

The fundamental issues affecting this country, such as insecurity, corruption, unemployment and poor power supply, should be given prompt attention.

Our leaders should know that the political consciousness of the people is now high and they will no longer vote for those who cannot add value to their

lives.

Consequently, Nigerian political leaders should turn from their wicked ways, so as not to incur the wrath of God. Clearly, Nigerian politicians do a lot of things which God hates.

They tell lies under oath, trust in deceitful works and so on. They make promises and break them and worship gods, hence, they should turn a new leaf in order to avoid God’s punishment.

The leaders and the followers should go back to the scriptures for God to reveal His glory in all of us, with a divine comfort. Also, our religious leaders should speak and preach the true

messages of God to their followers.

Nigerians should re-dedicate themselves to the service of God and humanity.

The difficult situations facing the country demands a lot of sacrifice from the collective efforts of both the leaders and the led.

Men of God are not left out; they should always pray for the nation’s leaders so that they (leaders) will be able to surmount every obstacle on their way and perform excellently, so that Nigeria can attain greatness, peace, tranquility and God’s blessings.

•Prophet Oladipupo Funmilade-Joel, 08033733470.

Call for fuel price hike unpatriotic AT a time when Nigerians are dying of hunger, some unpatriotic people are calling for another hike in fuel price.

Let it be clear that this government was not elected to make life miserable for the people, but to rescue them from years of neglect by past administrations.

I am happy that the government has come out to state that it has no plan to increase the price of fuel, and I want it to stick to that position.

Instead of contemplating increasing the price of fuel, the Federal Government should look at increasing investments in the oil sector, particularly by inviting investors to come and set up refineries in the country. The fact that we are an oil-producing nation will work to our advantage, and to attract investors, the government can provide them with tax holidays •Iyayi Lawson, 08059412659

opinion Buhari is not the plagiarist 15

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

By Ikeogu Oke

D

URING the tenure of one of our past presidents, I was given a publication to distil some of its content for use in another publication. The publication, a “Mid-term Report” of the president’s administration, featured inputs from various ministries, departments and agencies. It was meant to project the goals and achievements of the government of the day. And, not surprisingly, its foreword was signed by the then incumbent president, an indication that his government endorsed it at the highest level.

Unfortunately, the caption of that foreword signed by that president, thereby adopting it as his own, was spelt “forward.”

Now, the WordWeb dictionary, defines “foreword” (a noun) as “a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book.” It also renders the meaning of “forward” (which can be a noun, a verb or an adjective) as “at, near or directed toward the front,” among other definitions. In fact, both words are homonyms and their meanings are totally unrelated.

But I could not bring myself to think that the president in question did not know the difference between “foreword” and “forward” as the caption suggested, being aware of how the error could result from putting one’s faith in aides one believes to be competent who turn out to be the opposite.

A competent proof-reader should have spotted the error before the publication was passed for the signature of the president in question or went to press. And one would not blame him for not playing the role of proof-reader for those behind the publication, in addition to that of a president overseeing many serious matters of state, which is what it would amount to if one were to insist that he should have spotted the error himself.

In fact, a president should have such aides, and such faith in their capabilities and integrity, that he should be able to adopt or sign off on any document they present to him without undue anxiety about any untoward consequences.

Yet I found it inexcusable that a president who approved an annual education budget running into billions could be exposed to such risk of being deemed ignorant of the difference between

both everyday words, whereas the thousands of citizens who benefit from that budget should be more than enough resource he can draw on and avoid such embarrassment.

But I was not surprised that he could not, knowing the types of incompetents that surround our men of power, who they choose as aides often based on primordial considerations rather than merit. Such are the pitfalls of our nation having degenerated into a shrine for the worship of mediocrity, where glorified square pegs strive to fit into round holes in most public offices.

And as we can see with the case I have cited, involving the former president, and the more recent charge of the plagiarism of President Barack Obama’s speech levelled against President Muhammadu Buhari, the victims of such institutionalisation of mediocrity can also be presidents, and their reputation can be threatened as a result, which necessitates their taking the lead in reversing the negative trend.

But suffice it to say that President Buhari is not the plagiarist. He would have been if he personally wrote the speech.

And it is noteworthy that his media team has issued a statement identifying the culprit with a promise of appropriate sanctions, and by implication acknowledged the moral breach with regret.

In fact, the origin of this plagiarism being wrongly attributed to President Buhari by some commentators may not be different from that of a similar charge levelled against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. One Victor E. Dike, a Nigerian university don based in the United States, once sued Sanusi for allegedly plagiarising his work.

But as Farooq Kperogi noted in his column entitled “Issues in Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s plagiarism allegation,” published in a national newspaper in 2012, Sanusi “wasn’t personally responsible for the plagiarism” because “the speech was written for” him “by some intellectually slothful CBN employee.”

Kperogi’s explanation reinforced that of the CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Ugochukwu A. Okoroafor, that “Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi did not write the said paper” and that it was “prepared by professional researchers in the relevant departments of the Bank.”

The point, which applies to both cases involving President Buhari and Sanusi, is that one cannot plagiarise another’s work by proxy. Also, that the blame for the offence should be placed on the individual directly involved.

However, there are various lessons President Buhari can learn from this experience to deepen the wisdom he needs to run the country effectively.

One is that the wrongs ascribed to people in power are not always committed by them, though they may be required to take responsibility or be impacted by the consequences as in his plagiarism case. I hope realising this makes him more empathetic towards those who have travelled the difficult path of leadership before him.

It also shows the quality of some of the people President Buhari may have chosen as aides, that one of them could believe they can steal from a speech delivered by someone as prominent as President Obama and not get caught in the age of the internet. I hesitate to call such theft foolish, as well as the hope of escaping detection, because anyone knowledgeable about the use of words and ideas, as a presidential speech-writer should be, should know that plagiarism never goes undetected.

Incidentally, I believe that whoever pads a speech with someone else’s ideas, believing that they will benefit from the fraud and that it will go undetected, as every plagiarists does, will similarly pad anything else, including a budget with false projected expenditures, and payrolls with names of ghost workers, if possible.

•Oke is an Abuja-based public affairs analyst.

Combating violence against women and girls

By Adepeju Olaide Oti

GENDER-BASED violence (GBV) is a global epidemic, as it crosses every social and economic class, ethnicity, race, religion, sex and level of education; it also transcends international borders. Most affected are women, the girl-child and other vulnerable groups. Its focus include forced marriage, rape, traditional harmful practices, sexual harassment, intimidation at work and in educational institutions, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, human trafficking and forced prostitution.

GBV is heightened in conflict and post-conflict settings, in displaced persons camps and refugee camps and following a natural disaster. Research shows that 35 per cent of women and girls globally experience some form of physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, with up to seven in 10 women facing this abuse in some countries.

Facts available on the United Nations website also indicate that an estimated 133 million girls and women have experienced some form of female genital mutilation in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East, where the harmful practice is most common.

Also, worldwide, more than 700 million women alive today were married as children; 250 million of them were married before the age of 15. Girls who marry before the age of 18 are less likely to complete their education and more likely to experience domestic violence and complications in childbirth.

Moreover, roughly half of today’s 60 million forcibly displaced people are women. Many who flee wars and violence are often exploited by unscrupulous smugglers, and frequently suffer gender discrimination and xenophobia in host societies.

A World Development report (2012) on 10 selected risk factors facing girls and women, rated rape and domestic violence more dangerous than road accidents, war, cancer and other deadly diseases.

Violence against women and girls is one of the most common abuses of human rights, and to stem the tide, countries have made some progress in addressing violence against women and girls. According to a UN’s 2006 In-Depth Study on All Forms of Violence against Women, 89 countries had some legislation

on domestic violence, and a growing number of countries had instituted national plans of action, Nigeria inclusive.

In addition to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the 1993 Vienna Declaration on Human Rights and the 1995 Declaration of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, specified actions to protect women from discrimination and violence.

Similarly, a 1993 UN General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women called on governments to condemn such violence and to refrain from using customs, traditions or religious beliefs to avoid their obligations to end it. These agreements serve as the framework for the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on violence against women.

In 2003, African governments adopted a protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in which they committed themselves to end discrimination and violence against women. The protocol came into force in November 2005 after ratification by 15 states.

In Nigeria, May 25, 2015 was a landmark in the struggle for justice for victims of GBV as former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan passed into law the Violence against Persons Bill. The new law prohibits female circumcision or genital mutilation, forceful ejection from home and harmful widowhood practices.

It prohibits abandonment of spouse, children and other dependents without sustenance, battery and harmful traditional practices. The bill provides a legislative and legal framework for

the prevention of all forms of violence against vulnerable persons, especially women and the girl-child.

This, therefore, puts to an end the 14-year advocacy that passed through three sessions of the Nigerian National Assembly.

In spite of this, violence against women and girls is on the increase. There is hardly any day without the news of child sexual molestation, rape, physical and emotional assault.

Quite a number of cases come to mind; the celebrated Ese Oruru vs. Yunusa Dahiru case of forceful marriage, conversion to Islam and abduction.

According to the Lagos State government, the state Ministry of Justice recorded 427 cases of rape in 2012. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, expressed worry over the alarming cases of rape. This number is not, however, reflective of the true statistics on rape as most rape incidents are not reported to the police, because cases on rape are not reported due to stigmatisation. There were over 20 reported cases in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, monthly, according to a News Agency of Nigeria report in 2013.

A survey by a correspondent in Ibadan showed that the menace is fast assuming a dangerous dimension with reported abuse of minors. He said that aside from the fact that it has become an aberration, under-aged girls are now major targets of rapists, leaving their victims with horrible experiences.

Various forms of sexual violence, including coerced marriage or wife inheritance, female genital mutilation, forced exposure to pornography, rape by intimate partner or strangers, unwanted sexual advances, and sexual abuse, occurs, especially in vulnerable groups. However, most of these cases are not reported.

Evidently, there is a need to urgently put an end to violence against women and the girl-child, and other vulnerable groups in the country, and this is the responsibility of all, both the government and the governed.

•Dr Oti is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Lead City University, Ibadan.

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016 Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 08158610216,

Abuja beggars and their fresh battle with FCTA, recession

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Chistian Okeke-Abuja

HESE are, definitely, not good times for beggars in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This is because the beggars, mostly referred to as environmental nuisance by authorities in the territory, are facing serious clamp-down by the FCT administration, while also bearing the brunt of the current economic recession.

Previous administrations in Abuja, no doubt, had running battles with the beggars. The beggars were then arrested and

repatriated but they kept returning.

The past administrations, it seemed, faced frustration in handling of the beggars. Part of the complaints by authorities then had to do with what they described as obsolete laws which they said did not serve as useful tools to end the menace.

However, checks revealed that twin factors of strict crack-down by the present administration as well as the current economic recession now hit the beggars in Abuja below the belt. The beggars have even confessed that it was a hard time for them.

To achieve the desired result this time, Minister of the FCT, Musa Bello, undertook far-reaching re-organisation of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) by changing its leadership. In fact, he also ordered all desk heads to hand over to their immediate subordinates after expressing disappointment with the failure of the board in delivering on key mandates. The step was outside the setting up of an FCT Special Task Team on Abuja Environmental Protection headed

by Squadron Leader, Abdullahi Adamu Monjel (rtd.)

Beggars on the street of Abuja.

Army/Kakatar land tussle: FCT minister intervenes Chistian Okeke-Abuja THE crisis that followed the army takeover of premises of a construction firm in Abuja, Kakatar CE Limited, over alleged encroachment may soon be over as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Musa Bello, has stepped into the matter.

The firm was awarded multibillion naira project for the provision of engineering infrastructure at Maitama Extension District of Abuja by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in 2012, but its premises for the project was recently sealed off by the army which cited land encroachment as reason for the invasion, although it was gathered that closeness of the premises to Lungi Barracks was beginning to pose security risk to the security facility and informed the action.

However, the action of the military has halted work at the project site since September 2.

Investigation by Abuja Xtra showed that the minister has stepped in to resolve the crisis.

Abuja Xtra gathered that Kakatar had earlier written the minister to complain about the forceful take-over of its premises.

It was gathered that the firm through its spokesman, Mr Austin Ekeinde, had complained that it was in a dilemma over the matter and that the action of the army was causing its huge losses.

Ekeinde was quoted as having said that “Kakatar is in a dilemma because we cannot fight the military or join issues with our highly esteemed client.

“We only hope and pray that both parties resolve the issue quickly so that we can mobilise to site and complete the work as scheduled,” he said.

Abuja Xtra gathered that the minister, after his attention was brought to the faceoff, requested for a comprehensive report from field officers of the FCDA on the facts of the matter regarding the allocation of the contentious plots.

The order was with a view to taking informed decision since he was not abreast of the rightful owner being new at the ministry, and also as he was allegedly not informed by the army hierarchy before their action.

It was gathered that the report has already been submitted to him, awaiting his studying the document and taking necessary action.

It was further gathered that the minister has had contacts with “critical” stakeholders in the matter to assess the options available.

FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello (middle), former Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife (right) and another Igbo traditional ruler when Igbo community residents in Abuja visited the FCT Minister recently.

Few weeks after it was set-up, the AEPB and the task team broke a syndicate of suspected suppliers of beggars to strategic locations in Abuja. Monjel revealed that the feat was achieved following an intelligence report.

The leader of the suspected syndicate, Baba Gwarma from Kaduna State, was said to have lived in Karma-Jiji, a suburb of Abuja. Three personal vehicles were used for movement of the beggars in and around Abuja as well as neighboring states of Nasarawa, Niger and Kaduna. Gwarma was also said to have rented apartments which provided shelter for the beggars of the syndicate in the Karma-Jiji.

Perhaps unlike before, the FCT Social Development Secretariat is currently under instruction to ensure that all beggars arrested now are captured in the database for easy reference. The AEPB and the task team were equally directed to ensure that the beggars, together with other destitute, were registered after their arrests before being taken to the Kuchiko Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre in Bwari Area Council.

The Centre was directed to commence the process of repatriating the beggars to their various states of origin in line with the extant rules where social welfare officials in the receiving states are to receive them officially.

Principal of the centre, Bala Tsoho, confirmed that over 145 new beggars and destitute were recently brought there. He also said that the welfare of the inmates especially their feeding had drastically improved.

Abuja Xtra spoke with some of the beggars through an interpreter. During the interrogation, some of them complained that sympathy by the public to their condition had significantly reduced.

One of the beggars in Kubwa, who simply gave his name as Baba, told Abuja Xtra that most people stopped giving him alms in recent times. He said that he and his four other colleagues made nothing on many occasions, but said he did not understand what Abuja Xtra meant by recession when asked if the current economic recession was responsible.

Also at Wuse Zone 5, another beggar, who gave his name as Musa, said he came from Niger State and made only N50 that day. He said that he had started feeling discouraged to ask for money again from people as they had stopped giving him.

Meanwhile, it appeared some forces sympathetic to the beggars had started fighting against the battle to rid the territory of beggars. Only recently, some criminal gangs invaded the vocational and rehabilitation centre at Kuchiko to rescue some of the inmates at the centre.

687 beggars/destitute arrested over various offences were said to be at the centre as at the time of the invasion. It was not immediately known if the inmates were freed by the gang or not during the incident.

Deputy Director at FCT administration in charge of information, Hazat Sule, however, told Abuja Xtra that the minister, Bello, had been briefed on the development and had vowed that the administration would continue to collaborate with the security agencies to ensure that the ban against begging in the territory was made effective.

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016 With Adewale Oshodi tribunearts@yahoo.com 08054005323

EHIZOGIE Iyeoma, Ikechukwu Nwaogu and Servio Gbadamosi are the three Nigerian writers who just arrived in Iseyin, Oyo State for the six-week September to October 2016 edition of the Ebedi International Residency Programme.

Ehizogie Iyeoman, from Edo State, has been described as a talented, young and energetic poet with the mastery of language and imagery and a unique style of his own.

He has perfectly used his poetry, most of which have been published online, as a mirror for the society. He has acquired, through his debut, Flames Of Forest, an admirable amount of critical acclaims.

Ehizogie’s poetry, published and appreciated globally, promises to reinvent Africa through a combination of both traditional and contemporary styles, devices and languages.

Apart from being a poet, Ehizogie’s

Three writers for Sept/Oct Ebedi residency humane qualities can be attested to by the responsibility he recently took to feed children, provide literacy to orphans in Northern Nigeria and IDP camps. He hopes to use his time in the residency to further enhance his innate and creative qualities and enable him to finish his poetry collection — A Spring Of Endless Songs.

The second writer, Ikechukwu Nwaogu, from Abia State, is a writer and playwright who occasionally dabbles into poetry. His short fiction pieces have appeared on several websites.

Nwaogu hopes to use his time in Ebedi to enable him put in a significant amount of work on his forthcoming collection of short stories, and also to properly set ideas down for a possible novel.

The third writer, Servio Gbadamosi is an Ibadan-based culture and development practitioner whose debut poetry collection, A Tributary in Servitude won the 2015 Association of Nigerian Authors’ Prize for Poetry.

His works have also appeared online as well as in journals, newspapers and anthologies like Crossroads: Anthology of Poems in Honour of Christopher Okigbo; Fela’s Re-arrangement: A Collage of the Poetic Biography of Nigeria’s Folkhero of Afrobeat Music and The Sky is Our Earth: Anthology of Fifty Young Nigerian Poets.

He hopes to use the opportunity of his residency ‘to research, reflect and continue work on a new collection of poems titled, From Northwind’.

Abuja Writers Forum spotlights Amuneni, Ogbere and Onwualu

All the three writers will also take part in the mentorship of secondary school students in Iseyin and environs in the area of creative writing, drama and public speaking.

Now in its sixth year of operation, the Ebedi residency is a private initiative for writers to complete their creative works in an enabling environment at no cost.

The residency, which has hosted about 75 writers from countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroun, Ghana and Ivory Coast since its inception, has also produced several award winning writers.

The latest of such writers is Elnathan John, whose book, Born On A Tuesday, shortlisted for the 2016 NLNG prize was completed at the Ebedi residency.

POEM Hurray to impunity I will wolf down the wealth of the commonwealth Paean and perquisite in return will I get Hurray to impunity!

I will pray and prey on the toiling poor Accolades and garlands for my oppressive shoulders will I receive Hurray to impunity!

I will charge the people for services not rendered Approbation and complicit silence will I obtain as reward Hurray to impunity!

I will maim, rape, and kill Feeble outrage and stage-managed court sessions will I provoke Hurray to impunity!

•Chinelo

•Bash

•Ogbere

THE spotlight of the September Guest Writer Session will focus on Bash Amuneni, Louis Ogbere and Chinelo Onwualu, this Saturday in Abuja.

Basiru Sunday Amuneni (Bash) has his first degree in Architecture and holds a Masters Degree in Facilities Management.

He is an essayist, performance poet, and has eight years experience in a top Nigerian bank. He is the Co-editor of ‘Through the Eyes of Innocence’ - a collection of poetry written by children under the age of 15. The compilation captures their honest and naïve thoughts on the Nigerian situation.

Bash’s first spoken word album, entitled, Freedom was launched in September, 2015. The body of work is laced in love, intimacy, folklore and the human condition. It also contains hard contents that jab at the economic and political conscience of Nigeria. Bash is a TEDx speaker and has performed at various platforms around the country. He has recently been invited alongside 35 poets and writers across Africa as a guest at the Lagos International Poetry Festival scheduled for October, 2016.

He has contributed his poems to some national dailies and international magazines. He is a member of the Abuja Literary Society (ALS) and one of the figures

behind the Open Mic Movement- Freedom Hall Nigeria, which supports poetry and alternative music. He loves to draw and paint in his free time. He is currently working on his first publication of poems titled - “There is a lunatic in every town”.

Louis Ogbere was born in Asaba, Nigeria in the mid ‘80s and holds a B.Sc in Banking and Finance from Madonna University, Okija. While in school, he developed a passion for writing and published his first work of literature: two poems in the Vanguard Newspaper in 2009. His subsequent work, mostly short fiction have been published in online and print magazines in Nigeria, South Africa and the UK, among them, The New Black Magazine, ITCH, StoryTime and Worldreader.

His latest work, the short story, Were explores the themes of motherhood, mental illness and superstition. The story was longlisted for the 2015 Short Story Day Africa Prize and is collected in the anthology, Water: New Short Fiction from Africa.

The organisers of the Short Story Day Africa have this to say about Louis’writing:“…

The characters sketches, language and dialogue are sharp and lively…We think Louis, with his sparky dialogue, is one to watch.”

Ogbere describes himself as a gastronaunt and an introvert. He is currently

working on a collection of short stories.

He is a member of Abuja Writers Forum (AWF) and Highlands and Islands Short Story Association (HISSAC).

Chinelo Onwualu is an editorial consultant living in Abuja, Nigeria. She is a graduate of the 2014 Clarion West Writers Workshop, which she attended as the recipient of the Octavia E. Butler Scholarship. She is editor and co-founder of Omenana, a magazine of African speculative fiction. Her writing has appeared in several places, including Strange Horizons, The Kalahari Review, Saraba, Brittle Paper, Jungle Jim, Ideomancer, and the anthologies, AfroSF: African Science Fiction by African Writers, Mothership: Tales of Afrofuturism and Beyond, Terra Incognita: New Short Speculative Stories from Africa, and Imagine Africa 500. She has been longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards and the Short Story Day Africa Award.

The Guest Writer Session, an initiative of the Abuja Writers Forum, started in June 2008 and is in its eighth year. It is a platform for promoting both upcoming and established writers, while enabling direct and immediate interaction with a live audience. Each edition features live music and a raffle-draw for books.

I will subvert and sabotage workable efforts for progress Empty threats, preferential treatment, and praise will I inspire Hurray to impunity!

I will deplore knowledge and sniff at creativity Leadership lectern and hefty rewards due thinkers will I attract Hurray to impunity!

I will stage protests, wreck havocs, and violate people’s space Hero and model of decent behaviour will I become Hurray to impunity!

Hurray to impunity!

On its cosy wings will I be ferried to spray the confetti of misconducts In its buxom bosom will I be inordinately protected.

Hurray to my Land of Birth The paragon of impunity The generous forgiver of genocidal acts!

Hurray to impunity!

The people bear its wages like a crocodile its snout!

In the eye of impunity I see why the land is so juicily blessed!

—Ademola AAO 08052636131; 07039528211

arts&review The chains around Nigerian women’s feet 18

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

By Festus Adedayo THE list of unfavourable prejudices against women in the world is endless.

History, religion, culture, language, etc over the centuries, were skewed in her disfavor. The history, for instance, was his story and never her story. In the developing world for instance, culture and religion were her major snares, with grossly skewed foundations that were basically woven together to put her down. These cobbled together a mindset that makes the female gender inferior to her male counterpart. From creation, women have struggled against the machination of an environment which sees them as second class and appendages to their male counterpart.

Until the huge mobilization for its stoppage in the nineteenth and twentieth century Britain that culminated in the ceding of right to vote to women, this discrimination was part and parcel of the British system. It was followed by the growth of feminism and its objective fight against long-held beliefs that put the woman down. The emergence by Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister of Britain in the 1980s was a direct win of this centuries old fight of the place of women in societal equilibrium.

Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan and Emeritus Professor of English in the same university sides with the above claim. In a foreword to the book Nigerian Women Pioneers and Icons, Banjo traced the history of prejudice. The world, he said, has witnessed the enactment of different forms of discrimination which he said is the foundation of the race problems in the United States of America and the former Apartheid system in South Africa. He submitted that this discrimination is pernicious as it is based on irrational prejudice due to its erection of “a hierarchy within the one and indivisible humanity, suggesting that some human beings are intrinsically superior or inferior to others.”

Banjo likened the above arbitrary classification of human beings which he called “falsely designed hierarchy within one humanity” to the discrimination against women. To him, in spite of the mileages achieved in the fight to properly situate women in the world, women are still far away from redemption. Women are still subjected to highly unfavourable societal codes, bend over backwards to demonstrate the deposit of leadership acumen in them and in many cultures, suffer from profiling that situates them as mere societal lubricants while their male counterpart are the engine whose wheels are strategic to the running of the world.

Even America which claims to hoist the lantern of civilization, according to CNN’s award-winning journalist, British-Iranian Christianne Amanpour, has not been weaned of this discriminatory tendency.

The CNN Chief Correspondent, in a reaction to claims that Hillary Clinton was unfit for the American presidency because she was wheeled out of the 9/11 memorial celebration in New York, attributed this gender hostility to heightened “media conspiracy” against Clinton.

“But surely this can’t be a case of a human being having an off day. Nope like so many things Hillary, the media are having a field day, off to the races with another debilitating case of indignant outrage.

This must be another typical Clinton conspiracy to fool them with a total transparency break down. Talk about a transparency break down, what about Donald Trump’s tax returns - where are they?

Can’t a girl have a sick day or two? Don’t get me started because when it comes to

overqualified women having to try a hundred times harder than unqualified men to get a break or even a level playing field, well, we know that story,” Amanpour had said.

It is against these age old prejudices and discrimination that the book Nigerian Women Pioneers and Icons is coming on the shelf. It comes with the admittance that though Nigerian polity, culture and history are ranged against women, they have managed under this rigid profiling to emerge as icons and colonizers of their societal limitations. In a collection of essays that holds the dual purpose of a recorder of history and a fillip for would-be women icons who are yet held down by the gruff of culture and time-worn beliefs, Bolanle Awe, professor of history, retired Director of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan and former commissioner in the then Western Region, a woman renowned to be a voice for womanhood through her incessant interventions in issues of our contemporary society, relives the conquest of womanhood.

Nigerian Women Pioneers is a chronicle of Nigerian women whose lives and achievements have distinguished as outstanding individuals who have made notable contributions to the development of Nigeria. As pioneers who attained leadership positions in their chosen fields of human endeavour in spite of erected male gender-made roadblocks, they are potential role models for young Nigerian women in this byzantine jungle of a highly patriarchal Nigerian society.

On the inspiration for the focus of the Amazon achievers, Professor Awe said that until recently, the focus of attention was on the men who had made good as leaders and scant attention for their women counterpart and this venture is aimed at singing the song of the unsung women.

“The emphasis on male achievements is partly due to the traditional notion that the woman’s role is to look after the home front as wives and mothers contentedly attending to the family’s domestic needs,” she said, citing examples from other lands where women interspersed these roles with leadership like Madame Curie of France and Mary Wai Maathai of Kenya,

the former who received the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the latter, the first African woman to win a Nobel prize.

“When viewed comparatively, the percentage of (these) women to the overall female population is insignificant; indeed they only serve to demonstrate in a small but important way the greatness of female potential. Truly the number of outstanding Nigerian women achievers seems rather inadequate considering that women make up almost 50% of the nation’s population,” she said.

In all, 33 women were showcased in the volume. They are Nana Asmau, the legendary poet; Hajiya Fatima Lolo, pioneer female musician; Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti; Wuraola Adepeju Esan, educationist/politician; Lady Kofoworola Aina Ademola, foremost Oxford graduate; Margaret John Ekpo, foremost politician and pioneer parliamentarian; Irene Modupelola Thomas, renowned medical practitioner; Folayegbe Akintunde-Ighodalo, First Lady Permanent Secretary; Ladi Kwali, world acclaimed potter; Adetowun Ogunsheye, pacesetter in education; Mabel Segun; Flora Nwapa Nwakuche; Folake Solanke, first lady SAN; Grace Alele Williams, scholar; Bolanle Awe; Gambo Sawaba;Francesca Yetunde Emmanuel; Oyinade Olurin; Batule Aleke, pioneer and Queen of Waka music; Bola KuforijiOlubi; Oluwatoyin Olusola Olakunrin; Jadesola Akande; Aisha Bridget Lemu;

The modern woman’s work differs considerably from that of her grandmothers and great grandmothers.

B-R-I-E-F-L-Y

As Kabana Republic reveals the land of hurricane MARUFH Bello, a journalist and editor, will be presenting his debut novel, Kabana Republic: The Land of Hurricane, to the public on Saturday, September 24, 2016, at the Alliance Francaise, Ibadan, Oyo State by 11.00am.

Expected to grace the public presenta-

tion are Oba Saliu Adetunji, the Olubadan of Ibadan, who will be the royal father of the day, while High Chief Lekan Balogun will chair the occasion.

Popular radio presenter, Edmund Obilo, will review the book.

Aderonke Kale, first Lady Army General; Aloma Mariam Mukhtar; Joy Ogwu; Hansine Napwanijo Donli; Zaynab Alkali, novelist and feminist; Folorunso Alakija; Onyeka Onwenu; Bilikisu Yusuf, first woman newspaper editor; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Chioma Ajunwa and Chimamanda Adichie.

In the book, the reader is given an unprecedented insight into the quality lives of the pioneers, their environmental and existential limitations that almost conspired to put them down and their victories over these militating circumstances.

More fundamentally is the corrosive contributions of the male gender in the conspiracy to limit them, fuelled by an incandescent history, culture, language and custom.

Explaining this, Awe said the imbalance is so widespread that the woman would be lucky to escape its dragnet.

“This gender imbalance in practically every field is certainly not because women are created inferior to men but rather because women have not been afforded a level playing gield. Indeed it is a scientifically proven fact that the human brain is the same in both males and females.

Women, however, are subjected to numerous constraints; there is a general and totally unsubstantiated belief that women are inferior to men and can only perform certain duties – mainly domestic ones of looking after the home, their children and husbands,” she said.

For instance, Batule Alake, born in 1935 from Okesopin quarter in Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State, pioneer of a genre of music called Waka in Yorubaland, without formal education, waded through the typecast of women singers as promiscuous and emerged as a model for younger musicians. She made an indelible mark in the highly competitive world of Nigerian music. Of Alake, the author said “the artist who has blazed the trail for several others, who have continued to demonstrate great industry and courage in spite of their limited access.”

The Special Adviser on Diaspora matters to the President, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in the foreword to the book, called for an understanding of the difference between the modern woman and her foremothers.

“The modern woman’s work differs considerably from that of her grandmothers and great grandmothers. The most significant difference is that the modern woman works and earns a living most of her adult life, whereas her forerunner, once married, stays at home and takes care of domestic affairs,” she said, asking for the striking of balance by the modern woman in her different roles.

Dabiri-Erewa is of the opinion that the incongruence of profiling women with the menace of the few bad women in society is obliterating what she called “the unquantifiable contributions of women to the social, political, economic and religious cum cultural spheres of Nigeria.”

She believes that the history of Nigeria can never be complete without the mention of these women of note.

The 161-paged book was written in fluid and engaging prose which affords its reader a window into the uncommon strides of the 34 women and by that, women in general. Its crispness of tone and coffee table reading inviting layout, interspersed with artistic imageries of the Amazons, also make it reader friendly and unputdownable. It affords the reader an opportunity to see how long-held but wrong beliefs, cultures and practices have held down women who could have liberated the clime long before now.

•Dr Adedayo writes from Ibadan.

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016

education

Editor: Laolu Harolds 08111845016 tribune.education@yahoo.com

Adult illiteracy: FG may use 500,000 teacher recruits as instructors Clement Idoko - Abuja

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HE federal government has expressed concern that adult illiterates in Nigeria still constitute about 40 per cent of the country’s population despite efforts by successive administrations to address the challenge.

Investigation by Tribune Education, however, revealed that the federal government will use the 500,000 teachers to be recruited as part-time adult education instructors in addition to their primary assignment as teachers at the basic level of education.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, while speaking in Abuja on the plans of the current administration to drastically reduce mass illiteracy in Nigeria, noted that adult literacy education has remained the most neglected component in the entire education sector.

He said: “Various official estimates put adult illiteracy level in Nigeria to be between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of the population.

“This is compounded by the more than 10 million school age Nigerian children who are currently said to be out of school and who, if care is not taken, would soon swell the country’s adult illiteracy population.

“To make matters worse, a significant number of children currently enrolled in school may not acquire the necessary basic literacy and numeracy skills and may therefore graduate into adulthood as illiterates.”

The minister disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education would mobilise all stakeholders as well as necessary resources

towards substantially reducing the current high state of adult illiteracy level in Nigeria within the next five years.

The thinking of the federal government, Tribune Education, gathered is that if it deploys the 500,000 to be recruited and use them as part-time instructors, the cost of the proposed nationwide campaigns against illiteracy would be very minimal.

Adamu had noted that even though adult and non-formal education is constitutionally the role of the local governments and states, the federal authorities must take the lead

by intervening in this component of basic education.

He said: “With leadership coming from the federal government and pursuing a nationwide campaign with an intensive targetedapproach, it is possible to substantially reduce the army of illiteracy in the country with the next three to four years.

He said this would be achieved, “especially if a minimum of 10 literacy centres are established in each of the 9572 wards with each ward enrolling a maximum of 30 learners in two sessions per annum.”

UNILORIN don seeks stronger town-gown relationship THE immediate past deputy vice chancellor (Academics), University of Ilorin, Professor Bayo Lawal, has called on universities in Nigeria to strengthen the town and gown relationship in order to achieve their set goals.

He made the call recently while delivering his keynote address at the fourth workshop of the General Studies Division of the University of Ilorin, themed ‘Repositioning the GNS for Maximization of Studentship in the University’.

The workshop, organised for the GNS coordinators, lecturers, monitors and faculty representatives, was aimed at sensitising and mobilising the GNS lecturers for the 2016/2017 academic session.

He said that universities should create robust relationship, especially with technocrats who can make the entrepreneurship courses of the institutions to be more result-oriented.

In his lecture entitled ‘Reinventing the General Studies Curriculum for Efficient Studentship and Graduate Employability’, Professor Lawal lamented that “the GNS, which is supposed to be approached as a full-fledged curriculum with its clearly delineated goals, identifiable objectives, and clear-cut instructional delivery, is now being approached as a mere programme.

“There are no specific, achievable objectives that can serve as targets or standards for assessing students’ learning outcomes and also for driving classroom activities.

There are no well-equipped entrepreneurship laboratories and workshops where students can acquire hands-on and heartson experiences leading to the incubation of original ideals,” he noted.

Called on the management of UNILORIN to support the GNS courses, the Professor of English Education urged the management “to put in place an entrepreneurship complex to house lecturers and instructors, lecture rooms and lecture theatres, enterprise laboratories/ incubators as well as mini-factories.

Pupils of Olua Primary School in Benin washing their classroom as 2016/2017 academic session began in Edo on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

Ikere college celebrates feat in ICT THE Provost, College of Education, IkereEkiti, Dr Mojisola Oyarekua, has said that the choice of the college for the training of top hierarchy of the state’s civil service on ICT Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System is an attestation of the fact that the college has the best ICT facilities and personnel in the state.

Dr Oyarekua made the remarks in a speech she delivered at the opening of a seven-day training for Directors of Administration and Supplies, Directors of Finance and Accounts and Chief Internal Auditors in the Ekiti State public service.

She thanked the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, for giving workers in the civil service the opportunity of benefitting from what the college has been dishing out to its students over the years, and at the same time showcasing its potential to the outside world.

According to her, the college has over 500 computers with internet facilities in its e-library, Computer Resource Centre, Programme Linkages Centre, Multi-Media Teaching Centre, among other departments.

All these, she noted, has made the college to be one of the most reliable, effective and efficient Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (JAMB-UTME) in Nigeria since the inception of the examination.

Oyarekua said that the college recently provided technical support for the Ekiti State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to set up Education Management information for computerisation of results in the Primary Six Leaving Certificate, the Junior Secondary School examination as well as the Senior Secondary examination in Ekiti State.

“It is also on record that the college has been training teachers for the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for the past six years, while it had in the past participated in the recruitment of teachers for the state government as well as conducted promotion interviews for principals and vice principals.

“We, therefore, appreciate the state government for believing in us and partnering with

our college on this laudable objective to ensure human and capital resources development and utilisation of computer and Information Communication Technology as tools for development in the Ekiti Civil Service,” she said.

She explained that the participants will not only be exposed to the rudiments of computer use but will also be practically exposed to how to use computer and internet to add value, efficient and effectiveness to their relevant fields of operation in order to achieve the targeted transformation agenda of the Ekiti Civil Service.

The Ekiti State Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka, said government was committed at reforming the civil service so as to conduct its businesses electronically, and that there would no longer be room for shoddy jobs or acts of incompetence.

He said “The time has come for us as leaders in the service to master our jobs; it is time to stand up and be counted as workers who are proactive, committed, effective and efficient professionals prepared to give their best in the service of the state.”

Thursday, 22 September, 2016 20 education Conduct researches that can impact society —Oye Bandele

•As EKSU hosts research fair

R

ESEARCHERS in Nigeria have been advised to undertake researches with societal values in order to bring Nigeria out of the woods technologically, scientifically and economically.

The Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Professor Samuel Oye Bandele, made the call at the opening of the 3rd International Conference and Research Fair hosted by the university inside the 3000-seater lecture theater.

He said that like their counterparts in developed countries, researchers in Nigeria should not be detached from the society.

This he said would make industries and other enterprises, including companies, to rely on the outcome of researches for developmental growth.

Professor Bandele advised researchers to start with ideas, which must be followed by scientific inspiration to avoid plagiarism.

“This scientific inspira-

tion will lead to innovation and invention, which will make impact on the society, particularly identifying with problems and means of resolving them,” he said.

The vice chancellor also

spoke on how scientists and researchers could effect implementation through the various organs of government, industries and companies, among others.

He challenged organis-

ers and participants at the conference to make recommendations to government at the various levels for implementation.

In a keynote address, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Universities

Commission (NUC), Professor Peter Okebukola, reeled out ways of connecting applied research to foster national development.

In his paper entitled: ‘Repositioning Nigerian Universities for Managing

Provost, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Oto/Ijanikin, Lagos State, Dr (Mrs) Ladele Aina Omolola (right) presenting an artwork to the Special Adviser on Arts and Culture to the Lagos State Governor, Hon Adebimpe Akinsola, when the provost led some top management team of the college to the governor’s office, recently.

WAEC raises the bar, deploys e-marker for theoretical questions IN line with global best practices, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it has introduced an electronic marker that it says will now be deployed to mark theoretical questions. The project is expected to begin with the ongoing November/December West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The Head of National Office of WAEC, Mr. Olutise Adenipekun, revealed this on Tuesday in his office during a meeting with the leadership of the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN).

As a result of the development, he said that candidates would no longer take their theory questions home after their examinations, as answer booklets are now combined with the question papers.

He said that the adoption of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the conduct of the examination is aimed not only at ensuring near perfection but to also lead globally in the area of examination integrity.

Adenipekun, however, added that the development does not mean that teachers whom the body usually engages in the traditional marking method will be dropped; but that they will still be engaged to handle the electronic-marking project.

“We are providing service and the people we are providing service for are youths of the country; and youth naturally are restless. So, they also want to see new things.

“If you assess well today, you will build the nation because the youths of today will find themselves in several positions of leadership in the future,” he said.

He promised that the WAEC template of assessing candidates would remain the same, and that it would not

be in the interest of Nigeria to lower the standard of the examination for whatever reason.

Adenipekun commended the association for its foresight and contributions to national growth and development through quality reports.

Earlier, the chairman

of EWAN, Mr. Tunbosun Ogundare, in his speech, thanked WAEC for extending its hands of fellowship to the association. He also pledged the commitment of the body to improved education coverage towards achieving the required reform in the sector.

He appealed to the man-

agement of WAEC to always extend training and other collaborative programmes to the association’s members as a way of enhancing their knowledge of the education sector, saying such support will help the beneficiaries in the discharge of their responsibilities.

TESCOM charges teachers on effective implementation of curricula THE Ondo State Teaching Service Commission has directed teachers to implement all curricular and extracurricular activities to ensure high level performance.

Professor Francis Igbasan, the chairman of the commission, gave the directive on Monday while monitoring resumption of secondary schools for the 2016/2017 academic session in Akure.

Igbasan also pleaded with the parents to provide all necessary academic materials to aid their wards in their studies.

The chairman enjoined school principals to supervise and monitor teachers and students in order to achieve the collective objectives of education in the state.

He reiterated the efforts of the state government at making lives bearable to the teaching and nonteaching staff of the state public schools.

He said that 3,613 teachers had been interviewed

for promotion into different higher cadres.

According to him, the gesture will encourage the teachers and enhance efficiency in teaching and

learning activities.

He expressed happiness at the high rate of students’ attendance in the schools visited.

Some of the schools

visited are Eji-Oba High School, Oba-Ile, Ilu-Abo Community High School, Ilu-Abo and Igoba Community High School, Igoba.

Govt don’t have enough resources to give free education —Don Adamu Amadu-Dutse A university don, Malam Adamu Aliyu Kiyawa, has charged Nigerian government to stop the practice of giving free education in the country, saying “this is preventing parents from taking up their responsibilities.”

Mallam Kiyawa stated this over the weekend, at BirninKudu town, the headquarters of Birninkudu Local Government Area, Jigawa State, during a public lecture on “Education and Youth Empowerment,” organised by the Birnin-Kudu Progressive Forum (BPF).

Malam Kiyawa noted that “it is clearly known by everyone that the government does not have enough

resources to give free education in the country.”

He advocated that government should revise the educational levy at all levels of education, saying “that would allow parents to adequately monitor and supervise the education of their children and also ensure that the school authorities and teachers discharge their duties adequately.”

He attributed the weakness in education of the North-West region to lack of proper parental support.

According to him: “education, be it religious or modern, is a responsibility of parents and it starts from home before it is later shared with teachers in school, but some parents fail to play their

roles, rather, they push it to the teachers in schools.”

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Forum, Comrade Bala Muhammed informed that the forum, which was recently set up by some youths in the town is aimed at contributing their quota towards human development in the town through education, skill acquisition and health.

Comrade Muhammed explained that “part of the Birninkudu Progerssive Forum (BPF) duty is giving extramural lessons to pupils and students in the town on weekends and during holidays by volunteer graduates and undergraduates of higher institutions of the towns.”

and Connecting Applied Research to Foster National Development’, ProfessorOkebukola, who was represented by the former vice chancellor of Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Professor Samson Ayanlaja, noted that universities need to frequently update the knowledge and skill of scholars in contemporary methods of conducting research; and that researchers in Nigerian universities should be encouraged to network with their colleagues outside their countries and the African region.

He also spoke against fraud and plagiarism, saying “there is too much fraud going on in the conduct of researches in Nigeria.”

Okebukola, therefore, recommended that all universities should have code of research ethics, which will include punishment for transgressors.

He howeverrecommended that scholars whose researches are published in high-impact journals should be encouraged with incentives and monetary awards.

Kebbi govt spends N1.6bn to rehabilitate secondary schools THE Kebbi government has spent N1.6 billion for the rehabilitation and construction of senior secondary schools in the state.

The state had earlier spent N3.6 billion for the rehabilitation and construction of primary and junior secondary schools.

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Magawata Aliero, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Monday that the amount would be used in building new schools, stressing that the government would also furnish the schools.

He said that the government was committed to transforming the education sector through provision of equipment, training and promotion of the welfare of its teachers.

Aliero urged the teachers to take their responsibilities of impacting knowledge on their students seriously.

“We will not condone laxity and indolence as we are determined to reward deserving teachers,’’ he said.

The state government had, in the 2016 budget, earmarked N26 billion for the education sector.

21

education

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

‘Nigeria’s problems started day God was removed from our schools’

The vice chancellor of the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Professor Ekundayo Alao, in this interview with LAOLU HAROLDS, says the university is poised to carve a niche for itself as a medical research institution of repute in Nigeria and Africa. Excerpts

W

HAT did this university really set out to achieve?

Adeleke University was a product of an effort of one Dr Deji Adeleke who established a non-governmental organization called Springtime Development Foundation. One of the key roles of the Foundation is to seek and assist students who are brilliant and who should be in school but are never in school because of one handicap or the other.

It was this effort of assisting people that brought about the thinking of a university; to be able to give back to the society what he believes the society had done for him. He’s the son of the first senator here (in Ede) – Senator Adeleke – and believes that the type of opportunity he had, others should be able to have it. Springtime Development Foundation grew into setting up Adeleke University. In 2011, the university was chartered and opened its doors, and was given three faculties – Faculty of Science, Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Social Sciences. But few years after, the university grew into having the Faculty of Engineering, which is housing Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Agric Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Within the same year, we added Law. It’s the only (private) university around Osun here that is offering Law and Engineering.

The university has been growing, and you will not believe it that one-third of the students here are sponsored; they are on full scholarship. And we’re expanding it further, to give scholarship to children of fallen heroes like different police officers who died in one accident or the other while on duty.

This is not a profit-making university; it’s a service-rendering university.

Up till now, the university is still getting subsidy from the proprietor, but this year, with my own administration, we’re trying to make sure we level up and be able to pay our own salaries, so that we can enable him (proprietor) to do more for the society.

The university should be able to generate enough money through IGR – and we’ve set up different IGR (organs).

For instance, Mrs Sanni, who is a younger sister to the proprietor is very industrious, and we’ve appointed her as the group managing director for the Adeleke University Ventures. And this venture will include putting together table water and then the bread (we have a bread factory here, the Adeleke University Bread). We’re going to further expand it. We’ve cultivated farms. And if I may tell you, this place is occupying about 59 acres of land. What you see being built here is just the first phase; the second phase is coming up anytime from now that will

Professor Alao

include more hostels. We’ve built faculties – even faculties we’ve not started have been built; like the Faculty of Arts. The Postgraduate School is coming on fast; before the end of this year. We’re also going to put together a printing press and some other businesses that can really assist the institution to generate its own funds.

As a university, what area of knowledge would you want to be noted for?

Adeleke University would want to be recognized for its medical research; and that is why we are trying to put together a pre-med. We’ve asked them (NUC) for a degree of medicine; but right now, they say we cannot just start medicine; that we need to start with pre-med. I’m expecting the NUC anytime from now to come and inspect the Nursing, the Physiology and the Anatomy; and we have every assurance that they will give us approval. And if we get an approval, we’ve been promised by next year we’re going to be given a College of Medicine and College of Dentistry.

Our College of Pharmacy is also coming up. By next year, we’re going to have these three faculties.

Our own medical study will be different from what they (other universities) do. The one that is a bit similar to it is that of Babcock, which always at year five or so sends

their medical students to India for training.

We are going to ask them (medical students) to spend their fifth year in Britain, their sixth year in America where they will write a final exam, and then they qualify in America and come back for one year practical at home to give them an inkling of tropical medicine.

(Medical) Students here (other universities) will continue to end up getting MBBS, which is ordinary bachelor; but ours will be MD (Doctor in Medicine).

The other area we are emphasizing is in the area of agriculture, because of the demand around us and because of the trend in which the nation is going. That is why we have Mechanical Agriculture. We really want to assist this nation in getting the right type of crops and then contribute our own quota to feeding the nation.

The admission process has been hazy of late. Government says it has empowered each university to select those to be offered admission. Do you think you have been given the kind of autonomy to do what you would have loved to do in admitting your students?

What JAMB did, which it had to revert quickly, was that it made it mandatory that when students apply, they (JAMB) would be the one to select; and they imposed it on

the university. The vice chancellors and prochancellors kicked against it. What they do now is to release the list to them (universities) and say ‘take what you want to take and return the rest to us’.

You know in the JAMB thing you have first and second choice; some people would have chosen a university for first choice and another for second choice. Those who choose the university as first choice could be considered on that first choice; but where it is not possible, they can now migrate to second choice. But what is the role of the private university in all of this? Because private universities are universities where payments are made, people are weary of going to private universities, forgetting the fact that in any private university, you have everything embedded in the bill. In public university, you could pay very little; but apart from paying little, you live on your own, transport and feed yourself. At the end of the day, you’ve attracted a lot of cost; and when there is any strike, your education is so interrupted to the extent that you may spend seven or eight years on a four-year programme.

People should look at the value of the cost and effect; because when people say education is so costly, all they need to do is to try ignorance. Ignorance is costlier.

We always advise people to look towards private university where things are properly regulated; students are not allowed to be violent; they go to class at the appropriate time, and there is no disruption of programmes. Brilliant parents know that their hope is in private universities, not in government universities. In government universities, people are corrupted; lecturers go to students to ask for favours in return for grades. In private universities – especially faith-based universities – such things are not tolerated.

You’ve spoken of the vision of the proprietor of the university; you as a person, in this office, by the time you tenure is over and you look back, what would you want to have achieved?

By then, we will have a very unique medical school. People will come here from all over. And I can assure you that when I’m leaving this place, the ranking of Adeleke University will have been very high. We should be one of the 20 best universities in Nigeria, and at least work within the range of 30 in Africa. But more importantly, anyone coming through this place will really know that he has a relationship with Jesus Christ. They must know God; and when you know God, you know everything. The day God was removed from school was the day we started having problems in Nigeria.

In those days, prayers would be offered in the morning and when children were closing; but the day some people who were so satanic thought there’s no need for prayers, then problems started.

Nasarawa procures N300m equipment to kick-start vocational educational institute GOVERNOR Umaru AlMakura of Nasarawa State says his administration has procured equipment worth N300 million to commence the operation of a newly established vocational institute in the state.

Al-Makura stated this in Lafia on Monday while receiving a delegation from the Institute of Technical Education in Singapore

who would install and train indigenes on how to operate the equipment.

According to the governor, the equipment, imported in 25 containers, had been cleared and were now at the Government House ready for installation and use at the institute located in the state capital, Lafia.

“The vocational trainings to be offered by the institute

will not only offer jobs to our youths, it will also make them employers of labour.”

Al-Makura explained that the training institute would consist six vocational departments - Electrical, Electronics, Plumbing, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Bio-Medical Technology and Building Technology.

“The electrical section will

train students to be electricians, while the electronics department will focus on technological gadgets. We also have the plumbing department which will teach students on how to handle all plumbing jobs.

“That of Bio Medical Technology will train our youths on how to handle hospital medical equipments like operating the-

atre machines, radiography machines among others.

“Building Technology department is dedicated to offering students the knowledge on how to supervise building sites of any kind.

These are some of the trainings the institute will offer when it kicks off,” he said.

Al-Makura said the training would be for two years and that about 1,000 youths

across the state would be admitted each year to learn different vocational skills offered by the institute.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr Chong Choon-Leong, Director of the Institute on Africa and Latin America, explained that they were in the state to do an on sight survey, instal equipment and train people.

22

education

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Teachers laud Fayose's refund of over-deductions from salaries Sam Nwaoko, Ado-Ekiti

F

OLLOWING outcry by affected teachers in various communities in Ekiti State that there were wrongful and over-deductions from their monthly pay, Governor AyodeleFayose has directed the Accountant-General of the state to immediately refund such monies.

It was gathered that some of the teachers, who had made purchases from the previous administration in the state, had their salaries “inadvertently over-deducted.”

A few years ago, teachers in Skiti State had bought cars and laptops among other facilities from the state government, with an arrangement for monthly deductions from their salaries.

But the teachers, through the chairman of Ekiti Wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Samuel Akosile, cried out over the “over-deductions from the teachers’ salaries,” and had also described the development as “a perennial problem.”

When the matter was brought to the notice of Governor Fayose during a meeting with the teachers on August 3, he promptly set up a committee to look into the complaints and gave them an ultimatum of 30 days to resolve the issue.

Receiving the report of the committee and its recommendations on Thursday, Governor Fayose directed the Accountant General to ensure that the refund reflected in the teachers’ September salaries.

Fayose said: “There have been complaints of overdeductions in terms of facilities they have enjoyed such as laptop, car loans and others. The teachers have paid for these facilities, but deductions were still being made. And a proper system that is functioning is not supposed to be like that.

“The system I inherited has not been functioning and I have to put a committee in place because these are complaints that are germane to the wellbeing of the teachers. The committee sat and listened to them and over 10 million Naira over-deduction was discovered.

Though, some are just N2000, others are N5000 while the highest may be N50,000. But to the teachers N2000, N5000 is a

lot of money, especially in times like this.

And if they still have complaints after the end of this month while I have directed that the deductions be refunded, this commit-

tee will still be around to listen to them.”

Fayose, who was also commended for promptly approving the grant to principals in the state, also commented on his readi-

ness to pay the backlog of 2014 primary teachers’ leave bonus, saying: “ The people voted for me because they were convinced I could solve their problems. I can’t continue

to blame it on the past administration because the people wouldn’t have voted them out if they still want them. It is now my responsibility and I’ve risen up to the challenge.”

A cross section of trainees during an interactive session organised for summer school students by the International Centre for Professional Development (ICPD) of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), recently.

Foundation sponsors 9 Borno indigenes to Sudanese varsity A total of nine Borno State indigenes have been offered scholarships to study at the International University of Africa in Sudan by the Mohammed Indimi Foundation.

According to the foundation, the nine recipients for the 2016-2017 academic year all went

through a rigorous and objective pre-qualification process to qualify for the scholarship.

The recipients are Alhaji Maina Bukar, Ibrahim Abubakar Abubakar, Muhammad Ibrahim, Ahmad Yaqub Danah, Ameen Ali Ahmad, Shadi Bashir Adam Shadi, Ahmad Has-

san Goni, Usman Muhammad Umar, Yahya Ali. The foundation stated further that, the annual scholarship fund commenced in 2015/2016 and had facilitated the admission of five students from Borno State into the International University of Africa on full scholarships,

Hallmark University awards 10 scholarships HALLMARK University, Ijebu-Itele in its continued resolve to raise the standard of education in the country and assist the indigent students actualise their dream of getting world-class university education, has announced 5 full-fledged scholarships for indigenes of Ijebuland and 5 others for other brilliant students from other parts of the federation.

This was made known in a letter written by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor SegunOdunola, on behalf of the Founder, Chief (Dr) Leila Fowler MFR, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Pro -Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Management, Staff and Students and indeed the entire Community of Hallmark University to felicitate and congratulate the esteemed Chancellor, Alai-

yeluwa Oba SikiruAdetona CFR, The Awujale of Ijebuland on the occasion of the celebration of 2016 Ojude Oba Festivals.

According to Professor Odunola, "five of the scholarship endowed by the Founder of the University, Chief (Dr) Mrs Leila Fowler MFR; which has been tagged ‘Chancellor’s Scholarship’ in honour of The Chancellor, Alaiyeluwa Oba Sikiru Adetona CFR, The Awujale of Ijebuland, will be awarded to qualified, but deserving sons and daughters of Ijebuland, who are exemplary in character to any of our programmes.

The recipients will enjoy the full scholarship throughout the period of their studies in the university.

"Hallmark University is fully equipped to provide holistic education, intellectual skills, advocacy

and social responsibility. We are prepared to extend the frontiers of knowledge by creating a total man full of resourcefulness and ingenuity to be part of social engineering of our nation, Nigeria and the world at large" The Vice Chancellor stated.

While felicitating with The Awujale of Ijebuland on the glamourous Ojude Oba Festival, Professor Odunola assured of the total commitment of the management of the university to produce graduates who will be able to respond and solve problems in their local environment as well as being world players in their various disciplines.

The Vice-Chancellor also prayed for long life for the Awujale that his reign will continue to witness peace, progress and development in Ijebuland.

which covered all academic fees, accommodation as well as sustenance for all recipients.

The scholarships which were made possible by Dr Mohammed Indimi, the Chairman and Founder of Oriental Energy Resources as well as a Board member of the International University of Africa, through the Mohammed Indimi Foundation in conjunction with Oriental Energy Resources, were aimed at providing financial support which deters even the most committed people from furthering their education and making valuable contributions to the economy.

Speaking on the Foundation’s recent work, Dr Indimi said; “The Mohammed Indimi Foundation has a steadfast commitment to investing positively and purposefully across Nigeria.

We are particularly committed to fostering and supporting the development of education and indigenous technical skills, as a fundamental pillar for long term sustainable development.

We believe that by addressing and acting on the causes of education exclusion in Nigeria, we can increase the opportunities for the youth in the region to further their education and increase their opportunities for a better life.”

AAUA’s Drug Devt. Centre nears cure for Lassa fever, diabetes ADEKUNLE Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, could be on the path of claiming a spot on the global research map as scientists in the Institution appear to be on the verge of some outstanding results.

According to the Coordinator of the University’s Bio-Computing and Drug Development Centre, DrPosiOmotuyi, researchers from the Institution have perfected drugs sourced from locally-available plants which have properties that could potentially cure the dreaded Lassa fever and diabetes; diseases that have become prevalent among Africans, especially Nigerians in recent times.

DrOmotuyi, who said the researches have been promising thus far, disclosed further that the Centre has commenced moves to send the research work to reputable virologists who could test the drugs in diseases condition in globally-accredited laboratories.

He was confident that the drugs would scale through whatever rigorous condition and tests they are exposed to.

“Our research is very indigenous. We research into issues that affect the nation and its people, while our approach is global as we use the best practices all over the world. Our research is clearly our own, it belongs to us.

“We have come up with drugs that are awaiting testing in diseases condition by leading virologists in the world. We have developed one that we believe can cure Lassa fever that has become a perennial scourge in Nigeria.

“I have reached out to a Professor in Japan. He is one of the foremost Virologists in the world, so that he can link us up with people who have facilities for laboratory and real cases testing of what we have discovered here.

“Our Unit is working on something which we are confident can cure Lassa fever; but until you test it, you cannot make categorical statement. Right now, our results have been very promising. That is why I said we are already moving towards the point of talking to foremost virologists who can really test it in diseases condition in laboratories and see how it performs. We have reached out to them and the response has been very positive so far,” he said.

23

Thursday, 22 September, 2016 Editor:

health

Sade Oguntola sadeboguntola@yahoo.com 0805 506 9260

OBESITY:

You may be eating your way to the grave

While a wider waist line may be considered as eating well and a manifestation of wealth, the flip side to obesity is better imagined. VERA ONANA writes about the health complications that accompany excessive fat.

I

N our culture, being skiny is often attributed to sickness or disease but fatness is usually regarded as a sign of good living. As a matter of fact, in some cultures, brides are locked up in a fattening room and fed till they literally “explode” because it is considered a taboo for a bride to be skinny.

Sadly, even in this age and with the increased number of educated and enlightened people, some Nigerians still define pot belly as a sign of good living, how ironic?

In 2013, a group of researchers after carrying out a systematic review on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Nigerian adults, declared Nigeria epidemic for obesity. Their study concluded that “the prevalence of overweight and obese individuals in Nigeria is of epidemic proportions.”

Obesity is a major health problem and there is an increasing trend of overweight and obese individuals in developing countries. Being overweight or obese is known to contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality rates in various countries around the world.

There are several classifications and defini-

tions of obesity; however, the one commonly adopted is the definition by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which defines obesity as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more. In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults (20 years and above) were overweight, and of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.

This data is alarming considering the health burden associated with obesity. In addition, surveys have shown that the in-

The watch word is calorie counting and eating healthy. Most Nigerians have poor eating habits.

creasing trend of obesity in the world is even more pronounced in developing countries of the world. Nigeria, a developing country, is the most populous country in Africa, with increasing changes in lifestyle and associated increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases.

Dr Jide Oyetunji of the Federal Medical Centre, Kaduna, Kaduna State, stated :“Obesity is usually associated with other major and minor diseases which may include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis, as well as cancer; there are also many additional less known complications of the disease.”

Speaking on the causes of obesity, he added, “Although there are genetic and hormonal influences on body weight, the bottom line is that obesity occurs when you take in more calories than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities. Your body stores these excess calories as fat.”

A dietician, Olaoluwa Gbadegesin decried the attitude of Nigerians generally towards accumulating calories. “It is frightening the way some people eat and what they eat.

People come to me all the time about losing weight and go on about how they have been exercising but still not burning fat. The irony is this, you will discover that after all the running and work out on tread mills, they go home to face a mountain load of Eba and demolish it.”

“The watch word is calorie counting and eating healthy. Most Nigerians have poor eating habits. Though the economy also affects our nutrition, we can consciously decide to be healthy. For instance, instead of eating all the junks and take outs from eateries, why not make a vegetable salad or simply eat fresh leafy vegetables?”

Gbadegesin added that “asides unhealthy diets and eating habits., constant consumption of diets that are high in calories, eating fast food, skipping breakfast, eating most of your calories at night, consuming highcalorie drinks and eating oversized portions, all contribute to weight gain and ultimately obesity.”

Elucidating on the other causes of obesity asides from diet, Dr Oyetunji added that inactivity is a major culprit. “If you are not very active, you don’t burn as many calories. With a sedentary lifestyle, you can easily take in more calories every day than you burn off through exercise or normal daily activities.

Watching too much television is one of the biggest contributors to a sedentary lifestyle and weight gain.

“Another is weight gained during pregnancy. Some women find this weight difficult to lose after the baby is born. Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite. Also, some medications can lead to weight gain if you don’t watch your diet or get enough exercise.”

However, to stay healthy and free of complications of obesity such as, cancer, infertility, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and emotional issues like depression, experts advise dietary changes, reduction of calories intake, adoption of an healthy eating plan, regular activity and meal replacements.

According to Opeyemi Akinola, a nutritionist and dietician, “the key is to decipher good and bad fat and take the ones that are beneficial to the body. Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (these come mainly from nuts, seeds, vegetables and fish). Bad ones include industrial-made trans fats (on product labels, they are typically indicated as partially hydrogenated oil) and several researches have shown that for every two per cent of calories from trans fat consumed daily, the risk of heart disease rises by 23 per cent).”

Gbadegesin, on a conclusive note, admonished Nigerians to be proactive with obesity.

“The old adage says prevention is better than cure. So in my opinion, obesity is better prevented. Struggling with obesity has a lot of downsides considering the other health issues that can arise. Whether you are at risk of becoming obese, currently overweight or at a healthy weight, you must take steps to prevent unhealthy weight gain and related health problems.

“One of the most important things you can do to prevent weight gain is to exercise regularly. Eat healthy meals and snacks. Focus on low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Avoid saturated fat and limit sweets and alcohol.

Monitor your weight regularly.

“People who weigh themselves at least once a week are more successful in keeping off excess pounds. Monitoring your weight can tell you whether your efforts are working and can help you detect small weight gains before they become big problems.”

24

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Dr. Ben Ajayi

Why can’t our eagle fly?

T

O get to the International Conference Centre in Berlin from my hotel, I had a choice of taking the underground train, a taxi or the city bus. I could also walk but it could take me about an hour. I opted for a bus ride so that I could have a good glimpse of the famous city. In less than 15 minutes, I was at the conference centre. I made straight for the huge exhibition hall so I could see the vast array of modern ophthalmic equipment and instruments.

I moved from one stand to another admiring the newest items of equipment and instruments designed to give better and more precise care for the patient and make the work of an ophthalmologist easier. After about two hours, my feet were tired. I decided to sit down in one of the lobbies and rest a while.

Within a few minutes of relishing the comfort and beauty of the environment, I lapsed into a trance. I found myself as a special guest in the ward of a hospital.

“Where are all the patients?”

Just two in a ward of 30 beds! They had been admitted for cataract surgery the week before and placed on low residue diet. Now they were awaiting an enema so that the lower intestine would be washed free of faecal matter.

“Why are you still doing this,” I asked?

“After surgery, these patients must lie still in bed and on their back for about 10 days.

They cannot afford to strain to pass faeces otherwise the surgical wound would open up and the contents within the eye would come out,” the nurse replied. “Don’t you suture the wound after removing the cataract?” I asked again. “We put just one or two sutures. They are large threads if we put too many they’ll cause severe irritation after surgery with serious consequences,” replied the nurse obligingly.

I followed my guide to the operating room. I was amazed at the sight that met my eyes. The surgeon was operating with naked eyes! I waited for him to complete his surgery. Then he got up and picked up what looked like a pair of funny glasses – the loupe. “I use this once in a while to give me some magnification,” he said. “Where is the microscope?” I asked.

“What’s that?” He asked in return.

I shook my head in disbelief. He had never heard about an operating microscope!

0805 400 5447

No wonder surgery took such a long time to complete and it was difficult keeping the patient still. I wasn’t therefore, surprised that the wards were empty. Who would like to go through all these gruelling steps to have a cataract removed?

Just then a Brazilian colleague I hadn’t seen in 25 years shouted “Ben!” Her shout ended my dream and jolted me back to reality. We exchanged pleasantries and as we walked from one booth to another, recalling old times, we marvelled at how technology had transformed our profession.

Many of our patients for cataract surgery now have it done as an outpatient procedure. Surgery can be completed in 10 minutes. There is no need for them to alter their diet before or after surgery and an enema before surgery would be absurd.

We now insert intraocular lenses and the days of thick cataract glasses are over.

“After surgery, these patients must lie still in bed and on their back for about ten days. They cannot afford to strain to pass faeces otherwise the surgical wound would open up and the contents within the eye would come out,”

your mental

you-and-eye@gmail.com

With the available technology, we can ensure the ability to see distance clearly and read without glasses.

“Look Ben!” shouted Norma, pointing at the latest models of microscopes, “glaucoma” monitors, special retinal cameras and lasers. The sales reps tried to convince us about the need to change our old equipment to the latest. Norma and I looked at each other in the face and smiled. When we were out of earshot we both echoed, “if only he knew we were two steps behind the latest technology!”

It isn’t just about money; the more sophisticated the more critical repair and maintenance support needed. These, unfortunately, are not available in our third world. I once lost a new $15,000 equipment to a power surge at installation.

Brazil like Germany has a functional mass transit system with big buses, underground and “overground” trains. Going to Lagos from Ibadan to catch my plane I had just two choices - travel by road or walk. I chose the road and a 100km journey took me over six hours. Next time I will trek!

It’s time the government allowed the private sector to provide us alternatives.

Why do we flutter about like a hen when we can soar to the heights of an eagle?

Why is an A student happy consistently scoring an E? The answer is blowing in the wind.

healthyou &

With: Jibril Abdulmalik (Consultant Psychiatrist) jabdulmalik@gmail.com

Symptoms and causes of depression LAST week, we discussed the differences between normal everyday sadness and depression, and concluded that depression is NOT the same as everyday feelings of unhappiness; but rather, an overwhelming state of sadness which stays with the person for a long time. It is commoner in women but can affect everyone.

This week, we will present the symptoms and causes of depression. Keep in mind that while everyone may experience one or two of these symptoms, it will only qualify as depression if you experience at least 4 of these symptoms together (severity), and lasting continuously for at least two weeks (dura-

tion).

Symptoms of depression include: •Feelings of overwhelming sadness for no specific reason •Tiredness and fatigue all of the time.

•Loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities •Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem.

•Difficulty paying attention or concentrating.

•Feeling anxious all the time.

•Avoiding other people, sometimes even your close friends.

•Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

Risk Factors for Common Chronic Disorders

•Sleeping problems - difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual.

•Very strong feelings of guilt or worthlessness.

•Finding it hard to function at work, school or social functions.

•Loss of appetite.

•Loss of sex drive and/or sexual problems.

•Physical aches and pains, headaches and vague sensations.

•Thinking about suicide and death.

•Self-harm •Tearfulness or crying easily for no specific reason.

What are the causes of depression?

Depression can occur as a result of negative life events, or as a result of a serious physical illness which prevents the person from living their normal lives. Sometimes there may be no identifiable cause or risk factor… yet the individual becomes depressed. So, these factors are best viewed as risk factors, which can be grouped as biological/genetic factors; psychological/behavioural factors; and social/environmental factors. a) Biological/genetic factors: Depression can occur if the level of certain chemicals in the brain, which function to improve our mood and make us happy becomes too low.

It can also occur in addition to a physical illness such as chronic back pain, cancer, stroke e.t.c. Sometimes, the risk of becoming depressed may run in families (genetic factors) such that several members of the same family may experience depression at

various points in their life. b) Psychological/behaviouralfactors: Negative early childhood experiences such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse, early important loss – such as that of a parent (or both parents), poor ability to relate well with others (interpersonal skills) and emotional intelligence, low self-esteem and certain personality types predispose to the development of depression. c)Social/environmental factors: Circumstances such as death of a loved one, divorce, family problems, unemployment, dysfunctional family life, loneliness, use of psychoactive drugs, poverty and other social determinants also play a role in the development of mental illnesses.

Sometimes, there may be no clear reason for your depression but, whatever the original cause, identifying what may affect how you feel and the things that are likely to trigger depression is an important first step.

In conclusion, it is important to emphasize that these risk factors are very similar to the risk factors for other chronic conditions such as diabetes and HIV/AIDS. One can also add hypertension and the similarities will still stand. So, what is truly important when depression occurs, is to identify what risk factors may have triggered the episode, working with your psychiatrist, and to then work out ways to reduce such risk factors in the future so as to ensure it does not recur.

Or at least, minimize the frequency of future re-occurrences.

25

healthnews

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

‘Malaria can cause abortion’

By Sade Oguntola

R

esidents of Oyo State, especially pregnant women have been enjoined to avail themselves the benefits of sleeping under insecticidal treated nets to prevent malaria, a disease that can cause abortion in its severe form.

Mr Godson Kingsley, the Technical facilitator, National Malaria Elimination Programme, gave the charge at a media orientation on Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) replacement campaign in Ibadan.

The Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) replacement campaign aimed at

distributing free 4.5 million insecticide treated nets in Oyo State is being organised by Oyo State government in collaboration with the President’s Malaria Initiative.

Kingsley stated that LLINs were the most available tool for malaria prevention, adding that it had proven reduction of ma-

laria related morbidity and mortality among the most vulnerable targets groups such as pregnant women and children.

According to him, the LLINs provided human vector barrier, knockout effect on the mosquitoes and a repellent effect, adding, “its use has been found to reduce health facility

President, Rotary Oritamefa, Ibadan Club, Dr Jane Adebusuyi handing over the hearing aid to Dr Diran Olabisi while Mr and Mrs Jide and the children, Faith and Stephen looks on during the event, recently in Ibadan.

Nigerian environment rife with cancer-causing poisons —Expert

By Sade Oguntola

A medical expert, Professor John Anetor, has expressed concerning on Nigeria’s environment, saying it is heavily poisoned and a probable a reason for increasing cases of cancer and low birth weight babies.

Anetor in his inaugural lecture entitled “In Search of An Antidote for a Poisoned World” at the University of Ibadan, said more people were becoming susceptible to the increasing levels of cancercausing chemicals in the environment because of hidden hunger or micronutrient deficiency.

According to him: “By the end of the 19th century, half a dozen of industrial carcinogen (cancercausing chemicals) sources were known. But in the 20th century, this was increased to countless new carcinogens.

“No longer are exposures to dangerous chemicals occupational alone, they have entered the environment of everyone—even of children yet unborn. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that we are now aware of an alarming increase in malignant disease-one in every four.”

The expert, who remarked that world’s economic development had also come with increased

exposures to metal poisoning, declared exposure to common metals like cadmium from smoking cigarette causes damages to the kidney and also bone disease.

Anetor declared that this also contributed to premature set of osteoporosis (brittle bones) and higher risk of cancer and heart disease in Nigerian cigarette smokers.

The toxicology expert also cautioned against un-prescribed use of iron tablets, saying that iron poisoning may result and its manifestations reminiscent of thalidomide toxicity in the 1950s.

Thalidomide was considered a safe drug to be giv-

en to pregnant women to prevent morning sickness.

But with use, an unusual increase in the number of malformed babies with birth defects was recorded.

Anetor expressed concern on increasing exposure to lead and its compounds from both environmental and occupational exposure, saying that these increase people’s susceptibility to infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancers.

He declared that exposure of the public to lead has also been linked with reduced cognition, stunted growth in children, rickets, anaemia, and reduced infertility, adding, “Indeed,

lead is strongly believed to be responsible for the fall of the Roman empire due to reduced infertility. “ The expert stated that cement also contributed to environmental pollution, adding that Nigeria’s cement dust contains even higher concentrations of key toxic metals like copper, nickel and chromium that are known to cause cancer than the USA cement dust.

However, he stated that things like bitter leaf and micronutrients such as Vitamins A, C and E, zinc, selenium and thiamine has been discovered as some remedies for chemical poisons in the environment.

visit.”

Kinsley noted that Nigeria contributed a quarter of malaria burden in Africa, quoting Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health as saying that 30 per cent childhood mortality, 25 per cent infant mortality and 11 per cent of maternal mortality were caused by malaria.

According to him, “this shows how deadly and serious malaria can be.

Given malaria attention is important, so the media must play along with the government to achieved this objective.”

He declared that the vision of the National Malaria Strategic Plan was to ensure a malaria-free Nigeria by providing at least 80 per cent of targeted population appropriate information on preventive measures on malaria such as LLINs and treatment measures as necessary by 2020.

Kingsley said the free net distribution in Oyo State that billed to take place between 21 and 25 of October, would avail each household one free LLIN to every two persons.

Also, Mrs Maha Adaeze, Demand Creation Consultant, Health Communication, Capacity Collaborative, Nigeria, speaking on correct net hanging stated that the LLINs should be tucked in no matter the sleeping areas, adding that even a single mosquito bite can cause malaria.

Earlier, Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Azeez Adeduntan represented by Director for Public Health, Dr Wole Lawal stated that the media has a key role to play in the campaign and to help mobilise and enlighten the community on the importance of the net replacement.

Adeduntan who urged them to also help sustain its community use, especially among pregnant women and children, assured of Oyo State’s government to good health of its citizens.

Rotary announces US$35 Million to support a Polio-Free World ROTARY on Tuesday committed an additional $35 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio, bringing the humanitarian service organisation’s contribution to $105 million in 2016.

The announcement follows recent reports of three new cases of wild poliovirus in Nigeria: two cases in July, and one in August. The three cases are the first to be detected in Nigeria since July 2014.

With these cases, funding for polio eradication is particularly vital as rapid response plans are now in action in Nigeria and sur-

rounding countries to stop the outbreak quickly and prevent its spread.

Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative are acting to immunise children in Nigeria and countries in the Lake Chad Basin (Chad, northern Cameroon, southern Niger and the Central African Republic).

Nearly one-fourth of the funds Rotary announced today ($8.15 million) will support the emergency response campaigns in this atrisk region, and last month Rotary provided $500,000 to immediately assist with the outbreak response.

While significant strides have been made against the paralyzing disease, with just 26 cases reported in 2016, polio remains a threat in hard-to-reach and underserved areas and conflict zones.

Michael K. McGovern, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee said : “While we are disappointed with the recent news coming out of Nigeria, this situation underscores the extreme importance of widespread immunisation campaigns and strong disease surveillance in all countries of the world until polio is fully

eradicated.

“This funding will help ensure that Rotary and our GPEI partners are doing all that we can to redouble our efforts and protect the progress in polio-free parts of the world, as well as stop transmission in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and now Nigeria.”

To sustain this progress, and protect all children from polio, experts say $1.5 billion is urgently needed.

Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to previously poliofree countries, putting children everywhere at risk.

Rotary donates aid to children with hearing impairment ROTARY Oritamefa, Ibadan Club in commemorating September’s Basic Education and Literacy has donated hearing aids of two children with impaired hearing.

President, Rotary Oritamefa, Ibadan Club, Dr Jane Adebusuyi, along with some other members of the club, made the donation at the Highland Specialist hospital.

The children, who were of the same parents, were Stephen Jide and Faith Jide, aged seven years and four years respectively. They are pupils of Methodist Primary School, Bodija, Ibadan.

Adebusuyi declared that the club got to know about the plight of these children through a social media and decided something must be done to ensure that this impairment does not affect their educational development.

According to her, “we believe that the hearing aid will enhance Stephen’s intellectual performance. If he is able to hear, he will do well in school. That is why we decided to take up the case.

“In support of the gesture, Highland Hospital gave us a 50 per cent discount on the total cost of the hearing aid.

Also, we had taken up the cost of Faith’s medication.”

Medical Director, Highland Specialist Hospital Yemetu, Dr Diran Olabisi stated that without hearing, speech becomes difficult, hence the hearing aid was significant.

According to him, “whatever he is hearing, he will now be able to say it out.

And by that his educational achievement would be better than in the past.”

Olabisi, who remarked that without the hearing aid, Stephen would have ended up using sign language to communicate, added the hearing problem could have been due to a damage to his cochlear, the organs of hearing inside the brain.

The medical expert stated that in some situation, hearing aid had corrected the hearing problem in some people, adding, “you cannot predict what the outcome can be in the case of Stephen, but miracles do happen.”

He declared that although Faith could not hear any sound even with a hearing aid for now, by starting auditory stimulation, she also will be able to hear after a while.

Stephen Jide, the children’s father said Stephen’s hearing problem was noticed when he was two years old, adding that the diagnosis of the problem was made at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Experiencing diarrhoea? Try plantain plant sap, honey

natural

health

By Sade Oguntola

D

iarrhoea is a problem everyone is familiar with - it is one of the most common reasons for people to seek medical advice - but it can range from being a mild, usually temporary condition, to one that can threaten life.

Diarrhoea should not be confused with the frequent passing of stools of normal consistency - this is not diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is instead characterised by abnormally loose or watery stools. Also, breastfed babies often pass loose, pasty stools, which is normal and not diarrhoea.

In Nigeria, the prevalence of diarrhoeal infection is as high as 18.8 per cent, above the average of 16 per cent, making it one of the worst in Sub-Saharan Africa. It accounts for an annual estimated 300,000 deaths mainly amongst children under five in Nigeria, who continue to be the more susceptible mainly because of poor sanitation and hygiene practices.

With over a decade of the practice and promotion of oral rehydration therapy (ORT), diarrhoea is still the second among the causes of child death. In addition, this management option which often fails during high stool output state is also associated with undesirable side effects such as headache, convulsion, stomach cramp, vomiting, constipation and hallucination.

Consequently, attention is now being shifted to alternatives in medicinal plants for the management of the disease.

In folkloric medicine, different plant parts such as mango leaves and the sap of the plantain tree are mentioned as frequently used in the management of diarrhoea.

Various parts of the plantain plant have been claimed to be useful in the management of several ailments. For example, a cold infusion of the root is used to treat venereal diseases, anaemia, scabies, leprosy, and skin diseases.

The fruit is consumed as food and used as tonic, worm expeller, diuretic, and aphro-

Plantain plant disiac, while the leafy juice was reported to be used in the treatment of fresh wounds, cuts, insect and snake bites. The leaves have also been used for managing cold, bronchitis, and eye infections. Furthermore, its sap has also been claimed to be used as a remedy for diarrhoea, dysentery, hysteria and epilepsy.

Researchers have substantiated the folkloric claim of the sap from plantain in the management of diarrhoea. In an animal study, the researchers found that the sap significantly prolonged the onset time of diarrhoea, decreased the number, fresh weight, and water content of feaces, and increased the inhibition of defecations.

They found that the reductions exhibited by the 1.0 mL of the sap were more than

the other dose levels and also compared favourably with those administered the reference drug for diarrhoea, loperamide.

The 2015 study published in the journal, Evidence Based Complement Alternative Medicine, involved researchers at the University of Ilorin, This includes Musa T. Yakubu; Quadri O. Nurudeen; and Saoban S. Salimon; Others are Monsurat O. Yakubu; Rukayat O. Jimoh; Mikhail O. Nafiu; Musbau A. Akanji; Adenike T. Oladiji; and Felicia E. Williams.

According to the experts, this is both suggestive of antidiarrhoeal action of sap from plantain plant and explains the rationale for its sustained use in folk medicine as an antidiarrhoeal agent in the animals.

Previously, experts have also assessed

mango leaves as a home remedy for diarrhoea. In a study, the researchers gave water extracts of mango leaves to animals in which diarrhoea had been induced with chemicals and found it just as effective as conventional medicines for treatment of diarrhoea.

The 2015 study, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology stated that the water extract of mango leaves dose dependently decreased the number, water content, fresh weight and total number of wet feaces and increased the inhibition of defecations.

This study involved Yakubu MT and Salimon from the University of Ilorin.

So if you do have diarrhoea, here are other ways to ease its discomfort: •Be sure to stay hydrated: Frequent loose and watery stools can quickly lead to fluid loss. So, easy ways to stay hydrated include taking sport drink and water.

•Yogurt: Yogurt is a great home remedy for diarrhoea. It restores the ‘good’ bacteria in the intestine and destroys the ‘bad’ bacteria causing the diarrhoea.

In a 2009 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that probiotics can help reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.

• Ginger: Ginger is used in the treatment of food poisoning and can also help get rid of cramps and abdominal pain that comes with diarrhoea.

•Bananas: Ripe bananas because of their high pectin content can help to deal with diarrhoea. Pectin is a water-soluble fibre that helps reduce diarrhoea. Bananas are also high in potassium, an electrolyte that supports a number of vital functions in the body.

•Honey: When suffering from diarrhoea or gastroenteritis drinking honey with water can help to stay hydrated and improve the condition naturally. Moreover, the antibacterial properties of honey also help in quick recovery from diarrhoea caused due to bacterial infection.

Alternate day fasting may be as effective as traditional diets for weight loss SKIPPING food every other day is safe and may be as effective for weight loss as traditional calorie-restricted diets, say US researchers.

“Alternate-day fasting is a safe and tolerable approach to weight loss. It produced similar changes in weight, body composition, lipids, and Si at eight weeks and did not appear to increase risk for weight regain 24 weeks after completing the intervention,” write the authors.

Current dietary guidelines for treating obesity and overweight suggest cutting energy intake by 20 to 30 per cent accompanied by an active lifestyle. And while this is usually effective, typically resulting in weight loss of around 5 to 10 per cent over a period of six months, the rate of relapse is high.

This, combined with the increasing popularity of fasting for its perceived health benefits and efficacy in losing weight, prompted the researchers based at the University of Colorado, to investigate its safety and effectiveness.

Previous reviews have found that fasting every other day may be beneficial in reducing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and in impacting the hormone that regulates hunger, but none have assessed its effectiveness as a weight loss strategy.

In their study, the researchers found that fasting every other day resulted in consuming 376 fewer calories per day.

Although this energy deficit did not result in any significant changes in weight between the two groups, after eight months of unsupervised follow-up the percentage change in fat mass and lean mass from the baseline mea-

surements were more favourable for the fasting group.

“Importantly, alternate day fasting was not associated with an increased risk for weight regain after 24 weeks of unsupervised follow-up,” they write.

“Alternate day fasting may represent a reasonable alternative dietary strategy for treatment of obesity (especially for those that find daily calorie restriction difficult) and should be explored in larger efficacy studies with a longer intervention period and more detailed measures of components of energy balance.”

Yet the usefulness in encouraging people to take up alternate day fasting has been questioned by some. Emer Delaney from the British Dietetic Association told Boots WebMD it is not surprising that cutting calorie intake –

Fasting every other day may be beneficial in reducing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and in impacting the hormone that regulates hunger.

be it on a daily basis or on alternate days - will reduce in weight loss. But he added: “There has been some debate recently that this ‘new’ way of eating can offer major health benefits, however there simply isn’t the evidence to back this up.”

“Whilst it may work for some people, they need to ensure their diet on ‘non-fast’ days is packed with fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, lean protein rich foods such as chicken, fish, turkey and low fat dairy products.”

Adults aged between 18 to 55 and with a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2 were recruited to take part in the study.

After an eight-week intervention period, during which 14 adults followed a fasting diet and 12 followed a calorie-restricted diet (-400 kcal/day), participants then continued the diet unsupervised for a further 24 weeks.

During the intervention period all food was prepared and provided by the research institute, with the same macronutrient content for both groups (55 per cent carbohydrate, 15 per cent protein, and 30 per cent fat) and any uneaten food was returned to the researchers to be weighed.

At the end of the intervention period, there was no change in absolute weight although total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL decreased significantly in both groups and triglycerides decreased significantly in the fasting group.

The researchers expected to weight loss in the fasting group that was several kilograms greater than the traditional diet group, although this was not the case with weight loss only 1.1 kg greater. They suggest this was because the fasting group did not report food eaten on fast days.

27

Thursday, 22 September, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

Edo 2016: As PDP, APC tie loose ends...

The postponement of the Edo State governorship election by 18 days has afforded the parties participating in the election and their anchormen to tie-up some lose ends while perfecting their strategies. BANJI ALUKO writes on happenings in the camps of the two leading candidates in the election since the postponement.

Ize-Iyamu

T

HE blame game regarding the postponement of the Edo State governorship election has ended and the candidates have again turned their attention to their campaigns.

For the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are the two leading applicants for the office of the Edo governor, the added days provided them an opportunity to X-ray their campaigns,work on their perceived weaknesses and consolidate on their advantages. The postponement has also afforded the two sides an opportunity to make strategic political moves targeted at galvanising support for their ambitions, while making the other For the APC, the biggest political move made so far was dragging the voice of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion into the campaign. The ruling party had, before now, laboured in vain to make Igbinedion speak on the ambition of the PDP’s candidate, Pastor Osagie Iyamu, who was his Secretary to State Government (SSG) when he was governor.

The party chided the former two-time governor for his refusal to campaign for

Obaseki

his associate, Ize-Iyamu, challenging him to lead the PDP’s campaign the way Governor Oshiomhole has done for the APC’s candidate, Godwin Obaseki. At a time, Governor Oshiomhole even challenged Igbinedion to walk the streets of Benin with Ize-Iyamu, while he does the same with Obaseki, and see who the people would stone.

The reason APC so much desired that Igbinedion campaign for Ize-Iyamu are not far-fetched. The notion that Igbinedion allegedly failed as a governor could be said to be popular in Edo and the APC wants Ize-Iyamu to share parts of it along with his boss. The APC calculated that great

damage would be done Ize-Iyamu if Igbinedion moved from the behind-the-scene support he had been giving Ize-Iyamu to open endorsement.

APC’s prayer was finally answered on Sunday, September 11, the day after the original date picked for the governorship election. Igbinedion spoke at the residence of his father and the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, during the latter’s birthday ceremony. He said “INEC can postpone the election but they cannot cancel it. I can assure you the result will remain the same. I made it clear before that the next governor will come from our political family. That has been my prayer.

Quite noticeable since the postponement of the election is the new role picked up by wives of the candidates.

Come September 28, the margin of victory will be higher than if the election had held on September 10.

“Edo people should vote wisely. Be rest assured that the insults that has taken place since 2008 will stop. The brutalization of our psyche, of our women will stop.

Unemployment of our youths will be a thing of the past. Lack of focus in educational and sports sector will be a thing of the past. We are bringing in a PDP government that can represent the people, build human development and industries.”

It was the first time the former governor had spoken on the ambition of Ize-Iyamu.

It was a short speech he gave when journalists cornered him for comments on the postponed election, but it was enough for the APC to go to town with. He had barely finished talking when the APC turned the video of the interview to advertorial jingles, alerting the people of the state to an alleged plan of the Igbinedion family to return to power in the state. The APC used the jingles to remind Edo people of the alleged underdevelopment that accompanied the reign of Igbinedion as governor and what awaited them if they allowed him to seize power again. The APC also alleged that Ize-Iyamu said that further birthdays of the Esama would be sponsored by the state government.

The Benin palace seldom endorses candidates, at least in the open. While the Benin palace remained neutral, some of the powerful chiefs in the palace have not. Notably, they have been declaring their support for the PDP’s candidate, Ize-Iyamu.

First to come was the endorsement by Nedoghama Nedo, a socio-cultural group made up of Chiefs from the Benin palace, traditional priests (Igiehon-Ohen), businessmen and other professionals. The were led by the Eson of Benin kingdom, Chief Amos Osunbor.

At the end of a meeting last Friday, members of the group endorsed the PDP candidate because, according to them, he possessed the capacity to restore the lost glory of the state and take it to the future of its inhabitants’ dreams. Chief Osunbor said: “We have painstakingly assessed the two candidates (APC’s Godwin Obaseki and PDP’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu) and we have found that Ize-Iyamu is the man for the job.”.

Other notable Benin chiefs, who attended the meeting were the Odeobawu of Benin, Chief Douglas Usoh, and the Uhenmure of Benin, Chief Uwadiae Albert.

Barely, 72 hours after the Nedoghama Nedo’s endorsement, another set of Benin palace chiefs belonging to the Egha Evbo’ Nore declared their support for the PDP’s governorship candidate.

The palace chiefs that gathered at the residence of the Esama of Benin kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, included Odobaiwu of Benin, Chief Solomon Ogbewe, the Uwayoba of Benin, Chief Jackson Igbinovia Amure and the Eson of Benin, Chief Amos Osunbor. Chief Amos Osunbor, who prayed for Ize-Iyamu on behalf of the other Chiefs said, his father, late Chief R.O. Ize-Iyamu who until his death was the Esogban of Benin, was a notable member of the Egha Evbo Nore palace society.

Expectedly, the APC camp rubbished the endorsement, saying it was done by card carrying members of the PDP. The Obazelu of Benin kingdom, Chief Osaro Idah, Continues on pg 28

28

politics&policy

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

And palace chiefs join the fray Continues from pg 27

said the chiefs were speaking for themselves and that their views did not represent the views of the Benin palace chiefs.

Idah, who is the secretary of the Edo APC, pointed out that if the palace must speak on any issue, it would either be done through the Iyase or the Esogban who is the head of the Benin Forum.

Idah also disclosed that the palace was in search of a palace attendant, Arase, who he said went to some villages to tell them that the palace requested its subjects to vote for the PDP. He said: “Arase has since been suspended from participating in palace activities. He wore palace dress and put on some beads to be seen as a chief. He started going from village to village to meet the elders to vote for the PDP. We have been looking for him to face the full wrath of the law because he is not a chief.

“I am the Obazelu of Benin kingdom. I am qualified to know who is the Igiehon of Benin. I deal more with Igiehons and others. The palace will never call for support for any candidate. We always pray for the best to emerge. We are going to report to appropriate sections of the Palace to look into such defaults.”

Quite noticeable since the postponement of the election is the new role picked up by wives of the candidates. The duo of Mrs Betsy Obaseki and Dr (Mrs) Idia Ize-Iyamu, wives of the APC and PDP candidates, have become involved in the campaign than ever before. It seems that their husbands suddenly realised that a lot could be achieved by the women and have dispatched them to the field solicit-

Dan Orbih, Edo PDP chairman

Oshiomhole

ing votes for their husbands.

The two aspiring first ladies had been involved in their husband’s campaign before now, but they have taken a step further. The PDP candidate, on his own, has been able to establish a campaign unit for his wife. Along with leaders of the women arm of the Edo PDP, the women have been traversing the nooks and crannies of the state campaigning for their husbands.

Ize-Iyamu also used the postponement of the election to take his campaign to

some important sectors such as the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and okada riders under the aegis of the Bike Riders Association. Addressing NMA members, he regretted that the last set of doctors were employed by the state government when he was in government as far back as 2006, arguing that the employment of doctors and allied health personnel went beyond saving scarce resources of reducing cost of governance.

The PDP candidate was also able to win

some APC members to his side, such as a former agitator, Chief Henry Binidodogha (Egbama I) from Ofunama Ward in Ovia South West Local Government Area and Prince Musa Braimah from Governor Oshiomhole’s Ward in Etsako West Local Government Area. He also used the window to take his campaign to little known communities in the hinterland of the state soliciting for votes.

The APC candidate, Obaseki, has not rested as well. Somehow, he made an audacious move by proving that he could speak for himself. Leveraging on his background as an investment banker, he has sustained his message that Edo needs a financial guru to manage her affairs at a time the country is facing recession. With the support of Oshiomhole, he has taken his message to the artisans, farmers and manufacturers that he has the key to their economic growth.

He said: “With a successful career of over 30 years as an investment banker and wealth management expert, and the valuable experience I have garnered as chairman of the state’s Economy andStrategy Team in the last eight years, I am very clear on the direction that we should be looking in order to move Edo State to the next level of infrastructural development, industrial growth and technological advancement.

“Lagos has shown itself as a model, and I don’t see the reason why we can’t have other models in Nigeria with Edo blazing the trail as a mini-sized Nigerian state that can survive as a country. To achieve this status, we require competent, credible and hardworking managers, and that is what I am.”

Governance and politics in Nigeria Participation This is a very important component of the elements of governance. It is imperative that citizens participate at all levels of their government’s decision making process.

Their participation does not end with merely casting their votes on Election Day. They must insist and ensure that their votes are counted. For effective participation in public policy, it is essential for citizens to organize themselves into credible interest groups (professional associations, academic unions, students’ unions, labour unions, nongovernmental organizations, etc) that constantly review government policies, articulate the positions of the general population, and engage elected officials in public debates regarding the rationale and impact of their policies and programmes on the population.

By Igho Natufe The question of good governance has captured the attention of international institutions, including the World Bank and several inter-governmental organisations like the G-8. Both institutions have made this issue a critical prerequisite in their aid and donation policies to countries with poor records on governance.

But what do we mean by governance? There is a temptation to use governance and government interchangeably. Government is said to derive from the Greek word kyberman which means to steer. Being in the company of Political Scientists, I do not have any urge to define government in greater details. But, let us agree to define a government as a collective body of elected and appointed institutions empowered to legislate and adjudicate for the good of society, while governance is conceptualized as the processes and systems by which a government manages the resources of a society to address socio-economic and political challenges in the polity. Thus, a government is elected or appointed to provide good, effective and efficient governance. According to Daniel Kaufmann, governance embodies “the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised for the common good.”

A good governance system is defined by its relationship to some key prerequisites, including Accountability, Transparency, Participation, and Predictability. Let us briefly review these elements.

Accountability In a democracy, elected and appointed government officials, from the president down to the office messenger in a local government council, must be accountable for their actions and policies. They must provide answers for their activities to the general population. It is imperative that the population demands this from all government officials at all levels of the political system. One way of doing this is for members of each electoral constituency to construct a performance measurement framework compelling respective government officials to provide an-

swers for their activities and policies. They must demand regular meetings with their respective elected officials at the constituency level.

Transparency Simply put, transparency is the easy and unrestricted access of government information by the population. The general public must have access to information on government policies and programmes. It is vital that ministers and bureaucrats ensure the unedited dissemination of such information as demanded by the general public, excluding information pertaining to a nation’s security.

The general public should agitate for the enactment of an Access to Information Act that guarantees the unrestricted access of the public to information on government policies and programmes. The enactment of such an Act will compel governments to adhere to the tenets of transparency in their decision making process as well as limiting the chances of government officials engaging in corrupt practices.

Predictability A democratic polity is governed by laws and regulations anchored on the Constitution of the country. Therefore, it is imperative that the application of these be fair and consistent, and thus predictable, within the boundaries of the Constitution. Any arbitrary application of the laws and regulations would vitiate the Constitution and inhibit good governance. A critical element of this is the recognition of the principles of jurisdictional responsibilities, especially in a federal polity like Nigeria. For example, can a federal government establish an Act empowering itself to review the finances, policies and activities of state governments and punish erring state officials?

The above elements presuppose an educated, politically conscious, enlightened and an actively proactive population. Where the population is ill equipped to engage in any of the above, it is a certainty that the rudiments of good governance will readily be compromised by the government of the day. This situation buttresses the view that a society gets the government that it deserves.

Excerpts of a lecture by Professor Natufe, who taught Political Science and International Relations in Canadian, Ghanaian, and Nigerian universities.

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016

businessnews We’ll spend borrowings on infrastructure —Buhari

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By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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Thursday, 22 September, 2016

monies intended to revamp infrastructure do not end up in the pockets of corrupt officials and their collaborators.

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has assured both Nigerians and the international community of the commitment of his government to deploy funds to be raised from multilateral agencies to building the country’s dilapidated infrastructure.

The President gave this assurance in an article entitled Making Africa Rising a Reality in Nigeria published on Bloomberg View on Wednesday, the day he also unfolded the investorfriendly agenda of his administration to the US-Africa Business Forum in New York.

According to Buhari who said the government had begun raising a $1bn Eurobond, “Unlike in the past, when borrowed funds were frittered away on unproductive ventures, we will ensure their investment in the revival of stalled road, rail, power and port projects, and in agricultural initiatives that will significantly boost domestic production of food. For far too long we have under-invested in infrastructure — the most critical element for creating sustainable economic growth. The net effect: an avoidably high cost of doing business in Nigeria.”

He added, “But even more important than what the government is able to spend is the limitless investment potential of the private sector. This is why one of our main priorities is creating an environment in which private-sector capital can thrive. We are in particular using Public-Private Partnership models to support game-changing privatesector projects in power, refining, gas transportation and fertilizer production.”

He also said that the government had put measures in place to ensure that

BOTH global and local financial experts have expressed support for the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) decision not to cut interest rates.

All 10 members present at the CBN Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had last Tuesday defied the finance minister Mrs. Kemi Adeosun’s call to lower borrowing costs to aid growth and lower cost of government borrowing. They elected to retain Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 14.00 per cent; Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 22.5 per cent; Liquidity Ratio at 30.00 per cent; and Asymmetric Window at +200 and -500 basis points around the MPR. MPR is the benchmark rate by which the CBN determines interest rate and it indirectly influences other interest rates in the economy, while the CRR is a portion

THE board of Odu’a Investment Company Limited on Wednesday announced that the company earned a gross revenue of N1.691billion even as it paid out a total sum of N175million as dividends to the five owner states.

The board chairman, Chief Isaac Akintade, who disclosed this after the Annual General Meeting of the conglomerate which held at Cocoa House in Ibadan, said the earning was 16 per cent lower than the 2014 earnings of N2.02billion, adding that Profit Before Tax, which stood at N597 million, was also a slide of 3 per cent from the N615million recorded in the previous year.

He, however, said the board resolved to pay dividends to the owner states in accordance with its promise to be consistent in dividend payments.

The chairman also noted that the N175million to be paid to the owners represented a 16 per cent improvement over the N150 million paid last year.

Speaking on why the conglomerate decided to increase its dividend payment in spite of a decline in revenue and profit, the Group Managing Director, Mr Adewale Raji, said it was to show gratitude to the owners for the support the company had enjoyed from them.

He added, “It has been

Speaking on measures to stimulate the economy, Buhari said “our Social Investment Program — the most ambitious in Nigeria’s

history — will kick off this month. In its first year it will provide cash transfers to 1 million of our poorest people, hot meals to 5 mil-

lion primary-school children, cheap loans to more than 1 million artisans and traders, and job opportunities in health care, agri-

From left, Dr Sikiru Lawal, Director representing Ekiti State; Alhaji T Ola Bello, Director representing Ogun State; Chief Isaac Akintade, Chairman; Mr Adewale Raji, Group Managing Director; Dr (Mrs) Adepeju Esan, Director representing Oyo State and Mr Sola Akinwunmi, Director representing Osun State, at the 34th Annual General Meeting of Odu’a Investment Company Limited in Ibadan, on Wednesday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Nigerian Tribune

culture and software and hardware development for half a million young people.”

The President noted that in spite of the dire situation of the economy, “our economic recovery plan is already showing positive results. Investment’s share in gross domestic product is at its highest since 2010. Inflation is slowing; manufacturing confidence is rising. People are seeing and seizing opportunities to make money catering to the needs of Africa’s most populous country.”

While calling for robust and reliable partnerships with other countries, Buhari assured that “The months ahead will show not only that Nigeria is on the rise, but that this “Rising” is real and lasting — one that touches not just the statistical databases, but the lives of the people who elected us to deliver positive change.”

CBN’s 14% lending rate will ensure foreign inflow —Experts of banks’ deposits kept by banks with the CBN. Staunchly supporting the CBN’s action, experts contended that the decision would ensure continued foreign inflows which, according to them, was what the country needed most at this time to pull it out of economic recession.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had insisted that reducing the MPR at this time would only worsen inflationary conditions and put further pressure on the exchange rate.

He said all the MPC members had considered calls for a rate cut but concluded that the biggest challenges the economy faces were “unsystematic and incomplete structural reforms” which raised “cost, risk and uncertainty”.

Commenting on the actions

of the apex bank, an economist at Exotix Partners, a leading investment firm for frontier and illiquid markets based in the United Kingdom, Alan Cameron, commended the CBN’s decision, describing it as one of the regulator’s, “most sensible statement in months (and) one clear about the mandate and policy limitations.”

Similarly, Senior Macroeconomic Specialist at Ecobank International, London, Gaime Nonyame, supported the rates retention by the CBN. She said the CBN can’t reduce interest because of inflation and also cannot afford to increase interest rate because the country is already in recession. This she insisted would not be desirable and encouraging to investors, who are expected to bring in much needed for-

Odu’a earns N1.69bn, pays N175m dividends very challenging, I must confess. Income was very tough, we managed and we ended up with a reduction in income and in actual fact our profit lowered by 3 per cent, compared to the previous year. The essence of this was that we all know the challenges about

the economy today in terms of disposable income to people and patronage and these are areas that have seriously affected us.

“All the same, you know it’s a business we are doing and unless a business is demonstrating profitability, there is nothing you can be

eign currency, which Nigeria needs to get out of recession.

Also, analysts at Foreign Currency Trading & Investment arm of Diamond Bank Plc., Uyi Ohenhen, lauded the CBN’s action. He said it is a positive development that triggered inflow of funds into the foreign exchange market yesterday.

One of the economists that spoke with Reuters also praised the CBN for shrugging off political pressure.

“CBN’s refusal to bow to government pressure is a notable sign of the institution’s independence,” said John Ashbourne of Capital Economics.

A Senior Analyst at Delta Investments, Mr. Ken Halim, said: “The CBN’s decision was generally in line with analysts’ expectations.

I would have been surprised if the CBN had cut interest

telling the shareholders or the stake holders. We do believe that with this focused position and commitment that we have, all our other plans will materialize.”

The AGM was attended by all the board members as well as the secretaries to the owner state governments.

NIA, motorists groan over Ogun policy monopolisation

By Gbenga Olumide

THE Ogun State branch of Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) and motorists, have lamented over the monopolisation of third party insurance, issuance to motorists by the state government, which contravenes the National Insurance Commission policy.

The umbrella body of the companies alleged that the state government had limited third party insurance policy issuance to the Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc and Lasaco Insurance Company.

The South-West Regional Manager of Anchor Insurance Company, Mr Philips Olowoporoku made this known during a protest by

their members and motorists at the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS) office in Abeokuta, at the weekend.

Olowoporoku stated that Ogun State Internal Revenue Service had barred other insurance companies in the state from their fundamental right of issuing third party insurance.

rates given that the most serious challenge facing the country at the moment is the forex issue. Dollars are still very scarce and companies are shutting down because they can’t access forex. Cutting interest rates would have discouraged foreign investors from investing in treasury bills and bonds.”

Also, in a note released yesterday, experts at Time Economics Limited backed the MPC’s decision, citing the fact that past efforts to cut rates in order to stimulate spending were misapplied

by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), which rather than lend to the real sector, diverted loans to traders, importers of manufactured goods, and government.

The analysts noted: “ Cutting the MPR could do more to erode the credibility of the CBN with regards to the conduct of monetary policy. Such action, in our opinion, will help worsen the already growing negative real interest rate and could further discourage the return of foreign investors – something the CBN has worked so hard to avoid.

“Moreover, the pursuit of an expansionary monetary policy in order to support growth, in the face of rising inflation and currency depreciations could prove to be counter-productive, particularly in the absence of complementary fiscal policy reforms,” the analysts said.

Indeed, most analysts polled prior to the MPC meeting had predicted the best decision that the CBN was likely to take was to leave rates unchanged.

34 news Troops, B/Haram in fierce battle in Borno

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

From Chris Agbambu and Bodunrin Kayode

T

roops of Operation Lafiya Dole and Multinational Joint Task Force, on Wednesday, engaged in a fierce battle with members of Boko Haram at Mallam Fatori, in Northern part of Borno State.

The battle involved air operations.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the terrorists, however, reinforced around border with Niger Republic.

It was gathered that the troops killed several of the Boko Haram terrorists in

the encounter, but it was not immediately known if there were casualties on the part of the troops as of the time of this report.

With this development, the theater commander, Major General Lucky Irabor, has assured that more council areas will be routed soon.

According to army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, Wednesday’s fierce battle was closely covered by operations from the Nigerian Air Force.

“However, while the troops were consolidating their success, the terrorists were believed to have reinforced around the international

border with the Niger Republic.

The troops, however, killed several Boko Haram terror-

ists in the resulting encounter and subsequently had to withdraw to a vantage position.

Johnson Babajide -Makurdi MEN of the Special Fraud Unit at the Force headquarters, Abuja, stormed Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Tuesday, and whisked away two cashiers of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Sources said the police-

men arrived at the capital city to arrest the cashiers for refusal to provide the board financial information as requested three weeks ago.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that based on petition sent to the Force headquarters by unspecified persons, the unit had sent words to the management of the board to furnish it with financial report from 2011 to

Says military in final push to neutralise terrorists As Coalition urges N/Delta militants to embrace dialogue THE Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has disclosed that over two million women and children, including adult males, have been freed from the hands of Boko Haram terrorists in the north-eastern part of the country.

He said the progress was made following series of coordinated attacks and clearance operations conducted against the terrorists’ camps.

Buratai made the revelation on Wednesday, in Abuja, at an event organised by the Coalition of Civil Society Groups (COSG) to mark the 2016 United Nations World Peace Day. He said the military had restored normalcy in most affected areas by the Boko Haram insurgencies in the north-eastern part of the country while a final push to completely neutralise the terrorists was still ongoing.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Chief of Civil/Military Affairs, Major-General Peter John Bojie, the Chief of Army Staff said the milestone could not have been achieved without the support of the Federal Government.

According to him, the political will, clear presidential directives of President Muhammadu Buhari and backings received from all the tiers of government were responsible for the morale boost witnessed in the military.

“Before the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, more than half of the entire North-East was dominated and controlled by the insurgent group with their flags hoisted in many local government areas and

communities such as Konduga, Bama, Gwoza, Baga Abadam, among others.

“On the whole, all the aforementioned moderate achievements would not have been possible without the support of the government, which has never been unwavering since Mr President took over the affairs of Nigeria.

“It is also pertinent to mention the support of the civil populace and the media as key factors that contributed to the success story.

“It is, however, instructive to state that the final push

to be concentrated in at least three local government areas along the Lake Chad.”

Police whisk Benue SUBEB cashiers to Abuja

Over 2 million women, children freed from Boko Haram’s captivity —COAS Clement Idoko and Adetola Bademosi -Abuja

“Having been driven out of at least 22 local government areas, elements of the insurgent sect are believed

to completely neutralise the Boko Haram is still ongoing,” he said.

Speaking further, he said the military had, so far, been able to restore normalcy to most affected parts in the North-East, through its quick impact projects.

These, he said, included: “rehabilitation of damaged roads such as GaamboruNgalla, Gwoza and Firgi bridges; construction of NTA Maiduguri studio room/generating set; opening of roads along Maiduguri - Damboa, MaiduguriMonguno-Baga, Maidu-

guri - Dikwa - Ngalla and Gwoza-Mubi.”

Mr Etuk Bassey Williams, in his address, called on Boko Haram sect and Niger Delta militants to embrace dialogue, in order to allow peace and tranquility in the country for development to take place.

He attributed the current economic challenges confronting the nation to the activities of these various groups, adding that the continuation of such rebellion would continue to breed death, poverty and underdevelopment in the country.

December 2015.

Chairman of the board, Reverend Philip Tachin, who confirmed this to the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, said men from the Force headquarters, Abuja, had paid an unscheduled visit to the board, demanding for some documents.

Tachin told the Nigerian Tribune that the police from Force headquarters visited the board to investigate its activities for four years, hence, demanded the statement of account of the board from January 2011 to 2015.

According to him, “they requested for the documents to be made available and then, left. I told the cashiers to go to the bank and get the statement of account, but they told me that the account is dormant.”

“For the umpteenth time, I instructed them to make the documents available and they failed to cooperatee. So yesterday, some police officers stormed the board and arrested them. For me, I do not have anything to hide. I will not shield anyone who is involved in any fraudulent act,” Tachin said.

Commenting on a recent indictment by the state House of Assembly that the board was operating two payrolls, he dismissed it as “outright falsehood.”

He explained that ‘‘there had been an aberration where the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs handed over payroll of teachers’ salaries to us as against the norm, where the board should have been the one giving out its payroll to the bureau.

“We discovered a lot of anomalies. There was always shortage in payment of teachers’ salaries. The house did not cross-check the facts from the board. The house committee chairman has since apologised for the mistake made,” he said.

On the award of contracts for renovation of over 700 primary schools in the state, the SUBEB boss debunked insinuations that it was awarded for political patronage, insisting that it followed due process.

“Over 200 contractors applied for the contract and the board’s due process committee scrutinised them thoroughly before they were given the contracts,” he said.

Panic in Imo as IPOB threatens to shut down S/East •Residents desert Owerri • Police warn Biafra agitators Inspite of the assurance by the Imo State police command to neutralise any insurrection by the indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which has threatened to shut down the entire South-East tomorrow, in a protest against the continued detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, palpable tension and anxiety have descended on the residents of Owerri.

Nigerian Tribune, who monitored the situation, said while some residents of the city had resolved to relocate to the villages for fear of the planned protest, many residents now besieged the banks making panic withdrawals, even as activities at the Owerri main market, which situates on the Douglas Road, have since risen to a feverish point with buyers making brisk purchase of food items for storage at home.

The situation, according to the report, was the same in supermarkets and petrol stations where consumables and petroleum prod-

ucts were being purchased in large quantities, as a precautionary measure by the people.

A resident at World Bank Layout, Mr John Amadi, who was seen moving his family to his village in the Isiala Mbano Council Area of the state, told the Nigerian Tribune “my brother I am not prepared to risk the lives of my children, the boys you people call “IPOB” are dangerous and can do anything. My family will be in the village till weekend.,”he added.

At the densely populated Aladimma, World Bank and Egbedea Housing Estates vehicular movement became heavier, as most people had equally commenced hasty movements outside the town in anticipation of the envisaged protest by IPOB. Report reaching us from Owerri said some pressure groups had thrown their weight behind the threat by IPOB to cripple the South-East in protest against the continued incarceration of their leader,

Nnamdi Kanu, and non release of many members of the group who are still languishing in detention. But the police image maker in the state, Andrew Enwerem (DSP), has assured the people not to panic, saying the police had installed adequate measure to counter any uprising by IPOB in the state.

Anxiously, the founder of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has urged Ndigbo to ignore the order of IPOB and go about their normal business.

Uwazuruike, who spoke through his national director of information, Sunday Okereafor, in Owerri, explained that the order

by IPOB was selfish and ill-timed, pointing out that such order at the present recession inflicted on Ndigbo by the Nigerian government would only cause more harm than good.

According to him, it was meaningless to ask Ndigbo

to stay away from their means of livelihood impromptu without adequate information given to them on such directive.

Chief Uwazuruike pointed that contrary to IPOB’s claim that it had discussed with various Igbo groups before its directive, MASSOB, he noted, was never consulted, stressing that MASSOB would never had consented to such sudden order by IPOB. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Imo, Mr Taiwo Lakanu, on Wednesday, in Owerri, warned members of IPOB against breaching public peace.

Lakanu gave the warning while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the “sit at home protest” of IPOB slated for Friday.

The group’s planned protest is over the detention of its leader, Mr Nnamdi Kanu.

The commissioner said the police would resist any attempt by the group to breach public peace or carry

out activities contrary to the law.

According to him, the group had no right to forcefully order members of the public to sit at home or switch off their phones.

“We will arrest and prosecute any IPOB member if any of their actions leads to breach of security and public peace.

“Agitators must find a legal way of making their grievances known to the authorities and not to create panic in the society.

“Police is in charge of any situation in the state, and we are ever ready to ensure a violence-free state,’’ he said.

The commissioner urged members of the public not to entertain any fear over the planned protest, but to go about their lawful businesses.

NAN reported that IPOB, in a recent statement, ordered that those in SouthEast should sit at home on Friday, in demand of Kanu’s release.

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south-westnews

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

APC primaries: Protest in Ondo over NWC’s decision to reject panel’s report Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

M

EMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, on Wednesday, protested against the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to uphold the governorship primaries that produced Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as

the candidate of the party.

The aggrieved party members, who took to the streets in Ondo East and West, expressed their displeasure over the decision of the NWC of the party not to consider the report of the party’s Election Appeal Committee.

It was gathered that the

protesters had earlier gathered to celebrate the cancellation of the party’s governorship primaries that produced Akeredolu before learning that the leadership of the party has decided to uphold Akeredolu’s victory.

The aggrieved protesters, led by the Chairman of the

party in Ondo East, Mr Temitope Akintunde, said the decision of the NWC to accept the governorship primaries showed that they were insensitive to the aspiration of the party to win the state in the governorship election.

Akintunde, who expressed his disappointment, described the party’s

primaries as fraud, saying it was free-fair-fraud and wondered why the NWC rejected the report.

He noted that the decision of the NWC indicated that no difference between the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in term of manipulation of people’s wish.

South-West political leaders strategise in Ibadan ahead 2019 elections

By Kunle Oderemi

POLITICAL leaders from the South-West met in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday, to strategise on how best to protect the interest of the Yoruba race in the 2019 political transition programme.

The more than four and half hour closed-door meeting, held at the Owu Crown Hotel, Monatan, in the ancient city of Ibadan, attracted prominent politicians cutting across different political persuasions from the six states in the geopolitical zone.

The political leaders, who met under the aegis of a new political movement, Yoruba Patriots, included Dr Saka Adegbite Balogun, Brigadier General Raji Rasaki (retd), Elder Wole Oyelese, Dr Kunle Olajide, Ambassador Dare Bejide, Chief Olapade Agoro, Prince Segun Adesegun, Prince Diran Odeyemi, Senator Ayo Adeseun, Chief Fatai Akinbade, Chief Oladosu Oladipo, Honourable Asimiyu Alarape, Comrade Taiwo Akeju, Architect Dokun Ajiboye and Professor Soji Adejumo.

Their meeting is coming against the backdrop of the unending cold war among the power blocs in the two main parties: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the present political dispensation.

Sources at the meeting told the Nigerian Tribune that the leaders were apprehensive of the danger posed by what they considered as the multifaceted challenges confronting the Yoruba at the moment, hence the need for a collective struggle and unity of purpose among the race to put the race in good stead preparatory to the 2019 elections.

From left, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, Ondo State chapter chairman, University of Ibadan Alumni Association; Professor Adeyinka Adeyemi, former Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA); Professor Muphtha Smith, inaugural lecturer; Professor Tolulope Akinbogun, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development; Dr Modupe Ajayi, Registrar FUTA and Dr Kemi Emina, National President, UI Alumni Association, shortly after the 78th inaugural lecture of the institution, in Akure, on Tuesday.

21-year-old electrocuted in Osun Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

TRAGEDY struck in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, on Wednesday, when a 21-year-old man was electrocuted while working on a low tension electric pole at Aleegun area of Otaefun.

The deceased, identified as Mutiu Aderemi, was an electrician in the area, who responded to a call by one

of his customers to fix the electrical problem on the low tension pole.

The incident, which occurred around 8:10p.m., was said to cause confusion in the area as residents were shocked at the sudden death of Mutiu.

Nigerian Tribune reliably gathered that the deceased, who had electrical shop in the neighbourhood, was

working on the electrical fault when the pole suddenly broke and fell on him.

One of the eyewitnesses informed the Nigerian Tribune that people around the scene heard a loud noise and rushed out to ascertain what was happening only to discover the lifeless body of Mutiu, who was struck by the broken pole.

According to him, “he was

ABUAD, hairdressers, cosmetologists, barbers set for partnership Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

THE Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) and hairdressers, barbers and cosmetologists in Ekiti State have agreed to partner in entrepreneurial schemes that would be of benefit to both bodies in the state.

ABUAD and the Ekiti State chapter of the Nigerian Association of Hairdressers, Barbers and Cosmetologists (NASHCOB) arrived at the agreement on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, at a ceremony where the founder of ABUAD, Chief Afe Babalola was decorated as the life patron of the association.

At the ceremony, attended by hundreds of members of NASHCOB, held at the AB Foundation Hall, in Ado

Ekiti, the association had said in a speech by its state president, Mrs Mary Ayodele, that it was willing to undertake entrepreneurial training of willing students in ABUAD and that it was also interested in promoting a brand of Moringa hair cream produced by the university’s farm.

Reacting to their requests, which also included financial support for the completion of the Ekiti NASHCOB secretariat/ training complex, Chief Babalola noted that the association was “the first to offer to partner with ABUAD in a unique way.”

He said: “I have hitherto received numerous awards: local, national and international from professional bodies, farmers’

associations, law, engineering, medicine, nursing, banking, accounting, journalism, sports, market women as well as cloth sellers. I have been made patron, grand patron and life patron of many, but yours is not only peculiar, it is unique because apart from promoting our products, you are partnering with us in the creation of employment and making life more meaningful and impactful.”

While thanking the association for the investiture, he also insisted that “for Nigeria to overcome the present economic problems, we must add business to agriculture,” and added that “we need to develop our own technology, improve our farming practice.”

badly burnt and already dead when we arrived at the scene. Police were later called and the body was evacuated. The remains of the deceased was later released and buried by his family.”

However, while reacting to the incident, Miss Kikelomo Owoeye from the Communication and Branding Office of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBDEC) for Osun Region, said the company had been warning residents against tampering with its facilities, stressing that henceforth anybody caught carrying out unauthorised repairs on its installations would be prosecuted.

She stated that “we have had lots of cases being handled by the police and NSCDC for us, concerning those caught in the act of illegal access to our facilities, but we would be glad if communities will work with us by ensuring that their members are not engaging in this criminal act so as to avoid untimely death and loss of lives and property.

“IBEDC is ready to serve the customers better so, if there are faults on their lines, they should not hesitate to report to us,” Owoeye asserted.

Nigerian Tribune

Ekiti govt assures doctors on hazard allowance, improved welfare Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

EKITI State government has said that medical doctors in its employ will not be denied their dues, just as it promised to give priority to the welfare of its workers.

The state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, said this in Ado-Ekiti while playing host to members and executive of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

A statement on Wednesday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, said the governor also said his administration would not renege on its promise to pay ‘hazard allowance’ to medical doctors in state hospitals.

Tentative figure of the amount the state would spend on the allowance monthly was put at about N20 million.

However, the governor said the issue of medical doctors serving in local government-owned medical facilities would be borne by the councils, since they had been given autonomy.

Ogun Assembly screens 2 commissionernominees TWO commissionernominees have scaled the screening of the Ogun State House of Assembly to expand the existing 37-member State Executive Council.

The nominees are Mrs Biola Kufile-Okongi (Odeda Council Area) and Miss Ronke Onadeko (Remo Council Area).

The Executive Council consists of 18 commissioners and 19 special advisers including the governor’s chief of staff.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun had, on Monday, forwarded the names of the would-be commissioners to the House, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Ogun has 20 local governments in addition to the newly created 37 local council development areas.

The Speaker, Mr Suraj Adekunbi, said the screening was done in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 constitution.

He said appointing two additional commissioners by the governor was to ensure quality representation of the people in the state administration.

36

news

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

Destiny led me to kill Benue Rev Father —Suspect Says gang collected N1.7m ransom Chris Agbambu -Abuja

O

NE of the four suspects who kidnapped and killed Reverend Father John Alex Adeyi in Benue State, Saidu, told newsmen in Abuja, on Wednesday, that destiny led him to pull the trigger on the late cleric.

Parading the four suspects

who were involved in the dastardly act last April, Saidu revealed that after retrieving the N1.7 million ransom from where the relations of the late cleric kept it in the bush, they noticed they were not safe as a large number of vigilance groups were coming after them in the bush, hence he killed the cleric.

Force spokesman, Don

Awunah, who gave the names of the other suspects as Suleiman, 30; Aliyu, 26 and Haruna, 27, said three locally fabricated guns, a Nokia Lumia phone belonging to the late Reverend father, a black Gicent phone model M9 used for negotiation and collection of the ransom were recovered from the suspects.

Awunah said consequent upon the kidnap and murder of Reverend Father Adeyi of Catholic Diocese of Otukpo and parish priest of St. Bernard’s Parish Okpoga on April 24, 2016 after collection of ransom by the kidnappers, the InspectorGeneral of Police, Ibrahim Idris, directed the intelligence response team at-

tached to IGP Monitoring Unit to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

According to him, between the September 1 and 14, the four suspects were trailed and arrested at different locations in Bauchi, Enugu and Benue states.

He disclosed that in the course of investigation, the suspects confessed to be the gang responsible for the kidnap and murder of the cleric, while they collected the ransom of N1.7 million from his family.

Awunah said Saidu voluntarily told the police investigators that he fired the shot that killed the cleric, adding that the suspects would be arraigned in court in due course.

Ondo govt commences rehabilitation of Owo/ Ikare road Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, in Lokoja, on Wednesday, acknowledging cheers from people who trooped out to congratulate him on his victory at the Supreme Court on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN

Why I challenged Bello’s victory —Wada Yinka Oladoyinbo -Lokoja THE immediate past governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada, on Wednesday, said he did not challenge the victory of Governor Yahaya Bello for selfish, ethnic or chauvinistic sentiments.

Rather, he said he embarked on the search for justice, having been convinced about the authenticity of the mandate given to him by the people of the state.

The former governor, in a statement by his special adviser on media and strategy, Jacob Edi, while congratulating Bello, said he would abide by the pronouncements of the Supreme Court.

“As you are already aware, the court has dismissed my appeal as well as those brought by other people and thereby upholding the emergence of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as governor of our dear state. I wish to congratulate Governor Bello on his victory and wish him a successful tenure of office.

“Our search for justice, which terminated yesterday (Tuesday), has been a long one: from the tribunal through the appeal court up to the Supreme Court. It is instructive to note that our

pursuit of justice was not hinged on selfish, ethnic or such other chauvinistic sentiments.

“In the circumstance we found ourselves, in the immediate post-election days, we were convinced about the authenticity of the mandate given to us by the people of our dear state. It will be on record that when we felt the mandate was not only threatened but stolen, we approached the judiciary for interpretation as

provided by our laws. We have pursued our convictions to the highest court in the land.

“As patriotic citizens, we shall abide by the judicial pronouncements. No doubts, our gesture has left its indelible marks on the development of our jurisprudence. It is hoped that at some point in the future, our efforts will be a reference point for generations yet unborn,” the statement read.

Wada, however, appreciated his supporters nationwide, especially the people of the state and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for standing by him through legal tussle.

He also urged the people not to despair, saying “we must continue to remain loyal and faithful to our great party, the PDP, and work to make it stronger at both local and national levels.”

We didn’t stop airport project, court did —Ekiti Assembly THE Ekiti State House of Assembly has said that the state airport project was stopped because of subsisting court judgment secured by land owners and plantation farmers displaced from the project’s proposed site, adding that; “the House of Assembly did not, and cannot stop the project.”

The House of Assembly, which reacted to a publication in some newspapers that it directed the stoppage of the airport project, said the House Leader of Government Business, Honourable Olatunji Akinyele, was misrepresented in the report.

In a release issued on Wednesday by the Chairman, House Committee on

Information, Chief Olugboyega Aribisogan, the Assembly said; “We don’t award contracts and it is not our duty to stop government projects.

“From information available to us, the state government only put the project on hold in obedience to the court judgment got by the land owners and plantation farmers displaced from the project’s proposed site and as soon as the ongoing litigation is dispensed with, the project will commence.”

Speaking further, Honourable Aribisogan said; “The State House of Assembly, being partner in progress with the Governor Ayodele Fayose-led govern-

ment, remains on the same page with the governor on the airport project as well as other legacy projects of the state government, and we will continue to give legislative backing to all developmental activities of the government.”

While commending the state governor on the feat achieved by the state in this year’s National Examination Council (NECO) Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) and West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the Assembly said the various intervention programmes of the government in the education sector should be sustained.

THE Ondo State government, on Wednesday, commenced the rehabilitation of the Owo- Ikare Akoko Federal government road in the state following the collapse of the ever busy road.

Speaking during the inauguration of the rehabilitation of the road in Owo, the Chairman of Ondo State Agency for Road Maintenance and Construction (OSARMCO), Mr Kehinde Osikoya, said the special intervention became necessary to alleviate the challenges faced by road users on the route.

He said “the situation on this road in the last few months has been very deplorable and commuters have suffered a lot and it appears there’s no immediate plan from the Federal Government to rehabilitate the road.

“Therefore, the state governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has directed the state government through the office of OSARMCO to mobilise all resources to repair this road to an acceptable standard.”

Osikoya said despite the indebtedness of the Federal Government to the state over the rehabilitation of some federal roads, the state governor decided to approve the emergency repair programme to ameliorate the challenges being faced by motorists on the road.

He, however, appealed to the Federal Government to refund to the state some money being owed it on roads rehabilitation to cushion the overbearing burdens of fixing federal and local roads by the state, especially at a time of recession.

Nigerian Tribune

Yoruba Academy hosts monarchs, govs in Ibadan for historical celebration

By Bola Badmus and Tunde Ogunesan SOUTH-WEST governors, traditional rulers and leaders in various sectors will, on Friday, September 23, 2016 gathered in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, for a conference themed “Celebrating Yoruba,” which has been put together by The Yoruba Academy, a policy research and cultural institution.

Chairman of the planning committee, Chief Segun Odegbami, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.

He said the conference was leveraging on the symbolism of the date when the treaty to end Kiriji War was signed to celebrate the dynamism of Yoruba people, particularly their inherent culture of peace and tolerance.

According to him, the event will feature presentations from an acclaimed columnist, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju and renowned professors, including Banji Akintoye, a foremost Yoruba historian and Second Republic senator, and Olutayo Adesina of the University of Ibadan, saying there would be performances by Tunde Kelani, Brymo, Ajobiewe, Edaoto and others.

Ekiti govt lifts ban on logging activities

EKITI State government has lifted the ban imposed on logging activities in some parts of the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Commissioner for Environment in the state, Chief Bisi Kolawole, made this known on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, at a meeting with members of the state chapter of the Timber Traders Association of Nigeria.

NAN recalled that government had, four months ago, suspended logging activities in some areas to curtail persistent illegal activities of timber merchants in the area.

Kolawole said that government would no longer tolerate the unlawful collusion between fraudulent individuals and forestry officials.

He said the Forest Guards in the concerned local government areas had already been suspended and replaced.

The commissioner warned all stakeholders against engaging in acts detrimental to government’s plan to develop the state.

37

Thursday, 22 September, 2016

38

tribunepools

DR JK. POOLS

07039275802 (37XXX 42) 12,17,21,27,33.

This week is a popular form draws hunting or picking in the local coupon. However this is the second since this season, I bet that I will demonstrate this season as I did in the late forties during the defunct sporting observer picking naked draws are based on common poological season. I bet to apply it, those who have already enrolled will enjoy the draws this season. The enrollment fees still N5,000 payable to EKHOMUJOHN A/c No- 2085795936 at Zenith Bank. Now pick add to the above bracket games above.

Good luck.

LUCKYMAN

08054352685 (01 SUREST X 16) Big harvest await all our fans stick to us weekly and let fortune smile on your face 01 surest x 16 must for draws call for more sure draws and win big fortune on pools. Send N1, 500 MTN Card winning is assured call now 01 sure x 16

BETS MASTER

08134496635 (BET 32, 33, 41).

Stakers, please Nap 32, 33, 41 this week in readiness for my special release in week 12, cost N20, 00 cash. Phone 08134496635.

MISTER- DRAW

08030415683 (16 SUPER X 29)

3 super draws await all our fans call now and grab our 3 super draws at N2000 MTN Card act now

THE – LILIES

08086494309 (20 JACKPOT X 29) WK 10 RESULT= 14XXX 2XXXX 30 38XX 41= 3 OVER 5 We are set for 3 over 3 this wk 11 grab our 3 unfaking Jackpot x5 with only N2, 500 MTN Card the road to Big Jackpot will be widely open for all our fans 20 jackpot x 29

SUNDERLAND SYSTEM 09038460009 = 23 NAP 25

WINNER MEMBERSHIP N50, 000. ENGLISH SYSTEM BOOKLET N30, 000 4 Bankers N6, 000 Wk 08 No 11x 13x 26x 33x with 15f 17x 4. Bankers N6, 000 Wk 09 No NAP 17x 19x 26x 30x Pair 23x 33f 4. Bankers= N6, 000 Wk 10 No 14X 20X 34X 35X WITH 22F 24X WK 11 NO NAP NAP NAP NAP= 4/4 Two Bankers N3, 000 Wk 08 No 11x 33x Pair 17x 26x Two Bankers N3, 000 Wk 09 No 17x 30x pair 23x 33f Two Bankers N3, 000 Wk 10 No 20x 35x Pair 24x 25x Wk 11 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap Hurry up to get your copy today.

Send MTN Card.

MR.BILLY 08034970970 BANK 34 OR 36, 36 OR 34.

OH yes! It is now or ne3ver numbers 34 must 36 for a least draw and other 2 banks cost N10,000 = that must surely produce 3/3 and 4/5 = on Saturday.

Don’t be left out. Call & Win.

VOLVO NAP 08059580326

NOS 21. 22. 30 FOR 2 DRAWS

The above three numbers are to be produce 2 draws on Saturday and they are key pointers to my 3 nap draws and 1 hot pair next week 12 cost N10,000 cash.

Please make good use of this three numbers this week 11 and buy my 3 nap draws and 1 hot pair next week.

MAC – ANTHONY NAP SHINES AGAIN!

G.S.M : 08069048857 (PAIR 2XX 5XX) Congrats to week 10 lucky winners who responded to my sms and won big. Weeks 11 – 14 nap is another authentic weeks, please don’t miss it for any reason. Cost price is N20,000 weekly. U.B.A to Engr, Michael Akam. Acct No – 2029382770.

A trial will make you winner.

MOONSET NAP –

08112429904 (32XX19) 17X 25X 48XXX 6F/41x = 4/5.

Moonset on 4/5 winning at our winning pay point last week on 10 draws . we are out again to enrich stakers. On another full payment week welcome and win – N25,000 Goodluck.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE POOLS PAGE

THE WINNERS CHOICE WISE STAKERS DELIGHT GET A COPY AND WIN.

PLEIAD DE MAXWELL – 09099968585.

ARSENAL AND CHELSEA XXX ? — 19XX 37.

Stamford bridge at Emirate after the broken bridge by Liverpool 2- 1 defeat over the weekend whao! All things been equal the bridge men are coming to Emirate to transfer their defeat feast on Arsenal wenger men with their known one to beat one tip – tap style of play, a win for Arsenal winger men is possible provided the Bridge boys allowed them to play their usual style of play but if a bit physical football is played with caution a draw is possible. Middlesbro, Stoke, Sunderlnd, Westham and Chelsea are premiership draws pals and Leeds, Rotherham, Bolton, Wolves, Brisol.R, Millwall Peterboro, Scunthrope. League 1, Carlisle, Crewe, Morecambe, Newport Co and Stevenage are likely draws tips. The confrence laegue are Aldershot, Braintree, Bromley, Dover have draws potential. Expect 2/3 draws from this division. Contact De Maxwell draws Clinic for your discharged draws from the on going winning programe.

TOKEN MANAGER. iSREAL BAILOUT – 09085712800 (19 XX 13)

BAIL OUT WEEK 10 WINNING STATEMENT. Weeks 10- 11- 12 – 13 Naps.

Weeks 10 on annual draw scheduled on CHESTERFIELD - 41XX 24X. In week 10’ 2013 – opponent of chesterfield to draw in week 2014 and opponent of chesterfield in 2014 to draw in 2015 and opponent of chesterfield in week 10 2015 (COVENTRY) to draw in week 10’ 2016. = 17x 20x 41xxx alt. COVENTRY – 24x = ALL CORRECT NAP. Week 11 —ANNUAL WINNING STATEMENT. 2013 – 2014 – 2015 – 2016.

Week 11’ 2013 — 09x 22x 46xxx 26x Wk. 11’ 2014 — 07x 20x 38xxx 24x WK. 11’ 2015 — 06x 27x 36xxx 22x WK. 11’ 2016 — X X X - 19xx We made millionaires with our sure winning contact why can’t you be a witness of our success before we commence on our quarterly 3weeks break. Bail out naps remains. — N50, 000 = Good luck.

OBINYAN PROMISES TO GLADDEN STAKERS

The wizard of 1.2x in Africa and Chairman/managing Director of kings and George group of forcast papers. Prince Willy Ehi Obinyan has assured stakers that he is now ready to dish out draws as his gift in the recession. He also assured stakers of more rewarding harvest of draws this season. Africa’s number one bookmakers in pools compilation and computation has enjoined stakers to embrace his weekly papers and rely effectively on the late News of his fortune for regular winning. The papers are pools Telegraph , Zeters pools Guild, Shoot Pointer, Murphy Sports, the New Dream and final Result.

OLA – CITY FOR NEW ASSOCIATES COMPILER. HOPE RISEN FOR OLA – CITY FANS - WEEK 11 PAIR 16 XX 21 XX

PHONE 08140575314, 08085005634

Ola–City international appeal to his fans to wait till week 14 when his new associate compiler will release 3 draws which will gladden the hearts of all Ola–City fans. Pay your N10,000 cash to First Bank plc account No:3033318854 in the name of Olafenwa R. Ola – City and collect the 3 draws on phone after confirmation of your payment.

TRIPLE SPICE

27 – 31 (08035324990)

ASSERTS THE USEFULNESS OF LEAGUE TABLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS AS WE GIVE. Last week we advised that league table consideration may

not be relevant when sequence and form of teams are considered. What happened to Nos 21 xx & 31 which we freely gave. Bradford C at home with 13 points hosted Bristol R with 5 points. A good pointer for a super home result. Yet they played 1-1. This weel again on sequence and form, Nos 27 & 31 are due for a good draw. The teams at home have superior points against their visitors with only 3 points difference on either team (baring Mid – week games that may change their position). Add the two teams to our super 1BK and get your 2/3. Our 1bk still sells for only 3 draws sell for N10,000.00 on 08035324990. Best of luck !

ZENITH ANNIVERSARY WINNING CONTD.

08146879314 (21 SURE 19) FREE = 14X 17X 20XXX To God be the glory my golden anniversary free win to all stakers public on 14x 17x 20xxx all my Esteem clients and callers got the direct 3 draws and 41 as bonus. In our last week advert we stated N100, 000 for week 11 special release and week 12. Thank God we started well, He who started well with God will end well therefore your weeks 11 and 12 weeks Naps is sure and a testimony in your staking experience. Welcome to the winners winning world, where your investment is your fortune. N100, 000=

WINNER CODE 505 = 08135637650= 13XX 12 XXX GOT 100%

WK 08 FREE NO 13X 17X WK 09 FREE NO 23X 40X WK 10 FREE 6F 24X WK 11 RED VOL 1= 3. SPECIAL SECRET DRAWS= N6000 WK 11. RED RED RED= 3/3 U. K. SYSTEM TWO BANKERS N2000 WK 11 NO NAP NAP WK 12 NAP NAP WK 13 NO NAP NAP. Power x power two bankers N2000 wk 11 No NAP NAP 12 No NAP NAP Wk 13 No NAP NAP wk 14 NO NAP NAP 15 No NAP NAP WK 16 No NAP NAP Winner code 505 two Bankers N2000 Wk 11 No NAP NAP wk 12 No NAP NAP Wk 13 NO NAP NAP ADESURE Nap two N2,000 wk 11 No NAP NAP wk 12 No NAP NAP NAP NAP wk 13 No NAP NAP wk 14 No Nap Nap WK 15 No NAP NAP. Stakers try to get winner code 505 Two Bankers this wk 11 RED cost N2, 000 cash winner code 505. Group 4. Special draws this wk 11 RED N25,000 wk 11 No NAP NAP NAP NAP. WK 12 NO Nap Nap Nap Nap= 4/4 we set for 5 wks operations New System set wk 11. 12. 13. 14. Send M.T.N. Card.

DR. M. M. PROMISE, THE PAYMASTER

08037174526 HOT 23, 28) WK. 10 BLUE COUPON= 34X, 35X, 42F The colour by colour Naps Launched by the Paymaster and Nigeria’s foremost Pools Compiler Kicked off last week with a near miss on 34x, 35x, 42ff. week 11 Red coupon will be jackpot winnings of Naira rain for all interested stakers. Cost N30, 000 cash. Pls do not miss it. One sure unfailing banker cost N10, 000 cash while membership registration of N500, 000 cash, all payable at UBA, to Dr Maxwell Promise, accts No. 1003610591.

HOPE SET FOR 3 DRAWS - 08107128449

PAIR 12X 22X The compiler of hope naps and Co assures stakers of his 3 draws for this week 11 cost N20,000 cash. Pay to First Bank plc. Account no:3088328923 in the name of Gbadebo Stephen A and collect the 3 draws on phone after your 3 draws on phone after your payment is confirmed.

AKANDE PAIRS 11 XX 15XX - 08025572534

Akande reminds his numerous Pools Punter of his week 14 of 2015/2016 with his 2 free bankers nos 6x, 26x in preparation for his release in last season week 18 when Nos 10 x 15 x 26 x draw similarly the same performance is scheduled for week 15. You should all don’t make joke with the 2 draws as I would not listen to stories for payment in week 15 watch . Pairs 11xx 15xx.

FAITHFUL INTERVENTION NAP – 07082899957

21X 41X 48XXX 17 = READ & WIN. EVERGRENN FAITH MISSION WINNING CRUSADE – 21X 41X 48XXX And 2 dares of play as formidable pair in every week 10 since 2013 to date as quoted in our last week advert. Reference winning must for week 10. Week 11 ANNUAL WIN = on another 3years winning directives in 2014- 2015 and 2016 wolves and other 3 matches = 13xx 19x.

WK 11’ 2014 — 01x 16x 38xxx – WOLVES = 20x WK 11’ 2015 — 08x 23x 41xxx – WOLVES = 15x WK 11’ 2016 — X X X - WOLVES = 13x 19x NB- Wolves must be on bar to guarantee the 3 fixed draws. Our current authentic source of information on fixed winning gazetted program with ‘FAITH’ makes our clients ‘MILLIONARES’ welcome again to the faith winning mission – N50,000 win code. Good luck.

Thursday, 22 - 28 September, 2016 MODUPE (08033566694) 28x 35x 38 for 2 draws Wining galore at Modupe Nap. Call for details. Goodluck.

DR B4 DR – 08067248396

01 MUST 21

ARSENAL vs CHELSEA Week41-2015-07x-18x-27xxx 01xx-9drs Week 28 – 2016 – 10x 16x 32xxx 21xx Week 11 – 2017 – X X X - 01xx 21x.

Arsenal vs Chelsea controlled annual 3 fixed draws. Contact the Doctor’s winning station for sure win N25,000-

MID–WEEK OFFER (08087176217) 15- 16

Huddersf’ld the undisputed current leaders of the championship league visit reading on coupon No 16 while the Birmingham city club visits QPR on coupon No 15. Their positions on the league table are suggestive of double xx on the two. At least we should mark an x unfailingly within them.

London, being the largest city in Britain boasts of many clubs in the premiership Div while brimingham city, the second largest city could only boast of Birmingham and aston Villa in the championship Div. One of them is due for promotion to the elite division. Use the duo maximally by including them in all entries this week especially with our Ibk which costs only N3,000.00 and 3 drs cost N10,000.00.

HEAD MASTER

08032747136 NAP 32, 33, 47,

Head master and right time, would not release again till week 12, please prepare yourself for our special release in week 12 32, 33, 47 nap (40 xx)

MID-WEEK OFFERS 31/32 (08087176217)

The trio of 29 – 30 – 31 has not failed to supply a draw since the beginning of the season and that trend will continue with all indicators in place. The lot however falls on 31-32.

Probably, 29/30 may also supply to make 2 draws from the quatet.

Combined the duo with our 1BK draw and have your 2/3 or even ¾ if you desire to include Nos 29/30.

Our 1BK sells for N1,500, 2 draws cost N3,000 and 3 super draws cost N10,000 on 08087176217.

PETAFE IS BACK

08059186433 - 4 PAIR 5

I am fully back on stage with 3 weeks assured Naps in weeks 11, 12 and 13.

Call for your 3 draws details now.

N10,000 = per week. Best of luck

UNCLE J.J HOPE 2016 08142362005 = 28 XX 29XX

WK 5 NO 10X 27X 30X 34X WITH 25X 31X WK 9 NO 8X 19X 32X 40X WITH 26X 30X WK 11 NO NAP NAP NAP ANP WITH 28. 29.

WK 12 NO NAP NAP NAP NAP WITH 35, 36.

Key anytime Aston vs. Set at home under the first bar arsenal must set at home No 1 bank OLDHAM home to draw No 28 CHARLTON. To draw No 29 plus 4 others N6,000 wk 11 red No nap nap nap nap with 28, 29 following wk 12 bank CARLISLE to draw No 35. Wk 12 No 35, 36 plus 4 others cost N2500. Send M.T.N card = 08142362005 0903846009. The game will be send to you by text message.

LABAEKA NAP

08053303522 (29x 30)

BACK IN ACTION WITH 4 WK OPERATION 29 X 30 PLUS OTHERS For your 3 draws best of luck

DOSA 08072216644 28 PAIR 29

Don’t be left out of the bonus game/ games of this week 11. Dosa 1 bankers draw cost N1,500 and Dosa 3 bankers and a pair cost N5,000 cash. This is a big chance for you to hit jackpot on pool staking. Send to me MTN recharge card only.

CHARITY NAP

08054325929 - 42 FIXED 42

Big Congratulations again in advance to the people who are destiny to win fabulously and pay their children school fees. In week 09 we gave ILEYA NAP = SCORE 5/5 = 24X 46X 47X = 26XX 34XX. This week is another Jackpot week with 42NAP 42 and the rest Nap = 5/5 again. Take chances and call CHARITY NAP 08054325929 = NAP cost N 25,000 while registration is still in progress. Good luck

EMIRATES FREE WIN AGAIN - 08087104491

13x 19X 21X 24X 28X 37XXX The 3 scheduled and direct Nap from the above 5 games cost N10,000 while the sure winning line is absolutely free. Invest wisely our weeks 13 and 14 Naps cost N50,000 and N100,000 = in preparation for 2016/2017 (1st) first round cup. Congratulation once again.

WEEK 11 – STATUS LKO — 01 and 09 SUNDAY —08.

BEST BARGAIN INTERNATIONAL

(08092621480) WEEK11 = 6BK + OTHERS The bookmakers and the Pools Panel have released a new code to cover week 10 to week 19. The code brings Coupon No.6 and others to draw this week unfailingly. Registration fee remains N250,000 call me on 08092621480 for further details and discussion.

PROMOTERS are in serious trouble.

NEW-SYSTEM SET FOR WK11 RED WK12 WK13

MODBURY

bALCATTA

werribee.c

TWO BANKER WK 11 N3,000

TWO BANKER WK 11 N3,000

nap nap

WK 11 red

nap nap

WK 11 red

TWO BANKER WK 11 N3,000

nap nap

WK 11 red

nap nap nap nap SEND MTN CARD TO 08162705220

nap nap

LAWRENCE NAP NAP = 5, 21, 28, 32 This is to inform all Nigeria stakers that were going to release 4 fixed draws next week 12, that will cost you N100,000 cash, call 08160052969. torquay

TWO BANKER WK 10 N3,000

x14x x34x WK 11 red nap nap

lincoln

TWO BANKER WK 10 N3,000 x24x x25x WK 11 red nap nap

telford

TWO BANKER WK 10 N3,000 x35x f40f WK 11 red nap nap

SEND MTN CARD TO 09038460009

NJOROGE MR. ASSURANCE – 08177474535.

STAKERS RELIEF ON AUTHENTIC WINNING ADVICE. 10 DRAWS OF SUCCESS – 24X 25X 41XXX = FREE 14X 20X =5/5 With reference to weeks 5 and 10 as referred to in our last advert COVENTRY – OLDHAM – MILTON. KD and MANSFIELD. 5 over 5 win at assurance winning pay point on 10 full payment draws, please invest with reputable promoters for quick/prompt payment of your winnings. Week 11 fixed win on WOLVES on bar in 2014/15 & 16 Week 11’ 2014 – 01x 16x 38xxx WOLVES 20x.

Week 11’ 2015 – 08x 22x 41xxx WOLVES 27x Week 11’ 2016 – X X X WOLVES = 19xx 21 Sure since week 11 2014 to date watch WOLVES on 2nd bar and Bolton or Bradford.C = No much story again mr Assurance your winning is our PRIDE= N50,000 = (fresher’s only) regulars please pay up your dues.

WEEK 10 XRAY

Tribune Pools Compiler are superb with weekly free win to stakers, congratulations to all stakers that has no choice than Nigerian Tribune pools. (The wise stakers choice). Our Expert successes are not far fetched the Thursdays weekly edition is there for your perusal. Many promoters were in another financial mess with Zenith Anniversary free win, ATM and Faithful Intervention unstoppable 3 draws.Win More so, our 2bankers also added to promoters woes at Alase, Short Gun and the Assurance winning Mastero (Mr Njoroge).

Our one banker confirmed Experts were Ibukun Olu, Alhaji Sadiku and John Super. On the same success records our pair Experts fulfilled their promises, Ikechuckwu, New Era, Charity, Jacobson, Double Shuffle, Patrick, Joseph Int. Winning solution, Jackpot, Moonset, Peter, Sunderland and Isreal Bail out. Our pools compilers promised another show down to promotes you are therefore enjoined to partnership with our pools page Expert for easy win.

Note:draws are hidden you must appreciate their gesture. CALL AND WIN.

AKIN MR AKIN – 07067202291 (33 MUST 37).

Accrington and Cambridge .Utd at away are the 2 teams that control our week 11 assured win. Our week 10 winners on Enough is Enough Mr Akin sure win on 24x 34x 41xxx 14x 35x starting of our weeks 10, 11, 12 and 13 draws on fixed matches – N50,000 = Please it cost alot. Good luck.

ATTENTION ALL COMPILERS, OUR POLICY ON NO ADVERT NO WRITE UP STILL IN PLACE —MANAGEMENT.

39

tribunepools

PROFF & KING DAVID NAPS –

07069009601 = 19 MUST 43 PROMISED KEPT AGAIN 04X 24X 34XXX 17X 30F OUR WEEK 10 = SURE WIN FROM 2 PROMINIENT EXPERTS IS GUARANTEE AGAIN. Two good heads are better than one, the result of our formidable unity prompted the above promised kept. Everyone love to associate himself to a success. Call it Proff or David you are right our mission is to guarantee your winning free – Chesterfield and Wycombe.

We merge to serve you better. Welcome once again to the proff & kings winning place – N30, 000 = call & win.

IBUKUN OLU 07026839837

GET READY FOR WK 12 RELEASE. 5XX MUST. Readers of Nigeria Tribune should go all out with coupon No 5 xxcbk to Draw against Next week 12, special Release 3 Draws cost N10,000 cash Now book your copies in advance 15x 20x 35xx No 15 saved promoters last week.

Call 07026839837.

AUTHORITY SUPER

NAPS – 09030084552 21 XX 21 CBK. We are back again to do what we are known doing on unequal winning information directly from England, the above pair is a must and other 3 scheduled draws for your winning pleasure. Call now and win = N25, 000 = Goodluck .

MADAM FAJOBI BACK WITH A BANG!!!

08079826939, PAIR 15, 18 WK. 10= 17X, 20X, 21X. PAIR 34X, 41X .

With only 10 draws on coupon our maiden release scored 3/3 Nap and 5/5 all correct. Congrats!

Congrats!! Congrats!!!

Call now for 3 automatic Nap draws in weeks 11, and 12.

Cost N10, 000 cash weekly. Pay at First Bank to Fajobi Gbanga a/c No. 3058742139.

BIG BROSS –

07053681965 38XX 41 MUST. Your evergreen Big Bross is back after a while silence on Notts.Co and Sterenage confirmed 3 draws is ready for this week and the above pair – cost N10,000 =

OJIKUTU NAPS –

09091672122. (16XX 17)

Congratulations am back from my overseas tours with 3 weeks operational naps in weeks 11,12 and 13. The above free win for week 10 is to enable you to win with us in the remaining 2weeks – N50,000 each week. Join the winners & celebrates. Good luck.

VIC DESTINY BLAST 5 OVER 5 WEEK 10

NAP 20X 25X 35X PAIR 14X 41X=5/5 CALL: 09099813819 (30X 32X) Yes: last week was great as scored 3/3 nap plus 2 pan = 5/5.

It’s a pity to promoters because they must pay us in tall. This week 11 Nap Nap Nap to capitalize 3/3 cost N20,000 only Wk 11 Nap Nap Nap= 3/3 cost N20,000 cash.

Wk 12 Nap Nap Nap= 3/3 cost N20,000 cash Wk 13 Nap Nap Nap= 3/3 FREE FREE FREE!!!

Wk 13 Nap is free vowed via my last message. Good luck

BOLU ONE NAP –

07031916067 (19 MUST 37)

And other 3 fixed matches scheduled as draws last week we scored 3/3 NAP. Starting of our 3weeks operational nap. Don’t be left out this week again. N25,000 – Good luck.

MALLAM BAWA MUSA IN ACTION

08052506287 (PAIR 25, 28) WK. 10= 34X, 35X, 41X. PAIR 33F, 37F. This week 11, Milton KD is set at home or away on Saturday date of play in Red coupon to give you 3 unfailing Jackpot draws again. Wk. 7= 23x, 24, 26x. Wk 11 cost only N10, 000 cash. Payments at Access Bank to Mallam Musa Ibrahim Bawa, accts No. 0042075587.

MR. BIG FUN – 08061567438 MUST – 40 AND 41

I am out to unveiled 3 silent draws for stakers enjoyment.

Call and win now. Goodluck.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE POOLS PAGE

THE WINNERS CHOICE GET A COPY AND WIN

M.B.A EXPERT (08104694618) PAIR 31XX 32.

For this 2nd Red colour fixtures, stakers who are not scared of paired games or long shots are assured of winning at 6x7 – 25x2831x 32x. the pairs guarantee 2 nap is coming from another reliable pair in English Conference league between Braintree or Guiseley.

Observation also points to No. 38 to record the 5th draw since 2012.

This is also backed by one of the 4 bars just as it is supported by dates computation. Call/text for more details. Goodluck.

MADAM DE MADAM = 08023329191.

(20 XX 21) PROMOTERS WEEK OF REPROACH ON 2/2 YEARS BI – ANNUAL WIN ON. WIGAN — FULHAM = 2012/2014/2016. With good reference weeks of play on fixed matches and calculated draws on descending number of draws.

Week 10’ 2012 — 08x 26x 44xxx — 40/41 Week 16’ 2014 — 04x 21x 49xxx — 30/31 Week 10’ 2016 — 17x 34x 41x — 20/21 Stop your doubt call Mr Joshua our media manager (Trusted & Reliable) for your winning detailed statement = join the wise stakers choice (repeated published week 10 free win).

Now 2/2 week winning placement (odd weeks only) (28 must 29(29 must 28) Weeks 5, 7, 9 and 11 - X- X- X - (28 x 29) Cross check from your records and call Mr Joshua for our fixed week 11 another odd win NAPS = N50,000 = Call our media man (mr Joshua) for your winning details.

NAZAR MASTER APPRECIATES ALL STAKEHOLDERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT

The leading Pools Company in Oyo State and environs, NAZAR Master Pools Company Limited, Ibadan, has Paid winnings in full in spite of the glut of winnings in the on-going U.K Football season.

The Pools company made this known in a statement made available to TRIBUNE POOLS during the week. According to NAZAR Master, “we are very glad about the winnings on our coupons all the while.

We are also delighted that we have paid all winnings on both the Fixed odd and Treble Chance up till date. We appreciate all stakers/stakeholders for their sincere patronage we enjoined them to continue to bet on our odds for prompt payment of their winnings.

JACOBSON NAPS – 07065292905.

2 WEEKS WIN ON LEICESTER NO 4 = BRISTOL CITY NO 14XXX WEEK 9 & 10 WIN — 17X 21X 24X 34XXX = WEEK 11 DRAW CONCLUSION ON NO – OR BARRENDRAWS IN PREMIERSHIP. Reference to weeks 40 and 42 = 2015 NOTE= No draw in premiership drew by number – 17x 21x 24x 34xx BRISTOL C xxx for guaranteed winning MUST. Most assured week was week 40 ‘ 2015 and in the following week which was 41 ‘ 2015 with ARSENAL MUST CHELSEA at No 1 to confirmed 3 fixed draws on 9 draws verify from 2014/2015 draw diary for more assurance = Call & Win = N50,000 = (for selected men of integrity). Good luck.

PARTRICK THE ENGLISH MAN – 08154836338

14X 24X 34XXX 21= ASTON VILLA 17XXX = ALL. BRANDFORD .C - MUST BRADFORD.C. RED TO RED WEEK 7 TO 11 WINNINGS 5 weeks back to back winning instruction of gazette/ fixed draws on Bradford .C. did you aware that since week 7 to date BRADFORD .C is scheduled for draw and other 3 fixed matches. No controversy we have our dear clients in mind. Giving the best is our objective. Another sure bet on fixed and gazette winning draws.N40,000 = smile after result with the real English man – winning place = welcome to the wise stakers winning world.

BRADFORD. C – MUST – WYCOMBE.

ALHAJI SADIKU, TALK OF THE TOWN 08183573342 BET 13, 18.

WK. 10= 14X, 24, 25X= 3/3, NAP CORRECT .

All stakers now understand that I don’t give idle Nap, and I don’t publish unless I have genuine games.

You can win again this week 11 with Barnet at Away. Cost is N10, 000 cash; payable at GTB to Alhaji Sadiku Adedoja accts No. 0030411077. Congrats for last week 3/3 to all. Call 08183573342 or 080574116201

NEW CURRENT INTERNATIONAL KEY = 09038633666= 08103222635= 37XX

4. SPECIAL DRAWS N6,000 WK 6 NO 13X 14X 26X 41X KEY. NEWPORT CO. 4. SPECIAL DRAWS N6,000 WK 9 NO 17X 23X 24X 40X KEY = NEW PORT CO= 4. SPECIAL DRAWS N6,000 WK 11 NO NAP. NAP. NAP 37 KEY NEW PORT CO Key anytime you found CRYSTAL P. Key at a way No 6 YEOVIL must set home on top of the bar bank new port co to draw wk 11 red No 37. 37. 37 plus 3 others cost N6,000 wk 11 red No nap nap nap. 37 key following wk 12 bank OLDHAM to draw No 29game under OLDHAM to draw No 30 wk 12 No 29.30 plus 4 others cost N7,500 wk 12 No nap nap nap nap with 29.30 third wk 13 bank CAMBRIDGE U at away to draw wk 13 No 11.11.11 plus 4 others cost N15,000 wk 13 No key 11 nap nap nap = 4/4 N15,000 sent M.T.N card 09038633666 = 08103222635 the game will be send to you by text message.

ADEOTI – SYNDITATE = 07051327960

NOW ON 3WEEKS SPECIAL RELEASE 12X 28X 20X 29X 43XXX. Congratulations the above games start our 3 weeks special Nap. The permutation from the above games is free while the NAP cost N5,000 = ungreattable fee as starting fee. weeks 13 14 Nap and win cost N50,000 = each week. Make good use of this golden opportunity now. Good luck.

GODWIN NAP – 08156829811 (19XX CBK 32XX)

WOLVES AND BRENTFORD ON ANNUAL WINNING SEQUENCE with reference years in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

Confirmed must is brtween wolves and wocombe .

Week 19 – 2013 – 02x 21x 45xxx – 27x – Wolves Week 24 – 2014 – 05x 24x 40xxx – 36x Wycombe Week 11 – 2016 – x x x - (19 x 32) Wolves must wycombe Don’t be left out from ongoing winning galoure on the stable of our current overseas Experts instruction. You are welcome to God winning approval Godwin place. Stakers friend = N25, 000 =

INNOCENT NAP 4X NAP 5X = 08095602590= WK 11 PAIR 36. 37

4 Special Draws cost N6,000, Wk 11 RED NO NAP NAP NAP NAP 4 Special Draws cost N6,000 Wk 08 No 13X 26X 31X 41X 4 Special Draws cost N6, 000 Wk 10 No 20x 24 Nap 25x 34x 2 Special Draws cost 4,000 Wk 09 No 20x 34x Pair 35x 36f 2 Special Draws cost 4,000 Wk 10 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap 2 Special Draws cost N4,000 Wk 11 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap 1 Special Draw cost 2,000 with Pair Wk 04 No 5x wk 5 No 28x Wk 6 No 14x. wk 7 No 14x, Wk 08 No 20x Wk 9 No 10. Wk 10 No Nap Wk 11 No Nap Wk 12 No Nap. KEY WK 11 BANK NO 36. 37. PLUS 4 OTHERS PLUS 4 OTHERS

Thursday, 22 - 28 September, 2016 LAWRENCE NAP 08160052969.

WK 12 SPECIAL RELEASE BANK= 5, 21, 28, 32X = sure win.

Readers, 1 command from the above ¾ fixed draws to draw this week 11, against our special release next week its free this week next week 4 fixed draws cost N100,000 cash.

Congratulations in advance call 08160052969.

A SUPER WEEK IN DOUBLE SHUFFLE WITH 13 – 15 – 35 – 46/47 (09052942626)

The taste of the pudding is in the eating, so says an old adage. Now the teams have settled down and buying and selling of players closed until january. Now, you just have to make it in pools before then. Kindly follow us on the winning trip at 13 – 15 – 35 – 46/47 for 4 super draws. Week 12 costs N25,00.00 while week 13 cost N30,000.00 on double shuffle 90952942626.

WINNING SOLUTION – 08072974729.

14X 24X 41XXX = 35X 20X 5/5. 2 – 2 YEARS TAILORED WIN = 5/5 (ALL).

Read our last week advert for advancement and confirmation.

What else are you waiting for your winning solution is here.

Another 2 – 2 years scheduled win again

AFC. Wimbledon —SHREWSBURY 2012— 2014 — 2016 WINNING CLUE Week 42’ 2012— 08x 26x 43xxx – 20x Week 04’ 2014—10x 29x 46xxx – 19x Week 11’ 2016 — X X X - 19x13.

Congratulation once again all our winning solution winner/friends.

Please never compromised your winning assurance. N50,000 = N100,000 – Good luck.

CARMARK SUPER – 08186673842

15X 16X 18X 19X - 2-3 DRS.

Special release for wee 11 is now at hand call your reliable Carmark super winning Spot for your special win details. God bless you as call.

SIR MICHAEL REAL (3 PAIR 32) 09091874579

Be a winner this week and next week, my weekly release cost just N15. 000. 00. Call for acct no or mode of payment.

THE YOUNG SHALL GROW... 07069316463.

(FREE 37, 38, 41, 48)

Stakers, the above 4 games will produce at least 3 sure draws this week 11 as Key to my unfailing Nap in week 12, cost N15, 000 cash. Please try to perm 37, 38, 41, 48, heavily this week. Goodluck to all call 07069316463.

SHADOW 08087670776

21 XX BK PLUS TWO OTHERS.

If you are not a doubting Thomas that always say na lie you will win on pool staking this week 11. No. 21 xx bk must draw plus two others making 3 nap draws. Just send to me N2,500 MTN recharge card for my own staking, you will not pay anything again after the game has play draw. Please don’t miss it.

PETER NAP (1 PAIR 2) 08076546261

Congratulation in advance to any wise staker that will get my release this week as the Red colour setting that get it again this week, my weekly release cost just N25, 000. 00 pay to saving acct no:- 3023114822 First Bank in person of Mr Onaolapo Peter A. And call on 08076546261, meanwhile 1 or 2 for X. Also unfailing one Banker is selling call for it.

JOHN SUPER TIPS

SPECIAL RELEASE FOR WEEK 12 PAIR 3 XXX 5XXX

Big congratulations to all our customers as our special 3 fixed draws scores over 3 correct last week 10 on Nos 20x 24x 35x all drew Now on sale for this week 11 , 2 gazetted draws and A pair cost N5,000. Cash call 09050512097.

MOORE WIN – 08084077244.

13X 19X 21X 30X 32XXX

Moore money moore winning at moore winning pay office with the above free win stated games for must WIN. Week 11 cost N100, 000.

SHORT – GUN 33 xx 43

08050614477/ 08168241902 20X 21X 35XXX 15F = ¾

With the success recorded by us last week with the pair and the nap playing, the above Nap and pair will also supply to continue our winning tradition this season. This week’s game goes for N25,000. Don’t doubt this.

Call for your game.

EDITOR’S PLACE 19X 37

NJOROGE MR ASSURANCE

NEWEST WINNING CONTACT. 08177474535 = 24X25X 41XXX Now out on new winning contact on 3 weeks Nap that started last week of 10drs with FREE GIFT = 14x20xx = 5/5. Weeks 11,12,13 – Assurance Nap cost N50,000= Goodluck.

ZENITH ANNIVERSARY FREE WIN = 14X 17X 20XXX – CALLERS FREE 41 = 4/4 —08146879314 AKIN MR AKIN – 07067202291 – you are wonderful Sir on 5/5.

ANTHONY NWANKWO. Abuja. 0909942--10. Thank you sir.

ISREAL BAIL OUT – 09085712800. Remain the best outstanding compiler join the lucky winner & win before we proceed on our quarterly in week 12.

FAITHFUL NAPS – 07082899957 – INTERVENTION WIN On Annual week 11 win on wolves 3yrs winning directives from 2014 to 2016. Welcome N50,000 Goodluck.

New Era winning submit is what you need to win in weeks 10 & 11 with STOKE away No 1 and CHELSEA away No 1 in weeks 34 and 35 – 2015 and week 10 and 11 – 2016 = N35,000 - 07088103080

A.T.M LIVE 07040478677/08056390550 WK 10 = 2F.14XX.35XX.41XX.3/4 MEMBERS = 14XX. 24XX. 25XX. 35XX. 41XX.5/5 WK 11 = X. X. X. 37 CBK. X. 5/5 WK 12 = X. 19 CBK. X. X. X. 5/5 The above are set to change your life, if you needed it not how far, but how well. Each cost N15,000 cash. Pay to Mrs Modupeola Oseji, A/c No 2016981168. UBA Bank.

Congratulations for wk10 and wk11, wk12 an advance.

draw commander two BANKERS N3,000

WK 10 x24x x34x pair x20x x21x

WK 11 NAP NAP pair 28 29

WK 12 nap nap pair nap nap

best english magic two BANKERS N3,000

WK 10 x14x x25x pair x35x 40

WK 11 NAP NAP pair 36 37

WK 12 nap nap pair nap nap

4 wKS. oPERATIONS. wKS. 10. 11. 12. 08095602690 FORTUNE DONOR DONATED 34/35 (08099111828)

It is very interesting as things continue to unveil in the current season.

Results of past weeks have been encouraging. We are therefore very sure of a positive result of due draw from the duo of 34/35. We gave 40/44xx last week and the trend surely continues this week. Combine the pair with our IBK this week and smile to your bank on Monday. Our IBK still sells for N1,500.00, 2 bks cost N3,000.00, while 3 sure draws sell for N10,000.00 on 08099111828. Be a happy winner always. Good luck!.

NEW VICTORIOUS VICTOR WINNING STATEMENT 08126994034-SILENT- LEADER.

13 MUST 37 (LEEDS MUST NEWPORT.CO) OLDHAM ON OXFORD UTD AT HOME. Week 9 and 11 – VICTORIOUS WINNING KEY = and Newport Co. must meet letter C. In week 9 Newport Co. met Cheltenham, in week 11 Newport Co. meeting Cambridge.U . for OTHER FIXED TEAMS & number.

WATCH Hall at No.3 away. Note the above hint are not draws but key to our week 11 VICTORIOUS WIN N50,000=

MAGIC KINGDOM – 0856753098/07085060512.

NAP – 07x 08x 09xxx pair 16 and 29.

Congratulations our long awaiting promising week is here in preparation for our weeks 12 and 13 special release with cost of N25,000 each week payments to Balogun Adesina Kamoru at FCMB Bank No 0279550010, Wema Bank No- 0206965116 or G.T Bank No 01155050882. You may register as a club member with N50, 000 on 2 terms payment. Goodluck.

NEW ERA WINNING SUBMIT – 07088103080(30XX32) Week 10 – STOKE at away No 1 and Sothanpton No 6 winning statement.

Week 9 ‘ 2015 – 14x 22x 41xxx 20x Week 43’ 2016 – 08x 30x 46xxx 20x Week 10’ 2016 – 14x 25x 48xxx 20x If not on Authentic winning directive the revealed No. 20xxx as always a registered draw (BONUS) AND OTHERS calculated fixed draw. Congrats on 10drs (FULL PAYMENT).

Week 11 – CHELSEA AWAY NO 1.

Reference to weeks 28 and 35 = 2015/2016 season and week 11 2016/2017 – 2 times a year winning plot Week 28 2016 – 07x 16x 40xxx 30x 32 Week 35 2016 – 02x 23x 47xxx 30x 32.

Week 11’ 2016 – x x x 30 must 32.

At New Era winning place every staker is a WINNER – N 30, 000. Goodluck.

MAITO NAP – 08030785634/09081225091 “YOUR WINNING TIME” NAP – 13X 32X 43XXX 9X 28

Congratulations, the above Nap and perm games is sure for good win to prepare you for our weeks 12, 13 and 14 special release tagged “YOUR WINNING TIME” payment to Sule Ishola at Wema Bank No- 0221601707 – weeks 12, 13,and 14 Naps cost N50,000 = win now to avoid negotiation.

Good luck.

WITH CONFIDENCE= 08166222529, 08139714848= 28XX 29XX

Two Bankers= N5000 Wk 10 NO 14x 24x Pair 26x 34x wk 11 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap Two Banker= N5000 Wk 08 No 13x 26x Pair 17x 31x Two Bankers N5000 Wk 09 No 10x u26x Pair 23x 40x wk 11 No Nap Nap Wk 12 No Nap Pair Nap Nap One Bankers= N2500 Wk 07 No 29x Pair 7x 8x One Bankers= N2500 Wk 08 No 33x Pair 15F 17x Wk 09 No 28x Pair 23x 40x wk 9 No Wk 10 No 34x Pair 6x 14x Wk 11 No Nap Pair Nap Wk 12 No Nap Pair Nap Nap League Table Two Bankers= N3000 Wk10 No 20x 34x Pair 14x 17x League Table Two Bankers= N3000 Wk 11 RED NO NAP NAP PAIR NAP NAP One Banker N2000 Wk 07 No 34x Pair29x 34x Wk 08 No 33x Pair 21x Wk 09 No 10x pair 26x 27x Wk 10 No 17x Pair 14x 15f Wk 11 No Nap Pair Nap Nap two.

Stakers try to get with Confidence two Bankers this Wk 11 RED cost N5000 two N2500 League table Bankers cost N3000 one Bankers cost N2000 we set for 6 Wks operations. Wk 10, 11, 12.

Send MTN Card 08166222529. The game will send to you by text message.

IKECHUKWU WIN – 08168157259(13XX21) 20X 21X 34XXX = 14X.

WEEK 07 AND WINNING KEY GAZETT. MILTON K.D ON DATE OF PLAY BRADFORD CITY MUST LEEDS. Week 7 – 02x 23x 44xxx – Bradford .C = 23xx = 11drs Week 11 – X X X - Bradford .C = Leeds Sensational winnings on direct winning even weeks contact starting since 2016/2017 season was successful. Now Milton K.D on date of play with the above reference week is to add our unequal winning success. Sure win at Ike & Brothers winning place = N50,000 = Good luck

DIAMOND & SOLOMON – 09091111800(19XX21)

21X 24X 34X 41XXX. 4/4 STOKE AWAY NUMBER ONE. And Westham on Bar No 9 Always recorded No draw in the Premiership with reference to week 10 – 2013.

TO DRAW – BRISTOL .R, OLDHAM, COLCHESTER and HARTLEPOOL = 4/4 Watch weeks 10 and 11 – 2013 result for confirmation= Week 11 – PAIR = Bolton and Wolves and other 3 fixed teams as scheduled draws – Gold or Diamond we don’t have but direct draws is what have to give. Congratulations once again our last week winners = N50,000=(New Clients ONLY –N25,000)

SIDELINES

NO 16,595

N150

THURSDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER, 2016

“By Section 35 of the National Lottery Act, 2005, Sports development is lumped together with other causes. Some of these other causes already enjoy some form of specific funding.

The National Lottery Act, 2005 should be amended to provide for substantial percentage of the lottery fund for sports development”.

L

AST week I highlighted the dismal performance of Nigeria at the last Olympics held in Brazil and how the country failed to build on the success recorded at the 1996 Olympics in which Nigeria recorded two gold medals.

I contrasted this with the performance of the Great Britain Team which finished second overall, a marked improvement upon its performance at the 96 Olympics in which interestingly Nigeria was ranked higher than Great Britain. I attributed this to the obvious increment in sport funding in the United Kingdom, a factor which has not been replicated adequately in Nigeria.

Sports and development I have no doubt that some may wonder whether given the present state of the economy, there should be any advocacy for increased attention of funding by the government towards sports in general. This same issue as to whether sports deserves any real attention in times of economic challenges is not new. Indeed, the phrase “No queremosgoles, queremos frijoles” (we do not want goals we want beans) was famously painted on the Mexico stadium during the world cup hosted by that country in 1986. Even in the weeks and days leading to the just concluded Olympics, Brazil witnessed several public protests aimed at drawing the attention of the world to the economic woes being encountered by the ordinary Brazilian on the street and how some saw the games as a misapplication of much needed public funds. People who take this view have always argued that sport events cannot make people forget problems such as underdevelopment, poverty, hunger and literacy. In a paper titled ‘The role of sport in economic development of African states’, Dr. Yakubu Musa Abeko and Moses

OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D, D.Litt

Valery Spiridonov is prepared to undergo the first head transplant in the history of human existence. With all the ‘abracadabra’ explained away in medical jargon, the 31-year-old Spiridonov believes the operation will turn out fine. Nice one. We only shudder at the thought of the time-tested Yoruba saying that anyone whose head is used in breaking the coconut does not live to savour its taste.

afeonthursday

aareafe@gmail.com

Nigeria’s poor showing at the Olympics need for new approach to sports funding (II) Emmanuel Musa both of the Kaduna State College of Education stated the attitude as follows: “The use of sports in Africa remains out-side the mainstream of thinking.

While, sport and play arerepeatedly acknowledged as a human right, they are not always seen as a priority andhave even been called the ‘forgotten right’. Sport is seen as a by-product of development, not as an engine…”

However, in recent studies by scholars a link is now being firmly established between not only sport development and social wellbeing of the citizens but also between sports development and economic growth. In a publication titled ‘The Role of Sport as a Development Tool’, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) states as follows: “Although it is an area that requires more attention and research, there is already plenty of evidence that sport can be used to spur economic development.

The construction and rehabilitation of sports facilities and development of sport for entertainment create employment and marketing opportunities.

The manufacturing of sports equipment also serves as a source of jobs. Furthermore, sports programs can be used as a training ground for a new work force, teaching skills that make young people more employable and productive.”

Given the above, I do not think it can now rightly be argued that government should continue to ignore the issue of sport funding and pretend to be helpless as our athletes continue to perform poorly

at international meets.

National lottery and sports funding The closest that Nigeria has to the British model of funding is to be found in the National Lottery Trust Fund which is created by Section 35 of the National Lottery Act 2005. The said section provides as follows: “There is established a fund to be known as a national lottery trust fund (in the Act referred to as the trust fund into which shall be credited a percentage of the net proceeds of a national lottery as prescribed under section 24 of this Act).”

The application of the funds is as provided in Section 40 of the Act which also reads as follows: “40 The proceeds of the Trust Fund established under section 35 of this Act shall be applied, from time to time – (a) to fund projects approved by the President, on the recommendation of the Board of Trustees, to be in the interest of the Nigeria community and such projects shall include but not limited to projects for the advancement, upliftment and promotion of sports development, education, social services, public welfare and relief, and management of natural disasters in Nigeria;…”

What is clear from the above is that sport development is lumped together with other causes and objectives of importance in our national life. It is however my view that as some of these other causes already enjoy some form of specific funding particularly education which has its own special trust fund, sports should be given prominence amongst the others.

Furthermore, I do not think it helps that the percentage of the fund approved by the President and to be applied to these several causes is not specifically provided.

For example, who or what determines whether sports development will get one or ten percent of the said funds or whether thirty percent should go to public welfare.

I therefore advocate an amendment to the Act to provide for the specific percentage of the fund which should be allocated to sports. Furthermore, as is the case in England, the allocation to sports should be done by a body whether in existence now or to be created which shall be dedicated solely to the development of sports. This will enable such a body to use it expertise in determining which of several aspects of sports development the funds should be channeled towards. For example such a body would be better positioned to determine whether or what percentages of the funds should go towards building more infrastructures or what percentage should be paid to training of athletes and engagement of world-class coaches. The present situation as provided by the law in my estimation does not make this possible.

I therefore hope that the country will in the near future accord to sports development the attention it requires and begin to plan earnestly for sporting events.

At the moment despite the performance of its athletes at the Brazil Olympics, UK Sports has already earmarked millions of pounds toward funding for the next Olympics. The time for us to start is now.

Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D.

Zambia must invoke 2012 spirit to beat Nigeria —Ex-Chipolopolo player ‘Underdog’ tag ’ll favour us —Mweene

By Wale Emosu TO overrun Nigeria and others, the Zambian national team must relive the spirit of 2012 that saw the country win the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.

The Chipolopolo host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in a 2018 World Cup qualifier on October 9 in Ndola and only the rare commitment displayed by the team four years ago at Africa’s football fiesta could draw the spirit for a victory.

This is the view of former Chipolopolo player, Jericho Shinde, in an interview with The Post newspaper of Zambia.

“We need the players to exhibit the spirit that they exhibited in 2012,” said Shinde, who represented Zambia in the 1980s.

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations triumph for Zambia was the first for the country which lost to Nigeria in the final of the 1994 edition. The Super Eagles also took over as champions from the

southern African country in the 2013 edition.

Shinde admitted that though the Chipolopolo class of 2012 was not the best, the spirit it demonstrated made the difference and the team, at this point needs same against Nigeria, Cameroon and Algeria to secure a place in the 2018 World Cup. For the team’s goalkeeper, Kennedy Mweene, the ‘underdog’ tag on Zambia in the race for a ticket to the football World Cup

in Russia could just work in the team’s favour.

According to Mweene, who scored a goal against Nigeria at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, the Chipolopolo rise to the occasion when at a time like this they are not given a chance.

“It won’t be easy, yes, we are in

Abia Warriors Kano Pillars Heartland

a tricky group but I think Zambia does well when written off but I can tell you our opponents know that it will not be easy.

And I think going into these qualifiers as underdogs gives us that motivation to want to prove people wrong,” The Post quoted Mweene as saying.

NPFL results

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Enyimba El-Kanemi Warriors Niger Tornadoes

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 22/09/2016.

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