26th July 2016 by Nigerian Tribune

nigeria’s most informative newspaper no 16,553

TUESDAY, 26 JULY, 2016

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FG blames CBN forex restriction for negative growth

Nigerian Tribune

Akarigbo: Remo traditional council meets tomorrow •His unfulfilled

•Projects N7.4 trillion revenue for 2017 dream for Remoland —P12 —P11

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FG not investigating 2015 elections campaign funds —Osinbajo —P5

NASS full of corrupt legislators, OBJ insists —P4

•Wants Buhari to be careful over what NASS offers as budget 2015 presidential election: PDP didn't lose, APC didn't win —Ciroma —P10

Economy: We are learning from Iran —Buhari —P10

From left, President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Pinnick; FIFA President, Mr Gianni Infantino; President Muhammadu Buhari and the Secretary-General, FIFA, Ms Fatima Samoura, during a visit by FIFA President to President Buhari, at the Aso Villa, Abuja, on Monday.

Again, militants attack Ogun community, abduct landlord —P7

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

news

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

NASS full of corrupt legislators, OBJ insists Warns Buhari to be careful over what NASS offers as budget Leon Usigbe - Abuja

GAIN, former President Olusegun Obasanjo met with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed-doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, admonishing the president to be careful over what the National Assembly offers him as budget. He came into the Villa for the meeting at about noon and told State House corespondents that he was there to pass on some messages from his recent travels to some African countries. But when asked about his views on the development at the National Assembly, which he had famously referred to as corrupt, he said there was the need to ensure that only men and women of integrity found their way to the legislature, urging the president to be vigilant as touching what the lawmakers pass to him as budget. Put to him that he must be worried about report of corruption in the National Assembly which he previously highlighted, he said: “Well, if you said I said it in the past and if there are people who didn’t believe what I said in the past, then you now see that what has come out confirms what I said in the past, then you can say what I said in the past is what I will say now.” Obasanjo had, early in the year, in seperate letters to Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, lambasted members of both arms of the National Assembly, accusing them of greed, impunity and corruption. Obasanjo, whose accusation was contained in a January 13, 2016 letter, lamented that the lawmakers had failed to show under-

standing, in view of the present economic situation in the country, caused by a crash in the price of crude oil in the international market. The former president said it was regrettable that the National Assembly had not shown enough courage to publish its recurrent budget for 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015, stressing the need for the lawmakers to be transparent in their financial deal-

ings. “On a few occasions in the past, both in and out of office as the president of Nigeria, I have agonised on certain issues within the arms of government at the national level and among the tiers of government as well. “Not least, I have reflected and expressed, outspokenly at times, my views on the practice in the National Assembly which detracts

from distinguishedness and honourability, because it is shrouded in opaqueness and absolute lack of transparency and could not be regarded as normal, good and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to be exemplary. I am, of course, referring to the issue of budgets and finances of the National Assembly,” he had said in the letter. Asked whether he would prefer an investigation into

President Muhammadu Buhari (left), with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

THE Akwa Ibom State police command, on Monday, confirmed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) gas pipeline explosion in Obotim Nsit, in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. State Commissioner of Police, Murtala Mani, who confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Uyo, attributed the explosion to a technical fault. He denied any militant attack on the gas pipeline.

president. He said: “I am visiting this time because I have some messages for the president. “Not too long ago, I was in Liberia and Gambia and I have messages these two countries will want me to deliver to the president. “Also, only Sunday, I came back from Seychelles Island, where I attended this year’s Annual General Meeting of Africa Export Development Bank and there are aspects of the proceedings I think I should update the president.” On his frequent travels abroad, Obasanjo indicated that he was enjoying it and would not be changing the pattern soon. “Travelling is a good education; what you will learn about a country by visiting that country for two or three days, you won’t learn by reading through books,” he stated. On whether he intends to slow down, the former president replied: “May God not allow me to slow down now.”

Why we reshuffled committees —Senate Leader Says Senate alone can’t impeach Buhari Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja LEADER of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, on Monday, clarified the last week committees’ reshuffement carried out by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, saying it was done to soothe some frayed nerves of some aggrieved members of the Senate. The Senate President, during the plenary last Thursday, before going on annual vacation, announced some minor changes in the standing committees which analysts said it was carried out to pacify the Senate Unity Forum members.

However, Ndume, in a chat with newsmen, disclosed that though it was a routine and a normal process in the Senate, it was essentially to soothe some frayed nerves in the Upper Legislative Chamber. He said “this is a routine that is normally done and we gave him the go ahead to effect this changes, hoping that it will now soothes some nerves and provide us with the conducive environment to continue our job.” The legislator went down the memory lane and noted: “You know after the inauguration of the eighth Senate we had issues and all of you know, there was a kind of

continuous turbulence in the Senate and as we go through, we tried to find out to settle that turbulence. However, part of which is like having a fair sharing of the committees and of course complying to the directives of the party or the leadership structure, this is the fact of the matter. “As we get along, we felt that since the extension of hand of friendship from both ends to do more in other to have a smooth Senate that we would be able to have an environment where we are supposed to do our primary responsibilities, execute our primary responsibilities effectively that is lawmaking, stabilising the

Police debunk Avengers’ claim on gas pipeline explosion in Akwa Ibom Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri with Agency Report

the affairs of the legislature over alleged padding of the 2016 budget, the former president remarked: “ It’s not question of investigation. We should get men and women of integrity in the place and the president should be very vigilant. Whatever should not pass, should not pass.” On his mission to the Villa, Obasanjo explained that he had some messages for the

“This is no militancy attack. Our men are on ground and the fire service had put out the fire. “It is confirmed that there is an explosion in Obotim Nsit, in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of the state. “People from the pipeline confirmed that the pipelines are old and overdue for servicing. There are technical problems in the gas pipeline,” Mani said. The Police Commissioner, however, said there was no casualty and no house was destroyed as a result of the explosion. The commissioner said

his officers and men were on ground, adding that the place was well-cordoned. Earlier, militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), had allegedly said it blew up a gas pipeline belonging to NNPC. The gas pipeline, the group reported on its website late early Monday, was located at Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The act was allegedly carried out, according to the statement signed by the group’s spokesperson, Brigadier-General Mudoch Agbinibo, at about 11.30 p.m. on Sunday.

“At 11:30 p.m on Sunday, the NDA blew up NNPC gas pipeline at Nsit-Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. “NNPC should check its pipeline if it’s “system anomaly,” Agbinibo disclosed. As of filing this report, officials of NNPC could not be reached to confirm the alleged economic sabotage. Not even the new Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Mohammed Garba, could be reached for a confirmation, as his mobile line was unreadable.

system. You know it has gotten to a level where even Nigerians think Senate is more or less a burden or we are just thinking or talking about ourselves. Senate has become a chamber where we always go in closed- door session to discuss about ourselves or summoning people to come before us to discuss ourselves. So, we felt that should not continue and the Senate President felt what do we do in other to get this overweight. “Part of the demand of the Senate Unity Forum as at then is the issue of committees, the issue of the leadership and the Senate President did what he can and that of the committee is at his discretion and it is within the powers of the selection committee which the Senate President is the chairman. He brought this propsal before us and we felt that there is nothing too much to guarantee peace. This is a routine thing that is normally done and we gave him the go ahead to effect this changes hoping that will now soothes some nerves and provide us with the conducive enviroment to continue our job.” Ndume also denied the recent reports in the media, alleging impeachment plot against President Muhammadu Buhari in the Senate on account of frosty relationship between the Senate and the Presidency, stating that

the Senate could not impeach him. He believed the alleged move was impossible, adding that such imagination could never become reality in any way, because the Senate alone could not carry out such action in bicameral legislature. According to him, “Senate cannot impeach the president, it is the National Assembly that can impeach the president and it is by two-thirds based on clearly stated impeachable offences that must be served on the president, which he must respond to, or if he fails to respond, the process is there. “It is a process; a long tedious process and in this country, we don’t even need that we are not even contemplating on it and even if anybody contemplates on it, it is not going to work, because this is All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate; we have the majority, we have 58 to 60 senators and you need 72 senators to start off impeachment process. “In a nutshell, the issue of impeachment is non-existent in the Senate. We don’t need it because we don’t have a president that has issues of corruption, integrity, mismanagement of the economy at hand. We have a president that is straightforward and he does not have any mismanagement of anything through abuse of due process.”

5 news

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

FG not investigating 2015 campaign funds —Osinbajo Says never again will funds for essential services be diverted Christian Okeke - Abuja

ICE-President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday, denied that the Federal Government’s war against corruption was targeted at the opposition, saying the government was not investigating 2015 campaign funds as was being insinuated. He said what the government was doing was to probe how money meant for public good was diverted into promoting people into public office. Speaking at the 2016 annual conference of InterParty Advisory Council (IPAC) in Abuja, Osinbajo, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, said it was discovered that most of the diverted funds were not even used to fund political parties activities, but only found their way into personal pockets. He described the act as outright theft, which cannot be accepted in any decent society. Osinbajo vowed that never again would monies meant for essential services in the country be used for camping purposes, noting also that agencies of government would never again be used to favour any political party into winning elections. He said: “Let me respond to those who say that the current war against corruption by the Federal Government is directed at opposition, it is not so. “Security Chiefs and the anti-corruption agencies are not even investigating campaign funds. No, it has not yet got to that. What the government is doing is to ensure that monies meant for essential services are not diverted into promoting candidates into offices. “It is a very pitiable situation that when we have national emergency like the crisis in the North-East of the country on our hands and money is voted to fight insurgency and that money is diverted into campaign purposes. “You all need to know what our soldiers were going through in the battle front. Some of them were going into war with just bathroom slippers on their feet, many of them were surviving on just Indomie noodles. Those were unacceptable in the military. “Some went to battle with just 10 bullets in their guns; some went into battle with obsolete equipment; some

went into battle without anything at all and we expected them to fight insurgents. “Thousands upon thousands of our people died in the course of the insurgency and when we got into government and investigated why this was so, we found out that the sum of $15 billion voted for equipping the soldiers were shared by some people. This is unacceptable in any democracy. This is what we are investigating. “We want the narrative to change. So, when people were saying we want to obliterate opposition and that is what we are investigating, it is not so. “Let’s even grant the possibility that the money was misappropriated for campaign, most of the money we found were in personal accounts. They were not even used for campaigns. Those that were not used in buying mansions were used in buying and building plazas across Abuja “This is outright theft and it cannot be acceptable in any decent society. So, we want to assure you that never again, by the time we finish our investigation, will money meant for essential services in government be used for campaign

purposes; never again will agencies of government be used in favour of any party for the purpose of winning election. “It is you who are members of this organisation (IPAC) that can assist in educating the general public that these are the kind of things that we all should work towards so that tomorrow, if the people do not find APC as the right

party to govern the country, they go to the polls gently and quietly and elect a new party to take over the government. “Politics and elections should not be war; they should not be for the depleting of the natural resources. We should go there, canvass our positions, let the people know our manifestos and then, let them vote freely.”

From left, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Baba Kaka Garbai; Senate Leader Ali Ndume; Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje and the Director-General of the National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS), Dr Ladi Hamalai, after the inauguration of the Committees on Budget Reforms by the Senate President, in Abuja, on Monday.

Annual budget critical to planning, development—Saraki Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja SENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Monday, restated the commitment of the eighth National Assembly on budget reforms, which would help open the budget process to greater scrutiny and openness. Speaking during the inauguration of the Committee on Budget Reforms, Saraki said one of the most important duties as legislators was the passage of the annual budget, which was a critical tool for national planning. The lawmaker noted that budget reforms implementation would also create time roadmaps that would lead to the passage and implementation of the nation’s budgets. He said “over the years, both the National Assembly and the Executive have expressed frustration and dissatisfaction with the outcome of our budgets,” adding that “Nigerians are equally unimpressed by the outcome and implementation of the budget, as most have come with more conflicts than results.” He, however, maintained that the eighth National As-

sembly was ready to open a new chapter and lay a new foundation on which an effective budget process can be built, assuring that it was a task before the legislature that must be achieved. According to him, “this is the task on our hands. It is a notorious fact that our annual budgets are yet to be fully been aligned with our development goals; from conceptualisation approval and implementation of our annual budget, there is need to converge our budgeting to national planning, continuity, efficiency hence, the need to revisit the process. “Government operations are less susceptible to corruption and abuse when they are predictable, transparent and accountable. As part of leading by example, we are at the final stage of releasing of our Senate Budget process,” he said. He added that the Senate was expected to receive a comprehensive budget reform proposal that would aid the passage of a budget bill at the end of the committees’ assignment. Chairman of the main committee and Senate

Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, noted that the both committees would enhance effectiveness of legislative participation in budget process for the benefit of all. Also, the chairperson of the technical committee and the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS), Dr Ladi Hamalai, said the committee would adopt a methodology that would span pre-budget, budget approval and budget implementation processes. She said the issues that were raised and would be the focus of study were that the current budget process

was evidently opaque and did not allow for effective discussion or review of the budget. Others listed by her include ambiguity of responsibility in the budget process; lack of discipline; weak link between plans, budgets and development; absence of resolution on budget procedure to regulate in-house processes, and limited interrogation to infuse efficiency and effective linkage to national development. Hamalai identified inadequate scrutiny of details of the budget at the sectoral level by committee of the whole;

inadequate regulations and procedures for checking inefficiency; and absence of performance evaluation reports of previous budgets and incomplete information. Others, according to her, included low capacity to scrutinise submissions by MDAs; poor management of reconciliation processes; poor oversight scheme and planning; irregular rendition of Quarterly implementation Status Report by the MDAs; absence of continuous legislative oversight structure within MDAs and inadequate budget impact assessment scheme.

Food shortage problem will end in 2 yrs —Ogbeh Collins Nnabuife - Abuja MINISTER of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has assured Nigerians that food shortage problem in the country will be over in two years. The minister said this when he received in audience the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, in his office in Abuja.

Chief Ogbeh commended the commitment of the governor in the agricultural sector and promised to support the state in the ministry’s programmes. He said the ministry would be willing to help the state in fingerling production and other areas of the sector to boost food production in the country. The minister advised the governor on the use of NPK

15-15 fertiliser, which according to him, destroyed the soil. He also encouraged the state to consider the use of lemon grass to tackle the erosion problems in the state. Chief Ogbeh explained that the ministry was considering the need to add 10 per cent soya beans into cassava to enrich it with more protein for more nourishment for the children.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016 6 news Economic recession: Bear with us, Saraki pleads with Nigerians Biola Azeez-Ilorin

HE Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has lamented current economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians, saying the Senate will collaborate with the Presidency to find a quick and lasting solution to the economic crisis. Speaking during an unscheduled inspection visit to the site of the proposed Sheik Muhammad Kamaldeen University, Ogidi, Ilorin, at the weekend, the senate president, however, pleaded with Nigerians to bear with the government. He said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government was not out to deceive Nigerians, adding that the party had the capability to steer the nation through the period of hardship into prosperity. As part of measures to stem the growing tide of arrears of salaries owed teachers by state governments, Dr Saraki said the National Assembly would push for removal of teachers’ salaries from recur-

rent expenditure in the national budget, adding that senators would engage the executive arm of government over the proposal once they resumed from their current recess. He said part of the intervention of the Senate on the issue of the national

economy must have played a significant role in the rise in federal allocation to states for the month of July, as he promised that the next few months would see to the resolution of the salary crises across the local government areas in the country.

But he canvassed dialogue with members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) whose activities have been one of the factors crippling the national economy, saying the Federal Government must be ready to sit down with ‘whoever’ can be instru-

mental to the return of normalcy in the region. His words: “Before the Senate went on recess, we spent a day discussing this non-payment of primary school teachers’ salaries across the nation. This is an area that should not be left in the hands of the lo-

From left, Administrator, National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Rosaline Bozimo; Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Muhammed and the Imo State Chief Judge, Justice Paschal Nnadi, during a workshop for research, judicial and legal assistants, in Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI.

We can decisively say we have dealt with Boko Haram —Army •Says no more terrorists camps in North-East THE Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sanni Usman, on Monday, in Lagos, said there were no longer camps of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-Eastern part of the country. Usman made the assertion while addressing newsmen at the inauguration of Strategic Communication Course for senior officers at the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information, Bonny Camp, Lagos. Usman, while assuring Nigerians that the military was winning the war against terrorism, said there were no more terrorists clustered in a particular place in the area. “The situation in the North-East has tremendously improved. The military operations or the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the North-East is hinged on three things. “First, defeating the Boko Haram terrorists which have been accomplished and making room to facilitate humanitarian assistance which is also ongoing. “Then restoration of law and order for good governance to take place. “We no longer have camps of Boko Haram terrorists and we no longer have them convened in the territories,” he said. “Those that were hitherto close are now open

to the extent that we have trans-border trade. “Take for instance; just recently, the important road that links Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon was just re-opened. “We have come to the point that we can beat our chest and decisively say we have dealt with Boko Haram.” On the inauguration of the communication course, Usman said training of personnel was paramount, adding that it would enhance proficiency. “It is in this regard that the Directorate of Army Public Relations places high premium on training of officers and soldiers. “The Nigerian Army School

of Public Relations and Information must remain focused in the training of officers and soldiers to meet the need of well trained and skilled manpower. “This is the first of its kind to further enhance further joint operations of the armed forces and possibly international military engagement,” Usman said. “It is my hope that this course will make the desired impact on all of you and explicit growth fertilisation of ideas among the participants. “It is also our desire to see that at the end of the course, we turn out better informed senior officers.

“Also, they should be well-equipped to partake in making or taking strategic decision for the Nigerian army information and dissemination management,” he said. Usman thanked the Chief of Army Staff, LieutenantGeneral Tukur Buratai, for improving the Nigerian Army formations. The NASPRI commandant, Colonel John Agim, said the course was to better equip senior officers who were saddled with the responsibility of shaping the information environment. Agim said the course, which would run for three

months, would be on media planning and crisis management, media matters and interview skills and digital media influence among others. Meanwhile, the wife of Borno State governor, Hajiya Nana Shettima, on Monday, donated assorted food items to 1,500 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri, the state capital. Shettima, while distributing the items at the Government House, said no fewer than 5, 000 widows, orphans and other vulnerable people had so far benefited from similar gesture in the last two months.

41 party applications pending at INEC Christian Okeke-Abuja

A total of 41 applications from various associations seeking registration as political parties are currently waiting for approvals by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC.) This is even as 28 political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were yet to submit their election expenses report since the 2015 general election. Section 92 (3) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended requires political parties to submit to the electoral umpire their election expenses

within six months after an election. However, out of the 30 registered political parties in the country and despite letters of reminders, only Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC) has submitted the report to INEC regarding the 2015 general election. Young Democratic Party (YDP), on its own, responded to INEC’s reminder, indicating that it did not field candidates for the elections. In addition, the commission is yet to appoint auditors to examine and report on political party accounts/ finances for 2015. In fact, the executive summary for those of 2013 and

2014 financial years are yet to be concluded for submission to the National Assembly and publication in three national newspapers, in line with Section 226 (1) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 89 (4) of the 2010 Electoral Act as amended. INEC national chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, confirmed these in Abuja, on Monday, and described the failure by the political parties to submit their election expenses report as disheartening. He admitted that only the summary of the annual audited reports up to 2012 financial year had been forwarded to the National As-

sembly and published as required by relevant laws. Yakubu disclosed that the process of appointing auditors for the 2015 financial year was about being concluded. Speaking at the first annual conference of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Abuja, the INEC boss who was represented by a national commissioner, A.T. Simbini, said it was clear that there existed several challenges for the commission and political parties in the areas of internal party democracy, tracking of candidate campaign expenses and reporting of political party financues.

cal government areas. The matter now is beyond local councils. It is even beyond states. “My view and that of the Senate is that the issue should be a national matter. We cannot be putting funds to Universal Basic Education Board (UBE) for building of classrooms, science equipment or even to tertiary institutions when the foundation, primary school teachers are not being paid. Who is going to go to the classrooms that we are building? “So we must address that as a national issue and that is our plan at the Senate that during the recess and when we resume from recess, to engage with the executive arm and see how we can come together. I believe that payment of teachers should not be on recurrent, because it is key to the foundation of education and it is key to whatever capital investment. “There is no point putting investment in classrooms where there is no teacher that will turn up when they have not paid him or her. We move a resolution last time to address it and we are going to follow it up. I want to reassure the teachers all round the country that definitely something will be done to address this. “We all know that we have been experiencing tough time in the country. Even here in Kwara state, I have been talking to all our people that it has been a very difficult period for all of us not only in Nigeria but all over the world. That does not mean anything, we as leaders are taking the responsibilities and challenges. This is a challenge. “We must think out of the box. We must work hard and that is what we are doing. That is why the Senate summoned the minister of finance and challenged her for a while. We had passed a resolution since May that both the minister and Governor of Central Bank must come and tell us what they are doing about the economy. “I am sure part of this our shout has led to significant improvement in this month’s federal allocation to states. I confident with that almost all the local government areas should be able to pay full salary for the workers. So the message is now to ensure true oversight functions that will hold the executive to ensure that all revenues due come in. “There are other challenges too that we must admit. The challenges that are ongoing in the Niger Delta area, we must address. It is important that we must dialogue and seek peace.”

Lagosmetro Abductors of RCCG pastor demand N100m ransom Olalekan Olabulo Abductors of a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Okukayode Bajomo have reportedly demanded for N100 million, before they will release him. Bajomo was abducted last Sunday, at one of the church’s parishes at Santos Bus Stop, Isawo area of Ikorodu. Two residents of the area, Kamoru and an unnamed hairdresser, who were shot by the kidnappers, have also died. It was gathered that the gunmen on Sunday contacted the family of the clergyman and demanded for N100 million A church member, who pleaded anonymity, while speaking with Lagos Metro said that the gunmen disguised as worshippers, when they abducted the Pastor. The member said “we were set for the workers’ early Sunday meeting, when the gunmen came. We thought they were worshippers until we saw their guns.” The church member also confirmed that, “now they are asking for N100 million and they have not reduced it since they contacted the family, on Sunday.” A police source at Ipakado police station, who pleaded anonymity, while speaking with Lagos Metro said that the police in the area are working on more than 10 cases of kidnap. The police source stated that, apart from the case of the RCCG pastor, there were also cases of a popular hotelier, a set of twins, a woman and another woman being investigated. No fewer than five other people, including Kamoru and a hairdresser were also reportedly killed by the rampaging gunmen.

Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Again, militants raid Ibafo, cleric dies of shock, landlord abducted Opeyemi Owoaseye

gain, suspected militants have attacked Ibafo, a borderline area of Lagos and Ogun States. The militants struck at 2:00a.m. on Monday and unleashed mayhem on Halleluyah Quarters area of the community. An Islamic cleric, 85-year-old Olaiya Kareem, was said to have died from shock after the gunmen opened fire while a landlord was kidnapped. Three houses were reportedly burgled and valuables estimated at millions of naira, carted away. Lagos Metro gathered that a landlord, Scott Odum, was kidnapped after his money and phones were stolen. The militants came in through the swamp and escaped through the same route. The residents attempted to resist the invaders and employed local vigilantes but could not confront the militants. They reportedly fled after receiving threats from the gunmen. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Lagos Metro during a visit to the area that some of the residents had developed hypertension as a result of the constant attacks. He said, “The attack started at 2:00 a.m. and it lasted till 3:00 a.m. Three houses were attacked. In one of the houses, the landlord was abducted. They only ransacked the other two houses because they could not reach the landlords of those houses because they were not around. Some of us have developed hypertension due to this incident. The wife of the landlord that was kidnapped had been hospitalised as a result of a previous attack. She is presently in a private hospital in Lagos. “For over three weeks, we have not been able to sleep in peace. There had been robbery, rape and shootings. We reported to the police in Ibafo division. We called the DPO, around 3.00a.m., he told us he had alerted his men to come but till around 10:30 a.m., nobody has shown up.” He added that, “We are

citizens without security. We managed to employ local security men, but the militants threatened them to leave.” Another victim told Lagos Metro that they pestered him about the whereabouts of his landlord. “They asked me about the landlord’s whereabouts and the relationship between us but I told him I don’t know anything about him. In the course of checking round the house, they collected our money and phones. They

later returned the phones and told us to lock the door and to keep our mouth shut. They were four that attacked us and wore black with mask covering their faces.” Abdulganiyu, one of the deceased children said that the attack caught him unaware and it was the shock from the shootings that killed his father. “I was asleep when I heard people shouting, saying that ‘they are here again’. I told my father to sit somewhere while I went outside to join

House of the deceased cleric. INSET: The kidnapped landlord.

those who are outside. “After sometimes, someone came to tell me that I needed to come and see the way baba was doing. Before I got back inside, he gave up the ghost,” he said. Another victim said that they took the landlord away after looting his property. She said, “They broke the burglary, came in, told us to lie down, collected our phone and money, packed all our laptops, hit my baby with the bottom of their gun when he was crying. They

later dropped the laptops but went with the landlord.” Due to these frequent attacks, the residents of Hallelujah quarters decided to embark on a peaceful protest. The protest started at about 10:00 a.m. on Monday in front of the quarters with about 40 people and they headed towards Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The protesters were seen carrying placard with various inscriptions protesting the constant invasion of their community by militants.

Ibafo residents protesting another militant attack on their community, on Monday. PHOTO: Opeyemi Owoaseye.

Landlord stabs tenant to death over child’s faeces Opeyemi Owoaseye A 35-year-old man, Bright Abraham has been killed by his landlord Gbade Metibemu in the Makoko area of Lagos State, on Thursday. Lagos Metro gathered that Metibemu stabbed the Abia State indigene with a knife multiple of times, on his chest and neck during a disagreement. Metibemu reportedly rushed to the Adekunle Police Station to report that his tenant was after him and wanted to kill him. He was, however, detained at the station when angry neighbours of the deceased went to the station to report that Abraham had died at the hospital where he was taken to for treatment. A tenant, who identified himself as Christian Nwankwo, said Metibemu

was hot tempered, adding that he always fought with his tenants. He said, “Abraham was well-behaved and good-mannered. He moved in four months ago, but the way he was relating to us was very pleasing and those were the attributes that endeared him to us. His room is beside the landlord’s. About a week ago, the landlord started complaining that he should stop putting his children’s cloth on the line. He also complained that his children’s feaces were disturbing him. “He promised to kill him if he did not pack out of the house. The landlord’s wife, few days ago, was seen shouting in the neighbourhood that her husband had got a knife which he intended to use on a tenant. We thought it was a joke.”

Another resident, Ndubuisi Nkegba, said the victim had excused himself from a chat to go to bed that Thursday when the landlord stabbed him to death. “Not more than 10 minutes after he left us to go to bed, we started hearing a noise. We rushed there immediately, but getting there, we discovered that he had been stabbed in the chest multiple times by the landlord. Blood was gushing out of his body. We rushed him to the Federal Medical Centre, Yaba, where he was confirmed dead.” Meanwhile, the landlord was said to have gone to the Adekunle Police Station with a friend, identified as Femi, to report the incident. “He told the police that his tenant was threatening to stab him. He was showing them some injuries he

said he sustained. However, the police tried to calm him because he was talking with anger. The police were taking his statements when some friends of the deceased, who were returning from the hospital, met him at the station. They told the police that the tenant was dead. The landlord’s friend, Femi, quickly sneaked out and fled but the landlord was detained.” An angry mob in protest demolished the suspect’s apartment and destroyed some of his property. The Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, Yaba. “The corpse has been deposited at the FMC’s morgue for autopsy,” she added.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016 Nigerian Tribune 8 news No lawmaker under investigation over certificates —Ekiti assembly Wife’s burial: Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

EMBERS of the Ekiti State House of Assembly have denied that any of their members was under investigation for certificate forgery let alone prosecution, saying the reports in some media were “baseless.” Some of the members told

the Nigerian Tribune on Monday that the reports were “strange” to them. They challenged the claimants to publish the names of such lawmakers and their other identities. “Let them name those they’re claiming are being charged. Is it in the purview of the EFCC or the DSS to investigate certificate forg-

ery? Is it for the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to be prosecuting people for such offences? “It is all lies and it is part of their plan to continue to embarrass the government. If these things were real, they would have published their facts in their media organisations and put us on

the defensive. However, we are waiting for the office of the Attorney General to invite us for the alleged investigations.” The chairman of the House Committee on Information, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, said the reports were “baseless, wicked and a continuation of relentless efforts of faceless enemies

From left, former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala; former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni; Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeyemo; Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Chief Michael Adeyemo and the APC chairman, Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke, at the burial of Mrs Felicia Iyabode Oke, held at Oke-Ado Baptist Church, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, on Friday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

EFCC nabs 5 undergraduates over N16m scam By Tunde Ogunesan FIVE undergraduates of two universities in Ondo State are currently being investigated by the officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for internet financial crimes, otherwise known as “yahoo yahoo operations.” The victims, according to a statement made available on EFCC social media page, Facebook, on Monday, were arrested at Anuoluwapo Close, Stateline Hotel Road, off FUTA South Gate, Akure. The arrest was, however, confirmed by the Head of Public Affairs, Ibadan zonal office of EFCC, Mr Ayo Oyewole, on Monday. It was also gathered that the operatives of the commission have been drilling the suspects on their operations. The suspects, EFCC stated, are between the ages of 20 and 23. The suspects are Paul Adeleke, Tayo Abudu Adebiyi, Akinsanmi Olusola Adeniyi, Ogundile Ademola James and Okali Ugochukwu. According to the statement: “The commission got wind of their activities through series of gathered intelligence. Adeleke and his co-travellers, who

go about with the names “Tsunnami Gang” and “Young Pablo Money” allegedly swindled unsuspecting foreigners and others to the tune of N16 million recently by engaging in fraudulent activities of obtaining money by false pretences through scam mails.” The statement further added that the suspects are students of Technology,

Agricultural Resources, Mathematics and Urban and Regional Planning. At the point of arrest, the EFCC operatives recovered various items worth millions of naira from the suspects. The statement stated: “The EFCC operatives recovered a 2006 black Toyota Highlander with registration number (Lagos) LND 112 EG; 2010

light-green Toyota Camry (Muscle) with registration number (Lagos) AAA 850 EF; laptops, three Apple iPhone 6 and three Blackberry phones from them.” The agency also informed that “some implicating documents were also found and downloaded from their laptops,” adding that “they are to be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is completed.”

Police arrest fake doctor who aborted 5-month-old pregnancy By Oluwatoyin Malik A 26-year-old fake doctor, Akilapa Johnson, has been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command for aborting a five-month-old pregnancy for a 23-yearold lady, Barakat (surname withheld). Johnson, who is said to be an Ordinary Level Certificate holder as well as trained in application of first aid, reportedly carried out the abortion, which turned out to be life-threatening, in his one-bedroom apartment turned clinic at Sasa area of Ibadan recently. Speaking on the suspect’s arrest on Monday during a press briefing, the Oyo

State Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, told the Nigerian Tribune that shortly after the abortion, the lady developed serious complications which resulted in her being admitted at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where she was still lying critically ill. The commissioner of police stated further that investigations revealed that Johnson, who had a limited knowledge of medicine with his training as a para-medic nurse, had been treating unsuspecting patients who mistook him for a qualified doctor. Oyebade listed the exhibits recovered from the suspects to include two pieces

of stethoscope, two pieces of Plaster of Paris bandage, four pairs of gloves as well as needles and syringes. During an interview with the suspect, he confessed to have carried out the abortion, but said that the victim was his first patient. The lady’s boyfriend, Okorie Ikenna (29), who was also arrested, told the Nigerian Tribune that he never asked his girlfriend to abort his pregnancy. Also arrested were two suspected kidnappers, Oladimeji Olamide (26) and Oke Olufemi (29) who were accused of abducting their victim, one Sakiru Adebayo, from his residence in Ile-Ife, Osun State on July 15.

of the state to discredit the government” and added that “the rumour that the lawmakers were in hiding was a proof that liars and enemies of progress are at work.” The members, who spoke after a session on Monday, said “the House held its parliamentary meeting in the complex today (Monday) without any hindrance.” According to him, “the House is composed of professionals in different fields of endeavour who had made their impacts in their respective sectors. Some enemies of the state, in their unrelenting bid to discredit the state government, have alleged, through an apparently-sponsored story, that nine of the 26 honourable members of the House are under investigation for alleged certificate forgery. “This is clearly a careless and baseless allegation, considering that all the members of the House were duly screened by relevant government agencies prior to their elections into the House.

Ondo guber: Ondo North PDP adopts Jegede Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

THE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo North senatorial district, on Monday, adopted one of the party’s governorship aspirants, Eyitayo Jegede, ahead of the primaries. The leaders, who said that all the aggrieved aspirants from the zone would soon align with the decision of the people of the area, assured that the primaries of the party will be rancour free. Subsequently, a five-man committee was set up by the leaders and members of the party from the zone to resolve crisis among governorship aspirants of the party from the zone. The aggrieved aspirants included Mr Bamiduro Dada, Alhaji Yekini Olanipekun, Mr Dayo Fadahunsi, Prince Nekan Olateru-Olagbegi, Honourable Bakitta Bello, Senator Remi Okunrinboye and Mr Gbenga Elegbeleye. The aggrieved aspirants had vowed not to participate in the party’s primaries involving anybody from Ondo Central senatorial district because of an alleged endorsement of Mr Eyitayo Jegede by the governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

Oyo APC boss thanks Ajimobi, Tinubu, others

THE chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke, has expressed appreciation to former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu; Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and other eminent citizens who commiserated with him and his family over the death of his wife, Mrs Felicia Oke, whose remains were buried last Friday. Mrs Oke, a retired civil servant and community leader, died on 16 April, 2016 at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, during a brief illness at the age of 72. A week-long burial programme in her honour was concluded in Ibadan on Friday with a funeral service at Oke-Ado Baptist Church, followed by a reception at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke-Ado. In a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Monday, in Ibadan, Chief Oke described the concerns and sober feelings expressed by numerous notable personalities, friends and associates across all divides over the death of his wife as well as their support throughout the period of the burial programme as monumental and worthy of appreciation.

LAUTECH alumni appeal to Aregbesola, Ajimobi over strike THE Alumni Association of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has appealed to the governors of Osun and Oyo, Rauf Aregbesola and Senator Abiola Ajimobi, respectively, to save the future of students of the institution by finding a solution to the lingering crisis which has led to the closure of the university. This was contained in a press statement jointly signed by the National President, Jide Bewaji; National General Secretary, Kamal K. Oloso and the National PRO, Owoyokun Samson. “It has become imperative as the owners of the university and concerned major stakeholders in LAUTECH project to make a clarion call to governments of Oyo and Osun states to compassionately rescue our institution from untimely collapse and save the future of our beloved undergraduates”

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016 10 news 2015 presidential election: PDP didn’t lose, APC didn’t win —Ciroma

As PDP BOT chair cautions members against reckless statements Jacob Segun Olatunji and Leon Usigbe -Abuja

founding father of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one time governor of the Central Bank

Diversification:

of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Adamu Ciroma, on Monday, said the party did not lose in the 2015 presidential election, even as he said the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not win as well. Ciroma, who disclosed this in Abuja, when the

members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party paid him a courtesy visit, stated that just before the last elections, he warned members of the party that they should prepare themselves for whatever eventuality.

The former finance minister, who pointed out that PDP must know that APC was going to make mistakes, said “you must be ready to put things right.” According to him, “all of you must be ready to participate and contribute for

the interest of the ordinary people. “Today, people talk more about PDP as if APC doesn’t exist. So far APC is not playing the right role, my appeal is that members of the PDP should come together to participate actively for the inter-

We’re learning from Iran —Buhari Leon Usigbe -Abuja

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said the Federal Government is working to ameliorate the challenges faced by the Nigerian economy within a short period, by understudying the experiences of countries like Iran. Receiving a Special Envoy from the President of Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, at the State House, Abuja, on Monday, he said the Iranian economy remained an inspiration for Nigeria in the deployment of technology to harness and export gas, grow food for the populace and promote entrepreneurship in education. According to him, “the progress made by Iran within a short period of 30 years is really commendable. Within the period, you have been able to harness gas flaring and you are now exporting. You have recorded strides in security, manufacturing, agriculture and technology. “You have also achieved a lot in nuclear research. I must also congratulate you for successfully negotiating with America and the European countries on the development of your nuclear energy.” The president noted that Nigeria had all the potentials for growing into a great economy through more inclusive planning, consistency in government policies and commitment to the realisation of development targets. “In Nigeria, we are learning. We are learning the hard way through hardship and we are learning very quickly on how to explore other sectors of the economy like gas, solid minerals and agriculture for growth. “We are grateful for your support and cooperation in opening up the Nigerian economy for diversification,” Buhari said. In his remark, the Iranian envoy, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the Iranian government would support the ongoing restructuring of the Nigerian economy.

Wreckage of one of the tankers burnt when a fully loaded tanker of PMS exploded at Apapa/Oshodi Expressroad, on Monday.

Two die, market razed as fuel tanker explodes in Lagos Sylvester Okoruwa and Gbemi Solaja -Lagos TWO people have been reported dead, with goods worth several millions of naira destroyed after a 33,000-litre tanker loaded with petrol exploded, following a collision with an articulated truck. The collision and subsequent explosion happened around exactly 5.38 p.m. at the popular Cele Bus Stop area of Apapa Oshodi Expressway. Both vehicles were said to be coming from the same

direction, from Apapa to Oshodi. While reportedly negotiating bad portions of the road, both were said to have collided right in front of the bus stop. The loaded tanker reportedly burst into flames due to the impact of the contact. The two occupants of the tanker, the driver and the motor boy, reportedly burnt to death The content of the tanker caused massive spillage into the drainage and also spread into the nearby Cele

Market, consuming a part of it. Traders’ wares like tomatoes and pepper, according to eyewitnesses, were consumed by the inferno which engulfed the whole expressway before it was contained by the emergency responders. The entire environment was thrown into panic, causing a serious gridlock. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) response team, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Fire Service and the Nige-

Ogun alleged child abuse: Police hand boy over to govt Olayinka Olukoya -Abeokuta THE Ogun State police command has handed over nine-year-old Korede Taiwo to the care of the state government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. Korede was reportedly chained by his father, Francis Taiwo, for several months in a church located at Atan-Ota, a community in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The handing over was done on Monday by the officer-in-charge of the AntiHuman Trafficking Unit, Oluwatoyosi Bello, to the officials of the ministry, on the premises of the Police Mobile Force Base, OkeIlewo, Abeokuta. The boy has since been taken to the Stella Obasanjo’s Home in Ibara. The command’s spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed that the victim, after the rescue mission, said he did not wish to return to his father’s house,

adding that wife of the state governor, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, had indicated interest in taking care of him. He also said the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Mr. Abdulmajid Ali, had ordered thorough investigation of the matter and that the suspects be charged to court. Director of Social Welfare Services, Mr Shotubo Olumide, who received Korede from the police, assured that the ministry would take care of the boy.

rian Police were involved in the rescue operation. General Manager, LASEMA, Michael Akindele, urged articulated drivers to maintain the normal speed limit and ensure vehicles were in good shape to avoid further occurrences. Though the responders were still at the scene of the accident as of press time, the fire had been well contained by them.

est of the common man. “Politics will always be there and there will be good and bad people to participate in it, it will not be a one party, there will always be two or more parties and every party has a chance to rule and to make mistakes. People must play a good role in politics to protect the interest of the common man.” This came just as the BoT of the PDP cautioned party leaders against reckless statements while cautioning members to stop crying wolf where there was none. Speaking during the visit, chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, condemned the recent call for the intervention of the BoT and the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee of the party to persuade members of the party in the National Assembly not to participate in the impeachment of President Muuhammadu Buhari. According to him, “any call to invite the national caretaker committee or the BoT to direct our respected members of the National Assembly not to impeach Mr President is only going to overheat the polity, because it has never been contemplated by the PDP.” He pointed out that during the recent visist of the members of the BoT to the NASS, they were very impressed by the high level of cooperation among all members that produced Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, despite their political leanings. Other members of the BoT, including Professor Jerry Gana, Senator Adolphous Wabara, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Senator Stella Omu, pleaded with Alhaji Ciroma not to abandon the party at this critical period.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016 Nigerian Tribune 11 news Oyo inaugurates Akarigbo: Remo Traditional Council meets tomorrow

Passage rites can’t begin while body still in UK —Ewusi of Makun By Olayinka Olukoya and Dare Adekanmbi

OLLOWING the death of the paramount ruler and Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Michael Adeniyi Sonariwo, the Remo Traditional Council will tomorrow meet to discuss the passing of the monarch. Nigerian Tribune gathered that the meeting is scheduled for Sagamu Remo, Ogun State, headquarters of all the towns in Remo kingdom. The emergency meeting will be attended by 33 royal fathers from towns and cities in Remoland. Some of the Remo traditional rulers spoken to by the Nigerian Tribune expressed shock and sadness at the death of the monarch whom they described as an iconic figure. “We should await the official announcement of his passing by Governor Ibikunle Amosun. It is very shocking and saddening that Kabiyesi had to leave now,” one of them said. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Tribune has been reliably informed that Oba Sonariwo died without fulfilling some of his plans for Remo kingdom in general and Sagamu in particular. It was his dream that a day would be fixed for all sons and daughters of Remoland to come together on Remo Day, where the progress and development of Remo would be discussed. It was learnt that Oba Sonariwo expressed dissatisfaction with the state of township roads in Sagamu and planned to engage the political class as well as other stakeholders on how to address the challenge. Meanwhile, the Ewusi of Makun, Sagamu, Oba Timothy Akinsanya, on Monday, said that the Remo Traditional Council will need a sum of £8,000 to bring back the remains of the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo. The monarch, who spoke with journalists, in a telephone chat, said the council had sent a representative to the state government for financial assistance. He said the news of the death of the traditional ruler was confirmed to him by one of his wives. Ewusi said “We have delegated the Asiwaju of Remoland to meet with the governor in a bid to help us off-set the expenses to bring the monarch back home. “We are really waiting for

the government to assist us now. The earlier we get the government assistance the better.” Oba Akinsanya said that the passage rites for the first class traditional ruler

could not begin while his body is still in the UK. The State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Jide Ojuko, said government had not gotten of-

ficial confirmation on the monarch’s passage from the Remo Traditional Council. He said “We are still waiting for official report from Remo Traditional Council.

I learnt the council met on Sunday, and they are meeting again today. Until we have an official report on the monarch’s passage, we cannot make any public announcement on it.”

From right, Managing Director, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Mr Edward Dickson; the Project Director, Association for the Advancement of Womanhood (AAWON), Dr Kemi Wale-Olaitan; member, Board of Trustees of AAWON, Professor Femi Soyinka; Miss Faith Ozomare and Mr Seun Otoki, during a courtesy visit by the association to the Tribune House, Imalefalafia, Ibadan, on Monday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

Tomorrow belongs to women —AAWON Seeks Tribune’s support By Tunde Ogunesan

THE Project Director, Association for the Advancement of Womanhood (AAWON), Dr Kemi Wale-Olaitan, has declared that there is need to really develop African women because “tomorrow belongs to the women.” Dr Wale-Olaitan stated this on Monday when she led a team of AAWON members to pay a courtesy visit on the management of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, at the Imalefalafia, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, office. The AAWON team included have Professor Femi Soyinka, Miss Faith Ozomaro and Mr Seun Otoki. They were received by the Managing Director/Editorin-Chief, Mr Edward Dicskon; Chief Accountant, Mrs Oluremi Fisayo; Manager, Internal Audit, Mr Peculiar Adegbite; Advert Manager, Ibadan, Mr Femi Banjo and the Senior Manager, Human Resources, Mrs Bukola Ezeamaka. Dr Wale-Olaitan, who sought the support of the company in the area of publicity, delivered a letter of request to the managing director. She added that while the association is trying to expand its scope of operation, it discovered “women have

a long way to go because a lot of women are still down there. The mindsets of women have to change. We have to re-orientate our women. If there would be progress in any family, all hands must be on desk to help the womanhood change focus.” In his response, the MD/ EIC, ANN Plc, Mr Edward Dickson, assured AAWON of Tribune’s support in giving adequate publicity to

the association. Mr Dickson said “Tribune house, honestly, connects with your association and project. The sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, connects with anything that has to do with education and family virtues. We cannot close our eyes.” The managing director, however, assured the team that the company is gender sensitive.

She said “We are sensitive to women empowerment in Tribune. We are empowering women because we’ve found them to be thorough bred professionals. Our Chief Accountant, Mrs Oluremi Fisayo; Human Resources Manager, Mrs Bukola Ezeamaka; Sales Manager, Dr Omotayo Lewis and Head of News Operations, Tinuola Ayanniyi, are all women.”

Alleged N9bn allocation: We got N2.5bn for July —Ekiti govt Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

EKITI State government has announced that it got a net sum of N2.5 billion as allocation for the month of July 2016 from the Federal Government. The state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, who stated this on Monday in a broadcast to the people of the state, said “the state government got a net allocation of N2.5 billion from the Federation Account for the month of July contrary to insinuations by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) that it got over N9 billion.” The governor said he was challenging the APC in the state “and any other person or group having any

contrary figure to make it public.” The governor said “after the deduction of over N900 million to service the state’s debts, what eventually came to the state was N2.51 billion” and added that “the 16 local government areas were given N2.01 billion.” He said: “Those peddling unfounded rumours were given their own opportunity to lead the state and they left the state in huge debts. Their failed white elephant projects litter the state. “I have always made known whatever comes to the state as allocation. There is nothing to hide as even the federal authorities do publish the allocations in daily newspapers. Their mischief has failed

and by God’s grace they cannot defeat me. Let them continue to delude themselves, Ekiti people are not fools, they know the truth.” The governor also used the occasion to announce that the social security scheme of the state government, where 1,000 people would be paid N5,000 monthly, would soon take off. He gave the assurance that the money would be paid directly into people’s accounts and not given to anybody to disburse. Governor Fayose also urged pensioners in the state who are yet to complete their verification exercise to do so between Tuesday and Thursday this week.

OYSACA board By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

THE Board of Oyo State Action Committee on AIDS (OYSACA) was constituted on Monday at the OYOSACA office, Agodi, Ibadan. The wife of the governor and chairman of the board, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, who inaugurated the board, stressed that “the formation of the state SACA board is imperative for the smooth operation of the agency in the state and to achieve the Vision 90:90:90.” Mrs Ajimobi, in her inaugural speech, urged members to be more committed and aggressive in their approach towards the fight against HIV/AIDS in the state. Earlier in his opening address, the Acting Project Manager, Mr Olufemi Oyeniyi, stated that the state SACA was established to coordinate the overall response to HIV and AIDS in the state. He asserted that the pandemic virus had wreaked havoc on the productivity of the people, especially the youth. After the inauguration, a short interactive session was held to chart a new course for the execution of the board’s activities.

Stop relying on federal allocation, Ogun Assembly urges LGs By Gbenga Olumide

AUTHORITIES of the local government administration in Nigeria have been advised to be more responsive in exploring all available opportunities to diversify their councils’ economy. Members of the Ogun State House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, led by Honourable Olusola Sonuga, gave the advice in continuation of their oversight/budget assessment tour to local government areas in the state. Honourable Sonuga, who enjoined the local government bosses to take advantage of the value chain offered by the agriculture sector, challenged them to evolve strategies towards meeting their obligations to the people. He described their visit to the council areas as part of the assembly’s constitutional responsibilities meant to appraise, correct and offer suggestions on effective administration in the council areas.

businessnews

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

FG blames CBN forex restriction for negative growth •Projects N7.4trn revenue for 2017 Sanya Adejokun-Abuja

he Federal Government has listed foreign exchange restrictions by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the first half of 2016 as one of the activities that adversely affected the economy. This is as consultations for 2017 to 2019 medium term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy 2017 to 2019 upon which those year’s budget would be based commenced in Abuja on Monday, the Federal Government has projected a modest revenue projection of N7,418,631,892,072 as distributable revenues in the 2017 fiscal year. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma who gave the figures at the stakeholders’ consultative forum on the 2017- 2019 medium term expenditure framework held at the Banquet Hall of the State House also enumerated such activities as oil production disruptions in the Niger Delta, low oil revenues, low power generation, fuel supply problems in the first quarter (which has been resolved) and insurgency in parts of the country. As a result, he said inflation hit 16.5 percent in June; unemployment increased to 12.1 percent in March from 10.6 percent in December 2015 and creating challenges for some state government in paying salaries in addition to Federal Government granting bail out to states. Giving a breakdown of 2016 budget performance so far, Udoma said

of the projected revenue of N1.043 trillion from statutory revenue for the first half of the year, only

N646.340 trillion was realised while N52.570 billion was realised from a projection of N99.120 for

the same period for value added tax (VAT). He however, disclosed that 35 percent or N2.123

From left: Mr Abiodun Jegede, Branch Manager, Oshogbo, Sterling Bank Plc; Mr Kabiru Lawal, winner in the on-going Sterling Cash Reward Promo; Mrs Temiwumi Tope-Banjoko, Regional Business Executive Retail, South West Sterling Bank Plc and Mr Jimoh Najeem Adebare , Retail Business Manager, Oshogbo, Sterling Bank Plc at the presentation of the prize money to Mr Lawal in Oshogbo…weekend

Lafarge Africa signs N11bn power plant contract •Wants FG to declare N/East tax free zone Babatunde Opalana-Abuja

Lafarge Africa Plc has signed a contract worth N11 billion with a Chinese firm, RUNH Power Corp for the construction of a captive power plant at the Ashaka Cement plant in Gombe State, North-Eastern Nigeria. The agreement signed at the Transcorp Hilton at the weekend in Abuja Abuja is for erection of a 16 megawatts lignite-fired plant. At its completion in 2018, the plant will supply consistent energy to boost the plant operation efficiency

that will transform Ashaka cement production capacity to one million metric tonnes per annum. Chairman of the Board of AshakaCem, Mallam Suleiman Yahaya called on the Federal Government to declare the North East zone tax free in the next five years for any investor that is courageous enough to commit resources to the development of the country in the area. This, he said could immediately be done through an executive order of the President without passing through the rigour of legis-

lative processes. If Government can do this, he was optimistic that the company will be able to build additional power plant and consequently increase its energy contribution to the national grid. He said AshakaCem Plc needs to be encouraged in recognition of the company’s bold step of committing 85% of its cash reserve to the new power project. Yahaya said the power plant is the first transformational step in the development of the cement plant to recover cost leadership in the

Naira eases to N378 to dollar at parallel market Chima Nwokoji-Lagos

The Naira on Monday lost N2 to close at N378 against the U.S. greenback at the unofficial segment of the foreign exchange market. Dealers said this followed reports of pressure in foreign exchange supply, mainly at the interbank market segment, where the Naira slipped 2.5 percent to a new closing low of N310 per dollar on Monday as against Friday’s close of N307 to the greenback. The local unit failed to lure in local investors, or foreign players as trade dried up a day before an expected interest rate hike from the central bank. The Naira also closed at N340.504 to the Euro, and N406.875 to the British Pounds. Last Thursday, the naira fell through N300, a month after the central

trillion of the N6.060 trillion 2016 budget has already been spent so far. Debt service according

bank lifted its controls on the currency. On Friday it hit an alltime intraday low of N331 before recovering ground by the close. The central bank had hoped that scrapping the dollar peg and letting the currency fall by a third would help attract investment and erase the need for a black market, where the naira trades another 17 percent weaker against the dollar. But some foreign players have stayed out of the market, traders say, adding that they will be closely watching the outcome of the central bank’s policy meeting on Tuesday. Leading economic and finance analysts are divided over what should be the appropriate decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in an economy

said to be in recession, with inflation at 16.4 per cent higher than benchmark interest rate of 12 per cent. Also, analysts at an international equity firm, Renaissance Capital fears that in an import-depen-

dent Nigeria, where all fuel and one-quarter of the food consumed are imported, it comes as no surprise that consumer confidence and the more market-driven parallel foreign exchange market rate are negatively related.

North East region of Nigeria, hitherto ranked amongst the most expensive energy costs in the LafargeHolcim Group. “The North Eastern region is a strategic region where Ashaka is supporting the reconstruction program of the Government. This project will further strengthen the relationship with Gombe State as well as the communities and reinforce the importance of Ashaka as the major manufacturing company in that part of the country”, said the chairman. The managing director of AshakaCem Plc, Mallam Abdulahi Umar Rabiu said the power plant will enable the company to release the power it consumed back to the national grid, adding that the plant will boost the production capacity of the company, ensure improved performance and yield better returns on investment to shareholders.

Sterling and Wilson to set up 250 MW solar projects in Nigeria Sterling and Wilson, a leading global solar EPC, aims to construct 250 MW capacity solar power projects in Nigeria in the next two to three years. These solar projects are being developed by wellrenowned international solar project developers who recently signed PPAs with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc under Feed-inTariff program by Ministry of Power Nigeria. Speaking on Nigerian Solar market, Mr. Bikesh Ogra,

President, Solar business, Sterling and Wilson Pvt Ltd, said, “With the recently announced PPAs of 975 MW, we see a huge solar potential opening up in Nigeria. We are well positioned to support growth in solar market in Nigeria through our presence and experience, as more investors are focusing on reliable, bankable solar EPC companies, who can commission solar projects on time. We are here to offer 360-degree turn-

key solutions adapted to each customer’s individual needs. We are confident our solutions exceed customer expectations, transforming solar energy into green assets by maximizing value and mitigating risks.” With an experience of commissioning more than 1GW, Sterling and Wilson is currently involved in advanced negotiations with these developers to offer its turnkey EPC solutions for their proposed projects in Nigeria.

to him, gulped N598.63 billion; statutory transferN175.68 billion (including prorated capital expenditure of N78.58; overheadN125.4 billion; Pension and gratuity- NN79.18 billion and personnel costN891.31 billion. As at July 18, Udoma stated that N253 billion had been released as capital expenditure (capex) adding “this has largely been released for MDA’s utilisation on investment in critical infrastructure projects. “Total aggregate capex, inclusive capex share in statutory transfers is N331.58 billion as at July 18, 2016.” The revenue projection for 2017 is made up of N5.402 trillion net accruals from mineral sources, customs and excise and taxes (statutory revenue) as well as N2.016 trillion from value added tax (VAT). He added that N7, 858,105,163,246 and N10,162,111,175,201 are the revenue projections for 2018 and 2019 respectively. Existing revenue formula stipulates that in sharing statutory revenue, federal government takes 52.68 percent; states 26.72 percent and; local government 20.16 percent. For VAT however, federal government collects 15 percent, states 50 percent and local governments 35 percent. Government is considering a conservative oil price benchmark of $42.5 per barrel of crude in 2017, $45 per barrel for 2018 and $50 per barrel in 2019. Udoma said although the projected distributable revenue is higher over the medium term, it will not be sufficient to address the current fiscal challenges at the national and sub national level without substantial private sector investment. He gave the assurance however, the “federal government will intensify its efforts at pursuing non-oil revenue driven economy”, adding “we need some game changers.” The minister also disclosed that sub national governments have been encouraged to consider strengthening their internally generated revenues by focusing on areas of comparative advantage; sustaining the implementation of fiscal sustainability plan; and focusing spending on priorities that will increase productivity and job creation.

editorial

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

FG, farmers and the proposed payment for security

HE Federal Government’s latest proposed solution to the problem of Fulani herdsmen’s perennial attacks on farming communities across the country is ample evidence that, unfortunately, the government has yet to find the right combination of ideas. Answering correspondents’ questions at the conclusion of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari last week, Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh revealed the Federal Government’s intention to deploy personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to protect farming establishments across the country in exchange for an unstipulated protection fee. The move, said the minister, was being made in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, and is consistent with the emerging trend in other parts of the world. Said Mr. Ogbeh: “These things are happening in other countries too, where the civil defence corps may have to train a special department to protect huge investors and investment in their farms for a fee, because kidnapping will not stop.” Finally, the Agricultutre Minister reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to build grazing reserves for herdsmen across the country. Mr. Ogbe clearly hoped to pre-empt criticism of the Federal Government’s latest plan by interjecting that it has precedent in other countries of the world. But that in itself is no justification. The world outside Nigeria is not a pure fount of great, uncontestable ideas, and the country should not be seen to do something simply because it happens to be the tradition in other countries. In any case, if the honorable minister really wants to follow the spirit of the practice in the countries he invoked, why not allow farmers to arm themselves as is the norm in such places? The long and short is that this latest plan is a bad idea. For one thing, it means that the government is billing farming communities twice for the same service- protecting them from harm as ordinary citizens of the country. Since this is exactly the same service these farmers already secured as tax-paying citizens of the country, the Federal Government is unwittingly redefining its statutory role, and more significantly the social contract between itself and ordinary Nigerians. Is the Nigerian

state now a protection racket? If the Federal Government feels that there isn’t adequate security in farming communities, the right thing to do is to step up security, not to impose a special levy on farmers and farming establishments. There are thousands of farming communities scattered across the country. How exactly does the Federal Government propose to provide special security for each and every one of them, and for how long? We know for a fact that personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are not trained for the kind of task that the FG is lining them up for. Does this new proposal include a plan to retrain them? Indeed, while attempting to clear what he called the confusion generated by media reports of his policy statement, the minister stated that the NSCDC officials would only be available on request, and for a token. According to him, “the NSCDC officials will be available on request by big farm corporations, especially those in which the owners live. They can apply for them just as big companies and corporate organisations apply, requesting for security personnel to secure their businesses for a token.” While this clarification evidently privileges big time farmers and shuts out their less privileged counterparts who have equally been witnessing horrendous attacks by herdsmen, including rape and murder, it still has not provided a concrete justification for farmers having to pay special fees for protection, in addition to the taxes they already pay to the government. Taxes, we insist, are payments made by citizens in return for the services rendered by the state, and the new proposal amounts to double taxation. Finally, this latest step is yet another reminder that the state in Nigeria still neither fully understands its own statutory limits, nor the proper boundaries of its own power. As we have observed repeatedly, it is not within the Federal Government’s remit to provide grazing land for private cattlemen. In seeking to impose a special levy on already beleaguered farmers, it further exceeds its constitutional bounds bydouble-dipping into the purse of the private citizen. The latest plan is poorly conceived and should be abandoned forthwith.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

editor

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

Foreign education and strain on the naira

T is no longer news that Nigerian parents pay about $1billion as tuition annually for their children studying abroad. This is part of the strain the naira is facing at the moment, which has made it so weak against other world currencies. I know those in the middle and lower cadres in the society are not guilty of this. For one to be able to send one’s child abroad for tertiary education, then one will be in government, or be a rich businessman or woman, or one will be into pipeline bunkering. What is painful here is that those who have their

children studying abroad are also those who contributed to the decay we are experiencing in the education sector today. Okay, you might say not all of them, but I believe a larger percentage of those in the top societal cadre are responsible for this. Why have we failed to upgrade our educational system? The answer is simple; the powerful people in the country are aware that education liberates, and the only thing they can use to keep the people down perpetually is by denying them qualitative education. Therefore, the easiest way to do this

Still on the diversification of the economy WE have seen that relying on crude oil only will not help Nigeria. This is why we are in the mess we find ourselves economically today. I think the first thing the Minister of Solid Minerals should do is to highlight the deposits in the country; we have gold, coal, copper, iron-ore, etc in commercial quantities in different parts of the country, and once the mapping is done, then we can know the next step. Before the discovery of oil in Ghana, gold was the mainstay of the economy; in Australia, coal and gold are the major natural resources they rely on for survival. South Africa relies on gold and diamonds, and these countries built thriving economies out of these deposits. These are the resources we also have in the country, and I am happy that someone who is tested and trusted is managing the revival, in person of Dr Fayemi. I also want us to look at the agriculture sector; I am happy with the work done by the former minister, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and the choice of Dr Audu Ogbeh to lead the ministry is a good one. There are also countries that rely only on agricultural produce as their major foreign income; Cote D’Ivoire survives on cocoa, while Indonesia earns huge

income from palm oil. Cuba and other Carribean countries survive on sugar, and these are commodities we can develop in Nigeria. Our problem is just laziness. I hope to see our dependence on oil reduce in the next couple of years, with solid minerals and agriculture funding our future budgets. This period is a time for our ministers to work harder; it is not a period to brag about their positions, but a period to give their all to the economic survival of the nation. Nigerians voted for this current government to experience change from how things were done, to a new way of doing things. We, therefore, want other sectors to displace oil so that Nigeria can truly develop. We cannot continue to rely on oil in Nigeria. In the past, there were just few countries producing oil, and those were the years oil was profitable; today, many other countries are now oil producers, and it is going to a situation where each country will now be consuming the oil it produces. Therefore, Nigerians should wake up from their slumber; we need to face a new reality that we can prosper without oil. •Esther Ibe, Abuja.

is simply by neglecting the education sector. To know how terrible this situation is, one needs to visit public primary and secondary schools around the country. One will weep for our upcoming generation. Most of the buildings are dilapidated, and it is not uncommon to find students learning on the floor, or under trees. At the end of the day, those who had left the shores of the country will return to have dominion over those who had their education in dilapidated classrooms. I believe President Muhammadu Buhari is out to change the situation of things in this country. We have seen how many of the supposed big people in the society got their money. It is high time the Nigerian people started discriminating against those who have been linked with corruption. We should see corruption in the negative light, and not celebrate

those who have stolen our commonwealth. In fact, it will be better if laws can be enacted to commit corrupt people to

life behind bars, or even death by firing squad. Nigerians have trust in President Buhari to bring about a change to the lives

of Nigerian children through education. •Jeremiah Galong, Jos, Plateau State.

Re: The lingering OAU crisis KINDLY permit me to express my view on the essay of the above title, being the editorial opinion of your newspaper of last Thursday, July 21. While it is true that journalism in Nigeria is beset by manifold ethical and operational challenges, it is also incontestable that some media professionals are still making conscious efforts to practise sound, informed, and issue-based journalism. It is among those few minds that I group the men and women of the editorial board of the Nigerian Tribune. Its editorial opinion of last Thursday on the artificial crisis demeaning the glory and prestige of Obafemi Awolowo Univer-

sity, Ile-Ife, stands out as a striking example of the paper’s commitment to the issues of justice, equity, fairness, freedom, good judgement, and the rule of law as pillars for the building of a just, organised, and developed country. Indeed, it is with the uncommon thinking of a paper like the Nigerian Tribune that a society achieves the greater heights of sustainable, allencompassing progress. May I observe that the paper is right to posit that President Muhammadu Buhari, the Visitor to OAU, deliberately offended the laws, specifically the Universities Autonomy Act, when he ordered the dissolution of the OAU Governing Council without an investigation

to establish the truth of the baseless allegations raked up against it by the disorderly members of the unions in the institution. I hope the president will go through the editorial once again and take the solutions suggested by the articulate piece, as this will go a long way in returning peace to the university. The decision to appoint an acting Vice Chancellor has set a bad precedent in tertiary education administration in the country, as any qualified candidate for any position may be prevented when some people do not like his face. •Wale Erinfolami, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

opinion

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Consumers’ woes in austere times By Ayo Olukotun

HE temptation is strong for a triple alumnus of the Obafemi Awolowo University and a former President of its Students’ Union to comment on the running saga and drama of the absurd which cannot be divorced from official complicity at “Africa’s most beautiful campus”. But there will be time, God willing for that, preferably after the institution currently paralysed, is finally allowed to process the salary of all its workers, academic and non-academic for the month of June. For now, let us consider the worsening plight of the citizenry as a whole, caught in a bind of galloping inflation, (at the last count, it was 16.5 per cent, the highest in a decade) and a veritable decline in the capacity of institutions, public and private to deliver basic and non-basic services. The choice of this topic was dictated by the harrowing experience I had last week when I sought to renew my monthly subscription to Direct Broadcast Satellite Television owned by the South Africa-based Multichoice and for many Nigerians a most valued linkage to the wider world. Having paid the required amount shortly before the subscription lapsed, I had to wait for four days to be reconnected. A day after payment, the service was disconnected and it took countless distress calls and visits to their office for me to enjoy service for which payment had been made. To be sure, this is a utility run by a private institution but one marvels at how helpless consumers had become at the hands of these service providers. I am aware for example, that sometime last year, the Consumer Protection Council under its helmswoman, Mrs Dupe Atoki, read the Riot Act to a digital satellite television company because of the poor quality of its service. Claiming that her office had been inundated with complaints, Atoki said, “These complaints in effect alleged that the firm’s service does not conform with international best practices and it is specifically designed to exploit Nigerian consumers”. Obviously, Atoki’s tough talk and pledge to take a firm action have not been able to help the situation as my experience and those of several others demonstrate. In the more basic area of mobile phones, it is obvious that the expansion of services to include over 130 million subscribers has not been matched with increase in the

quality of service. Whichever service provider one looks at, the complaints are the same. They range from the frequency of drop calls to disappearance of network, high tariffs and the need for customers to often yell dramatically at the top of their voice to be heard. The threat by regulators to sanction operators and the few instances in which they have been sanctioned have not helped consumers to enjoy upgrade in services. Not even a discussion of the matter at the House of Representatives has succeeded in solving these endemic problems. I do not mean to suggest that Nigerian consumers are the only ones who have issues with service providers. In the United Kingdom, mobile phone users grumble too about poor treatment from operators who sometimes refuse to release them from contracts signed with them even when they are dissatisfied. The difference is that in many countries outside Nigeria, consumers have viable alternatives to mobile phones and can more readily get their complaints addressed from the ombudsman or from the regular courts. Nigerians do not have such luxuries. At this point, and before carrying the narrative further, this writer digresses to take a short take. The expression, town and gown, assumed a special significance a fortnight ago when a top notch professional in estate management was honoured by friends and associates for achieving distinction in the academic profession by becoming a Professor in the discipline. Held in Ibadan, the celebration brought together town and gown in honour of Olatoye Ojo, a star professional and founder of an upscale consulting firm, who was named Professor of Estate Management by the Obafemi Awolowo University (backdated to 2013). Not many professionals rise to the top as Ojo who became a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors in 1990 did; fewer still are able to excel in a second career by rising to the top of the academic profession. The moral here is good old hard work as a necessary ingredient of outstanding achievement. At a time when the nation is reeling from the effects of laggard work ethics oc-

casioned by the easy bonanza spending of unharnessed oil boom, it is instructive that there are Nigerians who have risen to eminence in more than one noble profession. Perhaps, it is time we stopped worshipping at false altars by giving honour to the richly undeserving. To get back to the main discourse, one cannot but mention the woes of electricity consumers such as soaring tariffs in the midst of declining supply, arbitrary and estimated billing system occasioned by failure to supply meters, accidents and even disasters as a result of surges in power supply, low currents, as well as the lengthening and inevitable hours of darkness. Needless to say that the destruction by the Niger Delta Avengers of pipelines in recent times has worsened an already precarious situation causing system failures in several parts of the country. All consumers have for now, is the often repeated pledge of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to overcome the national jinx by diversifying power sources away from the ever elusive gas supply. Water, an essential component of life and survival, is in dire shortage in the country with many families depending on the ever present borehole with its damaging effects on the environment. According to Water Aid, a Londonbased Non-Governmental Organisation, more Nigerians die annually from the lack of potable water and poor sanitation than from the Boko Haram insurgency. In many of our cities, close to three quarters of the population have limited access to pipe borne water. Obviously, there must be a link between the recurrent outbreak of a familiar pattern of diseases such as cholera and tyhpoid and the lack of access to safe drinking water. This of course is a situation that has persisted for several decades, the pity is that there are no signs that it is being addressed with any seriousness. Another welfare good in diminishing supply is security and safety of lives and property. In other words, the rampaging austerity is compounded by serial consumer woes. What then is the way out? Regulators of industries which provide social goods must clean up their act or face the music from Buhari, who must do more than ever before to protect Nigerian consumers. To complement this, civil society organisations must rise to their roles of oversight and protector of our fundamental economic rights. That will at least alleviate the suffering of the hour. •Olukotun is a professor of political communication.

Terrorism without bombs By Greg Odogwu

WHAT happened in Nice, France, last week, shocked the world because it was basically tangential and bereft of the expected modus operandi of modern day terrorism. From all indications, even the Western world in all its sophistication was not prepared for it. This, in fact, shows that the world has yet to totally grasp the true dynamic of terrorism and the exact psyche of people that perpetrate them. Again, it depicts the potential ingenuity of mankind towards deploying evil paraphernalia. Take away guns; take away bombs, yet determined wicked mind devices other – more chilling – modes of terror. One may ask, why should environmentalists be concerned? The answer is that terrorism is fast becoming more lethal than warfare, both in number of casualties and in collateral mayhem. On November 5, 2001, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 6 of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. The UN noted that though mankind has always counted its war casualties in terms of dead and wounded soldiers and civilians, destroyed cities and livelihoods, the environment has often remained the unpublicised victim of war. Water wells have been polluted, crops torched, forests cut down, soils poisoned, and animals killed to gain military advantage. Today, what could be worse than what terrorism is doing to our environment? Nigerians do not need to look elsewhere to visualise the trauma. Just recently, a massive oil spill was recorded when militants bombed an SPDC pipeline in Delta State. And in Europe, reports emanated suggesting fears of terrorists using

dirty bomb. This kind of bomb has more impact on the environment than on humans because of its radioactive properties. So, this is exactly why we all must take the global terrorism threat seriously, and seek ways of defusing it. And, the word, global, means exactly that, because terrorism now utilises global technologies like the Internet and social media. The irony is that the internet, which has united lovers, and brought products to the bedside of consumers, is now connecting terrorists with their potential recruits in far-flung parts of the globe. It has made radicalisation easier and quicker, and has provided the virtual classroom where marching orders are dished out to new converts. For instance, it was widely speculated that the emerging “lone wolf” attacks witnessed in Europe in recent times, were inspired by an online broadcast by an Islamic State spokesman who told “adherents all over the world” to pick up any weapon they could lay their hands on. Analysts said that if Mohamed LaouaiejBouhlel, the Nice truck terrorist, organised the massacre on his own, he might have been influenced by an appeal issued by the Islamic State (IS).

The French interior ministry was reported to have stated that “individuals who are sensitive to the message of IS commit extremely violent actions without necessarily having participated in combat, without necessarily having been trained.” Despite the statements by IS and the French interior minister, there is far more evidence that LaouaiejBouhlel was mentally unstable than that he rallied to the extremist group. He did not attend mosque, did not fast during Ramadan and did not appear on any watch list of radical Islamists. In his home town of Msaken, Tunisia, his father reportedly said that he once suffered a nervous breakdown. The psychiatrist that treated him in 2004 said he had psychosis. Therefore, the man may have been what French experts call a “hybrid terrorist” – mentally unhinged and stimulated by Islamist rhetoric. These theories and speculations are of particular interest to me because I have always argued that terrorism has its root causes in psychiatric dynamics as exacerbated by religion. Meanwhile, there are two essential lessons that Nigeria should learn from the Nice terror incident. Firstly, in all the media reports I saw, I noticed that there were no pictures and videos of bloodied, mangled dead bodies and body parts, as would have been the case in a typical Nigerian media report. This is a lesson — We should learn to show some respect for both the living and the dead. No gore please! And then for our dear President Muhammadu Buhari, more empathy should be shown to victims of terror, and indeed all Nigerians. The French President, who immediately visited hospitals, did not do so because he would heal the wounded; he did it because he is their President, and needed to show that he cares. •Odogwu is a global affairs analyst.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

agriculture IITA, FUNNAB to partner on youth entrepreneurship development Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

THE International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNNAB), will be partnering to promote youth entrepreneurship,

as a means of employment generation in the agricultural sector. The development would become achievable through the Empowering Novel Agri-Business Led Empowerment (ENABLE) of IITA with FUNNAB providing the enabling environment for it. This was disclosed during the visit

of ENABLE Team to the University recently to strategise how it can partner with FUNNAB on employment generation through agriculture. The representative of the Director-General of ENABLE, Zoumana Bamba, said the project was aimed at engaging Nigerian youths in agriculture, noting that

out of 70 million Nigerian youths, between the ages of 15 and 34, 12.8 million were unemployed (as at March, 2016), while about 15 million youths were under-employed. Bamba added that the ENABLE youth programme entailed a collaboration between the African Development Bank (AfDB) and

IITA, having about 30 African countries participating in the programme, which aimed at agribusiness creation, job creation and ensuring gender balance with five years project duration, involving graduate youths and an incubation period for the programme of between 12 and 18 months.

Modern tools improve crop, vegetable production — Dizengoff SUSTAINABLE vegetable and crop production has been made easier with the use of modern and affordable farm equipment, kits and improved varieties of seeds and seedlings. This was the explanation of Abdulmajeed Dabiri of Dizengoff Nigeria during a demonstration exercise conducted for corporate and individual farmers on the usage of tractors; irrigation drips systems and greenhouses for fruits and vegetable production in Ibadan, recently. Greenhouse kits, he said, could be used to produce exotic tomatoes all-year round even in the bacteria wilt infested areas of the Southwest Nigeria. Dizengoff also demonstrated to farmers groups how tractors are used for plowing, harrowing and ridging; explaining that mechanisation of crop production was the only sustainable way of increasing production, productivity, more profit and a means of reducing poverty among farmers. The drip irrigation system, he added, could be used to produce annual crops, vegetables, and short-cycled crops in the dry season, ensuring more profit. Tomatoes, cucumber, watermelon, maize, potatoes, groundnuts, different vegetables and a host of other crops could be planted between November and May with the use of some irrigation kits. In the southern part of the country where bacterial wilt is rampant and responsible for poor performance of tomatoes, greenhouses and their accompanying improved seeds are ways of ensuring sustainable tomato production. Dizengoff said sporadic scarcity of all types of pepper could be eradicated with the massive use of greenhouses, urging the corporate bodies, the government, farmers’ groups and individuals to explore opportunities in the application of modern kits for profitable business in vegetable production.

A farmer spraying fertiliser on a farm

Farm Security: Farmers kick against FG’s plan Collins Nnabuife - Abuja

OLLOWING the recent statement by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh saying that farmers would have to pay for their own security in their respective farms, farmers in the country have expressed disappointment with the development. It will be recalled that recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Interior had signed a Memorandum of Under-

standing to provide securities for farmers in the farm, but Ogbe, while addressing journalists at the state house, noted that farmers will have to pay for their own security. Reacting to this development, a rural farmers mobiliser and the National President of Grassroots Farmers Development Initiative of Nigeria, Eze Anthony, said that rural farmers could not afford to pay for their own security. He also said if the minister was referring to large scale farmers, who could afford to pay and protect their invest-

ment, it was understandable. “If you alking about the rural farmers who farm what we eat from day to day in this nation, those kind of people cannot pay for their security. If he is charging commercial farmers, large scale farmers for security to secure their farms and investment, that is understandable because those people are making huge benefits and they have the money to pay, but if you are talking about the kind of people we are working hard to address their is-

sues, those people cannot pay for security for securing their farms from the attack of herdsmen or from the attack of other unforseen circumstances, you cannot ask them to pay for such security. “You cannot tell them to pay before you can help them ensure that erosion does not destroy their farms, you can’t ask them to pay for the security of their farms and their lives, so he needs to differentiate the categories of farmers he is asking to pay for their security,” he said.

A fish farmer Mohammed Sani, expressed sadness over the minister’s statement, he described it as the government being insensitive to the plight of farmers. “Those people are not serious towards agriculture and they problem farmers are facing in Nigeria, now fertilizer is not even available, they are responsible to ensure circulation of fertilizer in the market but now they come out to tell the farmers to be responsible for their own security and it is part of their assignment,” he said.

Don calls for adoption of information as fifth factor of agricultural prod Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

THE Director of Grants Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNNAB), Professor Kolawole Adebayo, has called for the acceptance of information as the fifth factor of agricultural productio?n to bridge the gap between the industry and the university. Adebayo said this while delivering a keynote speech

at a three-day capacity workshop on agricultural information systems development organised by the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment. He submitted that information is the only secret weapon among the factors of production and that the traditional economics have been silent over this. Adebayo explained further

that what distinguished a successful entrepreneur from a less successful one was the amount of information at an individual disposal and how such was deploy to achieve the goals. “There are ways that traditional economics should have improved itself long time ago by bringing in information as a fifth factor of production. Today’s economics is telling us that

without critical information, all the other factors of production cannot be harnessed at their best and optimally useful,” he said. Adebayo who doubles as the Project Director of CAVA II, said people, who were into agriculture and agro-allied enterprises, could access a large body of data from agricultural production to processing to marketing to the logistics of management of

movement of goods and services. He noted that there were several distinct units of data that needed to be processed to become valuable information and cautioned that when a large body of data are scattered and abused, there would not be a coherent message. He further said that the agricultural value chain as at today differs significantly from its traditional agricul-

Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

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Govt should look at economic side of security issues —GESAAN chair COLLINS NNABUIFE, in this interview, discusses the Growth Enhancement Scheme Agrodealers Association of Nigeria (GESAAN)’s partnership with federal government to make farm inputs available to farmers, with the National Chairman of the association, Kabiru Fara.

Kabiru Fara, Chairman, GESAAN WHAT is the main objective of your association? We are mandated in the past to distribute farm inputs, fertilizers, chemicals, seeds to farmers, that’s why the association was formed. To assist the government in distributing inputs to farmers in the grassroots, which we did but fortunately because of change of government, payment have not been effected for the intervention, the farmers paid their money, but the intervention from the government for 24 months have not been paid, we are happy that the present administration accepted the liability and they have started paying, though payment have not been completed, we want to thank them and we hope that the gov-

duction

tural practices because of the central role of information. “If you are able to transact e-businesses in agriculture, you are better-off than those that can only do cash businesses”, he added. He described the e-wallet as an Information Communications Technology-based mechanism that allows farmers to acquire inputs and allows government to target subsidy end users.

ernment will in Ernest complete the payment so that our businesses will continue to prosper.

lives of Nigerians, in fact at a point you don’t even know if a particular farm product is seasonal or not.

How did the GES affect the Nigerian farmers? During the programme of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme, it has for the first time given farmers the opportunity to know that the government belongs to them and they can access inputs with little money. In the past, when it was supply issue, you find out that in a particular local government, one bag of fertilizer will go for 10 farmers, but now, all the farmers registered about 10 million of them, they were entitled to two bags of fertilizer each, we are talking about small farmers, and that two bags, they pay for one bag and take one bag free, they take seeds originally free, later they charged 10 per cent of the seed the following year. In the nutshell, you find out that 2014 and 2015 farming season yielded more result that any other time in this country. Food items were at affordable prices and an ordinary worker will understand that their salary did not increase and farm products is also stable and that keeps the inflation rate low. It has really touched the

We are aware that the ministry said it has paid N20 billion out of the N37 billion being owed, what is your take on that? The payment issue is more of interest to us because we are the ones suffering, most of us could not continue with our business because our money have been tied down, Federal government have agreed to pay but the payment have not come. The N20 billion is part of the payment, the total bill is over N61 billion, there are contributions for the state, the state government need to contribute their own quota, so that the money will be added together with the N37 billion of the Federal Government to pay up. Now what we are begging the ministry to realise is that we work directly for Federal Government, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with state governments is between Federal government and state government. The Federal Government should pay us first, most of these states are crying to pay salaries, how do you now force them to pay for the work we have done two years ago. If the Federal Government wants to help us so that agriculture will take shape

properly, they should look at the total cost of the pending payment, they should pay us and later they collect their money for the state government. What do you have to say about the corruption allegedly found in the GES where real farmers were not captured? When you say real farmers, you need to understand how the GES works. Every local government, every ward in Nigeria, farmers were registered and there was a particular organisation called Cellulant with their E-Wallet company, they were using their platform, once you are a registered, your name will be captured and for you to get subsidy, there is a cut for every farmer his phone number, if you don’t have phone number, they will use the phone number of your district Head of that village, so once you are activated they will see alert in Abuja before you will be given the subsidy. Now, when they say corruption, I don’t really understand what is corruption, there are what we call special GES. Special GES is not the same with the GES we are talking about, special GES is where people were given some allocations in some states to do additional GES outside the normal one we find, and if that is what they call corruption, we wouldn’t comment on that but our own GES that we know that everybody survive, every farmer, Mr President himself was given cut before he became the President, in Daura, people were given subsidies, there is no state that that the Governor didn’t confirm that subsidies is distributed. So, in any system, you cannot be 100 per cent perfect, but we were sure that 80 to 85 per cent of the GES was corruption free and the farmers are happy, the farmers testified. They were so happy with the production when this GES was on. If you are paid the balance of what you are owed will you recommence GES? We will commence 100 per cent, now the Ministry of Agriculture through the Ministry of Finance have stated paying us, if the fer-

tilizer is available we will continue, but the problem now is that we don’t even have fertilizer because the banks could not release the money to the suppliers, and the suppliers could not bring in the fertilizer. But if we the fertilizer now as they have started making payments, some will receive 35 to 40 per cent payment, we will start,

but the question now is that the payment have not been completed. We look at the availability of these products because there is ban on urea, so you cannot bring urea and because you can bring urea, you cannot have enough fertilizer in the market, so the government need to look at the economic side of the security issue.

No contract awarded on egg production —Agric ministry THE Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has urged Nigerians to disregard the report allegeding that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, was involvement in an alleged N25 billion egg production contract scandal, in which a group had dragged him to court over. It will be recalled that group, Centre for Social Justice, had reportedly sued the minister at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the contract in which it said the minister had awarded to to it. The group had alleged that the said contract was aimed at facilitating egg production in the country on a project tagged National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO). The mininstry, in a statement issued by Dr Olukayode Oyeleye, Special Assistant to the minister on media, said the group is acting on mere “imagination and insinuation, without any fact check.” The ministry, which said there was no contract was awarded to any company or business organisation for the purpose of egg production, explained that “rather, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in Abuja, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth N25 billion on National Egg Production (NEGPRO) scheme, with Tuns Farms Nigeria Limited.” According to the ministry, the NEGPRO scheme involves many farmers who are in the business of egg production and the selection of Tuns Farms to lead to lead the group of farmers was based on certain crite-

ria, “essentially anchored on the track records of performance. “Under the terms of the deal, Tuns Farms will recommend eligible entrepreneurs to access the N25 billion facility as well as endorse their loan requirements and application, and monitor their activities within the scheme.” Explaining that the Bank of Industry (BoI) has a role in providing finance for the takeoff of the scheme an initiative aimed at increasing egg production in the country to about 50 million table eggs daily by 2018, the ministry said the scheme, which would be funded by BoI, would create one million jobs at full capacity. The ministry said given that Centre for Social Justice had nothing to do with agriculture, it was, therefore surprising that it would “concoct allegations and choose to sue the honourable minister on pages of newspaper and on social media to gain attention and sympathy. “It needs to be emphasised that the said civil rights group is not working in the interest of social justice but on a self-serving mission for some disgruntled interest groups, hiding behind a facade of civil rights activism. “Accordingly, the public is hereby urged to discountenance the agitators, their allegations and false claims as their accusations contain no truth whatsoever. Rather, they are a mechanism for distraction to bring discontent against the laudable initiative of the Honourable Minister who understands the problems of the poultry sector and has come up with a private sector-led solution to increasing egg production in Nigeria.”

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016 With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

From left, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mrs Modupe Bosede; Chairman, Amide Clay Industry, Chief Toyin Adeyinka and the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Bimbo Ashiru, at the commissioning of clay bricks factory in Olapeleke, Ewekoro Local Government, Ogun state, recently.

Wife of pastor in charge of Region 21 and guest lecturer, Pastor Mrs Temitope Balogun (middle), flanked by the pastor in charge, Oyo Province 10, Pastor Abiodun Oyeyemi (second left); his wife, Pastor (Mrs) Esther Oyeyemi (second right); wife of Assistant Pastor, in charge of Administration (APICP), Pastor Florence Ajibade (left) and wife of Assistant Pastor in charge of Province (APICP), Pastor Mrs Monisola Makanjuola, all of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at the second annual convention of RCCG, Oyo Province 10 sisters, held at the RCCG, Winners Assembly, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo 10 headquarters, on Sunday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU

Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, inspecting hospital equipment worth N1.5billion donated by the Canada government. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Director of Information, Ijebu Ode Local Government Area, Mr Bosun Onanuga (Olojumeta), with his wife, Bolanle, at her 50th birthday, held recently.

From left, Director of State Security, Osun State, Mr I.A. Maduagwuna; the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Adewale Akanbi; Chief Yekini Bello and Chief Abiola Ogundokun, during a courtesy visit on the monarch in his palace last weekend. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

From left, representative of Senator Oluremi Tinubu of Lagos central Senatorial district, Mrs Fumilayo Mahammed and the Sole Administrator of Ikoyi Obalande Local Council Development Area, Mr Goke Adewale, during a tree planting in the council area recently.

Onibuji of Ibuji, Ondo State, Oba Folagbade Ojo; Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan; Olupoti of Ipoti Ekiti, Oba Oladipupo Kolade; Odooka of Ogbaro, Oba Adekunle Ogbaro and the Eleiti of Eriti - Akoko, Oba Sunday Ogunleye, at the launching of a book entitled: A History of The Oldest in Yorubaland, written by Olugbo of Ugbo, in Ondo State, on Saturday.

Children of the late Mama Maria Olaomi Fayinka, during the interment of their mother at Gbena Quarters, Ode-Omu, Osun State, on Saturday.

For bookings, contact â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Laolu Afolabi on 08054681741 or Tommy Adegbite on 08116954631

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

PDP convention:

The battle for delegates’ slots With the rescheduled national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) less than three weeks, there is increasing power play over the slot for delegates, writes KUNLE ODEREMI

HE countdown to the rescheduled PDP national convention has begun in earnest. Major gladiators in the party have stepped up horse-trading for the exercise coming up in Port Harcourt on August 17, 2016, to elect substantive national officers to restore life into a party that has been gasping for breath after it was humbled in the 2015. One nagging issue to be resolved by the convention is the struggle for the national chairmanship of the PDP. So, no fewer than eight eminent members of the party from the three zones in the Southern part of the country are believed to be warming up for the position, and three of them have hit the ground running. A former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, Professor Tunde Adeniran and business mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi are among those that have emerged as contenders. Seasoned political leaders like Chief Ebenezer Babatope, are believed to be leading the campaign for George, whose tenure as PDP deputy national chairman saw the party made a remarkable impact in the South-West by winning five of the six governorship seats in the zone. There are speculations that such PDP stalwarts as a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel; a former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Professor Taoheed Adedoja; Austin Opara and Chief Uche Secondus are also interested in the job. Following a directive from PDP headquarters in Abuja, , last Friday, PDP leaders from the South-West tried to restore peace in the state chapters in the zone. The exercise became necessary because of serious infighting among the leaders, which culminated in parallel leadership structures, with the scenario most pronounced in Oyo, Lagos, Osun and Ogun states, owing to disputations over the conduct or otherwise of state congresses conducted earlier in the year. While the incumbency factor appears to have allowed PDP governors to reign in party faithful and peace in Ekiti and Ondo states, the major gladiators in Osun, Oyo and Lagos states have been at each other’s throat. It was learnt that at the Lagos meeting, the leaders had a hectic time while trying to broker peace. The leaders had to be at their wit’s end in order to save the day, especially over the crisis in the Osun State chapter of the PDP as the session almost resulted into fisticuffs following a sharp disagreement among members of the two factions in the state. Trouble started when one of the factions came with a huge number of representatives, contrary to a directive of the Reconciliation Committee that each camp should send only five representatives. When the situation was gradually becoming rowdy, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and his Ekiti State counterpart, Mr Ayodele Fayose, and Senator Kashamu Buruji, had to retire to ante room of the Eko Hotel, venue of the meeting, to consult on how to save the day. The bone of contention was a call to share 50:50, which the Adagunodo opposed, hinging its position on the conduct of state congress. However, the Omisore faction said it was deliberately denied the opportunity to participate in the congress, just as there was a court injunction concerning the conduct of the exercise. Later, members of the two factions were reportedly asked put down their names in the midst of claims by members of the Adagunodo faction that a state congress supervised by representatives of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) held. Therefore, they kicked against the proposal by the reconciliation committee that the factions

Bode George

Fayose

Adeniran

Our findings clearly show that cases of groupings and sharp divides exist in the three states and this is what we addressed in the meeting. We have to learn from the past.

should share the number of delegates from the state fairly, and faulted the insinuation that Omisore was no longer a factor in the politics of PDP. Elsewhere, the committee only it advised the leaders from Oyo State to go back home and resolve their difference, which bothered on power tussle among the leaders. They claimed that there was no serious crisis among them but the issue of egoowing to the large number of PDP leaders in the state. They are to harmonise their structures and decide on ways to select delegates to represent the state at the Port Harcourt convention, while a committee will be set up to conduct a state congress of the party after the convention. To save the meeting with the Osun PDP members ending in a possible deadlock, Mimiko recalled that the factions were asked to send only five representatives each to the meeting, noting that the Adangunodo camp flouted the directive. Fayose, along with Mimiko and Kashamu reportedly expressed concerned about the reprehensive conduct of the representatives, saying the meeting was primarily designed to broker peace and prepare ground for PDP national convention. Fayose was particularly not happy about the conduct of the belligerent camp from Osun, advising the members to take a cue from him and Buruji, who have decided to close ranks after engaging serious verbal war over the affairs of PDP. The three leaders claimed that Omisore remained a major factor with Kashamu wondering if a former deputy governor of a state, Senator could ever be regarded as a spent force. According to a source at the meeting, a party leader,who is a lawyer, said the issue at hand bothered on law, since there was a state congress supervised by INEC, thus there was no basis to now advocate the allocation of delegates on equal terms with the Omisore group. Fayose faulted said the matter was not about law but on the need to restore peace in the PDP and that there was no way they could discountenance the Omisore camp in the quest for reconciliation, a point Kashamu, on his part, stressed saying he visited Omisore in Abuja a few days ago after he was granted bail from detention. A man said to the driver of a party leaders reportedly threatened to physically assault another party stalwart, a development that did not go down well with Fayose. The governor had to be prevailed upon by Mimiko from walking out of the venue in anger over the conduct and attitude of members of a faction of the Osun PDP But, realising that the factions were not ready for compromise, Mimiko announced that the Reconciliation Committee would refer the Osun matter to the PDP national headquarters for adjudication, as the members of the factions stepped out of the meeting, they resorted to hot verbal exchanges, even though Kashamuhad earlier cautioned them against deceiving themselves that Omisore was no longer relevant in the scheme of things. He advised them to embrace peace by accepting a sharing formula that is based on equity and justice. Fayose subtly underscored what transpired at the closed door session. He was quoted as saying that the emphasis on the three states for reconciliation was because “our findings clearly show that cases of groupings and sharp divides exist in the three states and this is what we addressed in the meeting. We have to learn from the past.” Meanwhile, the fate of the warring factions in Osun might be decided this week at a crucial meeting of the PDP top hierarchy. It will also confirm if the factions in Lagos and Oyo have she embraced peace, the swords, as the SouthWest makes desperate bid for the chairmanship for first time in 17 years of PDP? But, the quest has already come under serious threat as the South-South through Dokpesi is making efforts to worm himself into the heart of SouthWest party leaders, especially prospective delegates to the convention, over his chairmanship aspiration.

politicscommentary

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Constituency projects: How corruption distributes wealth and ruins the nation By Poju Akinyanju

N resumption from a threeweek Sallah break (the rest of the nation was harassed by religious balancers for taking a three-day break for the same Sallah), our legislators took three issues all about themselves. Immunity for their leaders (House of Reps); protection of their leaders from criminal charge of forgery (Senate) and bid to ensure that their constituency project is funded (Senate). It is incredible that the legislators are so unaware of the picture they cut as being a self-centered lot. Or they just do not care about what we think of them. This write up is about the constituency projects. These are projects inserted into the national budget by the legislators to, as they claim, bring something home to their constituencies. There is no evidence that any relevance/ feasibility studies are done for such projects. The aim is that each legislator has a project in his/her constituency. If we take the figure for this year as stated during the agitation of the senators of N60 billion and we have 109 Senators and 340 House of Rep members, on average, the project/constituency will amount to N134 billion. Of course, they may have a rotational agreement that may allow a higher amount per constituency. The work done by BudgiT published in The Nation, on Sunday of July 17, puts the range of the project cost at between N4.5 and N300 million. The mode of deciding the content of the projects is opaque. Overall the projects cannot be earth shaking big. But as we all know, the project is not the target of the legislators, money in the pocket of the legislators is! The concept of constituency projects is not peculiar to Nigeria. Most legislators around the world angle for such projects such that they can appeal to the voters in their constituents since they seek votes just as the executive does. In most politico lingo, it is known as pork-barrel politics. As Wikipedia explained it, it is a process used to obtain funding from a central government to finance projects benefiting the legislators’ local constituents. The benefits of such projects do not extend beyond a legislator’s constituency even though the funding was obtained through taxation of the larger geographic region. It is also known as earmarking in some nations. There is opposition to pork barrel projects all over the world as they usually involve corrupt power wielding and negotiations; and sleaze; and there have been agitations that they be scrapped. An example of constituency project at its most licentious can be found in the Philippines where funds are allocated to members of the House of Reps and Senate to spend as they see fit. It can be used for ‘hard’ projects such as buildings and roads, or as ‘soft’ projects like scholarships and medical expenses. In that country, the practice was so replete with corruption that there were massive public protests against it in 2013 and the Supreme Court abolished it as unconstitutional in the same year. In Nigeria, information gathered for this write up shows that the distribution of project fund goes through many

Saraki

Dogara

Constituency projects destroy the soul of the nation in ways deeper than we seem to want to acknowledge. It should be discontinued. channels in a way that it actually results in wealth distribution. Post budget approval, the first beneficiary is the bureaucrat. He is ‘facilitated’ to ensure cash backing and release of fund for the project. Then the legislator takes the lion share of the money. He gives some money to the contractor whose name/company had been used as front and who will process the papers back to the bureaucrat. The bureaucrat takes a second helping in certifying the project completed. Where some circumscribed work had been done (in quite a number, nothing at all is done), the community leader ( Emir, Oba,Chief, ward leader, etc) are facilitated to attend the launching. The Press is also co-opted into the gravy train to favourably report on the project ‘execution’. At the end of the day, the legislator who takes the lion share has enough money to give as largesse o his penurious constituents, stash away some for the next election and record a handsome profit on his investment of contesting to the legislature. Of course, this scenario will be disputed by the legislators but there is a way to resolve the issue. The Senate and

the House of Representatives should publish a year by year record of constituency projects. The details should contain the project name, the location and the cost. We will then require two levels of certification as to the existence, completion and durability of the projects from their constituents and anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations. The BudgiT Organisation has done some work in this respect. Their effort should be complemented and the CSO should popularise the report using it as a basis of nationwide campaign. Constituency projects have the following wealth distributing effects. The politician, who benefits most from the fund of the project, is able to give some cash/ material gifts to his penurious and dehumanised constituents, sustains young men on his pay as thugs, acquires properties and is able to stash away some money to prosecute the next election. We have been told umpteenth time that politics in Nigeria is an investment. Clearly, one of the profit lines is the constituency project. There are more. The bureaucrat, who earns say N150,000

per month, is able to make the equivalent of 6 months’ salary from one constituency project. He can leave a more handsome feeding allowance, send her/ his children to that rarefied school he would not otherwise be able to afford. He has loose cash to satisfy his friends, girlfriends included. She could buy a little more jewelry. With a consistent flow of constituency projects, he/she could start that housing project which he would otherwise be not able to afford in his entire 35 year career. The contractor makes a few million Naira for just being close to the legislators and serving as a front. A number of young boys (graduates who cannot find jobs) specialise in this role. The community leader makes a cool earning from the launching. He smacks his lips and may just acquire a new wife (they are mostly males). On the contra side, however, the constituency projects are debilitating to societal development in fundamental ways. First, the society gains virtually nothing. The projects are perfunctory, irrelevant. For example one type that I have seen is the borehole. Apart from the fact that a large number of them do not function from day one, most of them pack up in a short while. Worse, the conception is insulting to the constituents and stifles genuine development. The Constituents are expected to fetch water from the bore holes to their homes. The limited vision of the legislator does not envisage citizens with pipe -borne water in their homes. He does not think of rehabilitating the huge water works in his constituency. He does not think he should lobby to get the Local/ State/Federal government to provide pipe borne water. What he wants is immediate ephemeral notice through the sign board he erects on his puny bore hole. Second, the communities are denied the location of projects in their communities since projects that were not delivered would have been placed in the books as done. Third, there is a culture of conspiracy between the legislator, the contractor front, the bureaucrat and the community leader to defraud society. Corruption is entrenched as an acceptable means of earning a living by key players in society. Fourth, the only ‘start up’ business idea of a large number of our youth have is being around politicians to be used as fronts. The work ethic is destroyed and our youths are indoctrinated into the culture of wealth without work being honourable. Fifth, the contractor/front gains no experience since he hasn’t in most cases built anything. And sixth, this fraud is a ruling elite consensus about corruption as a principle of governance since there clearly is agreement by all legislators irrespective of their political party, ethnicity or religion on pork barrel projects. Constituency projects destroy the soul of the nation in ways deeper than we seem to want to acknowledge. It should be discontinued. Our civil society organisations should include mobilisation against constituency projects in their campaigns for a more just and prosperous nation. Professor Akinyanju is of the Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 08111845048

features

OW did the Panama papers come to be? The files were leaked to a German newspaper, called Suddeutsche Zeitung, and they forwarded it to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ mined the data, cleaned it up and made it available to newsrooms across the world.

Why were the files sent to ICIJ? The Panama papers are 11.5 million files and 2.4 terabytes of data, and so the vast volume of it was not possible for one newspaper to start processing, which was why they took it to the ICIJ to assist. The ICIJ made it readable and accessible to normal journalists, and the newsroom partners that the ICIJ picked – that was basically the ICIJ’s role. They also played a role in the coordination. They equally handled the project management aspect which involved deadlines of publication and which people we could go to for right of reply. The ICIJ coordinated it all. How did African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR) get in on it? ANCIR is a member of the ICIJ, and that’s how we got in on it. We coordinated the African aspect of it. How important is the Panama Papers to the ordinary man on the streets? For me, the importance of the Panama papers to the ordinary man on the streets is all about creating a system of transparency. It is a system where (for instance) we know where taxes are being paid, where taxes are being spent and ultimately that is what the average guy on the streets wants to know: how is my tax money being spent? If it is going into the coffers of a judge who then sends it off to a foreign country and no tax is being paid to his (the man on the street) own country, well firstly it creates an illegal situation. And then it creates an opaque system. Another thing that comes to mind is if judges don’t declare their interests for instance, and they are held in offshore companies which are difficult to get the information from, then it creates a situation where for instance one of his business associates appears in his court, he hasn’t declared that interest, so he could be biased in favour of his business interest because he is not transparent enough to say that he holds business interests in that company. So it will be in his (the judge’s) favour to be lenient on someone who otherwise had been committing corruption or has been involved in tax evasion or whatever crime. But for us,

More shocking revelations coming —Amanda Potgieter, Panama Papers journalist

Small leaks make big news. Big leaks make even bigger news. Such was the case of the recent Panama Papers leak that implicated the high and mighty across the world. Amanda Potgieter is an investigative journalist belonging to African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR). PAUL OMOROGBE spoke to her in her Johannesburg, South African base over her involvement in Panama Papers. Panama Papers has been about creating a system of transparency. And that ultimately benefits everybody because everybody knows where each other stands. Are we still going to be hearing more from Panama Papers? Yes. I don’t think we will stop hearing from Panama Papers for quite some time, because the data is there, it is being mined. People are still finding links, finding new stories. There is definitely going to be a lot more shocking revelations in future.

It is now known that you are involved in Panama Papers. Do you ever fear for your life? No. No I don’t. I live in a pretty robust society where people aren’t afraid to tell stories. I am lucky in that sense; so I don’t fear for my life. At the point when you started did you have any idea of who will be implicated? No, I don’t think we did. Once we started mining some of the data, we realized from

Why people say we work for the CIA —Joel Konope, investigator

Joel Konope is a former editor of one of Botswana’s national dailies. Seeing his involvement with the Panama Papers leak, reports in his country’s dailies had it that he and his team worked for America’s CIA. Konope responds to this and tells how he got involved with Panama Papers when he spoke to PAUL OMOROGBE in South Africa. HOW did you get involved with Panama papers? My colleague was at a workshop in Norway when he met some people from ICIJ. That’s how the relationship began. When the leak came out, he was invited to participate in (investigating) the leak. So we were part of the team which eventually had to go for training in Washington on how

to understand the data. So we got to know about it from ICIJ. How did you handle this allegation that you were affiliated with the CIA; what was your response to it? Basically, it shows that we are now Continues on pg22

the things that we saw, what kind of countries we could start looking at for partner newsrooms from our side, and what budget we had available to provide grants for different newsrooms that we worked with. Did the need for partner newsrooms arise because of the amount of data? Well yes. And because we are a network of investigative reporting centres, we don’t do all the stories ourselves; we want to empower newsrooms to get to do the stories themselves. Did you have an idea of the names that would come out before investigation started? We could not. We had to do some ‘fishing expedition.’ Well, a lot of the journalists knew there were some dodgy links to some people, but they are not able to prove it. But you really start from the top. I mean in Angola, we started with the president, because we know that his family – his daughter and son – are so interlinked in various companies. They were like the obvious choices to start running their names through the data to see what the links are or if there are any links – it’s a fishing expedition so you are trying to see if there is anything. In terms of the other guys, because the ICIJ had done a lot of the cleaning, they were already linked to a lot of stuff. In Sierra Leone, they discovered there was this diamonds link, so they would flag that to us already because they had not processed so much of the data.

features

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Mentorship, career take prominence at youth summit

Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

T has always been said that the development and future of any nation depend on the character and attitude of its youth, who are expected to be groomed for the serious business of nation building. But the ability to be able to contribute meaningfully to the emancipation of any country also depends on the capacity and capability of the youth of the particular country. Based on the age long saying that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow, it is, therefore, imperative for the society to adequately prepare them for the task of leadership in the nearest future. It was against this background that the maiden edition of the international youth empowerment summit was held in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, with the aim of galvanising the youth for their future role in the society through a well-defined career development and mentoring programme that can mold them into what the society required for growth and development. The programme, which took place at the auditorium of the Federal University, Lokoja, was a one-day event put together by the S.M.A.R.R.T Life Coaching Academy, and had secondary school students, undergraduates, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) among others as participants. Apart from the audience, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organisation, Afolabi Olayinka, the programme also had a panel of discussants that was on hand to share their experiences on how far they have gone in their chosen careers with the youth. Members of the panel included the special adviser to the Kogi State Governor on Health, Dr Ahmed Attah; the regional manager (North Central), United Bank of Africa (UBA), Mrs Funke Esseyin; the Director General, Institute of Mentoring and Career Coaching Nigeria, Rotimi Matthew; the Programs Coordinator, Clems Institute of Professional Learning, Tobi Emmanuel; the Chief Executive Officer, Treasures Bakery and Confectionary, Mrs Kikelomo Akande; a basketball

Participants at the summit.

coach, Michael Akubo and a Nollywood actress, Ajanigo Simeon. Speaking on the programme, Olayinka said, “the international youth empowerment programme is for us to encourage the creative minds of the youth; we are at a point in our nation where motivation is at its lowest ebb, and youths are really losing hope, but we hope to bring our youths together to let them know that we are all part of the democratic process and we all have roles to play.” Speaking at the event, Mrs Esseyin, who works with UBA, noted that it was impera-

tive for the young ones to choose the careers that they feel could enable them get to the top. The banker was also of the opinion that parents should not force certain careers on their children, warning that such could kill their desires. Charging the audience, Mrs Esseyin said, “live your life, you are responsible for whatever you do with your life from 18 years old; make yourself ready for the job market and you will be able to attain greater heights.” In the same vein, Mr Matthew, a capacity coach, admitted that the young ones required people who would help them

turn their potentials into reality, saying that was why mentorship was necessary for the youth. According to him, a mentor is expected to bring out the best in the person that is being mentored. In his presentation entitled, “Sound Health Accelerates Career Pursuit,” the special assistant to the Kogi State governor on Health, Dr Attah, who is also the president of Project Nigeria First, noted that only a sound mind could contribute to the socioeconomic development of a country, while charging participants to take good care of their health.

‘Issues raised involved accountability, transparency’ Continued from pg 21

creating impact with what we do on daily basis. People then get to react in a negative way. It is obvious that people are beginning to take us seriously, and I think it was out of anger from the people we were writing about. But it is clear we are not CIA. I think we need to clarify that. We are very transparent about how we are funded. How are you funded? We are funded by the Open Society Foundation. It is based in London, and its branch is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. We are also funded by Thomson Reuters Foundation through free training. What is your relationship with ANCIR? We are partners in distributing stories. They offer training. They are a hub (for investigative journalism) in the region, so they have us as one of the partners to work with. Do you have any centres in West Africa? No. But we have relationships with journalists in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda. You started the INK Centre for Investigative Journalism? Yes, I started it in 2015. It has been around

for one year.

ticipating strongly.

How come you have that credibility as to be invited by ICIJ? I have been editor for a newspaper called Botswana Guardian. I think my work has always been known at least in Botswana and partly in the region. I also worked for Mail and Guardian (South Africa) which is very credible. So when it comes to investigative journalism, I have had my fair share of par-

Why are Panama Papers important to you? I think it is the issue of accountability. In Panama Papers, in the list, we were dealing with the people from Botswana. It turned out that people like a Supreme Court judge which is the highest court in Botswana, has investments in Panama and British Virgin Islands which he has never declared to anyone. So if such person has not declared such kind of investment, at times it can become an issue of moral standing - how come you have such money somewhere and the public does not know? Why should people know he has investment in Panama? It is important because he is a judge of the highest court. And the (outcome of) litigations depend on how well he conducts himself. It is important for issues of accountability and transparency; because again countries in the British Virgin Islands are known to be countries of tax evaders.

Just to be clear, what they did cannot be seen immediately to be wrong. But what we know is that when you are going to invest in a country that is known for tax evasion, then questions start to arise: why choose that country that is known for evading tax?

Does it revolve around accountability and not that what they did was wrong? Just to be clear, what they did cannot be seen immediately to be wrong. But what we know is that when you are going to invest in a country that is known for tax evasion, then questions start to arise: why choose that country that is known for evading tax? Is there anything that you are doing that is

wrong? Then it is up to him to explain. But they don’t normally like to explain. They always say they are not doing anything wrong. So not everybody who is mentioned in Panama Papers is a criminal? It is correct. Others actually claim that they gave their money to some firms to invest, and that they are not aware they were investing in countries that are seen to be tax evaders. Many are not criminals, but are just trying to get where returns are high. And the returns are high where other criminals are. How did you come about the names in Panama Papers? Their names came up because the firm that they were using was the one that was handling their finances. So, anyone that was using that firm became compromised at that level. The judge was the highest. There were no real prominent persons beside the judge. There were other prominent business people. But again, about business people, one of the lawyers that assisted us said that business people are expected to maximize profit, as long as they are not stolen. The issues of morality for business people are treated differently as opposed to a judge. I think the standards are higher for a judge than just a business person. That is how we looked at it, and we found it interesting.

23 thesouth-west Tunde Busari 08127593530 Yejide Gbenga - Ogundare 08116706853 Tunde Ogunesan 08116954634

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

The

South-West Editor Wole Efunnuga 08111813056

Got news for us; contact: southwesttribune@yahoo.co.uk or southwesttribune@gmail.com

: S R E G N E S S A P N A IBAD

? s r e p p a n d i k f o y c r e m e h t At

nt incidents in the ancient ce Re s. er pp na kid o int ing AND nger of runn tion that the UNDARE, TUNDE OGUNESAN still confronted with the da e OG ar GA bs EN ca GB of E rs ge JID en YE , ss RI pa SA n, E BU ND In Ibada TU rs. to danger is not ra et rp pe e th of s yet over. city confirm the stubbornnrtestheir findings. they An Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago OLAWALE OLANIYAN repo opexpose unsuspecting passengers on a

ROM whichever part a visitor enters Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, it is certain that he will be confronted with a choice between entering a cab and commercial bus to his final destination in the ancient city. If in haste, cab is the option because of its pint size containing five passengers instead of the weather beaten 18-seater bus which

Inside

erates without much care for time its passengers get to their respective destinations. As a consequence of this, the Ibadan intra-city cabs record huge patronage, evidence of which is seen in the increase in their number. Paradoxically, as their number increases so also is the attendant danger to which

daily basis. Nigerian Tribune gathered that some gangs of kidnappers and ritualists have found Ibadan cab a useful tool to carry out their nefarious activities either in broad daylight or in the evening. While the public outcry over the rage of suspected kidnappers appears to have subsided, there is, however, a strong indica-

Now that Osun public schools wear new looks...

Iwoye undergraduate, Adeola (Not real name) was a victim three weeks back but had mother luck to thank for his escape. He had boarded a cab from Challenge to Orita and in the course of the trip informed his co-passengers of his plan to board a bus to Ijebu-Oru along Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode road.

Continues on pg24

When will Oyo govt/labour impasse end?

24 thesouth-west

Oyo State NURTW chairman, Alhaji Taofeek Ayorinde a.k.a Fele.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Oyo State Police commissioner, Mr. Leye Oyebade

Ibadan kidnappings unlimited Continued from pg23 The driver, according to him, quickly interjected and said he was Ijebu-Ode bound, thereby offering to drop him at his destination. Adeola was instantly excited because he saw it as an opportunity and indeed a relief from his long wait under the scorching sun. “I even thank God that I spoke out not knowing that the driver and two other passengers were into the same business. They acted as if they were not familiar with one another,” he recalled. Adeola would later realize his miscalculation when the driver refused to stop at a police check point some metres after Lagos-ibadan expressway. Shock enveloped Adeola who did not see any reason the driver should behave in such manner. He even pleaded with the driver to stop so that the police would not attempt to shoot the cab. But other passengers’ response revealed to him that he was in a wrong cab. They barked at him and ordered him to either shut his mouth or get wasted. On hearing the violent directive in a very terrifying voice of Indian-hemp addict, Adeola complied, held his lip and began solemn prayer to God. He was recalling cases of victims of armed robbers and kidnappers. He was also thinking of how he flashed down the cab and rushed into it. His prayer was answered when he sighted another police check points some miles after Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) at Idi Ayunre. He had planned to shout to draw the attention of the police to the cab. Fortunately, the police team had already been alerted of the cab and was in ready position to slug it out in case the driver wanted to make a repeat of his earlier escape. The proactive measure did the magic and the car was forced to a halt and all the occupants rounded up including Adeola. A further search of the cab uncovered the real identity of the driver and his gang. Adeola was released after he had been confirmed as a prospective victim of the gang. “I am one of those who don’t take our police seriously

again after my encounter with them some years ago. But this incident changed my mind and made me to seek forgiveness because the way they operated that day impressed me. The worst could have happened but I thank God and the police,” he said. Similarly, a corps member identified as Hannah boarded a cab from Gate to Dugbe. On entering, she lost consciousness in a way she could not explain, after which she found herself at Ojoo. Hannah disclosed that all she could only recollect was how she entered the cab and met two passengers, none of whom gave her any sign of the danger awaiting her. “I was going to Dugbe so I took a cab from Gate. I met two passengers in the cab, one in front and one at the back but I

A corps member identified as Hannah boarded a cab from Gate to Dugbe. On entering, she lost consciousness in a way she could not explain, after which she found herself at Ojoo.

can’t explain what happened the moment I entered the cab, all I can recollect is that the next conscious thought I had was when I saw a big roundabout which I knew was not on my normal route. I was scared and tried to ask where we were, but I was ignored. “Luckily for me, there was a traffic warden regulating vehicular movements and at that point, he stopped our lane. I quickly opened the door on my side and jumped out and people around started screaming at me. In the commotion, the car zoomed off. “It was after I explained to the people around and the traffic warden that they told me I was at Ojoo and the cab from which I alighted took off in the direction of Oyo town. I know I was just lucky. It was God that saved me,” she said. This incident is a further attestation that public transport in Ibadan still goes with risk. It was, however, learnt that not all cases ended with a song of praise sung by the duo of Adeola and Hannah. About four weeks ago, a cab passed some policemen around Sonbeam school in Bodija and a girl inside was seen screaming for help. When the police stopped the cab, the driver refused to wait, rather, it ran down an okada man with his passenger. The policemen swiftly responded and caught it in front of a guest house at Oluwokekere in Basorun in the driver’s desperate attempt to enter the Ikolaba estate gate, which is not usually left open. The residents, who were apparently suspicious of the reckless cab were gathered to give the police the needed support. One of the suspects in the car had already disguised as a Muslim cleric and was walking away from the scene. But a vigilant policeman recognised him and pulled him back. After interrogation and fear of mob action, they confessed that they indeed kidnapped that girl and had used something on her to make her disappear but promised to take the police to where the girl was. Till now, no one can ascertain whether the girl was finally rescued or in what condition Continues on pg25

25 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Ooni’s cocoa farming initiative to fight unemployment

OLUWOLE IGE, in this piece, writes on the efforts of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi at combating unemployment through cocoa farming

INCE his coronation in December, 2015, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has been in the news regarding his agenda for peace across Yorubaland and the nation at large. For him, peace and security in the country can only be guaranteed if millions of unengaged youths roaming the streets are gainfully employed so that they would cease to be handy tools in the perpetration of heinous crimes. This line of thought informed his latest move in the unveiling of one million cocoa nursery seedlings, which the monarch plans to use in revamping cocoa industry which was the popular mainstay of the economy of the defunct Western Region. The move is also to create employment opportunities for over 100,000 youths in Ile-Ife and widows affected during the hostility between Ife and Modakeke. Nigerian Tribune gathered that the newly unveiled one million cocoa seedlings in Ile-Ife farmland is just the first phase of targeted 10 million trees. Saddened by the neglect of cocoa farming which was once a major foreign earn-

Pix of the 1 million cocoa nursery plants. ing for Nigeria, the monarch who is the grand patron of Graduate Farmers Association of Nigeria, has chosen agriculture as a perfect alternative to the dwindling crude oil revenue. According to Oba Ogunwusi, “If we have stronger partnerships with government, because it is a very capital intensive venture, it is not impossible to expand the cocoa plantation nursery to well over 100million trees to be spread across the entire country just to bring back cocoa days to this country again.”

“It is pertinent to say that we are not alone in this masses-oriented scheme as we are already into very assuring collaborations. The governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola has thrown the weight of the state government behind the project that will surely improve the IGR of the government. “The Federal Government through Minister of Agriculture Chief Audu Ogbe has given a nod of cooperation for our Greenfield to enjoy mechanization to till the land for us to be able to plant the cash crop, the

hybrids and the improved seedlings that will yield 2000kg to be harvested all year round. We have Dynamic Green Concept Ltd, a US-based company from Dallas for soil improvement,” Oba Ogunwusi added. Giving more details on the scheme, the director of media and public affairs to the Ooni of Ife, Comrade Moses Olafare said, “We are in a strategic partnership with the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN). Kabiyesi will also in visit Hersey Chocolate factory in Philadelphia which is America’s biggest chocolate factory for the supply of our cocoa beans and for further value addition to cocoa processing right here in Nigeria before exportation. “Since cocoa is undoubtedly a cash crop with potentials for foreign exchange earnings, we have thus decided to break the jinx. We already have brown field plantation that has existed for about 100 years and on which several farmers have worked, producing between 300 and 350 kilogrammes per hectare. Of course, those aged cocoa trees have spent about 100 years, and they are obviously too weak for expected productivity.” Olafare continued, “We therefore must start a new Greenfield of cocoa plantation with a pilot scheme at Ile-Ife that will subsequently be replicated across the country as we already have very good understanding with the North, sequel to a meeting Ooni recently held in Sokoto with Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar and six emirs on possible exchange of agricultural expertise.”

We are on top of the situation —Police Continued from pg24 they met her. Another route that has been described as dangerous to commuters is the Gate to Akobo-Ojurin route. Caution and discernment are the watchwords for those that take cabs in this area as the route is said to have high incident of kidnapping by commercial vehicles that many do not allow their children commute by themselves. According to a teacher in one of the prominent schools in the area, Funso (surname withheld), it is a dangerous thing for students to commute without chaperone as even adults offer words of prayers before entering cabs. “This route is notorious. This is not news here and that is why many parents engage the services of the school bus while many ensure there is a chaperone to take their children to and fro. “Even as adults, when we want to take a cab, we pray and try to check the faces of people already in the car, and if something about the car makes you uncomfortable, you quickly alight even before getting to your destination. “It is only God that protects on this route especially with so many strange vehicles. We learnt once they kidnap you, they take you somewhere after Olorunda village. At least that is what a friend that luckily escaped from their den told me. “Even as teachers and adults, we are still scared of these dangerous cabs and those of us that live in the same neighborhood move together when it is possible with the hope that there will be security in numbers,” he said. Another source informed Nigerian Tribune that a neighbour of his was kidnapped around Oke-Bola, Ibadan only to be found

somewhere around Benin/Ore expressway few days later. “The victim could not talk for few days. He is a business man in a popular market in Ibadan. He was very smart to have hidden one of his phones and used same to send a text message to her sister, after which the family contacted the police who eventually rescued him,” he said. The source also said that the experience had forced him to sit either behind the driver or behind the second seat in front. “Never will I risk sitting either in front or enter the middle of the back seat in these suspicious cabs again, except on queues. My brother, the most important, may God help us because government seems not be serious about these criminals. In fact, I feel more comfortable on okada now, despite risks associated with it,” the source also said. The Police Public Relations Officer of Oyo State Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed cases of suspected kidnappers in the ancient city, describing them as unfortunate. He, however, pointed out that no recent incidents had been recorded or better still reported at any Divisional Headquarters or police posts in the state capital or outside it.

Ajisebutu said the command, under the Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, had successfully provided a counter-force, which, he stated had made such crime a risk for the suspects. The PPRO reminded our correspondent the breakthrough the command had made in bringing suspected kidnappers to book and treated them accordingly. Ajisebutu said, “Those suspects we had arrested in the past were paraded before the media and prosecuted accordingly. You must have observed that our stop-and-search strategy is tighter now. It is an effective way, which is yielding positive result. Even at that, we are not resting on our oars.” The PPRO asserted that the command is more vigilant and proactive in quelling not only kidnapping but other forms of crime in the state. He recalled the response of the police to the labour and the students’ protest, which, according to him, earned the command applause. “What we are, therefore, saying is that Oyo State Police Command is on top of the security of the capital and all towns, communities and villages that make up Oyo State. You can also observe high police visibility and presence of our anti-kidnapping squad. They are on ground searching vehicles and reading

Those suspects we had arrested in the past were paraded before the media and prosecuted accordingly. You must have observed that our stopand-search strategy is tighter now.

the countenance of the drivers and passengers to ascertain their true identity. “I have also given out my phone number for easy accessibility. I don’t switch off my phone. I can be reached any time of the day. Number of our control room is also available for the public. We urge the public to make use of these numbers for a quick response to crime scene,” he said. Chairman of Oyo State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Taofeek Ayorinde, expressed shock at our correspondent’s question on the continued rage of kidnappers inside cabs. Although he denied knowledge of a recent incident, he stated that his union has put in place a functional Task Force with a view to helping members to chase the kidnappers out of Oyo State. “I am telling you that they are no longer in the state. We gave them a close monitoring and they ran out of town. I want to advise passengers to board buses at motor parks. Motor parks are sited everywhere and they are safe. “Standing by the road side is too risky no matter how cheap the fare is. The cheaper the product is, the poor the service. If such vehicles break down on the way, passengers will be stranded,” he explained. The chairman popularly known as Fele also advised parents to always educate their children on the advantages of going to the motor parks to board vehicles. He regretted seeing adults also standing by the road side and running after buses. “This is common somewhere after toll gate. You see them running into trouble. How do you trace such people in case anything happens along the road? I am again advising our people to patronise us instead of putting their lives on the line,” he said.

26 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Now that Osun public schools wear new look... OLUWOLE IGE, in this report, takes a look at the giant steps so far taken by the Osun State government in the education sector and the benefits that students and other stakeholders stand to derive from the mega projects which is spread across the state.

OR pupils of Osun public schools, learning in a conducive environment with state of the art infrastructural facilities is now a dream come true. The decision of Governor Aregbesola to build about 170 mega schools, spread across three senatorial districts of the state was borne out of the recommendations of 2011 education summit,convened to examine the condition of public schools, its challenges and formulate a qualitative policy that would pave the way for new educational policy and with the construction of mega school infrastructure. Chaired by the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, the education summit, that paraded heavy weights in education sector like the former Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Professor Ibadapo Obe and Dr Peter Okebukola of the National Universities Commission (NUC) made far-reaching recommendations, which today has carved a niche and created distinct identity for the state in terms of enviable infrastructural facilities in public schools. The new educational policy gave birth to reclassification of schools, namely elementary, middle and high schools. Though pockets of criticisms from the opposition and other interest groups greeted the new policy, especially the merger of existing schools as a prerequisite for the take off of the policy, the decision of the state government had been applauded by many for its success, quality, uniqueness and architectural master piece of schools, which now dots the landscape in Osun. Under the new school policy, the primary school system gave way to the grade system with the former Primaries 1-4 with the age range of 6-9 years, merging into what is now called Elementary school, in Grades 1-4. Primaries 5 and 6 and junior secondary schools 1-3 merged together to become middle school and now to be known as Grades 5-9 with the age range of 10-14 years, while the senior secondary students are grouped together in Grades 10-13, in what is now known as high school. Besides, the elementary schools currently have a maximum capacity of 900 pupils in a purpose built state-of–theart school. Other features include the provision of school uniform, books and balanced diet meals. The schools were designed to be within the neighbourhood for easy access for all students. For the middle school, the maximum capacity ranges between 900-1,000 students, with the provision of stateof-the-art educational infrastructureand catchment to be between 2-3 kilometers, while the high school will have a maximum capacity of 3,000 students with hostel facilities. However, the curriculum did not change rather, what changed were physical infrastructure and more conducive environment. At present, many of the mega schools, located in the three Senatorial Districts have been completed and commissioned for use. Notably among them are AUD Elementary School, Osogbo; Salvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo; Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife; Wole Soy-

inka High School, Ejigbo and Anthony Udofia Elementary School, Osogbo. Though, Osogbo High School is still under construction, Ataoja High School had already been completed. Both imposing edifices, located along Iwo-Osogbo and Gbongan-Ibadan expressways are beauty to behold. Speaking on the new education policy and schools’ infrastructure, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Lawrence Oyeniran said the new grade system is the global trend and approach to modern education for effective teaching and learning, explaining that in adopting the grade system, pupils of the same age bracket are grouped together with fewer students in classes. He observed that multiplicity of schools had decayed infrastructure over the years, culminating in poor funding, shortage of teachers and inefficiency, saying with the new policy and building of mega schools, the state government had succeeded in reversing the rot, by making quality education available to all children without discrimination, with public schools’ structures better than private schools. Another interesting feature of the new education policy is the introduction of O’ Meal school feeding system, which affords pupils in elementary schools opportunities of enjoying free and nutritious meals everyday during school hours. This scheme has gained international endorsement as well. In November 2012, Partnership for Child Development (PCD) United Kingdom and the Government of the State of Osun signed the Osun Elementary School Feeding Transition Strategy Plan Document to further strengthen the programme. O-MEALS aims was to reverse the very low academic performance of pupils noting that good nutrition is necessary for development of cognitive skills. The daily feeding allowance for each pupil has also been increased from N50 to N250.

Aerial view of Wole Soyinka High School, Ejigbo

Nigerian Tribune

Salvation Army Middle School, Osogbo For effective service a total number of 3,007 food vendors/ cooks were trained and are currently employed to serve midday meals for pupils of classes 1, 2 , 3 and 4 in all elementary schools in the state. Nigerian Tribune authoritatively gathered that over N3 billion is being expended annually on the school feeding programme, which has helped to increase school enrolment by a minimum of 25 percent since its commencement. But, the new face of Osun public schools, as well as its encouraging features, is taking a toll on the enrollment in some private schools in the state as some parents have withdrawn their children to government owned schools. Sizable number of parents and teachers cannot hide ecstasy and satisfaction for the conducive environment created through the building of over 39 mega schools, spread across the three senatorial districts in Osun State. Some of the parents who bared their minds to our correspondent lauded the efforts of government to rebuild confidence in public schools, saying the development had changed the views and opinions of the majority, most especially on the quality of education and modern infrastructural facilities now available in public schools. One of the parents, identified as Mr Olalekan Adeyemi said “let’s be frank and objective, Aregbesola has tried to restructure education in Osun State. With these mega schools, he has accorded more priority to the future of the youth in this state, bearing in mind that the best legacy one can bequeath to his children is qualitative education, which is only obtainable in a serene and conducive environment”. Similarly, Mr Sadeeq Ayobami, a teacher in one of the elementary schools opined that “we have never had it so good in terms of school infrastructure, but the state government should also pay more attention to the welfare of teachers, through prompt payment of salaries and other allowances”. However, the principal of International School, Abere, in Ede North local government, Mr Babaremi Olusola, admitted that the educational reforms had affected his business, lamenting that “this is affecting us, I have seen parents withdrawing their children to public schools because of the free education and uniform and food.” “The way they are going about it, it’s like they don’t want us to exist, look at everything they are doing, and we should be partners in progress. We also employ people here and we are voters too. There is need for Osun State government to grant private schools tax reduction and give them ‘special grants’ to also upgrade their own facilities”

27 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Governor Ajimobi of Oyo State

PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Oyo govt/labour impasse:

Alhaji Waheed Olojede, NLC Chairman, Oyo State

When will this war end?

As the third term academic calendar of schools in Oyo State comes to end in a couple of days, TUNDE OGUNESAN speaks with stakeholders on the implications of the on-going strike action which had forced students and teachers alike to remain at home for a long time without an end in sight.

Y Friday, July 29, schools in Oyo state would have been closing for the third term session in the academic calendar, but as at today, the story is not a pleasant one. On Monday, June 6th, the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Oyo state, declared an indefinite strike action over disagreement with the state government concerning privatisation of schools in the state. The State government, in an announcement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, informed the public of government’s intention to commence the process of allowing private organisations to partly or fully take over ownership of government primary and secondary schools. In an announcement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, it requested expression of interest in the “public/private partnership and ownership of schools in its bid to develop human capital founded on quality education in the state”. According to the advert, applications should be accompanied by memoranda or expression of interest; evidence of previous experience in school administration; and evidence of financial and management capability to operate the school(s) successfully. Meanwhile, the advertorial then became the subject and beginning of unending impasse which is yet to be resolved today. Not sooner than the government made its intention known, the Nigerian Union of teachers in a statement signed by its secretary, Waheed Olojede rejected the proposal. The NUT, in its response which raised three posers: Why were the schools initially taken over by government in 1975, What then are the motives behind privatisation of public secondary schools in Oyo State and Why Public Schools should NOT be sold to Private owners, disagreed with the state government on the privatisation issue. The crisis, without mincing words, has slowed down academic activities in the state. By the time the Labour union declared the indefinite strike, the schools were in their sixth week of resumption and would have closed for the third term this week.

With this development, various stakeholders have described the situation as a setback in schools administration in the state. First, none of the students in Junior Secondary Schools in the state; private and public were able to write their final examination into Senior Secondary Schools this session. Reasons; the examination is a state examination. According to sources, aside the fact that teachers were on strike, the NLC strike had also punctured any step to conduct the examination. Second, there seems no end to the logjam as government’s order fostered on the teachers to resume few weeks ago failed to yield any positive response. In the response, signed by the secretary of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo state, Comrade Waheed Olojede, the union stated that “With reference to the situation of our schools which prompted the takeover by government in 1975, no other agency apart from the government can tackle the current problems in our schools without heaving unbearable heaps of burden on the masses. No private individual, group or missions will de-

We have eight weeks left in our 2016/17 academic session. With this, we can regard the time of strike as holiday period, teach for five weeks and conduct within the rest three weeks. The only minus could then be that we wont be going on holiday.

liver quality education free, employ qualified teachers without retrenching the long experienced ones, recruit staff without discrimination and pay its staff according to the government’s salary scale currently being earned under government service.” On curriculum, Olojede said “Most curriculum of privately-run schools are fraught with “hidden syllabus” which have tendency for political, economic and or religious aggrandizement and indoctrination, as opposed to the broad-based and liberal policy of developing patriotic, nationalistic and cultural values necessary for the survival of a united multicultural society like Nigeria. On the return of schools to former owners, Olojede added that such “amounts to privatising education, which, in principle and practice, negates the resolution of the UNESCO to which our country is a signatory. Privatisation of education means commercialisation of education and a ploy to remove education far beyond the reach of the poor masses. This in essence deviates from the universally acclaimed position on the right of every child to education without any form of hindrance which is also the position in the UBE law signed into law by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003. Thus, the State government will be doing injustice to its responsibility to the people, if it could not defend the rights of the people who it represents.” He added that “return of the schools and the resultant commercialisation of education will definitely widen the difference between the rich and the poor and precipitate class rift, social disharmony and social menace. It is about three decades since the schools were taken over by the government. The edict No. 14, of 1975, legalising the take over did not say that they were leased, contracted or temporarily taken over by government but that they have become public schools and property. Government, on behalf of the public, has since, invested quite a lot of the people’s money into expanding, improving and equipping the schools. All the schools are therefore public property and to return the schools to certain groups or individuals would amount to looting and a daylight robbery of the inno-

Nigerian Tribune

cent masses of their goods and possession. He also added some of their reasons to reject the PPP initiatives as: legal and constitutional impediments to the return of schools, return of schools to former owners amounts to government abdicating its principal responsibility of providing accessible, affordable and qualitative education to her citizenry, It is public knowledge that Oyo State Government recently introduced education development levy of one thousand naira (N1000.00) per student per term which makes three thousand naira (N3000.00) per student, per session. Some of the teachers, who pleaded anonymity in an interview with Nigerian Tribune said “the crisis is a setback in our academic calendar. We were in the sixth week when the indefinite strike commenced, and if things had gone as planned, we would have been closing for the third term this week.” Another teacher who teaches in a secondary school in the state capital added that, the implication of the on-going strike is beyond the teachers or members of the NLC only suffering. He said “maybe our people don’t know that JSS students from private schools in the state who were in the same class with their fellow students in the public schools in the same state are now a year ahead of their colleagues. The reason is that most private schools, with the consent of their parents, have registered their wards for ‘Junior NECO’, which means they could be proceeding to the first year of Senior Secondary school whenever they resume for 2017/2018 academic session. And the implication of that is that they use the result to get admission to schools, private, even other than their original school, if the parents’ wish. “But in case, the state government pays our salary and we resume early enough, what will happen is that; we have eight weeks left in our 2016/17 academic session. With this, we can regard the time of strike as holiday period, teach for five weeks and conduct within the rest three weeks. The only minus could then be that we wont be going on holiday. Some of the parents who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune appealed to both the state government and the leadership of the NLC to sheath their swords and consider the effect of this long strike on the children of the masses. Mr Adetayo Akande said “one of the reasons for the falling standard of education in Nigeria is this incessant strike in our school. Without strike, public school students have not met-up with the pace of education standard in the country, now, with the indefinite strike, I am sure not all of them will resume whenever they eventually resolve the issue.” Nigerian Tribune investigations revealed that some of these students have ended up running unnecessary errands in their neighbourhood. It was also learnt that some of the students had resulted into practising drama series, various brands of music in their area, just engage themselves. To some, whose parents are traders, the number of children hawking on the street of the state capitals while a few of them have taken to some venture that can sustain their daily urge for food. Recently, upon assumption of office, Oyo state Commissioner of Education,Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, also joined other stakeholders in the state calling on the leadership of the leadership of the NLC to call off the indefinite strike. Professor Olowofela stated this when he hosted the heads of Tertiary institutiins in the state in a meeting, advised that the strike be put off to avoid sabotaging the education of affected pupils. The Commissioner was said to have been so committed to the quick resolve of the matter since he resumed office few weeks ago. Also, the state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi had constituted a 31-man Education Reform Committee with a view to resolving the crises that greeted the policy.

28 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Ondo 2016: APC will usher new dawn in Ondo —Akinola Hakeem Gbadamosi -Akure

Governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Hon Leye Akinola has predicted a new dawn in the state economically and politically saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state. Akinola who stated this in Ala, in Akure North Local Government Area of the state while declaring his intention to contest the governorship election said that APC was prepared to take over from the PDP in the state. Akinola who is also a Governorship aspirant of the APC criticized the administration of the PDPled government in the state of failing to provide basic infrastructure for the people at the grassroots and concentrating on major cities in the state. He said his desire to contest the governorship election was borne out his desire to bring development to the state through execution of people-oriented

programmes. Akinola who frowned on the low pace of development in his community, said the resources in the state are enough to develop

the state to the satisfaction of all and sundry. He said “the APC is the only alternative for the people of Ondo State. Our people are tired of the PDP

and they are solidly behind us, because they know what the APC stands for and they have confidence in us.” He said the increasing

number of aspirants in the APC was a proof that the party is strong in the state, adding that “if the election is conducted next week, we are sure of victory.”

Osun State Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (left) and former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola at the burial of Mrs. Felicia Iyabode Oke, held at Oke-Ado Baptist Church, Oke Ado, Ibadan, at the weekend. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

Oyo LG election: Political parties question electoral commission’s quietness, lack of logistics ...Bemoan caretaker chairmen’s tenure extension By Wale Akinselure

POLITICAL parties in Oyo state have questioned the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) for its failure to dish out information about the conduct of local government elections over a month after its inauguration by state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. This is just as they bemoaned the recent decision of Governor Ajimobi to extend the tenure of caretaker committee Chairmen for three months. Spokespersons for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Accord Party (AP), Labour party (LP) in separate interviews, held that lack of information, in terms of guidelines from the OYSIEC, had remained a drawback to their parties’ preparations for the local government elections. While noting that individuals interested in vying to become Chairmen or councillors had begun politicking, they noted that their parties, as a whole, continued to wait on the OYSIEC so as not to flout electoral rules. Meanwhile, the quietness of OYSIEC about the con-

duct of local government election may not be unconnected with lack of required logistics support from the state government. It was gathered that the commission awaited the state executive’s approval of its requests for some logistics before announcements could be made and election guidelines unveiled. Some sources at the electoral commission have however maintained that the extension of tenure of Caretaker Chairmen would not affect its activities and planned programmes of action. Reacting to the developments, Director of Publicity and Strategy, APC Oyo state, Mr Olawale Sadare, said, “We had hoped that OYSIEC, having been constituted, will come up with guidelines that will set us in motion to prepare for the local government election but we have not heard from OYSIEC at all. We are anxious to have the local government election conducted.” “We were taken aback when we learnt that the tenure of the caretaker chairmen will be extended, however, our members indi-

vidually have been trying to mobilize themselves. There is no way APC will put the cart before the horse without OYSIEC giving us guidelines. We expect the OYSIEC to invite us and other political parties to a meeting where we will be briefed. After this briefing, parties will have their respective meetings that will lead to the conduct of party primaries.” Speaking, Publicity Secretary, Accord party, Dr Nureni Adeniran said, “First, the extension of the tenure of the Caretaker Committee Chairman is unwarranted and uncalled for. It goes a long way to tell us that our governor cannot be trusted again because he had vowed that there would be no extension in the tenure of LG Caretaker Chairmen anymore. And he has sought extension without any apology or explanation to the people he governs.” “Also, on the day of the inauguration of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, the governor went ahead to announce that election was to hold in three months time. In the first place, the governor does not have the constitutional capacity to announce

the date for election. “The electoral commission is the only body that has the statutory responsibility to give notice to the people or political parties for the conduct of the election. Up till now, the inaugurated OYSIEC has not said a word about the conduct of the local government election. The OYSIEC is quiet and to make matters worse, the governor requested for the extension of the tenure of caretaker committee chairmen.” Chairman of Labour Party

(LP), Mr Gbenga Olayemi said, “We have not heard anything from OYSIEC and don’t know whether the commission and state government is serious about conducting local government election. This is because we hear of the plan to extend the tenure of Caretaker Chairmen, that is if it had not been extended.” “In the first instance, the use of caretaker chairmen to run local government is an aberration; it is illegal and not supported by the constitution of the country.

Nigerian Tribune

Osun 2018: INEC begins distribution of unclaimed 350,000 PVCs Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

AGAINST the backdrop of 2018 governorship election in Osun State, authorities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state will, this week,commence the distribution of unclaimed Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs). Speaking during an exclusive chat with the Nigerian Tribune, the Administrative Secretary of INEC in Osun, Barrister Emmanuel Yemi Ademusire said despite the fact that 2018 governorship poll in the state is still far away, efforts were already underway to ensure success of the exercise. He maintained that “even though we have no election now in Osun, but by Monday, we would begin the distribution of our PVCs, starting from Monday, 25th of July, 2016 in all the 30 local government areas. The distribution would commence from 9.00am everyday to 3.00pm, wherein all those who have not collected their PVCs would come to the local government to collect it. “Similary, we would begin our voters’ registration for those who have attained the age of 18 years and those who were not around the vicinity of the registration when it was initially done. We have to ensure that everybody is given the opportunity to carry out his or her civic responsibility”. According to Ademusire, “the affected people have to come with their temporary voters’ cards and summit same to collect their PVCs. For those who have lost their temporary voters’ card, they would come with their passport photographs and fill attestation forms before they can obtain their PVCs. The owner must come for the collection and there would be room for proxy collection”.

We should teach ICT at pry school —Senator Buhari By Tunde Busari

SENATOR AbdulFatai Buhari has stressed the need to promote Information and Communication Technology from primary school level. The senator, representing Oyo North Senatorial District at the upper chamber, said catch-them-young strategy was what Nigeria needs to develop the technology. As the chairman of House committee on ICT, who has interacted with key stakeholders, home and abroad, Buhari said it is the high

time education policy makers came to term with the reality that Nigeria can no longer afford to be left behind in the race for ICT education. He added that if ICT is made a compulsory subject like Mathematics and English, for instance, students would make effort to excel, realizing that failure of the subject would be an obstacle to their advancement. “In the course of my assignment in the House, I have spoken with very important people in the technology. Their respec-

tive submissions tend to go same way. Asides the employment opportunities in the ICT, it can also be used to generate income for the development of the country. So, we will do well if we make our young students realize earlier what they sand to gain in acquiring ICT knowledge,” he said. Worried on the alleged abuse of immunity enjoyed by public office holder, Senator Buhari responded with a verdict that the immunity be removed to make politics attractive to other credible Nigerians.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

with Soji-Eze Fagbemi m:08179047919 e:sojiezek@yahoo.co.uk

CBN’s intervention in Skye Bank won’t lead to job loss —Salako, ASSBIFI President Comrade Sunday Olusoji Salako is the National President of the Association of Banks, Insurance and other Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI). In this interview with OLATUNDE DODONDAWA, he explains the impact of Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) intervention in Skye Bank Plc and the role of labour unions to protect workers’ interest in the sector.

FTER the taking over of Skye Bank Plc by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), there are reports that other banks may follow. What is the situation in the banking sector? I don’t see any real issue in the CBN’s action in Skye Bank. It is like taking a preventive measure. Maybe the CBN is of the opinion that the bank is likely to have problems if they do not act fast. That is what they have done. That is why we also tell our customers and the public that the bank is safe. What you see is a mere change in management and it is normal. If you believe that the way the people are driving the vehicle is dangerous and may likely crash it, it is better to stop them and ask another driver to take over. This is what they have done. Is it true that some other banks may be affected? I don’t see any other bank having similar problem as of today. The problem is a global effect. Due to globalisation, if one economy is sick, it may affect the others. The economy isn’t doing well and of course you know the banking sector wasn’t immuned against the performance of the economy. Once the economy becomes robust, banking activities will also become galvanised. Lots of things have happened in the last couple of months. We have the issues of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), dwindling price of crude oil in the global market and all these have impacts on the banks’ performance. If you have been exposed to the oil and gas sector and things turned out to be the way it is, definitely, it will affect their performance. But it hasn’t got to the level whereby people will be panicking or be concerned about the soundness of the banking sector. So, can we draw a line between mass sack in the banking sector and the dwindling economy? One thing is very clear in Africa, especially in Nigeria, once there is a problem in any corporate entity, the employers will resort to retrenchment. You have seen overtime that it has not been the antidote to most of these problems. In fact, if you reduce the workforce, the problem may persist because it is not the antidote. There were

years you have been recording huge profit and you have never increased workers’ salaries in same proportion. So when there is a challenge, it is expected that you share it together. It is impatience that leads to job cuts. Can you assure Nigerians that workers’ plight are protected in the banking sector? What I want us to get clear is that CBN hasn’t taken over the bank. What the CBN did, according to them, was to change the people managing the bank. Probably because they have lost touch with modern day reality or they can’t live up to the expectations. They have not taken over the bank because Skye Bank belongs

to the shareholders. As regulators, they have appointed people to manage the bank and as soon as the bank becomes stable, there could be another boardroom change and that’s what has happened. I don’t see CBN taking over any bank because CBN can only intervene to ensure good corporate governance. For instance, if you run a logistics company with several vehicles in your fleet. If a Road Safety official observed a breach or that one of your drivers drives recklessly, he may impound the vehicle, prosecute the driver and advised you change the driver. That doesn’t mean he is going to take over the vehicle. That’s what have happened in Skye Bank Plc.

Salako

NSITF calls for special fund for IDPs, donates relief materials THE Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has called on the Federal Government to establish a special fund that would provide for the needs of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The Acting Managing Director, NSITF, Mr Ismail Agaka, advocated for the establishment of the special fund when he led the leadership of the agency to donate relief materials to the Karmajiji IDP camp in a suburb of Abuja. However, Agaka who was highly disturbed at the sight of the IDPs and their helpless condition said the government must be assisted by all the segments of the society due to the bad economic situation

and dwindling resources of the country. He pointed out that in the life of every citizen, there is always a social security element, adding that at every point in life, human being requires one form of social security or other. Against this background, he advised that all the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the social protection sector must develop programmes that suit the purpose of the socially deprived Nigerians. He explained that these programmes and the activities of the government rendering social protection initiatives must, however,

be more coordinated, while spirited Nigerians should come to the aid of the internally displaced persons. “There is always a social security element to the life of every citizen because it is from cradle to grave thing. At every point in life, human beings require one form of social security or the other. I think that government needs to look at what has been budgeted in terms of direct intervention fund for displaced people. And because people need social security at some point in their life, adequate funds must be made available to make such interventions a reality that which will add meaning to the lives of the people.

Acting MD, NSITF, Mr Ismail Agaka (middle), the IDPs Women Leader, Liyatu Ayuba, (right) and one of the IDPs when the leadership of NSITF paid a visit to the IDPs camp in Abuja and donated relief materials. PHOTO: SOJI-EZE FAGBEMI.

“There are many forms of social protection initiatives and programmes spread across more than 10 government agencies. It is the responsibility of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to factor in issues such as the displaced people in their operations. While every MDA know what and how to do this, there must be a coordinating body of these various activities to ensure deliverables and targets are met in order for the people to feel the impacts of such programmes and initiatives,” Agaka said. On the donation by the NSITF, he pointed out that the donation was a part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the NSITF and not an obligation towards the IPDs. He explained that the mandate of the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) does not cover the informal sector under which most of the IDPs fall. “At the moment and the way the law that establishes employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) is structured, the NSITF cannot provide any social protection to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) because an employee has to come under the cover of an employer, but we do have a corporate social responsibility as an agency,” he said. He also decried the non-provision of toilet facilities in the camp. Speaking on behalf of the camp, the IDPs Women Leader, Liyatu Ayuba, said two newborn babies died in the camp due to the poor environmental condition of the camp.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Etisalat Prize for Innovation with Bode Adewumi announces 2016 Call m:08055001765 for entries e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

More than half world’s population still not using internet —ITU

As Nigeria plans big for ITU Telecom World 2016 Stories By Bode Adewumi THE new data released late last week by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nation’s (UN) agency for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), showed that 3.9 billion people remain cut-off from the vast resources available on the internet, despite falling prices for ICT services. ICT Facts & Figures 2016 shows that developing countries now account for the vast majority of internet users, with 2.5 billion users compared with one billion in developed countries. But internet penetration rates tell a different story, with 81 per cent in developed countries, compared with 40 per cent in developing countries and 15 per cent in the least developed countries. “Access to information and communication technologies, particularly broadband, has the potential to serve as a major accelerator of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Global interconnectedness is rapidly expanding, however more needs to be done to bridge the digital divide and bring the more than half of the global population not using the Internet into the digital economy,” said ITU Secretary-General, Mr Houlin Zhao. “2016 marks the year when the international community is embarking on the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets. ITU, given the tremendous development of ICTs, has a key role to play in facilitating their attainment,” Mr Brahima Sanou, the Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau added. “ITU statistics inform public and private-sector decision makers, and help us accomplish our mission: to make use of the full potential of ICTs for the timely achievement of the SDGs,” he stated. The new edition of ITU’s ICT Facts & Figures reveals that mobile phone coverage is now near-ubiquitous, with an estimated 95 per cent of the global population or some seven billion people, living in an area covered by a basic 2G mobile cellular network. Meanwhile, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) innovators, industry players and stakeholders are among the large number of delegates to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom World 2016. The event, which is due to hold in Bangkok, Thailand between 14 and 17 November, will provide participants the opportunity to network, showcase their innova-

tions and tap new business models in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Terrain. Participants will explore importance of collaboration in the digital economy through best ap-

proaches, business models and technologies to forge flourishing inclusive ecosystem. Nigeria has adopted a theme: ‘Smart Communities: the key to a digital Nigeria.’

This theme according to Director, Public Affairs, of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Tony Ojobo underscores the importance Nigeria attaches to the ITU Telecom World 2016.

Fromleft: ExecutiveDirector,ConnectMarketing,MrKazeemAbimbola;RepresentativeofLagosStateCommissionerforScienceandTechnologyandDirector ofComputerServices,LagosStateMinistryofScienceandTechnology,MrJideAdenugaand ManagingDirector,ConnectMarketing,MrTunjiAdeyinka,during theopeningsessionofTechplus2016conferenceandexhibitionwhichtookplaceinLagos,lastweek.PHOTO:SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

NITDA inaugurates eNigeria 2016 organising committee THE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has formally inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 9th eNigeria Conference and Expo 2016. This was contained in a statement signed by Mrs Hadiza Umar, Head, Corporate Affairs, NITDA, in Abuja, last week. According to the statement the event was supported by the Ministry of Communications. The acting Director-General of the agency, Dr Vincent Olatunji, who was represented by the deputy director of Corporate Strategy and Research, Mr Muhammad Yelwa inaugurated the committee. Olatunji said the event had gone full circle to become the clearinghouse for adopting relevant ideas and innovation for defining and accelerating national economic growth. “It is in this line that this year’s theme: ‘Leveraging on IT Innovation for Economic Diversification’ to identify with the current goals of the Nigerian government to diversify the economy. “The aim is to cope with the rapid dwindling revenues from the oil sector; and create a new vista of revenue directly through ICT or by using ICT to aid other non-oil sectors,” he said. The eNigeria 2016 is scheduled to take place between 22 and 24

November at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja. It is expected to attract players of the Nigerian innovation ecosystem and foreign stakeholders to share experiences, identify challenges and propose strategies for using ICT-enabled innovation and entrepreneurship to diversify the economy and create jobs. The statement said that one of the highlights of the eNigeria 2016 was the section on Startups and Innovation to underscore NITDA’s new work-thrust to promote Nigeria’s startup innovation ecosystem across all the country’s zones. It would also attract potential investors into the vital growth segment of the global ICT economy. “We are inviting innovation efforts from within Africa to compare with local innovation efforts and also invite global stakeholders, particularly angel investors and promoters of innovator hubs. “To be part of the 2016 eNigeria as we in NITDA firm up to promote the national agenda on economic diversification,” said Olatunji, while tasking LOC members to ensure a successful event. “eNigeria has become a flagship conference and expo and this year, the NITDA plans to have global and local players with strong startup-pull such as Uber, Facebook, Jumia, Konga and the likes to join

the league of participants at the event. “NITDA will also be leveraging on its local and international collaborations such as its partnership with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) organisers of Gitex Technology Week to thicken the quality of participation at eNigeria,” said Olatunji.

ETISALAT Nigeria has announced call for entries for the 2016 edition of the Etisalat Prize for Innovation. Launched in 2012, the Prize is designed to reward innovations that can promote mobile broadband utilisation in Nigeria and Africa at large. Like in previous editions, the 2016 edition will be awarded in two categories: Most Innovative Product/Service category and Most Innovative Idea category.The first prize of N5,000,000 will be awarded for the most innovative product or service launched in the last 12 months, with a second prize of N2,000,000 awarded for the most innovative idea.In addition to the cash prizes, both winners and the other top 10 finalists will receive training at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos. Making the announcement, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Matthew Willsher said the Etisalat Prize for Innovation is aimed at encouraging and celebrating valuable innovation in the Nigerian market. According to him, the Prize is not only a reflection of the character of Etisalat in promoting and nurturing talent, but also a further proof of the brand’s commitment to supporting innovative ideas. As the Nigerian telecoms market witnesses the increasing migration of smartphones and mobile broadband networks, the 2016 edition of the Etisalat Prize for Innovation aims to extend the conversation on the revolutionary impact of innovation and technology as it addresses social challenges the country. “Innovation is in our DNA, and as such supporting and promoting innovation is something that comes naturally to Etisalat. Since inception, our core business strategy has been based on innovation supported by three other basic elements, and this can be seen in all the products and services launched on our network” he said.

Re: Telecoms operators dare NCC, still send unsolicited messages, calls to subscribers YOUR brilliant writeup (Nigerian Tribune, 12 July, 2016) on the penchant of mobile telecommunication operators to bombard subscribers with endless, annoying messages and voice messages is apt. One really wonders why our own NCC had become powerless in view of the long suffering of Nigerian subscribers in the hands of companies that promise to provide services but are more interested in sending annoying messages at unholy hours. You cannot believe that I got a message that woke me up at 02:30 hours one particular night. I stayed up for two hours before I could sleep again. Recently, I read in the papers that with effect from June 1, 2016, the operators will pay fine for sending crazy messages to subscribers unless they allow users request ‘Do

Not Disturb.’ We thought we were winning until I sent the message to their short code: 2442. That was the beginning of my troubles. Although acknowledged, another message instructed me to log on to https://donot disturb.mtnonline. com:8081/vasportal. Password was sent to be used to log in. It was all a huge ruse. Not only do the unsolicited messages and calls come in deluge, but N50 was deducted from my balance for subscription to MTNPlay’s for subscribing to Sahara Reporters. As I was about to send this, MTN deducted another N50 for subscribing to Sahara Reporters. I just yanked the SIM card from my phone. All the companies had turned Nigeria into a country for making easy money due to the lackadaisical attitude of our monitoring organ. Tunde Bamkefa, Ondo State

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

with Chukwuma Okparaocha

m:08038984495 e: chukscop2005@gmail.com

Ogun govt warns residents against erecting structures in forests reserves THE Ogun State Government has cautioned farmers and other people residing in its forest reserves across the state to desist from erecting any permanent structure in them, in compliance with the state’s forestry law. The State Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal gave the warning while addressing Baales (local chiefs) and representatives of farmers, residing within the forest reserves, in Abeokuta. Lawal said the government was not mindful of the fact that it had legitimately allocated parcels of land to farmers for agro-forestry purposes in the reserves but was averse to the erection of a permanent structure by any one that

Model of a semi-detarched house

Wiser Estates calls for review of ‘inimical’ land allocation policy StoriesbyChukwumaOkparaochaLagos

housing expert says it has become imperative for the government to reappraise and evaluate its land allocation policy in order to enhance effective land administration and usage in the country. The call according to the expert is mainly aimed at assisting estate developers to discharge their roles and responsibilities in providing affordable housing for Nigerians effectively. The Managing Director of WISER Estates, Mr Nasir Suleimani, made this assertion recently, while also urging the government to stop allocating to individuals as this makes the cost of land unduly highly exorbitant beyond the reach of Nigerians. According to him “the government should obtain a database of competent estate developers and get them registered with government. The government should dialogue with them and allocate land to them. The government through this can dictate the cost of the houses to make them affordable. It is the real estate developers that cater for provision of infrastructure facilities and this makes the price exorbitant for the masses.” He further attributed the inability of Nigerians to have access to affordable housing to the government’s involvement in allocating land to individuals who he said had now become third parties. “Government should stop giving land to individuals. There should be a strong focus on engendering mass housing and estate development which should be handled by professional estate developers,” he said. According to him, real estate developers have now been saddled

with the added responsibility of making their estates habitable through the provision of infrastructural facilities, thus making lands and houses built by them to be very expensive. Waziri further stated that statistics had shown that there were 17 million housing deficit in Nigeria, but he noted that the major problem was that of land acquisition and access to mortgage facility. He also lamented that often, real estate developers found it very difficult getting land, simply as a result of government’s policy on land allocation which he said had continued to create problems for developers. “The land developed on by real estate experts are acquired through third parties. They hoard the land and the cost increases and the masses cannot afford the land. Banks request collateral

from the people and there is no way the people can afford it,” he remarked. He therefore stated that however, it was as a result of government’s bad land policies that made WISER Estate, as a group of competent professionals, determined to provide quality housing for Nigerians by embarking on several initiatives to support the dreams of Nigerians who desired to own their own homes. He said the company was doing this by providing Nigerians access to mortgage loans through little interest rates from banks. The loans he said were spread over the construction period and flexible in payment. He asserted that through this, the company had supported many Nigerian to own their own homes. Waziri further counselled that real estate developers should put

on “human face” and not take undue advantage of people. “Real estate operators should know that low income earners need houses, and should therefore look for ways to improvise affordable and accessible to the low income earners segment in the country,” he said. “Real estate developers should seek to develop low cost housing estates to alleviate the sufferings of low income earners and help the masses to own the house by lowering the profit margin. “There should be access to proper mortgage financing by the low income earners. The real estate operators can facilitate this to help the people through instalment payment over the construction period. The owners will then not pay any interest and this is a way to help people own a house,” he stated.

Expert wants integration of capital market into housing sector THE National Director of Millard Fuller Foundation (MFF), Mr Sam Odia, has dislosed that the nation’s capital market should be integrated in the planning of the housing sector if the true stakeholders are keen on developing and delivering the required number of houses needed in Nigeria. Odia made this disclosure on the sidelines during the 10th Anniversary of the foundation, on the sideline of the 10th Abuja Housing Show, organised by FESADEB Communications with the theme,” Expanding Access To Affordable Housing in Nigeria.” According to him, taking this step would provide the housing sector with the requisite financial m uscle which would be used by

housing developers, real estate investors and other stakeholders in the housing sector to help build many units of houses of diverse categories for the teeming populace. Odia’s view came moments when the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) unveiled plans to collaborate with Millard Fuller Foundation (MFF) to provide affordable housing to low income earners in the country. While commending foundation for its intervention which he said had drawn significant technical support to Nigerian housing sector, the apex mortgage bank’s Acting Managing Director of FMBN, Mr Richard Esin promised that the bank would key into MFF’s mass housing model.

According to him, MFF has demonstrated that “it is possible and profitable to provide affordable housing to low income earners and by partnering with them, we can further explore possibilities to further reduce cost of housing to N1 million and below.” Esin assured that FMBN was willing to work with MFF and other key players in the sector to address the huge housing challenges in Nigeria. Also speaking, the Chairman of Millard Fuller Foundation, Pastor Solomon Yero said the organisation was striving to make definite contribution by ensuring that every Nigerian had access to affordable housing with its latest housing estates.

could be inimical to forestry activities. The commissioner noted that some farmers were fond of destroying economic trees, to tend cash crops, that the farmers had planted illegally, adding that it would not tolerate any form of encroachment in any of its reserves as any enclave, not authorised by the government, would be demolished. According to him, ‘’Ogun State government will not tolerate erection of permanent structures in the state forest reserves as it is against the law of forestry in the state, any permanent structure found in the reserves will be destroyed.” Chief Lawal enjoined Baales in the reserves to bring their instruments of appointments to the m inistry for confirmation of any illegal allocation of lands by unconstituted authority.

Nigeria’s high inflation may slow homes sales —Report High inflation rate in the country may slow down homes sales in the country to further compound the tales of woes housing investors and real estate business owners have been lamenting about in the past months, a report by Ventures Africa has stated. It will be recalled that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently released its 2016 June Consumer Price Index (CPI), revealing that Nigeria’s inflation rate had risen to 16.5 per cent. From all available data, this is the highest Nigeria’s inflation has ever been in over a decade, and is the fifth consecutive quarterly rise in the rate of inflation across the country. But according to the report, which quoted the NBS as attributing the increase in inflation to increase in the prices of electricity, kerosene, fuel, transport and imported food items, identified the housing sector as one of the sectors of the nation’s economy that would be sore affected by this worrisome trend. “The growing rate of inflation in Nigeria has dire consequences which will affect Nigerians negatively if the government fails to act soon,” the report said. “Just as interest rates increase due to inflation, the cost of home loans will also go up and this will affect the real estate market, leading to a slowdown in sales. Prices in the housing market will crash but the majority will still not be able to take advantage of this because of the increased cost of living,” it further added.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

34 news Kadpoly students protest Gbagyi Villa land encroachment Say 10,000 students rendered homeless

Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

UNDREDS of students of the Kaduna Polytechnic (KADPOLY) held a protest condemning the building of illegal structures on their school land. Addressing the Nigerian Tribune in Kaduna on Monday, the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Comrade Usman Kareem, said the action of the trespassers had rendered over 10,000 homeless. Kareem said: “Hundreds of hostels would have been built if the Gbagyi trespassers did not illegally take over the polytechnic land.” He called on Nigerians and Kaduna indigenes to support Governor Nasir elRufai’s efforts in his ongoing land recovery exercise in other public places and for the polytechnic. The students also asked the Kaduna State government to commence thorough investigation into the activities of those that masterminded the sharing of the polytechnic’s land,

and bring them to justice to serve as deterrent to others. According to Kareem: “The encroachers took over our polytechnic’s premises without sympathy. We believe their children too are here in KADPOLY. “We wish to also use this medium to warn all those introducing ethnicity and religious sentiments into the issue, in order to deceive the general public, to desist and embrace truth. “We are not speaking on CHANGE OF NAME /AGE DECLARATION

I, formerly Okominor Fidelis now OKOMINOR ONOME. My birth date was March 30, 1991. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

behalf of the government but Governor Nasir elRufai started school land recovery from his home domain, Zaria. “We commend the governor and urge him not to be deterred by individuals whipping up sentiments on the issue.”

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly Bamgbose Tunde Kazeem now RAMONI KAZEEM AYODELE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. and I, formerly Bamgbose Anna Zainab now RAMONI ZAINAB AKOREDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

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Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Court sentences housewife to death for killing husband Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

housewife is to die by hanging for stabbing her pastorhusband to death with a kitchen knife and setting him on fire. The 28-year-old housewife, Mrs Mary Attah, was sentenced to death by hanging by an Effurun High Court, Effurun, Delta State. She was found guilty of stabbing her husband, Pastor Darkington Attah, with a kitchen knife and dousing him with petrol before striking a match on him on July 6, 2012. Mrs Attah, who has four children for her husband, according to Mr Patrick Mekako, stabbed him on his neck and set fire on him after an alleged phone call from a mistress of her husband. He said the accused was incensed by the sudden telephone call from the mistress ostentatiously at a time she was having sexual pleasure with her hubby. This, Mekako said, prompted the accused to obsessively hasten to the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, further armed herself with ground pepper, splashed it on her husband’s face to immobilise him and eventually slashed his neck. Undone, the assailant doused the dying husband, who was already weak as a result of excessive loss of blood, with fuel and struck a match on him! The victim, as narrated, later gave up the ghost at the Warri Central Hospital where he was rushed to for medical emergency. Meanwhile, the Presiding Judge of the Effurun High Court, Justice E.I Oritsejafor, condemned the accused to death, having been pronounced guilty on a one-count charge preffered against her by the Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. The offence, the Justice said, was punishable under

Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21, Volume 1, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006. While delivering the death verdict, Justice Oritsejafor held that the prosecution, led by Mr. Mekako, was able to prove beyond all reasonable doubts the offence of murder against the

accused. Oritsejafor held that: “I must also add that the evidence before this Court do not and cannot support the plea of self- defence in favour of the accused person. “I agree with the learned Assistant Director for the Prosecution that there is just no possible defence to

quences of his act.” “Accused person is accordingly, hereby, convicted of the offence of murder. “The sentence of this Court upon you, Mary Attah, is death by hanging by the neck till you be dead and may the Lord have mercy on your soul,” the Justice declared.

Sympathisers watching a car being washed away by flood from an autoshop, at Police ‘B’ Division Junction , Suleja, Niger State, on Monday morning. PHOTO: NAN

NDDC board: Ilaje monarchs demand MD position TRADITIONAL rulers from the oil producing parts of Ondo State have rejected the appointment of Mr Tokunbo Ajasin as the representative of the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) just as they claim that it is the turn of the state to produce the commission’s managing director. The monarchs, who stated their position in a statement issued on sunday, by the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Odidiomo Afolabi Oladimeji, the Alagbo of Odo- Nla, Oba Elias Ikuomola and the Olubo of Obe-Nla, Oba Andrew Ikuesan, said the appointment of Ajasin into

the board of the commission, was a violation of the NDDC Act because he is not from the oil producing part of the state. “We want to say that our people in an emergency meeting rejected vehemently the choice of Mr Ola-

ity movement devoted to good governance and better Nigeria that Nigerias can be proud of. Oritoke therefore called on politicians to be closer to their people by bringing succour in terms of dividends of democracy to the people who sacrificed their mandate for them to be in such positions. He also admonished government to take serious step towards putting an end to such menace, adding that government should see to the welfare of the citizenry, in order to make life meaningful for them.

tokunbo Ayotunde Ajasin,” the monarchs said, adding that it is the turn of their communities to produce the next managing director of the NDDC. “The law establishing the NDDC talked about oil producing areas and clearly

states that the appointment of the board members shall be made from the oil producing areas and not from the state,” the Obas stated. They added that Ajasin hailed from Owo which is not an oil producing community.

Resettle Bakassi people, Ita Giwa tells Buhari FORMER Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita Giwa, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, resettle her people. He said failure to do this on time, the people may resort to protesting naked and crying out to God.

Be the change you want from your nation, be prayerful, group urges Nigerians NIGERIANS have been urged to be the change they are expecting their nation to be, by being patient, loyal and patriotic to their fatherland. The national president of Abubakar Bukola Saraki Solidarity Group of Nigeria, Bashorun Oritoke Rahman, made the submission in his address at the first anniversary of the group, held in Ibadan, on Sunday, July 24, 2016. Bashorun Oritoke stressed that the group is not a political party, neither is it a mouthpiece of any political individual or group. He said it is a solidar-

avail the accused person when she stabbed her deceased husband in the neck with a knife and thereafter doused him with fuel before she struck the match on him was to kill the deceased or do him grievous bodily harm. The law is trite that a man intends the natural conse-

In his remark, the Oyo State coordinator of the group, Honourable Kola Adeoye, advised government at all levels to diversify the economy of their respective states, and be less dependent on federal allocation from oil revenue, which he said, had drastically gone down. It also commended the leadership style of the Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, particularly the manner he is piloting the affairs of the Senate, irrespective of various issues and interests that characterise the House and the nation at large.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, she argued that her people were not cowards and that their silence should not be mistaken for weakness, noting that she had been so busy pacifying them not to take laws into their hands because, to her,President Muhammadu Buhari is a man of the people. Ita Giwa noted that it was Bakassi land that was ceded and not the people, adding that they made a choice to remain Nigerians but regretted that 11 years after, over 4,000 refugees were still wallowing in poverty and suffering because the Federal Government had failed to properly resettle them in their choice location where they registered and voted for their choice candidates during the previous elections. She added that Bakassi people and the entire people of Cross River State were suffering since the loss of their oil wells and other benefits. “I am using this medium again to protest the insensitivity of the Federal Govern-

ment to our collective plight as Bakassi people. “As far as I know, Bakassi Local Government Area is still in Cross River and it’s constitutionally catered for like every other council areas, but sadly, we have been neglected. “Even the host community has suffered a lot of inconveniences and they are not being encouraged in any way with social facilities. “The Buhari-led administration is busy rebuilding the North-East, but feel so unconcerned about the Bakassi people, in spite of the fact that our situation existed before Boko Haram. “Did we commit a crime by chosing to remain in our fatherland? Why rebuild North-East and abandon Bakassi? My people are refugees and they should be rehabilitated,” she said. Ita Giwa added that the Cross River State government alone could not meet their needs, adding that if the Buhari-led administration refused to come to their rescue, they may be forced to protest naked and cry out to God.

Kano govt to ensure free, fair bye-election Saturday Kola Oyelere - Kano KANO State Commissioner for Information, Comrade Malam Muhammad Garba, has said the state government is committed to ensuring free, fair and peaceful election during next Saturday’s rescheduled State House of Assembly election in Minjibir Constituency. According to him, “the state is collaborating with all security agencies in the state to ensure fair, free, peaceful and successful elections in all the 158 polling units across the constituency This was contained in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Monday. “This is in fulfillment of one of the cardinal objectives of any government in protecting lives and property of the citizenry, ensuring the exercise of their civic responsibility and fundamental rights to freely choose their leaders, as well as promotion of democratic principles in the state. “The electorate in the constituency, are therefore urged to come out en masse to exercise their civic responsibility, be law-abiding and conduct themselves in an orderly and peaceful manner during the elections.”

Joyce Banda delivers 2016 Murtala Muhammed Foundation lecture THE Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) has announced that this year’s edition of the annual Women’s Power Lunch will, on Thursday, have as the guest speaker, Dr Joyce Hilda Banda, former President of the Republic of Malawi. According to the Chief Executive Officer of the body, Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, the foremost entrepreneur, activist, politician, and philanthropist is the founder and leader of the Peoples Party in Malawi, and was the SouthEastern African country’s first female president and Africa’s second. In 2013, Dr Banda was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine, and in December 2014, Forbes named her the most powerful woman in Africa and the 40th most powerful woman in the world, while in the same year CNN named her as the most inspirational woman in politics in the world.

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Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

12 killed in renewed Tiv/Fulani crisis in Benue Johnson Babajide, Makurdi

VER 12 people were said to have been killed in a renewed crisis between Fulani and Tiv farmers at the council area of the immediate past governor of the state, Dr Gabriel Suswam, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State. The crisis came after three weeks of peace meeting conveyed by the elder brother of the immediate past governor, Chief Terkula Suswam, between the Tiv people led by the traditional rulers of Logo and Ukum council areas, with Fulani herdsmen and their leaders at Anyiin, in Logo Government Area. The peace meeting was held as a result of constant Fulani attacks in the areas within the last two months resulting to the death of about 30 people while several people were displaced. Source told the Nigerian Tribune that the invaders, at 7.30am on Monday, invaded Adayohor Village along Uwer-Gov to Sevan Road in Gaambe-Tiev in the council area, where the vic-

Protest rocks FCT administration over salary arrears From Christian Okeke - Abuja

Cleaners undertaking cleaning of the office complex of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other agencies and departments within the administration, on Monday, staged a protest over nonpayment of salary arrears owed them by the administration. They arrived the main building housing the minister’s office in large numbers to demand for payments and berated the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello and the Permanent Secretary, Dr Babatope Ajakaiye, for delaying the salaries. The Nigerian Tribune observed that the cleaners, in protest, dropped refuse in some offices to press home their demands, threatening that they would not return to their various duty posts until the administration pays the outstanding salaries. It was gathered from one of the protesters that the FCT administration was owing them three months. The protest, which was the fifth by the cleaners since the inception of the current FCT administration, attracted sympathy and solidarity from some staff of the administration ,who expressed sadness with the way the administration was being run and starved of funds.

tims were killed whilemany people were injured. Two people, who were shot in the stomach and injured on the head and neck respectively ,were from Sontyo settlement in the area and their corpses were recovered.

Another seven corpses were said to have been recovered separately at Adayohor Village within the settlement on their farms around 8.30am with the village deserted. Confirming the report to the Nigerian Tribune,

the lawmaker representing the area, in the state House of Assembly, Honourable Kester Kyange, said that ‘it is true that Fulani terrorists invaded some villages in my constituency this morning (Monday) , as well as attacked and killed

my people’. The state Police Public Relations Officer(, PPRO),, ASP Moses Yamu, when contacted, said that the command was still making efforts to verify the report from the Divisional Police Station in the council area.

From left, Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Honourable (Dr) Justin Okonoboh and the deputy speaker, Honourable Elizabeth Ativie, during a visit to introduce the new leadership of the Assembly to the governor, on Monday.

Edo Assembly speaker resigns, swaps position with deputy Banji Aluko, Benin City

The speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Honourable (Mrs) Elizabeth Ativie, has resigned her position while her deputy, Honourable Justin Okonoboh, has been elected new speaker of the assembly. Ativie, however, emerged deputy speaker of the assembly in a move many

see as political ahead of the governorship election in the state next month. The motion for change of leadership in the assembly was moved by the Majority Leader, Folly Ogedegbe, while Honourable Chris Okaeben, seconded it. Honourable Ativie, in her remarks, said that she was stepping down as a speaker for the good of the state and

that such sacrifice was not too much for her to pay. Honourable Okonoboh, thereafter, was sworn-in as speaker and Honourable Ativie as deputy speaker, after 18 lawmakers gave their support to the change of guard in the assemby. The new speaker promised to run an all-inclusive government that will not leave anybody out.

Anxiety as tribunal delivers judgment on Bayelsa guber today Sunday Ejike and Austin Ebipade

The Bayelsa State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, will, today deliver judgment in the petition brought before it by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, challenging the election of Honourable Seriake Dickson, as the state governor in the December 5, 2015 and January 9, 2016 governorship election in the state. The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kazeem Alogba, fixed judgment in the petition for today following the adoption of written addresses by parties in the matter. Sylva and his party, in their petition prayed the tribunal to cancel the election of Dickson as governor of the state on the ground of irregularities and violations of Electoral Act. The tribunal, in the course

of hearing of the petition, granted Sylva the permission to inspect the materials used for the election, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared Dickson, as the winner. The materials inspected are the ballot papers used for the two elections, police security report, video and audio reports, appointed observers’ reports, duplicate copy of the certificate of return issued to Governor Dickson, among others. The petition by the Action Alliance (AA) party seeking the cancellation of the election of governor Dickson on the ground of unlawful exclusion was withdrawn, following the submissions of the national legal adviser of the party, Mr Anaukyaa Nenge Peter, dis-associating the party from the petition and demanded its withdrawal. His ground was that the

national leadership of the party, through his office did not authorise the filing of the petition and that the petitioners had no mandate of the party to use the name of the party to file the petition. Governor Dickson had objected to the application and the issue went as far as to the Supreme Court, which dismissed his objection. The apex court agreed with Sylva’s counsel, Sebastine Hon, that Dickson’s objection against the playing of the video by the tribunal was misplaced, unwarranted, baseless, lacking in merit. Meanwhile, anxiety has pervaded the state as the news filtered in that the tribunal sitting in Abuja will deliver judgement today on the governorship election between Dickson and Sylva. It will be recalled that both Dickson and Sylva, have accused each other of rigging the election, that was characterised with irregularities.

The resignation of Ativie, who represents Uhumwonode constituency in the Edo South (Benin) district, is seen as part of a move by the All Progressives Congress (APC), to redistribute the sharing of political offices among the three senatorial zones in the state. The emergence of Ativie in May, following the removal of Victor Edoror (Esan central), had left the Edo Central senatorial district with no representative among the top three political offices in the state, a situation the state governor and the ruling party, have been battling to correct. It was gathered that what played out on the floor of the assembly on Monday, was finalised last week, after Ativie finally agreed to resign her position so that a lawmaker from the Edo Central zone would emerge the new speaker so as to pacify the people of the area ahead of the September 10 governorship election. The lot fell on Okonoboh to emerge the new speaker following moves by Governor Adams Oshiomhole to bring back the impeached speaker, Victor Edoror, who is the only two-time APC lawmaker in the assembly, was resisted by his lawmakers. The APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have three lawmakers each among the six lawmakers representing the Edo Central district in the assembly.

NBTE rates OYSCATECH high in revalidation exercise

The executive secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Kaduna, Dr Musa’udu Adamu Kazaure, has rated the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, high in the just concluded revalidation and carrying capacity visitation to the college, held recently The executive secretary, who spoke through his representative during the NBTE visitation to the college, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, described the performance of the college as impressive. He said that the college, through its programmes, activities, collaborations and community- oriented programmes, have justified the reason for its establishment while other members of the team also described the institution as a growing polytechnic with rapid development. Receiving the NBTE team at the plenary session for the revalidation and carrying capacity verification visitation to the college, the rector of the institution, Professor Gbemiga Adewale, said that the revalidation of the institution which will pave way for the full migration of the college from monotechnic to polytechnic became necessary considering the need to increase enrolment opportunities of candidates seeking admission into the college The rector, who commended Governor Abiola Ajimobi, for his unflinching support, said that, the prompt release of funds for the execution of major capital projects within the college, made it possible for the college to record the identified successes by NBTE.

FRSC creates data bank for road traffic accident —Report

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said the need to have a unified road accident data in the country informed the creation of the “National Crash Report Information System (NACRIS)”. According to the corps 2015 annual report, the NACRIS, is a committee responsible for the collation and harmonisation of road traffic accident data from all agencies generating data on accident. The report said the FRSC and Ministry of Health, serve as secretariat of the NACRIS due to the fact that accident “is a health burden”. It said other members of the committee are: Police, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), World Health Oganisation (WHO), among others.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

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08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

US Democratic Convention opens amid leaked email controversy

nited States Democrats open their national convention (DNC) Monday, set to affirm former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the party’s 2016 presidential nominee, but embroiled in controversy over leaked emails that show how Democratic party leaders sought to ease her path to the nomination by mocking her challenger, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, head of the Democratic National Committee, was pushed out of the post Sunday in the aftermath of the WikiLeaks disclosure of nearly 20,000 emails. She was jeered Monday by Sanders’ supporters as she spoke to a group of delegates from her home state of Florida, where

she is a congresswoman, but did not talk about the emails. VOA stated that Wasserman Schultz told the gathering she had gladly accepted Clinton’s offer to be a campaign surrogate for her in the coming months, after leaving as party chief at the end of the four-day convention. Sanders, a democratic socialist who waged a tough

Turkish President Recep Erdogan

Clinton in her quest to become the country’s first female president. Sanders now has endorsed Clinton and is set to deliver a key address for her as the convention convenes Monday in the eastern

2 dead, 17 injured in Florida nightclub shooting A 14-year-old boy and a rising high school basketball star have been murdered and at least 17 more have been wounded in a mass shooting outside a Florida nightclub. The gunman opened fire in the parking lot hitting children as young as 12 outside Club Blu Bar and Grill, in Fort Myer during a teen disco night shortly after

Turkey coup attempt: Arrest warrants issued for 42 journalists Turkey’s authorities have issued detention warrants for 42 journalists, local media say, as part of an inquiry into the failed coup on 15 July. Prominent commentator Nazli Ilicak is said to be on the list. Ankara has not publicly commented on the claim. The authorities have already detained or placed under investigation thousands of soldiers, judges and civil servants. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to purge state bodies of the “virus” he says caused the revolt. So far, five journalists

months-long campaign against Clinton before she claimed the nomination, said he was outraged by the email disclosures that disparaged him, but said they justified his long claims that party officials favoured

12:30am. The two people who were killed are 18-year-old Stef’an Strawder, who attended the party, and 14-year-old Sean Archilles, who was standing on a street corner near the club when the gunman started shooting. Sean’s father, Jean Robert Archilles was photographed outside the nightclub on Monday morning while he was being told by a Fort Myers victims advocate that his son had been killed.

Mr Archilles was leaning forward and had his head resting on his arm, and appeared to be holding back tears as he learnt the news. “I don’t know what a 14-year-old can do to someone,” he told News Press, before adding that some of Sean’s friends were also shot. Emma Decimus, Sean’s aunt, said witnesses told her that her 14-year-old nephew was one of those who had been murdered.

have been detained for questioning, Turkish news agencies report. The closure of several media outlets was ordered in the days following the attempted coup, but this is the first time that individual journalists have been identified, BBC in Istanbul reported.

A firefighter bleaches blood stains. PHOTO: AP

Verizon buys Yahoo for $4.8bn

The deal will leave Yahoo as a separate investment company that will change its name after the transaction. PHOTO: REUTERS

Yahoo has agreed to sell its core assets to telecom giant Verizon for $4.8bn, ending a 20-year run by the internet pioneer as an independent company. Verizon chief executive Lowell McAdam announced on Monday that Yahoo

would be integrated into its recently acquired AOL unit to create “a top global mobile media company, and help to accelerate our revenue stream in digital advertising”. The acquisition, expected to close in early 2017, will exclude Yahoo’s cash,

certain patent holdings, and its big share in China’s Alibaba Group and stake in Yahoo Japan. Al Jazeera revealed that the deal will leave Yahoo as a separate investment company that will change its name after the transaction. “Yahoo is a company that has changed the world, and will continue to do so through this combination with Verizon and AOL,” Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, said in a statement.

city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. First lady Michelle Obama and a progressive Democratic favourite, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren,

are to also make the case for Clinton in her race against Republican Donald Trump, the billionaire real estate mogul who claimed his party’s nomination last week. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said Monday it is probing what it described as a “cyber intrusion” at the Democratic headquarters that resulted in the WikiLeaks disclosures, to “hold accountable those who pose a threat.” Democratic officials say the emails were hacked from their official computers by “Russian state actors,” a claim some U.S. computer experts say was possible, but a contention mocked by Trump. Trump has commented about the Russian leader, saying Putin exhibits more strength as a world leader than U.S. President Barack Obama.

other NEWS Chinese General sentenced to life jail for corruption

The defence ministry described Guo Boxiong as a “greedy degenerate”. PHOTO: REUTERS

A retired high-ranking military officer in China has been sentenced to life in jail by a military court for corruption, state media report. Guo Boxiong, 74, was accused of using his influence to seek promotions for others

and of accepting bribes. He was stripped of his rank of general and his personal assets have been seized, Xinhua news agency reported. President Xi Jinping has led a major anticorruption campaign since taking office nearly four years ago. Hundreds of thousands of officials have been disciplined as part of the drive. BBC stated that from 2002 until 2012, Guo served as vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, which is in charge of the People’s Liberation Army - the world’s biggest armed forces.

Iraq bomb blast kills 11 Iraqi officials say a suicide car bomber attacked a checkpoint north of Baghdad, killing at least 11 people. Authorities say 35 people were wounded in the blast Monday in town of Khalis.

Reuters reports most of the victims died inside their cars while waiting to enter the town. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Islamic State frequently carries out suicide bombings in Iraq.

Iraqis gather at the scene of a bomb in Kadhimiyah district, Baghdad, Iraq, July 24, 2016. PHOTO: AP

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016 Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

One of the banned swimmers, Efimova.

7 Russian swimmers banned from Rio Olympics S Ahead Rio 2016: Siasia even Russian swimmers have been banned from competing at the Rio Olympic Games by swimming’s governing body Fina. Those deemed ineligible for Rio include Yulia Efimova, a 200m bronze medallist in London, who had a provisional ban lifted by Fina last week. It said the McLaren Report has showed anti-doping rules were “not properly applied” by Russian authorities. Fina will also now re-test all the

samples of Russian athletes collected at last year’s World Championships. As well as Efimova, Mikhail Dovgalyuk, Natalia Lovtcova and Anastasia Krapivina were withdrawn by the Russian Olympic Committee. Nikita Lobintsev, Vladimir Morozov and 17-year-old Daria Ustinova appeared in the World AntiDoping Agency-commissioned investigation. That report by Dr Richard McLaren claims Russia operated a state-

sponsored doping programme for four years across the “vast majority” of summer and winter Olympic sports. Following the findings, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would leave it up to individual sports’ governing bodies to decide if competitors are clean and should be allowed to take part. Fina said it “acknowledges and supports” the IOC’s position. It will also consider any further information from McLaren’s ongoing investigation, it added.

Infantino insists on 40 teams for 2026 World Cup President of FIFA, Gianno Infantino has maintained that 40 teams will feature at the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2026. In May this year, the Swiss had indicated desire to add eight new teams to the tournament, a proposal that will be discussed possibly in October. Infantino on Monday, maintained his stance in a media chat following an U-13 exhibition match between FCT and Enugu at the National Stadium, Abuja in climax of his two-day visit to Nigeria. The 46-year-old administrator assured Africa that will get no fewer than two of the eight fresh

slots in the proposed expanded World Cup event. “In regards to the expansion of the World Cup and number of slots for African countries and those other countries around the World,” Infantino told media. “I believe for the World Cup 2026, because World Cup 2018 and 2022 are already decided, there should be 40 teams. “And out of the eight more there should be at least two slots for African teams. “This is what i declared during my campaign and as you know I’m not a dictator but a democratically elected FIFA president, so I have to speak to everyone

and listen to everyone as well.” He reiterated vow to fulfil all his campaign promises, especially investing more in football development. “The first was the reforms and they have been implemented. The second is for us to should invest more for football development.’’

masters, Sunday Ikokide and Femi Nwoke, the students are set to compete in events like march past, daddy’s shoes, short distant races. Meanwhile, the school’s head mistress, Funmilade Olaleke

Nigeria’s U-23 team coach, Samson Siasia has been robbed in Atlanta, United States of America (USA), where the Dream Team has been training ahead of next month’s Olympic Games. “It is true that my car was burgled but I have taken the necessary steps on the item stolen in the car. “We are focused and preparing hard for the Olympics that is what I can tell you for now,” Siasia said. The car Siasia has been using to run around for the team was broken into at the team’s hotel’s car park and his credit cards, two phones, the phone of his personal assistant Abu and

some money were taken away. The reigning AFCON U-23 champions are due to play a final warm-up game against Honduras Olympic team today before they depart for Brazil on Friday for Rio 2016.

Siasia.

... Canoeist, Akinyemi stranded in Germany Nigeria canoe slalom athlete, Johny Akinyemi, will miss his first official training which started on Monday, ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is stranded in Frankfurt airport in Germany and has no clue

Inter-house sports competition holds today The 2016 edition of inter-house sport competition of Ini Oluwa Group of Schools, Adeyemo Layout Molete Ibadan, holds today at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan. According to the school’s games

robbed in US

explained that the school chairman, Rev Peter Folorunsho Owa and his wife and proprietress, Mrs Christanah Owa have made available prizes to motivate all category of winners and make the competition memorable.

when he will get to Rio as of the time of this report. Akinyemi made his ordeal known in a telephone chat with the BBC. “At the moment I’m stuck in Frankfurt airport,” Akinyemi said. “We flew from Manchester to Frankfurt and we had a connecting flight off to Rio because official training at the Olympics starts today for the canoe. “But the Manchester flight was delayed and we missed the connecting flight which now kind of leaves us stranded, basically all the

flights to Rio. We are just waiting and hoping that in the next few days everything will be resolved. “Officially training starts today and I’ve already lost today’s training. It’s not a good situation, getting stuck in Frankfurt, waiting to get to Rio. “Water time is very crucial. You spend so many hours studying the river. It’s a kind of sport that is very crucial. I’m a kind of a control freak. And if anything in your control goes wrong, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. You are kind of on the back foot,” he added.

SIDELINES

no 16,553

Tuesday, 26 JUly, 2016

n150

One Mayegun Alani, 60, has been arrested in Sango, Ogun State, for defiling a six-year-old daughter of one of his tenants. Mayegun is 10 times the little girl’s age yet he violated her. Those who refuse to allow age to confer on them wisdom will surely spend the rest of their wretched years learning behind the bars.

Saraki counsels Nigerian football administrators

Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, takes a kick-off before an exhibition match in his honour between Abuja U-13 and Enugu U-13 sides, at the National Stadium, Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: Nan.

Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Monday, appealed to the warring factions in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to sheathe their swords in the interest of football development in the country. Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, made the call, when the President of NFF, Mr Amaju Pinnick led the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, and Secretary General, Ms Fatma Samoura on a visit to the National Assembly in Abuja. Saraki urged the NFF executives to explore the international recognition accorded

Nigeria committed to accountability in football development —Buhari Leon Usigbe - Abuja

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the commitment of his administration to accountability, transparency in foot-

ball and its speedy development in the country. Receiving FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, and the Secretary-General, Fatma Samuora at the presidential villa, Abuja on Monday, he challenged football ad-

ministrators to fashion out strategic programmes to develop the game. Congratulating the duo on their election, particularly Samuora, the first African and female to be elected FIFA Secretary-General,

Nigerians live football —Infantino Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja PRESIDENT of FIFA, Gianni Infantino has described the passion Nigerians have for football as amazing, saying they live football as well. He made the submission while speaking on Monday, during his visit to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, at the Senate President’s Conference Room, National Assembly, Abuja, as part of his two-day official visit to Nigeria. Infantino stated that he was fascinated by kid-footballers showing their talents on the roadside. “Nigeria is a great country in a great continent. I was impressed coming from the airport on Sunday and seeing so many kids playing football on both sides of the road. That shows Nigerians not only love football, they live football,” he said. The Swiss football administrator, noted that the emer-

gence of a woman secretary for FIFA for the first time, gave him joy as it also ensures gender balance. “There is great passion and great tradition, but there is need for unity and stability. I was elected on pledges of reforms, transparency and to develop the game. I am happy that Ms Samoura accepted to be Secretary General and the Executive Council endorsed her, because her choice said something for inclusion, gender equality, diversity and the future that we promise,” Infantino said. In his remarks, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Pinnick reiterated that the visit, the first time that both the FIFA President and Secretary General would travel together on a non-football competition assignment, underscored the reckoning that Nigerian football commands globally. He acknowledged the role of the National Assembly in re-

defining Nigerian football development, saying that peace is key to true growth. He also recalled that months ago, the first football match was played in Maiduguri after a long time.

President Buhari welcomed Infantino’s programme to reform the world game through transparency, anticorruption and good governance. Buhari pledged Nigeria’s support to FIFA president’s reform agenda, noting that they were similar to those his presidency had outlined to resuscitate Nigeria. “The majority of Nigerians are married to football. In the rural areas, when there is no electricity and there is a game to watch, Nigerians go to the extent of renting small generators, popularly known as ‘I better-passmy neighbour’ to watch the game. “We will take the development of football very seri-

ously and I encourage the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to behave itself and organise effective competitions for the good of the game,” Buhari said, adding: “Accountability is serious business and I welcome you (Infantino) into the club of accountable Chief Executive Officers.” In his remarks, Infantino asked the Nigerian authorities to pay attention to infrastructure and find a lasting solution to the problem of violence and insecurity at match venues. “I foresee Nigeria as a bedrock for the development of the game in Africa, however infrastructure, stability and security are needed to make this happen,” he said.

self was very happy when he received him personally at the hotel camp of the team this morning. “He has told the chief coach that he is happy to join the team and he can’t wait to join the team’s training this evening. “He also told the coach that he would have joined the team yesterday (Sunday) as he had earlier promised the coach. He said that bad weather forced his cancellation of his flight from yesterday to today (Monday).

“Norway-based defender, William Troost-Ekong joined the team in camp on Sunday while we are still expecting the others,” said the source. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), through its twitter handle, The NFF @thenff has also confirmed the arrival of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner in the camp of the Dream Team. Mikel and goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi are the two overage players listed by Nigeria for the Rio 2016.

Nigeria by the visit of the FIFA leadership to put the crisis plaguing the association behind them and commit to providing leadership for gainful football administration in the country. “Apart from the major issue of reform and accountability, the key issue remains the development of our own football and I think Africa, as you said, is the greatest place such can come from. “We are going to play our own role in creating the enabling environment. I am happy that fellow presidents of football associations in different African countries are here. I think your visit clearly shows that you are keen and you want to work with us in Africa. We must play our own role and that is why we must give all the support we can. “And I think it gives me an opportunity to talk to the members of NFF that we must solve our problems. I think that with this kind of world recognition we have today, the only thing we can do is to show example here in Nigeria, how we think a football association should be run and we must put an end to the crisis we are going through. “A lot of you professionals sometimes blame politicians that when we lose elections we don’t want to accept. But now we politicians are now reformed. When we lose elections we accept. I think football professionals too should learn from us.”

Mikel joins Dream Team in US ahead Rio Olympics Chelsea star, John Mikel Obi has finally hit the training camp of the Dream Team in Atlanta, US after a slight flight delay ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics, a source informed AfricanFootball.com The Super Eagles skipper arrived at the camp at 1pm Nigeria time. “Yes, Mikel Obi is here at last despite all the tales going on in the media that he won’t join us. We are very happy to receive him. “In fact the chief coach him-

Mikel

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