24th March 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,464

THURSDAY, 24 MARCH, 2016

Forex: Over 3 million workers in food, beverages industry face sack —P10

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

Persistent fuel queues: I'm not a magician —Kachikwu —P8

@nigeriantribune

Police begin recruitment of 10,000 personnel —P3

Nigerian Tribune

N150

Rivers to immortalise slain corps member

As Senate passes N6.06trn budget

—P3

Some MDA workers may not get salary —P2

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2016 BUDGET

•N1.587trn for capital expenditure •N2.646trn as recurrent expenditure •N351.37bn as statutory transfers •N1.475trn for debt service •N2.2trn for fiscal deficit •Benchmark of $38 per barrel for crude exports •N197 to dollar foreign exchange Call for CBN gov's sack ridiculous —Oshiomhole —P11

Aftermath Belgium attack:

FAAN beefs up security nationwide —P12

Members of the Women for Peace and Justice and BringBackOurGirls, Lagos branch, during a rally at the Lagos State House of Assembly complex, to seek support for the passage of the Gender Equality (parity) Bill at the National Assembly, on Wednesday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Dasuki refused to appear in court —EFCC •It is not true —Lawyer —P12

2 news

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

As Senate passes N6.06trn budget: Some MDA workers may not get salary •We managed to wade through errors, omissions Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja

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HE Senate, on Wednesday, passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill presented to the lawmakers by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 22, 2015, with emerging revelations indicating that salaries and entitlements of some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) were missing in the budget.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, who made the revelation in the report of his committee, said the affected staff may not get paid this year.

While presenting the report of his committee on the budget, Senator Goje told the chamber some Federal Government’ workers in some MDAs might not get paid appropriately all through the year, because of shortage in allocations for their wages as contained in the budget.

He said the problem was because of the shortage in allocations for recurrent expenditure for the affected MDAs in the original budget submitted to the National Assembly by the president on December 22, 2015 He also recommended that the executive arm of government should ensure that in the future, agencies and the Budget Office work in harmony, while also observing the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act .

“Appropriation Bill contained a number of omissions, particularly in the area of personnel costs.

Though the appropriation committees have filled some of the gaps, there are many outstanding cases which could raise serious concern in the course of the year.

“This budget exercise was a follow-up negotiations, going forward and back.

When the budget was presented as attested by many committees, there were shortages discovered that couldn’t close the personnel cost in various committess and these were highlighted by various committees and the total amount involved was presented to the executive during the course of our interaction with the budget office.

“We presented that these are the shortfalls from personnel and other overhead costs which we believe

should be taken care of,” he said.

Goje, however, said the lawmakers believed that the Federal Government could augment the shortfall through the contingency funds in the service wide votes and the general contingency in the budget.

In passing the budget some three months after its presentation, the Senate reduced it by the sum of N17 billion and also discovered a number of errors and omissions.

Goje said that the committee worked closely with the House of Representatives, adding that what was presented to the Senate was almost a conference report of the two chambers.

He said that the Senate removed the sum of N17 billion from the total figure of N6.077 trillion, bringing the budget figure to N6.060 trillion.

The lawmakers also cut the proposed capital spending from N1.8 trillion to N1.5 trillion, but retained the budget benchmark of $38 per barrel for crude exports and an exchange rate of N197 to the United States (US) dollar.

The sum of N1.587 trillion was approved for capital expenditure in the fiscal year, while the lawmakers also approved the sum of of N2.646 trillion as recurrent expenditure.

They also approved N351.37 billion as statutory transfers; N1.475 trillion for debt service and a total of N2.2 trillion for fiscal deficit in the year.

A breakdown of the budget showed that the recurrent expenditure initially put at N2,646,389,236,196 was increased to N2,648,600,000, while capital expenditure estimate was reduced from N1,845,540,000,000 to N1,587,598,122,031.

Out of the approved sum of N351,370,000, for statutory transfers, the National Assembly gets N115 billion; Universal Basic Education gets N77.110 billion; National Judicial Council gets N70 billion; INEC gets N45 billion; Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) gets N41.050 billion; Public Complaint Commission gets N2 billion, while National Human Rights Commission gets N1.210 billion.

Also captured in the budget are: N14,690,036,516 for Group Life Insurance for all MDAs, including DSS/insurance sensitive assets/corps members; N1

billion for armed forces enhanced retirement benefits of commodores and above; N2.795 billion for severance benefits of Delta Steel company/Pension pay-off; N2,544,110,811 for military retirees NHIS; N36 million for administration and monitoring of OHSCF Group Life; N200 million for pension verification and administration; N2.3 billion for entitlements of former presidents/heads of state and vice-presidents/ Chief of General Staff and N1.5 billion for public service reforms (including payment of severance benefits of civil servants).

Out of total sum of N1,475,320,000,000 approved for debt service, the sum of N1,307,400,000,000 is for domestic debts; N54.480 billion for foreign debts while N113.440 billion is for sinking fund to retire maturing loans.

From the N1,898,444,450,116 approved for recurrent (nondebt expenditure), interior gets highest allocation of N451,942,552,070; education gets N367,734,727,223; defence, N312,213,355,618; health, N221,412,548,087; youth and sports development, N72,297,326,595; Petroleum Resources, N54,336,926,923; Foreign Affairs, N39,440,096,249; Information and Culture, N38,729,446,483; Works, Power and Housing gets N33,971,882,707; agriculture gets N29,632,584,416, while Science and Technology gets N25,554,038,310.

The Presidency gets N21,676,277,888; NSA, N56,791,291,063; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), N45,890,745,817; Head of Civil Service of the Federation gets N6,270,657,023; Justice, N17,389,782,636; E n v i r o n m e n t , N14,515,408,468; Transportation, N13,667,122,591; Water Resources, N7,219,056,441; Solid Minerals, N9,402,106,704; Industry, Trade and Investment, N10,410,294,458; Finance, N9,994,990,976; National Planning, N7,737,100,536; AGF, N2,480,584,708; Labour and Employment, N7,735,604,366; Niger Delta, N1,261,723,837; ICPC, N5,029,989,359; Communication and Technology, N9,885,909,120; ICRC, N838,569,623; FRC, N320,198,366; Special Duties, SGF, N65,604,713 while Women Affairs gets N1,216,723,837.

According to the report on the budget, a breakdown of the capital votes for MDAs, the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing gets the lion share of N422,964,928,495, followed by Transportation, with N188,674,679,674; D e f e n c e , N130,864,439,542; Interior, N61,713,279,496; Agriculture, N46,173,963,859; Water Resources, N46,081,121,423; Education, N35,433,487,466; National Security Adviser, N32,084,085,624 while FCTA gets N29,297,122,872.

The sum of N28,650,342,987 is allocated for Health; N27,006,179,073 for Science and Technology; N23,004,199,702 for Presidency; N20,319,288,049 for SGF; N19,440,328,551 for Niger Delta; N7,332,623,257 for Solid Minerals Development; N5,542,655,626 for Labour and Employment; N6,304,900,570 for Petroleum Resources; N5,992,735,230 for Communication Technology; N4,957,964,638 for Environment while N2,322,144,778 for Budget and National Planning.

The sums of N3,497,043,000 was allocated to Youth and Sports Development; N1,429,176,735 for office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation; N2,293,528,977 for Women Affairs; N897,736,744 for Justice; N123,044,650 for Fiscal Responsibility Commission; N169,871,885 for National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission; N35.730 million for Infrastructure Concessionary Regulatory Commission; N317,509,819 for Auditor General of the Federation andN667,842,500 for Finance.

Out of the sum of N1,173,407,694,354 approved for Executive (Federal Executive bodies), Code of Conduct gets N4,889,127,358; Code of Conduct Tribunal, N1,055,560,066; Federal Character Commission, N984,780,230; Federal Civil Service Commission, N16,841,017; National Population Commission, N4,411,606,590; Police Service Commission, N269,628,000, while Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission gets N19,883,417.

Also, from a total sum of N402,542,999,999 earmarked under capi-

tal supplementation, the sum of N2 billion is allocated to the National Job creation scheme/graduate internship scheme; N527,259,306 is allotted for Quick Wins - completion of 2008 and 2009 projects; N3 billion is for NELMCO (outstanding liabilities); N3.432 billion is for Bulk Trader; N10 billion is for sinking fund for infrastructure development; N1.5 billion for special inititaitve for women participation in agriculture, water, sports, communication technology/ partnership with states and local governments, Women Development Centres.

Other allocations include N1 billion for GIFMIS capital; N2.5 billion for 2011 election violence and civil disturbances (damage done to public properties and places of worships); N1 billion for sport development; N8,267,215 for Special intervention MDGs (verification of assets and liabilities); N609,037,225 for transition to SDGs while additional sum of N3,378,044,922 is for SDG programmes; N581,777,918 for SDG monitoring and evaluation; N474,533,376 for consultancy, fees, survey and short term and long term studies; N427,080,038 for communication and advocacy (SDG); N500 million for Federal Ministry of Finance: special Programme for improving efficiency; N5.5 billion for capital exigencies/adjustment to capital cost; N4 billion for capital development of NILS; N1 billion for National Assembly clinic; N500 million for infrastructure master plan under Ministry of Budget and Planning; N2 billion for Nigeria Mortgage Refinancing Company (NMRC) and N100 billion for special intervention/ constituency projects.

Through the service wide vote, which worth N188,105,681,152, the sum of N33,290,715,716 is for payment of pensions and gratuities under the office of the Head of Civil Service (Civil service); N67,629,949,771 for military pensions and gratuities; N7,412,463,652 for police pensions and gratuities; N8.420 billion for Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension office; N14,343,326,479 for universities’ pensions, including arrears; N26,756,754,031 for pensions of Nige-

rian Railway Corporation; N2,257,298,262 for pre-1996 NRC pensions; N7,643,405,446 for Department of State Security (DSS) pensions and arrears; N3,709,146,567 for Nigeria Intelligence Agency pensions and arrears while N16,642,621,229 is for NELMCO. Also provided for in the budget are: N300 billion for special intervention (recurrent); N20 billion for amnesty programme, N8 billion for Lafiya Dole; N4 billion for IPPIS capturing; N1 billion for service wide training of budget/ planning officers on GIFMIS budget preparation system, as well as monitoring and evaluation of all projects nationwide; N2 billion for payment of outsourced services; N2.5 billion for provision of security equipment for selected public buildings and N4 billion for Employees Compensation Fund.

The sum of N500 million was allocated for election logistics support; N12 billion for pilgrims support services; N12 billion for contingency; N3,599,600,000 for margin for increases in costs and recurrent adjustment costs; N8.5 billion for external financial obligations; N3.5 billion for assessed contribution to African Union and others; N6 billion for contribution to international organisations, including WAEC; N33,597,400,000 for public service wage adjustment for MDAs (including arrears of promotion and salary increases) and N3 billion for outstanding payments to health professionals.

Also, the sum of N13 billion was approved for operations - internal for armed forces; N10.255 billion for improved remuneration package for Nigerian Police, including 2014 and 2015 shortfalls and N400 million for 35th annual general meeting and symposium of Shelter-Afrique in Nigeria in June 2016.

The lawmakers also passed some conditions for the operation of the budget.

In Section 4(i and ii ) of the budget bill, the lawmakers mandated the Accountant-General of the Federation to “maintain a separate record for the documentation of revenue accruing to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in excess of oil price benchmark adopted on oil and gas. continues pg8

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Rivers govt to immortalise slain corps member •As Wike increases monthly allowance of corps members •Says security agencies didn’t implement security council’s decisions Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

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IVERS State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, has said the state government will immortalise Mr Samuel Okonta, the corps member who lost his life during the legislative rerun held last Saturday.

This was as he also announced an increment in the monthly allowances of corps members carrying out their mandatory one year national service in the state.

The governor said this during a condolence visit to the state headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

He also said the state government would provide all necessary assistance for the police to investigate the killing of the corps member, with a view to identifying and prosecuting those responsible.

He expressed sadness that the corps member died serving the nation, assuring that the state government would take care of the family of the late corps member.

Governor Wike noted that the death was more painful, because the late Samuel was an orphan, who suffered through schooling and was on the verge of being of help to his family.

“The death of this corps member is unfortunate and condemnable. I urge the police to thoroughly investigate the crime.

“The outcome of the investigation should be made public, so that those involved are prosecuted. The killing of this corps member must not be swept under the carpet.

“I call for post-mortem on the corpse of the corps member, so that we can ascertain the type of bullet and type of gun that killed him.

The post-mortem will also determine who bears that type of gun that killed the corps member,” he said.

He further said his administration would also take measures to improve security in the state, adding that steps would be taken to ensure that such an incident does not occur again.

Governor Wike, during the condolence visit, announced an increment in the montly allowance paid by the state government to corps members serving outside Port Harcourt, from N10, 000 to N15000.

In the same vein, he also

increased the state monthly allowance of corps members serving in the state capital, from N5000 to N10000.

He also commiserated with the Department of State Services (DSS) over the death of one of their colleague, Lucas Musa, in the build-up to the legislative rerun.

Responding on behalf of the slain corp member’s family, Alex Edeabeatu,

described the Samuel as a shinning light in the family and thanked the governor for his gesture.

Rivers State coordinator of NYSC, Mrs Ngozi Nwatarali, commended the governor for commiserating with the corps in its moment of grief and appealed for greater protection for corps members during elections.

Meanwhile, Governor Wike has put the blame of

the violence that characterised the legislative rerun in some parts of the state on the failure of some security agencies to implement the decisions reached by the State Security Council on the deployment of personnel ahead the election.

He particularly alleged that the security agencies involved deviated from the decision to deploy personnel in identified flashpoints

to secure lives and property in the course of the rerun.

The governor also said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also failed to act on the concerns raised by the state government ahead the exercise.

He made this known while speaking at a meeting he held with traditional rulers from the 23 local government areas of the

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, addressing corps members on Wednesday, during his condolence visit to the state NYSC headquarters, over the death of Samuel Okonta, the corps member killed during Rivers rerun last Saturday.

state in the Government House, in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

Governor Wike said the state government had, on its own, furnished all the security agencies with the required support to carry out their responsibilities before, during and after the election, but none of the strategies that were collectively mapped out was implemented.

He said he invited the traditional rulers for the meeting because of the need for them to get first-hand information on efforts by the state government to ensure security for all the people of the state.

The governor, however, restated his stance that the people of the state would not, at any time, allow the rigging of elections under any guise.

In his response, chairman of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, High Royal Majesty Dandeson Jaja, the Amayanabo of Opobo, thanked the governor for carrying the traditional rulers along.

Also speaking, the Amayanabo of Abonnema, High Royal Majesty Bob-Manuel Robinson, said contrary to news reports, the slain soldiers were not killed near Abonnema.

Police begin recruitment of 10,000 personnel Chris Agbambu - Abuja CHAIRMAN, Police Service Commission, Mr Mike Okiro, has unveiled a portal for the commission’s recruitment exercise, as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari, to recruit 10, 000 policemen.

In a statement authorised

by Head, Press and Public Relations, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, said the commission would be recruiting into the three entry points of Constable, Cadet Inspector and ASP. The portal, according to the release, would be open to public on April 1, saying the commission considered the exercise remarkable since there had not been recruitment into the Nigeria Police over the last five years due to financial constraints.

It further stated that thousands of policemen who died in the course of service, dismissed or retired had not been replaced since the last five years, leaving the Force

undermanned and overstretched.

The statement further said the recruitment would strengthen and re-energise the Force to face more squarely, the myriad of security challenges posed by insurgency, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other criminalities that impeded the socioeconomic and political development of the country.

According to the statement, “the commission could not

commence the exercise last year because the funding was not captured in the 2015 budget,and with the commencement of the process on April 1, interested Nigerians should access the portal through the commission’s website www.psc.gov.ng or that of the Nigeria Police Force www.npf.gov.ng.

“There will be no charges for the processing of the forms which will be done online. We are not charging

money. It is free, absolutely free. The portal has been structured in such a way that there will be no shortcut. Everybody must go through due process. There will also be recruitment into the specialist cadre.

“For Police Constables, applicants are expected to possess five credit level passes, including Mathematics and English Language at Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in not more than

two sittings and for Cadet Inspectors, in addition to having the requirements of police constables, candidates would be expected to have either a National Diploma (ND), Advanced Level (A level), as well as National Certificate of Education (NCE) or their equivalents.

“Candidates for Cadet ASPs must possess a university degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND),” it added.

El-Zakzaky alive, healthy, counsel tells commission Muhammadu Sabiu - Kaduna ONE of the leading counsels to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry (JCI) investigating the Army/Shi’ite clash in Zaria, Kaduna State, Yusuf Alli, told the commission in its sitting on Wednesday, that the Shi’ite leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-zakzaky is alive and healthy.

The Shi’ite legal team had, on Tuesday, announced its appearance before the com-

mission because of inability to get access to El-Zakzaky.

Also, the commission had adjourned its sitting for the fifth time to allow the legal team of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) to meet with the group spiritual leader.

At the sitting of the commission on Wednesday, counsel for the commission, Alli, said himself and Ustaz Yunus met with the sect leader, Zakzaky.

He told the commission

that the leader of the movement was alive, hale and healthy.

“We had a fruitful discussion and had declared his interest to meet with his legal team. This morning, I called the Director-General of the State Security Service and he had assured me that the legal team will see the sect leader next week Tuesday,” he said.

To this end, the counsel asked the commission to adjourn its sitting until when the legal team had access to him.

However, in a swift reaction, counsels for the Army and Jama’atul Nasirul Islam (JNI) objected to his prayer and insisted that the commission should not wait until the legal team met with the sect leader.

In his ruling, the chairman of the commission, Justice Lawal Mohammed, maintained that the legal team to the Shi’ite should be given the opportunity to meet their client and adjourned sitting till April 6.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

N1trn scam: Court stops Senate, IGP from arresting Larmode Sunday Ejike - Abuja

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USTICE Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has stopped the Senate from going ahead with the probe of the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde, over an alleged N1 trillion scam.

The Senate summoned the former EFCC boss to account for the fund seized from some alleged corrupt public servants, but rather than honour the invitation of the lawmakers, the former EFCC boss rushed to the court to stop his probe.

In a motion ex parte dated March 7, Lamorde, through his counsel, Festus Ukpue, asked the court to stop the Senate from issuing a warrant of arrest on his client pending the hearing and determination of the suit before the court.

Justice Kolawole, after listening to the ex parte motion ordered “that a limited order of injunction is, hereby, granted to restrain the defendants pending when they are heard on the reply to the plaintiff’s motion on notice.

“That the plaintiff’s counsel is, hereby, directed to obtain a certified true copy of the order in this ruling and shall cause same to be served on the InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP), who shall on the authority of this court’s order, refrain to give any effect to any such warrant, which the defendants may have issued against the plaintiff on the simple judicial principle of lis pendens.”

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had, on the strength of a petition forwarded to it against Lamorde by one Mr George Uboh, over an alleged N1trillion scam in the agency, summoned both the petitioner and Lamorde to appear before it through separate let-

ters.

The fraud allegedly perpetrated by Larmode was said to have dated back to his days as the Director of Operations of the EFCC between 2003 and 2007, as well as an acting chairman

of the commission between June 2007 and May 2008, when the then chairman of the anti-graft agency, Nuhu Ribadu, was away for a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), in Kuru,

Jos. Uboh, Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, a security firm, in his petition dated July 31, 2015, accused Lamorde of some specific instances of under-remittance and non-

disclosure of proceeds of corruption recovered from criminal suspects, including Balogun and Alamieyeseigha.

He assured the Senate that he would produce “overwhelming evidence” to back

Be positive, Glo urges Nigerians at Easter NEXT generation telecommunications firm, Globacom, has urged Nigerians to be positive and hopeful as they celebrate Easter.

The company stated this in a message of goodwill released in Lagos ahead the four-day celebrations commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

According to Globacom, Nigerians should be inspired by the gospel of the resurrection of the saviour to know that adversity did not have to be permanent and with faith, there was victory at the end of affliction.

Specifically, Globacom reminded Christians of the lessons of the season, which are “love, humility

and sacrifice,” and encouraged them to hold on to their faith and live lives of humility and sacrifice as exemplified by Jesus Christ at his crucifixion.

“The Easter period reminds us to further reflect deeply on the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross, and engage in acts of sacrifice, peace and love for one another during this sea-

son and beyond,” it stated.

The statement called for prayers for Nigeria to overcome its current economic, political and security challenges.

“We should also use this season to pray for peace in every region currently facing insecurity and for the Almighty to help our leaders to steer the country to the path of economic

Free education never a sustainable policy —Oshiomhole Clement Idoko - Abuja EDO State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has urged the Federal Government to introduce tuition fees in federal universities across the country, saying free university education is never a sustainable policy.

Oshiomhole, who berated politicians’ attitude toward formulating a national policy on education, said it was unjustifiable for government to continue to pretend about delivering free university education.

He spoke on Wednesday, in Abuja, when he was presented with a letter of recognition for the new Edo University, Iyamho, Edo State, by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie.

The governor, particularly, urged the Federal Government to withdraw education subsidy from the children of the rich and reorder it in a way that could subsidise education of the children of the poor.

He described as hypocritical the decision of policy makers, who provide for free uni-

versity education in Nigeria, adding that people must pay to get quality education as obtainable all over the world.

Oshiomhole said: “There have been a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to fashioning out appropriate public policy on education. We have rather resorted to privatised solution to a matter that requires a national policy.

“Every senior Nigerian,

public or private, now find it comfortable sending their children to the United Kingdom, United States, where you pay a minimum of 40,000 dollars a year or even 60,000 dollars, depending on the university.

Those who cannot afford it, send their children to Ghana and we allow our universities to remain where they are, we are not able to en-

courage them to charge appropriate fees, we pretend we can deliver quality free university education.”

While calling for the introduction of special mechanism that would support education for children from poor homes, the governor decried the current situation, where education subsidy is provided for everybody.

Clement Idoko - Abuja THE House of Representatives has rescinded its earlier move to stop the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from using only Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode in the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UMTE).

Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education, Honourable Zakari Mohammed, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja, said the lawmakers were convinced based on the brief received from the Board that

the CBT was on course.

Mohammed led other members of the committee on fact-finding visit to JAMB, as well as to supervise the rescheduled examination for candidates, who missed this year’s examination as a result of relocation of some centres and those with critical health problems.

The lawmaker, who stressed that Nigeria could not afford to return to Paper-Pencil -Test (PPT), also stated that the House of Representatives never took a position on the CBT, adding that suggestions were only made by the House mem-

bers on finding a common ground for the adoption of both PPT and the CBT as a result of controversies that trailed the conduct of CBT. He said: “Basically, we need to be educated more, we are in support of the CBT and we cannot go back to PPT, we must be in tadem with the world in the conduct of our examinations.

“The House did not take any position on CBT, but there were fractions on the floor as to the adoption of both methods and I believe it is the reason we, the House Committee on Basic Education, was mandated

As former president, other sympathisers visit him FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, visited his foster father, Chief Nitabai Inengite, who was released by his abductors after spending over a month in their den inside the mangrove creeks in the coastal community of the Niger Delta region.

It will be recalled that the 72-year-old Inengite was

kidnapped by unknown gunmen, on February 17, from his residence close to the waterside in Otuoke Community, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The septugenarian, who looked frail and frenzy, said on the day the gunmen struck, he had no idea that his cousin, Samuel Oki was also abducted, until he got report that he (Oki) was

growth,” the statement added.

The Easter celebrations are preceded by a 40-day period of fasting at Lent, to prepare the believers for sanctification through prayer, penance, repentance, alms giving, atonement and self-denial.

The fasting period culminates in Good Friday which commemorates the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, which falls on March 25 this year. Easter Sunday, which is the resurrection day, falls on March 27. The dates are determined by the Hebrew calendar.

Globacom used the opportunity to assure all its subscribers across the country of quality service on the network throughout the holiday period, reassuring subscribers of enough capacity that would enable them to remain in touch with friends and family wherever they may be.

UTME: Reps okay CBT mode of JAMB exams

I was kept in isolated creek for over 1 month —Freed Jonathan’s uncle Austin Ebipade - Yenagoa

his claims against Lamorde.

The petitioner also alleged that the EFCC had not accounted for “offshore recoveries” and that “over half of the assets seized from suspects are not reflected in EFCC exhibit records.”

shot dead and his body was found floating on the creek of Otuoke river.

He noted that they passed through hardship in the hands of his abductors, as he was starved and kept in an isolated creek, not minding his health condition.

Inengite said the gunmen threatened to kill him if Jonathan refused to pay his ransom last week.

According to him, it was

only upon his return that he had access to medical check to know his health condition.

Former President Jonathan condoled him and expressed joy that he was not murdered just like Oki, who was shot dead by gunmen, who invaded the communities and kidnapped them to an unknown destination.

Paramount Ruler of

Otuoke Community, HRM Lot Ogiasa, regretted the abduction of the septugenarian, who over the years had lived peacefully with both young and old in the community.

to investigate.

“Nigeria cannot afford to maintain double standard, as we know other African countries, such as Uganda, have been to our country to replicate our system, such as the CBT.” On the rescheduled examination, the JAMB Registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde said a total of 2064 candidates accross Nigeria, 393 in the Federal Capital Territory were expected to resit for the examination.

Ojerinde stated further that only 15 centres from 24 states were affected among 540 centres used across the nation and abroad.

He added that 15 of JAMB staff were currently under investigation over compromise of standard as touching accrediation process of centres that defrauded the Board on availability of adequate infracstructure, which according to him, led to technical problems encountered during the conduct of the 2016 UTME.

OUR ERROR THE name of the Pastor in charge of the Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan, that appeared in the interview on Page 25 of today’s edition is Revd Dr Remi Awopegba, and not ‘Adepegba’.

The error is regretted.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

31ST INTER-HOUSE SPORT COMPETITION OF ANWAR–UL–ISLAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ELEYELE, IBADAN.

From left, the chairman of the day, Engr Bosun Ajuwon, an old student, the principal, Mrs Adeniyi S.S, the 2nd principal, Mr Okunade K. Suraj and the Representative of Perm Secretary from (TESCOM) Mr Atande M.A.

Blue House, the overall winner in the competition.

Yellow House on parade and the 2nd position.

Red House displaying skills during parade came 3rd.

Green House took the 4th position but lead in Fashion parade.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Persistent fuel queues: I’m not a magician —Kachikwu

As Buhari meets NUPENG, PENGASSAN leaders Leon Usigbe - Abuja

M

INISTER of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has dismissed the hope of a speedy resolution to the perennial fuel queues across the country, saying that he has no magical powers to get them to disappear.

The minister led a delegation of the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, to discuss the problem in the sector, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.

Fielding questions from State House correspondents, Kachikwu, however, said the present fuel queues would fizzle out in the months ahead.

Asked when the queues will disappear, he said “one of the trainings I did not receive is that of a magician, but I am working very hard to ensure some of these issues go away.

“Let’s be honest, for the five, six months we have been here, NNPC has moved from a 50 per cent importer of products to basically a 100 per cent importer.

“And the 445 barrels that were allocated was to cover between 50 and 55 per cent

importation.

“So, it’s quite frankly sheer magic that we even have the amount of products at the stations.

“We are looking to see how to get foreign exchange input. The president and I discussed extensively on how to get more crude directed at importation.

“His excellency will rather have less crude but have individuals in the society suffer less with inconveniences than have more crude and have them continue to suffer.

“So, we are going to put a

new model to enable us to increase the pace and actually get majors as part of the crew of those to bring in more products, so that the NNPC will sort of go back on the capacity of what it used to do and the majors will take over the balance of importation.

“I think if we do that, although I don’t want to put a time frame, but I will expect that over the next two months.”

The minister revealed that the meeting with the president was to review the oil industry and address some of

the present concerns of the stakeholders.

On the concerns raised, he added that “I will probably highlight a few areas of concerns. The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the union wants us to obviously work harder than we do and try to get the PIB passed as soon as possible.

“They are worried about the fuel scarcity issue and want a long time solutions to finally resolve this issue.

They are worried about the refineries and are thankful we didn’t sell the refineries without looking to work

collaboratively with them to see how to make the refineries work.

“They are worried about the utilisation of depots and how best to do that.

They are worried about all kinds of logistics issues that plague the oil industry.

“They are worried about job loss in the sector, arising from the position of majors who feel that the economy is giving rough end of the sticks and then try to whittle down staff.

“And so, we are going to be working with the oil majors to ensure that we do not ex-

As Senate passes N6.06trn budget: Some MDA workers may not get salary continued from pg2

“Such revenues as specified in sub-section (1) of this section refers to revenues accruing from sales of government crude oil in excess of $38 per barrel, the Petroleum Profit Tax and Royalty on oil and gas.”

While commenting on the report, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, asked the appropriation committee to help avert a situation where some workers would not get their wages due to omissions in the budget.

“The outstanding cases should be identified, especially on the personnel cost, so that we can take

advantage of the budget consideration to address it and we won’t be blamed for inability to pay salary,” he said.

Also speaking, the Senate minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, asked the executive to always ensure implementation of the budget, adding that the government must also tidy the budget process to avoid a situation whereby ministries, departments and agencies of government appear before the National Assembly to deny their proposals.

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who rounded off discussions on the budget bill, thanked the Senate committee for doing a good job, adding that the execu-

tive must now do its part to actualise the budget.

“What is unique about this exercise is that for once, there is no bickering over benchmark, rather, we all devoted time and energy to ensure that we have a budget that is implementable.

“The budget reflects efficient and equitable allocation of resources to reduce the challenges that we are all aware of. The budget is now a product of bipartisan engagement, commitment and one that is broadly nationalistic. It gives me great joy to commend and appreciate all the efforts that you have all put in.

“It is the duty of the executive to ensure full imple-

mentation of this budget, as part of the campaign to bring succour to our people.

“While implementing, we charge the executive to also consider the areas of supporting locally produced content, in order to help our economy.

“We have all seen the earlier hiccups in the beginning of the budget and we hope that by the time we are set for that of 2017, the agencies and the budget office would improve their level of interaction and government itself would bring the budget much earlier, to give ample opportunity. It is very important that we do this.

“We have played our part, the different committees

I collapsed twice in DSS detention —Freed Ekiti lawmaker

Assembly goes to court From Leon Usigbe and S am N waoko THE freed member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Afolabi Akanni, has relived what he termed his harrowing experience in the hands of operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), saying that he collapsed on two occasions while in detention.

The lawmaker, representing Efon constituency, on his hospital bed where he was abandoned by the DSS, was in bad shape and was barely able to narrate his ordeal when journalists tracked him down to the medical facility on Tuesday night.

Fixed with an intravenous injection, he managed to say that he was asked to go home without being told what he had done and why he had been detained.

Akanni, who visibly writhed in discomfort from

perience the kind of job loss that we are hearing has the potential to occur in the sector.”

Speaking, National President of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), Igwe Achese, said the meeting was successful, adding that they tabled the challenges of the sector before the president.

In his remark, President of PENGASSAN, Olabode Francis Johnson, said Buhari was concerned about the plight of Nigerians and had promised to carry all along in resolving the problems.

his illness, managed to mutter continuously that he was not well at all, saying that he had told the DSS upon his release that he would not be able to make the journey to Ekiti State in his current health situation.

Consequently, he said the DSS brought him to the hospital for treatment.

Akanni, who said he had been given some drugs after he collapsed twice in detention, noted he had never been in detention before, adding, however, that he had no intention to press charges against the security agency for his unlawful detention.

Below is the exchange between him and select reporters at the hospital: What can you tell us about your experience in DSS? After I was released, I am not okay at all, I had to come to the hospital. I am not okay.

What did they tell you?

I am not okay. I am not okay.

Why did they release you? What did they tell you?

The man (one of the officers) said I have to be going and I told him I am not okay and that I am going to hospital, because as I am, I have to be okay before I can go to Ekiti. Im not okay at all. I am not okay. I am not fine.

How were you treated in detention?

You know, I have not experienced all this thing before.

This is my first time of being incarcerated. I was surprised. I am not okay.

Was it because the DSS saw your health condition, that’s why the operatives let you go or what?

Maybe. Maybe because I am not fine. I am not okay, I am not fine.

Did I they tell why

they held you?

No. Did they give you medical treatment while you were in detention?

When I collapsed twice, they gave me a drug. I am not fine.

Will you consider pressing charges for wrongful detention now that they have released you?

No. I leave everything to God. You know, I don’t have anybody except God. The lawmaker had been held incommunicado without access to his family members and lawyers, prompting rumours of his death in detention, which were quickly allayed by the DSS when he was paraded alive.

Meanwhile, members of the state House of Assembly, while addressing newsmen on Wednesday, through the chairman of the assembly committee on Information, Youth

and Sports, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, said they demanded “official explanation from the DSS as to why Akanni was abducted and held incommunicado for 18 days, only for us to be told that he was admitted at a private hospital in Abuja.”

The lawmakers demanded explanation from the DSS if it was part of the its mandate to disobey court orders and dump Nigerians in detention for 18 days on unfounded allegations. They condemned the arrest, which they termed illegal and demanded unreserved apology forthwith.

“We have also directed our counsel to seek redress and damages in court because, to us, this act of impunity by the DSS under President Muhammadu Buhari is undemocratic, unpatriotic, dictatorial and brutish,” he said.

should do their job now in the area of oversight, to ensure that we have a budget that is fully implementable. Nigerians have been waiting for us to pass the budget.

“I think at this time too, the implementing agencies should ensure that they get to work quickly in implementing the budget.

“We on our part we have one or two bills to consider, like the Public Procurement Act, to see what we can do to assist with easy implementation of the budget,” he said.

While addressing a joint press conference in the National Assembly, chairmen of Senate and House committees on Appropriation, Senator Goje and Honourable Abdumumin Jibrin, said the process of passing the budget must have taught the executive some lessons on how to handle issue of padding.

Senator Goje said “there is provision for virement.

That is, if in the cost of implementing this budget, problems arise, we are there as the National Assembly to effect any virement, which is legal and normal.”

Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, while speaking with newsmen, allayed the fears over delay in presidential assent, adding that the executive worked hand in hand with the legislature in the process of budget passage.

He said the expeditious consideration and passage of the bill was laudable, while he commended the Senate and House committees on appropriation and other sub-committees for working hard in ensuring that the budget was passed.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Lagosmetro Gridlock at Majidun Ogolonto road, Ikorodu, on Wednesday. PHOTO: NAN

Scene of a faulty petrol tanker, spilling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) on the road, at Asolo, Ikorodu, on Wednesday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Petrol hawkers waiting for buyers at Ojota, on Wednesday. PHOTO: NAN

Graduate shot dead while preparing for birthday

A

Olalekan Olabulo

University of Lagos (UNILAG) graduate of Business Administration, Yusuff Elegushi, who was playing the role of a Good Samaritan, has been shot dead by a gang of hoodlums at Alaguntan community.

The deceased was said to be planning his 26th birthday celebration and was until his death, the chairman of Building Materials Suppliers in Alaguntan Village in Ajah area of Lagos State.

Elegushi was reportedly trying to save the life of a certain Dodo, who had earlier been shot by hoodlums led by one Wasiu, when he was shot.

The father of the deceased Chief Murtala Elegushi, explained that his son was shot in the chest at close range and died on the way

Elegushi

to Yaba General Hospital, where he was being rushed to. He appealed to the state commissioner of police and the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode to urgently bring killers of his son to book.

According Chief Elegushi, the runaway hoodlums, and their leader, Wasiu had last week Thursday invaded Alaguntan area of Ajah to avenge an alleged assault on their leader a day before.

It was gathered that Wasiu had a misunderstanding with Dodo on Wednesday, resulting in a clash, which led to Wasiu being injured in the jaw.

The father narrated that

“As the hoodlums emerged from nowhere, one of them was said to have brought his pistol and shot at one of the boys at the site, thinking it was Dodo and they ran to hide.

“My son who knew nothing about the incident, walked innocently to the scene to save the man and was also shot by the same person who shot earlier. My son was confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital.”

He said the matter was reported at Ogombo Police Station, where three members of the gang were arrested and the matter transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department

(SCID), Panti.

Efforts to get the reaction of the image maker in

charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, were futile as of the time of

filing this report as calls to her mobile phone lines were not answered.

Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin

Monday, March 21, 2016 for hitting her car.

It was alleged that the Magistrate ordered that Yetunde Osijo should be arrested and arraigned before her at the Ogudu Chief Magistrate Court and that she promptly ordered that she should be detained at the Kirikiri Prisons without legal representation.

Contrary to the claims of the alleged victim’s husband, the Lagos Judiciary, in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the Chief Registrar, Emmanuel Ogundare, denied the report saying there was no truth, whatsoever, in it.

The statement maintained that the magistrate did not sit on her own case.

The Lagos Judiciary in the statement gave the magistrate’s version of the traffic incident: “that on Monday, March 21, 2016 around 9:00 a.m. on her way to work, close to Abiola Gardens, Ojota, a car brushed her car from behind.

“The Magistrate’s driver alighted from the car and Yetunde Osijo who drove the car rained abuses on the driver and his master. The Magistrate stepped out to see the extent of the damage only for Yetunde Osijo to speed off in a dangerous manner. She was eventually

arrested by men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere and taken to Area H, Police Command Ogba.

“The Area Commander made an attempt to resolve the matter but Yetunde Osijo insisted on calling her husband who came in and became very boastful.

Together with his wife, he uttered insulting words that cannot be printed. At that juncture, the Magistrate said the law should take its course and left for her Court.’’

The statement maintained that the Magistrate, upon the occurrence of the incident lodged a report with the Police, who effected an arrest and upon investigation arraigned the suspect before the Chief Magistrate Court Ogba presided over by Mr. T.A. Elias.

“She was immediately admitted to bail on liberal terms and the matter was adjourned for mention.

“The suspect was never arraigned before the complainant Mrs Funke Sule-Amzat and she made no order or took any step in respect of the matter. The matter is presently pending before the Court for determination,” it added.

Why we arraigned woman who bashed magistrate’s car — Court Registrar

THE Lagos State judiciary has stated why one Mrs Yetunde Osijo, who was alleged to have been involved in a traffic dispute with a magistrate, Mrs Funke Sule-Amzat, was arraigned.

Yetunde Osijo’s husband, Dipo reportedly alleged that the Magistrate, Mrs Funke Sule-Amzat, ordered the detention of his wife, Yetunde at the Kirikiri Prison on

My 13-yr-old niece was tied and raped in uncompleted building —Witness Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin AN elderly woman, Mojisola Oyebola, has on Wednesday testified against a man accused of raping her 13-year-old niece, narrating before an Ikeja High Court how the suspect, identified as Adewumi Adesuyi committed the crime.

“The victim is my younger sister’s daughter. On the day the incident happened, my niece told me that she wanted to eat rice and I set about preparing it. After the food was ready I called my niece to come and eat, but she was nowhere to be found.

“I became worried when she had not returned home

by 8.00 p.m. and we went in search for her. We found her around 11.30 p.m. and when I demanded to know where she was coming from, she said that a man abducted her to an unknown place.

I thought she was lying so I asked my neighbours to punish her. While she was frog jumping, someone alerted me that she was bleeding from her private part.

“On interrogation, she told me that a man took her to his place of work and raped her. When we followed her there, we did not meet the accused person there.”

She added that the matter was reported at the police station and that during in-

terrogation, she admitted that the accused, whom she called Dewunmi took her to an uncompleted building, tied her hands and raped her.

“We took her to General Hospital where it was confirmed that she had been defiled. The accused was arrested and the police later released him and asked him to be reporting at the police station on a daily basis,” she said.

The accused who is currently remanded in prison, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of defilement.

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye consequently adjourned the matter till April 21 for continuation of trial.

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businessnews

Rates rise across all tenors over MPC decision Chima Nwokoji-lagos

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HE Nigerian interbank offered rates spiked across all tenor buckets following Tuesday’s increase in monetary policy rate to 12 per cent from 11 per cent.

Dealers said overnight funds rate on Wednesday, rose to 7.42 per cent from 4.81 per cent it was on Tuesday.

Nigeria Interbank Offered Rates (NIBOR) for one month rose to 9.21 per cent a day after the monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting from 7.44 per cent it stood at, before the announcement of the MPC’s decisions.

Also three months and six months tenors rose to 10.47 per cent and 11.77 per cent respectively, against Tuesday’s three months and six months tenors which stood at nine per cent and 10.50 per cent respectively.

Dealers from Cowry Assets Management observed that Nigerian Interbank Treasury bills True Yields increased for most maturities on sustained profit taking. According to the company, yields on the 1 month, three months and six months bills rose to 6.10 per cent, 6.54 per cent and 8.07 per cent respectively.

The company also revealed that over The Counter (OTC) Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bond market witnessed sustained sell offs in the face of increased inflation risk.

Explaining the impact of the MPC, an investment research company and a member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Capital Bancorp Plc, said it anticipates that the prices of the existing bonds will slightly begin to drop thereby increasing the yields and making the bond market more attractive for investors as new bonds will be issued at higher coupons.

The 20-year, 10 per cent FGN JUL 2030 debt, 10year, 16.39 per cent FGN JAN 2022 debt and 7-year, 16.00 per cent FGN JUN 2019 bond depreciated

by N2.06 (yield increased to 12.47 per cent), N1.10 (yield rose to 11.66 per cent), and N0.76 (yield climbed to 10.67 per cent) respectively.

It further noted that with the increase in the harmonised cash reserve ratio (CRR) to 22.50 per cent from 20 percent, coupled with the increase in MPR, it is expected that there will be a gradual uptick in interest rates in the short to medium term.

“However we re-state

that unless economic activities pick up, higher or lower interest rates may not necessary cause banks to lend to the real sector as the ratio of non performing loans remains high.

On Foreign Exchange (forex), Capital Bancorp said the body language of the monetary policy committee, the CBN remains committed to defending the naira and keeping the

exchange rate stable and also meet justified demands for forex.

“This decision seem possible as we anticipate a further recovery in crude oil prices as we have seen in a couple of months. The body language of the CBN re-affirms its position not to devalue the naira in the short term, even though we might see the CBN exercising more ‘flexibility’

around the issue of the naira/dollar parity,” the dealers said.

According to dealers at Capital Bancorp, there is likely to be more capital flow towards the fixed income market as investors continue to run for safety.

It stated that with anticipation of a higher interest rate era, the shift from fixed income securities to the equities market is

highly unexpected in the medium term as returns in the fixed income market will become more attractive adding that “we are likely to see more capital flow towards the fixed income market as investors continue to run for safety.”

However, few banking stocks among other sectors have performed well and exceeding market expectation.

From left, Dr Oba Otudeko, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Honeywell Group, winner of the 2016 CEO Award being congratulated by Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, former Minister of Finance and Dr Akinwunmi Adeshina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) at the 2016 Africa CEO Forum.

Chinese companies sign over $50bn infrastructure deals in Nigeria, others Chima Nwokoji-lagos

CHINESE companies in Nigeria and other African countries are signing infrastructure deals worth more than $50 billion a year.

China has also earmarked $5 billion for investments in African farming, aimed at achieving mutual benefits in the China-Africa cooperation.

Former Nigerian minister of external affairs and United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, made the observation in Lagos while delivering his keynote address at the Yale-Lagos Business School, AfricaChina Conference with theme: “Africa-China Relations: Balance, Growth and Sustainable Future.”

According to Gambari, the Chinese government has encouraged all sorts of activities in Africa, including construction which accounts for three quarters of recent private Chinese investments in Africa.

“China’s companies are signing infrastructure deals worth more than $50 billion a year; and for investments in African farming, China

has earmarked $5 billion.

“The cement trade volume between the two countries stood at $14.95 billion in 2014, thus making Nigeria third largest trade partner of China in Africa,” he said.

He said Nigeria and China shared a lot of similarities that should make the two continents even more friendlier.

Forex: Over 3 million workers in food, beverage industry face sack Soji-Eze Fagbemi-Abuja

LABOUR unions in the food, beverage and tobacco sector, on Wednesday, raised the alarm that over three million workers in the sector currently stand the risk of losing their jobs due to the forex exchange policy of the current administration.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB), said the over three million workers may lose their jobs if something urgent was not done, as major companies in the sector have concluded to embark on mass sack.

Besides, FOBTOB stated that the companies may be forced to shut down, thus resulting in loss of million

Nigerian Tribune

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

of jobs in the sector due to the forex policy of this government.

Already, the union said about 3,405 workers have lost their jobs in the sector between the year 2012 and now.

National President of FOBTOB, Quadri Olaleye, who read the speech of the press briefing, said: “That is why it is imperative that the federal government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), takes a

second look at the policy on forex to avoid shutting down the companies in our industry.

“The food sector is very critical to the survival of the country; therefore, placing the companies in the food industry on the priority list of those deserving of forex would go a long way to secure the sector.

“It must be stated that over three million people are employed in the food,

beverage and tobacco sector and these, with their dependents, would be negatively affected if the sector should shut down.

“Between the year 2012 and the first half of 2015, no fewer than three thousand (3,000) workers in our sector have been deprived of their jobs under the guise of re-engineering, restructuring, right sizing, downsizing, redundancy, re-organisation, etc.

Experts charge young pharmacists on best practise By ’Wale Olapade

YOUNG pharmacists have been advised to seek tutelage and ways of enhancing knowledge of their professional practice as well as exploring opportunities around them.

This admonition was given at a mentoring programme for young pharmacists organised by the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Exhibition Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday.

In a welcome address, pharmacist and former Lagos State gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Jimi Agbaje, said that the programme was meant to guide young pharmacists on what path to take in their careers.

He urged pharmacists to always strive to make pharmacy the enviable and respectable profession that it is.

Chairman of the occasion and President, Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, in his opening address, noted that the future of the profession rests on the shoulders of the young practitioners.

“A profession that does not take care of the welfare of its younger generation has no future. The future of this profession is in the hands of younger people who dare to do things differently,” he said.

The occasion also served to remind pharmacists, young and old, of the need to uphold best practices always.

Speaking on the subject, the registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Elijah Muhammed, noted that “the Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm) has identified gaps affecting professional development of young pharmacists with their attendant negative effects on the image and progress of the pharmacy profession in the country.”

No price increase for DStv subscribers —MultiChoice

By Joan Omionawele

THE management of Multichoice Nigeria have declared that there will be no price increase in rates for DSTV subscribers. “It’s been a tough year for Multichoice Nigeria. Our markets have suffered as a result

of commodity and oil price weakness, coupled with the huge devaluations of local currencies. Most of MultiChoice’s costs are incurred in dollars forcing us to pass through price increases in 2015. Nevertheless, we continue to take financial strain.

“But we are not alone! Our

subscribers, our biggest asset, are suffering. So we are going to do our bit. We’ve decided to absorb some of the pain and NOT impose a price increase on any of our DStv bouquets in April as we usually do. Barring any further external economic shocks, we do not anticipate

a price increase in 2016,” the company said.

The Managing Director for MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, further said “we are extremely pleased to announce that there will be no price increase on DStv subscriptions this April on any of the bouquets.”

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businessnews

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Review of MTN N1.04trn fine unconstitutional —Reps Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel-Abuja

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HE House of Representatives, on Wednesday, kicked against the review of the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for its failure to deregister 5.2 million unregistered sim cards on its network ,describing the action as unconstitutional.

The House insisted that reducing the fine to N780 million would require an amendment of the NCC (Telephone Subscribers Registration) Regulation 2011 which stipulates a fine of N200,000 for each unregistered sim card.

The House resolution was sequel to a motion sponsored by Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma who raised alarm that the N50 billion paid by MTN into the Recovery Account was in violation of extant laws.

According to him, “MTN ought to have been fined under both Section 19 and Section 20 respectively with cumulative penalty of N3.12 trillion, and not N1.04 trillion, which is a gross violation of the combined reading of the NCC Act.” Contributing to the motion, the Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the House must insist that the Chief Executive Officer of MTN, Ferdinand Moolman, honours the summon of the committee by appearing before the committee unfailingly.

The lawamker also frowned at the letter written by MTN boss referring the committee to other agencies mediating in the

matter, saying that the correspondence is an affront to the Parliament.

Gbajabiamila also noted that MTN which is a South African firm, would not

dare write such letter to the country’s parliament.

On his part, the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, noted that since the N200,000 fine per unregistered sim

card is fixed, the only way to review it would be through the parliament.

He urged the committee to investigate who authorised the negotiation and

From left: Chief Executive, London Stock Exchange, Xavier Rolet, Chairman, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Dr. A.B.C Orjiako; and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema, during the induction of Dr Orjiako into the London Stock Exchange Group’s new Africa Advisory Group.

MPR hike: Capital market sheds N97.5bn PROFIT taking resurfaced on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday with the market indices dropping by 1.09 per cent, reversing the fourday growth.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the All-Share Index lost 283.40 points or 1.09 per cent to close at 25,736.92, compared with the 26,020.32 recorded on Tuesday.

Also, the market capitalisation shed N97 billion or 1.09 per cent to close at N8.853 trillion, as against the N8.950 trillion

achieved on Tuesday.

Market analysts attributed the dip to profit taking embarked upon by some investors, due to a hike in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 12 per cent from 11 per cent.

They stated that the dip was impacted by value depreciation recorded in the stocks of FBN Holdings, Total Nigeria, Mobil, Zenith Bank, Dangote Cement, GT Bank and Lafarge Africa.

Mobil Oil recorded the highest loss, to lead the losers’ chart with a loss of N7.54, to close at N154.91

per share.

Total trailed with N7.49 to close at N142.46, while Dangote Cement depreciated by N4 to close at N164 per share.

Guinness lost N3.07 to close at N108.93 and Seplat dropped by N3 to close at N308 per share.

Conversely, Nigerian Breweries led the gainers’ table, increasing by N4.41 to close at N113.61 per share.

Vitafoam followed with a gain of 20k to close at N4.30, while NAHCO gained 19k to close at N3,99 per share.

BAT report promises sustainable agric performance delivery By ’Wale Olapade

BRITISH American Tobacco’s 2015 Sustainability Report has shown the company’s ongoing commitment to shared value. This is based on the premise that business can deliver value for its shareholders without this coming at a cost to society.

Showcasing the company’s strategy for how it continues to invest in a sustainable future for the business and for society, the report provides updates and progress on three key areas: harm reduction, sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods, and corporate behaviour. Within each of these three key areas, the report sets out clear commitments to research, develop and commercialise less risky products to regu-

reduction.

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

lar cigarettes, work to enable prosperous livelihoods for all famers who supply our tobacco leaf and operate to the highest standards of corporate conduct and transparency.

BAT’s commitment to openness, collaboration and engagement has been underscored with the inclusion of an expert view introduction from three well-respected independent external stakeholders: Scott Ballin, health policy advisor and key opinion leader on tobacco harm reduction; Tony Juniper, a leading British environmentalist, campaigner and sustainability advisor and Simon Webley, Research Director at the Institute of Business Ethics.

Nicandro Durante, Chief Executive of British American Tobacco, said: “The

concept of shared value is one that I truly believe in – this is why it forms the foundation of our approach to BAT as a sustainable business, and has done for many years. As a

business working in a complex industry, operating in over 200 markets around the world and with an agricultural supply chain, we face many different challenges and issues.”

Oando increased by 9k to close at N4 and Fidelity Bank appreciated by 6k to close at N1.40 per share.

United Capital emerged the most active stock, exchanging 95.96 million shares worth N199.62 million.

Access Bank followed with an exchange of 60.75 million shares valued at N239.84 million and Multitrex traded 40 million shares worth N20 million.

The FCMB Group sold 38.13 million shares worth N29 million and Zenith Bank transacted 28.68 million shares valued at N356.49 million.

In all, a total of 398.28 million shares worth N2.65 billion were exchanged by investors in 3,581 deals.

NAN reports that this was against the 344.12 million shares valued at N2.46 billion traded in 4,386 deals on Tuesday.

IBEDC apologises for power outages THE Management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has apologised for the epileptic electricity supply currently being experienced in across her franchise area.

Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of the company, John Donnachie, who made this apology in a statement released in Ibadan, on Monday, blamed the inadequate power supply on the vandalising of gas pipelines and system break-

down on the National Grid.

Noting that this had negatively affected the normal power allocation to the IBEDC franchise area and to Nigeria as a whole, he assured that supply will improve as soon as power allocation increases from the National Grid.

“IBEDC will, therefore, like to use this opportunity to implore our esteemed customers in all these areas to bear with us till power allocation improves from the National

Grid. The sharp drop in power generation from the peak of 5,074.70MW was caused by a ruptured gas pipeline leading to a system breakdown in various generation companies.

“As a distribution company, we can only distribute what is allocated to us and these factors, notwithstanding the rainy season, with its attendant storms, have contributed to some local faults which in turn have affected power supply,” he explained.

Call for CBN gov’s sack ridiculous —Oshiomhole

THE Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday said the call for the removal of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, is ridiculous.

He said those feeding fat on the nation’s economy and money launderers are responsible for the antiEmefiele’s campaign.

The governor spoke with reporters during a courtesy visit to the Executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie in Abuja . He was at the commission for the certification of the newly established Edo University in Iyamo, Edo State.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari would not be misled into firing the CBN governor.

According to him, the era of hiring and firing the CBN governor was gone, adding that those campaigning to have him removed were wasting their time.

He said Nigeria would not open up its doors to all kinds of import , like toothpicks, tomatoes paste and all sort of things.

Oshiomhole said: “These people who have been feeding fat on our common patrimony, manipulating the exchange rate and moving money across boundaries , pressing buttons; taking advantage of electronic wire transfer, these speculators are the ones behind this campaign “People who made money by just playing on exchange rate and all sort of things, commercial papers etc. It is still these speculators who are upset because the CBN governor has been firm. We cannot open up all the doors to all kinds of import of toothpicks, tomatoes paste and all sorts of things.

“Of course, there are also opportunistic elements , people who feel that if this man goes, they will get there and they are ready to go to any length. I think this government is making a point, the hiring and firing of CBN governor need not be a political decision, we should respect institutions.

“The hiring and firing is not a matter to be discussed by faceless and Facebook manipulators and by the time you unmask the people behind it, they are palm wine drinkers.

“The challenge of running the economy now when you have limited inflow of forex and you don’t want to trigger a process that will lead to endless devaluation that ultimately will reduce the Naira to Zimbabwe dollar.”

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Arms deal: Dasuki refused to come to court —EFCC It’s not true —Lawyer Sunday Ejike-Abuja

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HE former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Mohammed Dasuki, was reported to have said that he would not be available in court for his trial on Wednesday, on the ground that his lawyers, Joseph Daudu and Ahmed Raji, would not be in court for the proceedings.

Rotimi Jacobs, who was prosecuting for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), informed the court, when the matter came up on Wednesday, that the former NSA had boasted that he would not be in court for the day’s proceedings.

The prosecutor told the court that he persuaded the defendant to come to court to see how the proceedings would be conducted but claimed that the defendant did not yield to his persuasion.

He, therefore, asked the court to begin the trial

in the absence of the defendant since the slated business of the court was for the trial to commence, adding that Section 257(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) allows trial to go on even when an accused person is in detention.

However, in a vehement opposition to the claim of the prosecution, Balogun, who stood in for Dasuki, urged Justice Baba Yusuf to disregard the claim of the prosecution, adding that up

til that moment, counsel for the defendant have not been allowed to had access to their client in the custody of the DSS. Balogun argued that the accused could not be tried in his absence and without access to his lawyers to prepare effective defence, adding that the prosecution would continue to bungle the trial until they resolved to obey the rule of law and take necessary steps required by law.

The position of Dasuki’s

lawyer was adopted by lawyers standing for other defendants in the criminal charges brought against Dasuki.

Consequently, Justice Baba Yusuf adjourned the matter till April 6, for continuation of trial and ordered the prosecution to produce the defendant in court.

Meanwhile, the EFCC and the Military Authority were yet to effect the release of Colonel Nicholas Ashinze, the former Military As-

sistant to former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd) as at 10 a.m. yesterday (Wednesday, March 23, 2016).

PRNigeria gathered that the serving Colonel was still being held incommunicado by the two authorities in defiance of the high court order of March 14, 2016 that directed his release.

However, 10 clear days after the court order was made, the two authorities were yet to release the applicant from their custody.

Ibru, architect of modern Delta —Okowa DELTA State governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has described the late Senator Felix Ovuodoroye Ibru as the architect of modern Delta, saying that as the first civilian governor of the then young state, he did a lot of spadework to lay the foundation for its growth.

He stated this on Tuesday, when he paid a condolence visit to the Ibrus at the family’s residence at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. He described the late former governor of the state as a man of great accomplishment, humble and caring and therefore loved by his people.

“Our late elder and statesman was a man of great achievement. He did not stop as a governor; he represented his people as a senator of the Federal Republic and went on to lead the Urhobo Progress Union as its President General. That tells you that he was a great achiever.

“He did so much to lay the foundation for our young state then. I recall that I was a local government chairman when our late elder statesman was the governor of the state. My predecessors in office tapped from his wealth of experience, but now he is gone. So I can say that I feel the loss most.”

Okowa announced that a committee would be set up by the state government that would liaise with the family in the planning arrangement for the burial of the late former governor.

Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, with Matilda, the widow of the late Senator Felix Ibru, the first civilian governor of Delta State, at the Lagos home of the Ibrus, on Tuesday.

Brussels attack: FAAN beefs up security across airports Shola Adekola-Lagos

FOLLOWING Tuesdays attack on Brussels airport by a group of terrorists, the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has beefed up security in and around all the airports in the country.

Speaking with aviation correspondents in his office on steps taken to

avoid the Brussels incident in the country, the general manager, corporate communications in FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati said sniffer dogs have been deployed to the major airports in conjunction with the Nigerian police.

Dati said the Authority will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring maximum security at the airport especially with the

Easter celebrations around the corner.

He expressed shock over the dastardly act carried out at the Brussels airport, warning those without business at the airport not to constitute nuisance even as he stressed that a special task force from the Independent Corrupt Practices were on ground to arrest touts.

Easter: FRSC deploys 11,000 officers, 795 vehicles, 283 bikes, 76 ambulances Clement Idoko with Agency Report

THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed 11,000 personnel, 795 vehicles, 283 bikes and 76 ambulances across the nation for the Easter celebration.

This was contained in a statement signed on Wednesday, by Mr Bisi Kazeem, the Head, Media Relations and Strategy of the FRSC, in Abuja.

According to the statement, the approval of the deployment was based on the observations of the commission and that of Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the organisa-

tion.

The statement said the deployment would address the misuse of roads by road users which had, in the past, resulted in high level of road traffic crashes, particularly during festive seasons.

“Nigerians will be once again on the road to visit their homes and loved ones in the spirit of Easter celebration marking the death and resurrection of Christ.

“It is in a bid to arrive at their destinations early that most transporters and private vehicle owners drive recklessly and overtake wrongfully, thereby, undermining their safe arrival.

“In a bid to make more money, most transporters resort to overloading and the resultant effect is crashes, which in turn lead to loss of lives and property,” it said.

The statement also said that the commission would check all cases of wrongful overtaking, overloading, reckless driving and dangerous driving.

Other violations to be checked include; number plate violation, speed limit violation and lane indiscipline.

“The Corps Marshal’s vision is to increase Traffic Management of the Corps to ensure smooth travels before, during, and after the festive season to minimise the occurrence of road crashes,” it said.

According to him, all the body scanners and Close Circuit Television gadgets are operational monitoring activities across the airports.

Dati urged all air passengers not to leave any luggage behind as such item will be taken away and destroyed.

He also said passenger facilitation at all the country’s airports has also been enhanced by the installation of more modern and bigger conveyor belts and metal walk-through detectors.

“The expansion and modernisation of all the airport terminals in the country now provide better ambience for passenger facilitation and commercial offerings,” Dati declared.

While advising passengers to take advantage of online portals to book their flights ahead of time and avoid carrying unauthorised items, Dati said the Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) mounted around the airport vicinity was to aid the joint security efforts.

He however, urged travellers to leave home early on their travel dates, in order to complete their boarding facilities in good time.

Newborn: Late diagnosis of hip dislocation will result in major surgery —Expert

By Gabriel Oshokha

DELAYED diagnosis of hip dislocation problem in newborn will result in major surgery, Paediatric Orthopaedric and Spine surgeon, Dr R. Sankar, has disclosed.

Dr Sankar, who made the disclosure recently, asserted that if hip dislocation is diagnosed at birth, it can be treated with Harness, adding that it can also be managed with plaster cast till the child is one-yearold.

The paediatric orthopaetric and spine surgeon at the Apollo Children’s Hospitals in Chennai affirmed that common birth defects like clubfeet would show as soon as the child is born.

He added that problems like hip dislocation could be missed till a child starts walking if one is not vigilant, saying “if conditions like this are diagnosed and treated early, the child will, however, have good quality of life.”

Speaking on performance of a complex surgery on hip dislocation of both hips, Dr Sankar said: “This is done in two stages, one at a time. It involves preparing the socket of the hip, open reduction and shortening of femur bone with plating to keep the hip in the socket,” saying “reason for such complex surgery is because of late presentation.”

Dr Sankar declared that all newborn with risk factors for hip dislocation should undergo examination, adding that clinical examination is sometimes supported by ultrasound examination.

Chief Ogungbemi for burial BURIAL programmes for a former General Manager of Radio Nigeria, Ibadan, Chief Olaniran Ogunyemi Ogungbemi, who died on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at the age of 90 will begin with a service of songs on Tuesday, March 29, at his Scout Camp residence, Molete, Ibadan, by 5.00 p.m.

On Thursday, commendation service will be held at St Annes Church, Molete, by 11.00 a.m., while the body leaves for OdeOmu for a Christian wake at his Oke-Odo residence, by 5.00 p.m.

Funeral service will be held at St David’s Anglican Church, Oke Amola, Ode Omu, at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, April 1, after which comes the interment.

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MATRICULATION CEREMONY OF HONOURABLE JUSTICE AREMU’S ACADEMY FOR BASIC STUDIES PHOTOS: YEMI FUNSO-OKE

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

As Paralegal Studies debuts in Nigeria

Dateline: Saturday 19, 2016.

Venue: The Justice L.O. Aremu Court.

The Event: The inaugural matriculation ceremony of the Justice Aremu’s Academy for Executive Diploma Studies.

From left, Dr Andrews O. Jegede, Rt Reverend Abraham Akinlalu, Rector of Honourable Justice Aremu’s Academy for Basic Studies, Chief (Mrs) C.J. Aremu, SAN, Chief G. Adebayo Aremu and Chairperson, Governing Board of the school, Honourable Justice Titi Mabogunje, during the matriculation ceremony of the school at the institution’s site, L.O.A Court, Bashorun, Ibadan, on Saturday.

Members of the Board of Governing Council of Honourable Justice Aremu’s Academy for Basic Studies with matriculating students.

Cross section of the matriculating students taking their oath.

Rector of Honourable Justice Aremu’s Academy for Basic Studies, Chief (Mrs) C.J. Aremu, SAN, (right), addressing the students (right), while other guests look on.

Chief (Mrs) C.J. Aremu, SAN, flank by the Salamis.

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HATEVER anyone says, one thing that Nigeria has got going for her is the plethora of quality human resource it can boast of and the event paraded a good number of them. From the Chair of council, Justice Titi Mabogunje to the Clergy, led by no other person than the Rt. Rev (Dr) A. O. Akinlalu of the Anglican Communion from Osun State and Canon Rev. Prof Bisi Sowunmi.

The traditional institution was also not left out with the presence of Otunba Ganiyu Aremu who also happens to be the elder brother of the late erudite Jurist and academic, Latif O. Aremu in whose honour the school was founded. The legal luminary, Prof. J. O. Fabunmi is the chair, Board of Studies. Parents, relations and well wishers also flooded the arena.

The Hon. Justice Aremu Academy for Executive Diploma Studies was established in 2015 and accredited by National Board of Technical Education in 2015 to award certificates in National Diploma (ND) in Paralegal Studies while the Centre for Legal Studies was established in 2005 by Hon. Justice (Dr) L.O. Aremu and his wife, Chief (Mrs) Connie Jean Amaa Aremu, SAN who is now the Rector of the schools.

The schools provide remedial lessons to students of law at institutions of Higher Learning in addition to training individuals who have to work in law offices to enable them gain the proper skills required of Legal Executives as they are called in The

United Kingdom. According to the Rector, “another aspect of the activities of The Centre for Legal Studies is Bar Vocational Courses for New Wigs fresh out of Law School.”

The school boasts of a galaxy of learned minds as resource persons. They include but are not limited to the current Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who gave a lecture on Front loading of documents for filling cases in the High Court of Justice in 2010, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN gave a seminar paper on Election Petitions, Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN gave a lecture on Human Rights, Dr Fabian Ajogun also gave a seminar paper on Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Dr Babatunde Ajibade, SAN who gave a seminar on Appeal to name but few.

Aside this, the school spends quality time on training Paralegals.

The matriculants at the occasion form the very first set to receive a National Diploma in Paralegal Studies in Nigeria. Explaining the concept, Chief (Mrs) Aremu, SAN, explained that a paralegal is an individual, qualified by education work or experience in a law office who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated tasks.

Dignitaries at the occasion include Chief Mrs. P. C. Ajayi Obe, Professor Emeritus Oladunni Taylor, Dr. Olugbenga Jegede, President Of NIV Institutions, Mrs P.O Beckley and Mrs. D. E. Salami, Registrar, Kings University, Odeomu, Osun State.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Govs’ appointment of LG caretaker chairmen, against constitution—Don Oluwole Ige -Osogbo

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Professor of Governance Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State, Michael Adeyeye, on Tuesday, described the appointment of caretaker committee chairmen by states governors to run the affairs of local government councils in the country, instead of democratically elected chairmen, as an abberation of Nigeria’s constitution.

He made this disclosure while delivering the 284th inaugural lecture of the OAU, entitled: “Governing the Localties: Lessons (Un) Learnt”.

Adeyeye lamented that the current excessive centralisation of governance could only deepen corruption and abuse of power, adding that effective governance in local areas could only be ensured through election.

According to him,“credible election into the local government councils have been haphazard in Nigeria since 1976 till date. The constitution currently being operated empowers state governors to appoint chair-

Appointment of VC: OAU ASUU disagrees with NASU, SSANU

By Abiodun Awolaja WORRIED by the agitation mounted by members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) for input into the processes leading to the appointment of the next vice chancellor of the university, the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Obafemi Awolowo University branch, has faulted the move, saying that the appointment of a vice chancellor falls strictly within the purview of the appointing authorities, namely the Governing Council.

The OAU ASUU made its position known in a statement, following its last congress held at the university and signed by its chairman, Dr Caleb Aborisade.

The OAU ASUU said it was briefed on some of the matters treated at the last meeting of the Governing Council of the university, where the screening of candidates for the post of vice chancellor of the university was done, leading to the emergence of six candidates who would be communicated officially by the Council.

persons of SIEC, the electoral umpires mandated to conduct local government elections in the 36 States of the federation.

“As the situation stands, there is some ambiguities as to whether state governors can dissolve local councils before elections are conducted at the expiration of their tenure, but often, many state governors capitalise on this ambiguity to dissolve local councils at the end of their tenure, and appoint caretaker committees contrary to the spirit

and letters of Section 7 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Often these committees are staffed with cronies and party sympathisers. This situation makes the possibility of conducting free and fair elections into councils very remote. The result has been de-democratization of the local governments. In sum, the local governments have taken critical steps in confronting its manifold challenges; but there are still opportunities,” Adeyeye remarked.

While wondering why local governments currently constituted the weakest level of government in the federal system, he blamed the inconsistent policies of successive regimes for the poor delivery of local government in different states of the federation.

“The Nigerian state has continually faltered to positively readdress the course of history and grasp the opportunity to address the current challenges. Nigeria is in a static and restless state because it is a struc-

ture built on mistrust and contradictions.

“My submission is that local government currently constitutes the weakest level of government in the federal system; it has been the object of inconsistent policies as successive regimes alternatively enhanced or undermined their autonomy and resources. This level of government has been unable to attract a sufficient number of dynamic and competent leaders to guide its development,” he added.

Professor of Governance Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Professor Michael Adeyeye (second right); the institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju (right); Dean, Faculty of Arts, Professor Gbemisola Adeoti (second left) and Professor Jide Oke of Botany Department, during the 284th inaugural lecture at the institution, on Tuesday.

Why we sacked certificate racketeers from EKSU —VC NEWLY appointed Vice Chancellor of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Professor Samuel Oye Bandele, has disclosed why the institution dispensed with the services of those who engaged in the fraudulent act of certificate racketeering in the university.

Bandele, who was appointed as the seventh substantive vice chancellor of the university about three months ago, told a cross section of newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, that shortly after his assumption of office, he discovered that those that were appointed as ad hoc lecturers in the directorate of part-time unit of the university, were apportioning marks fraudulently to some students “After resumption of office, I discovered that those employed as ad-hoc lecturers were engaging in cooking marks for students “I said no, this thing must stop, we disengaged their services. We decided to sanitise the system, we recalled the students who had deficiencies in one course or another to do a re-sit by paying certain amount of money, depending on the number of courses they had deficiency

in,” the VC said.

The vice chancellor, who recently convoked an educational summit and another summit on how to improve Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the smooth running of the institution, said the motive behind this was to build a 21st century first class university that would

stand a test of time,whose products would excel in their areas of specialisation, and to improve the finances of the university.

He said the institution had introduced some courses at certificate and diploma level that would be useful for the community where the university is established.

Bandele, who was a pioneer vice chancellor of the University of Education, Ikere Ekiti and the University of Science and Technology, Ifaki Ekiti (both defunct), said EKSU would soon become a full-fledged boarding institution, saying works were in progress for the construction of its hostel.

Cable TV technician dies of complications in Ilorin Biola Azeez - Ilorin A 29-year-old Cable Television (TV) technician, Ahmed Saheed, has reportedly died of complications, following missiles of stones allegedly hauled at him by some guests in a hotel located at Adewole area of Ilorin, on Tuesday night.

The Nigerian Tribune investigations revealed that Ahmed slumped while making report at the Adewole police station, Ilorin.

He was rushed from the police station to a private hospital where he was confirmed dead.

It was later gathered that the corpse had been deposited at the Ilorin General

Hospital, as the deceased’s family awaited autopsy report before being released for burial.

Eyewitness account revealed that a disagreement had ensued on Tuesday, between the management of the hotel located on Police Road at Adewole area and members of Okesuna community, where the deceased was a resident, over allegation that some people threw faeces into the hotel premises.

“In return, guests who were said to be relaxing at the hotel as of the time of the incident, responded by hauling missiles of stones which allegedly hit the deceased, where he was making a phone call.

“The development caused pandemonium in the area as youths of the community mobilised themselves and reported the matter at the Adewole police station,” an eyewitness said.

Sources also disclosed that the deceased who fainted few minutes after he was hit on the head by the stone, was however, resuscitated before he went to the Adewole police station to lodge a formal complaint alongside some other aggrieved youths.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident.

He said investigation into the matter was already ongoing.

YABATECH expels 6 final year students THE Academic Board of the Yaba College of Technology has expelled six final year students for presenting fake or altered National Diploma (ND) and National Certificate of Education (NCE) results for admission.

The expulsion notice was contained in a circular signed by Mrs Taiwo Obadimu, the Deputy Registrar of the college, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, on Wednesday.

According to the circular, the authorities of the institution considered the report on verification of the affected students’ results and found them culpable.

“Their expulsion was approved, having found the students guilty for presenting fake/altered ND/NCE results, as their conduct violated the college’s rules and regulations.

“The students are advised to hand over all college property, including student identity cards in their possession to the heads of their departments, the Polytechnic Librarian and the Dean of Students’ Affairs, with immediate effect,” the circular stated.

Court orders UNILAG to reinstate medical students Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin -Lagos JUSTICE Sule Hassan of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has ordered the University of Lagos to reinstate students into the College of Medicine, after the institution disqualified the students from their chosen courses of study.

Thirty-one undergraduates of the Faculty of Medicine, had approached the court, after the university arbitrarily reviewed upwards the academic requirements into the College of Medicine.

The university had blocked some of its 2014/2015 medical students from proceeding to the College of Medicine, after introducing new academic qualifications in the middle of the school’s academic calendar.

According to the new rules, the school placed the students in departments other than the ones where they had studied in their first year.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Sule Hassan ordered the university to maintain the state of affairs before the dispute, pending the resolution of the matter.

The judge adjourned the matter till April 1.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016 With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

From left, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah; Kwara State governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed; Managing Director, Ning Bo Jin Sheng Co. Ltd. China, Shi Zeng Chao and the Director, (Investment Promotion), Ministry of Trade and Investment, Olanipekun O.M, during a courtesy call by the governor to the minister, in Abuja.

From left, Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Pally Iriase; Director, Special Duties, National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), Yakubu Jok; Chief Operating Officer, Bridge Concept, Bosah Ugolo and a student, Mike Francis during the launch and unveiling of Nigerian Students and Youth Corp members discount card, in Abuja on Monday. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI

From left, State Area Manager, Lapo Oyo I, Mrs Osas Ojo; Pastor (Mrs) Comfort Abiodun Ogundipe and the guest speaker, Mr Mustapha Abimbola, during the International Women’s Day by the LAPO-NGO, held at Lapo office, Poly Road, Ibadan, recently. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO-OKE

Chief (Mrs) Modupe Adeleke (middle), Proprietor, Moret Junior School, Idi-Oro, Ekotedo, Ibadan, presenting a trophy to Ayomide Hassan representative of the Green House which came first in 2016 sports competition, held at Lekan Salami Sports Stadium (mainbowl), Adamasingba, Ibadan recently. With them from left, are the headteacher, Mrs Olufunke Olatunji, Mrs Remi Bruce, Mrs Loveth Ndubuia and Mary Oiji.

From left, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Francesco Angelone; Professor of Foreign Languages, LASU, Professor Tunde Fatunde; shortlisted author for Etisalat Prize for Literature 2016, Penny Busetto; Patron, Etisalat Prize for Literature, Kole Omotosho and renowned Poet and author, Odia Ofeimun, at the prize’s book reading, in Lagos.

From left, Deputy President, KADCCIMA, Hajia Fareedah Dankaka; the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; President, KADCCIMA, Dr. Abdul-Alimi Bello and and Chairman, ABG Group, Dr Bawa Garba, at the commissioning of KADCCIMA secretariat, at the weekend.

From left, Coordinator Youth wing, Christian Association of Nigeria( CAN), Ibadan, Dr Aduragbemi Falowo; Vice Coordinator, Evangelist Kunle Obabiyi; General Secretary, Brother Akilapa Idowu; General General Secretary, Brother Emmanuel Alaka; Treasurer, Pastor Taiwo Ishola and PRO, Prophet Toyin Balogun, during the inauguration of new executive of youth wing CAN, Ibadan, at Christ Foundation League, Idi-Ape, Ibadan, recently.

Madam Eunice Olapeju Oni at the weekend in Osogbo, Osun State, celebrated her 70th birthday.

Her husband ,Pastor Clement Oni, the General Overseer of His Grace Baptist Church, assisting her to cut the birthday cake.

For bookings, contact ’Laolu Afolabi on 08054681741 or Tommy Adegbite on 08116954631

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

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SEND YOUR SHORT MESSAGES TO: 08054005323, 08055001746

•The struggle for water. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

Economic crisis: FG should not retrench

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FFICIALS of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) must be ready to resist the Federal Government if it plans to retrench civil servants due to the challenges

we are facing economically. It is being speculated that the government wants to use the issue of the 23,000 ghost workers to retrench, but this must be resisted.

Now, why should Nigerian civil servants suffer for

the dwindling oil revenues when they didn’t even enjoy it when the price was high?

Labour had been calling on government all these years to increase the minimum wage to no effect, but political office holders

have been collecting huge allowances and salaries when we had the boom. So why should civil servants suffer for what they didn’t benefit from? In the spirit of fairness, the government should not retrench civil servants under any

Gov Ajimobi, complete Apata/New Garage Road I want to commend the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, for the wonderful work he is doing in the area of rehabilitation and construction of roads.

Even, the governor’s critics acknowledge he has really performed well. As a result of his good performance, I want to draw his attention to the expressway that was being constructed by the government of Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala.

The expressway is from New Garage-Orita Challenge to Apata. However, Chief Alao-Akala could not complete the road before he lost the 2011 election. I

must say that the road is almost 90 per cent completed, but there are certain sections at Kuola and Jankarta areas at Apata, which the road runs through, that have not been completed.

The incomplete section

terminates at Olakunle Junction, on the road linking Apata–Aba AlamuElere road. Many people in this area now use this road to link areas like Ring Road, Challenge, Odo Ona Elewe, and so on. I believe

Senator Ajimobi is a man after perfection.

I hope he can complete this road for the benefit of the people in these areas, and not think the project was started by his predecessor. At least, the gov-

circumstances.

Instead, it should look for other ways through which it can shore up its income generation capabilities. It is now high time we looked away from oil; we shouldn’t continue to put all our eggs in one bas-

ernor has also completed landmark projects that future governors will struggle to match.

Ayodeji Iyanda, 08181863246.

Uninterrupted power supply will transform Nigeria IF we can get it right through the power reform, then Nigeria will be on its way to becoming one of the biggest economies in the world.

With Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola in charge of Works, Power and Housing, then there is hope that

very soon, electricity will become stable in the country. When this finally happens, those who had abandoned their jobs in favour of operating Okadas, like welders, video club operators, among others, will return to their professions.

The manufacturing sec-

tor also will grow, since companies will no longer have to depend on diesel to power their machines.

It will also attract Foreign Direct Investment into the country, as global companies will want to take advantage of Nigeria’s huge population.

Uninterrupted power supply is the only solution for Nigeria to emerge as a truly global economic giant, and it is expected that the electricity companies will be able to deliver this in a short period of time.

•Jimoh Mumin, 08034435211.

ket as it is the case now.

•Vincent Akadiri, 08030461538.

Appeal to Gov Mimiko

I want to appeal to the Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, to focus on Ore and Ode Irele towns in his developmental programmes. These two towns have not really benefitted much from his administration.

The roads in the towns are not tarred, and as a result, everywhere is dusty during dry seasons, and muddy during rainy seasons.

The stadium project in Ode Irele had been abandoned, while the link road to Okitipupa had also been abandoned. Again, I want the governor to also know that the Ore expressway needs a pedestrian bridge.

•Bamidele Akindele, 08172741878.

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editorial

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

LCDAs: Matters arising

AGOS State under former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the first to create what it had to call Local Community Development Areas (LCDAs) when it attempted to bring governance closer to the grassroots by expanding the number of its local government areas.

The choice of nomenclature was borne out of the recognition that, unlike other federations across the globe, Nigeria has its own local government areas and their names etched in the Constitution, with the councils also enjoying direct allocation from the Federation Account, such that the creation of new local governments would require changing the Constitution for the process to be completed, which change is not a simple matter in a complex country like Nigeria. The Lagos State government must have thought it better to have the LCDAs until the time that the National Assembly, which is in charge of amending the Constitution, would consider it worthwhile to include these new creations in the Constitution and perhaps change them to local government areas.

Even at that, the creation of the LCDAs degenerated into a legal tango between the state and the Federal Government under the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, culminating in a landmark decision of the Supreme Court to the effect that the state governments have the right to create new local governments, but that these would remain inchoate until the National Assembly completed the process by amending the Constitution to reflect the new local governments.

Other states, noticeably Osun and Ogun, have of late been following in the footsteps of Lagos State with the plan to create additional LCDAs. What is important to note however is that as things stand under the Constitution, these LCDAs are not recognised for the purpose of allocation from the Federation Account, leaving states with LCDAs with the unenviable position of funding them through the allocation meant for the recognised local governments.

The implication of this position is that whereas the governments are right to want to take governance closer to the people through the LCDAs, they are doing this at enormous cost to the resources of the people as bureaucracies are being created, replicated and expanded even without additional funding. The funds meant for the sustenance of the bureaucracy in a local government is now stretched and used for the bureaucracies of two or more LCDAs. This way, the people are more likely to get the political benefit of the creation of the LCDAs than the economic benefit.

Indeed, because the resources available are expended on bureaucracies, nothing significant can be achieved by the LCDAs in terms of concrete development for the people.

We are, of course, aware that many of the states creating the LCDAs take the additional initiative of reducing the bureaucratic offices necessary for their running, but this would not ultimately detract from the fact that scarce resources are being deployed to such ends. And yet the purpose of bringing government and governance nearer to the people should not be just for the existence of bureaucracies and the filling of such posts by a handful of people. The full realisation of the potentials of these LCDAs are therefore more likely to be on display and realizable when they become full local government areas recognised by the Constitution or when the country comes to the realisation that local governments should be left entirely to the province of the state governments and should not be part of the Constitution, nor be directly funded from the Federation Account.

This is why we believe that the governors who have correctly identified the need for more spread in the presence of government through the instrumentality of the LCDAs should go beyond their creation to also canvass the process of turning them into local governments. We are of the opinion that this desire to bring government closer to the people should be a national one deserving of a national response, such that it should not be impossible or difficult to get a national framework or consensus on how to achieve this. Whereas the whole process of constitution amendment could be cumbersome and tiresome because it normally incorporates so many issues and items, the governors could utilize the platforms of the National Governors Forum (NGF) and the National Economic Council (NEC) for a discussion on this particular issue.

With all the governors desirous of taking government closer to the people, there should be enough incentive for them to work out the modalities for achieving this in such a way that resources would match the attendant creation. Nigerians deserve to have functional government structures nearer to them for inclusive and participatory democracy and there is no better way to achieve this than a comprehensive agreement and consensus on how the current local government system should be expanded across the whole country. This way, the LCDAs would be spread throughout the country and the real benefits of the creation would accrue to the people.

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opinion

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

The gathering of vultures

By Femi Fani-Kayode

T

HE vultures are circling, yet I am not disturbed because they cannot eat my flesh. The wolves are howling, yet I shall not retreat because they cannot crush my bones.

The bullies are threatening, yet I shall not bow because they cannot break my spirit or conquer my soul.

The demons are baying, yet I shall not fear because they cannot drink my blood. The liars are lying, yet I shall not be deterred for I know the Ancient of Days, the mighty God that I serve.

The foxes are plotting, yet I shall not be moved and I shall treat them with the contempt and disdain that they deserve. The snakes are hissing, yet I am not perturbed, knowing that their poison and hate cannot overwhelm or blind me.

The dogs are barking, yet I continue to rejoice, knowing that lions do not tremble at the bark of an accursed mongrel.

The Accuser of the Brethren has begun his devlish work of slander, yet I shall lose no sleep, knowing that in the end, truth always prevails.

There is evil in the land and the ravenous beasts of our dark forest are roaring, yet I shall not run. As always, I shall stand and I shall fight. As always, I will speak against the persecution of the innocent and the cruelty and injustice of the wicked.

As always, I will resist the hidden agenda to violate our nation’s secularity and to Islamise our nation. As always, I shall preach the equality of all men and the humanity of all souls.

As always, I will stand against the enthronement and the empowerment of bloodthirsty and evil men.

As always, I shall stand against the terrorists and jihadists in our midst who have wrought destruction on our nation and who have shattered the lives of so many.

As always, I shall speak up for the oppressed, the voiceless, the weak, the vulnerable, the misrepresented, the hated and the despised.

As always, I will resist the cruelty that has been inflicted upon the unlawful captive and those who have been

subjected to an unconstitutional, unlawful and indefinite detention.

As always, I shall speak against the violation of court orders and the intimidation and humiliation of the Judiciary.

As always, I shall oppose a foreign policy that turns our nation into a shadow of her once glorious past and nothing more than an appendage of the Salifists and Wahabbists of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

As always, I will speak out against violence, genocide, ethnic cleansing and all crimes against humanity. As always, I shall speak up for the vulnerable, the weak, the less-privileged and the deprived.

As always, I shall stand against the tyrants and despots who use their position of power and privilege to destroy the lives of others.

As always, I shall stand against state-sponsored murder and politically-inspired and selective criminal prosecutions.

As always, I shall speak the bitter truth and voice my support for the self-determination and the liberation of the oppressed ethnic nationalities of Nigeria, including those of the Middle Belt, the South-East and the SouthSouth.

As always, I will resist those who abduct our citizens, commit rape, indulge in mass murder and that torment our people with their satanic hordes and demonic herds all in an attempt to subjugate and conquer us and impose their will.

As always, I will oppose pedophelia, child rape and the abduction, enslavement and forced Islamisation of little girls in distant lands and sinister palaces.

As always, I will fight a good fight and stand for truth.

As always, I will stand against the licensing of Churches and the violation of our constitutionally-guaranteed religious freedoms. As always, I will stand against those who ban prayers in our schools.

As always, I will gladly offer my very life as a living sacrifice for my faith and I will defend the honor and dignity of Christianity wherever I go.

No matter what they say or do, as long as God gives me life, I shall never be silenced. I shall fulfill my destiny because His love will see me through and it will nullify their evil projections and manifest hate.

The vultures are circling, yet I am not disturbed because they cannot eat my flesh. In my case, they say it is personal and that they have a score to settle.

They say that they have been told by their idol and their little god to ‘’punish me ruthlessly for my insolence’’ and ‘’to give me hell.” Others have tried before and I saw their end.

I await them: let the God that answers by fire, let Him be my God. In the meantime, I count it all as joy, for in the end, my innocence shall speak for me and I shall prevail.

Until then, let them be rest-assured of one thing: I have no fear because the Lord is with me. I make my boast in Him and none other. Without Him, I am nothing but with Him, I am everything. No matter how long it takes, He will never abandon me because I have done absolutely nothing wrong.

As long as Jesus is on the throne, He will preserve my life and I shall fulfill the purpose for which He gave it to me. They shall not thwart that purpose, they shall not break me, they shall not destroy me and neither shall they have their wicked way with me. They shall fall into the pit that they have dug for me themselves and their end shall be bitter. The bible says: “He suffered no man to do them wrong. He reproved kings for their sake saying ‘touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm’.”

They seek to touch the anointed of the Lord: let us put God’s word to the test.

•Fani-Kayode is a former minister of aviation.

The vintage Kanu Agabi

By Abu Quassim IF there is now less tension in the legal exchange going on in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) which is presently hearing the 13 count charge preferred against Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki by the Federal Government, the credit should go to one man. That is the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under the Obasanjo administration between 1999 and 2003, Chief Kanu Agabi SAN. Chief Agabi took over from Mr. Joseph Daudu SAN as Saraki’s lead counsel in the case of alleged false asset declaration when the Tribunal resumed sitting on March 11, 2015 after the Supreme Court on February 5 dismissed the objection to the jurisdiction of the tribunal raised by the defence team. When the trial commenced last September, there was always tripartite adversarial relationship between the bench, prosecution and defence. On almost every issue, no matter how simple it is, there would be bitter contest. This created the impression on the ordinary people present in court that the prosecution and the bench were in alliance against the defence.

However, since Agabi came in, he had stamped his personality in restricting the division, differences and disagreements to only issues of law and facts of the matter.

Speaking as slowly as he walks, the former Attorney General of the Federation had brought to bear his experience, maturity, respect and dignity on the case even when both sides remain vehement, virulent and entrenched in their arguments on points of law, legal authorities and procedure without being antagonistic to each other. With this development, the two parties are now able to carry each other along.

In a long while since the case resumed on March 11, both the prosecution and defence are able to hold consultation and agree on the next adjourned date. They then persuaded the Tribunal chairman to agree with them.

However, the agreement did not just come without the

two sides first presenting different proposed dates.

Agabi is sometimes able to douse the tension on most occasions by cracking jokes or throwing banters at the bench and the prosecution. With that style, he gives the people in the Tribunal the occasion to laugh and be carried along with the arguments on the point of law being canvassed. For example, when he announced that he had 80 lawyers in his team, he joked that the defence team is in the majority and that if the decision on the case were to be put to vote, they would simply win. While also reading out the names of the Senior Advocates and other lawyers in the team, he advised that the Chairman of the tribunal, Mr Danladi Umar, need not take down the names again since the list had been submitted to him. However, when the Mr Umar then said the counsel should skip the ritual of reading the names, he said “My lord, what about giving them the benefit of bowing before you and getting their names announced as part of the team,” the tribunal chairman agreed with him because it is an essential privilege for most of the young lawyers in the team.

At some times, Agabi will reiterate the importance of the case to the country as he often said the entire country

is watching and waiting to see how the case will go. “My Lord, it is necessary for us to put every point on record because this case is peculiar. I am under suspicion; Rotimi Jacobs (the senior advocate who leads the prosecution team) is under suspicion. My Lord, I dare not call your name, you are also under suspicion,” he said.

In another instance, he reminded the court that everybody is equal under the law and that his client who is Nigeria’s number three citizen “ is a good man.” The people burst into laughter. He has a way of changing the pitch and tone of his voice to accentuate and suit the point he is trying to make.

There are occasions when the Tribunal and the prosecution tried to put him on the spot. In one instance, the tribunal chairman, Mr Umar and Jacob reminded him that as a former AGF who had utilised the provision of Sections 150 and 174 of the constitution to institute charges, even in the Tribunal, he could not be arguing that the AGF had no powers to institute a case in the Tribunal. Agabi countered that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is a special court and that only the CCB could refer cases to the CCT. He said if he had instituted cases at the tribunal as AG it should be seen as one of his mistakes and that it was left for the defence team to point out this to the appropriate court.

“I am not infallible. I made mistakes. That was one of my mistakes. In fact, when I was AGF, a woman accosted me somewhere and said you are the worst AGF. I said thank you and moved on,” he told the Tribunal. He was so dramatic about that submission that every body in the court could not help it but laugh.

For Agabi, who also won the case for Mr. Darius Ishaku, Governor of Taraba State in his titanic case against Hajiya Aisha Alhassan on the last governorship election, the Saraki case may present to him one of the greatest tests of his about four decades of legal practice.

•Quassim writes from Abuja.

21

Thursday, 24 March, 2016 Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 08158610216

A flyover under construction in one of Nigeria’s federal roads

FG seeks more foreign investment in infrastructure Saliu Gbadamosi -Abuja

T

HE Federal Government has called for more assistance from the international donor agencies in line with the concerted efforts being made by the current administration to build strong infrastructures in Nigeria.

Minister of Budget and National Plan-

Firm to empower 50 women on photography

ning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, made the call when he received a delegation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), led by its Country Director, Mr Michael Harvey, in his office, Abuja.

He commended the donor agencies, including European Union, USAID, Unicef, World Bank, among others, for their numerous gestures to the country, notably in health education, and agricultural sectors of the economy.

Udoma, however, said the new govern-

ment had inherited difficult circumstances which required that more support is sought from international donor agencies, particularly in development of critical infrastructure like power, among others.

He said that one of the biggest challenges of the present administration was to attract more foreign and private investment into the economy, declaring that Nigeria was today open to business.

The minister said: “Nigeria is today open to business; we want to see an increase in investment. Private sector resources are

An insight into infrastructure development in FCT

Adetola Bademosi - Abuja THE management of a photography firm has disclosed plans to empower women across the country through its new franchise programme.

Franchise Manager, Odior Okaka, who made this known in Abuja, said the organisation was prepared to engage 50 women, especially those from age 25 to 60 and support them with necessary tools.

She noted that if a woman was empowered, it would boost livelihood of her household.

She said: “The idea is to create a novel 1000 job opportunities in the creative arts industry, reduce poverty, empower and support the businesses around an existing and established brand.

“We will support the potential franchisees with necessary tools,” she stated.

Head of Business Development Marketing, Ezinne Njoku, said with about 25 year experience, the firm was capable of empowering the potential beneficiaries especially in terms of capacity building.

unlimited; they come from within and outside the country. We are looking at all bottlenecks affecting investment in Nigeria and we will remove them.”

Speaking on the apprehension by USAID for the urgent reconstruction of NorthEastern states ravaged by insurgency and the international agency’s statistics that only 30 per cent of Nigerians having HIV are currently on treatment, Udoma said: “These problems are some of our biggest worries; our ministries and agencies handling these issues are working hard and will soon address them.”

Earlier, USAID Country Director, Harvey, told the minister that the agency had spent $700 million to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, calling on the Nigerian government to increase its counterpart funding to address this health scourge.

Harvey assured Udoma that USAID would support local pharmaceutical companies to produce HIV/AIDS drugs in Nigeria, which he said would benefit the country.

Crew 1. Christian Okeke chidiabujatribune@ yahoo.com 08030947856 2. Clement Idoko idokoajiga@yahoo. co.uk 08034412281

Buhari’s overseas trips won’t stop delivery of promises —NATFORCE DG —pg 22

FG won’t endorse agreement not profitable to Nigeria —Perm Sec —pg 22

3. Kolawole Daniel kolawoledaniels@yahoo.co.uk 08030763782 4. Adetola Bademosi gloriaadetola@ gmail.com 08182214290 5. Collins Nnabuife chideraacollins@yahoo.com 08039521408 Abuja Xtra email & GSM: abujaxtra@ gmail.com 08054501406

22

abujaxtra

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Buhari’s overseas trips won’t stop delivery of promises —NATFORCE DG Dr Osita Okereke is the Director-General of National Taskforce to Combat Illegal Importation of Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons, (NATFORCE). He speaks in this interview on issues bordering on insurgency and the dwindling economy.

ADETOLA BADEMOSI brings Excerpts:

M

any Nigerians have criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for his frequent foreign trips in the face of the current economic crisis in the country, what is your take on this?

Well, Nigerians are always in a haste to make comments or criticise. If Mr President does not travel, people will still complain. I can remember when the late General Sani Abacha was in power; he was not travelling out and people complained that he was not reaching out to other leaders.

President Buhari is not the first President to travel, Obasanjo travelled, Jonathan did, Yar’Adua did the same, but I can tell you that Buhari’s trips are going to yield fruit for Nigerians. The man is not travelling to

lavish Nigeria’s money because most of his trips are sponsored. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC), sponsored some of the trips.

We must understand that Nigeria has so many accumulated problems and these problems cannot be solved in a day. Boko Haram is there and corruption is there.

He cannot fight these alone; he has to relate with other neighbouring countries and our friends. So many countries are making promises and helping Nigeria to block avenues of leakages in our economy as well as repatriation of our looted funds.

We should also understand that no country in the world is an island in itself. In a nutshell, travelling won’t stop him from delivering on his Change Agenda. He has his full cabinet on ground, the National

Photo News

Speaker,House of Representatives,Honourable Yakubu Dogara (left) and Governor, Rotary International District 9125,Dr Mike Omotosho, during the unveiling of the Prototype of the World’s thickest book “My Dream Nigeria” by 12,000(twelve thousand) authors in National Assembly in Abuja, recently.

From right, Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele; President/Chairman of Council Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Dr Nat Ofo and Past president of the institute, Mallam Zubairu, during ICSAN meeting with the CBN Governor, recently in Abuja.

PHOTOS: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI

We must all contribute to end terrorism in Nigeria —Ex-Air Commodore Clement Idoko - Abuja A retired Air Commodore, Darlington Abdullahi, has said that tackling the menace of Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism in the country is a responsibility for all Nigerians.

Abdullahi spoke in Abuja during the public presentation and unveiling of his Book: “The Boko Haram Phenomenon and Terrorism in Nigeria” where he announced that 25 per cent of the proceeds from the launch of the book would be donated to the victims of Boko Haram attacks to alleviate their plight.

He said the book was part of his contribution to the ongoing efforts to end the enormous security challenges confronting Nigeria, saying the task of ending terrorism in Nigeria was a responsibility of all Nigerians.

Abdullahi was a Directing Staff and Di-

rector, National and Military Strategy at the National Defence College, Abuja, from 2010 to 2012.

He noted that the book highlighted various strategies for tackling terrorism, historical background to Boko Haram sect in Nigeria and general solutions to security challenges.

The author disclosed that the publisher of the Book, HiiTPlc, and himself met and decided that whatever was realised from the Book launch, 25 per cent of its proceeds would be donated to the victims of Boko Haram insurgencies in various Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the country.

Abdullahi added that the book proffered solutions, which, he believed, would assist in addressing the challenges faced in the country today, while also contributing to rehabilitation of the victims.

Dr Osita Okereke Assembly is there debating on the budget that he submitted to them. I can as well tell you that he has somebody who is in charge of administration, who is the VicePresident and everyone knows that he is more than capable.

Can you also say that President Buhari is doing well in the anti-corruption war of his administration in spite of accusations of lopsidedness from the opponents of the government?

I think he is doing what he said he was going to do, which is fighting corruption.

Fighting corruption is not a day’s job. we cannot eradicate it in one day. Let me tell you, the biggest problem we have in Nigeria today is corruption and if we continue like this, I can tell you Nigeria will collapse. Everybody knows that the country almost collapsed in the previous administration and in fact almost everything in Nigeria had collapsed before President Buhari came to rescue the country. If Buhari did not come to power, I wonder where we would have been by now. Public treasury was looted with impunity. Look at the single case of Dasuki; it’s appalling.

The Dasukigate is something else. Till this moment, nobody knows exactly what the money was meant for, which I think Dasuki can answer himself. I know that former President Goodluck Jonathan could not have budgeted money for arms and asked them to distribute it for elections.

I think there was money budgeted for the election. But the question is, where is the money budgeted for the election? From all indications, while the money budgeted for the elections was used for the conduct of the election, the money approved for arms was diverted and shared among

themselves; so nobody should blame Mr president because this is corruption at the highest order. We are having problems, people are dying every day as a result of insurgency and money was given to buy arms and the money was shared with your people; it is an abomination. Many Nigerians have lost their lives because of this Boko Haram issue, you now got the money and shared it, which means you are part of the Boko Haram.

You are the DG of NATFORCE, in your view, how do you think the problem of Boko Haram insurgency can be solved?

Fighting terrorism all over the world is not an easy task because these people are faceless. You don’t know them; you don’t know whether I’m a Boko Haram member as I’m seated here. The move on the streets and live among people. But since Buhari came in about eight months ago and started fighting them, he has succeeded 80 per cent. We must go to the grassroots, the security must go into the grassroots, only then can we recognise who is who. People will now go into surveillance, monitor people; monitor what they do and who is who. Don’t think that by the time they finish with Sambisa, the Boko Haram has ended; like I said earlier, they are in every state. Only through grassroots policing can we conquer Boko Haram and it is not something that you can do overnight.

That is why we are trying to engage 300 people per local government in Nigeria and they will go into the grassroots, monitor the people in every local government, I can tell you this is one of the things that will help us conquer Boko Haram in the country.

FG won’t endorse agreement not profitable to Nigeria —Perm Sec Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja THE Federal Government has assured Nigerians that it will not endorse any international agreement that is not of any advantage to the country and the wellbeing of its people.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mrs Fatimah Nana Mede, gave this indication in Abuja while receiving leadership of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) who were on a visit to the ministry.

Responding to the request made by the president of the association, Frank Udemba Jacobs, urging government not to endorse the ECOWAS-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in its present form, Mede stated that any issue to be endorsed by the Federal Government had to be one with advantage to both the country and its people.

She said further that the government was determined and committed to boost-

ing infrastructure in Nigeria, saying the allocation of N433 billion in the 2016 budget was to achieve this purpose.

She added that the Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) was a vital document for the development of infrastructure in the country and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning was working closely with ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) on how to package Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements and capacity building.

MAN president had earlier said that the association was against the endorsement of the ECOWAS-EU EPA, because both parties were not at par as far as development was concerned.

According to Jacobs, succumbing to European Union (EU)’s pressure for the endorsement of the partnership agreement would amount to economic slavery and doom for Nigeria’s industrialisation efforts.

23

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

education

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

Curbing the menace of cultism at Ambrose Alli University Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, had established notoriety for being one of the institutions of higher learning in the country where cultism had threatened to make learning a daunting task. But the authorities of the university have decided to take the bull by the horns, putting in place measures to stamp out the menace.

BANJI ALUKO, reports

D

ISTURBED by the activities of cult members on and off the campus, the authorities of the Abrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, last month decided they could no longer fold their arms and watch cultists destroy the name and reputation of the institution.

Like many other Nigerian universities and higher institutions, secret cult members abound among the thousands of students in the university. The upper echelon in the institution was particularly dissatisfied with the negative impact of the student cult members on the university town of Ekpoma, where majority of the students live.

Such was the humiliation the cult members were bringing upon the university that every crime committed in Ekpoma was always linked to cult members in AAU. The university was also not comfortable that there appeared to be a resurgence of cultism many years after the university successfully waged war against the menace that nearly brought it to its knees about two decades ago.

A lecturer who graduated from the institution in 1999 recalled that cultism reigned supreme at AAU in the 1990s and early 2000s. Insecurity was the order of the day in the university community and that many lives were lost in fights for supremacy among different cult groups.

This is what the authorities of the university did not want to recur, hence the renewed fight against cultism.

Before the February effort, findings showed that some of the cult groups operating in the state-owned university were the Neo Black Movement (Black Axe), Eiye Confraternity, the Buccaneers, Pirates Confraternity and the Jurist.

To kickstart the cleansing process, a well circulated statement signed by the Dean of Students Affairs of the university, Professor Isaac Aigbedion, to the students warned cult members among

them to relinquish their cult membership latest February 20, 2016.

Going by the date the statement was issued, the cultists were given about three weeks to renounce their cult membership. That was not all. The statement warned that suspected cultists who failed to heed the call would be handed over to law enforcement agencies “It is the hope of the university management that such members of cult groups, if any, will take advantage of this clarion call to renounce their membership. However, the university will hand over all suspected cultists to law enforcement agencies for prosecution as provided by the law, should such members fail to heed this call,” the statement warned.

A renunciation programme where cult members who were willing to renounce their membership would do so was organised to hold from February 17 to 19, 2016, at St. Patrick Catholic Church on the university campus.

Since renunciation programmes for cult members had been organised in the past without much success, the entire university community wanted to see if the latest effort would yield any positive result going by the seriousness attached to it.

Then came February 17, the first day of the renunciation programme organised by the university and some churches, including the Redeemed Christian Church of God and the Chapel of the Good Shepherd Church.

Indeed, something remarkable, perhaps one that has never occurred in the history of the AAU, took place that day. No fewer than 23 members of different cult groups renounced their cult membership that day.

In his remark, the Dean of Students Affairs, Professor Isaac Aigbedion, enthused that the renunciation marked the beginning of a new dawn in the university. He said renouncing cultism meant abandoning reckless lifestyles and evil ways, and that no good thing comes from the devil.

He said, “I know today, the devil have been put to shame through these young lads who have decided to abandon him for God; leaving the bush for a straight road that leads to God’s own way. After today’s renunciation, I am quite sure that a lot of parents and guardians will know that cultism has been swept away from AAU and Esan West Local Government Area.”

In a brief sermon, Revd Innocent Ebbeh of the Good Shepherd Church, praised the students for taking the decision to renounce cultism, noting that by the decision had opened positive doors to their future.

Prayer and deliverance exercises by the zonal pastor of Edo Province 4, Benin, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Allan Dirisu, and Pastor (Mrs) Hilda Aigbedion of RCCG, Ekpoma, were held for the repentant cultists as well.

Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku, VC, AAU The second renunciation day was also as successful as the first, bringing the total number of students who dumped cultism to about 60. As the institution harvested the new converts, efforts were also intensified to arrest those who declined to renounce their cult membership. This the university did in conjunction with the military, police and the civilian anti-cult group. In two separate incidents, nine suspected cult members were arrested.

In the first incident, two suspected cultists were arrested in the university town of Ekpoma while attempting to forcefully recruit some students into their cult group. They were apprehended and handed over to security agencies by the Association of Indigenes against Cultism in Esan West Local Government Area.

The arrest coincided with the renunciation programme, making their parade at the renunciation venue possible. Items recovered from the suspected cultists were two cut-to-size guns and one small axe, otherwise known as battle axe.

In the second incident, seven suspected cult members were apprehended by security agencies at Emuhi community, a suburb of Ekpoma. They were arrested by a combined team of military, police and civilian Anti-Cult Group while initiating new members into their Black Axe cult group. The cultists were said to have engaged security agents in a shootout before seven of them were arrested and some others escaped. Items such as charms, regalia, initiation concoction and cut-to-size guns were recovered from them.

24

education

Al-Qalam varsity VC warns against misconduct

• As 1,320 matriculate

THE vice chancellor, AlQalam University, Katsina, Professor Shehu Garki Ado, has warned fresh students of the university to avoid negative conduct during their stay at the institution.

Ado gave the warning while addressing newly matriculated 1,320 students at the 11th matriculation ceremony of the institution which held at the Conference Hall of the Muhammadu Sanusi II ICT Centre of the university.

According to a statement by the university's Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Abdu Radda, the vice chancellor highlighted the importance of imbibing the values of decency as students took their matriculation oaths.

He noted that the young but fast-growing university is collaborating with security agencies in the state to ensure effective security for the students and the whole university.

Ado warned that AUK would not tolerate acts capable of reversing the gains made so far by the university.

He warned them particularly against examination malpractices, drug addiction, fighting, vandalism, sexual harassment and threat to lives.

He reminded the students that acts of gross misconduct would attract appropriate punishments, including expulsion, revealing that 16 students were recently expelled for non-compliance with the relocation directive given last January.

Al-Qalam University, formerly Katsina University, is a private institution founded by the Katsina Islamic Foundation to promote high morals and cultivate sound academics in the country.

Debuting with just four academic courses when it gained accreditation in 2010, AUK has since obtained full accreditation from the National Universities Commission to run 22 programmes in Humanities, Engineering and Sciences. It also has approval to run post-graduate programmes in Islamic studies.

Thursday 24, March 2016

Mark, Amosun’s wife bag honorary at Novena University EbenezerAdurokiya-Warri

G

OVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has called on the National Universities Commis-

• As Okowa tasks NUC on standard sion (NUC) to strengthen its regulatory framework.

He made the call last weekend while speaking at the 3rd combined convoca-

tion ceremony and 10th anniversary of Novena University, Ogume, Delta State.

Okowa noted that strict adherence to NUC’s rules

and regulations by public and private universities is the only way to ensure that educational standards are not breached and university

Teachers and students of Al-Aleem Model Group of schools, Olunde Ayegun road, Jogbin, Ibadan, during their excursion to Tribune House, Ibadan, recently.

degrees are accorded due recognition internationally.

He described the emergence of private universities as one of the biggest gains of democracy, saying that they have come to rescue several thousands of youths from being denied university education.

“These institutions have come to the rescue of several thousands of youths who otherwise would have been denied university education because of the limited spaces in our public universities.

“The coming of private universities has also introduced healthy competition in our tertiary educational sector, and this has resulted in the provision of quality infrastructure, improved curricula and competitive fees,” he noted.

CRUTECH alumni launch 200m project Anthony Ubong, Calabar

Teachers and students of WHIZ-KIDS INT’L Schools (Montessori) Nursery, primary and College, PlotC, Block 3, Ateniwijo Layout, beside WEMA BANK, New Ife road, Ibadan, during their excursion to Tribune House, Ibadan, recently.

FedPoly, Ado-Ekiti, graduates 11,557 in combined ceremony Sam Nwaoko, Ado-Ekiti THE Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti has graduated 11,557 of its students at its combined 16th convocation ceremonies for the 2010/2011, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 sessions.

The polytechnic also conferred on three distinguished Nigerians the award of Fellowship of the Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti. The awardees were the Emir of Lafia, Alhaji Isah Mustapha Agwai; an industrialist and businessman, Sir Remi Omotosho and Mr. Toyin Alabi.

The Visitor to the polytechnic and Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said on the occasion that the federal government was committed to promoting technical and vocational

education in Nigeria through investment and research enhancement.

Adamu, who was represented on the occasion by the Director of Tertiary Education in the ministry, Mrs Damiat Abdullahi, said: “The federal Ministry of Education and

National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and other stakeholders are actively collaborating on the establishment of sector skills council, training quality assurance managers.

“Large number of unemployed youths are earning

their living within the informal sector. This informal economy, which comprises large segment of the urban population, is indeed earning a living by providing essential services, including skilled labour in construction, repair and trading.

Niger gov bags doctorate from Imo varsity Adelowo Oladipo, Minna NIGER State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, was on Saturday conferred with an honorary Doctor of Business Administration by the Imo State University, Owerri. The governor said the award would spur him into committing more into the Nigeria Project.

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Antho-

ny Anwukah, and Chairman of Spectrum Concerns Nigeria Limited, Mr Abubakar Isah, were also honoured with the university’s honorary doctoral degrees.

The ceremony, which also featured the award of postgraduate degrees, was the 7th convocation ceremony of the institution. It was presided over by the Visitor to the institution and governor of Imo State, Owelle Anayo

Rochas Okorocha.

Governor Sani Bello, who responded on behalf of the awardees, said the unity of the country is a project that all – both the leaders and the led – must enlist into.

“In unity lies our strength as a nation and as a people.

As a nation, we need to put national interest above narrow, selfish interests and primordial sentiments,” he said.

CROSS River University of Technology (CRUTECH) Alumni Association is set to embark on a N200 million state-of-the-art Alumni Centre situated at the Calabar campus of the institution The national president of the association, Mr. Eyam Abeng, who briefed journalists in Calabar on the proposed project, said the project, when completed, will provide ultramodern facilities that will enhance research and development.

He maintained that with the decline in crude oil price, there is the need to diversify the nation’s economy, especially in the areas of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and agriculture.

Eyam stated that to achieve the diversification campaign, it is necessary to set up and equip research and learning centres across the tertiary intuitions in the country.

The best area for investment in this present-day financial crisis, according to him, is through human capital development. He then urged investors to key into the alumni project.

On funding of the project, Eyam appealed to corporate organisations and individuals to support the laudable project.

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education

Efon Alaaye league gives N2m scholarship to Ekiti students Naza Okoli-Lagos EFON Alaaye Development League, Lagos State branch, at the weekend gave out cash awards and equipment worth N2 million to students from Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State at the launch of the league’s first ever scholarship project.

Speaking at the Efon Alaaye House, Somolu Lagos, venue of the event, the president of the league, Mr Emmmanuel Ajewole, said the initiative was intended to complement the efforts of the state government towards providing education and vocational training to young people.

Ajewole said: “Despite considerable progress made by the Ekiti State government in the educational sphere, we are not oblivious of the fact that our youths face important financial challenges in achieving their dreams. So many dreams have been lost. Many of our youths have lost focus due to no financial support and the considerable turbulence in global economy.

“It is very easy to sit up, take notice and criticise.

What is difficult is standing up and taking action.

Today, the Lagos League of Efon Alaaye is standing up and setting in motion, with over N2 million naira, the mechanism and machinery to sponsor the award on annual basis with a view to promoting and supporting worthy Efon Alaaye youths in their tertiary education, vocational training and self-employment.”

Five students who recently gained admission into tertiary institutions across the country received N50,000 each for the current session, and will receive the same amount every session until their graduation. Three other young people who had completed vocational training in different fields received equipment worth N300,000 each.

The secretary of the league, Mr Ope Makanjuola, explained that the beneficiaries were selected after a rigorous screening exercise.

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

British varsities, FUTA hold international conference on human habitat

P

ARTICIPANTS from various Nigerian and foreign universities converged on Akure to tackle issues relating to the sustainability and develop-

ment of human habitat at a five-day international conference, jointly organised by the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA); London South Bank University [LSBU]

and the De-Montfort University [DMU].

The conference, with the theme ‘21st Century Human Habitat: Issues, Sustainability and Development’ was aimed at prof-

fering solutions to lingering economic, social and environmental challenges bedeviling the world with special focus on developing countries.

Delivering the keynote

Cross section of student taking the matriculation oath of the University of Ibadan last Thursday. Photo: Yemi Funso-Oke.

Teachers and students of Honey International Group of schools Elerumoke village, Iyana Ajia, Ife/Ibadan expressway, Ibadan, during their excursion to Tribune House, Imalefalafia, Ibadan, recently.

‘Why Oritamefa Baptist Model Schools are the best’ The Pastor in Charge of the Oritamefa Baptist Church, Revd Dr Remi Adepegba, spoke with LAOLU HAROLDS on the factors responsible for the consistent high rating of the Oritamefa Baptist Model Schools. Excerpts: OBMS is reputed to have consistently emerged the best in Oyo State and the Southwest in terms of students’ performance in public examinations. To what do you attribute this feat?

It is very true that OBMS has taken over the lead of all schools, private and public, in Oyo State, in public exams – even as far as the whole of the South-West.

We can attribute this to the following: first, God factor. As a mission school, God has a pride of place in our operations. We’re committed to allowing God to lead us. Secondly, there is a committed drive for excellence. Here, we believe that in whatever you have to do,

Revd. Awopegba excellence is the watchword.

We also make provision for conducive environment that promotes serious academic work. In addition, our teachers here are well remunerated and motivated.

Can you give us a peek into the teacher-pupil

ratio at OBMS? Currently, at the OBMS Total Garden, we have a staff strength of 145 and students numerical strength of 1,650. When you look at that, it gives a ratio of 1:11.4 (one teacher to about 11 students). At the other side (Ring Road), the staff strength is 88 and students numerical strength of 835.

When you look at that, it’s a ratio of about 1:9.5 (one teacher to about 9.5 students). This is very difficult to come by anywhere.

Tell us about the disciplinary measures that you put in place that help you produce the kind of rounded children you turn out here.

A life that is not disciplined cannot achieve much; a system where there is no discipline cannot go far. I can start with the following: there is a weekly opportunity for all of us together in

the whole of this compound meeting for weekly service, giving us opportunity for moral and religious instruction. Secondly, we give opportunity for reward. We reward good conduct, neatness, good performance in every area. And in many cases, these rewards are even monetized. We give monetary rewards for the neatest, or best in the college. That is for the students.

Even teachers who do well, we reward them; teachers who excel in setting good examples for the students, we reward them. We also reward teachers whose students are outstanding. However, the school has a zero tolerance for indiscipline; any student who (breaks the rule) is disciplined; and the punishments are in grades. In addition, to make sure there is discipline within the system, we have surveillance over the environment by human as well as security gadgets.

address, Professor Olurinde Lafe, director, Centre for Renewable Energy Technology [CRET], FUTA, said for Nigeria to overcome power instability, she has to source for energy in multiple ways and adopt community energy storage.

Professor Lafe, a Renewable Energy expert, blamed Nigeria’s power situation on an overtly centralised system, an unwieldy network, paucity of energy sources, antiquated architecture of power lines and lack of effective storage.

He said the country has the potential to generate energy in hundreds of thousands of megawatts if she effectively utilizes available resources, especially in the area of mass refuse generated by the populace.

According to him, there is massive opportunity in waste-to-energy, saying Nigeria’s 245 million tons annual waste production can yield 160 Twh (or 160 billion kwh) of electricity per annum.

To implement this, the don recommended multiplicity of energy sources, community energy storage, capacity development of local work force and persistent maintenance, among others.

He further urged government, higher institution of learning, the local communities and stakeholders to rise to the challenge of local power generation. Lafe emphasised the need to appropriate the use of alternative renewable energy sources through the use of biomass, biofuels, hydro, geothermal, ocean waves and tidal currents.

The chairman, International Organizing Committee [IOC] and dean, School of the Built Environment and Architecture at the London South Bank University, England, Professor Charles Egbu, said the theme of the conference is apt considering the time that we are in. He said the Conference deals with issues of sustainability in its entirety as it embraces all facets of human endeavor.

Commending Professor Adebiyi Daramola for his doggedness in ensuring the success of the conference, Professor Obas Ebohon of De Montfort University, Leicester, United Kingdom said “I appreciate your vice chancellor for making this conference possible.

“His attitude encouraged me because out of 15 vice chancellors contacted, he is the only one who responded favourably. He virtually put me on my toes.”

education Zenith Bank holds Financial Literacy Day at Ibadan Grammar School 26

By Laolu Harolds

A

BOUT 100 students of the Ibadan Grammar School on Thursday took part in the 2016 Financial Literacy Day, organised by the Zenith Bank Plc. Financial Literacy Day is a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) project, in conjunction with the Junior Achievement Nigeria (a non-governmental organization), to impart the knowledge of financial literacy and entrepreneurship to students.

According to Mr Ayo Bello of the Junior Achievement Nigeria, the project is meant to bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace.

“The CBN, as an initiator of this particular project, and Junior Achievement are the brains behind this project. The CBN adopted it and made it a responsibility for all banks annually, mid-March, to go into all the states of the federation to impart this knowledge (of financial literacy)

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

to children,” he explained.

At the Thursday event, Mr Lawrence Akande, who represented the Zenith Bank Group Managing Director, Mr Peter Amangbo, took students through the basic concepts in banking and savings culture, including types of account,

deposits, interests, Bank Verification Number, credit/cooperative societies, dividends, insurance, and general rules of investment.

He also explained financial concepts like naira devaluation (with its advantages and disadvantages),

grow.”

Participating schools are selected in each of the states based on their affiliation with Junior Achievement Nigeria (which is itself an affiliate of the Junior Achievement International).

Mr Bello told Tribune

Teachers and students of Goshen Land International Nursary and Primary School, Oladoyinbo street, Keshinro, Felele, Ibadan, during their excursion to Tribune House, recently.

AAUA VC tasks varsity on cutting-edge research NASRDA spokesman institutes endowment prize THE vice chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, last week Wednesday admonished the university’s Centre for Research and Development to further drive cuttingedge research in the institution.

CRD is the university’s academic centre charged with the responsibility to moderate and coordinate the varsity’s research efforts.

The vice chancellor gave the charge in his opening remark at the 3rd Lecture Series of the CRD, which themes were ‘The Noble Role of Space Journalism in Global History’ and ‘Nigerian Media Control: In whose Interest?’, held in the university’s Multipurpose Hall.

“I would like to use this medium to urge the Centre for Research and Development to take its good work further by driving the university to engage in cutting-edge research that will achieve the vision of the founding fathers of the university, put the university on the global radar and deliver development to the nation and the world,”

inflation, stagflation and other financial concepts.

Akande encouraged students to cultivate the culture of saving, especially in an interest-yielding bank account, noting that “money earned is either saved or spent; and money kept at home does not

Ajibefun said.

He also encouraged the media to delve into all the spheres of human endeavour as the society’s watchdog, to engender good governance and to build egalitarian society.

Ajibefun said: “The media is regarded worldwide as the watchdog of the society.

The ultimate purpose of the media’s watchdog role is to ensure good governance and build an egalitarian society.

He thanked the Centre, under the leadership of Professor Olu Aboluwoye, for regularly organising lectures of developmental importance.

In his address of welcome, Prof. Aboluwoye said one of the reasons for organizing the lecture was to spur members of the university community to explore the space-based technologies, especially space journalism, in their research efforts.

He thanked the Vice Chancellor for his usual support to the Centre and for giving approval to hold the lecture.

While delivering the 3rd Lecture Series of the Centre, the Head of Media and Corporate Communica-

tion, National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, Abuja, Dr. Felix Ale, called on the Nigerian government to give more attention to the development and deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and skilled manpower, to enhance the transmission of tele-education across Nigeria and Africa.

Speaking on ‘The Noble Role of Space Journalism in Global History’, Ale explained that space-based satellites have increased access to telecommunications, broadband and broadcasting services in both urban and rural areas, noting that tele-education has the potential of increasing access to education among disadvantaged population living in rural and remote areas, especially in the developing nations such as Nigeria.

Dr. Ale later instituted an annual endowment prize of N60,000 for the best graduating student in the Department of Mass Communication of the university, beginning from the 2015/2016 academic session.

Education: “100 students were selected for this particular project, which started in 2014. In 2014, we were able to impact 2000 students and in 2015, we were able to impact 3,900 students.

“So far, Junior Achievement Nigeria has been able to impact over 600,000 students; and by 2020, we hope to have reached one million students.”

The principal of the school, Mr Ajani, in his address, thanked the organizers of the programme for the knowledge imparted to the students. He noted that financial mismanagement has destroyed many people, institutions and governments.

He expressed the hope that students would utilize the knowledge gained through the programme to face and solve any financial challenge they might face in the future.

Mr Ajani also used the occasion to appeal, on behalf of the school, for assistance in the provision of school bus, furniture, Geographical Garden and sports equipment.

27

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Group Business Editor Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

aviation

anchor Shola Adekola

m:0803 365 4818 e:sholanig@yahoo.com

Why Nigeria doesn’t need a national airline —Demuren Stories By Shola Adekola

T

HE former Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren has faulted the idea of floating a new national carrier saying the country cannot manage a national airline without good corporate governance.

Demuren though described the idea as a good one, but lamented that Nigeria has bad corporate governance in the aviation industry.

According to him, “If you do not have a good corporate governance, don’t do it.”

He also added that to have a national carrier, the country must have very good technical partner, maintenance facility to maintain the aircraft in the fleet of the proposed national carrier while there must be on ground the best technology to ensure that people don’t sell tickets and pocket the money .

Speaking at the Quarter One Breakfast Meeting organised by the Aviation Round Table (ART) Safety Initiative at Golf View Hotel and Suites in Lagos, he identified political interference as the major challenge confronting the regulatory body.

Demuren explained that though there would always be interference in the government establishment, but insisted that whoever is at the helms of affairs at the regulatory agency should not bow to pressure under the guise of political interference.

While stating that NCAA should be bold enough to tell politicians the truth at every in-

stance, the former NCAA boss said there would always be good and bad politicians saying that it was left for NCAA to speak to

them in a professional manner by making them know the implication of their interference as it concerns safety.

lar airline that was not qualified hence, he advised those in charge of affairs at NCAA to resist any pressure.

Dana Air introduces special Easter fares

Amaechi

Demuren

FAAN moves to make Lagos airport global standard ...New terminal to accommodate 5 million passengers BETTER days await passengers using the Murtala Muhammed International Airport as a world class terminal that has capacity for over five million passengers and space that could accommodate over 120 aircraft taking off and landing will soon be completed courtesy of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Besides this, a multistorey car park under construction at the same airport when completed will accommodate over 1,500 cars.

Dropping this hint in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune was the General Manager, Public Affairs of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Yakubu Dati.

The project being constructed

Operator tasks FG on aviation development THE Managing Director/CEO of Toucan Aviation Support Services, Achuzie Ezenagu has called on the Federal Government to focus on the development of aviation in Nigeria as catalyst to the nation’s economic development.

Speaking at the just concluded 2016 Nigerian Business Aviation Conference in Lagos, Ezenagu said government should work with stakeholders to grow the sector.

The Nigerian Business Aviation Conference, which is held annually, is about the development of business aviation, which includes private charter services, cargo operations and others and how they help as catalyst to the nation’s economic development.

He equally used the occasion to call for establishment of Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair (MRO) facility in Nigeria, noting

He cited when a minister interfered during his tenure with the issuance of an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) to a particu-

that it would save the country huge financial resources, help to train and employ indigenous aircraft engineers, make aircraft checks cost effective for Nigerian airlines and reinforce Nigeria as a hub in West Africa.

Ezenagu observed that establishing an MRO in the country would face challenges, noting that it would be costly because Nigeria does not have the necessary infrastructure to facilitate it, adding that it needs the cooperation of government and industry stakeholders to make its establishment possible.

Speaking in the same vein at the conference, the former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren said Nigeria is overripe to have such facility and noted that if 40 per cent of the funds spent on the re-modelling of airport fa-

cilities in the last few years were deployed by government to establish the facility it would have been invaluable for the development of aviation in the country.

under public private partnership by a concessionaire is expected to be completed by the end of this year to complement other facilities at the premier gateway.

The car park, according to Dati was conceived to improve facilitation at the airport where a new international terminal is under construction with the attendant increase in passenger and cargo traffic .

Speaking after a tour of facilities at the Lagos Airport, Dati said efforts were on going to train personnel that will work at the new terminal to familiarise themselves with the new technologies to be installed at the airport.

PASSENGERS of Dana Air are in for an exciting time as the airline unveiled special fares ahead of Easter celebrations and a promo tagged: Show Your Loyalty,’ which entails guests of the airline to display five of the airline’s boarding passes on Instagram and win a free ticket.

According to Obi Mbanuzuo, Accountable Manager of Dana Air, “The aim of the promo is primarily to reward our loyal guests and for the most frequent flyers to show their loyalty by keeping their boarding passes, showing it and winning free tickets to keep flying. The more you fly, the more you win’’ Speaking further Obi said ‘’to participate in this promo, which will last from March to May 2016, frequent flyers of the airline are required to fly five times, display their boarding passes on instagram, tag Dana Air with the hashtag #Danamiles, #Frequentflyer and bring the Dana Air boarding passes to the airport to redeem their free tickets.

“At Dana Air we are committed to enhancing the flying experience of our guests by providing a consistent, satisfactory, intentional and proactive experience. The introduction of the ‘’Show Your Loyalty’’ promo is further proof of our commitment.” Obi added.

Obi said, ‘between March 10 and April 30, 2016, that the airline valued guests can take advantage of the special fares which will be both online and across its counters at the airport.

Emirates carpets Airbus on wide body jets strategy THE President of Emirates Airlines, Tim Clark has faulted the giant aircraft manufacturer, Airbus Group SE for lacking a coherent strategy on its biggest airliners, saying the plane maker should focus on an upgrade of its A380 superjumbo rather than spend resources on yet another variant of its new A350 twinengine model.

The Emirates Chief declared that Airbus’s thinking has become increasingly hard to read and talk of further extending the stretched A350-1000 makes little sense.

Clark who said he was not sure the manufacturer could afford to fund that project alongside the upgraded A380 he’s keen to buy stated: “There seems to be a certain amount of cloudiness.

They’ve got the A380neo and then bingo, out pops the new A350-1000. I’m not quite sure how that’s going to pan out.”

As the world’s leading widebody operator, Emirates exerts enormous influence over the models that Airbus and Boeing Co. develop.

The Dubai-based carrier has made the A380 the centerpiece

of its fleet, adding flourishes such as bars and showers, and is eager to buy as many as 200 upgraded planes even as a lack of orders from other carriers puts the model’s future in doubt.

The airline chief was said to be running out of patience after John Leahy, Airbus’s sales chief, said on March 1 that there was nothing imminent about the A380 re-engine plan and that even if the Neo were available, that Emirates was not in a position to go ahead until the mid2020s because of a lack of airport space.

28

aviation

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

crucial moment With Shola Adekola

0803 365 4818

Aviation sector yet to feel the impact of President Buhari

TEN months after the assumption of office by the President Muhammadu Buhari led government, stakeholders across the sector are not too pleased with the way the government is handling the affairs of the sector.

Before the coming of the government, the sector was enmeshed in myriad of challenges which were brought upon it by various factors ranging from government unfriendly policies, undue politicization and lack of political will for the airlines and the aviation agencies.

Prior to the election of the present government, morales of the workers were down, aviation agencies were already under severe financial mess while the entire sector was gasping for breath under the tight condition.

Therefore, with the election of a new government, hope was very high with key players expressing optimism that the wind of change blowing will blow something good in the way of the sector.

The hope earlier raised by the key players seems to have dwindled as the different stakeholders have argued that the government does not seem to understand the importance of the sector.

According to the majority, with the failure of the government to hit the ground running in the sector, the sector may be in for a tougher time.

The general believe in the sector now is that of uncertainty and hopelessness.

Since the Buhari government came on board, the only step it has so. Far taken was the probe of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) which is not enough.

As expected, the government should have looked into other areas such as factors militating against the capability of the aviation agencies, poor infrastructural decay, high cost of aviation fuel, unstable exchange rate, ailing airlines and lopsided Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).

Besides the ongoing probe of NAMA, another major step taken by the government which was very unpopular was the rush to sign air pact with Qatar despite the call for the review of the existing BASAs. Contrary to high expectations from the Buhari government, the sector is presently not feeling its impact and the situation is creating uncertainty across the sector.

Before now, it was rumoured that among the first step the government planned to take was to restructure the sector for transformation, unfortunately for ten months now, nothing has happened. It is still the same story.

From all indications, it is not certain if the government knows what to do with the sector for if it does, it should have started taking some steps to address the issues.

To say the government does not know what to do with the sector may not be an exaggeration after all following the recent rush to sign a controversial agreement at the expense of the sector.

It would augur well if the same zeal at which the agreement was signed is also used to tackle the challenges bedeviling the sector.

There is the need for this government to give priority to the aviation sector in view of its importance to the economy and air transportation.

The sector is presently wobbling and waiting for serious transformation and it is hoped that the government will at once hit the ground running. Enough of the foot dragging.

From right; Former Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, Regional Head, Member & External Relations, Africa and Middle East, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Adefunke Adeyemi, Editor in Chief, Times Group/Aerospace, Mr Allan Peaford; Director-General Aviation, (NCAA), Captain Dele Sasegbon; Director of Airworthiness Standard (DAS), NCAA, Engineer Benedict Adeyileka and MD/CEO, Evergreen Apple of Nigeria Aviation(EAN), Segun Demuren at the 2016 Nigerian Business Aviation Conference held at Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Medview Airline commences flights to Kaduna Stories By Shola Adekola

DESPITE the myriad of challenges confronting Nigeria’s domestic airlines, Medview Airlines, has continued to spread its tentacles within and outside the shores of the country.

In line with its expansion programme, the airline has concluded plans to commence operations between Nigeria and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This is just as the airline has commenced operations into Kaduna airport.

Dropping this hint was the managing director of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole at a forum the airline organized for the purpose of interacting with travel agents across the country to unveil its new

General Sales Agent (GSA), Anta for the Dubai flight operations.

Medview, according to Bankole its partnership with leading Global Distribution System (GDS), Amadeus, a multinational IT provider for seamless travels for its customers on Dubai and other routes it operates to.

Bankole, at the occasion spoke on the challenges of its operations on Lagos-London as enormous, but noted that the carrier has done very well as it could now be rated as the best Nigerian airline on the lucrative route.

Speaking at Medview Airline Trade Partners Forum held in Lagos, the airline chief said they studied what Nigerians wanted that other major international carriers op-

erating the route lacked and capitalized on it to attract customers.

Describing the load factor the airline has been enjoying since it started service on the Lagos/London route as very encouraging, Bankole stated that the Nigerian cuisines introduced onboard, coupled with its products such as the fully flat beds in upper class configuration of its double aisle plane, 73kg baggage allowance and competitive fares ensure was responsible for its success so far.

According to him, through the airline’s IT Solutions business area, the carier also offers travel companies software systems which automate processes such as reservations, inventory management and departure control.

Ethiopian Airlines records 12% profit increase ETHIOPIAN Airlines Enterprise said it has increased its profit by 12 per cent to 3.53 billion Ethiopia birr ($165.4 million) in 2014-15 despite declining air traffic on the continent.

The fiscal crisis in African oil producers due to the falling crude price, the effects of the Ebola crisis on travel and instability in Africa and the Middle East weighed the industry down, Chief Executive Officer Tewolde Gebremariam said.

While stating that the year was characterized by a challenging operating environment, Tewolde said in the company’s annual report that Ethiopian Airlines was “able to keep growing by managing its spending and selling services including catering, ground handling and aircraft maintenance to other airlines helped maintain profitability”.

The group, which also operates Togo’s

ASKY Airlines and Malawian Airlines, is aiming for $10 billion revenue in about a decade.

Operating revenue increased 6 percent from a year earlier to 49.5 billion birr in the fiscal year that ended July 7, the com-

Ekiti legislator backs Fayose on airport construction DESPITE the criticisms trailing the decision of the Ekiti State led Government of Ayo Fayose to construct an airport for the people of the state; a female lawmaker in the state has praised the governor for what she called his foresight in his bid to transform the economy of the state.

Princess Titilayo Owolabi Akerele representing Ikole ll constituency in the Ekiti State House of Assembly who commended

Aero introduces special Easter promo fares NIGERIA’S domestic airline, Aero, has announced special offer for its passengers ahead of the forthcoming Easter celebrations.

The aim of the promo tagged Family and Friends Promo is to appreciate and reward the loyal airline customers during the Easter period and to encourage Nigerians to fly more often.

According to the airline management, to further reward passengers, Aero branded T-shirts can also be won in-flight as “our passengers travel this Easter season. Any passenger may be lucky to win one.”

Speaking on this, the Commercial Manager of Aero, Chima Okereke said “To participate in the ‘Family and Friends Promo,’ which will commence today and last throughout the Eas-

pany said.

The state-owned company ordered 20 Boeing 737 MAX 8s worth more than $2.1 billion, and has the option to purchase 15 more, it said. The carrier said it has “longterm loans” of 47.3 billion birr.

ter, customers will have to purchase five tickets in a group, and then get one ticket for free.

All the five bookings must come under the same booking reference.

“The free sixth ticket can be used at any other time within the validity of the complementary ticket and based on applicable terms and conditions.”

While urging customers to take advantage of this special promo which he said will be available online at www.flyaero.com and across the Sales counters, Okereke explained that the T-shirt is a way of rewarding the airline’s customers, promising that the airline is working to offer more rewards to its esteemed customers in the coming months.

governor Fayose while fielding questions from aviation correspondents at Ikeja, said the proposed airport when completed will boost the economy of the state.

According to Akerele, there was nothing wrong in having an airport in Ekiti to facilitate movement of people if the state has the financial backings, stressing that it will transform the state.

“If there is financial backing to build the airport there is nothing wrong in having an airport in Ekiti. If you look at the road connection between Ondo and Ekiti, the roads are bad.”

The lawmaker who was a two time national president of Aeronautical Information Service of Nigeria (AISAN), explained that the government was not thinking of constructing an international airport but considering building the one that will accommodate aircraft saying; “To me as an aviator, I don’t see anything wrong with that and I am not trying to be sentimental.”

On the development of aviation in the country, the former AISAN president expressed worry that aviation has not moved to where it ought to be saying, that the industry was still behind in terms of development.

“I will say that am not too impressed with the level of advancement.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

anchor

maritime

Tola Adenubi

m:07068476673 e:adenubiadetola@yahoo.com

2015 was a bad year for RoRo business —Ascanio Russo

The Ports & Terminal Multiservice Limited (PTML) was the only terminal built from nothing during the seaport concession of 2006. In this interview with TOLA ADENUBI, the Managing Director of PTML, Ascanio Russo bared his mind on the current difficulty being experienced by the terminal operator.

T

ELL us about the Ports & Terminal Multiservice Limited (PTML)?

PTML is the largest Roll-on/ Roll-off RoRo terminal in the West African sub-region. It’s a private investment from one of the biggest RoRo multipurpose shipping line in the world, Grimaldi Lines.

Sometimes in 2003, Grimaldi approached the Federal Government of Nigeria, proposing to build a new terminal in Tin-Can Island Port. Eventually, the President then, Olusegun Obasanjo, gave us the approval to build this new terminal.

Co-incidentally, that was the same time the ports were concessioned. PTML is not one of the concessioned ports like all the other terminals. All the other operators took over existing infrastructure from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Our own terminal did not exist at that time. This place that is now called PTML used to be the location of the NPA staff quarters. We built this terminal from scratch.

We signed an agreement with the government to Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT). We signed agreement to operate this place for 25 years and then transfer it back to government after the expiration of the 25 years. That is the difference between PTML and all the other terminals.

Our agreement with the government is quite different because we are the ones that built this terminal. This area used to be a residential area used by NPA workers.

Since we finished building this terminal, it has been growing substantially. We are the biggest in terms of vehicle imports in West Africa. We are also a significant player in container market and we account for about 8 to 9 per cent of all the containers that come to Lagos.

Grimaldi Lines is very strong in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic trade. We do not trade in the Far East. Since 2013, we had recorded a regular growth in traffic. In 2013, we did almost 180,000 vehicles and also achieved about 150,000 container throughput. Last year, we did almost 200,000 general cargoes.

PTML is a multipurpose termi-

nal; we handle vehicles, containers and general cargoes.

Have there been challenges?

We have been experiencing growth since we started until the second half of 2014 when the level of duties on vehicles was dramatically increased by the Federal Government. This increase in the level of duties meant many importers faced extreme difficulty in clearing their cargoes. As a result of this increment in the level of duties, we recorded a diversion of traffic from Lagos port to Cotonou port in the Republic of Benin.

Prior to this period, Cotonou port had always been a major port servicing Nigeria. After Lagos, it is the biggest port for Nigerian market.

Even before the increment of the duty regime in Nigeria, Cotonou was receiving about 50 per cent of all cars coming into Nigeria. These cars come into Nigeria through Cotonou. However, after the increment in duty regimes, the volume of cars going to Cotonu ports increased from 50 per cent to 75 per cent. This means that three out of every four vehicles you see in Nigeria came in through Cotonou. These are the new vehicles because the old vehicles are still coming to Lagos ports. This is so because the level of duty for the old vehicles is relatively small. The interesting thing is that many of the new vehicles that are brought in through Cotonou are not brought in through the bushes and porous borders, but cleared at the land borders.

Somehow, there is a disparity in the assessment of the price of these vehicles when they are cleared at the border. Therefore, importers find it more convenient to bring in their cars through the Cotonou ports instead of the Lagos ports.

Due to this, we, alongside other terminal operators have recorded a huge drop in volume of cargoes and this has resulted in huge loss of revenue for us at PTML. What most people don’t know is that bringing in goods through Cotonou into Nigeria will only add up to the cost of goods in the market for the common man on the street.

Apart from the cost of transportation from Cotonou all the way down into Nigeria, there is also the environmental impact. Many peo-

ple are just postponing the replacement of their vehicles because of the additional cost of bringing in vehicles from Cotonou. The environmental impact comes from the pollution that comes from vehicles that are still being used after 10 to 15 years. Just take a look at the ports alone, you can see how many old and rickety trucks that are still plying the ports access roads, even though the NPA is trying to reduce that now. Aside the environmental implication, they also cause chaotic traffic gridlock due to unnecessary breakdown on the highway.

Buying new vehicles is beyond many due to the expensive nature of these vehicles. Therefore, 2015 has been a bad year for the RoRo industry in Nigeria, and that goes for the container industry too.

The increase of duty has made the impact of the current economic downturn much more difficult for people like us. The way forward out of this situation is for the Federal Government to make Nigeria competitive again by reviewing the level of duty applied on vehicles so that these cars, which are currently going to Cotonou port can come back to where they rightfully belong, the Lagos port.

The second thing which is very critical is that the prices of these vehicles should be published in a transparent way. Everyone knows that the prices of these vehicles have gone up, but nobody knows

We are the biggest in terms of vehicle imports in West Africa. We are also a significant player in container market and we account for about 8 to 9 per cent of all the containers that come to Lagos.

Russo by what specific amount. Therefore, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) needs to publish the ex-factory prices of these vehicles and make it simple so that it leaves no much room for assessment of values and manual assessment. This will make the clearing process more transparent and more efficient so that Nigerian importers will patronise Nigeria ports once again.

Another issue is the naira slump; the sharp drop of the naira against the dollar has really affected us because our revenue is in naira currency. The value of our tariff has been eroded by the inflation in the last 10 years. Our benchmark and that of any operator is the parallel rate because the inter-bank rate is not really accessible. The fact that we are still applying the tariff which we introduced 10 years ago means our rates are now worthless due to the naira issue.

If this situation persists, what will be your next line of action?

We have been facing the challenge. For us, it has been a significant loss in terms of revenue. We are talking of reduction in RoRo vehicles and container imports by almost 70 per cent. This has affected our revenue and the first

thing any organisation would do is to restructure and that is what we have been doing.

Unfortunately, it was not our intention to make any of our staff redundant. Sometimes last year, we retrenched about 20 per cent of our workforce. This was a very painful exercise because it was not what we ever wanted to do. But when business is collapsing, management has to ensure that the business does not close shop. The first thing anybody would want to do is to reduce the overheads, become leaner and more efficient and that is what we have done.

On the operation side, we are looking beyond doing vehicles which are what Grimaldi/PTML is known for and are the undisputed leader. We are now looking at handling general cargoes which we have been handling before. PTML is known as a RoRo port, but in reality, we also do containers and general cargoes.

When we did more than 200,000 tonnes of general cargoes last year, most of them are paper rills, pipes, coils, project cargoes. We are very good at this and this is an area which we want to focus on. We are very committed to this country because we have invested huge amount of money to develop this terminal.

maritime PTML disagrees with NPA over $747m debt profile 30

Stories by Tola Adenubi - Lagos

T

HE management of the Grimaldi/Ports & Terminal Multiservice Limited (PTML), has disagreed with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over the terminal operator’s debt profile, which stands at $746, 896.08 million, according to reports.

According to the Managing Director of PTML, Ascanio Russo, in an exclusive interview with the Nigerian Tribune, the terminal operator has been up to date in terms of payments to the NPA. “I cannot speak for other terminal operators but I can tell you clearly that PTML does not owe any money to the NPA. We have been paying our obligations timely and consistently. We don’t have any debt with the NPA. “The issue rather is that in the cause of the many years that we have been running this concession, there have been areas of disagreement and misalignment. We have been sitting with the NPA to reconcile these figures for the past three years now.

“From our side, we have been pushing to reconcile these figures because we don’t want anybody to think we don’t want to fulfil our obligations. We have been paying constantly, all our dues; we remit on a monthly basis.

“There are only some minor areas which we need to basically align. For instance, the NPA says that some amount is due for payment based on certain dates of commencement of operations, while we are saying the date of commencement of operations is different from what they have.

“This is not yet finalised and is subject to discussion. But the figure on the overall payment due is something we think is very marginal and have not been finalised.

“We have invested so much in this terminal and will not want to jeopardise our investment for the sake of saving small money. We have been 100 per cent compliant. We have been audited by the NPA, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and every other authority that comes here and ask for our records. Our records have been impeccable so far.

“The figures the NPA are saying we owe today are yet to be reconciled. We have been having series of meetings with the NPA over this as far back as 2014. There was a joint committee between the NPA and PTML in 2014 where some of the elements that were considered as outstanding were discussed and agreed upon.

“We sat with the joint committee for about three to four months in 2014 to reconcile these figures and the committee made certain recommendations which we abide by and was ready to pay.

“However, the recommendation of this committee was dumped again and the NPA called us for another round of talks. However, between September 2014 and now, the bulk has been on the NPA, perhaps due to their internal system.

As much as we have pushed, we are yet to resolve these differences.

To us, all the issues have been resolved; it is for the NPA to give the

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

necessary approvals so that we can make payment.

“The figures we pay to the NPA is a percentage of our collection as cargo througput. As the throughput has gone down, the percentage we pay to the NPA has also gone

down.

“We have done more than what we said we were going to do when we signed the agreement 10 years ago. For example, when we signed the agreement, we said we will build one quay, but we ended up

building two quays. The cost of the quay alone is over $30million.

“The amount, which we need to reconcile, is marginal compared to the overall figures that we have paid and are still going to pay in the next 15 years that is remaining

Nigerian Tribune

of our 25 years concession.

“The agreement we signed with the NPA allows us to go to arbitration if we cannot reach a consensus on the differences in figures, and we are ready to go to arbitration if the NPA say we cannot reach an agreement on the figures,” he explained.

Nigeria records lowest exports in 3 years —NBS

From left, Head of APM Terminals Africa-Middle East region, Peder Sondergaard; Senior Vice President, Africa of Maersk, Lars Reno Jakobsen; former Head of State and Chairman APM Terminals Apapa, Chief Ernest Shonekan; President Muhammadu Buhari; CEO, Maersk Group, Nils Andersen and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, when the Maersk Group leaders visited President Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja recently.

10 DGs in 16 years undermine maritime industry stability —Expert A maritime expert and Chief Executive Officer, Ships & Ports Communications, Bolaji Akinola, has bemoaned the level of instability that has come to undermine the Nigerian maritime sector within the last 16 years.

According to Akinola, “The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is at the heart of the growth and development of the nation’s maritime industry. NIMASA is responsible for not only regulating shipping activities and dock labour, but also for developing Nigerian tonnage.

Unfortunately, the agency has consistently failed to deliver on its mandate since inception. The failure of NIMASA is the failure of the maritime industry and a disservice to the Nigerian economy.

“Two factors stand out strongly for the failure of NIMASA over the years. One is leadership instability, while the other is the undue politicisation of appointments into the board and top management positions of the agency.

“The offices of the Director-General and those of the Executive Directors have been most hit by politics. Before the appointment of Patrick Akpobolokemi as head of the agency in December 2010, there had been too frequent changes in the leadership of NIMASA, with an average tenure of 1.57 years for each Director-General. From May 1999, when the nation returned to democratic governance to date, NIMASA has had 10 Directors-General with an average tenure of one year, seven months each.”

Going down memorably lane, Akinola explained that, “In the history of the nation’s apex maritime regulatory body, formerly known as the National Maritime Authority (NMA) but now known as NIMASA consequent upon the fusion of the NMA with the defunct Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Coun-

cil (JOMALIC) on 1 August, 2006, only two people have been appointed from within the organisation as substantive CEOs. The first was John Egesi. Unfortunately, Egesi spent barely three months in office before he was thrown out in 1999 as a result of series of political intrigues. The second was Dr. Ade Dosunmu who served as DG/ CEO from May 2007 to July 2009.

“In between Egesi and Dosunmu’s, Enugu-born politicians had a field day as they contended with each other for headship of the agency with George Eneh taking over from Egesi. He was in office for less than a year before his replacement by Ferdinand Agu. “Agu had the fortune of heading the agency for over four years. The Cabotage Act was passed during his tenure before he was replaced

by Festus Ugwu of blessed memory.”

After Ugwu came the creation of NIMASA and the appointment of Mfon Usoro, the first female DG on 1 August, 2016. Usoro’s tenure lasted for barely nine months before the appointment of Dr Dosumu in May 2007. By July 2009, Dosumu was replaced by Temi Omatseye and 18 months into Omatseye’s four-year tenure in 2010, another power block emerged; Omatseye was kicked out, paving the way for Patrick Akpobolokemi who had the fortune

of completing his first four-year term and of a reappointment by his fellow Ijaw kinsman, President Goodluck Jonathan.

“By August 2015, his second four-year term came to an inglorious end, eight months after.”

On the implication of this on Nigeria’s maritime sector, Akinola noted that, “The leadership instability at NIMASA, a function of the brazen pursuit of powerful individuals to seize control of the agency in order to control its enormous resources, has led to underdevelopment of the maritime industry.

“NIMASA is struggling because there has been undue over-politicisation of appointments into its Board and Executive Management at the expense of professionals and to the detriment of proper policy formulation, growth and development of the shipping sector.

“The politicians have no respect for the law setting up the agency.

Appointments of the agency heads were done in clear contravention of the NIMASA Act of 2007. The intrigues and power play that characterised appointments and removals of NIMASA chief executives in the past followed the same pattern and until this trend is halted, meaningful progress may yet be far from the maritime sector.”

Customs not anti-CRFFN —Edike

THE Nigeria Customs Service has debunked insinuations that it is workings against the success of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), especially as it concerns relationship between the Council and freight forwarding practitioners.

An Assistant Comptroller General of Customs; Mr Charles Edike gave the clarification recently in

Lagos while on a working visit to the National Headquarters, of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).

Edike urged freight forwarders and customs brokers to liaise with the Presidency and National Assembly on review of licensing regulations.

The customs top brass urged the practitioners not to drag Customs

NIGERIA’S export trade has been on a downward spiral since January 2013, a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has stated.

According to the NBS, the total value of Nigeria’s exports trade in 2015 was N7,251.6 billion or 30.6 per cent less than the total trade value recorded for 2014.

Tagged: ‘Merchandise Trade Declines in Q4, 2015,’ the NBS report rued the poor state of foreign trade in the fourth quarter of 2015.

However, the report clearly indicates that Nigeria is succeeding in curbing citizens’ appetite for rather frivolous imported goods as there is a reported decrease of N454.6billion or 22.4 per cent in the quarterly comparisons.

“The total value of Nigeria’s merchandise trade during the Fourth Quarter of 2015 stood at N3,653.1billion, 9.2 per cent lower than the value of N4,021.

4billion recorded in the preceding quarter.

“For the 2015 calendar year, the country’s total trade was recorded at N16,426.8billion, amounting to N7,251.6 billion or 30.6 per cent less than the total trade value recorded for 2014.

This development arose largely due to sharp decline the value of exports; from N16,304.0billion in 2014 to N9,728.8 billion in 2015, a decline of 40.3 per cent.

“A decrease of N676.4billion or 9.2 per cent in the total imports in 2015 helped to mitigate the declining trade balance, which stood at N3,030.8billion, N5,898.9 billion less than the value in 2014,” the NBS stated.

The body’s analysis of imports gave elaborate explanations of progress recorded thus far.

“The value of Nigeria’s imports stood at N1,576.4 billion at the end of Q4, 2015; this was 6.6 per cent less than the value (N1,688.

2billion) recorded in the preceding quarter.

“Comparison with the corresponding quarter of 2014, showed a decrease of N454.6 billion or 22.4 per cent.”

into what he referred to as ‘politics’ emanating from the business of clearing and forwarding subsector of the maritime industry.

According to him, the Nigeria Customs service and CRFFN are two agencies of the federal government, he noted that the Nigeria Customs Service has no hand in the challenges that the CRFFN is facing in its efforts to regulate freight forwarding practitioners.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

With Adewale Oshodi tribunearts@yahoo.com 08054005323

Society and arts are inseparable — Tunde Leye Tunde Leye is the author of The Burden of Proof, which is so popular among online readers. In this interview, he speaks on his writing, and how he has been able to capture the hearts of online literary lovers. EXCERPTS:

eral iterations, adding the details and giving the characters life as I go. I also try to make sure my characters are real people in their reactions and actions. This doesn’t downplay the fact that writing is difficult, but it is a skill and needs to be practiced regularly to sharpen.

What are you currently working on?

I recently started Write Right, a writing prize to discover new writers, reward them and support them to write books and start blogs beyond the prize. I am also working on my third book, an epic fantasy novel called Guardians of the Seals which is due out next year.

Y

OU once said stories form the basis of society and the arts; what do you mean by this?

Writing records our thoughts and transmits them with precision we could never manage by any other means. Singers, artists, politicians, explorers and all sorts of people have been inspired by the things they read. Almost everyone can point to that book they read that was the fulcrum around which their lives turned. That is why when dictators and tyrants take over government, they go after writers and their books. They know how important these are. It is what has inspired writers to put their words down in spite of danger and the amount of work they have to do to complete the works. So the society and the arts are inseparable.

The Burden of Proof incorporates some aspects of the Nigerian-Biafran war. What fueled your interest in this period of Nigerian history?

As with any writing, research is one of the most important parts. Thankfully the internet has made researching easier. Of course, it helped to talk to people who actually lived and fought on both sides (of the war) to get a grasp of how it affected people beneath the normalcy that their lives now have. Nigerian history in general interests me and a lot of my writing takes different aspects of the history as elements that influence the plots and characters.

An intriguing part of the tale is how efficient the police is. Is this representative of modern Nigerian society or a reflection of how you’d like the police to operate?

The story was actually close to reality… after speaking with and observing our police. Those pieces are there, it merely takes driving and coordinating them better together. However, I do take some artistic liberty as most fiction does when referring to law enforcement. I mean, we watch police investigation stories from Hollywood where they get DNA results in hours whereas it takes much longer and requires the DNA samples to be of a certain quality in reality.

What really inspires your writing?

My writing flows out of two things – I read a lot; I listen and observe things and events very keenly and ponder on them.

•Tunde Leye I tend to pace myself when I write and I firmly believe the maxim “the only way to improve on writing is to write” so I write a lot. I write three blog posts weekly, two of them fiction and an opinion piece for a

newspaper, as well as working on a novel alongside. It helps to have a sort of schedule I write on and keep to it. I also write in iterations. First, I put down a skeleton of the piece and then I flesh it out in sev-

My writing flows out of two things — I read a lot; I listen and observe things and events very keenly and ponder on them.

Actor, Odunlade Adekola, becomes NURHI ambassador NOLLYWOOD actor, Odunlade Adekola, has been named as an ambassador of the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), an organisation saddled with the promotion family planning services in the country.

Speaking during the unveiling of the Nollywood actor last week, the Oyo State chairperson of NURHI, Mrs Stella Akinso, said Adekola is one of the most respected actors in the country today.

“He is just so popular, and people follow his movies with passion, so we are really lucky that he accepted to be our ambassador.

“Through his works, he will disseminate the family planning message to his numerous fans.

“With Mr Adekola as our ambassador, the family planning message will spread far and wide, and that is what we want at NURHI,” Mrs Akinso said.

In his remarks on the occasion, Mr Adekola charged his numerous fans to give family planning a thought, as it is all about planning for their future.

“You know when we want to hold a wedding ceremony in a year’s time, we will start planning it from now; if we can

•From left, Oyo State NURHI boss, Mrs Stella Akinso; NURHI ambassador, Odunlade Adekola and chairman, Ibadan North Local Government Area, Honourable Oluyinka Akinbade, during the unveiling of Adekola as an ambassador. give that time and energy to planning a party, why shouldn’t we then plan our lives?

“This is what NURHI is telling us; they are not preventing us from having the number of children we want to have, but that we should just space them for our social, economic and health benefits,” the

actor said.

While also speaking on the occasion, the Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, Honourable Oluyinka Akinbade, thanked the actor for accepting to be NURHI’s ambassador, saying through him, more people will hear about the family planning message, which will then charge their lives for the better.

32

arts&review

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Learning from the life of an engineer par excellence

By Adewale Oshodi

O

NE of the best ways through which the younger generation can learn from the experiences of the older generation is for people who had served the country diligently in different areas of endeavours to share their stories by publishing their autobiographies.

This is, therefore, what a former General Manager of the defunct Nigeria Telecommunications (NITEL) and Mobile Telecommunications (MTEL), Engineer Olusola Abel Alalade, did when he presented his autobiography, Walking With Destiny: Achieving Greater Heights, to the public.

The event, which was held at the University of Ibadan, saw a gathering of whois-who in the engineering profession, as Engineer Alalade was also a former Chairman of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Ibadan chapter.

In his opening remarks on the occasion, Engineer Alalade said he had to document his autobiography because of the experiences he’s had in life, particularly in the course of his career.

“The book contains the story of my life, my root, birth, schooling, experiences at NITEL and MTEL, among others; I also discussed my expectations for Nigeria in the next five years.

“I have a dream that a better Nigeria will emerge; a country which we will be proud of, but in order to achieve this, then we must cultivate the habit of being more concerned about others than about ourselves.

“I also shared how I moved closer to God after my illness in 1999, and got baptised in 2000; so when I look around, all I can see is that God has surrounded me with good people, and I am really grateful,” En-

•Engineer Olusola Abel Alalade (third from left), a former General Manager of NITEL and MTEL, during the public presentation of his autobiography at the University of Ibadan recently. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE. gineer Alalade said.

After the author’s remarks, friends, family members, professional associates, among others took turns in extolling his virtues.

First to speak was Dr Akinola Olaolu of The Igbajo Polytechnic, Osun State, who commended Engineer Alalade for his contribution to the establishment of the first community polytechnic in the country.

“I just met Engineer Alalade just a couple of months ago, and I can write a lot about him already; he is someone who loves adding value to the younger generation.

“He also loves his hometown, Igbajo so much that he is always ready to go to any

length to ensure its development,” Dr Olaolu said.

A professional colleague of the author, Engineer Titi Omo-Ekun, admitted that Engineer Alalade was so hardworking, “that when he was at NITEL, he was given a lot of responsibilities which made me think he was older than he was.

“He was always ready to go the extra mile to get things done; he was not someone who did shoddy jobs; he was always after perfection,” Engineer Omo-Ekun said, while revealing that the former NITEL and MTEL general manager teaches other people many things about commitment to one’s community.

A senior colleague of the author, Engi-

Itan comes on stage for Easter To make the Easter celebration an enjoyable one for theatre lovers, the Thespian Family Theatre (TFT) has concluded arrangements to stage its latest production, ‘Itan’ (The Story).

Written by founder of TFT, Ayo Jaiyesinmi, and directed by the acclaimed Ben Tomoloju, ‘Itan’ will be staged at Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos on March 26 and 27.

The play, which features a rich blend of veteran and upcoming artistes including Nobert Young, Sam Uquah, Nissi George, Segun Dada and Wazobia FM’s Lolo 1 (Omotunde David) amongst others, is an interesting play with both cul-

tural and contemporary dance and music.

‘Itan,’ which took Jaiyesinmi about six months to write and which had its first outing at the Lagos Theatre Festival, is about inter-generational conflicts. It centres on the village elder, Pa Latinwo and his grandson, Dee-Kay who lives in the city.

The old man decides to go to the city to check on his grandson but is shocked to see that the young man wants no part of his world. Both are rooted in their beliefs and practices and are unwilling to shift ground until Time (Asiko) intervenes.

Asiko takes them on a journey into the

Wellcome releases shortlist for 2016 book prize BOOKS about autism, alcoholism and psychosomatic illness have been included in the shortlist for the 2016 Wellcome Book prize.

It recognises “books being written and published exploring the role of medicine in our lives and our literature.”

The list features works of both fiction and non-fiction.

The winner - judged by a panel including broadcaster Joan Bakewell - receives

£30,000.

The other judges on the panel are cancer biology professor, Frances Balkwill, and writers, Damian Barr, Tessa Hadley and Sathnam Sanghera.

Amy Liptrot’s The Outrun is a memoir about her struggle with alcoholism, and recovery on the island of Orkney.

The other shortlisted memoir is Cathy Rentzenbrink’s The Last Act of Love and Alex Pheby is shortlisted for his novel, Playthings

past and the future, where they discover riveting secrets. But will the mediation succeed or tear both worlds further apart? This is the conflict this interesting play tries to resolve in 90 minutes with some superb acting.

neer Olumuyiwa Alade Ajibola, who was a chairman of the Ibadan chapter of the NSE shortly before Engineer Alalade took over said, “I discovered something in him while he was still an ordinary member of the engineering body in Ibadan.

“He was so committed; despite his busy assignment at NITEL and MTEL, he still found time to run around for the association, and this was what made me to encourage him to strive to lead the organisation, and I am glad that he recorded developmental strides during his tenure,” Engineer Ajibola said.

In his review of the book, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Adedoyin, said the book specifically focuses on the life of the author, which will teach the younger generation about commitment.

“Engineer Alalade is committed to his family, work, community, among others, and this is a great message in the book.

“I am glad that he has decided to share his life experiences with the public, as it will help guide the younger ones as they journey through life themselves.”

Lekan Alabi stresses need to promote Yoruba language

By Aramide Shanu A popular Yoruba cultural activitst and Aare Alaasa Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Lekan Alabi, has stressed the need for Yoruba parents to pass the language to their children, admitting that what obtains at the moment was not encouraging enough.

Chief Alabi gave this charge during the annual Cultural and Indigenous Language Day celebration of The Jislord Height School, Ibadan, Oyo State.

While giving his remarks on the occasion, Chief Alabi lamented the neglect of the Yoruba language in preference of the English language, while explaining that language is the channel of communication of a race or tribe.

“We must never subjugate our mother tongue or feel inferior when speaking it; as a result of this, every Yoruba person, both old and young, must make it a point

of duty to speak his/her mother tongue for the advancement of our core tribal values.”

On the relegation of our culture due to the influence of Western culture, the High Chief charged Yoruba people not to allow the culture to be stampeded by foreign cultures, as “our culture is far more superior to other cultures of the world.

“Everything about our culture has meanings; from the way we dress, to the name we give our children.

“Our culture teaches respect for elders, and we show this by prostrating or kneeling for elders; so we must not allow this to die due to the influence of the global culture,” Chief Alabi said, while commending the efforts of the school principal, Mr Sola Oluwalana, and members of staff for their commitment to the promotion and the development of our rich culture and tradition.

33

Thursday, 24 March, 2016 Editor:

health YOU&EYE

Sade Oguntola sadeboguntola@yahoo.com 0805 506 9260

SEX,SEXUALITY&YOU

NATURALHEALTH

INSIDE

Sleep problem is more than just sleepiness Page 36

Kidney health for kids: NATURAL HEALTH

Nature’s best anti-ageing treatments Page 37

NEWS

Early testing critical in fight against glaucoma —Expert

Page 35

SEX, SEXUALITY & YOUR HEALTH

You can enjoy sex while breastfeeding HEALTH QUOTE

Page 37

What you should know!

By Sade Oguntola

L

IKE many non-communicable diseases, kidney disease is regarded as a problem for the old and elite. But times have changes and more children are discovered to have developed bad kidneys which require that they have a transplant.

That kidney diseases can start young is not an overstatement. Many cases are seen in several hospitals in Nigeria. At the University College Hospital UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, statistics indicate that over a six-year period, over 500 children were seen with one form of kidney disease or the other.

In fact, Dr Debo Ademola, a consultant paediatrician nephrologist, speaking at the 2016 World Kidney Day said “yearly, between 12 and 15 children were brought to the hospital with failed kidneys that require kidney transplant. We have seen more than three children with failed kidneys this year.”

Causes of kidney disease Some children are born with kidney disease and others develop it when still very young.

Causes of Kidney problem in children are many and include injury to the kidney due to haemolysis (breaking down of red blood cells) from infections such as severe malaria, urinary tract infection, genetic factors such as G6PD deficiency; diarrhoea; recurrent skin infections and throat infections.

“As a result of diarrhoea, a child could become dehydrated and when attention is not paid to it, the kidney can be affected. Some organisms that cause throat infection can also affect the skin, and thus the immune system, causing kidney disease,” said Dr Ademola.

Other causes include hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis B and C. Also, babies that are born premature or small-for-date stand a higher risk of developing kidney disease. However, there is also a high possibility that kidney

problems can be passed on from one generation to the other.

Some kidney diseases were acute, while others had chronic cases. But predominant cases of kidney malfunctions in children are of the acute type.

It is said that some acute cases disappear after some time for the kidney to recover full functionality. But that is not always the case as some persist, causing permanent damage to the victim’s kidney.

How kidneys work Normally, kidneys have a similar role in both children and adults. The body has two kidneys, which filter extra water and waste from blood to make urine. They also help control blood pressure and make hormones the body needs to stay healthy.

Kidney disease prevents the kidneys from filtering blood as they should. This damage can cause waste to build up in the body, leading to serious health problems.

When does kidney failure set in?

Kidney or renal failure will happen when the kidneys slow down or stop properly filtering waste from the body. At that stage, there is a possibility that the glucose concentration in the blood and urine is higher than normal. The level of protein in the urine also becomes significant and can be evident on taking tests.

How to tell a sick child In children, however, chronic kidney disease is associated with symptoms such as red blood cells in the urine, swelling (even mild) of the hands and feet, stunted growth, anaemia or puffiness around the eyes that is caused by excess fluid build-up.

Children with kidney diseases may experience lack of or decrease in appetite, decreased or increased frequency of urination, bed wetting, change in the colour of the urine (unusually dark or brown) and headache.

Nonetheless, a large number of kidney com-

Everyone needs to be tested for kidney problems plications arising from congenital anomalies are redeemable by early detection. Dr Ada Asinobi, a consultant paediatrician neprologist at UCH, Ibadan, said this would require that pregnant women when undergoing ultrasound scan also asking that the scan look out for any anomalies in organs of the unborn baby, including the kidneys.

“Less than 5 per cent of kidney abnormalities children are born with can be detected before birth and these are things that can be treated when detected early. Detecting and managing the disease early is critical to delaying or preventing kidney failure,” she said.

In addition, Dr Asinobi said the care of pregnant women is important in preventing kidney complications in their offspring later in life, adding “poor diet can cause poor development of kidney in unborn babies.”

Unfortunately, the high cost of treatment and inadequate facilities were some of the challenges in managing kidney problems in Nigerian children.

Individuals identified with kidney failure need to either have a transplant or rely on dialysis. Dialysis is very costly and the transplant is even more complicated.

Nonetheless, commonly seen kidney problems in children could be prevented through these simple steps: •Regular hand washing to reduce incidence of diarrhoea •Avoid self medication; many over-the-counter medications can be dangerous to the kidneys.

•Have lots of water, kids should stay hydrated mostly by drinking water.

•Excess salt is bad; it can contribute to high blood pressure.

•Healthy eating habits and regular exercise to reduce blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight.

Everyone should be his own physician. We ought to assist and not force nature. Eat with moderation what agrees with your constitution. Nothing is good for the body but what we can digest. What medicine can produce digestion? Exercise. What will recruit strength? Sleep. What will alleviate incurable ills? Patience—Voltaire

34

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Dr. Ben Ajayi 0805 400 5447

you-and-eye@gmail.com

Nothing really has changed!

Dear Yomi, Thank God for the rains. The oppressive heat has been put to shame. I don’t have to worry too much about NEPA again.

Yomi, you keep reminding me, every now and then, that the electricity company is no longer NEPA; that it changed its name to PHCN a long time ago; that it has now been privatised and broken down to several smaller companies. For me and many Nigerians, nothing has really changed and NEPA is just an acronym for Never Expect Power Always. So don’t you bother to correct me again!

I was still pondering over the supposedly simple word, “change” when I came across Lasisi Olagunju’s beautiful and interesting article, in the Nigerian Tribune last Monday, “Nothing has changed…..” You need to read it to get the gist. I guess, it was meant to stimulate our thoughts! It did exactly that for me, albeit, in a different direction.

Yomi, I am distraught. Nothing really has changed five years after Dr. Ben placed me on some eye drops for treatment of glaucoma. I have modified my lifestyle so that I can use the medicines regularly as prescribed; have followed every advice I was given and never missed a follow-up

appointment.

“Tommy, you seem to have a very short memory. Five years ago, when I unfolded the treatment plan before you, I remember telling you that the aim of treatment was to preserve your sight at the level it was at the time! I never promised you a cure and I never promised an improvement,” said Dr. Ben. His words came as a rude shock to me. I think he was too harsh and unfeeling.

Yomi, what do I do now? I am confused.

only way to restore function is either to restore the structure by rebuilding, reinforcing the existing structure to strengthen it, or by providing an alternative channel for transmitting light signals from the eye to the brain. I will pass on our discussion to Dr. Ben because it may turn out that I am speaking rubbish!

Tommy.

First of all let me apologise to Tommy for being insensitive to his feelings when I was discussing the plans for the treat-

Dear Tommy, I don’t like to be a go-between for you and Dr Ben. Why not take up the issue with him directly? However, I would call your attention to what he said last week, “Glaucoma destroys the nerve responsible for transmitting light impulses from the eye to the brain. Once the “cable”, known as the optic nerve, is destroyed, there is an irreversible loss of vision.” As a structural engineer, I would like to add that once the structure is affected, the corresponding function is lost. The

Dear Yomi and Tommy,

There is something very wrong when all the controls, checks and balances and even conscience are gone.

ment of his eyes. “Truth,” they say, “is bitter,” no matter how it is told. Yomi’s engineering suggestions are plausible and actually being researched not only for glaucoma but for other conditions as well.

I have no doubt that sooner than later, it would be possible to repair the damaged optic nerve using stem cells.

Already the Bionic Eye, an electronic device, is undergoing testing to provide an alternative route for transmission of light signals to the brain. The future for glaucoma treatment is thus very bright. There is a big room for hope, lost vision may be restored!

Is there a lesson for the nation in all these seemingly unconnected discussions? A system that allows such an incredible amount of pilferage of its resources must be suspect.

There is something very wrong when all the controls, checks and balances and even conscience are gone.

Let us take another close look at the structure of our nation again. Perhaps we may have to follow Yomi’s suggested engineering solution of restructuring, otherwise, when this mess has been cleaned up, new ones will follow and we shall continue to spend valuable time and resources mopping up water from the leaking pipes when we simply could have replaced the pipes.

Dr Abayomi Ajayi

ivf &you

info@nordicalagos.org

0700 6673422

Treatment options for men with azoospermia testicles by gentle suction, a fine needle is passed directly into the testicle where small amount of tissue is extracted, prepared and examined in the laboratory for the presence of sperms under the microscope.

The sperms obtained are either frozen for subsequent use or prepared using a process of washing in readiness for fertilisation. A single sperm is then injected directly into each oocyte in a process known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI. Since the number of sperm aspirated is small and the motility is reduced, ICSI (Intra- Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection) A man that produces no sperm in his semen is said to have azoospermia. This may be because of a blockage in one of the tubes that carry sperm from the areas of the testes where they are produced, out to the penis during ejaculation.

For some of these men, it may be possible to surgically retrieve sufficient sperm directly from the testes for use in the intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure. In the past, the only options for treating azoospermia were reconstructive surgery (if there was obstruction) or donor insemination. Now, the advent of ICSI has enabled many azoospermic men to become biological fathers using sperm

obtained from their epididymis or testis.

Sperm are formed in the testes and stored in the epididymis when mature.

Some men produce sperm in the testis but they do not reach the ejaculate.

This can be due to: •Absence of the vas deferens (the tubes carrying the sperm) •Blockage of the vas deferens (perhaps because of vasectomy) •vasectomy (the male sterilisation operation) •illness (eg mumps in adolescence) •trauma or injury to his groin •a genetic condition Sperm is extracted directly from the

For some of these men it may be possible to surgically retrieve sufficient sperm directly from the testes for use in the ICSI procedure.

is required to achieve fertilisation.

TESA may be a treatment option for men with: •An obstruction preventing sperm release, due to injury or infection •Congenital absence of the vas deferens (men born without the tube that drains the sperm from the testicle) •Vasectomy •Non-obstructive azoospermia - the testicles are producing such low numbers of sperm that they don’t reach the vas deferens •And also for men who are unable to produce semen on the day of oocyte retrieval.

In the first three conditions, sperm are produced by the testes, but are unable to be ejaculated because of the blockage or absence of the vas deferens. The man can still ejaculate seminal fluid but this fluid will not contain any sperm. It is also possible to collect sperm directly from the epididymis.

Occasionally it may be possible to surgically unblock the tube that carries the sperm during the ejaculation process, although this has a low success rate.

In cases of non-obstructive azoospermia (complete absence of sperm) very small amounts of sperm may be produced and can be collected directly from the testes. This is done by performing testicular biopsies.

35 Healthnews

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Early testing critical in fight against glaucoma—Expert

By Sade Oguntola

A

N eye expert, Dr Olusola Olawoye, has stressed the need for regular eye tests, saying it was critical to ensure early detection and treatment of glaucoma, a common cause of irreversible blindness in Nigeria.

Dr Olawoye, a glaucoma specialist, spoke at a free glaucoma screening for over 300 persons. It was organised by the Glaucoma unit of the Department of Ophthalmology, University College Hospital (UCH), in collaboration with a drug firm, in Ibadan.

Olawoye, describing glaucoma as a disease that affects the nerve that is used in seeing, said the need for eye examination was critical because glaucoma was a silent thief of sight.

According to her: “People more at risk of developing glaucoma are those with a family history of blindness, being older than 30, black race, people who wear glasses, whether short sighted or long sighted; that had experienced eye injury at a particular time.”

The eye expert, noting that 25 to 30 per cent of eye clinic attendees have glaucoma, said that studies have, however, found that about 7 per cent of Nigerians, cutting across all social and economic strata, also have the blinding disease.

Olawoye, while remarking that in many people, glaucoma goes undetected until they have lost substantial vision, cautioned Nigerians not to merely change their glasses, when they feel it is no longer effective, without having an eye examination from a reputable eye hospital.

The expert assured that people need not go blind from the condition if it is detected early and treatment commenced, adding, “treatment if properly done is effective. Patients do not have to go blind from glaucoma. We have patients who have been on management for over 40 years.

“We do surgery for those that cannot afford glucoma medication.

Hopefully, this will last them for years and buy them more time.

Other modes of treatment include the use of laser.”

Olawoye, however, said that late diagnosis, poor medication compliance, high cost of treatment, and poor access to eye care

were some of the challenges facing the management of glaucoma in the country.

On marijuana’s effectiveness in treating glau-

coma, the expert cautioned against its use, saying it only brings down the intraocular pressure in the eye slightly and as such not

effective for the condition, “It does not bring down the intraocular pressure in any appreciable terms.

Its minimal benefit is in-

consequential, so it is not worth it because the risk is huge,” she said.

Alhaja Mulikat Abdulahi, an assistant chief

From left, Governor, Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Health Minister, Professor Isaac Adewole and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’adu Abubakar IV during the 58th National Council on Health, in Sokoto, recently.

nursing officer, said poor awareness of Nigerians on the disease accounts for its usual late diagnosis.

“It is only through eye test that this can be detected. Some even associate their poor vision to evil incantation, never releasing that glaucoma could be running in their family or is a consequence of an eye injury, “she stated.

Meanwhile, President, Association of People living with Glaucoma in Nigeria, Chief Joseph Toriola urged all tiers of government to support the association in its drive to create awareness on the eye problem at the grassroots.

“Few people know that the disease exist, yet it is making many go blind. The same attention that was given to Ebola viral disease should also be given to glaucoma,” he said.

He also solicited for government’s support on improving access and affordability of glaucoma treatment.

How generic drugs fire distribution of substandard medicines—Study

By Sade Oguntola IF the findings of a study on antihiatamine tablets are extrapolated to the situation on ground, Nigerians may be cautious patronising generic medicines rather than branded medicines because many may be substandard.

Experts’ assessment of eight brands of commercially available non sedating antihistamine, loratadine hydrochloride tablets,

found only two had active drug content in amounts specified for the innovator brand.

Although all generic and branded drug products are supposed to be pharmaceutically and therapeutically equivalent, the study found a large variation in the eight brands of the tablets. Six of the brands evaluated exhibited poor pharmaceutical properties.

The researchers obtained

nine brands of commercially available non sedating antihistamine, loratadine hydrochloride tablets from 10 selected registered pharmacies in each of the six states in South Western Nigeria, including the innovator brand.

Loratadine hydrochloride tablet is used in the treatment of allergic skin diseases and rhinitis. Recently, an upsurge in the incidence of therapeutic

failure was noticed, especially by Ear, Nose and Throat (otolaryngologists) experts.

Different parameters such as the purity, strength, content uniformity, weight and sizes of the tablets, disintegration and dissolution times were examined to determine their quality. These were brands registered by the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control.

Water park flags off, promising Nigerians wellness AFRICA’S indigenous recreation, SplashWorld resort, has flagged off services with a promise to help Nigerians achieve wellness during this Easter.

Announcing a special Easter Splash for those who wish to mark their birthdays and anniversaries in style, especially children, was Olusola Oyelade, Chairman, Casa Consult Ltd. Oyelade at a media conference said that Splash World project was created out of the passion to boost recreation at the Ikogosi warm spring resort.

Oyelade, who remarked that physical recreation and fitness contributes to a full and meaningful life, said “studies have proven that taking part in recreational activities, particularly outdoors, can improve your physical

wellness.

“In fact, people who frequently take advantage of park activities have fewer doctor visits, lower body mass indexes and lower systolic blood pressures than those who do not,” he declared.

Oyelade said that the Ikogosi warm spring resort’s natural environment is already known for its good waters and is capable of providing Nigerians with proper recreation.

“This is the first water park in Nigeria. We have enough activities for everybody and it will help Nigerians to achieve wellness. It is very accessible; already we have an influx of students coming for excursion from all over Nigeria.

“One of the key factors of life is that people must learn to deal with water.

We noticed that many chil-

dren are afraid of water, so this is mid-breaker for children. They will learn that playing and working with water is actually relaxing and not as difficult as they think.

“We have plans to offer lessons on swimming and operations of water in this facility. We are hoping that with the support of the government in this area, this resort will be able to compete favorably with others internationally,” he declared.

Speaking earlier, Olutoyin Oyelade, Founding Partner/CEO at InVcap, said the African-focused private equity firm established the multi-purpose water park and recreational centre to promote physical activity among Nigerians.

She said that critical among the visions of InV-

cap, which recently completed this water parks project at Ikogosi, was boosting physical activities and health.

While expressing concern over the low level of physical and recreational activities among Nigerians, she said “it is a visible missing link in the life of an average Nigerian. We want to inculcate the culture of indulging in physical and recreational activities which will tackle high incidence of diseases, promote healthy lifestyles and longevity.”

She added: “If you are not sure about becoming active or boosting your level of physical activity because you are afraid of getting hurt, the good news is that moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like brisk walking, is generally safe for most people.”

Involved in this 2015 study published in the African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences were Oladapo A. Adetunji; N. F Adigun and M.A Odeniyi at the Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, University of Ibadan.

The researchers reasoned that the observed differences in the brands tested have implications in terms of product stability and efficacy, part of which are responsible for the therapeutic failures of the drug products when patients take them.

The introduction of generic drug products from multiple sources into the health care delivery system was aimed at creating an avenue for affordable drug products that are readily available in the country. However, this has been accompanied by a wide range of problems, the critical of which is the widespread distribution of fake and substandard drug products.

Availability of branded and generic products is supposed to give the health practitioner the opportunity to choose between a variety of available drug products with the aim of ensuring that the patient gets the right drug at the right price every time.

36

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

healthpeople ate time.

Insomnia, defined as a persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep that impairs daytime function, is the most common sleep complaint. People with daytime sleepiness are fatigued, have a tendency to fall asleep in inappropriate places at inappropriate times, and have poor concentration and are irritable.

In fact, disrupted sleep has also been associated with several negative physical and psychiatric consequences in the general population, including psychiatric illness, physical complaints, substance abuse, and poor memory.

In children, common sleep disorder symptoms could include sleep terrors, nightmares or night time fears, teeth grinding during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and bedwetting.

Sleep problem is more than just sleepiness

—Komolafe, Sleep expert

Director Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Dr Morenikeji Komolafe speaks on the significance of sleep as the world marks World Sleep Day in this interview with SADE OGUNTOLA, indicating that poor sleep is associated with several negative physical and psychiatric consequences, including poor memory.

W

HY do we need sleep and why should it be taken seriously?

Good sleep is necessary for optimal health; it is important for renewing our mental and physical health. Why do we need sleep? When we are awake, a chemical called adenosine builds up in the bloodstream.

It is only when we are asleep that the body is able to break this chemical down and if you don’t get enough sleep your body won’t have enough time to break down the chemical. The result is a slowdown in your reactions, feeling generally tired and wanting to have a nap.

How much sleep we need varies between individuals but generally changes as we age.

Although it is not just about the hours of sleep, the quality of sleep also matters. Most adults need an average of eight hours per night to feel rested. Babies, however, need more hours of sleep (16 to 18 hours of each 24 hours).

There are at least 84 disorders of sleeping that lead to a reduced quality of life and per-

sonal health. But the common ones include snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, sleep deprivation, and restless legs syndrome.

Most of us have experienced trouble sleeping at one time or another. This is normal and usually temporary, due to stress or other outside factors. But if sleep problems are a regular occurrence and interfere with one’s daily life, this is termed sleep disorder.

Unfortunately, sleep disorders cause more than just sleepiness. Even minimal sleep loss can take a toll on the mood, energy, efficiency, and ability to handle stress. Ignoring sleep problems and disorders can lead to poor health, weight gain, accidents, impaired job performance, and relationship strain.

What are the common signs of sleep disorder?

Sleep disorders can differ depending on the severity and type of sleeping disorder.

They may also vary when sleep disorders are a result of another condition. However, sleep disorders can manifest as an inability to sleep (insomnia), daytime sleepiness, abnormal movements or behaviour during sleep, or an inability to sleep at the appropri-

What are things that predispose to sleep problems?

There are many conditions, diseases and disorders that can cause sleep disturbances. In many cases, factors that predispose to sleep problems include medical illness, medications stress, other psychological problems and environment problems like noise.

Many people cannot sleep because of loud noise from speakers used by various religious organisations during night vigils. Life stresses such as job loss or change, death of a loved one, or frequent travel, illness, erratic work schedule or environmental factors, such as light, noise, or extreme temperatures may also affect sleep pattern.

There are more sleep problems now because exposure to light from various devices like Neon light, street signs, mobile phones, I-pads and laptop affects melatonin secretion from pineal gland. I have seen many teenagers and young adult having problems sleeping because of spending too much time on these devices.

Medical issues like allergies, colds, and upper respiratory infections can make it challenging to breathe at night. The inability to breathe through the nose can also cause sleeping difficulties. Frequent urination during the night, constant pain from disease such as arthritis and persistent headache can make good night sleep difficult.

Approximately 75 to 85 per cent of menopausal women experience hot flashes, which can last for five years. Hot flashes and sweating can make it difficult to sleep. Also, in the years after menopause, women’s sleep grows lighter and more fragmented. This change in sleep pattern causes more daytime fatigue.

About half of all adults over the age of 65 have some sort of sleep disorder. As we age, our bodies become less skilled at maintaining sound sleep. Older persons get less of the deeper stages of sleep and tend to awaken more often due to medical illness, medications, alcohol, depression and loss of a loved one.

World over, insufficient sleep is increasingly recognized as important to public health, with sleep insufficiency linked to motor vehicle crashes, industrial disasters, and medical and other occupational errors.

Unintentionally falling asleep, nodding off while driving, and having difficulty performing daily tasks because of sleepiness all may contribute to these hazardous outcomes.

Persons experiencing sleep insufficiency are also more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, as well as from cancer, and reduced quality of life and productivity.

Statistics show that insomnia is a direct linked to a higher mortality risk and reduced quality of life. Why is this so?

Researchers have linked insufficient sleep or persistent insomnia to conditions that easily cut people’s life short. It has been observed that the inability to get a good night’s sleep that goes on for years has a direct effect on the risk of death, regardless of the underlying reasons for it.

People who do not get enough sleep are also at higher risk for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, increase in blood lipids and depression, as well as cancer, premature death and reduced quality of life and productivity. It may raise nighttime blood pressure, cause occupational errors, motor vehicle accidents, industrial disasters and medical and other occupational errors.

Insufficient sleep can interfere with cardiovascular health by causing inflammation, increasing blood pressure and impairing glucose levels. For instances, studies have found that the risk of developing heart failure triples in people who experience persistent insufficient sleep.

The 2016 World Sleep Day is with the theme “Good sleep is a reachable dream”. How possible is this?

World Sleep Day is an annual event, intended to be a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep, including medicine, education, social aspects and driving. It is to raise awareness of sleep disorders and their better understanding and preventability, and to reduce the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders.

With the advent of round the clock social media habits, binge watching marathons and the usual insomniac traits, many people are losing out on sleep. This can actually be very harmful for health. In fact, problems of sleep have reached the level of global epidemic and it threatens health and quality of life of as much as 45 per cent of world’s population.

Nonetheless, sleep maladies can be ameliorated, but recognition has to come first, emphasising the importance of overall health and well-being. Most sleep disorders are preventable or treatable, yet less than one-third of sufferers seek professional help. People should not have to live with poor sleep. Good sleep is achievable.

So what can people do to ensure good sleep?

Good sleep is reachable if attention is paid to life style and environmental factors. Tips getting better sleep include the following: • Maintain a regular wake time, even on days of work and weekends and trying to go to bed only when you are drowsy.

• Avoid stimulating activities late in the evening such as heavy studying, computer games, violent or frightening television shows, books or videos.

• Avoid products with caffeine such as soft drinks, kola nut and coffee after 4pm.

• Exercise regularly and use bed room for only sleep, sex and time of illness. Do not do your work or worry on the bed.

• Keep regular schedule- regular times for meals, medications, chores and other activities. Avoid large meals at night as well as napping during the day.

• Establish relaxing pre-night rituals such as a warm bath and light bed time snack.

37

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Nature’s best anti-ageing treatments

natural

health nourishment for dry skin that helps in keeping skin hydrated by preventing moisture loss. It exfoliates skin to remove dead cells and promotes the regeneration of new cells which in turn lightens age spots, hyper pigmentation and scars. Vitamin B and potassium present in honey also helps in improving skin elasticity and suppleness.

By Vera Onana

AGEING is an inevitable process that must occur as the clock ticks. However, the rapidity with which it happens can either be slowed down or catalysed by our habits. Most times however, we do the latter by living recklessly, damning the consequences of our lifestyle on the ageing process.

The mechanism of the ageing process is such that it is evident in the outward projection of wrinkles and lines. Our skin starts ageing from the late 20s but its effects become more apparent as get older. Collagen and elastin are the two major proteins that are the basis of cell structure which make skin elastic, supple and youthful. With time, these proteins start depleting leading to appearance of wrinkles, lines and deep furrows on face, forehead, neck and back of hands.

Who doesn’t want a youthful and younger looking skin? But unhealthy life style, stress, over dependence on processed and ready-to-eat foods, caffeine, alcohol and unhealthy habits like smoking, lack of exercise and pollution all contribute to skin aging and appearance of wrinkles.

However, there is good news and it is interred in the bosom of Mother Nature. Although several over-the-counter creams and beauty products are available in the market that help to treat skin ageing, it is best to opt for time tested home remedies that are not only effective, but also safe with no side effects.

Olive oil Olive oil is one of the most effective natural oils that help in lightening wrinkles and fine lines and tightening sagging skin. It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and natural fatty acids that nourishes the skin because it is readily absorbed by the skin pores. Being loaded with vitamins A and E, it functions as a powerful antioxidant and helps in hydrating skin and maintaining its youthful suppleness and elasticity so that it appears younger for longer.

Aloe vera The benefits of aloe vera for skin are numerous. It functions as an effective natural remedy for pimples and acne

and reducing excessive oiliness of skin. Malic acid present in aloe vera gel improves skin elasticity and reduces wrinkles and fine lines- the most evident signs of skin ageing. Zinc present in the gel increases the youthfulness of skin by shrinking the pores whereas mucopolysaccharides – long chain sugar molecules present in the gel helps in retaining moisture and improves formation of collagen – the protein that forms the basis of cell structure and maintains skin elasticity.

Egg whites Applying egg white mask is an easy and effective way of lightening wrinkles and fine lines. Spreading egg white on the wrinkled areas helps in stretching the skin and shrinking the open pores to give it a smoother, younger and youthful appearance. Being a rich source of protein, potassium, magnesium and riboflavin, it aids tissue repair, hydrates and moisturises skin and neutralises the damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress- two of the chief reasons for premature skin ageing.

Bananas Bananas are a readily available and cheap natural anti-ageing remedy. This fruit is loaded with skin benefitting nutrients such as potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin E that makes it a complete remedy for all skin problems. It helps in hydrating and moisturising dry skin, improving collagen production, skin elasticity and suppleness and fighting the damage causing free radicals and oxidative stress to provide a flawless and younger looking skin and adds a healthy glow to it.

Honey Honey is nature’s answer to all skin problems. It is the best

Lemon juice The natural bleaching property of lemon juice makes it a perfect natural remedy for removing tan and sunburn. Being a rich source of citric acid, it helps in exfoliating skin, removing dead skin cells and impurities and shrinking open pores to provide a smooth and younger appearance to skin. It tightens the tissues and increases skin elasticity to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It also helps in improving complexion and adding a healthy glow to skin.

Pineapples Pineapple acts as an amazing natural remedy for improving digestion and treating digestive disorders. Pineapple juice is also effective for preventing premature ageing. Being loaded with antioxidants such as potassium and vitamin C, pineapple juice helps in neutralising the harmful effects of free radicals and oxidative stress of cells thus preventing premature ageing of skin. It also helps in improving skin tone and correcting uneven skin tone, dark patches, age spots and hyper pigmentation.

Avocados The benefits of avocados for weight loss and improving health are well known. The rich creamy flesh of this fruit also helps in increasing the suppleness and youthfulness of skin by increasing elasticity. It is loaded with nutrients such as vitamin B, C, E, K, selenium, potassium, zinc, folate and beta carotene that has amazing benefits for skin. It acts as a nourishing moisturiser for excessive dry skin that also helps in repairing damaged cells and promotes the regeneration of new cells. The antioxidants and amino acids present in this exotic fruit flushes out toxins from skin and prevents premature skin ageing.

sex,sexuality

&your health With Monica Taiwo

strictly adult teenagers, adult & geriatric sexual well being

08187754992 (sms only) taiwomonica@gmail.com

You can enjoy sex during breastfeeding Continued from last week Leaking: Sexual activity can stimulate the let-down reflex and may cause breast milk to leak or spray out of your breasts. This can be shocking or embarrassing if you and your husband are not prepared for it.

Talk to your partner about leaking ahead of time to find out how he feels about it. Place nursing pads inside of a sexy nursing bra to help keep leaks from getting in the way.

Nurse your baby right before any sexual activity so there will be less milk in your breasts to leak out.

If you and your husband do not mind the leaking and your breasts are not sore, then your partner does not have to avoid them. It will not harm you or your milk supply if your husband touches or stimulates your breasts.

Less Oestrogen: Your body’s oestrogen level is lower while you are breastfeeding, which could lead to decrease sex drive. It may take you longer to become aroused, and you may experience painful intercourse due to less vaginal lubrication.

If this happens, don’t rush. Give yourself more time to become aroused. You can use a preferred lubricant to help with vaginal dryness, Try different sexual positions to make intercourse more comfortable. You can also ask your doctor about a prescription for oestrogen cream to use on the vulva and vaginal opening if you experience discomfort during sex.

Your Body Image: You may not be feeling very attractive in your after-baby body. Weight gain, stretch marks, and large, hard, leaky breasts may have you feel a little self-conscious. With very little time to take care of yourself, dress up in a nice outfit or do your hair and make-up, you probably don’t feel all that put-together. When you feel like you don’t look good, you are less likely to feel sexy and in the mood for romance.

You can help yourself by eating a well balanced diet so that you can get all the nutrition you need while you are breastfeeding. Making healthy choices will give you more energy and help you lose weight in a safe, gradual way.

If your doctor says it is okay to, get some exercise, engaging

in physical activity is a good way to increase your energy level, elevate your mood, lose weight and feel better about yourself. When you feel good about yourself and your body, you are more likely to feel in the mood for sexual activity.

Ask your husband to help with the baby so you can take a shower and get dressed. You may even want to do your hair and put on a little makeup. Looking good can make you feel good, too.

Talk to your partner about how you feel about your body.

A little reassurance from him that he still loves you and finds you attractive may be just what you need.

Interruptions: Babies are not always predictable, so be prepared for interruptions. If your baby needs you, you will have to stop whatever you are doing to take care of the child’s need before you can go back to spending time with your partner.

You can avoid this by feeding the baby, change her diaper, and put her down to sleep right before you plan to spend time with your partner.

Be flexible and be patient. Your child is only a baby for a little while. In time, as your child grows, you and your partner will find more time to spend together.

Fear of another pregnancy: You just went through a pregnancy, and you have a little baby that you have to take care of.. The fear of another pregnancy can definitely make sex a scary thought. You should talk to your doctor at your postpartum check up to discuss using birth control. Contraception that’s safe to take while you are breastfeeding is available.

You also need to talk to your husband about your concerns.

Once you feel in control of your family planning decisions, you may feel more ready to get back to your physical relationship with your partner.

38

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Victor Ogunyinka

health

m: +234-806 642 7323 e: ogunyinkavictor@gmail.com : @vogunyinka

Servicom: Any benefit to hospital

visitors?

Established with the sole aim of breathing life and efficiency in service to Nigerians, VICTOR OGUNYINKA examines how far Servicom has gone in living up to its billings 12 years on.

Winifred Ekanem, Oyo-Ita, Head of Civil Service

I

“

know there are servicom units in hospitals but I don’t have the faintest idea of what they do and I have never taken the time to know.”

This is the response of a regular caller at a federal hospital, when asked what she knows about Servicom.

“Once you are not comfortable with the service you get in a hospital, you are supposed to lodge your complaints with the Servicom office in the hospital,” Mr Seyi Ayoola, Administrative Officer at Servicom office, Ibadan, said.

When servicom (Service Compact) was established on March 21, 2004 by then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, its aim was to improve the service rendered, especially by government agencies when the government noticed, through a report that “Services are not serving people, they are inaccessible, poor in quality and indifferent to customers’ needs.

“Public confidence is poor, inequality high, and institutional arrangement confusing and wasteful. There is need for a far reaching transformation of Nigerian society through a service delivery programme as a step in the process of moving to a

It is considered an offence to report a man for negligence in Nigeria

government that is more in touch with the people, following this, in March 2004, a special presidential retreat deliberated on the report and ended with a conclusion of entering into a Service Compact With All Nigerians...”

Twelve years after, the undoing of servicom is far-reaching and as a matter of fact, has not served its purpose of existence.

In the health sector, servicom offices are almost less functional and little or no activities are recorded in a calendar year. So much is the fact that an average hospital user doesn’t know the function of servicom or how to access it.

Our lack of exploring new services as a people or the neglect of government to make the services of servicom attractive to the end user is a subjective discussion.

A visit to the servicom office of a teaching hospital in the course of writing this piece revealed how cumbersome and frustrating it is to gather information from a department that is supposed to be an information/complaint centre.

Mr Ayoola opined that it is not likely for one to get information (as a pressman) when one visits the servicom units in hos-

pital because “they might think you want to do a report against them (the hospital).

When servicom was initiated, the idea was that every office should have a servicom officer, whereby one could monitor the civil servant and take complaints where necessary.

“Servicom is like a watchdog in hospitals where the members of the public can go and lay complaints. Once a report is generated about a hospital; maybe there was neglect in the line of discharging duty or any other anomaly, servicom is expected to take up such case and it could be very devastating for the hospital. There is a chance that any report that will go to servicom would be negative.

In an opinion poll conducted on the Nigerian Tribune website about how much people know about servicom revealed that servicom is almost moribund and near non-existence in the mind of people.

Seventy-seven per cent of the total respondent revealed that they neither know about servicom nor visit its office when they go to the hospital.

Another 16 per cent explained that they know about servicom and seven per cent were indifferent about the activities and existence of servicom.

While reacting to questions on why majority of hospital users don’t know about servicom, Mr Ayoola said: “People tend to shy away from accessing policy documents that tells us that this is your right and benefit when you know some policies, but a lot of people will not go back to review the document. For example, one of servicom work ethics states that “do not leave a file unattended to for 24 hours.” I’m sure a lot of people don’t know that and that could affect them in the area of performance and also, they will not benefit enough from the scheme.

Mr Akinwande added that people don’t know about servicom activities in the hospital because “In Nigeria, the way we work is a man-know-man thing. It is considered an offence to report a man for negligence in Nigeria. Unfortunately, it is affecting us. Not long ago, there was a case involving a popular hospital in Ibadan where the patient was said to have died because she didn’t get the adequate attention she deserved. If servicom has been effective and the family involved had knowledge on servicom, they could have done something about it before it was too late.”

With series of abuses patients suffer from their caregivers, the efficiency of servicom would probably have saved many lives and reserve many rights.

Once one is not comfortable with the service one gets in a hospital, one is constitutionally expected to lodge a complaint with servicom.

Servicom deals with work ethics; for instance, when you are denied of a drug you are supposed to get, or you are not been attended to properly, you can go to servicom to complain. Servicom is like a police that monitors how work is done in the civil service.

When you go to complain with servicom that you have not been treated properly in the hospital, servicom is expected to take up such case and deal with the hospital accordingly.

Though servicom hasn’t been alive to its responsibilities, stakeholders have argued strongly that it can serve its purpose of creation if government devise a new approach in publicity and service delivery.

Truth is a lot of people have complaints but they don’t know where to go to and these are issues one would have gotten solutions by going to servicom.

Mr Akinwande included that for servicom to live up to its billings, it need to be fired up. “The Federal Government should get people onboard that would make it efficient, they should also bring people that would be able to communicate with the general public in the language they would understand,” he said.

Mr Ayoola also added that government needs to go back to the basics and enlighten people more that there is a place that one could go to complain when one is not being treated properly in the hospital.

“Government should come up with focused enlightenment programme that will go beyond just putting servicom in the hospitals, but will actually orientate people on how to access servicom. Government should also empower the desk officers in servicom, proper training should be giving to them also, to make them perform fearlessly and effectively,” he concluded.

39

Thursday, 24 March, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor tai_adis@yahoo.com

I know the mastermind of my arrest by soldiers —Wike’s aide

seen the election materials and I have been told by my ward chairman that the materials had been snatched on the road by soldiers. I felt very bad and I had to report. I am not a party agent but the leader of the ward.

Cyril Dum Wite, Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Special Projects, was arrested by soldiers in Khana during the state legislative rerun election, last Saturday, for allegedly being in possession of military uniforms and a large money.

Released on bail, he speaks with DEPUTY EDITOR, DAPO FALADE the entire allegation, among other issues.

W

ERE you really caught with military uniforms and sum of money during the legislative rerun election held in Rivers State, last Saturday?

I am really perplexed by what went viral. A friend of mine told there was an aggressive propaganda commissioned and I asked does he meant by that. He said what has been going on in Rivers State, especially the rerun, was too aggressive and the highest lie from the pit of hell. I have had my reputation built over 50 years now and anybody who knows me knows that I am a man of persuasion; I am very disciplined.

I am not somebody that goes about with thugs, and I don’t have a police orderly. So, I will not do anything that is clearly against the Law. What really happened that Saturday, the day of the rerun election, was that we had waited in my ward, Ward 12 in Lugbara in Khana, for the materials up till noon. Suddenly, I had a call from my ward chairman that the material’s were being hijacked on the way from Bori, the INEC centre. I asked where was this happening and I was told it was Wiakara, that the two army trucks guiding the election materials on both sides were trying to force the bus carrying the materials to turn into Wiakara, the home town of one of the APC stalwarts. This is the same Wiakara, where soldiers have been in camp for over one week, preceding the election, trying to perfect their plans to hijack election materials. For me, I didn’t bother because I knew that the people were on our side.

When the INEC Presiding Officer could no longer contain what was happening, she was forced to say she was going back to Bori. I traced them to the INEC office in Bori and I saw the lady in charge of the election materials in Ward 12 and I asked her what was happening. She told me the place was becoming too rowdy; she could not get to the RAC centre. But I said the RAC centre is in Lugbara, where you will distribute materials to Gure and Wiakara. She insisted that she wanted to go back to Bori. But I told her the law says she should go to the RAC centre and from there, you can now go to the other units. She said since the time had gone, she would deliver the materials unit-by-unit. I asked her, ‘what is the guarantee that she would deliver unit-by-unit and she said she would be escorted by the military. I now said my concern was for the materials to get to my ward, how it would get there, I don’t want to know.

I turned to the soldier and he told me whatever (that is the word he used and I was shocked) the INEC woman said, that was what he was going to do. And I said, okay, let us go to the unit. Suddenly, the soldiers around us started beating about three boys who are my cousins who came with me to report the matter at the INEC office. I asked why they were beating the boys. The soldiers in turn asked why am was defending them. I told them the boys came with me to the INEC office at Bori to lodge a complain of the hijack of materials and that it had been confirmed that the materials could not arrive and we had traced the materials back to the INEC office here and that we have even settled the matter and were going back to cast our vote.

Wite

Then, how did this become a major issue?

While speaking, one of the soldiers came to hit me on the head and another one came to beat on my sides. As we speak, I can’t even breath very well because I was kicked from several directions, to the floor. I was arrested on the instruction of APC and I was shocked because I belong to Khana Constituency 1. I was shocked that he was the one who directed that I should be beaten, alleging that I and Senator Lee Maeba had procured military uniforms to rig the election. Here was somebody I worked with in the midst. More importantly, we have a family relationship.

In fact.

All of this happened at the INEC office, with over 2000 people witnessing it. It is not as if I was arrested on the road or anywhere else. I was arrested at the INEC office, where I went to make a complain about the hijack of election materials. I cannot sit back in my ward, when I have not

The men they put by my side were arrested from the road for a different offence; I don’t know them. I am a man of integrity.

But do you have any military uniform on you when you were arrested?

Clearly, I had no uniform. What you saw on the video with about other three men wearing camouflage, I had no knowledge of them; I don’t know them from Adams. I was seated on the floor when they brought them. I think they were arrested on the road; the police can attest to that. I don’t know them; they were not arrested with me. I was beaten and kicked to the floor at the INEC office in Bori; I was not arrested from anywhere. They arrested those men on the road and they brought them to sit by my side. They had no business with me; they were not in the same car with me.

I had no uniform at all. In this case, [there was] only one police uniform and it belonged to one of the four police officers that were to serve in my unit. All of them came to identify that uniform, that it belonged to one of the officers there.

What really happened was that they had been at the RAC centre in my village since last Thursday. A cousin of mine had assisted them to provide them with food, water and where to take their bath. On this Saturday morning, the man had gone to his room to take his bath and left his bag in the car.

So when the information came that they were hijacking election materials at Bori, I just told my cousin, who owns the car, to let us go there. When they started beating us and searching his car, they saw a bag and when they emptied the contents, a uniform was there and an identity card that belonged to that police officer who was posted to the RAC centre, clearly on election duties and who was assisted by the community where he was posted to. There was nothing wrong in that; after all, they do say the police is your friend.

My community and Bori are just about 20 minutes apart.

The man came and identified his uniform and said he was taking his bath and left his bag in the car. The car is not mine.

The man identified his bag, containing his uniform, ID Card and his Bible. They gave him his bag and allowed him to go back to the RAC centre. The owner of the uniform is not a fake police officer; he was posted on an election duty and he identified his bag. What is wrong in assisting the Nigerian.

Police to work? The uniform does not belong to me; it does not belong to the owner of the car. The owner left the uniform in the car to take his bath and hurriedly we took the car to go and prevent the hijack of election materials.

What of the money found on you?

I had no knowledge of such an amount of money until they displayed the cash. This is because the owner of the money is the owner of the car. When he was interrogated, he said he made a large transaction on Thursday or so but the bank was closed. Instead of leaving the money in his house, he said that he was not sure of its safety [and] he put the money in the boot of his car, pending maybe when the banks would be opened. He said he had about N2 million in his car. What is wrong with that? The money was in his car and he identified it.

Part of the money was even stolen by the soldiers. But because they wanted to play gimmicks and embarrass themselves, not me, they now put the money in front of me. They asked me to count it and I asked them, why should I count it? I was beaten black and blue to count the money. So, the money is not mine; the car is not my own; the uniform they saw does not belong to me- I did not procure it. The men they put by my side were arrested from the road for a different offence; I don’t know them. I am a man of integrity; I have served Rivers State for several years now. I am wellknown. Nobody should tamper with my integrity; I have built it for over 50 years.

40

politicscommentary

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Issues and challenges of governance in Nigeria Continued from yesterday

By Akin Mabogunje

T

HE system paid no regard to the basic human process of settling in urban or rural areas. It merged into a single local government a number of small to medium towns with the villages around them; it broke up large cities and metropolitan areas into two, three or more local governments; it tried to carve out parts of large cities and merge them with neighbouring smaller centres to form a local government where the population was less than the expected number.

Mobalufon in Ijebu-Ode was thus made to be part of Odogbolu Local Government.

What we had was thus a number of amorphous local governments with no inherent cohesion or social raison d’etre.

Not unexpectedly, as soon as the particular military government handed over to a civilian regime, the agitations for a local government system that is better aligned to the wishes and aspirations of the people became strident all over the country. Most State governments began to respond to these reasonable demands of their people.

The Buhari coup of December 1983 truncated these developments as it regarded the agitations as another evidence of the social indiscipline in the country. Consequently, the country was forced back to the system of 299 local governments.

But the agitations continued forcing the succeeding military government of General Babangida to increase the number first to 489 and later to 569 but without pretense to any objective criteria or rationality. Since even with this relaxation the agitation continued right up to the regime of General Sani Abacha, the latter responded to it by creating more States and local governments, this time clearly on the basis of his whims and caprices. Thus, Lagos and Kano State which, up till then had the same number of TWENTY local governments each, suddenly found that Kano State from which a new State, Jigawa State, was carved out was assigned 44 local governments and the new Jigawa State another 26 local governments whilst Lagos State remained with only 20 local governments. On this basis, the country ended up with 768 local governments excluding the area councils of the Federal Capital Territory. It is this number of local governments that entered into the 1999 Constitution of the country.

The 1999 Constitution has three main sections on Local Government apart from a Fourth Schedule which spells out their functions . Section 7(1) states: “The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the Government of every State shall subject to section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence under a Law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such Councils.” Section 8 (5) & (6), however, virtually took away these powers of the States since it requires the National Assembly to approve these local governments so “established” by having to pass “An Act of the National Assembly …. to make consequential provisions with respect to the names and headquarters of such local government areas.”

Section 3(6) further shows the diminution in the powers of States to “establish” their local governments by stating that “there shall be seven hundred and sixty-eight local government areas in Nigeria…” All of these intrusion of the Federal Government into an area which is properly within the purview of the States is, of course, because

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of the “awuff” resources which the Federal Government provides for local governments from the Federation Account.

What has made it difficult to reform this lop-sided local government system was the fact that from General Babangida’s time, the local governments were made to receive “awuff” subventions directly from the Federation Account. Thus, the more local governments a State has, the more it received from the Federation Account. To reform the local government system on an equitable and rational basis thus looked like reducing the resources accruing to those States which had enjoyed the inequity of the Sani Abacha’s local government creation. There is, however, no denying the fact that the local government areas are simply subdivisions of a state. The summation of their population or territorial extent is no greater than that of the State of which they form parts. Thus, the criteria used for providing subventions to states from the Federation Account could equally be used for subventions to their local governments even when the ratio of entitlement for States and Local Governments could be different. More seriously, however, is the fact that the attempt to ignore the different settlement patterns and therefore traditional local governments in each state of

One other deficit of the present system of local government is that it provides relatively little opportunity for the citizens or the community at large to have much say in their governance.

the Federation has done great harm to the efficiency and effectiveness of this level of governance in the country.

Indeed, it can be said to have confused administrative effectiveness with economic efficiency. For one, it tried to obliterate the distinction between urban and rural settlements with their very different infrastructural and socio-economic requirements.

Indeed, nowhere in the Constitution is there a reference to urban development in the country. Yet, one of the most important phenomena that accompanies the development of any country is the rise in the level of its urbanization. This was why as Britain began to industrialize in the 19th century it had to pass the Municipal Development Act in 1835 which sought to provide for the financial and management requirements of the infrastructural needs of urban centres such as tarred roads, street lighting, storm water drainage, internal transportation and traffic system, waste disposal and other specialized needs of urban centres like reticulated water and electricity systems not required in rural settlements. Furthermore, the local government reform by ignoring, rather than building on, the traditional structure of local governments in the country alienated itself from the needs of the common man and thus virtually became irrelevant to serious governance in the country.

What this indifference to historical and cultural antecedents did was to destroy the integrity of local administration; or in other words, it made citizens no longer concerned or able to influence the quality of the people who aspire to rule them. This in itself fostered the burgeoning rise of corruption at the local level. To make matters worse, the military regime insisted that those who intend to contest any election, even one as prosaic as that to a local government council, must first resign from their paid employment. The idea of teachers, lecturers and other public officers (other than civil servants) being allowed leave of absence to serve their local communities in this manner thus became no longer possible. It thus

left the field to people in the private sector, most of whom operate in the informal sector generally with limited education and appreciation of the importance of local governance. The idea of serving the community on the basis of being paid “sitting allowance” thus disappeared and corruption blossomed at this level of government.

One consequence of the reformed local government is simply that it undermined the access of government at this level to the robust resource of “social capital” which had in the past been responsible for development in many urban centres of the country. Social capital (Putnam, 1993) refers to resources in kind or cash which people are prepared to deploy for the development or welfare of their home communities. It is this form of capital that had been responsible for the building of many schools, churches, mosques, post offices, community banks, water and electricity supply to many communities not able to depend on or wait for governmental provenance (Honey & Okafor, 1998). The amorphous nature of the present system of local governments simply made it impossible to mobilize this type of resources although some communities still continue to access this resource on an informal basis. But generally it has not been possible to deploy a robust system of social capital to complement or enhance effort at good material and infrastructural development at the local government level.

One other deficit of the present system of local government is that it provides relatively little opportunity for the citizens or the community at large to have much say in their governance. Although the usual cliché is to assert that local government is the government nearest to the grassroots, there is little evidence that the grassroots feel any closeness to the present local governments. No local government, for instance, submits its annual budget to its local community or report its achievements to them, except at great expense sometimes on the pages of newspapers. In truly democratic dispensation, these are the usual reasons for holding “town-hall meetings”, to enable the elected officials of the town to report to the citizens of the town and receive feedback from the citizenry and directions for the future. It is at such meetings that democratic learning is nurtured and participatory democracy strengthened such that people are encouraged to learn how to put their purse where their mouth is in terms of the development they desire for their local environment. Instead of this, the present situation in Nigeria is that it is state governors that hold town hall meetings, especially during their campaign tours to a town which could thus be once or twice over a four-year period and it is always so fleeting and riotous.

This absence of a forum or a Town Hall meeting to discuss the problems of a given locality and how to resolve them has been a major reason for the inability of local governments to improve on their internally generated revenue instead of depending almost wholly on subventions from the Federation Account.

Continues tomorrow`

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

41

news

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

I was scared by large turnout on my coronation day —Olubadan

Urges students to shun violence

By Tunde Ogunesan with Agency Report

T

HE Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Ogungunniso I, on Wednesday, revealed that he almost shed tears following the large turnout of crowd during his coronation.

He said he was afraid to the extent that he thought that could be his last day on earth.

Oba Adetunji made this revelation when he hosted the Presiding Bishop of the

Sword of the Spirit Ministry, Christ Life Churches Worldwide, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, at his Popoyemoja palace, on Wednesday.

“On my coronation day, I was afraid. I wept and I thought I was going to die,” he said.

The monarch, who said that he never dreamt of becoming the Olubadan, added that he was brought up by the late Oba Yesufu Oloyede Asanke.

“I never knew I will be Olubadan when I was under him, but years after

his death, I was installed as the monarch,” he said.

Adetunji, who thanked all those who supported his emergence, prayed for the creation of Ibadan State and the establishment of an international airport in the state.

Oke, who congratulated the Olubadan on his coronation, attributed his emergence to God, saying “it was his turn when the Almighty anointed him.”

“I came here to congratulate the Olubadan over his installation and to also let him know that he

has a son among the men of God in the country,” he said.

Oke prayed that the tenure of the Olubadan would be a prosperous one with the ancient city witnessing economic prosperity.

Speaking with the media after the visit, the cleric commended President Mohammadu Buhari over his anti-corruption crusade.

Oke also called on Nigerians to be patient with Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over

AUD, Ekiti govt assure triennial conference pilgrims of rewarding time Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

THE Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (AUD) has assured members of the society in Nigeria and abroad as well as all other Muslims visiting Ekiti State for the eighth triennial national conference of the society of a spiritually-rewarding time and progress.

The Ekiti State council of AUD, which announced at a press conference that the conference would commence tomorrow through to Sunday, explained that the conference “could be likened to a mini hajj because more that 6,000 Muslims from all over the world are expected to enter Ekiti State from March 25 - 27th for prayers, thanksgiving, visitation to dignitaries, presentation of awards to deserving personalities and sundry rewarding activities.”

The society, in a press conference addressed by the chairman of Ekiti State Council, Alhaji Ishaq Ademola Bello, and the State Missioner, Alhaji Sheik Hadi Adebayo, announced that “the benefits of the conference is enormous and Ekiti would be the better. Apart from the spiritual benefits, the economic benefits are also enormous because of the expected high number of visitors to the state.”

Alhaji Bello, who doubles as the Special Adviser to Governor Ayodele Fayose on Political Matters, assured that the Ekiti council of AUD “is fully prepared for the historic event and I can also state that the state government has taken all necessary steps to ensure a hitch-free event in terms of security and other relevant logistics.”

Bello said: “The importance of the conference

cannot be over-emphasised. We are believing God for a hitch-free conference and we shall reap the spiritual benefits.”

Alhaji Adebayo said the conference, apart from the lectures, would also work towards the realisation of the proposed ADS university and charged Muslims “to remain as one and keep praying and working for an

egalitarian society.”

The society described Governor Fayose as “lucky” saying “the conference is coming to Ekiti for the first time.”

The National President, Alhaji Femi Okunnu and National Missioner of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria and overseas, Alhaji Sheik Abdu-Rahman Olanrewaju, will lead other

delegates to visit Governor Fayose, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe Aladesanmi 111; the President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas in South-West, Edo and Delta states, Alhaji Sheik Jamiu Kewulere Bello and the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola.

the irregularities in this year’s University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Meanwhile, a call has gone to the students of tertiary institutions not to resort to the use of violence to settle scores with their school authorities.

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, made the call while welcoming students of The Polytechnic Ibadan, to his Popoyemoja, Ibadan palace, on Tuesday.

According to the monarch, “where two or three people are involve in a project, you cannot rule out the possibility of conflict,” adding that people should learn to appreciate each other’s interest and prepared to give and take.

Oba Adetunji, who recalled with nostalgia his past association with the polytechnic, noted that for the institution to attain

greater height, the government, school authority, students and parents need to co-operate fully.

Speaking earlier on behalf of the visiting students, the President of the Students Union Government, Mr Esho Oluwatosin, congratulated the monarch on his ascension to the exalted throne of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

He prayed that Oba Adetunji’s reign would witness unprecedented peace and progress for Ibadan people at home and Diaspora.

Also, Senegalese Muslim Scholar, Fadilat Sheikh Muhammed Surajudeen bn Ibrahim Niyas, paid a courtesy call on the Olubadan at his palace.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ajao Iyabode Alake Osenat now AKANDE IYABODE ALADE. All former documents name remain valid. General public take note.

42

south-westnews

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

IPMAN laments over alleged detention of tanker drivers by NSCDC in Ekiti Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

T

HE leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Ekiti State, have cried out over what they described as excesses of the Ekiti Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil

Defence Corps (NSCDC) against them and have therefore withdrawn their tankers from operation.

Ekiti IPMAN leadership addressed newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, and claimed that NSCDC officials were arresting and detaining their tankers along

with their drivers and products meant for sale in Ekiti.

They also alleged that the NSCDC was doing this regardless of their obtaining relevant permits and papers as required by the law.

The Chairman of IPMAN in the state, Mr Ayodele Owoeye, who was represent-

ed by Alhaji Sulaiman Akinbami, said the leadership of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), arm of IPMAN in the country, had directed all tankers meant for Ekiti to stop operation, thereby stalling the supply of petroleum products to the state.

They lamented that the

Professor Oyin Olurin (widow) (third left), with children, singing during the first memorial and thanksgiving service in honour of Professor Emmanuel Olaofe Olurin, at Olurin Compound/Modeolu Quarters, Ilaro, Ogun State, on Wednesday. PHOTOS: D’ Toyin

development had led to the crippling of petroleum business in the state.

In a petition addressed to Governor Ayodele Fayose by their lawyer, E.K. Adetifa and dated March 22, 2016, described the excesses of the NSCDC as having adverse effects on their businesses.

The petition accused NSCDC of unlawfully arresting and detaining tanker drivers bringing petroleum products to the state under the guise that the products were diverted from other states.

The petition reads: “Your Excellency, part of the excesses of the NSCDC include incessant and random seizure of petroleum trucks that are bringing petroleum products into the state, unlawful detention of truck drivers, extortion of members whenever the impounded petroleum trucks and detained drivers are to be released from custody, usurpation of the power of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

But the Commandant of NSCDC in the state, Mr Ibrahim Raji, denied the allegations and described it as frivolous.

Lawyer drags Aregbesola to court over plan to sack 678 in LAUTECH Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

A legal practitioner, Mr Kanmi Ajibola, has dragged Governor Rauf Aregbesola to Osun State High Court over alleged plan to sack about 678 workers in the employ of Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Osogbo In a suit number HOS/46/2016, Ajibola, who the plaintiff, is seeking “an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st defendant (Osun State government), 2nd defendant (Rauf Aregbesola) and 3rd defendant (LAUTECH management board) either by themselves, their agents, servants and privies from sacking or suspending any staff of LAUTECH. According to affidavit deposed to by the plaintiff, he argued that “Governor of Osun State had acted in abuse of his office arbitrary and prejudicially to the right of the Oyo State government of which it has direct consequence on staff of LAUTECH. It reads in part, “the approval of the sacking of the staff had been sent to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Hospital management board for implementation upon which same board has started working.

“I believe that without the intervention of the court, the defendants are likely to start rapid and accelerated implementation of the recommendation in the forensic audit by Messrs Isaac Olumuyiwa Makinde, published in the Osun State of Nigeria Gazette No.1 Vol 26, dated 14th day of January, 2016.”

It will be recalled that the state government had recently in a statement

signed by Aregbesola’s media aide, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, emphasised that “the audit panel set up in

2015, revealed that about 678 staffers were illegally employed without government approval. Besides,

Police arrest fake doctor, suspected kidnappers in Oyo

By Oluwatoyin Malik

A 32-year-old woman, Mrs Damilola Ojo, who allegedly paraded herself as a medical doctor and was treating patients for infertility has been arrested by the Oyo

State Police Command.

Also arrested were suspects connected with various cases of kidnap, with one of the victims killed before his family members could pay the ransom demanded by his kidnappers.

Make maximum use of agric opportunities, Mimiko charges farmers As Ondo chicken processing plant takes off ONDO State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has charged the pro-farmers attached to the state’s newly established 1,000 daily capacity Chicken Processing Plant to make maximum use of the opportunities in the entire agricultural value chain they are being exposed to, in order to become an employer of labour in the nearest future.

Mimiko gave the charge on Wednesday during a tour of the chicken processing plant established as a section of the state’s Wealth Creation Agency (WECA) by the government in its bid to increase

some of these staffers were just administrative officers not urgently needed for the growth of the hospital.”

the gains being recorded in the agricultural sector.

The processing plant is the first of its kind in the state with supporting facilities such as 20 tonnes capacity cold room, blast of 10 tonnes capacity, 80 KV generating plant and functional water system. It can process 1,000 chickens daily to supply the people of the state and neighbouring states.

At the inspection tour of the facility located on Ondo Road in Akure, the state capital, Dr Mimiko said the plant is one of the reactions of his government

to the need to diversify its economy with a focus on agriculture and its entire value chain.

The governor, who reiterated that agriculture remains the sector with capacity to stimulate and insulate the economy, noted that the state government’s decision to reinvigorate its Wealth Creation Agency was part of his administration’s determination at enhancing food security and providing raw materials that can promote industrialisation as well as employment opportunities.

Not only that, Mrs Ojo, was also reported to have introduced oil and gas business to two of her victims and had collected N23.35 million from them, only for the victims to discover that no such business existed.

Parading the suspects on Tuesday at the police headquarters, Elelyele, Ibadan, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, said that Mrs Ojo, who claimed to be a dropout from Baptist Medical School, Saki, collected over N200,000 from one Mrs Funke (surname withheld) and her husband for infertility treatment.

“As if that was not enough, the impostor fraudulently collected N1.35 million from her female victim under the pretext of registering her as a major distributor in the oil and gas sector.”

The police commissioner said that the suspect had connived with some fake oil and gas merchants to dupe many unsuspecting victims, including one Mr Caleb (surname withheld) from whom she collected N22 million.

Nigerian Tribune

Christians, Muslims must live in harmony —Oloye Lekan Alabi

By Tunde Busari

THE Aare Alaasa of Ibadanland, Oloye Lekan Alabi, has called on Christians and Muslims to co-habit in peace for the total development of the country.

Oloye Alabi stated this in his acceptance speech that followed an award The Sacred C and S Church of Nigeria, St Michael Cathedral Church, Oke-Seni, Ibadan, presented to him recently.

Oloye Alabi stated that Christianity and Islam preach obedience to one God and love among followers, saying there is no reason for hostility between the adherents of the two faiths.

Born and brought up by Muslim parents who also enrolled him in Christian schools, Alabi added that his wife is a Christian and still practising her faith without any attempt to convert her to Islam.

“This is what I say anywhere. Also, my father’s last born was named Sherifat but she is now a Christian.

That is religious harmony for you. That is what we should live for. That is one of my principles that govern my human relations.”

Be creative, Osun monarch urges youths A frontline traditional ruler in Osun State, Oba Isaac Adetoyi Adetulurese Olokose II, Onirun of Okeirun, on Tuesday, charged unemployed youths in the country to always aspire to be self-independent.

The monarch stated this while speaking with newsmen at his palace during the celebration of his 31st coronation anniversary.

Oba Adetulurese who suggested that unemployed youths should cultivate the habit of going back to the farm, argued that agriculture would fetch them a lot of money.

According to him, “going by the ongoing economic situation in the country, as a result of fall in the price of crude oil, youths all over the country should stop depending on the government for white collar jobs.

“They should rather divert their minds to making money from the non-oil sector through agriculture, solid minerals as well as embracing entrepreneurship skills all of which can fetch them money more than salary work.”

The monarch then used the medium to express his profound gratitude to all those who came to grace the occasion.

43 news

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

NLC plans to ground Kaduna over anti-labour activities MuhammadSabiu-Kaduna

T

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said if the Kaduna State governor, Nasiru el-rufai, failed to address his current anti-labour stand, it

would mobilise all Nigerian workers to the state and ensure that business and government activities are grounded.

The national president of the congress, Mr Ayuba Wabba, made this known while addressing workers

in Kaduna, at the Labour House, on Wednesday.

Wabba said “enough, is enough”, as the state civil servants had suffered enough and did not deserve the treatment they were getting from the governor.

According to him, since the current administration came on board, the governor has embarked on a marathon verification exercise, which claimed the lives of 40 workers.

Till date, the labour leader said that the state

From left, Mrs Bolatito Obaigbo, National Coordinator, Charity and Development Initiative (CDI); Dr Eniola Erinosho, Director, Disease Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health; Mrs George Omowunmi, State Health Educator and Mr Ralph Okeke, Deputy Coordinator, CDI, during the donation of Lassa Fever enlightenment kits to Lagos State government by CDI, recently.

Talk about my removal annoying —Odigie-Oyegun Leon Usigbe-Abuja

NATIONAL chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has expressed irritation about rumours of his impending removal from office, saying that such speculation gets him angry but he has gotten used to it.

Emerging from a meeting of the national caucus of the party, presided over

by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday night, he also said that the crises among members of the ruling party were normal in an organisation as big as APC. He told state House correspondents that he read talks about his removal in the newspapers.

Asked whether his position was under threat, he replied: “I am not aware. I read about it in the papers.

It amuses me. Occasionally, it annoys me but it’s part of the process. It’s part of what you have to endure when you are in a position like I am.”

The party boss said the caucus deliberated on the numerous challenges besetting the party since it came to power and have agreed on a course of action.

While declining to reveal

the challenges discussed, he added: “As a party, we discussed all the issues and all the challenges that have occurred since the elections and we decided on a course of action.”

Odigie-Oyegun ex-

pressed the hope that once the 2016 budget was approved by the National Assembly, the APC government would begin to implement its promises to Nigerians.

He said: “Basically, we are expecting the budget to be out and once the budget

is out, implementation of our promises made to Nigerians will begin. These are all the issues we discussed. That is what is critical to us, the delivery of our promises to the people of this country. So, we are waiting for the budget.”

governor did not deemed fit to pay the families of the late workers their entitlements.

Also, the NLC president said many civil servants have not collected their salaries for about nine months, saying,’ I have met the governor to discuss the workers’ plight but to no avail.

‘As if this was not enough, he now issued workers a form and asked them to fill whether they like to belong to a union or not.

This contravenes the spirit and letter of the constitution which allows every worker the right to belong to any union.

Wabba contended that all his actions are against the Kaduna State workers and would no longer be tolerated, saying ‘ the Nigerian workers are ready to support kaduna workers as this struggle is a collective one.

To this end, he disclosed that the labour had taken three major steps to address the plight of the workers.

While advising the workers to fill the verification forms given to them, he counselled them to photocopy the filled form and return it to their respective unions.

He also declared that the congress will mobilise Nigerian workers to Kaduna on the mission ‘Occupy Kaduna’ until their demands are made.

At least, national presidents of 10 labour unions attended the rally.

Ganduje/Kwankwaso face-off: 12 Kano Rep members clarify position, sue for peace JacobSegunOlatunjiand Kolawole Daniel - Abuja TWELVE Kano House of Representatives members, on Wednesday, stated that an earlier meeting with the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, last week, over the face-off between him and the immediate past governor of the state,

Senator Rabu’u Musa Kwankwaso, was purely a reconciliation effort rather than endorsement of the governor.

This was contained in a communique issued at the end of their second consultative meeting which was made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Wednesday.

The lawmakers clarified that the earlier meeting and subsequent publications in national dailies indicating the adoption of Ganduje had no purpose other than to seek ways of reconciling the two leaders as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the party.

Biometrics data capturing in NSCDC, a landmark success —Commandant-General COMMANDANT-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, has said the biometrics data capturing exercise embarked upon by his administration for all personnel of the corps is a huge land mark success.

He said this during an interactive session in his office at the NSCDC National Headquarters, Abuja, adding that he has succeeded in sanitising the agency to have a concrete data base to know the number of per-

sonnel in the organisation.

“He said that the biometrics done has succeeded in cleansing the system.

The commandant -general said that since his assumption of office, he has maintained an open- door policy, saying that he is a strong advocate of capacity building, adding that his utmost desire is welfare of the personnel He disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), has been signed between the Corps and the Ministry of Solid Mineral.

He said that about 3,000 personnel have been slated to man the mining sites across the federation while another MoU has been signed with the Federal Ministry of Transport for the corps to protect the railway facilities nationwide.

He thanked the Federal Government for looking into the plight of NSCDC in the provision of working equipment for its personnel and commended President Muhammadu Buhari, on the budget of the corps.

Seventeen of the 24 Kano State House of Representatives members, had in a communique of a meeting held last weekend appended their signatures endorsing Ganduje as the only leader in the state.

But in another communique, the 12 lawmakers said their “unalloyed support” is for both Senator Kwankwaso and Governor Ganduje.

The statement reads “we wish to categorically state here that the meeting some of us held with the governor of Kano State, was only on reconciliation of our leaders.

“It is equally noteworthy to state that Senator Kwankwaso is a force to be reckoned with in our great party, because he has contributed immensely in ensuring the success of APC both at the state and national level,” they said.

Some of the lawmakers are Aliyu Madaki; Sani Muhammed Rano; Danburam Nuhu; Nasiru Garo; Umar Garba and Bashir Baballe.

CDI donates Lassa Fever enlightenment kits to Lagos govt

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Charity and Development Initiative (CDI), has donated several packs of Lassa Fever enlightenment awareness campaign leaflets to the Lagos State government through the state’s Ministry of Health.

Dr Eniola Erinosho, the director, Disease Control and other senior staff of the ministry, received the donation on behalf of the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris.

He thanked the donor and promised that the items would be put into proper use.

The leader of the delegation and national co-ordinator of CDI, Mrs Bolatito Obaigbo, said the desire for proactive approach to curb epidemics and other life-threatening diseases prompted the organisation to collaborate with the state government.

She promised that the gesture will be a continuous exercise.

She also called on other donor agencies to support the government as government alone cannot do everything.

APC gov aspirant vows to probe Oshiomhole, others Banji Aluko - Benin City AN All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Edo State, Blessing Agbomhere, has vowed to probe the government of incumbent Governor Adams Oshiomhole if elected into office declaring that being members of the same political party would not deter him from looking into the activities of the Oshiomhole -led administration and those before him.

The 37-year-old Agbomhere from Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state, also took a swipe at the loans so far collected by the current administration in the state, remarking that the loans were collected without repayment procedures.

The aspirant, who spoke at a press briefing in Benin, expressed optimism in winning the APC governorship ticket, saying that “I have consulted widely with delegates of the party and more than 2,600 delegates are already behind him.”

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communitynews

Thursday, 24 March, 2016

Exhumation of Ilora chief: Palace has no interest —Akibio of Ilora

by Tunde Ogunesan

T

HE Akibio of Ilora, Oba Stephen Olufemi Oyeniyi Oparinde II, has denied insinuations that the interest of the palace and that of the traditional chiefs have been responsible for the failed attempt to exhume the remains of the late Onisa of Ilora, Chief Lawrence Itiade Owoade, who died on Thursday, November 20, 2014, in a controversial circumstance.

The death, burial and attempt to exhume the remains of the late Onisa of Ilora had become a subject of controversy in Ilora for some weeks now.

While there had been an attempt by some members of the family, who are claiming to be armed with authority from the appropriate quarters to exhume the corpse of the late Ilora chief, other members of the family are, however, not in support of the way and manner their counterparts had been going about the process.

As of the time of filing this report, three attempts to exhume the body had failed, a situation, which culminated in linking the palace and the traditional chiefs to working against the exhumation process.

But the traditional ruler, Oba Stephen Oyeniyi, who revealed that the late Onisa of Ilora was his childhood friend, said the accusation was baseless and unfortunate.

In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Oba Oyeniyi informed that the palace has no interest whatsoever in any stagedeath, burial and exhumation of the chief.

He added that he decided to keep mum so far because of the sacrilege of speaking to the public on the manner his former second-in-command died, but said he decided to open up in order not to allow some people denigrate the stool of his forefathers, as well as tarnish his image.

When put to him that the palace was accused of having a hand in the death, burial and failed exhumation exercise of the late Oosa of Ilora, The Akibio of Ilora, His Royal Majesty Oba Stephen Olufemi Oyeniyi Oparinde II said: “It is unfortunate for anybody to have accused the palace of having hands in the death of my former second-in-command, the late Chief Lawrence Itiade Owoade “It is known that the late Chief Owoade took some substances suspected to be poisonous two months before he succeeded in hanging himself. After he had hanged himself, I got to know of it through his family members and I instructed them to report to the police. I am sure the police must have done their job thoroughly. How the police went about it will be for them to clarify, because they did not report back to me.

“According to our tradi-

tion in Yorubaland and even in Ilora, an oba is not expected to see a corpse.

When he died, the entire family of Onsa ruling house, numbering almost between 40 and 45, performed the burial. But the head of Onsa’s family, who was of the same parents with the late Chief Owoade, was chosen as ‘Baba isinku’- Layiwola Owoade, popularly known as Alatise.

“They came back after the burial including the wife and his younger brotherAdesola Adeniran, to tell me that Olayiwola Owoade sent for the babalawos to help them perform the necessary rituals the way Yorubas will bury anybody who commits suicide by hanging. It was Alatise that sent for the babalawos to do the burial. I didn’t know anything about the burial. It is none of my business. The burial of Onsa was the business of his family and not the palace.

“About the exhumation, what I expected the family to do was to come to me and say Kabiyesi, we want to exhume the body of the late Onisa, as your late chief to give him a befitting burial. Honestly, there and then, I will do everything possible within my power to allow them,” Oba Oyeniyi said.

During the two attempts to exhume the remains of Chief Owoade on Fridays March 12 and 19, 2016, one of the alleged suspects said to have failed to appear, that thwarted the exhuma-

We can no longer tolerate NURTW excesses—RTEAN We didn’t take over their parks—NURTW by gbenga olumide

THE Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Oyo State chapter, Prince Kehinde Adeyemo, has hinted at a looming showdown between members of the RTEAN and the state National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

According to Prince Adeyemo, the state NURTW had, for the past five years, subjected members of the RTEAN to victimisation, adding that they can no longer tolerate the situation.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the RTEAN in Ibadan at the weekend, Adeyemo disclosed that the problem in the state transport sector is not unconnected with the running of the motor parks, which the RTEAN

claimed had been hijacked by the NURTW to the deteriment of others.

Adeyemo said despite appeals made by members of RTEAN to the state government to call members of the NURTW to order and allow RTEAN to go about their businesses as allowed by the law establishing it, the situation has persisted.

He added that the three parks belonging to the RTEAN in Ibadan are being forcefully occupied by the NURTW. He explained that the situation is peculiar to Ibadan, adding that both unions move together harmoniously in other parts of the country.

His words: “We have three parks in Ibadan.

They are in Samonda, Odogbo and Shasha. In Oyo State, the governor wants the three transport

unions: RTEAN, NURTW and NARTO to operate without rancour, but it seems the state government has not been able to curtail the excesses of the NURTW. “We are appealing to Governor Abiola Ajimobi to use his good office to call the NURTW to order and release the parks that belong to us before we deploy full force.”

In his reaction, the state Chairman of the NURTW, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde, who spoke through Alhaji Rasheed Oladele, said NURTW had not taken over RTEAN parks, adding that “the issue they are bringing up again can be described as a forgone issue.

“Authorities concerned have waded in and resolved the issue a long ago and all the parks claimed by RTEAN are still under its control.”

tion, the Balogun of Ilora, Chief Julius Olabiyi Oyaniyi, said they were invited by the police and not arrested as claimed in some quarters.

He revealed that they went to the Zone 11 Osogbo office of the Nigerian Police in company of the monarch to state their own side of the story.

One of the family members who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, Adegboyega Adeniran, on the resolve of the family to exhume the remains of the late Onisa, said the purpose of the exhumation was just to give him a befitting burial.

But the head of Onisa family, Pa Olayiwola Owoade, said as far as he

was concerned, he is not against the exhumation, but warned that things must be done properly.

Pa Olayiwola, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on how the late chief died and buried, he said: “As a family, we never believed that anybody killed him. His time was up. There was no trace of such on his body.”

He informed that “I asked one of the children and wife of the deceased if they are ready to pursue the case and they told me they are not interested. The reason I asked them was that if we bury him, considering the circumstances without informing the police, anyone can be arrested anytime. Then, we conducted the burial, we did not hear anything until

recently that I learnt of the plan to exhume his body.

Immediately I got wind of it, I called the deceased’s wife that you don’t need all these long processes.

“As for me, I will support the children if they wanted to exhume the body of their late father but they must inform the family officially, the Akibio of Ilora Oba Stephen Olufemi Oyeniyi Oparinde II, because the late Lawrence Owoade was a chief in the town. And as a family, we don’t want the chieftaincy title to end on the late Owoade because if they do that without the consent of the Kabiyesi and other chiefs, that might end the chieftaincy title in our family and we don’t want that to happen.”

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Brussels attacks: Two brothers

behind bombings

T

WO of the suicide bombers who carried out attacks in Brussels on Tuesday have been named as brothers Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui, Belgian nationals.

The federal prosecutor said Brahim was part of the attack at Zaventem airport

that killed 11 people. Khalid struck at Maelbeek metro, where 20 people died.

Two other attackers at the airport have not yet been identified. One of them died, another is on the run.

So-called Islamic State (IS) has said it was behind the attacks.

Belgium is observing three

days of national mourning.

The nation held a minute’s silence at midday (11:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

Belgium’s king and queen visited the airport and met some of the 260 injured in hospital.

Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said Brahim elBakraoui had been identified

Brussels suspects: Khalid el-Bakraoui and brother, Brahim. PHOTO: AFP

Fifth person dies in Guinea Ebola flare-up

as the middle of three men in a CCTV image of the suspects of the airport attack.

The man on the left is believed to have died at the airport. The man on the right, wearing the hat, is thought to have fled the scene.

Mr Van Leeuw told reporters that a taxi driver said he had picked up the three men from an address in the Schaerbeeak area of Brussels. This apartment was raided later on Tuesday and bomb-making materials, including 15 kilos (33 pounds) of high explosive, were found.

A note from Brahim elBakraoui was also found, in which he said people were looking for him everywhere and that if he gave himself up he would end up in a cell, the prosecutor related.

Mr van Leeuw said the two brothers were known to police and had criminal records. They were identified

by DNA records.

Muslims not doing enough to prevent attacks —Trump UNITED States Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Muslims were not helping to prevent attacks such as those that killed at least 30 people in Belgium, drawing a rebuke from Britain’s government and from Muslim groups in the country.

In an interview broadcast on Britain’s ITV television on Wednesday, Trump was asked what his message was for British Muslims

after Tuesday’s bombings in Brussels and the attacks in Paris last November.

“When they see trouble they have to report it, they are not reporting it, they are absolutely not reporting it and that’s a big problem,” Trump said.

His comments were countered by British interior minister Theresa May who said he was “just plain wrong” to suggest Muslims in Britain were failing to

other NEWS

report suspicious activity by extremists.

Trump, the front-runner in the race to be the Republican candidate in November’s presidential election, has made a series of controversial statements during his campaign.

His supporters see him as someone who speaks uncomfortable truths but he has outraged many others in the United States and around the world.

Trump

A fifth person has died of Ebola in southeast Guinea since March 17, a health official told Reuters on Tuesday, raising concerns that a recent flare-up of the deadly virus could spread.

The latest case was detected in Macenta prefecture, about 200 kilometres from the village of Korokpara where the four other recent Ebolarelated deaths occurred, said Fode Sylla Tass, spokesman for National Coordination of the Fight against Ebola in Guinea.

The man, who has not been identified, had recently visited Korokpara and had been in direct contact with the first patients, Tass said. He

was buried in the village of Makoidou without any sanitary precautions.

Burials, where bodies of the deceased are often washed, have been a main cause of transmission of Ebola, which has killed at least 11,300 people in West Africa since 2013 in the worst outbreak on record.

Guinea, one of the worst hit countries, was declared Ebola free in December, but the World Health Organisation warned about possible flare-ups.

It was not immediately clear how the people from Korokpara had contracted the disease but the area had previously resisted efforts to fight the illness in the initial epidemic.

Sydney schoolgirl ‘wired cash to IS’ A Sydney girl, 16, has appeared in court on terror financing charges which carry a maximum term of 25 years’ jail.

She is accused of sending thousands of dollars to the so-called Islamic State group in Syria through a Western Union money transfer, reports say.

The girl and a male accomplice, 20, who allegedly gave her the money were arrested in raids on Tuesday.

The pair allegedly met in a park on Tuesday to discuss a plan to send money to Syria that day, reports said.

They had reportedly developed a “sophisticated

facilitation path” of wiring funds and had completed successful transfers before.

The man, named by media as Milad Atai, was also arrested during Australia’s biggest counter-terror raids in September 2014.

The girl is accused of admitting to a police informant that she had wired A$10,000 ($7,600, £5,400) to Syria at the behest of an Islamic State fighter.

She was also allegedly planning to conduct another transfer of A$5,000 when she was caught on Tuesday morning in a park along with Mr Atai, who had handed her the money.

Moscow can’t pressure Damascus —Syria UN envoy “NO foreign power should be allowed to interfere in ongoing Syria peace talks in Geneva, its government negotiator,” John Kerry said, the United States Secretary of State, landed in Russia seeking answers on plans for President Bashar alAssad.

Syrian envoy, Bashar alJaafari, denied high-level

US-Russian meetings in Moscow will impact Syria’s peace process in an interview with the AFP news agency on Wednesday.

“When we say that the dialogue must be between Syrians, without outside intervention, this also applies to the Russians and Americans,” Jaafari said.

Jaafari, who serves as Syria’s ambassador to the UN in New York, said believing that Moscow can pressure its ally in Damascus amounted to a “misreading” of the situation.

His comments came as Kerry arrived in Moscow for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on

Thursday.

Now that a fragile truce in Syria is in place and warring sides have begun peace talks in Geneva, Kerry wants to “get down to brass tacks” on the question of Assad, a US State Department official told Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity before the meeting at the Kremlin.

Russia’s president, Vladmir Putin

Zimbabwe to ban foreign firms in breach of local ownership law

A Zimbabwe foodstuffs seller

ZIMBABWE will from April 1 cancel licences for foreign firms, including those operating mines and banks that have not complied with a law to sell majority shares to locals Empowerment Minister Patrick Zhuwao said on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe had given foreign-owned firms a March

2016 deadline to submit plans on how to comply with a law requiring them to sell at least 51 percent shares to locals.

“Businesses have continued to disregard Zimbabwe’s indigenisation laws as if daring our President and his government to do something about their contemptuous behaviour,” Zhuwao told

reporters.

“It’s either you comply or you close shop.”

The Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act was passed in 2008 under President Robert Mugabe’s black empowerment drive but implementation has been slow.

Some foreign companies

say the law will hinder muchneeded investment.

The world’s two largest platinum producers Anglo American Platinum and Impala Platinum and banking groups Standard Chartered Plc and Barclays Plc are some of the foreignowned firms with operations in Zimbabwe.

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Thursday, 24 March, 2016 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Mikel: I can leave

Chelsea any time

CHELSEA midfielder, John Obi Mikel has refused to deny reports he is set to leave Chelsea after it emerged he has stalled in extending his current deal with the current Premier League champions.

Mikel said he is still enjoying life at Stamford Bridge but hinted that he could seek greener pastures elsewhere after 11 years at the club.

When asked if he would be staying with Chelsea, he said: “I don’t know,” he said.

“Eleven years is a long time and I am very happy that I have done everything and I have won everything with the club. I have done everything that I have to do.

“It (Chelsea) is my home and I love the place but if it happens, it happens,” he said of the possibility of

leaving the club.

Mikel stated however that he could still choose

to remain with the Blues.

“But it is both ways. If they (Chelsea) want to extend and if I want to extend we have to see but at the minute I’m just enjoying myself and enjoying what I am doing.

“We’re getting back to normal selves so we have to keep going.”

Asked of the possibility of joining former Chelsea team-mate Ramires in China after several reported interests, he said: “I don’t know but we have to wait and see but at the minute I’m just enjoying my football and I’m enjoying life with my kids and my partner.

“I love what I do and I’m very happy doing what I do now, so life is fine. If it happens in the summer that I get to move, then fine and if I get to stay, it’s also then fine.”

I’m committed to Nigeria’s course —Iwobi A

RSENAL forward, Alex Iwobi says he is committed to helping Nigeria overcome Egypt in tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

After missing training on Tuesday morning due to food poisoning, reports emerged that the forward who later trained with the Eagles on Tuesday evening in Kaduna was considering dumping Nigeria for England.

But the 19-year old has now quelled such speculations reaffirming his commitment to ensuring Nigeria defeats adidas Golden Boot winner, Egypt in Kaduna tomorWolfsburg’s Victor Osim- row.

“Had The Maddest Food hen, are among the players Poisoning But I Am Good to face Brazil tonight.

Friendly: Dream Team battle-ready for Brazil —Amoo Match holds today at 11pm

By Ganiyu Salman COACH Fatai Amoo has said Nigeria’s Dream Team is battle-ready for the clash with their Brazilian counterparts today in a friendly billed for the Kleber Andrade Stadium, Vitoria, Brazil.

The match kicks off at 11pm Nigeria time and 7pm local time.

Amoo has taken charge of the Dream Team to Brazil as the head coach, Samson Siasia is working with the Super Eagles for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Egypt.

“I’m really and truly impressed by the attitude of the new players especially, who have blended easily and shown no sign that they are new in the camp.

“I must also commend the high level of discipline and dedication among both the old and the new players. I have confidence that those players that will feature against Brazil will make Ni-

geria proud,” Amoo said on Tuesday, after the team’s second training session at the Clube Aert & Clube Aest football pitch in Vitoria.

The former international also commended the facilities provided by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the organisers

Awoniyi dazzles during a recent international game.

for the team in Brazil.

“We are very comfortable, and the training facility s world-class. The team has no excuse not to go all out against the Brazilians,” he told thenff.com.

FSV Frankfurt of Germany striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, ex-Nigeria U-17 and U-20 captain, Medipol Basaksehir’s Musa Mohammed and 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup

Now & Feeling Ready For The Egyptian Match” Iwobi tweeted.

Iwobi who is a nephew to one of Africa’s finest dribblers of all time, Austin Okocha has 11 caps in total for England’s youth teams, all in non-competitive fixtures, and has played two friendlies for Nigeria.

This means if he is not capped by Nigeria on Friday (tomorrow), there is still an opportunity for him to change his mind and represent England.

Iwobi, it will be recalled, last weekend scored his first English Premier League goal in the 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

AFCON qualifiers:

I couldn’t sleep after call up —Adi

By Olawale Olaniyan PORTLAND Timbers of Major League Soccer (MLS) striker, Fanendo Adi has expressed joy at his call up as he is looking forward to making his debut for Nigeria tomorrow in a 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypt.

Adi, in an interwiew with a local radio station monitored by Tribunesport said his invitation to the senior national team came as a surprise to him.

“My call up was revealed to me by my sister and we were all happy about the development. In fact, I could not sleep again after she told me of my invitation. I will be happy to use the opportunity to help my country

qualify for the 2017 AFCON by beating Egypt both at home and away.

“I want to contribute my quota in helping Nigeria but it depends on the coach who is to select who to play.

If given the opportunity to play against Egypt, I will be happy and I will even love to score on my debut for Nigeria because it is the dream of every player to score on his debut.”

Kanu to cheers Eagles ERSTWHILE Super Eagles captain, Nwankwo Kanu has called on Nigerians to come out tomorrow to cheer the national team to victory against the Pharaohs of Egypt in a must-win 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

“I’m arriving on Thursday (today) to give my support to the team and we must rally everybody behind the Super Eagles against Egypt,” explained Kanu.

The two-time African Foot-

baller of the Year said he was confident the Super Eagles have the wherewithal to halt the stride of the Pharaohs who top group G with six points.

“The Super Eagles must go all out and get the three points which is important in order to overtake Egypt on the table because we (Nigeria) have four points.

“I believe in the calibre of our players and we must all support the team to ensure victory in Kaduna on Friday,” Kanu said.

tribunepools

PLEASE TAKE NOTE WK 37-COUPON CLOSES ON FRIDAY 25TH MARCH, 2016 DR J.K POOLS-07039275802

(49XX 12) 4–5-30 – 41 – 43

I am not worried, if it is only congratulation and appreciation from the Pool Editor and the Pools crew. I only received for my poological feat those are sufficient for me.

Those who have paid N5000 – enrollment fes to EKHOMU JOHN, Zenith Bank acc. No – 2085795936 I will hence forth concentrate only on my enrolled stakers by sending 3 weekly naked draws to them. Now stakers pick two bankers from 4, 5, 30, 41, 43 and add to the above bracket games. Good luck says Dr. J.K Pools.

LUCKYMAN 35 BET 40 08054352685

3 EASTER BONUS DRAWS ON SALE NATIONWIDE Happy Easter to all our fans enjoy celebrations with our 3 bonus draws now on sale send N2, 000 MTN card you must celebrate in a big way call for the 3 bonus draws all bet airdrie.

NNOCENT NAP (40 nap 41) (08095602590)

4 special draws N6, 000 Wk 36 No 19f 23x 32x 38x with 1x 20x 4 special draws N6, 000 Wk 37 No Nap Nap Nap Nap with Nap Nap 4 special draws N6, 000 wk 38 No Nap Nap Nap Nap with Nap Nap 4 special draws N6, 000 wk 36 No 1x 20x 23x 32x 38x Two Bankers N3000 wk 36 No 23x 38x Pair 1x 20x wk 37 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap wk 38 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap. Send MTN card 08095602590 the game will be sent to you by text message=08095602590.

DR. B4 DR. PROMOTERS EBB – 08062748396. 31X 38X 42XXX. CULLED FROM 2015/2016 WINNING DIARY. Wk 37–2014 – 13x 23x 48xxx– 42x.

Wk 37–2015 – X X X= 42x 45 STANDING PAIR – BRECHIN and BERWICK. Stakers friendly cost– N35, 000= 3 fixed draws (MUST AGAIN as directed and tailored by our foreign Experts.

KAMARK SUPER – 08186673842. (6X 7X 8X 13).

KEY – GERMANY- ENGLAND on Number 1. Nap cost N10,500 – permutation - N8,200. Call for your 3 direct naps details. Good luck.

MANCITY SYSTEM 08135888720= 6xx 7xx

3 Wks operation wk35. 36 Wk 35 cup No 17x 23x 36x 41x with 29x 30f 4 Special draws N6, 000 Wk 36 No 19x 20x 23x 38x with 21x 32x 4 Special draws N6, 000 Wk 37 No Nap Nap Nap Nap with Nap Nap 4 special draws N6, 000 Wk 38 No Two Bankers N3000 WK 36 20x 38x Pair 23x 32x wk 37 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap. Stakers try to get MANCITY. 4 SPECIAL Draws this Wk 37 cost N6, 000. Two Bankers this wk 37 cost N3000= Send Mtn Card.

MID-WEEK GIVES 19– 27 (08087176217)

The juicy mid-week appreciates all punters for their steadfastness and consistency even when the going was rough. Now that the horizon seems clear as indicated in the last 2 weeks result, we are happy to continue the happy trend with coupon number 19 – 27 for an undiluted draw this weekend. Make good use of the duo.

Our IBK costs #1,500.00, 2 BKS sell for N3,000.00 and 3 draws cost N10,000.00 on 08087176217. Win.

SIR MICHEAL NAP (09091874579 ) 38 PAIR 48

Congratulation to any wise stakers as all is set for them to win again this week, because the setting that got 5xx, 11xx, 23xx 3/3 last week plus the pair 16f, 20xx making 4/5 must get it again this week, though the pair 20xx was published last week. The weekly release cost just N15,000.00 call for acct details or mode of payment.

GREAT LAND FOR POOLS STAKERS – 07088694992

4CBK plus 2 other fixed draw with the key cost N15,000 and weeks 38 and 39. Call for more information and win weekly. Good luck.

MISTER DRAW 08030415683 Airdrieonians will hold albion rovers plus 2 super draws cost N2000 MTN card winning is wonderful win now.

VICTORIOUS VICTOR–

08126994034 (01XX 04X).

MONTROSE on coupon at home 48 Promotes our week 37 special Nap as we did in weeks 35 free Win, 36 Nap and 37. Congratulations N25, 000= Get victorious.

MAGIC EXPERT BEATS 4/5 AGAIN!

TO WIN CALL 08160742266 Week 37 free pair 45x draw 49xxx Nap xxx= 3/3 plus above pair to change your life. Failure to purchase.

This game is failure to win cost N20, 000 only. I am sure lovers of good things will not miss this opportunity.

Please call or text for payment details.

IKECHUKWU-08168157259

24xx 10x and 3 special Easter fixed draws. Controlled by our foreign Experts in conjuction with our associates compilers on Pool Panel draws fixing.

N25,000. Welcome & Good luck.

Thursday, 24 - 30 March, 2016

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE POOLS PAGE

THE WINNERS CHOICE

GET A COPY AND WIN happy easter celebration PLEAD DE-MAXWELL – 09099968585

GERMANY – HUNGARY – POLAND = G – H – P=?

Bradford C and Chesterfield the only 2 teams from the Sky bet championship on numbers 4 or 5 cap Woking, Corby, Maidstone, Weston… Let’s go Scottish draws are likely at Alloa, Falkirk, Morton, Dunfermline, Airdrie, Stenhsemier and Montrose. Call for your usual Annual Easter win at De Maxwell draws clinic. TOKEN MANAGER.

ISREAL BAIL OUT NAPS – 09085712800.

ABC – WIN IN WEEK 35 – BBC WIN IN WEEK 36 – XXX WIN. THE REAL WINNING CONTACT – CONGRATS. ANOTHER 5/5 WIN PRE EASTER, PALM SUNDAY WIN – 11X 14X 24XXX – 05X 42X = 5/5. B.B.C – BIRMINGHAM – BURNLEY – COVENTRY. = 11x 14x 24xxx nap. REAL EASTER WIN FOR WEEK 37 IS TECHNICALY TABULATED & CALCULATED, MORTON – RAITH= KEY. Your Easter Win is REAL in God we trust. (Text message only) pls don’t call. Our success is over whelming in week 35 on ABC, week 36 on B.B.C week 37 on WIN! WIN!! WIN!!! – N100, 000 – FLAT. (ONE CUSTOMER). (Text message that makes me a millionaire).

NAZAR MASTER APPRECIATES STAKERS

Nazar Master Pools Company Limited, Ibadan, has given a pat on the back to stakers for their continual patronage and also commended them for their steadfast & understanding. According to the Pools Company ‘we are delighted with your large heart and endurance. We wish all our Numerous stakers and stakeholder HAPPY EASTER.

FAITHFUL INTERVENTION – 07082899957

EXCELLED ON ANNUAL WEEK 36 NAP= Week 36 – 2015 – 14x 23x 38xxx 20/21 Week 36 – 2016 – 14x 23x 38xxx 20/21= 5/5 Confirm the above statement from our last week advert – FREE But on EXPERTS INSTRUCTIONS. Watch Numbers – 21x 23x 38xxx NAP Wk. 36 – 2014 – 2016. Week 37 – 37 – 37= EASTER SURE WIN= On Tabulations of Wk 37 – 2014 & 2015 result. Another sure win. Dates of play a bonus Pair again – N50, 000= Winning intervention fee.

TRIPLE SPICE OFFERS 6 – 19 (08035324990)

Your indomitable triple spice international is again glad to offer coupon number 6 – 19 to all punters this week for a good draw on Saturday. Add the pair to our IBK draw this week and have your 2/3. Our IBK still sells for N1,500.00, 2 draws cost N3,000.00 and 3 good draws sell for N10,000.00. Remain blessed.

MBA – EXPERT – 08104694618. (PAIR 27XX45).

Week 37 is the 9th brown in the on-going UK season which began with 14 draws in week 05 within numbers 8 – 41.With friendlies occupying the first 3 top sports. Mark out for 2 draws from the trio. English nationwide dual at Dartford vs Bishop’s ss and Berwick vs Elgin. As usual the duo are coming from week and dates of play science of number draw computation barring unforeseen circumstance, all matches are stated for Saturday necessitating early collecting of winnings. Good luck.

TOTTENHAM VS PROMOTERS. 08166222529. 44xx 44xx

4 special draws wk 37 N6, 000. two bankers N3000 2 special draw N3000 Wk 36 No 23x 32x Pair 1x 11x 2 special draws N3000 wk 37 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap 2 special draws N6000 wk 38 No Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap 4 special draws N6, 000 wk 36 No 1x 11x 21x 32x Pair 23x 24x 4 special draws N6, 000 wk 37 No Nap Nap Nap Nap Pair Nap Nap Stakers try to get Tottenham 4 special draw this wk 37 cost N6,000. Two bankers cost N3,000. - Key every wk 37. Bank Niger No 44xx 44xx 44xx to draw plus 3 others cost N6000. Send M.T.N Card= 09038633666= 08166222529

OBINYAN AT IT AGAIN… PUT PROMOTERS IN PROBLEM.

The DON of Pools compilation and computation in Africa and Chairman Managing Director of King and George group of forcast papers Prince EHI WILLY OBINYAN in front page of shoot pointers excelled on 21x 32x 42x and in the late news of News of the week at shoot pointers while Pools Telegraph gave a clear win on 01x 21x 32x 42x. The New Dream, Zeters Pools Guild, Murphy sports also gave stakers/readers a deserved winnings that put many promoters on cross roads. He therefore enjoined stakers to continue their winning this Easter by getting copies of his fortune papers.

OLA-CITY GOT 3 DRAWS. 08140575314, 08085005634

Set for another 3 draws for wk 37 pairs 45xxx 46xxx Special Ester Bonanza for all. The compiler of Ola-City International who got 3 Draws last week 36 on Nos. 20x 39x 42x assures stakers of his 3 fixed Draws for week 37 and week 38 cost N10, 000 cash each week. Which will surely get all correct again as predicted by his pools compiler. Pay your N10, 000 cash to first Bank Plc. In the Name of OLANFENWA R. OLA-CITY ACCOUNT NUMBER 3033318854 and collect the real 3 fixed Draws on phone after confirmation of your payment. Call 08140575314, 08085005634. Happy weekend to you all.

HOPE NAPS & CO 08107128449

Bank on No 9xx 44 for XXX Draws on Saturday Hope do welcomes fans & stakers to a three wks (3) winning.

Starting from wk 37, 38 & 39 Respectively. Call Hope Naps & Pay. To first Bank Plc Account No 3088328923. In person of Mr Gbadebo Stephen.

A. while the wk releases will be sent to you on phone. Please, all people that pays should pay up to receive to free release. Wk 37. Cost just N10, 000. While wk 38 cost just N15, 000 & wk 39. Cost N20, 000. Try and see the goodness of God, God, bless you all Bank 9 and 44 must for xxx on Saturday.

MADAM DE MADAM – 08023329191

28 MUST 38= (32X 38X 42X 47X) HAVANT – HAVES – MORTON – RAITH H.H.M.R= HAVANT= MORTON. The instruction that got 4/4 last week is again at work. Madams new winning contact has no equal. Call Mr Joshua for your Easter celebrations Naps with N25, 000 – considered Easter bonanza.

SUNDERLAND SYSTEM 09038460009= 15xx 16xx

4. SPECIAL DRAWS N6, 000 WK 36 No 20x 23x 32x 38x= 4/4 4. Special draws N6, 000 Wk 35 F.A. Cup No 6x 16x 17x 23x Pair 47x 48f 4. Special draws N6, 000 Wk 36 No 20x 23x 32x 38x with 23x 22f 4 Special Draws wk 37 No Nap Nap Nap Nap with Nap Nap Two Bankers N3000 WK 35 F.A. Cup No 16x 17x Pair 6x 7f Two Bankers N3000 Wk 36 NO 20x38x pair 21x23xwk37 No Nap Nap pair Nap Nap. Time to win Pool this wk 37 Sunderland system 4 special draws this wk 37 will play = 4/4. Correct hurry up to get your copy to day two Bankers cost N3000.

DR–JACKSON– 08156829811

EASTER FREE WIN. 4X 10X 13X 28X 38X 24x= 3 direct draws cost N10,000.

Be prepared. Our week 38, 39 & 40 Naps cost N100, 000 -1 Million.

Invest boldly & win FAT.

VIC DESTINY DASH 20XX WIN 30XX

09099813819. Week 37, 38, 39 & week 40 is fixed for sure winning.

022 CODE 08059580326

23 PAIR 24 Call for my 2 nap draws cost N10,000.00 cash.

Week 36 xray

Congratulations, Dr. J.K. Pools again enrich stakers with free games. Our pair Experts were Mrs. Henry, Luckyman, Innocent, Magic Expert, Victorious Victor, Dr. B4 Dr, 022 Code, Sir Michael, The Lilies, $ Members, MBA Experts, Ola-City and Hope added to our readers winning dividends. Call our Experts and win at Easter. Please appreciate them while others are on probation.

OUR POLICY ON NO ADVERT NO WRITE UP STILL IN PLACE — MANAGEMENT

FINLAND

one BANKER WK 36 N1,500 X20X

WK 37 brown

TWO BANKERS COST N3,000. wk 36 no 23x 32x 4 BANKERS. COST N10,000. SEND M.T.N

TO 09038633666

MODUPE (08033566694) 28/38/48. 2drs Call for your special Nap. 4MEMMBERS. 4 BANKERS 08162705220. 46 NAP 48

4 bankers N6,000 Wk 36 No 19 20x 24x 38x with 1x 32x 4 bankers N6,000 Wk 37 No Nap Nap Nap Nap with Nap Nap= 4/4 4 bankers N6,000 Wk 38 No Nap Nap Nap Nap= 4/4 4 bankers N6,000 WK 39 No Nap Nap Nap Nap Stakers try to get 4 members 4 bankers. This wk 37 cost N6,000. KEY Every wk 37. Bank Niger No 46x 48x To Draw plus 4 others N6, 000.

MAGIC KINGDOM –

08056753098/07085060512

Nap–17x18x19xxx10 pair 48.

Whoa! Last week our game cut one but the above games is a SPECIAL SYSTEM for weeks 38 and 39 cost N10,000 – payment to Balogun Adesina Kamoru FCM Bank number 0279550010,Wema Bank no 0206965116 or G.T Bank acct number 0115505082 or call for details.

THE LILIES (7 MUST 10) 08086944309

WK 36 RESULT= 5XXX 38XXX 42= 3 OVER 3 We got our 3 Jackpot X5 last week and we are set for another 3 over 3 just call now and join the winning ground with only N2000 MTN card the road to big Jackpot will be widely open for all our fans don’t be told you must win 7 must 10

LEKE INTERNATIONAL NAPS 09091798611

NAP 18, 27,40.FREE

I hereby give out numbers 18, 27, 40, for all stakers to nap this week as key to my 3 sure unfailing nap draws in weeks 38 and 39,cost N25,000.00 cash per week. Goodluck to all.

DR EKONDO 08034483290 Banker draw 13xxxCBK Plus 2 others cost N10,000 cash.

This week join me and celebrate Easter in good faith. My 3 draws must 3/3 unfailingly check last week tribune my key to success was 31 CBK draw. So, all interested person should call me now and be connected. Good luck.

SHADOW 08087670776 38 PAIR 48

My 3 unfailing nap draws cost N5,000 MTN recharge card.

MALLAM BAWA MUSA SET AGAIN.

08052506287 HOT 35, 38.

The last nap I released was in week 33, and it played 21x,22x,25x correctly. This time around is another brown coupon, I guarantee another 3/3 correct nap to all stakers again cost only N10,000 cash.

Payments at Access Bank to Mallam Musa I. Bawa, Acct number 0042075587.Call 08052506287.

SOLOMON RESORT READY TO ENRICH STAKERS

09091111800 – 04 MUST 13 WOKING ON BAR and BRECHIN ON COUPON – are the 2 KEYS in one winning scheduled to enrich wise stakers. Welcome to the wise men. Progressive win= N50, 000 As the season progresses to its last lap,the fixtures this week comprises of features from Europe’s International, English conference as well as Scottish leagues. Only 2 games of English league 1 are featured on number 4 & 5,but our super pair falls on number 11 – 12 from the conference section. The duo will surely oblige us with a good draws this Saturday unfailingly.

Add them to our IBK and get your usual 2/3.Our IBK remains at N1,5000.00, 2 draws cost N3,000.00, and 3 draws sells for #10,000.00 on 08099111828. Best of luck!

WEEK 37 STATUS. LKO – 1,2,3 PP – 37 FRIDAY - 6, 9, 10, 27, 28, 29, 33 - NO - VOLD. NB= COUPON CLOSES ON FRIDAY.

DENMARK

BARNET

WK 37 brown

TWO BANKERS COST N3,000. wk 36 no 20x 38x 4 BANKERS. COST N10,000. SEND M.T.N

TO 09038633666

one BANKER WK 36 N1,500 X38X

WK 37 brown

TWO BANKERS COST N3,000. wk 36 no 01x 11x 4 BANKERS. COST N10,000. SEND M.T.N

TO 09038633666

NJOROGE OUT FOR EASTER CELEBRATION

08177474535—34 PALLY 38 5 wks Brown to Brown coloured win. Note: Full Odd/Payment wks Wk 25 - 4x 14x 49xx 31x - 10 drs. Our short recess is to Wk 29 - 19x 29x 42xx 32x - 8 drs enrich our esteem clients Wk 33 - 25x 35x 44xx 33x - 9 drs at EASTER-N25,000 Free Wk 37 - X x X X 7/10 drs for all. Njoroge remains the Wk 41 X X X X 8/9 drs assurance chairman. two BANKERS N3,000

WK 36 x19x x20x pair x21x x23x

WK 37 nap nap pair nap nap

WK 38 nap nap pair nap nap

Congratulation! Congratulation!! Congratulation!!!

On last Week result on Nos 20xx 32xx 42xx pair 25F & 41F. She is using the opportunity to inform all stakers that the chairman of the club has vowed to restore the image of the club. KEY:- St’ jstone at No 49 away. Nap 20xx 32xx 42xx pair 25F and 41F. wk 37 key:- England at No 1 away, bank on Peterhead to be the last draw on coupon and two others.

Call:-08170779623 & 08071554934.

NOTE: Who can tell me what Peterhead vs Cowd’ beath is doing on coupon in wk 37.

ADABA ( DOVE SEAL)- 09032584053 Easter gift for week 36. 04x 05x 12x 38x 40xxx. note-Our weeks 38 and 39 cost N25,000 and N30,000 respectively. Call 09032584053 for details.Good luck.

VICTORIOUS VICTOR ON EASTER BONANZA. 08126994034 SOLOMON RESORT-THE WISE STAKERS CHOICE. 09091111800 NJOROGE IS BACK FOR EASTER CELEBRATION (BROWN WIN)

FORTUNE DONOR DONATES 11 – 12 (08099111828)

one BANKER WK 36 N1,500 X32X

draw commander

nap 43xx nap43xx nap 43xx MRS. HENRY-08170779623 & 08071554934

best english magic two BANKERS N3,000

WK 36 x23x x38x pair x20x x32x

WK 37 nap nap pair nap nap

WK 38 nap nap pair nap nap

Jointly 4 special draws N25,000. four bankers wk 36 no 20x 23x 32x 38x. send mtn card to 08095602590.

HOPE NAPS & CO – 08107128449 ( BANK 09XX44)

Congratulations,your sure win is ready to compliment the Easter celebrations. Call&win. Payment to Gbadebo Stephen. A. First Bank acc number 3088328923. Wk 37 -N10,000 –wk 38N15,000 –wk 39 N20,000. Start early and win weekly.

ISREAL BAIL OUT WINNING CONTACT – 09085712800

Easter celebrations win in week 37 = xxxx = 5/5. Our previous winning records say it all. Millionaires residence - N100,000 = Adults only.

crodon.k

kingston

yeovil

TWO BANKER TWO BANKER TWO BANKER WK 36 N3,000 WK 36 N3,000 WK 36 N3,000 x31x x20x x38x x39x x32x x32x WK 37 WK 37 WK 37 NAP X NAP X NAP X NAP X NAP X NAP X 4 special draws N25,000. wk 37 cost N25,000

SEND MTN CARD TO 08103222635.

mac-anthony unstoppable nap

08069048857. weekly nap success guaranteed 100% nap 36 nap 37 nap 38 nap 39 nap 40 nap 41 NAP cost N15,000 UBA, 2029382770. xxx xxx 5xx xxx 5xx xxx @ Engr. Michael xxx xxx 20xx xxx 20xx xxx Akam. Don’t miss xxx xxx 23xx xxx 23xx xxx this fixed draws pair pair pair pair pair pair & regret it! xx xx 9F 42x x x xx x x 0806-904-8857 call

47

love best = n4000 two BANKERS N4,000

WK 36 x24x x32x pair x38x x39x

WK 37 nap nap PAIR nap nap

WK 38 nap nap PAIR nap nap

move forward = n4000 two BANKERS N4,000

WK 36 x14x x20x pair x31x x32x

WK 37 nap nap PAIR nap nap

WK 38 nap nap PAIR nap nap

4 special draws N25, 000 WK 36 NO 20X 24X 32X 38X = 4/4

send mtn card = 09038460009 & 08135888320.

We are now on tarAKIN MR AKIN – 07067202291 VOTED= THE CURRENT WINNING MANAGER. Goes tough after our 2 weeks foreign trips Win now on 10 – 10 WEEKS (FULL PAYMENT WEEKS) Week 7 – 02x 25x 37xxx 01x 38x – 11drs Week 17 – 10x 21x 34xxx 01x 38x – 11drs Week 27 – 08x 17x 29xx 01x 38 – 10drs Week 37 – X X X 01x 38 - 10drs

get, your darling 2 in one Experts are on top gear for your good use. EASTER WIN. N50, 000 – 2 clients ONLY – (No story).

SIDELINES

NO 16,464

N150

THURSDAY, 24 MARCH, 2016

“The executive arm of government at the federal and state levels still do not see the Judiciary as a totally separate and independent arm of government. As at 2016, the financial obligations and operations of the judiciary are still tied to the executive arm.”

L

AST week, I discussed the need to ensure that Judges are paid adequately. This is with a view to preventing a situation in which they would be tempted or compelled to look to others for their means of sustenance. Such a development will not only prevent corruption, it will also ensure that brilliant lawyers are not discouraged from taking up judicial appointments.

This point is particularly important as it was announced recently that most if not all Judges across the Federation were no longer being paid their salaries as and when due despite the fact that their salaries ought to enjoy huge premium. The reason for this is not farfetched. The judiciary in Nigeria still lacks autonomy in the real sense of the word despite attempts made in recent times to give it a semblance of such autonomy. At the moment, the executive arm of government at the federal and state levels still do not see the Judiciary as a totally separate and independent arm of government. To bring home this point, i wish to refer to the situation in some other countries which have rightly placed emphasis on judicial autonomy.

CANADA Canada has a level of judicial independence entrenched in its Constitution, awarding superior court justices various guarantees to independence under sections 96 to 100 of the Constitution Act, 1867.

These include rights to tenure (although the Constitution has since been amended to introduce mandatory retirement at age 75) and the right to a salary determined by the Parliament of Canada (as opposed to the executive). In 1982 a measure of judicial independence was extended to inferior courts specializing in criminal law (but not civil law) by section 11 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, although in the 1986 case Valente v. The Queen it was found these rights are limited. They do, however, involve tenure, financial security and some administrative control.

The year 1997 saw a major shift towards judicial independence, as the Supreme Court of Canada in the Provincial Judges

OFR, CON, SAN, LL.D, D.Litt

Protest is the hallmark of discontent students and this, more often than not, always draws opprobrium from all and sundry, including their teachers. But what do we say of custodians of values themselves (as demonstrated by those at the Federal Polytechnic Ede) when they decided to take to the street. What has happened to negotiation?

afeonthursday

Justice: Loss of public confidence — Need for true judicial autonomy Reference found an unwritten constitutional norm guaranteeing judicial independence to all judges, including civil law inferior court judges. The unwritten norm is said to be implied by the preamble to the Constitution Act, 1867. Consequently, judicial compensation committees such as the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission now recommend judicial salaries in Canada. There are two types of judicial independence: institutional independence and decisional independence. Institutional independence means the judicial branch is independent from the executive and legislative branches. Decisional independence is the idea that judges should be able to decide cases solely based on the law and facts, without letting the media, politics or other concerns sway their decisions, and without fearing penalty in their careers for their decisions.

HONG KONG In Hong Kong, independence of the judiciary has been the tradition since the territory became a British crown colony in 1842.

After the 1997 transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China pursuant to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, an international treaty registered with the United Nations, independence of the judiciary, along with continuation of English common law, has been enshrined in the territory’s constitutional document, the Basic Law.[2][3] UNITED KINGDOM Under the unwritten British Constitution, there are two important conventions which help to preserve judicial independence. The first is that Parliament does not comment on the cases which are before the court. The second is the principle of parliamentary privilege: That Members of Parliament are protected from prosecution in certain circumstances by the courts.

In modern times, the independence of the judiciary is guaranteed by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, s.3. In order to try to promote the independence of the judiciary, the selection process is designed to minimize political interference. The process focuses on senior members of the judiciary rather than on politicians. Part 2 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 aims to increase diversity among the judiciary.

The pay of judges is determined by an independent pay review body. It will make recommendations to the government having taken evidence from a variety of sources.

The government accepts these recommendations and will traditionally implement them fully. As long as judges hold their positions in “good order,” they remain in post until they wish to retire or until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70.

UNITED STATES Federal courts Article III of the United States Constitution establishes the federal courts as part of the federal government.

The Constitution provides that federal judges, including judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, are appointed by the President”by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.” Once appointed, federal judges: ...both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

Federal judges vacate office only upon death, resignation, or impeachment and removal from office by Congress; only 13 federal judges have ever been impeached.

The President is free to appoint any person to the federal bench, yet typically he consults with the American Bar Association

Egypt must fall in Kaduna —Mikel

By Olawale Olaniyan CHELSEA midfielder, Mikel Obi has said Nigeria must beat Egypt tomorrow in Kaduna to improve its chances of qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Mikel who spoke after a training session of the Super Eagles ahead of the game billed for the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, stated that only victory will put the Eagles’ hope on course.

“Egypt are ahead of us in the qualifiers, we therefore have to win on Friday (tomorrow) so as to go above them on the table.

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“So, Friday’s match is really the big one and we are playing at home,” said the 2013 AFCON winner.

He noted that it is always difficult playing under the hot conditions in Nigeria.

“The weather, I won’t say is an issue, but it is always difficult to play back home because the weather is always harsh.

“Back in Europe, you can play for one hour and 20 minutes without getting tired but after 20 or 30 minutes here, it’s like you have been playing for two hours,” Mikel said.

The former Plateau United player said he and his team-mates are determined to give

Nigerians something to behold tomorrow.

“It is our job and we have to make sure we control the game and the more we control the game, the lesser we run and we can be able to win the game,” he added.

Meanwhile, Egypt tops group G with six points, while Nigeria follows with four points after two games each.

I’m committed to Nigeria’s course —Iwobi —p46

whose Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary rates each nominee “Well Qualified,””Qualified” or “Not Qualified.” I know that in Nigeria there have been calls for increased consultations with the Bar before appointments are made to the Bench.

CONCLUSION To guarantee civil liberties it is important that independence of the Judiciary should continue to be accorded importance by all saddled by statute or the Constitution with important tasks relating to the judiciary.

However where the enabling laws do not or are found to be incapable of fully ensuring the independence of the judiciary or where the implementation of such laws themselves are themselves obstacles in the achievement of this objective, efforts must be made to bring about a change in the law. A laudable example was set in Bayelsa State on the 2nd October 2012 when the Bayelsa State Judiciary Autonomy Bill was signed into law. The law is designed to sever the financial and operational umbilical cords which have tied the judicial arm of Government to the Executive arm. It is aimed at securing the true independence of the Judiciary.

The then Governor at the signing ceremony summarised the essence and spirit of the law in the following words: “Having had the privilege of being a member of the Bar, a former Attorney-General of the state and now Governor, I am in a better position to provide the requirements for improved justice delivery... ...With effect from the next budget, I and governors after me will no more treat approvals and requests from the Judiciary... ...Our democracy is not safe and our civil rights cannot be protected unless we strengthen our Judiciary, which alone has the constitutional authority to deepen our freedoms and protect our fundamental liberties.”

RESULTS

AFCON qualifiers Sao Tome 2 Libya Chad 0 Tanzania S/Sudan 1 Benin G-Bissau 1 Kenya Zambia 1 Congo

1 1 2 0 1

Nigeria Premier League Lobi Stars 3 Rangers Tornadoes 2 3SC

IfeanyiUbah 1 Heartland FC Giwa 1 El-Kanemi Abia

0 Wikki Rivers Utd 0 Sunshine Akwa Utd 0 W/Wolves

1 1 0 1 0 0 0

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 24/03/2016.