24th August, 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,574 WEDNESDAY, 24 AUGUST, 2016 www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

Arms purchase scam extended Boko Haram's reign —Buhari

•Shekau wounded, others dead in —P33 air strike —Air Force

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Oyo govt approves 35 LCDAs —P36

Non-remittance of NNPC's $2.1bn to TSA

CBN bars 9 banks from forex transactions —P4

•$10bn trapped overseas due to doubtful policies —LCCI

Kerry in Nigeria, meets Buhari, Sultan, 5 northern govs

•Says corruption costs the world $2.6trn annually —P6

National Assembly is broke —Senate Leader —P30

President Muhammadu Buhari with the United States Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, during Kerry's visit to the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.

My electrocuted daughter made excellent grades in WASSCE —Father —P37

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businessnews

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Non-remittance of NNPC’s $2.1bn to TSA: CBN bars 9 banks from forex transactions

•$10bn trapped overseas due to doubtful policies —LCCI Chima Nwokojji with Agency Report

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or concealing and failing to remit to the Treasury Single Account a total of $2.1 billion belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has barred nine banks from all foreign exchange transactions.

The dollar funds were supposed to be remitted into the federal government’s TSA domiciled in the CBN as directed by the presidency last year.

According to a CBN source, the banks’ suspension would remain in force until the total amount was remitted by them.

The source added that further disciplinary actions awaited the erring banks after remitting the funds in full to the government’s coffers.

Only last month the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) queried three banks for violating the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA) guidelines by concealing funds belonging to Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.

There have been speculations that some MDAs are circumventing the TSA guidelines by operating accounts with banks, even as it is believed that such violations were aided by banks who agree to use pseudonyms to open accounts for the MDAs. In another development, Dr Vincent Nwani, Director, Research and Advocacy, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), on Tuesday, said Nigerian businessmen had refused to repatriate about 10 billion dollars back to the country, citing “unfavourable domestic policies.”

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nwani said this at a stakeholders’ dialogue on the manufacturing sector in Nigeria in Abuja.

He, therefore, called for an urgent review of the policies such as restriction of 41 items from access to foreign exchange and high interest rate affecting businesses in the country.

According to the LCCI boss, about 16 of the 41 items on the restriction list were critical raw materials for intermediate goods produced in Nigeria.

“The ban on oil palm has

led to the loss of about 100,000 jobs over the last couple of months, with major blue chip companies in Nigeria relocating to neighbouring countries.

“The ban on glass and glassware has led to the loss of 80,000 jobs, mainly in the pharmaceutical industry, as companies in this sector now find it difficult to package their products.

“Local production of oil palm is 600 metric tonnes

annually, but the total demand of the country is 1.8 million metric tonnes,” Nwani told the forum, organised by NOI poll.

He added that Presco Oil currently had orders of up to December 2017 to fill, adding that it was presently hard-pressed with demands.

The LCCI boss said that listing oil palm among the restricted items meant that the country had a shortfall of about 1.2 million metric tonnes.

According to Nwani, some of the items placed on the restriction list by the CBN should be reinstated until the country developed the capacity to produce them locally.

“Some of the items need a period of between three and seven years for the country to develop selfsufficiency in their production.

“For instance, it takes a minimum of five years for oil palm to be planted and for harvest. The CBN

should have given us more time.

“The manufacturing and industrial sectors lost about N1.4 trillion as a result of forex issues, while about 780 raw materials needed by the sector were affected by the restrictions placed by the CBN,” he added.

He called on government to ensure implementation of policies that would help the manufacturing sector in job creation and economic development.

From left: Shehu Abubakar, Executive Director, North, Keystone Bank Limited; Milton Weeks, Governor, Central Bank of Liberia, and Philip Ikeazor MD/CEO, Keystone Bank Limited, when the governor paid a visit to the bank in Lagos, on Tuesday.

BDCs decry poor compliance of banks to forex sales •Manufacturers flay high interest rate, forex •To get 60% forex from authorised dealers Aminu Gwadabe, President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has decried the poor compliance of banks to the sale of foreign exchange to its members.

Gwadabe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, in a telephone interview that only about nine per cent of BDCs currently had access to forex sales from banks, a situation he described as “worrisome’’.

According to him, the level of compliance by the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) is poor and the sale is only to BDCs located within Lagos.

Gwadabe said available records showed that BDCs operating outside the Lagos metropolis had not benefitted from the sale of forex by the banks.

The ABCON chief said that there was need for the banks to be patriotic at this period of the nation’s eco-

nomic history by opening their doors to the BDCs in the sale of forex.

Banks are complaining of liquidity challenges.

There is need for banks to be patriotic now to ease the challenges in accessing forex,’’ Gwadabe said.

He explained that since banks were out to make profit, any directive that would affect their profit margin would be resisted.

The president said that some of the conditions given by some of the banks were cumbersome, adding that they sold at between N330 and N335 to the dollar.

According to him, so far, the banks have sold about 6million dollars of forex to the BDCs. Meanwhile, manufacturers in the country have decried the high interest rate and poor access to foreign exchange, which according to them has hindered growth in the manufacturing industry.

Ambrose Oruche, the Director, Economics and Statistics, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) said this at the stakeholders dialogue on the manufacturing sector in the country, on Tuesday, in Abuja.

Oruche said that the decision by the Federal Government to increase the interest rate to 14 per cent was not ideal.

He added that what should have been done was to increase growth in the economy rather than contract it.

He said that there had been government policy mismatch in the country and the decision by government to exclude 41 items was not in the interest of the manufacturers.

Since the crash in crude oil 2014, manufacturing has been almost impossible in the country. The major challenge is that of maintaining sizeable capacity utilisation due to the

unavailability of productive raw materials.

Unfortunately, some policies implemented to resolve the eroding Naira were inimical to manufacturing industries and MAN ought to have been consulted before the ban of the 41 items.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed authorised foreign exchange dealers to allocate at least 60 per cent of forex to the importation of raw materials for the manufacturing sector.

A CBN circular signed by Mr W.D. Gotring, its Assistant Director, Trade and Exchange Department, said that the gesture was to address an observed imbalance to the sector.

According to the circular, the apex bank notes that a negligible proportion of foreign exchange sales are being channelled towards the manufacturing sector.

Citi bank retains position as most focused bank in wholesale banking category Citibank retained its position as the Most Customer Focused Bank in the wholesale banking category for 2016 according to the KPMG 2016 Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction survey (BICSS).

The survey stated that the quality of banking experience remains the reason customers chose to bank with the bank.

The KPMG BICSS was first launched in 2007 to heighten the consciousness of service delivery among Nigerian banks. This year, KPMG expanded the scope of the survey to 29 locations across the country covering over 28,000 customers across segments.

Customer selection in the wholesale banking segment was driven by a need to ensure inclusion of companies in each major business sector. The survey was based on five factors - Convenience; Product/Service; Executional Excellence; Value for Money and Customer Care.

Akin Dawodu, CEO for Citi Nigeria, said “we are very proud to be recognised, again, as the most customer-centric bank [in Nigeria]. We are constantly looking at ways to improve services for our customers and make their lives easier.

“Great customer service can set us apart from our competitors and it has been, and will continue to be, one of our top priorities.”

According to the bank, Total Nigeria also worked with Citi to develop the Electronic Bill Payment Product (E-Billspay) solution, and won the prestigious Adam Smith Best Treasury solution in Africa award with the E-Bills Pay solution.

E-Billspay is an account number-based, online realtime credit transfer product that allows customers to make payments by using the security provided by banks, and its services can be provided through payment channels such as internet banking, mobile banking and kiosks, by leveraging the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) platform that all banks in Nigeria are connected to.

Global Finance recently announced the First Round winners in the 2016 World’s Best Digital Banks Awards in the Middle East & Africa region, with Citi winning a total of 24 awards for Best Corporate/Institutional Digital Banks across the region (including Nigeria).

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2016 admissions: JAMB will not interfere with candidates’ list —Oloyede Clement Idoko, Abuja

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HE registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, has said the board will not interfere with the list of candidates sent by institutions for the 2016 admissions, either by addition or removing of names.

He said this in a speech delivered during the ongoing technical meeting on the 2016 admissions to first choice institutions at Bayero University, Kano, made available to newsmen on Tuesday, in Abuja.

Oloyede said JAMB was committed to ensuring that admissions were concluded before or by the approved deadline of November 30 because “to whom much is given, much is expected”.

He also warned that no name of candidate must emanate from any other source outside the list prepared and recommended by the tertiary institutions.

He noted that each year, the board convenes the meeting for the placement of suitably qualified candidates into tertiary institutions, taking into consideration the vacancies available

in the institutions, guidelines approved for each institution by their respective proprietors and preference expressed for the institutions and courses by the candidates.

“As usual, the 2016 admissions, will be as smooth as ever. The only difference between this year’s admission process and what has always been the practice, is the policy that there should be no written post- UTME test.”

“All other processes should and will be as they have always been. The senate or academic board of each institution, has the prerogative of admitting candidates to their respective institutions in line with national policies These policies include: “guidelines stipulated by the proprietors of the institutions; 60:40 (Science/Art) ratio for conventional universities; 80:20 (Science/ Art) ratio for non-conventional universities and 70:30

discharge of the national assignment, it was important that all relevant stakeholders act with focus on what is beneficial to Nigerians.

“We must avoid adding to the burden of the masses of our people who yearn for higher education as a veritable means of active participation in public life,” he said.

“It must be made categorically clear that the task of JAMB is coordination and not substitution of the tradi-

tional responsibilities of the senates/academic boards of tertiary institutions.

“Consequently, no candidate must emanate from any other source outside the list prepared and recommended by the institutions.

“JAMB has the right to reject candidates for non-compliance with extant rules and regulations, but will not be allowed to substitute or originate any names without the prior concurrence of the institutions.”

N/Delta ministry completed 12 out of 147 projects in 6yrs —Audit committee Says ministry needs N230bn to complete projects Collins Nnabuife - Abuja

THE technical audit committee on projects of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, has said that 12 projects out of 427 projects in the region have been completed between 2009 and 2015.

The report also revealed that about N700 billion was budgeted for projects in the region from 2009 to 2015” but only 60 per cent of the fund was accessed.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru, while receiving the report from the committee, noted

that the report was not to probe or witch hunt anyone, but to serve as a working tool for the ministry.

“We have discovered that the committee found N700 billion as total amount budgeted for projects from 2009 to 2015, out of this amount, 60 per cent has been disbursed and the number of projects awarded from 2009 to 2015, is 427 projects completed from 2009 to 2015 amount to 12 per cent, while 18 per cent remains stalled and 70 per cent are said to be ongoing.

“The sectoral cumulative

Immigration insists on re-screening 2,000 protesting recruits THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), on Tuesday, insisted that it would go ahead with the re-screening of the 2,000 dismissed immigration recruits, in spite of their continued protest.

The service spokesperson, Mr Ekpedeme King, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja.

NAN reported that the recruits had intensified protests in Abuja following moves by the NIS to rescreen them before giving them any employment.

King said that screening of the dismissed “applicants” whose names were earlier published in newspapers, would take place as scheduled at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, from August 29 till September 4.

He explained that the proposed background checks on the “applicants” which included security clearance, drug test, certificate verification and age on rank, were mandatory before any employment into the NIS. “The background checks are a normal practice globally when recruiting personnel into military and paramilitary agencies.

“Let me say that failure to submit oneself for screening would be regarded as withdrawal of interest in the recruitment exercise, ‘’he said.

(technology/non-Technology) ratio for National Diploma awarding institutions.

“Use of 2016 JAMB UTME results printouts for all candidates who scored 180 and above; adherence to subject combinations of various courses as specified by the senate/academic board and included in the 2016 UTME brochure and adherence to the 2016 admissions quota as prescribed by the regulatory bodies.”

Oloyede stressed that in the

He said that the exercise was not a fresh recruitment and urged members of the public not to forward any employment application to the NIS. NAN reported that the 2,000 dismissed recruits had been protesting at the National Assembly and the Ministry of Interior since 2015 for their reinstatement.

Their protest, however, took a different dimen-

sion on Monday, when they joined members of the Bring Back our Girls (BBOG) movement to march to the presidential villa to demand their reinstatement.

NAN reported that they were employed by a Presidential Committee set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan, in 2015 following the tragedy that marred the March 2014 recruitment exercise.

Buhari congratulates Sultan at 60 PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, on his 60th anniversary.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), this was contained in a statement issued in Abuja, on Tuesday, by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.

According to the statement, President Buhari joined the people and government of Sokoto State, the Muslim community and family members of the Sultan in celebrating the unique anniversary.

The president affirmed that the Sultan had demonstrated uncommon leadership style, patriotism

and wisdom in his consistent advocacy for security, peace and unity of Nigeria.

President Buhari believes that the wise counsels and support of the traditional ruler on issues of good governance, girl-child education, infant and child mortality and agriculture, has greatly enriched his administration’s efforts to improve the livelihood of Nigerians.

The president prayed that the almighty Allah will grant the Sultan good health and long life to continue in the service of humanity.

The Sultan is currently the head of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)

cost of projects is as follows: training, 0.87 per cent; consultancy, 2.13 per cent; food and cassava processing plant, 0.81 per cent; canalisation, 0.86 per cent, electrification, 0.34 per cent and road construction 87.1 per cent.

“Land reclamation and shore land protection, 2.05 per cent; housing scheme, 1.05 per cent; conservation and development of coastal ecosystem, 0.03 per cent; skills acquisition centres, 4.39 per cent; water scheme, 0.32 per cent; rehabilitation of oil impacted site, 0.16 per

cent.”

The minister said that the highlights of the sectoral expenditure indicated that some areas that should really have critical impact have been downplayed, adding that the document will assist the ministry in the adjustment of its sectoral proposals for further budgeting.

“In terms of state beneficiaries, Rivers State, 43 per cent; Ondo State, 4 per cent; Imo State, 6 per cent; Edo State, 2 per cent; Delta State, 26 per cent; Cross River State, 2 per cent; Akwa Ibom State, 7

per cent and Abia State, 7 per cent”.

Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Mr Yerima Bulama, had said the ministry, since its inception, had paid N414 billion for projects and required about N230 billion to complete its payments.

“Since the ministry was set up, about N700 billion worth of projects were spent, out of which about N414 billion has been paid, while there is an outstanding unpaid balance which require about N230 billion to complete the project.”

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Kerry in Nigeria, meets Buhari, Sultan, 5 Northern govs Says corruption costs the world $2.6trn annually Leon Usigbe - Abuja with Agency Reports

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HE United States (US) Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, on Monday, said the world lost $2.6 trillion to corruption annually.

Kerry made this known when he visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, in his palace in Sokoto, on Tuesday.

He said the money being lost to corruption across the world was enough to provide decent livelihood for people.

“This is money that can be used to improve the living standard and provide decent livelihood for them.

“Corruption is not only a crime, but very dangerous and it must be tamed,” he said.

Commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts in fighting corruption in Nigeria, Kerry pointed out that corrupt officials, anywhere in the world, were crooks.

He said Buhari understood the danger of corruption in a country, adding that Nigeria was already a regional leader in the fight against corruption.

“Nigeria is also a role model in the ongoing global efforts to fight corruption,” he stated, acknowledging measures being applied by Buhari to entrench morality, transparency, honesty and good governance in the country.

Kerry particularly commended the Federal Government for its efforts at recovering stolen funds, stressing that there was need for all government institutions, including military, other security agencies and the judiciary to support the anticorruption campaign.

“US is also fully committed to fighting corruption and entrenching good governance globally. One of Nigeria’s strength is diversity of culture and religious tolerance. Former leaders of the defunct Sokoto caliphate and others like the late Sir Ahmadu Bello had stood by the virtues of peace, unity and tolerance,” he said.

On insurgency in Nigeria, Kerry also commended government’s determination in combating the menace and other crimes across the country.

Condemning terrorism in the country, he said “Boko Haram boasts of no agenda more than to burn schools.

They also kill and maim people, especially teachers and it is the opposite of any religion.”

He said the US was deeply committed to working with partners like Nigeria to build counter-terrorism capacities, disclosing that his government had worked out counter-terrorism strategies that would be implemented globally.

Meanwhile, President Buhari also met with Mr Kerry, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, pledging that the anti-corruption crusade in the country would be deepened and institutionalised to last beyond the life of the current administration.

He said the necessary structures would be put in place in the public service to ensure that they struck to instruction.

In fighting the war he reiterated, his administration would be fair and just.

Buhari stated: “We will insist on the standards we are establishing. We are laying down administrative and financial instructions in the public service that must be obeyed. Any breach will no longer be acceptable.”

“We will retrain our staff, so that they understand the new orientation. And those who run foul of these rules will be prosecuted, no matter who is involved..

“But we will be fair, just and act according to the rule of law. Anyone perceived corrupt is innocent till we can prove it. We will work very hard to establish documentation for successful prosecution and those in positions of trust will sit up.”

President Buhari appreciated the intervention of the US before the 2015 polls, demanding free and fair elections in Nigeria, saying “America did not do it because of what it stands to benefit from us. You did it for the Nigerian people. It tells so much what the US stands for in the world.”

On the Boko Haram insurgency, President Buhari thanked the US for both hard and soft military help.

According to him, “the training and intelligence that we could not muster ourselves, we received. The training has made Boko Haram less of a threat to

Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region, while the military hardware has given our troops added confidence.”

President Buhari said though militancy in the Niger Delta had impacted negatively on the economy and affected the positive intentions of international and local investors, government was showing restraint not to use real force, “except when constrained to do so.”

On the economy, the president assured that the focus of his administration was on the diversification of the economy, having learnt our lessons from years of overdependence on oil.

In his remarks, Mr Kerry commended the courage of President Buhari in fighting corruption, saying: “We applaud what you are doing.

Corruption creates a readymade playing field for recruiting extremists.

“You inherited a big problem and we will support you in any way we can. We will work with you very closely.

We don’t want to interfere, but will offer opportunities

as you require.”

The American Secretary of State also pledged to assist in tackling the humanitarian challenges in the North-East, adding that his country would get the United Kingdom, France and others “to augment the support.

“Nigeria is priority for us. We won’t miss the opportunity to work together, because you are making significant progress.”

The envoy had, earlier in Sokoto lauded the efforts of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, in promoting religious tolerance and understanding among Nigerians.

He lauded the plan by the Sultanate Council to establish an all-women university, saying girls, women, children and other vulnerable groups “must be educated, given jobs and opportunities to explore their potential.’’

He said that the United States would continue to identify itself with the Sultanate in strengthening religious tolerance and un-

From left, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; United States Secretary of State, John Kerry and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, during Kerry’s visit to the Sultan’s palace in Sokoto, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN

Kwankwaso’s residence seal-off: Police withdraw after15 hours Kola Oyelere - Kano THE police officers, who had earlier sealed off the residence of the former Kano State governor, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is also senator representing Kano Central, had been withrawn after about 15 hours of cordoning off all routes leading to the house at Lugard area of the state capital.

It will be recalled that the police officers, who were reportedly drafted to seal off the residence of Senator

Kwankwaso since Monday night, had left the residence, which also serve as the headquarters of Kwankwasiyya Movement.

However, when the Nigerian Tribune visited the Lugard Road residence of the former governor, he observed that the gate was under lock and key.

The investigation further revealed that some of Kwankwaasiyya faithful were noticed outside the premises of the building in groups, discussing in hush tones, what

they described as an unpleasant development.

The link roads to Kwankwaso’s residence that were initially cordoned off had been open for free flow of traffic.

As of the time of filing this report, sources close to the Kwankwassiya Movement, who preferred anonymity, said the withdrawal of the police officers was sequel to an alleged complaint made by Senator Kwankwaso to higher authorities over the rationale behind such an action.

It was gathered that the seal off of Kwankwaso’s residence was over alleged plan by the ex-governor to organise a mass wedding in the house.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Rabiu Yusuf, who confirmed the development to newsmen in Kano, had said policemen sealed off the residence of former governor of Kano State, following an intelligence report that there was a plan to conduct a mass wedding in the house.

derstanding among Nigerians.

In his remarks, the Sultan commended Kerry for the visit and his “inspiring speech,” saying the gesture would “encourage us to redouble our efforts for a stronger, united and prosperous Nigeria.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Kerry had a closeddoor meeting with the Sultan and some leaders of the two major religions.

Also, northern governors have requested the US government to assist in tackling poverty, which they say is the underlying factor in the Boko Haram insurgency raging in the North-East.

Following Kerry’s meeting with President Buhari, five northern governors under the aegis of Northern Governors’ Forum met with him at the Presidential Villa, on Tuesday, seeking assistance for the region to overcome its numerous problems.

At the meeting were chairman of the forum, Kashim Shettima (Borno), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Ahmed Abdufatah (Kwara), Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa) and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto).

Briefing State House corespondents, Shettima disclosed that they explained to Kerry that poverty was the underlying factor in Boko Haram insurgency and, therefore, asked for support for job creation, improvement of health facilities and the development of renewable energy sources.

Shettima, who said the meeting was at the instance of the US government, also spoke on the military action against Boko Haram, noting that even though government was desirous of negotiation and some of the insurgents were amenable to that, there were diehard elements among them.

According to him, the action was necessary to ensure that government was in a position of strength in the event of any negotiations.

Shettima also said government was hoping to resettle all the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their homes by May 29, 2017, pointing out the dangers of allowing people to remain in IDP camps for too long, saying there could be issues of criminality.

In his remark, Tambuwal noted that the US had given commitment to assist in the areas of health, renewable energy and education.

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50% Salary Cut: NHRC wades into NLC, Nasarawa govt face-off Godwin Agwam - Lafia

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ASARAWA State government has been pressured by the organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) into rescinding its decision on 50 per cent salary cut for state workers.

The National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba disclosed this on Tuesday, while addressing a crowd of workers in Lafia.

He said the decision of the state government followed the advice of the National Human Right Commission (NHRC), urging the government to revert to status

quo, so that the organised labour would discontinue with its planned procession in the state.

Comrade Wabba said the organised labour had decided to adhere to the advice of the NHRC, saying it would not continue with its planned procession.

He added that the union had also received a letter from the state government informing them that it would comply with the NHRC’s advice.

“We are a law-abiding union and we will obey the NHRC and give the govern-

ment the benefit of doubt.

But the strike continues until the state workers receive alert.

The National President of NLC stated further that they were in the state to mourn their fallen colleagues who died during its last protest, noting that they would continue to fight for the right of workers in the state, being the essence of unionism.

Wabba asserted that a worker’s salary is his right and not a privilege, saying they would continue to demand justice for their fallen

colleagues as well as full compensation, and urged workers in the state to remain resolute and committed to the struggle for better welfare in the state.

When contacted, the

Head of Service of the State, Joseph Ancho, told the Nigerian Tribune that he was not aware of the government’s decision to reverse the 50 per cent salary cut.

Lagos NLC demands justice for slain Nasarawa workers Olatunde Dodondaws - Lagos THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos Branch, has joined other affiliates across the nation to protest the killing of two workers in Nasarawa State.

The rally in Lagos was led by former Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu. Aremu, who stated that the solidarity rally was in support of the slained workers who died while protesting against proposed 50 per cent reduction in salary by

the Nasarawa State government.

“We demand for justice.

No governor has the power to reduce salary because any issue regarding salary belongs to Exclusive List which can only be addressed by the Executives (Federal Government).

...Nasarawa killing, attempt to silence workers —Kogi NLC

Respect labour laws, organised labour urges Benue, Imo, Nasarawa govs

Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna ORGANISED Labour has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige to immediately prevail on the governors of Benue, Imo and Nasarawa states to respect Nigeria labour laws, stop wage cut and arbitrary redeployment of workers to the farms as a way of avoiding full pay.

A NEC member of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu, made this call on Tuesday, during the nationwide protest by the NLC against the recent alleged killing of two workers in Nasarawa State, by Government House security operatives.

Comrade Aremu, who is also the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Workers (NUTGTWN), stated that “Labour matters are on the exclusive Federal list of 1999 Constitution.

It is therefore illegal and unconstitutional for these governors as employers of labour to arbitrarily violate the terms of contract of their workers with respect to pay and work schedule.”

It will be recalled that Nasarawa State governor Tanko Al-Makura had arbitrarily cut workers’ pay by 50 per cent and also threatened to sack striking workers who protested his criminal 50 per cent wage cut and replace them with “fresh graduates”.

Nigerian Tribune reported that a prayer session was held in honour of the fallen colleagues who were allegedly killed by police officers at the Government House a month ago.

Members of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State chapter, protesting the killing of Nasarawa workers and non-payment of workers’ salaries in Kogi, Kaduna, Oyo, Ogun and Borno states, on Tuesday. PHOTO: TUNDE DODONDAWA

Stop terrorising Nigerian workers, Oyo NLC urges state govts

By Tunde Ogunesan THE chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State, Comrade Waheed Olojede, has advised the 36 state governments in the country to stop terrorising Nigerian workers, saying the NLC has declared zero tolerance for workers’ maltreatment in the country.

Comrade Olojede stated this on Tuesday while addressing NLC members and journalists, at the state secretariat, before the team proceeded on a solidarity rally to mourn members of the union killed in Nasarawa State, on July 29.

According to Olojede,

who stated that the death of Comrades Aliyu Abdullahi Umbugadu and Rabiu Mohammed of the Ministry of Education, Nasarawa State and the Nigerian Newsday, and others who sustained varying degrees of injuries, during the National Working Committee’s meeting with Governor Al Makura, was a sad day for the NLC in Nigeria.

He further affirmed the position of the leadership of the union that it “Wants the whole world to know that we are resolved to keep peacefully protesting until the government of Nasarawa State and Na-

sarawa Police Command account for their actions.

“We are calling on Oyo State government and state governments alike to always desist from terrorising the workers of Nigeria. Any government that terrorises worker should be guilty of any penalty of any Boko Haram man. Any operation from this angle

Ogun NLC holds special prayers for slain members Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta MEMBERS of the Ogun State council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, of-

Borno protests non-payment of salaries Bodunrin Kayode - Maduguri THE leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)) led by its chairman, Comrade Titus Abana, has called on the Borno State government to pay July salary with other arrears owed

workers in the state.

The NLC which led its workers into the deputy governor’s office in Maiduguri, on Tuesday, regretted that the inability of government to pay the workers was inflicting suffering on the people of the state, especially those who

should be termed as Boko Haramism.

“We protest deployment of workers in Imo and Benue states from their profession to farms. You cannot deploy teachers to farm.

Minister of Labour should ensure that these issues are addressed the same way job loss in banking sector were addressed,” he said.

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kogi State, on Tuesday, joined their colleagues across the country to protest against the killing of Nasarawa State workers by police.

The state chairman of the congress, Onuh Edoka, who delivered the speech of the national president, Ayuba Wabba, described the killing and injuries inflicted on the workers as a violation of the sanctity of life.

He said the murder of the two workers whose names were given as Aliyu Umbugadu and Rabiu Hamza, by the police, at the gate of the Nasarawa State Government House, was an attempt to silence the entire Nigerian workers for asking for their rightful due.

“Yet be not deceived. The attacks on workers’ rights operate at various levels across the country. Most states do not pay salaries and pensions as at when due, even after accessing bailout funds from the Federal government,” he said.

buy and sell in markets in the state.

“As we speak, 19,524 workers have been screened by the verification committee and they are demanding payment of their salaries for the month of July which is unnecessarily delayed,” said Abana.

fered special prayers for their colleagues who were allegedly massacred in Nasarawa State, and who slumped during a rally in Edo State.

The rally which held at the NLC House, on MKO Abiola Way, Abeokuta, the state capital, on Monday, was ordered by the national body of the union to mourn their colleagues, as all members in attendance wore black attire to mourn their departed colleagues.

The rally witnessed interdenominational prayers with a call on governments

of both states to compensate the families of the deceased.

“The incident that happened at Nasarawa is sad and regrettable. Why should a government bring down the Gazzetted N18,000 minimum wage without recourse to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards?” he asked.

He appealed to the Ogun State government, to as a matter of urgency, pay the 12 months deductions of workers and the 75 months unremitted Contributory Pension Scheme.

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editorial Conflicting court judgments

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

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HE spate of conflicting court judgments in the country has become a source of embarrassment and confusion among legal practitioners and the general public. It is unsettling that judicial precedents are playing less and less roles in court decisions. Statutes that are germane to matters at issue are being ignored while consideration of the facts of cases has become less dispassionate. Greater certainty in law as the prime advantage in the principle of judicial precedents is gradually being eroded. The ominous consequence is that the confidence of the public in the judiciary is waning rapidly. This is worrisome as it constitutes a recipe for self-help and anarchy.

Concern and apprehension over conflicting court orders have been expressed by relevant stakeholders time and again.

Sometime in 2012, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, expressed concern over the conflicting judgments from the various divisions of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. In December 2015, the incumbent CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, also lamented the disturbing trend at the Court of Appeal in some election petition cases. Indeed, in a comment which revealed the potentially corrosive effects of conflicting court judgements on the nation’s democracy, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmud Yakubu, lamented last week: “Within three months, we received 11 court judgments and orders, almost all of them conflicting, from courts of coordinate jurisdiction. In fact, in two days, 15th and 16th of this month, we received one judgment and three court orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction. It is really a very big challenge.” Sadly, the steps taken to rein in the ugly trend have been less than effective.

While inconsistent decisions by courts of concurrent jurisdiction are not new in the land, the brazen dimension they have assumed lately and the innuendo that the arbiter seems to be descending into the conflict arena caused the current outcry in the polity. The recent judgments on the Abia State governorship tussle and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership and national convention impasse have succinctly brought to the fore how undisciplined and reckless some judges have become. Desperate politicians in furtherance of their quest to win electoral contest at all costs, rather than appealing an unfavourable court decision, usually approach a court of coordinate jurisdiction in a different location with another version of the case, with a view to hoodwinking the judge.

The haste with which some courts orders are given after a

Nigerian Tribune

diametrically different one had been issued by another court is suggestive of vested interests. It is curious that the various Federal High Courts from which conflicting orders emanated failed or refused to be guided by binding judicial precedents from appellate courts let alone decisions of courts of equal jurisdiction. To be sure, an earlier decision emanating from a court is not necessarily binding on courts of concurrent jurisdiction. However, such a decision has a persuasive authority to the extent that another court of equal jurisdiction wherever it is located may not give a contradictory order in a similar case without alluding to the earlier decision and canvassing superior arguments for its different decision.

Sadly, this never happened as the courts seemed to have unwittingly encouraged forum shopping rather than urging aggrieved parties to appeal earlier decisions. Some, also in tandem with unscrupulous lawyers, had engaged in selfish and mischievous interpretations of the law.

Corruption, partisanship and incompetence are mostly at the root of the variations in the decisions of courts of equal jurisdiction on similar cases. Some judicial officers are corrupt and are easy and pliable tools in the hands of unscrupulous persons who are ready to purchase justice. There are also judges who appear to be discretely interested in cases brought before them, such that objective consideration of facts becomes impossible, while some are simply incompetent and may have made it to the bench through the influence of politicians. Whatever the causes of the prevailing challenge, it is intolerable and clearly avoidable.

Not surprisingly, the National Judicial Council (NJC) is being urged by many stakeholders to intervene and address the contradictions. But the NJC cannot investigate or sanction erring judges unless it receives a petition from an aggrieved party. However, if and when its rules of engagement are changed to permit it to intervene without prompting, it would not be difficult for the NJC to overhaul the system because the judges and lawyers who are significant contributors to the judiciary’s current descent into the abyss are now fairly well known.

As a lasting solution to the dangerous trend, a paradigm shift in the attitude of some members of the bar and the bench is imperative. Politicians and crooked persons will always try to influence the court but it is the duty of the bar and the bench to institute and enforce measures to ensure that their members are upright and dedicated to upholding the fidelity of the courts. Otherwise, the judicial process in the country will continue to be seen as a game of Russian roulette where just any outcome is possible.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

editor

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

How to score zero at Olympics

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F the watching of foreign football matches can be made into an Olympics event, I am sure Nigeria would have got some medals at the last Olympics. Unfortunately for us, medals were given to nations that developed their people rather than those who specialise on the consumption of the

products of other thinking people. There are still more Olympics to come in the future. There are several ways to continue scoring zero at these games. I shall explore some of them here: First, business as usual: While other nations spend up to 10 years catching their athletes at a very young age and developing

them, a nation that wants to score zero will wait till there are only a few months left; go after those of their countrymen and women who have long abandoned their fatherland to sojourn in other lands, but were not sufficiently good to meet the team list in those countries; present these rejects as your Olympic team.

Secondly, ignore the development of primary and secondary school sports facilities: In the 1960s, when foreign missionaries ran our schools, a primary school compound had a school field lined with race tracks; a weather station, nature study corners in class rooms; stocked school libraries. Today, governors

OOU strike: Governor Amosun, come to our aid THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Olabisi Onabanjo University, has, recently embarked on an indefinite strike due to the non-pay-

ment of salary subvention by the Ogun State government.

The effect of this strike is very devastating on the students. All academic ac-

Power supply improving in Ibadan I don’t know if this is the case in other parts of the country, but electricity supply in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital is becoming more stable by the day.

For some time now, residents of the capital city have been experiencing longer hours of electricity supply, and if this is sustained, I believe we will soon achieve the Nigeria of our dreams.

One of the benefits of uninterrupted power supply is that it makes our communities livelier, especially at night; it also aids economic development, as more busi-

nesses will spring up.

It is difficult to quantify the benefits of uninterrupted power supply, but I want to commend the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, for this feat.

He must, however, continue to work until Nigeria can attain total uninterrupted power supply. It is our right to enjoy uninterrupted power supply.

•Haji Saheed Olaoluwa, Oluyole, Elebu, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Kudos to Olympic Eagles NIGERIANS must commend the Under 23 Olympic football team for winning the only medal for the country in the just-concluded Olympics in Brazil.

If not for the team, Nigeria would have had another disastrous outing at the Olympics like we had in London four years ago where we did not win a single medal.

The bronze by our footballers is just to reduce our shame; it is unfortunate that as big as the country is, we can’t produce athletes who are world-class.

It is more painful when small countries like Jamaica, Honduras, among others, were winning substantial medals at the

Olympics, and our athletes could not measure with their global counterparts.

I will not want to blame the athletes but the sports authorities in the country.

The preparation for this year’s Olympics was even more shoddy than the previous ones, and it was only by divine grace and the determination of our footballers that we brought home a medal.

Our sports authorities should wake up to their responsibilities and invest more in the country’s sports development.

•Stanley Adjei, Benin, Edo State.

tivities have been put on hold. In fact, all ongoing examinations have been suspended until further notice. The students appear to be helpless as a result of this industrial action, and they have equally frowned at this development. Unfortunately, this seem contradicting to what we are being taught in class that the government owes the society the duty to make them happy.

Since the harmful effect of strike actions cannot be

quantified, the Ogun State government, particularly Governor Ibikunle Amosun, should, therefore, listen to our cry and the cry of our lecturers. It is even beyond the lecturers’ sake this time round; it is more about the students and their future.

I, hereby, implore the governor to kindly meet the demands of our lecturers as soon as possible.

•Festus Ogun, OOU, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

boast of achievements once they have put roofs on four walls of classrooms on bare earth and everyone is expected to clap! There used to be competitive meetings among secondary schools from the AAA meets to Ionian Cup in the West and the Principals Cup in Lagos. To get zero in the next Olympics, refuse to develop these facilities.

Thirdly, ignore proven experts in the respective areas and appoint party apparatchiks, political cronies, children, wives and other family members of governors and presidents (incumbent or former), etc into serious positions.

Pay more attention to the welfare of officials while neglecting that of the actual sportsmen and women who are the ones who can win medals.

Fourth, depend on good luck to run governments when other people are using scientific methods and

availing themselves of all that experience and empirical evidence can give.

Praying fervently for miracles after you have left undone what things you ought to have done.

Fifth, refuse to adjust the educational curricula so that specific sporting activities and development programmes can earn credits in secondary and tertiary institutions.

Sixth, allow old stadia such as National Stadium in Lagos to rot while looking for money for new mega projects.

There are more things to do (or to leave undone) to arrive at the same end.

It is time again for Nigeria to choose.

This letter, written three years ago, sadly, remains relevant even today.

•Professor Omotayo Fakinlede, Lagos.

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opinion

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Nigeria’s persistent leadership crisis

By Mohammed Dahiru Aminu

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HE classical Greek philosopher, Plato, in his famous Republic, noted that the heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to you. It doesn’t matter if one is charmed by philosophy or not, but, in today’s Nigeria, Plato’s statement does not only inscribe the basis for Nigeria’s character defect, it equally awakens the subject of inept leadership that has served as a classic peculiarity of our country.

Starting from 1999, when Nigeria transitioned to democratic rule, the most troubling start for the country at that period seemed to be that the bunch of politicians who launched the democratic system—or the republic—as a representative form of government, were, to put it sympathetically, inept. It won’t be too tasking to reckon that at the time, most people who signed up to politics and contested elections were hardly tied up to an auspicious career. In the Nigerian clime, such a people of discouraging future—career wise—are most ably eligible to contest political offices. Nigeria’s 1999 transition to democratic rule was, therefore, a perfect point—in the history of the country—in which the crooked amongst us had the ideal opportunity to take control of power, which they did relentlessly.

It was regrettable that at the time, credible Nigerians with integrity and honour couldn’t have considered venturing forth into partisan politics, perhaps for the time-honoured presumption—that not only is partisan politics most suitable for people of discouraging future; without active careers to build—that politics itself is a dirty game. Out of their own volition—and at the peril of our country’s future—credible Nigerians with unmatched track records in the public and private sectors of the economy; who had their careers on the upswing, couldn’t think through abandoning their otherwise assuring professions only to take the deep plunge into the murky waters of politics that carried with itself the overt currents of uncertainty. Although Nigeria was successful in leaping out of successive military dictatorships, it unfortunately leapfrogged into a democracy guided by the mostly incompetent ones found from within us; an oubliette democracy, if one may call it that.

But, regrettably, like Plato has told us, in the end, everything boils down to politics, whether or not we like it.

Decisions taken by politicians today have a way of influencing and shaping all aspects of our individual and collective lives. From education, arts, literature, agriculture, economics, labour, and manufacturing, and to all other sectors of the society, the influence of decisions taken by politicians can never be played down. Thus, the disregard and neglect for partisan politics by more competent people in the country—as opposed to the crooked—must be the single most elemental factor that is responsible for the sundry issues Nigeria is battling with today.

In a country of more than a 170 million people—who lay claim to professionals and experts in almost all facets of any and every preoccupation, it is quite biting and most strange that the political showground of Nigeria’s democracy has been subjugated, in the majority, by the mostly ineffectual elements of society.

There is an insistent need to overturn this trend by encouraging and reassuring the fine, adept people amongst us to answer a calling in partisan politics by joining the socio-political system at all levels—local and central. It is high time we saw participation in partisan politics from an untainted, unsoiled perspective. We must collectively raise the spirits of our people so they could get a handle on the fact that partaking in partisan politics is not dirty, all together. No one should be made to feel that to

sign up to and engage in partisan politics is akin to risking one’s sanity. Rather, it should be seen as an avenue for enervating one’s rationality; the ability to go in there, takeover the polity from the hands of the mostly crooked, and to unfetter the sufferings of our people from a life of captivity, oppression, and suppression.

The civil society groups have a duty to encourage young Nigerians possessing the passion and the instinctive intuition of managing people and resources to join politics, en bloc. For quite a while, Nigeria has been losing the dexterity of the sharpwitted amongst us. Our people, out of disappointments, have either left the country for the far-off; never committed to returning home until the days of innocence are recouped once again, or have chosen to live a somewhat quiet life in the academia and other sectors of our society. Nigerians with exceptional skills and capacity to spearhead the affairs of the country must be ready to contest elections at all levels of government, from the peripheral to the central.

No momentous improvement is certain for Nigeria until we all are ready to succumb to a logical, hard-nosed decision, to reverse the institutional challenges that confront us daily, which obviously are all attributable to a miscarried, mercilessly corrupt leadership. Not only must we contest for political offices to change the course of action in governance, we should rally round and abet candidates for political office who have got a history that is free of venality and corruption.

More importantly, incentives and perks that have become the enticing inspiration for aspiring to win and occupy political offices must be grossly reduced so as to make such offices not as much attractive to perverts. Doing this will ensure that the best natured amongst us present themselves for political offices more willingly than the dishonest. Electioneering processes should also be conducted in a more maven manner in which potential candidates for political offices are called to debate and deliberate on national issues and concerns, and how to set about tackling societal problems.

•Aminu lives in England

Diversification: We have heard all these before

By Ayo Oyoze Baje

THE essence of democracy is for political office holders and policymakers to muster the capacity to identify and satisfy the needs, yearnings, aspirations, collective dreams and desires of the people. That is, as against satiating the pecuniary and obscene tastes of the political class, at the detriment of the led majority.

But now, our economy is in a tail spin. The ship of state is currently caught in the eye of the storm. The oil-dependent economy which has long been besotted by the wanton waves of waste, profligacy and the hydra-headed monster of greed and graft is on the verge of being torpedoed into the vast ocean of recession. According to the World Bank, Nigeria currently ranks 169 out of 189 countries surveyed in terms of the ease of doing business.

The parameters used include the ease of obtaining construction permits, access to electricity, enforcing contracts, registering property and trading across borders.

But as the economy worsens, how prepared are we towards salvaging our battered economy? That is the billion naira question, the answers to which may be farther than ever imagined.

Interestingly, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had not too long ago given a warning signal that the country might be heading for a recession. Today, both the federal and state governments have been on a borrowing spree, just to pay salaries! And this has been going on for upward of two odd years.

Unfortunately, while the Federal Government enjoys the luxury of long-term loans to be paid back over a period of 20 years, the states must make a refund in only four years.

This sordid scenario, however, ignites the fundamentally burning questions. How come that some of the same state governors who are unable to pay the long-suffering workers have no tangible infrastructural development projects or job-creation strategies in place to show for the billions of the federal allocation they have been collecting over the years? How can they justify the sad fact

that some of them have been globe-trotting in expensive, state-owned jets in search of elusive foreign direct investment? What about those who have been throwing lavish, ego-tripping parties for their kith and kin, and others secretly building mansions, where they hope to rest after the odious deed has been done? Who, really is fooling who?

Worse still, our sweet crude oil may no longer hit the benchmark of $120 per barrel, over the next two years.

Between $70 and $85 may be more like it.

Still on the parlous picture painted about the economy, may we add that the stock market is far from being bullish. Investors are no longer smiling to the bank.

Manufacturers are still groaning. In fact, a top official of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) recently admitted all is not well with the members and their huge investments.

The steel sector is on the verge of collapse. Yet, it has the capacity to generate over half a million jobs if the long-prostrate Ajaokuta Steel Company is functioning effectively. According to Sanjay Kumar, the CEO of Steel Business, African Industries Group, four of the steel plants in the country have been shut down. Many are currently operating at 30 per cent capacity. The sick sector to which N100bn has been sunk, currently needs N60bn, injection to survive.

The challenge it faces is predicated on the continued

importation of steel products, thereby, creating jobs for citizens of the exporting countries. This is in addition to the lack of input from experts on the sector before government’s policies are enunciated.

Besides, government’s patronage is grossly lacking.

Therefore, experts are canvassing for the diversification of the economic base from oil to agriculture, solid minerals and infrastructural development. But we have heard this song before, have we not?

What have we done with revenues from the maritime industry, the customs and immigration services, taxes from the surviving manufacturing concerns and the entertainment and tourism industries, areas which if properly handled, could generate more proceeds than oil?

The truth is that in the Nigerian experience, political power has more often than not been acquired and appropriated by a clique of overtly avaricious, unpatriotic elements to build family empires.

Yet, they expect to be applauded for their fratricidal feat. That explains the reason behind the wide, inexcusable gap that currently exists, on the one hand, between the nation’s vast natural resources and the parlous state of the economy, 55 years after independence.

And on the other, between the very few rich and the millions of citizens caught in the terrifying trap of ignoble poverty. It also underscores the insulting situation that has the same set of faces or their ilk occupying our political space, since the 1980s.

How can we continue to recycle the same old faces with their archaic ideas and hope to ever move this great country forward?

Obviously, the persisting power structure skewed in favour of the political class is both fraudulent and unsustainable. Something drastic has to be done, to reverse this drift to turning Nigeria into the patronage of the favoured few. It will make the so-called “dividends of democracy” to benefit those they are meant to-the people. Only that will make the much-touted “change” mantra be meaningful to the populace.

•Baje is a media consultant and public affairs analyst.

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Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

tribune cartoons

Adeeko Olusegun adeeko.olusegun@yahoo.com 0811 695 4638

GIANT IN THE TROPIC OF AFRICA

SEGELUULU

CHURCH BOY

FUNOLOGY

Dr Orji Uzor Kalu aka Abia Lion •

Born on 21 April, 1960 in Abia State, Nigeria.

•

He attended Christ the King School, Aba and Government College, Umuahia.

After studying at Barewa College, Zaria, he enrolled in the University of Maiduguri.

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At age 26, he became the youngest Nigerian to be given a National Merit Award (MON) by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1986.

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He was listed by Forbes Magazine as the 26th richest man in Africa in 2014.

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At age 33, he became the Chairman of First International Bank Limited.

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Orji Uzor Kalu is the Chairman of SLOK Holding, Daily Sun and New Telegraph newspaper in Nigeria.

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He served as the governor of Abia State, Nigeria from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

THERE ARE 10 DIFFERENCES IN THE CARTOONS BELOW. THE DIFFERENCES SHOULD BE MARKED IN B

A

B

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Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

inside

nigerdelta

C’River council chairmen lament deplorable condition of federal roads

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the sufferings of the people.

For so many years, federal roads in Cross River have been in a very bad state.

Notable among them are the Calabar-Itu, Calabar-Ikom and Calabar-Akpabuyo federal roads, which link the state with the south-south, south-east and northern parts of the country.

Treat militants as criminals, group tells Buhari

As a result, commuters have been going through excruciating experiences on a daily basis as they spend long hours to travel from Calabar, the state capital, to other parts of the country.

The deplorable state of these roads has, however, drawn the ire of council chairmen in the state who are appealing to the

Anthony Ubong-Calabar

OCAL government council chairmen in Cross River State have expressed dismay over the deplorable state of federal roads in the state, and are calling on the Federal Government to expedite action on the reconstruction of the roads in order to assuage

Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri THE South South Re-awakening Group has charged President Mohammadu Buhari to treat militants in the Niger Delta region as criminals for sabotaging the oileconomy of the country if they refuse to embrace peace.

The group, through its national convener, Mr. Joseph Ambakederimo, condemned the way and manner the Federal Government had been dealing with militant groups in the region, accusing Buhari of treating them with kid gloves.

He called on President Buhari to deal decisively with any militant group in the region and treat them as criminals because according to him, “the Nigerian constitution does not give anybody the right to carry arms excerpt the military.”

Mr Ambakederimo, who spoke to journalists in Warri while marking his 55th birthday, urged the Federal Government to deploy all its military might and intelligence to crush them.

This is not a time for people to be destroying property under the guise that they are being cheated.

We cannot achieve the needed peace and development by destroying our things,” he enthused,’’ he said.

The Bayelsa-born human right activist also noted that corruption thrived in the past in the country because the citizens had been docile for long.

He stressed that the only way the country could get rid of corrupt leaders was for the citizens to hold their leaders accountable.

He lamented a situation whereby Nigerians were too complacent and had allowed greedy leaders to continue to plunder the nation’s assets to their detriment, adding that there must be attitudinal change among the people.

federal government to, as a matter of urgency, commence the reconstruction of the roads.

Chairman of Calabar municipality, Ntufam Donatus Etim, who spoke in an exclusive chat with Nigerian Tribune, lamented that due to the deplorable condition of federal roads, Cross River had been cut off from other parts of the country, a situation he said had slowed down economic activities in the state.

He said since the roads had been included in the 2016 federal budget, the Federal Government should ensure speedy rehabilitation of the roads.

The Council boss said, “Considering the high traffic and pressure occasioned by

The damaged Calabar-Itu road.

Police arrest 13 youths over community project Banji Aluko-Benin City ELECTRIFICATION project in Uhen and some other communities in Ovia NorthEast Local Government Area of Edo State has been stalled as two political parties struggle to carry out the project.

The communities have been in dark-

ness for years, but as governorship election in the state approaches, leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are now fighting each other to electrify the communities.

Last week, attempts by the lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency

500 ex-militants to be trained in agriculture —Boro Austin Ebipade-Yenagoa NOT fewer than 500 ex-militants, under the Federal Government amnesty scheme, will be trained in various agro-based related skills at the Bio-Resources Development Centre, Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Goverment Area of Bayelsa State.

The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brigadier Geneneral Paul Boroh (rtd), made the disclosure when he visited the centre to access the facility, manpower and the duration of turnover.

Boroh, who also presented certificate to

heavy duty vehicles that are conveying limestone and petroleum products to and from the state, and having abandoned the road for a very long time has become impassable for commuters. These roads are federal roads and the intervention by the Federal Government has not been forthcoming.

“It is important that the Federal Government come in and intervene. They should put back the roads even if it has to be with a toll as motorists are ready to part with tokens to enable them have a smooth ride. Some vehicles get damaged in the process and some resort to passing through small villages, so people are really suffering.’’

graduating ex-militants trainees’ on pilot scheme at the Bio Resources Development Centre, Odi, described the programme as a success, noting that the potentials that abound in the agric sector was enormous.

According to the amnesty programme coordinator, some of the ex-militants would be sent to Songhai Farms in Delta State, while others would be sent to the various agriculture programme departments at Delta State University (DELSU), University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) and the Peremabiri Rice Farms in Bayelsa State.

Boroh, who decried over dependence on oil as the bane of the Nigerian economy, stressed that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration resolved to diversify the economy from oil and gas dependence and make agriculture the best alternative.

He said: “The shift from reliance on agriculture to over reliance on oil income has had a tremendous impact on agriculture and the localities where crude petroleum is found and has become the harbinger of hunger, starvation, unemployment and ecosystem degradation and that is the bottom-line of the resource base conflict in the Niger Delta.

in the House of Representatives, Honourable Omosede Igbinedion, to continue work on the project she started recently set her on collision course with leaders of the APC in the area, who reportedly claimed they started the project before the lawmaker.

The situation resulted into scuffle, leading to the arrest of 13 youths, who were said to have clashed with some APC members for allegedly stopping work started by Omosede Igbinedion on the project.

The 13 youths were arraigned at an Okada Magistrate Court, where a case of attempted murder was preferred against them.

The Magistrate, however, declined jurisdiction on the matter and sent the case file to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

Omosede, a daughter of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin, told journalists that she started the project with her personal funds to fulfill her electoral promises to the people.

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Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

By Wale Ojo-Lanre 0803 349 0986 waleojolanre@gmail.com

When Ooni toured first storey-building, slave museum in Badagry •Visited Aholu

•Called for West – African Regional strategy on slave route Tourism

By Wale Ojo Lanre

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HE Badagry Tourism Initiative being spearheaded by the Governor of Lagos State. Mr Akinwumi Ambode got a royal backing and endorsement on Sunday, 21 August, 2016, when the Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi was conducted on a tour of some historical tourism sites in the town.

The Aholu Menutoyi – in – Council had specially despatched 24 Badagry titled Chiefs to Ile – Ife recently imploring Oba Ogunwusi not only to visit Badagry but to come and bless the town which has made indelible contributions to the economic, educational, commercial, cultural and social development of the country.

In his royal response to the quest of the people of Badagry, Oba Ogunwusi on Sunday, 21 August, accompanied by traditional obas and eminent personalities from Ife arrived Badagry at 11 a.m.

Ooni’s entry convoy, set the town of Badagry agog and threw the inhabitants into jubilation, praise singing, commendation and applause while Oba Ogunwusi and his Olori watched and nodded appreciatively to the mass of the people from inside the white glowing Rolls Royce Limousine.

The Ooni’s convoy was sherpeded to the palace of Menutoyi, with pomp, dances, cultural exhibition and jollification where Oba Akran though already advanced in age assembled his chiefs and prominent citizens of the town in ushering in the August visitor in the month of Au-

Ooni and his entourage at the first storey building in Badagry gust.

Oba Akran who congratulated Ooni Ojaja 11 for his ‘rare wisdom and determination to ensure peace among the Obas, economic development of the people and promotion of cultural tourism urged him not to forget the fact that Badagry is a Yoruba town.

He implored Oba Ogunwusi to always fight, protect the interest and intercede for Badagry whenever is necessary and wherever it matters.

Oba Akran who listed the areas where the people of Badagry want the Ooni to intercede and help lamented that the cultural-

Curator, Badagry Slave Museum; Mr Anago James Akeem Oso, explaining a point of interest to the Ooni Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi while Chief Wasiu Ajibola Abass, Bale of Yoyowe, Badagry, High Chief Agoloto of Badagry and others watch.

tourism glory and asset of Badagry is depreciating and waning.

He also pointed out that development and growth of Badagry is being truncated and stunted by political consideration and perception.

Oba Akran appealed to Ooni Ojaja II to help in enhancing the cultural tourism heritage of the town and in facilitate the rapid execution of projects which the government has promised.

The Ooni in his response commended Oba Akran – in – Council for the invitation and elaborate ceremonies.

He assured Oba Akran and the people of the town that “I am going to read the address and work through the issues raised in there. One thing I assure you is that I will stand by you and put words on your behalf where it matters”.

After the grand reception at the palace of Aholu, the Ooni was welcomed and declared as The Most Important Visitor of the year to the Seriki Faremi Williams Abass Slave Museum which is a national monument

by Chief Wasiu Ajibola Seriki Abass, Baale of Yoyowe Badagry new town and a grandson of the late Seriki Abass Williams.

The curator of the museum, Mr

Anago James Akeem Osho who conducted the Ooni round the museum explained that the Monument was the baracoon that is barracks where slaves were kept in those days before their final departure to an unknown region.

He related the story of William Abass who rose from being a slave to a slave dealer and who in return served as an instrument in the process of abolition of slave trade.

Mr Anago revealed that late William Abass was a Yoruba man from Aiyetoro, Ogun State and the designated Oba. His mood nearly drew tears from people how our forefathers participated in the inhuman trade and showed the Ooni, one of the umbrellas which could only be acquired with the exchange of 50 physically fit, strong men!

Anago in sequential order showed the Ooni all other items of horror used in caging, restricting, shackling and blocking bodily parts of the slaves from being used as made by God. The stories, the instruments and implements of horror which are preserved and demonstrated

by Anago and the generational effects and consequences of the slave trade humbled the Ooni.

Ooni who was visibly sad remarked ‘The era of slave trade is part of the tragedy that has befallen the Southern part of the West – Africa and Nigeria in particular. We are daily being reminded about the evil trade by the scars and wounds which though seem to have healed, but daily rear their heads in world politics, discourse and interaction. It is one of the reasons why Africa is still largely underdeveloped as some of the brains meant to develop the continent were crated off their shore via the slave trade”.

He called for concerted efforts at turning the woeful and sorrowful stories and histories of the slave trade to a development memoir of benefits to the people without calling for outright reparation.

“It is my believe that we can turn these bitter experiences, memories and history of slave trade to enrich our people, develop our society and empower the jobless. It is high time we moved from gnashing our teeth for the wrong of the past to turning the wrong into positive venture by enhancing the relics for productivity and empowerment”.

The Ooni however pointed out, “Nigeria can get the best out of the Slave Route Project if we can initiate a regional approach to the enhancement of its derivatives bearing in mind that slavery activities were also prominent in Ghana (Elmina Castle), Senegal (Goree Island), Gambia (Kinta kinte) and Cote D’ivoire”.

The Ooni also visited the first storey-building in Nigeria where late Samuel Ajayi Crowther translated the English Bible to Yoruba and a compound where the first primary school was planted.

Summing up the Ooni visit, High Chief Agoloto of Badagry said “The Ooni is a light bearer.

He has come to offer us a hope of redeeming the stagnant state of Badagry. Even though Badagry is the cradle of civilisation, we have been relegated to the background by past government. We have made our challenges known to him and Ooni has promised to look into them.

Like he said, Igba otun ti de. A new dawn has come. We claim it. Ooni’s visit is hope lifting”.

19

tourism

By Sally Mbanefo “...see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour.”

— William Blake

T

HIS stanza is such a timely call for us to wrest our destiny from chaos, and the corruption that breeds it, a call to seize the day and change our lives and our nation for the better, in other words to take our destinies into our own hands so that a future, brighter, ‘Naija’ may emerge out of the ashes of today. This is an imperative incumbent upon all of us; to quote President Muhammadu Buhari.’

“Change does not just happen. You and I and all of us must appreciate that we all have our part to play if we want to bring CHANGE about,” The President even goes further to emphasize this.

“We cannot build an economy where corruption is the working capital.

“To this end, we cannot over emphasize the importance of our fight against corruption.

It is felt in some quarters that we may be sacrificing the economy while the fight rages.

This is most emphatically not so because the fulcra of our economic policy namely: privatisation and liberalisation; both would gain very little traction if the general socioeconomic landscape is not de-corrupted or sanitized. In effect, in an environment of the unbridled corruption that Nigeria had become, all policy implemention in attempts at growth and expansion would be tantamount to swimming against a powerful tide that invariably pushes us backwards even as we tread water more energetically; a sanitised Nigeria will have a quickening impact on FDI consequent upon a boosted investor confidence.

Are we in a technical recession? These are interesting times to borrow the Chinese philosophy.

We are in a correctional interregnum owing to the monumental and far reaching restructuring this government has had the courage to embark upon.

Even more monumental is the hearts and minds war being waged against the background of the federal character of corruption. These are not times to discourage Nigerians and investors alike, these are interesting times, times of change and consequently the mother of all opportunities.

Solutions: • Fiscal discipline • Tight monetary controls • Fiscal sustainability plan (FSP) • Improved igr drive.

• Court diaspora funds - The Marlon Jackson initiative in Badagry is the sort of tourism initiative we must replicate and multiply. Diaspora Nigerians should be our tourism ambassadors - collaborative efforts in this regard should be increased - again this imperative is incumbent on all of us.

The 20 Billion USD remitted by them represents only a tip of the iceberg of the investable fund.

Domestic Tourism and the development of Nigeria tourist destinations - the Jackson Badagry Initiative remains a prime example and a template. Nigeria Tourism Developement Corporation (NTDC)has signed a number of MOUs that will impact directly on all sectors of the local economy.

Tourism value chain Entertainment : Nigerian Music impactful worldwide.

Nollywood has spawned the third largest movie industry in the world.

Community empowerment The Calabar Carnival is among the most sought after in Africa and is yet another success story that yields gains for Calabar and environs and is another template that other

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Growing Nigeria’s economy beyond oil and gas

Mrs Sally Mbanefo states should emulate. Argungu Fishing Festival is another but also investor capital and ingenuity to increase enhanced revenue streams.

Osun Osogbo, Sango, Eyo Festivals in the South West; Ofala and New Yam Festivals in the South East; Durbars in Katsina and Kano, Mambilla Plateau in Taraba for the North, all have potential multiplier effects on the local, state, and national economies.

To be sure, there are challenges in security, but this has long been a global challenge that has not hampered tourism.

We simply must resolve to be a forward looking people with a zest and passion for Conciliation co-operation and co-

habitation With such a large population of young Nigerians this should be the wish, desire, and prayer of every parent, indeed every adult Nigerian.

To this end, we shall champion programmes that seek to advance and empower the youth, as this, time and again, has proven to be the soundest investment any people can make on behalf of their beloved nation and its progeny and simultaneously the best hedge against divisiveness, against secterianism, tribalism, and against vacuous and gratuitous proto-religionism.

Regardless of whether our exchange rate is $1 to N1 or $1 to N400, the ingredients of

success remain timeless and changeless and applicable in Nigeria today as it was in the Nigeria of our founding fathers.

“The virtues of hardwork, discipline and diligence will always stand one in good stead. Exchange rate is neither a deterrent to success and growth, nor a hindrance to creativity, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship.

Interestingly, every devaluation yields new and varied opportunities, hence the dictum “necessity is the mother of invention”.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the silk, I wish to remind you that the Mandarin word for crisis is a compound of two ideas: Danger and Opportunity. It is not so by mere happenstance that dire times bring forth heros and heroines, great men and women of historic relevance.

“It is therefore incumbent on all of us to help make Nigeria great by deploying our globally recognised creativity, intellectual prowess and entrepreneurship to solve our existential problems and create wealth for the benefit and happiness of all- these are the conditions under which tourism can flourish whilst also adding its quota.

“Nigeria, for instance, presently has 80 million phone users, this constitutes 80 million markets if explored or transactional platforms, with each unit potentially yielding streams of income. This is a huge market.

We need to empower our youth and the best way to do this is through the SMEs and guess what tourism operators are?

“95 per cent of tourism practitioners are SMEs. “What our nation needs is to increase its production capacity by investing in and encouraging sectors that are labour intensive like agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.

“Please, sit back therefore, and view our picture slides of the various tourism sites and assess, some of which are crying out for tourism entrepreneurs and developers who can tap into huge revenue streams awaiting the intrepid investor.

“Finally, let me end by imploring not only the business minded amongst you, but the Patriots also ...(presumably everyone here!) to come and partner with the NTDC to create new revenue streams to enhance the development profile of our dear country.”

Being speech delivered by Dr Sally Uwechue-Mbanefo at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference held at Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.’’

FG moves to re-activate Presidential Council on Tourism THE Federal Ministry of Information and Culture has commenced the process of activating the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) as part of efforts to fast-track the development of tourism in Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this in Abuja, recently when he received the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) on a courtesy visit to his office.

He said a Steering Committee meeting, which will draft the agenda for the inaugural session of the PCT, will hold on September 6, 2016.

“My predecessors found wisdom in constituting what is termed as the Presidential Council on Tourism, which is the highest advisory body on tourism in Nigeria, and the composition of that council is such that the Ministers of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Works, Power and Housing, Foreign Affairs, Interior, Health, Environment, Aviation and Transport are members, as well as the President of

FTAN,’’ Alhaji Mohammed said.

He said the resuscitation of the PCT was one of the recommendations adopted at the National Summit on Tourism and Culture, organised by the Ministry in April, as a deliberate strategy to make tourism a viable sector of the economy.

According to the Minister, there is a renewed vigour in the present administration to focus more on tourism, with a view to turning around the fortunes of the economy.

“We are very confident that tourism will very soon become another veritable source of revenue for the government and employment for our youths, by the time we are able to provide the missing infrastructure, because the biggest challenge for us is how do we turn our tourist sites to tourist attractions? We can’t do that alone in the Ministry of Information and Culture. We will need the support and collaboration of not just other ministries but also the practitioners in tourism,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the ministry is

NEXT WEEK

How Ambode’s Badagry Tourism initiative halted closure of 6 million dollar hotel

already partnering with the UN World Tourism Organisation, the British Council and the Tony Elumelu Foundation to review the nation’s tourism master-plan and build the capacity of Nigerians in the tourism and culture sector, particularly in the collation of data for effective planning.

In his remarks, FTAN President Tomi Akingbogun commended the Minister for adopting innovative ideas to address some of the challenges affecting tourism development in Nigeria, adding: “We quite appreciate the time, the effort and the energy you are putting towards tourism development in Nigeria.”

Chief Akingbogun noted that the Minister had bridged the gap between the government and the private sector, particularly in bringing the practitioners on board during the last National Summit on Culture and Tourism, describing the development as an innovative way of tapping from the knowledge and experience of the private sector towards the development of tourism in Nigeria.

He hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for mustering the political will to defeat terrorism, particularly in the NorthEast, saying the criminality in other parts of the country, such as kidnapping and herdsmen/farmers clash, are just pockets of challenges that should not affect the perception of safety in Nigeria.

20 with Doyin Adeoye

m:08038000394 e:doyinadeoye@tribuneonlineng.com t:@kreatif_ink

It may not be mandated, however, a company is under an obligation to have positive impact on its immediate environment. And through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), many communities have been transformed over time. DOYIN ADEOYE looks at CSR in the context of environmental protection.

A

LTHOUGH there are a significant number of good CSRs going on in the country, with many companies providing social infrastructure and benefits such as schools, hospitals, skill acquisition programmes, among others, in their area of operations, however, CSR has achieved quite illusive effects so far in the aspect of environmental protection.

Corporate environmental responsibility is reflected in many ways in a company’s operations. From its products and facilities, its ability to eliminate waste and emissions, as well as maximising the efficiency and productivity of its resources, environmental stewardship is no doubt an important aspect of CSR. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSGI) are three international institutions that postulated the need for governments and companies to adhere to the principles of CSR. According to the WBCSD, CSR in the context of environmental suitability focuses on what benefit or harm a company’s project would bring or do to the environmental protection of the community and how it ensures that the environmental protection of such community is not compromised.

However in Nigeria today, the effects of companies’ activities on the environment cannot be overemphasised. Yet, unfortunately, environmental concerns rarely form an integral part of their development plans.

Some of the few companies in Nigeria that have keyed into green projects include: Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) With focus areas on water stewardship, energy and climate protection, packaging and recycling, among others, the NBC, a member of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Group, many times have contributed effectively to broader sustainability initiatives.

For instance, the NBC and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited has a postconsumer PET recycling project which collects, recovers and recycles PET containers. The PET wastes collected by its Alkem Nigeria Limited are then recycled into Polyester Staple Fibre to feed the furniture and allied industries.

Its recent initiative, the Coca-Cola Glass Bottle competition was launched earlier this month at the

21

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

ecoscope

Environmental responsibility:

Achieving sustainable development through CSR

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).

Aimed at driving creativity and engagement among youths, the competition entails creating three-dimensional artworks using empty Coca-Cola 35cl and or 50cl glass bottles.

The competition, which is open to students in the Faculty of Art, Design and Printing of YABATECH, is a unique way of supporting environmental sustainability, recycling and youth empowerment.

Affirming the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability, NBC’s Legal, Public Affairs and Communications Director, Mrs Sade Morgan, during the last World Environment Day, where the company partnered with the Federal Ministry of Environment in a tree planting exercise, said “As an environmental steward, the tree planting gesture and other support provided to enrich public knowledge and drive environmental best practices at the 2016 World Environment Day is part of the biggest global call by the United Nations and mobilisation for action towards environmental sustainability.”

Sterling Bank Plc Sterling Bank Plc for years now has partnered with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), to ensure proper waste management across Lagos State, providing kits and support for thousands of highway managers and sweepers engaged by the authority.

Speaking at the renewal of the partnership earlier this year, the bank’s Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Mr Kayode Lawal, described the partnership as the bank’s way of contributing to the environment, adding that the bank would continue to support the agency’s programmes geared towards ensuring that Lagos State remain in an environmentally healthy condition.

The bank last week also concluded plans to carry out tree planting exercises in three states in Northern Nigeria, as a way of supporting the Federal Government’s plan to sustain the environment, while also reducing desertification.

According to a statement from the bank, the Executive Governors

of the three flag-off states, Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe, have confirmed participation at the events, with the Bauchi edition slated to hold today.

Signed by Mr Shina Atilola, the bank’s Group Head, Strategy and Communications, the statement emphasised the need for the private sector to support the government at all levels to checkmate the rising challenges posed by desertification in the country.

“Desertification has done a lot of damage to the local communities as it has made farming impossible in the affected areas leading to food shortage and rising cost of food items. Without food and water, it becomes harder for people to thrive,” he said.

Research has shown that tree planting is the most viable solution to stemming the tide of desertification, and according to Atilola, “the challenge remains a significant global ecological and environmental problem that must be checkmated.”

HP Inc. HP Inc. in July 2016 announced a commitment to achieve zero deforestation by 2020, saying that all HP brand paper and paper-based product packaging will be derived from certified and recycled sources

We need a new environmental consciousness on a global basis. To do this, we need to educate people — Mikhail Gorbachev

by 2020, with a preference for virgin fibre from certified sources of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

According to the HP 2015 Sustainability Report, which outlines progress made in 2015 and goals set for 2016, the zero deforestation goal is one of the three new goals included in the report. HP in the report also pledged to achieve 100 per cent

renewable electricity within global operations with an interim goal of achieving 40 per cent worldwide by 2020, while also stating its commitment to reduce the GHG emissions intensity of its product portfolio by 25 per cent by 2020.

“Climate change is the most challenging environmental issue of our lifetime. HP is committed to

being an environmental steward; therefore, we continue to measure and reduce the impact of our products, operations and supply chain activities,” Nate Hurst, HP’s Chief Sustainability & Social Impact Officer, said.

LafargeHolcim Company Although a major emitter of greenhouse gases, LafargeHolcim Company has over time, developed a comprehensive climate and energy strategy, which revolves around contributing to the reduction of society’s overall emissions, through construction solutions to improve building energy efficiency and promoting responsible energy and climate policies by business and governments.

This was reflected in the company’s recognition at the 2015 edition of the annual Nigeria CSR Award, otherwise known as the Social Enterprise Report Awards (SERAs), where it won the awards for the Best Company in Environmental Sustainability, Best Company in Sustainability Reporting, and Overall second runner-up at the ceremony.

With various partnerships with the Ogun State government, much has been achieved by the cement factory over the years on environmental sustainability.

Besides these ones, other corporate organisations with notable environmental initiatives in the country include GTBank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Shell Nigeria, FirstBank Plc, among others.

So with only a few to handpick among the numerous companies in the country, then one needs to ask what is stopping them from taking on projects that promote environmental protection, despite the campaigns on climate change and global warming.

Environmentalist, Mr Biodun Badre, is of the opinion that the society is not encouraging enough for many organisations to invest in

environmental projects.

“The question is how many state governments or local governments are even environmental conscious?

If government itself cannot determine which environmental issues deserve priority treatment, then why should the private sector?

“Until they see the commitment from government, many organisations would rather invest in CSRs that promote their own core values,” he said.

Reacting to this, Mrs Odusan Alabi, an environmental activist, noted that unless there is firm monitoring and enforcement from regulatory bodies, achieving 100 per cent corporate environmental responsibility in Nigeria may be an illusion.

“Corporate environmental responsibility goes beyond what companies are doing for their resident community, but rather also takes into consideration the environmental risks a company’s products pose.

So the monitoring should start with the production process first, before mandating that that they take on environment related CSRs. “How many companies in Nigeria recycle their waste? What are our environmental policies? If the government can implement stringent environmental regulations, and take it beyond paper work, then a lot will be achieved,” she said.

Banker and economist, Mr Tunde Falomo, noted that companies have the right to decide the CSR they want to invest in.

“The major goal of any company is to maximise profit. So a company will prefer to invest in a CSR that can attract more customers. Rehabilitating a school will definitely catch the attention of a parent who is a potential customer, unlike investing in a project such as recycling, when an average person out there does not even know what that entails.

“So I think that unless there is an adequate environmental consciousness, many companies will only invest in what reflects their values.”

WaterAid Nigeria launches new 5yr country programme WATERAID Nigeria has launched its 2016-2021 country programme strategy, laying the foundation for the 15-year path to achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene for everyone everywhere in Nigeria by 2030.

Over the next five years, the organisation will focus on increasing citizens’ access to quality, equitable and sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services built on a strong sector and engaged communities.

Speaking on the new strategy, WaterAid Nigeria Country Director, Dr. Michael Ojo said “Our new strategy is an ambitious and challenging one, but we look forward to an exciting journey that will impact positively on child health, education, livelihoods, the environ-

ecofact

THE world is experiencing an unprecedented transition from predominantly rural to urban living. Here are some urbanisation facts: • Almost 180,000 people are added to the urban population each day • By 2030, it is expected that 85 per cent of the world’s population will be in developing countries, with 15 per cent in least developed countries • By 2050, about 70 per cent of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas • Cities contribute to up to 70 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions • The world’s slum population is

ment and addressing poverty and inequalities.

“Our strategic objectives target

projected to reach 889 million by 2020 • Today, there are 13 megacities in Asia, 4 in Latin America and two each in Africa, Europe and Northern America • Megacities account for a small though increasing proportion of the world urban population: 9.9 per cent in 2011 and 13.6 per cent in 2025.

• Over the next four decades, urban population is likely to treble in Africa and to increase by 1.7 times in Asia

strengthening systems to reduce WASH sector blockages, empowering citizens to demand their rights and participate in WASH decisionmaking and strengthening partnerships to influence the WASH sector and increase access to sustainable WASH services. We will continue to work with the government, colleagues in the development sector and through our partners, to ensure universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene for all in Nigeria by 2030,” he said.

WaterAid International’s Chief Executive, Barbara Frost, who is on a working visit to the country, added that “WaterAid Nigeria’s 20162021 Strategy is a monumental and impressive roadmap to changing the course of history and reaching those who are poorest and most vulnerable in Nigeria with safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

“These life-saving and essential services are fundamental to both human and national development and delivering on them will transform the lives of millions of Nigerians. Achieving universal access for all in Nigeria is possible with the right political commitment, funding, collaborations and innovative thinking.”

Environment Ministry holds 10th National Council on Environment Urges Agriculture, Health Ministries to relocate departments to Environment

Stories by Doyin Adeoye THE National Council on Environment (NCE) has urged states to relocate Forestry Department and other related environmental departments in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Health Officers in Health Ministry to states’ Ministry of Environment.

This directive formed one of the several decisions arrived at, at the week-long 10th National Council on Environment (NCE10) meeting held last week in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The event had the theme ‘Environment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) In Nigeria: Empowering People, Taking

Climate Action and Protecting the Environment.’

Chaired by the Minister of Environment, Amina J. Mohammed, the Council deliberated extensively on the need to increase awareness on the issues of climate change; problems of land degradation and deforestation and the need for sustainable management solutions to address these issues; menace of poor solid waste management and sanitation as well as other environmental pollution issues including oil spill.

In her keynote address, the minister said “Nigeria’s inability in the past to firmly put into action a plan for people, planet and prosperity

at the core of our development agenda has led to environmental degradation, ecological disasters, a depletion of our natural resources and deprivation leading to increasing insecurity and conflicts.

“The importance of the environment, to the current administration is reflected as one of the six core pillars of the government’s agenda. The ministry is set to contribute to this agenda with its

new vision of empowering people, taking climate action and protecting the environment.”

According to her, the ministry considers 2016 a year of transition meant to lay foundation for sustainable development in spite of lean resources and completing demands.

Apparently in line with the nation’s climate initiatives, the NCE10 approved programmes and projects that will help in the mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change such as adoption and implementation of the renewable energy master plan, promoting renewable energy programme in schools; as well as upgrading and repositioning

climate change units in MDAs, and engaging the private sector in renewable energy programmes through public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements.

Similarly, approval was given to forestry development and afforestation programmes such as enrichment planting in forest reserves nationwide, promoting the use of alternative source of energy, suspension of further exportation of Pterocapus trees in Taraba State in the interim, along with initiation and implementation of bamboo and rattan value chain development in the states.

The Council also directed the 11 participating frontline states

involved in the National Great Green Wall (NAGGW) initiative to strongly support the programme by providing adequate annual budgetary allocation, provision of land, enhancing community sensitisation and mobilisation, as well as technical support. States were likewise encouraged to fully participate in the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility Programme (EPR) nationwide.

Also at the event were the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-makura; Deputy Governor, Nasarawa State, Silas Ali Agara and Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, among others.

22

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

with Tunde Dodondawa m:08029370304 e:mrdodondawa@yahoo.com

‘Challenges of attracting investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry’ Several attempts are being made by the Federal Government to promote and encourage investments in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. In this report, OLATUNDE DODONDAWA examines the sincerity of the Nigerian authorities to attract foreign investors amidst policy somersault.

E

VERY country needs foreign investment in various capacities to improve its economy. This requires formulation of policies that will attract such investment and generate revenue and employment opportunities in the economy. However, some factors are hindering the much needed investment in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Some issues that need government’s attention are discussed below.

Non-passage of PIB One of the steps the Federal Government is expected to take to attract investors is passage of the petroleum industry bill (PIB), which was conceived over 10 years ago.

Nigeria loses several hundreds of billions of dollars in investment due to non passage of PIB. Ghana passed its Petroleum Production and Exploration Bill into law on Thursday, August 4, 2016, to replace the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act 1984.

Ghana’s Minister of Energy, Emmanuel Buah, said the new law would create an attractive environment for potential investors to participate in the sector by providing certainty and transparency in the ground rules for operations.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, recently said that the nation was losing over $15 billion annually to the non-passage of the PIB. In April, the Senate started the legislative procedure on a new draft of the PIB, named the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, and it scaled first reading on April 13. The PIGB was harmonised by the Senate and House of Representatives following a prolonged silence by the Presidency on the PIB despite continued agitation for its passage by the citizenry.

Ghana introduced the bill to the parliament in 2012 and passed it into law in 2016.

Left, former Chairman, National Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC), Emeka Ugwuanyi, presenting a plaque to Mr Dolapo Oni, Head of Energy Research, Ecobank Plc, during the Annual Conference of NAEC in Lagos recently.

Head of Energy Research, Ecobank Plc, Dolapo Oni, stated that investors are always interested in Nigeria. They want to bring their billions of dollars into the oil and gas sector and the economy at large. However, they are scared that there is no guarantee that they will be able to repatriate their investment. They are scared that due to lack of respect for rule of law, terms of contract may not be respected.

Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MIOMAN), Femi Olawore, stated that lack of laws that will govern the downstream sector is a bane to investment in the sector. According to him, “with my over 36 years in the downstream sector, Nigeria has no structure or legal framework that will govern the sector. What we have in Nigeria is ‘Directives’ by successive governments. That’s why such directives change as new government comes to power.

“Presently, we do not have a deregulated pump price of petrol. What we have is partial deregulation where the government fixed the cap of prices. Had the PIB been passed, it would have addressed the challenge of lack of investors’ confidence in the Nigerian oil sector.”

Insecurity One of the challenges responsible for poor foreign investment attractions is insecurity. The abysmal failure of successive governments to address challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequitable distribution of wealth among ethnic nationalities, ultimately resulted in anger, agitation and violent crimes against the Nigerian state by some individuals and groups.

Such crimes include militancy, kidnapping, bombing, armed robbery and destruction of government properties, among others. The activities of various militia groups consequently resulted in low income for

government from oil revenue, moderating the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate, low participation of local and foreign investors in economic development and insecurity of lives and properties of the citizens.

Risk of Policy Reversal Inconsistency in policy formulation has resulted into many foreign investors either shunning Nigeria as an investment destination choice or absolute withdrawal from the economy. For instance, Iberia, Spanish Airline operators left the country recently due to inconsistency in foreign exchange policy. Hardly will a new government continue with economic policy of the preceding government because there is no economic structure that can guarantee investors’ confidence. This has resulted in many foreign investors finding it difficult to repatriate their money at will but always require special guarantee or approval by the ruling government. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo privatised the Nigeria’s four refineries at the twilight of his administration, but late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, reversed the sale.

Poor Corporate Governance In his argument, Dolapo Oni opined that it is not about government at all times, but admonished indigenous operators to always promote good corporate governance. Corporate Governance is the system of rules, practices and processes by which a company is directed and controlled. Corporate Governance essentially involves balancing the interests of a company’s many stakeholders, such as shareholders, management, customers, suppliers, financiers, government and the community.

He argued that companies must ensure their books are transparent so that foreign investors can study the performance trend

of the firm and make decisive decision on whether to invest or not.

Cash calls deficit The challenge of cash calls deficit over years has continued to be a source of worry for potential investors in the oil and gas sector. But the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Baru Maikanti, stated that “We are indeed at a vantage position to address the challenges, by digging deep for collaborative ‘out of the box’ solution, not only surmount the challenges but create sustainable pathway for the industry’s development.

“Major challenges we have is how to secure the crude volume to a level that ensures we deliver the revenue target. We are fully aware of the fact that price is internationally determined and are therefore working assiduously to resolve the security issues so that we can guarantee volumes.

“We cannot deliver without adequate funding of the oil industry. With average of JV cash call requirement of about $600million a month, coupled with flat budget levels over the past years leading to underfunding of the industry, the underfunding has stymied production growth therefore managing this funding issues is our most immediate challenge and transparent innovative financing approaches are being reviewed to address these funding shortfalls.”

Conclusion Despite being an economy that relies majorly on proceeds from crude oil exports, successive governments have been unsuccessful in putting in place adequate structure that will ensure policy stability and continuity in the economy. This must be the task ahead of the present government and it must ensure that these structures are put in place to attract the much needed investment into the economy.

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Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Amendment of NLNG Act will cost Nigeria over $25b — NLNG MD

Stories by Olatunde Dodondawa - Lagos

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OLLOWING attempts to amend the Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Act of 2004, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Babs Omotowa, has said that such moves will violate bilateral agreements with international investors as well as cost the country a huge $25 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) and fines running in billions at the international courts.

Omotowa stated at the recently concluded Annual Conference by the National Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) in Lagos Omotowa, who was the chairman at the event, said NLNG, through its expansion growth programme which involves the expansion of production capacity of the LNG plant in Bonny, Rivers State with a Train 7 and 8, could attract $25 billion, create 30,000 construction jobs, help to further reduce gas flaring, and generate over $1 billion to $2 billion additional revenue to the country in taxes and dividend.

“In a period of huge youth unemployment and need for more revenue, this should really be a cause we should have all hands on deck for, especially as NLNG has demonstrated its pedigree having attracted $15 billion in foreign investment, grown from a 2 Train to a 6 Train plant, contributed to reducing gas flaring from 65 per cent to below 20 per cent, delivered $33 billion to Nigeria from a $2.5 billion investment.

“This potential $25 billion in investment, creation of 30,000 jobs, reduced gas flaring, etc is being put in jeopardy by attempts to renege

on promises that Nigeria gave to foreign investors that enabled the historical $15billion investment historically attracted.

“Whilst the Executive has demonstrated full commitment to the need to keep the sanctity of the NLNG Act, the attempt by the Legislature to amend the clear promises made to investors will cost the country quite a lot. Apart from the relocation of investments in excess of $25 billion to other countries, Nigeria will also be opened to fines running into billions of dollars in

International Courts for reneging on agreements. Such incentives in the NLNG Act are normal in the LNG world including in Qatar, Oman, Malaysia, Angola, etc. Even in Nigeria, more generous incentives are contained in legislation such as the Oil & Gas Free Trade Zone Act,” he said.

“This period of low oil price is not a time to jeopardise Nigeria’s long term interests by showing Nigeria as a place not to be trusted, and projecting our business environment as unconducive,” Omotowa

added.

Analysing the unfortunate trend of declining oil and gas prices globally, he said the crisis was responsible for the recession currently experience in the country because of the mono-product structure of the economy which left development in the other parts of the economy stunted.

“We must, as a country, move past sloganeering and tokenism, and double down on planning and execution. “Never let a good crisis go to waste” said Winston Chur-

Nigerian Tribune

chill. The current crisis provides a good opportunity to resolve a raft of underlying issues, economic diversification, looking inward and developing areas of natural strengths, fiscal stability, creating a conducive environment for business, and ensuring our reputation as a country to be trusted, and as a place where investments should flow into.

“This crisis gives us a good opportunity to pause, reflect and reset. By putting the interest of the country first we will be able to not let this crisis go to waste,” he said.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, in his keynote address, assured that the Federal Government was in solidarity with NLNG on ensuring that Nigeria’s contractual agreements are honoured. He added that reforms in the industry can’t be done on the altar of investments, instead collaboration, creativity and reality should be applied.

Others at the event include Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, represented by Ag. Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Mr Chiedu Agbo; former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji and top energy executives.

The NAEC conference serves as a platform for interaction between industry leaders and the media.

The conference focused on key issues in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and synergizes stakeholders on finding long lasting solutions.

NLNG is owned by four shareholders, namely, the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC (49 per cent), Shell Gas BV, SGBV, (25.6 per cent), Total LNG Nigeria Limited (15 per cent) and Eni International (N.A,) N. V. S. a. r. l (10.4 per cent).

NEMSA reiterates commitment to eliminate quacks THE Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has pledged not to rest on its oars in stamping out quack and unqualified electrical installation contractors and bad electrical installations in Nigeria.

This wa revealed at the inauguration of the Oshodi Zonal Electrical Installation Contractors Certification Panel, held recently in Lagos.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Managing Director, NEMSA, Mr Peter Ewesor, said that the agency’s utmost goal is to play part in stamping out quack/unqualified electrical installations contractors and bad electrical installations in Nigeria to ensure the delivery of uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians, ensuring safety of lives and property and taking Nigerians out of darkness into light.

“The Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency, formerly known as the Electricity Management Services Limited (EMSL), is established by the Nigerian Electricity Management

Services Agency act of 2015 to carry out the functions of enforcement of technical standards and regulations, technical inspection, testing and certification of all categories of electrical installations, electricity metres and instruments to ensure the efficient production and delivery of safe, reliable and sustainable electricity power supply and guarantee safety of lives and property in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and other allied industries and workplaces,” he said.

Mr Peter Ewesor argued that the obstacles crippling the power sector and other workplaces where electricity is utilised in terms of electrical installations which have engendered unstable networks and fire incidences have been identified.

“Many lapses have been identified in the power sector and other workplaces where electricity is used in the area of electrical installation, which have resulted to the unstable networks and fire incidences over the years. These lapses are design and construction

failures, improper planning and execution of electrical projects, use of substandard materials and equipment, deliberate oversight of the procedures, codes and requirements for executing electricity projects as specified by regulations and standard codes of practice, lack of adherence to standard construction and installation, inadequate safety provisions during construction and subsequent utilization of the network.”

He said that the lapses are largely responsible for the networks getting into states of disrepair soon after commissioning them for use, not aging equipment and networks, as regularly adduced as the causes of frequent networks collapse and failures.

“Therefore, the safety, reliability, quality and efficiency of power supply to the populace largely depend on the quality of networks and systems that are built according to specification and standard,” he added.

Mr Peter said that the composition of the panel includes Zonal/ Area Inspecting Engineer who is

the Chairman, while members are from the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, electrical engineer from the Nigerian Ministry of Works, a representaive of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria, a representative of DISCOs, a representative of Certification Unit, and Electrical Engineer in the zonal office as the secretary.

Reviewing the functions of the zonal panel, the NEMSA boss said that the zonal panel shall receive completed applications forms from prospective candidates, scrutinising the received application forms with credentials and assessing suitability of such candidates, compiling list of candidates suitable for oral and/or written interview, scheduling date and inviting candidates for the interview/ examination, convening the zonal panel interview meeting once in every quarter and maintaining a register of certified electrical installation contractors within the zone.

24

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

How to check godfatherism in politics —Ex-Gov Adebayo

any political party, even when I was made a minister, I didn’t belong in any party because I can’t make it in this kind of system. And I don’t believe in it. It will be a sin: beneficiary of a democratic system, who had nothing but became everything, as it were, now, to be part of those people; joggling with those people who believe that they have the right to make everyone and everything.

Chief Cornelius Adebayo is a former minister and governor of old Kwara State on the ticket of the Unity Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic. In this interview with KUNLE ODEREMI, he reflects on current trends in Nigerian politics, among others. Excerpts:

Then, how do we address the undue use of money, positions, and godfathers in politics?

Devil fathers! I think awareness is the beginning of correction; we are aware now. I hope many more of us and those of you in the media would let the world know that people have these feelings, and who believe that some of the problems we have in the country come from insufficient understanding of what government is supposed to be.

F

IFTY years after the tragic incident that claimed the life of Colonel Fajuyi, a lot of Nigerians came together to celebrate a man they described as the hero and symbol of national unity. What would consider as the inherent lessons in his life and times?

I will say whether soon or later, the deeds that men do live after them and the results will become obvious. We are celebrating a man who made personal sacrifice, and we are talking about his own life in the interest of the nation. And except for what we are now doing today, there are those who may wonder whether it was worth awhile to make sacrifices for this country, because either people don’t understand or they don’t appreciate. Fifty years, that is what it takes before this man celebrated, and the celebration is regional but his sacrifice is national. Yes, he was killed in Ibadan, but he died in Ibadan protecting his guest, military Head of State of Nigeria, of a different nationality within the Nigerian federation; self sacrifice but to cement the unity, which they were supposed to be providing for the country as a result of the military taking over the government that was before them.

And now that he is being celebrated, I feel the celebration is too narrow; the sacrifice he made was for Nigeria, and not for western region; not for western Nigeria, not for Ibadan.

He should be celebrated nationwide, and I hope we would correct that mistake.

Do you think the country has sufficiently demonstrated the inherent lessons in that tragic incident that happened about 50 years ago, given the prevailing state of the federation today?

It is supposed to be a corrective government; a coup was staged by a column of officers in the lower ranks and the highest officer of the military at that time took over himself and it is true that very many people were not happy about the way things were going. But he was visiting Ibadan and he became a victim of coupists, and his host apparently didn’t want him to be killed would not leave the side of his boss, as it were, a senior officer, where he was a regional head. That was why he had to sacrifice his life.

What have we learnt from the coup? What have we learnt from any coup? We have had coups and coups. Sometimes, they have worsened matters; we have seen pecks of improvements now and again. But it has not always been prolonged or sufficient to justify what we have been doing to ourselves. It is my hope that our government from this time forth will change through normal political process according to our constitution.

You talked about what we have been doing to ourselves. What precisely do you mean?

What we have doing to ourselves is people being in position, taking advantage of it in self interest alone, forgetting why they were put there—in public interest. I think what is responsible for that kind of mentality is greed; sometimes, insufficient understanding of what goes as supposed to be in government. We have been learning less and less, but public concern and service after the first set of leaders. The first set of Nigerian leaders had an idea about what they are supposed to do for their people. But, we forgot more and more.

Taking a look at your brief stint as an elected governor of old Kwara State in the Second Republic, how how do you see politics in contemporary Nigeria?

I won’t be able to do that. Politics is not the same any

Adebayo

more. I wished it was. Before I became governor, I was a senator. It was in the middle of term that I turned 40. There were people who felt I was ambitious, but I went by public will. If it was today, I wouldn’t have been able to make it to a council seat. I didn’t have money, and the people told me that they were not asking for my money; that they would spend theirs; that wanted to be properly represented. That was my pledge, and from there, they asked me to come and try for the governorship. And we had leadership and parties that had principles and programmes, and advertised these when they were contesting elections. I belonged to the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Anyone, who was contesting a position, went through very rigorous primaries, very objective; very fair that gave people, fresh hands like me to win nomination over seniors and experienced people old enough to be our parents in UPN. It is not done today; somebody, who sees himself as the boss determines who contests an election; there may be pretense at primaries; it is never real. So, we have moved backwards; our democracy has become less democratic. Our service has become less public; it is has become increasingly personal and self-serving.

How do we move forward?

What we should do is learn, where the rains began to beat us; let us find out what we have done wrong and from when, and then, we design what to do to correct it. And some people are doing that all around the country already. Some of us walked out of partisan politics for this reason. I don’t belong in

We have moved backwards; our democracy has become less democratic. Our service has become less public; it is has become increasingly personal and self-serving.

The excuse of the military for usurping power in the past was alleged high scale of corruption among the political class; so, they came in as corrective regimes?

Some of them brought in greater corruption than they ever had. Who are the most corrupt leaders of Nigeria that we have to-date? Until the last administration, it was the military. Did anybody steal as much as the late General Sani Abacha? Was that the military? So, we must know what is wrong. For us, it is a question of going back to where we were at the beginning: clean, clearer politics. If a party is going to contest an election, it must have principles; it must say what it is going to do when it gets to power so that it can be assessed against its profession, to start with.

When I was going to contest election under the platform of UPN, our programmes were free primary education, integrated rural development, free health, etc. These are things that you can assess. If I said I was going to do that, after four years, you can say, how much of these has he done? Does this man deserve a second chance? But along the way, you keep saying this is what you are going to do; this is what you doing. How many of the recent governments gave us programmes? How do you assess people when they didn’t say what they were going to do and the leader is not insisting on programme? So, you are not establishing a medium of assessment.

What do you think is wrong with the existing federal structure that people now demand restructuring?

There is over concentration of powers in the Federal Government. There is a need for reversion in the sense of true federalism, I said reversion because it wasn’t like this at the beginning. Even even when we were in the colonial era; the regions had greater powers. But, the powers of the regions have been whittled down more and more, and the Federal Government has too much power and does too little. Also what we have always wanted even before the British left us, we wanted a restructuring of the Nigerian federation and they said we can do that when we took over. There were people who campaigned for it. Awolowo was known for his struggle for it, the agitation for the Middle Belt and things like that. The people of Kwara State were asking for merger with the Western region and In parts of Kwara, they were contesting elections and winning against the government in power, but since then, we just diverted ourselves from it. We should get back to that; let people have what they want, and let nobody be a minority where they should belong to the majority.

There are some us who feel that we will save a lot of expenses if we should return to a parliamentary system of governance. We have nothing to losee. You make your ministers from members, who won elections into the House. So, it is not as if we are paying legislators; as if we are paying ministers, or you are paying senators. The same group pf people who were democratically elected and there is a limit to the powers that any of a particular one can wield. We feel that we have nothing to lose; but certainly a lot to gain if we revert to the parliamentary system of governance. You make your ministers from members who won elections into the House. So, it is not as if you are paying legislators; you are paying ministers, senators, and so on. It is the same group of people, who are democratically elected and there is a limit to the powers that any particular one can wield.

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politics&policy

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

It’s insulting to say I’m Mimiko’s lackey —Jegede

Jegede

Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State. The immediate past Attorney General of the state spoke to a select team of newsmen on his vision for the state.

Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, presents the excerpts:

W

HAT is your take on the impression in some quarters that you are going to be incumbent Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s lackey if elected governor?

The notion is contrived by those who believe that Mimiko has no right to support a person to be governor. At my level, at my age, I think it will be insulting to say that I am somebody who is a lackey or who is hushed. I’ve seen that written about me on a number of occasions in the new media and I said that well, each person is entitled to his own opinion. Mimiko has a right to want good governance for his people. He has a right to say look, I will support someone I know will sustain the vision of the Mother and Child Hospital, someone who will preserve, those globally compliant mega schools that dot the landscape of Ondo State. About two years ago, I, on my own, was trying to look for a site where we would build shopping malls and I was talking to some people who are developers about Shoprite and I drove round. I did this for about three months until I met the governor who said he had also been thinking about it.

Today, the mall is a reality and apart from the revenue it gives to government, it has opened a vista of employment and later on, it will revert and become Ondo State property. The story of the mall is

just by the way, but I raised that because my concern is for us to have an improvement in the way we design and implement our policies. I am saying this so that people will know that I am not anybody’s lackey; I have added value to the current administration. Also, look at the International Events Centre. This is an uncommon edifice in this part of the world. I played a huge role in its conception and implementation. I also played a role in arranging special flights with Overland Airways to provide services for our people. No one can doubt the fact that I have positively contributed to the success of this government.

So, it is not right to say I’m somebody’s lackey. I am not. Not as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. I cannot be a lackey. I have no desire to be a lackey; I have a desire to run a transparent government; a government that is accessible, a government that would engender growth and do some other things that have not been done by Mimiko. I’ve been there so I know the weaknesses, I know the strengths. I want to build on it and that’s why I am in this race to do more of governance.

Somebody said Mimiko’s administration has not done much. How will you react?

That Mimiko has done well is not in doubt. Some people asked me sometime

before the second term of the administration what could be credited to Mimiko as achievement. I mentioned the community development programmes that affect the people at the grass roots directly. I told them about how many things he has done for each community. As a resident, you cannot pretend not have been affected by the Mimiko Caring Heart programmes; unless you don’t have your child who is attending school or you don’t have a child who is paying little amount of money, or you don’t have a small baby who goes to nursery school. And I gave examples---unless your wife does not trade because when we came in 2009, all these markets were slumps. At the end of my discussion with that group, they started reminding me of other interventions in health, sports, urban renewal, security, among others.

Mimiko, as far as I am concerned, has done so well. Nobody can beat his record in the health sector, not in this country. If anybody says Mimiko has not performed, take the health sector and tell me any state among the 36 states which has done half of what Mimiko has done and I say so with all pride. It is not only because people like us judge; it is also because we’ve been judged by other international organisations and it is not a fluke. We’ve seen it; I gave examples of Mother and Child.

Here is a government that came in February in 2009 and a year after, fully completed Akure Mother and Child Hospital and later commissioned another one in Ondo. Look at what we’ve done in education. Look at the schools that were built – the mega schools, The headmaster’s office is like a VC’s office; it is big, it is neat, it has ICT facilities, a library, a football field and many more.

When Chief Obafemi Awolowo built the University of Ife in those days, they said it was too expensive. When he built Cocoa House many years ago, 25-storey building; tell me who has built any other one since that time. If he had been frightened or alarmed by all the talk about spending so much money, he would not have done it. That is the man that is now being celebrated today. So, what are we talking about? You must just be focused; do what you have to do. The reward may not come now, it may come thereafter.

If you go to Akure where I come from, the axis where we have events centre, the shopping mall, as far as I am concerned, it is comparable to any place in Lagos. By the time you put on the light, on the left is the event centre; on the right is the shop-

There was a license given to the government in May 2013. So, we must concentrate heavily on where we think the industrial base of the state should be and it is in the southern belt.

ping mall. And it still has to be developed.

Now when you talk about Central Business District, that is what we are looking at. Create the new zone where people can go and pay extra money and pay extra tax, let it be tourist centre. Let people come and just drive round.

There is a way we do it in England.

When you get to England you say you want to go see Buckingham Palace. What is there to see? It is just the beauty; it is just the history. So you can come to Akure and say you want to just go and drive to our own avenue, just the beauty, to attract tourists and spend so much money. It will develop the economy. That is the idea I have; it is not about being anybody’s lackey. It is a person who has a genuine idea to change a lot of things. But it is going to be done with less of politics and more of governance. That is the difference.

What are you going to do to boost the industrial base of the state, taking into consideration the fact that it equally has some measure of oil?

This is an issue that has been on for some time. My take on this is that the problem is not in establishing industries; it’s in sustaining them and making them to run. To build an industry is a very simple thing; it is easier than to build a school.

Just build a warehouse, import machines, and then get people who are technical to start operating it. But you need power, raw materials. You need to sell at a competitive price before you can sustain the industry.

That is why I said, well, as a civil service state, we are going to disconnect financially from the centre, hopefully. It will take some time but it can be done and the industrial base will also be created in the southern belt. This government, already, we are talking about Free Trade Zone, we are talking about Olokola. It has been there for a number of years; it has practically failed. But we now have the Ilaje industrial zone. There was a license that was given to the government in May 2013. So, we must concentrate heavily on where we think the industrial base of the state should be and it is in the southern belt; it is because they have the longest coast line. Go to Ilaje, you will see their sands; if you stay up and there is sun, it will be shining like gold. You take it and use it for glass and as soon as you take a dip and leave it, few hours later, it will come back. The place will fill again with the same substance.

Those are the kinds of economic strengths that we want to leverage on in the South. In the Ore axis, 250,000 vehicles pass through in a week at a minimum and you cannot go to the North without passing through Ondo State; it is not possible. You cannot go to the East or North without passing through Ondo; it is not possible. You must pass through Ore and go to Benin. You either go through Awka or go to the North or you go through Benin and go to the East. In all these instances, you pass through Ore. So, we must learn to build a political, economic advantage from that zone. Even if it is only small eating areas you are going to build, if you are going to find a way, legally you can regulate it and bring in more money and get employment for our people. Those are the kinds of things I am thinking about.

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politicscommentary

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Of PDP and conflicting court judgments

By Jiti Ogunye

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HE apparent conflict in the orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, presided over by Hon. Justice Okon Abang, and that of the Port Harcourt Division of the same Court, presided over by Hon. Justice Ibrahim Watila, in the Peoples Democratic Party leadership cases, respectively being adjudicated by the two judges, is, to say the least, embarrassing. The conflict, has, once again, brought the Nigerian Judiciary and the administration of justice in Nigeria into disrepute. Nigerians are bewildered and are asking the inevitable question: What is wrong with this Nigerian Judiciary?

In the quest for power and positions, either in public offices or in their political parties, politicians, who are nothing but power-mongers, will do anything. In this quest, they do not regard the judiciary as too important an institution, and the law court is too sacred a temple of justice to be desecrated. With lawyers who are willing and ready to sacrifice their professional integrity and ethics, politicians are always prepared to commit the worst form of abuse of judicial process. They do forumshopping, seeking orders that will bolster their positions and checkmate their opponents. Acting alone, but usually with the assistance of hired senior lawyers, they actively corrupt judicial officers, especially those who are handling election petitions and appeals and conducting high profile anti-corruption cases. Some judicial officers have been given the boot and driven out of the judiciary with ignominy for not being able to resist the corrupt and corrupting practices of politicians.

Thus, in treating this exasperating issue of conflicting orders of the two Federal High Courts, we are not sad because of the antics of politicians. We are, because of the indiscretion of our courts and their seeming errand-running for politicians, thereby dragging the name of the judiciary into the muddy gutter of Nigerian politics.

The courts appear to be surrendering the integrity of the judiciary to the whims, caprices, mischief and wiles of politicians.

The conflict in the orders of the said two Divisions of the Federal High Court easily could have been avoided if any of the three following steps had been taken by the Court or the judicial authorities concerned.

First, the suit before Hon. Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court was the first of the two cases to be filed. Upon the latter suit being filed in the Port Harcourt Division of the Court, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Watila ought not to have buried his head in the case that was filed before him, like an ostrich, pretending to be oblivious of the pendency of the earlier filed suit before Hon. Justice Abang of the Federal High Court. He ought to have taken judicial notice of that suit, and suo motu, declined to entertain and transferred it to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Auta, for onward reassignment to Hon. Justice Abang and consolidation of same with the suit, already pending before Justice Abang. Our judges rightly cannot feign ignorance of happenings in their judicial neighbourhood, particularly the pendency of notorious and highly celebrated cases in the Divisions of the same Court [Federal High Court or State High Court] on the Bench of which they serve.

Secondly, when Hon. Justice Ibrahim

CJN Mahmud Mohammed

Watila failed to take that step, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice Auta, who wields statutory administrative powers over the Judges and Divisions of the Federal High Court, ought to have called for, or withdrawn the case file of the Port Harcourt suit from Hon. Justice Ibrahim Watila, and re-assigned same to Hon. Justice Okon Abang. For good reason, the Chief Judge could also have withdrawn the two suits from the two Judges and reassigned same to another “neutral�

Judge of the Federal High Court. By refusing or declining to exercise this power when it became absolutely necessary, but choosing to wait for the two suits, essentially on the same cause of action, to be litigated and adjudicated simultaneously, the Chief Judge failed in the discharge of his duty, and has contributed to bringing the name of the Judiciary into disrepute.

Order 49 of the Federal High Court [Civil Procedure] Rules, 2009, made by the erstwhile Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdullahi Mustapha, pursuant to the provision of Section 254 of the Constitution, 1999, provides in subrules 1, 2 and 3 as follows: 1. A cause or matter may, before evidence is taken, and at the request of either party to the suit, be transferred by a judge before whom the cause or matter is pending to another court of the same Division; 2. A cause or matter may at any stage of the proceedings be reassigned to another Judge of the same Division or of any other Division by the Chief Judge whether or not the cause or matter is being heard before him [that is, the Chief Judge, himself];

3. If for any reason, a judge hearing a cause or matter and who has taken any step in the proceedings considers it necessary, either at his own opinion, or upon application of any party to the proceedings to have the cause or matter transferred to another Judicial Division, the Judge shall refer the cause or matter to the Chief Judge, who may direct that the matter be transferred to the appropriate judicial Division in accordance with these Rules.

By the above provisions of the Federal High Court [Civil Procedure] Rules, 2009, it can, thus, be seen that there are judicial and administrative powers to effect intradivision or inter-division transfer of the Port Harcourt action and reassignment of same. The reason the Chief Judge failed to exercise this power, when this matter was yet to come to a head, so as to save the judiciary from disgrace, is best known to him. The National Judicial Council should be dismayed enough to ask Hon. Justice Ibrahim Auta why he failed to act in this regard..

Thirdly, the National Judicial Council [NJC] could have waded into this matter and arrested the drift of the Federal High Court into the cesspit of ignominy, when the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court failed to act. For those who may be wondering how the NJC could have waded into this matter, we are of the humble view that the NJC creatively and pro-actively ought to rethink its complaint procedure and petition laying protocols in matters such as this one, where we have the aberration of two courts of concurrent or co-ordinate jurisdictions; courts of the same Federal

In matters such as this, we are of the considered view that if the NJC sticks to its prevailing practice of waiting for a petition to be first submitted by affected parties to trigger its disciplinary procedure against judges, the standing, esteem and integrity of the judiciary might have been irreparably damaged by the time of arrival of such petition.

High Court making conflicting orders and engaging in inter-divisional muscle-flexing. In matters such as this, we are of the considered view that if the NJC sticks to its prevailing practice of waiting for a petition to be first submitted by affected parties to trigger its disciplinary procedure against judges, the standing, esteem and integrity of the Judiciary might have been irreparably damaged by the time of arrival of such petition. We believe that the time, therefore, has come for the NJC, exercising its powers under paragraph 21 (b) & ( i) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to apprehend and arrest potentially damaging intrigues in the Judiciary without first waiting for petitions that will trigger its disciplinary jurisdiction. The NJC could issue directives and advisory to the Heads of Courts in circumstances such as this. The NJC needs not wait for the lady of justice to dance naked in the market, and belatedly start figuring out how the lady could have been clothed. That will be medicine after death. That will be treating an academic matter, that the courts say they do not waste their precious judicial time treating, not being a live matter. Under the said paragraph 21 (b) & ( i) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule, the NJC has the power to recommend to the president the removal from office of Federal High Court Judges, amongst others, and to exercise disciplinary control over them; and deal with all other matters relating to broad issues of policy and administration. Broadly, liberally and purposively interpreted, this power, in our view, should enable and entitle the NJC to wade into a grave misuse or abuse of judicial power, which is likely to impact very negatively on the image of the Judiciary, before that misuse or abuse of power becomes consummated and ripens into a clear-cut disciplinary conduct, warranting the wielding of the sanctioning hammer of the NJC. It is clear in our mind that if any of these steps stated above had been taken, Nigerian lawyers and judges would have been saved from facing this latest embarrassment.

For those who are not interested in the larger implication of these conflicting orders for our judicial system, but who are focused mainly on what the law says on a situation of conflicting orders like the instant ones; and who may wondering what the parties to these two court orders and executive authorities in the federation ought to do in the circumstances, we will not leave you without stating what the law says. In doing so, however, we hold the firm view that the question of what the law says is not as important as the question of where the Judiciary is headed.

The law is that the Court of Appeal in Nigeria is one court, made up of divisions. If there are two conflicting judgments of the Court of Appeal on a point of law, the later in time is taken to be the current decision of the Court of Appeal. See Ojugbele v. Lamidi [1999] 10 NWLR [Pt. 621], 167 at 171, para. E. The two Federal High Courts are courts of co-ordinate or concurrent jurisdictions. Thus, they both have the same powers, and the decision of one cannot bind the other. The parties, and the executive authorities [the police and INEC] may, therefore, be tempted to choose either of the two orders to obey, or choose to obey neither. Our view is that they are not permitted to do so. •Ogunye is a public interest attorney and legal commentator.

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Wednesday, 24 August, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048

features

Early education: When childhood is sacrificed for convenience NAZA OKOLI takes a look at the rising number of children being admitted into school at an early age and examines if the trend is healthy for the individual, the educational system and society.

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WENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Akinpelumi Korede was the overall best graduate at the University of Lagos in the 2013/2014 session, with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.96. He was 16 years old when he gained admission to study Chemical Engineering five years before. His West African Senior School Certificate Examination result was just as spectacular: he obtained A1 in eight subjects.

“I see myself as a product of an excellent upbringing and overall consistency over the years,” he told Nigerian Tribune.

“My success in the university is, to a large extent, due to the strong foundation I had at my secondary school – International School, University of Lagos (ISL)… There has been an overall consistency right from my secondary school days. So, it was not as if I woke up one morning, and began to perform well.”

It has been observed that tertiary institutions in the country are increasingly throwing their gates open to students who are considered by many as too young to deal with the intricacies of higher education.

Indeed, parents desirous of seeing their children graduate “early” from these institutions have argued that if 16-year-olds like Akinpelumi can perform so brilliantly,

there is every chance that 15-year-olds and 14-year-olds can achieve similar feats.

“When I was in the primary school, I carried football for men who had hair on their chest when they played football on the field, and we were all in the same primary school,” Dr S. A. Dosunmu, a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Lagos State University (LASU), told Nigerian Tribune recently. “In the university now, the minimum age is 16, but it was once 18. Even though it is now 16, you discover that there are some who come in at the age of 14 or 15; some falsify their ages using affidavit.”

Even though it could not be confirmed whether strict enforcement policies are in place to ensure compliance, the Public Relations Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Dr Fabian Benjamin, said that the official entry age remains 16.

“The minimum age is 16,” he said. “I believe that at the age of 16, one should be mature enough to comprehend what’s taught at that level.”

Asked if there was a time it was above 16 years, he said: “Well, I can’t say. You know these policies are designed by the National Council on Education.”

A mixed bag

However, the Vice Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, Professor Sola Fajana, told Nigerian Tribune that there was nothing wrong in admitting candidates who are below 16, provided they are “mature”.

“There is really nothing wrong in giving admission to candidates who may be under 16, but who have been prepared adequately to cope with the rigours of university education,” he said. “The truth of the matter is that when the policy of government says 16, it is the average age. You may have some who are under 16 who may be exceptional in academic performance; intellectually and emotionally, they are already mature. So if you put the ceiling at 16, it means you are cutting off the access to education of that particular group of exceptional students. At JABU, what we do is we get our professional counselors to join in the screening, because we don’t want to bring in underage students that won’t be able to cope eventually.”

It is possibly this kind of model that Dosunmu had in mind when he recommended ‘caution’ as a way of resolving the impasse. Ultimately, he contended that there need not be any strict laws guiding admission age.

“You can’t deny the fact that age is very important, but the issue is double-pronged,”

he said. “You don’t just sacrifice brilliance on the altar of age. And at the same time, you don’t want to put premium on brilliance and do away with age. Then it dovetails into individual level of maturity. There are some children who can take care of themselves at the age of 14; they may have gone to a boarding school. On the other hand, there are some who are brilliant but behave like children! Haven’t you heard of university students who still play with Teddy Bears?

The brilliance is there, but the maturity is not there. So we just have to continue to have that mixed bag.

“There shouldn’t be one law, or else you would sacrifice one for the other. I have met students who even though they are very young, have exhibited a lot of maturity. So let human beings flow, according to the endowment God has given to them.”

Question of emotional maturity For 19-year-old Anderson Olufemi, a 200-level student of Business Administration at Lagos State University (LASU), age is everything. To buttress this, he told a moving story of a female friend of his who he said died some months ago because she was too young to handle heartbreak.

“She got into a university (not LASU) at Continues pg28

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features

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Look beyond your children’s disabilities Experts tell parents at summit

By Oluwatoyin Malik

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HE prayer of all expectant mothers is to give birth to normal children with normal features, but sometimes, nature brings children with physical and developmental challenges to some of them and this leaves majority in despair.

For those who are unable to cope with the stigma of having children with disabilities, stories have been heard of how they end up poisoning such childen or abandoning them in places where they are not known. Others who cannot do that keep the children perpetually locked up in their residences where they will not have contact with friends and neighbours. It is their best way of hiding what they perceive as the shame of their lives.

But a mother saddled with one of such children, Mrs Grace Alexander Abimbola, has advised such parents to look beyond the disabilities of their children and see them as blessings rather than burdens.

Speaking during the parents’ summit for people with disabilities held at the Redeemed Christian Church, Amazing Grace Parish, Felele, Ibadan, Oyo State on August 12, Mrs. Abimbola, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Star Children Development Initiative, disclosed that the summit was convened to encourage parents of children with special needs and who are struggling with what they are faced with.

In her address at the parents’ summit with the theme: “Looking Beyond Your Children’s Disabilities: They Are Blessings”, Mrs Abimbola said that she started the initiative as a way of encouraging parents with disabled children, showcasing herself as a mother who had been caring for her

Participants at the summit.

21-year-old son, Olatunde, who has global developmental delay and learning difficulty.

She said: “We are disability advocates; we promote inclusion. We also promote healthcare services for children living with disability and we support their parents, especially those from poor socio-economic background.”

Stating that there are two categories of such parents, she explained that there are those that are disengaged because there is no support and they have no one to go to.

“Some of their children don’t attend special schools and when they do, they are abandoned there and cannot access healthcare services,” she added.

Mrs Abimbola described the second category of people as those that are struggling.

“They still want to help their children but don’t know how. So we put together how

they can see beyond their children’s disability. How they can enable their children to grow, thrive and flourish in spite of their disabilities. This summit is to help people get advice and information. There is also networking opportunities where parents can interact with professionals that have come to speak.”

She noted that the economic situation in Nigeria is affecting a lot of things, quoting the United Nations to have said that the poorest of the poor are the people living with disabilities. She also pointed out that stigma against disabled children is still rampant within the society, adding that the Star Children Development Initiative recognizes this and is reaching to parents to network with it and ask for support.

She advised such parents to get the right diagnosis for their children and speak out,

not bottle up, promising to connect them with other organisations providing different services and having audiologists, speech therapists and educational psychologists, among other experts.

One of the keynote speakers, Mr Oluwatobiloba Oparemi, a special educator from Treasure Delight Centre for children with special needs advised on early intervention and developmental milestone on children with special needs.

Mr Oparemi advised parents who have special needs children that the greatest thing to give such children is love in life.

“If we show the children love, they will be able to get to great heights. God said that everything he created was good; disability is not inability. If you care for them, there is nothing you need that you will not get from the. Yes, we may not meet our expectations of them academically, but there are other things they can do to be independent and useful to themselves.

“There must be public enlightenment that keeping them locked indoors or abandoning them will not help. Government should also pay special attention to such children with special needs because of the stigmatisation that they face. They are aware of what you to them and it is what you do to them that they give back,” he stated further.

Also, Reverenrvd Omotosho Enoch, an audiologist running a programme for autistic children and those with hearing impairment, spoke on autism, which he described as a neurological developmental disability in children. But he said that if noticed early, the children could be helped. He encouraged parents to go through right diagnosis, get the right personnel and let them be at the right place of training so that they could achieve great heights.

‘Many grew up without having a childhood’ Continued from pg27

the age of 15; that was about two years ago,” Anderson said.

“She fell in love with a schoolmate of hers, and they started a relationship. Just some months ago, we were informed that she committed suicide. Her friends said it happened after she found her boyfriend with another girl. She was just 17.

She started the relationship before her 16th birthday.

“Age is very important when admitting students into the university, because a student ought to be mature mentally before he or she should be admitted into school. There are a lot of underage students in universities nowadays. Most times they misbehave in many ways. They still have secondary-school mentality. 16 years and below shouldn’t be allowed to enter.”

‘Maturity begins at 17’ While the argument in favour of making an exception in the case of candidates who are “mentally mature” but below the standard age continues to hold sway, critics say such practice would give rise to nepotism, since there is no objective method of assessing mental maturity.

The National President of Nigerian Union Teachers (NUT), Comrade Michael Olukoya, who spoke with Nigerian Tribune via telephone last week said the law on admission age is sacrosanct and should be respected by all.

“As educators, we don’t bend the rule,” he said. “The law governing entrance to universities is unchanged; the age is 16. Anybody below the age of 16 should not be admitted into any university no matter how brilliant they are. I want to appeal to parents and other stakeholders to take this very seriously. We have what we call biological age, chronological age and mental age. All these require maturity. The university should be for mature minds. And that kind of maturity starts at the age of 17. Any attempt to cut corners should be rejected, because at the end of the day, it would have an adverse effect on the student. So the law should be further

Mallam Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education enforced. It starts from the primary school, where many parents want their children to start at the age of two or four instead of six. It should be discouraged.”

‘Busy parents’ factor Others who shared their thoughts with Nigerian Tribune said the trend could only be reversed if it is tackled at the kindergarten level. The Acting Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Educational Psychologists Association of Nigeria (EPAN), Mr Akinbo Cornerstone, said the economic condition in the country was such that parents barely have

time for their children. He said even though the ideal age for a child to begin nursery school is two, many nursery schools are filled with “crawling children.”

“The parents are too busy,” he said. “They don’t want to get a nanny; so they put their children in a kindergarten; it’s like a getaway opportunity. Now the child is there, he is forced to learn. In the middle of it, however, he or she becomes curious; he or she is pushed by his or her curiosity, and they try to know more.

“In the end it becomes an advantage, and they get into the world so quickly. Within that period, the child loses what we call his or her childhood. He becomes so reliant on himself.

So once that ball is set rolling, he or she wants to make it out of school as soon as possible. At the age of 14, they are out of secondary school.

“If you notice in our primary schools, we had what was called the guidance and counseling unit, but this doesn’t exist in many schools any more. What you find is a classroom teacher combining his work with that of a counselor. The same thing applies in the secondary school.

“So, when he or she gets into the university at the age of 14, she may be abused or molested. She can’t talk to her course adviser because he is too busy signing documents and getting students to pay for handouts. But if these issues had been addressed much earlier: at the nursery, primary and secondary school levels, by the time she gets to university, she would have acquired a lot to fall back on.

“We, educational psychologists, are concerned that this generation of young people is getting into society without being monitored, without the requisite values and ideals. We feel as educational psychologists that the primary, secondary, and university or polytechnic levels, the guidance and counseling officer or the course adviser has a very important role to play.”

Cornerstone also urged the government to initiate policies that would ensure that nursing mothers are given adequate time to take care of their children.

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businessnews

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

FSS 2020 in danger as FG cuts CBN budget by 50% •Project requires N198bn for completion Sanya Adejokun-Abuja

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he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday warned that its capability to fund some financial system initiatives is now in jeopardy as its 2016 budget has been slashed by 50 percent.

Director of the Financial System Stability (FSS 2020) of the CBN, Mohammed Suleiman, who disclosed this when members of the FSS 2020 visited the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) on Tuesday in Abuja, said the team will have to structure the FSS2020 to include dedicated team for monitoring, tracking and reporting and ensure regular quarterly or biannual meeting of stakeholders for the progress and implementation of the strategy.”

He stated that funding has been a major issue since the inception of FSS 2020 programme as it has been bankrolled single handedly by the CBN. “The CBN is beginning to weary a little bit because the current budget this year was reduced by 50% and that is majorly affecting some of our capabilities to implement some of these strategic objectives.”

According to him, “50% of our budget cut is no small measure at all. We need to agree on the funding approach, we need to have a rethink and get the support of all implementing institutions. The FSS2020 is not a CBN project it is a financial system project, all financial system players have to take ownership of the project and be willing to support it.”

Suleiman revealed that the sum of N198 billion would be required to ensure a successful execution of the FS2020 project.

He enumerated some of the challenges being faced by the FSS2020 team to include inadequate financial skills development particularly in the capital market; unavailability of investable funds for long term financial products; nonexistence of listing rules for special purpose vehicles; increasing cost of transactions and operations; weak risk management.

In addition, low level of card usage on POS and high ATM usage for cash transactions; physical insecurities and prevalence of financial fraud; low levels of financial literacy and inclusion; low acceptability of Mobil payment and merchant locations; nonexistence of sound collateral management; inadequate legal and regulatory

framework for commodities market and unwillingness of private companies to go public; inadequate foreign direct investment and nonexistence of integrated credit scoring system are other hindrances.

He then advocated “the intervention is to advocate

that agencies making budgetary provisions provide funds for development because these products need the support of budget to implement them” in order to ensure that the FSS2020 project does not fail because of lack of funds.

He also expressed con-

cern that Nigeria does not “have the required skills for these products, we need to build the capacity of the industry, we have started capacity building at Woodpecker for heads of strategy of implementing institutions who were in attendance at Golden Tulip

in Lagos recently.

The FSS2020 director then revealed that that capacity building programme “cost the CBN £144,000 because facilitators were brought in from UK. We will also build capacities in the bonds markets and derivatives.”

Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN (second right),the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr Sadanobu Kusaoke (left) and Representative of Yachiyo Engineering Consultants(YEC),Mr Victor Wenigieme(2nd left) during the commissioning of the 1.2 MW Solar Power Plant, donated by the Government of Japan to the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Lower Usuma Dam, Bwari, Abuja, on Tuesday.

MAN, NACCIMA, others say 272 factories dead or ailing Sanya Adejokun-Abuja

Members of Nigeria’s organised private sector operators on Tuesday declared that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) must rethink its decision to banish some 41 items from those that could be imported through official foreign exchange sources.

They disclosed that the prohibition of these items by the apex bank was seriously hurting the manufacturing leading to the closure of many companies and the relocation of others from Nigeria to Ghana and other neighbouring countries.

Also, the policy has led to the refusal to repatriate over $10 billion held offshore by Nigerian businesses.

Representatives of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) made these declarations in Abuja at a Stakeholders Dialogue on the Manufacturing Sector in Nigeria’, organised by NOIPolls and the Centre for the Study of the Economics of Africa (CSEA).

According to their submissions, about 272 manufactures are either ailing or have closed shop in the last few months, while thousands of jobs are be-

ing cut on a daily basis.

Director, Research and Advocacy, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Vincent Nwani noted that since CBN made the unilateral announcement both the organised private sector and his chamber has made several representations to the apex bank without they desired results.

“We did press releases; we did stakeholders engagement; we engaged with the CBN at all levels, at least three times; we met the directors twice–up to the CBN Governors on this same matter of the 41 items- giving them examples of product-by-product.

“There must be an urgent review of the CBN’s policy on the restriction of access

to foreign exchange placed on 41 items, as about16 of the total items in the list, serve as critical raw materials for intermediate goods produced in Nigeria, especially as the country lack the capacity for optimal production of the items.”

Specifically, he said the ban on oil palm has led to the loss of about 100,000 jobs over the last couple of months, with major blue chip companies in Nigeria relocating to neighbouring countries; while the ban on glass and glassware has led to the loss of 80,000 jobs mainly in the pharmaceutical industry, as companies in this sector now find it difficult to package their products.

He said, “Local produc-

tion of oil palm is put at about 600 metric tonnes annually, but the total demand of the country is put at about 1.8 million metric tonnes. Today, Presco Oil has orders of up to December 2017 to fill, it is presently hard pressed with demands. Listing oil palms among the restricted items meant that we have a shortfall of about 1.2 million metric tonnes.

“Some of the items placed on the restriction list by the CBN should be reinstated until the country develops the capacity to produce them locally.

Some of the items need a period of between three and seven years for the country to develop selfsufficiency in their production.

Naira appreciates 1.15% at interbank, eases at parallel market Chima Nwokojji-Lagos

The Nigerian Naira on Tuesday closed in opposite directions at the two major segments of the foreign exchange market, strengthening at the interbank and weakened at the parallel market.

The local currency for the second day this week gained 1.15 per cent to settle at N305 to the dollar after settling at N308.73 to the greenback on Monday at the official interbank market.

Traders at the market expressed hope that the local currency would continue on this recovery trajectory as more and more banks sell foreign exchange to Bureau De Change (BDCs).

The naira however, weakened against the American dollar at the parallel market after it exchanged for N397/$1 on Tuesday as against N395 to the dollar on Monday.

Again at the official market on Tuesday, the local unit weakened against the British Pounds Sterling as

it exchanged for N402.8629 compared with N400.3272 which it settled for, on Monday. It also lost some grounds to the Euro after settling at N346.5287/Euro as against N345.3372 to one Euro on Monday.

The reason for the weakening of the naira at the parallel market may not be farfetched as just recently, commercial banks defied Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) directive for them to sell $50,000 weekly from Diaspora remittances to BDCs.

Nigerian Tribune

FG commissions $9.7m Japanese 1.2MWs solar power project Adetola Bademosi-Abuja

THE Federal Government FG on Tuesday, commissioned a 1.2MegaWatts solar power plant project donated to it by the Japanese government on a $9.7million grant.

The project was executed by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

While commissioning the 1st phase of the project at the lower Usuma Dam, Bwari, Abuja, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said the initiative is aimed at supporting the FG’s vision of incremental, steady and uninterrupted power supply in the country.

According to him, the energy mix of the country would be expanded to make her less dependent on gas and be more dependent on renewable energy like the solar, wind, biomass, nuclear and hydro.

He stated that the present administration would deliver all inherited ongoing projects started by the previous administration.

“One of things that this administration under President Muhammadu Buhari promised was that unlike in the past we will continue with all the projects that we met that are visible, that are viable and we would complete them and this project is one of those projects that is now completed.

“This government will keep his word and as we said at the inauguration of the power works and housing roadmap for electricity development that we are going to start from incremental power because there is not enough power.

“We would go for incremental power to steady power and we would go from steady power to uninterrupted power. This is the first step to incremental power. Again we have kept our word and we have added more power here.

“We also told you that we would expand the energy means of Nigeria and make her less dependent on gas and more dependent on renewable energy, solar, wind, bio-mass, nuclear, coal and hydro we are keeping our word today and we are expanding that energy means with this solar power plant. We fix that committment that we would do what we say,” he said.

He stated further that the initiative of will provide job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths.

30 news National Assembly is broke —Senate leader

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ENATE leader, Ali Ndume, has said the National Assembly is broke and currently experiencing difficulties in meeting its financial obligations.

Reacting to newspaper reports that the legislature was facing financial challenges, Ndume said the situation was so worrisome that legislators were not receiving their allowances as and when due.

“I know that the whole country is in financial difficulty, not only National Assembly. I have been in the National Assembly since 2003, but things keep getting worse; I think they paid us last month’s salary on the 16th of the following month or thereabouts,” Ndume told newsmen in Abuja.

He, however, noted that the situation was not peculiar to the legislature, saying that other arms of government, including states, were facing similar problems.

“It is not only with the National Assembly, some states have not been able to pay salaries for six months, one year.

“Some states were even asking their workers to go and farm for two days and work for the other three days in a week.

“Even in the Presidency, they have tightened their

belts on their expenditure and so, it’s a general phenomenon in the country.

“We used to receive running costs or allowances quarterly but now it is

monthly and it doesn’t come as and when due,” he said.

On public perception of the National Assembly, the Senate leader said Nigerians had a wrong impression of the

workings of the legislature.

According to him, the perception that Nigerian lawmakers were the most corrupt was untrue.

“If the National Assembly

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

is so corrupt and you can make much money, then tell me one member that is living in luxury after leaving office.

“Some of my colleagues

who lost out in the 2015 election are struggling to pay their children’s school fees, some of them are even struggling to take care of their health,” he said.

We’ll conclude suspended Rivers elections by Oct —INEC JacobSegunOlatunji-Abuja THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured stakeholders in Rivers State that it will conclude the suspended federal and state constituency elections in the state by October.

This was contained in the daily bulletin of the commission, made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Tuesday.

According to the bulletin, the national commissioner in charge of Electoral Operations, Hajiya Amina Bala Zakari, expressed the commission’s position on the suspended elections when she addressed stakeholders in Port Harcourt, last week.

The bulletin quoted Zakari as calling on stakeholders, especially members of the political class, to cooperate with the commission for a free and fair poll.

Hajiya Zakari emphasised that INEC was non-

partisan and was interested in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy by providing political parties and contestants a level

playing field, adding that the commission was worried that some parts of the state had no representation at the national and

state assemblies.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, earlier explained that

the decision of INEC to suspend the March 19 poll was based on field reports from electoral officers and security agencies.

N500bn poverty alleviation allocation: Reps query FG over delayed implementation Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel -Abuja THE House of Representatives, on Tuesday, queried the Federal Government over the delay in the implementation of the N500 billion allocated to combat poverty in the country, as approved in the 2016 budget.

The House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, during an interactive session with members of the Federal Government team, in Abuja, on Tuesday, raised the alarm that the N500 billion allocated for poverty alleviation in the last eight month had remained idle, despite the ravaging poverty

in the country.

Speaking during the interactive session organised by the House Joint Committee on Legislative Budget and Research and Poverty Alleviation, chairman House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Honourable Golu Timothy, pointed out that “a budget of N500 billion being coordinated basically through one office is very huge.”

According to the lawmaker, “transparency is key and we at the House of Representatives want to ensure that the office is competent enough to coordinate such a huge amount of funds without being overwhelmed by the job.”

He reminded the govern-

ment team led by Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Mrs Maryam Uwais, that “the 2016 budget passed by the National Assembly and assented to by Mr President has N300 billion as recurrent expenditure under conditional cash transfers, home grown school feeding programme, post-NYSC entrepreneur development programme and micro credit loans.

Also speaking, the cochairman of the joint committee, Honourable Mohammed Wudil, insisted that the huge amount of money allocated to the office needed to be justified, particularly now that poverty “has gone so high in the

country.”

In her presentation, Uwais said hopefully the five pronged poverty programme would commence

by September.

She explained the programme was strategically hosted within the office of the Vice-President in order to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation.

According to her, “so far, nine states have opened a social register and 10 states have started the home grown feeding programme for school pupils across the country,” adding that “what we proposed was N70 per meal but some states were able to perform the feat with N40 per meal.”

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news

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Political parties now sensitive to gender balance —INEC boss Jacob Segun OlatunjiAbuja

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Tuesday, stated that the commission’s appeals to political parties for gender balance through the involvement of women in elective and appointive positions in the parties have begun to yield fruitful results.

Yakubu stated this on Tuesday, when he received the newly-elected executive officers of the National Council of Women Society (NCWS) who paid him a courtesy visit at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, one of the political parties, which he did not name, had nominated a woman as a standard-bearer and several other women emerged running mates in the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial election.

The INEC chairman hoped that the number of women nominated for serious positions in political parties in subsequent elections would continue to rise.

He decried the low participation of women in politics, saying despite the high population of women, the 68 elections conducted in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recently, comprising six chairmanship and 62 councillorship elections, there was no single woman in the whole contest.

According to the INEC boss, “Democracy around the world cannot be complete without the full participation of women,” promising that INEC would continue to encourage women to participate, not only as voters, but as those to be voted for.

On the issue of violence in the nation’s politics, Yakubu regretted that women often bore the brunt of it, especially as mothers of some of the adhoc staff who lost their lives during

elections, promising that the commission would continue to work to ensure that violence was completely eschewed from the electoral system.

He also promised that women would be included as monitoring groups for the Edo and Ondo States elections and subsequent elections in the country.

Earlier, the new president of the NCWS, Chief (Mrs) Gloria Laraba Shoda, had listed violence as one of the factors which was militating against the participation of women in politics, calling for the eradication of the scourge to enhance women’s involvement in politics.

Aviation union workers, during a protest against the concession of the four major airports, in Lagos, on Tuesday. Photo: OVADJE ELLIOT.

Gridlock as aviation unions protest planned airport privatisation in Lagos, Kano From Shola Adekola and Kola Oyelere

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raffic movement at the Murtala Muhammed Airport was at a standstill for some hours on Tuesday, following a peaceful protest held by aviation unions against the Federal Government’s plan to privatise four major airports across the country.

The unions, comprising Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), as early as 10.00 a.m , shut down the gates leading to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to prevent workers from having access to their offices.

The workers, through the unions, have vowed to resist any attempt by government to concession the four airports leaving the inviable ones to FAAN to manage.

The unions declared that the partial grounding of activities would continue till

Thursday. Apart from the Lagos Airport, other airports affected by the partial grounding included the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, Aminu Kano Airport, Kano.

Speaking at the Freedom Square before embarking on the protest around the airport, the acting General Secretary, NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye and General Secretary, ATSSSAN, Francis Akinjole, maintained that they would resist any attempt by the government to concession the four major airports.

While declaring that they were already aware that some cartel were already coming forward to ‘buy’ these viable airports, the unions argued that the unions could not mortgage the destiny of over 6,000 workers of FAAN into selfish hands of few political cartel or individual concessionaire, warning the concessionaires to steer clear of the unacceptable deal.

The unions also lamented the uncontrolled employment and improper place-

ment of certain category of staff without recourse to the Federal Character and Public Service Rule in FAAN, describing it as a ploy to render FAAN insolvent for them to acquire.

The protest came few days after the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Serika, promised that the interest of Nigerians would not be jeopardised in the resolve to concession some of the nation’s airports.

Also, in Kano, two affiliated unions of FAAN staged a similar peaceful

Recruitment: Police to subject applicants to compulsory polygraph test Chris Agbambu-Abuja

The Nigeria Police is to subject successful candidates in the ongoing recruitment exercise to compulsory polygraph test (lie detector test.)

The test will be in addition to the general background check, biometrics, medical, physical examination, aptitude, oral and

Lassa fever in Delta: Quarantined persons now 40 Alphonsus Agborh-Asaba

The number of persons quarantined as a result of the outbreak of Lassa fever in Asaba, Delta State, has risen from 32 to 40.

This is coming as the doctor, who died of the disease, is expected to be buried this weekend in Anambra State.

The state Commissioner for Information Mr Patrick Ukah, who disclosed this to newsmen in Asaba, on Tuesday, said the wife of the deceased, however, tested nega-

tive, adding that all the persons who had contact with the late doctor were under watch.

“All environmental and medical agencies had been put on the alert,” Ukah said.

The commissioner stated that government had decided to use public address system to reach out to the people on the need to be cautious of personal hygiene, especially the washing of hands, and traditional rulers had also been directed to sensitise their subjects.

The medical practitioner

resident in Asaba reportedly gave up the ghost at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, where he was referred to for the treatment of Lassa fever.

The late doctor’s hospital in Umuaji area and another private hospital where he was treated at Bonsaac area, all in Asaba, have been shut down and fumigated.

The victim was first admitted at a private hospital, from where he was referred to NAUTH, Nnewi.

protest.

Senator Sirika, to concession the four major viable airports in the country, saying such move would lead to untold hardship and suffering of over 6,000 FAAN workers.

This was just as the union called on President Mohammadu Buhari not to succumb to the pressure of the Aviation Minister to concession the four viable airports, namely, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Kano.

The chairman of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of

His blood sample tested positive to Lassa fever at the Institute of Lassa Fever, Irrua, Edo State.

According to the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, who had earlier issued a statement on the matter, the state Lassa Fever Response Team had been reactivated, adding that sensitisation of health workers in the state was ongoing for them to have high index of suspicion and take preventive measures when managing infectious cases.

psychological tests.

The force will also conduct a thorough verification of all documents submitted by prospective candidates.

Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, gave the directive while reviewing the recruitment exercise and expressed satisfaction with the progress made in recruiting 10,000 personnel into the police .

The IGP said no candidate would be admitted for training at the Police Academy and colleges without undergoing these prescribed tests.

According to him, the polygraph test was aimed at ensuring that candidates were not of questionable character and that their behaviours conformed with standard rules of behaviour expected of an officer to be recruited into the Force.

He said the Police Academy and other training colleges across the country would be equipped to carry out the necessary tests.

Nigeria, Comrade Ahmed Lawal Fagge, who spoke on Monday, on behalf of NUATE and NUP, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, venue of the protest, said the concession of the fourviable/major airports would lead to the death of 6,000 FAAN workers.

He noted that some cartel in government were only interested in buying the viable airports and concession it to Turkish investors, adding that this move, would lead to a serious national security breach, as well as economic terrorism in which the workers union would mobilise any such attempt in the name of Airport concession.

Some of the placards, read: “Cartel in Government are interested in buying the four viable airports, our airports cannot be sold in bits, “Airport concession is economic terrorism and workers say no to airport concession.”

According to him, “the protest came as a result of the unanimous decision taken by our national headquarters of our union over the proposed concession of the four major viable airports in the country.

We have raised four major issues to the Government.

His words: “All we want is to win the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari. Every Nigerian know of his proven integrity but it is unfortunate that this time round the mantle of leadership was given to somebody, who is out to sell the properties of the Federal Government that has been generating whopping revenue for the country.’’

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Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Boko Haram: Shekau wounded, others dead —Nigerian Air Force

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HE Nigerian Air Force, on Tuesday, confirmed the killing of some leaders of the Boko Haram terrorists.

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, a copy of which was made available

to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja.

This breakthrough, according to the statement, was as a result of air interdiction, which took place last week Friday, while the terrorists were performing Friday rituals at Taye village, Gombale general area within Sambisa forest, in Borno State.

The statement read in part: “In what one could

describe as the most unprecedented and spectacular air raid, we have just confirmed that as a result of the interdiction efforts of the Nigerian Air Force, some key leaders of the Boko Haram terrorists have been killed while others were fatally wounded.

The air interdiction took place last week Friday, August 19, 2016, while the

terrorists were performing Friday rituals at Taye village, Gombale general area within Sambisa forest, Borno State.

Those Boko Haram terrorists commanders confirmed dead included Abubakar Mubi, Malam Nuhu and Malam Hamman, amongst others.

While their leader, so called “Abubakar Shekau,” is believed to be

fatally wounded on his shoulders. Several other terrorists were also wounded.

Colonel Usman, in a text message to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) clarified that Shekau was not among the dead, which implied

IGP parades suspected killer of Obi of Ubulu-Uku in Delta, 8 others Chris Agbambu and ADemola Adegbite-Abuja

From left: Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai; Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abubakar; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (retd), during the launch of the Reviewed National Counter-Terrorism Strategy, in Abuja, on Tuesday. PHOTO: NAN

JTF nabs suspected killers of 3 soldiers in Nembe •Kills 2, warns against declaration of Niger Delta Republic Austin Ebipade-Yenagoa

THE Military Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe (ODS), on Tuesday, paraded three suspected members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) who attacked and killed four of its soldiers at Nembe, while two of them were said to have lost their lives in a shoot-out with troops of the outfits.

It will be recalled that gunmen on August 8, attacked and killed three soldiers stationed at a military check-point, at the entrance of Nembe community, Nembe Local Government Area of the state and carted away their arms, ammunition and military gunboat.

The military also used the opportunity to warn those militant groups which threatened to declare Niger Delta republic unsafe to have a rethink, as the military was ready to defend the territorial waters of the nation and assure inhabitants and those on genuine business on the waterways of their safety.

It also urged the militants and other criminal elements in the oil-rich region to embrace the windows of opportunity

provided by the Federal Government for amicable resolution of grievances by any aggrieved group or face the full wrath of the law.

This, the JTF Commander, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie, said while briefing newsmen at the headquarters of the operation in Igbogene, Bayelsa State.

Okojie averred that the outfits’ coordinated patrol, which had earlier discovered their hideout, engaged the criminals in a gun battle that led to the death of some of them and the arrest of three members of the gang.

He said the raid on the hide-out at Saraba creek, near Okiama community in Okigbene, Southern Ijaw Local Government area of Bayelsa State, followed an earlier raid on August 13, where several items, including the military gunboat taken away from the murdered soldiers at Nembe, were recovered.

Parading the three, Okojie said, “In pursuit of these discoveries, a coordinated patrol was further launched and yesterday August 22, 2016, own troops at about 1400 hours (2pm) located and engaged these criminals in a shoot-

out in which some of them were believed to have been killed, three suspects arrested and large quantity of arms, ammunition and gunboat that was taken from Nembe on August 8, 2016,were recovered.

He said the mop operation on the militant camp at Epebu creek in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, a large cache of arms and ammunition were removed which included nine AK 47 rifles, one FN rifle, four HK21 MG, one G3 MG, and three GPMGs, among several ammunition, magazines and gun powder.

THE acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, on Tuesday, paraded a notorious suspected kidnapper, Umar who was responsible for the kidnap and murder of the Obi of Ubulu-Uku, Obi Edward Akaeze Ofulue 111 of Ubulu/Uku kingdom in Delta State.

Parading him alongside eight other suspects, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the IGP, Idris, said Mohammed was arrested on July 19 at about 2:30 p.m by a team of Special Anti-Kidnapping Operatives at Abraka market area of Asaba, in Delta State.

He, therefore, sought for more information from Nigerians, which could lead to the arrest of notorious armed robbers and kidnappers within their respective communities, saying the era of giving police an information and being compromised had gone in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that the paramount ruler was kidnapped on January 5, 2016 on Obior/Igbodo link road in Delta State.

He was later killed by his abductors.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Don Awunah, who paraded the suspects on behalf of the IGP, said police had intensified more efforts to apprehend other culprits to make them face justice in due

We ’ll soon arrest Gana, Benue notorious criminal —Ortom Johnson BabajideMakurdi

BENUE State governor, Samuel Ortom, has stated that his administration will do everything within its capacity to arrest the most wanted notorious crminal in the state, called Gana.

The governor gave the assurance while fielding questions from newsmen at the Government House, Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Tuesday, stating

that the security operatives were closing in on Gana, but were taking their time to avoid civilian casualties.

According to him, ‘there is nothing special about it, we’re going to get Gana soon, it’s just that we don’t want casualties involved in the process of tracking him down.”

On whether a price should be put on Gana or his bank account should be frozen, the governor said it was left for the security council to decide, stressing that several of his follow-

ers who had been arrested were already giving useful information.

“By the time we meet, we’ll know what to do. If there’s need to freeze his account, it shouldn’t be my decision, but that of the state security council,” Ortom further stated.

The governor, who also said he was not distracted by the Gana saga, said he would not hand over the state to criminals, who he said were already in trouble.

He disabused the mind of

that ‘fatally wounded,’ contained in his earlier statement meant to convey ‘seriously wounded.’

He said the raid took place while the terrorists were performing Friday rituals at Taye village, Gombale general area within Sambisa Forest.

those who were portraying the ‘tracking’ of Gana as an abuse of human rights, stressing that “when the army went to Gbishe, no life was lost, they were able to keep to their rules of engagement.”

It will be recalled that joint operatives, led by the military, invaded Gbishe few weeks ago in search of Gana who had been declared wanted by police in connection with the killing of a security aide to the governor, Denen Igbana, recently.

course.

He explained that Umar was one of the wanted kidnappers who killed the paramount ruler, pointing out that one of the victims that escaped from the kidnappers’ identified him during the investigations.

3 killed in renewed cult clash in Benin AFTER some months of calm, cultism has raised its ugly head in Benin City, Edo State, following the killing of two people on Tuesday and one on Sunday, in renewed attacks by cultists within the Benin metropolis.

Attacks by rival cult groups are common in the Edo State capital.

Many were killed late last year in an orgy of violence during the Christmas period.

This time around, trouble reportedly started on Sunday evening, at a popular bar located at Sakponba Road area of the metropolis after some youths belonging to rival cult groups clashed.

Some suspected cult members were said to have shot dead an unidentified man in the neigbourhood later on Sunday night, following the scuffle earlier in the day.

Two more people were reportedly killed on Tuesday, by the cultists in the clash said to involve members of the Black Axe and Eiye confraternities.

A man identified as Papa Obodo was said to have been attacked by some cultists, who reportedly beat him to a pulp at Murtala Mohammed Way and beheaded him on Tuesday afternoon.

Another person killed was a man identified as Osaze, who was killed at Second East Circular road Tuesday morning.

He was said to have initially escaped from the grip of the suspected cultists, who stormed his home, and scaled two fences before he was cornered and shot.

33 news

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Arms purchase scam extended Boko Haram’s reign —Buhari FG yet to get credible fact on Chibok girls’ location —Gowon Chris Agbambu and Leon Usigbe - Abuja with Agency Report

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday, that the embezzlement of funds meant for equipping the armed forces under the last government, strengthened the Boko Haram and extended its activities in the North-East.

President Buhari, who was represented by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, made the remark at the launch of the Reviewed National Counter-Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) in Abuja.

The action of those who embezzled the funds, he said led to the death of thousands of Nigerians and destruction of properties.

“Sadly because of the disgraceful deed and the wickedness of some in governance and in high office in the armed forces at the time, funds meant to equip soldiers to continue the fight against terror was embezzled. The incredible selfishness caused the nation of thousands of lives, extended the reign of terror and strengthened the enemy.

“In the past few years, our nation faced the threat of terrorism, characterised by mindless killing of our people, including children.

The massacre of the Buni Yadi boys in their hostels at night, bombing of churches, mosques and market places, kidnap of the Chibok girls and many others.

“The sheer recklessness of the killings, the shootings and the executions were meant to terrorise and produce maximum fear. To further establish their reign of terror, the insurgents hoisted their terror flags in almost 27 local government areas in the North-East.”

He, however, noted that the present administration had committed itself to absolute defeat of terrorists.

He said “there must be an understanding, that the war against terrorism is a most unconventional one, the enemy is essentially an insane nuisance, because he revels in cowardly attacks, does not obey any rules of warfare, kills the defenseless, including prisoners, use children as human bombs and consider the killing of any one as a victory.

“And we must let them know, that neither Islam nor any other religion that we know endorses the slaughter of anyone and anyone who kills the innocent and shouts that God is

great, either does not know the meaning of those words or is simply deranged.

“We must work hard to provide opportunities for these young men and women, who for years have lacked education and the real chance of doing-well; social investment programs, home grown school feeding, and vocational and technical education are designed to give them real opportunities.

“Today, as hundreds are being released from Boko Haram captivity, we are faced with serious problems of malnutrition in children, I have asked the vice-president to chair an inter-ministerial team to quickly review the situation and work with our development partners and overseas experts to handle this particular problem.

“I have repeatedly ordered our law enforcement agents to ensure that perpetrators of violence in any shape or form are arrested and made to face the law.

“The activities of armed herdsmen, cattle rustlers, kidnappers and criminal militants all threaten our peace, security and stability of our nation, we would not allow anyone under any guise, whether politics, culture or religion to violate the

lives and properties of other citizens; this is the oath to which I swore and I would uphold it at all cost.

“Achieving success in combating the menace of terrorism is as we have said contingent on well-articulated strategy and effective counter-terrorism coordination with all stakeholders, knowing their roles and devoid of interagency rivalry,” he said.

Also speaking, the National Security Adviser, MajorGeneral Babagana Monguno, noted that his office, together with the active collaboration of all stakeholders, convened a working group of experts to rearticulate the roles of MDAs as tasked in the strategy.

“In so doing, we were guided by the fact that the ability of a nation to effectively respond to acts of terrorism depends on its capacity to be several steps ahead of the terrorist,” he said.

Meanwhile, former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, met in a closed session with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, to discuss issues of national importance.

He told State House corespondents after the meeting

that the Federal Government was yet to find any credible information on the location of Chibok schoolgirls still being held in the captivity by Boko Haram insurgents.

Speaking with the president on issues, including the fate of the girls and government’s effort to rescue them, he said the government needed to get credible information about the whereabouts of the girls and also on those that would assist the government achieve that.

According to him, “I believe that the government is certainly determined to ensure that a number of these girls are brought back home safely as soon as possible.

“To achieve that, certain credibility must be established of our sources on information on their location, but as of now, no one knows where these girls are.

“And all these information that you have been getting, I don’t know their sources, but all efforts at engaging the international media and sources are necessary so that this matter can be resolved once and for all.”

Gowon said he also discussed the economic situation of the country and Nigerians’ impatience because

of apparent lack of results.

He said people were worried they were not seeing the result of the war against corruption, because culprits had not been successfully prosecuted.

His words: “And of course, we discussed the general affairs of the country, the problems of the country, his fight against corruption and all the efforts he is making to deal with it.

“And of course, the impatience of the public to see results of the fight which have yet to be found, since people have not been prosecuted yet. That would soon begin.

“These are some of the issues we talked about.

One appreciates his efforts and determination to rid the country of corruption, which is one of the problems that have held the country down and had created serious setbacks for the country both nationally and internationally.”

He further stated: “Again, we talked generally on the country and efforts the government is making to give the people what they want.

“But please, remember we used to sell petroleum at $150 per barrel, but what is it today? It’s merely around $30 per barrel and

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) and a former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, after a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

We must end Boko Haram in the North —ACF Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna THE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has resolved to find solutions to the menace of Boko Haram, cattle rustling and kidnapping that have ravaged the region in recent times.

The ACF met on Tuesday, at its 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on Sokoto Road, Kaduna.

The meeting was chaired

by the deputy chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Forum, Air Vice Marshal Mukhtar Mohammed (retd), who said “it was time the North took its rightful position in the affairs of the nation.”

According to him, “now that there is dwindling capacity of crude oil as the mainstay of our country’s revenue, we should develop our solid minerals sector and agriculture in moving

the North and this country forward.”

Mohammed remarked that the time when states relied on oil as the revenue base of Nigeria was over, saying “we should look inwards into our solid minerals and agriculture, and develop the sectors, thus improving the revenue of the North and Nigeria in general.”

Meanwhile,while presenting the report of ACF, its Secretary-General, Colonel

John Ubah (retd) stated that the Forum was already looking into ways of addressing the menace of insurgency, cattle rustling and kidnapping which have ravaged the region.

He disclosed that the forum was contemplating organising a security summit, with a view to sensitising stakeholders on the menace of insurgency, kidnapping cattle rusting, among others in the region.”

the amount of crude oil, we used to produce over two million, now it has gone down to about one million because of the problem we have been having when people have been blowing pipelines in the Niger Delta area.

“So, we have problem and there isn’t enough money to be able to go round. So, very soon, with the efforts the government is making to get things back to normal, making contacts with the Avengers and other aggrieved militants in the Niger Delta, who are creating havoc there; we hope that all will be well soon.”

Gowon said he had also come to inform the president that he was on vacation and would be travelling out of the country.

Why we boycotted BBOG march —Chibok parents

Parents of the missing Chibok girls have explained why they did not join the protest march that took place on Tuesday in Abuja.

Leader of the missing girls’ parents, who lives in Chibok, Yakubu Nkeki, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that parents of the abducted girls based in Chibok held a meeting last week, during which they decided they would not attend.

“All we want is our missing daughters and we are willing to work with anybody who will help us find our daughters,” he said, explaining that they did not want to antagonise the government, which is in the best position to help them find their missing daughters.

“We do not want to do anything that the government will not be happy about,” said the women leader of the group, Yana Galang.

“We are not after any organisation that is against any party or religion, and we are supporting the Federal Government to help us release our girls,” she added.

The parents described the unpleasant experience they had during their last protest march in Abuja, when angry comments made by some of the activists who accompanied them to see the president irritated President Muhammadu Buhari to the point where he spoke sharply and dropped his microphone.

“Our own is that we want our daughters,” said Zannah Lawan, the secretary of the parents association.

“Anyone who has the ability to help us to find our daughters is the person we will work with,” he said.

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Wednesday, 24 August, 2016 CORRECTION OF NAME

I, formerly Soneye Ayobami Temitope now SONEYE AKEEM AYOBAMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Akinsola Olaitan Morufat now JOSEPH OLAITAN MORUFAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Damilola Yetunde Ogunsuyi now MRS. DAMILOLA OGUNMOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Farinloye Sunday now FARINLOYE SUNDAY JOHN. All former documents remain valid. EcoBank Plc., and general public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ms Yusuf Toyin Tawa now MRS NUNAYON TOYIN TAWA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Akintunde Olaifa now AKINTUNDE OLAIFA ADESOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

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General public take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME

I, Oseghale Emmanuel Akhabue hereby state that my name was wrongly written as Osaghia Emmanuel Akhabue instead of Oseghale Emmanuel Akhabue.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OSEGHALE EMMANUEL AKHABUE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME I, hereby declared that my correct name are Aranmolate Mustapha Adebayo not Aranmolate Mustapha Adebayor. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as ARANMOLATE MUSTAPHA ADEBAYO. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

An infant girl and other deportees from Libya, alighting from the Libyan Airlines AIRBUS A330-200, at the hajj camp of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. PHOTO: OVADJE ELLIOT

241 Nigerian returnees from Libya arrive Lagos Shola Adekola, Lagos

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WO hundred and forty-one Nigerian voluntary returnees on Tuesday, arrived the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport(MMA),Lagos, on board a Libyan Airlines A333 –200, with registration number SA –LAR. Speaking with journalists

at the Lagos Airport, the Head of Lagos office and International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Dr Nahashon Thuo, said that 241 voluntary returnees, were brought back from Libya on their own volition.

According to him, of the 241 returnees, 174 are males, 67 women with six children.

Speaking on why they

were brought back to Nigeria, the IOM representative in Lagos, said that some of them, while trying to cross to Europe failed but were arrested by the Libyan immigration while others committed immigration offences.

He further said that they were brought by IOM when they signaled their interest to return home.

FG seeks WHO’s support for pharmaceutical firms

By Sade Oguntola

THE Federal Government has called for the continued support of the World Health Organisation(WHO) and other development partners in achieving the prequalification status of more Nigerian Pharmaceutical Companies in order to enable them take part in the global procure-

Funsho Amosun takes CBHIS to Ogun East THE wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun, will today lead the scale-up of the Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS), tagged: Araya in the local government areas and Local Community Development Areas (LCDAs) to Ogun East senatorial district.

A release signed by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, said that traditional rulers and government functionaries from the local government areas which include Odogbolu, Ogun Waterside, Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ijebu North-East and Ijebu-Ode, are expected at the event.

ment process.

This was contained in the statement read by the acting Director -General of the National Agency for Food , Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mrs Yetunde Oni, at the ongoing 66th session of the African regional committee meeting, Addis Ababa.

She also solicited the support of WHO in strengthening the Pharmacovigilance and Post- Market Surveillances Systems as a step towards fighting substandard, spurious, falsely-labelled, falsified counterfeit(SSFFC) medical products in a bid to making quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products accessible to the people.

The director, Media and Public Relations, Federal

Ministry of Health, Mrs Boade Akinola, in a statement signed, said that Oni affirmed the commitment of the Nigerian government to sustain and strengthen its regulatory framework bearing in mind the importance of a robust regulatory system to the attainment of universal health coverage and improved health outcomes.

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I, formerly Ojeniyi Damilare Peter now ADEDAPO DAMILARE PETER. All former documents remain valid. Igbajo Polytechnic, Osun State and general public take note. and I, formerly Mrs Ojeniyi Adepeju Esther now MRS ADEDAPO ADEPEJU ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Oyo State and general public take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Abiodun Olayemi Balikisu now MRS MAJID BILIKIS. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

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CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Alare Hafeez O. am the same person bearing Alare Azeez Afeez. Now, I wish to be known as AZEEZ AFEEZ OLADIPUPO. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

Sterling Bank Plc, GTBank Plc and general public take note.

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I, Olayiwola Adijat Kuburat am the same person as Olayiwola Khadijat Omolaja. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as OLAYIWOLA ADIJAT KUBURAT. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Salami Morufa Romoke now SALAM MORUFA ROMOKE. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Aina Ladipo am the same person bearing Adeleke Aina Victoria and Victoria Aina Adeleke. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS ADELEKE AINA VICTORIA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Banks and general public take note.

I, formerly Oladiti Omolara Esther now MRS OLADITI OMOLARA SAKIRAT. All former documents remain valid. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Sakariyau AbdulJelili Olatunbosun now SAKARIYAU ABDULJELILI IYANDA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Azeez Ojo Ajani Lasisi am the same person as Lasisi Ajani.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AZEEZ OJO AJANI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Bolarinde Oluwatosin Oluwafunmilayo now MRS ADENIRAN O L U W A T O S I N OLUWAFUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Olaniyi Comfort Adekunbi am the same person bearing Olaniyi Comfort Abiola. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as OLANIYI COMFORT ABIOLA. All documents bearin g these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adesida Oluwakemi Mercy now MRS OYEBAMIJI OLUWAKEMI MERCY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ajayi Chris Lauren now Ajayi Oluwaseyi Lawrence. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Isiaka Ganiyat Abosede now MRS BARUWA GANIYAT ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

THIS BOX IS FOR SALE

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Muhammad Kikelomo Falilat now MRS OLADELE KIKELOMO FALILAT. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Tiamiyu Toheeb Alabi now SANNI TOHEEB ALABI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Dada Olaolu Oladotun now ABIODUN JOSHUA LEKAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Balogun Busola Grace now MRS OGUNDEJI BUSOLA GRACE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Olajide Olusina Olatoye am the same person as ADEOLA BABATUNDE ALADE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Fadeyi Mobolaji Elizabeth now MRS OGUNNAIKE MOBOLAJI ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note

I, formerly Miss Olawunmi Olanike Adeloye now MRS AYANLAKIN OLANIKE. All former documents remain valid. CBAAC and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeyeba Beatrice Aderonke now MRS FAMOSE BEATRICE ADERONKE. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc, Wema Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Odah Amaka now ODAH NWODE ASSUMPTA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Alabi Kamoli Dayo now ALABI KAMALDEEN DAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

35 CHANGE OF NAME

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016 CORRECTION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Asana Florence Olanike now OGUNRINDE FLORENCE OLANIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, hereby declare that my correct name are Rahman Ojuolape Lasisi not Ramoni Ojuolape Lasisi. Now, I wish to be known as RAHMAN OJUOLAPE LASISI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Oludele Titilope Afolabi now AFOLABI TITILOPE OPEYEMI. All former documents remain valid. F.C.M.B. Plc., Eco Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, Aworeni Samuel Babatunde am the same person bearing Aworeni Tomiwa Samuel. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AWORENI SAMUEL BABATUNDE. All documents bearing these names refer to me and remain valid. Diamond Bank Plc., Heritage Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Abdullahi Abdulazeez Abiola now OGUNDAPO AZEEZ ABIOLA and my correct date of birth is June 12, 1993. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Yewande Fatai now DAMILARE SADIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Otis Olamilekan Eniola now OTIS-ONUWAJE OLAMILEKAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, Alayande John Ayantunji am the same person bearing Father Alayande John and Alayande Ayantunji John.

Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as ALAYANDE JOHN AYANTUNJI.. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc., Skye Bank Plc., Access Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Taiwo Oseni Egberongbe now MRS TAIWO ANIKE OWOSA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Odegbami Esther Titilayo now MRS SEGUN-OLATOYE ESTHER TITILAYO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adedokun Omowunmi Jelilat now EGUNJOBI OMOWUNMI JELILAT. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Tiku Achie Menge now MRS EMEFELE ACHIE TIKU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Saliu Babatunde Animasahun am the same person bearing Tunde Animasahun Atanda and Saliu Tunde Animasahun. Now, I wish to be known as Saliu Babatunde Animasahun.

All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ajanaku Oluwasayo OreOfe now MRS ATINARO GRACE OLUWASAYO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Bola Adesina now ILESANMI BOSE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adetiba Funmilayo Adenike now MRS ONI FUNMILAYO ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Sodimu Mojisola Mulikat now OLADOKUN MOJISOLA MARY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adejobi Aderonke Olutola now MRS ILESANMI ADERONKE OLUTOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Waddell Abimbola Sherifat now RUNSEWE ABIMBOLA SHERIFAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Rufai Rashidat Omolara now MRS AJIBARE RASHIDAT OMOLARA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Nkete-Ike Doyin Grace am the same person bearing Victor Doyin Grace. Now, I wish to be known as VICTOR DOYIN GRACE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc, GTBank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adiamo Abiodun Olubukola now MRS. ADIGUN ABIODUN OLUBUKOLA. All former documents remain valid.

NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oladokun Olayemi Toyin now MRS. OJEDELE OLAYEMI TOYIN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oluwakemi Esther Adunola now MRS OLUWAKEMI ESTHER OGUNDEJI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adesanya Kehinde Elizabeth now MRS YUSUF KEHINDE ELIZABETH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Lasisi Sidikatu now ADIGUN SIDIKATU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ola Rohi Aseoluwa now YOMI-OLA ROHI ASEOLUWA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adigun Bayonle Dele now ADIGUN DUROJAYE DELE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Markus Istifanus Malima now MARKUS ISTIFANUS DANAZUMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Tajudeen Tunde now RAJI TAJUDEEN TUNDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Omolaja Fatimah Olanike now MRS TIJANI FATIMAH OLANIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

ALABA: I, formerly Ajayi Cecilia Ayodeji now ALABA CECILIA AYODEJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Seigha Sele am the same person bearing Gboun Freeman Sele.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as SEIGHA SELE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Akokevwo Ovuoke now MRS. ONINI OVUOKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Adebayo Abosede Morolayo now MRS HAMMED ABOSEDE MOROLAYO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Oritayo Adebola Roseline now MRS. BOLAKALE-ALIDU ADEBOLA ROSELINE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ogunleye Adejoke Oriyomi now MRS. AJAO ADEJOKE ORIYOMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mrs. Joy Oby Oguns now MRS. USIHO OBIAGELI UZEZI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ibidunni Olusola Olawoye now MRS. IBIDUN OLUSOLA OLUDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Atata Lawal Olarewaju now LAWAL GANIYU OLAREWAJU. All former documents remain valid. EcoBank Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Austin Ogboduma am the same person bearing Emmanuel Bike Towel. Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as EMMANUEL BIKE TOWEL. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Alawode Idowu Temilade now MRS. ADEYANJU IDOWU TEMILADE. All former documents remain valid.

SUBEB Osun State and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Jolayemi Funmilayo Lara Precious now MRS AKE FUNMILAYO LARA PRECIOUS. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olajide Adenike Christianah now MRS. FOLAMI ADENIKE CHRISTIANAH. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Adekunle Musa now ADEKUNLE MUSADINHO DANBELE. All former documents remain valid. Fist Bank Plc., GTBank Plc., and general public take note.

RECONCILATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mr. Osinyemi Ademola Olalekan now MR. OSINYEMI MAYOWA AYODELE. All former documents remain valid. Yale and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olakanmi Agnes Mayowa now MRS. ADEGBOLA AGNES MAYOWA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Oladapo Olatutu Ajayi Victor am the same person bearing Victor Oladapo and Olatutu Ajayi Oladapo and that Oladapo is my surname while others are my first, middle/other names resepectively.

Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OLADAPO OLATUTU AJAYI VICTOR. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Amos Felicia now MRS. ADEOYE FELICIA ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Oluwatoyin Mary Agoro now MRS. OLUWATOYIN MARY ILORI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Monsurat Romoke Babalola now OLUMIDE MONSURAT ROMOKE. My date of birth is 01/01/1992.

All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc., and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Semiu Ajagbe Sulaimon now SULAIMON SEMIU AJAGBE and my correct date of birth is January 1st, 1974 and not January 24th, 1974.All former documents remain valid. Wema Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Mr. Olubobokun Olusegun Yemi now MR. SEGUN YEMI OLUBOBOKUN . All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Ajanaku Fatima Modupe now AKANBI FATIMA MODUPE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Abodunrin Semon Ayodele now OLAOJO STEPHEN OLAYINKA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Lamina Kehinde Omolola am the same person bearing Lamin Kehinde Omolola. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as LAMINA KEHINDE OMOLOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Eco Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Mrs. Ola Adebola Oyinkansola now MRS. YOMI-OLA ADEBOLA OYINKANSOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Oguntoyinbo O l u w a f u n m i l o l a Olawafunke now SOFOLA O L U WA F U N M I L O L A OLUWAFUNKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Afolabi Zainab Abiola now MRS. TIJANI ZAINAB ABIOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Bayode Florence Aina now SALAUDEEN MUJIDAT AINA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Aregbesola Ekundayo Olayinka now MRS LAWAL EKUNDAYO OLAYINKA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Agbaje Fiyinfoluwa Ebunlomo now MRS AYOBAMI F I Y I N F O L U W A EBUNLOMO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Adefalujo Daniels Kemisola, Kemisola Daniels and Adefalujo-Kemisola Adeyemi. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS DANIELS KEMISOLA ADEYEMI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Onaolapo Bukola Ajoke now ONAOLAPO BUKOLA JOY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Oyedira Jolade now TAJUDEEN MUFULIAT BUKOLA. All former documents remain valid.

Wema Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Olafemi Timothy was formerly known, called and addressed as Oderinde Olufemi Timothy. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as OLAFEMI TIMOTHY. All former documents bearing Oderinde Olufemi Timothy. General public take note and to whom it may concern.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olanlokun Rafiat Atinuke now MRS IDRIS RAFIAT ATINUKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olabisi Bolanle Raifu now BOLA LABAKE MUIBAT ODUNSI. All former documents remain valid.

Ido Local Government, NUPENG, NLC, Skye Bank Plc and general public take note

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Abodurin Taiye Wale now MAKINDE TAIYE WALE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Tolu Amaju now LAWANI SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Akinsola Lolade now MRS OLAJIDE LOLADE. All former documents remain valid. United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. Omena Faith Esemuede now MISS OMENA FAITH AKPOBOME. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME/ CORRECTION OF DATE OF BIRTH

I, Adegbesan Tolu am the same person bearing Adegbesan Tolu Olayemi. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADEGBESAN TOLU OLAYEMI. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

I, Adewale Akorede am the same person bearing Adeleye Adewale Akorede. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ADELEYE ADEWALE AKOREDE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeeko Banke Beatrice now MRS. ADEYEMO BANKE BOLAJI. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adeyemi Adenike Abosede now MRS OLADEINDE ADENIKE ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid.

Ogun State Teaching Service Commission and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Jimoh Serifat Yetunde now MRS. AJISAFE SERIFAT YETUNDE. All former documents remain valid. Ogun State Teaching Service Commission and general public take note.

I, Mrs. Kafilat Olabosipo Babatunde am the same person bearing MRS KAFILAT AYINKE OLABOSIPO BABATUNDE. All former documents remain valid.

Wema Bank Plc., Skye Bank Plc., Fidelity Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Michael Obi now IKUDEHINBU GIDEON. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc., and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ofojeh Ifeyinwa Benedicta now MRS EMERUEM IFEYINWA BENEDICTA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Younbai Monday Miebi now ABU MONDAY MIEBI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Gloria Emesomi Eleta now MRS. GLORIA EMESOMI EDIALE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Eke Joe now NKPECHA ONYEKA MIRACLE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

NAMES ATTESTATION

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ogansuyi Mary Amenze Precious now EGHAREVBA MARY AMENZE PRECIOUS. My correct date of birth is 12th of June, 1992 and not 14th day of February, 1992.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

36

south-westnews

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Oyo govt approves 35 LCDAs

By Wale Akinselure

D

usting the 2002 Oyo State gazette on local government creation, Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved the creation of 35 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in addition to the existing 33.

In effect, 14 LCDAs are to be created in Ibadan zone, eight in Oke- Ogun area,

seven in Ogbomoso, while four LCDAs was approved for Oyo and two for Ibarapa zone.

Chief of Staff to the state governor, Dr Gbade Ojo, who disclosed this on Tuesday, said the state government was compelled to look into the 2002 gazette, signed during the Lam Adesina-led administration, following the June 16 resolution of the state House of

Assembly which asked the executive to approve the creation of LCDAs in the state.

Ojo said the state executive council approved the gazette No 23, Vol. 27 of August 13, 2002 but changed the gazette from the creation of local government areas to creation of LCDAs, to avoid contravening the nation’s constitutional provisions which recognised 33

local government areas in the state.

To this end, he disclosed that Governor Ajimobi had mandated the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice to initiate an executive bill to the state House of Assembly whereby the 2002 gazette would be amended.

Adding that the delineation into LCDAs was in consonance with population

and landmass, Ojo argued that the creation of the 35 LCDAs would further bring government closer to the grassroots and enhance socioeconomic development in different localities of the state.

Noting that the 2002 delineation may have become inadequate due to increase in population overtime, Ojo said the state government would welcome memoranda demanding for the creation of more LCDAs. Ojo spoke in company of

Monarch lauds Fayose at 2016 Udiroko festival Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, Mr Eyitayo Jegede and the Deji of Akureland, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, during the PDP candidate’s visit to the monarch in his palace, on Tuesday.

Tumultuous welcome for Jegede as he visits Deji of Akure In preparation for the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State, the Deji and Paramount Ruler of Akure Kingdom, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, has once again restated his commitment to support an Akure man as the next governor of the state.

The monarch stated this while welcoming Mr Ey-

itayo Jegede, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate into his palace.

Jegede emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP for the November 26 gubernatorial election after defeating Honourable Saka Lawal at the primaries held at the International Event Centre, Dome, Akure.

Jegede was ushered into the ancient palace of Deji

amidst drumming, cheers and wild jubilation by his teeming supporters, including non-indigenes resident in the state, at about 2:35 p.m.

While speaking, Jegede thanked Oba Aladetoyinbo for his support and fatherly role.

“I was here at about two weeks ago after my resignation as the Attorney

Osun job centre a misstep —PDP PDP lacks knowledge, understanding of the centre —APC Oluwole Ige - Osogbo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osun State chapter, on Tuesday, described the job centre recently inaugurated by Governor Rauf Aregbesola as a “fraud and another misstep from a straying administration.”

It will be recalled that Governor Aregbesola had recently commissioned a centre in Osogbo to assist unemployed youths search for job.

But the opposition party, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Prince Diran Odeyemi, said it was bizarre that Aregbesola’s administration that could not pay salaries and pensions of workers and retirees, would embark on another round of wasteful spending through

a multi million naira centre to assist unemployed youths get jobs that were not created or available.

However, the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, said “with the position of the PDP on the centre, it vividly shows that the party lacked understanding and knowledge of what the job centre is all about.”

According to him, “it is unfortunate that we have people like that challenging what the government of purpose and vision is doing.

It is not everything that they see that must be attacked or criticised. Opposition is not played that way. Just last week, the APC governors of South-West held a meeting in Ibadan and Governor Ayo

Fayose endorsed what they said at the meeting.”

Oyatomi continued, “do they know what Osun Job Centre is all about. They don’t know anything. What is fraudulent in that? They should read what the centre is really about before making baseless comments.”

But, the PDP statement reads in parts, “Aregbesola’s administration that first introduced ‘half salary’ before other states started copying the idea, had tried its hands on many other initiatives to engage youths without success.

“From our findings, Aregbesola must have been seeing job centres in advanced countries of the world and thought introducing such would halt his falling popularity among the people of the state.”

General and Commissioner for Justice to inform your majesty of my intention to contest the governorship primaries of our great party, the PDP. “I remember telling your majesty that I am in the race to win and not just to add to the number. I am happy to inform you and the good people of Akure Kingdom who are here that I have successfully crossed the first hurdle having emerged as the candidate of my party. I am here again to seek your royal blessings and support of the Akure people even as we prepare for the general election,” he said.

The grand finale of the 2016 Udiroko Festival of the Ado Ekiti people took place on Tuesday with the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, commending Governor Ayodele Fayose for infrastructural development of the town.

At a ceremony also attended

by Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, represented by the secretary to the state government, Mr Kenneth Kobani, Oba Adejugbe described Fayose as a “pragmatic, committed beacon of excellence and hard-working governor.”

The Ewi also lauded the governor for the ongoing construction of a flyover in the community.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Fayose advocated for a return of the teaching of history in school curriculum, noting that “without the past we can’t make out the future.”

At the elaborate festival, held at the new amphitheatre in the Ewi’s palace, which his government completed, Fayose regretted that he could not continue with the state’s airport project owing to a court action.

Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Seun Abimbola, and his counterparts from Information, Culture and Tourism and Local Government and Chieftaincy Matter, Toye Arulogun and Bimbo Kolade, respectively.

Ojo said, “There is a yearning of the people of Oyo State to break down the existing number of local government areas so that we can have more developments in the council areas.

The House of Assembly passed a resolution in June asking the executive to approve the creation of LCDAs and the executive governor set up a committee to look into the matter.

“The committee discovered that there was a gazette signed into law in 2002 and in that gazette, 35 LCDAs were created. So, the governor, in an attempt to avoid rancour in any community in the state, asked the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to initiate an executive bill to the state House of Assembly so that the 2002 gazette could be amended.

“When the councils were created by the government of Lam Adesina, they were called local government areas, but going by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, and from the experience of Lagos State government, they have to be called LCDAs. “The state executive council has directed the Commissioner of Justice to prepare enabling laws as executive bill to be presented to the State House of Assembly so that the new LCDAs, along with their headquarters, could take off in earnest.

“The National Assembly is the only body that can amend the constitution to increase the number of local government areas in any state. For now, we have 35 LCDAs that are to be created in line with the gazette of 2002 which satisfies all legal requirements and provisions.”

Don’t drag us into politics, Ondo NURTW tells politicians Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure Ahead of the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State, the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, on Tuesday, called on politicians not to drag its members into politics.

The chairman of the union in the state, Chief Ariyo Adetula who stated this in Akure, the state capital, frowned on the comment of the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Honourable Isaac Kekemeke, who allegedly

labelled members of the union as thugs.

Adetula, who threatened to head to court if the APC chairman failed to retract the statement within seven days, said it was derogatory linking NURTW members with thuggery and political hooliganism.

He noted that the union in the state had been one of the most coordinated unions in the country, saying “the NURTW in the state has been peaceful in the last eight years since the Governor Olusegun Mimikoled administration came on board.”

“Ondo State is known to be one of the peaceful states in the country and APC should not drag our members into party affairs,” he said.

Adetula said a faction of the party in the state was harbouring some old members and disgruntled elements of the union, who have ceased to be members of the union, to fuel crisis.

He said “We want the APC chairman to correct the notion that we are troublemakers. We are responsible citizens of the state and members of a trade union and not members of any political party.”

37

news

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

My electrocuted daughter made excellent grades in WASSCE —Father DEBORAH Faleke, who was electrocuted by a fallen hightension at Fagbenro Street, Alakuko, on May 21, had two distinctions and six credits in the just released West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.

Pastor Ademola Faleke, father of the deceased, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that Deborah performed excellently well and her result was one of the best in her school.

NAN reported that tragedy struck on Fagbenro Street, after a high-tension wire fell on the 14-year-old Deborah and was immediately electrocuted.

“The late Deborah had two distinctions and six credits out of the nine subjects she sat for in the 2016 May/June examination.

“She had C6 in Economics, B3 in Geography, C5 in Civil Education and C4 in English Language. She also

had C4 in Mathematics, B3 in Chemistry, E8 in Biology, C6 in Physics and F9 in Marketing,” he said.

The pastor, moved to tears while reeling out the result to NAN, said Deborah had desired to study

Biochemistry in one of the privately-owned universities in Ogun, before her untimely death.

I had promised to finance her education to her desired level then, Faleke said.

“Now that she was no

more, the result had become a wasted effort and her hopes of studying the course of her choice dashed,” he said.

NAN had previously reported that Deborah had gone to stay with her cousin, barely two weeks after she

had finished writing her WASSCE examination when the unfortunate incident that led to her untimely death happened.

The high-tension which belonged to Ikeja Electric (IE) fell on Deborah

Candidates for the Nigeria Police cadet examination during their accreditation at Okaka centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

•Says economic development dependent on peace, security HEADS may roll in the police hierarchy as the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris, has disclosed that the special units of the Nigeria Police are being restructured and reorganised to ensure effective policing and stem the increasing wave of criminality across the country.

This was as he said scientific technology and the development of crime data base would be deployed in fighting against robbery, insurgence, assassination, terrorism, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other violent social vices.

He made this known in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, while speaking at a session held as part of the ongoing 56th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The session was the first of its kind since the inauguration of the NBA/ Police Lawyers Forum during the last NBA annual general conference in Abuja, in 2015.

The IGP, who spoke on "conversation with the Inspector General of Police on Enhancing Security in Nigeria,” lamented that virtually all parts of the country had been taken over by criminality.

Represented by the

5-hour curfew imposed as Eyibi festival begins in Ikorodu Chukwuma Okparaocha - Lagos

We're restructuring police special units to fight criminality –IGP Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt

immediately electricity supply was restored to the area around 10.00 a.m. that fateful day.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Hyacinth Dagala, he said the theme for the NBA conference, “Democracy and Economic Development,” was apt and relevant to “enhancing security in Nigeria,” adding that economic development anywhere in the world depended largely on peace and security.

“Security is the pillar upon which every meaningful national development will be achieved and sustained.

This explains why the primary responsibility of any government is to combat all forms of crime and criminality and provide peaceful atmosphere and security for its citizens.

“The question then is how well has the Nigeria Police performed this onerous task of ensuring the internal security of Nigeria to sustain our growing democracy and economic development?

“Our current security challenges, for example, robbery, kidnapping, insurgency, militancy, murder and cattle rustling, placed the responsibility on us to do more and to search for new ways to confront this menace,” he said.

The police boss said other measures the police would adopt to fight crime would include the establishment of crime data base at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, with a back-up

office in Lagos and the establishment of forensic laboratories in the six geopolitical zones in the country.

According to the IGP, the crime data base would be harmonised with all relevant agencies to ensure an all-inclusive data base for the country, adding that when that had been achieved, policing would

be made easy and security enhanced.

He listed the agencies to include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), MTN, Glo, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and

the Department of State Security (DSS).

Declaring the session open, the outgoing NBA president, Mr Augustine Alegeh, said it was a special session created because the police was seen as a critical part of the Nigerian judicial system.

He urged legal practitioners to support and encourage the police

Bariga wanted criminal arrested inside mosque Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos A wanted suspected cult member in Bariga area has been arrested in a mosque in Somolu area.

The arrested suspect had, in the past, been linked to cult killings and gangster wars in Bariga and Abule Ijesha area of Somolu.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the suspect had escaped from a gang of local vigilante members and was hiding in a mosque, when he was fished out and arrested by the police.

He had been transferred to the anti-robbery section of the Criminal Investigative Department of the state police command, Panti, for onward investigations.

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest of the suspect to the Nigerian Tribune.

A resident of Ilaje area of Bariga told the Nigerian Tribune that "the suspect was returning from a club

when vigilante attempted to arrest him but he escaped.

"He later hid in a mosque but the vigilance men could not arrest him, until they sighted a police patrol van and stopped the policemen."

The policemen reportedly forced their way into the mosque and brought out the suspect.

A police source at Panti,

who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity, described the arrest of the suspect as a breakthrough.

"He is wanted for the setting ablaze of a house in Bariga, where an old woman was burnt to death. There are other criminal cases linked to him," the source stated.

RESIDENTS of Ikorodu area of Lagos have been warned to stay off the streets from 12.00 a.m. to 5.00 a.m. for the next one week.

This was part of activities to mark this year's Eyibi Festival that will see to the emergence of the ancient Eluku masquerade.

According to information gathered by the Nigerian Tribune, only real indigenes of Ikorodu were permitted to partake in the festival and could move about during the period.

A native of Ikorodu, Mr Shakiru Adeleye, however, told the Nigerian Tribune that non-natives of Ikorodu had nothing to be afraid of, asking them to go about their normal business activities during the day, as the restriction of movements would only start from midnight.

Adeleye, who stated that he was not speaking on behalf of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, nonetheless expressed the belief that he was speaking the mind of the monarch.

"The true information is that non-indigenes should stay indoors from 11.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. during the celebration of Eluku festival which will run from Tuesday, August 23 to August 30," he said.

The Eluku Festival, as gathered by the Nigerian Tribune, is a key festival of lkorodu.

Abraham best candidate to fly APC flag in Ondo —Group ONDO State Contact Group has said that Mr Segun Abraham remains the only All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant capable of winning the forthcoming November 2016 governorship election in the state.

In a press release signed by the National President, Chief Olugbenga Akinminifesi, the group noted that Abraham is the only candidate that joined the party since inception, from AD, before it metamorphosed into APC.

The group said Abraham never changed political camp even when the party was defeated in the 2003 general election.

According to the group, Abraham has never regarded his ambition to become the governor of the state as a do or die affair.

“Despite the fact that he worked hard and was the most acceptable ACN candidate at the 2012 primaries, he did not tear the party apart or caused any political tension when

he was not chosen as the flag bearer. Instead, he donated motorcycles, vehicles and other campaign materials and worked for the success of the party,” the statement noted.

Chief Akinminifesi said “the contact group is confident that Segun Abraham will be a rallying point to other contestants if he is elected in the Saturday APC primaries.

He has demonstrated skills as a good team leader that can accommodate others and lead to victory.”

communitynews Ogoga solicits indigenes’ support for development at Ijesu Oba Festival

38

sam nwaoko-ado-ekiti

T

HE Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Adejimi Adu, has sought the support of indigenes of the community in the quest for its development.

Oba Adu made the call while addressing the people of the community, who trooped out in their numbers to join him as he marked the beginning of another year during ljesu Oba (Odun Ijesu) festival.

At the ceremony which took pace in his palace, Oba Adu prayed for peace, tranquility and overall development of the community and called for the people’s prayers as they support the town in its pursuit for development.

The event was attended by the deputy governor of the state, Dr Kolapo Olusola; the Chairman of Ikere Local Government Area, Mr. Ola Alonge; Provost, College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, Dr. Mojisola Oyarekua; the two House of Assembly members from the community, Wale Ayeni and Sunday Akinniyi.

The monarch, who received homage from traditional chiefs, age-grade groups, market women, local hunters, oloris, artisan associations, non-indigenous residents in the town and other guests, also thanked the state government for its support.

He acknowledged the support of Governor Ayo Fayose and his deputy in bringing development to the town through the execution of key capital projects which had made life comfortable for residents.

He said the development witnessed in Ikere since his ascencion of the throne was made possible as a result of the love, support and cooperation he enjoyed from his subjects, noting that there is more to be done to make the town a model in Ekiti State.

He further called on wellmeaning Ikere indigenes within and outside the community to think of what they can do for their hometown, especially in relation to the creation of jobs for the younger generation.

Oba Adu said: “We have a lot of projects that are still ongoing like road projects, the city hall among others.

I want us to unite and support our local government chairman in carrying out these projects.

“Let us love one another,

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

nobody will develop our community for us except we develop it by ourselves.

I appreciate all sons and daughters of Ikere for their support since I ascended the throne.”

An elder in the community, Mr Debo Adeyeye, who spoke on behalf of the people, praised the traditional ruler for donating a state-of -the -art palace to the community, building

a modern shopping mall among others.

He said: “As the second largest town in Ekiti, we have never had it so good.

Within a year of his reign, the state government has

started giving us a dual carriageway; personally, he has donated a multimillion naira palace to the community among others.

“Every association and society in the land even

people from neighbouring towns such as Ado Ekiti, Ise, Ilawe and Emure are here today to behold the beauty of our festival and the new development in this kingdom.”

Osun women receive training on income generation oluwole ige-osogbo

THE acting DirectorGeneral of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mr Kunle Obayan, has tasked unemployed persons, willing to be meaningfully engaged to explore training opportunities in entrepreneurial skills acquisition and business development offered by the organisation.

The NDE boss gave the charge in Osogbo, through the Osun State Coordinator of NDE, Mr Sola Daramola, at the opening of a five-day training workshop for 50 selected women from different communities on income generating activities, especially bead stringing and wire works.

According to him, the objectives of the NDE for organising the training is to provide job opportunities and create alternative sources of income fr women to support their households and promote good living and improved family conditions.

Obayan further assured that the NDE would always be available to support its trained participants for enhanced

business operations and profitability in their various enterprises, adding that the “NDE philosophy of skill acquisition and business training is in line with the policy of the federal government which seeks to enhance mass employment in 2016.”

He recalled that hundreds of women cooperative groups had participated in and benefited from training in food processing and preservation, events management, cake making, interior decorations, which had equipped them to set up individual micro

enterprises.

In her remark, the training consultant, Mrs Tomiwa Ajala, of Phenlyn Skills Acquisition Centre, Abuja, emphasised the need for women to be economically empowered, in sales to be worthy partners, supplementing family sources of in-

come and livelihood.

She advised the participants to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the training to make themselves indispensable in the family equation, through effective contribution to economic and social value chain.

The Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado and his wife, Olori Funmilola and others during the celebration of Ijesu Oba Festival. PHOTO: SAM NWAOKO

Sango/Ijoko tasks OGSIEC on boundary issues by gbenga olumide

THE people of Sango/ Ijoko Local Council Development Area have appealed to the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to revisit the boundary issues in the area to allow justice and equity prevail.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, stakeholders meeting in Araromi, Sango, at the weekend, the Chairman of Sango Development Union, Mr Olalekan Balogun disclosed that publications by the electoral body in relation to the council area had been carrying conflicting and cluttered messages on the issue of councillorship ward delineation and the boundary dispute between Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area and Sango/Ijoko LCDA. He explained that the former Ota Ward 3 was made up of Sango and Ota axis with 35 polling

booths— 22 in Sango axis and the rest axis.

According to him, “the earlier publication by OGSIEC recognised the areas, while the subsequent publication clearly omitted all the areas that are traditionally the homestead of Sango people.”

Also speaking on the matter, Chief Wole Sorinola, who is the secretary of the union, said he was not sure whether OGSIEC ever got a copy of the Ogun State Local Government Laws of 2016.

Sorinola added: “I don’t think OGSIEC ever de-

manded for the copy of memorandum and resolutions on creation of LCDAs before the publication, because nearly all the LCDAs are complaining about its action.”

On his part, Chief Jimoh Obajana, a community leader, thanked Senator

Amosun for deeming it fit to create Sango/Ijoko LCDA for even development of the state, while appealing to the governor not to allow any person or group to thwart his contributions to the development of the state by changing its laws.

Task force boss donates to orphanage to mark birthday bola badmus-lagos

LAGOS State Task Force chairman, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, has donated food stuffs and other items to two orphanages in the state to mark his birthday.

The two lucky homes are St. Monica Orphanage and Tunji Adebayo Foundation.

The Head, Special Duties of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Babatunde Abozos and some members of staff, were part of the team that supported SP Egbeyemi.

Making the donation on visits to the homes, Egbey-

emi stated that he always shared the feelings of the children who do not have parents or homes, saying that “orphanages should be visited regularly by members of the public in order to appreciate our Creator the more.”

In her welcome address, Reverend Sister Josephine Titiloye, who is in charge of St. Monica Orphanage, said the home was established in 2005 by a Catholic woman, Chief (Mrs.) Rebecca Odugbana, who hailed from Delta State.

She said the founder shared the feelings of the

children, who have no parents and decided to donate a storey building for their upkeep.

Reverend Sister Titiloye thanked the task force chairman for choosing to mark his birthday with the needy, even as she enjoined other members of the public to come to the aid of the children, who due to no fault of theirs, were suffering lack of parenthood.

Also at Tunji Adebayo Foundation, Mrs Ololade Michael, while receiving food stuffs and other donated items, disclosed that

the home was established in 2004 by an orphan, Mr. Tunji Adebayo.

She said the orphanage is statutorily registered and that it complies with the standard rules and regulations of the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development.

Mrs Michael further disclosed that they screen potential adopters before allowing them to take custody of any of the children.

While seeking for more support from government, groups and individuals, she prayed for the task force boss.

39

Wednesday, 24 August, 2016

corporatesport

With Niyi Alebiosu adeniyi70@yahoo.com 08116954642

MultiChoice excites football fans as new season begins

I

T was an enthralling football experience as video entertainment company, MultiChoice Nigeria treated fans to an exciting live screening of Premier League (EPL) matches played last Sunday at the Indoor Sports

Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

This year’s football season kick-off event staged by MultiChoice provided football lovers and MultiChoice customers with the opportunity to witness live commentary

and analysis from the Liverpool legend, and SuperSport pundit, John Barnes, including other pundits such as Segun Agbede, Nigeria’s ex international, Victor Ikpeba, and Charles Anazado who were all on ground to

give the fans a real-time football experience with a personal touch.

In his opening remarks, General Manager, Marketing and Sales, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, said: “MultiChoice is com-

General Manager, Marketing and Sales, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, Former England International, John Barnes and General Manager, SuperSport, West Africa, Felix Awogu during the DStv premiership new football season held at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium Surulere on Sunday in Lagos. Photo; Sylvester Okoruwa.

Etisalat’s goalie wins MVP at Corporate Soccer Challenge in South Africa FOR his heroics in the matches played by his team, Nelson Okotie, the goal keeper of Etisalat Football Club, Nigeria’s flagbearer at the just concluded Corporate Soccer Challenge 2016 in South Africa, has emerged the competition’s Most Valuable Player.

Okotie, who was between the sticks when the Nigerian team took on South African opponents, PSL/ SAFA and FATO Cats teams, at the Zoo Lake Sports Ground, Rosebank, Sandton, kept clean sheets during regulation time and almost won the matches for his team by saving spot kicks during the ensuing penalty shootouts.

Though, the team could not progress to the final, his heroics during open play and penalty shoot outs were enough to earn him the competition’s Most Valuable Player award.

The Etisalat Football Team emerged Nigeria’s representatives to the tournament after defeating Chevron Nigeria at the Nigeria Corporate Games held in December 2015.

This tournament was organized under the aegis of Corporate Soccer Nigeria (CORPSON) an affiliate of the International Federation of Corporate Football (FIFCO) and is aimed at promoting corporate football leagues, tournaments and events around the

world.

Captain of the Team, Andrew Enebeli ‘Dre’ who spoke about the team’s performances blamed the losses on the harsh weather conditions.

“Our major challenge was that the weather condition was very harsh as we

played at 2 degrees C. Also, we didn’t take our chances in front of goal when they came. All of these affected the outcome. We now need to get on with preparations as quickly as possible for the upcoming Nigerian Telecom Games which we are targeting to win,” he said.

Members and officials of the Etisalat Football Club at the Corporate Soccer Challenge finals, held in Johannesburg, South Africa recently.

mitted to delighting its customers with exciting football action this new season.

We are especially happy to do so at this time when the Premier League parades top-class coaches who are all set to contend for the most coveted premiership title, and other exciting continental leagues.”

“As part of plans to give our subscribers a memorable experience, we invited John Barnes to Nigeria to join us in ushering in the new football season. For us at MultiChoice, this event has become an annual obligation to our subscribers and football fans. It is designed to bring the game of football closer to viewers while also creating a convivial atmosphere of fun and excitement which sets the tone for the season”.

Mabutho also expressed his appreciation to the broadcast sponsors, Guinness Nigeria and Glo, for making the event a rewarding one for football fans.

“DStv and GOtv subscribers are in for a bumper football season with SuperSport beginning with the Premier League which kicked-off on Saturday, 13 August. All 760 games of the new Premier League and La Liga season will be available on DStv, and

SuperSport will bring viewers unprecedented football coverage including the UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Champions League, the FA Cup, the Capital ONE Cup, the Spanish Super Cup, Copa Del Rey final and the German Cup and more”, said Felix Awogu, general manager SuperSport, West Africa.

“As always, our viewers should expect the best of coverage from SuperSport and commentaries from topclass football pundits who are committed to giving football fans a worthwhile experience,” Awogu concluded.

This season will bring an exciting new dimension with the Premier League scheduling Friday fixtures for the very first time. These, too, will be part of SuperSport’s vast Premiership offering to football fans. As usual, Saturdays will be firm football days with simultaneous 4pm (CAT) kickoffs that will see SuperSport air up to three extra games at a time over multiple SuperSport channels SS3, SS5, SS6, SS7 and SS11. The popular 24-hour Premier League channel will continue as standard on SS11, reaffirming SuperSport as the home of international football.

Ologbese advocates more football academies in Ondo DELE Ologbese, President of Ologbese Football Academy has called for the establishment of more football academies to develop and discover talents in Ondo State.

Ologbese made the call on Tuesday in Akure in an interview with Corporatesport He said, the creation of more academies would provide opportunities for age grade national teams to select from the pool of talents it would produce.

“It will serve as a form of employment for the youths. Three of our academy players are currently in camp, preparing for foreign trial,” he said.

Earlier,Ologbese had spoken on the reception he did for the Ologbese Football Academy players for winning Oka League Cup in the Akoko South East

Local Government area of the state.

He said he made a donation of football and other sporting equipment to the academy to boost the morale of the players.

According to him,the Academy was created by the Ologbese family in remembrance of their father and was registered with the state football association and the Nigeria Football Federation.

“The essence of setting up Ologbese Academy was to key into the government’s vision of developing football in all ramifications at the grassroots level.

“Some of our players are now playing for different clubs in the Nigerian league,” the chairman of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club,Ondo State chapter said.

SIDELINES no 16,574

Wednesday, 24 august, 2016

n150

Lately, there have been recurring jailbreaks in the country. The prison system targets reform but the conditions in the prisons have been described by many as truly sub-human, even for inmates awaiting trial. Any wonder then that those treated like animals exhibit animalistic tendencies?

Athletics is dead in Nigeria —Franca Idoko •Says Okagbare is under pressure

By Ganiyu Salman

O

LYMPICS silver medallist, Ene Franca Idoko, has declared that athletics is dead in Nigeria.

She made the submission while speaking on a Channels Tv programme against the backdrop of the results posted by Nigerian athletes at the just-ended Rio Olympics in Brazil.

“Our administrators are killing the sport. We have to understand that you cannot reap from where you did not sow. I’m sorry to say this, we believe too much in firebrigade approach. Sports is

dying in Nigeria because our administrators are not doing what they are supposed to do. It was on during our time but it was better. It is that bad now.

“Imagine, our athletes went

From left, Marketing Director, Francos Maria Maggi; Portfolio Manager, National Premium, Tokunbo Adodo both of the Nigerian Breweries Plc, Chairman, League Management Company (LMC), Mr Shehu Dikko and the Manging Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nicolaas Vervelde at the Star/ NPFL Partnership Announcement held at Eko Hotel on Tuesday in Lagos. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Star Lager turns first official beer partner of Nigeria Premier League Nigeria’s leading beer brand, Star Lager, on Tuesday in Lagos, announced a partnership with the Nigerian Professional Football League to be the first official beer partner of the NPFL. The event brought together stakeholders from the Nigerian football industry to celebrate a major milestone in Nigeria’s football history.

This first of its kind partnership will commence from the 2015/2016-football league season and end with the football league season of 2019/2020.

Commenting on the partnership during the event, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries, Franco Maria-Maggi said: “We’ll be finding ways to use this unique partnership of the NPFL to give our consumers more reason to enjoy the local football. Football in Nigeria and Star Lager have a proud past, a strong present and very bright future in front of them.”

Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko in his remarks said: “We are excited about this partner-

ship with Star Lager, and we hope to achieve more from this with the support of all stakeholders involved. Having Star Lager Beer as a major sponsor will certainly be the key to a bright future for professional football league in Nigeria.”

Star Lager has consistently been a long-standing supporter of football, from championing the World Cup through its “Shine On Nigeria” campaign to testing the passion, knowledge and skills of football fans through the Star Super fans game show.

The partnership is part of Star’s commitment to create numerous platforms to recognise and reward consumers for their football passion.

Star Football is Nigeria’s largest football platform, which brings fans together to celebrate and acknowledge their passion to the beautiful game of football.

An average of 8,000 fans attended games in the 2014/15 seasons, according to the LMC’s season review.

This is the biggest crowd number for domestic foot-

ball in Nigeria for more than 15 years and is expected to rise this year. It is common these days to see families attend local league matches in their bright club replica jerseys due to the increased security at venues across the country.

While the win-at-home at-all-cost syndrome is fast becoming a thing of the past with 31 away wins, the highest in 10 years, the league has become more competitive as clubs now chase points on the road leading to greater excitement for the fans, the biggest stakeholders.

The NPFL, like many important leagues across the world, needs big corporate organisations to support its message of youth empowerment – at least 700 footballers are employed across the 20 club sides in the league.

“This partnership agreement with Star shows that there is opportunity for corporate Nigeria in our league and we hope that many more organisations will take advantage of football to reach their target mar-

kets as we continue to build an attractive league,” said Dikko.

However, due to the fact that more than 70 per cent of clubs are still owned by state governments, player salaries are hampered by the financial challenges of many state governments across the country. Still, there have been more positives than negatives in the domestic scene, which has seen brand impressions grow digitally with increased interest. An average of 500 posts with four million impressions are made about the NPFL on Twitter every weekend.

It is the reason why Star Lager, Nigeria’s first indigenous beer, has taken interest in this growing local success story in order to push it beyond its current reach.

“We’re excited to sign this agreement with the LMC that sees us become Official Beer Partner of the NPFL for the next four seasons.

It’s a partnership that we expect to bring excitement to Nigerian football and the fans who love the domestic game,” Maria-Maggi explained.

to the Rio Olympics and they never received training grants. If one or two things are lacking in athletics, you can’t perform effectively, I am talking from experience.

“In fact, athletics is dead in Nigeria. The federation (Athletics Federation of Nigeria) went to the United States of America to recruit athletes to represent Nigeria, it is very bad. During our time, I was brought up in athletics from primary school to secondary school down to the university before I became a professional.

“What we want now is emergency medals and that is why we will go to the United States to give our nationalities to the Americans to come and represent us. It would have even been better if they are recruiting young athletes but their focus is on who can deliver medals to Nigeria.

“AFN does not believe in home-grown athletes any longer which is wrong. There must be adequate funding by the government too for the athletes to excel and not that we will wait till the last minute for footballers to win our only medal at the Rio Olympics,” the Benue State-born former sprinter said.

Idoko, noted that maladministration is taking its toll on Blessing Okagbare, who at Rio 2016 failed to qualify for the 100m and 200m finals.

“The pressure is too much on Okagbare, she is trying her best but the system i s not ideal. The pressure on her is too much from the federat i o n and the country as a whole. Government must stop releasing money late for preparations for major Games. Our athletes went to the world junior athletics championship in Poland without being given allowances.

These young athletes went begging on the streets of Poland for survival, can you imagine and you want them to perform optimally. Nigeria is supposed to be competing with the United States and Jamaica in athletics but the reverse is the case today because we are not doing the right thing,”

said Idoko, who alongside Gloria Kemasuode, Halimot Ismaila and Oludamola Osayomi won the 4x100 metres relay bronze at Beijing 2008 Olympics, which was later upgraded to silver by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) last week following the disqualification of Russia, which came second during the event for doping.

The 2007 All Africa Games silver medallist, stated that she was glad over the Beijing 2008 medal news.

“It is a great feeling, having a bronze medal before and now silver, I hope they will soon award the silver medals to us. Even when we came back with the bronze in 2008, we didn’t even get a handshake or a congratulatory message but thank God today that I can now be addressed as Olympics silver medallist.

That is the joy of the whole thing but it would have been better if the silver medal had been awarded right on the podium,” Idoko said.

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. 24/08/2016.

Idoko