24th October 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,617 MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER, 2016 www.tribuneonlineng.com

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Ondo guber election:

TODAY'S SPECIAL

10 things to dispose of for better health WHEN we talk about the steps you need to take to get healthier, they often involve buying new things: workout clothes, fitness equipment, ingredients for healthy recipes, and the list goes on. But becoming the healthiest version of yourself also means throwing away the stuff that’s holding you back—and we don’t only mean junk food. Get your recycling or garbage can ready!

1. Old plastic containers

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Go through your collection of food-storage containers and toss anything made of clear, rigid plastic, and stamped with a 7 or “pc” (stands for polycarbonate). “These are the types of containers that may contain BPA,” says Sonya Lunder, MPH, a senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group, who also advises tossing warped or cracked containers.

PDP, Jimoh Ibrahim petition Buhari, AGF, NJC, others —P37

Arrested judges may be arraigned this week Continues pg2

•We received 808 petitions, sanctioned 132 judicial officers in 16 years —NJC

—P4

Lagos to arraign kidnappers of Iba monarch today —P11

Ogbeha, Bello trade words over governance in Kogi —P38

From left, co-chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc and chairperson on the occasion, Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; Oyo State governor and special guest of honour, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the chairman, PETALS 102.3 FM, Comrade Yinka Odumakin, at the first anniversary and public lecture of PETALS 102.3 FM, held at Mauve 21, Ring Road, Ibadan, on Sunday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE.

JAMB proposes to stop setting cut-off marks —P2 for tertiary •As NASS suspends debate on MTEF institutions •FG wants AfDB to quicken $1bn loan request for 2016 budget —P36

Crisis looms over 2017 budget

2 news

Monday, 24 October, 2016

10 things to dispose of for better health Continued from front page

While manufacturers have taken BPA out of many of the newer polycarbonate containers, old ones still probably have it.

“Glass is safer in general,” she says.

2. Air fresheners Though some companies have recently announced they’re phasing out phthalates, which are used to help fragrance linger longer, many air fresheners (solids, sprays, and plug-ins) still contain this type of chemical, which in large doses may have harmful effects on reproduction or development.

3. Antibacterial soap Antibacterial soap is no more effective at killing bacteria than the regular stuff—and they may not be safe, according to a 2014 FDA report. Triclosan, the active ingredient in antibacterial cleansers, has been shown to alter hormone regulation in animals, and there’s also concern that the chemical may contribute to antibiotic resistance.

4. Your stash of diet soda If you haven’t already, you may want to reconsider your diet soda habit—especially if you’re trying to lose weight. A muchbuzzed-about study published in the journal

Nature found that non-caloric sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose and aspartame may mess with the gut bacteria that play a key role in healthy metabolism. Researchers found a link between these sweeteners, altered gut microbes, glucose intolerance and metabolic syndrome (both precursors to Type 2 diabetes) in mice and humans.

5. Worn-out running shoes Most running shoes should be replaced every 300 to 400 miles, says Jason Karp, MD, exercise physiologist and author of Running for Women. For a runner who logs 30 miles a week, that’s about every three months. When shoes wear down, they lose their cushioning and are less capable of absorbing the impact of your foot landing with each step, so more force is transmitted to muscles, bones, and tendons, putting you at risk for injuries, he explains. If you’re not a runner, replace them about every six months, or as soon as you notice that the tread is looking worn out.

6. Frayed toothbrush If you’re brushing in the morning and the evening like you’re supposed to, then your toothbrush bristles are probably becoming frayed and worn faster than you realise. “In my experience, bristles start to fray after about two months of use, so I recommend

my patients replace their brushes every three months,” says American Dental Association spokesperson, Ruchi Sahota, who is a practicing dentist in California.

Worn-out brushes are less effective at cleaning teeth and fighting off decay.

7. Clutter “In the end, we are what we think about, and what we think about is heavily influenced by what we keep around us,” says motivational speaker and life coach, Gail Blanke, author of Throw Out Fifty Things.

She calls the things that neither serve a specific purpose nor exist to make you feel good “life plaque”: “The more life plaque we pile around ourselves, the less we can focus on what we really care about,” she explains.

Not sure where to start? Toss things that annoy you every time you see them, like socks that have lost their match, or your overflowing kitchen junk drawer.

8. Leftovers lingering in the fridge When it comes to highly perishable food that contains animal ingredients, the rule of thumb is to eat, toss, or freeze after three days, says Michael P. Doyle, PhD, director of the Centre for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. “Listeria is linked to scary things like meningitis, miscarriages, and even death,” he says. “It can grow to millions at

refrigerator temperatures in under a week.”

9. Stretched-out bras When’s the last time you went bra shopping? The elastic in bras can get stretched out over time (the washing machine speeds up this process) which means less support for your girls. “Replacing a bra whenever it no longer lends comfort and support will help reduce back pain in heavier women, and can slow the natural process of aging in breast tissue,” says breast specialist Kristi Funk, MD. 10. Smart devices You don’t need to toss your iPhone or Android out completely (phew!), but you should definitely unplug from time to time.

Mounting research indicates that information overload—what happens when you use smart devices constantly—is linked to depression and anxiety. Recent studies suggest that this is particularly true for people who are overly attached to their smartphones and tablets, and for those who use multiple devices at once (which experts call media multitasking).

Power down and stow your devices in a drawer at least a few times per week to give your brain a break‚ ideally on a set schedule (for example, weekdays after 9 p.m. or weekend mornings before noon).

Courtesy: www.motto.time.com

Crisis looms over 2017 budget

•As Senate suspends debate on MTEF/FSP, summons budget minister Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

C

RISIS appears to be looming over the presentation of the 2017 budget, as the Senate has suspended the debate on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/ FSP) which lays the foundation for the budget.

The Senate was supposed to kick start the debate on the document last Tuesday, but the session was silent on the matter as the Senate and the House of Representatives only considered other unrelated matters.

By law, the National Assembly must pass the MTEF/FSP before the 2017 budget can be considered.

Even if the budget is submitted before the passage of MTEF, the document would be kept in abeyance until a resolution is made on the MTEF, which forms the foundation for the budget.

But it emerged on Sunday that the National Assembly had raised fundamental questions with the MTEF/ FSP, which were considered incomplete.

The Senate, which has already summoned the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, said in a letter by Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, that the MTEF, as submitted

by President Muhammadu

Buhari, was inadequate.

The letter, dated October 19, 2016 and signed by Ndume, indicated that the document submitted by the executive arm of government failed to provide holistic fiscal perspectives on the ways and manner in which the government wanted to pull Nigeria out of recession.

The letter indicated that after a preliminary review of the MTEF/FSP by the Senate, it came to a conclusion that the main thrust of the 2017-2019 MTEF was to reflate the economy out of recession, but added that the document failed to provide holistic data on how to achieve that.

The lawmakers, therefore, summoned the Minister of Budget and National Planning to a meeting with the leadership of the Senate on November 1 at 2.00 p.m.

Before the meeting, the Senate asked the minister to provide a Medium Term Development plan to show the funding pattern of the 2017-2019 MTEF; a comprehensive report of the implementation of the 2016 budget; a retailed account of fiscal rates, including taxes and charges upon which the 2017-2019 budget was based and a report on the structural composition of the nation’s debts and funding sources, as well as account of funds borrowed and the spending pattern.

Sources in the Senate said the minister was expected to forward the said documents to the Senate and House of Representatives before further consideration of the MTEF would be undertaken.

“The debate on MTEF and FSP cannot hold as far as the details expected from the Minister of Budget are not in place. The Senate planned to commence the debate last Tuesday, but it

was put off because there is no detailed information from Budget Ministry.

“Following the letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, dated September 30, 2016, forwarding the 2017-2019 MTEF and FSP, the Senate has begun work on the consideration of the document.

“To enable the Senate objectively review the MTEF from a holistic fiscal perspective, we deem it neces-

sary to invite you to a meeting to brief the leadership of the Senate on Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at the National Assembly by 2.00 p.m. You are requested to please, send the following documents ahead of the meeting: “The Medium-Term Development Plan (even a draft copy) upon which the 2017-2019 MTEF is founded.

“A comprehensive report

on the implementation of the 2016 budget (as at third quarter, September 30).

“All fiscal rates, charges, etc., used to derive the projected revenue in the 20172019 MTEF. “A report on the structure/composition of the debt, funding sources, how the borrowed funds are to be spent as well as repayment plan and schedule,” the letter read.

FG wants AfDB to quicken $1bn loan request for 2016 budget Sanya Adejokun- Abuja A desperate Federal Government has asked the African Development (AfDB) to quicken the processing of the $1 billion loan facility it requires to fiancé a gaping 35 per cent funding shortfall for the 2016 budget.

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who made the appeal in Abuja, during a meeting with AfDB team, at the weekend, said: “I want to thank you for the support. We value the relationship with AfDB and we appreciate the budget support. We want AfDB also to fast-track the loan facility.

What is important to note is that AfDB is standing with us.’’

While giving overview of the government’s plan to reflate the economy and spend out of the recession, Udoma

said government was trying to contain the militancy in the Niger–Delta, which had affected oil production in the country, hoping to restore production to 2.2 million barrels a day at the end of the year.

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) said, last week, that Nigeria was not able to benefit from rising oil prices as a result of militancy in the Niger-Delta, which resulted in the loss of one million barrels in June.

The minister then explained that government was committing money into infrastructure development, processing of export zones and also providing loans through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at a single digit to support farming in Nigeria.

According to the him, “The Economic Recovery Plan was designed to consolidate

and harmonise all the sectoral plans in a single document and set out in broad detail an integrated road map for the growth and sustainability of the country’s economy, and is also a part of the commitment the Federal Government made with Nigerians, whether there was a recession or not.”

Also speaking at the meeting, the Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze, said what government was doing differently concerning budget releases was shifting from the old practice of releasing monies quarterly, but on specific request, which were tied to projects.

Akabueze said, so far, over N750 billion had been released for capital projects and expressed hope that revenue would improve in the second half of the year as the Federal Inland Rev-

enue Service (FIRS) and the Customs would do better having overcome some of the challenges faced in the first half of the year.

Although, a large chunk of this amount was yet to get to contractors due to alleged delays by cumbersome procurement process, which the executive said it would approach the National Assembly for power to circumvent some of the legalities.

Speaking earlier, AfDB’s acting Director for Governance and Reform, Mr Coulibaly, who led the team, said he was in Nigeria to seek further clarification on policy reforms and level of budget implementation as it touched capital budget releases.

He also stated that they wanted the minister to highlight if there was any new policy introduced in the 2017 budget and updates on the Social Protection Policy.

3 news

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Grazing law: We‘ll not go Ekiti way in implementation—Benue gov Johnson Babajide - Makurdi BENUE State governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, has said the implementation of grazing bill when passed into law, will not go the way of Ekiti State but will have human face.

Ortom stated this when receiving in audience the delegation of the Indices and Disbursement Committee of the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Fiscal Commission, at the Government house, Makurdi, at the weekend.

The committee had visited the state for assessment of the devastation of some areas of the state, occasioned by flooding, erosion and herds-

...Govt pays 2,193 LG retirees Johnson Babajide - Makurdi BENUE State government said it has began payment of local government retirees who left the service six years ago.

According to press statement issued and made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday, the media adviser to the governor, Mr Tahav Argezua, said 2,193 local government retirees, on Friday, began to receive their entitlements after several years of non-placement on pension.

men attacks, and the need to assist the state from stabilisation fund.

Ortom, who regretted the devastating effects of 2012 flooding in some parts of the state, erosion in the Benue North and South senatorial district as well as destruction of 10 local governments by Fulani herdsmen, said the state House of Assembly was working towards passing the grazing bill.

The grazing bill, according to him, will complement the efforts of the security agencies in tackling the constant Fulani invasion as well as augment the dialogue system his administration introduced between the farmers and herdsmen.

According to him, “already

there is grazing bill before the state House of Assembly which when passed into law, will prohibit the straying of cattle within the state, that is why I have been advocating ranching for cattle.”

Apparently referring to Ekiti State where the bill had been passed into law, Ortom said, “When this bill is passed into law, we will not go the way of a South West state in implementation.”

“To appreciate the magnitude of the devastation of these problems in our state, it will take you about a week to go round and see for yourselves.”

He explained that the state needed huge financial assistance and projects to rebuild some of the things destroyed.

4 news Arrested judges may be arraigned this week

Monday, 24 October, 2016

•Justice Pindiga writes CJN, NJC over Rivers’ election •CJN launches new reform agenda today Lanre Adewole -Abuja

B

ARRING any last minute adjustment, the seven senior judges arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) will be arraigned this week for alleged corruption and illegal possession of arms, Nigerian Tribune has reliable learnt.

Separate charges have been reportedly prepared against them, including two justices of the Supreme Court, who were caught in the web of the unprecedented security onslaught against senior judicial officers.

The exact arraignment date is reportedly being kept under wraps by the prosecution, in order not to jeopardise the planned trial of the affected judges, whose arrests caused a nationwide uproar.

Both Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro have written to the National Judicial Council (NJC), claiming that cabinet members in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, attempted to use them in buying judgments in a couple of governorship elections.

Okoro and Ngwuta claimed their travails in the hands of the DSS were primarily due to their refusal to help the minister pervert the course of justice.

Though currently on administrative bail granted them on self-recognisance, Nigerian Tribune learnt that the prosecution would seek the remand of the seven judges in prison custody, even if they came prepared with bail applications.

It was learnt that as investigations deepened in the alleged corruption cases being built against the judicial officers, they could be re-arrested even if granted bail, in order to keep them away from tampering with evidence being collated against them and witnesses being lined up against them.

A source told the Nigerian Tribune that the judges would be shocked by those that would be lined up as witnesses against them, “including those they know and have worked with for years.”

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed and the National Judicial Council (NJC) had kicked against the calls for the suspension of the judges, insisting that there were due processes to be followed.

Both the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Body of Senior Advocates had backed off the DSS and the executive arm, seeking the suspension of the judges from the Bench.

Sunday night, it was gathered that the NJC may not hold out for too long on the call for compuls-

ory leave for the judges, as pressure kept mounting on the CJN to let them go out of work for the period their trial would last.

Okoro and Ngwuta were sighted together on Thursday at the Supreme Court. They met briefly with the CJN before leaving.

It could not be ascertained if they returned to their chambers immediately or exited the building after the meeting with the CJN. Nigerian Tribune was also told by some senior lawyers that a gag order may have been placed on the NBA president, Mahmood,

following the controversy trailing a shift in his position on the DSS raid of the judges’ residence and the call to have the judges suspended.

Mahmood, a member of the NJC, was present when the decision to reject the suspension request was taken by the council and reportedly endorsed it.

He, however, led the Bar to call for the judges’ suspension, compelling both the NJC and CJN to condemn his new position.

The body also put a committee in place to have an interface with the CJN over the new position, but re-

THE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, raised the alarm on the letter written by Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Mahmud Mohammed.

In the letter, Justice Ngwuta accused the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and others in the plot to subvert justice in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidates in Rivers State and that of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State in the last general election.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Sunday, by its national publicity secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye,

the party described the alleged involvement of top members of the APCled Federal Government in the act of impunity as ridiculous.

“Nigeria is sliding aggressively into anarchy and the country’s democracy is indeed in grave danger,” the statement said.

President of the Court of Appeal.

As the controversy over the arrests rages, Justice Mahmud will today launch an ambitious reform agenda to reposition the judiciary.

The package is entitled “the National Judicial Policy” and it will be launched at the National Judicial Institute.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the new policy covers all issues currently bedeviling the sector.

The issues of appointment, discipline and code of conduct for judicial officers top the new reform.

We received 808 petitions, sanctioned 132 judicial officers in 16 years —NJC

By Tinuola Ayanniyi THE National Judicial Council (NJC) has released statistical data of judicial officers it has dealt with since its inauguration in April 2000 till date.

The NJC revealed that it had investigated and sanctioned 132 judicial officers having found them culpable of professional misconduct and/or corrupt practices, after complying diligently with the rule of law and due process.

Some of the judicial officers investigated within the 16 years were also recommended to the president or governors, as the case may be, for removal from

office by compulsory retirement or removal from office by dismissal.

In a four-page press release signed by the acting Director, Information Department of the NJC, Soji Oye, the judicial body noted that during the period under reference, 808 petitions and complaints against judicial officers, including some heads of court, erstwhile Chief Justices of Nigeria, Justices of Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal, were received by the respective Chief Justices of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJC. The statement disclosed that out of the 808 petitions that were attended to

by NJC, 45per cent were

Justice Ngwuta’s letter on Amaechi, others: Democracy in danger —PDP Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja

portedly told Mahmood to keep off any further public comments on the matter, while the committee takes over further interaction.

The committee and CJN are expected to work out a modality for sending the arrested serving judges on leave, without making the process appear punitive.

Nigerian Tribune can also confirm that Justice M.A. Pindiga, who was among the stung judges, had also written to the CJN and NJC over his ordeal.

He was the presiding judge of the Rivers State election petition tribunal that was sacked by the

According to the party, “we are further calling on all stakeholders in the Nigerian State, the international community, the media, the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and all well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and stop this constitutional rape before it is too late. Nigeria is

sliding aggressively into anarchy and this must not be allowed.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us irrespective of party affiliations, tribe and religion. The APC must be stopped forthwith from these reckless acts of impunity, as it is no longer acceptable.”

not addressed because the issues raised in the allegations were for Appeal Court to consider and not NJC. “After investigation, 82 of the judicial officers were sanctioned by reprimand (suspension, caution or warning), in the exercise of NJC’s constitutional disciplinary power of control over judicial officers. 38 of the judicial officers were recommended to the president or governors, where applicable, for their removal from office by compulsory retirement; while 12 were recommended to the president or governors as the case may be, for removal from office by dismissal,” the statement said.

The NJC, in the statement, debunked what it described as misinformation and disinformation doing the rounds in both electronic and print media that the DSS invaded the residences of the judicial officers and arrested them because the NJC, was, among other assertions, shielding them from investigation and prosecution for corrupt practices and professional misconduct.

“Given the indictment cast on the NJC that it is shielding corrupt judicial officers

that have been petitioned from being arrested and prosecuted, the foregoing verifiable records and statistical data are for public consumption.

“For avoidance of doubt, it is on record that the DSS forwarded only one complaint containing the allegations of corrupt practices against Justice Mu’azu Pindiga; and another one with the allegations of corrupt practices and professional misconduct against Justice Nnamdi Dimgba,” the statement stated.

The NJC cited instances in the past, when some judicial officers were recommended for removal from office, but the executive did not approve the recommendation immediately, until some years later and the judges continued to sit in court during that period. NJC had since that experience decided to take a proactive measure by suspending from office, a judicial officer found to be culpable of professional misconduct or corrupt practices, pending the time that the executive decides to act on its recommendation to remove the judge from office.

FG set to formulate national information policy —Minister Isaac Shobayo - Jos THE Federal Government is to formulate National Information Policy to provide regulation and functional communication system, with focus on the challenges and opportunities inherent in a globalising a world driven by digital technology.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this at the National Stakeholders Conference on National

Communication Policy and Strategy, organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

Alhaji Mohammed, who said the National Communication Policy in Nigeria was not properly developed and researched upon, stated that the Ministry of Information and Culture was working assiduously to ensure that it finalised work on the draft National Policy

on Information.

“The policy has its vision, principles, objectives and implementation strategy and cover all sector of the media which include print media, broadcast media, information and technology, public relations and advertising in addition to community broadcasting,” he said.

He also pointed out that government is committed to meet up with the Digital Switch Over deadline come June 2017. He added that

Abuja Digital Switch Over, would be launced in December, saying it would enable viewers to view up to 30 clear free channels.

Plateau State governor, Mr Simon Lalong, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Mallam Nazif Mohammed, said Nigeria needed a national communication policy and strategy, that would guide nation’s developmental plan to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the country.

Lai Mohammed

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

A D V E R T O R I A L

NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL THE POSITION OF THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL ON THE RECENT INVASION OF THE RESIDENCES AND ARREST OF JUDICIAL OFFICERS

BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES (DSS) 1.

The National Judicial Council (“NJC”), which is the Apex Body for the Nation's Judiciary, is a creation of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended; with its powers and functions specified therein. The composition of NJC provided in Paragraph 20 of Part One of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended is as follows:

2.

CURRENT MEMBERS

C. TH

3.

4.

EMERGENCY MEETING OF 11 OCTOBER, 2016 At its Emergency Meeting which was held on 11th October, 2016, the NJC reiterated its absolute confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari Administration and its unwavering determination to uphold the Principles of Democracy, Separation of Powers and the Rule of Law enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and the United Nations Charter, which Nigeria is a Member. And it shall continue to support the posture of the administration of President Buhari in its fight against corruption in all its ramifications; and in cleansing the Judiciary of corrupt Judicial Officers.

However, NJC at the Meeting expressed grave concern on the recent invasion of the Residences and arrest of some serving Judicial Officers, including those that it had investigated and recommended their removal from office by Their Excellencies, the President and the Governors of Enugu and Kano States, as the case may be; and condemned the action in its entirety.

5.

NJC also considered the invasion and arrest of the Judicial Officers by the Department of State Services (“DSS”), as a threat to Independence of the Judiciary, which portends great danger to our democracy; and a clear attempt by the DSS to humiliate, intimidate, denigrate and cow the Judiciary.

6.

A.

BACKGROUND FACTS RE: HON. JUSTICE SYLVESTER NGWUTA The Public is aware that Hon. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, was arrested after his House was invaded by th heavily armed and masked operatives of the DSS on Friday 7 October, 2016. The operatives did not leave His Lordship's Residence until 12.00 noon of the following day, when he was whisked away to the office of DSS.

B.

RE: HON. JUSTICE INYANG OKORO The Residence of Hon. Justice Inyang Okoro, a Justice of Supreme Court of Nigeria, was raided in the same manner as that of Hon. Justice Ngwuta and was arrested by the same operatives of the DSS and taken to their office.

Contrary to the claim circulated in the media, NJC has never received any petition or complaint against the aforesaid Judicial Officers: Hon. Justices Ngwuta and Okoro of the Supreme Court of Nigeria from the DSS.

RE: HON. JUSTICE MUHAMMED LADAN TSAMIYA FORMERLY OF THE COURT OF APPEAL At its Meeting which was held on 29th September, 2016, NJC had found Hon. Justice Tsamiya culpable of corrupt practices and professional misconduct.

Accordingly, Mr President approved his compulsory retirement from office based on the recommendation of the NJC. The petition against Hon. Justice Tsamiya was written by one Mr Nnamdi Iro Oji for demanding the sum of N200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) bribe. It is to be stressed that contrary to media publication, from the evidence before the Council, Hon. Justice Ladan Tsamiya was not given the N200m bribe he demanded from the petitioner.

In the exercise of its power, NJC had suspended Justice Tsamiya from office, even before Mr. President approved its recommendation to compulsorily retire His Lordship from office.

D.

RE: HON. JUSTICE I. A. UMEZULIKE, OFR Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike, OFR, Chief Judge, Enugu State, was recommended by NJC for compulsory retirement from office to Enugu State Governor for gross misconduct, pursuant to the petition written against him by one Mr. Peter Eze. In the meantime, the NJC suspended His Lordship from office, pending when the Governor of Enugu State will act on its recommendation.

E.

RE: HON. JUSTICE A. F. A. ADEMOLA, OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT Hon. Justice A. F. A. Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division has been petitioned by Hon. Jenkins Duviegiane Gwebe on allegations bordering on corrupt practices.

Currently, a Committee of the NJC is investigating the allegations.

There is no petition against Hon. Justice Ademola from DSS pending before NJC.

F.

RE: HON. JUSTICE KABIRU AUTA, KANO STATE HIGH COURT Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta was investigated by NJC based on the allegations of corrupt practices and professional misconduct levelled against him in a petition forwarded to NJC by one Alhaji Kabiru Yakassai. His Lordship was recommended to the Governor of Kano State for removal from office by dismissal. Council wrote separately to AIG Zone 1, Kano for Police to prosecute Hon. Justice Auta.

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Monday, 24 October, 2016 Council has suspended His Lordship from office pending when the Governor will act on its recommendation to remove him from office by dismissal, contrary to the claim that he was recommended for removal by compulsory retirement.

th

By letter Ref. No. LSD.158/2/31, dated 5 August, 2016, DSS had written a complaint alleging corrupt practices and professional misconduct against Hon. Justice Nnamdi Dimgba.

At its Meeting of 29th September, 2016, NJC constituted a Fact Finding Committee comprising its Members to investigate the allegations.

NOTE! It is pertinent to inform the public that Justice Kabiru Auta was arrested by the Police in Kano last year, when he was being investigated for alleged commission of a criminal offence. The NJC did not stop the Police from arresting or prosecuting Justice Auta. However, in fidelity with the Rule of Law and Due Process, the AIG Zone 1, Kano referred the petition addressed to him by A.A. Gadanya & Co., Counsel to Alhaji Kabiru Yakassai, through the Hon. Chief Judge of Kano State to the NJC, for investigation of the allegation of corrupt practices and professional misconduct against Justice Kabiru Auta.

G.

RE: HON. JUSTICE MUAZU PINDIGA OF HIGH COURT, GOMBE STATE The DSS petitioned the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJC alleging corrupt practices against Hon. Justice Pindiga, inter-alia; viz: “i) That the Hon. Judge in a bid to illegally enrich himself, perfected plans through third party proxies/conduits, with a view to influencing the outcome of the Election Tribunal in the governorship polls in favour of the incumbent Governor Nyesom Wike. ii) That further ongoing discreet investigation, Justice Pindiga is observed to have illegally enriched himself through corrupt means. Part of the illegitimate proceeds suspected to have accrued to Pindiga includes the underlisted: a) Two (2) completed blocks of six (6) units 2 bedroom flats in Federal Low Cost Estate in Gombe metropolis; b) Four (4) units of bungalow in another part of the Estate; c) An uncompleted property at GRA in Gombe Metropolis; d) a Mercedes Benz C300 car in the name of MUBAJJAL; e) A Toyota Venza-Model SUV.

Nigerian Tribune

During the last Emergency Meeting of the NJC, it received a Report from Hon. Justice Nnamdi Dimgba that his Residence was also raided and ransacked; and in the process, his nephew and driver were man-handled, using a search warrant that was not meant for his house.

The Committee set up by NJC had commenced the process to investigate the allegations before the recent unfortunate raid and search of Hon. Justice Dimgba's Residence.

7.

OTHER RECORDS BEFORE NJC NJC meticulously considered the entire unfolding events that led to the arrest of the Judicial Officers and the misinformation and disinformation making the rounds in both Electronic and Print Media that the DSS invaded the Residences of the Judicial Officers and arrested them because the NJC was among other assertions, shielding Judicial Officers from investigation and prosecution for corrupt practices and professional misconduct.

8.

It is imperative to inform the general public that from April 2000, when Council held its Inaugural Meeting to October, 2016, 132 Judicial Officers were investigated and sanctioned (suspended or cautioned, or warned or reprimanded), by NJC; and or recommended to the President or Governors, as the case may be, for removal from office by compulsory retirement or removal from office by dismissal; having found the Judicial Officers culpable of professional misconduct and or corrupt practices, after complying diligently with the Rule of Law and Due process.

9.

During the period under reference, 808 petitions and complaints against Judicial Officers, including some Heads of Court, erstwhile Hon. Chief Justices of Nigeria, Justices of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, were received by the respective Honourable, Chief Justices of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJC. Out of the 808 petitions that were attended to by NJC, 45% were not addressed because the issues raised in the allegations were for Appeal Court to consider and not NJC. 10% of the complaints and petitions written against Judicial Officers, including some Heads of Court, were withdrawn by some of the Complainants and Petitioners. And the complaints and petitions that had prima-facie grounds of professional misconduct and or corrupt practices, the Parties – Petitioners and the Judicial Officers, including their witnesses and Counsel appeared before the various Fact Finding Committees of the NJC for investigation. After investigation, Eighty-two (82 No.) of the Judicial Officers were sanctioned by reprimand (suspension, caution or warning), in the exercise of NJC's Constitutional Disciplinary power of control over Judicial Officers. Thirtyeight (38 No.) of the Judicial Officers were recommended to the President or Governors, where applicable, for their removal from office by compulsory retirement; while twelve (12 No.) were recommended to the President or Governors as the case may be, for removal from office by dismissal. It is to be noted that some of the sanctions were recommended

by NJC based on the allegations in the petitions and the responses which had no defence, by the Subject Judges.

In a letter Ref No. LSD.232/4/68 dated 6 May, 2016, to the NJC, the DSS subsequently complied by deposing to a verifying affidavit in support of the complaint containing the allegations against Justice Pindiga.

10.

Given the indictment cast on the NJC that it is shielding corrupt Judicial Officers that have been petitioned from being arrested and prosecuted, the foregoing verifiable records and statistical data are for public consumption.

On the directive of the NJC, Hon. Justice Mu'azu Pindiga responded to the allegations against him by DSS. Thereafter, a Fact Finding Committee, comprising Members of the NJC, investigated the allegations of corrupt practices.

11.

For avoidance of doubt, it is on record that the DSS forwarded only one complaint containing the allegations of Corrupt Practices against Hon. Justice Mu'azu Pindiga; and another one with the allegations of corrupt practices and professional misconduct against Hon. Justice Nnamdi Dimgba.

12.

Therefore, the impression created and widely circulated before the public, that the DSS forwarded a number of petitions containing various allegations of corrupt practices and professional misconduct against some Judicial Officers in the Federation to NJC, and that they were not attended to and or investigated being the justification for raiding the Residences of the Judicial Officers and their arrest, is not correct. The NJC urges the DSS to make public, the particulars of such petitions to put the records straight.

13.

It must be made abundantly clear that one of the Constitutional powers of NJC is to consider and assess the allegations in any petition or complaint levelled against Judicial Officers; and to establish whether the Judge has committed any misconduct. If there is proof of misconduct before a Fact Finding Committee of the NJC, the Judge will be reprimanded or removed from office. And the Constitutional disciplinary process embarked upon by NJC, is without prejudice to any legal action or investigation of an alleged crime committed or criminal prosecution of a Judge before a Court of competent jurisdiction; like the case of Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court that was referred to Police for prosecution, after he was suspended and recommended by NJC to be removed from office by dismissal.

iii)

From all indications, it is apparent that Pindiga, who is a very Senior Justice in Gombe State, is highly corrupt. His continuous stay as a Justice in any capacity would likely embarrass the current administration and pervert the cause of justice. In view of the foregoing, it is strongly advised that immediate necessary administrative and judicial measures be taken on him, including appropriate sanctions and trial to set a precedent to others of his like”.

The complaint containing the allegations of corrupt practices against the th Hon. Judge were conveyed in a letter Ref No. DGSS71/3161 and dated 26 February, 2016, written by the DSS to the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJC. The petition was not supported by a verifying affidavit deposed to by the DSS, as required by the NJC 2014 Judicial Discipline Regulations. The Petition would have been disregarded for noncompliance with the NJC Regulations, but the NJC exercised some restraint th and by a letter Ref. No. NJC/S.15/HC.GM/5/1/128 dated 19 April, 2016, the DSS was notified and requested to comply and depose to a verifying affidavit in support of the allegations of corrupt practices levelled against the Hon. Judge. th

Both Parties - The DSS and Hon. Justice Mu'azu Pindiga, together with their witnesses and counsel appeared before the Committee set up by NJC to investigate the allegations, in compliance with the NJC 2014 Judicial Discipline Regulations and Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, on the Right to Fair Hearing.

The DSS was represented by a Director, S. U. Gambo, Esq. who is also a Legal Practitioner in the Department; and Hon Justice Pindiga was represented by Joe Agi, SAN. At the end of the investigation, the DSS could not substantiate any of the allegations of corrupt practices or professional misconduct, either by documentary or oral evidence against Hon. Justice Pindiga.

Consequently, at its Meeting of 15th July, 2016, NJC decided to exonerate Hon. Justice Pindiga of the allegations of corrupt practices levelled against him by DSS. The NJC's decision was conveyed to Hon. Justice Mu'azu Pindiga in a letter Ref. No. NJC/HC.GM/5/1/132 of 9th August, 2016 and copied the DSS. H.RE: HON. JUSTICE NNAMDI DIMGBA OF FEDERAL HIGH COURT ABUJA DIVISION

7

Monday, 24 October, 2016

NOTE! There were instances in the past, when some Judicial Officers were recommended for removal from office, but the Executive did not approve the recommendation immediately, until some years later and the Judges continued to sit in court during that period. NJC had since that experience decided to take a proactive measure by suspending from office, a Judicial Officer found to be culpable of professional misconduct or corrupt practices, pending the time that the Executive decides to act on its recommendation to remove the Judge from office.

And this has been the position of NJC since year 2001. It is to be stressed that the suspension is without prejudice to any investigation or criminal proceedings pending in court against the Subject Judge.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

honourable offices. And to treat them with disdain will always have a far reaching implication on the body polity and the entire system.

19.

i)

Interview Committee on the Appointment of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of Record: To interview candidates nominated for Judicial appointment to Superior Courts of Record in the Federation to inter-alia, ensure that only qualified and competent candidates with good and sound knowledge of the law are appointed to the Bench;

ii)

Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee: To assess the Complaints and petitions forwarded to Council and advice it on the merit or otherwise of the allegations contained therein.

iii)

Committee on Performance Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of Record: Assesses and evaluates the Performance of all Judicial Officers in Nigeria based on their quarterly Returns of Cases submitted to NJC. The Report of the Committee is used inter-alia, to determine the needs of Courts and elevation of Judicial Officers to higher Bench and for other appointments; training programmes, workshops and seminars.

iv)

Judicial Ethics Committee: National Judicial Policy The function of this Committee which is unprecedented, is among others, to conduct periodic surveys on behalf of NJC to measure public perception of the level of compliance with administration of Justice and ethical standards by all Judicial Officers and to monitor and report on laxity by Judicial Officers in the performance of judicial duties.

v)

Constitution Review Committee: The Committee considers and proposes amendments to be effected on the provisions of the Constitution on the Judicature to enhance general administration of Justice.

20.

The National Judicial Policy formulated in April this year, will be launched on th 24 October, 2016 and will also be published in the National Dailies. The Policy document provides so many far reaching solutions and platforms for reforms in the Judiciary aimed at curbing corruption at all levels and improving general administration of Justice.

21.

In view of the above Reform measures introduced by Council from year 2001 to date and the number of Judicial Officers that have so far been sanctioned by removal from office or reprimanded and given the fact that these are not the only Constitutional mandates of NJC, can the public still justifiably say that the NJC has “always turned a blind eye”, to the issues of corruption in the Judiciary; provides soft landing to Judges accused of corruption; Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria has not been proactive on corruption cases and has been shielding Judges accused of corruption?”

And therefore, “the NJC has served more like a social club for Judicial Officers than a serious clearing house.”

As it was the case in Ghana, the Judges recommended by Eso Panel to be sanctioned by Government were not arrested nor arraigned before any court and neither were their houses raided and searched.

IMMUNITY NJC has never claimed that Judicial officers have immunity and therefore cannot be arrested, or their houses searched or investigated or prosecuted for alleged criminal offences committed by them, such as murder or robbery. However, Judicial Officers globally enjoy special acceptable privileges accorded them and their exalted, sacrosanct, noble and

REFORM MEASURES INTRODUCED BY THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL FROM YEAR 2000 TO 2016 Sequel to the Eso Panel findings and recommendations, NJC over the years introduced some Reform measures aimed at enhancing ethical standard, higher performance by Judges, reduce corruption; decline in productivity and delay in hearing and disposing cases; as follows: Pursuant to Section 160 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, NJC formulated Code of conduct for Judicial officers; Guidelines and Procedural Rules for appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Record; Judicial Discipline Regulations to regulate the exercise of its Constitutional powers on appointment and discipline of Judicial Officers; and also while dealing with all other matters relating to broad issues of policy and administration. And recently, it formulated National Judicial Policy. For the same reasons, NJC also constituted among others, the following Committees:

JUDICIAL COUNCIL OF GHANA ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION AND BRIBERY AGAINST SOME MAGISTRATES AND JUDGES The Ghana experience is not the same with the recent events in Nigeria between the DSS and the Judicial Officers that were arrested. The events in Ghana unfolded after a painstaking two years undercover investigative journalism by a Ghanaian Journalist, Mr. Anas Aremyau. Mr. Anas gathered evidence, including audio and video, supporting the allegations of corruption and bribery against some Ghanaian Magistrates and Judges.

The evidence was turned over to the Ghanaian Judicial Council, equivalent of the NJC. The Hon. Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, took charge of the situation and assured the Ghanaian people that the Judicial Council would take, “prompt and resolute action to redeem the image of the Judiciary”.

The allegations of corrupt practices and professional misconduct against the High Court Judges were handled by the appropriate impeachment Committee of the Ghanaian Judicial Council.

Attempts to obtain injunction to stop the proceedings were dismissed by the Ghanaian High Court. All the Judges found culpable of the allegations, were disciplined appropriately by the Judicial Council of Ghana. The Residences of the Judicial Officers in Ghana were not raided neither were their Lordships arrested by the Police or Ghanaian Secret Services equivalent to Nigeria DSS. Indeed, they were not arraigned before any Law Court nor kept in the Cell of the Ghanaian Secret Services Department or their houses searched.

THE ESO PANEL CORRUPTION AND DECLINING PRODUCTIVITY IN THE NIGERIAN JUDICIARY: NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL In 1993, when it was discovered that there was general deterioration in the ethical standard and performance of Judges, the Abacha Administration set up Eso Panel to probe the conduct of Judges, including Judges of lower Courts, all over the Country; and make recommendations for solution to the problems that gave rise to the bad situation and public outcry. The Panel found 31 Magistrates and some Judges of Superior Courts of record culpable of various offences, ranging from corruption to declining productivity. The Report was accepted by Government in 1994 but was never acted upon; and the Magistrates and Judges recommended to be reprimanded or removed from office remained in office, while some of them died or retired from office.

As stated above, NJC held its inaugural Meeting in April, 2000. In 2001, President Olusegun Obasanjo discussed with the then Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJC the propriety or otherwise of Government considering the Eso Panel Report with a view to sanctioning the affected Magistrates and Judicial Officers. Consequently, the Eso Panel's Report was referred to NJC for necessary action. NJC reviewed the Eso Panel's Report and recommendations, under a Committee of NJC headed by Hon. Justice B.O. Babalakin, CON who was then a Member. The Committee considered the Eso Report and found that 14 Judicial Officers recommended for sanction were still in service. At the end of the exercise, six (6 No.) Judicial Officers, including two Hon. Chief Judges were recommended by Babalakin Committee to be sanctioned and indeed were removed from office by compulsory retirement, while the remaining eight (8 No.) were exonerated for lack of proof to sustain the allegations of professional misconduct or corruption. NJC referred the remaining Magistrates and other Judges of lower courts found culpable of various offences and ethical misconduct to their respective Judicial Service Commissions for discipline, as NJC has no Constitutional power to discipline them.

Nigerian Tribune

22.

LEGAL PRACTITIONERS GRANTING INTERVIEWS AND FIELDING QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS IN THE ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA NJC wishes to implore some of the Legal Practitioners that appear before the Electronic Media Houses and Stations and also field questions from Journalists working with the Print Media, to express their views on matters

8

Monday, 24 October, 2016 of public interest from a clear knowledge of the law and correct facts in respect of the subject matter under discussion. Thus, Lawyers are advised to verify their facts, records and information from the NJC before expressing their views at Television Houses or Radio Stations or fielding questions from Journalists.

23.

24.

NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE WITH DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES (DSS) In the last one week, since the unfolding unfortunate events that took place between the DSS and some Judicial Officers; NJC; and the Judiciary, some official correspondence particularly, between the NJC and DSS have been made public, contrary to the oath of secrecy. NJC has it on good authority that a top Political Office Holder met with some proprietors of the Print and Electronic Media in Lagos and made available the privilege and classified correspondence between DSS and NJC. Indeed, copies of the correspondence under reference have gone viral in the Social Media. Most disturbing to NJC is the fact that not all the copies of the correspondence between NJC and DSS are in circulation which otherwise would have afforded the public the opportunity to have a balance view of the matter.

This is most unfortunate and unacceptable!

THE HONOURABLE, THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA AND CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCILFALSE ACCUSATIONS By tradition and professional ethics, the Judiciary does not join issues with anybody or institution, or the public on any issue, no matter how strong it feels. NJC is however, constrained to respond to some of the unfounded and false allegations levelled against the office of the Hon. The CJN and Chairman of the National Judicial Council on particularly the issue of corruption in the Judiciary. To put the records straight, NJC wishes to allude to a few of the achievements of Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, GCON, particularly, after becoming the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria (“CJN�) and Chairman of NJC in the last two years.

25.

Just as his predecessors in office, The CJN and Chairman of NJC has shown great concern and commitment in the fight against corruption in the Judiciary Arm of Government. As record will show, during the two years of his stewardship, as the Chairman of NJC, eight (8 No.) Judicial Officers were reprimanded and six (6No.) were removed from office on the recommendation of the NJC by Mr. President and or State Governors of the affected Judicial Officers for professional misconduct and or corrupt practices. All the Judges sanctioned were made public in Press Releases

by NJC.

26.

During His Lordship's Chairmanship of NJC, a National Judicial Policy was formulated; providing a sound and clear foot print for inter-alia, enhancement of Justice delivery and elimination of corrupt practices in all facets of the Judiciary. The Policy document will be launched this month, October, 2016.

27.

Further reform measures embarked upon by the Hon. CJN and Chairman of NJC include initiation of repositioning of the NJC, the outcome of which, inter-alia, is the establishment of a full-fledged Department of Performance and Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of record in the Federation, which function has since 2003 been under a Committee of the NJC: A reform measure Eso Panel recommended for the Judiciary.

28.

Out of his concern for speedy dispensation of Justice, the Hon. CJN wrote and personally met with the leadership of the 7th and 8th National Assemblies on the importance and urgent need to consider the proposed amendments forwarded by the Judiciary to the 1999 Constitutional Review Committee of the National Assembly on the Judicature, particularly, on the limitation/termination of appellate jurisdiction of certain cases, which invariably account for the large number of backlog of cases pending on appeal at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court today, with their attendant consequences on administration of Justice.

29.

During the tenure of the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, the development of the Nigeria Case Management System reached an advanced stage with the completion of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Modules. The Trial Courts version is undergoing User's Acceptance Test. The Case Management System generated so much International interest that His Lordship received four Hon. Chief Justices from the Caribbean that indicated interest in starting a similar project for their region.

30.

The new Legal E-Mail Project approved by Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, GCON meant to provide a trusted means of communication between Courts and Lawyers, for sending Hearing Notices and generation of proof of Service has successfully registered 25,000 lawyers and out of which 23,000 were approved. His Lordship has also approved the new Supreme Court Rules to allow for only use of the legal e-mail between the Supreme Court and all lawyers wanting to do business with it from a cut-off date, this year.

31.

The Court Modernisation (Retrofitting) Project at the Supreme Court in

32.

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which Court 1 is to be made a modern IT compliant Court, is nearing completion. Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, GCON is expected to commission the Project in early November, 2016 before his retirement.

The Hon. CJN has since his assumption of office been expressing concern about the huge backlog of cases and the need for adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in decongesting our Courts. The NJC has therefore, encouraged Judges to adopt ADR where the parties are willing and the attempt is working well in many jurisdictions.

33.

The Nigerian Judiciary under the leadership of the incumbent CJN stabilised the body polity and the Nigerian democracy, following the myriad of Constitutional cases that were filed in the Courts, aimed at truncating the last political process that otherwise gave birth to this administration.

34.

In view of the foregoing facts and records, the general public may wish to note that the Honourable CJN and Chairman of the NJC, has not only been very committed in his fight against corruption in the Judiciary during his tenure, but also to his Constitutional mandate on the general administration of Justice in the Federation. It is important to note that apart from being the CJN and Head of the Nigerian Judiciary, he is also the Chairman of NJC, Federal Judicial Service Commission and the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute; and each of which has its separate core mandates.

CONCLUSION i) NJC maintains its earlier decision that it is not amenable to Judicial Officers being invited by any Institution, including the DSS, without complying with the Rule of Law and Due Process. That explains why when the DSS wrote to the NJC by letter Ref. No. LSC.960/4 dated 14th September, 2016, to direct Hon. Justice Mu'azu Pindiga to appear before it, The Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of NJC, directed the Hon. Chief Judge of Gombe State to ask Hon. Justice Mu'azu Pindiga to report to DSS, which His Lordship did. ii) NJC has never shielded nor will it shield any Judicial Officer who has been investigated by it and found to be guilty of misconduct and or being investigated by the Police or EFCC or ICPC for criminal offence or financial crime; or by DSS on a matter bordering on State security, so long as the process is in compliance with the Rule of Law and Due Process. If the misconduct is also criminal in nature, NJC has not and will not stop the Judicial Officer from being prosecuted by the Police or EFCC or ICPC, so long as the mechanism is in line with the Rule of Law and due process. iii) In performing its Constitutional functions and powers, by virtue of Section 158 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, NJC shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person. iv) NJC considered the action of the DSS as a denigration of the entire Judiciary, as an institution. v) That by the act of the DSS, Judicial Officers now feel insecure, as criminals might take advantage of the recent incidents to invade their residences as security agents. vi) NJC vehemently denounces a situation whereby the Psyche of Judicial Officers in the Federation will be subjected to a level that they will be afraid to discharge their Constitutional duties, without fear or favour, intimidation, victimization or suppression. vii) NJC will not compromise the integrity and impartiality of the Judiciary. viii) NJC wishes to reassure the public that any person who has a genuine complaint and or petition against any Judicial Officer and brings it to the Council, it will be considered in accordance with the Rule of Law and due process, vide its Judicial Discipline Regulations. ix) The Judiciary is an Arm of Government just as the Executive and the Legislature. Therefore, the war against corruption should be by all and encompassing. The Nigerian Public should appreciate the painstaking efforts being made to cleanse the Judiciary Arm of Government of Judicial Officers found to be involved in professional misconducts and corrupt practices. All the Judges that have so far been removed from office and reprimanded in that regard by NJC have been made public through Press Releases by the Information Department of the Council. x) Aware of the Ghanaian Judicial Council, Eso Panel and NJC experiences highlighted above, NJC is not unaware that Judicial Officers in Nigeria have no immunity.

However, acceptable international privileges accorded them must be maintained, without prejudice to the Rule of Law and Due Process. xi) Contrary to the impression created, the Emergency Meeting was held for only one day, being 11th October, 2016 and the decision of NJC on the subject matter was unanimous.

SIGNED:

Soji Oye, Esq

Ag. Director (Information)

9

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

10

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Celebrating a life of character,

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81

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You have positively touched so many lives as a community leader and nationalist.

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Igba odun, odun kan!!

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ADEBUTU,CON, KJW

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11

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Metro...

crime, security, court

The fuel tanker which caught fire on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Sunday morning. No life was lost.

PHOTO: OLAWALE OLANIYAN

T

HE Lagos State government will today arraign the key suspects arrested in connection with the kidnap of Oniba of Iba, Oba Yishau Goriola Oseni before the Lagos High Court, Igbosere.

The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Bola Akingbade, said the four suspects arrested in connection with the crime - Duba, Isaiah, Reuben and Yerin (other names withheld) would be arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of Court 24 for offences of conspiracy to murder, armed robbery and kidnapping.

Specifically, Kazeem said the suspects would be arraigned on eight-count charge relating to kidnapping of the monarch, murder of the palace security guard (Sunday Eniola Okanlawon) and a commercial motorcycle rider

Edited By Oluwatoyin Malik 08116954633, 08078891950

e-mail: tribunecrimedesk@gmail.com

Troops arrest 21 suspected Boko Haram terrorists

Lagos govt set to arraign kidnappers of Iba monarch Bola Badmus - Lagos

Nigerian Tribune

(Joseph Okeke).

According to the statement, they would also be arraigned on attempted murder of the monarch’s wife, Olori Abosede Oseni and theft of the Olori’s property.

While expressing the resolve of the present administration to rid the state of all forms of criminality, the state’s Attorney-General said his office would work closely with all security agencies to ensure that all cases of kidnapping, cultism, rape, sexual and domestic violence crimes were swiftly prosecuted to a logical conclusion.

He added: “The swift commencement of the trial of the suspects in the kidnap of the Oniba is a strong signal by the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode that it is not business as usual for criminals. If you commit a crime, we will find you and prosecute you, no matter how long it takes,” Kazeem said.

He assured that present administration was determined to hurt the scourge of kidnapping, cultist killing, raping and murder, adding that Governor Ambode,

as part of his commitment to make the state a safe place to live in, move freely around and do business, would continue to support law enforcement agencies in the investigation and apprehension of all criminals, especially those involved in heinous crimes of kidnapping, armed robbery and murder.

He added: “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is committed to ensuring that Lagos State becomes a nogo area for criminals, who target innocent citizens for

kidnapping and collection of ransom, in an effort to get rich quick.”

It will be recalled that during on July 16, the the crime was committed Okanlawon and Okeke were killed, while the monarch was whisked away and kept in captivity for about three weeks.

The sustained pressure and intelligence gathering from law enforcement agencies, however, led to the rescue of the monarch, while the four suspects were apprehended in the process.

TROOPS have arrested 21 suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Borno, according to statement by Colonel Sani Usman, the Army Spokesman.

Usman stated that the suspects were arrested in connection with alleged aiding and abetting of cattle rustling.

“Preliminary investigation and profiling of the suspects have commenced,” he said.

He noted that troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, in conjunction with other security agencies arrested the suspects as part of measures to stop the menace.

He added that the crime served as another means of funding Boko Haram terrorists’ activities.

He pointed out that “such actions by these unpatriotic elements are likely to jeopardise our collective efforts of clearing the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in our country.

“Although investigations are ongoing, it is important to state that this is a warning to all those collaborators that aid and abet terrorism in the North-East generally and Borno State in particular, to desist forthwith.”

Usman advised the public to report any known or suspected illegality re-

Police arrest boy, 19, for defiling 10-year-old girl Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

A 19-year-old boy, Felix Gbadebo, has been arrested by the men of the Ogun State Police Command for defiling a 10-year-old girl in Sango-Ota area of the state.

The suspect was said to have lured his victim on the pretence that he wanted to send the innocent girl on an errand.

The incident, Metro gathered happened at No 7,

Alani Akintoye Railway line in Ijoko.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, the suspect used a pillow to cover the mouth of the victim before having a carnal knowledge of her.

The victim, Metro learnt informed her father, who later reported the case to the police.

The victim’s father, ac-

cording to the PPRO, lodged complaint at the police station and SP Akinsola Ogunwale dispatched police detectives to the scene and got the suspect arrested.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.

garding Operation Lafiya Dole to security agencies.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Sunday, donated three truck-load of grains to returned internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Madagali Local Government Council of Adamawa.

Mr Sa’ad Bello, the NEMA Camps Coordinator in charge of Adamawa and Taraba, presented the items in Gulak town, headquarters of Madagali.

Bello said the gesture was part of Federal Government’s humanitarian intervention to assist returnees of communities affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

He explained that the three trucks were, however, not sufficient, considering the large number of the people, adding that more assistance would soon reach the community.

“This is the first time grains relief material meant for the returnees, through NEMA, directly reached Madagali Local Government Area.

“The first relief materials distributed was in neighbouring Michika Local Government Area in August, where some of the items were shared with people from Madagali,” he said.

He, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to judiciously use the items and not to sell, as government was making arrangements to donate more to them.

Earlier, the chairman of Madagali, Alhaji Yusuf Muhammed, had expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the assistance.

Muhammed said over 250,000 people had already returned to the area and appealed for more assistance “to prevent another anarchy of hunger and poverty.

12

businessnews

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Naira to hold steady at all market segments on improved dollar supply

T

HE Naira which appreciated in parallel market and interbank foreign exchange (FX) market is expected to hold steady this week as alternative dollar supplies improve.

The local currency on Friday, according to dealers appreciated against Dollar in parallel FX market by 0.22 per cent to close at N453.00 (N455 in other markets), but traded flat at interbank FX Market to close at N304.75.

Also, end of the week analysis revealed Naira holding ground against dollar in both markets, to appreciate by 1.31 per cent in parallel market and by 0.98 per cent in interbank FX market as against 2.96 per cent appreciation recorded in parallel market and 0.33per cent depreciation recorded in interbank market.

Market watchers believe that the continued sales of dollar to Bureau De Changes (BDCs) had played significant role in new trading pattern observed in the week. However, speculative tendency and scarcity of FX remain the driving factors depressing the value of Naira, while the currency is yet to find its support level as trading activities had indicated in both markets.

Dealers at Cowry Assets Management Limited said

Central Bank of Nigeria, also sold around US$314 million in a two-month forward auction to clear backlog of dollar demand meant for payment of matured obligations for importation of raw materials, machineries and equipment, and spare parts in the agricul-

Greenback at the BDC and parallel (black) market segments by 2.20 per cent and 1.09 per cent to N445/ USD and N455/US$ respectively.

So far, post flexible FX regime analysis revealed that Naira had lost 8.12 per cent and 31.30 per cent in value

at both interbank and parallel markets respectively, as at end of trading session today. The trading gap or spread between the interbank and parallel market sheds weight to close lower at 48.65 per cent as against 49.14 per cent recorded in previous week.

AMCON laments N146m loan default by federal lawmaker •Says over N1trn debt outstanding

By Dapo Falade

From left, Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola; Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II; Alake of Egbaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; and representative of the Wife of the President, Mrs Mary Paul, during the public presentation and first annual conference of The Point Newspaper, in Lagos on Friday.

Recession: Sanusi, Saraki, Aregbesola list conditions for recovery

A desperate Federal GovePolicy makers and Nigerians at large have been advised to focus on the real economic issues that have pushed Nigeria’s economy into crisis, with a view to exiting the current economic crisis.

The Emir of Kano, Muham-

36 states got N143.6bn from federation account in September —Report THE 36 states got N143.6 billion from the federation account in September as their share of distributable revenue generated for the month.

The breakdown shows in a report obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from a source at the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in Abuja on Sunday.

The funds are usually shared the following month; for example, revenue generated in January is shared in February; thus, the revenue shared was actually generated in August and shared in September 2016.

The key agencies that remit funds into the federation account are the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigerian Custom Service.

At the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in September, federal, states and local governments shared

tural and industrial sectors; ticket sales remittances for airlines, as well as to finance new letters of credit (LCs).

Also, following weekly U.S dollar sales by International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO), Travelex, to BDC’s, the Naira strengthened against the

Nigerian Tribune

N516 billion as against the N530 billion that was shared in August.

The report showed that the amount distributed included the Gross Statutory revenue, Value Added Tax, exchange gain, N35 billion excess Petroleum Profit Tax and 13 per cent derivation to oil producing states.

The oil producing states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.

The report showed that before distribution, state liabilities were deducted.

The liabilities include an external debt of N2.9 billion, contractual obligations of N10.48 billion and other deductions amounting to N16.9 billion.

The report showed that other deductions coverred National Water Rehabilitation Projects, National Agricultural Technology Support, Payment for Fertilizer, State Water Supply Project, State Agriculture Project and National Fadama Project.

To sum it up, here is what the 36 states got after all deductions were made.

madu Sanusi II, the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola and Senate President Bukola Saraki, who gave the advice, also listed conditions necessary to exit recession and avoid future chaos.

They spoke in Lagos on Friday during The Point Newspaper’s Public Presentation and First Annual Conference on Economic Regeneration.

Sanusi, who was the Special Guest of Honour, blamed the current economic recession on decades of policy failures, which had become a clog in the wheel of Nigeria’s economic development.

He said this just as Saraki and Aregbesola cautioned Nigerians against overdependence on foreign products at the expense of locally made goods.

Sanusi, however, said stopping Nigerians from consuming imported goods was not the biggest problem confronting the country, but the lack of local production of essential commodities and goods and the will to change policies that would drive the growth of quality local production.

The Emir noted, “We have had decades of policy failure. The last decade was Africa’s miracle decade because we moved from a continent that was known for hunger and war to a decade where people we were seen as a land of opportunities and investments.

“Nigeria grew at seven per cent every year through out

that period as the economy doubled and we became the biggest economy in Africa but lack of policy made us lose all proceeds.”

Sanusi, therefore, advised the Federal Government to take a decisive step on the type of economy it would want to run.

According to him, the time had come for the government to differentiate between reality and passion.

“I objected to the increase in the minimum wage from N12, 000 o N18, 000 in 2011 because government only had passion to reward the electorate and failed to consider the consequences along the line. By 2011, the Federal Government was spending about 80 per cent of its revenue on personnel and oil price was $110 per barrel and we were producing over two million barrels per day. That was a failed

policy,” he said.

Aregbesola, in his speech, described the theme of the annual lecture series, “What is the Economics of Change?” as, “a play on word that indirectly put to task the campaign mantra of the ruling All Progressives Congress, which promised Nigerians a change for the better during last year’s election campaign.”

He said a decline in the price of crude in the international market had always been the cause of the recession the country had fallen into at different periods.

He also attributed the severity of the ongoing recession to lack of foresight and planning on the part of government, adding that the difference between the past recession and the current one was the fact that the previous ones never lasted this long.

THE Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has lamented the alleged failure of Honourable Mustapha Dawaki Bala, a member of House of Representatives, to pay his debt of N145, 980,886.99 owed the agency.

The lawmaker from Kano State was said to have taken the loan as share purchase facility to purchase 2,000,000 units shares of Zenith Bank Plc, with an agreement to subsequently pay back the loan.

However, after an apparent default on payment of the said sum, AMCON wrote a letter to Honourable Bala to remind him of the need to liquidate his indebtedness.

The letter, dated June 20, 2016, and signed by Mr Kamar Raji on behalf Wande Okeya and Co, an asset management partner appointed by AMCON, requested the lawmaker to make the payment within two weeks.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, on Sunday, Mr Raji said Honourable Bala failed to honour the letter and its content, more than four months after he had received it.

He said, rather than complying and dealing with the appointed asset management partner as stated in the letter, the lawmaker choose to approach AMCON, even without making any payment.

Raji further stated that the outstanding indebtedness of prominent Nigerians to AMCON was over N1 trillion, noting that the development was hampering the development of cottage and medium-scale industries.

CBN, Heritage Bank, NYSC disburse N774m to 310 YIEDP beneficiaries THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Heritage Bank Plc and The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have disbursed a whooping sum of N774million to 310 beneficiaries under the Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP).

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony for the disbursement of funds to young entrepreneurs under the YIEDP, the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, commended Heritage Bank for its painstaking effort to buy into the vision of job creation and piloting

the programme to a successful stage.

The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Alhaji Suleiman Barau, said the CBN in partnership with Heritage Bank and NYSC instituted the programme to reduce the alarming rate of unemployment affecting over 16 million unemployed youths in Nigeria, adding that access to credit via this platform would be a powerful instrument to grow businesses and the economy.

He noted that the YIEDP

was part of the plan by the CBN and the Federal Government to create over one million direct jobs by 2020.

Emefiele, who affirmed that the programme would have a multiplier effect on job creation and economy, urged all the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the fund.

He added that the YIEDP has the potential of becoming the stimulus for job and wealth creation, growth and economic development through improved access to finance for young entrepreneurs.

14

Monday, 24 October, 2016

LETTERS TO THE

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.

Aisha Buhari: The masses’ advocate

F

IRST Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari’s interview should not generate the controversy it is generating at the moment because she simply told the truth.

I want to particularly focus on when she said that she would not follow her husband to campaign for the 2019 election if things

LASG, come to our aid in Ijagemo I recently read a report about the good work the Lagos State government is doing in rehabilitating roads in the state. Unfortunately, my hope was almost immediately dashed after perusing through the list of roads, I discovered that none of them was in the closest proximity to Ijagemo Community in the Iba/Ojo LCDA, let alone awarding any road contract there. Not a passing comment was made about any of the communities on the Ijegun-Ijagemo-Ijedodo corridor, even among those outlined for future attention. This, therefore, raises a big question: Are those in the aforementioned communities not part of Lagos State? It may be interesting that after shuttling with delight and enthusiasm in the night from Epe, Ajah, Apapa, Badagry, Ikorodu, Yaba, Ikeja, Oshodi, Agege, Surulere to Okota, Ejigbo, Isheri-Oshun, one will be in high spirit until you get to the Ijegun-Ijagemo axis when such enthusiasm and hope would be dimmed as a result of fate of a neglected people.

If the state government belongs to all and not to a particular group, something urgently should be done to raise the optimism of the inhabitants of Ijegun-Ijagemo and Ijedodo areas. At least, if there is no possibility of erecting the street lights, something should be done on drainage and road situations, which are the twin problems plaguing the communities in the above mentioned environ.

•Tony Anaele, Ijagemo, Lagos.

remained as they are now.

This statement was not to denigrate her husband or the government; she jokingly made the remarks due to the economic situation the country finds itself.

Mrs Buhari, through that interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), meant that things are not rosy at the moment, but that her husband must ensure that Nigerians heave a sigh of relief before the campaigning for the 2019 election starts.

I was, therefore, surprised that the First lady’s interview has been blown out of proportion, with many opposition political watchers claiming she might not be having the best of time with her husband.

When President Muhammadu Buhari also responded that his wife “belongs to his kitchen,” many people

read different meanings to it. Through that interview, one can know the kind of heart inside the President’s wife. Not many First ladies would admit the truth about the situation of the country, but Mrs Buhari spoke the truth.

Before this interview, I

am sure she would have discussed with her husband on several occasions that Nigerians are not having it easy as a result of the economic recession, and that the President should do everything in his power to turn things around for the people.

I want to commend Hajia Aisha Buhari for speaking the truth; I know she has aides who would have wanted to censor the interview, but being the good person she is, she didn’t allow that. She made her opinions public.

As a result of this, I can

say that the masses truly have an advocate in government, in person of Hajia Aisha Buhari, and may God continue to bless her.

•Timothy Pawa, Rayfields, Jos, Plateau State.

Fall in currency value: Like Nigeria, like UK THE Nigerian naira has been falling against major currencies of the world since last year due to the crash in the global oil price, which accounts for over 75 percent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange.

From N150 to $1 just over a year ago, the naira has plummeted to about N450 to a $1 today.

Consequently, because Nigeria is an importdriven economy, the price of virtually everything —

goods and services — have been going up, thereby putting Nigerians deeper into poverty. This happens when income is not increasing, but the expenditure is going over the roof.

However, the British people are also experiencing what Nigerians are experiencing, but in another way, because the pound has been falling against the dollar since the people voted to leave the European Union in June.

Now, travelling is one of the passions of the British people, and they now have to spend more on their travels.

However, it is only the cost of foreign made products that are going up, and since the UK has a thriving manufacturing and agricultural sectors, they are not obliged to import costly products. In fact, the fall in the value of the pounds will be better for the UK in the longer term.

However, in our case, we import all the products we need for our survival; we import food despite having large expanse of arable land; we import petroleum products, we import clothing materials, we import even drugs, water, toothpicks, among others. So how do we expect not to feel the recession?

In the UK, the people have a choice to travel locally instead of internationally to save costs; they also have the option to buy locally-made products that are cheaper than costly foreign made products.

That is why the British will not feel the impact of their falling pounds, but in Nigeria, we have no choice than to import these basic items for our survival.

Why am I comparing these two scenarios? I am doing this because we need to know that we cannot continue to rely on importation to survive as a nation. Let us focus on our local products; let Nigerians shun the Italian shoes and bags and opt for those made in Aba. Let us shun the expensive imported suits and use our local fabrics of adire in Abeokuta to make suits.

Let us build more refineries so that we can refine our petroleum products at home instead of importing. We should also develop our agricultural sector so that we wouldn’t need to import food any longer.

These are the simple ways through which we can protect our economy from future economic turbulence.

All hands must, therefore, be on deck towards making Nigeria self-sustaining.

•Ilori Ayomide, London, United Kingdom.

15

opinion

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Lasisi Olagunju

T

Lasgunju@yahoo.com (08111813053)

HIS is not about what happens in the kitchen and the magical chemistry that melts the stubborn in the other room. This is not about knowing or not knowing the political party where somebody’s wife worships. This is about the world racing past anyone whose gaze is fixed on the false water on the tarmac. This is about the world rescuing itself from a fumbling, tumbling tribe of impotent men of superstition and power.

This is also about Nigeria and its bewitched presidential palace. A former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, was most certain that magic, spells and the principalities of wizardry are firmly in charge of the destiny of the nation. His thesis is that Nigeria is not working because its leaders lose their heads to an infernal curse of certain failure the very first night they lay those heads where presidents sleep. Old and young people die, men and women run mad, middle aged eggheads go senile, lose their manhood (and womanhood) when they work in the Villa. That was the narrative.

He was certain that Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, should be pulled down and another built with anointing oil as its foundation spring. There is a whole body of controversy in the land: was he right or was he wrong situating governmental and elite failure at the doorstep of charms and spells? His critics slam him and his thesis, especially against the groundswell of national displeasure over his boss’s handling of the nation’s affairs for six years.

Abati’s successor, Femi Adesina, has also sauntered into the living room of this discourse. He says he works, stays, sleeps and snores peacefully in the villa. He does not see ghosts and fires like the man before him. He, very interestingly, reminded Abati of Shakespeare’s story of Macbeth and Duncan, of Lady Macbeth and her affliction of madness, of betrayal, death and the appearance of ghosts and fear in the palace, etc. Huh!!! If you belong to the Facebook generation, you may start wondering what Shakespeare or Macbeth means. Macbeth is the story of hot ambition and of wives encouraging their men to “dagger” their way to power. It is the story of witches, blood and political power. It is also the story of the consequences of total (and even partial) submission to seen and unseen dark forces, and of subsequent rash actions taken in furtherance of ambitions to rule. It is the tragic

Aso Rock and magical (un)realities

story of the hollowness of power and its appurtenances.

Talks about spells and charms in public spaces and places are always boiled in hot passion. Politicians and civil servants know these things exist but they deny that knowledge. They are as talks about office romance and sex — recognised as real, yet publicly denied. Call them locker room actions if you like. Evil men are never far away from government offices. However, they become real threats when the leader makes them part owners of state power. You are elected governor or president and the first thing you do is hiring marabouts, babalawo and priests of unknown temples to take turns sanctifying the Government House. What you pay for your action is much more than the millions they charge. You lose your money, freedom and the happiness of your people. When the leader opens his door for the principalities, they proceed so quickly to exert so much influence on elite actions and behaviour seeking to determine the direction of state policies and programmes. Governments fail when the leader hands over the state to the witches and wizards of power.

These are the kind of stories that come out of our government houses. And it is not exclusive to politicians. I once wrote about a gentleman who quietly entered my office while I was in government and without introducing himself frontally ordered me to give him money. His order failed to work, he then sought to use my toilet. You will also remember that I wrote about another gentleman, a complete stranger, who said I once paid for fuel

for his car and, therefore, he wanted to “show appreciation” by giving me a “well sewn” garment. Local government chairmen, governors and presidents receive such Trojan horse garments everyday to their sorrow.

Is it not strange that while the developed world continues to use science and rational thinking to explore uncharted terrains for solutions to the daily problems of existence, we are still stuck in the mire of magic and superstition?

Those who have critiqued Abati’s thesis say it is a disclaimer on reason. They say it attempts to use voodooism as explanation for a rot that is empirically systemic.

The critics insist on going the way of Max Weber contending that with humanity’s advancement “one needs no longer have recourse to magical means in order to master or implore spirits” and that, in fact, “there are no mysterious incalculable forces” anywhere again to blame for our woes. But Abati wrote on what he claimed he saw.

The man said the place we call Aso Rock was a Villa of a million demons while he worked there. Adesina has given his own version of a Villa of peace and sleep in its deepest form. Can we take up the argument from there going back and looking forward for possible explanatory notes on their positions? Is it true that persons who have gone through the Villa were doves who came out of the place as carrion eating vultures? Is the fault in the hardened brick and mortar of the physical space called the Villa?

Are we getting our independence from the new occultic colonial masters (and mistresses) once we evict ourselves from the gilded mansion? Or is it not true that even if you build new Villas at the beginning of every term, the spirit of mediocre will endure still because it resides in the body and soul of the leader?

Back to Adesina’s flashlight on Macbeth. If you are of the generation that considers Shakespeare as a mere museum stuff, I suggest you leave the social in the new media for a while, google and read that blood-curdling play of intrigues, of women and ambition, of dreams and death as we continue to interrogate what really ails the palace, the king and the kingdom.

Building a better North through education

By Ayodele Lawal Adio

NORTHERN elders and the elite class have been quite vocal in the last couple of years, giving a louder voice to national issues, particularly that which affects their region. However, the sad reality is that they have focused on issues that massages the ego of the elite class and deepen the pockets of a selected few turning a blind eye on the more threatening issues eating up the region.

The dominant lexicon, Revenue allocation, as to who gets a better share from the national purse seems to take a sizable share of their mind thereby ignoring the bigger elephant in the room. If increase in allocation translates to better distribution of wealth across the social strata and an improved living standard of the average northerner, then they stand on holy ground but the evidence proves otherwise. The lack of regional purpose, poorly articulated vision, an incoherent strategy and a continuous mismanagement of resources is the cradle upon which the parlous situation of today’s north was bred.

The huge textile industries in Kano and Kaduna that employed thousands of young northerners gradually slid into extinction without any of our leaders attempting to thrown in a rescue rope. There is no doubt that the north is home to the richest man in Africa and a couple of other billionaires, what logical explanation could one then give to the widespread poverty on the larger populace rather than the earlier assertion on the norths focus on building strong individuals at the expense of stronger communities. It is this widening gap between the rich and poor that has gradu-

ally metamorphosed to the insecurity we are experiencing today. How could we not have known that economic repression breeds strife and contempt. The North is today making the headline for all the wrong things.

The challenges in the North and its opportunities are tied to a single yet critical word, Education. It is the level of awareness of a people, their skills and cerebral sophistication that determines the kind of community they build.

There is a strong relationship between education and economic prosperity. When Egypt became the centre for global education, it consequently became an economic world power, this trend extended to Greece, Rome, Britain and today the United States where seven of the top 10 universities in the world are resident.

The North accounts for the highest rate of illiteracy in the country, way below the national average and worst ratios for girl child education in the country. The national demographic and health survey puts the illiteracy rate for women at 21% in the north west compare to a national rate of 50%, the 10 states with the highest number of girls out of secondary school are also found in the north. Eight states in northern Nigeria has the country’s worst girl child education and health indices, and if this trend continues, how will we ever produce an Okonjo Iweala, Oby Ezekwesili, Ibukun Awosika, or Bola Adesola.?

Education contributes directly to the growth of national income by improving the productive capacities of the labour force. A recent study of 19 developing countries including Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia concluded that a country’s long term economic growth increases by 3.7per cent for every

year the adult population’s average level of schooling rises.

Education hence is a key strategy for poverty reduction.

Therefore, the North must adopt a regional educational policy that emphasises access and quality education. The operation word is quality, which will necessitate the equipping of colleges of education to produce standard teachers and an improved welfare of the teachers. People should aspire to teach but for them to dream of teaching, the profession must have poise and ensure a decent livelihood. A massive investment in the infrastructure of schools and its facilities, an overhaul of its curriculum and an effective monitoring machine that ensures compliance from teachers and all stake holders. This can be achieved by allocating the required 26per cent of the budget of state governments to education as stipulated by the United Nations.

The technical colleges and institutes can be transformed into the bed rock of innovation in Nigeria by opening them up to partnerships with the private sector, international exchange programs, hands on experience with local projects and new funding windows. It is a shame to note that the north also has the least internet penetration in the country and as such are excluded from the global community, trends and the conversations that could shape their tomorrow.

Start up grants which must be carefully monitored should be given to qualified individuals and those without a knack for entrepreneurship can be absorbed into the agricultural value chain where they can use their skills and earn a decent living. It is time for the northern elite to put their monies where their mouth is •Adio sent in this article from Abuja

16

Monday, 24 October, 2016 NIFEX as @ October 20, 2016

CBN Rates as at 10/21/2016 Currency US DOLLAR POUNDS STERLING EURO SWISS FRANC YEN CFA WAUA YUAN/RENMINBI RIYAL SDR

Buying 304.25 371.0329 331.1761 305.8711 2.9334 0.4901 418.5424 44.9699 81.1182 417.8874

Central (NGN) 304.75 371.6426 331.7204 306.3738 2.9382 0.5001 419.2303 45.0443 81.2515 418.5741

Selling (NGN) 305.25 372.2524 332.2646 306.8764 2.943 0.5101 419.9181 45.1186 81.3848 419.2609

Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

Spot($/N)

318.5625

0.14

NIBOR as @ October 20, 2016 Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

O/N

16.625

-4.83

1M

19.8021

-1.15

3M

20.2709

-0.95

6M

23.0356

-0.18

NITTY Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

1M

16.9846

-0.78

2M

17.1103

-0.84

3M

17.3967

-0.79

6M

17.8059

-1.15

9M

21.3887

-0.01

12M

21.6151

-1.33

with Chima Nwokoji m:08032637535 e:chimatitus@yahoo.com

Interbank rates to moderate on improved liquidity

I

NTERBANK money market rates are expected to moderate as about N200 billion in the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distribution expected to filter through the system adds up to treasury bills worth N144.958 billion expected also to mature this week.

“In the week ahead, we expect the inflow of circa N200 billion in FAAC allocations to improve system liquidity and expect money market rates to moderate from current levels. However, there is a high probability the CBN will react by mopping up excess liquidity

through OMO auctions in pursuance of its tightening objective,” a dealer told investors.

This week, treasury bills worth N144.958 billion will mature via secondary market, viz: 101-day bills worth N73 billion, 205-day bills worth N40.2324 billion, and 206-day bills worth N31.634 billion.

“In the absence of major outflows via Open Market Operation (OMO) auctions, we anticipate further moderation in interbank interest rates. We further some price rallies (and decline in yields) in secondary market due to anticipated bargain

hunting activities following recent boost in financial system liquidity via FAAC disbursements,” another dealer said.

Investment banking and securities dealers disclosed that activities in the Treasury bills market started last week on a sluggish note as sell sentiment was evident on the back of pressured financial system liquidity.

Average T-bills rate moved in similar mode to interbank money market rates as it inched higher in the first two trading sessions of the week but declined towards the end of the week on the back of a T-bills maturity of

N138.2 billion, closing at 17 per cent on Friday, down 62 basis points (bps) week on week (W-o-W).

On Wednesday, the apex bank offered N138.2 billion in 91-days, 182-days and 364-days T-bills at a primary market auction.

Against the backdrop of low system liquidity, the auction was undersubscribed by 0.2 xs and consequently under allotted by N22.9 billion.

The CBN allotted N20.9 billion of the 91-days, N28.2 billion of the 182-days and N32.4 billion of the 364days T-bills at stop rates of 14 per cent, 17.1 per cent and 18.3 per cent respectively.

Ecobank eyes Africa’s e-banking transformation with new mobile app ECOBANK Transnational Incorporation (ETI) has launched a new mobile application, which it says will transform electronic banking in Africa.

The bank said the new product is an instant and convenient way of banking via the mobile phone, stressing that it is the first unified app delivered by any institution for use in 33 countries.

With a mere click or two on the Ecobank mobile app, customers can open a new digital account with no paper references.

Ecobank Group Chief Executive Officer, Ade Ayeyemi, who unveiled the new product at an elaborate launch in Lagos said this is not just a digital application, but platform in which everyone that want to do banking, send money, do shopping, pay bills and perform other financial services can do so with great ease and great speed.

“We have found a way to ensure that every person that wants to have a bank account will have a bank account. The Ecobank mobile app opens up opportunities for customers by allowing them to shop, transact and do business without cash. At scale, this will be transformational

for Africa. Through its purchasing power and Ecobank’s partnerships with Visa and Mastercard, the Ecobank mobile app will be an accepted means of payment. With its removal of barriers to entry and affordable price points, the Ecobank mobile app will empower the consumer to be on the move.”

Also, laying emphasis on Ecobank Masterpass in Lagos, Ayeyemi said that the bank’s customer base, currently at 11 million, would increase to 100 million in 2020 with the mobile application.

He said that the application would boost the bank’s customer base in 33 countries across Africa.

“This new agreement, Mastercard will give Ecobank the scale and capacity to achieve its 100 million customer ambition in a profitable and sustainable way by 2020.

“The bank is creating a platform for everybody, for people who want to sell or even transfer money to make banking easy. Banking is not just about people on the top of pyramid, but for everybody, and that is why we partnered with a range of people to make payment very easy,” Ayeyemi said.

Unveiling of the Ecobank Mobile App had in attendance customers, students, professional workers, traders and transporters. Board members, shareholders, Ecobank staff and the media also attended.

Ecobank Mobile App uniquely leverages the power of digital technology to deliver real convenience to customers. The mobile app according to the lender gives Ecobank the scale and capacity to achieve its 100 million customer ambition in a profitable and sustainable way.

Patrick Akinwuntan, Ecobank Group Executive Consumer banking, said “This launch fulfills our promise of creating relevant solutions for consumers. With the Ecobank Mobile App, Ecobank customers can make and receive instant payments across 33 African countries. They can also pay in store with their mobile phones. This is genuine convenience delivered to our consumers.”

At the launch, Mr Akinwuntan demonstrated how to make payment, how to send and receive money to merchants using Ecobank Masterpass QR technology. He also showed that opening an XpressAccount was an instant and easy transaction.

Nigerian Tribune

Money Market Review WITH aggregate system liquidity at N84.0billion deficit at the start of the week, Open Buy Back (OBB) and Overnight (O/N) lending rates rose 21.7 and 16.7 percentage points to close at 125 per cent and 128.5 per cent respectively on Monday, remaining at penultimate week’s triple digits close. Liquidity remained tight on Tuesday with rates at high levels; however, OBB and O/N rates reversed uptrend by mid-week as both declined significantly by 132.8 and 133 percentage points to 18.9 per cent and 20.5 per cent respectively due to impact of the refunds for unsuccessful bids at the foreign exchange (FX) forwards auction which bolstered financial system liquidity.

Afrinvest West Africa Limited, an investment banking and securities company in a note to investors said that in addition, the inflow of net N138.2 billion in treasury bills (T-bills) maturities on Thursday further improved system liquidity, resulting in a 4.1 per cent and five per cent decline in OBB and O/N rates to close at 14.8 per cent and 15.5 per cent on Thursday, eventually closing the week at 14 per cent and 14.5 per cent on Friday respectively.

Foreign Exchange Market In a move similar to the special secondary market intervention auction of $4.1 billion in forwards commitment held in June to clear pent-up FX demands, the CBN sold about $313 million worth of two months forwards at rates ranging from N310/$1 to N350/$1 in a special intervention auction penultimate Friday. The dollar forwards auction was targeted at clearing backlogs of FX demands from agriculture and agro-allied businesses, airlines and manufacturers amongst others. In line with past trend, the naira remained stable at the interbank market last week as it firmed 1.2per cent W-o-W, strengthening to N304.75/$1 on Friday from N307.77/$1 in the previous week. Nonetheless, persistent interventions by the CBN with dollar sales at the interbank segment as well as tight foreign inflows continues to pressure the external reserves as it currently sits at $23.9 billion from $26.4 billion as at Half year (H1):2016.

At the parallel market, the naira/dollar exchange rate remained stable at N455/$1 on all trading days of the week save for Tuesday when it appreciated to N453/$1 as Travelex continues to provide an alternative source of dollar supply for travelers and licensed Bureau-DeChange operators.

According to Afrinvest, in the futures market, the over the counter (OTC) FX Futures contracts calendar as at October 21, 2016, showed value of open contracts at $3.7 billion from $3.5 billion in the previous week as investors continue to take advantage of the attractive prices of instruments on offer.

In the week ahead, the Central Bank will be settling $270.6 millio in open futures contracts maturing 26th October 2016. Analysts expect the Apex Bank to open a new October 2017 futures contract with a total value of $1 billion to replace the maturing instrument. However, Afrinvest believes rate at the parallel market will be pressured in the weeks ahead on the back of the apex bank’s decision to maintain status-quo on the suspension of 19 banks from dollar sale to BDCs, suspension of Naira debit cards for FX transactions and Travelex’s inability to meet the rising foreign currency demand from BDC operators.

Bond Market Sentiment in the domestic bonds market was mixed but largely bearish last week as investors reacted to the release of September inflation numbers the previous Friday - which indicated a 17.9 per cent year on year (Y-o-Y) rise in Headline Inflation in addition to decreased system liquidity. The market started off the week bearish but sentiment turned bullish mid-week following improvement in liquidity.

Dealers said weakened sentiment for long-duration bonds on Friday, however sent prices down at the long end of the curve. On W-o-W basis, yields on benchmark bonds trimmed 1bps on average to 15.1 per cent on Friday driven mainly by a rally on short and medium tenor bonds, while yields rose at the long end of the curve. In the short term, dealers imagine that investors in the local bonds market will continue to price in current inflation and inflation expectations in their valuation of bonds instrument; as such, expecting yields to remain at current level as inflationary pressure subsides and Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) holds off on further hike in interest rate.

Performance in the Nigerian corporate Eurobonds market was mixed. Investors hunted for bargain in the 6.9 per cent Fidelity 2018 bond with year to month (YTM) down 402bps to 16.6 per cent contrary to previous weeks when sell sentiment was evident on the instrument.

moneymarket Recession: Stanbic IBTC calls for fresh focus on sustainable agriculture 17

S

TANBIC IBTC Bank, a member of the Standard Bank group has called on governments at all levels, organised private sector, farmers and financial institutions embrace agriculture in a sustainable manner to ensure that Nigeria through increased output will find its way out of the present economic recession in the country.

Speaking at the 2016 Stanbic IBTC Leadership forum held in Lagos over the weekend, Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs Sola David-Borha, said despite negative growth in several sectors of the economy, agriculture was the only sector that grew by 4.5 per cent, suggesting that with renewed focus, the sector is capable of helping the Nigerian economy wriggle out of recession.

According to her, the focus on agriculture is understandable; as the sector and its value chain have the potential to create millions of jobs, especially as over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population is engaged in agriculture-related activities.

“We all know that agriculture is capable of creating millions of jobs across the entire value chain, drive export and much needed foreign exchange. I think the real challenge for us is unlocking opportunities that exist and making everything that we have been talking about a reality so that agriculture will be contributing to GDP across all its value chain.

“In Stanbic IBTC, we consider agriculture a key sector and we play across the entire value chain by providing financing, advisory services, partnerships and facilitate the process of acquiring machinery for commercial agriculture,” she said.

David-Borha further explained that agriculture is not about growing deposits but about providing the right type of financing across the entire value chain and other transactions follows. She said it is not for the faint-hearted, but require capital, patience and commitment to see it through, adding that the new drive into agriculture will go a long way in supporting federal government towards the drive to economic diversification.

Titled GEMS in the field, the Stanbic IBTC Business Leadership conference in Nigeria specifically focused on building a vibrant and sustainable agricultural sector in Nigeria.

Earlier, David-Borha the lender remains dedicated to providing platforms for showcasing Nigeria’s economic potential while availing investors accurate information with which they can make informed decisions on the economy. In addition, Stanbic IBTC Bank will remain in the forefront of providing bespoke products and initiatives that significantly impact on the whole agricultural value chain, David-Borha said.

Kola Masha, Managing Direc-

Monday, 24 October, 2016

tor, Doreo Partners, an agriculture-focused investment firm, said through an approach known as ‘Babban Gona,’ a Hausa word for great farmer, his firm has been able to provide financing and advisory services to millions of farmers across the country.

He said experience has shown that even though the farmers has “no formal addresses, no bank account, no financial history, no phone, can barely read and write,” the firm has recorded a credit repayment rate of 99.9 percent from the farmers, adding that with new

approaches to agriculture, Nigeria can be the next Brazil in the nearest future.

Jason Drew, South African farmer and eco-entrepreneur, who achieved global fame by creating a thriving enterprise via the cultivation of maggots, also said there is need to approach agriculture in a way that takes care of not only the present, but the environment and the future, stressing that industrial revolution is over and “sustainable revolution is here.”

Now in its third year, the 2016 edition’s keynote speakers par-

ticipated in a panel discussion and engaged the audience in discussions covering the economy, and agriculture in particular, sharing their insight and expertise on how to build a vibrant and sustainable agricultural sector in Nigeria.

Building on the resounding success of the previous editions, this year’s theme reflected the large changes expected to occur in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, as the country moves towards diversification, while highlighting opportunities that investors and businesses can tap into.

From left, Corporate Affairs & Media Relations Officer of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr Rafiu Mohammed; Chief Executive Officer of Corporate Shepherds Limited and Guest Speaker, Mr Idorenyen Enang; Group Head, Corporate Affairs of the bank, Mr Diran Olojo and Head, Corporate Affairs & Media Management, Mr Louis Ibe, during the media parley organised by FCMB for financial journalists in Lagos last week.

Currency outside banks increases to N1.48 trn, forex reserves dip LATEST data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has shown that Nigeria’s external reserves has dipped to $24 billion (as at 18th October), just as Depository Corporations Survey for September showed that broad money supply in Nigeria increased month-on-month (m-o-m) by 2.25 per cent to N22.13 trillion.

The growth in broad money is as a result of a 2.62 per cent growth in net domestic assets to N14.39 trillion accompanied by a 1.56 per cent rise in net foreign assets to N7.74 trillion.

It further showed that the boost was mostly due to a 9.23 per cent m-o-m increase in demand deposits to N8.47 trillion coupled with a 7.88 per cent m-o-m increase in currency (in circulation) outside banks to N1.48 trillion.

Currency in circulation is currency that is physically used to conduct transactions between consumers and businesses rather than stored in a bank, financial institution or central bank.

Analysis of the figures further revealed that the stock of the national reserves lost about $270 million in the last one week from $24.23 billion to a new low of

$23.95 billion. It has also lost about $920 million in the last one month from $24.87 billion.

Market watchers said the demand for foreign exchange is still bigger than the supply and within these periods, prices and production have been hovering as well.

The Director-General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, said the cause of the depletion amid relative stable price and production is still the case of demand and supply.

“You cannot plan with uncertainty. What the government can do at best now is to ration. It cannot also stop entirely from spending the ones that came in. It is a matter of the quantity that came in and the quantity the people are asking for. If you spend and do not replenish more than you spent, the reserves will definitely lose level,” he said.

However, Afrinvest, a Lagos based investment advisory group said the impact of an upfront payment from India on the external reserves will result in additional three months of import cover (at the prevailing average import levels), which might also reduce speculative tendencies in the for-

eign exchange (FX) market.

According to the company, as India and Nigeria continue to share a thriving relationship in the Oil & Gas space in which India remains one of the top importers of Nigeria’s crude there is hope of recovery of the reserves.

The duo recently entered into an agreement for $15 billion upfront Crude Oil Purchase Agreement from Nigeria. According to investment bankers at Afrinvest West Africa Limited, said the deal (if eventually consummated) will guarantee off-take of Nigerian crude in a market already oversupplied and with active explorations on-going in various regions set to add to supply, while the industry still faces competition from alternative energy sources.

Also, “with Nigeria’s external reserves at $24 billion, an inflow of $15 billion in upfront payment for crude purchase will not only provide dollar earnings to shore up the external reserves, it will also provide the Federal/Sub -National Governments with the needed funds that the economy earnestly requires to stabilize domestic fiscal conditions and current account deficits.

Nigerian Tribune

UBA wins big at Finacle Client Innovation awards UNITED Bank for Africa plc has been adjudged winner in two categories at the recently concluded Finacle Client Innovation Awards 2016. The award was organised in India by Infosys Limited; the corporation that provides business consulting, information technology and outsourcing services to financial institutions across 19 countries.

The pan African banking Group has continued to receive accolades and global recognition for its commitment to the use of cutting-edge technology to provide simple and convenient banking solutions and services to its customers.

UBA won the ‘Award for Process Innovation’ on account of its innovative approach to transaction authentication and reconciliation and also clinched the award for ‘Project Management Innovation’ as a result of the outstanding work it has done on implementing a ‘multi country migration of Finacle core banking solution using the Clustered Rollout concept. The awards were keenly contested for by financial institutions with over 160 nominations received from across different banks in 94 countries.

Commenting on the awards, Mr Kennedy Uzoka, the Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, said the Finacle Awards is an attestation to the quality of human resources that abound in UBA and the importance the Bank places on using information technology to better serve its customers.

“UBA has remained the leading bank in driving customer satisfaction and banking penetration across Africa using information and computer technology. In achieving this, we have and will continue to commit resources to bringing convenience to our teeming customers,” he added.

The Finacle Client Innovation Awards recognizes some of the breakthrough innovations achieved by the clients, leveraging Finacle solutions. The award celebrates product, channel/distribution, customer service, process, custom component development and project management innovations that have benefitted banks by increasing revenues, profitability, enhancing customer satisfaction and efficiency.

“Using technology to provide consumer satisfaction and excellent banking experience is important to us. In doing this, we emphasized the acquisition of relevant technologies to drive service excellence and innovation in product and services, across all channels,” said Chuks Nweke, Executive Director, Operations and Technology, United Bank for Africa.

UBA is one of Africa’s leading banks with operations in 19 African countries including having presence in global financial centers; New York, London and Paris.

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Fidson shareholders get N75m dividend Stories by Kehinde Akinseinde-Jayeoba - Lagos SHAREHOLDERS of Fidson Healthcare Plc has approved the dividend payout of N75 million representing five kobo per ordinary share.

At the company’s 17th Annual General Meeting, in Lagos on Wednesday, the management of the company proposed the dividend which was unanimously approved by its shareholders.

Speaking on behalf of the shareholders, Sir Sunny Nwosu, President of the Independent Shareholders Association of Ni-

geria (ISAN) appreciated the efforts of the board and management of the company for no bad debt despite the challenges of acquiring foreign exchange.

He however observed that dividend payout of five kobo was a far cry from 15 kobo given to shareholders in 2014, while also noting that the company should have. give bonus of at least one for one.

Nwosu said the company should have made provision for bonus as the financial reports shows the company had reserves aside the fact that shareholders were overdue for bonus at least one for one.

“It is not fair that you are conserving cash and paying little to shareholders. It is not fair that shareholders are losing on both side,” he said.

Another shareholder, Robert Igwe decried the decrease in the dividend payout from 15 kobo to 5 kobo per 50 kobo ordinary share despite the increase in the profit in 2016 financial year.

Igwe, who noted that the company’s Earnings Per Share (EPS) increased by 19 per cent to 50 kobo in 2015 from 42 kobo in 2014, just as shareholder’s fund appreciated by 10 per cent to N6.3 million, therefore urged the company to improve on dividend payout next year.

with Kehinde Akinseyinde-Jayeoba

m: 08057336640 e: kehinde_07@yahoo.com

NSE,LSEsynergiestodevelop Nigeriancapitalmarket

From left, Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive Officer, London Stock Exchange (LSE); Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, Director-General, National Pension Commission (PENCOM); Greg Hands, UK Minister for International Trade; Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance; Bukar Kyari, Managing Director, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc; Oscar Onyema, OON, Chief Executive Officer, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Capital Markets Division, NSE, at the Opening Bell Ceremony of the London Stock Exchange.

DURING the weekend, Nigeria Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun on Friday alongside the Minister of State for International Trade, London, Rt Hon. Greg Hands MP, jointly opened trading on the floor of the London Stock Exchange in celebration of the third ‘London and Lagos Capital Markets in Partnership’ Conference.

According to statement, the event, hosted in collaboration with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) brings senior Nigerian policymakers including Director-General, Nigerian Pension Commission, Chinelo

Equities market post 0.95% loss, sheds N1.6bn in 7 days

L

AST week, equities investors maintained a cautious hand as a turnover of 674.721 million shares worth N7.657 billion in 12,290 deals were traded on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in contrast to a total of 1.163 billion shares valued at N9.251 billion that exchanged hands in the preceding week in 14,992 deals.

The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation depreciated by 0.95 per cent to close the week at 27,596.82 and N9.479 trillion respectively, as it’s Week to Date (WtD) stands at -0.95 per cent.

The Financial Services Industry were the toast of investors during the week as it led the activity chart with 495.992 million shares valued at N2.767 billion traded in 6,522 deals; thus contributing 73.51 per cent

and 36.14 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Conglomerates Industry followed with 80.885 million shares worth N95.212 million in 536 deals. The third place was occupied by the Construction/Real Estate Industry with a turnover of 32.484 million shares worth

N18.498 million in 70 deals.

Trading in the Top Three Equities were Law Union & Rock Insurance Plc, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (measured by volume), having accounted for 263.199 million shares worth N1.033 billion in 637

deals, contributing 39.01 per cent and 13.49 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Similarly, all other Indices finished lower during the week with the exception of the NSE Industrial Goods Index that appreciated by 0.52 per cent, while the NSE

ASeM Index closed flat.

16 equities appreciated in price during the week, lower than 22 equities of the previous week. 38 equities depreciated in price, lower than 42 equities of the previous week, while 126 equities remained unchanged higher than 116 equities recorded in the preceding week.

FBN Capital to host key government, business leaders at annual investor conference

IN line with the commitment to provide a platform that will facilitate interaction for identifying sustainable growth opportunities in Nigeria, FBN Capital Limited, the investment banking and asset management subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc. will host its Annual Investor Conference.

The theme of this year’s event, ‘An economy at a

crossroads: thriving in the face of new realities’, which is scheduled for October 27, 2016 at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos, will be explored through a combination of presentations and interactive sessions with some of the foremost reformers in government, business leaders and senior executives in both the public and private sectors of

the economy.

Through the conference, FBN Capital aims to contribute meaningfully to the discourse on how to return the Nigerian economy to growth, temper inflation, boost job creation, and increase awareness on how the government is responding to on-going fiscal and monetary challenges.

According to Lolade

Sasore, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, “Over the past five years, we have hosted the annual conference in line with our commitment to facilitating the debate on developing our market, and promoting Nigeria as one of the leading investment destinations in sub-Saharan Africa for both domestic and foreign investors.”

Anohu-Amazu, Nigeria business leader, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) CEO, Oscar Onyema and the Chief Financial Officer, Seplat Petroleum, Roger Brown together with global investors and advisors.

In his comment, Greg Hands said “I know from my own time in Nigeria that the UK and Nigeria have long enjoyed a close and prosperous business relationship. The UK is one of Nigeria’s largest investors and the government is committed to boosting trade between the two countries.

“We are actively helping British companies export to Nigeria and Nigerian businesses to locate and expand in the UK. I welcome this initiative, as a further step to deepen the commercial links between our nations.”

The CEO of London Stock Exchange plc and Director of International Development, London Stock Exchange Group, Nikhil Rathi said “Today’s event is a reflection of the global investment community’s strong desire to be a part of the Nigeria story. As the world’s most international exchange, we are ideally positioned to build on the success of existing dual listings in Nigeria and London, boosting global investor awareness of the country’s exciting growth trajectory.

“Our strong partnership with the NSE allows us a unique opportunity to showcase the rapid developments in Nigerian capital markets and the Nigerian economy.”

In his comment the CEO of The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema, noted that “Our collaboration with London Stock Exchange is deliberate and strategic.

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Toyin Olakanpo, Founder, CSRChildren

leadership &

management with Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

The 60-second

business coach PAGE 24

PAGE 22

Leaders’

forum PAGE 22

Quote LEADERSHIP

It is funny about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the very best you will very often get it. —W. Somerset Maugham

The leader and office politics

By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

M

AN is a political animal, so opines Aristotle.

The import of this is that wherever there is an assemblage of people, politics comes alive because jockeying becomes unavoidable. Therefore, politics is at play in the workplace because career progression is at stake. Career progression is the harbinger of money, power and influence.

When any of these is challenged or threatened, there is no length to which people will not go to protect their

Nigerian Tribune

interests. So, office politics is more real than many will like to admit.

What is politics?

Stripped of all adornments, politics is nothing but a struggle for resource control. Although politics could be a vehicle for rendering impactful service, its prize is the control over resources which it bestows on the winner of the struggle. Conflict always goes hand in hand with resources for two reasons.

Continues on pg20

20

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

MANAGEMENT Continued from pg19

One, it is unusual that there will be a convergence of opinions on the allocation of resources. The greed in some will make them reach out for more than their due. This manifests in scheming, collaboration and horse trading to outwit others and get the better of them. The other reason is that resources are unlikely to be sufficient at any point in time. Therefore, people will very likely jostle to have a chance of getting the best out of the little that is available. This is why politics always seems to draw blood. In politics, one person’s gain is the other’s loss. It is the scheming that characterizes politics that confers on it the toga of a dirty venture. Politics cannot be devoid of scheming, checkmating, moves and countermoves. Hence, politicking always leaves a string of casualties.

But politics is unavoidable in any human society. Politics is about leadership. It is about rendering transformational service to the people. It is about providing direction for a group or society. Without politics, there would be anarchy because there would not be a recognized body to which everyone can look for guidance or direction. So, the importance of politics cannot be overemphasized.

Politics and the office setting The purpose of a workplace is value creation through service provision, not politicking. This should be ingrained in the mind of every serious career person.

Politicking should be left to those in the C-Suite, the topmost officers of an organization. They do not have any choice, politicking comes with their terrain.

Because they are in charge of resource allocation, they cannot avoid politicking. But others should deemphasize politics and concentrate on their core mandate of rendering service to their organizations. Many careers have been short-circuited because of political considerations. To every politician, either in the workplace or the polity, loyalty is critical. If a politician cannot trust an individual, the competencies the fellow brings to the table become inconsequential, he is dispensed with forthwith.

Human beings always have their preferences, biases, views and interests. So, in the workplace, officers will have their preferences among those in the struggle for the control of the organization’s resources. But it is best not to make this obvious in order not to vitiate one’s interests. Being tagged somebody’s person has its benefits but it is also fraught with dangers. Those with such tags usually lose out when their godfathers fall out of power.

Career-minded people need not be apolitical, rather they should be politically-conscious. Being oblivious of the politics of one’s environment can reduce one to a pawn in the hands of political lobbyists while being politically savvy positions one to make informed choices that can help career progression. So, it is not about shunning office politics but being aware of it without allowing it to jeopardize one’s interests.

Professor Ayobami Salami Professor Ayobami Salami of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, is reputed as one of the nation’s leading lights in the field of Ecology and Environmental Studies. He rose through the academic ranks, heading vital centres and institutes of the university and was eventually appointed the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics). His joy must have been boundless when his name was announced by the immediate past governing council of the university as the vice chancellor to succeed the former vice chancellor, Professor Bamitale Omole after the expiration of his tenure in June this year. But his appointment generated furore on the campus as many interest groups rejected the appointment outright. What was the premise of their opposition to his appointment?

Some of the groups claimed he was too close to Professor Omole. He was perceived as being tied to the apron string of the former vice chancellor and would not be able to do anything without getting a clearance from Professor Omole.

Although other issues were raised such as the governing council tweaking with the process to make it easy for him to emerge as the best candidate, the real angst of those who protested was his af-

BOOK

Avoiding piftalls of office politics

THE 60-SECOND business coach 7 Simple Ways to Become a Better Leader the new group will not consider such individual as an enemy. Care should, however, be taken not to be cast in the mould of a mole. This happens if there is any reason to doubt the sincerity of such relationships. In politics, as in the military, loyalty is not gradable. A person is either loyal or not loyal; 99 per cent loyalty is seen as 100 per cent disloyalty.

Olaposi Williams, CEO Oando Marketing

Sim Shagaya, Ex-CEO, Konga finity with Professor Omole. Eventually, the protest in Ife got to Abuja and the Federal Government dissolved the governing council and asked the University’s Senate to use its internal mechanism to appoint an acting vice chancellor. Professor Anthony Elujoba of the Faculty of Pharmacy, who was seen as not belonging to any of the groups scheming for the vice chancellorship, was appointed as the Acting Vice Chancellor. The process of appointing a substantive VC is on at the moment but those who participated in the botch exercise have been barred from being considered for the position.

Professor Salami is a victim of workplace politics. He lost the university’s prime position, which was within reach not for lack of competence but because of his alliance.

He probably would have had an easy ride

Jelani Aliyu, Lead Exterior Designer, General Motors

to the apex of his career had he been quite conscious of the inherent dangers of office politics and avoided making his alliance a public affair.

riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.”

Those who rely on politicking to achieve their career objectives usually get consumed by the process that threw them up.

Avoiding the pitfalls of office politics It is possible to stand firm and tall on the slippery ground of office politics by doing the following.

Be on top of your game One fact that every career-minded person must not lose sight of is that the raison d’être for their employment is service provision. Therefore, doing that should be of far more importance than involvement in politics. To avoid becoming a victim of office politics, every career-minded person should consistently up his game and enhance his competence. He should be on top of his game. He should offer top quality service that cannot be wished away. If that is done, it does not matter which of the sides involved in the struggle for the control of the

Avoid lure of office politics For many, the lure of office politics is the opportunity of riding on the crest of their godfathers’ success to climb high. While that is good for as long as it lasts, it is akin to riding on the back of a tiger. As John F. Kennedy, former President of the United States of America, said in his inaugural speech in 1961, “those who foolishly sought power by

Don’t get emotional, stay on principles Every relationship places a responsibility on one. There are times when a political grouping in the workplace may want to exploit your relationship to make certain demands that are antithetical to the ground rule.

If such happens, it is dangerous to allow emotions have its way. Emotions usually becloud reasoning.

Those who are given to emotions take momentary actions that they regret later. Do not sacrifice your career on the altar of wanting to be in the good book of a group. Don’t allow your emotion to run riot, always be guided by principles. Avoid taking Tony Elumelu, Chairman, UBA actions that you will be unable to deresources wins, he is sure to have a place in fend when nerves are calm and pressure is over. When emotion wants to the organization.

But the workplace rule is fast changing put you in chains, free yourself with and competence may not be enough as the principles. new rule of engagement expects every emBe conscious, but don’t get inployee to generate revenue. Combining competence with ability to generate revenue volved Some people try their best to steer makes an employee a cash cow. No farmer clear of office politics and everything sacrifices his cash cows. it represents. While it is safe to avoid Build strong relationships across involvement in it, knowing and identifying the political groupings in the boundaries One factor of success in any endeavour system as well as what they stand for is relationship. To thrive in the workplace is good. The essence of this is to guide in spite of politics, it is necessary to build the conduct of the career-minded perstrong relationships across boundaries. son. If one neither knows the political Having relationships across groupings in groupings or what they represent, the the workplace is a bulwark against ‘hostile likelihood of conflict of interests is takeover’ whenever there is a power shift as high and that could be costly.

One Minute Manager

This book is unlike any other book of its genre. It is written in a story format. Opening pages aroused such kind of curiosity that it made me jump straight into it and I couldn’t keep it down unless I had gobbled it up all.

The story begins with a young man searching out for an effective manager. His search leads him across the world and he keeps meeting managers who he categorizes into two types. – Autocratic who define themselves as hardnosed, realistic, profit-minded and who like to be on top of every situation. And Democratic who define themselves as participative, supportive, considerate and humanistic.

– Both the breeds pride themselves in their result minded focus and people oriented focus respectively and this bemused him. Why? Because the autocratic ones predictably had their companies prosper but also had higher turnover; while the democratic ones had happy employees around but company suffered. It was as if managers of the world were primarily interested either in results or in people.

The young man defined Effective managers as those who manage themselves and the people they work with so that

both the organization and the people profit from their presence. He was at loss since he couldn’t find them easily. He finally stumbles across one who is willing to share his secret. This one called himself the ONE MINUTE MANAGER and he was quite a character. The One Minute Manager listens while his people review and analyze what they’ve accomplished, the problems they had, and what still needs to be accomplished. Yet he doesn’t believe in participating in any of his people’s decision-making. He is neither results-oriented, nor people oriented. He cares about people and results equally. The man is an admired leader that is highly spoken of by his employees, his three secrets being the key to his success. These secrets to productive and efficient managing are revealed to the young man and they are as follows.

One Minute Goal Setting: The basic philosophy of the One Minute Goal Setting is no surprises; everyone knows what is expected from the beginning. This is what it says, 1.

Agree on your goals.

2.

See what good behaviour looks like.

3.

Write out each of your goals on a single page

using less than 250 words.

4.

Read and re-read each goal, which takes only a minute or so each time.

5.

Take a minute every once in a while out of your day to look at your performance, and 6.

See whether or not your behavior matches your goal.

One Minute Praisings: Here basic aim is to help people reach their full potential. Catch them doing something right! It works when you, 1.

Tell people right from the start that you are going to let them know how they are doing.

2.

Praise them immediately.

3.

Tell people what exactly they did right – be specific.

4.

Tell people how good you feel about what they did right, and how it helps the organization and the other people who work there.

5.

Stop for a moment of silence to let them feel how good you feel.

6.

Encourage them to do more of the same.

7.

Shake hands or touch people in a way that makes it clear that you support their success in the organization.

One Minute Reprimand: Main purpose here is to eliminate the behavior and keep the person. This consists of the reprimand and the reassurance, both being equally important. It will work well when you, 1.

Tell people beforehand that you are going to let them know how they are doing an in no uncertain terms.

2.

Reprimand people immediately.

3.

Tell people what they did wrong – be specific.

4.

Tell people how you feel about what they did wrong – and in no uncertain terms.

5.

Stop for a few seconds of uncomfortable silence to let them feel how you feel.

6.

Shake hands, or touch them in a way that lets them know you are honestly on their side.

7.

Remind them how much you value them.

8.

Reaffirm that you think well of them but not of their performance in this situation.

9.

Realize that when the reprimand is over, it’s over.

By Nicole Fallon Taylor THERE’S more to leadership than having a high-ranking title and being in charge of a team. You might have the authority to tell people what to do, but if you’re an ineffective leader, you won’t be able to guide and motivate your staff to accomplish their goals. Hereunder are some of the ways to become a better leader.

1. Connect and communicate Leading a group of people requires a mutual sense of trust and understanding between the leader and the team members. As a first step toward that goal, leaders should learn to connect. Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie, a leadership writer and consultant, said that being what he calls a “more human” leader requires positivity, purpose, empathy, compassion, humility and love. These key traits will put you on the road to genuine connections with the members of your team.

“Building a real personal connection with your teammates is vital to developing the shared trust necessary to build a strong culture of accountability and exceptional performance,” St. Marie said. “With that culture in place, the team can achieve a successful business, a happy team and a fulfilled leader.”

2. Know your team Once you’ve mastered the art of communicating and connecting with your team members, you can really get to know them — who they are, what they’re interested in and what their talents are.

“You can know your mission and vision, but it is equally, if not more, important to know your people,” said Joe Nolan, CEO of Motus Global, a company that provides biomechanical analysis for athletes.

“If you care about and take care of your people, they will take care of your customers, and ultimately, you will accomplish your mission.”

3. Encourage creativity If you want your staff to do their best work, you need to give them the freedom to brainstorm and explore. “[A good leader] is always open to his or her team’s ideas and suggestions, ready to consider them and possibly develop them further,” Negrash said. “A good leader also gives the team new challenges, preventing them from becoming bored and complacent while showing confidence in their potential.”

4. Focus on the positives As much as leaders wish that their team’s day-to-day operations could run smoothly all the time, they’re bound to run into the occasional obstacle. Whether it’s a minor miscommunication or a major error, the way a leader handles a negative situation says a lot about his or her leadership skills. Robert Mann, author of “The Measure of a Leader” (iUniverse, 2013), recommended

focusing on the good in any set of circumstances.

“Look at three positive things about a problem before you identify what makes it dissatisfying,” Mann said.

“The more you look at the positives in a problem, the more positively people react with one another.”

Similarly, Peter Fuda, author of “Leadership Transformed” (New Harvest, 2013), said that leaders can learn to focus on the positive by shifting from being a “critic” to “cheerleader” of their teams.

5. Show, don’t tell An effective leader knows how to show others what is required, rather than simply telling them. Luke Iorio, president and CEO of the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), said leaders should coach their team members toward a more collaborative, committed work environment — without coaxing them. “[If you are] controlling people to do certain things in certain ways, you’re not going to get the level of engagement that you’re looking for,” Iorio said. “Coaching is about helping the people you lead recognize the choices they have in front of them.

People will [then] take a great deal of ownership over the direction of the project.”

6. Be direct Taso Du Val, CEO and founder of Toptalfreelance talent network, said direct, honest feedback — even if it’s criticism — is the best way to guide your team in the right direction. You also need to know exactly where your business is headed, so you can give them the right advice.

“If you’re not direct, people won’t know what you truly think about them and their work, and they will never be able to improve,” Du Val said. “If you don’t know the precise direction your company is headed, no matter how much you’ve communicated to your employees and leadership team regarding their individual performance, they will flounder when it comes to making decisions and taking actions. Once those basic principles are in place, deadlines, regular product plans, performance reviews, structure and processes can easily be put into place.”

7. Ask for feedback Your team members aren’t the only ones who can benefit from honest feedback. A true self-assessment of your own leadership can be difficult, so mentors, fellow professionals and even your own staff are invaluable in evaluating your effectiveness. According to St. Marie, talking to friends and peers often brings needed perspective on your leadership approach and style. Leadership coaching can also help you discover areas that need improvement. A professional who helps you develop a plan to achieve your leadership goals can be more motivational than books and seminars alone.

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

TOPE POPOOLA is a Human Capital developement Consultant and Pastor. Please feel free to send questions, feedback comments on this column to

topheritage@yahoo.com or visit http//turbochargedforsuccess.blogspot.com

“It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. ...

The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully.”

- Seneca in On the Shortness of Life “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”

- Charles Darwin in The Life & Letters of Charles Darwin It does not take a genius to know that in these parts, we have a terrible culture of waste. It shows in practically every sphere of our corporate life. The average Nigerian ‘nouveau riche’ flaunts his new status by buying cars he does not need to impress people who hardly care about him. Then he builds a house that is aesthetically slaying but functionally deficient. Visit the average government establishment, ministry or parastatal. You will see our culture of waste so boldly displayed in the number of cars abandoned as unserviceable while they buy new cars with every budget. After all, it is more convenient to simply buy a new car than go through the stress of fixing a broken down one! Corporate organizations make a social statement by being so top-heavy that the organization practically bleeds form the humongous overheads that have a substantial chunk servicing executive perks! No Nigerian corporate executive that I know has only one car. It has to be at least two or more. Some even move in a convoy of vehicles! In many cases, the cars are simply depreciated over a period of about three years and a more up to date one bought while the executive gets to keep the present one or pays peanuts for it! And our parties? Even outside the shores of Nigeria, Nigerians are celebrated wasters when throwing parties. Even people who can hardly afford a full day’s meal spray money at parties not minding that they took a loan to fund the party!

Nowhere is this affliction more pronounced than in our public life. With over 80% of our national budget spent on recurrent expenditure, our overheads on running government are simply mind-boggling. Each time we’ve had a measure

ON the 19th of October, 2016, I woke up to a radio show— where the crucial issue I am synoptically raising today was raised as dust. While listening to the radio show in question, a man called in and said: “…Hypocrisy in leadership in Nigeria stinks up to high heaven… The leaders break the law with impunity, but the followers dare not do so…” When those words came out of his mouth, they sent cold water across my spine. In a few minutes he spoke, he did an apt x-ray of both the past and present leadership of Nigeria. And it cuts across every sphere of our national life.

One of the major hallmarks of 3rd world countries is that the colour (law) for the leaders is always different from the colour (law) for the led. The bar is usually raised very high for the led, but always lowered to the ankle level for the leaders. In Nigeria, leaders can break traffic rule, but the followers are not allowed to do so. Leaders can steal with impunity, but followers cannot. Those in leadership can marry minors, but the led are not allowed to do so.

In the corporate world, an MD can date and sleep with female employees under his leadership, but that must not happen amongst his employees. And a head of department can smoke and drink in office, but it must not be done by those within his sphere of influence. This is it: One standard for those in leadership; another standard for the led.

Many years ago, I read through the story of a leader— who fits into the mould of what I am passing on to you today. An information filtered to him that one of those under his leadership got pregnant without having a husband. You know what that means.

When the leader in question heard about what tran-

Deal with the waste!

of increase in our national income, instead of infrastructural development, our leaders simply increased the size of government. Even Special Advisers have Advisers and Special Assistants. From our Legislature, the most expensively run in the world, to the Executive with eleven aircraft in the Presidential fleet, and the Judiciary, our governance reeks waste.

However, great leadership abhors waste. It thrives on resourcefulness more than it does on resources. While I was thinking about this in the context of our current national experience, I came across a write-up on Facebook by a gentleman named Efe Okposio. It addresses the subject appropriately. I promptly sought and got his permission to reproduce it in this column. I have taken the liberty to make a few amendments for editorial purposes. Enjoy!

‘I was taught a lot of stories about Jesus Christ in Sunday school. One of the stories that struck me the most was the story of Jesus feeding five thousand people.

Think about it this way, He organizes a gospel crusade with over five thousand people in attendance. After the crusade he decides to feed them but the available food can’t even feed his team. Five loaves of bread and two fishes, it was a hopeless situation, but hey, it’s Jesus we’re talking about here.

So, He commands his disciples, “Tell the people to sit down”. I’m sure they must be wondering, “Does he want to explain the situation to them?”

He takes the five loaves and two fishes, lifts them up, blesses and breaks them and says, “Give them to eat”.

In what would seem like foolish obedience they started distributing the food. Strange enough, the food went round.

Five loaves and two fishes, feed five thousands!

Now here’s the amazing part, he tells his disciples to gather the leftovers. They did, and gathered twelve baskets full!

What does he want to do with twelve baskets of left over bread and fish? May be he did that so as not to litter the environment. Perhaps the environmental laws those days may be very strict or it could be he wanted to donate the leftovers to the nearest Jewish orphanage.

Why would a man that fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fishes be concerned about leftovers?

The Bible never told us what he wanted to do with them, but we can deduce that he did that because he hates waste. If

the One who is author of the whole universe can stoop to the level of gathering fragments, it says a lot.

We live in a culture that perpetuates waste. We waste time, food, money, space, airtime, we waste people, investments, we waste our health etc. You are perceived a freak if you’re not wasting. Attend a typical Lagos party and you’ll be amazed. In the midst of pervasive hunger in the land, the food people waste is usually more than what they eat.

Nigerians spend hours on the phone discussing irrelevant matters. People waste their investments by not investing enough time in their business. It’s painful because this culture of waste has crept into our government. An average Nigerian politician earns more than his counterpart in advanced countries. A government official that doesn’t have any business traveling is traveling.

Our underdevelopment is largely a product of waste. Jesus didn’t gather the fragment because he wasn’t sure of more supplies. He gathered the leftovers because it would have been irresponsible of him not to. An irresponsible person cannot manage wealth. An irresponsible government cannot create wealth for her citizens. Nigeria is not poor because of corruption alone. Nigeria is where she is largely because of the culture of waste that has eaten deep into minds of her people and government.

The Bible tells us the story of a young man that got his inheritance from his father, traveled to a far country and wasted everything on riotous living. He ended up in poverty feeding pigs. That is the result of waste. Jesus didn’t ignore the leftovers. He gathered them.

Begin with yourself. Cut the waste. Start gathering the leftovers in your life today. Start from your kitchen, then to the time you spend talking on phone, then to your relationships, then to the number of people on your team. To be honest, you don’t need everybody hanging around or that you hang around.

Poverty is knocking at the door of every individual that won’t heed this simple advice. The culture of waste has ruined so many nations. Don’t let it get to you.’

Thanks Efe, it couldn’t have been better put!

Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!

Two-tone leadership

spired, he said, “…Bring her out and burn her alive…”

What a very sententious leader! And sententious leaders are usually very pretentious. Do not forget this as long as you breathe.

As they were pulling her out to enforce the rule of law that was declared by the leader, the woman motioned to them that she had an important information for them.

One of those who were on ground to carry out the given order said: “Let us hear what she has to say.” All of a sudden, the woman in question began to speak. And indeed she spoke volume. By the time she finished speaking, it became evident to all that it was the leader who gave the order to burn her alive who actually impregnated her!

When the sententious leader got to know this, he changed the rule in the middle of the game. He never said that he should be burnt alive. The colour for him was quite different from the colour for the woman. This is a clear cut picture of the leadership we are providing in Africa today.

And this is why we are still where we are today.

When we read or hear about nations that are doing so well, we usually desire the same for our beloved country, but little do we know that the law that binds the peasant in those countries also send the president to the prison. A few days ago, a member of the royal family in Saudi Arabia was executed for breaching the law of the land. The same law that affects the commoners also affects the royalty. I doubt if this can happen in Nigeria in the next 25years, but the truth is, until we get to this level, we do not have a nation yet. To build a nation that works, there should be one colour (law) for both the leaders and the led.

In the same vein, it is very easy for people to swiftly criticize someone they do not like, who do what is wrong, but keep quiet when someone they like do the same thing.

Folks swiftly label people they do not like as corrupt, but give folks they like another label, though swimming in the same cesspool of corruption. It is called hypocrisy and it is ruining us as a people.

When it comes to principles, I do have a lot of respect for Mahatma Gandhi. In the community he was building in the early days of the move that liberated Indians from the claws of the British people. How do I mean? There were rules he put in place in the community and they affected everyone, including himself. This is one of them: It was a rule for everyone living in the community to wash the toilet. They were rotating it. It was a communal life.

When it got to the turn of his wife to wash the toilet, she protested against it saying how could the wife of Mahatma go so low to wash the toilet? When Gandhi heard about it, he took his wife on, giving him two options: To either wash the toilet or call their marriage quit, leaving the community.

Gandhi made a statement that has refused to leave me for so many years now: “…It is not ab out me, it is the principle.” He esteemed the principle even above his wife. And when people saw this, he was able to earn their respect some more. Gandhi was not a two-tone leader!

Lastly, in Nigeria today, people are bigger than the law.

The rule of law screams when it sees the poor, but keeps quiet when it sees the rich and those in the corridors of power. I do hope the current president of Nigeria would get to read through this piece. We can never have a truly prosperous nation without the rule of law affecting both the leaders and the led in equal proportion. One colour (law) for the leaders and another colour (law) for the led will keep us at this level for a very long time.

See you where great people are found!

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

#GEW2016: A look into the past, the future

As global event holds next month

By Ruth Olurounbi THIS year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) will hold on November 14 through 20. As entrepreneurs across the world know, during one each of every November since the GEW started thousands of events and competitions in 160 countries have inspired millions of people to engage in entrepreneurial activity across cites. The events have other the years help connect entrepreneurs across the world to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors.

For instance, 30,000 events and competition across hundreds of countries help last year, with 10 million participants during the event. But in what observers say was the most spectacular event in the GEW celebrations was the $100 million Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme launched to help entrepreneurs launch new start-ups while creating innovations that can change the world.

But in what observers say was the most spectacular event in the GEW The local, national and global efforts unleash another estimated $100 million to help entrepreneurs launch new startups while creating innovations that can change the world.

The new figure adds to the original $100 million commitment GEN made last year during Global Entrepreneurship Week and was recognised by the White House at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi last year.

Founded in 2008 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Global Entrepreneurship Week – which runs this year from Nov. 16-22 – has provided a platform that is creating one global entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Interest in startups and entrepreneurship continues to grow in all parts of the world,” said Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network. “Global Entrepreneurship Week provides a shot of adrenaline at one concentrated moment to help provide nascent entrepreneurs with access to research, programs and network they need to maximize their potential.”

Powered by the Kauffman Foundation, the initiative is supported by dozens of world leaders and a network of more than 15,000 partner organizations.

Highlights from Nigeria’s EDC-CBN 2015 celebrations As this year’s celebration starts next month, here are some highlights from 2015 celebrations in Nigeria: Vocational training for youngsters In partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) hosted a Vocational Training for Youngsters (Secondary School Students) in Calabar State.

In addition to celebrating the GEW2015, the vocational training was also inculcate entrepreneurial lifestyle in the Secondary School Students “through experiential and practical skills learning

that can be commercialised.”

Forty-two students from four different schools were thought Ankara crafts, facial makeup, shoe and hat making and confectionaries, among others.

Agripreneurship and innovative thinking conference “After carefully studying the critical role entrepreneurship play in the economies of developed countries, and taking into consideration the massive opportunities

#GEW2016:

By Buke Cuhadar

O

NE of the most exciting features of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), which will run from November 14 – 20 this year, is the diverse range of the more than 35,000 events organised in the 160 countries that make up the Global Entrepreneurship Network. This year’s global themes include GEW Cities, GEW Youth, GEW Women, GEW Investors and GEW Scale-Ups. There are also quite a number of events and competitions where the selection process takes places months before GEW, and then the finalists compete at the national finals during GEW. Nawah is one such event organized by Egypt’s GEW host organization, Middle East Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (MSCBE).

Nawah started in 2015, and has grown considerably in size and scope this year.

Nawah is a Social Entrepreneurship Challenge with the objective to contribute to a flourishing, collaborative and conscious entrepreneurship ecosystem by empowering young entrepreneurs, developing their skills and capabilities as well as expanding their network and resources.

Entrepreneurs also have the opportunity to compete in a country-wide competition to show-case their business ideas.

Ideas are selected based on sustainability, social problem solving ability, impact and innovativeness. Finalists will get an invitation to the Egypt Entrepreneurship

in the agricultural sector and the need for young people with innovative ideas to take advantage of such opportunities, necessitated this event.” That statement was credited to Simon Adeba, who represented the South South EDC Manager, during his welcome address at the agripreneurship and innovative thinking conference held in Cross River State.

The centre organised the conference in its efforts to “drive entrepreneurship

within Africa” towards “joining the global entrepreneurship community.”

The conference discussed challenges in the agribusiness sector, the “potential of self-sustainability thereby providing income for local farmers and reduced importation” and the need for accurate database of organisation of farmers, among others. Other highlight of the occasion was a panel session on innovative thinking and access to market.

1 global event, 35K events

Summit in El Gouna in November during GEW Egypt, international exposure and a tailor-made training online and offline exposure. This year the business ideas will be separated into three categories: “Nawah Youth,” “Nawah Vocational” and “Nawah High Schools.” There will be120 business ideas, 10 from each category, 30 from each region (Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan and Port Said) that will make it to the semi-finals.

An independent judge panel will select the best 12 initiatives, three from each region.

A total of 12 entrepreneurs will be invited to pitch their idea at the finals in El Gouna during GEW Egypt.

European Leadership & Academic Institute (ELAI), the GEW host organization in Czech Republic is organizing more than 100 events this year, which has risen from 70 events last year. The main event is the “Summit of the Entrepreneurship Week” on November 15 at Slovanský dům in Prague, which will be the biggest ever event for entrepreneurs and startups in the Czech Republic.

The summit will feature both Czech and overseas speakers, as well as a large number of seminars, workshops, conferences and specialized trade fairs. There is also an exciting event called “Art Meets Business”

which will bring together businesses and promising young artists and designers.

There is also a business fair, franchising fair and food fair – that fine-dining lovers cannot afford to miss. The Summit will end with the popular event Get in the Ring, one of the largest startup competitions held worldwide. Additionally there will be seminars, workshops, lectures, networking, business breakfasts and other meetings throughout the Czech Republic.

GEW is also the perfect opportunity to forge regional alliances. GEW host organization in Botswana, Ngwana Enterprises, will lead a VIP delegation of businesses, investors and entrepreneurs from Botswana from November 14 – 18 this year, to participate in a collaborative impact forum for developing an entrepreneurial partnership between Botswana and Angola. If you are interested in taking part in this delegation, you still have until October 15 to confirm your participation, you can email info@ ngwanaenterprises.com.

The GEN country affiliate in Sierra Leone was recently established, and they prove that even with limited resources and a small time frame, it is possible to celebrate a creative Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Source: gew.co

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Chivas the venture: $1m global startup competition returns to Nigeria for 2nd year the same values – the belief that businesses must have a purpose beyond profit. It is therefore an absolute honour to be back again as a judge, to find like-minded individuals who are not only successful within their own rights but sharing their success with their communities. This is profit with purpose” he added.

The winner will join the other 32 participants across the world in an Accelerator Week programme in Oxford, UK and will represent Nigeria at The Venture final event in the USA, July 2017.

With over $1 million in funding and resources, The Venture is Chivas’ global search to find and support the next generation of start-ups that want to succeed whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others, organisers said.

By ‘Wale Olapade Chivas Regal has announced that The Venture – a global search to find and support the next generation of startups – has returned to Nigeria for the second year.

Following a press conference held at the Film House, Lekki on Wednesday 12th October, Chivas The Venture 2016/2017 has begun its search for entrepreneurs that want to succeed whilst positively impacting the lives of others.

The launch follows the recent release of a global report that revealed 95 per cent of young professionals are looking for businesses to take more responsibility in solving global problems*.

Chivas The Venture initiative provides social entrepreneurs with the opportunity to compete for a share of $1 million in financial investment, invaluable contacts and global exposure of their company as well as mentorship from world-famous business leaders.

This year, 32 countries across 6 continents will be taking part and applications will be accepted from any for-profit-startup that creates both financial value and a positive impact on the lives of others.

According to Craig Van Niekerk, Marketing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria,“A new breed of entrepreneur is emerging in Nigeria; one that uses business ideas to succeed whilst making a positive impact on the

From left, Lola Ashafa, Senior Brand Manager, Prestige at Pernod Ricard Nigeria;, Audu Maikori, CEO, Chocolate City Group; Nneka Okekearu, Deputy Director, Enterpreneur Development Center; Bayo Rotimi, CEO at Quest Advisory Services Limited, at the launch of Chivas The Venture in Lagos, recently lives of others.

“Chivas Regal launched The Venture to offer significant resources to help drive and support the social entrepreneurship movement worldwide and in Nigeria.

“We are thrilled to be back again this year to connect with local social enterprises and give them the opportunity to develop and grow their businesses.”

Chivas Regal has partnered with E.D.C

(Enterprise Development Centre) – for this years’ initiative, to find and support promising local social entrepreneurs across all sectors.

The top three participants will pitch their business plans at a finale session to a panel of industry experts chaired by Audu Maikori.

On his successful relationship with the brand, Maikori stated “Chivas and I share

Competition opportunities open for agripreneurs

By Ruth Olurounbi AGRIPRENEURS who are looking to scale or who are looking for mentorship opportunities can now apply for the Future Agro Challenge, a part of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN).

Start-ups seeking to apply must exist no longer than five year, be proficient in the English language and must have a scalable and innovative business idea or model, the organisers said in a written statement.

The global challenge seeks to, according to organisers, provide a platform unifying startups, investors and other stakeholders, while also focusing global awareness, innovation, and dialogue towards finding solutions for the global challenges ahead.

The global championships, which is expected to hold in South Africa on March 2017, to coincide with the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC), intends to discover “innovate fundable food and agribusiness startups from various corners of the globe addressing national, regional and global challenges.

“While disruptive solutions are being created across regions, individuals and visionaries often feel overwhelmed by the complexities to integrate in the agricultural ecosystem.

“We believe discovering solutions to global challenges should not be so complicated.

FAC supports agro visionaries, startups, farmers, manufacturers, and distributors from countries across several continents.

The most promising ideas and ventures are selected to compete in the Global Championships for the title of the ‘Most Innovative Agribusiness of the Year’”, organisers said.

Some of the main competition categories include: Agtech: technological innovation in our agriculture system; Agriculture Production and Processing: the cultivation of animals, plants and fungi for food, fiber, biofuel, medicinal and other products used to sustain and enhance human life.

Others include nutrition and health, agriculture biotech, biofuels, evergreen practices, Robotics and Precision Agriculture (PA), agro logistics, farmer incomes, education, such as programs and tools that contribute to the agro revolution, particularly in innovative thinking, encouraging sustainable practices, and awareness of environmentally sound methods.

Also, the organisers are looking ideas around agro tourism, that is, “innovative ways in drawing visitors to an agro business, in the form of nature travel.

Offering visitors the opportunity to participate in trend-making farm and ranch activities, and so promote rural vacations, nutritional awareness, and active lifestyles.”

Agripreneurs working in safety and

health are also encouraged to apply.

Organisers say they’re are looking for “products or practices that improve the health of farm and production workers, or consumers.”

Others include packaging, that is, “designs that attract consumers, apply biodegradable materials and other solutions in agricultural products and equipment” and “those ideas that do not fit into the above categories but still positively impact agribusiness.”

It will be recalled that the Future Agro Challenge (FAC) began as an initiative of Industry Disruptors-Game Changers (IDGC), an organisation that aims to create an eco system that fosters and promotes innovative entrepreneurship.

Judging criteria for the competition include a clearly explained idea or concept, persuasive and capturing presenting of idea, that is, the pitching skills; breakthrough in idea, business model, or design, that is innovation; scalability, that is does this business idea have a market potential globally or regionally. What is the capability of creating job positions; a healthy process for production or consumption and the business model must be innovative in design.

Applications are expected to close on December 7, 2016 and the global championships has been slated for March 15, 2017, after international finalists would have been announced on January 20, 2017.

Personal development tips for entrepreneurs

By Victorino Abrugar ENTREPRENEURSHIP is tough. It involves a lot of challenges and requires a lot of sacrifices to carry out successfully. Entrepreneurs who take the risks in starting an enterprise and bringing their great ideas to the market usually face difficult trials, such as the lack of financial resources and lack of people support. That is why they need to make themselves tough enough to survive and succeed in the entrepreneurial world.

To strengthen your entrepreneurial spirit, here are 18 personal development tips for entrepreneurs.

1. Overcome your worst enemy – you.

Defy your own greed, lies, foolishness, injustice and other negative personal qualities that may destroy your business and life as a whole.

2. If you can’t be perfect, then at least set your direction to perfection. That is why we need to always come up with a great plan to minimize mistakes.

3. Learn how to be invisible. In other words, learn how to be selfless.

4. Allow yourself to be low to lift people up. Be humble and inspire other people.

5. Be sharp yet be gentle in leading your employees and followers.

6. Don’t just listen to what people say, but also feel what they feel. In other words, be compassionate.

7. Don’t just memorize things, but also realize them. Don’t just acquire knowledge through reading and wisdom through weighing, but also obtain understanding through experience and insight through reflections.

8. Take a dose of self-motivation every day. Be positive and be resourceful in getting inspiration anywhere.

Source: businesstips.ph

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

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south-westnews

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Building consensus around truth, public interest critical to Nigeria’s development —Ajimobi

As Awolowo Dosumu, Agbaje, others laud Petals FM at first anniversary

By Tunde Ogunesan and Dare Adekanmbi

O

YO State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has stressed the need to build a national consensus around the ideals of truth, fact and public interest, for the progress and development of the country.

Governor Ajimobi, who said Nigerians must have consensus on these values for them to be happy and promote the togetherness of the country, spoke at the first anniversary lecture of Petals F.M, a private radio station owned by social critic, Mr Yinka Odumakin.

He said although the diversity of the country might be seen as a challenge to achieving a consensus on a number of issues, optimisation of consensus for progressive development of the country, irrespective of political leanings, should be everybody’s business.

The governor emphasised the need for change of attitude among all Nigerians, adding that the citizens as well as the leadership were not free from corruption.

He tasked proprietors of both private and public media organisations, particularly the radio arm of the electronic media, to prioritise training and re-training of journalists for improved professionalism.

Professor Adigun Agbaje, in a lecture entitled: “The Nigerian Media and the Search for Consensus in Diversity: Retrospect, Precepts and Prospects,” delivered on his behalf by Dr Remi Ayede, stressed that consensus building among the elite class of Nigerians was a sufficient condition for engineering political, economic and socio-cultural development.

He advised against the “tendency to feed negatively on the country’s many diverse ethnic, religious, regional and other realities, rather than turn same into veritable resources for unleashing positive forces of development and democracy on our communities,” identifying lack of consensus as the bane of the country.

“This viewpoint is indeed attractive, given the everyday experience of the fractious politics of ethnicity, religion and regionalism that constantly play out in the media and other platforms and stretch the fabric of public and not-so-public life almost to breaking point.

“However, it is now often suggested that perhaps a worse fate has indeed been

foisted on Nigeria and Nigerians; namely, that the challenges that Nigeria currently faces do not necessarily arise from lack of consensus, but more from elements of an emerging consensus on the instrumental uses (and abuses) of such antidevelopment elements as impunity, corruption, and nepotism,” he added.

Agbaje lamented that the media was not living up to expectation in its responsibility of being in the vanguard of the campaign for national consensus, because of polarisation along ethnic lines and media proprietors’ political leaning.

Contestant for the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and aspirant for Lagos State governorship seat, Mr Jimi Agbaje, stressed the need for the media to make discourse about qualitative development, particularly in the South-West zone, a new focus.

According to him, “copi-

ous references are still being about Chief Obafemi Awolowo till today in the area of qualitative development because the sage sought and won political power not for personal benefit but for the good of Nigerians.”

He decried a situation where the political leadership moved and killed a particular newspaper by stopping advert patronage to the newspaper because of perceived adversarial disposition.

Earlier, the chairperson of the event and co-chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, set the tone of discussion in her welcome address wherein she emphasised the need for all to come to a table and share the same goal.

She extolled the virtues and doggedness of the chairman of Petals FM, Mr Odumakin, for his dedication to charting a develop-

mental course for Nigeria.

According to her, “I want to commend the commitment of the chairman of Petals FM 102.3. He is someone in the mould of sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“He takes the problem of Nigeria as his own and rarely has time for himself and his family.”

Dr Awolowo Dosumu called on radio proprietors to take up the challenge of informing Nigerians on the need to move the nation forward.

She lamented the lack of reading culture among the populace, noting that “they listen to radio and watch television more than they read newspapers.”

She, therefore, urged the broadcast media practitioners to duly inform the citizenry about the happenings in the country.

“It is about time Nigerians are informed about the issues at stake and what is needed to move Nigerians forward.

“All stakeholders must move together and discuss.

We need to come together and share the same goals, have broad agreement on the developmental goal of our country.

“And I ask myself, is that the case in Nigeria? We have to work together and make sure we get there,” she said.

Odumakin described the one year journey of the station as challenging, adding, however, that the station was still focused on its mission statement.

“In the beginning, we pledged to speak the truth to all, but especially to power.

This has never been a merry undertaking, whether on the brown or yellow pages of history or even, in the times captures by our living eyes.

“Conversions through sheer strength, the savory mint of money, even the supple sway of an irresistible fairy. The end is the result. But those are carrots, the stick also avails. But the pledge, our pledge, stands,” he said.

Nigerian Tribune

LAUTECH ownership crisis: Osun Assembly lauds Aregbesola, Ajimobi for peaceful resolution OSUN State House of Assembly has lauded the governors of Osun and Oyo states, Rauf Aregbesola and Abiola Ajimobi, for the peaceful resolution of the controversy about ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).

In a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Honourable Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the Assembly said the gesture of the two leaders had demonstrated that they are living up to the demands of their offices.

The assembly noted that conflicts cannot be ruled out in any human settings even among siblings but allowing conflict not to degenerate to crisis was a responsibility of the leadership.

This resolution, according to the assembly, would make the institution stronger and meet up with the aspiration of its founding fathers.

“We have always said that Oyo and Osun states are creation of the law and constitution and would not do anything that would contravene the same constitution over the joint ownership of LAUTECH.”

School feeding: Ogun engages 2,968 food vendors Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

From left, Co-chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu (left); Mrs Wemimo Anifowose (an awardee); Vicar, Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, Venerable Samuel Oladele Enike and Professor Olu Sofowora, during the 23rd choir anniversary and award presentation of Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne-Remo, on Sunday. PHOTO: D-TOYIN.

Indiscipline, major problem in Nigeria —Bishop Ajakaye Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

THE Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Most Reverend Felix Femi Ajakaye, has identified indiscipline as the major problem in the country, adding that corruption is the first born of indiscipline in Nigeria.

Bishop Ajakaye made the remarks at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, in Ado-Ekiti, during a public presentation and launch of his book “Beyond Ideas”, held at the Akinyede Momorial Hall, at the weekend.

The cleric also called on the Federal Government not

to discard the recommendations of the 2014 Confab report, saying “we need to re-visit it,” adding that the report would make Nigeria a better place.

The bishop noted that the book “Beyond Ideas”, “is for positive and concrete actions, for a new dawn for Nigeria and Nigerians in all our dealings with one another.”

In his speech, the Minister of Mines and Steel, Dr Kayode Fayemi, while unveiling and presenting the book to the public, said that “the Bishop Ajakaye’s latest work is of creativity, knowledge and reflection.”

In his speech, the Archbishop of Ibadan and the metropolitan of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, Most Reverend Gabriel Abegunrin, called on Nigerians to “talk positively, think positively and act positively, so that all of us in Nigeria will make the world a better place.”

The reviewer of the book, Professor Isaac N. Obasi, from the University of Abuja, said God’s given intellectual gifts must be used for the betterment of the society otherwise “our knowledge and great ideas would be useless to the generations coming after us.”

Professor Obasi pointed out that “Beyond Ideas is also a gentle protest and criticism against the prevailing governance crisis in Nigeria.”

Beyond Ideas has six parts which included religion, socio-political issues, sports, talks and interviews.

The ceremony was attended by Catholic priests, religious leaders, traditional rulers, friends and well wishers of Bishop Ajakaye, both within and outside the state, including a former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo, represented by Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, who was the chairman of the occasion.

OGUN State government has engaged the services of 2,968 food vendors across the three senatorial districts of the state, under the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, with a charge to maintain hygiene while discharging their duties.

The Programme Manager, who is also the Special Adviser to the governor on Special Projects, Mrs Tinuola Shopeju, made the appeal while addressing the vendors at the Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area of the state.

Mrs Shopeju disclosed that everything had been put in place for a successful takeoff of the programme with 200,000 pupils from primary one to three in 1,554 public primary schools.

She noted that the account and biometric verification numbers of all the vendors had been forwarded to the office of the vice president for transfer of take-off fund into their respective accounts.

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Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

31

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Monday, 24 October, 2016 32 photonews Photo: Alolade Ganiyu.

2016 Annual Reunion and 87th Anniversary (GCIOBA 1929-2016)

From right, the President, Govt. College, Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA), Chief Biodun Jolaoso, discussing with Dr Olutunde Oni and Dr Afolabi Adefemi lecture during the 2016 Annual Reunion and 87th anniversary of Government College Ibadan, Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA) held at the School premises, Apata Ibadan.

President, (GCIOBA) presenting an award to Guest of Honour, Emeritus, Prof. Oladipupo Akinkugbe at the lecture.

From left, Engr. Tunji Ero-Phillips, Mr Niyi Owolade, Mr Kayode Odutayo and Mr Makinde Soname at the school Hockey pitch.

Cross-section of some Old Boys’ at the Renovation sponsored by Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank and Plus World Roofing Limited, courtesy of GCIOBA, 1966-70/ 72 sets.

Students’ and Coach teacher, Hockey team, ready for play at the anniversary, held on the school field.

Old Boys’ Hockey team on the field.

The cross-section of some Awardees’ at (GCIOBA) held at the school premises on Saturday.

The President, Government College Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA) (1929 - 2016), Chief Biodun Jolaoso (third left) flanked by Chairman Planning Committee, Engr. Wale Agbaje (third right), Barrister Segun Ogunkeye (second left), the Principal, Pastor Oladele and others cutting cake during the 2016 Annual Reunion and 87th anniversary held at Lalekan Are Hall, GCIOBA House, school premises, Apata Ibadan on Saturday.

From left, the President, (GCIOBA), Chief Biodun Jolaoso presenting a good performance award to Otunba Lekan Belo, his wife Yeye Otunba Tokunbo Belo during the 2016 Annual Reunion and 87th anniversary held at Lelekan Are Hall, Government College, Ibadan Old Boys’ Association (GCIOBA) House at School premises, Apata Ibadan on Saturday.

From right, Chief Lalekan Are, wife of Old Boys’ President, Mrs Toyin Jolaoso, the Principal, Government College, Pastor Oladele at the Luncheon and Merit Awards 2016 Annual Reunion and 87th Anniversary held at Lalekan Are Hall, Government College premises, Ibadan on Saturday.

33

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

34 CHANGE OF NAME

Monday, 24 October, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adebayo Simbiat Jumai Abisola now MRS. ABDULMALIK SIMBIAT JUMAI ABISOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Abioye Mary Oladuntan now MRS MAKINDE MARY OLADUNTAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Tajudeen Sarafadeen Adekunle now TAJUDEEN SARAFA ADEKUNLE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Emiola Naimot Aramide now MRS. EMIOLA NAIMOT ABDULGANIY. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Abubakar Muhammad now MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Shittu Habeeb Bolaji now SHITTU HABEEB. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Banowa Khadijat Idowu now MRS. IDOWU YUSUF. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adedeji Esther Yemisi now MRS. AKINYEMI ESTHER YEMISI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Raji Fatimoh Iyabo now MRS. ABIDOYE FATIMAOH IYABO. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Oyeranmi Jimoh Onaolapo am the same person bearing Oyeranmi Jimoh. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as OYERANMI JIMOH ONAOLAPO. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank of Nigeria and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Silifat Aduke now APOYIN SILIFAT ADUKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Bello Titilayo Ambali now BELLO TITILAYO SEKINAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Mrs. Oloko Suliat Ololade now MRS. SHITTU SULIAT OLOLADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Ismail Rasheedat Bola now ADEBAYO RASHEEDAT BOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Emeka Paul Okonkwo now EMEKA BENJAMIN OKONKWO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olabode Abiodun Titilope now MRS. GBADAMOSI ABIODUN TITILOPE. All Former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Agbesanwa Temitope Owoyemi now MRS. AHMED TEMITOPE OWOYEMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

THIS BOX IS FOR SALE

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ogundare Olubukola Atinuke now KAITELL OLUBUKOLA MRS. ATINUKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adejuyigbe Ayobami Adesola, had my name mistakenly written as Mrs Adedokun Precious on my BVN instead of MRS. ADEDOKUN AYOBAMI ADESOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Surajudeen Kabirat Yinka now ALABI KABIRAT YINKA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

I, formerly Abolade Taiwo Ibukunoluwa now ALADEJANA TAIWO MARTHA IBUKUNOLUWA. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ibraheem Maryam Abiodun now MRS OLABINTAN MARYAM ABIODUN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Akinbola Taiwo Julianah now MRS GEORGE TAIWO JULIANA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Omotosho Emmanuel Bodunde now BEJIDE PHILIP OLUREMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Okunlola Bukunmi Temitayo now MRS AREO OLUWABUKUNMI TEMITAYO. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

I, Omotosho Babatunde Olawale am the same person bearing Omotosho Oba Adewale at First Bank. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as OMOTOSHO BABATUNDE OLAWALE. All documents bearing these names remain valid. Banks and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Muinat Iyabo Lamidi Akanni now MRS IGE VICTORIA IYABO. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Yunus Azeezat Bola now MRS BABALOLA AZEEZAT BOLA. All former documents remain valid.

SUBEB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Bamidele Segun Emmanuel now BAMIDELE SEGUN SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adeleke Waliyat Adesalewa now MRS OLAWUMI WALIYAT ADESALEWA. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH

CHANGE OF NAME

CORRECTION OF NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Igbayilola Elizabeth Olateju now MRS. ELIZABETH OLATEJU ROTIMI OLOPADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, Abosede Oluwayemisi Odeniyi, I am the same person bearing Alaba Bose. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as ABOSEDE OLUWAYEMISI ODENIYI. My correct date of birth is 20th July, 1969. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Mr. Oluwatuyi Kehinde Olalekan now OLUWATUYI TAIWO OLADIMEJI. All former documents remain valid. Skye Bank, UBA and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Yekeen Elizabeth Iyabo Ajoke now MRS EGEDE ELIZABETH IYABO AJOKE. All former documents remain valid.

General Public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Ruth Oluseun Omotoso now MRS RUTH OLUSEUN KOLADE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, Omikunle Oluwasegun David am the same person bearing Adebayo Abiodun David. Now, I wish to be known and addressed as OMIKUNLE OLUWASEGUN DAVID. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olaoye Grace Titilope now OLAWUNI GRACE TITILOPE. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mrs Famuyiwa Adesola Motunrayo now MRS ISAAC ADESOLA MOTUNRAYO. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Opeyemi Adepeju Aderemi now MRS OPEYEMI ADEPEJU OJO. All former documents remain valid.

General Public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adejumo Suliyat Funke now MRS. OLALERE SULIYAT FUNKE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Taiwo Ibironke Becky, my name was wrongly written as Taiwo Ibironke Bekky on my First Bank Account.

That my correct name is TAIWO IBIRONKE BECKY. All documents bearing these names remain valid. First Bank, Access Bank and general public take note.

I, Mrs Kuye Mujidat Adeola formerly Miss Salami Mujidat Adeola now MRS KUYE MUJIDAT ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Tubi Oluwatoyin Ajibola now MRS AKINTOYESE HANNAH OLUWATOYIN. All former documents remain valid.

SUBEB and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Raheem Taofeek Ajibola am the same person as Raimi Taofiki.

Henceforth, I want to be known and addressed as RAHEEM TAOFEEK AJIBOLA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Kehinde Muibat Moromoke now MRS SANUSI MUIBAT MOROMOKE. All former documents remain valid.

Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Secretariat, Ibadan and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Nwaobasi Lynda Tolulope now MRS ILESANMI LYNDA TOLULOPE. All former documents remain valid.

General Public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ahmed Bunmi Bilikis now ALADE BALIKIS FOLAKEMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH

I, hereby declared that my full name are Adebayo Johnson Gbadamos and not Adebayo Johnson. Now, I wish to be known as ADEBAYO JOHNSON GBADAMOS and my correct date of birth is 24th April 1955. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Mr Emmanuel Odewole now MR ODEWOLE OLANIYI EMMANUEL and my correct date of birth is 10/2/1949. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note

I, formerly Master Ulelu Tochukwu Fortune now MASTER SAMUEL TOCHUKWU FORTUNE. All former documents remain valid. The Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, Oyo State, African Church Grammar School, Apata, Ibadan and general public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adebimpe Abibat Adekola now MRS OBISESAN ABIBAT ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Salami Kikelomo Olowe now FAFOWORA KIKELOMO VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly Oghenemayno Shedrack now SAMUEL IBODJE. All former documents remain valid.

General Public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Aganbi Naomi Ayodeji now AGANBI NAOMI ETAGHENE. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ade Ibrahim now NADJIM ADEMOLA LAHOYE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Akibon Yeside Motunrayo now MRS AJIBADE MOTUNRAYO OLAMIOTAN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Saseyi Funmi now SASEYI ABIGEAL FUNMILOLA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Bello Rachael Ayobami now MRS IPADEOLA RACHAEL AYOBAMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Mrs Esther Itiola Aliu now MRS ESTHER ITIOLA AYINDE. All former documents remain valid.

General Public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Abdullahi Wasilat Adenike now MRS MUSTAPHA WASILAT ADENIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General Public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Ismail Modinat Aishat now ISMAIL MODINAT OLURANTI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Sodeke Adejoke Omoyeni now AKINYEMI ADEJOKE OMOYENI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, formerly Abubakar Florence Titilayo now ABUBAKAR FLORENCE TITILAYO ANIKE. All former documents remain valid. EcoBank, FCMB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Solomon Adeagbo Ojediran also known as Olayiwola Adeagbo now OLUKUNMI OLAYIWOLA ADEAGBO. All former documents remain valid.

First Bank of Nigeria, UBA Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adeleke Oluwatoyin Racheal now MRS FAGADE TOYIN RACHEAL. All former documents remain valid. SUBEB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Adeniyi Folasade Esther now MRS OLUWATOBI SAMSON FOLASHADE. All former documents remain valid.

Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Abioye Odunola Dupeola now MRS ADEGOKE ODUNOLA DUPEOLA. All former documents remain valid.

Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), GTBank Plc and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Mrs Taiwo Pamilerin am the same person as Odusote Olaoluwa and Afolabi Pamilerin. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as MRS TAIWO PAMILERIN. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, Mrs Adebambo Christianah Oluremi am the same person bearing Remilekun Balogun Adebambo.

All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Busari Latifat Temilade now MRS IBRAHIM LATIFAT TEMILADE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Olubayo Sunday Oladejo now OLASUPO SUNDAY SAMUEL . All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adetunde Esther Ajike now MRS OYEDELE ALESHINLOYE ESTHER AJIKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, hereby declared that my full name is Ojedeji Kunmi Simeon and not Kunmi Simion Ojedeji. Now, I wish to be known as OJEDEJI KUNMI SIMEON and my correct date of birth is 24th August. 1970. All documents bearing these names remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Opadokun Kehinde Abigail now MRS AREMU KEHINDE ABIGAIL. All former documents remain valid. Bowen University Teaching Hospital and general public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Azeez Babatunde Sadiq now TITILAYO BABATUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Adaora Faustina Obisi now MRS ADAORA FAUSTINA ANIAGU. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Miss Grace Sabayo now MRS JOLOMI GRACE. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly Miss Ariba Adenike Oluwakemi now MRS POROYE ADENIKE OLUWAKEMI. All former documents remain valid.

Skye Bank and general Public take note.

I, Onyewigwe Stephen Odinaka am the same person as Onyewigwe Stephen Jnr. in seperate documents. Now, I want to be known and addressed as ONYEWIGWE STEPHEN ODINAKA. All documents bearing these names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

THIS BOX IS FOR SALE

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Fananez Maleek Kolawole now TOSIN DAMILOLA TALABI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly Masika Veronica Adunni now MASIKA FAHOSAT VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid.

General Public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Miss Olaitan Julianah Oluwafikemi now MRS ADEWUYI JULIANAH OLUWAFIKEMI. All former documents remain valid. GTBank Plc and general Public take note.

36

news

Monday, 24 October, 2016

JAMB proposes to stop setting cut-off marks for tertiary institutions •Cancels use of scratch cards Clement Idoko-Abuja

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HE Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, has expressed concern about the uniform cut-off marks of 180, fixed for admissions into universities, colleges of education, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions.

He also announced the cancellation of use of scratch cards, which were hitherto sold only by banks in the cities to pin vending, which can be obtained by candidates anywhere using their phones, Web payment, online quick teller; ATM payment, quick teller mobile application and Bank branch (cash cards).

This was contained in a statement signed on Sunday, in Abuja, by the Head

of Information, JAMB, Mr Fabian Benjamin and made available to newsmen.

Oloyede argued that the uniformity of cut of marks does not make any sense, when colleges and polytechnics admit for NCE and Diplomas while universities admit for Degrees, saying, “yet we subject them to the same cut off marks, thereby, starving these tier of institutions from admitting candidates who, if not engaged, may likely become easy prey to social vices.”

It will be recalled that the 180 minimum benchmark

for admissions was set at the 2016 Combined Policy meeting earlier before the appointment of Professor Oloyede as the Board Registrar.

The new JAMB Registrar expressed the resolve of Board management to ensure that the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, concerning education is actualised in no distant time.

That he said would be made possible through reforms currently going on in the Board. Oloyede maintained that the Board would continue to make reforms that would carry

the interest of every Nigerian child irrespective of whether poor, rural settlers, etc.

He has expressed concern over the fact that most policies were geared towards accommodating the interest of the elite only and leaving the downtrodden to suffer unjustly.

The statement said: “In view of the above, the Board has cancelled the use of scratch cards which were hitherto sold only by banks in the cities to pin vending which can be obtained by candidates anywhere using their phones, Web payment,

online quick teller; ATM payment, quick teller mobile application and Bank branch (cash cards) etc.

“This is to make the services easily accessible, discourage fraudulent acts associated with the cards system and to conform to global best practices.

“The Registrar also disclosed that the Board has critically looked at the process of regularising candidates and found a lot of lapses, which it cannot tolerate in its drive to effect positive change towards enhancing the fortune of tertiary education in Nigeria.”

Govt insensitive to plight of Nigerian child —Prof Obanya

Biola Azeez-Ilorin

THE Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State has graduated a total number of 26,955 students in a combined convocation that stretched back to the 2009/2010 academic session, nine years after it held its last convocation.

Speaking at the event witnessed by most of the school’s past leaders, the acting Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr Ayodele Olaosebikan, expressed satisfaction that workers at the institution have now put behind the acrimony of the past that had hindered the progress of the school.

Dr Olaosebikan, who said the school had now strengthened its processes, instilled discipline and enthroned accountability in all its activities, added that it had now joined the league of a few higher institutions that have fully embraced information and communication technology to run virtually all their processes.

EU to partner FG on energy, transport, education, others

Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure

GOVERNMENT at all levels has been called upon to be sensitive towards the rise of abuse and violence against children.

A Professor Emeritus and the developer of Universal Basic Education (UBE), Professor Pai Obanya, who stated this during an advocacy meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, attributed the rise in the child violence to the poor child-sensitive budgeting of the government.

Speaking on the “Advocacy meeting organised by United Nation’s Children’s Funds (UNICEF) on scaling up on mass communication training institutions, mainstreaming child rights report curriculum in Nigeria,” Obanya faulted government for being insensitive towards the implementation of policies on child right, describing the policies as mere cosmetics.

Obanya said, “It doesn’t pay to just say you have a policy on something without specifically putting resources aside for it. It relates to taking into account what the declaration says about right to life, protection, health nutrition and self-actualisation.

“Nigeria has a problem of, first of all, not ratifying enough and when it ratifies, it doesn’t really sensitise the populace to know what it is all about and on the part of government, we have not fully implemented the international agreement we entered into on the child’s right.”

Federal Poly Offa graduates 26,955

Ademola Adegbite-Abuja

From left, President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Chief Solomon Ogba; Chairman, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Pinnick Amaju; former Anambra State governor, Chief Peter Obi; former Delta State governor and celebrant, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and his wife, Roli, during the 62nd birthday thanksgiving service of Dr Uduaghan, at the Guiding Light Assembly, Lagos, on Sunday.

Our leadership style guarantees freedom —Bello Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

THE Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello’s administration is one with the leadership style that guarantees equal opportunities for every indigene of the state without religious or ethnic consideration, the director general, media and publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, has said.

He said the people were

already getting abreast of the leadership style of Governor Bello, which had so far engendered development in the state.

Addressing a Christian congregation at the Chapel of Freedom, Lokoja, on Sunday, Fanwo said the governor had a divine mandate to fix Kogi State and right the wrong of the past.

He said Kogi State was

in shambles before the advent of the present administration, saying the governor was well equipped to handle the challenges of fixing the state.

His words, “Kogi State was on her knees before the advent of the present administration. The state was bedeviled with thousands of ghost workers, poor roads, failed healthcare, education in ruins

Women wired to do more —Justice Nyesom-Wike WIFE of the Rivers State governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette NyesomWike, has stated women’s positive contributions form the platform for the development of the society.

Justice Nyesom-Wike also said that women were divinely wired to do more at all times for societal growth and stability.

She spoke on Sunday, at the 10th Biennial Diocesan Women’s Guild Conference Thanksgiving Service of the Anglican Diocese

of the Niger Delta North, at Saint Thomas Anglican Church, Diobu, Port Harcourt. She said as a woman, she belongs to all rooms because a woman’s activities cannot be restricted as the society needs these contributions for progress.

“All women have been through a lot as they strive to build the society. Our contributions to societal development cannot be underestimated.

“I belong to the kitchen, I belong to the living

room and I belong to every room created by God. So also other women. We are created by God to do more. In my own case as a judicial officer, I also belong to the courtroom.

Other women belong to different rooms, depending on their professional calling.”

She added: “Women are very important to the development of any community. They form a larger percentage of the workforce that keeps the society.”

and gross insecurity.

“But today, Governor Yahaya Bello has restored the confidence of the Kogi people. Lokoja is cleaner and has better roads; the governor is working hard to provide water, security and better education.

Today, road projects are going on across the three senatorial districts of the state and the Fair Healthcare Scheme will help give healthcare services to people at a ridiculously low cost.

“The decision of the governor to ensure ghost workers have no place in a new Kogi State was informed by a determination to check the waste of state resources in order to serve the people of the state better.”

Fanwo thanked members of the congregation for their prayers during the court processes which dragged to the Supreme Court, saying the determination of the cases showed that God is involved in the affairs of Kogi State.

EUROPEAN Union has announced its readiness to partner Nigerian Government in the area of energy, education, climate change, as well as transport and science and technology.

This partnership, according to the EU, would expand the cooperation of the two countries beyond the traditional field of operations, boost their economies and in particular improve research institutions in Nigeria.

Ambassador Head of European Union delegation to Nigeria, Ambassador Michel Arrion, announced this, while leading a EU team on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, in his office, in Abuja.

He explained that there was a specific programme dedicated for the partnership tagged “Harrison 2020” in which about 60 Nigerian institutions and universities were to take part in Lagos next month (November).

Ambassador Arrion pointed out that two months after the successful hosting of the conference in Lagos, Nigeria should be able to identify enormous benefits, despite its endowment with a lot of natural resources.

37

politicsnews

Monday, 24 October, 2016

PDP petitions Buhari, attorney general, NJC over Ondo gov suit

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bernatorial election.

In two separate petitions also forwarded to The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges and The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committees, as well as President Buhari and the Attorney General, PDP the petitioner is claiming unethical conduct handling of the suit originated by Prince Biyi Poroye and eight others against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party.

It tendered documents marked Annexture 1,11, 111, 1V,V, and V1 to prove the allegation that the actions were deliberately planned against it.

The petitioner further alleged that “in its judgement of 29th June 2016 on the originating summons, Justice E.O. Abang granted some restraining orders in favour of the plaintiff.

PDP governorship candidate in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, exchanging banters with his wife, Eno, while Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his wife, Olukemi, It stated that the said watch, at the 92nd edition of the monthly divine agenda praise night, at the International Events Centre - The Dome, in Akure, at the weekend. judgement of 29th June HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has

petitioned President Mohamadu Buhari, National Judicial Council, and the

Attorney -General of the Federation over alleged plans to subvert the cause

of justice in the suit on the party’s candidature in the November 26 gu-

that the matter had nothing to do with the existing factions between Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarif, saying that the matter took place when Sheriff was the undisputed national chairman of PDP.

2016 relates to 2019 general election; It has nothing to do with the 2016 Governorship election of Ondo state. As a matter of fact, no reference was made to the 2016 governorship election in the said judgement.”

Explaining that the Ondo PDP held its primary election, where Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) emerged winner, the petitioner said it was taken aback when “towards the evening of 14th October 2016 the social media was awash with the information that the Justice Abang granted an order directing the INEC to substitute the name of Mr Eyitayo Jegede with Mr Jimoh Ibrahim Folorunsho, as the candidate of the PDP in respect of the 2016 Governorship election in Ondo state.

The petitioner further alleged that “when the application which gave rise to the said order of 14th October, 2016 was brought, heard and granted, the judge and the counsel were aware that Eyitayo Jegede’s name had been forwarded to the INEC by the PDP as its candidate, yet Justice Abang, proceeded with the matter without affording Eyitayo Jegede the opportunity of being heard in the matter.”

“They disembarked, moved towards me and started hitting me with machetes. When I fainted and they thought I had given up the ghost, they took me to a burial ground and dumped me there, where an Okada rider saw me and took me to the hospital.

“My attackers collected N150, 000 and an Infinix Hot 2 phone from me. It was my elder brother who gave me the money to give to those working at his site,” he claimed.

Akadiri, who identified some of the hoodlums, said they had warned him earlier to desist supporting a particular candidate.

Also speaking, another victim, Adeniran, explained that he was attacked after all entreaties towards luring him to APC camp failed and was stabbed in the head and shoulder.

His words: “I was formerly member of PDP. I recently defected to AD with my friend and leader, Obanoyen Kaseem. But this did not go down well

with some people.

“They stabbed me, because I didn’t support a particular candidate. Don’t I have the right to support anybody I like.? I have reported the matter at the police station, Ijebu-Owo,” Condemning the attack, the Media aide to the AD candidate, Rotimi Ogunleye, frowned at the attacks on AD members, describing the situation as bad for democracy.

He called on security agencies in the state to ensure security of lives and properties before, during and after the election, while he stressed the need to re- orientate the electorates politicians and their supporters to play the game by the rules.

The APC publicity secretary in the state, Abayomi Adesanya, who also condemned the attack, said those behind the attack could not be members of APC in the state.

He explained that the party had educated its supporters on the need to play the game by the rules as the party remained a party to beat in the state.

...As Jimoh Ibrahim petitions President, INEC boss •Alleges INEC official demands $1m bribe Jacob Segun OlatunjiAbuja

FACTIONAL candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 26 govenorship poll in Ondo State, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim, on Sunday alleged that a top official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja demanded a $1 million bribe from him before the commission could entertain court judgment which certified him as the authentic candidate of the party in the election Addressing news men in Abuja, he said he bluntly rejected the deal and consequently petitioned the President, Mohammadu Buhari and INEC chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu for their quick intervention Ibrahim also alleged that the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commission (REC) Mr Olusegun Agbaje “ is a card carrying member of PDP that should not be trusted to conduct a free and fair election in the state” and demanded for his removal However, in a swift reaction to the allegations leveled against the Commission and its officials, the INEC through the Chief Press Secretary to its chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, described all the allegations “as nothing but tissue of lies” which should be ig-

nored by the general public “It is curious! How can someone make such a demand in an open place inside INEC office? This is false. Any proof? “it is not true that our staff demanded one million dollar bribe from Jimoh Ibrahim. Two other officials of INEC witnessed the encounter between our staffand Jimoh Ibrahim “The truth of the matter is that Jimoh Ibrahim brought a copy of his judgment and wanted to impress it on INEC to collect it. But we told him that we already have it. It is uncharitable and ungodly of a businessman of his stature to make this kind of allegation.”

“On the allegation against the Ondo REC, it is a tissue of lies fabricated by Jimoh Ibrahim. Honestly, the Ondo REC is one of the best RECs the Commission can boast of. He performed credibly in the Osun state governorship election, he did well while Kogi State as REC. To say the least, the man in question is an incorruptible person.

“It is part of the distractions we face everyday in the commission and we are used to it,. But, we are resolute, we will not be distracted by individuals or any political party. We are going ahead with the Ondo election, we will be fair to all.

“We can only appeal to

•Claims tissue of lies —INEC

the politicians to face their politics and allow INEC to do its assignment in accordance with the provisions of the law of the land.”

Ibrahim, in a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, made available to journalists alleged that the INEC official demanded for $1 million before obeying the court judgment over Ondo election.

Declaring that INEC could not be an Appeal court to a valid ruling of the Court which it earlier promised to obey, he maintained that he remained the authentic PDP candidate for the election in Ondo State based on the Court pronouncement on the matter.

The copy of the court ruling, which he distributed to the newsmen read,”that IMEC, the 1st Respondent/ Alleged Contemptnor shall accept and process for the purpose of its functions and activities in organization and conduct of Ondo State Governorship election only the nomination of Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim who emerged from primary election conducted by the 1st and 2nd judgment Creditors/ Applicants on 29th August,2016 as the Candidate of the PDP in the said Ondo State Governorship election slated for November 2016.

“This is an order that must be obeyed to the let-

ter by INEC, the election is slated for November, the Candidate is jimoh Ibrahim and the party is PDP, for the commission to now say thay are still studying is it is nonsense.”

Ibrahim made it clear

Hoodlums attack AD supporters in Ondo Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

TWO members of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo state, have been attacked by suspected hoodlums in Owo, headquarters of Owo local government area of the state.

The victims: Sunday Akadiri and Adeniran Adeyemi, were attacked at different locations while pasting posters and handbills of the AD governorship candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, in the town.

They accused members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the attack.

Speaking on his hospital bed at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where he has been admitted, Akadiri said the hoodlums took him to a residence where he received the beating of his life.

“My leader, Hon. Babatolu, gave me some posters of AD to paste. While I was pasting the posters at Isokunodo Street, Mobil Area, some people in two buses branded in APC colours came.

38

politicsnews

Monday, 24 October, 2016

Ogbeha, Bello trade words over governance in Kogi Yinka Oladoyinbo Lokoja

A

former senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, on Sunday, said the Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has not justified the power shift that many leaders of the state agitated for.

He opined that the governor, in the last nine months, had not lived up to the expectations of the people of the state as governance is at its lowest ebb.

Speaking in Lokoja, the state capital, the former military governor of Akwa Ibom and Edo states, also alleged that the planned probe of past administrations in the state was an escapist method by the present government over its failure to have something tangible to deliver to the people.

He said: “That (the probe) is an avenue of laziness and devoid of any initiative to do something, I believe in life, you look forward and not backward. The state is wasting resources and you could see the vengeance in it. You are going back to two administrations, what are you going to look at? Is there a specific case of corruption, or illegal things happened?

“There is no particular case; government is only going on a wild goose chase and that is going to commit resources.

With such things, will you be able to do anything? The roundabouts were destroyed

here and nothing has been used to replace them.

“It is easy for you to accuse your predecessors of all kinds of things. You should practically demonstrate and make a difference so that the people will say this administration is better than the previous ones, because they have done so and so things.

But when you talk and talk and denigrate people, you are not doing any good.

“For the state, I believe that the present administration is not doing enough to justify power shift, because one would have thought that the administration would do well to justify it (power shift). For me, I have not seen that. The governor

is a young man but, he has not done anything to justify being a youth or to help the youth. You need people with pedigree to run an administration; it is should not be rhetoric every day.

“He came some months back, destroyed all the roundabouts claiming he wants to put modern ones.

Nothing has happened. He is just defacing the state and he comes with a slogan, New Direction, where is the direction? What is most disheartening to me is the inability of the state government to pay salaries, in spite of collecting the bailout funds. Yet ,the state government has the effrontery to utilise funds in other

areas that are non-productive, buying cars,” Ogbeha fumed.

But in his reaction to the allegation, the governor s said he was not interested in the tales of power shift as he was elected by the entire people of the state to take care of their interest.

Bello, who spoke through his director general of media and publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, emphasised that none of his policies, programmes or actions was meant to be vindictive or for vengeance, adding that he was only interested in issues of development in the state.

He said: “The governor holds no grudge against anyone. Vengeance is not

one of the attributes of Governor Yahaya Bello. He is only asking questions on how we have managed our resources in the past. Former governors will be happy to give account of their stewardship. If they have not stolen our resources, they have no need to fear anything.

“Governor Bello has proven his mettle as a visionary leader who has shown a clear direction of where Kogi should be. We are not interested in the power shift story. Governor Bello is a leader of a generation of Kogites that believe in unity, development and progress.

He represents a new generation of leaders who are

From right, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Lasun Yusuff, and Senator Usman Bayaro Nafada, during the meeting of the African Geopolitical Group, at the ongoing 135th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday.

THE governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in next month’s poll in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke, on Sunday, decried what he described as abject poverty in the state despite its abundant natural resources.

Inaugurating his campaign team in Akure, the state capital, he promised to turn around the fortune of the state if elected on November 26.

He assured the people of his readiness to put in place people-oriented programmes that would revamp the state economy, as well as make the people the cornerstone of his administration.

Oke said AD was determined to form the next government after its victory at the election, stressing that it was inexplicable that the people still wallowed in abject poverty, deprivation and want, in spite of the human and natural endowments of the state.

“This poverty in the midst of plenty and the glaring in-

eptitude of those in power is unacceptable. We want to change this; we want to bring in a new order. We want to bring in a new vision; we want to make our people happy and bring joy into the lives of all and sundry in Ondo State.

“We will revamp our economy. We will make our traditional rulers happy, make our people the cornerstone of our programme and empower our youths to benefit from the abundant recourses that abound in Ondo State,’’ he promised.

While charging the 700man Olusola Oke/Ganny Dauda Campaign Committee, headed by Mr Bola Ilori as its Director General to be focused, eschew infighting and bickering, Oke urged them to be real change agents in their actions and commitment to what he called :The New Ondo Vision.

“So, go out there to the nooks and crannies of Ondo State and preach the gospel of a New Ondo State, a place where the good of the people shall be the cornerstone of gover-

nance.

“What we bring to our people is hope. We shall, by the grace of God, replace visionless with vision; hopelessness with hope; want

and deprivation with abundance. We are confident of winning and we shall be the instruments God want to use to bring about the change for a new Ondo

State,” he said He said his campaign would commence from Ondo East local Government area of the state today (Monday).

Akeredolu says all aggrieved APC members now behind him Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure.

All aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have agreed to work together to ensure victory for the party in the November 26 governorship election in the state.

The candidate of the party for the poll, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, who disclosed this during a meeting with state and local government executives of the party at APC state party secretariat in Akure, said the party had put the crisis behind it.

Akeredolu, who also said all was set for APC campaign take-off today, expressed confidence in the preparedness of the party to win the election.

He said APC had put

APC needs Tinubu, Akande to win Ondo —Dele Alade

Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

Oke promises to reposition Ondo Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

poised for greatness and the fruits are beginning to manifest.

“The Staff Verification Exercise has opened our eyes to the waste and fraud of the past. The state was wasting billions of naira on ghost and unintended beneficiaries while our infrastructure suffer. It takes a courageous leader to unearth the misery of the ghost workers’ syndrome in the state. Lokoja roads are better now and “m sure Senator Tunde Ogbeha would secretly be happy that the governor has been able to fix the Lokoja roads.”

“Also, the state capital is cleaner now due to the proactive stride of the ministry of environment and natural resources. Road projects have been awarded across the state. Zango Daji is now expecting the completion of the power intervention project while the Fair Health System is set to give affordable healthcare to the people. Abejukolo, home town of a former governor, is now to have electricity after being in darkness for over nine years. This is the difference we have made. Governor Bello is changing the face of leadership in Kogi State.”

internal wrangling that erupted after the conduct of party primary behind it and that members of the party were working towards a common goal.

Akeredolu said: “All of us remain one and all members of the exco still remain one: and we are indivisible in this party. We are prepared to at least fight it together as one for APC to produce the next governor of this state.”

He explained that the reconciliatory moves to pacify all aggrieved members had started yielding results, because of effort of the reconciliation committees earlier inaugurated to pacify aggrieved APC members.

He said that the party was more united for the election.and that the state

campaign committee would soon be inaugurated to complement the National Campaign Committee, with all the leaders in the three senatorial districts cooperating.

Akeredolu expressed optimism that the first runner-up in the September 3 primary, Dr. Olusegun Abraham would support his candidature, informing that they had talked and “a few people have intervened and I am sure that he would soon support.

“And he has shown it, that is why he came out to say that he was not leaving APC and that his supporters should work for APC. The other matters we are going to sort out very soon.

He has been receptive and a wonderful person,” he said.

FORMER governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Dele Alade, has called for peace and unity in the party in order to win the November 26, 2016 election.

Alade, who is a United States-based Judge and chairman, Board of Trustees of APC-USA, said without unity in the APC and the active involvement of the national leaders of the party, Chief BolaTinubu and a former Osun State governor, Chief Bisi Akande in the party campaign, APC might walking on a tight rope.

He said that the governorship candidate, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) should do more to get everyone on board to put the party in a good stead ahead of the poll.

Alade noted that although the APC governorship primary election of last month might not be perfect, there was no moral ground for those crying foul play, because the aspirants, especially the leading ones, were allegedly involved in giving various amounts of money to the delegates to influence their votes for them.

39

Monday, 24 October, 2016 Editor: Wale Emosu tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08111?????????

Rangers spread continental recruitment across Africa

Arsenal missed Cazorla

—Wenger ARSENE Wenger bemoaned the absence of Santi Cazorla after Arsenal were held to a drab goalless draw by struggling Middlesbrough.

Cazorla did not feature at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday and the Spanish midfielder was sorely missed by the spluttering Gunners.

Arsenal were frustrated

by Middlesbrough as they

N Wenger wasted a chance to win for a seventh successive Premier League game and eighth in all competitions.

“You always miss Cazorla at home. From deep midfield into the final third his pass is always quick, accurate,” said Wenger.

“Cazorla, I don’t really know when he will be back.

We have to see how he recovers on Monday.”

IGERIA champions Rangers have listed two Zambia World Cup stars as well as players from Cote d’Ivoire and Benin Republic ahead of next year’s CAF Champions League.

Coach Imama Amapakabo specially disclosed Rangers are already in contact with two Zambians, who played against Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month as well as two Ivorians, whose experience on the continent will be needed.

“We are also targeting a Benin Republic international whose name I don’t want to disclose yet to boost the squad we have on ground,” Imama added.

“We are equally working relentlessly to ensure that we keep our best players.

“As I speak, I am on my way to Enugu to submit my contract papers and discuss with the management on how we can start negotiating with clubs about the players needed for the CAF Champions League.

“We will give it our best to represent the country and prove that Rangers are worthy champions of Nigeria.”

Rangers are due to resume training in the first week of next month with officials announcing the Enugu Governor will then reward them for clinching the league crown after 32 years.

Imama

Tennis: Perez, Perrin are champions at Lagos Gov ‘s Cup

By Ganiyu Salman

Gerrard free to return to Liverpool —Klopp Gerrard

J U R G E N Klopp will hold talks with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard after the 36-year-old midfielder appeared to announce his departure from the LA Galaxy at the end of the current Major League Soccer season.

Gerrard’s comments are bound t o fuel speculation that the highly popular Liverpudlian could return to play for the club he first represented 18 years ago and for whom he made over 500 appearances.

Klopp has previously indicated that such a possibility would not be realistic for the veteran, although, following Saturday’s 2-1 victory over West Bromwich

Albion, the Liverpool manager declined to explain exactly what role could await a player who also made 114 England appearances in one of the most successful careers of the modern football era.

“Stevie Gerrard is always so welcome at Liverpool FC, you can’t imagine how welcome,” said Klopp after his team’s win at Anfield.

“So there is absolutely no problem. But anything we have, or will, speak about, stays (between us). That’s how I know Stevie, that’s how I am.

“But nobody should be worried that there is no space for Steven Gerrard. Everything will be fine, 100 percent.”

While it is understood that Gerrard is keen to pursue a coaching career, it is believed that such a position will not be available under Klopp and that an ambassadorial role is the one likely to be on offer now to the Anfield great.

FRENCH- Nigerian-born Calvin Hemery failed in his spirited effort to win the second leg (Futures 6) of 16th edition of the Lagos Governor’s Cup last Saturday.

Hemery,whose father is a Nigerian, was a delight to watch with his determination, as he gave the tournament number one, Enrique Lopez-Perez of Spain, a run for his money.

Despite the drizzle of rain that disrupted the second set, the men’s final decided at the centre court of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan which eventually lasted over three hors lived up to its billings.

Hemery who created a mild drama during the first set when he flung his racket after he lost a point bowed to Lopez-Perez in straight set of 5-7, 5-7. Hemery, the tournament number two seed, who lost out in the quarter final of the first leg (Futures 5), was cheered all the way by

guests, including the representative of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Tunji Bello, who is the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

Hemery speaking after the match said he was so happy coming to Lagos to play in the Governor’s Cup Tennis for the first time, adding that he would love to represent Nigeria someday if he is given the opportunity.

Bello, who stood in for Governor Ambode, said that the Lagos State government will always support the competition given its numerous values to the development and projection of Lagos as one of the emerging mega cities of the world.

It was, however, a sweet revenge for Conny Perrin of Switzerland beating her perennial foe, Tadeja Majeric from Slovakia in ithe thrilling final of the women’s singles that ended in 6-3, 6-3. Majeric, it will be recalled, defeated Perrin to win the first leg (Futures 5).

Ibadan Tennis Club defeats Union Bank

By Niyi Alebiosu IBADAN Tennis Club (ITC) has emerged victorious over its counterpart from Union Bank Sports Club on 4-1points aggregate.

Ibadan Tennis Club’s Wale Samson defeated Emeka Anyim of Union Bank 6-0, 6-0 in one of the singles while Akin Orebiyi of ITC lost to Idowu Peters in another singles match.

In the doubles category of the Inter State Club Tennis friendly, while Yemi Asalaye of ITC defeated the pair of S.O George and Liokman Adetynji by 6-2, 6-1 just as Vincent Essien/Okey Agwuncha of Union Bank lost to the pair of James Rufai and Ademola Olaniyan 6-2, 6-0 of ITC

and Emeka Anyim /Uche Chinedu of Union Bank Sports Club lost to Lanre Iranloye and Wale Samson of ITC by 6-2, 6-0 points.

While speaking with Tribunesport after the presentation of awards to various winners, Chairman tennis section of the Union Bank Sports Club, Engineer Segun Ogunlola said “I will like to commend the host club for putting up good show in terms of organisation and the game and this has really brought all tennis players in both clubs closer.”

The captain of Ibadan Tennis Club, Mr S. O George described the standard displayed by players from both clubs as impressive.

SIDELINES

NO 16,617

N150

MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER, 2016

A fake policewoman who disguised as an inspector is being held by the Ogun State Police Command. Her confession? She bought the uniform and the identity card in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. For desperadoes, no item is outside the scope of buying and selling, not even security gears.

What have I done FOUR you?

Mourinho’s fingers were bitten at Stamford Bridge.

PHOTOS: DAILY MAIL

Iheanacho scores to save Guardiola (inset) blushes

Chelsea repay Mourinho in bad coins Coach beaten 4-0 in his worst EPL result Iheanacho rescues City

By Dipo Ogunsola

J

OSE Mourinho was forced to moan defensive frailities as Manchester United were humiliated 4-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in a Week 9 fixture.

Mourinho, named the Special One by Chelsea faithful following two remarkable spells with the London club, emerged from the Stamford Bridge’s tunnel to a roaring reception but left in shame following his worst result ever in the EPL. “The players commited terrible individual errors,” Mourinho said after the game.

“What can you do when you concede a goal inside 21 seconds. When the game should have been 1-1, it was 2-0, then your opponents counter-attack and the match ends 4-0.”

However, Mourinho foresees good days for Man United.

“We have to win our next three games. That will be difficult but the fact that we have played against those in the top three-Man City, Liverpool and

now Chelsea, bodes well for us.”

Also on Sunday, Nigeria’s youngster, Kelechi Iheanacho saved Manchester City an embarrassment of a home defeat when he netted in the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Southampton at The Ethiad Stadium.

Four days earlier, City were humiliated 4-0

by FC Barcelona on a Uefa Champions League night played at the Nou Camp and so fans were interested in how well the Pep Guardiola and his charges could redeem themselves.

Much was said of the absence of team captain, Vincent Kompany in the humiliation by Barca but the big Belgian was re-instated for Sunday’s game.

However, it was the visitors who drew the first blood when Nathan Redmond was gifted a goal off a back pass by John Stone in the 27th minute.

Guardiola made the best decision of the day when he introduced Iheanacho in place of Kevin De Bruyne in the 46th minute. Nine minutes on, the Nigerian striker finished off a brilliant play by Leroy Sane to restore parity.

How Ahmed Musa upset Rohr Player benched in the aftermath NIGERIA’S national team selectors were seriously crossed with Leicester City star Ahmed Musa when he opted to drive to training camp with a new N30m (more than $66,000) car.

He further drew the wrath of the coaches when he was almost mobbed after he gave away cash to fellow worshippers after Friday Muslim prayers, all these before a crucial World Cup qualifier in Zambia.

The 24-year-old forward, who finally

opened his Premier League goals account on Saturday, sensationally lost his firstteam place to Gent star Moses Simon in Ndola with

Musa

the official explanation being that it was because he has struggled to play regularly for Premier League champions Leicester.

However, it has now been scooped he was really in hot water because he did not seem to be focused for the allimportant match in Zambia.

A top official opened up: “The Eagles coaches led

by Gernot Rohr were very unhappy with Ahmed Musa before the match in Zambia because they felt he was not concentrated for the game by what he was doing off the pitch.”

Not only did Iheanacho bring City level, he keeps City on top of the table with 20 points, identical to Arsenal but with a superior 11 goal surplus to the Gunners 10.

Algeria must not lose to Nigeria —Feghouli SOFIANE Feghouli has admitted it will be even more difficult for Algeria i n the World Cup qualifiers if they failed in Nigeria next month, while also being openly critical of ex-coach Milovan Rajevac.

Group leaders Nigeria welcome Algeria on November 12 in Uyo after the North Africans were held to a 1-1 draw at home

by Cameroon and have parted ways to Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac.

“It will be a difficult trip to Nigeria in November,” conceded West Ham United star Feghouli in an interview.

“We will have to bounce back immediately because if we lost, it will become very complicated to qualify (for the World Cup).

We know that.

“Unfortunately, it started badly with the home draw with Cameroon.

“In the group stage, the first match is always very important. But we still a chance as there are still five matches to go.”

Feghouli has been fingered out as leading a player rebellion against coach Rajevac, but while being critical on the choice of the Serb, the forward insisted he has never been selfish while playing for Algeria.

“FAF were wrong in the choice of Rajevac,” he opened up.

“He did not know the names of the players or their positions. There was very little information on Cameroon. We did not prepare as we should.

Feghouli

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 /10/2016.