23rd November 2015 by Nigerian Tribune

nigeria’s most informative newspaper no 16,376

monday, 23 november, 2015

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Mass choir of The Apostolic Church Nigeria, ministering at the Service of Songs for Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, at Ikenne, on Sunday. MORE PHOTOS ON PAGES 2 AND 47.

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From left, Anthony Anwuka, Minister of State for Education; Mohammed Dewa, Chairman, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Governing Council; Babs Omotowa, MD Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG); Muhammad Bashir Saidu, representing Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna; the Obi of Onitsha and Chancellor of ABU, Alfred Achebe and the Vice Chancellor, ABU, Professor Ibrahim Garba, commissioning the new NLNG funded N340 million multi-user engineering laboratories at ABU, Zaria, at the weekend.

Kogi: Abubakar Audu dead, constitutional crisis sets in

•He vomited blood before dying —Family source •Burial today, state govt declares 7 days of mourning —P4 •INEC declares election inconclusive ANALYSIS: His death, inconclusive election and the constitutional crisis Suicide bomber hits Borno IDP camp, kills 7

THE INCONCLUSIVE KOGI ELECTION RESULTS LGs APC PDP 10,170 8,504 Okehi Mopa-Muro 3,888 4,195 Ogori-Magongo 1,931 2,601 8,581 6,903 Ajaokuta Adavi 15,636 11,902 10,426 9,316 Koton-Karfe Ijumu 9,958 6,040 14,786 15,968 Okene 7,129 5,368 Yagba East Idah 11,779 6,952 7,930 7,021 Yagba West Kabba/Bunu 9,659 7,768 Omala 9,228 10,517 16,800 10,997 Ofu 22,983 14,731 Ankpa Olamaboro 13,227 8,202 8,683 Igalamalela/Odolu 9,003 Bassa 11,815 9,258 Lokoja 13,517 12,414 20,994 21,602 Dekina Ibaji 11,427 10,572 240,867 199,514 TOTAL

—P4

N18,000 minimum wage: Govs have declared war —NLC

—P35

Abubakar Audu on his last public outing, after casting his vote on Saturday. PHOTO: BAYOOR EWUOSO.

Ebola returns to Liberia, 153 people under —P45 surveillance

2 CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915-2015)

BURIAL PREPARATION FOR HID AWOLOWO

Monday, 23 November, 2015 PHOTOS: TOMMY ADEGBITE, SYLVESTER OKORUWA & D’TOYIN

6 1. A banner in front of the Tribune House, Imalefalafia, Ibadan, bidding Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo goodbye. 2. From left, deputy governor of Ogun State, Yetunde Onanuga; Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran, Mrs Kemi Aderemi and Governor Ibikunle Amosun, during the governor’s visit to Ikenne, on Sunday, to inspect the level of preparation for the funeral service. 3. Governor Amosun discussing with Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran, after inspecting Awolowo Mausoleum.

4. Governor Amosun discussing with Segun Awolowo 5. From left, Commissioner of Police, Ogun State, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali; AIG Zone 2, Bala Hassan and the Ogun State Sector Commander, FRSC, Mr M.A Adetunji, during the visit to Ikenne, on Sunday. 6. From left, Yinka Awolowo, Segun Awolowo and Obafemi Awolowo. 7. Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran with her daughter, Mrs Yemisi Subair, who is also the Managing Director, Master Bakery, Ajah, Lagos, with staff members of Master Bakery.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

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Monday, 23 November, 2015

Kogi: Abubakar Audu dead, constitutional crisis sets in

•He vomited blood before dying —Family source •Burial today •INEC declares election inconclusive Yinka Oladoyinbo -Lokoja

HERE was tension and anxiety in Kogi State, on Sunday, as the state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Audu, aged 68, was declared dead. His death has evidently opened a new chapter in Nigeria’s political landscape, being an occurrence that had never happened in the 55 years of Nigeria’s nationhood. Audu, who was born on October 27, 1947, was said to have slumped and died at his village, Ogbonicha, in Ofu Local Government Area of the state. Nigerian Tribune gathered from a family source that he died early Sunday morning after vomiting blood. Earlier on Sunday, results trickling in showed that he was winning, but the victory was awaiting final declaration by the INEC before the unfortunate incident occurred. Returning Officer for the election, who is also the vice chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Markudi, Professor Emmanuel Kucha, while announcing the results of the election, said a winner could not be declared, as the election failed to satisfy the provisions of the guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He said the election was inconclusive, because the number of cancelled votes was more than the difference between votes scored by the two leading contestants. While declaring the result, the returning officer had declared that governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Abubakar Audu, polled a total of 240, 867 votes, to defeat the incumbent governor and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Captain Idris Wada, who scored 199, 514 votes, while the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Phillips Salawu, had 8756,votes. However, after a final analysis of the votes, it was discovered that a total number of 49, 953 votes were cancelled, while the difference between the votes of the two leading parties was 41, 353. Kucha said no winner could be declared, because paragraph 4(m) of the guideline stipulated that election should be declared inconclusive when the votes cancelled was more than the difference in the figures recorded by any two contest-

ing political parties. Recounting how he died, family sources said Audu, who was governor in January 1992 and 1999 to 2003, had, on Saturday evening, complained of stomach ache and was promptly attended to by his doctor. Nigerian Tribune, however, gathered that the former governor again, on Sunday morning, complained of dizziness and in the process, slumped and died. A family source, who confirmed the news, however, said the cause of his death had not been ascertained. Immediately the news of his death filtered through to town, the atmosphere at the premises of the Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC), where some politicians were still gathered after the declaration of the result of the election changed to that of sobre. The news also made politicians to have been rushing to Audu’s hometown to confirm or commiserate with the family. Speaking earlier, Professor Kucha said the cancellation of results affected about 91 polling units spread across 18 out of the 21 local government areas of the state. “Based on the development, supplementary election will be held in the affected polling units before a winner could be declared,” he said. The results showed that

only Yagba East, Muoamuro and Ogori/Magongo were not affected by the cancellation, while Dekina Local Government Area, where Wada hailed from, had the highest figure of 17, 454. While presenting the results for Dekina, the local government collation officer, said the situation in the area was bad, as violence erupted in some of the polling units. He said a female presiding officer had to run into a shrine in Anyigba, when she was pursued by political thugs, only to be rescued by security operatives. Breakdown of the results already declared showed Audu won in 16 out of the 21 local government areas of

the state, while Wada won in five. The governor won only in Dekina, Omala, Okene, Ogorimagongo and Mupamuro local government areas, while Audu won in the remaining 16 councils. Kucha said the state had 1, 379, 971 registered voters, but only 511, 648 voters were accredited, while a total of 481, 334 votes were cast. Meanwhile, the deceased will be buried today according to Islamic rites, as the state government declared seven days of mourning. Reacting to the news, Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, described the development as tragic and very unfortunate.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said Prince Audu was a brother, father, and wonderful political leader who had, at one time, served his state and people meritoriously. Also reacting, Senator Shehu Sani on his Twitter handle said “Victory and tragedy. We mourn. We mourn a dogged fighter, a resilient optimist.” Also, former Media Director, Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Olufemi Olu-Kayode, said: “May the soul of Alhaji Abubakar Audu, the APC governorship candidate for Kogi State, who dropped dead after the election, rest in peace. Very sad.”

ANALYSIS: His death, inconclusive election and the constitutional crisis By Kunle Oderemi and Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare The sudden death of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Saturday’s governorship poll in Kogi State, Alhaji Abubakar Audu, has thrown up a number of posers concerning the nation’s political processes. The development raises fundamental questions about perceived lacunas in the 1999 Constitution as amended. It is the first time a candidate in an inconclusive election would die in the annals of Nigeria. And apparently, the drafters of the 1999 Constitution did not take into account or envisage the current circumstance. Thus, some analysts are wont to believe the situation arising from Audu’s demise could trigger a constitutional crisis, if not properly managed. However, the most fundamental and profound provision concerning the current development can be found in Section 181 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. In Section 181 (1) states: “If a person duly elected as Governor dies before taking and subscribing the Allegiance and oath of office, or is unable for any reason whatsoever to be sworn in, the person elected with him as Deputy Governor shall be sworn in as Governor and he shall nominate a new Deputy Governor who shall be the Governor with the approval of a simple majority of the House of Assembly of the State.” The operational phrase in this section is if a person duly elected as governor. This and the entire component of the section have been interpreted that

since the Kogi election was declared inconclusive by the authorities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a fresh governorship election has become imperative in Kogi State. This argument is further underscored by Section 181 (2) of the same Constitution. It stipulates: “Where the persons duly elected as Governor and Deputy Governors of a State die or are of any reason unable to assume office before the inauguration of the House of Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission shall immediately conduct an election for a Governor and Deputy Governor of the State.” But, Section 178 of the Constitution is germane in the emerging scenario. It states in subsection (3) that INEC is required to extend the time of nomination if a candidate suddenly dies before an election takes place. According to Section 178 (3), “Where in an election to the office of Governor of a State one of the two or more candidates nominated for the election is the only candidate after the close of nomination, by reason of the disqualification, withdrawal, incapacitation, disappearance or death of the other candidates, the Independent National Electoral Commission shall extend the time for nomination.” Another critical poser arising from the death of the APC candidate in last Saturday’s poll bother son the degree of thoroughness and holistic nature of the screening of prospective candidates for elections. It is believed that political parties in particular through their guidelines

provide for near faultless rules and regulations that will not only confirm all requirements as stipulated in the Nigerian constitution on eligibility, but also emphasised other necessities, including physical and mental fitness. If those party guidelines have inbuilt mechanism to guarantee such conditionality, to what extent has the valves often compromised by powerful and influential interests. These are some of the issues that should engage the political class as the nation faces the reality about Audu’s demise. In the meantime, all stakeholders involved in the Kogi election may have to go back to the drawing board as the nation attempts to solve the current constitutional and legal riddle with its far-reaching implication for the polity.

No constitutional provision for his death – lawyers

Following the demise of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Abubakar Audu, in Kogi State, on Sunday, lawyers across the country have stated that the constitution did not make provisions for such an occurrence. According to them, there was an obvious oversight and grave omission of such circumstances in the constitution and to move forward, the doctrine of necessity might have to come in. Former national president of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, said in his opinion, the election should be voided because there would not be a legal candidate to conclude it.

"In my own view, which is subjected to criticism, the election is voided. You need a legal candidate for an election. If the candidate is not available by the case of death, then the election should be voided and a new election be conducted. "I learnt there is a Supreme Court ruling in the case of Amaechi, Atiku and the rest, but these people were alive. In this case, would there be a legal candidate to contest the concluding election? Agbakoba said on a Channels Television programme. A former chairman of the NBA, Ikeja chapter, Onyekachi Monday Ubani, told Nigerian Tribune that the matter was a serious one, considering that there was no constitutional provision for such matters. “This is a serious one that the constitution did not envisage. There are no precedent to such an occurrence and if we talk about the party choosing another candidate, we also have to consider that the period for selection of candidate has elapsed; there is a time limit for such things, but I think that in this case, the deputy will have to go for a fresh election “If we go by the Supreme Court’s ruling on Rotimi Amaechi’s case, where it was held that the party and not the candidate is the beneficiary of elections. So, I believe the deputy will have to go for elections and if he wins, he will now choose a deputy. “This is a serious omission and the law needs to be amended quickly,” Ubani stated. Another human rights lawyer, Ikechukwu Ikeji aligned with this, as he said: “There are no laid down

rules or provisions for this. The constitution never imagined such an occurrence; the only similar provision to this is Section 36 of the Electoral Act, which indicates that if a candidate dies before the polls, INEC should cancel and postpone the election for 14 days. “But now that the election is already underway, the situation is different. In my secular view, except further research contradicts what I have said, there should be a fresh election with the deputy or they should go to the Supreme Court for interpretation.” Also speaking, a legal practitioner, Olusayo Adeleye, stated that there was no provision for such and consequently, there would have to be a fresh election, with Honorable James Abiodun Faleke, the deputy, stepping in as the gubernatorial candidate. Another legal practioner, Kayode Ajayi, also stated that since there was no provision in the constitution, the APC would have to look for another candidate. “The doctrine of necessity comes in since the vacuum needs to be filled. The law did not envisage this, but there must be a way out. Remember when Atiku Abubakar, as governor, was chosen to be the vice president, his deputy, Bonny Haruna, stood in as the governor and selected another deputy. Mr Taoheed Asudemade was also of the same opinion, as he stated that since there was no provision, the APC would have to look for another candidate, while INEC would conduct another election. “His death has nullified the one that is ongoing,” he said.

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Monday, 23 November, 2015

HID Awolowo's philanthropy unparalleled —The Apostolic Church By Olayinka Olukoya and Wale Akinselure

he Apostolic Church Nigeria (TACN) has lauded the unparalleled philanthropy of Chief (Mrs) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo. National President, TACN, Pastor G. O. Olutola, speaking at the Service of Songs held in honour of Mama Awolowo, at Ikenne, on Sunday, noted Mama Awolowo's special concern for people's welfare and support for the promotion of God's gospel. Exemplifying her care for the church, Olutola remarked that Mama Awolowo contributed yearly to The Apostolic Church's Convention, as well as towards the sustenance of the church's Samuel Adegboyega University. While lauding Mama Awolowo's truthfulness, uncommon strength, faith in God and love for family during her lifetime, he hinted that the Matriarch of Awolowo family knew that her time to die was close. Olutola added that since Mama Awolowo marked her 99th birthday, she kept asking how many days were left to clock 100 years. “Mama was ripe to die. Since she clocked 99 years, she kept asking anytime I visited that ‘how many days are left for her to be 100 years?’. She knew her time was close. Mama

Pa Morris, former Sketch photo journalist, is dead A former photo journalist with Sketch Press Limited, Pa Abiodun Timothy Morris Adekalu, popularly known as Abbey Morris, is dead. Pa Adekalu, 81, was reported dead on Saturday, November 21, at his residence, during a brief illness. Until his death, he was an active member of St. Matthew Anglican Church, Imope, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State. He was reputed for candid shots used as exclusives in the defunct newspaper. Morris is survived by wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. According to a statement by one of his daughters, Mrs Toluwalope Oni, burial plans would be announced later.

started well and ended best.” On Mama Awolowo's exemplary life, he urged human beings to regard the honour as a challenge to everyone to re-evaluate their lives and anticipate

the kind of legacy they will be remembered for after death. “God gave Mama’s uncommon strength to bear challenges. Her faith in God superseded her challenges. She stood by Chief

Obafemi Awolowo during his trying times. She showed her children how to live. The children must continue to uphold the legacies of the Awolowo family,” he said. Meanwhile, to ascertain

the level of preparedness for the final burial ceremony on Wednesday, Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his deputy visited the Ikenne residence of the Awolowos, as well as Gateway Stadium, Sagamu, where

today's Service of Songs by the Ogun State government will be held. In the same vein, Police AIG Zone 2, Bala Usman, was also present for another check up as regards security arrangements.

Glo Slide 'n' Bounce, biggest show in Makurdi —Residents Artistes on the Glo Slide 'n' Bounce show at the weekend treated residents of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, to a night of unprecedented entertainment. The relatively quiet city came alive, as Glo ambassadors, Burna Boy, Bez Idakula and the duo of Marvin Records sen-

sational singers, Di'Ja and Reekado Banks entertained the mammoth crowd which gathered at the Royal Choice Inn Hotels, venue of the show. Anchored by fast-rising Enugu-based comedian, 2CanTalk, with music supplied by DJ XGee, the show was described by residents of the city as the biggest

entertainment event in the city in the last four years. Oche Godwin, one of the guests at the show, while summing up his experience, said “I have always attended all shows in this city and I must say that this concert is the best of them all and the biggest entertainment event in this city in the last four years.”

For Emmanuella Egwu, a graduate of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, “this show confirms that Globacom cannot offer anything, but premium. I was part of the Glo Miss Rock ‘n Rule pageant here in Makurdi, in 2011 and it is gratifying to note that Globacom has gone far above what it did then and

From left, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce; Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; Cross River State governor, Professor Benedict Ayade; mother of Senator Murray-Bruce, Margaret; Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; representative of the Lagos State governor and Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Folarin Coker and the wife of the Kebbi State governor, Hajia Aisha Bagudu, cutting the cake to mark the 35th anniversary of Silverbird Group, in Lagos, at the weekend.

Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio (left), with the Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at Southern Sun Hotel, Lagos, on Sunday.

Suicide bomber kills 7 in Borno IDP camp A female suicide bomber, on Sunday, killed at least seven people in a transit camp in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, after a bomb she had on her body was detonated. The National Emergen-

cy Management Agency (NEMA) sources said the explosive was reportedly detonated by a lady evacuated to the capital city alongside other displaced persons from Dikwa Local Government Area.

Locals of the area trapped by Boko Haram insurgents before its liberation were being screened for onward movement to official makeshift camps in Maiduguri when the incident happened.

Three officials of the Civilian Joint Task Force were also injured in the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Boko Haram is largely suspected to be responsible.

I am personally happy to be here to have fun and I had more than enough.” Adejoh Sunday, a civil servant, based in Gboko, said he had “no regret travelling all the way from Gboko to be part of this show. It was worth it and I want to appeal to Globacom not to 'starve' us of events like this, because it has been a while now since Glo came to this state for shows. Please, keep coming and the company will gain more from the appreciative people of Benue State.” Residents of the city began to arrive the venue of the show hours before it was billed to start and when the show finally kickedoff at about 4.00 p.m, it was fun all the way. From the dancing to the singing competition to the Swagger competition, which involved guests above 50 years, the Makurdi edition of the Glo Slide 'n' Bounce concert was a mega hit. The first big act of the night was Di'Ja, who thrilled the crowd to her sonorous voice, moving from her ‘Bad Belle People’ track to ‘Awww’. She was later joined by Reekado Banks, who added spice to the already ecstatic atmosphere in the hall, while proving that he ‘Get the formula’ to unlock the dancing ability of the crowd. He crowned his time on stage with a sublime delivery of his hit track, ‘Katapot’. The duo were followed by Bez Idakula, who performed ‘Stupid Songs’. Bez became more dramatic after singing his ‘Why you dey fear’ track, as he invited a lady on stage to assure her that ‘I will not disappear’. Burna Boy, who rounded off the show, was simply energetic and the entire hall was electrified by his performance. The show was attended by the crème-de-la-creme of the society, including Mrs Grace Tarkula, daughter of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths Development and Empowerment, Honourable Sunny Nyor, Colonel Attah J.O of the Nigerian Army, HonourableTony Agada of the state House of Assembly and Mr & Mrs Oche.

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Monday, 23 November, 2015

NIMC begins database integration with BVN Says Nigerians in diaspora will be enrolled for e-ID card Adetola Bademosi - Abuja

OLLOWING the presidential directive on harmonisation of databases, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has begun the integration of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) with

the National Identity Management System (NIMS). Outgoing Director-General of NIMC, Mr Chris Onyemenam, who spoke alongside MD/CEO of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System and Mr Christopher Kakwe Katso, DIG, Police, revealed this at a briefing in Abuja. Onyemenam described

the development as the outcome of the commission’s efforts at ensuring that the presidential directive on expeditious conclusion and integration of biometric databases was adhered to. According to him, NIMC would now begin to take data, pass it through its system to attach identification number that correspond

with each BVN datum and via SMS, notify successful candidate that his/her National Identification Number (NIN) had been issued based on the data received from the BVN database. He said: “We have got to a point where we will kick off the integration of the BNV with the NIMS database. This is the outcome of

3 dead, scores injured as rival cult groups clash in Osun Oluwole Ige - Osogbo NO fewer than three people were feared dead, while several others were injured at the weekend, in Osogbo, the capital city of Osun State and Ile-Ife, when rival cult groups clashed in separate violent attacks. Though the immediate cause of the clash in Osogbo remained unknown,

Patient goes wild in Ogun hospital Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta THERE was mild drama at the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta, on Sunday, when a patient undergoing treatment went wild, causing confusion within the hospital premises. The patient (names withheld), who was admitted inside the Emergency Treatment Room (ETR) of the hospital, it was gathered, suddenly launched an attack on other patients and medical personnel. Nigerian Tribune also learnt that the said patient vandalised the hospital property, which forced everyone around to run for safety. It was gathered that the first victim of the patient was his biological mother, who had been on ground, caring for him. Some patients who could not move themselves received the beatings of their lives, while some were lucky to escape. It took the intervention of the men of a vigilance group and the police to bring the situation under control, as the patient was immediately transferred to the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, for medical attention. When contacted, the medical director of the hospital, Kayode Oladeinde, declined comment on the incident.

top security sources hinted the Nigerian Tribune that two leading members of rival cult groups started the fight which later culminated in the death of one of their members at a popular pub located along Iwo/ Osogbo Road, last week Thursday. According to an eyewitness, a member of a cult group which was believed to be holding sway in Osogbo at the moment, attacked a member of a rival cult group by beating him up when he forcefully entered a pub against the advice of those in the premises. He stated that “after man-

aging to escape, the man that was beaten went to two neighbouring higher institutions (names withheld) to recruit more hands to join in the fight. “He recognised the man that beat him and since the incident happened, they had been on his trail and later caught up with him around Adenle, Sabo Area of Osogbo,” he added. Some residents of Sabo Adenle, who pleaded anonymity, informed Nigerian Tribune that the rival cult groups clashed in the area for several hours on Friday, a development which caused fear, as

many residents remained indoors throughout. After the clash had subsided, one of the victims was spotted being rushed to a private hospital with deep machete cut on the head, where he reportedly died. Similarly, in another clash suspected not to be unconnected with incessant gang fights in Ile-Ife, two people were said to have been killed. When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Osun State police command, Mrs Folasade Odoro, said she would investigate to know if the incidents had been reported.

several weeks and months of ensuring that the presidential directive which meant that we should expeditiously conclude the integration of biometric databases and, therefore, enable government, particularly MDAs optimise the scare resources to streamline activities in the identity management process, so that we can serve Nigerians better.” Mr Adebisi Shonubi, MD/ CEO, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System plc, hailed the banking industry for being one of the first to integrate with NIMC and have a NIN matched with customers’ BVN. In another development,

the commission disclosed plans to set up enrolment centres at the Nigerian mission offices abroad. These offices, the commission said would have the equipment that were adequate enough to issue unique identity to Nigerians in diaspora. The NIMC said it was collaborating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deploy the offshore enrolment centres as soon as possible, as it would help government focus on its resources abroad and as well save a lot of cost of travelling for citizens from wherever they were, to come back home just to have a means of identification.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Lagosmetro

Beware of exhumed chicken, turkey in circulation, Lagos warns

AGOS State government has alerted the public to the dangers of buying and consuming exhumed contaminated poultry produce including chicken and turkey that are presently in circulation in the state. According to the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Toyin Suarau, contaminated imported poultry produce were seized by men of the Nigeria Customs

Lagos, Ogun banks robbery gang arrested, policeman shot dead THE police have arrested the leader and three members of the robbery team that robbed banks in Lagos and Ogun States, recently. The armed robbers were arrested after a gun battle that left one policeman dead. Available information has it that the leader of the gang, Kelly Fotor, popularly known as Kelvin, was arrested by the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team in Sapele at about 3pm on Saturday. The team was said to have tracked Kelly, the leader of the Festac, Lekki, Ikorodu (all in Lagos State) and Agbara (Ogun State) bank robberies, to Sapele. The last of such robbery operations last week in Agbara Estate, Agbara, Ogun State left a policeman dead. Kelly and his group, however, did not give up easily. One policeman was shot dead during the gun battle . Three of the four arrested armed robbers sustained bullet wounds. Other members were said to have escaped. They were said to have escaped to Delta and Ondo States. It was learnt that efforts are on to arrest the fleeing members of the gang.

Service in Badagry, but after being buried was later exhumed by some unscrupulous individuals with the intent to sell same to some unsuspecting consumers. Suarau, who disclosed this at the weekend while receiving officials of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) who came on the directive of the Federal Government to appeal for support on how to sensitize the teeming populace in Lagos on the danger posed by this act, noted that these exhumed poultry produce was poisonous and could lead to death if consumed. “This visit by officials of NOA was based on the circular received by the agency

about the recently exhumed contaminated poultry produce being destroyed by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service somewhere in Badagry; the need for sensitisation on the dangers associated with consuming the exhumed poisonous poultry produce cannot be overemphasised, especially in view of the havoc it poses to the public,” he noted. The commissioner posited that the imported poultry produce was preserved with chemicals like formalin which is poisonous, adding that it could lead to slow death without the knowledge of the consumer. Suarau opined that the produce aside being poison-

ous was not as nutritious as freshly processed poultry. The commissioner while reiterating the state government’s commitment towards ensuring food security for residents of Lagos vowed that the state government would not relent in its quest to improve the quality of life of citizens, adding that health and wellbeing of residents was cardinal in the policy thrusts of government. Suarau, however, disclosed that the Lagos State government will work in collaboration with the Federal Government to ensure that the sensitisation exercise is successful. “We are very concerned

about the implications of consuming unwholesome poultry produce. We cannot toy with the lives of over 21 million Lagosians, and that is why as part of our proactive measures the ministry will liaise with all its field officers to pass the information across the state,” he stated. In the same vein, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Food Security Mr. Okanlawon Sanni stated that the State Ministry of Agriculture will assist in mobilizing and sensitizing its poultry farmers and members of the public to be their brothers’ keeper and be alert to happenings around them. Speaking earlier, Deputy

Director, National Orientation Agency, Mr. John Emah said that the Agency in collaboration with the Lagos State Government is set to begin a sensitization programme to draw attention of the public to the dangers inherent in buying and consuming these poultry produce. “In order to halt the spread of these contaminated poultry produce, the NOA would commence the production and airing of public service announcement and jingles; distribute information leaflets, and kick start other outlined sensitization campaigns and programs in collaboration with the Lagos State government,” he said.

Long queues at a Lagos petrol station as fuel crisis continues.

Student accused of killing prefect who punished him, Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin AN 18-year-old student, Saka Hammed, has been accused of pushing and killing a prefect in his school after an argument. Hammed, who resides

at No. 19, Oshogbo Street, Amukoko, Ijora Badia, committed that alleged offence on November 4 at about 8 a.m. at Gaskiya College Gate, Amukoko, Lagos. Hameed had been asked to repeat SS2 while the

deceased (Saheed Jimoh) was promoted to SS3. Hameed stopped coming to school but was later on brought to school by his father on the day the incident happened. It was gathered that Hammed and his friends

on November 4 had patiently waited for the deceased (Saheed Jimoh) after school hours to confront him for punishing him for coming late to school. He said that when the deceased tried to defend him-

self, the accused, viciously pushed him into gutter where an iron rod pierced his chest. He explained that before the deceased got to the hospital he died. Hammed pleaded not guilty when he was charged

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By Lanre Adewole

08037863902 | olanreade@yahoo.com

Save us from hooligans, Ikorodu residents cry out Lauryn Obado

Abandoned train tracks at Iganmu.

PROMINENT indigenes of Ikorodu in Lagos have expressed concern over the high rate of hooliganism among youths in the community, urging the state government to intensify efforts at curbing the menace. The indigenes, under the platform of The Exclusives Club, expressed this concern at the weekend, and noted that a lot needs to be done to keep youths gainfully employed. According to the chairman of the group, Chief Harrison Bolaji Adeniji, it was high time the menace was addressed through concerted efforts. He also stressed the need for residents of Ikorodu to always put forward suitable leaders who would represent the community’s interest and not selfish interest. This he said would help the town to develop rapidly unlike the situation currently being witnessed. “Ikorodu suffers from unsuitable representation and as such, little development is achieved. When mediocres are in government, nothing will be achieved. We are to be blamed for electing people who do not represent the noting that the culture of people’s interest in the first silence associated with the place,” he said. menace would soon end. Adeniji, a banker who Kazeem described the holds the traditional title of vice as the most pervasive Gbobaniyi of Isonyin, howand heinous violations of ever, commended the state human rights in the world government for the develbut regretted that it was opment projects going on in one of the least prosecuted the community and in the crimes. state.

Ambode calls for action against domestic violence Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode has restated that his administration has zero tolerance for gender-based violence. Ambode who stated this during a dinner organised to commemorate the domestic violence awareness month in the state, said that his administration would use all resources at its disposal to fight the menace and bring it to an end. “The good news is that we

, gets bail before an Igbosere Magistrates Court. The magistrate, Mrs Folarin Williams, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum. She adjourned the case till January 18, for trial.

are clear on our goals and we will tackle this menace with every resource we possess. The right laws are in place and the justice system will continue to improve on the rate of offender conviction,” he said. “This administration is fully committed to drastically increasing the rate of convictions of offenders to serve as deterrence to the public and for them to know that domestic violence is considered a serious crime in Lagos State.” Ambode lamented that in spite of efforts to curb the crime, it has continued to be a real tragedy that Lagosians face. While pointing out that the end to domestic violence cannot be achieved through legislation alone, he stressed the need for a sustained, coordinated and multi-level approach across all sectors of soci-

ety, particularly the police, health, justice, education and social services. The governor, however, regretted the culture of silence on the part of the victims and also stressed the need for continuous sensitisation of the public and all those who interact with

victims as they are critical to fighting the menace. Also speaking at the event, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem remarked that the time had come for stronger action against perpetrators of gender-based violence,

Litigants lament state of Igbosere Court Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin

LITIGANTS at the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court have appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to rehabilitate the court’s infrastructure which they claimed has been mismanaged. According to some litigants, the governor should pay an unscheduled visit to the court premises to verify the state of the infrastructure. They also appealed to the governor to direct those in charge of the court to reha-

bilitate the male toilets on the ground floor which has been faulty for the past one year. Some concerned litigants pointed out that over 1,000 male and female litigants now use the female toilets downstairs daily at the same time. They further appealed to the governor to rehabilitate the burnt part of the court and the cracked portion on the third and fourth floors of the building. According Mr Tunde Adigun, a litigant, “the way the

Igbosere court has dilapidated is not encouraging. It was only commissioned in 2010. “More than 5,000 people visit the court daily to attend to their cases or process documents, and currently the two lifts that move people to the third and fourth floors of the building are not functioning while the male toilets downstairs had been shut down. Mrs Sikirat Alabi, a 75-yearold said, “I am appealing to Governor Ambode to extend the good job he is doing in all parts of Lagos State to the Ig-

bosere magistrates’ court and direct those in charge of the court to open all the toilets in each floor for public use. I almost urinated on my body before I could climb downstairs when I was pressed,” she said. “And when I asked why all the toilets in each floor were locked up, a court source said those in charge of maintenance deliberately locked them up for selfish reasons. “Ambode should come to our aid at the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court,” she added.

businessnews

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

NNPC, DPR helpless as fuel scarcity worsens

HERE are strong indications that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the oil sector regulator, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) are becoming helpless and clueless as fuel scarcity worsens across the country. The NNPC, which remains sole importer of fuel as marketers have refused to import over non-payment of over N420 billion fuel subsidy arrears, lacks the logistics to ensure effective distribution of products. The corporation, over the years, has relied on private depot owners and oil marketers for effective storage and distribution logistics. This is the reason, according to a marketer who pleaded anonymity, “why marketers are powerful and critical to efficient distribution of products along the value chain.” He argued further that the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has resulted in liquidity problems in the banking sector and “the banks do not have excess fund to finance importation of products once a particular limit has been reached based on agreement between both parties (fuel importer and the banker).” On the regulator’s side, the DPR also lacks adequate manpower to enforce compliance against hoarding of products by marketers. This may have accounted for high level of impunity among marketers regard-

ing hoarding. Recently, the DPR shut down some depots, including Total and the agency also dispensed for free to motorists petrol from Conoil filling station at Apapa and Total filling station along Ikorodu Road due to hoarding of fuel. Marketers have continued to hoard Premium

prefer to sell into gallons during the day. These operators in turn sell to desperate motorists who cannot afford to waste several productive hours at filling stations in an attempt to buy petrol. Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune at the weekend revealed that from Law School area to Lekki-Ajah

axis, no filling station was dispensing on Saturday during the day. Only Mobil filling station at Anthony bus stop, Forte Oil at Onipanu bus stop and Oando filling station at Town Planning was, all situated along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, were selling as at the time of visit.

From left, Consul General of Germany, Mr Ingo Herbert; Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs Sarah Alade; former Governor, CBN, Chief Joseph Sanusi; President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mrs Debola Osibogun and Mr Jude Monye, Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Heritage Bank Ltd. sponsors of the event, during the 49th annual Bankers Dinner at Oriental Hotel in Lagos, at the weekend.

We are producing job creators, not job seekers —Rector By Femi Ibirogba

PIONEER rector of the Federal Polytechnic, IleOluji, Professor Dayo Fasakin, has disclosed that the newly created polytechnic will focus on producing job and wealth creators as graduates, rather than job seekers, through en-

Block makers association support Dangote Cement’s N300m promo PRESIDENT of Block Makers Association of Nigeria, Chief Rashidi Adebowale, has assured the management of Dangote Cement that his association is solidly behind the company in its efforts at enriching 3,783 of its customers and make two Nigerians millionaires daily. Speaking last weekend in Lagos, Adebowale said Dangote Cement’s management had proved to be truly Nigerian with the introduction of the best grade of cement and also the decision to enhance the standard of living of its distributors’ and customers. According to him: “We are very grateful as an Association to the Management of Dangote Cement for this mega promo. I am very optimistic our members will benefit from this promo. Giving out N300

Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol and chose to sell mostly at night to motorists at between N150-N200 per litre in Lagos and its environs. They have also encouraged black market operators to continually smile to the bank because they

million at this time of the year is really gratifying. We are happy. We have also instructed our members across the country to aggressively patronize Dangote Cement so as to benefit from the Promo.” In the same vein, the Chairman of the Lagos Branch of the Association, Alhaji Okunola Abegunde also praised the Management of Dangote Cement with an assurance that with active participation of its members, the promo will be a huge success. The promo, which will last for three months will produce two millionaires per day as two prizes of one million naira each will be won daily for 90 days by 180 lucky winners for the duration of the promo while a whopping N30 million will be won by a lucky winner every month.

trepreneurship education and practical approaches to solving economic challenges facing the country. He said this while tasking the newly recruited staff members of the institution to get ready for onerous tasks of pioneering a polytechnic, saying the tasks appear although very tough, with cooperation, individual and collective efforts, the tasks would be achieved. Professor Fasakin said these during a three-day orientation programme for the workforce of the polytechnic put in place by the Dr Goodluck Jonathan-led administration. He said the polytechnic would make a difference from similar institutions in terms of functional efficiency, high graduate and research quality, saying, “We have resolved that all activities of the polytechnic shall be guided by core values of commitment, accountability, creativity and innovativeness, integrity and transparency.” Fasakin added that every staff must have an openminded attitude towards work and contribute his or her quota towards building a new culture of best practices and attitude towards work. “Having come from existing tertiary educational

system in Nigeria, there is no doubt that we have one trait or the other that we all carry from these institutions. We do not want these imported to this polytechnic. We must be different and make a tremendous departure from these institutions. “We must develop a new attitude and approach to work such that we can work and deliver as it is done in other parts of the world. As we are starting new, we have to get it right. We have to therefore drop off the virus of lateness to work, inefficiency, lethargy and tardiness, indiscipline and other forms of negative disposition to work,” he added. He also charged them to maintain high standard of integrity and impeccable character to avoid corruption, dishonesty and any other vice capable of tarnishing the image of individual staff and the polytechnic as a whole, adding that the management “would frown at any case of negative character of any staff very seriously.” Registrar of the polytechnic, Mr Felix Adetula, harped on workers’ productivity through work ethics, professionalism and corporate excellence

to remain relevant to economic emancipation of the country in the 21st century.

Total stations, NIPCo and Conoil along Ikorodu Roads were not selling. Conoil station situated along 7-Up axis of Toll Gate area on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was offering skeletal services to motorists. This is because the management chose to sell to selected customers as at the time of investigation on Sunday. Mobil, Oando and Matrix filling stations were dispensing to motorists while Total, MRS, World Oil and Capital Oil were not dispensing. While most of the major marketers were selling at N87 per litre, the stress of getting fuel at all forced many Nigerians to patronize black market operators without stress. However, industry stakeholders, at the recently concluded Oil Trading and Logistsics (OTL) Expo in Lagos, have warned that government’s inability to pay the outstanding fuel subsidy debt will not only hinder marketers from having the resources to further invest in product importation, but it has led to huge loan portfolios in the books of importers. The Chairman, OTL Advisory Board, Mr. Stanley Reginald, said that the scarcity cannot be left out of the debt government owed marketers.

SEC to discuss implementation of capital market master plan Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has said it is ready to discuss the implementation of the 10-year master plan which tops the agenda of the third quarter 2015 Capital Market Committee (CMC) meeting scheduled to hold in Lagos on Wednesday. According to a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, the 10-year master plan for the Nigerian capital market was expected to refocus the market and help double its size over time, thereby growing the economy. DG of SEC, Mounir Gwarzo, had recently assured that he was committed to ensuring the implementation of the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan. According to him, “My agenda for the market is to faithfully and religiously implement the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan. It will be recalled that SEC set up three committees last year to drive market growth and the best brains in the market participated in the three committees and they worked tirelessly and came

up with an excellent report which was launched last year. What we lacked in the country is the faithful implementation of reports.” It was in pursuant to this drive that Gwarzo recently visited Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja to intimate him about efforts the commission had made so far in implementing the 10-year master plan as well as brief the vice-president about ongoing market reforms spearheaded by SEC. Those invited to attend the meeting are Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of all registered capital market firms; broker dealers, capital market solicitors, custodians, fund managers, issuing houses, rating agencies, registrars, reporting accountants, trustees and consultants. Others are chief executive officers of capital market professional associations, CEOs of Africa Exchange Holdings (AFEX), Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), the Financial Markets Dealers Quotations (FMDQ) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

businessnews

Monday, 23 November, 2015

MAN bemoans lack of scanning machines at Lagos seaports Tola Adenubi-lagos

ack of inspection tools and equipment in Apapa ports has led to a reduction in the inspection target of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) from 200 containers per day to about 60 containers per day. This has resulted in the payment of avoidable demurrage and unnecessary delay in manufacturing operations, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said. Chairman of MAN,

Apapa branch, Babatunde Odunayo, in his address at its 44th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos recently, spoke on the theme, ‘The Nigerian Manufacturing Sector: What Future for Capacity Utilisation and Growth under a New Economic Situation?’ Odunayo said because of

lack of inspection facilities at the ports, raw materials, plant and machinery and spare parts were not released efficiently by the customs. “Currently, trailers also queue up on port roads leading to loss of manhours and contributing to the cost of doing busi-

ness in Nigeria,” Odunayo lamented, adding that already, the deplorable state of roads within Lagos metropolis and the consequent traffic gridlock at the Tin-Can Island and Apapa ports had led to closure of and relocation of some manufacturing companies from Apapa to other neighbouring states.

While noting that the Lagos State government’s rail transportation project appears to have stalled, Odunayo, calling on the state government to fast-track the completion of the proposed Trailer Pack at Tin Can Inland, which, when completed, would promote an orderly and traffic-free conduct of business in that

2015 Nigeria agric award holds Wednesday With the aim of encouraging more investments, initiatives and productivity in the agricultural sector, Verdure Vision Limited, publishers of AgroNigeria Magazine, will be hosting the dinner/awards night on Wednesday, at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The Nigeria Agriculture Awards (NAA), an annual event powered by AgroNigeria, is aimed at recognising and rewarding men, women, businesses and institutions who have contributed to Nigeria’s reemergence as a veritable force in agriculture. This year, the Central Committee of the NAA has designed 15 award categories. They are Achievement in Agriculture, Nagropreneur of the Year, Agric Bank of the Year, Agro-Brand of the Year, Agro-Innovator of the Year, Agro-Journalist of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Award, Agriculture Destination of the Year, Agro-Investor of the Year, Development Partner of the Year, R&D Award, Input Company of the Year, Agro Ambassador of the Year, Agro Commissioner of the Year and Farmer of the Year Awards. The organisers are convinced that such special recognition of individuals and corporate organisations that have distinguished themselves as critical actors in the agricultural sector will serve as motivation to other stakeholders to follow suit.

From left, Head, Product Marketing, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Ms Olajumoke Okikiolu; Director, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas; Winner, Samsung Picture Your Dream competition, Ms Ifeyinwa Obienu, and Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Brovo Kim at the J7 Picture Your Dream Competition winner announcement held on Thursday in Lagos.

Tax experts urge FG on economy diversification Olatunde Dodondawa-Lagos

Experts in the tax subsector of the financial sector have urged the Federal Government to take seriously the issue of diversification of the economy. Acting Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Babatunde Fowler, urged governments at all tiers of the federation to grow their economic activities and widen tax base in the face of dwindling revenue from oil. Speaking at the launch of Tax Risk Management Survey organised by the KPMG, the FIRS boss stated that the fall of crude oil price had reflected in revenue accruable to the government and needs for diversification has become relevant. According to him “the effect of the fall in crude price has reflected in the revenue accruable to the government and projections do not indicate that there will be an upward change in the near future;

hence, there is an increase focus on FIRS to close the revenue gap by improving collection from taxes.” He argued that “this is an opportunity to put in place structure that can sustainably diversify the revenue base of the government away from oil and towards taxation.” On the need to grow economic activities in every tiers of government, Fowler said tax collection depends heavily on economic diversification. “The continuous decline in contribution of oil revenue to FAAC makes it more imperative to now focus on non-oil tax revenue and finally move away from dependence on oil revenue and we all know tax collection depends heavily on the economic activities and income generated from them. “It is, therefore, important for the government at federal, state and local levels to grow their respective economies, boost GDP and widen the base for a better

economy growth,” he said. Fowler also said the Petroleum Profits Tax collection for the year had dropped by N390 billion from a target of N1.48 tril-

lion to N1.09 trillion. He said over 200 oil and gas companies operating in the country have also not filed their tax returns for the year.

area. The MAN chief also expressed the hope that the NCS would improve on the facilities and processes at the ports in order to achieve the 48-hour clearing mandate, while also improving on the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) procedures in order to ensure that PAAR-related challenges such as complaints arising from Free on Board (FOB) values are minimised. This year’s AGM, according to Odunayo, was aimed at engaging with some established economists and technocrats in further understanding the strategies required to rescue the manufacturing sector from imminent danger in the prevailing macro-economic and currency controls environment. He said that the controversial exclusion of 41 items from the official foreign exchange and the shortage of forex to finance imports were threatening operators in the manufacturing sector. “This unfavourable business environment poses serious threats to the survival of the manufacturing sector,” he said. According to Odunayo, “The Central Bank of Nigeria may have stampeded itself into the removal of the 41 items from the official forex window if you consider that the list includes essential raw material inputs for manufacturing, which do not have local substitutes.”

Excel Microfinance Bank declares 5k dividend, as chairman commends staff By Lanre Akinmoladun

THE Board of Directors of Excel Microfinance Bank has declared a dividend of 5kobo per one ordinary share held as of December 31, 2014, just as the chairman, Board of Directors, Chief Olatunji Alao Fadairo, commended staff and management for their commitment. The board declared the dividend during the 22nd Annual General Meeting of the bank, held at the Eruwa Town Hall, on Saturday. During the year under review, the Gross Earnings of the bank showed a slight increase of N2,191,877 from N111,587,347 in 2013 to N113,779,224 in 2014. The Net Profit Before Tax increased from

N12,697,577 in 2013 to N18,064,840 in 2014, representing 42.27 per cent increase in relative term. The loan portfolio of the bank stood at N401,463,659 as compared to N392,432,490 in 2013, which represents an increase of N9,031,169. The Authorised Share Capital of the bank as at December 31, 2014 was 150,000,000 of N1.00 each i.e N150,000,000.00, out of which N70,084,209 has been issued and fully paid. The Chairman, Board of Directors, Chief Fadairo, commended the Managing Director/CEO, Mr Olufemi Jegede, who was elected as the Chairman of National Association of Microfi-

nance Banks (NAMBs), Oyo State chapter, for moving the bank forward. Some of the shareholders who spoke at the AGM commended the management and staff for their commitment to the growth of the bank. The bank was incorporated on April 23, 1992 as a limited liability company and commenced business on March 18, 1993 with a provisional licence issued by the National Board of Community Bank. The bank was granted the final licence for operation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on June 24, 2002. It obtained final licence to operate as a microfinance bank on July 22, 2008.

business

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

DAILY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) FOR FRIDAY, 20 NOVEMBER, 2015

TOP 5 GAINERS

TOP 5 LOSERS

Monday, 23 November, 2015

15 news FG vows to check exam malpractices, cultism in schools Clement Idoko - Abuja

HE Federal Government is set to firmly tackle the twin problems of examination malpractices and cultism in schools as part of efforts to improve the quality of education in the country. Government has also announced plan to review the curriculum used for the training of teachers at the colleges of education for proper preparation of teachers to teach in primary and secondary schools. Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwuka, speaking at an interactive session with newsmen, at the weekend, in Abuja, said government was concerned with the level of damage examination malpractice had done to the nation’s educational system. He said teaching in Nigeria would no longer be an all-comer affair, saying, “by law, a National Certificate in Education (NCE) was supposed to be the minimum qualification for teaching at the primary school level.” Professor Anwuka said it was unfortunate that the training of teachers at colleges of education nationwide is not in consonance with the expectation of primary school teaching and learning. He said that an NCE student in a college of education studying Education Physics, Education Chemistry, and Education Biology, for instance, could not effectively teach primary school pupils because the curriculum had no bearing with that of primary education. “Right now, what we are doing is to prepare NCE graduates for admission into Faculty of Education to read Bachelor’s Degree in Education and that is where their mind is and the preparation is geared towards but not to come and teach at the primary school level

because they have not been prepared adequately for teaching in primary school. “Teaching must stop being an all-comers game in this country. When they studied Chemistry from a university, because there is no job, somebody will say let’s go and teach. Teach what? You have not been prepared to teach,” he said. He urged the National Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) to be up and doing, stressing that anybody who wanted to teach must be trained and certified to teach in the system. Professor Anwuka insisted that the Federal Govern-

ment would consider that at all levels of education in the country, saying those who wanted to remain in the system must take some courses in pedagogy in order to teach. He vowed that the current administration would do all it could to elevate the status of teaching in the country, so as to attract best hands into the system. The minister said the Federal Government would enhance the working condition of teachers and make the profession much more attractive through enhanced remunerations than other professions in the country.

Ondo promotes 2,000 workers, as pensioners’ screening begins today ONDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has approved for promotion next month, over 2,000 officers of the state civil service who have been interviewed and screened. The state’s Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, made the revelation in Akure on Sunday while speaking with newsmen in company of the Secretary, state’s Civil Service Commission, Pastor Niran Adeyemo. The commissioner said officers on Grade Level 6 going to 7 went through physical interviews while those from Grade Level 7 to 15 were interviewed by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) but were screened by the Commission. Giving more details about the exercise, Adeyemo said the interview and screening started since November 10 this year, adding that the exercise covered all levels and cadres. He, therefore, commended the governor for approving the promotion of

the civil servants despite the economic challenges being confronted by the state government. Adeyemo put the number of officers who went through the physical interview from the Grade level 6 going to 7 at 205 while those from level 17 numbered 1,800. Meanwhile, the state government will today commence verification exercise for retired officers to complete data update of the state civil service which commenced with the serving officers in August 2015. According to the state’s Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, who doubles as the Chairman of the verification committee, Mr Akin Adaramola, the exercise will commence today with the pensioners in the core civil service. He said the government considered the age of the pensioners and has provided adequate measures to ensure that the exercise “is hitch-free and less stressful.”

Govt must check influx of foreign drillers —AWDROP president By Tunde Ogunesan

THE National President, Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP), Mr Michael Ale, has called on the Federal Government to check the influx of foreign drillers into the country, most of whom he said had capitalised on lack of regulations to operate in Nigeria.

Ale made this known while addressing a press conference organised by the water practitioners at Kakanfo Inn, Ibadan, recently. He said the foreign drillers were operating illegally within the shores of the country. He added that what was worrisome was the excuse of the so-called aliens. Mr Ale also used the occasion to commend Presi-

dent Muhammed Buhari for listening to the association by not merging Ministry of Water Resources, as well as appointing an expert as a minister of Water Resources, calling on the newly appointed minister, Suleiman Adamu, to ensure professionalism while representing the Federal Government and pursue sponsoring of a national bill that will set up a regulatory commission.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

INSIDE LAGOS

Monday, 23 November, 2015

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1. Fromm left, Chief Imagination Officer, Boomering Africa,and Chairman 3D makery Nigeria Mr Isreal 0virih; former Mr Nigerian and Martini Brand Ambassador, Mr Bryan Okwara and Chief operating Officer ,3D Makery Nigeria, during the 3D Makery Unveiling Event in Partnership with Martini at Ikeja City Mall Lagos, on Friday. 2. From left, Dr Shosanya Abidemi, Medical Officer of Health, Akerele Medical Health Centre; Hon. Desmond Elliot, member, Lagos State House of Assembly; Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, Head of Public Relations and Event, Dufil Prima Foods Plc and Matron Boika Queen, Chief Nursing Officer, Akerele Medical Health Centre, during Dufil Prima Food donation of medical equipments to Akerele Medical Health Centre, Surulere, on Friday. 3. From left, Marketing Manager, Home Care Reckitt Benckiser, West Africa , BamigbayeElatuyi Omotola; Marketing Director Oguzhan Silivrili; Director, United Nations Information, Centre, Ronald Kayanja, Seriki Hausawa Idi- Araba Community, Alhaji Idris Lawal and the Medical Director, Loving Gaze, Dr. Alda Gemmani at the 2015 Harpic World Toilet Day celebration in partnership with UNIC and other associations

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in Lagos, on Thursday. 4. From left, Sector Commander, FRSC Lagos, Hyginus Omeje; Lagos State Commissioner of Transport, Dr Dayo Mobereola; Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr Michael Onuoha, and Vice Chairman, NURTW, Ojota Garage, Comrade Tope Olowookere, at the flagging off of the 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;EmberMonthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; campaign in Lagos, on Tuesday. 5. Lagos State Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde (right), presenting a condolence letter on behalf of the State Government to the Region Media Adviser to the Consulate General of France, Lagos, Mr. Pierre Cherruau, during a condolence visit to commiserate with the French Government over the terror attacks in Paris, France, at the French Embassy in Lagos, on Tuesday. 6. Head of Public Relations, Airtel Nigeria, Adefemi Adeniran; Rajat Jain, Director, IT; Regional Operation Director, Lagos Region, Oladokun Oye with Head of Consular, Office of High Commission of India, Jagdeep Kapoor, during the Nigeria-India Live Video Conference at Airtel office, VI, Lagos, recently.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Monday, 23 November, 2015

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo.com or by sms to 08055001747 or 08054005323. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Economy: Buhari, beware of debt

HE Nigerian economy has incurred many liabilities mostly of internal and external debts by successive administrations while the creditor partners either praise their victims (debtor states) or simply keep mum as to the damage the credit facilities will do at the expense of the generations yet unborn who suffer for the clueless leaderships in place. A pertinent question is demanding answers by our political leaders: Should the coming generations carry the cross of the clueless present generations? Since every generation has its own fair share of challenges, it’s clearly fair that every generation should not transfer its failure in debt like many state governments have done. The state of the Nigerian economy is this bad because the Federal and particularly, the state governments, think we are

Illegal refineries and fuel scarcity We currently have numerous ‘illegal’ refineries, while Nigerians are suffering as a result of fuel scarcity. Our major refineries have refused to work optimally because of sabotage, and as such, Nigerians will continue to suffer. However, the Federal Government should legalise the activities of the so-called illegal refineries and allow them to operate freely under certain laws. Now that Nigerians are going through harrowing times before they can get fuel, is it not advisable to allow the ‘illegal’ refineries function legally, while government tax them like real businesses? This will definitely bring about healthy competition in the oil industry that has been plagued by endemic corruption, bunkering, oil theft and vandalism. •Tola Akinwumi, tolakinwumi@yahoo. com

still in the days of the Biblical manna from heaven. The Federal and state governments, suffering from ‘Acute Syndrome of Shortsightedness’ refused to look in the area of boosting the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) during the oil boom between 2005 and 2013 before the crash in the price of crude. These states refused to boost their revenue bases, while trying themselves to the apron strings of the Federal allocation. Simultaneously, the state governments have desperately sought for loans from virtually every willing and unwilling creditors, while milking the treasury dry through phoney projects that have no direct or even indirect benefit on the living standards of the electorates with projects which fall short of basic and long term priorities but instead of the drowning men accepting their failure, they

have “clutched at the straw”— the Federal government. Why the desperation for outrageous loans? The phony projects which they have embarked upon to probably satisfy political allies or their godfathers, have made them to forget that “a swarm in May is worth a load of hay, a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon, but a swarm in July is not worth a fly”. They lavished taxpayers’ money and even loans taken with zero collateral on new governor’s office, which already existed, and most annoying is chartering of private jets and even in some cases outright purchase of jets or helicopters with its maintenance cost as burden on future earnings while the states owe backlog of salaries of its workforce. But unfortunately, these loans end up as economic traps and curse, reflecting

perpetually on generations that knew nothing about the greed of the present leaders. The professional practice of loan evaluation were not done on the soon to be bankrupt states of the federation as most of the funds are spent in such a way that the people hardly see any development on ground apart from the

usual media hype and noise making by their media handlers. Obviously a prudent, thinking manager of resources will never over-stretch his\her credit ability to prevent default, inability to fulfill routine obligations and worst still bankruptcy. But obviously these public servants remind me of the English proverb that says, “fools

rush to where angels fear to thread.” They are now at their crossroads while their media agents feed the poor masses with outdated lies of sheer naughty rhetorics that need no reply. •Akinola Iwilade, iwiakinola@gmail. com

Ogun: A state second to none The creation of Ogun State which is also known as the Gateway State on February 3rd, 1976 from the old Western State of Nigeria and named after the Ogun river, which runs across it from the North to the South is not in anyway a mistake, but a blessing to Nigeria as a whole. Frantically speaking, Ogun citizens have made

outstanding records which to a large extent had earn the country international recognition, thereby helping to developed this nation. Ogun State today has produced icons and pioneers in various fields of endeavours. In politics and governance, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was the first Nigerian military ruler to voluntarily hand over

power to a democratically-elected civilian government. He is also the first former military Head of State to be elected as a civilian president. Chief Ernest Shonekan was also the first head of an Interim National Government (ING) in Nigeria. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the first regional premier to introduce free education, while late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, a foremost accountant and businessman, was the first person to have his electoral victory annulled. It is believed he won the June 12, 1993 election in the country. Others in leadership and governance include; late Chief Simeon Adebo, the pioneer Permanent Secretary/ Head of Civil Service, Western Region of Nigeria and permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations. We also have late Dr. Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi, the first Nigeria Minister of Health and former Sole Administrator of Western Region, among others. Those who have made unprecedented records in accounting in Nigeria are, Mr Akintola Williams, the first Chartered Accountant in Nigeria, and the first President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). The first female Chartered Accountant in Nigeria was Mrs Toyin Olakunrin, while Mrs Bola Kuforiji-Olubi is the first woman in Africa to be Chief Executive Officer of a public quoted company. •Temitayo Taylor, Abeokuta.

editorial

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

The Maltina Teacher of the Year award

science teacher at the Federal Government Girls’ College, Onitsha, Anambra State, Mrs Rose Nkemdilin Obim, was announced the overall winner of the Maltina Teacher of the Year award in a colourful ceremony held at the grand ballroom of the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island recently. Mrs Obim started as a part-time teacher employed by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Onitsha. She was given a tenured appointment only two years ago. She is the first winner of the competition, organised by the Nigerian Breweries Plc. The annual award was instituted to reward Nigerian teachers for the key role they play in national development. The awardee would get the sum of N1 million every year for five years, while she would also have the opportunity of going for an overseas training to be fully sponsored by the company. Some other teachers were also rewarded for their efforts. The first runner-up, Daniel Sunday Udiong, from Akwa Ibom State, went home with N1.5 million and Mohammed Binta Lawal from Borno State, the second runner-up, got N1.25 million. The other 19 shortlisted teachers were awarded the sum of N500,000 each. We commend the Nigerian Breweries for coming up with the initiative. We also commend the teachers for embracing the competition. Teachers from 33 states participated in the competition. It is necessary to appreciate teachers for the pivotal role they play in national development. Often, teachers get little or no recognition for their roles. Rather, they are often derided with the notion that their reward is in heaven. The twenty-first century economy and society are defined by knowledge. This poses new challenges for teachers. The teacher in the Knowledge Society requires specific competencies in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to develop his or her own skills and in teaching. The knowledge economy requires that teachers use ICT to change teaching and learning. The contemporary teacher must, therefore, be networked and be involved in new types of cooperation and collaboration. They need the support of governments, private sector organisations, foundations and philanthropic individuals to get the required training and exposure to international networks. Teachers are the key agents in the education system. They impart knowledge and skills that remove students from the darkness of ignorance to the light of enlightenment. They are pivotal to character-building. They nurture the thoughts of the young to become positive reality. To be good teachers they have to work hard, be punctual, be clean and be properly dressed to school. They have to read

to be familiar with the rich contents of the subject allotted to them and prepare thoroughly the lessons in advance. As immediate practical examples to children after the parents, they have to be polite to their colleagues, observe the rules and regulations and instructions given from time to time, be polite to the students, listen to their problems and try to solve them. Enlightened citizens are not and cannot be produced in the factory. They come through education. Thus, teachers are the torchbearers of change; change for the whole nation and for the whole world. If teachers in public schools have been neglected in many parts of the world, the situation in Nigeria is exceptionally pitiable. In many states, they teach in dilapidated classrooms with blown-off roofs or even under trees in open spaces. The appointment of teachers is sometimes done without regard to the objectives of the educational institutions. Sometimes their appointment letters are distributed at political campaign rallies, pointing to the humiliating politicisation of such appointments. They are then subjected to repeat screening exercises because of the irregularities involved in their recruitment. They are the first victims of the failure of governments to pay public sector salaries. They are promoted in arrears without corresponding arrears payments. Thus, the Maltina Teacher of the Year Award marks the increasing awareness of the need to recognise teachers. It must not stop there. Teachers deserve even more from state and federal governments. We recognise that this award is part of an emerging commitment of the private sector to intervene in the educational system. Another major similar intervention by the private sector in improving the facilities in schools is the Adopt-A-School programme. In Lagos, Kano, Ondo, Akwa Ibom and several other states, corporate bodies have donated classrooms or refurbished facilities in schools to improve the learning environments for students. They have also collaborated with the National Teachers Institute to produce lesson plans for use in public schools and improve classroom teachers’ capacity to teach by offering step-by-step guidance to them on how to effectively deliver quality lessons. Others have awarded merit-based scholarships to support indigent students or donated books and learning materials to schools. But these are often not enough to meet the needs. We call on other companies and individuals to join in the effort to rebuild public schools. The majority of Nigerian children are in public schools. Without a good public school system, Nigeria will not be able to realise the great potentials inherent in its teeming children population.

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opinion

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Lasisi Olagunju

Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

Y governor needs help. Your governor needs help. We all need help as our governors say they are no longer comfortable with N18,000 minimum wage. They are broke. Or they are broken by their own recklessness. They are wracked by the planlessness of their years in power and the people who hired them now suffer from their thoughtlessness. The best should rule the rest. Now, the best ruling us have surrendered. They are overwhelmed by the job they forced us to give them. Should we now pray God to rescue them or rescue us from these best men ruling us? I know some will say they don’t need prayers, that what they need is to be laid across the table and be thoroughly lashed (kobokoed) for failing their people. They applied to do this job for the good of the people. Now, they are panting, hopelessly comprehensively to the shame of everyone who participated in getting them enthroned. The holy books say to whom much is given, much is expected. Their people gave them whales, they gave back fingerlings. Now, they want to take away those fingerlings called minimum wage. So, what makes governors are not just flowing babanriga, mountainous caps, skin shoes, palatial homes and hefty security votes? Three months ago, they did Ka ba mu soboda’Allah to Buhari and he dropped bailouts into their miserable plates. Now, they are back with the same song, same plates of misery. Should we call them a full class of uneducable pupils who have refused to learn from failures of the past? They are drivers who drank themselves and their states’ vehicles into ditches of debts and insolvency. They are crying over salary payment. They are not sober that they duped the people who invested their trust in the abilities of clay footed supermen. We gave them big offices, they are thinking small ideas. They want money they have already spent. And they are all the same. APC, PDP, etc, all. Like money ritualists, they are looking for quick fixes.

Let us pray for our governors

They keep asking for bailouts from a Federal Government that is as financially confounded as their mendicant states. Where is that inexhaustible deep pocket that gives and gives? Don’t they know or can’t they see that even fiery Buhari needs a bailout from the buffetings of insufficiency? Didn’t they know that the prodigal son did the prodigal thing only once? If every child is a perpetual prodigal son who collects, goes and comes back begging, what remains of the inheritance? Is it enough to listen to the wailings of our governors and their gubernatorial excuses without demanding hard answers to questions about borrowings and spendings? Shouldn’t we ask these begging governors to account? Why should we continue to employ people whose way of doing the job they were

recruited to do is to punish their employers with excuses? What is the solution to the problems they created? They are thinking soft, looking for soft targets, identifying their employers as the problem. Do they know the people see them as the problem to be solved? They are demanding more tax. They want to transfer their sins to the people, asking for taxes on incomes not earned. They are not paying salaries but are insisting on taxes and rates. They do these, fouling the air, setting up incubators for breeding criminals everywhere. Unpaid, unemployed able-bodied people will claim their wages their own ways. It is natural, inescapable. Some will say these are really bad times to be governor. They will insist the governors deserve our compassion. But you get compassionate with the one who sees the problem as a problem. If these are not really the ideal time to sit in governors’ chairs, why did we have an incumbent and one of his predecessors in the Kogi contest of last Saturday? Why are we having the same scenario in the coming contest in Bayelsa? The states are broke but governors are not broke. States are broke but governors are sitting tight. The farmstead is not sweet but the farm head has refused to leave for the city! Our governors say the states are pure bones but still they won’t throw the meat-less pieces away! Do the governors really need prayers? If they do, what prayers do they deserve? Or is it not really the people that need prayers for deliverance from impotent husbands whose flaccid things won’t do and yet they won’t let go?

LAWMA, plastic bottles and waste disposal By Lookman Seriki

IT is the business of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to make sure that all roads, streets and markets are clean, hygienic and fit for habitation and business. But it is equally not less the business of every Lagosian. Residents, market men and women, drivers and commuters, professionals, industrialists, manufacturers, artisans, the media and in fact all 20 million residents of Lagos have roles to play, for a comprehensive and sustainable waste management solutions in the State. Before we do away with that our rough sheet of paper, that sachet of packaged water or that plastic of soft drink, we should tarry a little and ponder where those materials will eventually end? Whose responsibility is it to dispose appropriately? Where that responsibility does start and end? What are the consequences-in all ramifications- of nonchalantly dropping them on the ground? And who pays (financially and otherwise- for such careless action-and to what degree? For the good of everyone and the uplifting of Lagos environment, LAWMA counts so much on everyone’s active participation and intelligent contribution in the safe disposal of every single item that is no longer desired, especially, but not limited to, plastic bottles. Products have never look so good in plastic bottles, whether in liquid, tablets or powder forms. Electronic gadgets are cute in plastic casings. At homes, plastics are cheap and durable: drums for storing water, plates for serving food, coolers as preservatives and so on and so forth. It is not only in our clime! Popularity of plastic is universal. The global conservative estimate of disposable plastic was 260 million tons yearly. Why? Plastic bottles used for soft drinks and other household consumables and medicaments have by far many advantages over the conventional methodglass and to a lesser extent tins. Plastic bottles are lightweight, moisture resistant, strong, relatively inexpensive, reusable, easy to handle and more importantly “fashionable.” Yes, plastic items look trendy, yet we hardly know the di-

sastrous consequences that we are courting by the way we use and discard plastic items. An indiscriminate disposal of plastic items in an aquatic space as Lagos aggravates consequences. This smells trouble. Used plastic bottles are always not disposed properly. The habit is World-wide. The hazards posed by disposed plastic bottles are frighteningly real. More than 100 million tons of plastic pollution contaminates the earth yearly. According to an American Oceanographer, Charles Moore, plastic pollution in the World Oceans is so extensive that it is beyond cleaning up, as annually, approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used world-wide and one million bags are used every minute. Plastic buried in the ground is bad news for our soil, air and water bodies-and ultimately to our health. Plastic bottles are majorly manufactured from petro-chemical products but some are produced from plant- bio-fuel products. The thinking is that billions of plastic bottles used and discarded world-wide every year would soon decompose. This notion is absolutely wrong, and lots of people did not know this; even in such a developed and very sophisticated society as USA-72% of America did not know that plastic is made from petroleum and 60% erroneously thought plastic can decompose. One can only imagine what the level of ignorance will be in our own society! The fact is plastic bottles take centuries to decompose, even those made from plant. Plastic does not biodegrade into com-

ponent materials, but broken down mechanically into tiny plastic bits. It can neither be recycled nor be converted into a new product as aluminiums and glass. At the best one can hope to convert plastic to other products such as door mats and plastic lumbers, which will still end up, like regular parent plastics, in gutters, channels, dumpsites and eventually in landfills, if not properly handled. It is even more dangerous to burn plastic items as heavy metals like cadmium, lead and other pollutants such as benzene, dioxins, furans and polyaromatic hydrocarbon are released. These chemicals could cause acid rains and global warming. Dioxins are cancerous, cause birth defects, immune disorders and gastrointestinal disturbances. According to Marlene, ingredient in plastics water bottle, such as bisphenola are linked to diabetes, obesity and cancer. Today we have more plastic floating on water bodies than plankton. Marine and aquatic lives are particularly vulnerable; millions of mammals, fish, birds and reptiles are killed every year from the pollutants on the water bodies. It is not safe to throw plastic or any other waste for that matter in water bodies, as floating plastics attract more pollutants, which are passed to creatures that ingest it; eventually the toxins pollutants are passed on to human; and because of accumulated mass of plastic, sun rays does not penetrate to nurture plankton and other aquatic plants as rays is reflected back and exacerbate effect of global warming. This is a deadly chain, as consequence on Eco-system could be disastrous. While LAWMA is scaling up waste management operation in the state, stakeholders can further accelerate our march towards more sustainable efforts; this is the only way we can effectively address the growing trend of indiscriminate littering, especially of plastic bottles. We all must adopt more creative and environmentally-friendly habits to waste disposal. •Seriki is the Head of Public Relations LAWMA

Monday, 23 November, 2015

tribune

business

Nigerian Tribune

Group Business Editor Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

Maritime can replace oil in revenue generation â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ilori As the government harps on diversification of the economy in the face of dwindling oil revenue, Emmanuel Ilori, a marine engineer and consultant on maritime engineering and management with over 20 years international experience, speaks with SULAIMON OLANREWAJU on how to reposition the Nigerian maritime sector with a view to making it a money spinner.

OES Nigeria have the requisite statutory instruments to protect the development of its maritime industry? The use of statutory instruments is not peculiar to Nigeria. These instruments are essentially Maritime Technical Development Regulations that require technical expertise for their effective utilisation and implementation. In the United Kingdom, it is called the Home Trade and it addresses trade, technical and human capacity development. In the United States, The Jones Act was designed to protect existing maritime industry and prepare it for growth. Nigeria has the benefit of two excellent instruments in the Local Content Act and the Cabotage Act. The first was adopted based on the internal technical local content gaps identified within the oil and gas industry. Its modest positive impact is largely due to its implementation by technical experts with thorough understanding of the industry. The Cabotage Act is the most important instrument that is capable of transforming the Nigerian maritime sector; both technically and economically. It makes provision for indigenization of ship building, ship repairs, ship ownership and local capacity development. This law also has a major and very important provision; that is an independent fund for maritime development in the form of Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund. Currently, an initial 200million USD is available in the CVFF. This is a great impetus for Nigerian engineers and technicians to build ships locally. Besides, the funds can also be channeled to enhance ship repair, procure new ships that are cabotage-specific and enable new companies to benefit. All these will definitely transform the Nigerian maritime industry over time. How can Nigeria maximise its potential in the maritime industry? Nigeria is blessed with a network of inland waterways that span the length and breadth of the country. Developed countries with such natural endowments have utilized them to accelerate industrialization and economic growth. Specifically, areas of opportunity are in ship repair, oil exploration, oil export and import, cargo import

and export, short sea trade, fishing, support services including harbor maintenance. In Nigeria, there are immense opportunities not fully tapped for employment generation in areas like ship repair, ship building, inland water transportation and industries, offshore services and oil exploration. How do you see the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ship building efforts? Nigerian and most vessels operating along the African Atlantic coast are old with an average age of 25 years. Available data also indicates that African countries account for less than one per cent of global new ship construction. However, there is increasing demand for ships to operate along the African Atlantic coast due to increased activities on oil exploration, production and transportation. Nigeria as a potential maritime power should take advantage of this opportunity as part of its sustainable development strategy. However, as attractive as shipbuilding may be, it is fraught with potential economic disaster if the strategy is not properly implemented. The experience of the impact of the global financial crises that resulted in the closure of many shipyards must be avoided. Shipyards must produce quality ships whose design, production and certification comply with best international standards and the ships must have trade guarantee. We should not only think about building ships, we should also make provision for repairing old ones. Sustenance of any maritime industry is reliant on efficient and cost

Nigeria as a potential maritime power should take advantage of this opportunity as part of its sustainable development strategy.

effective ship repair system. The operation of ships is also governed by a regime of industry and statutory regulation compliance. The compliance with these regulations has in most times defined employability of vessels and their competitiveness. Nigerian ships cannot be an exception more so in the face of stiff international competition and national credibility. Defects identified by inspections require effective repairs to required standards. In addition reliability of the vessels, which is essential to profitable utilisation, is a function of effective ship repairs system. Such repair systems also include ship dry docking which is a statutory requirement. The quantum and quality of dockyards must be such that is adequate for the industry. However, the dearth of dockyards in Nigeria has necessitated vessels travelling afar, sometimes as far as Brazil in the case of the NNPC owned MT Tuma. The need for more Dockyards in our country cannot be over-empha-

sised. What is your position on developing local content policy? It is imperative that any serious-minded country must develop its own local content policy to maximize its potential in maritime business. One must realize that 90 per cent of the global trade is transported through the seas. The maritime industry is therefore a veritable industry which is an alternative to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. The world energy supply will collapse without sea transportation and the quest to sustain these trades has meant trans-national investment in the maritime industry. Nigeria must take its local content policy with the utmost seriousness. There is no reason why we cannot build and repair ships on our shores. The relevant agencies of government engaged in the maritime sector can make up to ten times the revenue they make Continues on pg22

tribunebusiness

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

How to revive maritime for economic development came negative. It is estimated that over $2 billion is tied up in un-performing local maritime assets. New entrants into the industry are equally following the path of quick gain devoid of sound technical management and there is evidence of sharp practices aided and abetted by foreign unscrupulous partners. Unregulated harvesting of the ocean resources by foreign fishing vessels and trawlers has not only denied the nation of accruable revenue and valuable food resource but the fish stock depletion means a bleak future for the yet unborn generation. This situation is unsustainable.

Continued from pg21

now from a fully developed, sustainable maritime industry. What advice will you give the government on how to reposition the maritime industry? Our road networks will last longer and lives will be saved through reduction of accidents when we organize and utilize our inland water transportation channels. This cannot and should not be funded by government alone; the private sector must play a prominent role. The strategic importance of this sector to national and international energy supply chain also means that external influence in this sector cannot be ignored. However, necessary measures must be taken to protect the overall national interest. The enactment of the Local Content Act is probably one of the most important steps taken so far to ensure that the oil and gas sector promotes national technical development, including the maritime sector due to the high number of marine vessels covered by international and national regulations. It is to the credit of the Federal Government that the issues of security, peace and disarmament are taken very seriously and this will continue to enhance confidence in the maritime industry. Government has taken steps to fight the menace of piracy and armed attacks against ships. Greater collaboration with friendly international partners can only but help to establish Nigeria as the destination of choice in the maritime business in Africa. What are the challenges facing the sector today? At the first coming of President Muhammadu Buhari in 1984, he laid the foundation for a virile maritime industry modelled after solid and sustainable trending best practice and traditional maritime nations. This was replete with such elements as a national shipping line for general cargo, na-

tional tanker company for our oil, national shipyard with ship repairs and ship building potential, attendant quality human capacity technical development programme, port and dockyard facilities comparable with prevailing global best practice. Experience has shown that only remnants of this visionary foundation remain today and less developing nations that copied our model are now the masters that Nigeria looks up to for expertise. Efforts by indigenous ship owners to sustain ship ownership and operation elements of the industry have foundered. Most of their vessels are inoperable or

have physically foundered and are now environmental disasters lying on the bottom of the sea or on the beach aground due to discriminatory and uncompromising business practices. The domination of the maritime business environment by foreign operators with cheap access to funding and collaboration with their international masters has crippled the indigenous operators. Financial institutions that funded these vessels lacked the technical capacity to ensure that the vessels will remain fit for purpose. While sound technical management practices remain a mirage, the return on the investments be-

IBEDC to metre over 300,000 customers in 2016

“WE are committed to metring our customers as a permanent solution to estimated billing complaints by customers.” This statement was made by the Managing Director (MD/CEO) of IBEDC, Mr. John Donnachie, at a business session recently. Donnachie said that as an attestation to this resolve, over 300,000 customers had been metered so far. He then appealed that customers should take advantage of the Credited Advanced Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) scheme introduced by NERC as an intervention to bridge the huge metering gap across the country. The CAPMI scheme is a win-win situation for customers and IBEDC, as customers shall be refunded their meter payments via electricity unit rebates over a period of 36 months with 12 per cent interest, while ensuring they only pay for what they use. The MD also used the occasion to reiterate the company’s commitment to serving

her esteemed customers. To this end, the company has embarked on a robust meter roll-out scheme to cater for customers with unique challenges such as those who could

prove that they are victims of burnt or stolen meters and customers who paid for meters under the defunct PHCN, with evidence of payment.

“The initiative will also help eradicate estimated billing and energy loss faced by IBEDC while at the same time, serving as a support scheme to CAPMI,” he said.

BEDC’s war against vandals yields result BENIN Electricity Distribution Plc (BEDC) has further demonstrated its resolve to tackle electricity equipment vandalism as it recently prosecuted two cable vandals who were sentenced to six years imprisonment each without option of fine by the Edo State Division of the Federal High Court, Benin. The two offenders, Lucky Obesewe and David John were accused of unlawfully tampering with electrical installation of BEDC located at Lucky Way, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City in February, this year, an act punishable under the Miscellaneous Offences Act M17 Vol 9 laws of the country. Messrs Obesewe and David John were

dragged to the Federal High Court by the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence department and punished with two year jail term each on a three count charge, even though their terms will run concurrently. The convictions gave further boost to the current drive by BEDC and other distribution companies (Discos) to tackle vandalism of power sector equipment such as transformers, cables and other electrical installations even as the electricity supply industry grapples with a lot of challenges. BEDC had in August arraigned four persons aged between 26 and 30 years in the Benin Division of the Federal High Court on

Buhari to declare 2nd Nigerian Lubricants Summit open tomorrow PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday, in Lagos, declare open the 2nd Nigerian Lubricants Summit. The annual 2-day international summit themed, ‘Quality Lubricants: Key to Techno-Economic and Industrial Development of Nigeria,’ is expected to have dignitaries and renowned professionals in the oil and gas industry as lead speakers, including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources,

How do we correct all these? A national strategy for sustainable maritime development initiative should be urgently established. This will consider the technical, political, and economic dimensions of the industry coupled with sustainable implementation that will survive administrative translations. This will require a coordinated approach to control and monitor maritime related trades with a view to enhancing a sustainable maritime development. This is essential as it remains the focus of the economic dimension of sustainable development. The traditional funding arrangement that is reliant on mortgage financing needs a review. There are innovative funding arrangements that multiply available funds through private partnerships, joint ventures and equity funding just to mention a few. Our Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund needs to be remodelled. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency lies at the heart of the maritime industry. However, in comparison with other great nations, the performance and ability of this organisation to deliver the necessary results have been hampered by deficit in the technical ability, global knowledge and reach that can positively impact the outcomes of economic development, job creation, and uplift of national profile.

Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who is the keynote speaker Dr. Kachikwu will enlighten the public on the topic ‘Repositioning the Nigerian Petroleum Industry as a Global Giant - Opportunities, Prospects and Challenges’, with a sub topic ‘Lubricants Industry as a key component to drive the nation’s economy’. According to Mr. Tola Odusote of CMC Connect Burson-Marsteller, the communications consultants to the Nigerian Lubricants

Summit, the two-day international conference will feature exhibition of goods and services and a stakeholders’ dinner. The event will be chaired by the former Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Chief P.C. Asiodu. The summit is being organised in conjunction with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

a three-count charge of damaging the company’s property. According to the charge sheet, the four persons allegedly committed the offence in IghaloIrrua community in Esan Central Local Council. CEO/Managing Director of BEDC had during the visit of the Senate Committee on Powerlast year advocated for a 25 year jail term for power vandals. To demonstrate its readiness to eradicate vandalism of power equipment,the BEDC had earlier celebrated residents of Ughiyoko community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area and hosted them with gifts presentation for arresting some vandals that attempted to vandalise the company’s transformers in their community. The MD who said the community had imprinted its name among great communities worthy of emulation and should be celebrated by all and sundry. It was further affirmed that the act of bravery displayed by the community’s youths made it imperative for BEDC to honour them with a token gift as appreciation, saying this will encourage other communities to see the company’s investments in their domains as theirs to protect and secure.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

+ entrepreneurship

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Ruth Olurounbi

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

Paul Orajiaka

Learning from Paul Orajiaka:

A man who started a $10m coy with $30 By Ruth Olurounbi

“

Today, I can confidently beat my chest and say, a humble beginning which started about 17 years ago as a small venture, is now a leading company, importing and supplying top quality range of educational toys to wholesalers and retailers in Nigeria.” That was Paul Orajiaka in an interview with Forbes, regarding his company, Auldon Limited, which he started with less than $100 and, has, over the years, employed more than 400 people and making a turnover of over $7 million in 2014. How did he do it? Now 37 years old, Orajiaka started a toy company for children in 1997, with a capital base $30. Fast forward to 17 years, the company made a turnover of over $7 million, metamorphosing into a Limited Liability company, and garnering international attention. Entrepreneurship, Richard Branson said, is all about creating a solution to a problem. Providing that solution to a “painful fact that our cultural values is fast eroding,” was what has earned Orajiaka a place among the revered entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Being saddened see that “most toys in Nigeria have no social and cultural relevance to children,” Orajiaka got to work, manufacturing African-themed toys that will inculcate African values into the children on the continent and abroad.

Inspiring business success stories of two African entrepreneurs

Continues on pg25

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily — Zig Ziglar

—P24

+ entrepreneurship Monday, 23 November, 2015

Ecobank launches ‘MyMall’ online trading platform for SMEs

Ideas rule the business world Continues from last week

Is Fear of Failure the Constraint? See what Robert H. Schuler submitted: “if you listen to your fears, you will die never knowing what a great person you might have been.” Failure is an experience, not off record in progress. If you had tried and failed, it’s not an opportunity to retire but an opportunity to success. In the words of Harold S. Geneen “In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later.” If it’s an innovation, your trial might fail which would give you experience in the enterprise. Don’t skip challenges; face it once and for all.

Dale Carnegie says “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Your hope of success should be in your idea, not the market, because Walt Disney encourages that “if you dream it, you can do it.” If failure had once hit you, be more technical in your next attempt. “Do more that it required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile” Gary Ryan Blair says. How Do I Discover a Unique Idea? Seriously speaking, it’s not easy to identify an innovative

Chima Nwokoji - Lagos

idea but I must to tell you that none of the globally successful business tycoon are different from you, they all live to develop ideas that might seem absurd to other people. I recommend SWOT formula for business idea discovery and development. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Self – sincerity is applied. Be sincere with yourself and list your strengths and passions; those things you love doing best, even when cash compensations are not attached and be sure you are good at them. One’s weaknesses and dislikes must as well be identified. It is possible to covet a business that is outside one’s passion, probably because of the money outflow, but it’s good to stay in your divine domain.

Ecobank Nigeria in collaboration with Netplus Advisory services has launched an online trading platform, ‘MyMall’ Nigeria. This is essentially for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) operators to sell and market their goods and services. The online mall is designed for all categories of products and can be accessed from any part of the world. Speaking at the launch in Lagos last week, Deputy Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Tony Okpanachi, said the decision to set up MyMall Nigeria was to provide a platform for SMEs customers of the bank to tap into the enormous opportunities

African entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship in the same year. Bethlehem and her inspiring success story with SoleRebels have been featured severally on Forbes, the BBC and CNN.

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Founder, SoleRebels

“For me that was a vacuum, I needed to feel urgently, so I swung into action in order to make that important change, and that change gave birth to the Unity Girl Doll Project, a collection of 14-inch child developmental dolls that represent Nigeria’s three major tribes – Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba – delivering a social message to infants across the country and by extension the world at large, enlightening them about the Nigerian culture, allowing them have a sense of ownership early in life which puts them in good stead to making a positive impact when they are grown,” Orajiaka said in the Forbes interview. Armed with a passion to educating African children with “positive Nigerian values”, Orajiaka understood that only passion was never enough, thus, he enrolled himself into a school. As many entrepreneurship enthusiasts have consistently said, there

is a long road in-between starting a business and scaling it. Thus, the emphasis on understanding how to set up a business structure, balancing the books, and more recently, marketing and branding, among other necessary tools to scale a business. Orajiaka understood this too, eventually, after years of struggles, trying hard not to get eaten by the sharks in the sea and also trying to get used to the volatile business environment he found himself in. Orajiaka came across young men who were doing extremely well in their different spheres of business, and that, ultimately, was a turning point for him. “Just before I got too carried away I realised it was equally imperative, that I go back to school and got educated. So, while I was working for my in-law, I enrolled as an accounting student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), after which I proceeded to getting a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Lagos Business School, Pan-African University (PAN). Expectedly, after grad-

added advantage to participants at the mall, stressing that, payment across borders was been worked on.

Inspiring business success stories of two

How Orajiaka started $10m business with $30 Continues from pg23

in e-commerce sphere and take their businesses to a higher level. This he believes would provide a wider access to sell their products and offer their services to the whole world. In his words: “Ecobank is bringing this opportunity to our SMEs because we believe that business will significantly move from the brick and mortar to online presence. We are confident that our customers will not be left behind; MyMall, Nigeria will equip you to have an online presence and be relevant in the market place of this age.” Okpanachi was optimistic that the Bank’s branch network in the country and presence in 36 African countries, would be an

uating from school, I became better equipped for the journey ahead, which saw me take the management and administration of my business to a greater scale.” He is currently studying for a Doctorate in Business Administration [DBA] at Henley Business School of the University of Reading, majoring in Entrepreneurship. Like John Maxwell said, talent is never enough. Growing up in Warri and completing his secondary school education in Benin State, the next logical step for him at the time was to travel to the Unites States. Countless attempts later, his dream took a devastating nosedive, as he was denied visa, while all his other friends on the same pursuit for the proverbial greener pastures got visas to travel to the states. Resorting to work for his in-law at Idumota market, Lagos, the vision for a doll business was conceived and years later, the business became a multimillion dollar company.

By John-Paul Iwuoha

frica is a land of amazing business opportunities. The success stories in this article prove there are many ways to make money in Africa. There is a growing number of entrepreneurs who are already exploiting the lucrative business opportunities on the continent. The key to their success is that they see things quite differently from the rest of us. Where there are problems, these entrepreneurs see potential and opportunities. In this article, there are a few success stories of entrepreneurs and businesses in Africa that started from scratch and have achieved remarkable success. 1. SoleRebels (Ethiopia) Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, 34, grew up in Zenabwork, a poor village in the suburbs of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She came up with her business idea after she noticed most of the artisans in her community, who made beautiful footwear,

remained jobless and poor. Today, her company, SoleRebels, is one the most popular and fastest-growing African footwear brands in the world! It sells its ‘ecofriendly’ brand of footwear in more than 50 countries including the USA, Canada, Japan and Switzerland. Bethlehem started SoleRebels in 2004 with less than $10,000 in capital she raised from family members. Today, the company has more than 100 employees and nearly 200 local raw material suppliers, and has opened several standalone retail outlets in North America, Europe and Asia. Despite its very humble beginnings, SoleRebels now makes up to $1 million in sales every year, and according to Bethlehem’s projections and expansion plans, the company could be making up to $10 million in sales by 2016. Bethlehem was selected as the Young Global Leader of the Year 2011 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and was a winner at the Africa Awards for

SimplePay (Nigeria) Compared to the rest of the world, payment systems in Africa are largely ‘old school’. Most transactions are still done in cash, which can be very inconvenient. Simeon Ononobi noticed that it costs merchants in Nigeria almost $3,000 to be able to accept online payments. At that time, Paypal, the world’s biggest payment platform was still unavailable to users in Nigeria, and most of Africa. So, in January 2013, Simeon launched SimplePay, a web and mobile wallet that allows users to easily pay for up to 150 different services like mobile phone recharges, PayTV, taxes, school fees, church donations etc. The SimplePay platform costs $1 to sign up and significantly reduces the hefty costs of payment gateways and the unsafe exposure of personal debit card details on multiple websites. Today, SimplePay is being dubbed the ‘PayPal of Nigeria’. It currently has more than 10,000 registered users (who are mostly merchants) and over 30,000 unregistered users. In a country with the ninth largest population of internet users (over 60 million), the growth prospects for SimplePay are breathtaking. It’s

no wonder that a string of local and international investors are outdoing themselves to have a stake in what is likely to become Africa’s biggest payment platform. Shortly after the company was founded, it raised $300,000 from Seedstars World, a Swiss venture

capital firm, to support its growth and expansion plans. SimplePay is on track to raise over $10 million in early 2015 and expects to grow its registered users to 16 million by 2016. This article was first published on smallstarter.com

In his opening remark, Business Executive, Business Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Kingsley Umadia, said MyMall Nigeria could not have

From left, Business Executive, Business Banking, Ecobank, Mr Kingsley Umadia; Deputy Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Pan- Atlantic University, Mrs Nneka Okekearu; Deputy Managing Director, Ecobank, Mr Anthony Okpanachi and Head SME/Value Chain Banking, Mr Sunkanmi Olowo, at the launch of MyMall Nigeria Online Trading platform in Lagos on Thursday. Photo: Sylvester Okoruwa.

Why business plans are invaluable in entrepreneurship — Richard Branson I learned then and there that while it’s important to be ambitious, it’s also important to have a real plan that shows how you’ll translate your vision to a real business. (It’s also important to follow your dreams – 40 years on we have thriving airlines and hotels!) Another reason that I never created a formal business plan

Which of these entrepreneurs are you? Reasearch has shown that there are ultimately five types of entrepreneurs, namely, the skeptical entrepreneurs, the copycat entrepreneur, the research entrepreneur, the determined entrepreneur and the accomplished entrepreneur. Kimanzi Constable, a business consultant, an author and a contributor on entrepreneur.com wrote comprehensively on these types entrepreneurs and we invite you on a soul-searching journey to identify which of these are you. As entrepreneurs, each of us is different and unique. The one common element we all share is the desire to create freedom in our “work” and life through entrepreneurship. We live in a time ripe with opportunities to create businesses that help us live the lives we want to live. Here are five types of entrepreneurs. Get honest about which one you are and which one you want to be. 1. The skeptical entrepreneur This entrepreneur sees the success of others and immediately starts to question it. They examine that person’s business and looks for the “lucky” breaks, or inheritance they think that successful entrepreneur received. When you can’t see or believe success is possible, you’ll never get to a place in your mind that allows you to take action. You will stay stuck; you’ll make every excuse and believe it because of your skeptical mindset. This

is the scariest type of entrepreneur. 2. The copycat entrepreneur This entrepreneur sees the success of others and tries to copy them exactly. Their website is the same, their business cards are the same, and the way they present themself is the carbon copy of a leader in their industry. There is nothing wrong with modelling success—it’s actually very smart. There is a fine line, however, between modelling and copying. Modelling success means you see what works and figure out how to make it relevant to your business, and who you are as a person. 3. The research entrepreneur This entrepreneur loves to learn. They research every possible scenario and outcome for strategies to start or grow a business. There is nothing wrong with learning, but when that’s all you do, it becomes a problem. The research ends up becoming an excuse for not taking action.

come at a better time, assuring that the online marketing space powered by Ecobank will provide tools for trade for the SMEs to succeed.

4. The determined entrepreneur This entrepreneur hasn’t “made it” but they will, no matter what. They see the value in entrepreneurship, they see that success is possible without copying, and they do everything they can to start or grow their business. Starting and growing a business is hard, and it takes time, but there is proof that it’s possible to thrive. determination as their backstory. 5. The accomplished entrepreneur This entrepreneur has gone through all the stages of entrepreneurship and building a business, and has reached success. They are now focused on scaling their business and leaving a legacy that extends beyond their lifetime. The accomplished entrepreneur has figured out the things that will help you reach success.

was simple: there just weren’t the resources out there at the time. When I started up Student, entrepreneurship was very different. Business was dominated by big corporations, and there was little interest in cultivating what we now call start-ups. Today, there’s been a complete change in how the world views entrepreneurship, which is brilliant. Everyone’s encouraged to have a go, and there are tools out there to make it happen. Fantastic initiatives such as Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrate the startup landscape, while organisations like Virgin StartUp nurture aspiring entrepreneurs. One way that Virgin StartUp helps budding business people is through our business plan resource – something that we are really proud of. We went right back to basics, and looked at why people avoid business plans. Two things were clear: they can be boring and intimidating. Just like we have done when entering any new industry, we knew we could shake things up and provide something of practical use. So we simplified things – all you have to do is go through and answer the questions and at the end you’ve got yourself a business plan. We’ve been lucky to see Virgin go from strength to strength, driven by passion, enthusiasm, and the drive to do things differently. However, I wish there had been something like Virgin StartUp’s business plan when I started out. It would have helped us overcome some of the challenges we faced with more ease.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

moneymarket

anchor Chima Nwokoji

m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com

Economic growth, forex to dominate deliberations at concluding MPC meeting

s the Nigerian Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) holds sitting for its sixth and last session for the year from today through tomorrow, November 23-24, 2015, there are expectations that slow economic growth, foreign exchange (forex) rate, and inflationary pressure will dominate deliberations at the meeting. The meeting is coming against the backdrop of concerns surrounding forex rate as stakeholders are divided on whether further devaluation of the local unit is needed or not. There are also concerns about slow Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, unrelenting inflationary pressure, robust liquidity levels in the financial system as well as the increasing expectation for a United States central bank (FED) rate hike in December 2015. Going by the aforementioned, Ayodeji Ebo-led analysts at an investment banking and research company, Afrinvest West Africa, believe might deliberate on policy options to stimulate the flagging economic growth without creating further pressure on financial stability and also to restore confidence in the financial market to attract private capital and help boost the external reserves. They also believe that the MPC would likely appraise the current liquidity boosting policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) visà-vis the expansionary policy tone of fiscal authorities in 2016.

Government Securities Auction Date

11/11/2015

Security Type

FGN Bond

Tenor

5 Year

Auction No

11-11-2015-5 Year

Auction

Primary Market

Maturity Date

2/13/2020

Total Subscription

71.05

Total Successful

Range Bid

7.0000 - 15.5400

Successful Bid Rates

7.0000 - 10.2490

Description Maginal 0

Amount Offered (mn)

NITTY 1M 2M 3M 6M 9M 12M 12M

1.9907 2.2968 3.9217 6.6457 8.1512 8.2024 7.5633

both the CBN and Presidency whilst fiscal 2016 funding and expenditure frameworks are not yet certain,” Afrinvest stated in a not to investors. They did not think the committee members are likely to lower MPR as market rates have already converged to set limit rate based on current liquidity level. Nevertheless, the analysts expect the MPC to push for more policy co-ordination and urge more actions from the fiscal arm of government in order to foster growth in the economy. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently released the GDP figures for Quarter three (Q3):2015. GDP was reported to have expanded 2.8 per cent year on year (Y-o-Y) (to N18.0tn) in Q3:2015, 0.5 per cent higher

than 2.4 per cent recorded in Q2:2015 but 3.4 per cent lower than 6.2 per cent recorded in prior year. In a related development, inflation rate eased marginally to 9.3 per cent in October after creeping from 7.0 per cent to 9.4 per cent in between January and September. The apex bank’s decision to halt liquidity mop ups through the use of Open Market Operation (OMO) auctions, a sort of monetary easing which is expected to encourage banks to lend to the real sector also further bolstered liquidity levels -which has averaged at over N600.0billion in the last 2 months. On the Forex scene, pressures on the naira have persisted despite the administrative measures taken by the CBN to curb speculative actions against the naira. The FX intervention rate has settled at N197.00/$1.00 at the Apex Bank while it steadied at N199.10/$1.00 at the interbank market. In a sharp contrast, at the parallel market the naira traded for as high as N232.00/$1.00 following the full implementation of the BVN policy which mandates a provision of the verification number in order to execute any forex transactions at the Bank or BDC. Subsequently, demand for the naira at the BDC has reduced due to customers turning to the parallel market to execute forex transactions given the reluctance to provide their BVN to carry out Forex transactions at the BDC for fear of safety of their accounts.

CBN Exchange Rates as at 11/6/2015 Date of Auction 5/15/2003 2/25/2002 11/26/2001 Security Type CBN Certificate CBN Certificate CBN Certificate Tenor 91 180 180 Maturing On 11/13/2003 2/20/2003 11/21/2002 15000 5000 Amount Offered (N mn) 82227 Subscriptions (N mn) 37767 4161 2740 Tot. Successful (N mn) Net Sales (N mn) 17019 4161 2740 Range of Bid Rates Successful Bid Rates Marginal Rate 0 20.5 20.5

9/24/2001 CBN Certificate 9/19/2002 1155 1155

19.5

FGN Bonds

Rate 10.249 True Yield

Emefiele, CBN gov As a result, Afrinvest identifies threefold possible scenarios that can play out upon conclusion of the meeting. The MPC may: “Reduce Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to further lower market and lending rates and fuel credit expansion by banks; Leave all policy rates unchanged with the furtherance of administrative measures to manage FX rates (and conserve external reserves) while also keeping the financial system liquid to stimulate lending and growth,” the analysts predicted. Despite calls for devaluation, “we do not expect a lessening of exchange rate restriction (which are majorly administrative) at the next MPC meeting judging by the past statements credited to

-0.14 ▼ -1.85 ▼ -0.29 ▼ -0.09 ▼ -0.23 ▼ -0.49 ▼ -0.22 ▼

Date of Auction 10/14/2015 10/14/2015 9/16/2015 Security Type FGN Bonds FGN Bonds FGN Bonds Tenor Maturing On 5 Year 10 Year 5 Year 2/13/2020 3/14/2024 2/13/2020 2/13/2020 3/14/2024 2/13/2020 Amount Offered (N mn) 40 40 40 Subscriptions (N mn) 102.71 82.17 67.10 Tot. Successful (N mn) 40.00 40.00 20.00 Net Sales (N mn) Range of Bid Rates 12.0000 - 16.0000 12.0000 - 16.5000 13.5000 - 20.0000 Successful Bid Rates 12.0000 - 13.1110 12.0000 - 13.8700 13.5000 - 15.9500 Marginal Rate 13.111 13.87 15.95

Nigerian Tribune

9/16/2015 FGN Bonds 20 Year 7/18/2034 7/18/2034 30 54.11 25.00 14.5000 - 20.0000 14.5000 - 15.9700 15.97

weeklyreview Money Market Review As the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) continues to hold back its Open Market Operation (OMO) policy tool to curb excessive liquidity in the financial system, liquidity in the system remained high last week leaving rates at their low levels. Hence, benchmark rates, Open Buy Back (OBB) and Overnight (O/N) within the money market, though on a gradual rise, maintained their low levels on all trading days. Following the CBN Foreign (FX) intervention refund in the previous Friday, liquidity balance opened higher at N950 billion on Monday, thereby pushing OBB lower to 0.5 per cent while O/N rate stayed at 1.0 per cent and average Nigeria Interbank Offered Rate (NIBOR) settled at 10.8 per cent. Against dealers’ preparation for the Central Bank’s FX intervention set to hold on Wednesday, rates trended higher to 0.6 per cent and 1.0 per cent for the OBB and O/N respectively on Tuesday. Consequently, the intervention which led to a slight decline in market liquidity saw money market and average NIBOR rates rising even higher to 0.9 per cent (OBB), 1.1 per cent (O/N) and 10.9 per cent respectively on Wednesday. However, dealers from Afrinvest West Africa Limited said that after increasing to 1.0 per cent and 1.4 per cent on Thursday, the OBB and O/N rates closed the week lower at 0.9 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively following expectations of the FX intervention refund by the Apex bank on Friday. They also observed that despite T-Bills maturities and re-issuance worth N22.9billion last week, activity level in the T-Bills market was generally poor for the week. Notwithstanding the prevailing level of market liquidity, the T-Bills market recorded further sell-offs in the longer end of the curve on some trading days in the week. Consequently, average rates rose 0.9 per cent week on week (W-o-W) to settle at 5.2 per cent. Nigeria sold N119.92 billion ($600 million) in Treasury bills with maturities from three months to a year at an auction on Wednesday, with yields further slashed compared with returns at the previous auctions, the central bank said on Thursday. Dealers expect rates to trend within the same range as system liquidity stays robust in the interim. Foreign Exchange Market Review The Nigerian foreign exchange market had a calm week in the absence of a major news flows or official circulars that would have triggered reaction in the currency market. Exchange rate stayed within the tight range of N196.97/US$1.00 and N197.00/US$1.00 in the official market, as with the weeks before. The local currency appreciated by 2kobo from N196.97/US$1.00 on Tuesday to N197.00/US$1.00 on Wednesday. Dealers believe this remained a deliberate measure by the CBN to allow the Naira adjust for the FX intervention exercise carried out on Wednesday. Similar to FX activities of previous weeks within the interbank window, the offer rate of the Naira depreciated on all trading days except Friday. This may be linked to the weekly FX intervention of the CBN that push interbank rates lower and then gradually higher as dealers begin to exhaust their Dollar holdings while waiting for the next Dollar sale from the Apex Bank. Consequently, exchange rates opened at N197.72/US$1.00 on Monday and depreciated 12kobo to N197.84/US$1.00 on Tuesday. Equally on Wednesday, dealers from Afrinvest said they noticed a further 16kobo depreciation of the Naira to N198.00/ US$1.00. “Though we commend the unrelenting stance of the CBN to maintain stability in this market, we however note that average forward rate within the interbank market pegged at N228.69/US$1.00 this (last) week while the parallel market traded even higher between N230.00/US$1.00 and N232.00/US$1.00 indicating market expectation and valuation of the naira,” the dealers stated.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Monday, 23 November, 2015 Group Politics Editor Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 tai_adis@yahoo.com

Saraki

Umar

NASS probe of CCT chair The House of Representatives on Tuesday received a petition against the sitting chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Yakubu Danladi Umar. Group Politics Editor, Taiwo Adisa examines the implications of the petition.

OR Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), it is a case of the hunter reversing role and becoming the hunted. From being the man who oversees the trial of elected public officials who engage in false declaration of assets, a question mark has been hung on the integrity of the CCT chairman. First it was at the House of Representatives that a petition alleging misconduct and misappropriation of public funds was submitted against Umar by an anticorruption body. Just as the dust over that was yet to settle, another anti-graft body fired another petition alleging that Umar, among other things, of being of administrative bail on account of corruption issues. In the petition brought before the Senate by a rights group, Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), the national coordinator of HURIWA, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, observed that those saddled with the task of preventing corruption should not themselves be caught spreading the virus they are empaneled to cure. According to him, the immediate past Attorney General of the federation and minister of justice, Adoke Bello, had issued a written directive to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Umar. He alleged further that a charge

sheet had consequently been prepared. “We write to bring to your attention for further investigation and necessary action a report of likely conspiracy by the EFCC, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Code of Conduct Tribunal to remove the Senate president from office using the instrumentality of their public offices to achieve their aims. “The Senate recently launched an investigation against the activities of the chairman of the EFCC. The EFCC, as a counter-attack, initiated and launched the prosecution of the Senate president as a retaliatory measure using the offices of the attorney general of the federation and

a highly compromised Code of Conduct Tribunal to achieve their aim of removing the Senate president from office. “The EFCC is aware that a compromised Code of Conduct Tribunal will always do its bidding because it had already concluded investigation into a N10 million bribery allegation against the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, and his personal assistant, Mr. Ali GamboAbdullahi,” the petition read in part. Upon receipt of the petition brought to it by Senator Obina Oba, the Senate has directed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition to investigate the alle-

The EFCC had to make some clarifications on issues surrounding the allegations against Justice Umar. The anti-graft agency said it has so far been unable to prosecute the CCT chairman because the evidence against him was not found weighty enough for prosecution.

Dogara

gations and file in a report. Apparently in response to the opinion being expressed in some quarters that the committee might take a jaundiced view of the petition since the Senate President, Dr BukolaSaraki is standing trial before the CCT, the committee chairman, Senator Sam Anyanwu has dismissed such speculations, stressing that the Red Chamber would thoroughly investigate the allegations raised in the petition without fear or favour. He noted that the interest of Nigerians superseded that of any individual, vowing to be dispassionate in the investigation. On November 10, the House of Representatives through one of its members, Honourable Rima Sahulu, representing Donga, Wusa and Taku Federal Constituency of Taraba State, laid a petition before the House. It was a special petition, in view of the nature and the subject in question. The two-in-one petition asked the House to investigate the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Yakubu Danladi Umar and the office of Attorney General of the Federation. The petitions, written by the Anti-Corruption Network, a non-Governmental Organisation and presented in the name of its Executive Secretary, Ajufo I. Ajufo, contained several allegations, including mismanagement and misappropriation of funds, as well as alleged fictitious contract award and failure to adhere to due process regulations in purchases in the CCT. continues pg32

politics&policy

Monday, 23 November, 2015

The role of EFCC continued from pg31

There was another petition by the same NGO, which was directed at the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), though it was aimed at the Umar. That petition alleged dereliction of duty in respect of the Attorney General’s office’s failure to prosecute the chairman of CCT following the recommendations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in that regard. While the petitions were not circulated to newsmen, Nigerian Tribune obtained copies of the petition, which contained the series of allegations. The petition against the AGF asked the House to investigate why the office failed to act on an “Investigation Report” submitted to that office by the EFCC since June 2014. The report, according to the petition, contained the report of EFCC and the evidence of the investigations against Justice Danladi Umar and Ali Gambo Abdullahi both of CCT. While Umar is the chairman of CCT, Gambo is his Personal Assistant. The petition alleged that while the AGF had recommended the suspects for prosecution via a letter with reference HAGF/ EFCC/2014/Vol.1/19, dated June 26, 2014, only Ali Gambo Abdullahi was prosecuted. It alleged: “This is a gross neglect of the duty of the office of Attorney General. We believe this neglect is deliberate. This has led us to a belief that there is a cover-up in this matter. “We have written this petition so that the Attorney General can be called to carry out the duties he was appointed to do. “When the Nigerian public becomes aware of this fact, they will be very much interested to know the reason for this cover-up.” The Second petition also by the AntiCorruption Network was more revealing. It alleged several financial infractions against Umar and insisted on the need for prosecution. The petitioners claimed that they had in the course of their work, came across alleged “startling facts” and documents that revealed purported scandalous and outrageous level of corruption in a vital judicial institution in Nigeria. “We are very saddened to report that the Code of Conduct Tribunal is infested with despicable and deplorable level of corruption,” the petition alleged, adding that its allegations were being targeted at the headship of the Tribunal. The petitioners further alleged substantial financial impropriety, misuse of office and disregard for due process. The petitioners claimed that when the CCT chairman got married on July 16, 2011, he allegedly got himself paid the sum of N1million from the coffers of the CCT. They also alleged that the payment was paid via a voucher number CCT/ABJ/ DC/206/11 dated July 14 2011. “This was a personal expense which was not the business of the Tribunal. It certainly was not a legitimate item of expenditure under CCT budget. It was therefore a misappropriation of public funds for personal ends,” the petitioner alleged. The petitioners equally alleged that the CCT chairman approved a sum of N4.2 million for the replacement of External security light bulbs, and the contract was said to have been allocated to Chinox Global Investment Ltd with payment voucher CCT/ABJ/DC/153/11. “Not only is this monstrous amount a gross inflation

Immediate past EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde of what may have been needed to replace light bulbs in the premises, it is an entirely fictitious contract. No replacements of external security light s were carried out,” the petition alleged. Another of the six-point allegation involves what the petitioners called fictitious contract for the supply of office furniture and fittings in the sum of N11.4 million. The petitioners alleged that the request for furniture and fittings to the tune of N11.4 million was cooked up and subsequently approved. They claimed that the payment of that money was effected through e-payment on March 22, 2011. They equally alleged that the company that executed the project was an engineering firm and not a furniture company. The document before the House of Representatives also alleged the disregard for due process in the purchase of Prado Jeep in the sum of N15.2 million. It further alleged that the contract for the purchase of the said jeep was done without due process. “The contract for the supply of the jeep was awarded to one Maigoro Engineering Nigeria Ltd. This company was an engineering company and not a car dealership. But Mr Danladi Umar foisted the company on the CCT. This is a gross abuse of office and a violation of procurement regulations,” the petitioners alleged. The petition also alleged fictitious award of a renovation contract in the sum of N1.7 million. It alleged that in March 2011, the

CCT approved a contract and effected payment to the tune of N1.7 million for the renovation of its official quarters located in Asokoro, Abuja. It claimed that the contract was never executed. The petition listed other allegations of misappropriation of funds and fictitious contracts. Some of the specific allegations include the payment of N1.5 million for “supply of additional furniture;”another N3.7 million for “repairs,” as well as the payment of N4.2 million for the “purchase of welfare items.” The other allegations include the payment of N1.3 million for “repair of electrical fittings”; N1.6 million doe Repairs of electrical fittings; N4.2 million for “plumbing works and the payment of N1.6 million for “supply of beverages& toilet services.” The petitioners claimed that they were forced to petition the House because of the belief that it would take the investigations very seriously and carry out investigations into all aspects of the allegations. The petitioners alleged: “We impress on the House of Representatives that these are very serious matters which, if not checked, have the capacity to destroy the reputation of the judiciary and by extension bring the entire Federal Government of Nigeria into disrepute. The CCT is designed by the Constitution to be the watchdog of public officers. “The petition must not be swept under the carpet. If that happens, Nigerians will demand to know and the House of Repre-

All eyes are on the House of Representatives to show the way forward in its investigation of the unique petition.

sentatives would have failed to protect the integrity of the Government.” Besides the petition of the Anti-Corruption Network against Umar, the petitioners also attached several vouchers in respect of the alleged payments made by the CCT under Justice Umar. In order to further prove that its allegations were not in isolation, the NGO attached some documents detailing alleged infractions by the CCT boss, especially, details of the alleged case between him and a retired Customs Controller, Rasheed Taiwo. One of the attached document indicated that one Mr Rasheed Taiwo, a Controller of Customs retired in 2009 by the Customs Service, had sued the agency for alleged wrongful dismissal but that the Service instead reporting him to the EFCC for allegedly presenting fake certificate. The allegations were however discovered to be false but he was charged to the CCT for false declaration of assets instead. The document indicated that during the trial of Taiwo by CCT, Danladi met the suspect and it was alleged that a sum of N10 million was agreed to in order to get the case quashed. The said Taiwo later petitioned the EFCC after he had paid the sum of N1.8 million to an account allegedly belong to the Personal Assistant to the CCT chairman. Last week, the EFCC had to make some clarifications on issues surrounding the allegations against Justice Umar. The anti-graft agency said it has so far been unable to prosecute the CCT chairman because the evidence against him was not found weighty enough for prosecution. An online publication, PRNigeria, which obtained some official documents in relation to the case, quoted the EFCC as claiming that the facts as they are against the CCT chairman raised mere suspicion that could not take the place of proof in law. The EFCC quoted by PRNigeria stated: “The facts as they are now against Justice Umar raised a mere suspicion and will therefore not be sufficient to successfully prosecute for the offence.” The report also claimed that in a memorandum forwarded to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on March 5, 2015, the EFCC, alleged that one Ali Gambo Abdullahi, a Personal Assistant to the CCT boss, purportedly admitted receiving N1.8 million in 2012 from one Rasheed Taiwo, who was standing trial at the tribunal. It averred that the said Abdullahi was alleged to have used his salary account at Zenith Bank to collect the graft. The publication also quoted a letter from the EFCC, with Reference No EFCC/ EC/SGF/03/56 and dated March 5, 2015, which was purportedly signed by the immediate past chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, alleging that the retired Customs Chief, Rasheed Taiwo failed to produce the alleged telephone conversations and text messages exchanged between him and Justice Umar in respect of the alleged bribe saga.. As it is now, all eyes are on the House of Representatives to show the way forward in its investigation of the unique petition. Ordinarily, the legislature refrains itself from dabbling into matters directly affecting the Judiciary. It usually engages in battles with the executive through its oversight functions, but the judiciary is set to come under legislative spotlight of the House by proceeding to treat the petition against Justice Umar.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

news N18,000 minimum wage: Govs have declared war against workers —NLC 35

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said on Sunday that the attempt to reverse the N18,000 national minimum wage by the governors is a declaration of war against the working people of Nigeria. To this end, the congress vowed to meet the governors’ force with force, and mobilise workers and their siblings against the governors.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

In a statement signed by the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wada, the congress described the governors’ move as an act of aggression by the political class on the workers and their welfare. “We wish to make it abundantly clear that this attempt to reverse the National Minimum Wage is a declaration of war against the working people of this country, and we would have

no alternative than to mobilise to respond to this act of aggression by the political class on our welfare,” Comrade Wabba said. He pointed out that the congress was shocked by the statement credited to the chairman of the Governors Forum, Governor Abdulaziz Yari, that the N18,000 national minimum wage promulgated into law in 2011 was no longer sustainable because of

the fall in the price of crude oil. The NLC president regretted that Governor Yari, who was speaking on behalf of his colleagues at the end of a meeting of the Forum, also claimed that the N18,000 national minimum wage was imposed. He reminded the governors that the 2011 minimum wage came into existence after almost two years of agitation and eventual nego-

Senior Pastor, Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan, Reverend (Dr) Remi Awopegba (left), assisted by the Principal, Oritamefa Baptist Model School, Ring Road, Mrs Funmi Oloyede, displaying the award won by the school, during the commendation service held in honour of the students of the school who sat for WASSCE May/June 2015, at the Oritamefa Baptist Church, Total Garden, on Sunday. PHOTO: Tunde Ogunesan.

NLC, Oyo govt agree on 90% federal allocation to pay salary, arrears By Wale Akinselure

OYO State government and state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) have reached a compromise to the effect that 90 per cent of the state’s monthly federal allocation be committed to the payment of salaries and the clearing of outstanding arrears. This followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Head of Service, Mr Soji Eniade and NLC Chairman, Comrade Waheed Olojede, premised on the government’s position that state’s revenue was insufficient to guarantee regular payment of salaries, let alone embark on developmental projects. At the signing of the MoU at Governor’s Office, Ibadan, the two parties agreed that 90 per cent of the federal allocation be solely utilised, on monthly basis, to pay salaries while the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) be used for development and maintenance purposes. The agreement, Olojede said, was a plausible option

having rejected the proposition by state government for a salary cut or a payment of a certain percentage of workers’ salary. According to Eniade, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the agreement was based on current realities.

“Ninety per cent of the federal allocation will be utilised on monthly basis to pay salaries. If the situation improves, the 90 per cent can clear all outstanding arrears very well. It is a staggered arrangement. Because of the insufficiency of funds, the issue of ar-

rears will keep occurring. If a worker receives salary once in two months, the implication is that, within six months, arrears of three months would have occurred. What government has agreed is that whenever funds from Abuja improve, we will clear the arrears.

Ekiti won’t slash workers’ salary —Fayose Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

THE Ekiti State government has announced that it will not slash the minimum wage it is currently paying its workforce despite the financial challenges. Governor Ayo Fayose, who stated this, said to ensure the smooth payment of the salaries, the state government might de-centralise the state’s payment system. Governor Fayose, who disclosed this at the weekend while speaking during a sensitisation tour of Irepodun/Ifelodun and Ekiti South-West local government areas, said the current minimum wage

of N18,000 was “grossly inadequate,” adding that “any slash would not augur well for the workers and their dependants.” A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, quoted the governor to have said “the state government would work out ways that the government and the labour unions would agree on the mode of payment.” He said the governor, who first visited Igede-Ekiti, headquarters of Irepodun/ Ifelodun council area, said there was “no point hiding the financial situation of the state government from the workers.”

He said: “I am enjoying your grace for returning me to office and I am not going to take the grace for granted. A governor who hides the true position of things from his people is only deceiving himself. The power of the people is greater than that of the leader. “I won’t reduce workers’ salaries. The N18,000 minimum wage is even not enough. I will never hold your money one day extra. The shortfall in the bailout will be redressed,” he said. The governor also added that a unit would be set up in the Governor’s Office to look into complaints about workers’ welfare.

tiation through a tripartite process. Wabba explained that the government was represented by both the federal and state governments, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) representing other employers in the private sector, while the organised Labour represented the workers. He said: “This is in the best tradition of tripartite negotiation recognised and codified by the International Labour Organisation. As organised Labour, we submitted a request for N52,000 and provided justification for it as the minimum wage which a worker and his recognised legal dependents need to live a healthy life over 30 – 31 days in a month. “Out of our patriotic disposition and consideration, we reluctantly agreed to the N18,000 wage even as it was grossly inadequate as a living wage. Many of the state governments who submitted memoranda to the tripartite negotiating committee recommended figures that were far above the N18,000 that was eventually agreed. “The governors cannot

Nigerian Tribune

therefore want Nigerians to take them seriously by their present claim that the current national minimum wage was imposed on them.” He stated that the ability to pay minimum wages is not the problem of the economy; but the many political office holders at the states and other tiers of government and unproductive aides which take away wages. The NLC president said for the private sector, the greed to accumulate more and more profit is a motivating factor to keep wages down. According to him: “We have been in the forefront of campaigning that the cost of governance at all levels need to be drastically cut down, to free enough resources for development. The hundreds of billions of Naira our public office holders continue to filtere away in the name of governance is what is not sustainable. “For instance, the annual cost to the public purse of governors ‘security votes’ which is an unaccountable drain on the public resources, is worth several thousands of minimum wages per state. “

‘OBMS will continue to set standard’ By Tunde Ogunesan

THE Senior Pastor Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan, and the chairman of the Education Committee overseeing Oritamefa Baptist Model School (OBMS), Total Garden, Ibadan, Reverend (Dr) Remi Awopegba, has assured parents, guardians and students of the school that the school administrators will continue to ensure that the school keeps its standard and even push to excel the more. Awopegba stated this on Sunday, during the 2015 commendation service for the 2014/2015 graduates of the school, held at main auditorium of Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan. The service was held in honour of students from both the Total Garden and Ring Road branches of the school. He said that out of the 171 students from OBMS Total Garden who sat for WASSCE May/June 2015, 165 students made the commendation list while 116 students made the list from 126 students from the Ring Road OBMS branch. To make the list, Awopegba said the students must have at least four distinctions plus credits in Mathematics and English Lan-

guage. Of the 165 that made the commendation list, 67 students made nine distinctions, 40 made 8 distinctions, 25 made seven distinctions, 20 made six distinctions while seven and six students made four and five distinctions, respectively. All the 165 students were rewarded during the service while both teaching and non-teaching staff were also commended. While presenting an award to the school for its position as the best performing school in the SouthWest and the sixth best in Nigeria, Dr Awopegba, who was assisted by the Principal of OBMS, Ring Road, Mrs Funmi Oloyede, said, “our records are there. It is there for anybody for confirmation. This is a testimony of our stories. It is not a secret but a record which can be verified. “This standard we promise to set year-in-year-out. And we also promise you that we will continue to maintain that standard and even set for others to follow. Like I told you earlier, we are proud of our standard which all the stakeholders in this school jointly worked for and we are not ready to lose it,” he said.

36 news

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Nigeria’s unity non-negotiable —Buhari Muhammadu Sabiu - Kaduna

resident Muhammadu Buhari has warned that the corporate existence of Nigeria is not a subject of debate and non-negotiable. The president gave the warning at the investiture of Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, as the seventh chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University

(ABU), Zaria, at the weekend. He said he would not compromise on the insurgency that is currently ravaging the country, which would be surmounted, adding that, the action of some people, calling for the dismemberment of Nigeria, would be contained. President Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony

Anwuka, at the ceremony, said he was aware of the challenges bedevilling the education sector, but promised that the present administration would reverse the trend. The president advised universities to focus on imparting knowledge and research, adding that they should key in to the change agenda of the present administration. Earlier, the Obi of Onitsha

called on Nigerians to have a change of attitude as he pointed out various paradoxes that were bedevilling the nation. “We spend unbelievable amounts importing petrol and subsidising its retail price whilst our three refineries with adequate capacity to meet our national development requirements are literally moribund, despite huge sums spent on endless Turn Around Main-

tenance,” he pointed out. According to the new chancellor, ‘’Nigeria is probably the largest importer of electric generators in the world despite our endowment with natural resources of energy, such as petroleum, coal, hydro and solar energies.” Igwe Achebe further said that Nigeria’s import bill on rice and wheat is about $22 billion annually, “yet our country is blessed with vast arable land and a large population of young jobless people that can be usefully deployed to agriculture.”

Dual citizenship:

Hearing commences in case against Sunmonu Thursday Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

President Muhammadu Buhari (left), being welcomed by the Iranian deputy president, Mr Shariat Madari; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyema; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, at the Mehrabad Airport, Tehran, ahead of the third summit of the Gas Exporting Country’s Forum, on Sunday.

DPR gives free petrol in Kwara, threatens to shut down erring stations Biola Azeez -Ilorin

FOLLOWING threat against any filling station in the habit of hoarding fuel, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Kwara State, on Sunday, dispensed fuel to motorists and motorcyclists free of charge at two filling stations, in Ilorin. The erring filling stations, situated along Olorunsogo area, Ilorin and Otte, in Asa Local Government Area, were caught hoarding a total of 4,600 litres of fuel known as premium motor spirit (PMS). The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the surveillance team of the department swooped on the stations following tip off by concerned citizens that management of the stations was hoarding the commodity. Acting on the information, the team, led by Operation Controller of DPR, Mr Salvation Philip, said the team uncovered large volume of fuel after the stations had allegedly told frustrated buyers that they had exhausted their stock.

It was pandemonium, as motorists and other buyers scrambled for the commodity when the DPR boss instructed that the fuel be sold free of charge in line with ministerial directive. It took the intervention of security agents attached to the agency to control

the unruly behaviour of motorists and commercial motorcyclists. Speaking with journalists after the exercise, DPR boss said the action of the department was in accordance with the directive of Minister of State for Petroleum.

He stated that the punitive measure would serve as deterrent to other hoarders that it was no longer business as usual. Philip said the agency was poised to ensure that the commodity was properly distributed among commuters.

Group calls on Buhari to check deportation of Nigerians Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba -Lagos

THE Federal Government has been called upon to, as a matter of urgency, look into the plight of Nigerians who are illegally detained and billed for deportation from the United Kingdom. Making this appeal in Lagos, at the weekend, the President of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Mr Igho Akeregha, called on President Buhari and the Comptroller-Generals of the Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Immigration Service, to be on the alert and take a check on the deportation, which is billed for Tuesday, November 24, from London. According to Akeregha,

the call became important as a result of the urgent call to the organisation from Nigerians in the United Kingdom, on the manner in which some Nigerians were unlawfully detained in various detention centres across the United Kingdom. He said at the Nigerian Consulate in London, a Deputy Immigration Attache to the Nigerian Embassy had been linked to corruption, fraud and extortion, noting that the said officer had been alleged of conspiring with the UK agents to make personal use of the 3,000 pounds paid by the British Government for each deportee. “The CLO was reliably informed that the UK authorities are not aware that the

3,000 pounds per deportee do not get to them and victims of this huge fraud are not allowed to remove their property prior to their illegal and forced deportation,” Akeregha said. He, however, said that not all these victims, billed for deportation, were guilty of not having the required papers to live and work in the United Kingdom, but some papers needed to be renewed, which should be addressed differently other than deportation. He, therefore, urged the Federal Government and all authorities concerned, to “use necessary diplomatic instrument to put a stop to this illegal and corruption-ridden deportation of Nigerians.”

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will on Thursday, November 26, 2015 commence hearing in a matter filed against the former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the eighth assembly, Honorable Monsurat Sunmonu, on issues bordering on allegations of dual citizenship. Justice E.S. Chukwu fixed Thursday for commencement of hearing in the matter after five eligible voters from Oyo Central Senatorial District of Oyo State filed a suit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator before the court, alleging her of possessing a dual citizenship of the United Kingdom and Nigeria. The five plaintiffs; Wahab Abiodun, Alhaji Bola Akinyemi, Chief Emmanuel Olajide, Chief Samuel Elegbede and Chief Thomas Ajao, in a suit delineated FHC/ABJ/CS/760/201 filed on September 14, 2015 filed the suit against Senator Sunmonu for themselves and on behalf of the electorate in the district. Also joined as respondent alongside Senator Sunmonu is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Originating summons filed by their counsel, Chief Titus Ashaolu (SAN) is asking for an order of court, declaring that Senator Sunmonu lacks the requisite capacity to hold the office of a senator, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of United Kingdom against the letters and spirit of Section 66 subsection 1 (a) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Sultan, Etsu Nupe, Sulu-Gambari to grace Emir of Lafiagi’s 40th anniversary Biola Azeez - Ilorin

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar and the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, are among the dignitaries expected to grace the 40th anniversary on the throne of the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Sa’adu Kawu Haliru (OFR). While Etsu Nupe would serve as the royal father of the day, the Emir of Ilorin would be the special guest of honour. The grand finale of the week-long celebration would take place at Lafiagi township stadium, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, on December 5, 2015. Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, on Wednesday, the chairman, Central Steering Committee of the ceremony, Alhaji Saidu Issa, Walin Lafiagi, said six prominent Nigerians would be conferred with traditional titles during the celebration.

Customs’ PAAR emerges NITDA 2015 best e-governance project winner Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja

THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)’s clearance tool, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), which was introduced in 2013, has emerged the winner of Best e-governance project for 2015. This is even as the Customs Service also emerged runner-up in the Best MDA Category of the year. The award, organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with NIHILENT, was presented to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd), during the E-Governance and Long Service Awards 2015 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. According to a press statement signed by the NCS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Wale Adeniyi and made available to the Nigerian Tribune at the weekend, the award was in recognition of PAAR’s overall capacity to address the needs of stakeholders, demonstrate efficiency and benefit the masses over a long period of time.

news

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Bayelsa poll: MEND mobilises for Dickson Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt

HEAD the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has endorsed the second term ambition of the state governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Honourable Seriake Dickson. The group, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, said the Ijaw people were behind the governor, having performed creditably by driving development of the hinterlands. The statement was signed by its acting chairman in Rivers State, Prince Amaibi Horby (aka General Busta Rhymes) and 12 others. The group also declared that it would be sending 500 of its members to monitor the governorship election in Bayelsa State, especially in the creeks. “We have endorsed the incumbent governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, for a second term in office as Bayelsans gear up for the December 5, 2015 elections.

“Dickson over the years has performed creditably in office as he has driven development to the hinterland. “The Ijaw people are solidly behind him in this forthcoming governorship election and we will roll out our members to monitor the election in the state, especially in the vast creeks of Bayelsa where we are deep-rooted, to avoid intimidation and possible rigging by the enemies of Ijawland and their Abuja collaborators. “We wish to admonish President Muhammadu Buhari not to engage election riggers in the governorship election as such vicious and surreptitious antics shall not only be vehemently resisted but may also lead to waking the sleeping dog from its rest. “We call upon the United Nations and, indeed, the international community to bear us witness as we are not unaware of the planned use of ‘federal might’ to intimidate the people of Bayelsa State in favour of their chosen candidate,” the statement read. MEND described Dickson as a product of the Ijaw struggle for resource control and self-determination

in the Niger Delta region before venturing into active politics. It said, so far, the governor had contributed immensely to the vast sociopolitical and economic

development of the Ijaw nation. “We are mustering total support for him because he is a product of the Ijaw struggle for resource control and self-determination

in the Niger Delta. “We direct our members across the landscape of their region to drive their vehicles and paddle their canoes behind the umbrella of PDP and vote

for Governor Dickson in the December 5, 2015 elections to protect the sanctity of our collective struggle, which Dickson pro-actively represents,” it said.

Rep wants EFCC, ICPC to probe Oshiomhole, Igbinedion’s face-off Jacob Segun Olatunji And Kolawole Daniel-Abuja

A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Sergius Ogun, has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the allegations and counter-allegations of cor-

ruption involving the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomole and former governor, Lucky Igbinedion. This is coming just as the lawmaker advised the Federal Government to look for alternative means in addressing the issue of unemployment in the country, instead of the promised sum of N5, 000 to unemployed graduates by the ruling All Progres-

sives Congress (APC). The lawmaker, who spoke at the weekend, while fielding questions from newsmen stated that “It is rather unfortunate that it has taken the governor of Edo State, Comrade Aliyu Adams Oshiomhole, seven years plus to come out to tell this country and the people of Edo State that the former governor stole money. I mean it is only in a country like Nigeria that

Police training institutions in utter decay —Mbu The Federal Government has been urged to set up a special committee to visit police formations in the country. Mr Joseph Mbu (AIG), Commandant, Police Staff College, made the call during interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Jos, on Sunday. “There is decay; there is neglect; what we have on

ground is not conducive for the reform programme we all yearn for. “Many projects in the training institutions have been abandoned,” Mbu said. He stressed that the nation must invest more in the police force so as to get the best service from it and effect the change crucial for a better Nigeria. “Nigerians want an im-

proved police force in line with the change mantra, but the institutions that train the personnel are in a state of utter decay.” He held that management and personnel of the police were doing a lot, and that officers on strategic courses in the college would feel more encouraged, for instance, if they were fed by the force.

this thing will happen.” According to him, “We know how he came to power and all that, and those that helped him there. If they fell out, well; it is very unfortunate. But I think whatever is happening is for the good of the people of Edo State. That is my honest assessment. “Because now he said the former governor stole money and the former governor said you are a bigger thief. So we need revelation to know where Edo State money is. So, I will urge the relevant agencies to go in and ask questions and recover our money to help develop our state,” he stated. Speaking on the payment of N5,000 stipends for unemployed graduate, he said such proposal would not be realisable going by the current situation of the country.

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I, formerly Miss Adewoye Adetola Veronica now MRS FADOJUTIMI ADETOLA VERONICA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Sonoiki Florence Adepero now MRS OLUWOLE FLORENCE ADEPERO. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State TESCOM, UBA Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Sulaimon Yetunde Simiat and Adedokun Yetunde Simiat now OLADAPO YETUNDE SIMIAT. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc, First Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Fasanmi Tolulope Funke now MRS SAMUEL TOLULOPE FUNKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Olasupo Monsurat now MRS MONSURAT KAZEEM. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akinbile Falilatu Ashabi now AKINBILE FLORENCE OMOTUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Amusa Rukayat Opeoluwa now MRS SHITTU RUKAYAT OPEOLUWA AMUSA. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Dissa-N-Gourd am the same person as Konate-N-Golo. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as KONATE-NGOLO. All former documents remain valid. Eco Bank and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Zubby Arinze Umenwa now AZUBUIKE ARINZE UMENWA. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank, Sterling Bank, UBA, Stanbic Bank and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Mohammed Sadiat Titilayo now MRS OKERE SADIAT TITILAYO. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ruth Oluwafemi Akinwale now OLADIPUPO RUTH OLUWAFEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Jegede Folasade Abiodun now MRS DADA FOLASADE ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Oladoja Gabriel Oloye am the same person as Oladoja Gabriel Oloyede now I wish to be known and addressed as OLADOJA GABRIEL GBEMISOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Mufutau Olatunji Oyekola now MR RAJI TUNJI OYEKOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Aderonke Catherine Kolawole now MRS ADERONKE CATHERINE OMOJOLA. All former documents remain valid. Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Abuja and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Omopo Omolola Adewuyi now FEYISARA OMOLOLA ADEWUYI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeniran Aminat Abiodun now MRS AZEEZ AMINAT ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Olasode Ikeoluwa Ijiwumi now IJIWUMI IKEOLUWA IJIBUNMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Iyanuoluwa Oluwatofunmi Oluwapamilerin Elizabeth Balogun now IYANUOLUWA OLUWATOFUNMI OLUWAPAMILERIN ELIZABETH LEYE-ADEPOJU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akinlabi Alphonso Ojo now AFOLABI ALPHONSO AKINLABI. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Olaitan Mary Ayanwuyi now MRS OLAITAN MARY JOELAJALA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Fadeyi Patrick Oluwasegun now ADEYEMI OLUWASEGUN PATRICK. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Burahimo Rasheed Adigun now IBRAHIM RASHEED ADIGUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Opeyemi Adewale Adeolu now OPEYEMI SAMUEL ADEOLU. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Mohammed Folasade Kafayat and Mrs Ogundele Folasade Kafayat now MRS OGUNDELE FOLASADE CHRISTIANAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Oyinlola Temitope Ayobami now OYINLOLA TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public please take note.

I, formerly Miss Julianah Adejumoke Abolarin now MRS ADEWALE ALIMI ADEJUMOKE. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeyeye Tolulope Omotayo now MRS SOWEMIMO TOLULOPE OMOTAYO. All former documents remain valid. Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife and general public take note.

I, formerly Raji Najibat Oluwakemi now SAKA NAJIBAT OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Ayinde Ayomide Olabisi now MRS ADEPOJU AYOMIDE OLABISI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ademosu Omotunde Odunayo now MRS ADENUGA OMOTUNDE ODUNAYO. All former documents remain valid. Oyo SUBEB, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, AKINOLA RICHARD OMOTOLA am the same person as SALAUDEEN SEMIU ADEBAYO. All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Rafiu Rukayat Adenike now ADEDIJI RUKAYAT ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Kobomoje Haneefat Opeyemi now MRS AJIBOYE HANEEFAT OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. GTBank, NIMC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Olaide Adekunle Shaibu am the same person bearing Olaide Emmanuel Lasisi. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLAIDE ADEKUNLE SHAIBU. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Mrs Adeyemo Risikat Olawumi now MRS IBRAHIM RISIKAT OLAWUMI. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Omonije Oluwadamilola now MRS ADEJUMO OLUWADAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Olasunkanmi Gbenga Adeniyi am the same person bearing Busari Gbenga Adeniyi. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLASUNKANMI GBENGA ADENIYI. documents remain valid. GTBank, First Bank, Access Bank and general public take note.

I, formerly Obi Joseph now PAUL JOSEPH AGUDOSI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Omotuyi Oluwaseunfunmi Yetunde now MRS ARAROMI O L U WA S E U N F U N M I YETUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Julius Comfort Ageitu now MRS FATUNMBI COMFORT AGEITU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Olowoyeye Iyabo Abiodun now OBIDARE IYABO ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ejibunu Deborah Olayemi now MRS OMOLEYE DEBORAH OLAYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, PELUOLA MARY BOSEDE am the same person bearing PELUOLA MARY FUNSHO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oluwaseun Maria Kayode now MRS OLUWASEUN MARIA KAYODE ODULEYE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Ogunwale Janet now MRS JIMOH REMI SUKURAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Amorumdah Dauda now GIDEON UBADOMA YUSUF. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly Awe Emmanuel Temidayo now AWE TEMIDAYO AJAYI. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mr Adamo Musa now MR ADAMU MUSA ALFARII. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

39 CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Victoria Ugwo Jonah Edeh now MRS. VICTORIA UGWO ANOKEHI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Lawal Olateju Khadijat now MRS. ADEWOYE OLATEJU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adedigba Babatunde Adetunji now ADEDIGBA MATTHEW ADETUNJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ayanniyi Bolaji Dorcas now MRS. AYANNIYI BOLAJI DORCAS AJADI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Yusuff Mutiat Oyedoyin now MRS. AMOO MUTIAT OYEDOYIN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Omotosho Gbemisola Oke now MRS. OLADOKUN-OMOTOSHO GBEMISOLA OKE. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Omosanyin Oluwakemi now JOSHUA OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South West LGA and general public take note.

Monday, 23 November, 2013 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Taiwo Oluwabukunmi Adeola now MRS. SORETIRE OLUWABUKUNMI ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ojewole Ganiyat Iyabo now MRS. OLOYEDE VERONICA IYABO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Arinoye Mujidat Abiodun now MRS. BUSAYO ABIODUN OGUNGBILE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Owoyomi Racheal Omolola now MRS. OKE RACHEAL OMOLOLA. All former documents remain valid. Osun State SUBEB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Basiru Oseni now ISIAKA ADEDEJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr. Omoigui Godfrey now MR. OMOIGUI GODFREY DENNIS. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Oyetade Alice Lola now ADEDEJI ALICE LOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Jolayemi Olawoye now MRS. JOLAYEMI ADEDEJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Mr. Kitiya Abdullahi am the same person as Mr. Muhammadu Abubakar. Now I wish to be known and addressed as MR. MUHAMMADU ABUBAKAR. All documents remain valid. First Bank Plc., Zenith Bank and general public take note.

I, Gabriel Ensonfu am the same person bearing Titus Ayoola Osho and Gabriel Ensonfu. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as GABRIEL ENSONFU. All documents remain valid. UBA Bank, Wema Bank and general public take note.

I, Oladokun Dayo Clement am the same person bearing Oladokun Agboola Clement. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLADOKUN AGBOOLA CLEMENT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION NAME CHANGE OFOF NAME

I, formerly Uthman Najeeb Ajao now SULAIMAN NAJEEB OLOSUN. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Aderibigbe Modinat Adeseeke now MRS. ADENIRAN MODINAT ADESEEKE. All former documents remain valid. The Authorities of Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;MEAL in the State of Osun and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Balogun Emmanuel now OGUNBAYEJE EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, Orisagbemi Israel Kunle am the same person as Orisagbemi Sunday Samson. I want to be known and addressed as ORISAGBEMI ISRAEL KUNLE. All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank, Okuku Branch, GTB and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION NAME CHANGE OFOF NAME I, formerly Miss Orhuweru Akpoidevona Josephine now MRS. OMODOR AKPOIDEVONA JOSEPHINE. AKPOIDEVONA is my middle name. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Udie Lawrence Imufe now UDIE LAWRENCE UBABA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Aarinade Akinkuade now MRS. OMOLADE AARINADE OLUSODO. All Former document remain valid. GTBank, Union Bank and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Abegunde Opeyemi Omowumi now MRS. ILORI OLUWAKEMI BUSAYO. All former documents remain valid. Diamond Bank, UBA Bank, Osun State SUBEB and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Olagunju Bosede Victoria now MRS. AWODELE BANKE. All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Mohammed Shakirat Oladayo now MRS YUSSUF SHAKIRAT OLADAYO. All former documents remain valid. OSCOTECH, Esa-Oke and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Audu Mariam now MRS. AUDU MARIAM. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oroja Titilayo Oyindamola now MRS. OGUNRINDE TITILAYO OYINDAMOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs. Felicia Kolawole now MRS. OLASUNKANMI FELICIA ALAKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Olaoye Abiola Elizabeth now MRS. FAKOYA ABIOLA ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid. Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Faluwoye Esther Opeyemi now MRS. ONI ESTHER OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adewoye Bolaji now MRS. ADEWOYE BOLAJI. All former documents remain valid. Osun State TEPO and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Asenuga Olayinka Iyabo now MRS. OWOEYE OLAYINKA IYABO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olayemi Salimon now TAJUDEEN ABIMBOLA SALIMON. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr. Bello Lucky Dele now MR. MUHAMMAD MUSILIU BELLO. All former documents remain valid. Zenith Bank and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Omosanyin Johnson now JOSHUA JOHNSON. All former documents remain valid. Akoko South West LGA, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adedoyin, Bernice Oluwakemi now MRS. ODUNMORAYO, BERNICE OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Akande Oluwabukunmi Grace now MRS. AKANDEB A B A T U N D E OLUWABUKUNMI GRACE. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Friday Omas Tare am the same person as FRIDAY SHAKA OMAFUOHWOEFE. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Otasanya Aminat Abiodun now MRS. ADEBOWALE AMINAT ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ayoola Ayomiposi Funmi now MRS OGUNDOLIRE AYOMIPOSI FUNMI. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oluyide Maryann Morolake now MRS ADEOGUN OLUYIDE MARYANN MOROLAKE. All former documents remain valid. WAEC, NECO, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Owolabi Latifat Opeyemi now MRS AKANBI LATIFAT OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. WAEC, GCE, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, NYSC and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Bamidele Ojo Akanni now BOLARINWA OJO AKANNI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Aduloju Bosede Grace now MRS ADEMILUYI BOSEDE GRACE. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB, Oyo State and General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Dada Zainab am the same person as Adepoju Zainab. Now I want to be known and addressed as ADEOYE ZAINAB. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

CONFIRMATION NAME CHANGE OFOF NAME I, formerly Ologburo Sakirat Adebola now Adeniran Sakirat Adebola. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION NAME CHANGE OFOF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Musa Muyideen Isola now AMUSA MUYIDEEN ISHOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Balogun Popoola now SOLOMON AYINLA POPOOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Folarin Olawumi Bamidele now MRS OJO OLAWUMI BAMIDELE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Sakariyau Waheed Olayiwola now ABDUL WAHEED OLAYIWOLA SALAUDEEN. All former documents remain valid. Stanbic IBTC Bank, UBA and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Okuleye Omobolaji Ayosola Florence now MRS KWIS FLORENCE OMOBOLAJI AYOSOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olaogun Olufunmilola Janet now MRS SHITTU OLUFUNMILOLA JANET. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Bashar Mohammed Tondi now SHEHU MAGU BASHAR. All former documents remain valid. UBA, Union Bank, FCMB and general public note

I, formerly Mrs Odugbesan Nike Eunice now MRS OLUWAGBESAN NIKE EUNICE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Peter Adewale Hamzat now PAUL OLUWAFEMI PETER. All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank and General public take note.

I, Igbinovia Asemota Godwin am the same person as Asemota B2 George. Henceforth, I want to be known and addresed as IGBINOVIA ASEMOTA GODWIN. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc, FCMB Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Zainab Abu Bawa now MRS ZAINAB BAWA JIBRIN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Amusan Christianah Seun now MRS ARIYO CHRISTIANAH SEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs Oyekan Olufunmilayo Morolayo now MISS IDOWU OLU F U N M I L AYO MOROLAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Moses Awawu Christiana Temitayo now MRS AGBOOLA CHRISTIANA TEMITAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adeyemi Charlotte Oyebola now OYEWUMI CHARLOTTE OYEBOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME My correct name is Yekeen Rasheed Adeola but my name is wrongly written as Yekeen Rasheed Abalu. Now I want to be called and addressed as YEKEEN RASHEED ADEOLA. All former documents and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr Afolabi Waheed Lateef now MR AFOLABI WAHEED DAVID. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Amosun Omobonike Sandra now MRS. AKOGUN OMOBONIKE SANDRA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly Mrs Mustapha Mary Moromoke now MRS MUSTAPHA MUJIDAT MOROMOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Odumosu Idowu Eunice now MRS ADEBAYO IDOWU EUNICE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Formerly Olaniyan Akeem Oyebamiji now IFABUKOLA OYEBAMIJI OLANIYAN. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc, UBA, Access Bank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Mr Gbademu Taitosun Ezekiel now MR GBADEMU SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc and General public take note.

I, formerly Mr Akinrinde Paul Taiwo now MR AKINRINDE JONATHAN TAIWO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Adewumi Francis Afekhafe E. am the same person bearing Adewumi Francis Elex and Afekhafe Francis. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as ADEWUMI FRANCIS AFEKHAFE E. All documents bearing former names remain valid. Diamond Bank and general public take note.

I formerly Naomi Lawrence now ESTHER YUNANA. All former documents remain valid. First Bank, Law Enforcement Agencies and General public please take note.

I, formerly Aselebe Ibrahim Olalekan now AZEEZ IBRAHIM OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria Plc and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adindu Oyigbo now IFEANYI OYIGBO COLLINS. All documents bearing former name remain valid. EcoBank, Fidelity Bank and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Miss Omolara Ajiboye now MRS OMOLARA OMOTEHINSE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known as Miss Awoniyi Deborah Oyeyemi now wish to be addressed as MRS OYIBO DEBORAH OYEYEMI. All documents bearing former name remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Chukwu Chinenye Juliana now MRS SAMUEL CHINENYE JULIANA. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Lawrence Agwu Irimisose now AKINSANYA OLUSOLA BAZIT. All former documents remain valid. UBA, Access Bank and general public take note.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

news Don't jettison confab recommendations, Bode George tells Buhari 42

Bola Badmus - Lagos

ORMER deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari, not to discard implementing recommendations of the national conference. The party chieftain made the call in Lagos, while speaking with newsmen, even as he vowed that the party would continue to hammer on the need for the president to look at the document in order to effect implementation of its recommendations. The national conference was packaged by the government headed by immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan. “Don’t because you have changed, discard things the previous government has done, that is not movement,” he said. “So, it is about building block, so, you do it up to a point, you build it. Don’t come and crumble that one, start from where he had stopped. If you want to amend certain things, you can do it,” he added. According to George, who is the Atona Oodua, this is imperative because it was the first ever national conference conducted not by the military but by the civilians, adding that Buhari’s men were also present and contributed to the conference.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

“We would continue to hammer on the need for the president to look at the document, some of his own people too were at that conference. To me, that was the first national conference conducted not by

the military but by civilian government that started and ended successfully. “So, all the views of Nigerians were packaged in there, let the president look back into the books. Alright, I am sure in his

handover note, former President Goodluck Jonathan, must have mentioned it. They should not discard it or throw it away,” he said. Speaking he promised that his party, PDP would

From left, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha; Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, during a meeting of the governors and stakeholders from the South East, at the Government House, Enugu, on Sunday.

S/East govs to dialogue with MASSOB, IPOB over Biafra agitation EFFORTS by the South East governors and stakeholders to end the ongoing protests by members of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), over the continue detention of the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi and other Igbo activists, may hit a brick wall as

the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said they were not part of the Enugu Sunday resolution to dialogue with the pro-Biafra groups. A meeting of the elders, including the current and past governors , ministers of Igbo extraction, had in Enugu resolved to inaugurate a committee to dialogue with the pro- Biafra agitators. Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who spoke

driver, Malam Umaru Kwalabe, expressed satisfaction on the operations of the filling stations and commended the Federal Government for the improvement in the supply of fuel to the state. According to him: “we

are really happy and we also commend the officials of the filling stations Aihaji Balarabe Malami, an official in one of the mega stations in the state capital, said: “as you know this is a directive by the Group Managing

Director of NNPC as parts of effort to end scarcity of fuel in the country.” We comply and you can see everything is ongoing smoothly, we will do our best to assist the current administration's programmes.”

Olubadan chieftaincy and Ibadanland in general. A statement by the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) said that the solace for the state government, sons and daughters of Ibadanland, as well as the Olubadan Advisory Council was that the two most senior high chiefs died at ripe ages. While High Chief Omiyale died on November 7 at the age of 91, High Chief Kuye joined his ancestors on November 19 at the age of 87. Meanwhile, a former governor of the state and

national leader of Accord Party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has commiserated with the family, the people of Ibadanland and particularly the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Odulana Odugade, on the death of High Chief Kuye, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland. In a statement issued by his media aide, Alhaji Lanre Latinwo, on Sunday, Ladoja described the death of the erstwhile Director General, Special duties at the Presidency as not only shocking but an immense loss to Ibadanland, Oyo State and the country.

Jude Ossai - Enugu

to newsmen on behalf of the stakeholders after a meeting at the Government House, Enugu, on Sunday, said that a committee would be inaugurated to dialogue with the pro-Biafra agitators with a view to ending the crisis. Okorocha said that Ohanaeze Ndigbo would be involved in the dialogue but the secretary of the pan-Igbo group, Dr Joe Nworgu, told

NNPC 24-hour operation reduces scarcity of fuel in Jigawa Adamu Amadu - Dutse THE 24 - hour operation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega filling stations have reduced fuel scarcity in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital and some local government areas in the state as well as neighbouring Kano and Bauchi states. The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the compliance to an order that all NNPC mega stations in the country should operate on 24 hours, had reduced the problems faced by the people in the state capital and its environs. The Nigerian Tribune learnt that since the commencement of the operation, a litre of fuel is now N87 in the state. Findings by the Nigerian Tribune in the state revealed that the long que in filling stations had reduced drastically when it visited some NNPC mega stations on Sunday. Speaking, a commercial

play a constructive and not destructive opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), that would enable it win back the hearts of Nigerians ahead of 2019 general election.

Ajimobi, Ladoja mourn deceased Ibadan high chiefs By Dare Adekanmbi OYO State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has described the death of the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Omowale Kuye, as depressing to Oyo State and Ibadanland in particular, coming on the heels of the passing of the Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Sulaimon Omiyale. The governor lamented the death of the two most senior members of the Olubadan Advisory Council in quick succession, which he said, marked a sombre moment in the annals of

the Nigerian Tribune, that they were not invited to the meeting that was called at the instance of the governor, insisting that the President- General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Igariwey, was not also informed to attend the Enugu meeting of the stakeholders. The governors, however, reinstated that members of MASSOB and IPOB, should follow the line of peace, stressing that it is the only way to ensure economic development of the zone. "After a compassionate review of the recent MASSOB/IPOB agitations in the country, it was resolved that a committee be set up to dialogue with MASSOB/ IPOB as well as the Federal Government to finding a lasting solution to the issue." According to Governor Okorocha, they were also concerned about the poor state of the federal roads in the zone, adding that the delegates would discuss all these vexed issues with the Federal Government. Meanwhile, a parallel meeting of the South East/ South-South body of professionals, on Sunday, met at the residence of the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Joe Nworgu. Briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting, President South-East/South/ South Body of Professionals, Mr Emeka Ugwuogu said,"the leadership of Ohanaeze met with MASSOB, IPOB, where we agreed to summon a meeting of Imeobi(the highest decision body) of Ohanaeze."

Gov's wife counsels students on sex abuse Biola Azeez - Ilorin THE wife of Kwara State governor, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed, has asked teenage girls in the state to report every case of sexual molestation or child abuse against them to her office for immediate action and response. Addressing female secondary school students drawn from over 500 secondary schools in different parts of the state in Ilorin, on Wednesday, Mrs Ahmed said that culture of silence among victims of child abuse had encouraged perpetrators to go unpunished. The wife of the governor, who gave her telephone number and e-mail address to the students to either send text messages or write to her, said that she would always call to know the details of what they went through. The wife of the governor, who was speaking at the event marking the international day of the girl -child, with the theme, The power of the adolescent girl: vision 2030, also inaugurated Life Empowered Anchors Hope (LEAH) Cancer School Club among the students.

Adhere to rules of engagement, Ogun warns forest reserves contractors OGUN State government has warned contractors working in its forest reserves to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement signed with the government. The state Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal, gave the warning during an assessment tour to the forest reserves at Oja-Odan, Ipake in Ilobi axis of Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of the state and the forest reserve areas J4 and J6 in Ijebu-East Local Government Area. He said the purpose of allowing people to operate in the forest reserves was to empower them and ensure that they are fully engaged, thereby enjoying dividends of democracy. He explained that some of the contractors were flouting the terms of contracts and agreement signed with the government. Lawal added that there would be full implementation of the ban placed on flitches “Alamole” and teak billet in all the state owned forest reserves.

43 news

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Police rescue abducted Rivers poly bursar Kill 4 suspected kidnappers Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

HE kidnapped bursar of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, Rivers State, Mrs Lilian Davies, has regained her freedom. She was kidnapped, last Tuesday, while on transit

on the Bori-Yaghe Road. The state police command claimed in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune, on Sunday, that Mrs Davies was rescued on Friday, during an operation by the law enforcement agency. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ah-

mad Muhammad, said she was rescued at about 3.30p.m by a special tactical outfit set up by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Musa Kimo, to tackle the menace of kidnapping in the state. He said four suspected kidnappers were killed in a shootout during the res-

cue operation at a bush at Kaani in Khana Local Government Area of the state. ‘The rescue team during the operation has a fierce gun duel with the kidnappers resulting in the death of four kidnappers. “One AK47 rifle, one locally made pistol, one magazine, 25 rounds of 7.62

live ammunition and five cartridges were recovered at the scene after the operation. “Criminal elements in the state are advised to relocate from Rivers State as the police are determined more than before to take the onslaughts to their hideouts,” the statement read.

Lay good foundation for your future, Makanjuola urges students By Oluyomi Fashakin PERMANENT Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Mrs A.O. Makanjuola, has implored secondary school students in the state, to lay a good foundation for their future. She said this during the ‘Unleash 2015’, an initiative of the Wesley College Christian Old Students’ Association 2001 set (WECCOSA ’01), rebranded by Ace Network, at the weekend, in Ibadan. Makanjuola noted that the initiative would better equip the students with skills, which she said, would enable them make quality decisions. She urged people at the event to develop the mindset of contributing their quota to societal development for the benefit of humanity. The first stage of the competition featured written literature quiz, which attracted 11 public and private schools. Proprietor, Ebire Nursery/Primary School and a facilitator, Mrs Rosemarie Ogunyemi, on the occasion, cautioned the students against greed, covetousness and wrong association, among others.

Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Professor Adebiyi Daramola; Pro Chancellor, Dr Mohammed Shata; the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwan Adamu; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) and representative of President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Julius Okojie and the institution’s Registrar, Dr (Mrs) Modupe Ajayi, at the installation of Dr Adamu as the new Chancellor of FUTA, during the 27th convocation ceremony of the institution, on Saturday.

Buhari seeks varsities’ support to develop non-oil sector By Laolu Harolds and Hakeem Gbadamosi THE Federal Government has called for support of Nigerian universities for actualisation of its drive to diversify the nation’s economy beyond oil. Speaking at the 27th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, (FUTA), Ondo State, on Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari said the need to diversify the economy had become more urgent given the current crisis in the oil

industry. He added that the expectation of the current government from FUTA and other technologybased universities in the country to drive the process was high. Represented by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, the president said: “The universities of technology are expected to be at the vanguard of the much needed technological breakthrough that will guarantee the success of the diversification of this economy,” he

said. According to him, agriculture and solid minerals sectors are prime target for achieving this much desired diversification agenda. He noted that Ondo State is particularly rich in bio-diversity and forest resources, saying “bitumen and other solid minerals are also found in large deposits in the state. This offers the university (FUTA) a unique opportunity to provide the required leadership in research, production and development of these resources. “My administration is

Kashamu: APC compromised tribunal panel —PDP Chris Agbambu - Abuja THERE is a fresh twist in the appeals arising from the outcomes of the National Assembly and State Assembly elections’ petitions in Ogun State, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Prince Buruji Kashamu, have petitioned the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, seeking the

disbandment of the appeal panel sitting in Ibadan, over allegations of inducement, influence peddling and pervasion of justice. They alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC), through a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had already compromised members of the panel. In one of the petitions dated November 18, 2015, and signed by PDP secretary in Ogun State, Alhaji Semiu Shodipo , the party accused

the APC of influencing a recent judgment of the Ogun State elections petition tribunal ordering a re-run of elections in several constituencies in the state. Shodipo, in the petition entitled: “Compromise of Ibadan Election Petitions Appeal Panel by the APC for Ogun State Election Petitions,” faulted the decision of the tribunal that ordered fresh elections in certain wards, even when APC did not make such prayers.

He accused the APC of channelling N150 million through a senior lawyer to help it get favourable judgment in the Court of Appeal. According to the PDP secretary, there was the need for an intervention by the President of Court of Appeal, because of alleged clear likelihood of bias on the part of the justices of the Court of Appeal who are members of the election petitions appeal tribunal.

therefore advocating a new partnership of the federal, state, host/university community in this venture,” he stated. He restated his administration’s commitment to support universities towards actualisation of their tripodal mandate of teaching, research and community service even as he charged them on justifying government’s investment. Buhari also expressed his administration’s determination to give priority to infrastructure and teacher development, curriculum reform, funding and planning in order to bring out the expected change in the nation’s socio-economic, political and technology development. He said his administration would place emphasis on technical vocational education and training to meet the nation’s manpower needs required to promote national growth. He noted that since the inclusion of entrepreneurship in the curriculum of universities by NUC, unemployed graduates had become employers of labour thereby reducing unemployment.

Nigeria to host 10th Africa water facility anniversary Adetola Bademosi - Abuja NIGERIA will be hosting the 10th Africa Water Facility (AWF) anniversary, the Federal Government has revealed. In line with this, therefore, it said a 3-day event had been mapped out to mark the celebration. The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, is expected to declare the event open, at the Governing Council meeting slated for Thursday. In a statement issued by the Director of Public Relations, in Abuja, Mrs Margaret Umoh, at the weekend, the chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the Director of Water Supply, Mr Rufus Onyeanusi, said the theme of the event would anchor on Fund Raising/ Replenishment of Water Fund. He said Nigeria is equally expected to make a commitment to the replenishment of the Water Fund as part of its obligation to the regional body.

Jigawa to establish 2 specialist hospitals, upgrade cottage clinics Adamu Amadu - Dutse JIGAWA State governor, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru Abubakar, said his administration has resolved to establish two additional specialist hospitals and upgrading of cottage clinics to general hospitals, aimed at providing healthcare service to the people of the state, and particularly children. The governor, who made the disclosure at the weekend while delivering a speech, during the flaging off of measles campaign exercise in Kyarama village in Ringim Local Goverment Area of the state, noted that the current government is ready to invest in whatever would prevent child-killer diseases and measles. Abubakar, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Abba Zakari Umar, said that measles is a major child-killer disease or cause of permanent disability such as blindness, especially in children under the age five, urging parents to ensure that their children partook in immunisation exercise.

communitynews

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Mokola traders, others benefit from free dental care by sade oguntola

From left, Dr Funke Denloye, Baale Mokola Market, Alhaji Abdul Lateef Muritala; Dr Victoria Okoje-Adesomoju and Dr Juliana Taiwo, at the event in Ibadan, on Monday. PHOTO: SADE OGUNTOLA

OVER 500 people, including traders at the Mokola Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, have benefited from a free dental care services organised by the Ibadan Dental School to mark its 40th anniversary. At the outreach, which offered free dental treatment and tooth extract, the dental experts charged the community members to maintain a good dental health by eating right foods, washing of their teeth twice daily and having dental checkups twice a year. Head of Child Health Department, Dr Funke Denloye, speaking at the event said maintaining a good dental health was impera-

Ugboro crisis: Warring factions embrace peace ebenezer adurokiya-warri

EACE has finally returned to the wartorn Ode-Ugborodo community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. The peace was facilitated by Pa J.O.S. Ayomike, Olaja-Orori Benson Omadeli and Eghare-Aja, Pa Wellington Ojoghor, recently at a reconciliation meeting with the warring factions. It will be recalled that the internal feud was between two factions of the Ugborodo Trust Fund led by Mr David Tonwe and Dr Ayo Ayomike, over who controls funds accruing to the community spanning over five years. The community played host to the multi-billion naira Chevron Tank farm and the Gas City Project hosting the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) projects. Pa Ayomike, while mending fences, listed the disadvantages brought about by the feuding parties to include underdevelopment and loss of direction. To ensure a lasting peace, the octogenarian at the meeting suspended the two community factional executives of the Ugborodo Trust Fund who had been at centre of the crisis. He called for unity of the factions in order to, in one

voice, fight and demand their legitimate rights from the companies operating in their area. He traced the origin of the Ugborodo crisis to too much money and the greed by oil multinationals which lured some community youths into signing a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU)

which was rejected in 2001 by leaders and elders of the community. He alleged that they often colluded with outsiders to abandon well-meaning project that could benefit their people. Ayomike cited the Koko and Escravos Shore Protection project and the Ogidigben Grammar School

in recent years. He added that all the warring factions have sheathed their sword, while exiled indigenes of the community are begging to return home. The Chairman of the EPZ Interface Committee, Mr Austin Oborogbeyi, charged elders and youths to sustain the new-found peace and unity.

Niger govt bans use of tyres, plastic to process meat at abattoir adelowo oladipo-minna

NIGER State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has banned the use of tyres and plastic material to process meat for consumption in the state. He stated this when a nineman committee on improvement of abattoir in the state submitted its report at the Government House, Minna. According to him, the use of tyres and other materials to process meat must stop in Niger State due to health hazards emanating from such practices. “We should introduce other hygienic methods of processing meat for consumption,’’ he said. Bello said that during his campaign in some parts of the state between March and April this year, he obsevred the deplorable con-

dition of abattoir across the state. He said this led to the inauguration of the committee by his administration in July to proffer ways of improving them. “Our abattoir are in deplorable condition, aside the slaughtering of meat,

that the visit of construction engineers from the Ministries of Works and Housing was to assess the level of damage, evaluate and quantify the cost of repair. Ayinde further said that efficient healthcare delivery remains paramount to the present administration and would leave no stone unturned to ensure its realisation.

there are environmental hazards coming from them,’’ he noted. The governor said that his government would engage private public partnership arrangement to improve abattoirs in the state. He, therefore, set up another committee involving

government and stakeholders to implement the recommendations of the committee. Earlier, the chairman of the nine-man committee, Dr. Mohammed Kudu , recommended ban of illegal materials for processing meat.

Kudu also urged government to license all slaughtering facilities in the state as provided in the meat law. The committee recommended that all slaughtering slabs outside the main township abattoir should be shutdown.

Akoko chiefs lament deplorable infrastructural facilities hakeem gbadamosi-akure

TRADITIONAL chiefs under the auspices of Association of Concerned Akoko Traditional Chiefs from the North Senatorial District of Ondo State have lamented the deplorable condition of infrastructural facilities in the

Ogun set to renovate Ibiade Central Hospital FEW months after the rainstorm disaster that ravaged Ibiade General Hospital in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State, the state government is set to renovate the building. The Permanent Secretary, Hospitals Management Board, Dr Ekundayo Ayinde, who spoke with journalists in Ibiade, explained

project, alleging that in spite of the only 10 per cent job done, executors of the project had already drawn and squandered about 98 per cent of the projects fund. Meanwhile, the Ugborodo community leader, Mr Isaac Botosan, has said that the reconciliation meeting was the greatest thing that has happened to the community

tive given the importance of the mouth to the body. The expert, who declared that many diseases like HIV are first picked up in the mouth during examination, said its care was central to individuals maintaining their set of teeth till old age. According to the expert, “individuals are supposed to go to their graves with their teeth, adding that loss of teeth is not a sign of ageing, but a condition called periodontal disease, that affect the support of the teeth. “The belief that as you grow older, you lose your teeth is because periodontal disease is very rampant among the elderly, especially in the African environment. It is the commonest cause of teeth loss in the elderly. “So, if individuals are enlightened about periodontal disease, and it is well controlled, the elderly people will keep their teeth till they die.” Denloye, however, said that through routing examination, cases of periodontal disease and other disease that may worsen it can be detected and treatment commences early to prevent loss of teeth in elderly people.

Head of the hospital, Dr Sayo Idowu, said the storm damaged some parts of the facility, which included the x-ray, out-patient, consulting rooms and residential quarters. Idowu added that the renovation would not only give the building a facelift, but make it more conducive for workers and patients.

area. The group, in a communique issued after its meeting in Ikare-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state noted that all the access roads linking Akokoland are in bad shape. Speaking on behalf of the group, the Oluke of Isakumi Ikare-Akoko, Chief Jamiu Asejoro, called on the relevant authorities and stakeholders to salvage the area from further destruction. The group noted that Akokoland was one of the developed areas in the past in terms of economic growth, but said the neglect by subsequent governments accounted for its backwardness. The communique further said: “In the then old Western Region, after Ibadan,

Akoko was rated second in terms of economic growth. Unfortunately, reverse is now the case. Akoko has been the most neglected zone in Ondo State in terms of roads, pipe borne water, industries and poor standard of schools. “This necessitated the coming together of our concerned traditional chiefs in Akokoland to find a lasting solution to the challenges confronting the zone and also to work hand-in-hand for the development of both human and infrastructure of Akokoland. “We also want to join hands with our traditional rulers to salvage our land from shambles as we cannot leave everything in the hands of government alone.” The group, however, called on sons and daugh-

ters of the area both at home and in the diaspora to join hands with the traditional rulers and community heads to develop Akokoland. The group acknowledged that government cannot do it alone, adding that the group was put in place to mobilise and encourage community development in the land, to serve as the voice of the people of Alokoland and to foster unity in the zone. “It is time to speak with one voice and bring back the lost glory of Akokoland. We want to use this opportunity to call on all concerned Akoko traditional chiefs to join us to work for the progress, prosperity and infrastructural development of our land,” the group said.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Liberia monitors over 153 Ebola contacts as virus re-emerges

iberia has placed 153 people under surveillance as it seeks to control a new Ebola outbreak in the capital more than two months after the country was declared free of the virus, health officials said. Reuters said three Ebola cases emerged in Liberia on Friday. The first of the new patients was a 15-year-old boy called Nathan Gbotoe from Paynesville, a suburb east of the capital Monrovia. Two other family members have since been confirmed as positive and they are all hospitalised. “We have three confirmed cases and have listed 153 contacts, and we have labelled them as high, medium and low in terms of the risk,” Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francis Kateh told Reuters late on Saturday. The West African country has suffered the highest death toll in the worst

known Ebola outbreak in history, losing more than 4,800 people. It has twice been declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization, once in May and again on Sept. 3, only for new cases to emerge. It is not known how Gbotoe was infected and Kateh did not offer any ex-

planation, saying that investigations were ongoing. Cross-border transmission seems unlikely since neighbouring Guinea has zero cases while Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free this month after 42 days without a case. In the Duport Road neighbourhood of Paynesville,

health officials went from house to house on Saturday delivering food and water to neighbours of the infected family, deemed at risk of catching the disease. Unlike in previous months, there were no barriers or soldiers to enforce quarantines. Neighbour Elizabeth Powell said she was more wor-

Paris attacks made me doubt God’s presence, Archbishop of Canterbury says The Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Reverend Justin Welby, has said the terror attacks in Paris made him “doubt” the presence of God. The Most Reverend Welby told Aled Jones during an interview for the BBC’s Songs of Praise that the killings had put a “chink in his armour.” The Paris gun and suicide bomb attacks on November

13, carried out by so-called Islamic State, left 130 people dead.

Most Rev. Justin Welby

The archbishop said: “Saturday morning, I was out and as I was walking, I was praying and saying: ‘God, why - why is this happening? Where are you in all this?’” “He said ‘in the middle of it’ and also in answer from Psalm 56 - ‘he stores up our tears in a bottle, none of our sufferings are lost,’” he added. The archbishop said his

Brussels security personnel on guard, on Sunday, as authorities brace for what they fear could be a massive terrorist attack. PHOTO: VOA.

Brussels enters second day of lockdown over terror alert The residents of Belgium’s capital city woke up Sunday to a second day of a lockdown on its subway system and deserted streets patrolled by security forces. Sunday is also the second day for the highest threat level to be issued for Brussels. Officials are meeting Sunday afternoon to determine if any new measures are needed. Interior Minister Jan Jambon said: “There is a real threat, but we are doing everything possible day and night to face up to this situation.” Belgium authorities warned citizens against

ried about lost income than catching Ebola, which is transmitted through the bodily fluids of the sick. “I am worried about food and my business,” she said. The epidemic has crippled Liberia’s economy and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says it will take two years to recover.

public gatherings Saturday, as law enforcement agencies pressed their hunt for the perpetrators of the November 13 Paris massacres. Prime Minister Charles Michel warned that “several individuals with arms and explosives could launch an attack” in one or more places in and around the capital. Authorities told VOA’s Jamie Dettmer that Michel’s warning was based on “quite precise information,” including the possibility that chief Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam could be planning a suicide attack in the city.

It also follows the discovery of a weapons stash at a Brussels home occupied by a suspect arrested in connection with the Paris attacks.

The U.S. Embassy in Brussels urged Americans to shelter in place and remain at home. “If you must go out, avoid large crowds,” it said in a statement.

shock had been made worse because he and his wife had lived in Paris for five years. “It was one of the happiest places we have lived and to think of a place of such celebration of life seeing such suffering is utterly heartbreaking.” A bombing campaign against IS, particularly by French air forces, was launched in Syria shortly after the attack, but the archbishop warned against a potentially damaging instant reaction. “Two injustices do not make justice. If we start randomly killing those who have not done wrong, that is not going to provide solutions. So governments have to be the means of justice,” he said. Archbishop Welby also said the way IS militants had perverted their faith in order to believe their acts glorified their god, was “one of the most desperate aspects of our world today.” Cardinal Vincent Nichols, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, told the programme it had taken him “quite a while” to come to terms with what had happened in Paris. He said terrorists wanted to make people live in fear, breed hatred and strike divisions in society - but people had to try to resist this.

otherNEWS Hillary Clinton knew American Mali terrorist attack victim Former United States Secretary of State and a leading Democratic candidate in U.S. presidential electon, Hillary Clinton, has mourned the lone identified American Mali terrorist attack victim, whom she knew from her Senate days, CNN has reported. Anita Datar, 41, perished in the Mali hotel siege on Friday. She’s the only American known to have died in the attack. A former Peace Corp worker in Senegal, Datar was in Mali on an international development project.

Hillary Clinton

Iran sentences Washington Post reporter to prison An Iranian court has sentenced Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian to a prison term, the state news agency said on Sunday quoting the judiciary spokesman, a case that is a sensitive issue in contentious United StatesIranian relations. The length of the prison term was not specified. “Serving a jail term is in Jason Rezaian’s sentence but I cannot give details,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei told a weekly news conference in Tehran, according to IRNA.

Jason Rezaian

We’re not afraid of extremists, Obama says United States President Barack Obama said on Sunday he would go ahead with a visit to Paris for a pivotal United Nations summit on climate change despite the recent attacks in the French capital, urging other leaders to do the same to show “we are not afraid” of extremists. “I think it’s absolutely vi-

tal for every country, every leader, to send a signal that the viciousness of a handful of killers does not stop the world from doing vital business,” Obama said following an Asia-Pacific summit in Malaysia. In addition to hunting down terrorists, missile strikes, curbing jihadist financing

and other steps, “the most powerful tool we have to fight ISIL is to say that we’re not afraid”, he said, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State (IS) group. France 24 reported that over the past week Obama and other Asia-Pacific leaders have held successive summits in Turkey, the

Philippines and Malaysia that have been overshadowed by the recent string of deadly extremist attacks. The carnage in Paris, Lebanon and Mali has sparked calls by assembled leaders for a concerted international effort to stamp out the Islamic State and other jihad groups.

Monday, 23 November, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Enyimba pocket N30m for winning Glo league title

nyim b a Football Club of Aba, have pocketed the sum of 30 million Naira (about $150,000) for winning this year’s Globacom Premier League title. Enyimba skipper Chinedu Udoji was at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Sunday to receive a dummy cheque of the prize money from Nigeria league boss

Chile 2015: Airtel records another success with Eaglets player, Alimi Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) football tournament has achieved another record in its history for producing Sunday Alimi, one of the players in the Golden Eaglets squad that won the recently concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile. The 16 year-old forward featured in several matches of the tournament and also played in the final match against Mali when he came on in the second half. Alimi, a product of Airtel’s U-17 grassroots football initiative which recorded its fifth season in 2015, came into limelight when he made his debut for the Golden Eaglets and scored a crucial goal that saved the day for his side during an international friendly against Egypt in Kaduna last year.

Shehu Dikko. It is the highest amount ever paid a Nigeria league champion. Enyimba topped the 20-team championship after they recorded 70 points from 38 matches. They will represent Nigeria in next year’s CAF Champions League alongside runnersup Warri Wolves, who finished their campaign four points behind Enyimba.

F5WC national qualifiers begins in Kaduna Enyimba FC captain, Chinedu Udoji (left) on duty.

Ogun sports veterans association inaugurated By nurudeen alimi THE Ogun State chapter of Sports Veterans Association of Nigeria has been inaugurated and new executives to run the affairs of the association sworn-in. The inauguration which held at the Alake Sports Centre, Ijeja, Abeokuta last Thursday saw Olatunji Ogidan emerged chairman of the association and Temidayo Daniel as vice-chairman. Other members of the executive are: Gbayi Segun (Secretary General), Olasunkanmi Adewale (Assistant Secretary), Yinka Adeoti (Treasurer), Ranti Ariyo (Financial Secretary), Toni Ariyibi (Welfare Secretary), Ayoola Popoola (PRO) and Yemi Morafa (Chief Whip). Speaking with Tribunesport on behalf of the association, the Secretary General, Gbayi Segun, said parts of the aims and objectives of the association in the

state is to complement government efforts in the area of sports

development and also to make sports meaningful to the common man on

NSCDC wins Nigeria Open handball tourney By Nurudeen Alimi THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has emerged winner of the maiden Nigeria Open handball tournament which ended last weekend in Kaduna. At the end of the fourday tourney, the NSCDC male handball team, Defenders defeated their counterparts from the FRSC, Safety Shooters 16 to 14. However, the NSCDC female handball team finished fourth having lost 18-28 to Imo Grasshoppers in the semi-final and also 2030 to Edo Queens in the third-place match. Speaking with Tribunesport, the

Director of Sports, NSCDC, Ayodele Titus said he was impressed with the results posted by the NSCDC teams. “I want to congratulate the two teams on their impressive performances at the tournament. “I must commend the male team for their triumph and also for breaking the 10-yearold jinx. This is because the FRSC had been dominating handball in the country beating NSCDC each time they met. Kudos must also be given to our female team for putting in their best which I believe was not enough, but I am optimistic they will improve on their lapses in subsequent tournaments,” he said.

the street. He further hinted that the association will take it as responsibility to see to the welfare of sportsmen and women who have served the state and the country at one level or the other so that they will live a meaningful and productive life after retirement.

The national qualifiers for the Football Fives World Champ ionship (F5 WC) began over the weekend In Kaduna at the Hockey Pitch, Murtala Square, Kaduna. Over 100 registered teams are battling for the two slots allocated to the Kaduna centre of the national qualifiers for the 2016 Football Fives World Championship. This Tournament which is endorsed by the Nigeria Football Tournament is sponsored by Olympic

Milk and it promises to be the biggest ever FiveA-Side tournament ever witnessed in Nigeria. Olympic Milk will be taking one lucky fan to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester to watch Barclays Premier League table toppers Manchester City play an home game before the end of the 20152016 season, and this is just one of the mouth watering packages to be unveiled by the sponsors and the organisers of the F5WC Qualifiers in Nigeria.

Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (right) and his wife Florence, presenting a trophy to the Captain of Ibadan Polo Club, Koyinsola Owoeye, for a tournament to be instituted in his name during a banquet held after the President’s Cup at the Ibadan Polo Club House, Eleyele, Ibadan, last week.

Monday, 23 November, 2015 47 HID AWOLOWO (1915-2015) SERVICE OF SONGS FOR HID AWOLOWO BY THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH, NIGERIA

PHOTOS: YEMI FUNSO-OKE, SYLVESTER OKORUWA & Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;TOYIN

9 1. From left, Mrs. Wemimo Anifowoshe, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Professor A.B.O.O Oyediran, Mr. Segun Awolowo and his wife, Bola. 2. Cross section of The Apostolic Church, Nigeria, at the event. 3. From left, Mr Lanre Arogundade, Mr Olumide Oyediran, Mrs Yejide Badmus, Mrs Yemisi Subair, Mrs Ayotola Ayodeji and Mr Tunde Badmus. 4. From left, Comrade Adesegun Bamodu, Alhaji Toyin Awofeso, Comrade Niyi Osoba and Professor O.O Olaleye. 5. From left, Mr Bisi Olatawura, Engr. and Mrs Morgan.

6. From right, Pastor D.O Ogunkoya, J.O Olayemi, Pastor N.O Awojide and Pastor I.E Uwem. 7. From left, Deaconess F.D Oyekan, Deaconess E.O Ogunibe, Deaconess F.I Olayemi and Deaconess J.M Seriki. 8. From right, Mrs Kemi Aderemi, her daughter, Adekepemi Aderemi and Mrs Yemisi Subair. 9. From right, Deaconess Folake Bajomo, Pastor (Mrs) Jesulanke and Mrs Oluremi Sotire. 10. From left, Pastor A.O Ikotun, Mrs Oluremi Pedro, Chief (Mrs) Mercy Owolana and Olori Dayo Onagoruwa.

SIDELINES

no 16,376

MONDAY, 23 november, 2015

Y dear compatriots, fellow Nigerians, how nice or decent it will be for me to talk to you, to speak to you, to address you in this manner at such a significant time and moment of change that is not turning out as we expected, is a concern I must spring to the realm of a long meditation. Every reader who followed me attentively in this column at least before the presidential election will by now be expecting me to write a kind of confession in which I should outline my sins of political and democratic evangelism that seemingly endorsed a candidate that has since created for us a paradox of change. For upwards of five months now the political and economic coupe we longed for is at best a political and economic coupe on paper. And all the economic juices and coups-de-foudre we expected are becoming nothing but the powerful emotions of disappointment. Even the coups-de-main and the coups-de-grace we expected PMB to unleash on, at least the pre-election exploiters of our resources and common-wealth are today at best meaningless coups d’oeil. Thus when the majority of our people are agonizing over the terrible condition of their today’s lot they thought PMB would destroy forever, the very tiny minority of the Nigerian choppers who are in their especial class carry on their business of chopping without qualms. And our president of unique change seems to perceive no longer the meaning of the change he promised and vowed to give us all. Indeed, the change that is the change is the change that seems to further the nest of the chopping choppers, the chopping Nigerians, the tiny men and women who are not afraid any longer of how their greed has been chopping and stagnating our destiny. Let’s not be afraid to say it: their greed has made us to be housed by comfortable poverty that dulls our sense of joy, which our new president’s body language will do nothing about. Must we be afraid to say this? We must not. Let’s not be afraid of utterances and of words that utter utterances:

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A shop known as The Breakup Shop, that helps lovers to break up without emotional breakdown has opened in Canada. The proprietors felt that if there were outlets that help lovers to hook up, they coud help distraught lovers’ split. But you never know with love. Supposing a couple realises they made a mistake by breaking up, hope they won’t come back to break up the shop.

in&out with Tony Afejuku

08055213059

Letter to chopping Nigerians the president, for whatever reason(s) we are not in the know of, is afraid to do what he must do. Or so it seems. If not, why is he not compelling the tiny chopping Nigerians in his presidency as cabinet ministers or in his party, other parties and Senate and House of Reps as senators and legislators to declare their assets? Why is he not compelling all governors in or not in his party to declare their assets? We who have been caged may do nothing, but we will continue to despise our questionable John the Baptist and his retinue of chopping choppers until they deceive us no more. Let’s not be afraid of words: Did we bargain for the current happenings and events in the land? Did we bargain to buy petrol for N135 per litre in Ibadan, N170 per litre in Warri, N140 per litre in Benin, N230 per litre in Owerri, N500 per litre in Calabar and Uyo, N170 per litre in Yenagoa, N180 per litre in Enugu, N180 per litre in Port-Harcourt? I laugh and laugh as we wait for change! All of us must understand that this new agony is intolerable to each and every one of us. Even the tiny chopping Nigerians must be compelled to be aware that whatever sumptuous food they are chopping now will sooner or later chop them up. Or do they want to think that we the oppressed masses

All of us understand that this new agony is intolerable to each and every one of us. will forever be indifferent to our suffering? A reader, a member of the tiny chopping Nigerians, recently requested me to wait till 2016 before I begin a-new my reflection on the politics of the “new” dispensation. If by April 2016 we don’t experience a new form of political and economic reality that will underscore our unusual John the Baptist’s unique political and economic situation in our country, I should simply and perfectly be a constant brutal attacker of this presidency. My reader is a top Central Bank administrator and a kind of reborn chopper of our masses’ luxury. He clearly is a slave driver like all the members of chopping Nigerians. But, I must confess, he strikes me, from our

regular chats, as a chopping Nigerian who is not bereft of some grains of conscience for the oppressed people of our country. One thought I glean so far from the current of ideas of our new people of democratic abilities is that the new and the old are in every particular the same and the same in action and action. Now we must ask them: Where are the jobs for our teeming unemployed school leavers and youths? Maybe it is still too soon to ask our chopping choppers? We must stay patient until there is no patience to chop to our satisfaction after all said and done. And our Chibok girls? When shall we see them again, if ever we shall see them again? When will they see their native land again? Well, well, well, I believe strongly that this political current shall drain itself of its emotions unless and unless its heroes do their chopping duties without causing the masses of our people sadness and anger. What a weak conclusion, lo, to this charmingly patriotic letter! I can hear your loud laughter – but why? Maybe Nigeria is not worth agonizing over or is not worth dying for after all. But we want now a really messianic president/ presidency to cage for ever chopping Nigerians who have been killing our country with their brazen chop-chop mouths and bellies.

Akwa United wins 2015 Federation Cup As Baraje threatens to quit Akwa United upstaged favourites Lobi Stars 2-1 on Sunday to win this year’s Nigeria Federation Cup. Akwa United, who appeared in their first-ever cup final, will represent Nigeria in next year’s CAF Confederation Cup on account of this historic cup triumph. Nomso Edo put Akwa United ahead with a well-taken free kick after 36 minutes after Friday Ubong was brought down inside the Lobi box. Lobi, cup winners in 2003, chased the game after the interval, but it was Abdulafeez Awakan who doubled Akwa‘s lead in the 70th minute when he powered home a shot beyond the goalkeeper from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Substitute Barnabas Imengar Junior pulled a goal back for Lobi in stoppage time from a brilliantly struck free kick. Incidentally, both teams clashed on the final day of the Nigeria league season a week ago with Akwa also winning 1-0 to stay up in the Nigeria premier league. Meanwhile, Sunshine Queens won the Women’s version of the Federation Cup after they defeated Bayelsa Queens 3-1 on penalties after full time scores stood at 1-1. Last year, Sunshine Queens lost to Rivers Angels in the cup final. However, coach of Akwa United, Zakary Baraje, has vowed to quit should the club fail to sign new players and hold on to their best players ahead of next year’s CAF

Confederation Cup. The Uyo club are known as a selling club with the likes of Mfon Udoh and Ezekiel Bassey moving to bigger clubs from there. But Baraje said this has to change for the club to be competitive on the continent next year. “I won’t stay if they won’t buy players and keep the ones they have,” he said after the historic cup win. Baraje said he is elated that he has made history with Akwa United. “For the past 56 years, no team from Cross River or Akwa Ibom have made this history, so I’m elated to have written this history for them,” he said.

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Baraje