27th October 2015

nigeria’s most informative newspaper no 16,357

TUESDAY, 27 OCTOBER, 2015

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

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Nigerian Tribune

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Rivers: Tribunal sacks Speaker, 20 PDP Assembly members •Okowa, Lalong win •Ajimobi, Ladoja know fate today

—P3

Ex NSA Dasuki objects to secret trial

•FG files fresh charges, wants prosecution witnesses to wear masks —P40

FRC suspends Stanbic IBTC chairman, MD —P10

40-year-old Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi. Inset is his father, Prince Ropo Ogunwusi.

Ooni Ogunwusi: We had prophecy he would be great, famous —Father

•How he emerged 51st Ooni •No human sacrifice for his installation •Why he will spend 21 days, instead of 3 months, in seclusion —P14

Fani-Kayode, Afenifere blast Kwankwaso over comment on Yoruba leaders —P43

Processed meat causes cancer —WHO —P4

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915-2015)

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PHOTOS: D’TOYIN

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9 1. Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran (second left), Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu (second right), former Ekiti State governor, Chief Niyi Adebayo (left) and Bishop Oluranti Odubogun, Anglican Bishop of Ife. 2. Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu receiving condolence letter from the representative of Ikenne Development Association, London, Mr Adedoyin Odunlami.

3. Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu, flanked by Apostle Sunday Popoola and his wife, Reverend (Mrs) Omowumi Popoola.

4. Clerics from Remo Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) with Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu.

5. From right, Reverend Emmanuel Adebajo, his wife, Oyindamola and Reverend (Mrs)

Popoola.

6. From left, Chief (Mrs) Adebisi Mariam Abiola, Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu, Hajia Fatimo Adegunwa, Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Mrs Sola Adenmosun.

7. Members of women wing of Christian Association, Ogun State, with Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu.

8. Members of West African Women Association, Nigerian Chapter, with Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Awolwo Dosumu.

9. Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu with the family of Chief (Mrs) Bayo Ogunyemi.

10. Reverend Timothy Ajibola, chairman, Ogun State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeia (CAN), presenting condolence letter to Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu.

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news

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Rivers: Tribunal sacks Speaker, 20 PDP Assembly members

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IVERS State election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, nullified the election of Owaji Ibani, speaker of the state house of assembly.

The tribunal also invalidated the election of 20 members of the legislative chamber, who were all elected on the platform of the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP).

The ruling came exactly two days after the tribunal annulled the victory of Nyesom Wike as governor of the state and ordered fresh poll.

The tribunal, while delivering the judgment in the case of the lawmakers, cited cases of irregularities and violence among other electoral malpractices.

Celestine Ihejirika -U muahia

gressives Grand Alliance (APGA), had prayed the court to annul the election of Chinedum Orji on the ground of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, but the tribunal said the petition not only failed to prove the allegation, but also could not correctly identify the constituency he wanted to represent. The tribunal chairman, Adeniyi Onigbanjo, said instead of Umuahia central constituency, the petitioner had written Umuahia urban constitu-

It ordered fresh elections to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill the new vacant seats.

Among those affected by the judgment were leader of the state assembly, Martins Amaewhule, representing Obio-Akpor constituency 1.

Also affected were Tai State Constitituency, Obio-

Tribunal upholds election of Orji’s son

THE national and state house of assembly election petition panel one, on Monday, upheld the election of the son of the immediate past governor of Abia State, Chinedum Orji, even as it struck out the petition challenging his election for incompetence.

The petitioner, Sydney Onyemere of the All Pro-

Special people lobby Ajimobi for appointments A group of people with disabilities in Oke-Ogun II, Ogbomoso and Oyo zones, has appealed to the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to consider them for political appointments.

In a release signed by the chairman and secretary of the group, Comrade Adeagbo Daud and Mr Lasisi Olawale, they noted that Ibadan and Ibarapa zones of the state had occupied the positions meant for special people before and that it was the turn of Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso and Oyo zones to fill the positions.

ency, a mistake for which he sought amendment earlier but was not granted, because it exceeded the time allowed by law for such.

The petitioner also mistakenly asked the tribunal to return the first respondent instead of himself as petitioner as winner of the election.

The tribunal said the petitioner ought to have used the period of two months before the commencement of trial to make all the necessary corrections.

Akpor constituencies one and two, Akuku-Toru one and two, Opobo Nkoro, Bonny, as well as Degeme, ONELGA One, Gokana constituencies one and two and Etche two constituency.

The state and National Assembly election tribunal held that the PDP candidates for Tai and Gokana were not duly elected due to substantial non-compliance with the regulations of the INEC. The tribunal ordered fresh elections to be conducted in the affected constituencies within 90 days.

Reacting to the development, Matthew Dike of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Tai constituency dedicated the victory at the tribunal to God, adding that he was confident of victory in the rerun.

APC candidate for Gokana state constituency, Innocent Barikor, thanked God and assured that he was ready

F rom Alphonsus Agborh and Ebenezer A durokiya THE governorship election petition tribunal in Delta State, on Monday, dismissed the two petitions against the election of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as governor in the April 11 election.

The petitions brought before the tribunal by the Labour Party governorship candidate, Great Ogboru and that of All Progressives

Congress (APC), O’tega Emerhor, were thrown out for their failure to prove the allegations of corruption and substantial breach of the Electoral Act and electoral guidelines.

Besides, the tribunal awarded a cost of N150,000 each against the petitioners, which they are to pay to Okowa, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.

In their separate judgments in the petitions delivered by Justice Nasir Gunmi, chairman of the tribunal averred that the petitioners failed to prove allegations of corrupt practices, breach of Electoral Act over voting and manipulation of election result.

He said there was no credible evidence provided by the petitioners to support the allegations and held that the petition “is bound to fail and has failed. It is, hereby, dismissed. The petitioners

Pdp set to appeal, as apc celebrates

THE Plateau State governorship election petition tribunal has upheld the election of Governor Simon Bako Lalong of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and dismissed the petition filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Gyang Pwajok, for lack of merit.

In a six-hour judgment, chairman of the tribunal, Justice Johnson Candide, said all the witnesses called by the PDP candidate were not credible, adding that the petitioner failed because his case was weak and non- existent, coupled with poor quality of witnesses.

Justice Candide held that the petitioner could not link his allegations to any substantial evidence, as there

Odual, ONELGA Two, PHALGA one and three, Emohua and Ahoada West.

There are 32 state lawmakers in Rivers, but the tribunal nullified the election of 21 members.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Nyesom Wike, has turned to God for help.

Speaking on Sunday during a thanksgiving service held in honour of his supporters in Port Harcourt, Wike described the verdict as a distraction, urging the people to stand along with him.

Ajimobi, Ladoja know fate today THE Justice Mohammed Mayaki-led Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Oyo State will today deliver judgment in the petition filed by Senator Rashidi Ladoja against the election of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Ladoja, Accord Party candidate in the April 11 election, is asking the tribunal to declare him the winner of the election after the cancellation of the results of the election in 11 local government councils or in the alternative order a rerun.

Okowa wins, as tribunal dismisses petitions against him We shall appeal —APC

Tribunal upholds Lalong’s election Isaac Shobayo - Jos

for another round of election.

The lawmaker representing Degema constituency in the state assembly, Farah Dagogo, described the judgment as vexatious.

A statement released by the lawmaker explained that he had already begun the process of appealing.

However, the elections for Oyigbo constituency as well as that of Kelechi Nworgu of Omuma state constitution were upheld by the tribunal.

Also upheld were the elections for Ogu-Bolo, Abua-

was no practical prove of evidence, adding that the first and second respondents (Lalong and INEC ) succeeded in their replies to the petitioner’s claim.

He added that the petitioner could not show that there were cases of irregularities as alleged.

He said: “The burden of proof is on the petitioner but where he asserted, he is unable to prove. Where the petitioner failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt, there is nothing left for the respondent (Lalong) to contest.”

The tribunal found that all the issues slated for determination of the matter were tilted in favour of the respondent, as he had no substantial evidences against the respondent and, therefore, dismissed the petition

for lack of merit with the sum of N50, 000 as a cost.

Responding, counsel for the petitioner, Mr Sonny Odey, told the tribunal that his client (Pwajok) was going to test the popularity of the judgment at the Appeal Court and commended the judgment of the tribunal, saying “although the judgment did not favour my client, it was impeccably delivered.”

He also prayed to God to continue to give the tribunal chairman wisdom and strength, “but the next action is that we are going on appeal. You have versatile knowledge of the law.”

Counsel for the APC candidate, Mr Garba Pwul, said it was not unusual in his character to commend a judge after delivering a judgment, but said it was a brilliant judgment.

Responding to the judgment, the state chairman of the PDP, Mr Raymond Dabo, for the first time since the APC won the governorship election congratulated the winner Lalong and the APC and enjoined the people of the state to be calm and law-abiding.

According to him, with the victory, PDP in the state was set to play credible opposition to the ruling APC government on the Plateau State, adding that all hope was not yet lost concerning the verdict of the tribunal.

It was carnival like on major streets in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State, as supporters of the APC, who could not access the venue of the tribunal, trooped out in their large numbers to celebrate the verdict of the election petition tribunal.

are to pay N50,000 each to the three set of respondents.”

According to the tribunal, in Emerhor’s case, the petitioners were unable to prove that the first respondent (Okowa) was credited with alleged toxic votes.

The tribunal held that the petitioners were also unable to discharge the burden of proof placed on their shoulders by the provisions of Sections 136 and 137 of the Evidence Act. “The petitioners, having not proved the toxic votes credited to the first respondent, the issue of whether the first respondent was returned by valid votes becomes a non-issue.

“The concomitance of the conclusion by the tribunal is that this petition is without merit, it is bound to fail and it failed. It is, hereby, dismissed.

“It follows that the election and return of the first respondent as the duly elected governor of Delta State is affirmed. The three sets of respondent are entitled to N50,000 each as cost of prosecuting the petition,” the tribunal held.

Reacting to the verdict in Ogboru’s case, state chairman of Labour Party, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, said the judgment was unexpected, adding that the party would appeal against it.

Meanwhile, following the declaration of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as winner of the April 11 governorship election by the election pe-

tition tribunal sitting in Asaba, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to appeal the judgment.

Chairman of APC in Delta State, Prophet Jones Erue, made this known on Monday, shortly after the delivery of the judgment by the Nasir Gunmi-led governorship election petition tribunal in Asaba.

“The truth is this: the judgment from what we saw is miscarriage of justice. Our lawyers are going to study the judgment and definitely, we are going to appeal. The analysis on issue of over voting that was not proved is laughable,” Erue stated.

Reacting to the victory, the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Honourable Ovwigho Igbuya, on Monday, congratulated Dr Okowa for his victory at the tribunal, just as he praised the judiciary for remaining the protector of the oppressed.

In a statement issued in Asaba by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Henry Ebireri, the Speaker described the April 11 governorship election as the fairest and freest in the history of the state.

Also, former Niger Delta warlord, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), has hailed the victory of Senator Okowa at the Monday verdict of the governorship election petition tribunal.

Tompolo described the victory of Governor Okowa as a victory for the masses.

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news

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Processed meats cause cancer —WHO B y Sade Oguntola

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ORLD Health Organisation (WHO) has said consumption of processed meats, including sausage, ham and bacon, can cause cancer.

It reported that consuming 50 grammes of processed meat a day -less than two slices of bacon - increased chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18 per cent.

Red meat does have nutritional value too and is a major source of iron, zinc and vitamin B12. However, WHO said there was limited evidence that 100 grammes of red meat a day increased the risk of cancer by 17 per cent.

However, WHO said there was insufficient evidence to set safe levels for red meat consumption.

The WHO had come to the conclusion on the advice of its International Agency for Research on Cancer, which assesses the best available scientific evidence. It has now placed processed meat in the same category as plu-

tonium, but also alcohol, as it definitely do cause cancer.

Processed meat is any meat that has been modified to increase its shelf-life or alter its taste, such as by smoking, curing or adding salt or preservatives. Also included in this group are hot dogs, corned beef, as well as canned meat and meat-based sauces.

It is these additives which could be increasing the risk of cancer. High temperature cooking, such as on a barbeque, can also create carcinogenic chemicals.

Dr David Irabor, a senior lecturer, Surgery Department, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, said there was no doubt, consumption of red meat can cause colon cancer.

Irabor, who remarked that preservatives were also a reason consumption of processed meat could cause cancer, added that in cooking the meat at high temperature, whether by frying or barbecue, some dangerous substances such N-nitroso compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were released and predis-

Polio draining Nigeria’s resources —Buhari Leon Usigbe - Abuja PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, regretted the amount of human and material resources devoted to the fight against polio.

This was as he assured that government would not relent in the effort to eradicate the crippling virus from the country.

He made the assertion at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on the occasion officially marking more than a year in which no polio case had been reported in the country.

The occasion also marked the delisting of Nigeria as a polio endemic country, a step towards the certification of Nigeria as polio virus-free country by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the next two years.

Speaking with a WHO delegation, led by Regional Director for Africa, Matshifiso Moeti, representing WHO’s Director-General, Buhari remarked: “As you are aware, our efforts to eradicate this crippling disease started in 1998. It has taken a lot of toll on our country in terms of human and material resources.

“We are, however, not relenting, as we are deter-

mined to achieve our collective goal of saving our children from further paralysis from polio.

“I want to assure you that there will be no complacency, as we will maintain and improve on our surveillance system, as well as raise the childhood population immunity against the polio virus to avoid any spread of the disease. continues pg13

poses to cancer.

He declared also that there were evidences linking longterm alcohol use, cigarette smoking and overindulgence in high-calorie containing meals, as well as reduced physical activity with the probability of developing colon and rectum cancers.

However, Professor Ignatius Onimawo, former president, Nutrition Society of Nigeria and Director of Academic Planning at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, stated that WHO’s declaration that processed meat could cause cancer was nor a new development.

According to Professor Onimawo, “NSN have been saying that processed meat, including suya, can cause cancer, if taken for a long time. It is not a new development at all. It is just that WHO is now taking a categorical stance on the issue and the need for people to avoid red meat.

“Above 40 years, one should avoid red meat, irrespective of how it is processed. Rather, eating of fish and white meat, like chicken is healthier. Red meat after being subjected to heat from cooking could predispose its consumers to cancer, depending on how long it is consumed and the amount.”

Frankie Phillips, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said: “The message is to still include red meat in the diet, because it is a good source of key nutrients.

“The general message is, it is OK to eat some red meat, but perhaps to look at ways of increasing the amount of plant-based foods, in particular, pulses.”

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL

PENSION VERIFICATION EXERCISE OF RETIRED FEDERAL JUDICIAL OFFICERS The General Public is hereby notified that the National Judicial Council will be conducting a Pension Verification Exercise of all Retired Judicial Officers and Retired Staff of the Judiciary (as defined below),who are currently on its payroll in the Six GeoPolitical Zones of the country to update its records.

The affected Judicial Officers and Retired Judicial Staff are as follows:A) i ii

All Retired Federal Judicial Officers vide Federal Judicial Officers (Administration of Pension) Act,2007.

All Retired State Judicial Officers with Federal Government Share of Pension.

B) All Retired Judicial Staff that worked in the Judiciary of the Federal Government of the First Republic, the Regional Governments and the States created in 1967 and in March 31st 1976, and continued with their services in the States created thereafter; whose pensions administration and payment had been transferred in 2007 from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to the National Judicial Council.

NOTE: All Retired Judicial Officers and Retired Judicial Staff to be verified shall be only those that were captured in the last Biometric Exercise and are on the payroll of the National Judicial Council.

No Retired Staff of the Judiciary whose name was not included in the list of Pensioners transferred to the National Judicial Council by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation in 2007and is not currently on its Pensioners’ Payroll, shall be verified.

This Exercise does not include Retired Judicial Staff who are currently on the Contributory Pension Scheme being administered by the various Pension Fund Administrators.

Newly Retired Judicial Officers that are yet to receive their retirement benefits are to kindly appear in any of the venues indicated in paragraph C with the following documents:i ii iii iv v iv v vi

Letter/Gazette of First Appointment; Letter of Last Promotion; (Appointment as a Judicial Officer); Letter of Retirement; Certified True Copy of Record of Service; Last Pay Certificate; Birth Certificate/Sworn Declaration of Age; Clearance of Indebtedness to the Federal Government of Nigeria; Two recent Passport Photographs.

C) The Affected Retired Judicial Officers and Staff of the Judiciary are to appear before the Officers of the National Judicial Council, that will be conducting the verification exercise in the Six Geo-Political Zones from 02nd to 17th November, 2015, in the High Court of each state as per the itinerary below:-

ZONES

DATE/MONTH

VENUE

NORTH EAST ZONE 1 Bauchi 2 Gombe 3 Yobe 4 Borno 5 Adamawa 6 Taraba

02nd - 03rd Nov., 2015 04th - 05th Nov., 2015 06th - 07th Nov, 2015 09th - 10th Nov., 2015 11th - 12th Nov., 2015 13th - 14th Nov, 2015

State High Court

NORTH WEST ZONE 1 Kaduna 2 Kano 3 Jigawa 4 Katsina 5 Zamfara 6 Sokoto 7 Kebbi

02nd - 03rd Nov., 2015 04th - 05th Nov., 2015 06th - 07th Nov, 2015 09th - 10th Nov., 2015 11th - 12th Nov., 2015 13th - 14th Nov, 2015 16th - 17th Nov., 2015

State High Court

SOUTH WEST ZONE 1 Ekiti 2 Ondo 3 Osun 4 Oyo 5 Ogun 6 Lagos

02nd - 03rd Nov., 2015 04th - 05th Nov., 2015 06th - 07th Nov, 2015 09th - 10th Nov., 2015 11th - 12th Nov., 2015 13th - 14th Nov, 2015

State High Court

NORTH CENTRAL ZONE 1 Kwara 2 Niger 3 Kogi 4 Benue 5 Nasarawa 6 Plateau

02nd - 03rd Nov., 2015 04th - 05th Nov., 2015 06th - 07th Nov, 2015 09th - 10th Nov., 2015 11th - 12th Nov., 2015 13th - 14th Nov, 2015

7 FCT COURT

16th - 17th Nov., 2015

National Judicial Council

SOUTH EAST ZONE 1 Ebonyi 2 Enugu 3 Abia 4 Imo 5 Anambra

02nd - 03rd Nov, 2015 04th - 05th Nov., 2015 06th - 07th Nov, 2015 09th - 10th Nov., 2015 11th - 12th Nov., 2015

State High Court

SOUTH-SOUTH ZONE 1 Edo 2 Delta 3 Bayelsa 4 Rivers 5 Akwa Ibom 6 Cross-River

02nd - 03rd Nov, 2015 04th - 05th Nov., 2015 06th - 07th Nov, 2015 09th - 10th Nov., 2015 11th - 12th Nov., 2015 13th - 14th Nov, 2015

Signed:

MANAGEMENT

NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL

State High Court

State High Court

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news

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Gov Emmanuel arrives Uyo, dedicates victory to the people

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KWA Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, has expressed confidence in the Nigerian judiciary, in ensuring justice and fairplay in the handling of electoral matters, in line with the constitution that makes provision for the existence of multi-party system in the country.

According to Governor Emmanuel, this would help democracy in the country to grow and meet the standard of other civilised democracies.

The governor, who was addressing a mammoth crowd of Akwa Ibom people, comprising Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faithful, who gathered to welcome him at the Ibom International Airport and at the Globe Square, Wellington Bassey Way Uyo, on his return from Abuja, after the judgment of Akwa Ibom State governorship election tribunal, which reaffirmed his position as the state governor, remarked “Let me tell Akwa Ibom people that we have absolute confidence in the judiciary. Nigeria operates a multi-party system and we must allow the constitution to hold sway. Today, Akwa Ibom people are

focused and we are moving towards the promised land.�

Governor Emmanuel announced that two more industries were underway and grounds breaking were to be

performed next week.

He mentioned the industries to include a Metre Assembly Plant and new line for Marine Paint at Peacock Paint Industry, Etinan.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

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Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Lagosmetro Over 100 Boko Haram members in Lagos, OPC claims Olalekan Olabulo

Pull-out ceremony for the outgoing 18th Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs. Folashade Jaji, held in Lagos, on Monday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Gridlock: We’ll soon recruit young graduates into LASTMA — Ambode Bola Badmus

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elfless young graduates are to be recruited into Lagos Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) soon, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.

The new recruits are to boost the current 2,100 persons-strong personnel of the traffic managers, a number described by the governor as inadequate.

He also said that his administration had concluded plans to procure three helicopters next month to enable security agencies tackle criminal activities from the air as well assist in monitoring traffic gridlock to ease movement across Lagos metropolis.

Ambode spoke as guest on a radio programme – Soni Irabor Live (SIL), saying he was deeply concerned about pockets of robberies in some areas of the state in recent times.

The governor expressed optimism that the helicopters would go a long way in aiding

security and traffic surveillance in the state, even as he also said that his government would also boost the operation of Marine Police and the Nigerian Navy on the waterways in the state as various equipments and platforms would soon be presented to them.

Speaking further, Governor Ambode said at least 220 roads across the state had been rehabilitated in the last four months, pointing out

that he had mandated and empowered all the 20 Local Government (LGs) and the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state to construct a total of 114 roads.

He gave an assurance that his administration was working hard to build a safer, cleaner and more prosperous state for all irrespective of creed or colour, pleading with Lagosians to work with his government and support him to take Lagos to the next

level where there would be prosperity for all.

“We are in this together, all Lagosians. It is your government; you put me there; I’m your servant and I’m ready for criticism. I’m listening and I believe strongly that you have a say in this government because it is an inclusive government. No matter where you come from, no matter your creed or colour, this is your government.

“I appeal that Lagosians should join hands with me; tolerate whatever it is that you are seeing and make sure that you also carry out your own civic obligations.

Pay your taxes because it is the only way that Lagos can grow and you know, the bottom line is this, we all need to work together to achieve a safer Lagos; a cleaner Lagos; and a more prosperous Lagos and that is what all of us are going to do,” he said.

The national coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has described the latest arrest of Boko Haram members in Lagos State as a confirmation of the reality of their presence in the state.

Adams while speaking with Lagos Metro commended the security operatives for their ability to arrest the suspected members of the sect before they struck.

The OPC chief also raised the alarm that members of the sect have also found their way into Oyo State and advised security operatives to extend their intelligence operation beyond Lagos State.

He, however, warned members of the group to stay away from the south-western part of Nigeria, insisting that Yorubas were not fanatical about any religion.

Adams stated that the simple fact that over 45 Boko Haram members were arrested in Lagos is an indication that there are over 100 members of the group on the state.

Adams said, “I am not in any way shocked or surprised by the arrest. The director of the SSS has raised the alarm that they are in Lagos and other southwest states.

“We are also aware that they are also in Ibadan, Oyo State but let me warn them that we in Yorubaland are not fanatical about religion.

We engage in inter-religious marriage and we don’t see one another as enemies.”

Cynthia Osokogwu: ‘Chain used in killing her bought at Agboju Market’ Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin The trial of four men Okwumo Nwabufo, 34, Olisaeloka Ezike, 24, Orji Osita, 33, and Ezike Nonso, 25, who allegedly murdered one Cynthia Osokogwu, 25, who was a postgraduate student of Nassarawa State University has been adjourned till November 16.

The late Cynthia Osokogwu, was murdered on July 22, 2012, in Lagos by men she met and became

friends with on a social media site, Facebook, at Cosmila Hotel in Festac area of Lagos.

It will be recalled that Joseph Edo, who was part of the police team that investigated the crime, had at the last adjournment told the court that it was the defendants’ stock-in-trade to invite women to hotels, drug and rape them.

The witness also stated that it was discovered during investigation that Oli-

saeloka Ezike (second defendant) went to Agboju Market at the instance of Okumo Nwabufo (first defendant) and purchased a chain and cello tape, which they used in allegedly killing Cynthia.

“From my investigation, I discovered that the first defendant sent the second defendant to Agboju Market to buy the instruments they used for the operation a few days before Cynthia was killed.

“The second defendant (Ezike) after getting the items, and while still at the market, used his phone to snap them and forwarded the picture to the first defendant (Nwabufo).

“He equally sent Nwabufo a text message from his phone asking if this was the chain and cello tape he wanted.

“Nwabufo replied Ezike that it would be okay for the job.

“The messages are all in their phones,” Edo said.

The witness also testified that he also discovered that the third defendant, Orji Osita, who is a pharmacist, aided the primary suspects to commit the crime by supplying them the Rohypnol used in subduing the deceased before they carried out the killing.

He further stated that the fourth defendant, Nonso Ezike dishonestly received Cynthia’s Blackberry phone from his elder brother who is the second defendant.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By

Lanre Adewole

olanreade@yahoo.com

0811 695 4647

Spiritualists collect barren woman’s ATM card, necklace for sacrifice Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin Two self-proclaimed spiritual healers that allegedly duped a woman who was seeking for the fruit of the womb have been remanded in prison.

It was gathered that the suspects, Ngozi Okorie and Seun Olakanmi, defrauded the victim, Rabiu Khadijat under the pretence of making her to conceive.

They allegedly collected over N200,000 from her, under false pretence of facilitating a traditional cure for the undisclosed illness that had prevented her from getting pregnant.

The victim who had been married for some years was unable to conceive after receiving several medical treatments.

She was lured to try the traditional remedy by the suspects who defrauded her.

They were also accused of collecting her phone, ATM card and her necklace as part of conditions for her healing.

The victim accused them of collecting the items and

money, after which they gave her a substance to

drink and told her when she would conceive.

They also placed her on oath and warned her not to

Lagos State Governor’s Monitoring Team arresting motorcycles (okada) and vehicles flouting traffic law on Carter Bridge and Ikorodu Road, on Monday.

reveal what transpired between her and them to anyone.

She kept the secret to herself and was drinking the substance with the hope that she would conceive.

However, her situation became worse as the concoction worsened her health.

When she asked for the refund of her money, they refused and asked her to continue to take the substance and bring more money.

The matter was reported to the police and they were arrested and charged before an Ejigbo Magistrate court.

They pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr A. A. Fashola granted them bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum who must produce three years tax clearance.

They were remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail.

The matter was adjourned till 11 November, 2015.

Lawyer who allegedly fondled minor in courtroom yet to get sureties Lanre Adewole

Despite being admitted to bail, Barrister Christopher Uzoamaka who fingered a 9-year-old, is still in detention with no one ready to stand surety for him.

The 40-year-old was arraigned on September 1 for allegedly fondling the breast and thrusting his fingers into the private part of the minor inside an empty courtroom.

The alleged act took place on the premises of Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

He remained remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons due to failure to meet bail conditions of two sureties and a N100,000.

The prosecutor, Inspector Andohemba Koti made this known last Friday while speaking on the update of the case.

Koti said the lawyer’s continued detention was as a result of his inability to meet the bail conditions of a N100,000 bail with two sureties in like sum given by the Magistrate, Mr L. A. Owolabi, during his arraignment.

Uzoamaka was arraigned on September 1 on a fourcount charge bordering on unlawful penetration into the private part of the minor.

The victim was resident in London with her parents and in Nigeria for vacation.

The minor had followed her grandmother, who was a claimant in a civil case to

the court when the incident allegedly happened.

It was gathered that the lawyer, who was to be the victim’s grandmother’s counsel in the said civil case,

started by playing with the victim before he reportedly lured her into the vacant courtroom, where the alleged act reportedly took place.

The girl was said to have rushed out in tears and told her grandmother that the lawyer fondled her breasts and thrusted his finger into her private part.

Fire razes Ishaga palace • Another 10-room building burnt Olalekan Olabulo The palace of the Baale of Iju Ishaga was over the weekend destroyed in a late night fire that that created serious confusion in the Lagos community.

Lagos Metro gathered that the fire was put out by fire fighters, who were deployed to the scene by the director of the state fire service, Rasak Fadipe.

A building situated close to the palace also went up in flames when residents of the community were yet to recover from the incident at the baale’s palace.

Lagos Metro gathered that the incident at the baale’s palace might have occurred from a lit candle or lantern as there was no power supply during the

time of the incident.

Fadipe while speaking on the incident at the baale’s palace stated that residents at the palace claimed to have switched off the power generator when the accident happened.

The Lagos State Fire Service chief also added that the fire fighters met the fire well alive but prevented it from spreading beyond the palace.

“The fire might have been caused by a lit candle stick

as they told us that they had already switched off the generating set, when the fire started,” Fadipe said.

He also stated that the fire fighters also responded to another fire call at 14

Aderogba Street around the palace.

Fadipe stated that 10 rooms and millions of naira worth of goods were destroyed in the burnt building, but said that no life was lost in the two incidents.

Warehouse with contraband rice, tyres uncovered Tola Adenubi The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A surveillance team led by Deputy Superintendent of Customs Jude Ohagwu has uncovered a hidden warehouse containing over 2,502 bags of 50kg parboiled Rice, 60 kegs of 25 litres vegetable oil, 105 pieces of fairly used tyres, 858 pairs of used shoes

and other general goods valued at N17, 749, 800.00 in Adodo-Lusada Road, close to Lagos.

According to a statement signed by the Spokesman of the FOU, Zone A, Uche Ejesieme, the gallantry of the surveillance team led by Ohagwu has led to the resuscitation of the monthly award for outstanding performance for officers of the unit.

“The surveillance team, acting on a tip-off, recently discovered the warehouse which was housing several contraband items,” the statement explained.

The Controller Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Comptroller Amade Abdul stressed that what was remarkable about the seizure was the exemplary gallantry of the team in view of the hos-

tile nature of the terrain. He pointed that Adodo-Lusada axis is a very notorious area known for hostility and remain a nightmare for security operatives.

Following the landmark achievement of this team, the controller, directed the resuscitation of the monthly award for outstanding performance, which used to be the practice.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Tokyo conference will improve valuation of plant, machinery in Nigeria —Estate surveyors

By Dare Adekanmbi

From left, Ms Foluke Aboderin, Ag. Deputy Managing Director, Corporate Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, presenting Industrialist of the Year for West Africa Award to representative of Alhaji Aliko Dangote (winner), Mr Knut Ulvmoen, Group Executive Director, Dangote Group and Frederic Van de Vyver, Head, West Africa -CNBC Africa, during the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) in Lagos, recently.

The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has said Nigeria will immensely benefit from cross-fertilisation of ideas on global best practice at the on-going maiden international conference on valuation of plant, machinery and equipment in Tokyo, Japan.

Chairman of the NIESV’s Faculty of Plant and Machinery and fellow of the institution, Mr Samson Agbato, who led Nigeria’s delegation to the conference, stated this in a statement from Tokyo on Monday.

Among other things,

Financial Council suspends Atedo, other Stanbic IBTC chiefs We are international best practices compliant —Stanbic IBTC Chima Nwokoji-lagos

h

e Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria has suspended the chairman of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Peterside Atedo, and other senior officials of the bank over accounting irregularities in the bank’s 2013 and 2014 financial statements.

This is just as Stanbic IBTC insists that it will continue to conduct its business in compliance with extant Nigerian law and international best practices.

Recall that Nigerian Tribune had a week ago (Monday, 19 October,2015) exclusively reported that Stanbic IBTC Bank was suspected to have engaged in creative accounting that led to a boost to profit of approximately $5 million and claimed to have paid an average interest rate on its current accounts of 11.3 per cent to attract these current account deposits.

It was also reported that shareholders of the bank were not happy that it is paying Franchise/Management fees to Standard Bank when the latter was the majority shareholder of Stanbic IBTC Holdings among other allegation.

Mr. Atedo was suspended alongside the bank’s Managing Director, Sola DavidBorha, and KPMG’s Arthur Oginga and Daru Owei.

They were suspended for attesting to “misleading” financial statements, and would remain suspended till investigations are concluded, the council said in a statement Monday.

The council pointed out several inconsistencies in the bank’s reporting, including IBTC’s failure or refusal to disclose what exactly millions of naira grouped under “donations” and “others” were used for.

In one instance, the total fee IBTC bank paid to KPMG Professional Services for non-audit services was found to be inconsistent with what was disclosed in the financial statements for the years under review, the council said.

“The Council observed that Stanbic IBTC regularly flouts CBN regulations. In 2014 for instance, a total penalty of N28 million was imposed on the group.

“Stanbic IBTC seems to have a penchant for poor disclosures which further corroborates the findings in this report,” the statement said.

The council instructed the directors of Stanbic IBTC to withdraw the Financial Statements of and restate them in accordance with the provisions of the law.

However, in a swift reaction, Stanbic IBTC Holdings said it has met the disclosure requirements of the international financial reporting Standards.

A statement made available to Nigerian Tribune on Monday read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the media statements by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) in which several inaccurate and unseemly allegations were made against Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC (“Stanbic IBTC”). Although the matter is in court, we are constrained to respond to certain aspects of the report for the benefit of our stakeholders and the general public.”

It further stated that FRCN’s allegations are inaccurate and unfortunate, and that the manner in which it has chosen to make them is procedurally defective.

“Whilst FRCN takes refuge in Regulation 21 of the Directorate of Inspection and Monitoring Guidelines Regulations 2014 for the wide publicity that it has given to its regulatory decision, Regulation 21 only applies ‘Where the Panel and the entity agree that accounts are to be rectified by way of revision or restatement.’ That is not the case here, because Stanbic IBTC does not agree that its accounts are defective or require rectification,” the company further said.

Moreover Stanbi IBTC went on, Regulation 27 makes clear that where a reporting entity does not accept FRCN’s position,

FRCN “shall institute a legal action against the entity”. FRCN has ignored this laid down process in preference for self-help and media publicity.

It said the matters that FRCN alleges to be wrong are not wrong in any material respect and many are in any event not matters of financial reporting at all, but matters of business decision and judgment for Stanbic IBTC and its board of directors.

For example it stated, the decision whether to enter into a sale and lease back, whether in relation to intellectual property or any other asset, is a busi-

ness decision and entirely a matter for the board of directors of Stanbic IBTC and certainly not a matter for FRCN. “In the same vein, NOTAP’s refusal to register a franchise agreement does not render the agreement null or void, or indeed relieve Stanbic IBTC of its liability. It merely means that any foreign currency payment due to the foreign counterparty under the unregistered agreement cannot be remitted. Stanbic IBTC has not and will not make any remittance which is subject to NOTAP approval without obtaining such approval.”

plant, machinery and equipment valuation appraises the fair market value of machinery and equipment in installed capacity and in continued use and it is the core area of operation for the professional body authorised by law.

Agbato said the conference would not only deepen the expertise of members of NIESV in the practice of plant, machinery and equipment valuation but also enrich the exercise in Nigeria.

He stated that immediate past chairman of the faculty, Mr Paul Osaji, would present a paper entitled “The practice of Valuation of Plant and Machinery in Nigeria.”

He said leading professionals and academics in the emerging field of valuation as a global practice had been assembled in Tokyo to enrich the discipline of machinery and plant valuation “the fund of experiences in practices and norms that have developed around the world.”

“It is expected that the outcome of this year conference would impact positively in the practice of Plant, Machinery and Equipment Valuation exercise in Nigeria,” Agbato said.

The conference, which is being organised by the Centre for Valuation Studies, began on Monday at the National Centre of Sciences Building, Tokyo, and will end on tomorrow.

Lagos dwarfs 31 others in IGR ChukwumaOkparaocha-Lagos

Lagos State’s internally generated revenue (IGR) is stronger than that of 31 other states put together.

Data made available by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that Lagos internally generated N276.16b in 2014, ahead of Rivers and Delta which generated N89.11b and N42.82b respectively.

These are the high grossing states.

States on the lower rung of the ladder, according to the report included Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Ekiti and Kebbi, which generated N2.8b, N3.1b, N3.2b, N3.5b and N3.7b respectively.

In all the report confirms that Lagos State’s IGR was more than the combined internal income of 31 states.

The states are Cross River, Ogun, Abia, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Kano, Ondo, Kwara, Benue, Anambra, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Imo, Plateau, Osun, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kebbi, Niger, Kogi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Yobe, Taraba, Ekiti, Zamfara and Borno.

All the 31 states internally generated a total of N263.8b while Lagos earned N276.2b for the same period.

None of the 25 states above generated up to

N15b in the year under review, with more than 75 percent generating under N10b per annum.

The revenue generation in the Nigerian states, however experienced a steady growth from 2010 to 2014, starting out at N401.4 billion in 2010 to N487.5 billion in 2011.

The figures grew to N584.4 billion in 2012, N662.1 billion in 2013, closing at N707.9 billion in 2014.

The Lagos state government generated a total of N1.08 trillion in IGR between 2010 and 2014, while Borno state generated N11.3b within the same time.

businessnews Why investors shun Nigeria’s oil sector —EU

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By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

A

m b assado r Michel Arrion, Head of Delegation of European Union to Nigeria, on Monday, said the country’s oil and gas sector was not attracting enough investment due to low return on investment.

Arrion, who was speaking as chairman at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Annual Regional Conference on Energy organized by the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law, University of Ibadan, said it was imperative for the government to ensure the provision of a business climate that would guarantee protection of investment to attract investment to the sector.

Also speaking at the conference on the theme, ‘Transformations in the Global Energy Industry: Setting the Agenda for Gulf of Guinea,’ Professor Wumi Iledare, the keynote speaker, noted that not much success would be recorded in the efforts to mobilize investment for the sector until the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed.

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

According to Iledare, “Even if the government has to break the bill into two to ensure its passage, it is best to do that to guard against the country losing investments that should come to it to other countries.”

Arrion, who traced the current dip in oil prices to

increase in global oil supply without a corresponding increase in demand, said as a way of protecting investments the government should ensure adherence to the rule of law and strengthening of institutions.

“These are measures that will convince the investing

community, either foreign or local, that their investments will be protected,” he said Arrion called on the Federal Government to take the fight against oil theft seriously, saying “Oil theft is a wholly Nigerian issue and the government should be able to address it

urgently.”

The EU head of delegation, who said piracy took place both onshore and offshore, counseled the country to collaborate with neighbouring countries to make a success of the efforts to combat the menace.

Arrion observed that

From left, Oyo State deputy governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo; Head, European Union to Nigeria, Ambassador Michel Arrion; acting Vice Chancellor University of Ibadan, Professor Emilolorun Ayelari; former President, Nigeria Economic Society, Professor Akin Iwayemi; Director, Centre for Petroleum Energy Economic and Law, University of Ibadan, Professor Adeola Adenikinju at the Regional Conference on Energy on ‘Transformations in the Global Energy Industry: Setting the Agenda for Gulf of Guinea’ in Ibadan on Monday.

SON to reduce substandard goods to 10% Gbemi Solaja-Lagos

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) joined the rest of the world in marking this year’s World Standards Day, on the theme ‘Standards – the world’s common language’, as part of efforts to rid the country of substandard and counterfeit products, while also encouraging the culture of quality and standards among the

citizens.

Regional Coordinator, South West of SON, Mrs Mojisola Kehinde, who represented the DirectorGeneral, Dr Ikem Odumodu, expressed dissatisfaction over the level of substandard products in the country. He also stated that the agency had employed new measures to achieve its aim of reducing substandard goods to 10 per cent before the

end of the year.

According to her, the agency has also stepped up its operations and empowered its staff with enough resources which had also increased its capacity to achieve its goal of reducing substandard level to 10 per cent by 2016.

“We have the capacity to reduce substandard product to zero, we have able leadership and we have empowered the staff to be

Disregard recruitment, auction on fake Facebook account —Customs Tola Adenubi-Lagos

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned members of the public to beware of criminal elements that opened a fake Facebook account in the name of the ComptrollerGeneral, Colonel Hameed Ali, with the intent of defrauding unsuspecting job seekers and those looking for overtime cargoes and contracts.

Customs spokesman, Wale Adeniyi, who gave the warning at a recent media interactive session with the Customs boss, said that Ali does not have a Facebook account and anyone dealing with him on that

platform is dealing with a fake Customs CG. He said both recruitment and auction of overtime cargoes had remained suspended till further notice, adding that the clarification became necessary as many people had called to get clarification on the auction of cars, containers and recruitment into the service.

“Customs is not currently recruiting and again auction of seized or overtime cargoes remains suspended till further notice. This reminder is necessary to prevent people from being defrauded by criminal elements who open fake Facebook account in the

name of the Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali, advertising job vacancies, auction and contract. “

able to do that with enough resources, and again, we are collaborating with other relevant sister agencies to track down substandard products.

“I want to say that Nigerians are gaining more awareness to the activities of SON. By our records, we have more Nigerians making complaints when they are unfortunate buying substandard products and also through our state offices and other grass-roots network that we have set up, we do sensitise them to know the evil of substandard products just like we are doing here today, and honestly, Nigerians are

beginning to imbibe the quality and standard culture.

“When we were coming through from MITV complex, people were stopping to read our banners and listening to us and also many were making comments that we were doing a great job. So the awareness level is gradually penetrating deeply into the minds of the people and it is only a matter of time till we don’t have to bother about substandard products.”

The agency reiterated its commitment to maintaining quality of products and zero tolerance to substandard goods

Q3: Dangote Cement African projects drives revenue to N365.5bn

Aggressive African expansion projects by Dangote Cement have started yielding positive fruits as the company for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 recorded a turnover of N365.5 billion, a 17.8 per cent increase over its corresponding year’s figure.

The company, in the same period, exported 3.7 million metric tonnes of cement to neighboring

countries. The export underscores the fact that Nigeria is now self-sufficient in cement production.

The Chief Executive of the company, Onne Van der Weijde, said: “I am pleased to report that sales from outside Nigeria have contributed nearly 29 per cent of volumes so far this year and 39 per cent in the third quarter, which demonstrates that we are diversifying successfully and

quickly gaining market shares in new countries.”

While revealing that the company has just acquired 2,000 new trucks to help improve its logistics capabilities and enable it enhance its export of cement to neighbouring countries, he said: “Our key target will be Ghana, where we already have an import terminal that is at present supplied from outside the ECOWAS region.”

countries in West Africa had the poorest access to electricity supply because of poor generation, transmission and distribution.

He added that the governments in the sub-region could change the trend if they would collaborate.

He assured that the EU would support the countries through bilateral and multilateral financial instruments.

Iledare, President, Nigerian Association of Energy Economics (NAEE), said investment in the oil and gas sector had been stalled because investors were not sure of what to expect should they put their money in the sector, adding that passing the PIB would encourage investment in the sector and result in the nation having an efficient and effective energy industry.

His words, “Effective and efficient energy industry will liberate the nation economically.”

Iledare, who noted that it is energy consumption and not energy production that results in economic development, called on the government to improve energy supply in the country to facilitate development.

In his welcome address, Professor Adeola Adeniknju, Director of CEEPL, said the conference was organized to fashion solutions to the myriad problems confronting countries in Gulf of Guinea.

Speaking about the challenge of dwindling revenue occasioned by the sliding oil prices, Adenikinju said it was a pointer to the country to diversify its economy.

“The economy should not be regulated by uncertainties in oil prices. Because of the falling oil price, many state governments can neither pay salaries nor embark on projects.

That is not how to run an economy,” he said.

In his remark, Professor Isaac Adewole, the Vice Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Emilolorun Aiyelari, urged delegates at the conference to proffer solution to the energy challenge in the country, adding that the university spent N85million monthly on electricity.

The conference, which was declared open by Chief Moses Adeyemo, Oyo State deputy governor, who stood in for the governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, was attended by delegates from different countries.

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business

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

DAILY SUMMARY (EQUITIES) FOR MONDAY, 26 OCTOBER, 2015

TOP 5 GAINERS

TOP 5 LOSERS

13 news

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Screening: Presidency backs Senate’s procedure on Amaechi Taiwo Adisa and Ayodele Adesanmi - Abuja

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HE Presidency said on Monday, that it was in support of the decision of senators to screen the former governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, last week Thursday, without debating the report of the petition against him by the Ethics and Privileges Committee.

The Presidency, which spoke through the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, said the Senate had the prerogative of amending its own procedures.

Enang faulted the protests against the procedure, saying the Senate was backed by the law to regulate its procedure at any given time.

The presidential aide, who spoke to newsmen in the National Assembly, on Monday, said the power to regulate its procedure was granted the Senate.

He said: “It is within their constitutional right to regulate their own proceedings.

“The constitution authorises the Senate, the House of Representatives and every legislative House

to regulate its own procedures, including managing matters that were brought before them. Therefore, what the Senate did was domestic to the Senate and I am not in a position to speak about it, but they are within their constitutional right.

The Senate had, last Thursday, screened Amaechi immediately after the chairman of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, submitted the report of his committee which probed a petition assigned to the committee by the Senate.

The screening was said to be against Senate procedure, leading the senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ignore raising questions for the nominee.

Senate’s Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, raised a Point of Order, citing Order 43 before the screening commenced.

He said: “I want to point out that the PDP senators and the caucus do not have any questions for the nominee. We have just received the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions against the nominee about cases of

fraud and indictment. Until that is discussed, we will not be part of the screening.

Is that the position of PDP caucus members?” The PDP senators all chorused “yes.”

PDP senators plotting against Amaechi

Despite the screening of the former Rivers State governor last Thursday, senators of the position

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed optimism that the incoming cabinet members appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari will be agents of change, who will place the country above any parochial interest.

According to him, going by the list, one would be convinced that Mr President had made a right choice.

He noted that presently, the country needed the joint contributions of the teeming masses of the country, noting that if the real change Nigerians were yearning for would be possible, the populace must be ready to rally round President Buhari to effect the change.

Atiku, who spoke in Kano, on Monday, through the chairman, Atiku Loyalists Group, Alhaji Muhammadu Abdullahi Sugar, added that those nominated by President Buhari were true agents of change the country needed.

He also debunked insinuation that Atiku was not happy with the list of minis-

ters, stating that the former vice president was happy with the list, adding that it provided him hope that the country was on the right path.

Alhaji Sugar also denied media reports that Atiku was among the big losers on the ministerial list, for not

It was gathered that the senators would first exploit the option of voice vote and then division if the first option failed.

Senate resumes screening today

Senators will, today resume the screening of remaining 11 minister-nominees sent to the chamber

by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The senators had, on

Tuesday and Thursday, last week, screened seven of the remaining 18 nominees, thus carrying over the remaining 11 till this week.

Though Senate’s spokesman, Senator Dino Melaye, had said the screening and confirmation would be completed last week, but the Senate changed its prosecute and only screened seven nominees last week, while deferring their confirmation.

Polio draining Nigeria’s resources —Buhari continued from pg4

“The Federal Government will sustain the current momentum and we shall continue to regard this campaign as an emergency until we are declared polio free in the next two years.”

The president expressed delight that Nigeria’s achievement in the fight against polio had been acknowledged by the WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, and therefore, commended the world body for its consistent stewardship in Global Health Security.

Buhari recalled that he had, in August, given the

Buhari’s minister-nominees are agents of change —Atiku K ola Oyelere - Kano

PDP were said to be plotting to take their pound of flesh on him during confirmation.

So far, the Senate had screened seven nominees, including Amaechi, but deferred their confirmation.

Sources in the Senate told the Nigerian Tribune that senators of the PDP were preparing to use all known “legislative tricks” to ensure Amaechi was blocked during confirmation.

having a candidate, stressing that in the first place, Atiku never sought for any of his supporters to be on the list.

He pointed out that “even the minister-nominee from his home, Musa Muhammad, is just like a son to Atiku.”

Federal Ministry of Health a clear directive to come up with measures for enhanced effort towards ensuring the sustenance of the polio immunisation campaign.

He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment towards the achievement of a polio-free Nigeria in 2017, saying that government would sustain the needed funding for operations and vaccine procurement for the programme.

He also said the Presidential Taskforce on Polio Eradication would be

reconstituted under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health to provide political direction and oversight, in order to avoid complacency and relapse.

He commended vaccinators, community mobilisers, partners, parents, caregivers and stakeholders, who had supported the polio eradication initiative of government through the years.

Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ado Muhammad, made presentation on Polio Eradication

Initiative, expressing fears that the fight against the disease in Nigeria might face funding gaps of $155 million in 2016 and $249 million in 2017.

In her remark, the WHO Director-General representative, Dr Moeti, while congratulating Nigerians on the interruption of wild polio transmission, observed, however, that Nigeria still has a long way to go from the polio interruption to eradication.

“We must ensure that in the next two years, no child is paralysed due to polio.”

news Ooni: We had prophecy that Ogunwusi will be great, famous —Father •How he emerged 51st Ooni

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Oluwole Ige-Osogbo

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arely 12 hours after the announcement of Prince Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi as the new Ooni of Ife by the Osun State government, jubilant crowd on Monday, stormed residence of the father of the Ooni-designate, Prince Ropo Ogunwusi, to celebrate the declaration The development came his (Adeyeye) father said before his birth, his family had received a prophesy that he (Adeyeye) would be very great and famous during his lifetime.

Ogunwusi’s residence, located on NTA Road, Mokuro, Ile-Ife, had jubilant crowd besieged it, while others were celebrating on the streets of the ancient city to express their joy and excitement over the announcement of the new monarch.

Secretary to the Osun State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, had issued a statement in the early hours of Monday, indicating government’s approval of Prince Ogunwusi as the new Ooni of Ife. The appointment of the new Ooni was contained in the statement ratified by the Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola.

Adeoti said in the statement that the choice of the new Ooni followed the completion of the due process by the kingmakers and the communication of their decision to the government.

Ogunwusi succeeds Oba Okunade Sijuwade, who died on July 28, at 85.

The Giesi ruling house last occupied the throne of Ooni, when the revered warrior, Derin Ologbenla, reigned in the late 18th century.

While speaking to journalists at the residence of Pa Ropo Ogunwusi, chairman of Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Dr Taiwo Olaiya, hinted all

political office holders in Ile-Ife and the kingmakers arrived at his choice after considering some attributes distinguishing him among the 43 princes who contested for the vacant stool.

He disclosed that the new Ooni’s impressive records in the field of business enhanced his chance and endeared him to all the people involved in the selection process, saying “the need to quickly industrialise the ancient city of Ife and provide jobs for many youths was considered in his choice.”

According to Olaiya, “Ogunwusi’s understanding of the Yoruba culture, despite being widely travelled and his generosity, even when he had not shown interest in becoming Ooni also worked in his favour.

“He also exhibited unmatched humility and calmness that was hard to come by among all the contestants. The fact that the business tycoon made his money without being linked to any party or government also counted in his favour.”

In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, father of the Ooni-designate, Pa Ogunwusi, said before his birth, a man of God had predicted that Enitan would be great in life and attain fame.

He stated that “we thank God. It is the Lord’s doing. We are grateful to God. This is because out of over 40 contestants, God has really singled him out to do the job and carry the load of Yorubaland. I pray to God in his infinite mercy to grant him the grace and wisdom to do the job successfully without any problem or blemish.

“Ife people would know peace and prosperity during his reign by the grace of God. Before we gave birth to him, a man of God came to our area in Ibadan. That time, he told us prophetically that we would soon be blessed with a child and that child is going to be a child of glory. He is going to be great and that man of God told us the exact time of his delivery. That was how it came to pass. His

Saraki urges Ooni-elect to work for national unity Ayodele Adesanmi-Abuja

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he Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Monday congratulated the newly selected Ooni of Ife-designate, Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and advised him to concentrate on further solidifying the role of the Yoruba people in national unity.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and

Publicity), Yusuf Olaniyonu, wished the Ooni-elect a long and peaceful reign, sound health and many years of service to his people.

According to him the Ooni-elect have so many things in common with the immediate past Ooni, which include but not limited to being widely travelled, exposed, versatile, well-informed and devotion to community service.

He noted that the ap-

Alao-Akala congratulates him

By Tunde Oguensan

THE former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala has congratulated Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi on his appointment as the Ooni of Ife. Alao-Akala in a statement made available to Nigerian Tribune congratulated him for the grace to ultimately fulfill the ambition of any prince.

The former governor said, “as the Otun of the Source, I am congratulating the new Ooni, for the grace on his appointment as the 51st Ooni of Ife. “No doubt, your choice climaxed age long ambition of princes. This grace as the traditional head of Yorubaland, I pray God

will empower you with wisdom to succeed on the throne of your forefathers and wish you long life on the throne.”

pointment of Prince Ogunwusi could not have come at a better time.

Saraki said: “I am particularly delighted that the approval of your appointment by the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, came at a time when

Dogara congratulates him Jacob Segun Olatunji And Kolawole Daniel-Abuja

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara on Monday congratulated the new Ooni of Ife, Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi

Lasun congratulates him too Jacob Segun Olatunji And Kolawole Daniel-Abuja

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yussuff Lasun on Monday congratulated the new Ooni of Ife, Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

The new Ooni of Ife is from the Giesi family ruling house

Ambode charges new Ooni to be courageous LAGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has congratulated Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi on his appointment as the new Ooni of Ife, charging the new Ooni to be courageous in his decisions as well as his appointment as call to service.

Ambode said this on Monday in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Habib Aruna, admonishing the new monarch to see his appointment as a call to service and to the upliftment of humanity.

the youthful zest, experience, and knowledge of global best practices, which you possess in abundance are needed to move the traditional institution and most especially, the revered throne of the Ife Kingdom, to the next level.

emergence is the fulfillment of God’s prophesy,” Ogunwusi remarked.

He continued that “God who sent him on a mission of peace, progress and prosperity in Yorubaland would give him the enablement to take up the challenge of taking Ife and the entire Yoruba race to greater heights. Ife should expect peace and progress during his reign. Before his ascension to the throne, he has been doing a lot for the betterment of the people. We believe that light has come to Ile-Ife.” When Nigerian Tribune visited the leader of Isoro Cult and head of all deities in Ile-Ife, Oba Olajide Ifaloba, inside Ile Oodua, Ooni’s palace, he explained that the emergence of Ooni Enitan Ogunwusi was “divine,” just as he implored all other contestants to the throne with him to see his choice as “product of grace.”

He dismissed fears that human sacrifice would be carried out as part of rites before installation of new monarch, saying that rites to be performed would be done mostly at nights.

“We rejoice with him and thank the creator for giving us a monarch in his class. Those that vied for the throne with him must now see Oba Enitan as father that must be supported to lift Ife. We pray for him a long life and good health to administer the town and the entire Yoruba land,” Ifaloba asserted.

Giving details on how the new monarch would be installed, Oba Isoro, Eluyele Olawenu, Owa Eredumi of Ife, said the first step, after royal entrance of the new monarch into the town, would be for him to proceed to his father’s compound, from where he would move to Ilofi, where rites would be performed for 21 days.

According to him, “the new Ooni would have spent three months in Ilofi before his installation, but he would be spending 21 days instead, because of the forthcoming Olojo Festival.”

While charging the new Ooni Ogunwusi to be courageous in his decisions, the governor also urged him to see the unity of the Yoruba race as a priority.

Ambode, who also congratulated the family members of the new Ooni, said they would have to bear with the demands of the job and support him morally, physically and spiritually.

Ogunwusi’s appointment was announced by the Osun State Government in the early hours of Monday.

and he has emerged as the 51st Ooni in Ile Ife. To this end, Honourable Lasun congratulated the entire people of Ife and Osun State over the emergence of a seasoned professional with great experience as the Ooni.

This was contained in a statement issued by Chief

Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Mr Wole Oladimeji quoting Honourable Lasun as saying, “I pray that the new Ooni would use his experience and knowledge to build on what the Late Okunade Sijuade did when he was alive.”

PDP national secretary hails appointment, kingmakers Jacob Segun Olatunji-Abuja

The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Adewale Oladipo on Monday hailed the choice of Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi as the new Ooni of Ife. Speaking in Abuja on Monday, Professor Oladipo commended the king makers for making a right choice for the people of Ife and for not mortgaging their consciences as being speculated in some quarters prior to the pronouncement Professor Oladipo how-

ever appealed to other contestants to put the race behind them and join hands with the new monarch for the even development of the City, the state, Yorubaland and the country in general, saying that he is very sure that the new monarch would bring his wealth of experience to bear in the administration of the ancient city.

“We give God the glory for the choice of Prince Ogunwusi as our new monarch; he is the people’s choice. We thank our king makers for not subverting the will of the people.

on his ascension to the throne.

In a congratulatory statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, Dogara said the role of traditional rulers in nation-building cannot be over-emphasised.

To this end, he said that traditional institutions must restore back their dignity, and return to their rightful place in the society, if Nigeria is to make any meaningful progress The Speaker then urged the new Ooni to emulate the works of the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade, whom he said has left an indelible mark in the history of Nigeria as a peacemaker and a bridge between different peoples of the country.

While assuring of the cooperation of the House of Representatives, Dogara said the legislature is open to the wise counsel and invaluable support of the new Ooni in its quest to effect change and reposition our dear nation for enduring peace, security, accelerated growth and development.

“As you ascend the glorious and revered throne of your fore-fathers, I join your family, the good people of the historic kingdom of Ife, friends, protégés and well-wishers to ask God to guide, guard and give you wisdom to lead,” he stated.

fortherecord The Ooni-elect: Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi

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BOUT 40 years ago in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, a prince was born into the Giesi Ruling House, Ojaja Royal Compound of Agbedegbede in Ile-Ife. He was named Adeyeye. Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi was quietly delivered into the humble family of Prince Ropo and late Mrs Margaret Wuraola Ogunwusi (Ile Opa family compound, Ile Ife). The father was a radio and television anchor and presentation star that spanned the entire mid-1980s to early 21st century in the South-western part of Nigeria.

An astute entrepreneur, he has been involved in engineering, procurement and construction locally and abroad for over 12 years and he is also actively involved in the development of over 2,500 housing units with various consortia of developers/promoters over eight years in Nigeria.

He facilitated strong trade relationship through Association for International Business (AIB) with presence in over 200 member countries across the globe which he set up in Nigeria.

One of the key achievements of this body is the trade facilitation between the United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali free Trade Zone Development) and Federal Government of Nigeria through Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). He was a co-organiser for Ondo State Economic Planning and Implementation Committee. He led the government delegation team to Canada in 2002 for strategic alliances and partnership with Ondo State Government on solid mineral potentials of the state (Bitumen, Dimension Stones, Granite, etc.) which led to the formation of Amalgamated Mining and Exploration Company Limited – wholly owned by Ondo State Government. He was involved in the facilitation and development of Sparkwest Steel Galvanising Plant (the only Steel Galvanising Plant in Nigeria), National Iron Ore Mining Company Limited and Jakura Mines resuscitation projects, which has eventually become the major limestone feed stock to Obajana Cement Plant in Kogi State, Nigeria.

Ogunwusi was involved in trading and marketing of commodities, the main facilitator for Dangote Group’s break into the ‘up-country supply chain consortium’ between 1996 and 1999. He also traded for Dohagro Allied, Global Apex, Olam, Clemco, Stallion Group, Milan Group, etc, at about the same period. This was where he gained expertise in marketing prowess which up till date is one of his major strengths. He also facilitated the biggest lead and aluminum recycling plant set up in Nigeria by National Steel Company of India in Ota, Ogun State.

He began his strides in the real estate sector with various dredging and land reclamation projects in Lagos State. Adeyeye is the initiator of Essential Homes, a real estate product launched in January 2014 formed to deliver affordable upscale homes to the middle and low income earners. The first phase of the product (The Southpointe Estate, Lafiaji Road, Lekki, Lagos State) started in February 2014, and has been successfully delivered within one year with about 60 per cent occupancy recorded. This attests to the huge market demand and acceptability of the essential homes product.

He also led the team that developed the beautiful Northpointe Estate Phase I,

Ooni Ogunwusi II, III and Midland Court, on Chevron Drive, Lekki, Lagos. In addition, Prince Ogunwusi has successfully undertaken more multi-billion naira projects across Lagos and environs; Jacob Mews Estate, Yaba, Lakeview Park I and II Estates Lekki, the ongoing Golden Leaf Estate, Lafiaji, Lekki and Grand Lake Estate, Ajah, Lagos.

Ogunwusi also has clear track record of community development starting with his home town. Four years ago, during the occasion of his mum’s funeral, the community was without any form of electricity. Ogunwusi went ahead to install transformers and light poles, generated electricity which till today, the community still boasts of. This electrification project is also being extended to other parts of the town. Part of his community development strides has also extended to the Lafiaji community, off Orchid Hotel Road, Lekki-Epe expressway, Lagos, with the opening up and reconstruction of a 6.5 Kilometre road, with a 1.1 Kilometre green extension without government’s intervention. He also embarked on the electrification of this whole stretch which is being powered by his company, Gran Imperio Group.

In just one year, to actualise his dream of the development of one of the best resorts in Nigeria, he led a team that opened up a remote jungle, Inagbe Island, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos, into a whole new community offering spectacular world class relaxation and recreational facilities. The multi-billion Naira Inagbe Grand Resorts and Leisure is the

first of its kind in the whole of West Africa bounded by the Lagoon and Atlantic Ocean. With this feat, he is set to increase the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), through tourism and reduce unemployment by providing direct and indirect employment.

Earlier this year, Ogunwusi also intimated the youth of Ile-Ife of his plan to replicate this remarkable project in Ile-Ife, having already acquired good land mass for the project. Interestingly, he has an incredible master plan to rebrand Ife and take it to greater heights. On March 7, 2015, Ogunwusi was a recipient of the prestigious National Ife Descendants Students’ Association (NIDSA) Gold Award for 2015 on the occasion of their Ife Day celebration.

Ogunwusi enjoys being in the midst of his workers, dines with them, and of course gets on the work grind with them.

He is a grassroot fellow to the core and lover of the youth. His humility is second to none. Being a philanthropist, Adeyeye has sponsored less privileged children and youth in Ile-Ife and Lagos where he lives. Some youth are still beneficiaries of Adeyeye’s scholarship platform till date.

Ogunwusi is presently an employer of over 300 indigenous youth at the Inagbe Cocowood Factory – Essential Homes Furniture brand, first of its kind in Nigeria using 100 per cent indigenous raw materials for production. He has over 450 direct employees across his various companies, and over 3000 indirect employees.

Ogunwusi is a Director on the Board of Directors of Imperial Homes Mortgage

Bank Limited (formerly GTHomes), a leading National Mortgage Bank and former subsidiary of one of the biggest banks in Africa, GTBank Plc. He is also a Director, FinaTrust Microfinance Bank Limited, one of Nigeria’s foremost microfinance banks focusing on SMEs and micro credit facilities. He is the founder and managing director of Gran Imperio Group, the holding company of real estate and construction, manufacturing, facilities management, leisure and tourism companies in Nigeria.

Ogunwusi holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy from the Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he started cutting his teeth in outstanding entrepreneurship, even as a student. The prince of Ile-Ife, is a member of dignified professional bodies, namely, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), an associate accounting technician and a certified member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria. He is also an active member of Global Real Estate Institute (GRI), having participated at various levels.

To be a prince in Yoruba land is in itself outstanding, to be a prince of the Source, Ile-Ife, the cradle of civilisation is to be truly blue-blooded. Very passionate about what he believes in, people and possibilities, Adeyeye has achieved giant strides even from his very youthful age.

Ogunwusi has been involved in remarkable partnerships with dignified royal fathers in some of his real estate developments – His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Elegushi, Kusenla III, Elegushi of Ikate Land, Lagos (Development of LakeView Park 2, Lafiaji, Off Orchid Hotel Road, Lekki – Epe Expressway), His Royal Majesty, The late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, (development of Northpointe Estate, Chevron Drive, Lekki, Lagos), His Royal Majesty, late Oba Oyekan, Onilado, of Ilado Inagbe Island, Lagos, (Development of Inagbe Grand Resorts and Leisure, Lagos), HRM, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, The Oranmiyan Osile Oke Ona of Egbaland, Abeokuta (development of The Lord’s Estate, Buckswood College Abeokuta), His Royal Majesty, Oba Oloruntoyin Saliu, the Oloworo of Oworonsoki, Lagos (partners in the proposed Oworonsoki Redevelopment Scheme, Lagos), His Royal Majesty Oba Akinloye, Ojomu of Ajiran Land, Lekki – a host to several developments which Adeyeye has embarked on, His Royal Majesty, the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Muhammed Gbadamosi (partnership during the rice and sugar merchandising for Dangote Group and others).

A highly dignified man, fearless, daring, and self-made, who not only has passion for his home town, but his country as a whole. He has and is working in the improvement of the society at large whilst he spends his time and money to preserve and showcase the cultural heritage of his people and tradition of Ile-Ife, he is also creating job opportunities for the indigenes of Ife. The new Ooni is someone who has stayed and is very much in touch with his roots and tradition. A man of honour, who already has started making a difference in the city of Ife, he has close alliances with some of the most esteemed royal fathers, leaders and kings men.

Culled

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Femi Ibirogba adefemi2007@yahoo.com 0811 695 4646

IITA Weed Control Project intensifies partnership with extension agents

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s the world marks another World Food Day on 16 October, the Cassava Weed Management Project which is being managed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and partners has organized a series of field demonstration visits targeting extension staff, researchers and farmers across the cassava growing zones of Nigeria.

The aim of the field visits, which was conducted in Benue, Abia, Oyo and Ogun states, was to demonstrate early but yet promising results being recorded in weed management in cassava farming systems, and to put key partners on the same page.

More than 150 persons comprising mostly staff of Agricultural Development Programs in the four states (Benue, Abia, Oyo and Ogun states), and farmers participated in the well-planned exercise.

In Benue, the Program Manager, Benue Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (BNARDA), Mr James Ker commended the project team for taking steps to address the problem of weed infestation in cassava farms.

“I am impressed by what I have seen. I am hopeful that soon the problem of weeds in cassava farms will be a thing of the past,” he said on Thursday (15 October) as he visited the on-station trials at the University of Agriculture Makurdi.

Earlier in IITA campus, the Project Leader, IITA Cassava Weed Management Project, Dr Alfred Dixon while taking visitors on a field tour stated that “cassava is no longer considered as a poor man’s crop as everyone is now eating it in one way or the other.” He however noted that the challenge to increase productivity of cassava was weed management. “Farmers cannot grow more than they can weed, and this is responsible for the small farm size which affects the total yield,” he said on 20 August.

Dr Dixon called on global leaders and policy makers to invest in research and development for the generation and delivery of innovations that would solve the problems that are militating against increased agricultural productivity in Africa. “For instance, we cannot fully achieve the benefit of crop improvement if we fail to address the problem of weeds in cassava,” he added.

Tagged “Social Protection and agriculture: breaking the cycle of rural poverty”, the theme of this year’s World Food Day seeks to highlight the importance of reducing rural poverty and granting access to food or means to buy food.

Dr Dixon said addressing the weed menace was key to women and youth empowerment, stressing that women contribute more than 90 percent of hand weeding labor, and that any effort to address this constraint would have a positive multiplier effect on women’s health and the larger society.

Agribusiness Book About The Book Poultry meat is usually the least expensive meat source in most countries and consequently it is the first or second in per capita consumption. Eggs are also relatively inexpensive sources of highly digestible protein and energy. Therefore it is not surprising that over the last 50 years there has been an enormous increase in poultry meat and egg production worldwide.

The growth in poultry production has of necessity been accompanied by a large increase in the volume of poultry feed such that the modern poultry industry now accounts for 20-40% of animal feed in most countries.

Consequently a knowledge and understanding of poultry nutrition is indispensable for efficient operation of large scale poultry enterprises. Commercial Poultry Nutrition provides extensive information on the nutrient requirements, ingredient evaluation and diet formulation for poultry of all types. This includes layer pullets, laying hens, broilers and broiler breeders, turkeys, ducks, geese. game birds, ratites and pet birds. Feeding programs and examples of diet formulations are clearly presented.

Commercial Poultry Nutrition has become the standard text for all involved in the commercial poultry industries. This 3rd edition is a major revision with virtually all

sections being updated to accommodate the ever-changing genetic potential of broilers, layers, turkeys, waterfowl and game birds.

The major new look is a double column format for ease of reading. Some 80% of the Tables and Figures have been revised or replaced, and the book is expanded by some 20% to 420 pages.

Professors Steven Leeson and John Summers from the Department of Animal and Poultry Science of the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, have international reputations in poultry science.

They have made many contributions to poultry science and to poultry production as demonstrated in this 3rd Edition of Commercial Poultry Nutrition.

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Nigerian Tribune

Funtuna targets retail market with 4-egg quadpak Chima Nwokoji - Lagos

W

h i l e marking the 2015 World Egg Day, the

management of Animal Care Services Konsult (Nig) Limited launched a neatly packed “4-Eggs Funtuna Quadpak, for the retail end of the market.

Available in two different categories, President of Animal Care Services Konsult (Nig) Limited, Dr Olatunde Agbato, said the Quadpak Optima and

Quadpak Biggie were principally targeted at the lower end consumers who familiarly buy eggs in small quantity from the street or retail shops

From left, Managing Director, Incentive-based Risk-sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Mr Edwin Nzelu; General Manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Ms Abimbola Okoya; National President I (Admin and Operations), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Prince Ike Ubaka; Senior Agric economist, World Bank, Dr Adetunji Oredipe, at the BATNF stakeholders dialogue session in Lagos, recently.

Benue gov lauds FG over rice policy Johnson Babajide - Makurdi

BENUE State governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, has lauded the decision of the Federal Government to raise the tariff on rice importation, saying that the new policy would boost local production and encourage local farmers in the country.

Governor Ortom dropped this when he played host to officials of the Federal Government of Nigeria/ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), led by the Country

Programme Manager of IFAD, Atsuko Toda, in his office.

He hinted that the state reputed as food basket of the nation was set for agriculture revolution and said that if it entered into partnership with organisations like IFAD, it would be able to feed not only the country but also Africa.

According to him, “We will continue to partner IFAD to boost the local production of rice and cassava in the country and in doing that, we will also go fully into dry season farming because

that is an area we enjoy comparative advantage over other states. We solicit your support in that regard.” the Country Earlier, Programme Manager of IFAD stated that the organisation would key into the agricultural revolution of the Ortom administration to boost food production in the country.

Toda said further that “with the payment of your N87 million counterpart fund, we are prepared to match that fund by four to five times per annum so that Benue farmers can enjoy

improvement in their value chain.

“We are targeting 15,000 farmer households in four local government areas of the state which include Guma, Gwer, Okpokwu and Logo and in so doing, we will ensure improved farming inputs and also link producers to markets.”

She added that “Benue farmers and indeed the entire state stand to benefit immensely from the programme. All we need is the cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure better earnings for our farmers.”

packed in cellophane bags at affordable prices.

According to him, “the whole idea of Quadpak is to offer better quality branded Eggs in a more secure and attractive packaging which drastically reduce the chances of breakage that are common with the cellophane packaging of Eggs at the same affordable price.”

That way, he added, low income consumers would have access to high quality farm-fresh Funtuna eggs in attractive, hygienic and secure packaging, yet at affordable prices.

Agbato, while calling on young school leavers to venture into farming, said that health organisations around the world are actively encouraging people to eat more eggs to ensure that they benefit from nature’s natural vitamins.

This is contrary to the belief in certain health quarters that eggs for many years have been considered more of a health risk than a healthy food. The president of the company and farmer, in Lagos, listed a lot of health benefits of egg, pointing out that modern day hen feed has helped to reduce the cholesterol content for which egg consumption have been vilified.

He said: “The Australia Heart Foundation recommends that people eat six eggs a week. In Canada, eggs carry the country’s health check mark, and the Irish Heart Foundation has coined the phrase, ‘an egg a day is ok.’

“Eggs are packed full of goodness. It is another source of vitamin A, which is needed for the healthy development of the body’s cells, helping to maintain healthy skin and eye tissue and assisting in night vision; vitamin B12, which is necessary for the formation of red

blood cells, important for the immune system to function properly, and helps protect against heart disease, prevent age related memory loss and reduce the risk of breast cancer by as much as 40 per cent. “ He wants people to eat more Eggs because, “Eggs really are a large vitamin pill, in 100 per cent natural packaging,” adding that this year’s World Egg Day Celebration provides an opportunity “for us to launch a new product into the market, The 4-Eggs Funtuna Quadpak.”

According to Agbato, Eggs are a very good source of inexpensive, high quality protein, and the World Health Organization (WHO) and other public health institutions actually use Egg as the reference standard for evaluation of protein quality in all other food.

“Also, Eggs are rich in amino acids, calcium, sodium, iodine, selenium, choline and vitamins A,B,D and E; described by nutritionists as a large vitamin pill- a mineral cocktail . They contain all the essential vitamins and minerals required for a healthy diet,” he listed during the ceremony held at Funtuna House, Lagos.

Adewale Adekunle Adeniyi, Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Services Animal Care Konsult Nigeria Limited observed that the popular Funtuna Egg brand is now within the reach of every Nigerian.

“As a leader in the Egg production and promotion in Nigeria, we have continually researched into how best to provide and present high quality Eggs to consumers. And this has led us to this new product ‘The 4-Eggs Funtuna Quadpak’ which is available in two variants,” Adeniyi stated.

We’ve comparative advantage in dry season farming —Niger Adelowo Oladipo - Minna The Niger State Government has charged farmers in the state on the need to embrace dry season farming so as to enhance 40 per cent increase in rice production by 2017.

The Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammadu Danlami Ibrahim, gave the charge last Friday in

Minna, arguing that dry season farming would ensure breakthrough in getting rid of rural poverty in Nigeria.

He stated this at a media parley organised by the ministry to mark the 2015 World Food Day, with the theme: ‘Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty.’

He added that the mandate given to the state to cultivate 5,000 hectares of rice in both rainy and

dry season before 2017 by the Federal Government to increase rice production in the country can only be realistic if the farmers can farm all year round.

He, however, explained that farmers in the state were not used to all year round farming, unlike in some overseas countries, highlighting that farmers in the state were only used to rain-fed farming and in the habits of using the period they were supposed

to be engaged in dry season farming as a resting period due to absence of irrigationfacilities and equipment.

He pointed out that dry season farming was less expensive and more profitable.

“Farming in Niger State has for many years been predominantly subsistence, rain-fed and poorly mechanised. There is virtually absence of all year round farming in the state

due to absence of irrigation facilities and equipments,” he maintained.

Represented by the Managing Director of Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authority (NAMDA), Alhaji Baba Kutigi Madugu, who stated that the ban on importation of rice by the Federal Government would not affect the people much if equipment and facilities were made available to

farmers in the state for dry season farming, noted that Niger was one of the top producers of rice in the country that has the capacity to produce 1 million tonnes of rice per annum.

The permanent secretary said the World Food Day was being marked every year to make food available, accessible and affordable to people in the country, especially to those in the rural areas.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letterstribune@yahoo.com or by sms to 08055001747 or 08054005323.

It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Overhauling Nigeria’s justice system

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believe our justice system is the reason we have an upsurge in crime rate.

If a 20-year-old boy is caught stealing raw rice for example, would sentencing him to three years imprison reform him?

Do we really have community service in Nigeria’s justice system, whereby those who had committed minor crimes can be made to serve?

In such cases, offenders can be made to clear and burn communal refuse dumps, fetch water for motherless homes, sweep public places, among others. Sentencing some-

On electricity supply to Nigerians IMMEDIATELY President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn-in last May, electricity supply improved tremendously; we thought in a matter of months, we would be enjoying uninterrupted power supply.

However, for some time now, it seems we have returned to the era of epileptic power supply. I am not an engineer, but someone said we experienced stable supply in the past because of a rise in the volume of rainfall.

Developed countries don’t rely on a single source of electricity supply. There is the wind turbine, nuclear reactors, and so on.

The Nigerian government should consult experts in the area of electricity transmission.

We will never develop if we don’t have stable supply of electricity, and relying on just the dams will be like putting all our eggs in one basket.

I, therefore, want President Buhari to do more in the area of electricity supply; in fact, he should take the electricity and petroleum sectors as his major assignments.

•Philip Obasa, Okada, Edo State.

one who had committed a minor offence for the first time to several years imprisonment will only harden him by the time he gets his freedom. In the prison, he is likely to meet notorious armed robbers who will introduce him to crime, thereby linking him up with some of their gang members who are yet to be caught.

Apart from that, what is the place of plea bargain in our judicial system? I was discussing with an unemployed graduate recently and he said if he could have access to public funds in billions, he would steal it and would not mind going to jail for a couple of years.

Why are our former public officials who had stolen billions getting away with justice?

Why would someone who had stolen billions of naira be released after paying back a fraction of

what he had stolen?

We need to do some soul-searching in this country. In China, economic criminals are sentenced to death, with the punishment carried out within months of the conviction. However, we still

celebrate our economic criminals. We don’t ask people how they made the money they are flaunting in public.

We are not bothered about how some people made their wealth.

If we want a just society,

then our judicial system must be up to the task.

Having different sentences to different classes of people is not fair enough.

With the coming of a new government, I hope we will experience a

change in our judicial system. Corruption has eaten deep into us, and we need to see scapegoats in order to discourage would-be criminals.

ber of people killed by ‘accidental discharges.’

One important thing which I want the Inspector General of Police to look at is this: many people who sustained road accidents or gunshot injuries have died because those who could assist them opted out because of the fear of the police.

Several innocent gunshot victims have died because hospital officials refused to admit them without police report.

Many no longer help

road accident victims because of the fear of police, and as a result of this, many lives have been lost.

The Nigeria Police should do more to save Nigerians instead of compounding their problems.

•Dr Taju Alalade, Ilorin.

FG, restructure the police now THE Nigeria Police was established in 1930 as a law enforcement agency, with its primary duty being to protect lives and property.

While this is a noble objective, I thing there is need for the Federal Government, the National Assembly and the Police Affairs Commission to restructure the agency.

For example, the police claim that bail is free, but when one is arrested, one’s relations must part with money to secure one’s bail.

We may be saying that the top hierarchy of the police is against extortion, but the truth must be told, we still find police officers on the roads or highways who still extort from motorists.

We have also heard about accidental discharges on several occasions. It is, therefore, necessary for the Police Headquarters to make officers who carry weapons go through rigorous weapon handling training. This will go a long way in reducing the num-

•Oluwole Peter, Oke Ere, Yagba West, Kogi State.

Let’s rethink the Biafra agitation THOSE who are in favour of the realisation of Biafra Republic are becoming more vocal everyday.

The protests in Port Harcourt, Rivers State last week show many people are still sympathetic to this cause. However, those who want a Biafra republic can reach out to the Nigerian government through their National Assembly members.

We must be civil in our ways. We have come a long way, and the Igbo people should know that they have more stakes outside the South East than in their homeland.

What becomes of our investments in Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, and other parts of the country?

We should realise we will now be foreigners in other parts of the country, with the possibility of being deported.

I want us to look at the Scots’ decision to remain part of the United Kingdom; they realised that it would be so expensive to opt out of the union, as what they would lose would be more than what they will gain.

•Udoh Anuku, Surulere, Lagos.

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editorial

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Avoidable deaths at Lekki FTZ

HE death of the Managing Director of the Lekki Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Lagos, Mr Tajudeen Disu, and allegedly two others in the crisis between some supposed land claimants and the Lagos State Government over the acquisition of the land earmarked for the FTZ in Okunraye village in Lekki is not only unfortunate but exposes the continuing inability of government and security agencies to adequately manage crises within the social milieu. We understand that the crisis on the propriety or otherwise of the acquisition of the land under contention has been on for some time and it could not have been that the Lagos State Government was not aware of the contention of the villagers that they were not adequately carried along in the acquisition of the land.

In any case, the invitation of the police by the government to help keep the peace was an indication that there was continuing disagreement on the issue of the acquisition of the land and we believe that such invitation could only be for the purpose of maintaining peace in the short run for the processes of comprehensive negotiation of peace to be embarked upon and completed. How and why such a course of action could then result in the current tragedy is an issue that should bother all concerned.

There has been dispute over narration of what actually transpired at the scene of the tragic incident with the villagers insisting that they were simply on a peaceful protest until the police came to harass and molest them and cause the death of two of them. The villagers also attributed the death of Mr Disu to the police, arguing that he was hit from the back by a stray bullet while the police were shooting. In fact, one of the villagers, Mr Salami Surajudeen, who deposed to an affidavit in court, said he could identify the policeman who pulled the trigger, noting that another stray bullet hit a young woman on her farm in the village.

The police, to be sure, have denied this account and stated that the villagers were on violent protests to prevent Dangote Group workers from entering the land allocated to the group within the FTZ, and that their aim was to cause destruction and this they achieved through the killing of Mr. Disu. The police have since charged some of the villagers to court with the murder of Mr. Disu, while stating that investigations are continuing.

This dispute is understandable, given that deaths resulted from the engagement between the police and the villagers and no one would really want to be held responsible for such avoidable deaths. But it also means that not wanting to be responsible for deaths should have

imposed restraint in the first place in the way both the villagers and the police approached their engagement on that day. Nobody would be worried that villagers wanted to express misgivings and react to what they considered a land-grab by the Lagos State Government.

Under the present democratic dispensation in Nigeria, the right to dissension and protest is part of the democratic ethos, and this should not have been construed as a licence to prevent legitimate actions by workers of the Dangote Group. In the same vein, the police have a responsibility to prevent a breakdown of law and order and have a legitimate duty to ensure that the protests by the villagers did not degenerate into violence. But such legitimate duty would not include ‘harassing and molesting’ the protesters as alleged by the villagers. There is, therefore, the need to go beyond the current contention to have a real investigation to find out what really transpired on the fateful day in order to come to more specific conclusions on who to hold responsible for the tragic deaths.

Nonetheless, the ultimate reason for the clash between the villagers and the police was the dispute over the acquisition of the land for the Lekki FTZ. And here, we believe that whereas the law vests the ultimate authority on land on the governor of the state, the exercise of such authority should always be in consonance with ensuring peace in the society. In this way, government would not be showing that it is weak when it enters into negotiations with concerned communities in order to attend to their complaints. The issue of land is a very important one in Africa where attachment to it denotes much more than economic consideration.

This means that beyond legality, government ought to be more concerned with how to ensure that the local people buy in into whatever it wants to use the land for when it compulsorily acquires any land in order for them to voluntarily relinquish the land. In some circumstances, this would require that the government pays adequate compensation to the traditional owners of the land.

In this particular case, whereas the idea of an FTZ is to bring development to the state, getting the people to appreciate the need for this and support its realisation is more important for the sustainability of the project than to force the project on the people.

We would, therefore, recommend that governments recognise the ultimate need to always work with the people to achieve the acceptance of development projects and not seek to force such development on the people in order to prevent crises and tragic deaths such as we have witnessed at the Lekki FTZ.

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opinion

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Molete fire: Ganiyu and the quality of mercy

T

IME, they chant, heals all wounds, but when a fire accident is concerned, the indelible scars, the deformations and the transmogrification of beauty into beast, in all constancy, reminds the world of the fiery woes doled out on struggling mortals by the blood sucking hand of the ancient Greek Vulcan.

It has been over a year since the Molete fire incident occured in Ibadan but the grotesque images of the morning after the fire are yet vigorously attached to the fore of my grey matter. As a matter of fact, from time to time, they surreptitiously crawl out of my subconscious and torment me by epileptic flashes of a heart shattering scene of ruins of cars, tricycles and charred buildings lying haphazardly under the Molete Bridge. I vividly see the smoke, an aftermath of the horrific fire in my head and just when fumes tend to choke me in my trance, I revert to reality.

That is the kind of trauma I sporadically experience from simply being at the scene of the dreadful accident, the morning after the night of the obnoxious whirl winding fire. Au contraire Nigerians, my psychological turmoil is absolutely nothing, diminutive and epically disparate to the current reality starring Lukman Ganiyu, the Molete cab driver, hard in the face.

“How can someone who, in the past rendered financial help to people, resort to begging?” he had inquired of my colleague and me with a soul searching stare as hueless liquid gathered in his eyes, giving his cornea a glistering look. “I cannot beg, I just want a similitude of my former life back. I know it cannot be the same, but I cannot live like I am dead.”

However, before we got to the point where he spoke those words, Ganiyu had explicitly narrated the life changing ordeal he benightedly drove into in the evening hours of Saturday, 11 October, 2014.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and Ganiyu, already orphaned several years ago, cleaned his Nissan Micra and set out to make a living for his family consisting of a wife and five children.

Ganiyu has been a cab driver for almost two decades, but only recently bought his own Micra by installments through the help of his boss. Harrowingly, however, it was barely two

months after paying off all the debt and completely acquiring the car that he became a victim of the fire of doom under the Molete Bridge. Ganiyu was stuck in the fire, in his recently purchased car with four passengers who all perished. Even after a year, he hasn’t been able to fathom out how he got out of the driver’s seat of his burnt Micra and ended up on the gore and petrol soiled tar under the Bridge of Molete, but his life had drastically changed since that Saturday.

Though miraculously saved, Ganiyu’s both hands were eaten up by the fire and all ten fingers are pressed to the back leaving only his palm. Consequently, he has lost the use of both hands. The left side of Ganiyu’s face was as well gulped by Vulcan’s scarlet hot tongue, his left ear also melted completely. The left leg has become almost triple its original size by the inflammation from the burns. Ganiyu, who used to be a bread winner, now waits on his children to be fed, bathed and clothed.

He had insisted to visit the newspaper house in the cool evening because he still felt stabs of pain under the heat of the sun even after a year.

In the midst of all these tribulations, Ganiyu’s wife absconded, abandoning him with their five children. He later got thrown out of his home due to his inability to pay

veracity with Vera Onana

veraonana@gmail.com 08054680688 the house rent as and when due. Today, his children have stopped schooling, but making cheap money by begging is not at all an option Ganiyu would consider.

Despite the severity of his condition, Ganiyu is not spiteful or bitter. He believes that his life was not taken for a reason and is determined to discover that purpose. He holds no grudge against his wife for fleeing as well but getting his life back or something close to what he had before is his ultimate dream- to be able to eat without help, bathe without help and put clothes on his own body is Ganiyu’s most profound desire and the reason he took the labourious task of visiting the Tribune House; a trip he took against all odds.

On this column last year, I had written about the Molete Fire to express my sadness and disapproval of the spate of such avoidable accidents in the country. Those were ordinary Nigerians eking out a living under that bridge.

Fathers who had come out to make ends meet, mothers who had hurried off to the market to buy soup condiments, children running errands, travellers who had stopped to buy a gift for their hosts, the young graduate who had just secured a job after years of searching, rushing to catch a cab home and taking care of his growling stomach and the petty trader who just closed shop happy to have made little sales to support her family.

Sad but true, we can never bring back the dead but we can give a better life to the impaired that still believes in the quality of mercy. Ganiyu had said: “Many times I have thought about taking my life, but the only thing that has kept me going is not embedded in the sermons of the Islamic cleric, but in the fact that I will receive mercy because Nigerians are merciful.”

I may not be a plastic surgeon but I am certain that Ganiyu’s condition can be corrected with series of surgeries but how can he get these surgeries done without mercy from all of us? Shakespeare spoke through the lips of Portia thus: “The quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as the gently rain from heaven. It is twice blessed, it blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”

Terrorism: Towards protecting the environment

By Ugewe Clifford Chigala

Recent events in Nigeria have indicated an emerging security trend in the form of terrorism and terrorist group attacks. The contemporary Nigerian society is engulfed by terrible acts of insurgency. Militancy and terrorism are common features in the landscape. Today, the atrocities of these terrorist groups have become a common place and seem to be permanent on the global landscape so much so that people have now become numb to the successively outrageous nature of terrorist acts perpetrated by these common enemies of humanity.

The threat posed to international peace and security by these modern crusaders of evil is such that the very survival of human race might well be in question except and unless decisive actions are taken to arrest the growing incidence of terrorism.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defined terrorism as ‘the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in the furtherance of political or social objectives.’ This definition has been criticised because it omits the necessary element of intent and limits the purpose to achievements of political or social objectives.

The Nigerian Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 defines ‘acts of terrorism’ to mean, inter alia, ‘an act which is deliberately done with malice, aforethought and which may seriously harm or damage a country or an international organisation.’ Also, the Nigerian terrorism Act has been criticised for not taking into account state sponsored terrorism. Terrorism has no universally accepted definition and it should not be so. An issue like terrorism should be properly defined and should not be what one should say ‘when you see terrorism you will know it’.

Environment on the other hand has been defined as that which encompasses all living and non-living things

occurring naturally on earth or some region thereof. The foremost environmental legislation in Nigeria, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (Establishment) Act, 2007 defines environment to include water, air, land and plant and human beings or animals living therein and the inter-relationship which exist among those or any of them.

The environment is a source of sustenance. From cradle to grave humans depend on the environment. Human basic needs of air, water, land and food are all part and products of the environment. After the initial shock of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, the environmental implications of such destruction became the focus of many questions: what pollutants were released? And

Terrorism also contributes to global warming.

how can they be identified and measured in air, water, soil and land? How can their risk to the environment be assessed and managed? Are agencies equipped to monitor and assess the effects on air quality resulting from fire and debris? If the site of an attack requires clean-up, are there proper monitoring and remediation procedures in place to minimise the risk to the environment and human health? Are clean-up targets or standards in place to decontaminate buildings and construction materials after a chemical or biological terrorist attack?

Answers to these questions will help the government and policy makers in carrying out a holistic resettlement of internally displaced persons, protect the environment and making sure the environment is safe for humans. It has become pertinent to safeguard the environment of terrorists attacked sites because the land upon which the food are produced maybe polluted, the air which is being taken in may be polluted and the water may not be potable. Terrorism also contributes to global warming by means of the incessant green house gases that is emitted to the atmosphere whenever terrorists attack a site. Indeed there is need to protect lives and property but there is an urgent need to protect the environment because the very survival of human race depends on it.

It is, therefore, suggested that the legal and institutional framework for the protection of the environment should be strengthened. NESREA should collaborate with NEMA and other international environmental bodies like UNEP to carry out massive cleanup of the environment, and government should discourage the military from destroying the environment in the course of combating terrorism. Everyone can contribute by planting at least a tree and report any suspicious movement in their neighbourhood to the security personnel to avert any terrorist attack.

•Chigala is of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 08158610216

National Identity Card registration: Amputees fight injustice Clemetn Idoko-Abuja

Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) House, Abuja

Drama as FG’s memo triggers battle on revenue service Christian Okeke -Abuja

D

rama over compliance with the Federal Government’s circular of July 16 dissolving boards of parastatals and agencies of government has taken another dimension in Abuja as security agents sealed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Internal Revenue Services office, just as the former boss of the service, Isa Ari, stayed put in office.

The sealing of the revenue office came as cold war between the FCT administration and Ari over whether he should or not vacate office lingered.

When Abuja Xtra visited the revenue building which also houses FCT training centre, security officers were seen guarding the building, with no one coming in or going out.

It was gathered that the operatives arrived about 4am on that fateful day and padlocked the main gate of the building.

Commenting on the situation, the FCT administration, which spoke through the deputy director in charge of Media and

Expert seeks national ambulance service for stroke patients —Pg.22

Communications, Muhammad Sule and the director, Permanent Secretary’s Office, Udom Atang, disclosed that it wrote the Presidency on August 18 seeking clarification on the content of the circular on the board’s dissolution.

In response, the administration said the Presidency wrote back, affirming that the dissolution affected FCT boards, inclusive of the revenue board.

The administration noted that a separate letter from the office of Secretary to Government of the Federation dated October 9 and addressed to Ari had warned him that his continued flouting of government’s directive constituted an affront on government, demanding that he vacate office.

In line with the latest letter, the administration stated that it took the step of sealing the building to protect it, denying that there was rift over the revenue service.

It said the deputy director, Boma Ayirete, who was initially posted to work as administrative secretary at the revenue

service, had since been recalled to the FCT legal services secretariat.

It said: “There is no rift in FCT administration because the revenue board has been dissolved long time ago. We are not the person that dissolved the board, but the Federal Government. After the dissolution, FCTA directed Ari to hand over to Director of Treasury.”

Earlier, the Administrative Secretary of the agency, Mrs Boma Ayirete, who spoke on the controversy, expressed shock over the shutting down of the revenue office which, according to her, had generated over N1billion in few months.

She noted that the circular dissolving boards of federal parastatals and agencies was clear on the matter concerning the chief executive officers who were asked to remain in office after the dissolution.

Ayirete lamented that tax payers, who were coming to collect receipts for money paid into the coffers of the administration, would be disappointed seeing the place under lock and key.

Local council, tool to affect lives in rural areas —Aspirant—Pg.22

Female LG chairmanship aspirant drums support for Buhari —Pg.22

Persons living with disabilities have kicked against what they described as barriers against upper limb amputees in the ongoing national identity card registration.

They have also taken their case to the headquarters of National Identity Card Management Commission (NIMC) where they registered their grievances.

Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, who led a delegation to the DirectorGeneral of NIMC, Barrister Chris Onyemenam, alleged that the data capturing machines were deliberately designed to promote inequality.

He alleged that the machines deployed to states and local government areas were not capable of capturing citizens with upper limb loss, disclosing that most of the persons living with disabilities who turned up for registration in their localities were asked to come to NIMC headquarters in Abuja for the registration at their expense.

Anyaele said the association was concerned that the cost of registering an upper limb amputee who would have travelled from his or her locality to Abuja for registration estimated at N50,000.00 was highly unbearable.

“We demand that NIMC urgently address this issue of discrimination against citizens with upper limb loss and reduce attitudinal barriers that hinder them from participation in the national identity card registration”, he said.

However, the NIMC Assistant General Manager, Operations, Uche Chigbo, who received the delegation, said the programme was designed to be all-inclusive.

While insisting that the registration had been free, Chigbo added that the Federal Government was mindful of the persons with disabilities and adequately provided for seamless process of capturing them.

According to her, persons with upper limb loss were being given facial capturing and that all of the NIMC registration officials were properly educated on that.

She said she was surprised to hear that such persons were being directed to come to Abuja from their states to do the registration.

Crew 1. Christian Okeke chidiabujatribune@ yahoo.com 08030947856 2. Clement Idoko idokoajiga@yahoo. co.uk 08034412281 3. Kolawole Daniel kolawoledaniels@yahoo.co.uk 08030763782 4. Adetola Bademosi gloriaadetola@ gmail.com 08182214290 5. Collins Nnabuife chideraacollins@yahoo.com 08039521408 Abuja Xtra email & GSM: abujaxtra@ gmail.com 08054501406

abujaxtra Expert seeks national ambulance service for stroke patients

22

Christian Okeke-Abuja

C

onsultant Neurosurgeon and member, Nigeria Stroke Reference Group, Dr Biodun Ogungbo, has urged the Federal Government to develop an emergency telephone number and a coordinated ambulance service for stroke patients in the country.

He said to treat the disease effectively, the stroke victim should be able to call an emergency response number and be transported to a dedicated stroke centre within minutes, insisting that developing a local solution to cater for stroke patients remained the best option.

Ogungbo, who spoke against the backdrop of World Stroke Day in Abuja, lamented that clot bursting drugs such as Alteplase, Streptokinase and Urokinase were not readily available in the country and where they were available, they were too expensive for the common man to buy.

“For the rich who have money to fly out of the country, Europe, America and India are too far to go for a drug that must be administered within three hours,” he said.

The Neurosurgeon observed that many

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

nations were concentrating on advocacy and effective treatment in stroke centres.

He said: “We know that treatment in a stroke centre reduces the disability and death significantly. Therefore establishing such centres in Nigeria is the way forward.

So, stroke centres need to be developed to provide effective emergency management of stroke victims.

“Some centres exist in Benin and Abeokuta, but they need serious financial support to deliver quality of care.

“The government, through the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), must find ways to effectively support stroke survivors and their families through the advancement of new treatments. By raising awareness, we can minimize the rates of disability and mortality resulting from stroke.

“Stroke is a brain attack and can happen to anyone at any time. It occurs when blood flow to an area of brain is cut off.

When this happens, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and begin to die.

“When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the

brain such as memory and muscle power are lost.

“It is a leading cause of long-term disability and death. Each year, more than 160, 000 Nigerians die from stroke though we do not know the actual number.

“This is more than Malaria and HIV combined anyway. However, stroke is not truly recognised as a killer and given the due dishonourable credit it deserves.

Many of the deaths and disability are often ascribed to malaria and witchcraft.

“Everyone must know the root causes of stroke such as high blood pressure and diabetes. High blood pressure or hypertension is the biggest underlying cause of stroke in Nigeria.

“Many people do not know they have high blood pressure because they have not checked. We need to change this. Others who have been diagnosed stop taking medications for various reasons, some because their pastor said they were cured at the last retreat!

“The government recently inaugurated a special group, the Nigeria Stroke Reference Group (NSRG) to help deliver a strategic plan and direction for stroke care in Nigeria.

“It will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) to deliver a stroke registry for Nigeria, educate healthcare practitioners and conduct serious advocacy for Nigerians to mitigate the effects of stroke.”

Local council, tool to affect lives in rural areas —Aspirant Adetola Bademosi-Abuja AN aspirant for councillorship seat in Wuse Ward of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr Mathias Aliu, has said that government at the grassroots remains viable tool to positively affect the lives of the people.

Aliu, who is seeking to emerge the candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) for the forthcoming poll, while declaring his intention to emerge as next councillor of Wuse ward, explained that if the government closest to the people was not responsible enough, it would make the electorates give up on governance.

“It is only by adequate representation,

improved welfare and unity that any community can work and achieve purpose.

“If the government at this level is not near its people, it will not only be a recipe for disaster, but will lead to the loss of confidence in government at this level”, he said.

He added: “Looking at Wuse ward, it has developed to a large extent infrastructurally, but what of the minds of the people there? Building capacity in the people is something that must never end.

“Government at all levels must strive to promote and create conducive environment for developments in all strata of the society,” he said.

An ambulance

Female LG chairmanship aspirant drums support for Buhari Christian Okeke-Abuja Chairmanship aspirant for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Chief Mrs Adaeze Olisaelo, has urged women

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr David Babachir Lawal (centre); FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr John Obinna Chukwu (left) and others cutting the tape to commission the new ultra modern steel pipe manufacturing mill in Ushafa, a suburb of Abuja, recently

Flour distributors get rewards Adetola Bademosi-Abuja IT was rather a moment of joy for distributors and customers of Crown Flour Mill Limited when the management decided to honour its major distributors across the country.

Managing Director of the firm, Mr Anurag Shukla, was on hand to present the prizes which included refrigerators, television sets and generating sets.

Speaking with Abuja Xtra, the com-

mercial director of the company, Bolaji Anifowose, lamented that insurgency in the North east had affected sales in the region.

“The company is a citizen of Nigeria and whatever affects the country affects the company as far as the North east is concerned, but like every Nigerian, we are coping. We have been lucky we have not lost anybody, staff or customers. Volumes in the North east have slightly gone down but we have to look at opportunities to

cover up for losses in that region,” he said.

Anifowose noted that the company had developed variants within the flour sector to meet the needs of Nigerians.

He said: “We have different kinds of flour for different purposes across Nigeria. We have also been able to identify the needs of the different regions of the country to meet them.

“This is a yearly event. It is a forum for self-appraisal and we want to get feedback from customers so we can improve,” he said.

all over the country to support the activities, policies and aspirations of President Muhamadu Buhari so as to garner the necessary quota meant for women folks in his administration.

Her pleas came amidst agitation for more appointments for women into the current government.

Speaking in Abuja, the chairmanship aspirant expressed optimism that women would soon enjoy the full benefits of Buhari’s leadership by applying some degree of patience to enable the leadership shop for women of integrity for appointments.

She noted that the chances of more women getting political appointments in the present dispensation were quite bright but said such agitation could only materialise if patience and trust were adopted.

The aspirant, who hoped to actualise her ambition under the All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke on the challenges of facing non-indegens of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and stressed that the constitution of the country gave room for citizens who migrated from different parts of the country to vie for election in the FCT. She expressed hopes of emerging standard bearer of the party and winning the forthcoming poll as according to her, men had failed the people over the years.

She said: “I know it will certainly get well with the Nigerian women and I suppose also that Nigerian women are much enlightened to join the band wagon.”

23

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

leadership &

management The 60-second

business coach

10 traits of great business leaders

Cattle don’t eat peacocks

with Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

Leaders’ forum You need be dead to the views of partypoopers

Book Review

Leadership Quote:

Character is destiny — Heraclitus

Tara Fela-Durotoye, CEO, House of Tara International

The proactive leader

By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

P

ETER Drucker, one of the best management minds of the 20th century, said the best way to predict the future is to create it. This was his antidote to Murphy’s Law, which posits that whatever can go wrong will eventually go wrong. The import of Drucker’s axiom is that by choosing to create the kind

of future they want, outstanding leaders neither leave their fate in the laps of the gods nor wait for good fortune to fall into their laps; rather, they take charge of their affairs and steer the ship of their organizations exactly in the direction they choose, not where they are forced to go. They determine what happens to them and live their dreams; they refuse to put themselves at the mercies of circumstances. That is proactive leadership.

Proactive leaders operate intentionally; they run their organizations on their own terms and get the kind of result they envisage. Proactive leaders are always a step ahead of situations and circumstances. They do not wait until a situation arises before making up their minds on what to do; they decide on their line of action long before there is a compelling reason to take a decision.

Continues on pg24

24

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Book review

Becoming the best by Harry M. Kraemer BECOMING the Best has five major components, with a section devoted to each: becoming your Best Self (focused on the individual and becoming your best, authentic self), becoming the Best Team (every team member able to link what they do to the overall goals and objectives of the organization), becoming a Best Partner (moving beyond individual financial transactions and focusing on the customer experience), becoming the Best Investment (returns being measured in more than monetary terms), and becoming the Best Citizen (making a difference in the community and the world).

Diving into the topic of becoming the Best Partner, and the human element of the supply chain, Kraemer clarifies why we’re all really in business in the first place: On the surface, a supply chain is about the movement of goods and services from manufacturer to distributor to

end user. It involves such unemotional elements as cost of goods and logistics.

Going deeper, however, the picture changes when questions arise such as: Who are the end users? What is behind the demand and urgency for obtaining these products and services? What would be the consequences of supply disruption? In short, what is the impact of this product or service on the lives of the ultimate end users … The answers to these questions provide context and meaning to the supply chain, and remind all parties why the partnership is far more than a mere transaction.

To illustrate how this looks in the real world, he shares a story from Baxter International, the healthcare company he spent 22 years in, and led as its CEO for the last six years of his tenure there.

Knowing that the products they supplied to hospitals would have to be individually sterilized and bundled by hospital staff for different surgeries and procedures, Baxter decided to simplify things

leadership&management

and save time for their customers: Baxter saw an opportunity to deepen its customer relationship with a new line called Custom Sterile, which provided sterile supply packs customized for specific operations or procedures. The cost savings in terms of storage and time was significant, and the product line contributed to greater efficiency in the operating room, which is the most expensive area of the hospital.

Since leaving Baxter in 2004, Kraemer refined his own values-based approach to leadership into one of the most popular classes at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and From Values to Action came out of that class. He boiled it down to four very human and close-tothe-ground principles: Self-Reflection, Balance, True Self-Confidence, and Genuine Humility. These are seemingly simple principles, but they can be hard to live. It amounts to “doing the right thing rather than being right,” which

The 60-second business coach means setting aside one’s ego, questioning and considering all approaches and angles even if they seem antithetical to you, and still having enough sense of self to make a determined decision and stand behind it.

Becoming the Best is his response to how his ideas have been met in the real world by others, and teaches us how to apply them practically in the day-to-day.

And the message is clear: this is not only the duty of those at the top of the organization.

People at every level and with any job title can and should become values-based leaders—those who lead with principles and live by example.

The questions he’s answering in the book have come from every level and every kind of organization, from people just like you: “They are CEOs and other C-level corporate officers, executive managers, middle managers, entry-level individuals, and students.”

By Micha Kaufman 1. Persistence In the 1890s, Henry Ford came up with the Ford Quadricycle, a vehicle made up of a frame mounted on four large bicycle wheels with an ethanol-powered engine.

Needless to say, it wasn’t a success. Ford later founded the Ford Motor Company, invented the Model T, and became one of the wealthiest men in the world. Do you try, fail, and pick yourself back up again? Bingo!

2. Thick skin Walt Disney’s editor at the Kansas City Star told him that he had no good ideas and lacked imagination. He could have taken the harsh words to heart and given up the creativity ghost. Instead he went on to become the most successful animator of all time, winning 22 Academy Awards, creating characters like Mickey Mouse, and opening his own theme park. Today, Walt Disney is one of the world’s most ubiquitous house-

10 traits of great business leaders

hold name brands, synonymous with creativity.

3. An eye for talent It takes a village to make amazing things happen. That’s why great leaders surround themselves with other great minds. Steve Jobs was always on the hunt for talent in unique ways, like accepting invitations to lecture at universities so he could scout potential employees. Jobs personally interviewed over 5,000 applicants during his lifetime, managing all the hiring for his team.

4. Can’t get no satisfaction What do Google, Yahoo, and Facebook have in common? All are billion dollar companies that started in dorm rooms. Great business leaders are never satisfied and continually strive to take their business to the next level. As Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, said, “The most dangerous poison is the feeling of achievement. The antidote is to every evening think what can be done

better tomorrow.”

5. Fearlessness When Richard Branson was younger, his aunt bet him that he couldn’t learn to swim during their family vacation. After failing to master the skill during the trip, on the drive home, he asked his father to pull over the car. He jumped into a river, swam, and won the bet. Today, Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group, which is made up of over 400 companies, believes in a philosophy of taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules,” Branson said. “You learn by doing, and by falling over.”

6. Owning your mistakes After Amazon deleted copies of unauthorized versions of Animal Farm and 1984 from users’ Kindles, there was an immediate negative backlash. Not only did Amazon cop to the mistake in an official press statement, CEO Jeff Bezos personally apologized, admitting that the company’s solution to the

problem was “stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles.” He also offered, “deep apologies to our customers.”

7. Toughness If you want to lead in the business world, you’re going to have to stand up for yourself. “When somebody challenges you, fight back. Be brutal, be tough,” advised Donald Trump.

Michael Bloomberg agreed, saying at a commencement ceremony that, “In the business world, it’s dog-eat-dog,” and, “you occasionally have to throw some elbows.”

8. Winning friends and influencing people But don’t take the tough act too far.

People work better for managers they like. John D. Rockefeller said, “The ability to deal with people is as purchasable as a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other thing under the sun.” Mark Cuban put things a little more simply: “People

hate dealing with people who are jerks.

It’s always easier to be nice than to be a jerk. Don’t be a jerk.”

9. Singular vision It all starts with an idea. Howard Schultz envisioned a single brand with coffeehouses across the globe. He turned that dream into a reality and founded Starbucks. “I think if you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve got to dream big, and then dream bigger,” he said. “It’s seeing what other people don’t see and pursuing that vision.”

10. Powerfully passionate Above all, a true leader is passionate about whatever venture he or she is undertaking. As Jobs said, “You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.” Oprah Winfrey also had some powerful words on the subject. “Passion is energy,” she said.

“Feel the power that comes from doing whatever excites you.”

Power of proactive leadership Continues from |pg23

Every leader must realize that he is running two businesses simultaneously; these are the current one and the evolving one. As technology changes, so will the environment and eventually the people also change. Of course, as people change, their needs will become different.

So, it is only leaders who are able to effectively anticipate ensuing changes and prepare themselves for such today that will stand a chance in the marketplace of tomorrow.

Leaders’ undoing Many leaders are reactive rather than being proactive because they are too bogged down with operational activities. Granted, the leader must be on the frontline and show the team what has to be done but if that is all the leader does, he has missed his calling. If a leader considers himself as having achieved a lot after doing what a floor manager can do, then he is not better than a floor manager. Getting a handle on operational activities is the forte of a line manager, not the leader. So, if the leader concerns himself too much with operational issues or routine challenges, he will be denying his organization of what his real contribution should be. Many leaders find it difficult to make the necessary shift from being a departmental head to being the overall leader. So, years after becoming the overall head, they still have the mentality of a sectional leader. By so doing, they rob their organization of the full benefits of their position.

The real function of the leader is to prepare the organization for the

future; it is to ensure that his organization is positioned such that it will be both competitive and viable in the future. The leader is expected to journey into the future, envision what would be required in years ahead and prepare his organization for the provision of goods and services that would be needed in the envisioned future. The leader is able to do this by familiarizing himself with developments and trends in his industry as well as ancillary ones. But when a leader pays too much attention to what others should do, he fails to deliver on his core responsibility.

Then, he won’t have a choice but to be reactive when real issues that he should have anticipated Mike Ikpoki, CEO, MTN Nigeria arise. To avoid being caught on the wrong foot, a leader must be proactive.

Becoming a proactive leader Every leader that is worth the title needs to be proactive. These are some of the attributes of proactive leaders.

They are anticipatory Brad Lomenick, in his book, The Catalyst Leader, says every capable leader must be an anticipator. This he explains to mean that they see the future before it becomes visible; they are more in tune with the future than the present because they know that the future is more important than the present and set their

Bolaji Edu, CEO, Broll

minds on the future. He adds that to effectively do this, they stay a step ahead of their teams in leadership thoughts, they don’t react but ‘in-act’ and they figure out what the organization needs before anyone else realizes it.

Ladi Balogun, CEO, FCMB

Sim Shagaya. CEO, Konga

Oye Hassan Odukal e,

CEO, Leadway Assu rance

Alexander Amosu, CEO, Amosu Luxury

But what is it that makes a leader anticipatory?

First is familiarity with history. It is the belief among experts that every industry has its cycle of boom and bust.

There are times that an industry experiences expansion and growth while at other times there will be a lull. Being familiar with this helps a leader to plan and outsmart the cycle. The truth is that while some organizations are consumed by the cycle, some thrive in spite of it. Those that outperform others during a lull are those that have leaders who are anticipatory and put appropriate measures in place to insulate them from the adverse effects of the cycle.

Every leader must be familiar with the history of the industry where he operates. He must know how frequently the trend changes in the industry as well as the factors that trigger such changes. Having this knowledge helps the leader to be at the vanguard

When a leader pays too much attention to what others should do, he fails to deliver on his core responsibility. of change rather than being its victim. Those who champion change are always better positioned to harvest the fruit of the change than those who join the bandwagon.

Another factor that helps a leader to be anticipatory is his commitment to studying events as they unfold. Very few changes are drastic. Usually, changes are evolutionary, not revolutionary. So, a leader that pays attention to the environment and watches the trend of events will sense, ahead of time, an impending change. Knowing this will prepare the leader to properly position himself and his organization to reap the full benefits of the change when it occurs because he has already anticipated it.

Sometimes leaders rely on their gut and intuition to anticipate what will happen in future. They anticipate a change when neither the history nor trend points in that direction and they are often right. This is usually because they have become so tuned to the twists and turns of the industry that they can accurately predict what the next move would be.

But whether as a result of studying the trend or relying on historical facts, a leader must be anticipatory because it is those who anticipate today that will remain relevant tomorrow.

Thoroughness One rule a sailor never overlooks is the one

that says never leave anything to chance. For every proactive leader, that should also be a guiding principle. A proactive leader never leaves anything to chance; he is thorough in his planning and factors every relevant matter into his strategy. He looks over every aspect of the organization’s activities and ensures that he has a plan in place for everything. A proactive leader operates on the premise that the success of his organization is not dependent on any external factor but what the organization is able to do. He never assumes that things will sort themselves out; rather he sees to it that issues are sorted out. Proactive leaders do not rely on external luck; they create their own luck by taking their destinies in their hands. They always remember Murphy’s Law and strive never to be caught on the wrong side of the law.

Long-term planning Proactive leaders are long-term planners because they are goal-oriented. Being goal-oriented, they know exactly what they want, they have it written down and communicated to their team members. They also have a plan on how to achieve their goals and daily work on same.

Goal-oriented people are never tired of planning. They don’t see the accomplishment of a goal as the Eldorado. The actualization of a goal is the impetus they need to start working on another one.

They have a Plan B Proactive leaders always have a fallback position.

They never leave themselves open to any unnecessary shock so they always have a Plan B. They are of the opinion that because Plan A may not go as expected, it makes sense to have a contingency arrangement. Some proactive leaders even go beyond having a Plan B and make arrangement for Plans C and D. While that may be considered as extreme, the point is that proactive leaders do not want to be left in the cold. So, they move against everything that may give them an unpleasant surprise by putting in place an arrangement that can absorb any shock that may come their way.

26

tribunebusiness

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

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

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

Cattle don’t eat peacocks

Comrade Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna South in Nigeria’s Red Chamber is someone that I have a lot of respect for. I admire his candour and his courage as a social activist.

However, reading his responses to questions posed to him by the HotSeat column of the Punch last week Saturday left me wondering if there is indeed any sincerity on the part of our socalled leaders, including those with acclaimed social activism antecedents. And that leaves me worried. Why is it that when issues of tribe and ethnic allegiances come to the fore, even those who are supposed to make sense find it difficult to couch their irredentist inclinations? I have no problem with Senator Sani’s expression of his views and will not grudge him for them.

However, the distinguished senator needs to be reminded that he is now a national leader even though he represents a segment of the country. Leadership at that level demands an elevated level of responsibility.

I was one of the people who stridently criticized Afenifere’s position that cattle rearers be restricted to the North. However, I do not remember reading anywhere that Afenifere referred to every Fulani man as a criminal or quintessential kidnapper. It is interesting how politicians waste no time in causing issues that could have been tackled at the initial stages of occurrence to fester and become things over which political mileage is scored by various sides of the discourse. I will not assay to rehash Senator Sani’s words. Suffice it to say however that in spite of the interviewer’s several attempts to make the Senator address the real issues bordering on how some Fulani deviants have consistently led their cattle to ravage farmlands without any iota of remorse in different parts of the country, his simplistic responses actually betray a complete lack of sensitivity to the issues at stake. He seemed to be more concerned with defending the Fulani than addressing the issue of the deviant cattle rearers who make life miserable for their host grazing communities. Of course nobody would deny the right of the Fulani or any other Nigerian tribe for that matter to move from one part of the country to another. That is why we are one nation. Having said that, it is trite knowledge that human rights are not absolute.

They are claimed or exercised in accordance with a collective ethos that stipulates that a man’s rights end where the rights

of another begin. My right to commit a crime stops with the exercise of society’s right to send me to jail when apprehended.

This is the plan of justice. Responsible leadership understands that there can be no peace in the absence of justice.

I do not blame Senator Sani and others who may think like him irrespective of where they come from. After all the distinguished senator is a farmer but of a different kind. He raises peacocks. Hardly a delicacy for cattle! But I believe leaders need to be more circumspect in making public statements on issues that are capable of riling raw nerves. Nigeria belongs to us all, Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Urhobo, Kanuri, just name it.

Who feels it knows it. This writer completely lost two hectares of cassava and maize - just at the point of harvesting - to Fulani cattle. That investment was a tidy sum that went totally down the drain. I have not ventured to do that again because of the huge amount of money lost. I do not need to see the entire Fulani tribe to know that my farm was ravaged by cattle reared

by Fulani herdsmen. That is not to say that every Fulani man is a criminal. When Nigerians were victims of serious demeaning profiling as a result of a pariah status, it was largely because of the misdemeanours of a few miscreants. All over the world, Nigerians are prime suspect for what is generally regarded as “white collar crimes”. These are usually committed by a very negligible population of Nigerians at home or in Diaspora. Does it then mean that those nations that specially profile us are convinced that we are all rogues? Herein lies my problem with Senator Sani’s lame-duck, albeit needless defence of the Fulani. According to Senator Sani, it is okay for these herdsmen to be moderately armed, perhaps with licensed dane guns to secure themselves. Fair enough if that were to be so. But I have personally seen some Fulani herdsmen with AK47 hung on their shoulders in broad daylight! It is an open secret in many parts of the South West that some of these cattle rearers have actually used their cattle to block the road in order to rob innocent motorists. According to Chinua Achebe in his classic “Things Fall apart” when one finger brings out oil, it soils the others. Almost on a daily basis, we read gory stories of villages ransacked and several people murdered in cold blood all because they dared to challenge some Fulani herdsmen. In the area where I live,

we have recently been playing host to several people from the Middle Belt, Plateau and Benue states to be precise who have fled their villages and abandoned their farms and now seek to be employed as security guards because of this same problem. And we keep mouthing food security. I have met families whose children have been rendered orphans. I know a man who was almost beheaded on his own farm but for providential intervention!

Many have totally abandoned their farm in fear for their lives.

Whether perpetrated by a few or by many, this menace festers by the day unchecked especially in Ekiti State where I live. What happened to Chief Olu Falae only brought the issue to the fore.

Sadly enough, successive governments at the centre have refused to take a holistic look at these issues with a view to nipping it in the bud. As is standard practice, Abuja is probably waiting until a volcanic reaction occurs that, like Boko Haram, threatens our nationhood before something in the mould of our usual kneejerk reactions would be done. In times like these, leaders need to exercise restraint, show understanding and sympathy for people whose lives and livelihoods have been affected, proffer lasting solutions and go further to see how bridges can be built between these cattle rearers and their host communities instead of reminding the rest of us about how we will all perish if we don’t eat cow meat or how Nigeria will divide if cattle rearers are not restricted to the North bla bla bla! The haughtiness and the strident defence of the Fulani put up by Sani can only aggravate, not assuage matters. Even when he proffered a solution, his tenor seemed to imply that the pillage could continue (just blame the few miscreants) until that suggested approach is adopted.

Great leaders don’t state their minds as much as they mind what they state!

The unfortunate thing in all of this is that those who inflame sensibilities are themselves never directly affected in open violent conflicts. Their passports are never too far away so that at the slightest sign of trouble they and their families can take the next available flight out of town and hoist themselves as the foreign poster-boys of a needless conflict.

Nigeria deserves better!

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

You need be dead to the views of partypoopers

There is a beggaring description of the wind of joy that will hit the core of your heart the moment you bring an idea that has never been in existence to life. In fact, there are a few things more powerful, more potent and greater than creating, fashioning or crafting something new; especially when that something is a product, invention or creation of your own imagination and brainstorming.

Those who make use of their imagination are called creators, authors, originators, inventors, makers and architects. Remember, creators are men and women who have brainchildren. And you cannot have brainchildren and be cleaned out, penniless or dispossessed.

The imaginative, incentive and creative part of your brain is very potent. But it is so sad that most of us do not use this compartment of our brain positively—while others do not use theirs at all.

No nation can contain a man or woman who consistently makes use of his or her imagination productively. Those who make use of their imagination productively, prolifically and busily do become co-creators with God. Invention and creation are put to bed through our imagination. If you do not have brainchildren, it means you have not been using your imagination productively.

Going from chaos to concept, to creation is an art form—one that is not reserved for artists alone; it applies to everyone who is creative. Certain, it is easier to identify the process for the writer, painter or carpenter who crafts a masterpiece. But, what about the entrepreneur, the architect or alchemist who comes up with a solution before others recognize a problem? Are they not artists too? I am sure you will agree with me that they are.

It does not matter if you start with a void in the marketplace, or an empty canvas, picture and work of art. When you breathe life into a concept that originated in your mind’s eye, you are exercising what it is like to be imaginative, resourceful and innovative. And that feeling is exhilarating and addicting. I do hope you are getting what I am trying to describe here. Creative

people breathe life into concepts and ideas, and put flesh on them just as God breathed life into man and he became a living being.

Being creative is also a risk. Especially if you are charting a new course by daring to create something that the world has never seen. You are left to wonder how your creation will be received and how you will be perceived by others. Despite this hesitation and second guessing, the truly inspired creators among us share their gift, their art and their passion with the world. While the majority is accepting the status-quo, the makers are redefining it and rewriting the rules in the process. If you are a maker, you are not in the majority. You are in the minority. Those who are in the majority do not make history.

Only those who are in the minority do make a difference.

Be warned—choosing to make something new, instead of making do, will be a struggle. The best and brightest innovators and thinkers the world has ever known were once scolded for their creative musings. Today, the works of Vincent Van Gogh sell for millions. But during his lifetime, he only sold two of his two thousand paintings. That people are not celebrating and paying high finances for your invention now does not mean that generations to come will not celebrate and pay high finances for them. You may not be making money from your discovery and innovation right now, but do not give up yet. This is what virtually every maker and originator went through in their varied generations. I can assure you that your own day of affluence and influence will come.

Henry David Thoreau is another example of underappreciated genius. Nearly unknown during his own life, currently he is widely read and respected. And for the entrepreneurs among us, prepare to have your concepts criticized. The know-it-alls told Henry Ford that no one needed a car and those same critics told Bill Gates that computers would not be widely used.

Thankfully they did not listen to party-poopers. Make sure you do not listen to party-poopers, too.

There are so many know-it-alls in our day and time, too. They do have many reasons why your invention cannot work. They will tell you why you are going to fail, but will never tell you how you can succeed. Creative people do not listen to spoilsports. If I had listened to killjoys, I would not have been doing what I am doing today. Remember, the party-poopers told the Wright brothers that what they were trying to give birth to would not work. They told them that if God wanted human beings to fly, He would have given us wings. For the umpteenth time, be dead to the opinions of killjoys. The world needs what you want to give birth to. Go ahead and birth it!

There will also be an internal and in-house battle to be had.

At times doubt and pessimism are sure to rear their ugly, unrelenting heads. But when you battle back and bring your tour de force into being, you will begin to realize the power you hold within your hands, head and heart. It is makers, creators and producers—who change the world, while others are making excuses.

Their willingness to assume the risk and embrace uncertainty makes the impossible possible and makes the world a better place to dwell. It also helps us to recognize our own potential, inspiring us to bring our dreams to life. The world needs your dreams to be brought to life. What are you still waiting for?

One of the reasons God decided to put you on earth is, so that you can create, build and fashion things that will make this world a better place to live. Today, you and I can interact with people— who are in far away continents, because a youngster created Facebook. Also, recently, a young Nigerian, Jaiyeola Oduyoye, created a ground breaking device to ensure light does not go out in medical theaters. Last of all, the only way you and I can make this world a better place than we met it, is to give birth to things that will add high-value to humanity.

27

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

property

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Gbemi Solaja

m:08186819081 e:expensivsolaj@yahoo.com

Disregard reports of disagreement with traders over road rehabilitation —OGSG

From left, former governor, Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso; representative of Oyo State governor, Aderonke Makanjuola; National President, Government College Ibadan Old Boys’ Association, Chief Abiodun Jolaoso and Group Managing Director, Vitafoam, Taiwo Adeniyi, at the opening of Prefabricated Building, donated by Vitafoam to GCI, to mark the jubilee celebration in Ibadan over the weekend.

Vitapur prefabricated building model gets govt, builders’ endorsement

By Tunde Ogunesan And Gbemi Solaja

F

ollowing the commissioning of its new prefabricated buildings in Ibadan, Vitapur Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc has received endorsement of the new building model from the Oyo State government and the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA).

Speaking at the commissioning of the two prefabricated buildings donated to Government College Ibadan by the Vitafoam Group, Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola, described the gesture as a strategic way on the part of Vitafoam Group to take care of one of the basic needs of the people.

Senator Ajimobi explained that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was the hallmark of sacrifice that any organisation could give back to the society that had done well for them.

“I appreciate the Board, management and staff of the Vitafoam Group for donating the two prefabricated buildings, along with full furniture such as sofas, kitchen cabinets and wardrobes; as well as mattresses and pillows which were supplied by other Vitafoam subsidiaries to complement the edifices donated to the Government College Ibadan,” he said.

In what also amounted to an endorsement by all builders, Chairman, Lagos State Institute of Buildings, Mr Ashimiyu Bashir declared that prefabricated buildings were of interest to all builders worldwide.

Also speaking at the occasion, the former governor of Kano State, Senator Musa Rabiu Kwankwanso, commended Vitapur Nigeria Limited for the innovative prefabricated buildings and explained that it would be an option to the Federal Government in its efforts to address housing deficit in Ni-

geria.

In his keynote address, the Managing Director, Vitafoam Group, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi explained that Vitapur Nigeria Limited had blazed the trail by acquiring a new stateof-the-art sandwich panel production line which can produce a maximum length of 14.7 metre with varying thickness, the first of its kind in West Africa.

According to him, Vitapur Sandwich panels can be used for constructing prefabricated structures, cold rooms, equipment shelters, quick shelter development, office partitioning, shopping malls, drop temp ceilings etc.

Commenting on the benefits of rigid insulation board, Adeniyi stated that “Vitapur polyurethane rigid insulation board comes in various facings depending on intended application. These insulation boards can be used as wall, floor and roof insulation. For new buildings, boards are usually used over the purlin before the roofing sheets, while Vitapur spray foam application is preferred for existing roofs.”

Adeniyi who described Vitafoam as an integrated system said that all its subsidiaries were contributing effectively to the innovative products. He further stated that

“The inherent adaptability and durability of Vitapur’s prefabricated building units’ means that we can develop buildings to fulfil the needs of even the most demanding or obscure applications, creating functional buildings that are time and cost efficient, durable, adaptable and sustainable.”

In his welcome address, Vitafoam Chairman, Dr Dele Makanjuola explained that the project was borne out of the Corporate Social Responsibility that Vitafoam had given accustomed to and also to showcase another arm of the company’s business.

Makanjuola noted that the company’s foam products were faster, easier and more efficient to mass housing construction in Nigeria. According to him, it has also proved that mass housing for our beloved country and Nigerians can be achieved faster, cheaper and with more effective and efficient means. He emphasised the uniqueness of prefabricated building in the area of insulation and stated that Vitapur had gone commercial in the production of panels for constructing prefabricated buildings.

“We are the one building all shopping malls all over the federation. Prefabricated buildings are light weight and they are in vogue in America and many other countries.”

Ogun State government has described as false, malicious and the handiwork of mischief makers a recent newspaper report that stated that the Akute-Alagbole Road recently rehabilitated by the government has generated controversy between it and the Akute traders over who actually carried out the rehabilitation work.

A national daily newspaper had, over the weekend, published a report with headline “Amosun versus Akute Traders” where it was reported that the traders were claiming to have been the one behind the rehabilitation of the Akute Road which was actually carried out by the government.

Reacting to the report, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Kayode Ademolake, in a statement made available by the agency’s spokesman, Mr Ayokule Ewuoso, said it was common knowledge that the state government had awarded the reconstruction of the six lane 32km Sango-Ijoko-Agbole-Akute-Ojodu Abiodun Road which encompasses the region in question, adding that work had commenced in earnest on the project.

According to him, the job was slowed down due to the rainy season “which is absolutely normal in road construction works. Despite this, the governor in his characteristic nature at identifying with the good people of the state and striving to meet their needs at all times, directed the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to embark on palliative measures on all various roads that had become bad as a result of the rains.

“These roads include the Sango-Ijoko, Ope-Ilu, Agbado, Abule Ekun, AkuteAlagbole, Owode- Ijako along Lagos Abeokuta Road, Sagamu-Ogijo,Ijebu Ode- Ilese- Ijebu- Mushin- Ijebu Ife- Itele Ijebu and Orita J4- Ogbere Roads. Others include Sam Ewang- Idi-Aba Junction, Adatan to Lanfewa Enugada, just to mention a few,” he remarked.

Ademolake pointed out that the government made bold to affirm that the palliative measure under reference at Akute was undertaken by it, adding that the controversy might have emanated from the mischief makers.

Lagos declares zero tolerance on potholes, inaugurates task force Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson has declared a zero tolerance for potholes across Lagos State, while also establishing a taskforce to prosecute the patching of roads.

The commissioner, who disclosed this while meeting the management staff of the ministry and its sister agencies, announced the constitution of 40 gangs to pursue the maintenance and patching of roads with a mandate to drastically improve commuters’ experience across the state.

Engr. Johnson noted that all the engi-

neers in the ministry would participate in the exercise which targets all parts of the state.

According to him, apart from attacking potholes, the gangs will also work on rehabilitation of collapsed drains, adding that the state of the road represented a challenge that the Ambode administration was committed to confront.

In a statement by the Ministry of Works & Infrastructure, and signed by the Deputy Director, Press & Public Relations, Mr Fagunwa Abiola , he stated further that the exercise would commence soon and end only

when the roads were stabilised, noting that the effect of weather played a significant role in the condition of roads in the state.

The commissioner observed that consistent management and better attitude towards them by citizens would see the roads improve significantly.

He said the redeployment of the engineers would also provide them with hands on experience and allow them the opportunity of honing their skills, adding that the exercise would not impinge on the programme of the PWC, but rather assist in the realisation of their goals and objectives.

28

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

brands& marketing

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Akin Adewakun

m:08054683584 e:akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk

Experts advocate hate speech-free, conflict sensitive media

By Akin Adewakun - Lagos

N

ot a few believe the timing of the media talk shop, with a thematic focus on building a media industry, where the operators would be ready to play by the rules, could be more apt; especially coming at a time when the nation’s media industry is yet to completely extricate itself from some of the failings of the last general elections, attributed largely to the role it played at the heat of those elections.

For stakeholders in the industry therefore, organising a workshop, with a theme woven around the need to build and ensure an industry that would not allow the use of hate and dangerous speech in any of its channels has become inevitable.

Tagged: ‘Media Sensitisation on Hate and Dangerous Speech,’ the workshop organized by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), in partnership with the International Press Centre (IPC), according to the organisers, had become inevitable in order to guide against a re-occurrence of ‘some ugly episodes’ in the media during the last general elections and beat the industry back to track.

The Director of the IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, noted that the present-day Nigeria is increasingly becoming crisis-riddled, hence the need for journalists to always choose their words both in the print and the electronic space.

He berated the nation’s media for not living up to their responsibility to the society, since some of them still allow hate and dangerous speeches to find their way into their space.

While citing the recent media report on the kidnap of the nation’s former Finance Minister, Chief Olu Falae by some gun men in his farm recently, the former Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), described it as dangerous and inciting, to have referred to the kidnappers as belonging to an ethnic group, just because they were allegedly cattle rearers.

“I see that as a dangerous speech because that is capable of stimulating violence; since ethnicity is being read into the scenario, even when it was yet to be confirmed that the perpetrators of the crime were actually Fulani men.

“That is where I believe the media should be careful, especially in our choice of words.

We owe this society that believes so much in the information we dish out, a huge responsibility,” he stated.

While blaming the media, both traditional and new, for devoting substantial space and time to hate and dangerous speeches at the last general elections, the Executive Director of CITAD, Abdulganiyu Rufai, believes that to truly advance media development, there is that urgent need to pay utmost attention to hate speech.

Defining a dangerous speech as that “which denigrates people on the basis of their membership in a group, such as ethnic or religious,” Rufai argued that such speech is always considered as dangerous since it is capable of mobilising actions, especially when uttered by a powerful member of the society, with a high degree of influence on such society.

From left, Mrs Debola Osibogun, President/Chairman in Council of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); Mrs Mercy Oluwatoyin Ojo, Chairman, Association of Professional Women Bankers (APWB); Mrs Ibukun Awosika, Chairman Board of Directors of First Bank Plc, and Mrs Mary Akpobome, Executive Director at Heritage Bank Limited and Chairman Organising Committee of APWB’s Corporate Forum/Dinner in Lagos at the weekend.

While identifying words such as: discriminate, loot, beat, kill, forceful eviction and others as some of the profiles of hate speech, the CITAD boss disclosed that 36 per cent of such speeches used in the past, had led to to violence.

“Interestingly, during the build-up to the last general elections, we discovered that the media space was never, at any time devoid of these words. They were full of hate, dangerous and even death wishes,” he stated.

He would, however, heap the part of the blame on the industry regulators who had not been bold enough to ensure that the

rules of the profession are strictly adhered to and flouters of such rules punished.

Priscilla Ankut of Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme, explained that the efforts of the workshop were geared towards sensitising the nation’s media on the need to report in a way that will not exacerbate tension in the country.

“The media is key in any society, they have the ability to make or mar and that is why they should ensure that whatever information they put out in the public domain is not such that would ignite violence.

“Even when conflicts are being recorded, they should be done in a way that they do

not lead to further conflicts,” she stated.

Dr Tunde Akanni, a lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU), would rather advocated for a ‘conflict sensitive journalism’ that would make conscious efforts at neutralising conflicts in the community.

He also believes utmost attention must be paid to the new media, especially blogs, which are increasingly becoming a huge channel of information dissemination.

Lagos Zonal Director, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mrs Bunmi Cole viewed the issue of responsible journalism as the duty of every stakeholder and not that of the regulatory agency alone.

Tradenet unveils Kleanmate liquid soaps in Nigeria

By Sheu Bello- Lagos Manufacturing company, Tradenet International Limited has announced the introduction of its brand of locally-made liquid soaps, Kleanmate, into the nation’s market.

The new offerings, available in different brands such as hand wash, glass cleaner, dish wash, Bleach, toilet cleaner and floor cleaner, according to the company, are designed to further enhance the washing experiences of Nigerians.

The General Manager of Tradenet, Amar Hathiramani, in a press conference organised to unveil the soaps in Lagos, recently, explained that the soaps were locally manufactured and made primarily for the Nigerian people.

Describing the nation’s market as huge and highly sophisticated, Hathiramani noted that the only to way to continually meet the demands in such environments is through innovative and affordable products such as the new Kleanmate liquid soaps.

“Nigeria is a huge market and definitely one of the fastest growing in Africa. Our

kleanmate liquid soaps are one of the best liquid soaps in the market. We have a range of products to suit different needs with affordable price. This is a locally manufactured product and also very cheap and affordable products that are specifically

made for the Nigerian people.

“Though we know competition is present, but I believe we are getting there, getting recognised, with major markets in the country already feeling our presence,” he stated.

DENIM range of men fragrance debuts in Nigerian market

By Akin Adewakun - Lagos Daroc Distribution Nigeria Limited, a brand distribution and sales company, has introduced the Denim range of men fragrance into the nation’s deodorant market.

The company’s General Manager, Mr Bashir Jaber disclosed that the new offerings were specifically manufactured as a unique male brand for those who desire a distinct and long-lasting fragrance.

Jaber disclosed that while the Denim Deodorant Body Spray is available in Nigeria in seven different variants, the Aftershave and the Gel are available in six and two variants respectively.

He stressed further that Denim brand is now considered as a complete personal care line, ranging from fragrances to shaving products, designed to empower men who are comfortable in their own skin.

Speaking on the distribution network for the Denim brand in Nigeria, Jaber revealed that the distribution strategy is to ensure that Denim is available at every consumer touch-points to ensure that target consumers can get to buy the product across any part of the country.

He further stated that Denim is currently available in key shopping malls, major supermarkets, retail stores and select neighbourhood stores, at affordable and competitive recommended retail prices.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

WEEC: Driving women empowerment with PR Stories By Akin Adewakun - Lagos

N

o doubt, matters relating to the feminine gender are increasingly getting attention in this part of the globe. But not a few, cutting across the gender border, still believe that these issues are still far from getting that utmost attention they require.

The eagerness, therefore, to add a voice to the feminine campaign and ensure it gets the required attention, perhaps explains the mammoth crowd that had come to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Auditorium to witness the Women Empowerment and Enlightenment Campaign, (WEEC), an initiative put together by a public relations and content development agency, On’y va Communications.

Providing an insight to the campaign, the Head Coordinator, Mr Kayode Odukoya, explained that delivering on the goals of the organisation is an agenda which the organisation has always tried to pursue through different vehicles, WEEC inclusive.

According to him, WEEC employs alternative resources to tackling the perennial problem of women in the society, adding that part of the campaign’s resolve is to promote icons of successful women who have weathered the storms and shown impressive quality of survival in different spheres of life.

“We are also interested in building a society of young ladies with the courage and qualities to confidently compete or complement as the case may be, in the works and activities of their male counterparts; to

bridge the gap between the urban and rural woman, and also raise a sizable number of males who would join in the campaign through special programmes,” he added.

Odukoya noted that though in its fourth year, this year’s edition would be the biggest, not only in terms of organisation, but in its thematic focus of improving the lot of women in society and getting members of the masculine gender to buy into the process of empowering women in the society.

“Our strategy is to target developing growing ladies with the possibilities of catching them young, educating and preparing them for later life. Actualising their economic potential with a new mindset is key to increasing the overall productivity in small units of the society,” he added.

Mr Odukoya said the WEEC’s kind of in-

tervention transcends the traditional thinking, but lies in its primary focus on young women. Beyond this, he says, are several interventions by multilateral agencies and governments for example, that tend to focus on housewives and older women, while paying little attention to the younger females, the engine room for the future growth of the society and upon whom lie the fundamental responsibility of the family.

Interestingly, this year’s edition of the seminar, tagged: ‘Men Standing Up for Women,’ was not bereft of quality facilitators, accomplished Nigerians in their own rights, who were on hand to provide inspirations for the feminine gender.

For instance, foremost talk show host, former Special Adviser on Information to the Edo State government and toast master, Soni Irabor; frontline blogger and social media expert, Japheth Omojuwa, as well as Lanre Olusola, an experienced life coach are some of those who were on hand to throw their weight behind the female cause.

NIMN boosts training committee with research arm

From left, Corporate Relations Director, Sesan Sobowale; Sales Director, Paul Costigan, both of Guinness Nigeria; Managing Director, Edinho Nigeria Ltd, Chief Edmond Okafor; Supply Chain Director, Cephas Afebuameh, and Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Guinness Nigeria, Peter Ndegwa, at the Guinness Nigeria’s Distributors Conference, tagged ‘Partners for Growth’ which held at Classique Events Centre, Lagos on Thursday.

Bournvita, Indomie partner for yuletide celebration campaign Two frontline brands in the nation’s Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) category, Bournvita and Indomie Noodles, have announced a partnership aimed at boosting the two brands’ commitment of providing consumers with more value and nutrition.

Tagged: ‘The Bournvita Celebration Campaign,’ it is designed to run between October and December, and the campaign will see the introduction of specially designed Bournvita–Indomie celebration packs in the market.

The coming together of these two iconic brands for this innovation is seen by many, as a remarkable development in the nation’s food and beverage sector.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign

at Cadbury’s office, Ikeja Lagos, Managing Director, Cadbury West Africa, Mr Roy Naaman, stated that both Cadbury and Tolaram share the same vision of providing nutritional vitality to families through their brands.

“We are joining the power of two iconic brands in the country. Bournvita and Indomie are leading brands who have decided to collaborate in order to provide more value to our consumers. We have two packs of 500 and 900 grams Bournvita which contain three and five packs of Indomie noodles respectively, with the price for both 500 and 900 grams of Bournvita remaining the same. The additional packs of Indomie noodles comes at no extra cost” Mr Naaman added that in today’s diffi-

cult economic clime, both brands believe in reaching out to consumers responsibly by providing great value.

“With the Bournvita celebration campaign, consumers will now enjoy a great snacking experience of Bournvita and Indomie under one umbrella at great value,” he stated.

Earlier, the Chief Operating Officer, Tolaram Group, Mr Pawan Sharma, had expressed his delight at the partnership which he described as innovative and ultimately rewarding for consumers.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Head, Corporate & Government Affairs, West Africa, Cadbury, Mr Bala Yesufu, noted that the synergy between the two power brands would help set industry standard for driving marketing innovation.

The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), has announced the setting up of a polling research unit within the institute’s Training and Consultancy Committee, as a way of boosting the committee and enhancing the bottom line of the institute.

The research unit, which the institutes says, would monitor subsequent elections in the country, starting with the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa State, would operate under the Training and Consultancy Committee of the institute.

The institute’s president, Mr Ganiyu Koledoye, explained that the setting up of the polling research unit would help the institute harness the huge marketing potential within its fold, while also enhancing its bottom-line.

He stated that the unit would be starting with the Bayelsa elections by sourcing for information about the forthcoming polls and make such information available to interested members of the public.

“We are starting with Bayelsa election whereby we will have information about the poll and this information will be shared with Nigerians.

“We will be able to tell you with the credibility of our institute, what prospective voters are saying and communicate to society how the various candidates are performing.

“Then from Bayelsa, we also intend to carry out similar exercise in Edo State, where we will also be involved in the election. The essence of this is that marketing is all about customer satisfaction, and I believe we have not put enough efforts on our social responsibility for whatever reasons,’ the NIMN boss stated.

AfroBev reiterates commitment to local contents development In its quest to give the local business environment a push in tune with the local contents policy of the Federal Government, Afro Beverages and Distilleries has announced the introduction of the first locally packed alcoholic wine in cans into the nation’s wine market.

The company, a subsidiary of Linland Group of Companies, had hitherto been involved in the importation and distribution of beverages such as wines, liquors and spirits in Nigeria.

The Chief Operating Officer of the com-

pany, Mr Reuben Onwubiko, stated that the siting of the company’s ultra-modern manufacturing plant in Aba, Abia State, had enabled it to embark on the local production of imported brands in partnership with South-West Distilleries from South Africa, a development he believed had created a platform for massive job opportunities for the nation’s teeming youths.

Besides, he added that the siting of the ultra-modern plant in the area also allows for quality blends from South Africa, such as Chapman Cocktail and Camel Rock brands

to be packaged in the area.

“We are happy that this has given birth to the first ever range of alcoholic wine flavours: Red, Rose and Cuve e Nectar, that would be packed in cans. Besides, the additional international products packed in Aba, Nigeria, are St.Crusade superior brandy, made to the original company recipe, platinum label Wanderers Whisky and Marcuja Cream Liqueur.

“Our aim is to democratise the consumption of quality beverage drinks through the introduction of diverse affordable smart

drinks, and what we have done is to bring beverage innovations for the convenience of Nigerians.

“We have removed the difficult rituals and bottle necks that make consumption of wines and chapman difficult for people,” he stated.

He disclosed that as part of measures aimed at ensuring the availability of the products, the company had signed an MoU with Chellarams Plc, a company with a trading and distribution business history spanning over nine decades in Nigeria.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

infotech

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Bode Adewumi

m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

ITU Telecom World 2015: How telecoms most powerful event played out

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he International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom World 2015 closed its doors penultimate week at Hungexpo, Budapest, Hungary, following an exceptional week of dialogue, debate, networking and showcasing.

The event, which welcomed over 4,000 participants from 129 countries, brought together an impressive line-up of toplevel government representatives, leaders of industry, from established players to SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and young start-ups, from emerging and developed markets along with high-level representatives of international organisations, entrepreneurs, accelerators, incubators and academia. Among these were over 235 ICT leaders from around the world.

Top global exhibitors and sponsors participating included Airtel, Alibaba, ATDI, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Ericsson, Etisalat Nigeria, GEW Technologies, Fujitsu, Huawei, Intel, KT, LS telcom, Magyar Telekom, Microwave Vision Group, Rohde and Schwarz, Sonatel-Orange, TDIA, UPC and ZTE. The event opening day, which took place in the presence of H.E János Áder, President of Hungary and H.E Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s Prime Minister, was preceded by the launch of a special commemorative stamp issued by Magyar Posta, on the occasion of ITU’s 150th anniversary.

“This week we have marked the 150th anniversary of the foundation of ITU, hosted by Hungary – one of our original 20 founding members. We have also marked the first step in ITU’s new focus; to provide an international platform for SMEs, governments and major industry players to connect, share views, challenges and experiences and hold meaningful dialogues,” said ITU Secretary-General, Mr Houlin Zhao.

“Together, with all these stakeholders, we have explored how SMEs are the engine for much innovation, where their ability to take risks and move fast can be key. We hope that now this will lead to a greater cross-pollination of ideas and forging of new relationships between SMEs, governments and established ICT players to help scale and deliver innovative solutions globally, and improve lives,” he added.

“ICT and telecommunication play a crucial role in Hungary’s economy, thus hosting ITU Telecom World this year was a great opportunity for our domestic companies. Innovation is the bridge to the future, and due to this event the Hungarian start-ups and relevant corporations have been linked more intensively into the global ecosystem. The Next Generation Day provided an astonishing example of the creativity of the experts of the future,” said H.E. Miklós Seszták, Hungary’s Minister of National Development.

Spotlight on global innovation The event’s core themes of accelerating

From left, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Hungary, Muhammadu Yunusa; Secretary General, International Telecommunications Union, Mr Houlin Zhao; Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ms Josephine Amuwa and Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Mr Ubale Maska at the Nigeria Day opening ceremony of the ITU Telecom World 2015 in Budapest, Hungary, recently. innovation for social impact and the ways in which SMEs are driving this innovation were in evidence throughout the event.

A total of 238 exhibitors made their mark at ITU Telecom World’s exhibition space.

National Pavilions and world-famous technology brands demonstrated their innovation and talents alongside start-ups and SMEs from across the world.

“Intel believes that driving innovation is an essential goal for government and businesses from all around the world. Solving global problems starts with affordable access, active use of technology and capacity building. Therefore we are supporting great ideas and programmes, such as the Young Innovators Competition that bring together young innovators and give them the chance to present themselves to the international audience at this event,” said Mr Gordon Graylish, Vice President and General Manager, Governments and World Ahead, Intel Corporation and a key ITU Telecom World 2015 participant and speaker.

The event showcased sponsored sessions from KT, GTI, China Mobile and TDIA, Japan’s MIAC, Huawei and Intel, covering a range of different areas from 5G-enabled applications to TD-LTE, the future potential of the Internet of Things (IoT), industry policy hotspots and trends and technological innovation, as well as tackling the global challenge of youth unemployment.

Over 140 media accredited from 21 countries to learn more and speak to the Heads of State, entrepreneurs and industry figureheads representing the ICT community.

Press announcements kept the focus on innovation, an example being Argentina’s ARSAT and AFTIC space satellite programme, which reached a milestone as it moved its second satellite into position 36,000 kilometres from the earth during the event.

Workshops, cocktails and on-stand demonstrations kept a flow of visitors involved and entertained on the lively show floor.

“This is a unique opportunity for us to be present with such a great number of likeminded individuals, and for an SME like us, it gives us a wonderful insight to see what our counterparts and peers are coming up with, and of course the main value is to network and gather as much experience and knowledge as we can in these few days,” said Mr Maté Toth, business developer with the company Personal Video, and showfloor participant at the event.

Smart ICTs for Sustainable Development ITU’s own Smart ICTs for Sustainable Development Pavilion, led by the organisation’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, was one of the hubs of the show floor, with a packed programme of activities. Daily presentations were held at the Pavilion’s Speaker’s Corner on diverse subjects such as drones and innovation for agriculture; healthy lives and well-being through

ICT and telecommunication play a crucial role in Hungary’s economy, thus hosting ITU Telecom World this year was a great opportunity for our domestic companies.

e-health; ‘smart cities’; the power of mobile technologies for sustainable development; and how e-commerce requires new flexible, secure and user friendly solutions for digital financial services. At the country level, Estonia shared its success in e-governance, explaining how its government Cabinet is now working 100 per cent digital and paperless, while Egypt highlighted its efforts to use ICT for empowering persons with disabilities.

In parallel, the Pavilion featured more than 20 Exhibition Pods from a wide range of stakeholders including Bupa health care, Kyushu University in Japan, Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd, Inmarsat and Intervale.

A number of Co-creation Sessions were held for show participants, who had the chance to join in-depth discussions on new ideas for harnessing ICTs for sustainable development.

Leadership Summit and Forum Some 247 speakers from 62 countries took part in plenaries, panel debates, workshops, high-level roundtables and networking sessions in the Forum and at the Leadership Summit. Speakers, who spanned leaders of government, industry, SMEs, entrepreneurs and innovators, the initiatives supporting them, international organizations and academia, provided truly global perspectives and viewpoints, from developed and developing countries.

Discussions launched with the Leadership Summit, on 12 October, which brought highly influential participants together to share views and debate how best to accelerate ICT innovation, open up the digital economy to all the world’s citizens, and work together to enable digital entrepreneurship as a driving force for socio-economic development.

Courtesy:ITU

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Intel, CSR Children prepare girls for scientific future Stories By Bode Adewumi

C

ontinuing its global campaign to bridge the gender gap in technology by promoting digital literacy and equipping girls for careers in science, technology and mathematics, the world’s leading silicone innovator and semi-conductor manufacturer, Intel recently partnered with a local child rights advocacy group, Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility and Children’s Rights (CSR Children) on a symposium tagged “Preparing Girls for a Scientific Future”, in celebration of this year’s International Day of the Girl Child.

Chief Executive Officer, CSR Children, Toyin Olakanpo, who welcomed guests to the event, observed that the socio-cultural, economic and political factors impeding equal access to science and technology education in sub-Saharan Africa remained unaddressed despite increased awareness over the past decade.

Olakanpo noted that, “At CSR Children, we have come to realise that the many obstacles to effective education of the girl child in Africa will not be surmounted by governments and their institutions. The challenge requires a firm commitment from socially responsible corporate citizens who understand the dangers of having a huge part of our population unable to function properly in a technology-dependent world.”

The Group Manager, Corporate Affairs at Intel, Mr Babatunde Akinola, who sat on a panel discussing the importance of mentorship in breaking stereotypes about appropriate career paths for girls, highlighted Intel’s contributions to the quest for gender equality in the world of Science and Technol-

From left, John Jesse, a student of Samsung Engineering Academy; Ms Diana Ussher, Human Resource Manager, Samsung Electronics West Africa; Okafor Nkem, another student; Mr Charles Ojei, Director, Enterprise Business, Samsung Electronics West Africa and Columbus Favour, also a student, during the company’s Employee Volunteer Programme in Lagos, recently. ogy.

Akinola stated that, “We started “She Will Connect” with a mission to empower 5 million girls in the next five years. “She Will Connect” Program aims to reduce the gender gap in technology all over the world through collaborations that would bring about an innovative combination of digital literacy training, an online peer

network and gender relevant content.”

He added that, “We will continue to lead the way in the drive for gender parity in the world of technology, equip young girls with and women with digital literacy skills and an improved understanding of technology.”

Students from Aunty Ayo Secondary School commended the

EMC, VMware announce new cloud services business EMC Corporation and VMware have announced plans to form the federation’s new cloud services business by combining their respective cloud capabilities, along with existing Virtustream cloud offerings, under the Virtustream brand. Virtustream will be jointly owned by VMware and EMC and led by Mr Rodney Rogers, the Chief Executive Officer of Virtustream.

The parties are finalising a definitive agreement for the transaction.

Virtustream’s financial results will be consolidated into VMware’s financial statements beginning in Q1 2016.

Virtustream is expected to generate multiple hundreds of millions of dollars in recurring revenue in 2016, focused on enterprise-centric cloud services, with an outlook to grow to a multi-billion business

Samsung Electronics launches People Initiative scheme Global electronics leader, Samsung Electronics West Africa has commenced its Launching People initiative through its Employee Volunteer Programme held recently. The company, which prides itself in manufacturing cutting edge products, used this avenue to provide a platform to prepare Nigerian youths for the future.

Mr Brovo Kim, Managing Director, Samsung West Africa highlighted the importance of helping young people harness their skills so they can access better opportunities in life and be better equipped for leadership positions in the country.

He stated that providing platforms for honing such skills and mentoring young people is what informed the unique approach of the Samsung Employee Volunteer Programme.

The maiden edition of the Employee Volunteer Programme took place at the Samsung Engineering Academy in Agidingbi, Lagos. Selected beneficiaries of this initiative drawn from Samsung Engineering Academy were paired with mentors, who

Intel ‘She Will Connect’ initiative, from which they had benefitted, while the Intel ‘She Will Connect’ Spokesperson for Nigeria, Titilope Sonuga noted that ‘She Will Connect’ will continue to empower young girls from their foundational stages, because exposure to technology and sciences can unlock creativity and inquisitiveness in young women.

are professionals in different sectors of the economy currently working with Samsung. The mentors will guide the selected beneficiaries over a period of time to enhance their understanding of real work situation and how to respond and manage their affairs after their training programme at the academy.

Launching People is an affirmation of our commitment to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. The array of programmes will enable our

employees inspire Samsung Engineering Academy students to succeed in the global economy through the application of their skills, experience and resources,” said Mr. Kim, adding: “With the quality of talents at Samsung Electronics West Africa, students and other stakeholders will benefit immensely from this intervention.”

The Launching People initiative will have sessions on entrepreneurship, leadership and ethics, among several others.

over the next several years. Virtustream will be a leader in hybrid cloud, one of the largest markets for ICT infrastructure spending.

The company will provide a complete spectrum of managed services for on-premises infrastructure and its enterprise-class Infrastructure-as-a-Service platform, enabling customers to move all their applications, including mission-critical applications, to cloud-based IT environments.Virtustream will offer a compatible public cloud experience for customers who deploy the Federation Enterprise Hybrid Cloud solution within their business.

“Through Virtustream, we are addressing the changes in buying patterns and IT cloud operation models that we are seeing in the market. Our customers consistently tell us that they are focused on their IT transformations and journeys to the hybrid cloud. The EMC Federation is now positioned as a complete provider of hybrid cloud offerings,” said Mr Joe Tucci, EMC Corporation Chairman.

Nigerian Tribune

Microsoft appoints Abdella as new boss of 4Afrika Initiative Amrote Abdella has been announced as the new regional director for Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiative, effective October 2015.

Previously the director of Startup Engagement and Partnerships at 4Afrika, she takes over from Fernando de Sousa and affirms Microsoft Corp.’s commitment to Africa across the 54 countries.

In her new role, Abdella will oversee Microsoft’s investments in Africa, deepen Microsoft’s engagements on the continent and scale 4Afrika’s work across different markets.

“At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and organisation on the planet to do more.

The 4Afrika Initiative is perfectly aligned to accelerate this for the African continent through locally relevant innovation, affordable access and skills development,” Abdella said.

Launched in February 2013, the 4Afrika Initiative has grown to empower over 273,000 small to medium-size enterprises, 76,000 youth, 20,000 government employees, and nine innovation hubs with access to technology, resources and world-class skills development.

“Creativity is what I love most about working in Africa and is what I hope to continue to help unlock and ignite across the continent — to see Africans not just being empowered by technology but also building innovative solutions relevant for our markets,” Abdella said.

“We are honoured to have Abdella serving as the new Regional Director for the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative,” said Mr Ali Faramawy, corporate vice president for Microsoft Middle East & Africa. “Having worked with the initiative since its launch in 2013, she has a deep understanding of both the continent and 4Afrika’s mission. Her wealth of firsthand, on-the-ground experience with startups, investors, government bodies and nonprofit organisations has given her insight into the exact challenges and opportunities we’re focusing on through 4Afrika. We are confident in her ability to move the initiative forward and refocus our efforts,” he added.

Kiswahili becomes first African language to be supported by Microsoft Microsoft has launched Kiswahili text translation, the first African language to be supported by the company’s automatic translation service, Microsoft Translator.

The translation system was created in collaboration with Translators without Borders, a non-governmental organisation, whose mission is to increase access to knowledge through humanitarian translations.

Translation to Kiswahili will be available throughout the Mi-

crosoft Translator ecosystem of supported products, thus empowering individuals and organisations through fast and cost-effective translation.The translation system aims at increasing access to knowledge as well as encouraging intercultural communication by creating new language systems.

Speaking at the launch, Microsoft’s Kenya Country Manager, Mr Kunle Awosika said that through the new translation system, governments in the region

will be able to make documents and information available at virtually no cost. In addition, both government and non-governmental organisations will be able to quickly communicate with locals, and most importantly, people will be able to communicate back and forth across borders for both business and personal purposes.

“Adding Kiswahili brings us one step closer to our ultimate goal, permanently breaking down the language barriers that

separate us by allowing people to translate anything, anywhere, at any time. Kiswahili speakers in East Africa and around the globe now have access to a wider range of information and culture, and can interact with speakers of the 50 languages supported by Microsoft Translator. What’s more, speakers of these languages now also have direct access to the rich history and culture of Kiswahili speakers far and wide,” explained Awosika.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015 Group Politics Editor Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 tai_adis@yahoo.com

The last hurdle for Amaechi, others AYODELE ADESANMI presents the drama and politicking witnessed on the Senate floor during the second round of screening process for would-be ministers in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

T

HE session was rowdy and the exchange of fireworks between the two dominant political parties: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC) in the Senate chamber, was predictable, when the former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Rotimi Amaechi took the centre of activities to answer questions from senators in respect of his screening as a ministerial nominee.

Thursday, October 22 had been a longawaited day for Amaechi, who had been kept waiting by the senators since October 6, when his name was unveiled as a nominee of President Muhammadu Buhari. Thrice before that day, he had visited the National Assembly complex and was kept waiting by the senators. He had appeared before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which investigated the petition against him by a Port Harcourt-based organisation, Integrity Group for alleged financial impropriety.

His appearance before the Senate on October 22 came after weeks of serious politicking among the major stakeholders over his nomination.

This is because, apart from the petition, Amaechi’s nomination had raised a lot of dust from his home state and his former colleagues in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who were miffed by his defection to the APC in November 2013.following persistent delays. It was understood that some stakeholders were working behind the scenes to ensure his screening went without incident.

The screening session would have been orderly if the two camps had adhered strictly to the agreement struck during the closeddoor session, which lasted 50 minutes.

Findings indicated that all the senators at the closed session had agreed that the PDP senators would insist on not having anything to do with Amaechi, while their APC colleagues also agreed that they would only ask the nominee to “take a bow and go.” But The PDP senators were said to have been surprised to see Senate President Bukola Saraki allow Amaechi take some questions from APC Senators.

The drama over the nomination of Amaechi is believed to have started from his home state, Rivers. It all began as soon as the ministerial list was made public, when it was discovered that he made the list, contrary to the expectations in among some stakeholders. The former governor dumped the PDP for the APC late in 2013 and contributed to the loss of the former ruling party in March.

But, he also lost Rivers state to the PDP, as Nyesom Wike, his former Chief of Staff and minister of state for Education, was de-

Saraki

Amaechi

We have just received the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions against the nominee about cases of fraud and indictiment.

Until that is discussed, we will not be part of the screening. Is that the position of PDP caucus members? clared winner of the governorship poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Expectedly petition were submitted by his kinsmen to the Senate alleging financial mismanagement during his tenure as the state governor and alleged indictment in a White Paper. The petition was referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions for investigation by the Senate President After initial delays in presenting its report, the Senenator Samuel Anyanwu- led committee eventually laid the report for debate on October 22. Under normal circumstances, the report should have been dealt with first before Amaechi can be invited to the floor. But surprisingly, the Senate President ordered Amaechi to be ushered in for screening. It was learnt that the agreement struck at the closed session earlier in the day informed the decision. Amaechi was meant to take the floor and then allowed to take a bow and go.

Upon his appearance, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio raised a point of Order, citing 43 of the Senate Standing Rule 2015. Akpabio said: “I want to point out that the PDP senators and the caucus does not have any questions for the nominee. We have just received the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions against the nominee about cases of fraud and indictment. Until that is discussed, we will not be part of the screening. Is that the position of PDP caucus members?” The PDP senators all chorused, “yes.”

This was also countered by the Majority Leader, Ali Ndume who raised Order 53 (9) and said: “This is a confirmation hearing.

As a former Speaker, we can ask the nominee to take a bow and go.” Akpabio replied saying that the Senate Leader had already asked the nominee to take a bow and go.

Again, the chamber chorused “yes.”

Ndume countered again adding: “As Senate Leader, it was my duty to market the candidacy of Amaechi, who is a member

of the All Progressives Congress (APC). On that order I raised, it is my responsibility to market the nominee. You people that are given the privilege to ask questions…”

The use of the word “you people” by Ndume however infuriated the PDP senators, who shouted him down. The chamber became rowdy and uncontrollable for minutes, as senators insisted that Ndume must withdraw the bad language and apologise.

It took the direct intervention of the Senate President, who pleaded with his colleagues to maintain decorum saying, “I think the Senate Leader has retracted that statement.

The Minority Leader stood up to say that they have no questions. That is fine. I also apologise on his behalf. We have always ensured that those who have served in the legislative arms should be allowed to take a bow and go.”

Surprisingly, Saraki opened the floor for questions from the APC wing to Amaechi.

His name was Number One on the order paper, with other nominees including Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa); Professor Omoleye Daramola (Ondo); Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole (Osun); Baba Shehuri Mustapha (Borno); and Ocholi James (Kogi ) were also listed on that order. While others were screened, the name of Professor Adewole was stood down with no reason given.

Sources in the senate however said that the senators only resolved to stand down his name till Tuesday.

While appearing before the senators, Amaechi recalled how he served twice as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Ascontinues pg34

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politics&policy

Dogara

KOLAWOLE DANIEL writes on the politics behind the appointment of chairmen of the Standing Committees in the House of Representatives and the fallout.

I

T may be too early in the day to assert that all issues surrounding the headship of the 96 Standing Committees in the House of Representatives have been settled, following the unveiling of the list last Thursday. The delay in reeling out the names had been a subject of controversy and cold war among the various caucuses in the House for weeks. It had brought to a sharper focus the division among the parliamentarians along party lines cum regional configuration.

Another dimension to the crisis was evident in the complaints by some House members against their leadership that they had been compromised. It was even alleged that some lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extraction were planning to pass a vote of no confidence on the leadership of the PDP caucus in the House. Their major grouse was that their leaders were displaying highhandedness in the appointments of PDP members into the Standing Committees.

Most of such issues had gained ground, thus putting the House leadership under intense pressure over the constitution of the committee since the Eight House was inaugurated in June this year. Last Thursday, the Speaker of the House, Honourable Yakubu Dogara eventually released the names of the headship of the committees. The announcement generated spontaneous reactions from the lawmakers even on the floor of the House. But, those that had misgivings concerning the list were apparently subdued by the superior authority of the House, which quickly adjourned sitting to this week.

The reactions also manifested a long party affiliations, as the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), with majority in the House on head-to-head with the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in term of the number of headship of strategic committees in the House. The distribution did not go down well with some APC stal-

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Yusuff

Gbajabiamila

APC, PDP’s mixed fortunes over House committees

warts outside the House, who felt they were denied such privilege by the PDP when it was the ruling party for 16 consecutive years.

There is no doubt that the fallout of the emergence of Speaker and his deputy, Honourable Yusuff Lasun was against the choice of their party, which had earlier anointed Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila and Tahir Monguno for the top job, led to a sharp division among APC members in particular in the House. The division was worsened because of the issue of committee membership.

However, Dogara, based on his campaign promise, came up with a legislative agenda wherein the 8th House promised to improve its internal operations and processes with the aim of enhancing legislative business through the committees. In the document, the House promised “improvements to the internal operations and processes of the House will position House Committees to be efficient, effective, and result oriented. The House will re-engineer and put Committees of the House in a position of strength and make them truly the engine rooms of legislative business and activity.”

It added that, “The 8th House commits to proper funding, improved staffing and more efficient running of Committees. The appointment of the leadership and membership of the Committees will as much as possible reflect the experiences and capacity of

members in different fields. We shall place round pegs in round holes.” According to the agenda, “Time limits for delivery of Reports referred to Committees shall be strictly enforced. Where necessary, a Committee that fails to deliver its Report on time would be divested of jurisdiction on the matter.

The House is committed to implementing the use of templates, manuals, and standardised formats for Committee activities in the area of Reporting, Oversight activities, Minutes of meetings, Public Hearings and Quarterly/Annual Reports. The House shall ensure regular supervision of Committee activities with a goal to ensuring optimum performance and delivery of its decisions.

The House leadership will conduct regular meetings with Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of all Special, Standing or Ad-Hoc Committees to set Legislative Targets, Review performance in the attainment of Targets and ensure that the priority legislative activities of the Committees are consistent with the Legislative Agenda of the House.”

The Standing Committees The final announcement of the names of chairmen and deputies of the 96 standing committees, which are to carryout legislative duties, according to feelers, is not going down well with those who had placed much hope on the Speaker. It was learnt that the sharing of the committees was done in line with the House Rule by a Selection Commit-

The appointments, which followed the normal and due procedure of the House such as wide consultation, is fair to all parties and sections of the country.

tee, chaired by the Speaker, and comprised the House body of principal officers and appointed members each from the 36 states and Federal Capital. Territory (FCT).

The distribution showed that a total of 48 chairmen and 55 deputy chairmen of the standing committees were allotted to members of the APC, while PDP had 45 chairmen position, the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) one and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) got two. The committee chairmen include: Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, who will chair the House Committee on Appropriation, Honourable Bashir Baballe Ila (Services Committee), Honourable Babangida Ibrahim (Finance), and Jagaba Adams Jagaba is the head of the Committee on Interior.

Some lawmakers however retained the headship of the committees they chaired in the 7th Assembly and they are: Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Agricultural Production and Services); Aminu Suleiman (Tertiary Education); Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Aviation); Nnenna Ukeje (Foreign Affairs; Jones Onyereri, (Banking and Currency); Shehu Shagari (Judiciary), Nicholas Mutu, for NDDC, to name a few.

New members were not left out in the leadership of the committees, and those named as chairmen are: Oladele Kayode, for Financial Crimes; Samuel Okon Ikon, Inter-parliamentary Relations; Timothy Golu, Legislative Budget and Research amongst others Seven new committees were named: Agricultural Colleges and Institutions; Basic Education and Services; Delegated Legislation; FCT Judiciary; Health Institutions; IDPs, Refugees and Initiatives on North East; Insurance and Actuarial Matters; Tertiary Education and Services. It was however gathered that based on the names released by the Speaker, some members who failed to get their choice of committees were still agitated. But it was not clear what would be continues pg34

34

politics&policy

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Now the politics of confirmation continues pg34

sembly, during which he was the Chairman of the Speakers Forum. He later emerged the governor of Rivers in 2007 after a legal battle over his candidature. He said all those were on the platform of the PDP and that he emerged the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), a position that brought him in conflict with former President Goodluck Jonathan. He said that the Forum was checking the excesses of the executive but the former President was said to have accused him of turning the Forum to a trade union.

The disagreement set off the bitter feud between him and ex- President Jonathan and created a crack in the wall of the party and eventually led to his exit from the party.

He left with four other state governors of Kano, Sokoto, Kwara and Adamawa, and eventually the PDP lost the centre and some states to the APC. He was regarded as a very strong pillar behind the success of the APC during the last poll.

However with his party controlling the centre and in charge of majority states, coupled with his activities during the pre- and post elections, observers were not surprised to see him emerge as a ministerial nominee.

Amaechi arrived the premises of the National Assembly around 10.30 am on the DDay, dressed in a blue South-South popular attire. He had a long convoy of supporters on his toe. The list included APC faithful, led by the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Engineer Segun Oni, national vice chairman, former governor of Bayelsa State, Mr Timipre Sylva, former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba (SAN), Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar N’Abba, APC governorship candidate for Rivers, Dakuku Peterside, among others.

He seized the opportunity to clarify issues offered him on the floor, especially as the PDP had decided to ignore him and keep away the ‘toxic’ questions. He said: “The Governors’ Forum acted as a check to executive recklessness; we checked the excesses, including the expenditure of the oil subsidy.

There is a case in court up till now stopping the Federal Government from drawing money from the Federation Account to fund oil subsidy because we believe that if we stop Federal Government from spending states and local government money, the

centre will not be able to bear the cost and we therefore wanted to remove oil subsidy because of the level of corruption. The case is yet to be heard.

“The radical posture of the Governors Forum led to the former president asking me that I have turned the Forum into a trade union and all we are doing is to defend the rights of the people of Nigeria.

“I think the former president didn’t like it, and when my tenure expired as the chairman of the forum, I was requested not to run for a second term and I felt that as a Nigerian, I reserve the responsibility to exercise my rights. So, I put myself forward and if you saw the forces against me, you would think that I would lose. The rest is history, but the reason that happened is because of my radical posture.”

On what he would do to the East-West Road if he emerged the Minister of Niger Delta, Amaechi said he would make it his priority.

Though Amaechi may have scaled the hurdle of the screening, he might encounter some hurdles during confirmation if what transpired during the screening is anything to go by.

Others, who scaled the screening on Thursday, included the Ondo State nominee Professor Cladius Omoyele Daramola, who said that the some pervert values of the society are creeping into the university system.

According to the Ode Aye-born professor of Sociology of Education, “What we have in the universities today is a spillover from the society. Anything happening in the society will replicate itself in the universities. When the values in the society are at variance with what exists in the schools, the child will be disorganised. That is why we need the cooperation of the parents....

“We need supervision in our schools. One of the challenges facing our institutions is lack of supervision. If we put measures in place to supervise the schools, education will improve one way or the other. We have to be careful the way the schools are organised. In the 50s and 60s, teachers were taught to be catechists, interpreters and clerks. But today, because our curriculum is dynamic, it also affects our educational system, teachers are not paid four months, nine months, one year salaries and we expect them to give their best. We need to train and retrain teachers and pay them regularly.”

Akpabio James Ocholi, a lawyer from Kogi State, also said that the nation needs to reform the Prisons, so as to ensure they serve as reformation centres. He stated that plea bargain should be used in recovering stolen funds, adding that, “Some of the Abacha loots that are still hanging can be recovered through plea bargain.”

He further said: “There is the need to bring about reformation in the Prisons. Prisons need to be improved upon. Investigation of crimes needs to be thoroughly pursued. Investigation should take time. It’s more costly than prosecution because you can travel far during investigation.”

Last week, the nominee from Oyo state, Adebayo Shittu, also a lawyer, who appeared before the Senate for screening, answered questions from the legislators on wide ranging issues. He used the opportunity to clarify issues on his alleged indictment by any panel of inquiry. According to him, “l say with all sense of responsibility that I have never been indicted by any panel of enquiry. I recently became aware of a gazette and I have a copy of that gazette. What happened was that in year 2000, I was the secretary of the national Committee on Hajj. There was religious crisis in Oyo State and throughout of the period of

the crisis, I was away in Saudi Arabia on a national assignment.

“If you look through the gazette, I was not even invited and in law, if there are allegations against you and you are not invited, whatever finding, which come out goes to no issue. “In that gazette I was not even accused of anything. At the end of it, perhaps for political reasons, somebody smuggled something into the gazette to say that the governor should advise me. The list of those indicted is in the gazette; it said that I should be advised not to be publishing materials which are capable of bringing about crisis.”

The nominee informed that “From my experience, once politicians are elected into government, they simply say bye-bye to the masses that elected them. A lot of people, when you ask them what have they gained from government over the years, they hardly have anything to point out. So, what I believe must be done and which are captured in both the constitution and manifesto of the APC is to ensure that policies, which directly affect the lives of individuals, are captured.”

On the separation of the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Shittu disclosed that he is aware that there are agitations all over the country for the separation of the office of the Attorney General from that of Minister of Justice.” He added that it is unfortunate that Nigeria does not have these separate offices. I am aware that the current Senate is already aware of its importance. If we didn’t know its importance, the fact that for four months, we have not had an Attorney General and jobs that are supposed to be done by the office of the Attorney General cannot be done will explain the fact that it is very important for us to have a separation in powers of the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. The importance of having this is that once he is appointed, his tenure is fixed; he cannot be removed except with the approval of the Senate. To that extent, he will be able to move even against high government officials when the need arises.”

As October 22, seven names on the second list of nominees had been screened. They are however yet to get confirmed by the Senate. Some forces have reportedly concluded to give hom more trouble. All eyes will be on the Senate in the new week, as it takes the final steps to screen and confirm the remaining nominees.

The rumbling over leadership continues pg33

their next line of action.

While justifying the appointments of the committees chairmen and their deputies, the Speaker through a statement issued by the newly appointed Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Abdulrazak. Namdas stated: “The attention of the House of Representatives has been drawn to reports in some Media outfits regarding the appointments of chairmen and deputy chairmen of the committees of the House, announced yesterday by the Speaker, Rt Hon. Yakubu Dogara, which suggested that the Speaker rewarded his allies with “Juicy” committees. We wish to state categorically that there was no such thing as rewarding of allies of the Speaker with juicy appointments.

“The appointments, which followed the normal and due procedure of the House such as wide consultation, is fair to all parties and sections of the country. For instance, out of the 24 members from Kano State only few

members voted for the Speaker while it has six chairmanship positions and eight deputy chairmanship positions. Even during previous regimes in the House, Kano never had this kind of patronage. In fact, during the immediate past Assembly, Kano had just five Chairmanship positions and seven deputy Chairmanship positions.

“It is also on records that in the appointments, APC has committees in the following: Appropriation, Telecommunications,

Agriculture, Solid Minerals, Police Affairs, Interior, Customs and Exercise. APC also has chairmanship positions of tertiary Education, Basic Education, National Security and Intelligence, Defence, Sustainable Development Goals, Marine, Land Transport, Navy, Emergency Disaster Management, IDPs and North East Initiatives, Electoral Matters, FCT, House services, Judiciary, Pensions, Rules and Business, Water Resources, Justice and many others.

It is worthy of note that the leadership of the House runs an all-inclusive administration with all Nigerians having a sense of belonging while not being unmindful of our party.

“APC members are chairmen of Finance and Appropriation Committees. Again, APC members deputise in committees of Petroleum Upstream, Petroleum Downstream, NDDC, many others. Similarly, to sustain a well cherished convention in the House, Committees of Petroleum Resources and Gas are traditionally reserved for the SouthSouth, just like committees on Agriculture, Water Resources, etc are traditionally left for Northern legislators.

“It is worthy of note that the leadership of the House runs an all-inclusive administration with all Nigerians having a sense of belonging while not being unmindful of our party. This our disposition has reflected not only in the appointments of standing committee but also of ad hoc committees. This, we will continue to imbibe for the consolidation of the House for good governance.”

With the announcement of the committees, it is expected that the House will hit the ground running and deliver genuinely on its legislatives agenda, as the lawmakers progress into their four-year tenure.

35

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

tribunelaw

For enquiries, Lanre Adewole - 0811 695 4647 olanreade@yahoo.com

As Bench, Bar tango over judicial corruption Media aide to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Ahuraka Yusuf Isah examines the issues in contention as the Bar and the Bench disagree over who is responsible for corruption in the judiciary.

M

ichael Daly Hawkins was a former senior judge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

While reacting to harsh public criticism of several Supreme Court Justices, among other notable judges in the United States of America in his book, entitled ‘’Dining with the Dogs: Reflections on the Criticism of Judges’’, he had this to say: ‘’We certainly have not seen the end of criticism of judges. Robust free speech, even of the coarse and inaccurate variety, may simply be one of the prices of a free society. Today’s judges may draw some relief from the knowledge that modem critics are normally not as colourful or as sharp of tongue as Horace Greeley or Teddy Roosevelt, as nasty as George Wallace, or as violent and aggressive as David Terry.

In the end, while judges may not like what they hear and may be sorely tempted to respond to their critics, history does seem to teach us that our predecessors endured far worse, and both they and the Republic seem to have survived’’.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had on February 17, 2012 vowed to expose how politicians used “consultants” to buy election cases with “incredible sums of money.”

The legal body which made the allegation at a valedictory court session that was held in honour of late Justice Anthony Nnaemezie Christopher Aniagolu, said it was aware of all the senior counsel and eminent retired judicial officers that served as conduit between election courts and parties in electoral matters, saying it would forward their names to relevant anti-graft agencies for prosecution.

In a speech that was presented by the then NBA President, Mr J.B Daudu (SAN), said: “Corruption is now a live issue that is threatening to tear apart the foundations and fabric of the society. The Bar believes that as it does not possess the machinery and infrastructure to battle this scourge such as the EFCC and ICPC possess, but it can be proactive in its battle against this vice which left unchecked will sink the whole ship of state.

“We are no doubt aware that some of our colleagues including very senior counsel and at times eminent retired judicial officers go about offering their services as

J.B. Daudu

ex-CJN Aloma Mukhtar

‘consultants’ particularly in election cases for incredible sums of money so as to act as conduit between his client and the election court.

“The end result is to facilitate ready-made justice for the persons they are acting for.

We must strongly deprecate this practice.

Our members and members of the public should feel free to avail themselves of the services of this NBA anti-corruption body.

We do ourselves the greatest disservice if we fail to fight this ill which renders irrelevant the work and skills of hardworking lawyers who daily toil in and out of courts and who do not have the advantage of knowing with certainty the outcomes of cases as these ‘consultants’ are privileged to know.

“Secondly, this charge falls at the feet of the Bar particularly counsel who for political manoeuvres or the gratification of ‘varying interests’ misuse the process of the Supreme Court and other courts by bringing applications that are clearly

frivolous or contemptuous.

“I have approached the Attorney-General of the Federation to call a meeting of the General Council of the Bar so that inter alia, the existing rules of Professional Ethics can be amended to include such areas that will safeguard the dignity of the courts and integrity of judicial process.

Let us call ourselves to order in this regard. The essence of a just judicial system is to provide prompt qualitative justice for the people. Justice is meaningless when it is delayed, hurried or perverted”.

Since it has become seemingly attractive to revel on ‘’Judges’ Corruption Mantra’’, the current NBA President, Augustine Alegeh, SAN, seized the opportunity of the mammoth crowd that gathered for the special session of the Supreme Court to mark the commencement of the 20152016 legal year and the swearing-in of newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria to accuse some judges of rendering judgments for a fee. The Vice-President of

“You (lawyers) all know those judges that are corrupt, but you won’t report. However, you will be the one who will raise the issue that the judiciary is corrupt.

You will not do your part”ex-CJN Aloma

the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osibanjo (SAN) was also in attendance.

Alegeh said: “It is indeed very worrisome that certain judicial officers still engage in rendering judgments for a fee.

“Instances abound where judicial officers have resorted to turning the law on its head and making pronouncements which are at variance with the provisions of the law.

“A few others have formed the bad habit of ignoring judicial precedents even when such authorities are brought to their attention by counsel.

“This trend is quite injurious and erodes the confidence reposed in the judiciary by society.”

While Daudu’s NBA promised to set up an anti-corruption commission to identify and hand over the culprits to EFCC or ICPC for prosecution, Alegeh also said the association would take the matters as prima facie evidence of corruption. Up till the end of Daudu’s tenure five to six months after the famous speech, even till date the NBA’s anti-corruption commission has failed to release or even disclose the names of corrupt judges to the appropriate authorities. Time shall tell if Alegeh can walk his talk.

Lawyers are regarded the world over as guardians of the law, and consequently play a vital role in the preservation of society. Unlike the judges who are often only seen and seldom heard, they have unfettered access to the public, are often easily heard and very publicly seen.

The Rules of Professional Conduct of the Legal Profession as contained in the Legal Practitioners Act (Chapter 207 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) are intended for maintenance of respect for and confidence in the judicial office.

Rule 1 for instance, specifically states that; “It is the duty of the lawyer to maintain towards the Court respectful attitude, not for the sake of the temporary incumbent of the judicial office, but for the maintenance of its supreme importance.

Judges, not being wholly free to defend themselves, are peculiarly entitled to receive the support of the Bar against unjust criticism and clamour. Where there is proper ground for serious complaint of a judicial officer, it is the right and duty of the lawyer to submit his grievances to the proper authorities’’.

Perhaps, this becomes imperative when the CJN, Justice Mohammed described the allegation that judges were taking bribes as ’unfortunate unguarded comments’, because every litigant has at least a lawyer that prosecute his or her case before a Judge. The lawyer, at the risk of sounding immodest must be in the know Continues pg38

36

lawnews

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Court bars firm from stopping home owners’ movement at Pearl Estate Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin -Lagos

J

ustice Abisoye Bashua of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Epe has granted an interlocutory injunction restraining CMB Building Maintenance and Investment Company Limited from harassing and restricting the movement of homeowners within the Pearl Garden Estate situated at Sangotedo Village in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.

The court further restrained the defendants and their agents from interfering with the rights of the homeowners in providing safe and drinkable water for themselves and their family members.

The judge granted the injunction while delivering a ruling in an application filed by some of the homeowners against CMB(property and the estate management agents) and the Oyetubo Jokotade Estate Resource Limited

(previous landowners).

The judge said the order would subsist pending the hearing an determination of the substantive suit.

He held that the claimants in their affidavit supporting the application provided sufficient proof of ownership of the property through the deed of purchase assignment.

In addition, several homeowners had obtained their individual Governor’s Consent and the defendants

in their submission did not deny the established legal rights of the homeowners which entitled them to the restraining orders sought.

According to him, this prompted the court to exercise its discretion in the favour of the claimants, Pearl Garden Estate in order to protect their established legal rights in the interest of justice.

The Judge, however refused the claimants request for the suspension of the

demand and collection of N650,000 reticulation charges and the unilaterally- imposed N35,000 security fees on the homeowners by CMB. According to the court, the validity of the. N650,000 reticulation charges and the unilaterally-imposed N35,000 fee by CMB were part of disputed issues which are to be determined in the substantive suit hence the court could not make any pronouncement

on them at the stage of the interlocutory proceedings.

Justice Bashua thereafter adjourned the matter till Dec. 10 for case management and directed all parties to make appearance in court unfailingly on the said date.

It will be recalled that the substantive N100 million suit was instituted

by Messrs Francis Adesuyi, Felix Obiakor, Martin Ajayi-Obe and Peter Afenotan in representative

capacity on behalf of themselves and all interested homeowners within the Pearl Garden Estate..

The Claimants had dragged the defendants before the court over the alleged incessant harassment, molestation and imposition of arbitrary charges on homeowners and residents of the estate particularly the reticulation charges contrary to the express terms of their contract.

As Bench, Bar tango over judicial corruption Continues pg38

Court to mark the commencement of the 20152016 legal year and the swearing-in of newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria insisted that the allegation by prominent members of the Bar that some judges were corrupt was unfortunate.

He said: “I regard as unfortunate unguarded com-

ments of some prominent members of the Bar that the judiciary is corrupt.

“Such comments coming from the members of the Bar mean that they know the identity of the corrupt judges and as such, they should fish them out to be dealt with by the National Judicial Council (NJC).”

The CJN noted that the Bench was a product of the Bar and that unless

When promotional sale is actionable They are everywhere. Sales promotions aimed at attracting more patronage and more incomes for products and services providers. From banking sector to manufacturing sector, consumer sales promotion is the order of the day. Our discussion today revolves around all these consumer sales promotions and their legal implications.

A commercial bank in its bid to encourage its existing and new customers to save more with it, announced a sales promo wherein the customers were required to save up to a minimum amount per month for three months the promotion would last. Customers were entitled to some points based on their savings within the period and whoever had the highest points after the three months in each of four zones to which its branches nationwide had been divided for the purpose of the promotion, would be entitled to a brand new car each. Then, there was to be a lucky dip for the winners from each zone from which the overall national winner would emerge and would be entitled to a prize.

A customer with the bank in one of the zones by the terms and conditions of the promo got the highest point for his zone where his branch of the bank is located.

He was so notified. Rather than giving him a new car as promised, the commercial bank changed the rule of the process and stated that there would not be any new car to be given to the overall winners from each of the zones but that a new car

would only be given to the overall national winner! The new rule was not even made known to the customer until when the bank had announced a national winner who purportedly emerged through a lucky dip on some national television stations and he had to visit the bank to know what went wrong.

The above scenario is not one of the stories in ‘Alice in Wonderland’. It actually happened in Nigeria. I am sure some who knew about the story would be reading this now. There are many cases of unfulfilled promises embedded in consumer sales promotions we see around.

What is sales promotion? It has been described by the United Kingdom Institute of Sales Promotion as “a consumer or business -directed action that enhances product appeal by offering an extra incentive to purchase or participate”. The American Marketing Association on its part defines “sales promotion” as those marketing activities other than personal selling, advertising, publicity that stimulate consumer purchasing”.

Examples of sales promotion techniques include price deal ( temporary reduction in the price);loyalty programmes( consumers collect points, miles, or credits for purchases and redeem them for rewards);price-reduction programmes(offers of a brand at a lower price or percentage reduction in price marked on the package; coupons(coupons redeemable for price-discounts;rebates;contests/ sweepstakes/games(here the consumer

they both work in synergy to ensure that only fit and proper persons remain in the Bar, it would be impossible to expect a different Bench.

The immediate past CJN, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar had in the Judicial Reforms Conference co-organised by the National Bar Association on 7 July 2014 held in Abuja, also lamented that many

lawyers were quick to accuse the judiciary of being corrupt, yet refused to report judges who they knew to be corrupt to the NJC. “You (lawyers) all know those judges that are corrupt, but you won’t report.

However, you will be the one who will raise the issue that the judiciary is corrupt.

You will not do your part.”

In a close, maybe lawyers and all concerned should

borrow a leaf from the Ifa divination principles and posit as follows: “some judges engage in the sale of their court judgments on some cases, ably filed, prayed and argued by lawyers before same judges on behalf of some people known as litigants who are clients to the lawyers’.

Who then are the buyers?

•Ahuraka is the Media Aide to CJN

legal clinic

By Olatunde Femi Abegunde Esq.ACOArb

m: +234-0803 967 7683; +234-0809 401 7911 e: pinnacle.chambers@yahoo.com, femabed2007@gmail.com f: Olatunde Abegunde & Associates-Pinnacle Chambers

is automatically entered into the event by purchasing the product; point-of-sale displays;etc Can those who organise consumer sales promotions renege on their promises without any legal liability coming to them?

In answering this question, we shall look at both common law and statutory positions in Nigeria. From the elementary law of contract, there must be offer, acceptance, consideration and intention to create legal relation. Inviting the public to take part in a sales promotion would qualify as a good offer in law.

Acceptance would have taken place where a consumer complies with the requirements stipulated in the offer e.g. in the example of the bank customer given above, the moment he saved money into his account, he would seem to have accepted and given consideration. Intention to create legal relation is a question of facts and circumstances in relation to standard set by the law. A customer who has complied with requirements of a sale promo can seek remedy before the court of law.

The National Lottery Act 2005 is a legislative intervention under which sales promotion technique that has the ingredients of a lottery can be regulated by the Na-

tional Lottery Commission established under the Act. Section 57 of the Act defines LOTTERY OR LOTTERIES to include “any game, scheme, arrangement, system, plan, promotional competition or device for the distribution of prizes by lot or chance, or as a result of the exercise of skill and chance or based on the outcome of sporting events or any other device which the President may by notice, in the gazette, declare to be lottery and which shall be operated according to a licence”. Obviously, any sales promotion technique with the intention of distribution of prizes by lot or chance or the exercise of skill and chance, or based on the outcome of a sport event or any other activity approved and gazetted by the President as lottery or lotteries will be qualified to be regarded as a lottery.

No doubt, not all Consumer Sales Promotions can be categorised as lotteries which would be governed by the Act. Where chance element is lacking in a Consumer Sales Promotion, the provisions of the Act would not be applicable e.g. a buy-one –get one free sales promotion. Nonetheless, a customer who has participated in a sales promotion would not be completely shut under the common law of contract.

37

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 081 118 450 48

features

Festac

As soldiers return life to the

festival town Following the recent bank robbery, residents of Festac Town in Lagos State are now heaving a sigh of relief with the deployment of soldiers to beef up security, although the famous town is yet to get over the sad incident.

TUNDE BUSARI reports.

T

he October 13 robbery incident at 4th Avenue Festac Town branches of Diamond and Access banks left a painful trail of memory for residents.

A gang of about 40 armed robbers invaded the banks, rupturing the serene ambiance the town is known for. This security breach diminished the public confidence in the police as soldiers have now been deployed to the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Council headquarters. Aside the Area ‘E’ Police Command, each close employs the services of private security guards.

The sight of the green uniform of the sternlooking but friendly soldiers in their patrol vehicles is an excitement and indeed a relief from the apprehension with which the residents had lived after the dare-devil robbers cut short the live of a nurse, Beluchukwu Ndirika and her 14-month-old daughter.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that nightlife was gradually returning with patrons of drink joints savouring the fresh air of the improved security.

This, a source disclosed, is a contrast to what obtained in the past when relaxation spots were deserted because of the fear of criminals, who freely harassed, raided and forcefully dispossessed people of their valuable items, especially mobile phones and Automated Teller Machine cards.

At the popular BRT bus stop where residents were often subjected to early morning robbery, the story is different and confirming government willingness to end the reign of criminals and criminalities at Festac Town this time around.

A group of auto-mechanics at the popu-

lar 2nd Avenue, opposite Zenith and Skye Banks, for instance, could not hide their joy at the soldiers’ intervention, having lived under the grip of fear due to the location of their workshops near the banks, latest target of the robbers.

Although it was learnt that the Skye bank robbery was carried out in the middle of the night, residents are not convinced that the police were in the dark while the operation lasted. They argued that the police deliberately turned a blind eye to the scene because they lacked the courage to engage the robbers in an effective counter-offensive.

They, therefore, reasoned that the explosion of criminalities, which has reduced Festac Town to an emerging black spot, requires a better, more combative force.

“The coming of the soldiers is now showing that the government is serious. When robbers and other criminals like rapists and yahooyahoo boys, were terrorizing innocent residents and nothing happened after the usual noise in the papers, I knew government was intentionally being irresponsible.

“But with the current situation, the criminals would know that their days are numbered. It is clear that the police cannot handle the robbers with the type of arm they carry,” a resident whose car was under repair at a workshop, remarked.

A police sergeant, who anonymously confided in our correspondent, explained what he dubbed police incapacitation. He sustained his argument with an allegation that the Nigeria Police is programmed to fail and Continues on pg38

features ‘The soldiers’ presence shows government is serious’

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Various spots in Festac town

Continues from pg37

become an object of public derision.

He also revealed that the practice is a selfdefence measure allegedly operative in all police formations across the country.

“Everybody is hiding his head because the system does not encourage us to lay down our lives as it should be. We are supposed to be the hope of the ordinary people but with the kind of weapons used by the robbers, we need to use wisdom. Have you, as a journalist, ever asked what happens to the families of our colleagues who died on duty? It is an unfortunate situation, my brother,” he said in an aggrieved tone.

Our correspondent sought an audience with the Festac Town area commander but was informed that the command was expecting a newly redeployed officer from Oyo State Command after the immediate past, Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, had also been redeployed to Osun State Command.

If the robbers, who dressed in soldiers’ uniform, had not taken the waterway, where they had put a boat on a standby, a source said, their escape would have been difficult because the police had taken position at all likely escape routes.

“We would have overrun them but unfortunately, our job just like that you journalists, is a thankless job because despite our challenges we still do our best and record some successes. Yet the public would condemn us. But we have accepted that as part of our job,” an officer, who also declined his identity, lamented.

We are glad the soldiers are here— Police While the residents are still revelling at the soldiers’ intervention, the Lagos State Police Command also shed more light on the development, describing it as complementary rather than spite to the police as it is said in some quarters.

Police Public Relations Officer of the com-

Lagos CP, Fatai Owoseni

Adewale Ayodele, Chairman, Amuwo Odofin LG

mand, Joe Offor, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed that the soldiers’ intervention is in order and also stressed that it followed a due process of joint operation aimed at returning an enduring peace back to Festac Town.

“It is a security measure to put a final stop at the robbers’ escapades. And I am saying it with emphasis that the robbers have done their last operation. They can never come and escape like that again. The public needs to know that the GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) the robbers used are not part of the police accoutrements.

“Police are not allowed to use such weapon. So, the coming of the soldiers is a welcome development because we are committed to achieve same result. It should not be a matter the public will misinterpret.

“The development shows there is a synergy among Nigeria’s security agencies. The public must understand this. They should know that there is no basis for competition among us. We are to serve the entire nation, and that is what is happening now,” the PPRO articulated.

wo Odofin Local Government Council, Deaconess Modupe Ajibola-Ojodu also exuded confidence in the collaboration, assuring residents of a more secured town.

As the chief security officer of the council, she expressed her undying passion for a crime-free environment and consequently appealed to the residents to show understanding to the soldiers by going about their legitimate activities without fear.

“Showing them understanding will go a long way to achieve our collective result in no time. There is no doubting the fact that the unfortunate incidents we have recorded have sent a wrong signal to the people out there.

“If the combination of the police and soldiers will change that impression and bring back the glory of Festac Town, I think we should all cooperate with them. Security is the bedrock of good governance, hence my appreciation of the development, which will make service delivery possible,” she said.

Also, the former Vice-Chairman of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Chief Adisa Osiefa was positive with the soldiers’ coming, just as he, at the same time, showed empathy with the police owing to his familiarity with their workings and constraints.

We are committed to making Festac crime-free—Govt Similarly, the Executive Secretary of Amu-

“I am also at home with the coming of soldiers as long as it would not turn them to another problem. But I am sure soldiers are discipline and can rise above sentiment when it comes to a serious assignment like this. We are positive about it,” he stated.

The fear Oshiefa expressed was shared by a driver in the employment of Amuwo Odofin Shuttle Service, a transport company.

The man, who did not want his name in print, recalled a scenario in which soldiers on similar assignment cashed in on the helplessness of the residents and imposed permanent fear in them.

He, thus, called the government to strictly monitor the soldiers from turning the people, especially commercial drivers to a goldmine.

“Everybody knows that extorting money from drivers is the biggest problem the police have. We don’t want the soldiers to use this opportunity to also force drivers to pay money. If government prevents them from doing this, we may have seen the end of criminals at Festac Town,” the man said.

Beyond the driver’s fear, failure of Lagos State Government to put the Closed- circuit Television it installed during the tenure of former Governor Babatunde Fashola into use is considered as an aid to the robbers’ free reign. It is argued that if the surveillance device is active, the robbers would have since been tamed.

Against this backdrop, the Editor of Newswatch Times, Patrick Asonye, a Festac Town resident, called on Lagos State Government to do the needful and restore the CCTV. “It is disheartening that millions of naira sunk into the CCTV project has gone down the drain. The 9/11 accident in the US was captured live, thereby helping the security agencies in their investigation. I don’t want to believe same cannot be achieved here if the government shows commitment. How far the soldiers’ intervention would go in providing security depends on the government still,” he said.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

COMMUNIQUE FROM ALL TEACHING STAFF OF MICHAEL OKPARA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, UMUDIKE, ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

DISSOCIATING OURSELVES FROM THE NATIONAL BODY OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU)

A

t the end of the Branch ASUU Congress of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State held on Wednesday 21 October 2015, the following resolutions were made for the information and attentionof the Management and Governing Council of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) currently led by Dr.Nasiru F. Isa, all Sister Universities and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the general public. That: 1.

Effective Wednesday 21 October 2015, all members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) branch cease to belong to and have nothing in common with the National body of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, currently led by Dr.Nasiru F. Isa until further notice; 2.

Effective Wednesday 21 October 2015, all the teaching staff in attendance at the congress whose signatures appear in this communique and those for whom we stand proxy shall simply be

known and addressed as 'The Academic Staff, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State' led by Engr. Dr. Joseph Adama as Interim Chairman and Jones Ebieri as Interim Secretary until further notice; 3.

All banking institutions in Nigeria are also hereby put on notice not to transact business nor obey instructions from existing signatories of the ASUU MOUAU accounts held in trust for the Academic Staff of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State until further notice.

For the avoidance of doubt and for the interest of peace in our great University, this resolution is also for the attention of National and State Security Agencies as they are hereby put on notice to watch out for misinformed and disgruntled elements and impostors who parade (or shall parade) themselves as representing a union that does not exist in our great institution.

It has become necessary to alert all well-meaning Nigerians and especially Parents whose wards are in our great Institution that pulling out of ASUU is in the best interest of our University at this time of her growth and development.

news Dasuki objects to secret trial as FG files fresh charges 40

Sunday Ejike – Abuja

T

HE former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (retd), has objected to the secret trial as filed by the Federal Government in the criminal charges bordering on unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering slammed against him.

The Federal Government had on Monday, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, filed fresh charges against the former NSA, which now included alleged retention of funds which formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act contrary to Section 15 (2)(d) of Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.

Dasuki pleaded not guilty to the fresh five-count charge as against the earlier one count charge and was admitted to bail in the previous term by the trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi.

However, in a motion on notice argued by the prosecution counsel, Mr Shuaibu Labaran, the Federal Government asked the court

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

for secret trial of the former security chief to protect its witnesses that will be called to testify against the accused person in court.

The application, which was filed pursuant to Section 36(4) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 232 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, seeks for an order directing that the names and addresses of all its witnesses should not be disclosed in any record or report of proceedings that may be accessible to the public.

It also wants an order of the court that the witnesses be permitted to use pseudo name in the course of proceedings; to grant to its witnesses access to a non-public route to and from the court premises and court rooms as well as to allow them use private witnesses room.

Apart from lawyers and accredited newsmen, the prosecution asked the court not to allow any member of the public to witness the trial and that the witnesses be permitted to wear facial masks while giving evidence against the former NSA.

Labaran, who argued the motion, submitted that the trial will suffer setback because the witnesses will not testify without secret trial for fear of reprisal from undisclosed places.

However, Dasuki’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, asked the court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit and for being frivolous.

He told the court that the names of the witnesses were already in the public domain at the instance of the prosecution, adding that the application was a mere academic exercise that should not be granted by the court.

Justice Ademola, having listened to arguments of parties on the application, fixed tomorrow, Wednesday, to deliver his ruling.

The fresh charges are that the accused was on July 17, 2015 at his house, No. 13, John Khadiya Street, Asokoro, Abuja found in possession of various range of firearms without requisite licence, an offence punishable under Section 27 (1) (a) of the Firearms Act Cap F28 LFN 2004.

He was also accused of re-

Rivers tribunal judgment too hasty —Mimiko Wike, APC trade words over judgment

By Dapo Falade and Hakeem Gbadamosi

ONDO State governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, on Monday, said there was hasty judgement delivered by the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja which sacked Governor Nyesom Wike last Saturday.

Mimiko, who stated this in Akure, Ondo State capital while reacting to the last judgement, described it as embarrassing but said PDP would continue to win election in Rivers State even if conducted more than 100 times.

Mimiko frowned at the circumstances surrounding the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal which was not allowed to sit in Port Harcourt, while the chairman of the panel was also removed.

Mimiko said: “We all know the circumstances surrounding the Rivers State tribunal. You recall that for unjustifiable cause, that tribunal was not allowed to sit in Port Harcourt. It was taken to Abuja and along the line, the chairman of the tribunal got changed.”

He said the tribunal continued to sit in Abuja despite

challenging its jurisdiction at the Supreme Court and wondered the rationale behind the hasty judgement when the Supreme Court will give judgement in the next few days.

The Ondo State governor noted that written addresses of the two parties were adopted on Thursday, while notice of the judgement was given barely 24 hours after the adoption that the judgement will be given on Saturday.

“The judiciary is supposed to be the last bus stop of common man, for the underprivileged, even the privileged for that matter. Don’t forget, along the line, the DSS arrested the INEC commissioner while the case was going on.

Mimiko, however, said the party leadership would meet soon to take a position on the fate of the opposition over the judgement.

Meanwhile, the battle rages on over the nullification of Wike’s election as the Rivers State governor said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is under illusion if it thinks it can take over the reins of governance in the state.

However, APC picked up the gauntlet as it challenged the governor to test his popularity by going to

the poll, instead of challenging the tribunal’s ruling.

It will be recalled that the Rivers State Elections Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, had, on Saturday, voided the victory of Wike at the last April election, saying the exercise did not comply with the Electoral Law. However, the governor, in a statement issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Sir Opunabo Inko-Taria, on Monday, said what the tribunal did was a miscarriage of justice.

“Selective justice is tantamount to injustice. However, that APC will occupy the government house is a mirage and shall remain a fleeting illusion.

“The insidious verdict is a fad and after savouring the euphoria of the victory with a short life span, they will come to terms with reality.

“The tempest of justice cannot blow fitfully in our tribunals. I have the settled conviction that sagacity shall eventually prevail...

“The mandate freely given to Governor Nyesom Wike by the electorate can never be stolen under any guise.

His refreshing initiatives and policy articulations have helped refuel the ethos of good governance within four months,” he said.

taining $40,000, N5 million and another $20,000 in the same house and same date contrary to Section 15 (2)(d) of Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.

Besides, the accused was said to have, on July 16, 2015 at his residence at Sultan Abubakar Road and

Sabon Birni Road, Sokoto, retained another $150,000 and N37.6 million, being part of proceedings of unlawful act contrary to Section 15 (3) of the Money Laundering Act 2011.

Meanwhile, the accused person, through his counsel, has filed an application for temporary release of his

Nigerian Tribune

travelling documents from the court to enable him travel abroad for medical attention.

The medical checkup was said to have been overdue since July, but that he could not travel due to seizure of his passport.

The application will also be argued on Wednesday.

Oil firms get 72-hr ultimatum to shut down operations Chris Agbambu-Abuja

NIGERIA’S crude oil production level may slide downwards in the next few days, except urgent steps are taken to assuage some aggrieved youths and oil bearing communities in the restive Niger Delta region.

This followed a 72-hour ultimatum handed multinational oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), and some oil services firms including Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited and E.A Temile Development Company, to shutdown all operations at the Beniside Flow Station or risk the consequences.

Speaking exclusively with the Nigerian Tribune yesterday, in Abuja, Youth President of Ojobo Community which hosts the Beniside Oil Field in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr Sergeant Cinema and a spokesperson of the community, Mr Cletus Zuokumor, explained that the ultimatum had become necessary in view of the fact that the oil companies have refused to implement various agreements reached with the community despite several peaceful attempts at resolving the issues.

“We have given the oil companies operating at the Beniside Oil Field 72 hours to close shop and vacate the area to avoid any confrontation or likely showdown with us. What they

are doing is because of the heavy military presence in the Flow Station which they have been using to intimidate and harass members of the community.

This time around, if they are not prepared to effect the FTOs (Freedom to Operate) or Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOUs) which were established almost three years ago, they should shut down and pack out from our community before the expiration of this ultimatum,” the youth president declared.

Also commenting on the looming crises, Zuokumor listed some of the community’s grievances with the oil firms to include, failure of SPDC to perform its corporate social responsibilities by refusing to provide stable electricity to the community while the Flow Station has 24hour power supply; refusal of SPDC to employ indigenes of the community, and failure of SPDC to execute any tangible project in the community as contained in the GMOU, due to its resort to divisive tactics.

He further noted that while Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, which is a sub-contractor to SPDC, not only refused to engage members of the community since it was mobilised to the site in April 2015, the company also flagrantly shut its doors against indigenous contractors nominated by the current community leadership for

provision of services/supplies as stipulated in the FTO it entered with the community.

On the contrary, he alleged that the company engaged contractors not known to the community in order to collect kickbacks.

In the same vein, the youth leader situated the community’s grouse with E.A Temile Development Company on its failure to pay its host entitlements for over two months as agreed in the FTO as well as not performing its corporate social responsibilities, as applicable to the other oil firms such as SPDC and Saipem.

“The oil firms feel that they can ignore us; in fact, they have been boasting that as far as there is military presence at Beniside Flow Station, the community cannot do anything or dare the Flow Station.

“We want to make it abundantly clear that with or without the military, we will mobilise to the Flow Station to effect compliance with the quit order.

Let the companies take note, because we will not allow history to repeat itself, when in 2004, a similar scenario occurred when the community went on a peaceful protest on non-compliance with the FTO entered with Parker Drilling, but the unprofessional and trigger-happy soldiers opened fire on the unarmed youths,” he emphasised.

PDP summons emergency meeting of national caucus Jacob Segun Olatunji and Leon Usigbe-Abuja

NATIONAL leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, summoned an emergency meeting of the party’s national caucus to discuss the current rulings against the party and its candidates at the various election petition tribunals.

This was contained in a statement made available

to newsmen by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja, yesterday.

It stated that the caucus, which will meet on Thursday, in Abuja, would “focus on the unrelenting schemes by the APC and its Federal Government to use some unpatriotic elements in the judiciary to advance their plots to take over states won by the PDP, particularly Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Del-

ta, Taraba and Abia states.”

According to the statement, “the national caucus meeting is in furtherance of the decision of the leadership of the party to fully activate its structures in stiff resistance to the manipulations, coercions and threats of the APC-led government, and in line with the unbending determination by the party not to, in any way whatsoever, surrender any mandate freely given it.”

41

news

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Lagos public service repositioned to meet global standard practice —Ambode Bola Badmus - Lagos

L

AGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has said that the recent reforms witnessed by the state public service is aimed at repositioning it to meet the needs of a teeming population of an emerging megacity and strengthen it to compete with its counterparts in other civilised climes in global standard practice.

Ambode made the disclosure while speaking at the pull out ceremony organised in honour of the 18th Head of Service, Mrs Folashade Sherifat Jaji, having attained the mandatory 35 years in service.

The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, at the event which took place at Adeyemi Bero Hall, remarked that Lagos State public service had moved from the former general administration to the current administration and human

resources management.

He said this was necessary for the service to be professionally repositioned to meet the needs of the people and align it with the best practice in public administration and efficient human resource management.

Ambode said efficient public service was necessary for good governance, promising that his administration would continue to welcome initiatives and lofty reforms that could promote rapid socio-economic development through a proactive public service.

Governor Ambode, while commending the retiring Head of Service for bringing a lot of innovations and developments to the service, said the people and government of Lagos State would continue to remember her tenure for the successful completion of the various service reforms initiated by her predecessors.

He specifically commended the retiree for the publi-

cation of a New Public Service Rule Guide Book and the seamless transition from the general administration practice to the administration and human resources management.

He added that with these two major reforms, Lagos State Public Service had been professionally repositioned and aligned with the best global practice anywhere in the world.

Earlier in a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the State Executive Council, Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, noted that members of the State Executive Council would not forget in a hurry a lot of initiatives and reforms brought to the service by the outgoing Head of Service.

He commended Mrs Jaji for using her wealth of experience to add value to good governance, noting that members of the state executive were all proud of major transformations and developments she was able

to initiate within her very short tenure in office.

In her farewell message, the retiree in an emotion laden voice, thanked the state government for giving her the opportunity to contribute her quota to the development of the state especially in the area of good governance and service delivery to the people of the state.

Mrs Jaji, who was presented with Certificate of Service

noise when you won your governorship election. You are a prayer answered for the people of Enugu,” he told the governor.

Delivering a sermon during the mass that kickstarted the Enugu State Judiciary 2015/2016 Legal Year, the priest enjoined the governor to follow the plans of God in order to execute his mandate for the state successfully.

Addressing members of the judiciary on the occasion, the priest said “Some people are afraid of judges when they are dressed in robes. While it is true that all of them are not cultists, some of them are cultists,”

he said.

In his words, “speak the truth, some people suffer because of legal lies.”

The Reverend Father enjoined judges to remember God when they speak in the court.

He admonished them to depend on God and speak for those who don’t have

Clement Idoko - Abuja

THE Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Professor Suleiman Bogoro, has revealed that the last Board of Trustees of the fund had vacated some projects in non-performing institutions and re-allocated the funds to more serious insti-

the initiative, the Vice President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko, who was represented by the company’s Head, Government and Community Relations, Mohammed Suleh-Yusuf, said the initiative reflected the company’s dedication to delivering on sustainable community support programmes that complement the efforts of partner governments to the utmost benefit of the people.

“Etisalat is committed to delivering sustainable community support programmes. We are truly passionate about helping our host communities because we believe that corporate organisations should make

advocates because when justice is denied, God is annoyed.

The Chief Judge of the state, Justice Innocent Umezulike, led other judicial officers and lawyers practicing in the state to attend the mass billed to signal the take off of the 2015/2016 Legal Year in the state.

tutions.

He vowed that none of the head of TETFund’s beneficiary institutions that mismanages resources allocated would go unpunished.

Bogoro spoke when he received the governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, in his office in Abuja.

Sani Bello was at TETFund to solicit for more support of the intervention agency in order to further improve the lot of tertiary institutions in his state.

The Executive Secretary noted that TETFund management had continued to ensure that due process and accountability were strictly observed by all public universities, colleges of education and polytechnics benefitting from the intervention fund.

He said, “We are very careful of protecting the image of our organisation. No

one can embezzle TETFund money because it must be accounted for.”

Bogoro further disclosed that some public tertiary institutions in some states were behind in access and execution of TETFund projects because of default in meeting the operational requirements of the agency.

He explained that this was why the organisation had cause to revoke allocations given to some institutions.

Governor Bello, in his remark, expressed gladness that the TETFund system of accountability was intact.

Bello, said from the briefing by the TETFund Executive Secretary, he was convinced that his state under the previous administration lagged behind in accessing TETFund allocations because of some deficiencies that he promised to correct.

FUNAAB students protest death of colleague Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

STUDENTS of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), early Monday morning, protested the death of a 400 Level undergraduate, iden-

Etisalat holds free eye surgeries in Bauchi ABOUT 50 Nigerians in Bauchi State have regained full sight after benefitting from a free eye surgery programme sponsored by Nigeria’s most innovative telecommunications operator, Etisalat, in partnership with Charity for Cheer Foundation and the state government.

The programme, a CSRbased intervention initiative designed to support the company’s host communities as well as vulnerable Nigerians, held at the Bayara Specialist Hospital, Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State, had 50 patients suffering from cataract infections successfully operated upon during the three days.

Speaking at the flag-off of

their assigned duties.

The event was well attended by members of the State Executive Council, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, who was represented by the Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission (LAHASCOM), Mr Wale Mogajia; Permanent Secretaries, obas and chiefs and other notable dignitaries from the state and beyond.

Why we revoked projects in non-performing institutions —TETFund scribe

Ugwuanyi is prayer answered for the people of Enugu —Rev Father Mbaka CHARISMATIC Catholic priest and director of the popular Adoration Ministry, Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Reverend Fr. Ejike Mbaka, said that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State is a prayer answered for the people of the state.

Speaking in Enugu yesterday to a huge crowd of his congregation during a mass attended by the governor and top government functionaries, the priest told the governor that “you need the protection of God to execute the good plans you have for the people of Enugu.

“Enugu made a lot of

and plaque, explained that her early exposure to policy development and decision making process was quite significant as it contributed in no small way to her career development in the service.

While commending civil servants for the tremendous supports she enjoyed from them, Mrs Jaji appealed to them to extend same hand of fellowship and cooperation to her predecessor, urging them all to be diligent in

positive impacts on the host communities in which they operate. The Free Eye Surgeries Camp is a rewarding experience that helps visually impaired and vulnerable persons recover their full sight to enable them remain productive members of their immediate communities,” he said.

tified as Miss Maria Atere, who lost her life on Sunday night.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that the incident occurred when a motorcycle the victim was riding on collided with a car, which resulted to her sustaining head injury.

The aggrieved students, as early as 6:00a.m. blocked the entrance to the university, chanting anti-war songs.

The students, led by the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Students, Ogun State, Dotun Opaleye, alleged negligence on the part of the medical personnel in the school health centre.

The students claimed that the victim might likely not have died if personnel at the school health centre had acted promptly by making ambulance available to convey Atere to the Federal Medical Centre for attention.

They argued that frantic efforts were made to save the life of the student, who according to them, was taken to a nearby clinic for first aid before she was later conveyed to FMC. Opaleye said,”The President of Students Union Government of the institution, Segun Denis, went to the health centre located in

Alleged forgery: Lawmaker moves to stop investigation Chris Agbambu Ejike-Abuja

and Sunday

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday slated November 23, to hear an ex-parte motion brought before it by a member of the House of Representatives representing Igbo-Eze South/Nsukka federal constituency, Patrick Asadu, to

stop police investigation on alleged forgery allegation.

The lawmaker, who could not move his ex-parte application yesterday before Justice Evoh Chukwu is praying the court for an order restraining the police from investigating him over allegation of forgery.

It was gathered from the

State Investigation Bureau (SIB), Enugu State Police Command, that from the available facts in conjunction with the findings of the forensic/handwriting analysis, they were clear indications that the document in question, that is the result sheet presented by Asadu, is allegedly a subject of forgery.

the school premises twice to request for the ambulance but, he was denied as he was told to bring the girl to the school clinic.

“The lady was bleeding seriously and for two hours the medical personnel did not release the ambulance and later we got a referral from the school health centre, but, we had to take her to the FMC with our bus.

“On getting to the hospital, the doctor told us that she had died and we became devastated. That was the reason we embarked on the protest.”

The students informed newsmen that the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olusola Oyewole, was told about the incident when the late Atere was being taken to the hospital.

The Head of the Directorate of Public Relations, Mrs Emmy Alawode, was not available at the time of filing this report for the position of the university on the incident.

42

news

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Apostle Popoola, African women, ex-gov, MKO’s wife, others shower accolade on HID

By Tunde Ogunesan

T

HE Presiding Pastor, Word Communication Ministries (WOCOM), Apostle Sunday Popoola, has described late Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, as a patriotic Nigerian, who was ready to sacrifice her precious assets to see Nigeria of her dream came into reality.

Apostle Popoola made this known on Monday, at the Efunyela Hall, Ikenne, Ogun State, when he led a delegation from WOCOM to console with the Awolowo family on the death of their matriarch.

The delegation included his wife, Reverend Omowunmi Popoola. The clergyman said he could proudly say that Mama Awolowo has been coronated, while adding that she remained a committed Christian since she met Christ, till her death.

His words, “Mama Awolowo is a foremost patriotic Nigerian. A woman who was ready to pay any price to see Nigeria of her dream come true. I was privileged to minister during her 70th birthday, Mama bent backward to do everything that she ever thought was necessary to move this nation forward without minding her status or age. She was ready to pay any price to move this nation forward. There are things Mama did for the sake of this nation that I would not be able to say publicly right now.

“Mama’s record would continue to live in the history of this nation. Whatever is happening politically today in Nigeria, she played a very significant role in ensuring the return of democracy, in taking Nigeria out from the democratic wilderness to what we are experiencing today.

“I want to rejoice in the legacy that Papa left behind and which Mama sustained and even projected that legacy. My prayer is that this legacy shall be sustained and built upon. I also thank God for what is happening in Nigeria today; this family is again playing a very significant role. The dream Papa had for this country is being pursued and being fully realised.

“I know a lot about the spiritual stand of Mama, when it is God, Mama would humble herself to any degree. After Mama gave her life to Christ, I said we want to be sure that you

are still standing, we want to be sure that your experience with Christ is genuine, she opened the door and assured on that. She is a lover of God and people.

There is no doubt in my mind that Mama is coronated in heaven right now.

She is rejoicing. She lived a great, wonderful, impactful life,” Popoola said.

In his own comment, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese, Remo, Bishop Olusina Fape, said he would always appreciate Mama Awolowo for her strong mind in keeping the legacy and the home of the sage

together, even stronger, 28 years after Chief Awolowo died.

The head of Remo Diocese, while addressing the children of the deceased, Reverend (Mrs) Tola Oyediran and Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu said, “One thing that delights me in particular as your Bishop is that after 28 years, it is one thing for Papa to have lived and impacted his generation, it is another thing for your mother; my own diocesan mother and mother, to have kept the name Awolowo alive and even surpassed it than

your dad. I pray that after the exit of your parents, this house will continue to receive glory in Jesus name.”

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo said Chief HID Awolowo, in every sense of the word, was mother to all. He said HID is “our mother in Yoruba land and without any doubt, all of us politicians of Yoruba land today and in the past who had followed the path of the sage, are all her children and she would definitely be missed by all.”

And to Bishop Ranti Odu-

bogun, the Lord Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Ife, Ile-Ife, noted that as “Papa appropriately described Mama; indeed, she had been a jewel of inestimable value to the entire Yoruba race and womanhood as a whole. She was a dignified leader, positioned by God and performed her role very creditably.”

Furthermore, the Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Ogun State chapter said, Mama HID Awolowo’s work is strongly speaking for her after her death.

From left, Glo subscribers, Mare Olabisi and Mr Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Barakat Oladeji; Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa; Glo Ambassador, Odunlade Adekola; Olarinde Omobolanle and Olaniyi Bukola, at the Glo Slide and Bounce concert, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday.

D’Banj, MI, Korede Bello, Reekado Bank, others wow Abeokuta residents at Glo Slide n Bounce Scores of Globacom subscribers, who attended the Slide and Bounce concert in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday, have commended the Next Generation Network for providing them with rare quality entertainment.

A medical practitioner in the Rock City, Dr Rotimi Oyesola, who noted that people needed to regularly unwind to reduce their stress level and improve their general well being, praised Globacom for or-

ganising the show during the day time when everybody could safely attend.

The Managing Director of Kadmart Enterprises, Mr Segun Babarinde, described the Glo Slide and Bounce concert as an exciting initiative that will further endear telecommunication subscribers to the Globacom brand, adding “music plays a vital role in the society and it resonates with a lot of people. What Globacom has done today by bringing these stars to Abeokuta will linger for

a long time in our memories and that is why you see a lot of people recording with their phones.”

The former Zonal Secretary, South West of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr Dimeji KayodeAdedeji, submits that “it is a clear fact that Globacom is moving ahead of others positively. This show has kept boredom away from residents of Abeokuta. The company should do this more regularly.”

Enthusiastic residents started arriving for the

Kogi poll: Mimiko canvasses support for Wada Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

The re-election bid of the Kogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada, has received a major boost with the endorsement of his candidature by the Yoruba Community in the state.

The Yoruba Community is an amalgam of people of Yoruba extraction resident in the state, drawn

from the Yoruba-speaking states of Edo, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Lagos and Kwara.

The Yoruba Community in the state made the resolve on Monday, in Lokoja, the state capital, at a reception in honour of the visiting Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

Mimiko, who is also the chairman of the Peoples

Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDPGF), was in the state in solidarity with his counterpart in the state.

Addressing the people in Yoruba language, Mimiko told them that Kogi State was a very peculiar one, given its location at the very centre of the nation, which made it home for all Nigerians.

show from noon, which necessitated an early commencement of the concert with DJ XGee dishing out delightful tunes, while indigenous budding musical artistes like SY, Zeader, Soully E, Kiss Y and Jeffy Brown took turns to entertain the crowd, which responded with cheers as the Master of Ceremony, Jimmyde Hypeman, coordinated a dancing competition to whet the appetite of attendees.

Reekado Banks was the first major act of the concert and he successfully moved the crowd, which chorused his songs along with him enthusiastically, including his hit track, Katapot. Reekado charged the atmosphere when he invited Korede Bello, his brother on the same record label, Mavin Records, to join him on stage. Both Reekado and Korede did a duet, which the crowd relished. Korede later rendered his popular songs including God Win.

Oil theft: NSCDC impounds kerosene tanker in Jigawa Adamu Amadu-Dutse

THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on Monday, impounded a tanker with number KMC 312 ZV, containing 40,000 litres of kerosene meant for Jigawa State, which was diverted to Kano State.

This was disclosed by the Jigawa State Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Muhammadu Gidado, in Dutse, who said that his men arrested the tanker driver and three other accomplices.

The commandant explained that preliminary investigation revealed that the commodity was meant for Mobaco filling station in Kaugama Local Government Area of Jigawa, but diverted to Kano where arrested.

According to him “the arrest was made through intelligence sharing between the NSCDC Jigawa and Kano commands.”

Dr Gidado maintained that the suspects were initially arrested by Kano command before they were later handed over to the corps in Jigawa.

Ganduje warns parents over resisting immunisation Kola Oyelee-Kano

Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has expressed dismay over the attitude of some parents who resisted the immunisation in July programme, warning that the present administration would not tolerate sabotage of its war against polio programme.

He appealed to people of the state to support government efforts aimed at eradicating polio virus in Nigeria, through compliance with routine immunisation.

He made the call during the flag off of the Third Quarter Routine Immunisation held at ‘Yar Kwajo town, Tudun Wada, on Monday, stating that their full commitment to the exercise would assist in enhancing public well being.

His words, “For the past 15 months, there was no record of a single case of the virus in the state and in the whole of Nigeria,” the governor happily stated, adding that in the next 21 months, if anti – polio efforts are sustained, Nigeria would be certified Polio – free by WHO.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Afenifere, Fani-Kayode blast Kwankwaso over comments on Yoruba leaders

By Dare Adekanmbi and Bola Badmus

A

former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has chided a former governor of Kano State, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, for his defence of Fulani herdsmen as lacking in logic and rationality, describing his language as insulting to Yoruba elders.

Kwankwaso, a Senator representing Kano Central, had blamed the face off between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the South-West zone on high illiteracy rate among the Fulani people, lack of grazing reserves and ranches.

But speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on

Monday, Fani-Kayode said the impolite language used by Kwankwaso was “a manifestation of the crass arrogance that some Fulani leaders have cultivated over the years.”

“Worse still, they seek to defend, rationalise and condone the activities of their barbaric and murderous herdsmen and cattlerearers who have murdered, raped and pillaged thousands of our people and forcefully taken our lands and crops over the last few years.

“Simply put they have an insatiable bloodlust

and an irresistible desire to hurt others and to steal, maim, rape and kill. When I say this I am not referring to all Fulanis but only to those Fulani herdsmen who insist on indulging in violent and deviant behavior in our land.

“The only thing you can do to stop such people is to make them face the full wrath of the law for the crimes they have consistently committed and ban them from entering our territory. It has nothing to do with education.”

Meanwhile, the pan- Yoruba socio- political group,

Afenifere, on Monday, took a swipe at Alhaji Rabiu Kwakwanso for defending the Fulani herdsmen on the basis that they needed to be educated, rather than condemning them for engaging in criminal activities in Yoruba land, particularly the recent kidnapping of former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae.

The Fulani herdsmen, had of recent, increased tempo of criminal activities in many towns and villages in Yoruba land, the latest being the abduction

of Chief Falae, while continuing with the killings of innocent farmers, raping of women and destruction of crops and farmlands.

It will be recalled that Yoruba leaders, had at a recent parley in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, called for an end to the criminal activities of Fulani herdsmen in the region, with a threat that “the Yoruba nation might reconsider its place in a union that could not protect us and would not allow us to protect ourselves if we did not see any sign to restructure Nigeria into a proper federation.”

Oyo NURTW’s new office will soon be completed —Fele

By Olawale Olaniyan THE Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo State chapter, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde a.k.a.

Fele, has revealed his plan to complete and commission the new union’s office in his second term of four years.

He revealed this on Sunday during a special prayer organised by the union leaders in his house, after his election for another term in office.

Oyerinde, who expressed satisfaction with the attitude of his members in the last four years, promised another eventful term in office with the continued support of the members of the association.

Oyerinde said he had set the machinery in motion to complete the union’s new office, adding that it would be a befitting edifice.

Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayo Fayose (left), in a warm handshake with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara (middle), while the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom watches, during “A Day with Jesus for Nigerians in Israel,” organised by Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) in Jerusalem, at the weekend.

Nasarawa assembly suspends screening of commissioner-nominees over insecurity Ademola Adegbite- Lafia NASARAWA State Assembly, on Monday, suspended the screening of 16 commissioner-nominees forwarded to it for confirmation by Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, over security threats to the lives of the parliamentarians.

The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe made the announcement, following the motion moved

by Honourable Daniel Ogazi representing Kokona East under the All Progressives Congress (APC), and duly seconded by Honourable Mohammed Muluku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from NassarawaEggon East constituency.

After deliberating extensively on the motion on the floor of the House in Lafia, the state capital, the Speaker, therefore, appealed to the state govern-

ment to provide adequate security for the lawmakers in the interest of peace.

While moving the motion for the suspension of the screening, Honourable Ogazi, who doubles as House Committee Chairman on Education, was of the opinion that the suspension was to provide adequate security for the members, over threat to the security of their lives.

According to him, “my colleagues, if we will recall,

Lawmakers walk out Niger gov’s CPS MEMBERS of the Niger State assembly, on Monday, walked out Dr Ibraheem Dooba, the Chief Press Secretary to the Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, from the Conference Hall of the House, over a story on the submission of names of nominees by the governor for clearance as commis-

sioners.

The state legislators had invited the governor’s spokesman to appear before them to explain where he got the information he confirmed to the media.

The meeting between the legislators and Dr Dooba which took place at an executive session, was held in the Conference

Hall of the assembly.

The Speaker of the House, Honourable Ahmed Marafa, had asked Dooba to tell the legislators where he got the information, but according to confidential sources, the governor’s spokesman declined, saying that “it is against the ethics of my profession to divulge the

source of my information.”

Dooba, who spoke to the Hausa service of the BBC in Minna shortly after he left the conference room, confirmed that he was invited by the lawmakers.

He, however, conceded that he made a mistake in the story he released to the media.

this House has set up a committee to be chaired by me to investigate the alleged admission scandal at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi on why the 2015/2016 admission list of the university did not favour the indigenes of the state.

“During our deliberation on October 12, 2015, the House recommended for the immediate indefinite suspension of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Akaro-Mainoma, over alleged irregularities in the 2015/2016 admission to pave the way for thorough investigation.

“Since then, when we commenced our investigation, I was attacked by armed men and my car was snatched on Keffi-Garaku road and even threat messages have been sent to the phones of the members of this committee, it means our security can no longer be guaranteed.”

Osun assembly constitutes standing committees OSUN State Assembly has eventually constituted its 23 Standing Committee.

The Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam named the committee at the plenary on Tuesday. The sixth Assembly was inaugurated on June 2, 2015 by Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Announcing the names of the committee members and chairmen, the speaker said all the committees were important, depending on the efforts put into it.

Salaam said the committees would further assist the House in its oversight functions on Ministries Deparments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

Shortly after the announcement of the committee, the chairman, House Committee on Information, Honourable Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said the assembly would be more critical in its oversight functions.

He said the officials of MDAs should buckle up and be more dedicated to their jobs, as the House would not take negligence for answer.

According to him, the supervision machinery of the assembly would be strengthened to further ensure quality service delivery to the people of the state.

Promising that the people would be given appropriate information on the activities of the House, he urged the people to exploit the feed back mechanism that had been put in place by the House for free-flow of information.

“For us in Osun Assembly, information is power and because we believe that governance is about participation, it is important for the people to also give us appropriate and adequate information that will enhance our legislative performance, giving the fact that we are their representatives.

“The House is blessed with brilliant people who are highly resourceful and with wealth of experience from different professional background. With the constitution of the committee and its leadership, in coming days we will be able to project the activities of the assembly in better lights. As an arm of government and elected representative of our people, the house shall step up its game to continue to serve the common interest, we will continue to listen to our people and keep in touch with our constituency,” he said.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

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08116954632 with seyi gesinde foreignn ewseditor@gmail.com

Syrian rebels to Russia: Stop bombing us

249 dead in Afghanistan, Pakistan as massive earthquake shakes South Asia

A

p o w e r f u l 7.5-magnitude earthquake has struck in northern Afghanistan and has been felt in a large area from northern India to Pakistan with scores of people killed across the region, Al Jazeera reported.

The United States Geological Survey put the epicentre of Monday’s quake near Jarm in Afghanistan’s northeast, 250km from the capital Kabul and at a depth of 213km.

The total death toll stood at 249 with at least 185 people killed in Pakistan and at least 64 more in Afghanistan, according to official reports from the two countries.

Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, cut short his visit to the United Kingdom to fly home to deal with the emergency.

Hikmat Fasi, a resident of Parwan Province in northern Afghanistan, said the quake caused a lot of damage in the area.

“We are safe but I saw a lot of buildings collapse,” Hikmat Fasi said. “It [earthquake] caused severe damage to our area.

We are just praying.”

According to the InterService public relations office, all military hospitals and helicopters were put on standby and high alert.

Strong tremors were also felt in New Delhi and Islamabad, residents said,

as authorities in India and Pakistan issued warnings for strong aftershocks.

Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said walls in the Pakistani capital swayed back and forth as people poured out of office buildings in a panic.

At least 38 people died in northwest Pakistan, officials told Al Jazeera, as reports of damage or casualties were trickling in from across the country. At least another 100 were injured, initial reports said.

Shaukat Iqbal, a resident from Charsadda district in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa said it felt as if the earthquake “kept getting worse

with time”.

“I could see homes, buildings shaking. We are terrified and I am unable to reach my family living in Malakand district. All

tremors.

“As soon as we felt the first tremor we stepped out of our home. It stopped for a few seconds, but started again,” said Waqas.

Patients who were shifted outdoors at the government medical college hospital after a strong tremor was felt in Jammu, India.

PHOTO: AP.

Indonesia arrests India’s most wanted criminal Indonesian police have arrested one of India’s most wanted gangsters, sought in more than two dozen murder cases, on the resort island of Bali, Indian federal police said on Monday, ending a two-decade-long international manhunt.

Rajendra Nikalje, widely known as Chhota Rajan, according to VOA has been on Interpol’s wanted list since 1995 for running a crime syndicate that engaged in extortion, arms smuggling and contract killing.

“We tracked Chhota Rajan’s movements closely

American woman charged for killing 4 people with car A 25-year-old woman accused in the deaths of four people at the Oklahoma State homecoming parade is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, after witnesses said she drove her car into spectators with such force that she sent bodies flying into the air, The Associated Press reported.

and informed the police in Indonesia and Australia,” said Anil Sinha, director of the Central Bureau of

Five Britons were killed when a Canadian whale-watching boat sank on Sunday, the British foreign secretary said on Monday.

The boat, carrying 27 passengers, sank off the coast of British Columbia on Sunday afternoon, sparking a rescue effort by the Coast Guard, fisherman and private mariners. Five people were confirmed dead and one was missing, while 21 were rescued.

“My thoughts are with the family and friends of all those affect-

otherNEWS

Adacia Chambers was initially arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after the crash Saturday morning in Stillwater that also injured dozens of people. But late Sunday, police said Chambers was also being held on four counts of second-degree murder.

The Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia has confirmed the death sentence against Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a leader of anti-government protests, one of his brothers said.

“After the confirmation of Sheikh Nimr’s death sentence by the Court of Appeal and then the Supreme Court,

Investigation in the Indian capital.

“Eventually the Indonesian police managed to

arrest him. We are making arrangements to bring him to India and pursue all criminal cases against him.”

5 Britons killed in Canada whale-watching boat accident

This photo provided by the Stillwater Police Department, shows Adacia Chambers.

PHOTO: AP.

Saudi Arabia court confirms Shia cleric death sentence

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr

phone lines are shut.”

Waqas Habibi Rana, a resident from Lahore, said many people fled their homes and office buildings as the city was hit by the

An alliance of Free Syrian Army-related insurgent groups said on Monday it was skeptical about a Russian proposal to help rebels, and that Moscow must stop bombing rebels and civilians and withdraw its support for President Bashar al-Assad.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday the Russian air force, which has been bombing insurgents in Syria since Sept. 30, would be ready to help the “patriotic” Syrian opposition.

“Their words are not like their actions. How can we talk to them while they are hitting us?” Issam alRayyes, spokesman for the Southern Front of the Free Syrian Army, told Reuters.

Russian warplanes have bombed a number of FSAaffiliated groups in northern areas of Syria since intervening in the war on the side of Assad. The Russian air force is providing air cover for several major ground offensives being waged by the Syrian army and allied Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters.

his life is in the hands of King Salman who can endorse the sentence or suspend the execution,” Mohammed al-Nimr said on Sunday.

He warned that his brother’s execution “could provoke reactions that we do not want,” as Sheikh Nimr had “supporters in the Shia areas of the Islamic world”.

ed by this terrible accident,” UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said in a statement.

“Consular staff in British Columbia are supporting the family members of those who have died and we will remain in close contact with Canadian authorities as further information becomes available.”

The vessel, the Leviathan II, was operated by Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Cen- Rescue personnel mounting a search for victims of a capsized whale watching tres. boat park on a wharf in Tofino, British Columbia. PHOTO: REUTERS.

South Sudan makes progress on ceasefire South Sudan’s rebels signed an agreement Monday to finalise the implementation of the security arrangements that were part of an August peace accord.

Fighting has continued despite that cease-fire, but this latest development has all parties hopeful.

The VOA said government delegation and a group of for-

mer political leaders and detainees signed the agreement in September, but the rebels had refused.

General Taban Deng Gai said the rebels delayed because they were concerned about the volume of troops in the capital city, Juba.

Talks will continue to decide on the details on the shared forces. IGAD, the East African

South Sudan government soldiers in the town of Koch, Unity state, South Sudan. PHOTO: AP.

bloc mediating, is hopeful for more progress after the signing Monday morning.

2 police, 7 militants dead in Turkey IS raid

Syrian President Bashar alAssad (right) with Russian representatives in Syria.

PHOTO: SANA/AFP.

A raid on an Islamic State cell in southeastern Turkey left two Turkish police officers and nine militants dead on Monday, as authorities press their effort to combat the extremists based across the border in Syria.

Monday’s firefight, according to VOA happened in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir where police raided

multiple houses.

Security officials said four police officers were injured and three militants were captured.

Turkish authorities have blamed the Islamic State group for a double suicide bombing in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, earlier this month that killed more than 100 people.

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news

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

NIPOST decries encroachment of land in Ado-Ekiti sam nwaoko-ado-ekiti

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he Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Ekiti Territory, has deplored the encroachment on its land in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, by traders and shop owners, which it said was blocking the maintenance of its head office.

The agency said it was worried about the development in the community and called on the federal and the sate governments to assist it to reclaim the land and make the environment conducive for the conduct of its daily businesses.

The Area Postal Manager, Ekiti Territory, Mrs. Ijeoma Akinwunmi, who said this while speaking with newsmen in Ado Ekiti, noted that “the encroachment on the land of the agency has reduced space in the NIPOST premises.”

Mrs Akinwunmi condemned the pulling down of the fence and erection of containers by traders at Bisi Market in the vicinity which, according to her, had been affecting operations and mobility of the agency.

The Ekiti NIPOST boss said the management had been considering offers from leaders of some major communities like Ikere Ekiti and Igede Ekiti, who have demonstrated willingness to host the territorial headquarters.

She urged Governor Ayo Fayose to assist the agency to complete the new post office building project started by his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Mrs Akinwunmi said she had made several representations to the Fayose administration which had not yielded fruits so far, adding that NIPOST contributes immensely to the revenue of the state government through payment of revenue and Value Added Tax (VAT).

The non-completion of the project, according to her, is a problem as the 117 staff are going through con-

siderable inconvenience because their office presently lacks the needed facilities that would facilitate effective service delivery.

The NIPOST chief said contrary to the belief of the traders, the land belongs to the agency as it has title documents to the land.

She said: “This environment is not conducive because these traders have encroached on our land.

We want them to under-

“We urge the federal and state governments to help us claim back this land. This land does not belong to the community or state again.”

Mrs Akinwunmi explained that the Service is

still relevant despite the advent of Information and Communication Technology as it now carries out haulage, courier services, delivery of goods and other services.

NDE trains 25 on commercial farming in Niger Adelowo Oladipo-Minna

The Niger State Office of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has

commenced the training of 25 farmers on commercial farming specifically in poultry and market gardens in Minna, the state capital.

The State Coordinator

Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (left), congratulating the newly appointed state Head of Service, Elder Abraham Olusola Adeyemi, after the latter was sworn in at the executive council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, on Monday.

of NDE, Engineer Abdullahi Mohammad, said the organisation had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) for the disbursement of loans to beneficiaries after the training.

He disclosed this at the one-day orientation course on Commercial Farming Training Project under the Rural Employment Promotion (REP) Department of NDE in Niger State.

Mohammad stated further that the training will last for one year under the close supervision and monitoring of NDE and the financing bank so as to ensure the seriousness of participants, who will benefit by forming cooperatives.

While observing that white colour jobs were no longer realistic globally, he maintained that selfemployment was the only option for graduates and school leavers, urging the participants to take the training seriously.

Saraki constitutes Senate standing committees tomorrow Senate screens INEC nominees today Taiwo Adisa And Ayodele Adesanmi-Abuja

SENATE President, Bukola Saraki, will, morrow, made public standing committees

Dr tothe of

the Senate.

This would come barely a week after Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, also made public the

Dele Giwa: Interference from ‘high places’ marred investigation —Ex-DIG TWENTY-NINE years after the murder of renowned journalist, Dele Giwa, a retired police chief, Chris Omeben, who conducted the investigation, said the unresolved assassination is the most frustrating case he handled in his career.

Giwa, the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine, was killed through a parcel bomb at his Ikeja, Lagos residence on October 19, 1986.

Omeben, a former Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), who turns 80 on October 27, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that the high profile investigation was marred by interferences from “high places.”

He explained that even when he had narrowed in on the principal suspect, who could have thrown

stand that this is no longer community land.

“As long as they allowed the post office to be built on this land, it has become a property of the Federal Government.

more light on the riddle, the suspect was allowed to escape from the country.

“We had an identification parade and got people of different physical attributes to be identified by the day watch. “Eventually, when one of those paraded was said to bear a resemblance to the person that delivered the bomb, in spite of my insistence to have the man quizzed, we could not.

“Because interference now came from high places to protect the man. The man was said to be related to the wife of a governor at that time and as a result of his connection, we came to a dead end on that lead,’’ the former police chief, who was in charge of the research department of the police CID when Giwa was killed, said.

Omeben told NAN that

the setback did not in any way deter him from using the evidence he had to follow the lead on some of the suspects.

“They resisted up till today. They started to insinuate that the assassination was masterminded

by Babangida, Akilu etc.

As a matter of fact, I had interrogated Akilu and he told me that yes they had invited Dele Giwa some few days before the assassination over a negative statement he made about Nigeria in a New York newspaper.

“He said they had to invite him to tell him that he was wrong for portraying the country in bad light in the international press.

Akilu insisted that the invitation was not enough to accuse the government of complicity in the assassination of Dele Giwa,” he added.

standing committees with their chairmen and other members named.

The standing rule of the Senate, as amended, provides for only 57 standing committees, out of which only three committees, namely: Rules and Business, chaired by Senator Babajide Omoworare; Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, under the chairmanship of Senator Sam Anyanwu and Public Accounts, headed by Senator Andy Uba, had been constituted.

One of the senators, who pleaded anonymity, told the Nigerian Tribune that all arrangements had been

concluded by the Senate president to announce the committees on the floor of the Senate tomorrow.

He added that there might additional nine new committees, which, if added to the existing 57, would increase the committees to 65.

As a result of the development, intense lobbying by senators are ongoing across the party lines, in view of what happened in the House of Representatives with All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sharing in ration 48 to 46.

The Senate, on Monday

evening, decided to hold the screening of nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari for posts in Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

President Buhari had, last week, sent the name of the new INEC chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu and five other national commissioners to the Senate for confirmation.

Sources told the Nigerian Tribune that the Senate resolved to hold the screening today as it viewed it as urgent matter, in view of the forthcoming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.

Baale of Foworogun installed, pledges to work The newly installed Baale of Foworogun in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, Chief Quasim Adeyinka, has said he will contribute his quota to the development of the people of the area.

Chief Adeyinka said this during an interaction with Community News after his installation by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1, at the oba’s

residence in Monatan, Iwo Road, Ibadan, recently.

The Baale also stated that he would work cooperatively with the people of the area, urging them to live in peace and harmony with other tribes in the area.

Speaking during the installation ceremony, High Chief Saliu Adetunji, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, charged the

people of Ibadan to work hard for the progress and development of Ibadanland in order to achieve the creation of Ibadan State as soon as possible.

On his part, the Osibalogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Akinloye Olakuleyin, urged the people of the state to maintain the peace and give their support to the state government so as to move the state forward.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

U-20 W/Cup qualifiers :

NFF expresses confidence in Falconets

Falconets’ Chinwendu Ihezuo battles for ball possession.

Saliu Gbadamosi-Abuja

T

Adebutu pledges commitment to football sponsorship

By Mojisola Adewunmi The sponsor of the annual Sir Kesington Adebutu U-18 male football Championship, Sir Kesington Adebukola Adebutu, has reiterated his commitment to the sponsorship of the football competition, just as he promised the Ogun State Football Association with the construction of a befitting secretariat.

The business mogul while speaking during the final of the third edition of the competition at the Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu won

by Yewa South with a 4-3 victory over Ikenne FC informed that, aside from the secretariat, he will be willing to sponsor the female football competition once the association presents a proposal.

This he said would produce female footballers for the state and the country having observed that

there is need for the country female national team to be improved upon.

“With the success recorded over year with the sponsorship of the male U-18 competitions, I will be willing to sponsor the female football competition next year so as to help develop the game and discover more talented female footballers,” he said.

Meanwhile, the winner, Yewa South went home with N1million, while the runners up, Ikenne Lo-

U-17 W/CUP: Glo Nigeria’s U-17 national team, Golden Eaglets have been commended for qualifying for the second round of the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.

The Golden Eaglets who defeated the United States of America and host Chile in the first two matches in group A, lost the last group match 1-2 to Croatia.

cal Government earned N750,000 and the third placed team, Sagamu Local government settled for N500,000 and the fourth placed team, Imeko Afon pocketed N250,000 for their effort.

The sum of N20,000 each was given to the best goalkeeper, Alao Joseph from Imeko Afon, MVP, Okeowo Oluwaseyi, highest goal scorer, Ibrahim Dehinde from Ikenne and the best coach Itodo Emmanuel of Yewa South.

Speaking with Tribunesport on Monday, the chairman, Ogun State Football Association, Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi having expressed appreciation to Adebutu for his sponsorship, assured that the competition which attracts many clubs from the local governments in the state will be better organised next year.

He stated that with the introduction of female football in next year’s edition, the competition will attract more glamour.

hails Eaglets’ qualification Globacom, sponsor of the national teams, in a press statement in Lagos, commended the team for qualifying for the second round and advised the coaching crew to work on the lapses observed during the last group match.

“We wish to advise the team to remain focused for the task ahead, while we

enjoin the technical crew to ensure that the fittest players are lined up for the next encounter against Australia on Wednesday.

Globacom also congratulated the Falconets on defeating the Basetsana of South Africa in the first leg of the final qualifier for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women World Cup holding in Chile.

HE leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed confidence in the ability of the national U-20 women’s football team, Super Falconets, of picking a slot in the next FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup holding in Papua New Guinea next year.

This is even as the country’s football governing body says it has no doubt in the ability of the Peter Dedevbo-led technical crew of the Falconets in delivering the goods.

The Nigerian lasses had narrowly edged the Basetsana of South Africa 2-1 in the first leg final round qualifying match of the 2016 FIFA U-20 World Cup decided at the National Stadium, Abuja, last Saturday.

Speaking after watching the match, NFF Secretary-General, Dr Muhammed Sanusi, told sports journalists that despite the outcome of the match, the football body remained unshaken in its belief that the Falconets, who had qualified for every edition of the U-20 World Cup since inception, would qualify for the 2016 edition.

According to the NFF scribe, Nigerians should not just rule out the Falconets in view of the outcome of Saturday’s game, saying that their chances of qualifying were still very bright, considering the quality of players in the team.

“We have confidence in coaches handling our national team. That is why they are in charge of their team. So, we have confidence in the Falconets’ coaching crew,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Fal-

conets head coach, Dedevbo, has stated that his girls would go to Johannesburg, South Africa, with their minds set at qualifying for the World Cup.

UNN wins 4th WAUG championship

By Abiodun Jimoh - Nsukka HOSTS, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) emerged the overall winner at the 4th West African University Games (WAUG) Hockey and Football Championship which ended last weekend at UNN Sports Complex, Nsukka.

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and Enugu State University of Technology also won gold in hockey and football events respectively.

In the male football event, Team ESUT defeated University of Calabar 1-0 courtesy of the 35th minute goal

by Silas Nwankwo to claim the gold medal.

Also, UNN’s lone goal victory over Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba secured them a bronze medal.

The UNN female team was decorated with gold medal without kicking the ball having been the only team that registered for the championship.

Similarly, the OAU hockey team left no one in doubt of winning the gold when they defeated University of Maiduguri team in the final match by two field goals having beaten them by four field goals in the pool B match.

The Federal University of Technology, Minna claimed the bronze medal on technical grounds at the expense of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

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Tuesday, 27 October, 2015

mama lucia onabanjo @ 90

PHOTOS: ALOLADE GANIYU

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1. From left, Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; the celebrant, Chief (Mrs) Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo and Barrister Bukola Onabanjo.

2. From left, former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande; Governor Amosun and his wife, Olufunso.

3. The celebrant, Chief (Mrs) Lucia Onabanjo, flanked by her children, Seyi Onabanjo (left) and Barrister Bukola Onabanjo.

4. Cross section of the children, from right, Mrs Debo Onabanjo, Mrs Monica Onabanjo, Miss Tolulope Onabanjo, Mrs Ajibola Akapo and Mrs Awujoola Ademiluyi.

5. Former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba (left) anda former governor of

Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo.

6. Chief Ayo Adebabjo (left) with Justice I.O. Sonoiki.

7. Chief (Mrs) Onabanjo, flanked by representatives of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and others.

8. From right, Mrs Vicky Maleghemi, Mrs Toyin Oduntan and Chief (Mrs) Nike Akande.

9. From right, Chief (Mrs) Yinka Ajayi, Chief (Mrs) Christy Ayo Adebanjo and Dr Boluwafe Lola Dare.

10. From left, Senator Gbenga Kaka, Senator Akin Odunsi, Admiral Toye Sode, Colonel Daniel Akintonde and Senator Iyiola Omisore.

SIDELINES

NO 16,357

TUESDAY, 27 OCTOBER, 2015

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British former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, during an interview on Sunday, attested to the fact that it was the killing of Saddam Hussein, that gave rise to the present Islamic State uprising. Though he apologized for the military occupation of Iraq, which he blamed on faulty intelligence report, yet, the world awaits his recommendation on how to correct this “error” which gave birth to this terror group threatening world peace with the killing of innocent souls, including Britons in Syria and Iraq.

Okagbare blows hot over media attack

By Ganiyu Salman

R

EIGNING Commowealth double champion, Blessing Okagbare is yet to forgive the Nigerian sporting press over the reports which greeted her seemingly woeful performance at the 15th IAAF World Championships held in Beijing, China this year.

Okagbare, it will be recalled finished last in the 100m final, while she also pulled out of the 200m to the surprise of many, a decision she later attributed to fatigue.

In an interview aired on a local television sports programme on Monday, Okagbare lamented that the local press instead celebrated her Beijing 2015 debacle in a disappointing manner.

“I opted out of the 200m because I was too tired, my legs couldn’t carry me the way I wanted, but a lot of negative things were written about me which was not fair, it is stupid journalism. It is very disappointing and even if they (journalists) are not going to do it again. They should stop doing things like that. My colleagues from other countries were even saying ‘are they not the people you represent.’?

“I asked myself, what will I be doing at the All Africa Games? Actually, I didn’t want to go and I told the people in charge. Even before we ended the world championship, people were saying I’m finished and that I was dropped from the squad to the African Games,” said Okagbare who in-

Okagbare

spired Nigeria to win the women’s relay gold at the just-ended 11th All Africa Games in Congo Brazaville.

The Beijing 2008 Olympics long jump bronze medallist stated that she enjoys support from fans which has been propelling her to forge ahead.

“I am exremely driven by passion for what I am doing. So, I love what I am doing for my country and I appreciate the encouragement from fans. They keep me going, what I get from fans is exremely amazing, they inspire me a lot.”

Okagbare says she can’t wait for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

“I am actually preparing well for the Games. It is going to be my third Olympics and I am looking forward to it. Going to Rio Olympics is my top priority now. I want to take care of myself and everything to make sure I’m in top shape for the Games,” the Delta State-born athlete said.

Okagbare had through her Facebook wall in August resorted to hot words in protest against the local media reportage of her Beijing 2015 debacle.

Oliseh must learn to tolerate youthful exuberance Saliu Gbadamosi-Abuja FOR the Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh, to succeed during his tenure, he ought to learn how to manage his wards properly, bearing in mind that they are youths capable of exhibiting youthful exuberance.

The advice was given by

a one-time Confederation of African Football (CAF) and world football governing body, FIFA executive committees member, Dr Amos Adamu while speaking with sports journalists in Abuja.

Coming on the heels of the recent altercations between Oliseh and most-capped Nigerian footballer, Vincent Enyeama in Belgium leading to the former Eagles goalkeeper’s retirement from international

football, Adamu declared that Oliseh should learn to thread softly with his players to enable him to achieve the desired results.

According to the former Director-General, National Sports Commission (NSC), the Eagles were rich youths who were capable of exhibiting exuberance and out of field aggressiveness and as such, Oliseh ought to realise this and learn how to deal with them with

a view to bringing out the best in them.

“The coach [Oliseh] should realise that he is dealing with youths who are rich. He cannot rule out youthful exuberance and aggressiveness, which in most cases is good for the game.

“I love to see the aggressiveness in players because if they take that to the field, it always give a good result,” Adamu said.

Oliseh

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. Telephone: 08165728976; 08073598322. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 27/10/2015.