23rd September 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,596 FRIDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

@nigeriantribune

TODAY'S SPECIAL

5 serious side effects of your smartphone addiction

YOU constantly look at it. When you aren’t around it, you feel anxious, and when you have it, it’s all you can think about. Yes, we’re talking about your smart phone. Our obsession with mobile gadgets has become epic — one in every five people in the world owns a smart phone these days. And now there are a handful of new syndromes that come with that addiction.

1. Text Claw and Cell Phone Elbow

“Text Claw” is a non-medical term used to describe all of the finger cramping and sore muscles that come from continuous scrolling, texting, and gaming on smart phones. An even more common side effect: Using your phone too much can cause inflammation in your tendons and enhance existing conditions, like tendinitis and carpal tunnel.

Continues pg9

TribuneOnline

Nigerian Tribune

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FG plans to inject larger fund into economy —NEC

•Through asset sales, infrastructure concession, economic diversification —P10

Reps to probe $17bn crude oil, gas shortfall

•Want Buhari to appear at NASS joint sitting over economic recession • Senate wants Buhari to review TSA policy, change anti-graft strategy •To probe minister, MTN over $12bn repatriation allegation —P8

APC submits Akeredolu's name to INEC

700,000 companies not paying tax —FIRS boss

—P30

Dickson wins again as Appeal Court dismisses Sylva's appeal

—P11

Chibok girls: FG invites UN as negotiator

—P4

Cholera outbreak kills 6 in Lagos

—P4

Ajimobi in order on Oyo education reform —Committee —P10

—P6

President Muhammadu Buhari with the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, after signing the Paris agreement at the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on Wednesday. With them is the Minister of Environment, Hajia Amina Mohammed.

Bello to Wada, Faleke: Join me to build united Kogi —P33

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Friday, 23 September, 2016

Members of the Advisory Council of the HID Awolowo Foundation, after the inauguration .

HID Awolowo Foundation: Inspiring

women, rekindling hope

By Kehinde Oyetimi

O

NE of the pressing realities of modern Nigeria and the globe in particular has been the increasing influence and the stimulating presence of the total woman.

This phenomenon has not only garnered far-reaching acknowledgment but has generated within itself an authenticity obviously impossible to controvert.

Cast in such form was the person and personality of the inimitable Chief (Mrs) H.I.D. Awolowo. Her life is captured in these few words: she believed she could, so she did. She not only lived a well rounded life that remarkably validates the ideals and ideologies of her husband which the peerless Chief Obafemi Awolowo encapsulates, she extended the narrative of their collective search for a better nation and a richly benevolent world. Indeed, they were both eclectic ideologues.

Exactly a year after her passage, the establishment of the HID Awolowo Foundation was borne out of the philosophy of ‘perpetuating the edifying legacy of Yeye Oodua HID Awolowo, the origin of which was complementary, and contributed significantly to the success of the life mission of her husband, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.’

At the inauguration of the foundation’s advisory council, held at the Efunyela Hall, Obafemi Awolowo Residence, IkenneRemo, Ogun State, on Monday, September 19, the Executive Director and Founding Member, the affable Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, enthused about the rationale behind the laudable undertaking.

Chief among the piously rich ambitions of the foundation are the need to foster the legacy of Yeye Oodua HID Awolowo and to disseminate literature and materials relating to her civic virtues and commitment to nation building. Closely followed by this is the necessity to imbue in women the qualities of leadership and doggedness demonstrated by the matriarch and to advocate for the empowerment of women in all spheres of life. This was capped with a lucidly articulated mission and policy statement ingrained in this: “The HID Awolowo Foundation is a subsidiary of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation. It is not

affiliated to any political party or movement or to any religious organisation or interest group.”

Speaking at the unveiling of the foundation, President, Women Arise for Change Initiative, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, in a lecture entitled “The Nigerian Woman in the footprints of HID”, called for a revamping of family values.

In her acceptance speech as chairman of the advisory council, Senator Daisy Danjuma stated that she was certain that the foundation would play a mentoring role for the younger generation of girls to become responsible women in the country.

Senator Daisy Danjuma is a law graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with almost 40 years post-call experience. She worked as a State Counsel in Lagos State Ministry of Justice (DPP), a pioneer legal counsel to the Legal Aid Council. She was Company Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) from 1982 to 1992.

She served as senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 2003 and 2007.

She was the Chairman of South Atlantic Petroleum Limited from 1999 -2003.

She is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School and a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA).

Other members of the advisory council are listed below with their impressive profiles.

Professor Wale Adebanwi is of the Department of African American and African Studies, University of California,

Davis, United States. He was educated at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and the University of Cambridge, UK, where he earned two doctorates in political science and social anthropology, respectively.

He is the author of scholarly books such as Nation as Grand Narrative: The Nigerian press and the Politics of Meaning (University of Rochester Press, 2016); Yoruba Elites and Ethnic Politics in Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo and Corporate Agency (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and Authority Stealing: Anti-corruption War and Democratic Politics in Post-military Nigeria (Carolina Academic Press, 2012).

He is also the author of In the Radiance of the Sage: The Life and Times of HID Awolowo (2015) and Trials and Triumph: The Story of The NEWS (2008).

Mrs Yemi Alabi spent most of her childhood years in Ibadan where she attended St. Anne’s school with the Awolowo daughters. She moved to Kaduna in 1970 after her marriage to Arc. S. Adebiyi Alabi of Habitat Associates, Abuja from Mopa, Kogi State. She worked in Peat Mawick as an accountant for a couple of years in the late ‘70s in Kaduna.

Chief Tunji Ayanlaja, SAN, is an erudite legal practitioner who was educated at the University of Lagos between 1968 and 1971.

He attended the Nigerian Law School (19711972) and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1972. He was admitted to the inner Bar in 1995.

Yeye Olufunke Daniel is a business executive and agricultural biologist. She is a

She not only lived a well rounded life that remarkably validates the ideals and ideologies of her husband which the peerless Chief Obafemi Awolowo encapsulates, she extended the narrative of their collective search for a better nation and a richly benevolent world.

former First Lady of Ogun State, having married former Governor Gbenga Daniel.

She obtained the BSc degree in Agricultural Biology from the University of Ibadan and lives in Sagamu, Ogun State.

Mrs Toyin Fape was born on December 13,1962 in Ilorin, Kwara State. After her primary education, she attended Baptist Girls’ High School, Osogbo, Osun State, between 1974 and 1979. She later went to the Divisional Teachers’ College, Ado-Ekiti between 1981 and 1983. Between 1984 and 1987, she attended Oyo State College of Education, Ilesa, where she read Music and graduated as the best student in the Department. She studied for her Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and graduated with M.Ed in Educational Studies in 1996.

‘Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a woman’s rights activist, writer and thinker. She has many years of experience as a gender specialist, social entrepreneur, policy advocate, fundraiser, journalist and facilitator. She has a BA (1984) and MA (1988) in History from the University of Ife, Nigeria (now Obafemi Awolowo University). She also received an MA in Gender and Society (1992) from Middlesex University, UK. When her husband Dr. Kayode Fayemi took office as Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria, October is” 2010-2014, ‘Bisi became actively involved in a range of policy, advocacy, grassroots empowerment and social inclusion programs to support his administration.

Professor Segun Gbadegesin is of the Department of Philosophy, Howard University, Washington. He received, in 1974, a B.Sc. degree in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, graduating with a First Class Honours at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) Nigeria. In 1978, he obtained an M.A. in Philosophy at Wisconsin, following up with a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the same institution in 1980. His areas of specialization and competence Social and Political Philosophy, Bioethics, Ethics and African Philosophy.

Lady Maiden Ibru is the Chairman, Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of The Guardian Newspapers. She holds a Master’s Continues on pg3

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Friday, 23 September, 2016

Promoting values, building nations Continued from pg2

degree in Communications and Media Studies from the American University of Washington DC (1974).The mother of five is the widow of Dr. Alexander lbru, the founder of the Guardian Newspapers.

Mrs. Clara Folasade Abiodun Olumide had her Secondary Education here in Nigeria and her Tertiary Education in Montreal, Canada, where she trained as a professional librarian. On her return to Nigeria in 1972, she was employed by the University of Lagos as a Librarian (19721979) but later transferred to the Registry in 1980 as a Senior Assistant Registrar. She rose through the ranks and was appointed the first Female Registrar of that great Institution in 2002- a position she finally retired from in 2006. Mrs. Olumide is a recipient of several awards.

Dr Insa Nolte is a Reader in the Department of African Studies and Anthropology, University of Birmingham, UK, and Visiting Research Professor in the Department of History and International Relations at Osun State University. Insa Nolte is the Reviews Editor of Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, the Vice Chair of the UK Council of Areas Studies Associations (UKCASA) and the President of the African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK).

Dr Jayne Soboiki holds a PhD International Relations, Certificate in Policy, Strategy and Leadership (PLSC 22 NIPSS), Masters of Art International Relations, B.L and LLB (HONS) , PGD in Public Administration, Diploma in Public Administration and Certificate of Non Violence. She is a member of various professional associations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and International Bar Association (IBA). A Fellow of the Professional Managers and Administrators of Nigeria (FIPMA) and the Institute of Corporate Administrators (FCAI), the Deputy Comptroller of Customs) served at various times as the Dr. Olufemi Ogunsanya gained a Second Class Upper Honours in Botany from the University of Lagos, followed by a PhD in Microbiology from the University

Chief ( Mrs) HID Awolowo

of Bristol, UK. In 1993, worried by the increasingly low standards of Nigeria’s education system, where many university students had to deal with their programs being made several years longer through lack of organisation and lecturers’ strikes, she initiated the idea for Oxbridge Tutorial College on August 1, 1993, as the Premier Sixth Form College in Nigeria. In its nearly 20 years of existence, Oxbridge

Tutorial College has produced the best AIL and International Foundation results and maintains its position, in the industry, as the first and leading Sixth Form College in Nigeria.

Mrs Eriwu Molajo is a legal practitioner. She graduated from the University of Lagos in 1976 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in June 1977. She served as State Counsel at the Ministry of Justice,

Ibadan, during her National Youth Corps Service from 1977 to 1978. She later took up employment at the International Bank of West Africa (now Skye Bank Limited) in 1980 as an in-house solicitor and was in that employment for 7(seven) years. While still in the said employment, she obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Law from the City University, London in 1985 and in 1987 went back to practice. She is married to Mr. Tanimola Molajo, SAN. Fatima Waziri Ibrahim attended the University Staff School, Ibadan, between 1956 and 1958. She then proceeded to the Badminton School, Bristol, UK, for her secondary education between 1958 and 1963. For her higher education, she attended the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna, and Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna. A widower of the late Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim, a former Federal Minister of Economic Development, she is blessed with nine children. She devoted time in bringing up the children who are all graduates and professionals in various fields.

Lana Omolola Mandilas is a legal practitioner and political scientist who speaks Greek, English, German and French, Lana Omolola Mandilas obtained a degree in Political Sciences & Public Law, at the University of Athens, Greece, in 1979. Between 1980 and 1981, she had the “Stage” at Brussels, E.U. Commission (General Division A’ of Foreign Relations) and between 1981 and 1982, she underwent the Post Graduate Studies in Political Sciences & Philosophy at the University of Bonn, Germany, following this up with a degree in Law at the University of Athens, in 1986. In 1988, she obtained the License to practice Law. To date, she has published four poetry collections and a biography for “John B. Mandilas” in Greek.

Folusho Olaniyan is Chief Executive Officer, Director & MD at UTC Nigeria Plc, a Member at Institute of Directors /Nigeria/ and Member-Food, Drinks & Agriculture Market at The Chartered Institute of Marketing.

She was previously employed as Head-Sales & Marketing by Leventis Foods Ltd. and Management Trainee by Leventis Group. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Ilorin and a graduate degree from the University of Lagos.

HID Awolowo deserves all recognitions —Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu

I

T gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this historic occasion of the unveiling of the HID Awolowo Foundation and inauguration of its pioneer Advisory Council.

Following Yeye Oodua HID Awolowo’s transition exactly one year ago today, the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation’s governing bodies quickly took a decision to honour her in perpetuity by setting up a Foundation in her name, under the aegis of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation.

Our reasons for this are simple. First of all, given her remarkable life, she deserves all the recognition that could come her way.

Secondly, here we have, clearly, a ‘team made in heaven’. Chief Awolowo was, without doubt, the visionary and leader of the team. But Yeye Oodua HID Awolowo was his incomparable enabler and enhancer. Together they braved phenomenal challenges and today, the consensus of opinion is that they won, ultimately.

Admittedly, today’s complex and cynical world of constantly shifting alliances makes the temptation to despair almost irresistible.

Nevertheless, the lives of both the sage and his ‘jewel of inestimable value’ hold so many lessons for posterity. Since today is about Papa honouring Mama through his legacy institution, so to say, we will restrict ourselves to talking about her. Her loyalty and dedication to spouse and family, even and especially in the face of severe trials; her perseverance in the struggle for the supremacy of truth and social justice; her extraordinary industry and entrepreneurship; and her indomitable spirit in the face of formidable odds. She was strong, she was smart and she was kind.

These are attributes that should be acclaimed and celebrated even more now than ever before, even if evidence all around us appears to suggest that it is no longer enough to possess such noble qualities. We must, nonetheless, keep hope alive. This is the fundamental reason why this initiative is not only necessary, but also timely. In the words of Bishop Desmond Tutu, ‘Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness’.

The HID Awolowo Foundation is, therefore, poised for advocacy and, if necessary, intervention on issues that,

‘inspire women, promote values, and build the nation’. Our focus will be to underline the careers of role models like Yeye Oodua HID Awolowo in a bid to re-set the values of younger Nigerians who already, I fear, appear to be morally adrift.

On behalf of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, I must commend, and thank most sincerely, all the members of the pioneer Advisory Council of the HID Awolowo Foundation, for accepting to embark on this momentous journey with us. Clearly, you remain optimistic and have, therefore, volunteered to contribute to efforts to prepare the way to a more ennobling future for posterity. We at the Foundation look forward to your wise counsel in this regard and to working closely with you on this important project.

I must also express my sincere appreciation to the Chair of this event, Mrs Ayo Obe, as well as our distinguished speaker, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin.

I thank all members of the various organs of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation here present and, in particular, I thank His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, and Patron of the Foundation, for honouring us with his royal presence. I must say to you all that

our success over the years owes a lot to your steadfast support. We sincerely appreciate that.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, your presence here today goes a long way to reassure us that, contrary to occasional doubts and fears that we may be ‘swimming against the tide’, there remains a significant number of compatriots who believe in, and support our efforts to advocate a re- connection with Awo’s ethics and legacy, particularly as they relate to the serious matter of national development and nation building.

Yeye Oodua HID Awolowo was totally committed to that legacy when she was with us. I am certain that, wherever she is now, she approves of today’s attempt to celebrate her contribution to the creation of that legacy and to inaugurate a new chapter in the iconic mission she shared with her beloved husband, a mission she spent her entire life upholding with such admirable courage and grace.

I welcome you all, once again, and I thank you for your attention.

Address by Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, at the inauguration of the foundation.

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Chibok girls: FG invites UN as negotiator Boko Haram don’t know God - Buhari Leon Usigbe -Abuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has invited the United Nations (UN) to serve as intermediaries between government and Boko Haram as a show of commitment to swapping the abducted schoolgirls from Chibok with the terrorist group members in custody.

He told the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, during a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York, that the Nigerian government was willing to bend over backwards to get the Chibok girls released from captivity.

This was as he expressed regret that government had not been able to identify credible leaders of the sect.

“The challenge is in getting credible and bona fide

leadership of Boko Haram to discuss with,” the president said, adding that “the split in the insurgent group

is not helping matters. Government had reached out, ready to negotiate, but it became difficult to identify

credible leaders. We will welcome intermediaries such as UN outfits to step in.”

The president reiterated that the teachings of Boko Haram were far from being Islamic, as neither Is-

Wife of Nigeria’s president, Hajia Aisha Buhari (left) and co-chair of The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mrs Melinda Gates, after their discussion on improving the lives of women and girls, in New York, United States. PHOTO: NAN.

Bayelsa guber: Appeal Court affirms Dickson’s election Sunday Ejike -Abuja

T

HE Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Thursday, held that Seriake Dickson was validly elected as governor of Bayelsa State in the last governorship election held in the state, having dismissed the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, challenging his election.

A five-member panel of justices of the appellate court, headed by Justice Jimmi Olukayode Bada, held that Sylva and its party failed to prove the allegations of electoral malpractices, violation of Electoral Act and other irregularities in the conduct of the election which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returned Dickson as winner, having scored the highest number of votes in the election.

In the unanimous judgment, the Appeal Court held that the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which sat in Abuja, was right to have upheld the election of Dickson as Bayelsa State governor.

The court resolved all the five issues raised by Sylva and his party in favour of INEC, Dickson and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who were respondents in the appeal.

Justice Bada, who read the judgment, said

the foundation of the grounds of the appellants’ appeal was eroded when they participated in the rescheduled election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state on January 9, 2016, adding that the appellant’s had no legal right to challenge the outcome of the election held on December 6, 2016, as they (appellant) cannot aprobate and reprobate.

He agreed with the submissions of the respondents that the decision to postpone the election in Southern Ijaw to January 9, 2016 was taken by INEC and other stakeholders, and an unilateral decision the state Resident Electoral Commissioner as claimed

by Sylva and his party.

Justice Bada said the appellants failed to present evidence before the court to substantiate their allegations against the respondents in the conduct of the election which INEC returned Dickson as winner, adding that “he who asserts must prove.”

The court held in the judgment that the “the contention of the appellants has no merit.

They were expected to provide evidence to prove their claim that the election was marred by irregularities, electoral malpractices, allocation of votes, snatching of ballot boxes and gross violation of electoral act.

These allegations were not proved by the appellants.

“I am in total agreement with the judgment of the lower tribunal because its decision was based on the evidence placed before it,” Justice Bada stated, adding that the tribunal was right in its judgment which dismissed the petition of the APC and its governorship candidate and upheld Dickson’s election as the governor of Bayelsa State.

The Appeal Court, therefore, held in the judgment that the appeal by the APC and its governorship candidate lacked merit and it was accordingly dismissed.

“With the resolution of all the five issues against the appellant, I am of the view that this appeal is devoid of merit and it is accordingly dismissed,” Justice Bada held.

Sylva and his party had challenged Governor Dickson’s election at the tribunal on the ground that the governor was not lawfully returned through majority votes by INEC. But in a unanimous decision, the three-man panel of the tribunal, led

by Justice Kazeem Alogba, held that the APC failed to prove its case and that the election held in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area on January 9, 2016 was lawful and valid in law.

The tribunal further held that from the evidence adduced before it, the election of December 6, 2015 was inconclusive and was rightfully rescheduled

by INEC through the REC.

It also held that contrary to the position of the petitioner, election took place in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

Sylva’s Counsel, Daniel Nwoko told newsmen that the judgment of the appeal court would be tested at the

Supreme Court because there were aspects of the judgment that needed clarification.

Counsel for Dickson, Emeka Etiaba, on his part, lauded the judgment and praised the justices for the industry put into the judgment.

lam nor any other religion advocates hurting the weak and innocent.

“The fact that they kill men, women, children and other people wantonly, and shout Allahu Akbar (God is great) shows that they do not know that Allah at all. If they did, they would not shed innocent blood,” President Buhari said.

He thanked Ban Ki-moon for the moral and material support given to Nigeria, which he said had enabled the country surmount many of the challenges facing it.

In his response, the UN Secretary-General congratulated President Buhari on the anti-corruption war, declaring: “You are highly respected by world leaders, including myself. Your persona has given your country a positive image.”

He said the UN recognised the achievements of the Buhari-led administration against Boko Haram, urging that human rights be upheld always to prevent a repeat of the scenario being witnessed in Syria.

Ban Ki-moon also thanked the Nigerian leader for his commitment to issues on climate change, adding that the government should “own Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” for the good of its citizens.

Recession: Senate, Reps leadership meet to forge common front Taiwo Adisa -Abuja with Agency Report

THE leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives met late on Wednesday, to further cement their operations and ensure a common front on issues affecting the nation.

Sources in the National Assembly confirmed that the Principal Officers of the House of Representatives, led by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, met with the Principal Officers of the Senate at the residence of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, where issues regarding a common reaction from the legislature were discussed.

“The leadership of both chambers of the parliament met in the late hours of Wednesday, in a bid to further unite the two arms of the federal legislature and get them to take common position on issues,” the source said.

The source confirmed that the meeting lasted two and a half hours in the private residence of Senate President located on Maitama, Abuja.

The source further confirmed that “the leaders of the two Houses agreed that

the two chambers should always take common position on critical issues affecting the nation and that they should always harmonise their positions on all national issues.

Sources also confirmed that the meeting discussed the current economic recession, adding that the House should also take its time to deliberate on the economic situation and come up with recommendations that could help the executive arm of government revive the ailing economy.

Another source said of the meeting: “We also agreed to fast-track the various bills awaiting concurrence in the two chambers before they are presented to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent. We also deliberated on the need to create better working relationship and hold regular meetings so that we can always be on the same page on all issues.”

Meanwhile, the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has urged the Federal Government to roll out short-term programmes to check the current economic hardship being faced by Nigerians, the News Agency of Nigeria

(NAN) reports.

A statement issued in Abuja, on Thursday, by the chamber’s president, Mr Tony Ejinkeonye, said unless measures were taken to check the development, ending it by December might be a mirage.

Ejinkeonye was reacting to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s claim that the country’s economic recovery would begin in the last quarter of the year.

“I do not agree that the economy will be out of recession by the end of this year. Government does not have structures on ground to suggest that will happen.

“I do not think it is going to happen. That means the Federal Government has only one quarter to get us out of the recession that is so deep. We do not believe that. It will take a while.”

According to him, it takes a minimum of five years for any country to recover from economic recession.

The chamber boss urged the Federal Government to put physical measures in place to demonstrate that the country would be out of recession in the next three months.

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Edo poll: Postponement will not affect outcome of election negatively —INEC

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday, said that the postponement of Edo State governorship election till September 28 would not affect the outcome of the poll negatively.

Mr Sam Olumekun, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in

Edo State, said this at the commission’s organised stakeholders’ meeting on the election, in Benin City.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that INEC postponed the governorship election from September 10 to September 28, following security advice from the Police and the Department of State Services

...As REC threatens to resign if found compromised

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has challenged political parties alleging that the Commission illegally registered voters outside Edo State ahead of the September 28 governorship election in the state to substantiate their claims.

Edo state Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Sam Olumekun, also threatened to resign from his job if sufficient evidence was provided that he has compromised, cautioning political parties and candidates participating in the election not to be fearful of defeat if they have campaigned well.

Olumekun declaration was in response to the allegations made by the Edo State chairman of the All Progressives Con-

gress (APC), Anselm Ojezua, who alleged that the electoral commission registered militants from neigbhouring states in the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) this year.

The Edo INEC boss, who made the assertion during a stakeholders meeting at the Edo State headquarters of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Benin, on Thursday, said the Commission would take delivery of sensitive materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday.

Ojezua had appealed to security agencies in the state not to treat the alleged infiltration of militants from neighbouring states with a pinch of salt, a development which heightened tension at the meeting.

(DSS).

But Olumekun said the commission was ready and willing to conduct free, fair, credible and conclusive election for Edo people.

The REC, therefore, appealed to all the security agencies to deploy their personnel early enough to man their duty posts.

The Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police, Zone 5, Benin, Mr Isaac Eke, said that security agencies would do everything humanly possible to give protection to the people during and after the election.

Eke assured all the 19 political parties of a level playing field during the electoral process.

The newly-deployed Commissioner of Police to Edo State, Mr Haliru Gwandu, also appealed to political parties and their supporters to eschew violence and intimidation of electoral officials and ad-hoc staff, whose primary duty was to conduct the election.

Gwandu urged the people to stop seeing election as a do-or-die affair.

“Those who want to invite thugs from neighbouring states should jettison the idea as security operatives are on ground to nip such plans in the bud,” he said.

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Lagos 2 sentenced to death for robbing supermarket manager

Scene of an accident where a container fell off an articulated vehicle and smashed an upcoming car at a bad portion on the Ijora-Apapa Road, on Thursday. PHOTO: Nan

Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin

6 die of Cholera at Oshodi, Isolo

· 45 other cases reported · We are working to contain the outbreak —Commissioner Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

N

o fewer than six people have been reported dead in Oshodi Isolo Local Council District Area (LCDA) over an outbreak of Cholera disease in some communities.

The ingestion of a contaminated salad known as Abacha, a staple food of residents of Isolo LCDA and adjourning local government areas (LGAs), is suspected to be the main cause of the outbreak.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Dr Idris Jide, confirmed the outbreak in a statement made available to LagosMetro, on Thursday.

About 45 cases have been line-listed by the epidemiology unit of the Lagos State Ministry of Health for intensive medical care.

According to the report by the Lagos State Ministry of Health, majority of the cases did not manifest the classical rice-water stool, but rather an atypical diarrhoea and vomiting and death.

The ano-rectal swabs were collected from 15 cases and taken to the Central Public Health Laboratory, Yaba, which revealed the presence of Vibro cholerae from 7 out of the 15 samples, later confirmed to be Ogawa strain.

The sample of the abacha salad and domestic well

Nigerian Tribune

Friday, 23 September, 2016

water, taken to the Lagos State Drug Quality Control Laboratory for analysis, confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholera, Salmonella species and E.coli in the sample of the abacha and two of the domestic wells.

Reacting to the epidemic, Jide said the three vendors of the contaminated Abacha at Cele Bus Stop

has been identified.

He also said: “The chlorination of water supply has been intensified, awareness campaign is ongoing and cases are been promptly diagnosed and appropriately managed in our hospitals.

We have instituted measures towards quick containment and control

of the outbreak.”

He enjoined the public to maintain good hygiene, regularly wash hands with soap and water, especially after using the rest room, cook food and water sources and keep all cooking utensils, plates, cutleries, cups and other materials clean before and after use.

After six years in prison, two men were, on Thursda,y sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of armed robbery.

Chidebere Ani (20) and Friday Charles (22) were accused of robbing one kingsley Udoka Obasi of about N5million at Elobus Supermarket, Ago Palace Way, Okota.

It was gathered that the duo committed the offence on September 9, 2011.

Chidebere, who is also a staff of the supermarket provided the information about the movement of the money, while Charles carried out the act by hitting the

Task Force arrests 4 vehicles owners, impounds 17 motorcycles for driving against traffic Bola Badmus

Operatives of the state task force have arrested four private vehicles owners/drivers and impounded 17 motorcycles for driving/plying against traffic.

The task force said the enforcement operation, led by the agency chairman, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, was due to series of complaints from people around IyanaIpaja, Pen-Cinema, Airport Road, Ile-zik and Fagba areas.

Egbeyemi, in a statement issued by the Agency's spokesperson, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, stated that people around these areas complained that at peak hours of the day, some people drove and rode motorcycles, including tricycles, against traffic thereby causing accidents, which had led to the death of many people while some had parts of their body

amputated due to human carelessness.

Egbeyemi confirmed that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, had directed that drivers/ owners of those vehicles,

as well as riders of the impounded motorcycles, be immediately charged to court for various traffic offences as contained in the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws of 2012.

He disclosed that every section of the state road traffic laws must be obeyed by every road user, including motorcycles and tricycle operators across the state.

manager on the head with an iron rod.

Kingsley Obasi, a manager at the supermarket usually conveyed the day's sales to a safe location. Unknown to him, one of the men was hiding under the stairs.

"The last thing I remembered was something hitting the back of my head.

I fell down and blacked out.

I woke in the hospital with a deep wound on my head. I had to spend almost eight days in the hospital before I was discharged," he had told the court.

Chidebere, however, triggered the suspicion of his co-workers when they heard him making suspicious calls. He was handed over to the police. He later confessed to conniving with his friend, admitting that he was given part of the money. About N399,000 was recovered from them.

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Ikeja High Court found the duo guilty of committing the crime.

Although they vehemently denied the crime, the judge found them guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging.

...Arrests fake street beggar, mother at Oshodi Chairman, Lagos State Task Force on Environmental (Task Force), SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, on Thursday, paraded a fake street beggar, arrested by operatives of the Agency at Oshodi.

Egbeyemi, while parading the suspect, disclosed that there were many fake beggars pretending and deceiving innocent members of the public with different illnesses or diseases.

He said the Agency was collaborating with relevant government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs)to get rid of these beggars on streets/roads in the state.

The Task Force chairman called on people to stop parading themselves with

affliction of fake killer diseases/ illnesses in order to attract sympathy from the public.

He, however, said the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, had directed that the suspect be immediately charged to court.

This was just as he appealed members of the public to stop giving arms to fake beggars, who he said, were trooping into the state in large numbers on daily basis.

The suspect, Mrs Chinagoro Uwenke, 40, confirmed that she rapped her son's leg with 2 rolls of white bandages and poured GV blue ink on the leg everyday, in order to deceive members of the public to give arms to the innocent boy.

Uwenke said she and her son lived at Olokodana, near Ijora-Olopa area at Oyingbo, adding that she stopped her son, who was at JSS II at Oworebiri Secondary School at Ata Town in Abia State,

from proceeding further in his education career in order to undertake street begging when she realised that it was a lucrative business where she made between N3,500 and N5,000 on daily basis.

Mother and son who were arrested by Task Force operatives, on Thursday.

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Nigerian Tribune

Friday, 23 September, 2016

metro

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647 A canal at Wilmer Crescent, on Wilmer Bridge, at Apapa, which has been taken over by weeds, on Tuesday. PHOTO: Nan

Indecent dressing:

N1trn yearly'll solve road construction deficit— Ambode

G

o v e r n o r Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday, disclosed that about N1trillion was needed yearly to address the deficit in road construction in the state, even as he justified the decision of his administration to engage indigenous contractors for the construction of 114 inner roads simultaneously across the state.

Governor Ambode disclosed this in Oshodi-Isolo, at the ongoing inauguration of 114 roads constructed across the 20 local government areas (LGs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), saying indigenous contractors were engaged for the projects, not only to boost employment, but also encourage the local construction industry to grow.

Speaking through the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Ganiyu Johnson, at the commissioning of Kalejaiye Street, the governor assured residents that any mistake committed by the indigenous contractors in the course of the project would be addressed, adding that the construction of the inner roads was in response to the yearning of the people.

He said: “We have to encourage our indigenous contractors because whether we like it or not, that is one of the ways to generate employment and

when we engage them, there will be money in the circulation.

“We are challenging them to do their best and, as a government, we don't want to shy away from mistakes. If they (indigenous contractors) make mistakes, we also try to correct and encourage them. We are learning, it is a learning process and with time, I believe they will get there,” he said.

Meanwhile Ambode, on Thursday, said the

best way to develop the country’s indigenous contractors and pull the country out of recession was for both Federal and state governments to engage them in execution of projects in the country.

Ambode said this while commissioning the newlyconstructed Hassan Odumeru Street and Ajagbe Street in AgbowaIkosi, which were part of 114 inner roads undertaken by the state government, across the 57 local

government and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.

Governor Ambode, who was represented by a member, House of Representatives, Honourable Wale Raji, at the commissioning of Hassan Odumeru Street, said it was through such approach that the local populace could benefit directly through creation of job opportunity besides enhancing skills of both the affected contractors and Nigerians artisans.

BRT operator launches in-transit television Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin

An operator of the State Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme, Primero Transport Services, on Thursday, launched its in-transit television network, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

Mr Fola Tinubu, the company’s Managing Director, said the introduction of the television network was aimed at improving commuters’ experience and transportation in the state.

“Everyone is used to exterior branding of buses, but we are trying to change that paradigm, just as we are trying to change the paradigm of transport

in Lagos or Nigeria.

“While on the bus, commuters will be more educated and entertained, and advertisers have better opportunity to get more information to the public, instead of some other forms of outdoor advert.

“We believe that the future is transit television and we are hoping to add more buses, hence, we hope to move at least a million people daily in Lagos; there is no television station can give that.

“Do not forget that unlike in the case of traditional media, commuters or audience have no choice other than to watch your advert on transit television until they disembark,” he said.

According to Tinubu, the company’s 434 buses would be installed with WiFi technology to facilitate remote and seamless content distribution on the television network.

“We are going to also have a park and drive system equipped with multilevel car parks at all our major shelters, and this would bring more people to see your advert, hence helps sales to rise,” he said.

The managing director said the transport company would soon introduce a mobile application that would enable commuters to know the next arrival time of the buses.

LASU issues warning letters to 84 students The Students Affairs Division of the Lagos State University (LASU) has published a list of 84 students for indecent dressing.

The university official bulletin obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, in Lagos, said the students were found flouting the dress code of the university.

The bulletin said the university authorities had issued the students warning letters to desist from such act or face disciplinary action.

“The students have been magnanimously pardoned by the university authorities and were warned to desist from the act of indecent dressing, henceforth, or face disciplinary action,” the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, vice chancellor of the university, said his administration remained focused on implementing plans and strategies that would improve infrastructure and facilities in the institution.

Fagbohun said within the past 200 days he spent in office, his administration had been able to attract keen interest from benefactors and investors, both from the public and private sectors. ?

“Step by step, LASU is beginning to distinguish itself, over the past seven months, as a lot has been achieved and a lot more is in the offing,” he said.

According to him, another core agenda of the

administration is to beautify the University.

The vice chancellor said it was unfortunate that some members of the institution were still fond of crossing the lawns and stepping on the flowers and grasses.

“This is not in line with global best practices. As global citizens, we must recognise that plants are not only to beautify the environment, but also to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

“You all are an integral part of this agendum, if we truly want to attain the standard of the Ivy League Institutions, we must begin to see crossing of lawns as a “sin” “Also, as a breach of global norms and societal expectations, we must all endeavour to use the walkways at all times,” he said.

Fagbohun reiterated that the language of his discourse remained dialogue and the beauty of it was the peace, stability and progress that it brought.

“We should, therefore, not allow for distractions, In all these, the interest of our students remains a nonnegotiable priority.

“We will always allow you to air your views in the most civilized manner possible, as we are interested in knowing your grievances.

“Kindly channel these through your Faculty and Students’ Union Representatives to the Dean, Students Affairs, we will surely attend to them, ” he said.

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Friday, 23 September, 2016

Reps to probe $17bn crude oil, gas shortfall Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja

T

HE House of Representatives, on Thursday, set machinery in motion to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the over $17 billion allegedly stolen from undeclared crude oil and Liquefied Natural Gas Exports to global destinations involving 20 companies, two agencies of government, two law firms and the consultant (technical expert) appointed by the past government of Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

The House resolutions was sequel to a motion under matters of urgent national importance moved by Honourable Johnson Agbonayinma, who said there was the need to carry out the probe.

While informing the House that the past administration intervened in the crude oil theft, he said “the

colossal figures of crude oil theft, the past administration in 2013, held a meeting with all the major oil com-

panies to proffer solution to the embarrassing challenge of crude oil theft.”

Speaking further, he said:

“Following the resolve of the meeting at the behest of the president, Molecular Power System (Nigeria) Limited

was engaged to provide technical data (records of crude oil and Liquefied Natural Gas Lifting in Nigeria,

From left, President/Chairman, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Dr Benedict Okey Oramah; Group Executive Director, Business Services/ Chief Operating Officer, Dangote Group, Mr Olakunle Alake and a member of the board of Afreximbank, who doubles as Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, during the facility tour of Dangote Refinery complex, in Lekki, Lagos, on Thursday.

Reps want Buhari to appear at NASS joint sitting Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja

THE House of Representatives, on Thursday, resolved that President Muhammadu Buhari would have to address the joint session of both Senate and the House of Representatives on economic recession facing the country.

The House, however, said a committee would be set up to liase with the Senate counterpart on the need for

the president to address its joint session.

As part of its resolution on way out of the economic recession, the House directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Ministry of Finance and the National Planning Commission to review the existing monetary policy, with a view to developing sustainable lending rates and right environment that would foster real sector growth to enhance economic development.

The House, as well, urged the Federal Government to resuscitate the comatose government-owned industries, which would revamp the economy and preserve scarce foreign exchange.

The House also urged the Federal Government to develop policies that would be attractive investment in the solid minerals sector and pay attention to non-oil sector.

The House resolution was sequel to a motion entitled:

Senate to probe serving minister, MTN, others over alleged $12bn capital flight Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

THE Senate is to probe an allegation that a serving minister, the telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria and four commercial banks had colluded to engage in capital flight to the tune of over $12 billion.

The allegation, raised

by Senator Dino Melaye, at the Tuesday sitting, indicated that the unnamed minister, the banks and the telecommunications giant facilitated the secret movement of the said sum out of the country, thereby contributing to the fall in the value of the Naira.

The resolve to probe the allegation was sequel to a motion moved by Senator Melaye, which alleged fraud in the conduct of the unnamed serving minister.

Raising Order 42 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015, as amended,

Melaye alleged that telecommunications company, in connection with some well-placed Nigerians, one of whom he said was now a serving minister, had, in the last 10 years moved the sum of $12 billion from the nation’s economy.

The senator said: “Mr President, I seek the indulgence of this House to move that after this short presentation, this matter be allowed to be taken on the next legislative day.

My respected colleagues, MTN Nigeria paid a sum of $284.9 million on the 6th of February, 2001 to purchase their license of operations in this country.

“I want to say, with facts, which by the grace of God I will make available on the next legislative day if this motion is allowed, to all senators to see evidence that between 2006 and 2016, through four Nigerian

banks and, indeed, a serving minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and some other fraudulent Nigerians. MTN has moved over $12 billion out of Nigeria and that is about half of our external reserves.

“If I get the nod of the Senate, I will want to bring a substantive motion on Tuesday, the next legislative day, with substantiated facts to buttress this position.”

The Senate subsequently granted the prayer and thus would receive details of the submissions by Melaye on Tuesday.

While approving the motion, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, said: “Distinguished colleagues, according to our rules, Order 42, Senator Melaye raised this issue and he needs to get the leave of the Senate to bring it down to the next legislative day which he has now done.”

“Urgent need to address the economic downturn in Nigeria,” moved by Honourable Mukaila Olayiwola Kazzim.

The lawmaker, while moving the motion, noted that due to the crash of crude oil prices from over $120 per barrel in the last quarter of 2014 to about $45 presently, Nigeria had been witnessing a dramatic reduction in oil earnings, which had impacted negatively on revenues available to finance expenditure.

As a result, he said the foreign reserves had been depleted and the country was faced with a full blown economic recession.

Supporting the motion, Honourable Tajudeen Yusuf said economic recession being experienced presently was a reflection of the seed sown during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, when governors resisted every attempt to contribute more into the sovereign wealth fund, with monthly revenue shared by states and local governments reduced, so as to have fund that could have acted as a buffer at this period of recession.

Speaking further, he said: “Treasury Single Account (TSA) is good, but there must be a system to get money out of the account on time. We need competent people to re jig the economy.”

The Deputy Speaker, Honourable Lasun Yusuf, who also contributed to the motion, said it was only a viable manufacturing and production sector that

could get the country out of recession.

On his part, Honourable Mark Gbilla claimed that the country had lost confidence on the economic team of the present administration.

He, as well, called for the reduction in the interest rate to encourage borrowing and diversification, as Nigeria had retained double digit interest rate which does not encourage investment and borrowings.

The minority leader, Honourable Leo Ogor, on his part, accused the leaders of paying lips service to economic diversification, stressing that “we have failed to look inwards, the constitution has given the only the Federal Government power over mineral resources.

The Federal Government has carried much responsibilities that it is not able to execute.

“We need to look at the exclusive list and take out some items and hand them over to the states.

Inconsistencies in policies and lack of clearcut policies were the major causes of our economic recession.”

Honourable Joseph Akinlaja, while contributing to the motion, said if there were fear in restructuring the country, the government should be bold enough to restructure the country’s economy where states would manage resources within their jurisdiction.

When the motion was put to vote by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, it was passed by majority of members.

as obtained from NNPC and landing certificates at global destination to verify possibilities of non-declaration to the Federal Government by multinational companies.”

According to him, “the data gathering of shipment to the United States for the period 2011 to December 2014, through critical NNPC data and the Central Bank of Nigeria pre-shipment inspection report shows an undeclared crude oil short falls of 57,830,000 of Nigeria crude oil, translating to well over $12 billion to the United States, also over $3 billion to China and $839,522,600 to Norway.

“These were conclusively ascertained by buyers, bill of lading, arrival dates, destination ports, quantity of crude oil and other documented information.

“This job has been done in 51 countries, where Nigeria’s crude oil has been exported, the report of the United States being the largest receiver of crude oil and that of other countries was made available to the former president, the office of the Attorney-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The physicalisation policy of the Federal Government, which warrants loading of crude oil from Nigeria to be monitored by the DPR, the Navy, the Customs, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the NIMASA has been crippled over the years till date.

“These agencies have majorly lost the capacity to go to offshore locations to witness loading, the machines that monitor loading into vessels were brought, owned, calibrated and operation by the international oil companies, IOCs without monitoring.

“These data, so gathered, shows for LNG shortfall of a total of 727,460 metric ton of Liquefied Natural Gas, estimated at about $461.44 million was firmly established shortfall from shipment to seven countries.

“This revenue loss was traced to cargoes at each destination port of entry and have been established as undeclared cargoes,” he stated.

A few lawmakers that contributed to the motion supported the probe and wondered why such huge sum should be left unaccounted for.

When the motion was put to vote by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, it was unanimously supported.

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news

Friday, 23 September, 2016

5 serious side effects of your smart phone addiction Continued from front page

Similarly, “Cell Phone Elbow” describes tingling or numbness in ring and pinky fingers after bending your elbow for long periods of time.

If your non-stop smart-phoning has you feeling sore and weak, do some stretches.

Put down the phone, then try bending your wrists backward, putting your hands together like a prayer and pushing down.

Then, doing some wrist flexes. If you experience pain for longer than a week, try applying heat. Or better still, see a doctor.

2. iPosture and Text Neck Slouching over your phone for hours at a time is ruining your neck and hurting your back muscles. “iPosture” or “Text Neck” are just two of a few phrases doctors throw around to describe the excessive stress on neck muscles. According to a study of young adults in the U.K., 84%

of those tracked experienced back pain during the last year, mainly due to being hunched over smart phones, tablets, and computers.

Fixing your posture can relieve lower back pain, and limiting your phone use can alleviate neck strain. While it seems awkward, try to hold your phone directly out and in front of your face, not on your lap where you might need to look down for minutes at a time.

3. Computer Vision Syndrome Staring at the tiny font in your texts and scrolling through dozens of tweets can lead to eyestrain, blurred vision, dizziness, and dry eyes. And blurred vision plus sore neck muscles can also cause headaches.

If you’re experiencing eye discomfort, make your phone’s font size bigger. Mark Rosenfield, O.D., Ph.D., told Men’s Health that phone users should try to hold their phones at least 16 inches away from their

faces. Every few minutes look up from your screen at something far away for short breaks, and don’t forget to blink.

4. Nomophobia Short for “no-mobile-phone phobia,” this is exactly what it sounds like: the fear of being without your cell. According to a study of 1,000 people in the U.K., 66% of the population fears losing or being without their phones at any given time.

Some of the symptoms of nomophobia include anxiety or negative physical symptoms if you have lost or cannot use your cell phone, obsessively checking to make sure you have your phone with you, and constantly worrying about losing it somewhere. Interestingly, the study found that women suffer from this more than men.

If this sounds like you, experts suggest employing common anxiety-relieving relaxation techniques like yoga and deep

breathing.

5. Phantom Pocket Vibration Syndrome No, you didn’t just get a text message!

A professor at Indiana University found that 89% of the undergraduates in her study experienced phantom vibrations when their phones weren’t actually vibrating. The study also found that students who were dependent on text messages and social media updates were more anxious when their phones weren’t really vibrating.

A good way to break the addiction? Try shutting your vibration function off and commit to only checking your phone during designated hours. If you have to keep your phone with you, place it in your bag instead. And try to resist checking your bag every five minutes. Otherwise, you might become the first case of Phantom Bag Vibration Syndrome.

Nigeria will reverse climate change effects —Buhari •Signs Paris agreement Leon Usigbe -Abuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, saying Nigeria’s endorsement of the agreement is a demonstration of its commitment to a global effort to reverse the effects of the negative trend.

The president said this while addressing the opening of the meeting on Taking Climate Action for Sustainable Development in New York, co-hosted by Nigeria and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as one of the side events of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71).

Committing Nigeria to reducing “Green House Gas Emissions unconditionally by 20 per cent and conditionally by 45 per cent in line with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions,” he described the signing as historic.

The president also expressed confidence that with support from devel-

opment partners, Nigeria would meet the targets.

Buhari promised to ensure the ratification of the Paris Agreement before the 22nd Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November.

He stressed that it was to demonstrate his personal dedication to the process of implementing the agreement that he was hosting the side event on Taking Climate Action Towards Sustainable Development.

President Buhari, who said he was privileged to have been part of the Paris Agreement, expressed appreciation to what he called “the genuine efforts by President Francois Hollande of France in drawing global attention to reviving the Lake Chad Basin,” and for galvanising the political will that led to the global consensus in reaching the Paris Agreement.

He said the commitment to the Paris Agreement was articulated through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) “that

NNPC trading deficit hit N24.18bn in July Ademola Adegbite -Abuja

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on Thursday, said it recorded a trading deficit of about N24.18 billion in July 2016, as against N26.51 billion deficits recorded in June 2016, as a result of continued attack on oil and gas facilities by the militant groups in Niger Delta region.

It also announced that inadequate natural gas supply to thermal plants in

the country caused a sharp drop in power generation to 2,000 megawatt.

However, the net cash flow generated by the corporation improved by 8.77 per cent to the tune of N2.3 billion in the same month of July.

In its July financial reports made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja last night, the corporation also attributed the increase in revenue to gains from the NPDC and PPMC.

strive to build a climate resilient society across the diverse terrain of Nigeria. We have instituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change to govern implementation of my country’s NDCs, thereby ensuring a strong cross-sectoral approach, coherence and synergy for Climate Action.”

President Buhari, while admitting that implementing the roadmap would not be easy in the face of dwindling national revenues, however, indicated that both internal and external resources would be mobilised to meet Nigeria’s targets, adding that the 2017 budget would reflect Nigeria’s efforts to accord priority to realising its NDCs. “In addition, we are set to launch our first ever Green Bonds in the first quarter of 2017 to fund a pipeline of projects all targeted at reducing emissions towards a greener economy,” he said.

While urging global support to transit to a lowcarbon climate resilient economy, the president specifically reminded industrialised nations “to play their role and deliver on their commitments on access to climate finance and technology transfer and help with capacitybuilding,” adding that “expectations are high for their leaders to deliver $100 billion per year by 2020 in support of developing countries to take climate action, thus keeping the promise to billions of people.”

President Buhari, who thanked the presidents of Chad, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger for attending the event, also called on the international community to “give special recognition to the plight of Lake Chad and

support effort to resuscitate the livelihoods of over five million people in the region.

“This will reinforce our efforts to reintegrate the thousands of Boko Haram victims and returning internally displaced persons (IDPs).”

The president noted that the Niger Delta region was

a unique biodiversity rich in coastal environment that is highly prone to adverse environmental changes occasioned by climate change, such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, exacerbated by poverty and many decades of oil pollution leading to loss of livelihoods and ecosystems.

He added, however, that “through an integrated approach, implementation of the NDCs and efforts to clean up Ogoniland, we will improve livelihoods, protect the environment and take climate action, and ensure the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

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Friday, 23 September, 2016

FG plans to inject larger funds into economy

Through asset sales, infrastructure concession, economic diversification Leon Usigbe -Abuja

T

HE National Economic Council (NEC), on Thursday, outlined plans to inject larger funds into the economy, with a view to revitalising it.

Rising from a meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the council revealed that the Economic Management Team (EMT) was working on plan to generate immediate larger injection of fund into the economy.

Briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the council, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, joined by his Kebbi State counterpart, Abubakar Bagudu and the Ogun State deputy governor, Yetunde Onanuga, said this would be achieved through asset sales and advance payment of license renewals.

Other areas he mentioned were infrastructure concession, use of recovered funds

to reduce funding gaps, implementation of Fiscal Stimulus/Budget Priorities, fast-track procedures

through legislation and implementation of Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) of the budget, cutting down

on importation and meaningful diversification of the economy.

The council received pre-

sentation on Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative on affordable housing whose highlights suggested

From left, Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu; Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN.

Ajimobi in order on Oyo education reform —Committee CHAIRMAN, Committee on Participatory Management of Schools in Oyo State, Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin, has avowed that the resolve of the Governor Abiola Ajimobi government to reform the education sector, through public/participation in the management of schools, will address the deterioration in the sector.

This is as he harped on the need for the state government to collaborate with relevant stakeholders for the state’s education sector to be revamped.

Gbadegesin, who made these remarks while presenting the report of the committee on education reform, disclosed that findings showed the need for participatory efforts in the management of schools, to address identified inadequacies in number of teachers, teacher-student ratio, distribution of infrastructural facilities and data of the Ministry of Education.

It will be recalled that Governor Ajimobi had, on July 12, inaugurated a 31man committee led by Vice Chancellor, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin, following the crisis that greeted the introduction of a new education initiative with a mandate to come up with recommendations that would reposi-

tion the education sector.

Gbadegesin, who decried the ailing education sector of the state, stressed the need for a formal structure and enabling environment for public/private participation in school management.

Noting that Governor Ajimobi was truly desirous of implementing policies that would revamp the deteriorating education sector of the state, he urged parents, teachers and other stakeholders to collaborate towards reclaiming the lost glory of the state’s education sector.

“The report by the committee is a comprehensive one, which vindicates the governor’s bid to reform the education sector. The report shows that the state public schools are in a sorry state and government cannot do it alone, hence the need to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to redeem the education sector.

“We found out that there are data discrepancies about education in Oyo State. Also, there is mismatch of teachers and students. In essence, the teachers-students ratio is not evenly distributed.

“We got to some schools where teachers were not present. In some schools, they were inadequate, while in some others, they were not available. Some also had more furniture than the required and some

didn’t have enough pupils to be standard schools. In some schools, there was overpopulation of students.

“We were surprised that some vice principals do not teach anymore, whereas, previously, even principals taught some subjects. There is the need to improve the standard of education in the state. Already, there is PPP in schools through individuals, old students’ network, PTAs, philanthropic organisations, internation-

al funding organisations, amongst others.

“We need more of this.

What the government needs to do is to provide a formal structure and an enabling environment for private participation in school management,” Gbadegesin said.

On how the committee arrived at the findings, Gbadegesin revealed that it visited 29 secondary schools in urban, semiurban and rural communi-

ties in the eight education zones of the state and held interactive sessions with selected individuals and organisations that submitted memoranda.

He pointed out that their interactions with the different stakeholders showed that the people earlier misconstrued government’s intention and had come to terms with the need to adopt new ways to revamp the deterioration in the state education sector.

Police warn Shi’ite over planned protest in Abuja Chris Agbambu -Abuja

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of the Nigerian Police, on Thursday, warned those behind the planned protest in Abuja to desist forthwith in their own interest.

The command said the proposed protest had been discovered, through intelligence, that it was not intended to be peaceful, but with the plan to forment trouble, threaten the peace of the territory and, above all, cause mayhem of monumental proportion.

It said the intelligence report at the disposal of the command revealed that a certain group identified as Islamic Movement in Nige-

ria (IMN) had threatened to take over the streets of the FCT in the name of registering their protest.

In a statement, the police said it was pertinent to state that the group had neither written to inform nor notified the FCT police command of its intention, adding that it had also not secured any approval from the commissioner of police allowing them to do so.

“In view of the current security situation in the country, the command wishes to unequivocally reiterate that while it will continue to be professional in the discharge of its constitutional and statutory roles of the protection of lives and property

of the good people of FCT and equally recognise the rights of citizens to express their lawful grievances, it will not fold its arms by permitting some individuals or group of persons to threaten the existing peaceful atmosphere in FCT under the guise of expressing alleged grievances,” the statement noted.

“For any avoidance of doubt, the command wishes to advise the good people of the FCT to go about their lawful duties and be law abiding, as the command is well prepared and possess the necessary wherewithal to confront any threat to the existence of serene peace in the FCT.”

a target of N1 billion fund to operate PPP with N500 billion initial to create a blended pool of long term funds to intervene in housing development finance and mortgage provision.

Ajimobi disclosed that the fund aimed to deliver family housing priced from as low as N2.5 million up to N18 million delivered in a ready to occupy condition, with essential services (water and power connected).

He said the delivery target was 400,000 to 500,000 housing units per annum.

According to him, the ultimate aim of the programme was to channel funds from savers to borrowers, so that builders had the required capital to construct and prospective buyers could access credit to purchase.

The governor said the fund would attract low cost local and international capital, including from domestic pension and insurance funds, Federal Government funding, as well as contributions from state governments and other agencies.

He said states would designate a liaison with whom Family Homes Fund could interface, expedite building plan approval process and security of land title and invest in enabling infrastructure, including federal roads.

Ajimobi added that other benefits of the programme were improved urban planning and development, employment generation and skills enhancement and expansion of tax base.

NEC also received draft regulations on Land Use Act, 2013 from the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Use Reform (PTCLR).

The Land Use Act seeks to make provisions to streamline mortgage transactions and clearly delineate the rights, duties and obligations of a mortgage.

Other aspects of the draft are: conditions for disposal of proceeds of sale and subsequent mortgages and implied terms of a mortgage, rights of redemption and remedies and issues on mortgage by companies and power of assignment by mortgage and right of transfer and application of insurance money by the receiver.

NEC also received report on the status of Excess Crude Account, which showed a balance of $2.453 billion as of September 20, 2016.

On the Budget Support Facility to state governments, NEC was briefed that N50 billion had, so far, been disbursed to state governments, adding that the facility was ongoing.

businessnews Nigeria hunts down 700,000 firms in tax crackdown to offset oil slump 11

N

IGERIA has hunted down 700,000 firms that have never paid taxes as the country seeks new revenue sources to offset low oil prices that have pushed Africa’s biggest economy into its first recession in more than 20 years, its tax chief said.

Tunde Fowler, executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), said in an interview with Reuters that he also expected 10 million individuals to be discovered by December and made to pay taxes for the first time.

The OPEC member slid into recession in the second quarter and militant attacks on oil facilities in its Niger Delta region have cut crude production, which provides 70 percent of government revenues, by around a third.

Planned loan deals with foreign lenders have yet to materialise, prompting the leader of the Senate to speak of an “economic emergency.”

The government, struggling to fund a record 6.06 trillion naira ($18.6 billion) 2016 budget that aims to stimulate growth by tripling capital expenditure, set FIRS a target of raising 4.95 trillion naira in taxes, up from 3.73 trillion last year.

Persuading Nigerians to pay tax is no easy task.

FIRS does not appear to be on track to meet its target for tax collection so far this year, but experts believe it can do better in future. “We collected a little over 2.3 trillion, so far - from January to 31 August. It is almost at par with last year but take into consideration that the economy is going through a little slowdown,” said Fowler.

He said revenue from value-added tax (VAT) had increased by 25 percent year-on-year and corporate income tax held steady over the same period but petroleum profit tax was expected to have halved, mainly due to low oil prices.

Fowler, appointed last year after a stint as tax chief in Lagos where monthly tax revenues surged by 70 percent in the four years to December 2012, said FIRS expects to generate 5.2 trillion naira in 2017.

The tax chief said a new unit created at the start of the year had deployed inspectors armed with laptops to update databases, registering businesses and individuals who are then tracked to check whether they have paid taxes -- business executives say they get “aggressive” visits from tax inspectors.

“We have been able to add about 700,000 companies and we expect to add about

Friday, 23 September, 2016

10 million individuals across the nation (by December),” said Fowler, adding that this would bring the total of registered individuals to 20 million.

John Ashbourne, Africa analyst at Capital Economics, said Fowler’s target of doubling the number of tax payers was “ambitious” and would be hard to achieve in a country where “paperwork is often lacking”.

But he said the projections for 2017 were “quite achiev-

able”. “Revenue will almost certainly be much, much higher next year, but this is primarily due to the devaluation of the naira, which has boosted the local-terms value of each oil barrel that is exported,” he said.

Even a doubling of the number of individuals paying taxes in Africa’s most populous nation of 180 million inhabitants, where 80 percent of the workforce is employed in the informal sector, leaves FIRS with an

uphill struggle. “From our estimates, we expect that we have 60 million individuals who should pay some form or level of tax,” said Fowler.

He said tougher enforcement would be combined with a planned waiver on interest and penalties covering the period from 2012 to 2015 under which people and businesses would only be asked to pay the principal amount of tax liabilities due.

“We will give them a 45day window to come for-

ward and register and that will make them eligible for that waiver,” said Fowler of the proposal, which was submitted to the finance minister this week to check she was in agreement even though FIRS has the legal authority to enforce the change.

“A lot of people who are not in the tax net are a bit jittery or afraid to come and register thinking that we might go back two or three years and the amounts might be

From left, Christine Gagnon, EY Global Banking & Capital Markets Sector Resident; Adetokunbo Abiru, Group Managing Director, Skye Bank; Andy Bates, EY Financial Services Africa Leader and Innocent Ike, Executive Director, Technology & Services, Skye Bank, during a courtesy visit to the bank by the leadership of EY in Lagos, on Thursday.

Nigerian Tribune

considerable,” he said.

But he warned that those who failed to register for the scheme, which he said could be rolled out as soon as October 3, would face stiff penalties.

People or businesses that did not come forward voluntarily would be asked to pay back taxes plus interest and penalties, he said.

“We will also consider criminal prosecution of chief executive officers or board members,” Fowler said. He was cautious on the idea of an increase in Nigeria’s VAT rate which, at 5 percent, is among the lowest in the world.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde suggested a rate hike while visiting Nigeria in January and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo later said the government was considering tax regime changes to raise funds.

Fowler said it was part of the government’s remit to “take a decision” on VAT but he thought “the economy is not ready for a VAT increase right now”.

“The level of compliance was too low so that if we increased the rate of VAT it would be a punishment and unfair on those who are collecting and remitting VAT,” he said.

Naira settles at N436 to dollar at parallel market Chima Nwokoji-Lagos THE naira hit a record low of N436 to the dollar on the parallel market on Thursday and was quoted at N313.07 to the dollar at the official interbank market, down from N305 a dollar, where it had settled in the last one week.

Similarly, Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves were down to $24.83 billion

by September 19, its lowest level in more than three years, prompting division among traders some of who said there had been no significant policy response to the fall in the reserves, further fuelling concerns.

Others foresee the naira on the path of recovery by Monday due to the introduction of Travelex, a licensed Forex dealer in the market, even as importers are being forced to resort to unofficial market.

The President of Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (AB-

CON), Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, said on Thursday in Lagos that a licensed Forex dealer would enhance transparency in the distribution network.

Travelex, an international money transfer organization, was officially directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to distribute Forex to

duction of the flexible forex regime, we believe there may be some improvement in the sector,’’ Jacobs said.

He said that the downturn in the nation’s economy called for strong govern-

ment’s resolve and commitment to re-energise it for increased revenue.

The MAN president said that any programme contemplated by the government could succeed if there

was adequate revenue to execute such programmes.

“We should, therefore, take a cue from strategies adopted by other countries to overcome their downturns.”

Shola Adekola -Lagos

ities nationwide.

A petition addressed to the Managing Director of the ground handling company with the reference number NUATE.GS/ MD.SAHCOL/ENP/0042016, dated September 19, 2016, and signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Olayinka Abioye accused the management of avoiding the issue.

The union also copied the State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and

Empowerment, National Officer and SAHCOL NUATE members nationwide.

The petition partly read; “Given the mandate of the National Executive Council, NEC, at a meeting in Ilorin and matters arising therefrom, notice is hereby given your management that a 14-day ultimatum be given your window to convoke a meeting towards the commencement of the review of staff conditions of service.

Exclusion of raw materials from forex market affects manufacturing sector —MAN EXCLUSION of some essential raw materials from the official forex market has affected the manufacturing sector, Dr Frank Jacobs, President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), has said.

Jacobs said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

According to him, if the manufacturing sector is well supported, it will boost the current economic situation and increase the rate of employment.

“The sector is facing serious challenges at the moment with the scarcity of foreign exchange and the exclusion of some essential raw materials from the official forex market.

“However, with the intro-

Poor condition of service: Union gives SAHCOL mgt 14 days ultimatum

THE National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) yesterday issued a) 14 days ultimatum to the management of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) over its refusal to review the condition of service of its staff.

The union threatened that if the management refused to discuss with it within 14 days, that it would ground the ground handling activ-

Bureaux De Change operators by Monday.

Gwadabe said that a licensed Forex dealer would enhance transparency in the distribution network.

He said that Forex distribution would be efficient and uniformed across ABCON members unlike what was obtainable in the past.

According to him, Travelex has the technology to sell Forex to about a 1,000 BDCs within a couple of hours, which is a major advantage.

He said, “Against this background, the naira is expected to be on a recovery path from Monday as the distribution of Forex to BDCs will boost liquidity in the market.

“The boosting of liquidity in the market will dampen the fears of investors and market speculators, thereby raising their confidence in the market.

“This is a purely ABCON and Travelex arrangement, and has the capacity of removing the bottlenecks in the Forex distribution chain. Travelex has the technology to pay about 1,000 BDCs within two hours. The new arrangement also eliminates relating with bank account officers.”

12

businessnews

Friday, 23 September, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

How states, LGs, FG shared N2.53trn in 7 months

T

HE federal, states and local governments have shared N2.53 trillion as proceeds of revenues from the Federation Account from January to July, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The figures were derived from documents obtained from the Federal Ministry of Finance, showing that the total revenue generated for the months under review was N2.73 trillion.

However, deductions were made for cost of collection to Nigeria Customs Service (seven per cent); Federal Inland Revenue Service (four per cent) and Department of Petroleum Resources (four per cent).

NAN reports that the revenue is usually shared in arrears; for example, revenues generated in January is shared in February; thus, the revenue shared between January and July was actually generated between Dec. 2015 and June, 2016.

In the months under review, the Federal Government alone received a total of N1.1 trillion; States got N727.5 billion and the local governments got N544.9 billion.

This was shared based on the formula of Federal Government receiving 52.68 per cent of the amount generated, states, 26.72 per cent and local governments, 20.6 per cent.

Also, oil producing states shared an additional N148.1 billion based on the 13 per cent derivation.

The revenue shared was the mineral earnings from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporations (NNPC) and DPR and non-mineral revenue from Customs and FIRS. Additional revenue came from Petroleum Profit Tax, Import Duty, Exchange gains and NNPC refunds.

Also, in the month of May, the sum of N1.5 billion, being excess bank charges, was recovered into the Federation Account and shared among the three tiers.

To break it down, in January, N417.1 was shared and the Federal Government received N180.3 billion; states, N113.5 billion and local governments, N85.4 billion while N208.2 was shared as derivation revenue.

In February, N370.3 billion was shared and Federal Government received N155.4 billion, States N104 billion and Local Government N77.8 billion.

N345.1 billion was shared in March with the Federal Government taking N144.5 billion, states N96.4 billion and local governments, N72.1 billion.

Oil producing states also got an additional N23.2bil-

lion.

In April, N306 billion was shared and the Federal Government received N126 billion, states, N86.9 billion and local governments, N64.7 billion, while N20.1 was shared to oil producing states as derivation fund.

May recorded low revenue as only N289.4 billion was shared.

The Federal Government got N118.9 billion; states, N83.7 billion and local governments, N62.2 billion.

Also, N16 billion was shared as derivation reve-

nue to oil producing states.

In June, N311.5 billion was generated and Federal Government took N129.7 billion, states received N89.1 and local governments made N66.4 billion and as usual, 13 per cent derivation revenue of N17

billion was shared to oil rich states.

NAN reports that based on the data, N691.7 billion was shared in July.

This has been the highest amount generated in a month since the beginning of the year.

From the amount, Federal Government received N255.6 billion, states, N153.9 billion and local governments, N116.3 billion.

DMO to raise N395bn in long tenor bonds in Q3 Chima Nwokoji-Lagos

From left, First Deputy President, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Dr Omede Idris; President, APBN, Mr Gabriel Fasoto, presenting a membership certificate to the President and Chairman of Council, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Aare Ganiyu Koledoye and Council Member, NIMN, Mr Chuka Eborah, at the official admission of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria into the Association of Professional Bodies in Nigeria as the 30th member, held in Lagos, on Thursday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Dearth of public conversations, greatest threat to economic recovery —Utomi Kasali Qudus -Lagos

A professor of political economy and management expert, Professor Pat Utomi, has stressed the need for Nigerians to engage in genuine public discourse on the nation’s economy, while attributing the nation’s worsening economy to lack of such act in the past.

Utomi, who made this call at the second edition of the Tunji Braithwaite Foundation Symposium, themed: Nigeria in Crisis: The Imperative of A New Socio-Economic Order, held recently in Lagos, explained that to ensure recovery of the nation’s battered economy, Nigerians must be ready to engage in national conversation, designed to pour out the truth.

“Our country is faring

badly, just because of some men and women, who are simply not ready to speak the truth to power, especially at this time of economic crises.

“Only few people are engaging their voices on the present challenges facing the country. But we need to wake up and speak truth to power from across the length and breadth of this land,” he stated.

According to him, the country had been divided in the last one year than ever, noting that it had become imperative on Nigerians to begin to think of how to restructure the economy for the benefits of the younger generation.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Director-General, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),

Professor Abubakar Momoh, noted that without massive investment on education, Nigerian government is not yet prepared for the political and economic crises of the 21st century.

Momoh, who was the keynote speaker, said that for the Federal Government to actualise the change man-

Dutse Micro Finance Bank offers N75m agric loan to farmers Adamu Amadu- Dutse THE Dutse Emirate Council in conjunction with the Dutse Micro Finance Bank (DMFB) will soon commence a scheme to support farmers with soft loans of the sum of N75 million, for irrigation farming.

This was disclosed by the

NCC to fight exploitation of telecom consumers Kola Oyelere -Kano THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Thursday informed telecom consumers in the ancient city of Kano not to entertain any fear of patronising any telecommunication outfit, saying the NCC is strictly established to guide against market exploitation, as well as empower consumers to make rational and informed decisions when making choice of services.

The Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Alhaji Abdullahi Maikano, who was

represented by the Deputy Director, Dr Femi Atoyebi, at the 70th edition of a Consumer Outreach Programme (COP), noted that consumer education is identified by the NCC as one of the most cost effective mechanisms that provide and guarantee consumer protection.

“Besides serving as a proactive way of protecting consumers from making wrong choices, the NCC also serve as a preventive measure which protects consumers from being exploited,” he said.

Maikano, however, added

tra, it must centre on human development and set up a technocratic system of government.

“Unless we go back to investing in knowledge, and knowledge conversation in education, we are not yet prepared for the battle and the journey of the 21 century,” he stated.

NIGERIA plans to raise between N305 billion and N395 billion ($1.08 bln -$1.40 bln) in local currency-denominated bonds with maturities ranging from 5 to 20 years in the third quarter(Q3) of the year, the Debt Management Office (DMO) said on Wednesday.

The debt office said it would auction between N105 and N135 billion worth of bonds maturing in 2021, 2026 and 2036 in July, N95 and N125 billion worth of same debt in August and N105 and N135 billion worth of the paper in September.

In its latest debt issuance calendar, the debt office said the 2021 paper was a new issue, while the 2026 and 2036 maturing paper re-opened previously issued debt.

Nigeria issues sovereign bonds monthly to support the local bond market, create a benchmark for corporate issuance and fund its budget deficit.

The country said it will borrow about N900 billion locally to finance part of the N 2.2 trillion deficits in its 2016 budget.

that to ensure that the consumer is well protected, educated and informed, the commission has developed series of initiatives with the main goal of empowering consumers with appropriate information that would ensure that their right are not only protected, but their choices provide them with value for their money.

Amongst these measures are organising outreach programmes across the country, consumer education via factsheets and information dissemination via consumer web portal.

bank’s Managing Director, Alhaji Safiyanu Sulaiman, while speaking during the flagging off of the loan distribution in Dutse, adding that the beneficiaries were drawn from seven local government areas under the emirate council.

Alhaji Safiyanu Sulaiman explained that the gesture was part of the bank’s effort to support farming activities as one of the primary objectives of the bank IS “to encourage and enhance agricultural activities among people in this area.”

According to him, the beneficiaries included district heads, village heads, ward heads and other individuals who met the loan’s condition.

Safiyanu said those who are salary earners among the beneficiaries would pay back the loan between 10 to 12 months, while others would pay between five to seven months after the sale of their farm produces.

“Those who earn salary among the beneficiaries

would pay back the loan through deduction from source, while those who are mainly farmers will pay after they sell their farm produces at the end of the season,” Safiyanu said.

The MD said the bank had been supporting farmers with loan in the area for the past 12 years, adding that “we started with N300 million in 2004.”

Also speaking, the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Muhammad Sunusi, urged beneficiaries to make good use of the money to improve their socio-economical well being.

Sunusi, represented by the Galadiman Dutse, Alhaji Basiru Muhammad, urged the people, particularly the youth, to take advantage of the state and Federal Government’s commitment towards developing agriculture as a matter of priority.

Basiru commended the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi and the MD of the bank for facilitating and making the loan possible.

13

editorial

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Friday, 23 September, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Buhari’s ‘zero’ inheritance

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari recently took a swipe at the erstwhile ruling party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and national administrations from the outset of the current democratic experiment. Nigeria has, since 1999, been administered by ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan. The president spoke in his home town of Daura in Katsina State, shortly after attending the Eid prayers, against the backdrop of the nosediving economy which has effectively birthed a recession.

While reiterating his government’s resolve to tackle the cankerworm of corruption that has bedevilled the country for decades, he claimed that previous administrations before him left no foundation for him in his vision of constructing a Nigerian edifice that is the pride of all.

President Buhari made this confounding allegation ostensibly out of frustration with the level of rot he met in the system, especially against the background of the alleged massive heists across board that were uncovered and linked to the immediate past government of President Jonathan. The rot has rankled Nigerians since it became public knowledge and it is apparent that the president’s riposte in Daura was uttered against the backdrop this disgust. However, the president took his thesis too far, almost to the level of farce. He also took for granted the patriotism of the many cells of leadership in the Nigerian governments since 1999. His blanket condemnation looks like that from an athlete in a race who gives himself a thumbs up at the beginning of a tourney and pillories previous runners. The self glorification is too early in the race and the condemnation of past runners in the race is unwarranted.

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Reverend Mathew Hassan Kukah, apparently had an answer to this nag. Even though Nigerians least expect their president to be a miracle worker, they did not anticipate that complaints and condemnation of past trekkers on this road of leadership would be the broth that he would feed them with, Kukah seemed to have told the president.

The summation of Kukah’s homily to the president is to concentrate on reducing the searing pains of hunger in the land, rather than engaging in buck-passing.

The world over, governance is perceived to be a

continuum. Thus, the assets and liabilities of governance and government are inherited by successors to the heritage.

An exercise of pervasive buck-passing would then appear to be a denigration of this globally accepted twine that connects governments and administrations.

Besides, even the claim of zero inheritance is anything but true. Perhaps the most instructive rebuttal of this claim is the GSM revolution that seems to be the hub of transformation and revolution in communication in Nigeria. It is the handiwork of one of the administrations which President Buhari claimed bequeathed zero inheritance to him. Also, prior to 1999, the aviation sector was a jungle with the Nigerian Airways and one or two others in tow. Since 1999, a revolution has occurred in the sector which has massively jump-started commerce and development in the country. There are a thousand and one of such which are worthy bequeathals that any serious administration can build upon to drive home the engine of developmental revolution.

The Obasanjo government cleared the debt it inherited from the dregs and dross of military administrations of previous decades and negotiated Nigeria out of the murky waters of economic albatross it found itself in.

Very seldom did the government celebrate this yeoman’s effort. It is also public knowledge that, aside the smear of corruption on the previous government, it initiated very solid and sound economic policies which this government is currently benefiting from. A good number of the Buhari government’s economic policies are a direct clone of or a total patenting of the laudable policies of the Jonathan administration. As widely vilified as the government was, its debt portfolio was said less than four percent of the country’s GDP and, as yet, Nigeria is considered to have under-borrowed.

We affirm that the current government inherited so many worthy legacies from previous governments which it should build upon in the quest to make Nigeria enviable in the comity of nations. President Buhari has received kudos from within and outside the country on his efforts to tackle corruption. He should however not allow himself to be railroaded into narcissism, which is the bane of Messiahnist governments obsessed with the rightness of their own cause and the wrongness of any others.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Friday, 23 September, 2016

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@ yahoo.com or by sms to 08054005323. It MUST be accompanied

by the full name and address of the writer.

Promoting Nigeria’s cultural values

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HE need to appreciate and jealously guard our collective cultural values in all its ramifications is so important. This is undeniably true given the various cultural issues in some parts of the world, Nigeria inclusive.

In Syria, for instance, ancient monumental sites and cultural relics are at the mercy of insurgents.

The Islamic State (IS) is crushing every available historical monument on a daily basis in that country.

In Egypt, the story is the same, not leaving out AlShabab in Somalia, or Boko-Haram in Nigeria.

Apart from the attacks on historical monuments, it seems we have also lost our cultural values, which preach love and kindness to our neighbours.

The Niger Delta militants’ daily attacks on oil pipelines in the South South region, the Fulani herdsmen’s rampaging in the southern part of the country, among other vio-

lent acts are cause for concern. All these violence do not reflect our cultural upbringing, which allows for open-mindedness and dialogue, all aimed at ensuring mutual understanding for the well-being of our society.

The diversion of the funds meant for the upkeep of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is also showing that we have lost our cultural values, as people no longer have respect for one another. The passion and compassionate attitude in us have been thrown to the dogs. In the past, our neighbours’ pains and anguish were everybody’s headache. However, that was in the past.

The focus of this letter, therefore, is to reawaken our consciousness towards the firm protection of all our cultural values and heritage in the midst of this turbulent insurgency.

We should not limit our beam light on artefacts alone, but to those values that tightened the bond of

unity among all peoples of the country.

Consequently, we must begin to use our culture to address joblessness, youth uprising, kidnapping, bad leadership, vandal-

ism, nepotism, hooliganism, cultism, corruption, among other vices.

It is when we focus on our cultural values, which preach the respect for other people, that we can truly

develop in the country.

It is when we have respect and love for other people, that our political leaders will be concerned with those things that will aid the welfare of the citi-

zenry.

•Shehu Fasasi Adewale, National Museum, Osogbo, Osun State.

Remembering the late Gani Fawehinmi IN the face of unrivaled excesses and brutalities of deranged military dictators and civilian oppressors, Gani Fawehinmi remained constant, consistent, and courageous in his criticisms of a ruling class run amok. With all righteousness and religiosity, he fought the creators of wicked schemes to total surrender. Gani was a potent combination of character and strategy.

Knowing the fragility and brevity of life, Gani worked round the clock believing in Jackie Robinson’s philosophy that “a life is not important except in the impact it has on others.”

Gani made an impact on us the way atomic bomb

does: He imploded before he exploded! Gani used the law as a natural weapon of mass defence (WMD) to right wrongs, to bring immediate joy and relief to the aggrieved, to rekindle stale dreams of the hopeless and the voiceless, and most importantly, as messages of good cheer to all oppressed peoples in the world.

His mind was never at rest, and his pen was connected to his mind by the best conductive narrative magnet I’ve ever seen.

Gani seemed to be saying “some men see things as they are and ask “why?” but he “dreams things that never were and ask “why not?” With his persistent

unyielding prosecutorial skill, our fledging democracy has been made stronger and stringent.

Gani’s wildness and subtlety of thinking and the intensity of his interest in others and his sympathy for the dilemma of the oppressed make him public defender extraordinary.

He was both a practitioner and defender of the law.

He practiced law the way a surgeon operates: because it is a livelihood, because he had a great urge to do it, because many interesting challenges were set up, and because he believed they may do some good.

As a gutsy fighter, Gani believed and appropriately I might add, that the law is a shield as well as a sword.

He developed a reputation for ruthlessness with enemies of the poor and fierce defence of both constitu-

tional rights and civil liberties. Thoughtful and tough, passionate and strategic, outgoing and introspective, Gani was always worried and troubled about the defenceless, the forgotten, the unemployed, the downtrodden, the excluded, and the marginalised.

He was always willing to wade in where and whenever justice is on trial.

If Gani erred, he did so on the side of generosity.

He was a giver, not a taker.

Gani, to paraphrase the Middle Eastern saying, when you were born, you cried, we rejoiced. You lived your life in way that when you left us, we cried, and you rejoiced. Continue to rest in peace, the defender of the masses.

•Bayo Oluwasanmi, bjoluwasanmi@ gmail.com

Preparing for future Nigerians IT is important for Nigerians to know that with our high growth rate, a time will come when we will find it hard to provide basic amenities for the coming generation. At the moment, we are estimated to be around 187 million people, but by 2050, Nigeria is projected to be the fourth most populous country in the world after China, India and Indonesia.

So, when that time comes, there will be more people competing for healthcare services, spaces in schools, food, among others. While huge population can have its advantage if the government can plan well for it, in the case of Nigeria, we are known for our lackadaisical attitude towards issues, and it is doubtful if there is any plan already in place to cater for future Nigerians when our population will

hit 300 million.

We still have a long time to go before we reach that target, but it is necessary for the government to establish a ministry that will be in charge of planning for our coming generation now. The ministry will be responsible for mapping the expected population in each geo-political zone, thereby suggesting to government the number of schools, hospitals, recreation centres, among others, to build in a particular region.

Whether we like it or not, the future will be here with us one day, so it is important we begin to plan towards that time so that there won’t be war when people begin to compete for land and services.

•Cynthia Uloma, Wuse 11, Abuja.

opinion Change begins with all of us 15

Friday, 23 September, 2016

By Joe Igbokwe

T

HE ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaigns kickstarted by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, is being misunderstood as if the President is shifting the Change he promised to the doorsteps of Nigerians. The impression I get when I speak to friends or read their write-ups is that President Buhari is abdicating in his responsibility to bring the desired change his promised the people of Nigeria. They say that the ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaigns is an attempt to divert the attention of Nigerians from the real issues. They claim that the President is blaming them for the economic crisis they never created in the first place. They are of the opinion that President Buhari should bring the change he promised.

Those who know better tell us that change will not come if we continue to wait for other people. The tell us that change will elude us if we continue to procrastinate and continue to shift it to some other time. They tell us that we are the ones we have been waiting for. They tell us that we are the change we desire, the change we seek and the change we want. Now, why am I saying this? What point am I trying to make? What do I want to achieve?

As a father, as an activist, as a leader, and as an elder, I have seen it all in Nigeria. I have seen why things seem to remain the same, even when we try to move forward. I have seen why Nigeria is not working. I have seen why we seem to remain the same when other countries are moving forward. I have concluded that even you brought all the money in the world to Nigeria we may not make it because we need attitudinal change. We need to change our character. We need to change our mindset. We need to love this country and work for it to bring the desired change we all need.

I have been diligently following the recovery of public funds from certain individuals like service chiefs, politicians, business men, contractors, civil servants, among others, and I have been asking why we steal what we do not need, while we steal and steal and will not say enough is enough, and why we steal for ourselves, for our children, for grand children, for our great grand children and even generations yet unborn. I am told that “our foreign exchange reserves plummeted from $62bn in 2008 to $30bn by 2015, at a time when oil prices were at a historic high, reaching a level of $114 per barrel in 2014. By

comparison, Indonesia, another oil producing economy with a high population, increased its reserves from $60 billion in 2008 to $120 billion in 2015” about the same time. Now, who is to blame? You blame the government, the rats in NNPC, the rats in the MDAs,the rats in the Budget office, their cronies and associates, their hangers on, etc. They are all Nigerians.

A Professor from the University of Lagos once took a weighing machine to the markets in Lagos to verify the claims of Nigerian manufactures concerning the weight of their products. None of the products passed the simple test. The products weighed below what was written on the labels. Now, who is to blame? Fathers and mothers who pay for their children to go to special centers to write their examinations are not government officials. Special centres are where students go to be helped to pass their exams. The criminal organisers of the scam buy the question papers from WAEC officials and get experts to provide answers which they now handover to these students at special centers. What about some medical doctors who run baby factories where underaged girls are lured with say N50,000 to get pregnant and when the babies are delivered these doctors and their collaborators, sell the babies to would-be buyers ranging from N500,000 to N1,000,000? Are they not ordinary Nigerian citizens?

What about the lawyers and judges including the well respected SANs who run from one court to another to defend those who looted the nation to bones?

What about the ordinary Nigerians who connive with government officials to defraud government and sabotage the system? What about our contractors who collect money for projects and use it to buy more cars and marry

more wives? What about government officials and ordinary Nigerians who connive to loot the nation and stash the money abroad, and sometimes such funds are never recovered? What about the ordinary bankers and bank bosses who help the looters to keep stolen funds and even help to open several accounts without sticking to the rules of the games? What about the governors, senators, legislators, traditional rulers, leaders of thoughts, among others, who encourage criminals to destroy government installations in the name of agitations? What will you say about university teachers who demand sex or money for students to pass their exams? What about those who go to collect our scarce foreign exchange earnings promising to use it to import raw materials, only to take the dollars to the black market and make millions just for making phone calls to the right people in the corridors of power?

What about those who use our scarce foreign exchange to go and import toothpicks, toilet rolls, toilet soaps, etc?

What about those who divert military hardwares to the enemies or those who work for the enemies of the country for personal gains? What about the church leaders who connive with any government in power just for personal gains instead of speaking truth to power in tandem with their callings? Police who erect illegal checkpoints across Nigeria to extort money from ordinary Nigerians are pulling the country down. Those rats who add thousands of names (ghost workers) on the pay roll to steal billions every month are pulling the nation down gradually.I can go on and on.

The truth is that some of us used to say that Nigeria is what it is today because of what our past leaders have made it, whether they are civilians or military, but today, I am singing a different song. My experience since I left the University of Nigeria in 1985 is that all have contributed to the mess we find ourselves today. The little wrongs things we have been doing in our homes and offices have magnified in no uncertain terms to become the big problems we have today as a nation. A nation fails because we have failed as a doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, soldiers, police, fathers, mothers, presidents, ministers, senators, house of reps members, governors, commissioners, artisans, etc. Governance is a collective responsibility. Government must show the way and the citizens must obey the law and do the needful. Citizens must change their attitude and mindset for this country to join the comity of developed nations.

•Igbokwe lives in Lagos.

On African Union’s new electronic passport

By Michael Ogunjobi

LATELY, the long-awaited African Union (AU) passport was presented by the Commission’s Chairperson, Dr. Dlamini Zuma, to the Chairperson of the union, President Idriss Deby of Chad and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda at the opening ceremony of the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. It is a historic move to create “seamless borders” modelled on European Union Schengen free movement deal, which has abolished many internal borders to enable passport-free movement across the bloc.

By this new electronic passport, the African Union (AU), which represents 54 states, hopes to facilitate free movement of persons, goods and services around the continent to foster intra-Africa trade, integration and socio-economic development. The passport features inscriptions in five languages—English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, and Swahili. Basically, there are two passports - one issued by the African Union for officials and people who travel a lot on business, and the other by individual countries for everyone else. It serves to remove all barriers to inter-African trade, thereby promoting less dependence on former colonial powers.

Remarkably, sceptics have argued that a borderless Africa would be challenging due to militancy, civil war and public health crises in the continent. In addition, it has been argued that an agreement about visa-free travel could have been a better option to produce similar result. Moreso, some African countries might be

reluctant to open their borders, to avoid a huge influx of people from other countries. Moreover, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the clearing house for 260 airlines across the globe, had expressed concern that the demand for air travel is growing at slow pace owing to the economic downturn, political shock and a wave of terrorist attacks across the globe.

However, a cursory look at the crime situation in Africa would reveal that the proximate cause is the whole range of economic conditions associated with poverty, social injustice and inequality exacerbated by the high rate of unemployment and economic hardship. This requires collective responsibility as evident by Boko Haram operations which now cut across borders within the continent.

Worse still, is the recent declaration by the Islamic State that Abu Musab al-Barnawi was now leader of

the dreaded group. This has however been denied

by Abubakar Shekau whom in an audio message said he was alive and had not been replaced. Shekau took over as the group’s leader after its founder, Muhammad Yusuf, died in Nigerian police custody in July 2009. Evidently, the recent bond between Boko Haram and the more sophisticated jihadist group - IS (as a self-proclaimed IS’s “West African province”) does not portend any clear sign that the Nigerian armed forces has won the war against same as we are made to believe. Also, the United States had only recently warned its citizens against travelling to 20 states in Nigeria, including the insurgency-hit northeast.

Taking a critical look at security challenges across the globe, it amounts to gross negligence of duty for any government to ignore its moral and constitutional duty of defending its citizenry. No doubt, African industrialization can be a reality in our lifetime, but it is up to all of us to ensure that we do not bequeath violent conflicts, wars and genocide to future generations of Africans.

Happily, the African Union (AU) passport is a step towards achieving a multinational United States of Africa, being a concept which takes its origin from Marcus Garvey’s 1924 poem, Hail, United States of Africa. It is hoped that in no distant time, member states will pass the necessary legislations to accord legal cloak and establish the required machinery for the full implementation of this laudable initiative of the AU to achieve a full roll-out of the AU passport to all African citizens by the end of 2018.

•Ogunjobi, a lawyer, is based in Lagos.

16

Friday, 23 September, 2016

I

am always too happy to write about people who inspire history. I am ever excited to write on people who will always be at the centre of history and epoch making events. Senator Ayo Fasanmi is definitely one of them. My readers will note that it was announced last week that today’s Political Panorama will be on Comrade Bari Adedeji Salau, who will burn 70 on October 10, 2016. We have decided to shift the focus on Comrade Bari Salau of Okun-Owa, near Ijebu-Ode, for another date soon. It will afford us the opportunity of bringing out available facts on a Nigerian who without doubt is one of the authorities on Papa Obafemi Awolowo’s life and times. We have nearly forgotten that a senior Awoist and a highly respected Nigerian politician of the Papa Obafemi Awolowo School (Senator Ayo Fasanmi) would have his birthday celebrated within the bracket days of the Bari Salau event. We assure our readers that details on Comrade Bari Salau will be released on this page within the next one month to justify the life and times of this man who knows a lot about the legend, Papa Awolowo himself. Every sentence pronounced on Bari Adedeji Salau is a sentence uttered on the fame of the glorious pages of Papa Awolow’s history.

And so too is the one we are doing now about Senator Fasanmi.

We write today about a Nigerian political leader who has done a lot to make Nigeria a great country for progressive people who believe that the poor people of Nigeria must be encouraged and supported to create a life of hope and meaning for themselves. Senator Fasanmi has remained for many years a political associate of the Sage – Papa Awo. He has campaigned with Awo’s name to the poor people of Nigeria. He has for many years been at the leadership of political parties founded by Awo to serve as vehicles of progressive change for Nigeria. Talk about the Action Group (AG) that was deeply involved in the nationalist struggles of the Papa Awolowo, Senator Fasanmi was there as a principal witness.

Talk of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) that was the political platform created by Papa Awo to dictate the politics of the Second Republic in Nigeria, Senator Fasanmi, was fully there equally as a witness. Mention the progressive politics of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Jomo Kayatta of Kenya, Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal, Awalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Modibo Keita of Mali, “Madiba” Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Seku Toure of Guinea and a host of others, Senator Ayo Fasanmi’s comments and recitations on the above political giants of Africa can never be pushed aside. I say it with pride today that Senator Fasanmi remains an effective link between the events of the past and present in Africa.

Senator Fasanmi was born 91 years ago at Iye in Ilejemeje area of Ekiti State. He became a revolutionary at Ilejemeje and established an unshakable Pan-Africanist life there. Senator Fasanmi attended Government College, Ibadan, where he met and embraced the friendship of his bosom friend, the late Dr. Tunji Otegbeye.

They were political “Siamese” twins when Otegbeye was alive. They were inseparable in all they did as dedicated leaders of the African revolutionary movement.

A Nigerian, Dr. ‘Muyiwa Oladimeji from Orokiland, Osogbo, who also attended Government College, Ibadan (years after Fasanmi and Otegbeye), has also attested in writing about the progressiveness of these two illustrious sons of Africa. In Trade Unionism of the Socialist blend, Ayo Fansami and Tunji Otegbeye were simply inseparable. As Socialist politicians of the Papa Obafemi Awolowo blend, Ayo Fasanmi and Tunji Otegbeye were thoroughly united. Ayo Fasanmi and Tunji Otegbeye were great names in the progressive history of Nigeria and Africa. These men were simply great.

The 91st birthday of Senator Fasanmi will be specially marked this year with the celebration of a chieftaincy title conferred on him by the Oba of Ido-Osun Kingdom, the Obalufon. The title Asiwaju of Ido-Osun Kingdom was conferred on our own Senator Fasanmi on August 27, 2016, by the Obalufon himself.

The title was to honour Senator Fasanmi’s history as a progressive and militant fighter of the rights of the oppressed people of Nigeria for many of his years on earth.

On 27, September (few days from now) Senator Fasanmi will host at his residence in Osogbo, the Obalufon and many of his Chiefs in appreciation of his gratitude

With

Ebenezer Babatope

0805-500-1735 (SMS ONLY PLEASE)

Senator Ayo Fasanmi at 91

•Senator Ayo Fasanmi

to them for the unique honour.

I have a little history with the Ido-Osun people. My first daughter, Gbonjubola (now Mrs. Gbonjubola Alao) was married to an Ido-Osun son, Mr. Biodun Alao, some years ago. Biodun’s parents from Ido-Osun live in Ibadan. I love my son-in-law and he has continued to let me know that he is very fond of his birth connections with Ido Osun. I hope, I will be able to attend

May God continue to bless Senator Ayo Fasanmi as he turns 91 years on earth for he has been a jolly good fellow.

the “Egbon” Ayo Fasanmi event on September 27 for the Ido-Osun people at Osogbo.

Though, an Ekiti by birth, Senator Fasanmi remains till today a name worth mentioning several times in Osogbo as a citizen of Oroki land in Osun State. He has stayed several years in Osogbo. Senator Fasanmi has a “Midas” touch. Anything he touches immediately becomes successful. He has been a result oriented pharmacist of Osogbo with a flourishing pharmaceutical shop at Fagbewesa Street in Osogbo. As a foremost fighter against corruption in Nigeria, Senator Fasanmi has used Osogbo as the launching pad of his crusade years ago. This great son of Africa means a lot to many people of Africa. He is today 91 and he will definitely be remembered as a successful and proud Nigerian.

I hope Senator Fasanmi’s many years of socialist struggle will continue to rank him as one of the most brilliant fighters of his generation.

May God continue to bless Senator Ayo Fasanmi as he turns 91 years on earth for he has been a jolly good fellow. I know Nigeria will eventually be able to plan how to honour this great man of history.

EBINO TOPSY – 0805-500-1735 (SMS ONLY PLEASE) NEXT WEEK: AND DAPO OYEWUMI (OMO OYE) DIED (BOOK YOUR COPY IN ADVANCE)

17

Friday, 23 September, 2016

eyesof islam

Saheed Salawu yinkadejavu@yahoo.com 0811 695 4643

The family institution in Islam

By Siraj islam Mufti HE Western society as a whole is in a deep social crisis. This is primarily due to the breakdown of family institution through dominant secular forces. Family constitutes the foundation of a society and on its strength or weakness lies the strength or weakness of its society. If the family institution is weak nothing else can make up for this weakness. Therefore, despite its present greatness, the entire West is heading towards a disastrous end.But let us discuss the subject of Islamic family and its importance for Muslims.

Ismail Faruqi, a great Islamic intellectual who was a professor of religion at the Temple University and a founder of International Institute of Islamic Thought in Herndon, Virginia observed, “The Islamic family, if it is rightly Islamic, is the very ideal to which Western people aspire. In other words, the reality of Western people today stands diametrically opposite; if they can say that they can stand at the bottom at the bottom of human, social, and ethical development, because of what we see happening around us in their midst, the Islamic family with its ideals, with its norms and standards, stands at the opposite highest, and therefore, there could be no better way of convincing Western man, the non-Muslim man or woman, of the value of Islam, of the greatness of Islam, than to invite them to visit a Muslim family.”

However he warned Muslims, “But then, the Muslim family must be a good one. In other words, it must be truly Islamic and it must live up to the standards expected of an Islamic family.”

Let us analyse some of the reasons for the wellbeing of an Islamic family.

1. Even before an Islamic family is started it carries divine blessings on the premise that there no sex before marriage.

Thus it saves Muslims from the evils of sexual promiscuity that is rampant in the West. It is the cause, among others, of the spread of venereal diseases.

In the Western societies virginity is looked upon as an oddity. The youngsters mix freely with one another and have sex as they desire with more than one partner. And this habit continues after they get married. Therefore, there is great infidelity in marriage. And even a father may not consider that children born are legitimately his – leading to his emotional ruin.

In females, this is the cause of widespread teen-age pregnancy and of unmarried mothers.

2.

Islam confers different roles of man and woman. As such, women do not compete with men, but complement each other.

This is clear from the following Qur’anic verse: “Husbands are the protectors and maintainers of their wives because God has given them one more strength than the other, and because they support them from their means.” (Al Nisa 4:34).

Islam assigns the family leadership role to men because God has endowed them

T

with somewhat greater physical and emotional strength and endurance. As such men are responsible for supporting all female relatives in addition to their own household.

On the other hand, God made women biologically and psychologically very much suited to concentrate on the home and family and all that is required to operate and develop this institution and its associated areas.

This is a tremendous responsibility. And no one else can either take it away from her or adequately attend to it.

3. An Islamic family begins with affinity between the two families and prospective spouses. The courtship between husband and wife starts after marriage and grows and becomes stronger with passage of time. And marriage is the beginning not the consummation of this process of courtship and love.

4. Arranged marriage in Islam means a marriage not of two individuals, but of two families. As such the two families with all their human, economic, and wisdom resources are at the service of newly married couple. And all these resources are available for the two spouses if there is any problem.

5. Marriage in Islam means a civil contract between two individuals with the backing of two families. It requires consent of the two entering marriage, is signed and agreed upon and witnessed by guardians and elders of the spouses and becomes a legal and binding document.

It serves like a constitution for the home state with all of its functionaries with responsibilities in the home.

6. In Islam a woman, married or single is seen as a person in her own right, and not merely an adjunct to another person. As such, she has full right of ownership and disposal of her own property and earnings, even after marriage. When she is married, she retains her family name, instead of adopting her husband’s.

7. As stated above, marriage in Is-

In Islam a woman, married or single is seen as a person in her own right, and not merely an adjunct to another person.

lam is a commitment of the spouses and their families to each other, and therefore it increases the sense of responsibility among them and induces a spirit of sacrifice for each other. And defeats and overcomes any individual selfish tendency for their common good. As a result Muslim families are stable as indicated by low divorce rate in Muslim countries.

8. A most important characteristic advocated by Islam is an extended family system. Dr. Faruqi calls the extended family of Islam as “the noblest, the greatest, the most valuable social institution the world has ever seen.” And that, “By going nuclear, that is to say by going individualistic, Western society has lost all these values and they are suffering terribly.”

An extended Muslim family is endowed with all its human wisdom and all the resources that it could contribute.

Because we live with our parents and our elders who have brought us up, played with us at our young age, told us stories, were patient with us, educated us, guided us, advised us – so we love them because we are in constant communion with them.

However in the West there is alienation, and as soon as a youth grows up, he strikes out on his own. And when parents are old there is no respect for them and they end up pining for their children in old or nursing homes.

There could be no more cruel death than

dying slowly in these homes for old age, away from their progeny, deprived of the love of their own children. Respect for elders has to be cultivated and it cannot be cultivated by separation from them. This is the greatest benefit of extended family.

There are numerous other advantages of an extended family. Such as if there is a real need by the community, a Muslim woman can have career without jeopardising the upbringing of children, because there are others to take care of them.

Also, an extended family meets the needs of its individuals at different times.

The need for love, for play, for consulting and counseling, for letting out the pent-up emotions, and so on and so forth.

And most importantly, there is no generation gap in an extended family. Thus social norms and values are passed on from one generation to the next, and there is a continuity between generations without a generation gap. This important quality is gravely missing in the Western societies.

A last point that the current research has shown is that as a result of the support system provided by an extended family, its individuals do not suffer from many of health complications and illnesses – such as depression, psychological and mental disorders, and even diseases such as cancers.

In summing it up, it is important to emphasise on brothers and sisters to stay chaste, guarding the elements of respect and shame within their God-given bodies. And to consult with parents regarding selection of marriage partner, and live in close contact with extended family – we will ignore them only at our peril.

And if we are not careful we would get into more and more problems losing our very identities as Muslims.

We must reform ourselves as well as teach others of the beauty of Islam: It is a vital role that we have to play for our good, the good of America and the wider humankind.

Source: iViews

18

communitynews

Friday, 23 September, 2016

Don’t screen NDDC nominee, Itsekiri tell NASS ebenezer adurokiya-warri

A

N indigene of Itsekiri, Mr Robinson Ariyo, has called on the National Assembly to stop the screening of the Delta State candidate for the position of Executive Director, Projects (EDP) in the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC), Engr. Samuel Ajenakevwe.

Ariyo, who made the call on behalf of the Itsekiri nation, said this was necessary because Ajenakevwe’s nomination was against the principle of federal character.

According to him, nomination into the board from Delta State is rotated among the five ethnic groups in the state.

He noted that the former EDP was removed before the expiration of his tenure and, therefore, must be replaced by somebody from the same ethnic group whose tenure had not elapsed.

Ariyo, while addressing journalists in Warri, said the Itsekiris were already challenging the nomination at a Federal High Court in Abuja, in suit number FHC/ ABJ/05/700/2016.

He said the suit was meant to seek an interim injunction restraining the clearance of Ajenakevwe as the EDP on the board of the NDDC. The peace builder expert said although he was not against any ethnic group in the state, his action was for the benefit of every ethnic group in the state.

He said: “I could remember sometimes ago when Engr. Godwin Omene, an Urhobo, could not complete his four-year-tenure as Managing Director of NDDC, Senator Emmanuel

Agwariavwodo completed it. Elder P. Z. Aghinighan, an Ijaw, did not complete his tenure as Executive Director (Finance and Ad-

ministration), but another Ijaw man, Lambart Kumboye, completed it. Elder Emmanuel Ogidi, an Isoko, could not complete his term, but

THE dynasty of a former Baale of Ibadanland, Aare Obadoke Latoosa, has lauded the governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, for immortalising the late traditional ruler by naming one of the newly created local council development areas after him.

The commendation was contained in a letter by the Mogaji and Head of Aare Latosa dynasty, Chief Hakeem Aare-Latosa, to the governor, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, on Monday.

The traditional ruler ruled Ibadanland as Baale from 1871 to 1885, while his son, Baale Shittu Latosa also reigned in the land from 1914 to 1925.

The crown prince said that the “historic” development of creating new local council development areas and naming one after the family’s progenitor was a right step in the right direction.

He pledged the support and cooperation of the royal family towards the inauguration and smooth operation of the LCDAs. Latoosa said, “Your (Ajimobi) approval of the new LCDAs in Oyo State, including Aare Latosa LCDA, constitutes a laudable immortalisation of Aare Latosa (1871-1885), the founder and progenitor of Aare Latoosa dynasty.

“We shall remember this development perpetually, from generation to generation.

“We use this medium to express our unflinching support to your government and pledge to render the assistance and cooperation required for the development of our new LCDAs.” Governor Ajimobi had on August 23, through his

Chief of Staff, Dr. Gbade Ojo, disclosed that his administration intended to carve out 35 LCDAs from the

RESIDENTS of Gbatse Mbanyeh in Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State were recently in a joyous mood when the Millennium Developmental Goals/Sustainable Development Goals completed the construction of a primary healthcare project with solar powered borehole and overhead tank in the area.

The project is part of the first phase of the MDGs/ SDGs conditional grant scheme flagged off by the present state government in March this year.

According to the community leader, Nyinyongo Gbatse, “for us in Gbatse community, I think this is the first of its kind. This is the

traction as well as two others who had indicated interest for the vacant position in the commission.

They are Sunny Demi-Eje-

gi, Toju Victor Afinotan and George Aghaninoma.

The two other plantiffs are David Odeli and Felix Ighomieyetan.

Under the initiative, Ibadan zone will get 14 councils, while Ibarapa zone will get two. Four

councils will be added to Oyo zone; Ogbomoso zone, gets seven, while Oke-Ogun gets eight.

LCDAs: Family lauds Ajimobi for immortalising Aare Latoosa

first time we are having this kind of project and we thank the state government for the great work. The borehole will be of a great help to us and neighbouring communities.

“The project is very important to us because most times, we travel to Adikpo or Ushongo to getmedical attention but now as soon as this project becomes operational, it will relieve us of the burden of having to travel many kilometres to access medical attention.”

Another resident of the community, Andrew Gbatse said, “we are very happy about the hospital. Our wives give birth at home without the assistance of midwives, but with this development, that has become a thing of the past.

existing 33 local government areas of the state to take development closer to the grass roots.

This dangerous section on Apete-Awotan Road, Ibadan in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State needs the urgent attention of concerned authorities. PHOTO: DAPO FALADE

Police urged to plant, protect trees in barracks or pack out

THE Police Command in Gombe State in collaboration with the state Ministry of Environment has embarked on tree planting campaign in barracks, NAN reported.

Speaking in Gombe recently, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Austine Iwar, said that the ministry had provided the police with 400 seedlings for the exercise.

Iwar said that all personnel residing in barracks would be involved in the planting of trees.

“Each of the trees planted will be attached to the households.

Healthcare project excites Gbatse community johnson babajide-makurdi

his brother, Solomon Ogba, completed it.”

He disclosed that he was representing three engineers from the Itsekiri ethnic ex-

We appreciate the present administration in Benue State for the gesture.

“Before now, we depended on streams for drinking water but we are happy with the turn of event which has brought potable water to this community.”

“If you do not protect them, it means you are not fit to live in the barracks, you will pack out,’’ the commissioner said.

According to him, barracks accommodation is a privilege and not a right, hence any officer who wants to enjoy the barracks must abide by the rules and regulations.

Hajiya Sa’adatu Sa’ad, the state Commissioner for Environment, commended the police for the exercise and called on other agencies to emulate them.

“Your positive response which informed your decision to organise a befiting occasion for planting of trees in the barracks demonstrates the commitment of the force to conserve our fragile ecosystem.

“I equally urge individuals and communities to imbibe the spirit of planting and discourage indiscriminate felling of trees, engage in environmental sanitation and avoid dumping

of refuse in drains to prevent flooding and erosion hazards,’’ Sa’adatu said.

She said that trees have a lot of benefits among

which are reduction of effects of global warming, provision of employment opportunities, income and a source of medicine.

Flood hits 150 communities in Ndokwa alphonsus agborh-asaba

AT least, 150 communities in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State have been submerged by flood.

Worst hit are those located along River Niger, which include Aboh, Onyia, Adiai, Abalagada, Utchi, Okpai communities among others.

Reports from the area said many of the towns and villages have been cut off from one another due to the destruction of link roads by the flood.

Communities that were not completely flooded include Ashaka, Afor, Osissa, Obikwelle, Ushie, Igbuku and Iberede.

Nigerian Tribune investigation showed that water

from River Niger had cascaded in full force into Inyi and Ase creeks with palpable fear that the flood will soon spread to neighbouring communities in Isoko and Ndokwa West.

Reacting to the development, the traditional ruler of Okpai, HRM Goldring Ugbome II, appealed to the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to complete the N11billion shore protection project in the community.

When contacted, the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr John Nani, said those living along River Niger had been asked to relocate when the flood was looming.

Immunisation: Ogun to distribute solar refrigerators to PHCs by gbenga olumide

OGUN State government has assured residents on the even distribution of solar refrigerators through the Ministry of Health in order to retain the potency of immunisation vaccines administered to children in primary healthcare centres across the state.

The state Commissioner

for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, made the disclosure while playing host to members of Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Health, during the committee’s oversight visit to the ministry in Abeokuta.

Ipaye said the development would preserve the potency of immunisation vaccines and the boost immunisation coverage of the ministry across the state,.

He added that priority would be accorded child health to prevent outbreak of childhood diseases, particularly polio.

The commissioner also reaffirmed the state’s commitment in the renovation and equipping of at least, two primary healthare centres in each local government area of the state.

He said despite the paucity

of fund in the state, the government would put necessary machinery in place to ensure the smooth running of projects in the health sector.

The Chairman, House Committee on Health, Honourable Akinpelu Aina, charged the ministry to seek support from philanthropists to complement state government’s effort on healthcare delivery.

19

Friday, 23 September, 2016

fridaytreat

Nigerian Tribune

Rotimi Ige rotimiige@yahoo.com 0811 695 4636 Instagram: @roy_ige

10 questions with Tjan

‘I do music to keep love alive’

Y

ou just returned from a trip to SA. What was it all about?

My trip to South Africa was for my African media tour, which started from Benin Republic and we would be touring more countries as time goes on.

How was the experience?

The trip to South Africa was an awesome experience.

We were able to connect and interact with people and visited as many media outfits as possible. I cannot possibly describe the amazing reception that we got because it was out of this world.

Critics say South Africans are better vocalists than Nigerians. As one of the best voices from here, what is your opinion?

Personally, I think music wise, we outplay them on that context with a very large margin because music from Nigeria is gaining its own place in the international market.

It is also said that Nigerian artistes rely more

on beats than lyrics? As an R n B artiste, what influences your songs?

Everything can be an inspiration. For me, it’s about my everyday living, my desire to express how much love conquers all and God.

‘Aduke’ got a lot of attention. Would you say the song is indeed special and why?

I want to believe it is a special song and I think such good music has been missing from the Nigerian music scene. It brought some breath of fresh air.

Any particular challenges during your musical journey?

I have passed through different challenges but I overcame with God. With him, all is possible and the bad times only make you stronger for the greatness ahead.

What inspires your lyrics?

My environment, my life in general and my drive to keep love alive.

Why the choice of R n B? I do R N B because it works for me, but I’m not only good with R n B as you can tell from my current single featuring Ycee which is a pop song.

You have a couple of songs making waves.

Should fans expect an album?

Absolutely, all this work is definitely leading to an album.

Mentors?

Cobhams Asuquo, Usher , Chris Brown , Styl plus, Paul I.K Dairo, Don Moen, Ron Kenoly.

The Nigerian music space is quite competitive. R n B artistes are not always as appreciated save a few. How do you hope to stand out and become one of the most sought after vocalists in Nigeria.

Every artiste is unique in their own way and what makes each artiste different from every other artiste is they themselves and their different experiences in life.

A ye po gan (Meaning ‘There is enough space’)

20 Rotimi Ige rotimiige@yahoo.com 0811 695 4636 IG: @roy_ige twitter: @fridaytreat

fridaytreat

‘Nigerian comedians can compete favourably

anywhere in the world’ Laf’up is a Nigerian comedian/ corporate compere who has carved a niche for himself in the entertainment industry. In this interview with ROTIMI IGE, he speaks on the comedy industry, his circus event, among other things.

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Friday, 23 September, 2016

M

OST comedians are branching into other art forms. Is comedy all that you do?

(Laughs) Well, I’m a little of a few things you know, not just comedy.

I’m a comic writer and I just wrote a play that I’ll be performing alongside some veteran comedians and Nollywood actors at the Muson centre.

I also have some businesses that I run on the side, managed by some set of creative guys. I do charity work, own an event solution company.

With my PhD in view, let’s just say I’m a student in the morning, business man by noon, father by evening and comedian by night. It is a wholesome mix of everything.

Which of these is your most favorite job?

I love playing Daddy. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful son and recently a beautiful daughter. The joy and blessings of having them keeps me going even beyond limits and my wife has been supportive, I mean beyond words.

What other projects are you involved in?

Well, a few things. The most important is my new project, ‘LAFUPLIVE THE CIRCUS’.

It’s a comedy circus written and created by me.

The show is coming on Sunday and it is different in all ramifications, trust me. It is a blend of stand up comedy and and theatre with refreshing ideas and content. Theatre is my first love, I always flesh my acts up with it. Due to the success my Ibadan shows have recorded, many people always asked when I would be organising a Lagos show, so I can say by popular demand...the circus is coming to town.

Recently, you toured many countries and was part of many shows. Are you relocating?

Relocating? No, I know it’s a tough time for our dear country. People are not smiling, literally but we are going nowhere, the country needs us, people need comedians to provide the comic relief. I lie? If you’ve noticed, for the past for years I’ve always had my American states tour. This year happened to be the biggest as it drew media attention. We touched different states and cities interacting with fans in the diaspora as well as people of different races and cultures. I remember my tour manager mentioning that we took more than 40 flights on the entire trip. It’s an experience I will never forget. Next year, hopefully, we would break more boundaries.

You are known for your Ibadan materials/jokes and the leading force from that side of the country. Do you still connect with your base, and do you still have a grip on this niche

TODAY, band owner, Femi Odewole better known as Femi Guiter will take fans on a musical journey as he releases a new single titled ‘Jantoro’.

you have carved for yourself?

Well, Ibadan is still my main base. Having popularised the Ibadan stereotype as against the earlier common Warri jokes, I think it is also key to carry the story of my people with me to the rest of the world. I am still very Ibadan, if you recall, I dashed down from America just recently, United States to run the Ibadan Red concert and had to travel back the second night.

There’s a lot of comedy shows around these days. Is that an indication that the industry is booming?

Well, I would say yes. Clearly, if there isn’t audience for it, it won’t continue to thrive. But then, I would again state that we are still merely scratching the surface of the strength of comedy in our culture. We need to dig deep, go an extra mile and possible change the regular over used templates. Attention to details, infusing more creativity and emphasis on quality rather than quantity, if you know what i mean, will get us to the ‘promised land’.

Having entertained music lovers at various events and parties with his ‘Guitar band’, Femi Odewole, who is a versatile artiste with ability to infuse various genres in

‘The Hearing’ premiere set for South Africa

What’s your relationship with other comedians?

My relationship with other colleagues in the game is a good one.

Of course you know no other sector of the entertainment industry supports their own like comedians. However, I keep it healthy and as mutual as it gets. But as a producer, I almost always have need to experiment and work closely with most of my colleagues. For my protégés, I provide the best possible support in terms of mentorship and advice.

How do you relax?

That’s a very good question considering the fact my job is to make others relax. For many of us, work is fun too though but we still create recreation away from work. I love to swim, hang out with friends. Spending quality time with my family is one thing I find very relaxing and refreshing, people around me know that. Of course I love to travel; it is an important aspect of my job as well.

Femi Odewole serenades fans with ‘Jantoro’

NAIJOZI Media Productions, a multimedia outfit based in South Africa is set to premiere its latest movie titled, ‘The Hearing’ in Johannesburg, South-Africa.

The Chief Executive Officer of the outfit, Mrs. Olatilewa Animashaun, popularly known as ‘Tilly’, made the disclosure on Sunday in a chat with Friday Treat.

According to her, the educative entertainment-themed movie, will be premiered at the Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg on Saturday, December 3, 2016.

The unrivalled entertainer, Mrs Animashaun stressed, “most actors that featured in the multi million naira movie are a blend of South Africans and Nigerians.

In order to give the movie its originality, the native languages of the actors such as Zulu Peedi Afrikaans and Yoruba were spoken fluently and richly by the cast”.

The film, which was directed and produced by Olufisayo Animashaun, a Ni-

gerian based in South-Africa, was shot in several locations in Johannesburg, including the popular township of Soweto and features prominent South Africans as well as Nigerian actors which include Coenraad Stolz, Natasha Van der Merwe, Moloi Lindiwe, Adejayan Babatunde Jeremiah, Machate Easter, among others.

‘The Hearing’, is a non-fiction and an all-action film shot to capture the post 1994 events in South-Africa when the country’s authority opened its door to skilled migrants from other African countries but which later culminated into both the good and the bad series of events.

The movie also portrayed two immigrants from Nigeria; one a drug dealer and the other a law-abiding immigrant who wants to make an impact with a view to changing the South-Africans’ perceptions of Nigeria in the former apartheid country which was seen to be ‘fantastically corrupt’.

Awujale commends Goldberg At Ojude Oba festival THE Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Alaiyeluwa Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, CFR, JP Ogbagba II has commended Goldberg for its support for traditional institutions at the 2016 Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu Ode On Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

Oba Adetona gave the commendation while receiving homage paid him by the Goldberg brand team at his palace during the festival. According to him, “nothing binds us more in unity than celebrating our aged beliefs and values.

Goldberg is indeed a true brand for always recognizing who we are as a people and celebrating with us.” The oba gave his royal blessings and made pronouncements that Goldberg will reap good fruits for making the Ojude Oba festival a befitting one. He showered praises on the brand and Nigerian Breweries Plc for strongly backing culture and tradition thereby helping to ensure an enduring legacy. He further stated that Goldberg has made innumerable contributions to the overall growth and development of the festival.

Tayo Adelaja, Public Affairs Manager, West and Mid-West, Nigerian Breweries Plc expressed gratitude to Kabiyesi and the people of Ijebu for finding Goldberg a worthy partner to Ojude Oba festival.

He said, “We shall continue to contribute to make festivals like Ojude Oba more befitting for the people.” Accompanied by Funso Ayeni, senior brand manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and other team members, he prayed for long reign on

the throne for Kabiyesi.

An age group leader, Egbe Bobayo Okunrin Akile Ijebu, Alhaji Daodu Ishola, said that the Ijebus will always cherish their age long traditions and respect others who do so. He showered encomium on the sponsors for making the festival a truly befitting festival, particularly to “Goldberg lager, Asa Eni Iyi, for your affinity with culture and tradition and for supporting our heritage,” he said.

From left, Alhaja Korede Alatishe, Key Distributor, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Ijebu Ode; His Royal Highness Oba Rasaq Adenugba, The Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye; Tayo Adelaja, Public Affairs Manager, West/Midwest, Nigerian Breweries Plc; His Royal Majesty, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba 11, The Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland; Collins Ejaife, Brewery Manager, Ijebu-Ode; Funso Ayeni, Senior Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, when the Goldberg team paid a formal visit to the Palace as part of the brand’s activities for the 2016 Ojude Oba Festival

his music, will be releasing his anticipated single ‘Jantoro’, produced by Tekno’s ‘Pana’ producer, Krizbeats.

According to Femi, the highlife number resonates the appealing culture that all ages demand for.

“Though, the economic situation of the nation may not be cheering, I am coming out with brand new groove

that will make us forget our worries”, he said.

Femi Odewole, who showed his versatility in the Nigerian mainstream pop culture with his previous release ‘Unlimited Ariya’ which featured Fabulous Pizzy, is ready to serenade his fans again with ‘Jantoro’. ‘Jantoro’ is a local slang which means ‘to do something well’.

Culbeat foundation raises the bar with annual award for students OUTSTANDING Nigerian university students got a reward for their hard work recently at the Saturn Hall, 4 Point Sheraton Hotel, Lekki, Lagos when Kunle Akintayo of Culbeat Foundation through his annual Reward Nigeria Award gave then a cash gift of fifty thousand naira to celebrate their academic excellence.

The annual event awards the best overall students in each of Nigeria’s first five universities; University of Lagos; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Ibadan; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).

The five awardees are Umar Ningi from Ahmadu Bello University with a G.P of 4.78; Thompson Mba the University of Nigeria, a Banking and Finance student with 4.84; Dasola Ademola, an electrical/electronic student from the University of Ibadan with GPA of 6.8; Micheal Adeboye, Mathematics graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University with GPA of 4.85 and Ayodele Dada, a psychology graduate from University of Lagos with GPA of 5 points.

Speaking during the award ceremony, Dr Adesola Adeduntan (M.D, First Bank of Nigeria PLC) who was the key speaker advised the students to work harder and merit their brilliance in their future engagement.

“You are been celebrated now, simply because of your academic brilliance but it will be a waste if at the end of the it all, you could not make your brilliance academic to have an impact in your future endeavor. Nigeria needs your contribution to drive the country forward,” Adeduntan said.

Kunle Akintayo in his speech stated that despite the fact that corporate bodies have not been forthcoming to sponsor the annual event; the company (Culbeat Foundation) still did its best to ensure the programme holds.

“We are grateful to God for the success recorded this year despite the fact that the sponsors are not forthcoming.”

Olympic milk targets couples on Independence day OLYMPIC milk targets couples on Independence day Emory Green Limited has teamed up with Olympic brand to make this year’s Independence day celebration an unforgettable experience by bringing deserving couples together under one roof to have fun and interact with a milk brand that is most concerned about their lifestyle.

The event tagged #Olympic Moments, according to organisers, will hold in Lagos at the QuadT events centre and in Ibadan at the E99 event centre.

The Olympic brand, with the new proposition ‘Active for longer’, centres on meeting consumers’ changing needs by leaving their sedentary lifestyle behind and living active lives. The organisers promise that it would be an exciting one, bringing couples together to rekindle their love by participating in bonding games and taking the ‘Today I Will’ promise to be ‘Active for Longer’. There would also be a raffle draw with lots of prizes to be won

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Friday, 23 September, 2016

arewa

Femi Olukunle Co-ordinating Editor 08158610216

FG, states urged to provide employment for the educated disabled Biola Azeez-Ilorin

F

ORMER Deputy National President, Nigeria Association of the Blind, Mr Sunday Adeshina, has called for automatic employment for qualified physically challenged people in the country.

Mr Adeshina, who made the call in Ilorin, advised both the Federal and state governments to gainfully employ disabled people with sufficient skills in the society.

He also stressed the need for the gov-

ernment and the society at large to have positive attitude towards physically challenged people, by providing them with the necessary assistance required.

According to him, the association had sponsored a bill for the establishment of the National Commission for Disabled to facilitate the welfare of the physically challenged in the society, appealing to the National Assembly to hasten work on the passage of the bill.

Mr Adeshina, who is the pioneer princi-

My visit to Kano is for son’s wedding, not political —Babangida Aliyu Adelowo Oladipo-Minna THE immediate past Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has debunked the assertion that his expected visit to Kano State this weekend had anything to do with politics, saying that his visit to the state was meant to attend his son’s wedding.

Arewa gathered that his first son, Mr Ibrahim Babangida Aliyu, a banker, is scheduled to take a wife from the state of Groundnut Pyramid.

It was further learnt that the erstwhile governor and Talban Minna, being a politician with a lot of his friends and associates, including a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abuba kar, the Turaki Adamawa and a former Speaker, House of the Representatives, now Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwwal among other politicians, are expected to witness the union.

However, news about Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, a flamboyant politician and member of the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) being expected in Kano State this weekend has gone viral and many people, especially some members of the political class, were said to have been insinuating that Babangida Aliyu’s mission to the ancient city was political and not to witness his son take a wife from Kano.

Making the clarifications, an insider source at the Talban’s Minna home, informed Arewa that it would rather sound absurd if Aliyu had quietly gone to visit the family house of his daughterin- law in the ancient city of Kano without informing the host Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and former CBN Governor

Babangida Aliyu

and Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

The source, who craved anonymity in a brief chat with Arewa, said many politicians had indicated interest in attending and rejoicing with the family and therefore appealed to those insinuating political distractions against the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to desist from their evil thoughts.

pal of the Kwara State School for the Special Needs, also called on the 36 states of the federation to establish a commission to be saddled with such responsibilities.

He frowned at the level of discrimination against disabled people in the society, saying that the ability in disability had enabled many physically challenged to excel in their different fields of specialisations.

Mr Adeshina, who has been blind for the past 50 years, disclosed that his blindness was as a result of chemical poison, but despite the challenges, he had been able to contribute to humanitarian services by rehabilitating people with psychological problems and through his various writeups.

The pioneer principal of the Kwara State School for Special Needs, also cautioned against putting all categories of handicapped under the same environment.

Mr Adeshina, however, subscribed to the separation of the blind people from the school of the handicapped, saying that the blind and the deaf people could not stay under the same environment.

He noted that it was not ideal to encap-

sulate all the handicapped people in the same area.

He called on the Kwara State Government to establish a separate school for the blind and the deaf to avoid commotion.

According to him, the present school for the handicapped in the state was specially designed for the deaf and not the blind, hence the need to separate them in the school.

Mr Adeshina also advocated the establishment of an agency to cater for the wellbeing of the disabled in the society and the appointment of Special Adviser on Disabled Affairs that would be manned by the disabled.

He added that the disabled needed people of their own to handle their affairs.

On the premature retirement of a former librarian in the Kwara State School for Special Needs, Mr Femi Omiyale, the pioneer principal of the school appealed to the state government to look into his premature retirement, saying that he became blind while serving government and stressed the need for the release of all his accrued entitlements.

Some physically challenged at an occasion.

Zamfara records 350 malaria deaths in 6 months Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna ZAMFARA State has recorded 350 malaria deaths in the first six months out of the 80,000 malaria cases in the state hospitals in 2016.

This was disclosed by Zamfara State Manager, State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP), Hamisu Dauran, during the flag off of Zonal Training Community Engagement to create demand for malaria commodities in Zamfara organised by the Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association (NIFAA).

Dauran said sadly in the first and second quarters of this year, 276 children under the ages of 5 years were lost while 74 pregnant women also died of malaria within the period.

He added that the statistics were retrieved from government health facilities only excluding those unreported malaria

cases and those treated at the private health centres.

The SMEP manager said malaria could be eliminated in the country if adequate preventive measures, such as using mosquito nets, were taken.

He, however, chided some stakeholders who, he claimed, are sabotaging the fight against malaria.

“Most treated mosquito nets which are supposed to be given to people in Zamfara for free, are being sold to traders in Sokoto, Kano and other neighbouring states by some stakeholders. This is very unfortunate because malaria is a silent killer which is more dangerous than the dreaded AIDS and Boko Haram,” he said.

Earlier, NIFAA Executive Director, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, described mosquitoes as the greatest enemy of Nigerians as malaria claims about 30,000 lives annually in Nigeria.

He said the main objective of NIFAA was to foster unity, hence the involvement of the religious leaders in the fight to eliminate malaria in the county. ”Since mosquitoes have no respect for any religion, we must come together as religious leaders to fight our common enemy because religious leaders command a lot of respects among followers, so any message by religious leaders is well respected by the people,” he said.

The Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, represented by a senior district head in the Emirate, Alhaji Bashir Kabir Danbaba, tasked government to be more proactive and sincere in the implementation of its programmes by involving the religious leaders who are closer to the grassroots.

The Emir challenged the imams and pastors to ensure that the message got to their followers as the fight against the malaria was a collective battle that must be won.

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Friday, 23 September, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com

Whose third force?

As the leading political parties battle with internal crises, KUNLE ODEREMI examines the deft moves by some politicians to forge new alliances.

I

n most political circles in the country today, the dominant issue is about the 2019 general election.

Majority of the power blocs and their gladiators are preoccupied with plotting the graph ahead of the next political transition programme. As of September 21 this year, one leading political gladiators claimed the next election was about two years and eight days away to corroborate the ongoing arithmetic of the 2019 politics. In the opinion of some Nigerians, all the ongoing deft moves aptly underscore the words of an Irish playwright, James Freeman Clarke that “The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election, while the statesman thinks about the next generation.” This is because the Nigerian politicians seem are increasingly becoming more concerned about the next political dispensation despite the anguish and pain majority of Nigerians are going through now.

In his contribution to the Journal of History and World of Diplomatic Studies, entitled The Politics of Alliance Government in Nigeria, 1954 – 1957, EO Ojo wrote on issues that tend to make political alliances a common feature in the politics of a country. One of them is the Majority- Minority Question. His words: “The formation of alliances is one of the permanent features of the politics in most multi-ethnic states. This is because, more often than not, ethnicity and competition for the control of the ‘structural frame’ and ‘system of rewards’ always prevent the existence of nation-wide or country-wide political associations and the emergence of nationally acknowledged political leaders.

“Yet, in order to guard against the domination of the ‘minorities’ by the ‘majorities’, the constitutions of most federal and non-federal multi-ethnic states often stipulate that the central governments of such states must be formed by the parties or candidates with the overall majority of either parliamentary seats or total votes cast in general elections. Since this is always difficult to achieve, particularly in Nigeria where appeals to ethnic sentiments are almost always a predominant issue in electioneering campaigns, the formation of alliance-governments become inevitable. In the formation of these alliances, however, a lot of political manoeuvrings often take place.”

Historical perspective The quest for power has led to different forces trying to coalesce. One of the remarkable alliances was witnessed in the First Republic through the machination of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) in conjunction with its

allies in the defunct Western Region. The NPC forged an alliance called the Nigeria National Alliance (NNA) with the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP). The NPC was led by the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello. Apart from being the dominant party in the North, it controlled the central government then under late Tafawa Balewa. The NPC alliance came on the heels of the decision of the other political leaders to form a coalition, the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA). The alliance included the Action Group, National Council of Nigerian Citizens, led by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, United Middle Belt Congress under the leadership of late J.S. Tarka, and the Northern Elements Progressive Union led by late Mallam Aminu Kano. It was at the height of the battle for the soul of the region following leadership crisis in the Action Group.

Some political forces tried to raise the ante of political alliance in the Second Republic, with the NPN government going into alliance with the then Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) under late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) became the main opposition party. The marriage of convenience between the NPN and the NPP went sour, thus talks about for an alliance between UPN and NPP at the threshold of the 1983 elections to challenge NPN. But the coalition hit the brick wall because of the inability of a few hawks in the alliance to abandon their narrow interest in the overall goal of the alliance. In short, collapse of the Progressive Parties Alliance (PPA) designed to exit the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) from power at the centre wasw blamed on the lack

The inability of PDP leaders to overcome the immediate shock arising from the defeat of the party triggered public discourse on the imperative of a third force in the political circle.

of compromise, coupled with external intrusion into the affairs of NPP and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) founded by Aminu Kano..

Some political leaders took the initiative on alliances further in the current Republic as the countdown to the 2003 presidential poll peaked. Gladiators of the All Peoples Party (APP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) came up with a joint presidential ticket. With Chief Olu Falae of the Ad as the standard bearer and late Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi (APP) as running mate, the alliance successfully took its campaign across the country. But, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was able to secure a second term in office as president at the end of the election. Nonetheless, the protagonists of a grand alliance capable of winning the presidency did not relent, as they became most vociferous in the buildup to the 2015 elections. They took advantage of the widening gulf among critical stakeholders in PDP, occasioned by seething anger and frustration over lack of internal democracy and impunity in the party. Opposition leaders in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) and a splinter group of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) coalesced into the All Progressives Congress (APC) that created a political upset via the 2015 elections.

The inability of PDP leaders to overcome the immediate shock arising from the defeat triggered public discourse on the imperative of a third force in the political circle.

Rather than put its house in order and act as main opposition PDP has been mired in a harvest of crisis bothering on who controls the lever. Various moves to reconcile the two factions suffered setbacks thereby the skeptism among some party members over the latest report of a reapproachment between the factions. A number of them have been linked to the ongoing consultations on the formation of a third Force that could act as a buffer, as the march towards the next political dispensation gathers momentum. While they have so far succeeded in forming a coalition at some levels, the PDP elements in some zones have only regrouped with intent to forge alliance with aggrieved members of other parties such as APC at the most auspicious period. Whereas some have tabled the possibility of the emerging groups forming a party that will apply for official registration, others involved in the initiative are sounding a serious warning against such idea. The advocates of a full-fledged new party premise their arguments on the concept of third force that will not share any semblance with either PDP or APC; creation of a distinct identity, and a clear-cut blueprint meant to Continues on pg 24

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politics&policy

Friday, 23 September, 2016

The main obstacles in the proposed alliances Continued from pg 23

address core challenges confronting the country. Conversely, the antagonists of a new party anchored their position of the period of gestation of such party; enormity of resources that will be required to create structures and nurture them, as well as achieve national spread given the vast geographical nature of Nigeria. Most importantly, they assume that the possibility of such party scaling the hurdle of registration is remote as the authorities may be averse to the new project and frustrate move.

The Accord option In the midst of these two schools of thought has emerged what some proponents of a Third Force have described as the Accord Option. The concept is on the historical fact about the emergence of the Accord Party. it was among the second generation of political parties that came upstream during the administration of former President Obasanjo. A land mark judgment of the Supreme Court in a case filed by the late legal icon and rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, in respect of party registration had further opened up the political space. Consequently, the National Conscience Party (NCP)founded by Fawehinmi since the military era, way joined by the Accord Party among many other parties, which faced imminent deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The general belief in most political camps is that the top echelon of the power architecture in the country then used fronts to register about six of such parties, including Accord. It soon became the veritable platform for some political gladiators at the dawn of the 2011 general election, who were able to make a serious incursion into the political arena in some constituencies in the Southern part of the country. The Labour Party also created a major political upset in some places, winning governorship and National assembly seats. So, the proponents of the Accord option believed it would be politically wise, cost-effective and convenient for the like-minds linked to the Third Force project to adopt one of the existing parties as a spring board at the right time after the ongoing consultations among stakeholders.

Knotty issues While the appropriate option to be adopted remains in the front burner, two other issues have resurfaced lately in the quest for the fresh alliance and realignment of forces by diverse power blocs and interests. Some of the promoters insist that the stakeholders need to be in haste at building a third force so as not to make the mistakes that aborted similar exercises in the First and Third Republic. According to them, it is important to do the needful so that the issue of power sharing even at interim capacity does not throw spanner into the works of the emerging coalitions.

Their position is that once there are indications that certain positions have gone to certain individuals or areas could be interpreted that the overall purpose of guaranteeing inclusiveness has been defeated. Besides, some have cautioned that the seeming official ambivalence to constituting the Boards of federal agencies and parastatals has implications for the promoters of a Third Force. Their belief is that once the issue of interim officers is announced, the board appointments could

Ali Ndume

Makarfi become a bait to lure some or prospective influential members of the coalition cum alliance.

The governorship elections coming up in Edo and Ondo states this year, as well as the ones slated for Osun and Ekiti states constitute another worry for the promoters of a third force. Some are concerned that there is absolutely no signal where the

Ladoja loyalty of emerging groups lies in the two major elections to be conducted between now and November 26 this year. The battle remains between the APC and the PDP in both Edo and Ondo states. Though many of the advocates of a third force agree on the need for caution in taking a decision on all the elections, they strongly belief that the process in forging the alliance has

For Ndume, what the country needs is quality leadership, while Ladoja, who is unarguably the main pillar in Accord thinks those behind such idea could come up with the concept after the 2019 elections.

to be fast-tracked, in order to gain some ground and leverage on those qualities that distinguish those behind the scene in the whole project.

Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume and a former governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Rashid Ladoja appear to be on the same page in the debate over the necessity or otherwise of third force. For Ndume, what the country needs is quality leadership, signposted by integrity, transparency and accountability while Ladoja, who is unarguably the main pillar in Accord thinks those behind such idea could come up with the concept after the 2019 elections.

At the moment, there are 36 registered parties in the country. A total of 25 political associations are believed to have indicated interest to be registered as parties in the current dispensation. Is the collective interest of proponents of the third force embedded in any of the associations? Will the wish of the advocates of the ‘Accord option’ prevail?

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politics&policy

Friday, 23 September, 2016

By Isaac Shobayo

S

ince Governor Simon Lalong assumed office as the Number One citizen of Plateau State, he has not hidden his intention to investigate the activities of his predecessor, Senator Jonah Jang. He has repeatedly reiterated his desire to ensure that his immediate predecessor gives account for his stewardship.

The governor, within six months in office, filed petitions before the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) against his predecessor. Recently, Lalong forwarded another petition to the commission, urging it to investigate the alleged corrupt practices discovered by the Transition Implementation Committee.

In the petition signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Rufus Bature, the government urged the EFCC to investigates the disappearance of the sum of N2 billion released by the Central Bank of Nigeria for small and medium scale businesses in the state in April, 2015.

On SURE-P Fund, the government wanted to know how much was released, and what it was used for in the period under review. It also alleged double award of computerization of the Ministry of finance for the sum of N97,925,000 by the Ministry of Finance.

Lalong, who wanted the commission, to handle the petition with dispatch, visited the commission’s office to enquire why the petition was not being treated.

He wanted the EFCC to probe the alleged removal of the total sum of N6.1 billion from account of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), micro, small and medium enterprises and the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs among other allegations of financial misdemeanors.

Apparently dissatisfied with the beaucratic bottleneck surrounding the operations of the EFCC, the governor set up a judicial commission of inquiry under the chairmanship of Justice Stephen Adah, to fast track the investigation. Speaking during the inauguration of the commission, Lalong shed light on the rationale behind the move. He said his administration could not afford to ignore the magnitude of information at its disposal; submissions of the report of Transition Committee headed by the state deputy governor, Sonny Tyoden, various verifications committees as well as the preliminary verification committee.

According to him, what people called delay was not actually a delay but a deliberate line of action which took cognisance of the fact that investigation by anti graft agencies was process driven and that bureaucratic compilation of government documents and the facts that would be placed before the judicial commission of inquiry must follow the process of law.

However, former Governor Jang is not taking the allegation lying low. He had repeatedly countered all the allegations through statements by his media aide, Comrade Clinton Garuba, saying they were just a ploy to destroy the good work of his administration and tarnish his image.

While defending his boss, Clinton said Jang had nothing to hide as far as his eight years’ stewardship was concerned

Gov Lalung

Jang

Plateau: The ding dong over probe and implored Lalong to quit the blame game and use the remaining two and half years of his tenure to bring real development to the people.

“It is unfortunate that instead of the Governor Lalong administration to concentrate on delivering the goods that he was voted for, he is busy expending energy on accusing Jang for his performance and will preparation for governance,” he said.

Recently, the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) further widened the tirade by accusing the APC administration of a spending spree. It accused the administration of wasting billions of naira on exotic cars for personal use and for cabinet appointees.

The state chairman of PDP, Hon Damishi Sango, at a press conference further alleged that the state government received over N97 billion as revenue in the

past one year, saying that the sum was not utilised towards alleviating the suffering of the people.

From all indications, there is nothing going on at the commission set up by Lalong. The governor, during the inauguration debunked the notion that the commission was set up to witchhunt his predecessor saying it was merely administrative procedure.

“When Senator Dariye came in as the governor in 1999, he set up the Senator Dangin Commission of Inquiry. My predecessor, former Governor Jang, also set up a similar commission of inquiry and we are doing similar thing it now.

Those coming behind me will do a similar thing, so I have warned my cabinet members to be ready to go through this whenever we are out of government,” he said.

However, opinion is divided over the

It would be recalled that former Governor Dariye set up the Dangin Commission.

Jang came up with Justice Morenikeji Onalaja Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

commission. While some people perceived it as a wild goose chase, others see it as a mean of injecting sanity into the system and means of recovering looted fund.

One of the APC stalwarts, who craved anonymity, declared thus: “The outcome of the commission will serve as a warning signal to those in government and those who want to aspire for public office that they need to be disciplined, knowing full well that they would account of their stewardship.”

Another postulation is that the probe might end up being an exercise in futility. The critics said that similar exercises in the past did not yield positive result. It would be recalled that former Governor Dariye set up the Dangin Commission. Jang came up with Justice Morenikeji Onalaja Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

These were likened to exercises in futility, given what happened in the past. Dangin’s report was not implemented, Justice Onalaja commission was sent parking by a court following the suit filed by Dariye who challenged the sitting of the commission and its inauguration.

A source close to Jang said there is the likelihood that the former governor challenges the legitimacy of the commission in the court of law. The people of Plateau are however watching as the matters play out.

26 politics&policy

Friday, 23 September, 2016

T

HE revelations on plagiarism concerning President Muhammadu Buhari could not have come at a worse time, a time when he was scheduled to appear before his colleagues, heads of government, at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States of America. I could imagine how awkward he might have felt sitting in the same room with President Barack Obama, part of whose intellectual work was xeroxed for him to claim as his in the “Change Begins With Me” campaign launch address.

Even if President Buhari did not feel anything going into his sessions with other leaders, there could have been some individuals who might have been constantly reminded of the reports on the plagiarism which were not only replete in local media but also saturated the international news outlets. The story did nothing to add value to the president’s international standing at this point in time.

Since last year, when he assumed office on the back of fighting terrorism and corruption, he has been a shinning star somewhat among world leaders, some of whom had been known to scramble for photo opportunities with him at international fora like this. Even though he was still expected to attract attention, there was the likelihood that the damage done by the plagiarism accusation would have weighed heavily on his mind. A few persons might also have exchanged glances when Buhari pulled out his speeches to read. Were they clean? Could one or two things have been smuggled in without appropriate attribution? It has now come to that, regrettably.

The President has been unjustly treated by whoever is behind this heinous act of intellectual theft. Beyond the May 29, 2016 inaugural address which also contained unattributed snippets from Charles de Gaulle original quote, we must thank heavens that nobody has done a deeper analysis of the president’s speeches. Who knows how many more infractions could have been discovered.

The way things work has changed a bit in the presidential villa, not surprisingly in tune with the Buhari change mantra. In the past, there were known presidential speech writers, one at least, sourced from the academia,

inside

aso rock WitH

LEoN uSiGBE

08078891838 leonusigbe@ yahoo. co.uk

One more distraction for the president s

aso rock

a community where plagiarism is considered a sacrilege.

The tendency therefore is that if a competent academician were to write Buhari’s speeches, he would have been more circumspect about what finds its way intoWitH those LEoN speeches.

Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President who offered an apology and attempted to deflect criticism from the president, laid the blame squarely on the doorstep of a faceless deputy director in the presidency. His account would suggest that this fall guy is a civil servant possibly seconded from one of the ministries. His hunger for presidential recognition and plaudits could have driven him into producing a copy of flowery language spiced with stolen verses but unaware of the consequences if caught.

I am not convinced that this preventable embarrassing episode has anything to do with a nameless deputy director though. If that was the case, he would have been kicked out after his supposed admittance of guilt as claimed by Shehu. The presidential spokesman’s assertion is therefore just an exercise in damage control. We have heard that a seemingly untouchable and influential politician very close to the president is at the heart of it. This is not certain but more plausible and probably explains why nobody has been kicked out of the presidency since the story

broke. But here’s the thing. That a non-expert could be allowed to tinker with the president’s speech raises questions about the type of characters Buhari is prepared to entrust with08078891838 some basic administrative assignments. leonusigbe@ yahoo. co.uk If the presidency’s account is to be believed, an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the ignoble act even though many will wonder what sort of inquiry is required when the culprit is said to have already confessed to the crime. Just like other glaring cases of official negligence or incompetence that have been brought before the president, I don’t expect any action beyond what has been said already. But if the suggestion to install anti-plagiarism software on presidency speechwriters’ computers to detect cloned work is implemented, it will spare the president such further embarrassments. This case of plagiarism is an unwarranted distraction for a president who is saddled with an economy in recession and all its concomitant consequences.

President Buhari needs to concentrate all his energies on efforts to revive the economy, tackle corruption, insecurity and create jobs like he said he would. Nigerians are yearning for better days and are therefore not in the condition to stomach silliness such as the one offered by whoever the culprits in this plagiarism case are.

Elections and good governance in Nigeria

By David Azutoru Since Nigeria returned to democracy on May 29, 1999, majority of the poor citizens are yet to identify a credible democracy dividend as a result of their faith in a democratic regime. Accepted that the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo regime put in place foundations for a sustainable economic transformation, how was it felt in the grassroots. It is certain that what a government should count as an acceptable achievement is the positive effect of its policies, actions and investments on the poor.

Nigeria is a peaceful country and peaceful countries with leadership that is accountable to its citizens will have the best chances at winning the fight against extreme poverty and disease. Most government policies are usually concentrated on how to continuously favour the elite (ruling class) and not the poor citizens. Poverty at the grassroots is ignored in policies of governance and actions. The poor rural communities feel government presence only when elections are due and votes are canvassed. Electoral promises for developments are not kept or fulfilled and no one listens to the poor anymore after that.

It is a fact that transparent government that respects civic participation and the rule of law are necessary to ensure scarce resources are spent well and investments are made in the poorest people.

Today in Nigeria, the larger society is that of the poor people and still they lack basic infrastructure like good rural roads,

agricultural assistance programs, healthcare, portable water and access to dignified life. Celebrating 50 years of Independence on October 1, 2010, Nigeria has come of age. With its share of military, autocratic and dictatorial governments, rather than enhance development of the country, it contributed to the harsh economic situations that bedevils the nation today.

In November 2010, Nigeria ratified the

African Charter on Elections and Good Governance while the National Assembly amended both the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic. Critical reviews have confirmed that about 10 or more sections of the Constitution were amended and these areas cover the electoral reformation. What areas of the amendment concerns policies that affect the good of the poor masses that will

guarantee adequate food, portable water and dignifies the life of the poor. Credible and transparent elections in itself are supposed to guarantee good governance but how are the poor population gaining from policies and actions of government. We suffer from corruption, where politicians misappropriate public funds for personal gains while most constituencies lack portable water, roads, healthcare, electricity, and adequate infrastructure. This is a serious barrier to end extreme poverty.

Conducting credible elections in Nigeria is one, getting the right people into power is another and assurances of good governance that will be responsive to the poor is a vital issue. There has never been an election in Nigeria that ever guaranteed the provision of basic rights and development for the poor communities in Nigeria.

Election is a democratic process of putting people to positions of control of the nation’s resources for the good of the people. Good governance requires people with good intentions who are sincere in what to do to better the lives of ordinary Nigerians. Elections can be free and fair but the product of such elections could be insincere and ordinary Nigerians will continue to suffer. In as much as we pray and work towards conducting a free, fair and transparent elections, let’s hope we get the right people to power who understands the need and importance of working for the poor majority.

Azutoru is the coordinator, Arisenigeria Africa

27

Friday, 23 September, 2016

hers So, my advice is; have passion, focus and determination for whatever you want to do.

Businesses that people can do in recession In this era, there are so many things people can do apart from doing service business, buying and selling, online business and so on. So many things are coming up these days that people can engage themselves in. But first of all, ensure it is something you have done a proper research on. If it is something that will need capital do something else while saving for that. There are ways that you can start something small but unfortunately we all want to start big and at the end of the day, they crumble and there will be problem. People need to really sit down and think on where they want to be in five years time and how they want to be addressed. For example, I started by selling wristwatch though I didn’t like buying and selling but I did that for a while and was able to gather money to go into service business.

So, in this economic recession before you start any business, sit down, think about it, ask yourself “do I have passion for it, how do I get it done, how will I get capital to do it?” If you do all these, it will take a while but you will surely get there.

Getting paid for your

passion

is an icing on the cake

Adesola Olayiwola, Founder Business Innovation Academy Adesola Olayiwola, a banker turned entrepreneur is the Managing Director of SholsKoncept Ventures and founder of Business Innovation Academy, in this interview with TAYO GESINDE, she speaks on the reason businesses collapse in Nigeria, among other issues.

W

hy I quit the banking industry Quitting banking was actually something that I had always wanted to do but sometimes one needs to get experience in some field of work before you actually start your own.

I worked with two different banks; Oceanic Bank and First City Monument Bank. So I have a couple of experiences in different fields, so transitioning from being a banker to an entrepreneur was easy because I was able to relate what I learnt in banking with my own business.

Challenges faced There will always be challenges and they are things you have to go through so that you can grow. You have to go through the forming and stormy phases as those are the things that will help you to stand firm and face anything that comes your way. I was able to manage the challenges because I have passion for what I am doing and I had focus and knew where I was going.

Financially, it was not so easy but because it was service business that I started with,

I didn’t really need a huge capital to rent a shop or buy goods and so on. I was able to manage with what I had, register my business, get a call card, website and open a bank account and all that.

How to start a service business There are different types of service business. When I started my own event business, I learnt on the job itself. Later on, I went to Lagos Business School to get some business training on event management and training. Passion is usually the driving point, when you have a passion, creativity

will come to you most of the time. If I want to advise someone who will like to go into business, then I will say that passion is what you have to discover first. Don’t do what others are doing, do what you have to do because it is what you love to do. Something that if they wake you up in the middle of the night you can do perfectly without any constraint. When I started I used to do free jobs, some that pay will not pay you well but the fact that I have passion for what I was doing, when I finish each job, I have emotional fulfilment. That is a pay-check on its own. Getting paid for something like that is an icing on the cake for me.

So many things are coming up these days that people can engage themselves in. But first of all, ensure it is something you have done a proper research on.

Why I am into business training I went into business training because I have had a lot of people calling and asking me questions especially my ex-colleagues.

One thing I found out was that people are somehow lost about what they want to do.

Many don’t even know what their passions are. Someone once called me and told me she was going into the make-up business and I asked her if she loved it and she had the patience to do it, she said yes and added that there was a lot of money in it.

She learnt it but after a while, she was fed up. Many people are like that. I see a lot of people doing stupid things for money.

Some people want to start big but most times, the way you get money to start your business, if you are not careful, you will lose it the same way and go back to square one.

I went into business training because of that. I have come to discover that for some people, money is not that their problem but the kind of business they can do and how profitable it is. For some people, they don’t have the knowledge and they don’t do research. So at my business academy, we help people to actually discover their passion and train and educate them on what they can do.

Combining my business with the home front That is not easy but the point is, you give priority to things. And sometimes, I don’t have to be there because I have people working for me. So, I give orders and I supervise them.

On whether marriage can hinder a woman’s success If you don’t have an understanding spouse that may be a huge problem and that is why every woman should always understand that part that, she must always carry her husband along in whatever she is doing. Because if you don’t carry him along he won’t have the confidence and assurance of where you will be at every point in time.

There must always be communication between couple for there to be peace at home. If you separate your spouse from your business it will send the wrong signal and it will surely affect the marriage.

28

features

Friday, 23 September, 2016

Deputy gov, friends, others celebrate Debasco @ 63

By Bayo Alade

N

otable businessman and All Progressives Congress chieftain, Chief Babatunde Onakoya, popularly known as Debasco was the cynosure of all eyes recently when he celebrated his 63rd birthday bash at his palatial residence situated at Debasco Holiday Inn, Atiba, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. The D-day was the Ojude Oba Day when former classmates, friends and party loyalists converged on the politician’s Ijebu Ode home to felicitate with him.

The celebrant spared no effort to ensure that the day was a memorable one for those who were priviledged to be in attendance.

Roll call of those present included representative of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the Deputy governor, Chief Mrs Yetunde Onanuga; Alhaji Tajudeen Ileboye, deputy state chairman of APC; Mr Toyin Aiyebusiwa, Secretary APC, Ogun state; Hon Adesuji treasurer; Mrs Ogunleye, state woman leader; Alhaji F.G.O. Elias and all members of the state exco.

Others were Hons Gbenga Otenuga, S.S.A; Nike Osoba, Hon. Tola Banjo and members of Ijebu Ode Club led by Mr Gbenga Ashiru, Hon Tola Banjo and immediate past president, Professor Tunji Dawodu, Dr. Ojo, Khalifa Ojuenimala and Mrs Yinka Ajigboteso.

In a brief speech before the cutting of the birthday cake, Otunba Onakoya expressed deep gratitude to God for his protection on him, pledging to continue to render selfless service to the public and be a loyal to present administration in Ogun State.

Chief Onakoya with the deputy governor of Ogun State, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga and the Leguru LCDA caretaker, Honourable Lolade Onakoya.

Chief Babatunde Onakoya with guests during the birthday celebration.

Members of the stakeholders forum at the event.

Chief Ebenezer Obey on the bandstand.

At festival, anti-corruption war takes prominence

By Taiwo Olanrewaju The 80th Tabieorar Festival of The Church of the Lord Prayer Fellowship Worldwide (TCLPFW) was grand, serene and international in outlook.

The festival, which had as theme, ‘Glory to Glory’ is celebrated as vigil every August 22nd since inception in 1937.

The joy was palpable. The church’s choir rendered melodious songs, hymns and choruses that made members of the congregation danced all through the night.

Music maestro, Commander Ebenezer Obey, was the guest artiste. He sang to usher the Primate of the Church, Most Reverend Dr Rufus Okikiola Ositelu to the pulpit for his sermon.

Commenting on the state of the nation, Primate Ositelu commended the President Buhari led administration for his war against corruption.

While saying that transparency, accountability and justice should form the basis of his government, he reminded the presidency that the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria stated that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary concern of government.

He, therefore, urged the Federal government to look for the Chibok girls abducted over two years ago and reunite them with their parents.

Meanwhile, the head of the Prayer Fellowship Church advocated the establishment of a National Hall of Shame or a National Crime Museum where the photographs of citizens who indulge in shameful acts against the nation would be hung.

Earlier in his welcome address, Primate Ositelu urged Christians not to allow troubles, fatigue, pain or criticism force them off the job.

He noted that “Our ultimate hope when we are experiencing terrible illness, persecution or pain, is the realisation that this life is not all, there is a life after death!”

Among the international and national guests at the event included Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, Rev Dr Samuel

Rt Rev E.O. Akinwande, Provincial Administration, Europe, America, Oceanic Province of The Church of the Lord Prayer Fellowship Worldwide (right) receiving an Award of Excellence of the church on behalf of the Primate, The Most Rev Dr Rufus Okikiola Ositelu, from Archbishop John Ogunsile JP, the Administrator-General of the Church at Tabieorar 2016 at Ogere-Remo, Ogun State.

Kobia, Dr Mrs Fulata L. Moyo, Dr Clare Amos and Dr Nigussu Legesse, all from the World Council of Churches, Switzerland; Rev Prof Dietrich Werner and Rev Christine Guhne from Bread for the World, Germany and Rev Dr Andre Karamaga from All Africa Conference of Churches. The host governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun was ably represented; Dr Olatunde Agbato, president/CEO, Animal Care Services Konsult Nigeria Ltd, Comrade Mike Olukoya, National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr LordBanjou Deola Tayo, the transition chairman, Ijebu North East LG, a member of the House of Representatives and the representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the vice-president of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, were in attendance.

They all delivered goodwill messages. Professor Yemi Osinbajo promised that together with his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, they would steer the ship of Nigeria towards greater glory.

Represented by Pastor Seyi Malomo, the chaplain of the Aso Rock Chapel, Abuja, Osinbajo noted that the theme of this year’s festival couldn’t have been more apt as the president and himself were re-laying the foundation to take Nigeria back to glory.

He, however, implored the Church to continue to preach the message of hope to the citizenry as there is hope that is real.

Osinbajo reeled out part of Buhari administration’s achievements to include gradual diversification of the economy by exploring alternative revenue options for the nation, especially in the solid and natural mineral sector.

This year’s festival, however, featured an Award of Honour to people of excellence. Recipients included Primate Ositelu, Justice Jacob Sofolahan (retd), Archbishops John Ogunsile and Samuel Ibiloye (JP), Bishop Sussana Adekoya, Rev Olu Badejo, Rev Solomon Ositelu, Rev Mrs Omatsola Williams, Elder Oladapo Odumosu, Rev Felix Fagbemi, Ven Prof David Adesanya, Mr David Famuyide, Deaconess Modupe Bello, Rev Raphael Osanaiye, Rev Canon Imisiola Shobowale and Rev John Oyetan.

29

news

Friday, 23 September, 2016

2017 budget tops agenda as ECOWAS Parliament begins session

T

HE ECOWAS Parliament has begun its Second Ordinary Session to consider and adopt the reports of the committee with responsibility to prepare the preliminary draft of its 2017 budget.

The two-week session, also referred to as the statutory budget session, which began on Thursday, in Abuja, will hold till October 7.

The Committee on Administration, Finance, Budget Control and Audit is responsible for preparing the preliminary draft budget, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The session will also receive the report on the Current State of the Community from the President of ECOWAS Commission, Mr Alain Marcel de Souza.

Presentations of Country Reports will also be made by each member state’s delegation to the parliament during the session.

The reports are expected to include details on various sectoral developmental interventions by governments

Court grants N100m bail to Ngilari, exAdamawa gov A Yola High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to the immediate past governor of Adamawa, Mr Bala Ngilari, arraigned over alleged N167 million contract processing without due process.

Justice Nathan Musa granted Ngillari bail, along with his administration’s Commissioner for Finance, Mr Sanda Lamurde.

Musa granted Ngilari bail in the sum of N100 million, with a surety who must have a landed property in Yola metropolis.

The court granted Lamurde bail in the sum of N50 million, with surety who must also possess a landed property in Yola.

The court, would on Friday, give ruling on a bail application by Ibrahim Welye, who served as the Secretary to the state government under Ngilari.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ngilari, Welye and Lamurde were arraigned before the court on a 17-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful processing of contract.

They were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which alleged that the offence contravened Section 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 97 of the same code.

of member states toward achieving the ECOWAS vision of raising the standard of living of citizens in the sub-region.

The session will also discuss the report of the constituted Inter-Institutional Committee on the Enhancement of Powers.

The opening ceremony of the session will be addressed by the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.

Representatives of national parliaments of member states, the PanAfrican Parliament, East Africa Legislative Assembly, the diplomatic community as well as officials from ECOWAS institutions will also attend.

The fourth legislature of the parliament was inaugurated in February.

At its First Ordinary Session in May, the enhancement of legislative powers of the parliament was largely discussed with

members calling on relevant authorities to facilitate the process.

Parliamentarians have, on several occasions, reiterated that the enhancement of legislative powers of the parliament would grant it greater authority to legislate on common issues that would facilitate sub-regional development.

The parliament is composed of 115 seats, with each member state having a guaranteed minimum of five seats.

The remaining 40 seats are shared on the basis of the populations of member states.

Nigeria has the highest number of seats with 35, followed by Ghana with eight seats.

Cote d’Ivoire has seven seats, while Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal have six seats each.

Benin Republic, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo maintain five seats each.

Commissioner of Police, Oyo State, Samuel Damilola Adegbuyi (left), presenting a plaque to the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Mr Edward Dickson, during his courtesy visit to Tribune House, Imalefalafia, Ibadan, on Thursday. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO-OKE

Tribune has done well over the years —Oyo CP

By Segun Adebayo

THE Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Sam Adegbuyi, has commended the management and staff of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles for its uprightness, professionalism and objectivity in disseminating information to the public, even as he paid glowing tributes to the founder of the organisation, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, for his vision and establishment of the Nigerian Tribune.

The police boss gave the commendation on Thursday, when he led other senior officers of the state police command on a

courtesy call to the Tribune House, Imalefalafia, Ibadan, Oyo State.

He lauded the management of the organisation for the continuous relevance of the newspaper and its contribution to the growth of the country through its objective reportage.

Adegbuyi, who assumed duty as the new Oyo CP in August, said the sustenance of the organisation for more than 60 years showed that its successive management must have placed premium on truthful and objective dissemination of information, adding that “for this newspaper to remain relevant,

not only in Nigeria but globally despite the many challenges it has weathered through, it shows that the management over the years have done very well.”

While seeking for the continued relationship between Tribune and the police in the state, Adegbuyi acknowledged the role of the media in the successful running of any organisation, adding that no organisation can survive without the media.

“If there is any day that I am not privileged to read Tribune, I always feel like I have missed my breakfast, lunch and dinner for that day. The problem most organisations have is

Lawyer sues President Buhari over Kogi ministerial slot A lawyer, Daniel Makolo, has sued President Muhammadu Buhari for allegedly failing to appoint a minister to represent Kogi in his cabinet.

Makolo said his suit, FHC\L\CS\44\2016 at the Federal High Court, Lokoja, on Thursday, was pursuant to Order 34 Rule (1) and Order 5 Rule (1) of the Federal High Court

(Civil Procedure) Rules 2009.

He queried the absence of Kogi representative in the Federal Executive Council meeting since March.

He particularly faulted Buhari for failing to appoint a replacement for the late James Ocholi (SAN), former Minister of State for Labour and Employment from the state.

Ocholi, his wife and son, died in an auto crash on Abuja-Kaduna Road on March 6, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recollects.

Makolo, among others, urged the court to order that the failure of Buhari to appoint a qualified indigene of Kogi as a minister after Ocholi’s death was “wrongful, unlawful and unconstitutional.”

transitional problem and I am happy that this has not affected the Tribune newspaper over the years.”

According to him, as the police are relevant to security, so also is information gathering and effective dissemination by the media. “We want the working relationship between the police and the Tribune to continue. We believe that the synergy between the police and the media could be further strengthened by our closeness and familiarity,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the management, the Managing Director/Editor-inChief of ANN Plc, Mr Edward Dickson, charged the police boss to focus on community policing, which according to him, would help in reducing the rate of crime in the society.

According to him, effective community policing would contribute to curbing crimes and other vices in the society, adding that with the help of the media in covering the events of the police and disseminating the information to the people, the community would remain a safe place for the people.

Choice of leadership affects fortune of institutions —Tella

By Taiwo Olanrewaju

A Professor of Economics, Sheriffdeen Tella, has said it was necessary for academic and research institutions to have good leaders who can spur them to success.

Speaking at the fifth Society for Interdisciplinary Research (SIR) conference on Multidisciplinary Research and Global Development, Professor Tella of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, reiterated the fact that good leaders would motivate their staff and students to do well.

While presenting the keynote address on Wednesday, at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, on “Leadership and good governance in academic and research institutions,” Tella noted that appointment of heads of institutions or of units was a major constraint in having good leaders.

He described the constraints thus: “Politicisation of appointment of Council members and Vice Chancellors; inadequate funding and employment/ appointment of incompetent heads and staff.”

He, however, listed the qualities of a good leader as including visionary, confidence, transparency, integrity, passion, inspiration, innovation, openness, accountability and patience, among others.

The professor, who said there are leadership and governance systems in homes, institutions, the society and the animal kingdom, added that welfare was key to good governance, which aids nation’s development.

Corroborating the keynote speaker, Professor (Mrs) Chinedum Babalola, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, which hosted the conference, said leaders should know what to do to make significant changes in the system, adding that leadership should start from individuals.

In his welcome address, SIR President, Dr Abdul Hameed Sulaimon, said Multidisciplinary research was a form of collaborative research that involves researchers working across disciplines, either within an institution or in different institutions.

He also recalled that SIR was set up over 15 years ago by a group of individuals of diverse educational background to provide opportunity for sharing ideas and proffering solutions to problems identified in the society.

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south-westnews

Friday, 23 September, 2016

Ondo guber: APC submits Akeredolu’s name to INEC Lanre Adewole - Lagos

T

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has reportedly settled for the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, as its candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State by submitting his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by the law.

A statement from his media office made the claim on Thursday.

The statement read; “Following the affirmation of the election of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu by the Nation-

al Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party has submitted his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as flag bearer in November 26 gubernatorial election in Ondo State.

“Former president of the NBA, Rotimi Akeredolu, has described his affirmation as the governorship candidate of APC in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, as the work of God. “What can I say than to thank God who has done it again? God does not abandon his projects notwith-

standing the challenges that may arise,” Akeredolu said in a statement issued by the Aketi Media Group.

Akeredolu had won the September 3, Governorship Primaries which took place in Akure by polling 669 votes and defeated Olusegun Abraham who scored 635 votes and Olusola Oke with 576 votes.

Senator Robert AjayiBoroffice came fourth with 471 votes. “While Abraham, Boroffice and other aspirants accepted the results and congratulated Akeredolu, Oke protested, alleging some discrepancies. He filed a petition before the Election Appeal Committee.

“Barely 24 hours later,

both Abraham and Boroffice made a u-turn and submitted petitions to the Appeal Committee, calling for outright cancellation of election.

“In upholding Akeredolu’s election, the NWC struck out the report of the Appeal Committee which had earlier recommended the cancellation of the September 3 election.

“The party’s apex decision making organ averred that Appeal Committee’s report was prejudicial and largely perfunctory as its decision was based on unsubstantiated allegations and spurious claims of electoral manipulations,” the release stated.

The APC governorship

candidate thanked members of the National Working Committee, especially APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu and President Mohammadu Buhari for making sure that justice was done to all parties in dispute.

“I make bold to say to my co-aspirants in the APC that we are all winners. None is vanquished.

We are all victors. None is a loser. I hold the ticket of party in trust for all of you. I am not perfect. No one is. But I will make up for my imperfections by drawing from your collective strength. Together we shall work in one accord to achieve success in the November 26 governorship election.

“Now is the time to pool our energy and resources and rescue our state from misery and misrule of the Peoples Democratic Partyled government. United we stand. United we shall be victorious,” Akeredolu declared in the statement.

Nigerian Tribune

Bishop Sowale decries misplaced priorities among youths BISHOP, Ilesa Diocese, Rt. Reverend Dr Olubayo Sowale, has decried misplaced priorities of some youths of today evident in their involvement in acts like cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery and other fraudulent practices.

He blamed this on negligence by religious leaders, teachers as well as defective school curricula.

Speaking at a commemorative event of Bishop Falope Memorial Secondary School, Ilesa, Sowale said it had become imperative for educational and religious institutions to inculcate more religious values in the youth with a view to making them to be useful citizens for the church and the country in general.

He bemoaned that since the celebration of FESTAC 77 by the government and acquisition of secondary schools from the missionary by the government, the priority of young people had become misplaced evident in the manner of today’s youths.

He avowed that Bishop Falope Memorial Secondary School had continued to produce students of good moral values.

Ondo PDP candidate promises to sustain free shuttle Move closer to Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

From right, Mrs Adeyinka Oyedele, Mr Adedeji Adigun, Mrs Adebanke Adelaja, Pastor Ayodele Oyedele, Mrs Abiola Florence, Mrs Tinu Arojojoye and Mr Adetunji Adigun (all children), during the burial and thanksgiving service of Pa Timothy Adekunle Adigun, at the Bibleway Crusader Church International, Molete, Ibadan, recently. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

Ekiti Assembly passes N7.5bn supplementary budget Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti THE Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed the revised 2016 Appropriation Bill into law.

A team from the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), which was invited by the house to a plenary to explain the current epileptic supply of electricity to the state, also had its day at the assembly’s sitting on Thursday.

Special Assistant (Media) to the Speaker of the House, Stephen Gbadamosi, explained that the revised Appropriation Bill was passed after the chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Honourable Samuel Abiola Jeje, submitted its report to the whole House.

Jeje had said, “At the close of the committee’s exercise, a total sum of N48,200,100,797:80 only has been proposed to the House as current expen-

diture for consideration,” under listed sub-headings, while “the total sum of N22,353,061,886:81 only was approved by the committee as capital expenditure.”

Speaker of the House, Kola Oluwawole, com-

menting on the bill, said “the bill’s passage was accelerated because of the state government’s desire for infrastructure development. This will assist the government to meet up with the proposed projects and her ongoing ones.”

He explained that the committee had redistributed wealth in accordance with the current realities and with the aim of assisting the Ayo Fayose-led administration to achieve its massive infrastructural revolution goals.

Mimiko orders car, housing loan scheme for primary school teachers Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure THE Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has directed the state Commissioner for Education, Jide Adejuyigbe, to include primary school teachers in the category of workers who will enjoy car and housing loans.

Mimiko gave this directive on Thursday, while addressing delegates to the 5th Quadrennial State Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ondo State wing, held at the Teachers’ House in Akure.

According to the governor who said the scheme would be tagged: “Primary School

Loans Scheme”, said the new scheme would provide equal opportunity for primary school teachers like their counterparts in the service of the state government.

Mimiko, however, said that the scheme would be presented to the state executive council for ratification.

Mimiko promised that the running grants for schools will be given to various schools in the state simultaneously with teachers’ salaries.

While describing teachers as veritable custodians of the future of the country, the governor restated the determination of his gov-

ernment to provide conducive teaching and learning environment for teachers and pupils.

Mimiko commended teachers in the state for sustaining the quality of education, in spite of the salary challenge facing the state, describing teachers as special people that should not be deprived of life-enhancing benefits.

He also congratulated the outgoing chairman of the NUT in the state, Comrade Ojo Fanimokun, on his achievements so far and urged the teachers to continue to discharge their duties efficiently.

THE governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November election in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, has promised to sustain the free shuttle initiative of the present government.

Jegede stated this while responding to the request of some school children after the inauguration of his distribution of 30,000 exercise books to pupils and students across the 18 council areas of the state.

Jegede said “the gesture is a way of cushioning the effect of the present economic realities on parents as schools resume.”

He assured the pupils that beyond the sustenance of the free shuttle, his government would consolidate on other novel achievements of present government like the Mega Schools, 21s Century compliant secondary schools and renovations where necessary.

He said “I want to assure the kids that we will not only sustain the free shuttle, we will expand its scope, build more Mega Schools, and world-class secondary schools because we are using fresh ideas to do daring things in our quest to produce intellectual giants in the state.”

God, cleric urges Nigerians THE General Overseer of the Christ Apostolic Church, Christ’s own Assembly, Ofatedo/Idoosun area of Osun State, Prophet Emmanuel O. Jayejesu, has called on Nigerians to use the opportunity of the present economic recession to pray fervently and move closer to God. He stressed that “it is only God that can bring the country out of the present economic mess.”

Prophet Jayejesu stated this while speaking with newsmen at his church in preparation towards the 24th Annual Breakthrough convention with the Theme: “Heaven and you” coming up on Monday, September 26 and ends on Sunday, October 2, with a special thanksgiving.

“I am imploring everybody to try and participate in the programme and as we are coming, God will meet all of us at the point of our needs,” he said.

Prophet Jayejesu also called on youths to be innovative, enterprising and abstain from indulging in criminal activities that can tarnish their image, saying that the unemployment situation in the country has called for youths to think along the line of self-reliance.

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south-westnews

Friday, 23 September, 2016

Girl, 12, dies after falling into pit toilet

A

12-year-old girl, Blessing, reportedly died when she fell into a pit latrine at Asin-Ekiti, in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

A witness, Mrs Ruth Bamidele, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday, that the deceased was running an errand for her parents on Monday evening when the incident occurred.

Bamidele said the girl mistakenly stepped on rusty and weak concrete that covered the pit latrine and fell inside with nobody around to rescue her.

She said her parents raised the alarm on Monday night when she did not return home and the search

for her whereabouts continued till Tuesday morning.

“One of the neighbours in search of the missing girl noticed the collapsed lid of the pit toilet in a residential building situated behind the Alasin palace.

“A lifeless body was sighted inside the pit and was later brought out; it was the missing girl and the inci-

dent threw the entire community into mourning,” she said.

NAN reported that many residents of the community were seen sympathising with the deceased parents, Rotimi and Helen, who were wailing uncontrollable.

Meanwhile, the Ikole Local Government Council has warned all landlords in

the area with uncompleted or damaged pit latrines to, as a matter of urgency, put them in good shape.

Mr Tunde Famuyisan, Head, Environment Department in the council area, gave the warning on Thursday when reacting to the unfortunate incident that claimed the life of the girl.

Famuyisan said that all

sanitary inspectors in the area have been directed to move from house to house to ensure that every residential building in the council area has functional toilets, as well as demolish life-threatening pit toilets.

He appealed to residents to give useful information to the council workers, so as to detect houses with unsafe pit toilets.

NEMA, SEMA to provide relief materials to Osun flood victims THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Osun Emergency Management Agency (OSEMA) are working to provide relief materials to victims of flood disaster in the state.

Mr Olanipekun Olanrewaju, the General Manager, OSEMA, on Thursday, in Osogbo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the agency, in collaboration with NEMA, is working to bring succour to victims.

Olanrewaju said that OSEMA, which is saddled with the responsibility of providing relief materials to victims of disaster, had already sent official report to NEMA, through its zonal Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti.

He said with the assistance of the state government and NEMA, OSEMA would provide relief materials to victims of the disaster soon.

The general manager, however, said there were procedures to follow for the distribution of relief materials.

He explained that victims of the flood have to formally request and present their case to the agency with photographs of their property that were damaged during the disaster attached.

Olanrewaju said without making request and providing photographs evidence of the affected or damaged property, it would be difficult for the agency to determine who to assist or provide with relief materials.

He reiterated what Governor Rauf Aregbesola said, that the flood was caused by indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the waterways and water channels by residents.

Workers clearing drainage at the Iwo Road roundabout, in Ibadan, to avert continuous flooding in the area, on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN.

Workers protest politically-motivated —Ibadan N/East LG boss We are only demanding for our rights —NULGE chairman

By Nurudeen Alimi

CARETAKER Chairman, Ibadan North East Local Government, Honourable Rasheed Olalekan Afuye, has described the protest by the local government workers as being politically-motivated.

Afuye stated this while addressing journalists in his office on Thursday. He noted that the only salary being owed workers is that of August and the reason it has not been paid is because of the economic situation in the country.

“It is so unfortunate that the workers chose not to be grateful to the leadership of the local government. We just paid two months salary to them and only remain that of August. I think they should be grateful because not all local governments in the country promptly pay salary. Some even owe three to four months. So, it is unfair on their part to feel that Ibadan North East Local Government has not done well,” he said.

The local government boss further informed that “We meet every month to deliberate on how to spend the local government’s monthly allocation and other mon-

ies available. I even instruct the accountant to print the bank statement for clarity and transparency purposes.

Still, they went ahead to block the secretariat entrance, denying people access into the premises.”

Chairman, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Com-

rade Femi Alaje, in his reaction, said: “Since two weeks now, we have been requesting for the payment of 60 per cent of March, July and August salary. The chairman said two months salary will be paid. The 2014 and 2015 leave bonus still pending, so also disturbance allowance for three years has

not been paid.

“So, these are our demands and I think we are not asking for too much.

We are committed to our jobs and deserve to be paid for such. If the management of the local government is ready to dialogue with us, we are also ready to key into it,” he said.

Osun sets to pay LGs outstanding allowances Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

OSUN State government, on Thursday, disclosed that arrangements have been concluded to pay all outstanding allowances of local government staff in the state.

This disclosure was made by the chairman, Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), Elder Peter Babalola, at the LGSC hall, Osogbo, during the 12th Conference of Auditor-Generals in the Federation, SouthWest zone.

Babalola, who commended local government workers for their perseverance and dedication, said the government of Governor Rauf Aregbesola was aware of their support and endur-

ance.

While attributing the inability of the state government to pay workers salary to the economic recession, he hinted that plans were underway to salvage Osun from the present condition.

Babalola, who described the conference as a right step, especially at this time of economic recession, promised that he would continue to strive for the wellbeing of local government staffs.

According to him, “realisation, harmonisation and development of our common heritage in the SouthWest are the reason for championing regional integration by our governor.

This programme is coming at the right time and a right

step in fostering regional integration among our people in the South-West.

Earlier in his welcome address, the host, AuditorGeneral of Osun State, Mr Emmanuel Kolapo, commended the state government for carrying local government along in all its programmes.

He said the theme: ‘IPSAS ACCRUAL: A Panacea for fiscal transparency and economic recovery’, was carefully chosen to address the current problem being faced by the country.

The chairman, Forum of Council Managers, Yinka Odewale, lauded Governor Aregbesola for bringing government nearer to the people at the grassroots with the creation of additional 31 LCDAs.

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, today, 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.

Ogun Assembly commends information ministry

By Gbenga Olumide

OGUN State House of Assembly has commended the state Ministry of Information and Strategy for evolving creative means of propagating government activities and programmes to the people.

Giving the commendation were members of the Assembly Committee on Information and Strategy, Culture and Tourism, led by Honourable Oludare Kadiri, in continuation of their 2016 budget performance monitoring to the ministry, on Thursday.

Earlier in his presentation, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Dayo Adeneye, said the ministry had, within the last one year, achieved sustained and improved effective communication between government and the governed.

He noted that the feedback mechanism for questions and answers on government activities through the use of dedicated telephone lines also served as a vital link for a two-way communication between the government and the people.

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Friday, 23 September, 2016

news Bello to Wada, Faleke: Join me to build united Kogi

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Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

K

OGI State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, wooed a former governor of the state, Captain Idris Wada and the deputy governorship candidate in the last election, Honourable James Faleke and others to join him and build a united and prosperous state.

Apart from them, the governor also urged the people of the state to unite with his administration to ensure the enthronement of unity and development that would impact on the welfare of the people.

Bello, who said this while addressing a crowd that gathered over his victory at the Supreme Court, expressed gratitude to the people and expressed his readiness to work for the development of the 25-year-old state.

He said the solidarity of the people of Kogi State was a “clear testimony to their unimpeachable belief in his ‘New Direction’ blueprint which represented the hope of a new Kogi State,” urging the people to rise up “in defense of the clear-cut road map to the development of the state”.

He said: “Today, my hope in a united, prosperous Kogi State was

Friday, 23 September, 2016

reinforced. My belief has always been that of an unbroken entity that is prepared to lead the economic prosperity of our dear nation.

“Looking at the determination of the people that came to welcome us today, I am emboldened to face the future with hope and iron-cast determination to wrestle our dear state from underdevelopment, tribal chauvinism, economic sabotage and precarious governance. You have re-

minded me of the fact that with leadership, Kogi can become the giant of Nigeria. I will provide that leadership.

“I know that your confidence in our administration, your own government, is the fact that we have moved with unprecedented gusto. We are walking the talk. Few months into our administration, we have tenaciously matched our electoral promises by improving on the environmental sanita-

tion in the state.

“We have fixed the eyesore which our roads in Lokoja represented. We have moved to save the civil service from fraud and unconscionable corruption. We have set the template for good governance.

“In the last few weeks, we have been looking at our strategies for turning Kogi State to an agribusiness hub. Our strategies are gradually manifesting.

I want to be judged with my performance in office.”

Governor Bello said fixing the state involved refocusing its priorities and speaking to the key indices for development, assuring youth and women of empowerment.

He said the civil service reforms would be a priority in his administration, adding that payment of salaries would be regular and capacity building encouraged to build a focused, disciplined and selfless civil service for the progress of the state.

From right, Marketing Services Manager, James Adah; Brand Manager, Segun Ogunleye, both of Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc; Chief Executive Officer, Beth Model Management Africa, Elohor Assien and the 2014 winner of Aquafina Elite Model Look Nigeria , Victor Ndigwe, at the unveiling of Aquafina EMLN 2016 finalists in Lagos, recently.

I ’ll not force any IDP out of camp —Shettima Bodunrin KayodeMaiduguri

GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima has said it is not his intention or that of government to force any internally displaced person (IDP) back home without their consent.

The governor emphasised that his government was a democratic one fully in tune with the letters of the “Kampala declaration” which was out to protect the human rights of IDPs or even refugees.

He made the remarks on Thursday, while receiving some members of the Dennis Refugee Council (DRC), who flew into Bama on a solidarity visit to compare notes on how they could assist to ensure that the ruins of Bama would be transformed to habitable places once again.

He said as a responsible government, he would not stand by and watch vices such as prostitution, drug abuse, gangsterism and others to flourish in camps when the lives of the IDPs could be made much more useful when they were in

their homes and could return to their primary roles before the insurgency.

The governor said Bama was the second largest town in Borno State, in terms of land mass and population, which was why he believed that 90 per cent of his people would return home if the public and private buildings were repaired.

The governor informed the six-member delegation of the DRC, led by the Country Director in Nigeria, Shah Liton, that it was his wish that all IDPs were moved to their homes before May 29, 2017, adding that stakeholders and partners were free to participate in the programme to assist them to achieve success.

During an interactive session, the governor said hospitals, homes, schools and water sanitation were some of his priorities in terms of needs, with a view to changing the narrative of Bama, which was completely devastated by the criminal elements, Boko Haram.

Shettima advised the hu-

manitarian group to bring whatever they could to back the ongoing rehabilitation, including support and assistance to sweep their farms of mines and IEDs, which might be a major debilitating factor against those who might want to go into serious farming, but no cash because of transparency is-

sues.

“We have seen serious destructions here in Bama, we also know that as people prepare to return, they will be concerned about going back to their means of livelihood, one of which is their farms. We will offer to bring specialists to remove mines planted in those farms to make it pos-

sible for people to use the farms,” the Denish group told Shettima.

The governor identified needs in areas of reconstruction of schools, intervention on Agriculture to create jobs and gender empowerment with particular interest in education and economic empowerment of women.

FG set to review contract awards in education ministry over irregularities Clementr Idoko-Abuja

THE Federal Government has set machinery in motion to review all contracts awarded in the Federal Ministry of Education, over alleged irregularities and ineffective execution of some of the projects in the last few years.

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who dropped this hint in Abuja, on Thursday, also warned that government would not condone any form of irregularities in the implementation of Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs) project and programmes.

Adamu said the current economic realities of the nation demanded judicious use of available funds with serious commitment and dedication in project execution.

He spoke while declaring open a three-day Federal Ministry of Education SDGs Task Force and Task Team implementation meeting, insisting that all contracts that were not effectively executed must be done properly.

He said: “The change mantra of the present ad-

ministration is very well known. We will, therefore, make every effort to ensure value for money, eliminate waste and fight corruption in project execution in the education sector.

“The ministry is set to review the contracts that were not effectively carried out and insist on proper execution,” he said.

He pledged the commitment of the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, towards achieving inclusive and quality education for all as prescribed in the Goal 4 of the SDGs.

Aquafina elite model look unveils 2016 finalists AFTER days of rigorous casting during which over 1,000 young male and female contestants converged on Lagos from all over Nigeria, on July 30, 2016, a total of 60 contestants were pre-selected, after which contestants were sent to Paris for the final selection.They were cut to the final 20 to vie for the Aquafina Elite Model Look Nigeria 2016 crown at the grand finale in Lagos, on October 1.

The annual event is a gateway to the glamorous world of international modelling and fashion for the winners in both male and female categories as they will represent Nigeria alongside 80 other countries and stand a chance of winning $150,000 USD at Elite Model Look International world finals. In addition, there is a chance to win a modeling contract with elite model management worldwide and two years modelling contract with Beth Model Management Africa.

Some previous winners from Nigeria, such as Mayowa Nicholas and Victor Ndigwe, have made their mark on the global fashion scene with Victor and Mayowa modelling for top fashion labels and agencies. Other international models such as Cindy Crawford (USA), Tatjana Patitz (Germany), Stephanie Seymour (USA), etc are all products of the Elite Model Look.

Commenting on the Aquafina Elite Model Look Nigeria 2016 final event, Mr Norden Thurston, Head of Marketing, SevenUp Bottling Company Plc (SBC), makers of Aquafina premium table water from the makers of Pepsi, said: “We cherish our partnership with Elite Model Agency Nigeria in providing the platform for young Nigerians to aspire to the peak of global modeling and fashion through the Aquafina Elite Model Look Nigeria contest.”

Speaking further, he stated that Aquafina Premium table water was purity guaranteed that encouraged a healthy lifestyle which was critical for a positive selfimage and reflective in all the attributes that was needed to make it on the global modeling stage, hence the synergy between Aquafina and the Elite Model.

Event organisers, Beth Model Management Africa Agency and Upfront & Personal, said the contestants would model outfits from several international and local fashion houses during this year’s final.

34

news

Friday, 23 September, 2016

Edo: PDP’ll resist rigging —Senator Ordia

T

Ayodele Adesanmi. Abuja

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), senator representing Edo Central Senatorial district, Clifford Ordia, has warned against rigging by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forth coming Edo Stae governorship election.

Ordia told newsmen in Abuja, on Wednesday, that PDP, was fully prepared to win the governorship election, adding that no amount of intimidation will distract its members.

The senator, who is the deputy chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, said the nature of APC-led government in the state in the last eight years, has given Edo people no choice but

to choose a more credible candidate from PDP. “In my senatorial district, APC has no chance. We have put everything in place to checkmate the plan by APC to rig. We will resist it. We know that APC is desperate and they are doing everything to frustrate voters but it will not work.”

“He, however, called on Edo people to come out en mass and vote for Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, adding that no amount of intimidation would deter them from exercising their voting right.

He warned security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not to make themselves willing tools in the hands of desperate politicians.

Army, DSS deny molesting journalists 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, to Chris Agbambu - Abuja

SOLDIERS of 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army and the personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), Edo State command, have denied arresting and molesting 10 journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, contrary to reports by the online media.

They recalled that sequel to the prevailing security situation in the state which led to the postponement of the earlier scheduled governorship election in Edo State, there were credible security reports that some unpatriotic people have hired hoodlums with the intention of causing mayhem during the forthcoming election in the state.

The reports, they said, further showed that the suspected hoodlums have been lodged in some hotels within Benin City and its environs, prompting the DSS in conjunction with the troops of

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carry out cordon and search operations in the areas.

“This led to the arrest of 10 suspected people in one of the hotels. Among the suspects arrested was a deserted soldier,” a statement by the army acting spokesman, Sani Usman, said.

The spokesman said that it was pertinent to state that none of the arrested suspects identified himself as a journalist or mentioned the media he reports for, contrary to the allegations of the online media.

He said in addition, quite a number of incriminating items including, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sensitive materials were recovered from them.

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I, Osunleke Opeyemi Mathew Akinwumi am the same person as Osunleke Opeyemi Mathew and Akinwumi Olaoluwa Mathew Opeyemi Isola Osunleke. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OSUNLEKE OPEYEMI MATHEW AKINWUMI. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

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CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ige Olatunde Shola Isaac now IGE OLUSOLA ISAAC. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Gbadamosi Temitope Lara now MRS LIYIDE TEMITOPE HALIMAT. All former documents remain valid.

Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ukren Ogheneochuko Sonia now MRS AKPOROWHE OGHENEOCHUKO SONIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Onovughobe Aghogho Kelvin now JACOB AGHOGHO BROWN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Peres Ayere now KINGSLEY PERES AYERE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Bitrus Abednego Zat now SANI CLEMENT. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME/CORRECTION OF DATE OF BIRTH

I, formerly Obionwu Nzube John now NNAEMEKA CHRISTOPHER. My correct date of birth is 29/05/1981 and not 27/07/1980. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Odumegwu Christopher, born on 1st day of June 1972 as againt 1st June 1970 am the same person as Christopher Uzondu Odumegwu. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ODUMEGWU CHRISTOPHER. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Otun Hajarat Oriyomi now MRS ABDULATEEF HAJARAT ORIYOMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeagbo Adesewa Morisola now MRS ABIDOGUN ADESEWA MORISOLA. My correct date of birth is 17/6/1982 and not 12/3/1985. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ajiboye Funmilayo Olubunmi now MRS BADA FUNMILAYO OLUBUNMI AJIBOYE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Mrs Falomo Sola am the same person bearing Ayeni Oluwasola. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS FALOMO SOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

GTBank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Abimbola Aromasodu now ABIMBOLA ALAOOLAIFA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Temitope Oluseyi Ogunsola now MRS OLAWALE TEMITOPE OLUSEYI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adedeji Mojeed now AMUSA MOJEED ADEDEJI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Olabanji Sheriff Salaudeen now OLABANJI SHERIFF OLANREWAJU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Asuquo Joy now MRS OJO JOY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akodu Atinuke Gbemisola now BRIGHT GBEMISOLA ATINUKE. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Jatto Rachael Omoyemhe now MRS OWIEONAGHINOR RACHAEL OMOYEMHE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Iyabo Alabi now MRS OTINWA RACHEAL IYABO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mr Olusegun Daniel now MR SEGUN DANIEL SOLAGBADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adegoke Fatimo Opeyemi now MRS OLANIYI FATIMO OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. Authorities of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Osogbo, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Nasiru Baba Naibi Adamu now ADAMU BABA MUHAMMED. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akinsola Oluwakayode Omotayo Emmanuel now AKINSOLA OLUWAKAYODE EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

I, hereby declared that my correct spelling of my name are Agundu Darlington Chikodi and not Agundu Darlington Chikaodili now wish to be known as AGUNDU DARLINGTON CHIKODI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Access Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Odekanmi Oluwatoyin Roseline now OLATUNJI OLUWATOYIN ROSELINE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

35 CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Abrasheed Surajudeen Olalekan am the same person bearing Rasheed Surajudeen. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ABDULRASHEED SURAJUDEEN ALABI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Aderemi Adesoji Akande am the same person bearing Aderemi Akande. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as AKANDE ADEREMI ADESOJI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Dauda Aminat Olayemi now MRS ABIODUN AMINAT OLAYEMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oluwadare Funmilola Grace now MRS AYODELE FUNMILOLA GRACE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

Friday, 23 September, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Rashidat Oluwatosin Sharomi now MRS RASHIDAT OLUWATOSIN SANNI. All former documents remain valid. General public and authority concerned take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Emmanuel Bose now ALEGWU RHODA ORAKOR. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Abiodun Soyebo now SOYEBO ABIOLA TESLIM. I was born on 25/11/1974.

All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ayoola Bushroh Olawafisayo now OLANIYI BUSHROH AYOOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ahmed Wasiu now AHMED AKOREDE WASIU. My correct date of birth is 106-1988 and not 10-6-1987.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that OHIOFA DEJAY JAIYEOLA refers to the same and one person as OHIOFA DEJAY JAIYE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Authorities concerned and general public take note.

I, formerly Rotimi Olabisi Faith now OBATA OLABISI FAITH. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Akinolu Opeyemi Imole now AKINDELE OPEYEMI IMOLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Awolola Oluwatoyin Opeyemi now MRS AKINADE OLUWATOYIN OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Akinbolure Folosunso Samuel now MR FOLORUNSO ADEKA SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oladosu Elizabeth Olawumi now MRS ADESOPE ELIZABETH OLAWUMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Olakunle Gbenga Olusola am the same person bearing Olukunle G. Gbenga. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLAKUNLE GBENGA OLUSOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ganiyu Suliyat now ALAMU NAFISAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Adesola Olubukola Janet now MRS OLADEJO OLUBUKOLA JANET. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mrs Abioye Taiwo Teresa now MISS SANWO TAIWO TERESA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mr Amusa Muritala now MR OLAPADE JIMOH AJAGBE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Egwunyenga Vivian Nkechi now MRS OLADIMEJI VIVIAN NKECHI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs Olaoye Adejoke now MRS OLAOYE ADEJOKE FAUSAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ogunfolakan Taiwo Temitope now MRS OMISORE TAIWO TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid.

OAUTHC, Ile-Ife and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Komolafe Florence Oluwafunmilayo now MRS ALUKO FLORENCE OLUWAFUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adesina Kehinde Adebunmi now MRS KEHINDE ADEBUNMI KUFORIJI. All former documents remain valid.

Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) and general public take note.

I, Akindele Ayokunnumi Ezekiel am the same person as Akindele Ayokunnumi Adewole. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AKINDELE AYOKUNNUMI EZEKIEL. All documents bearing these names remain valid. EcoBank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Akanbi Olanrewaju Tirimisiyu now AKANBI OLANREWAJU TIRIOLA. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, CSCS and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oyewole Bolanle Rebecca now MRS AKINDUTIRE BOLANLE REBECCA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Akinbolude Olubunmi Bosede now MRS AKINOLA OLUBUNMI BOSEDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Florence Ayoola Adedeji now MRS FLORENCE AYOOLA ONI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adeniyi Johnson now ADENIYI OLADELE JAMES. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oluwafunke Rachael Ajagbe now MRS OLANIYI OLUWAFUNKE RACHAEL. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State Government and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Rabiu Tawakaltu Motunrayo now MRS AKINBODE TAWAKALTU MOTUNRAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ismaila Olayemi Olatunji now OLABODE OLATUNJI. My correct date of birth is 19/4/1960 and not 19/4/1976. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Fakorede Njideka Lilian now MRS ONWUCHEKWA NJIDEKA LILIAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Ibrahim Kabir Dauda am the same person bearing Ibrahim Kabir Deji. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as IBRAHIM KABIR DAUDA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ajewole Moradeke Caroline now MRS ADEREMI MORADEKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Okorie Obiageli Christianah am the same person bearing Ezeonu Obiageli Christianah. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as OKORIE OBIAGELI CHRISTIANAH. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Olayiwola Kazeem Adekola now OLAYIWOLA QOZEEM MUHAMEED. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Obilade Oredola Janet now OBILADE OLUWABUKUNMI JANET. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Oguguah Arthur Odinma affirm that I was formerly known as Oguguah Arthur Azubuike Babatunde and Oguguah Arthur Azubuike.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OGUGUAH ARTHUR ODINMA All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs Felicia Isiguzo now MRS FELICIA OLAJIDE. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Access Bank Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Adeoti Abimbola am the same person as Kolawole Abimbola Esther. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADEOTI ABIMBOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ibrahim Idris Omeiza now ABRAHAM ENOCH OMEIZA and my correct date of birth is 9-7-1981 and not 1-41980. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Titiola Owoniyi Daniel am the same person bearing Titiola Gbadebo Destiny. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as TITIOLA OWONIYI DANIEL. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

Unity Bank Plc, FCMB Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Rev’d Oyebode Elikanah Oluwakolapo now REV’D FOLASAYO ELIKANAH OLUWAKOLAPO. All former documents remain valid. The Word of Light Prayer Ministry, Access Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, Adeseha Grace Oluranti am the same person bearing Betiku Grace Oluranti.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADESEHA GRACE OLURANTI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, BVN, Indoor East Local Government and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs Oyebode Esther Idowu now MRS FOLASAYO ESTHER IDOWU. All former documents remain valid. The Word of Light Prayer Ministry and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Halid Abdulbasit now HALID BASIT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adewemimo Adekunle Mudashir now RADJI MOUDACHIROU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adeniran Oluyemi Adesola now MRS OYENIRAN OLUYEMI ADESOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Aworinde Titilayo Elizabeth now MRS OLATUNJI TITILAYO ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Tanimola Adeboyega Bolaji now TANIMOLA JOHN BOLAJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Udeze Izuchukwu Malachy am the same person bearing Anukwonke Izuchukwu Alexander Malachy. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ANUKWONKE IZUCHUKWU ALEXANDER MALACHY. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Mojirayo Olusola now MRS ADEDOKUN SILIFATU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs Oladele Adebola Taiwo now MRS ADEKUNLE ADEMOLA ADEBOLA TAIWO. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State SUBEB and general public take note.

I, formerly Mr Gbadamosi Modiu now MR BADMUS MODIU. All former documents remain valid.

Wema Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Joel Oluwayemisi Abiodun now ABEL OLUWAYEMISI ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. Kogi State Polytechnic and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Sodiq Abubakar now SADIQ ABUBAKRI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Fola Adejoju now OYEDEJI MORADEKE BOLARINWA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs Osariehmen Lucky Ogbebor now ALOGIDI EGBUSON MARY EKPOMULA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeyemi Grace Ayo now MRS ADEGBAYI GRACE AYO. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc, Ministry of Education and general public take note.

I, formerly Mukaeel Rahman Olamide now ABIOYE RAHMAN OLAMIDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ogunleye Esther now MRS ADEBAYO ESTHER FUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Adesanya Adedoyin Morufat now MRS ADEDOYIN MORUFAT LIADI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Aronimoh Abigail now MRS LEBILE ABIGAIL. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Oni Mary Foyeke now OYELEYE MARY OMODELE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Oyewole Omolade Funmilayo am the same person bearing Ekemode Omolade Funmilayo. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as EKEMODE OMOLADE FUNMILAYO. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, Godwin Titus Uzoma am the same person bearing Ezeh Godwin Titus. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as EZEH GODWIN TITUS. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Okpara Okwukwe Cordella am the same person bearing Umeanozie Okwukwe Sophia. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as UMEANOZIE OKWUKWE SOPHIA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Orokunbi Shakirat Dasola now ADEKUNLE SHAKIRAT DASOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Adeyemi Oluwafunke Dupe now ADEYERI ABIODUN DUPE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Babalola Atinuke Abosede now MRS BABAWALE ATINUKE ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Sogbesan Adejumoke Oluwabusayo Abolade now MRS ADEFIOYE OLUWABUSAYO ABOLADE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Odjokolo Grace Omamurhomu now MRS SOGBESAN GRACE OMAMURHOMU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Mojisola Shobayo Victoria now MOJISOLA MAKANJUOLA VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Access Bank Plc, GTBank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Akintola Oyetoun Oluwatobi now MRS BALOGUN OLUWATOMILOBA FUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Bolarinwa Roseline Olaronke now MRS AKINYEMI ROSELINE OLARONKE. All former documents remain valid.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Olarewaju Tope Rebecca now MRS EMIOLA TOPE REBECCA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Abubaka Sulaimon now YAKUBU WASIU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akinpelu Oluwatoyin Adedunmola now MRS OLUWATOYIN OJO. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Okoye Faith Eberechukwu am the same person as Okoye Faith Ogochukwu. Henceofrth, I wish to be known and addressed as OKOYE FAITH EBERECHUKWU. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Access Bank Plc, GTBank Plc, NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly John Jaiyeola Johnson now JOHN I L E R I O L U WA K I Y E JOHNSON. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Bolatito Ogunmola now ADUNNI TOLANI OGUNMOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

36

news

Friday, 23 September, 2016

Amnesty International’s report misleading —Police

N

Chris Agbambu - Abuja

igerian Police, on Thursday, faulted the report by the Amnesty International against it as misleading, a clear misrepresentation of facts, unverified accounts and absolute distortion of the current situation in the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), in the country.

It argued that the report was evidently the characteristic mindset and pattern of Amnesty International to castigate public institutions, especially, in developing countries like Nigeria.

The force equally described the Amnesty International’s Nigeria researcher, Damian Ugwu’s

choice of words in describing the operations of SARS as one that portrayed the researcher’s apparent ignorance of the rules of engagement of SARS and the laws regulating criminal investigation in Nigeria.

In a reaction to the report, the police said the researcher deliberately misconstrued the cautionary words, a prerequisite for suspects to sign before voluntary statement is taken from them as “death warrant”.

It said that the Nigeria Police has in place a functional and pragmatic disciplinary measure against erring officers and men and has charged to court, police officers involved in proven cases of violations of the rights of suspects in detention.

“It is incumbent on the force to educate the writer that the Nigeria Police and its officers are committed to upholding the fundamental Human Rights of every Nigerian as enshrined in

Chapter 4 of the Constitution and also in accordance to Africa Charter of Rights and United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

Our guiding principles are democratic policing and international best practices in criminal investigation.

“The Nigeria Police do not tolerate or condone torture in any form. The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, upon assumption of office, conducted an audit of SARS rules of engagement.

“The force has been working with critical stakeholders in the criminal justice system in the country and other local and international non governmental organisations(NGOs) and partners, including foreign embassies as well as international human rights organisations, to train and retrain police personnel to conform to international best practices on care and custody of detainees in its detention facilities across the country.

Kogi:Learn from Supreme Court verdict, Aduwo tells PDP leadership

By Dare Adekanmbi

The national coordinator of Rights Monitoring Group (RMG), a coalition of about 45 civil society organisations, Mr Olufemi Aduwo, has charged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ondo State, to take in the necessary lessons from the Supreme Court judgment on the governorship election in Kogi State.

Aduwo said if should Mr EyitayoJegede wins the governorship election in Ondo State and the court decides in favour of Ali Modu Sheriff faction as the authentic PDP, the victory might automatically be awarded to Dr Jimoh Ibrahim, who is the candidate of the Sheriff faction.

He said the same scenario might play out in Edo State where the party also has two candidates, arguing that votes received by the candidate recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), belonged to the party and not the candidate.

Aduwo, who spoke in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, said the judgment was not only well-considered but also affirmed his earlier position since the candidacy debacle that attended the death of former governor Abubakar Audu.

The right activist, who doubles as the executive secretary of the Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI), said,”I have previously argued, though, as a layman, that James Falake, has no case at all and that he was fighting a losing battle concerning the last governorship election in the state.

From left, a director, Chief Joseph Adeola Peluola; chairman, Chief Olatunji Alao Fadairo and the Managing Director/CEO, Mr Olufemi Olanrewaju Jegede, all of Excel Microfinance Bank, at the bank’s 23rd Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Eruwa, Oyo State, last week.

NSCDC discovers illegal engine oil factories in Ilorin Adulterated nubricants dangerous to life —DPR Biola Azeez, Ilorin

Kwara State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has discovered illegal factories where fake and adulterated engine oil is refined and packaged in Ilorin.

Also, teams led by the Directorate of State Security Service ( DSS)and the Directorate of Petroleum Products (DPR) and the NSCDC, had sealed off the illegal factories in the state capital.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, on Thursday, the state commandant of NSCDC, Mr Pedro Ideba, said that 42 people , including staff and kingpins in the refining and marketing of the illegal production and sales, had been arrested.

The civil defence boss, who said that one of the illegal factories, Segmax oil company, located in a rural settlement of Kere Aje area, Ogbondoroko community, Afon, in Asa Local Government Area, was not licensed, adding that only the laboratory equipment found in the factory were test tube and hydrometer.

The commandant said that his men had been on surveil-

lance of the area in the past three months, adding that the fence of the factory was as high as prison yard fence with illegal production done only at night and distribution early in the morning.

He said his men, who had laid ambush, pounced on two trucks while entering the factory to load the illegal products on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the DPR in

Kwara State, has described and widespread activities of lubricants adulteration in the state as serious danger to life of people in the state.

Speaking with journalists after the agency, in conjunction with NSCDC and the DSS, sealed off three illegal lubricant factories in Ilorin, on Thursday, the director of DPR, Mr Salvation Phillip, advised members of the

public to desist from patronising adulterated lubricant products.

“As a result of that illegality, members of the public are endangered. There is the risk to life and risk to engines of vehicles . And we are in hard times and some few individuals have taken it upon themselves to make the situation more difficult for others.”

Enugu assembly stops recruitment of 2,000 teachers Calls for fresh exercise From Jude Ossai / Enugu

The plan to recruit about 2,000 teachers by the Enugu State government to fill the vacancies in its primary education system, has suffered a setback following the cancellation of the exercise by the state House of Assembly.

The state House of Assembly, had, summoned the chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), Chief Ikeji Asogwa and the permanent secretary, Mrs Rose Chiama, to appear before it on Thursday to

explain why the recruitment exercise should not be cancelled following the outcry that trailed it.

But the lawmakers were not satisfied with the answers the chairman of ENSUBEB gave on how the exercise went and the criteria that were followed in the recruitment process.

The lawmakers, who called for the cancellation of the exercise that took place recently ,said that the exercise was not conducted in a normal process, which led to complaints from various relevant stakeholders.

The House reached the conclusion following the position

of the ENSUBEB permanent secretary, Mrs Chiama, that she knew nothing about the exercise and that even the board was not in the know, adding that they were not carried along.

The lawmakers were not happy that the exercise, where 21,000 applied, took place just within a week to conclude both examination and oral interview for those shortlisted.

The speaker of the House,Honourable Edward Ubosi, however, called for the cancellation of the exercise ordered for a fresh exercise.

Involve youths in governance, group advises govt

By Adewale Oshodi

A socio-political organisation, Forward Nigeria Group (FGN), has called on governments at all levels to involve the youth in governance as a means of resolving insurgency and militancy in the country.

The group stressed that engaging the youth in policy making would guarantee them a sense of belonging that they would be willing to protect rather than destroy the country through violence.

A statement issued in Abuja quoted the group’s national coordinator, Mr Alex EbiEdim, as saying that FNG envisioned a nation where all people, even in the most remote areas of the country, would hold the power to create opportunity for themselves and others.

The statement said that the secretary-general of the group, Mr Kim Danja, at the just concluded stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, observed that youth empowerment was a veritable tool in resolving insecurity globally.

He expressed the belief in engaging the youth in government activities to stop youth restiveness occasioned by neglect, poverty and unemployment.

The group also announced the appointments of some of its key officials.

Alleged malpractices: Group heads to court, demands probe of PENCOM Bola Badmus - Lagos

Following earlier petition, demanding for probe into the activities of National Pensions Commission (PENCOM), a group, Centre for Public Accountability (CPA), said it has concluded plans to ask the Federal High Court in Abuja for an order to compel the Economic and Financial crimes (EFCC) and the Independent corrupt practices and other related offences commission (ICPC), to investigate allegations of infractions, mismanagement and maladministration alleged to be ongoing at the PENCOM under the leadership of Mrs Chinelo AnohuAmazu.

The executive Director of CPA, Olufemi Lawson, made the disclosure on Thursday, in a statement issued in Lagos, saying the group was approaching the court through its lawyers, Messrs Dotun Ajulo and Ola Adeosun.

He said the CPA decided to push further its demand for a thorough investigation based on the fact that it was the duty of the anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute crimes that are related to mismanagement of public finances and abuse of positions, in the country.

37

Friday, 23 September, 2016

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Most US voters disgusted with presidential race —Poll

Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump.

PHOTO:REUTERS

Democrat Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton

F

EELINGS of frustration, disgust and fear are mounting among United States voters, a poll has found, as many Hillary Clinton and

Donald Trump supporters said their presidential choice is driven by a dislike of the other candidate.

The Pew Research Centre survey, which was released

on Wednesday, found that far more respondents felt frustrated (57 per cent), disgusted (55 per cent) or scared (43 per cent) than interested (31 per cent),

A six-year-old American boy’s letter to Barack Obama, offering a place in his family to a Syrian refugee, has gone viral.

Alex, from New York, wrote the letter after seeing the photograph of bloodied and dazed Omran Daqneesh, which prompted outrage around the world, CNN reported.

Mr Obama said the letter was from a child “who hasn’t learned to be cynical, or suspicious, or fearful”.

The video has been shared more than 60,000 times on Facebook.

“Dear President Obama, remember the boy who was picked up by the ambulance in Syria?” Alex wrote in

a letter published by the White House.

“Can you please go get him and bring him to our home ... we’ll be waiting for you guys with flags flowers and balloons. We will give him a family and he will be our brother.”

Mr Obama quoted Alex’s words at a United Nations summit on the refugee crisis this week, before the White House recorded Alex reading them himself.

“We should all be more like Alex,” the President wrote.

US boy offers home to Syrian refugee in letter to Obama

Copy of the letter written by Alex to President Obama. PHOTO: WHITEHOUSE

otherNEWS

Air strikes and fighting around Aleppo killed more than 50 people on Wednesday, activists said. PHOTO: AP

optimistic (15 per cent) or excited (only 10 per cent).

Al Jazeera revealed that Trump and Clinton supporters expressed similar levels of frustration, 55 per cent and 53 per cent respectively, and differed little in their feelings of disgust, 53 per cent and 48 per cent.

According to the poll, 33 per cent of Trump supporters said the main reason for supporting the Republican candidate is that “he is not Clinton”, while 32 per cent of Democrat Clinton supporters back her because “she is not Trump”.

The same percentage of Clinton supporters also listed her political experience as the main reason to vote for her, while 27 per cent of Trump’s supporters chose him because he is a political outsider they believe will bring change, according to the poll.

Syria conflict: Warplanes set

rebel-held Aleppo ablaze REBEL-HELD areas of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo saw the heaviest air strikes in months overnight, activists said, as a week-old truce collapsed.

An AFP news agency journalist reported that his entire street in the Bustan al-Qasr district was left burning after warplanes dropped incendiary bombs.

At least 13 people, including women and children, are believed to have died.

Fighting also erupted in the southern district, where

rebels are attempting to break a siege by government forces.

BBC added that Aleppo, once Syria’s commercial and industrial hub, has been divided roughly in two since 2012, with the government controlling the west and rebels the east.

Two million people are caught up in the battle for the city, and getting aid to them had been a key part of the cessation of hostilities deal brokered by the United States and Russia. However, no deliveries have taken place so far.

Senate clears way for $1.15bn arms sale to Saudi Arabia THE United States of America Senate has finally cleared the way for a 1.15 billion dollars sale of tanks and other military equipment to Saudi.

The White House said on Thursday in Washington that the Senate voted 71 to 27 to kill legislation that would have stopped the sale.

It noted that the overwhelming vote stopped an effort led by Republican Senator, Rand

Paul and Democratic Senator, Chris Murphy to block the deal.

It noted that Paul, Murphy and other opponents of the arms deal were sharply critical of the Riyadh government during debate before the vote, citing Yemen, the kingdom’s human rights record and its international support for a conservative form of Islam.

“If you’re serious about stopping the flow of

extremist recruiting across this globe, then you have to be serious that the brand of Islam that is spread

by Saudi Arabia all over the world is part of the problem.

Senator Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, said that the motion was coming at an unfortunate time and would serve to convince Saudi Arabia and all other observers that the U.S. does not live up to its commitments.

Refugee crisis: Plans underway to create 100,000 jobs in Ethiopia

There are more than 700,000 refugees in Ethiopia, mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

BRITAIN, the European Union and the World Bank have announced a plan to create 100,000 jobs in Ethiopia to help tackle the migrant crisis.

Two industrial parks will be built in the country at a cost of $500million (£385m).

BBC reported that Ethiopia, which proposed the plan, will be required to grant employment rights to 30,000 refugees.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May said the project would be a model for how to support poorer countries

housing large numbers of migrants.

Ethiopia hosts more than 700,000 asylum seekers, mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.

The deal, which was announced on Wednesday at the UN summit on refugees

in New York, will be funded by loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and grants from the UK and the World Bank.

As part of the agreement Ethiopia will grant refugees employment rights, which many currently do not have.

9 injured, 44 arrested in second night of Charlotte, N/Carolina protests

AT least nine people were injured and 44 people were arrested during a second night of violent protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, the city’s police chief said on Thursday, following the fatal police shooting of a black man.

One man remained in critical condition after being shot late Wednes-

day, said Kerr Putney, the chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades to disperse demonstrators who looted stores and threw rocks, bottles and fireworks, Reuters reported.

Officials initially said the Wednesday victim

was shot by a civilian, but on Thursday Putney acknowledged some claims he was shot by a law enforcement officer.

“We’re here to seek the truth, so we’re investigating that to find the truth, the absolute truth as best as the evidence can show us,” Putney said.

Four police officers suffered non-life threaten-

ing injuries, city officials said.

The latest trouble erupted after a peaceful rally earlier in the evening by protesters who reject the official account of how Keith Scott, 43, was gunned down by a black police officer in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Four police officers were injured in the latest protests. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

38 news PDP govs disagree on peace move •It’s a step in right direction —Ikpeazu Leon Usigbe-Abuja

P

EOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) governors have disagreed on the peace move announced by the two feuding factions of the party led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ali Sheriff.

Governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, who spoke on the matter with State House correspondents, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday, offered differing opinions on the necessity of the reconciliation move.

While Ikpeazu described it as a step in the right direction, Fayose rejected it, saying that it was only the Court of Appeal that could resolve the party’s leadership crisis, adding that PDP state governors have not been briefed.

According to the Abia governor, at the end of the day, the new reconciliation move would be a victory for the party and Nigeria.

While observing that the long period of the crisis had taken a toll on the party, he noted that it had also provided it with new opportunities to become stronger.

Ikpeazu said: “In every crisis, there are downsides because nobody will wish and pray for crisis. I think also that moments of crisis are also opportunities for strength, renewed vigor and to reinvent our vision.

“So, ultimately, I think the PDP has the resilience and what it takes to bounce back as a party.”

On how to secure the support of its founding fathers and others who may have left the party, he said the party would work to bring everybody back on board.

He added: “There is no doubt that party politics everywhere involves ev-

erybody whether you are a founding father or a new member. Political party is built around people and everybody has equal stake.

“Our interest is Nigeria.

Therefore, all strata of people, opinion, I think, will be put into consideration because they are equally important.”

Ikpeazu deemphasised

•Govs were not consulted —Fayose

disagreed with him over the new peace move, saying that it will not work unless ruled on by the Appeal Court.

He said the governors have not been consulted while the cases in court have not been withdrawn.

Fayose said: “That move, you see, I’m not against anything called resolution

within the party but everybody must wait for Court of Appeal to resolve this matter.

“Matters are in court, nobody has withdrawn any matter and they are resolving. What are you resolving?

“When matters are in court, you allow court to lay them to rest. The mo-

ment this thing doesn’t go with one side, they will tell you we are still in court.

“But allow the court to take a stand and reconciliation would be made easy.

I’m not against anybody reconciling with each other but when you see that meeting, ask the conveners if governors were briefed.

fection in a letter read

by Senate President Bukola Saraki at the senate plenary.

The letter read:”After due consultations with my constituency, I write to notify you of my intention to cross over from the PDP to the APC. My decision is informed by the protracted division at the national level of the PDP that led to the massive movement of my supporters to the APC. “Arising from this, I, therefore, write to formerly inform you of my decision to go along with my supporters. I thank you for your understanding.”

Also speaking at a press

briefing in the senate, Dariye said his decision to dump the PDP was informed by division in the party.

“My people in the PDP have moved to the APC and there is no need to remain alone,” he said.

Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Senator Ben Obi, who spoke on the move, said that the PDP can only wish him well.

He said: “I’m not aware of his movement from our party to the APC because I’m not in Abuja. But he’s a former governor and a senator who has the right to chart his own path. I wish him well.”

Senator Dariye dumps PDP for APC Taiwo Adisa-Abuja

FORMER governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, on Thursday, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Senator, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on Public Procurement, announced this in Abuja, said that the PDP

was divided at the national level.

Dariye, who currently represents Plateau Central Senatorial district on the platform of the PDP, announced his de-

Budget padding: Only Jibrin will appear before Ethics committee —Reps spokesperson Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel-Abuja

CHAIRMAN, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Honourable Abdulrazak Namdas, on Thursday, said that only the former chairman, House committee on Appropriations, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, would face the House committee on Ethics and Privileges over the allegation of budget padding he raised against the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara and some other principal officers of the House.

According to Honourable Namdas, Honourable Jibrin would be questioned by the committee on Ethics and Privileges based on the allegation he made against the House as an institution.

While briefing newsmen at the National Assembly, Honourable Namdas said that the House will follow its rules during the investigation.

According to him, “The investigation has to do with the institution. The committee will investigate

Justice Ayoola tasks stakeholders on improvement of legal education RETIRED Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and former Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, has called on stakeholders in the legal profession, the judiciary and other relevant authorities to work towards improving the quality of legal education in the country.

He made the call in his welcome address at the Regional Dialogue on Legal Education with the

the role of PDP state governors in the resolution of the crisis, saying: “The important thing is Nigeria and the important thing is democracy. Whether you are a BoT member or a party person, it doesn’t really matter. PDP Governors Forum is not political party.”

But his Ekiti counterpart

Friday, 23 September, 2016

theme: “Beyond the NUC Bench mark,” held at the Ayoola Institute and Resource Centre, Ibadan, on Tuesday, September 22, 2016.

He said: “My urgent appeal to the nation is that more attention should be paid to legal education in all its ramification. Law teachers should not only be well remunerated but also well equipped. Every sector of legal education should be better funded than it is now. A nation can only be as great as the vibrancy and quality of its laws.”

what affects the institution.

An individual does not pad budget, it is the work of the entire House to pass the budget.”

On the insistence by Honourable Jibrin that he would only attend the committee’s probe if it is open to key stakeholders in the country, Honour-

able Namdas said that, “the House has rules. It is not for Abdulmumin to set agenda for the committee. He is a former chairman of Appropriations committee.”

He, however, said that the lawmaker was keen on proffering solutions on how to reflate the economy and move it out of recession.

39

Friday, 23 September, 2016 Editor: Wale Emosu tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08111813054

Iheanacho joins EPL honours’ list

K

ELECHI Iheanacho is now the 16th player in the English Premier League (EPL) to have scored 10 goals just before he turns 20.

According to the Premier League’s official website, the Nigeria forward, at the age of 19, 11 months and 14 days, “is the oldest of the select group of teenagers to have reached double digits” before they turned 20.

The former Nigeria under-17 star scored his 10th Premier League goal against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City romped

to a 4-0 victory last Saturday.

Iheanacho has become the first Manchester City player to achieve the feat.

The Super Eagles man’s 10 goals have come from just 14 of his shots being on target while he has made 30 appearances in the Premier League.

Other top names on that exclusive list are Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Robbie Fowler, Nicolas Anelka, Romelu Lukaku, Ryan Giggs, Jermaine Defoe, Raheem Sterling, Emile Heskey and Robbie Keane, among others.

Dangote still keen on buying Arsenal

Iheanacho

NIGERIAN billionaire Aliko Dangote has revealed that he has intentions to buy English Premier League club Arsenal within the next four years.

The 59-year-old, who is Africa’s richest man and worth $10.9 billion as indicated by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, has refused to back down on his ambition to own the English club having first made his intention known just over a year ago.

However, Dangote, who owns a multitrillion conglomerate group, recognises that an immediate takeover of Arsenal would not happen owing to “more challenging headwinds”.

But his projection of making a move for the London club is “maybe three to four years”.

“There is no doubt (about buying Arsenal). It’s not a (money) problem. Maybe three to four years. The issue is that we have more challenging headwinds.

I need to get those out of the way first and start having tailwinds.

Then I’ll focus on this,” he told Bloomberg Television on Wednesday.

Dangote explained why he cannot push for an outright purchase

of Arsenal at the moment.

“It’s not about buying Arsenal and just continuing with business as usual.

It’s about buying Arsenal and turning it around. I’ve run a very successful business and I think I can also run a very successful team. Right now, with what we’re facing, over $20 billion of projects, I cannot do both,” he said.

THE National Youth Games get under way this weekend at the sports complex of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

Athletes started arriving on Monday to conclude registration for the one-week event.

The Director Grassroots Sports and Assistant Director of the Local Organising Committee, Dr Ademola Areh, said that 33 states were registered during the Delegation Registration Meeting (DRM) while Katsina and Edo

states were yet to register for the games.

Meanwhile, SuperSport has donated 200 soccer balls to support the National Youth Games.

The General Manager Strategy, West Africa, Mr Felix Awogu say it is the organisation’s own contribution towards sports development in the country.

“We at SuperSport are committed to sports development in Nigeria and are filling behind the Honourable Minister’s intention to change our sports dynamics and start identifying hidden tal-

Abiodun Jimoh - Benin City NO fewer than 30 colleges of Agriculture across the country are expected to participate in the forthcoming 14th Nigeria Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines Games (NICARDGA) to be held from October 8 to 19.

The games, billed for he College of Agriculture sports complex Kabba, Kogi State, will feature a total of 14 various sports events which will include football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, tennis, scrabble, chess, handball and badminton.

This was made known during the recent inspection tour of the sporting facilities by members of the national executive council, led by the president, National Association of Sports Coordinators of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines Games, Alhaji Mohammed Mailafiya.

Mailafiya who expressed satisfaction on the facilities assured all the participating institutions that this year’s edition would be the best organised games in the annals of the NICARDGA, adding that the facilities on the ground at the College would help in improving the standard of the games. He commended the management of the school for taking the hosting rights seriously.

Dikko, Abubakar not declared wanted —LMC THE League Management Company (LMC) on Thursday insisted that its officers were never declared wanted by the police and can therefore not be on the run because there are laid out and well known procedures the police adopt in declaring a person wanted.

LMC made the declaration in the aftermath of a staged raid by some policemen at its corporate head office on Osun Crescent, Abuja, purportedly seeking to arrest and imprison its chairman, Shehu Dikko and the Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar on the orders of Mr Justice I.I Kunda of the Jos Division of the Plateau State High Court.

The LMC said it was aware of a court

All set for National Youth Games SuperSport donates 200 soccer balls

By Niyi Alebiosu

30 colleges for NICARDA Games

ents early,”Awogu said.

Youth and Sports Minister Barrister Solomon Dalung has, however, urged corporate Nigeria to join in the drive to revive grassroots sports in the country.

“We have met some of our prominent stakeholders like SuperSport, Mr Yemi Idowu and some state governors and they have promised to lend their support to the games. We are looking forward to their pledges and we’re also appealing to other well-meaning Nigerians to help invest in the youths of this country. The National

Youth Games is one of our most vibrant avenues of engaging our youths positively in the development of the nation”.

Almost 1,600 athletes will take part in the one week youth games intended to discover new talents.

There will be competitions in 13 sports, including athletics, badminton, tennis, table tennis, scrabble, cricket, para table tennis, para-athletics, karate, wrestling, judo, taekwondo and chess.

There will be demonstration sports in rowing and yatching as well as roller skating.

order from the said judge, but added that it has appealed the order and filed a motion for stay of execution.

A statement from the LMC on Thursday clarified that in addition to filing a formal protest to the Office of the Inspector General Of Police (IGP), it had verified from the Police command that at no time did it declare the LMC officials wanted.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there are spelt out procedures for declaring a person wanted by the police. Courts do not declare persons wanted but if a court wishes to compel the appearance of a person before it, the court issues a bench warrant directing the police to arrest and produce the person before it on a given date.

“The police or other law enforcement agencies can declare a person wanted if they find reasons to do so, particularly if the person is a suspect in the commission of a crime and is on the run. In other words, the assistance of the public at large is being sought to apprehend such a person.

“Such declaration will be made by formal public pronouncement by the police and not a handful working with shadowy persons to achieve personal set agenda,” the LMC explained.

SIDELINES

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FRIDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER, 2016

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Goalkeeper of SV Vonderort, Marco Kwiotek, who set a new infamous record in football when he conceded 43 goals during a league game in Germany landed in police net a few hours later.

If one may ask, is it not necessary to arrest his coach too who allowed the keeper to continue after he conceded up to 35 goals in the first half alone?

Iwobi, Omeruo return As Rohr releases Eagles list against Zambia

BY Ganiyu Salman

A

RSENAL youngster, Alex Iwobi and Brazil 2014 campaigner, Kenneth Omeruo are among the returnees as Nigeria released the list of 23 players who will train in preparation for the October 9 World Cup qualifier against Zambia in Ndola.

Iwobi and Omeruo were not part of the get-together the Super Eagles had under new handler Gernot Rohr against Tanzania in a Nations Cup qualifier played in Uyo earlier this month.

Watford of England striker, Odion Ighalo is omitted due to family commitment. The final burial ceremonies for his dad will be held on October 8, a day to the qualifier.

THE INVITED PLAYERS: Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah).

Defenders: Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz 05, Germany); William Troost-Ekong (Haugesund FC, Norway); Kenneth Omeruo (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Jamiu Alimi (Kano Pillars); Abdullahi Shehu (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Musa Muhammed (Istanbul Basaksehir, Turkey); Elderson Echiejile (Standard Liege, Belgium), Kingsley Madu (SV Zulte Waregem, Belgium).

Midfielders: Mikel John Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk, Belgium); Nosa Igiebor (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Anderson Esiti (KAA Gent, Belgium).

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Leicester City, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Isaac Success (Watford FC, England); Brown Ideye (Olympiacos FC, Greece) and Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England).

Omeruo

Iwobi

My paralympics disappointment, an act of providence —Adesokan

By Dipo Ogunsola

WORLD record holder in the men’s-49kg powerlifting, Yakubu Adesokan, has described his failure to appear for the event at the recently-concluded Rio Paralympics in Brazil as a divine happenstance.

Adesokan arrived late to the

Adesokan. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO-OKE

weigh-in event and was disqualified by the International Powelifting Committee from participating.

“I won’t blame anybody,” Adesokan told Tribunesport on Thursday.

“Though, it was very painful, who do you blame? It was a mix-up and those responsible were those who had been responsible for most of my world record feats, so I won’t be mad with them but I regard it as God’s doing, which is unquestionable”.

Recalling what happened on the day, the 2015 All Africa Games gold medallist said he was told the weigh-in was billed for 11am, while the real contest would begin by 1pm only to learn that the weigh-in had been concluded by 10am, while the competition was under way by 12 noon.

“Immediately, we realised our mistake, Team Nigeria’s officials rallied round and raised funds to pay fine for latecoming, but IPC maintained that there was no going back despite the fact that they knew that the Paralympics needed me as a world record holder,” the London 2012 Paralympics gold medallist

stated.

Adesokan, whose world record 182.5kg remains intact despite his inability to compete at Rio 2016, confessed that he caused a scene at the event, but was cautioned by IPC President John Amos who threatened to arrest him.

“I was devasted by the disqualification. In fact, some of the Olympics officials around even said I should be injected by medical doctors to get over the shock, but I said there was no need for any medical assistance. So, I went straight back to the Games Village because I could not watch the event,” said the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

The powerlifter was full of praises for his coaches, the Federation officials and Team Nigeria officials for support, adding that he was pacified by the solidarity shown by everybody, including “our counterparts from other African countries”.

Messi out for 3 weeks BARCELONA star Lionel Messi will be sidelined for the next three weeks due to a groin strain, dealing a huge blow to his club and country.

“To lose Lionel Messi means football loses and we lose,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique.

Messi limped off just before the hour mark of the Spanish champions’ 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

The Argentine captain is set t o miss his

Messi

country’s World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay next month as well as Barca’s Champions League clash at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Messi will also sit out of the Catalans’ La Liga trips to Sporting Gijon and Celta Vigo.

However, Messi should be fit in time for a reunion with old boss Pep Guardiola when Manchester City visit the Camp Nou on Champions League duty on October 19.

The five-time World Player of the Year missed Argentina’s World Cup qualifier with Venezuela earlier this month due to the problem and only started Barca’s shock 2-1 defeat to Alaves 10 days ago on the bench as coach Luis Enrique bedded him b a c k i n t o action gently.

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. 23/9/2016.