28th June 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,533

TUESDAY, 28 JUNE, 2016

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Nigerian Tribune

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I don't believe in naira Police, military, militants in gun battle devaluation —Buhari —P6,33

•As Ogun dep gov visits troubled communities •Yoruba, Ijaw leaders convene emergency meeting

—P7

EFCC arrests Agbele, Fayose's man

Saraki docked, says cabal has hijacked Buhari's govt •I'm nobody's stooge, Buhari replies •Saraki, Ekweremadu, 2 others granted bail

—P7

—P2 FG to varsities:

Conduct post-UTME, face sanctions —P11

Court sacks Abia gov —P10

From left, Chairman, Forte Oil, Mr Femi Otedola; Vice Chair, Famfa Oil, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija; President Muhammadu Buhari; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr Tony Elumelu; President, Dangote Group of Company, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the Chairman, Zenith Bank, Mr Jim Ovia, during a breaking of Ramadan fast at the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

24 PDP state chairmen pledge allegiance to Makarfi —P34

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A cabal has hijacked Buhari’s govt —Saraki

By Kunle Oderemi

S

ENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Monday, said a cabal had hijacked the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to undermine the hard-earned democracy in Nigeria.

Saraki, who spoke against the backdrop of his arraignment over alleged forgery of Senate Standing Rules, however, said he was prepared to be a happy guest in jail, rather than succumb to the nefarious agenda of the few individuals bent in imposing their selfish interests on Nigerians.

In a statement he personally signed and made available to the Nigerian Tribune, the Senate President said he remained resolute in preventing the subversion of our democracy and the desecration of the Senate.

He said the latest “trump

up charges” against him and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, was only another phase in the relentless persecution of the leadership of the Senate under the present administration.

“I will remain true and committed to the responsibilities that my citizenship and my office impose on me.

Without doubt, the highest of those responsibilities is the steadfast refusal to surrender to the subversion of our democracy and the desecration of the Senate. This is a cross I am prepared to carry.

“If yielding to the nefarious agenda of a few individuals, who are bent in undermining our democracy and destabilising the Federal Government to satisfy their selfish interests is the alternative to losing my personal freedom, let the doors of jails be thrown open and I

Saraki’s statement in full “TODAY, we the leaders of the Nigerian Senate reiterate our innocence against the charges filed by the Attorney-General of the Federal Government of Nigeria at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on the allegations of forgery of the Senate Standing Rules document.

In our view, the charges filed by the Attorney-General represent a violation of the principle of the Separation of Powers between the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch as enshrined in our Constitution. Furthermore, it is farcical to allege that a criminal act occurred during Senate procedural actions and the mere suggestion demonstrates a desperate overreach by the office of the Attorney-General. These trumped-up charge is only another phase in the relentless persecution of the leadership of the Senate.

This misguided action by the Attorney-General begs the question, how does this promote the public interest and benefit the nation? At a time when the whole of government should be working together to meet Nigeria’s many challenges, we are once again distracted by the executive branch’s inability to move beyond a leadership election among Senate peers. It was not an election of Senate peers and executive branch participants.

Over the past year, the Senate has worked to foster good relations with the executive branch. It is in all of our collective interests to put aside divisions and get on with the nation’s business. We risk alienating and losing the support of the very people, who have entrusted their national leaders to seek new and creative ways to promote a secure and prosperous Nigeria.

As leaders and patriots, it is time to rise above partisan-

ship and to move forward together.

However, what has become clear is that there is now a government within the government of President Buhari, who has seized the apparatus of executive powers to pursue their nefarious agenda.

This latest onslaught on the Legislature represents a clear and present danger to the democracy Nigerians fought hard to win and preserve. The suit filed on behalf of the Federal government suggests that perhaps some forces in the Federal Republic have not fully embraced the fact that the Senate’s rules and procedures govern how the legislative body adjudicates and resolves its own disputes.

Let it be abundantly clear, both as a citizen and as a foremost Legislator, I will continue to rise above all the persecution and distraction that have been visited on me. In the words of Martin Luther King Junior, “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at a time of challenge and controversy”.

I will remain true and committed to the responsibilities that my citizenship and my office impose on me. Without doubt, the highest of those responsibilities is the steadfast refusal to surrender to the subversion of our democracy and the desecration of the Senate. This is a cross I am prepared to carry. If yielding to the nefarious agenda of a few individuals who are bent in undermining our democracy and destabilising the Federal Government to satisfy their selfish interests is the alternative to losing my personal freedom, let the doors of jails be thrown open and I shall be a happy guest.

shall be happy to be a happy guest,” Saraki stated.

He said the latest onslaught against the legislative arm of government was not only an affront on the Nigerian people who fought hard to win and preserve democracy, but an utter disregard for the principle of separation powers.

He remarked that it was disgusting that a time there should be synergy within the whole government to

•Says ‘I’m ready for jail, if...’

frontally tackle the core challenges confronting the country, there was a calculated efforts to frustrate the legislature by the “executive branch’s inability to move beyond a leadership election among Senate peers.”

He said it had become glaring that “there is now a government within the government of President Buhari, who have seized the apparatus of executive powers to pursue their ne-

farious agenda,” despite the commitment of the Senate in promoting harmony with the executive arm.

His words: “Over the past one year, the Senate has worked to foster good relations with the executive arm. It is in all of our collective interests to put aside divisions and get on with the nation’s business. We risk alienating and losing the support of the very people, who entrusted their nation-

al leaders to seek new and creative ways to promote a secure and prosperous Nigeria. As leaders and patriots, it is time to rise above partisanship and to move forward together.”

Insisting that the criminal charges levelled against him and other leaders of the Senate were spurious, the Senate President carpeted the Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation for the legal action.

...Buhari to Saraki: I’m nobody’s stooge Leon Usigbe -Abuja PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has rejected the allegation by Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, that a cabal has taken over his government.

Reacting to the assertion in Abuja, on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, requested Saraki to name members of the cabal.

The presidential aide said it was only when the number three man in government, disclosed the iden-

tity of the cabal that his statement could be taken seriously.

It said as the Chief Law Officer of the country, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice had the right to determine who had infringed on the law.

Adesina said: “Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki claims there is ‘now a government within the government of President Buhari’, which has allegedly seized the apparatus of executive powers to pursue a nefarious agenda.

“This claim by Senator Saraki would have been more worth the while if it had been backed with more information. If he had proceeded to identify those who constitute the ‘government within the government,’ it would have taken the issue beyond the realm of fiction and mere conjecture.

“But as it stands, the allegation is not even worth the paper on which it was written, as anybody can wake from a troubled sleep, and say anything.”

The statement added:

“The Attorney-General of the Federation is the Chief Law Officer of the state; it is within his constitutional powers to determine who has infringed upon the law and who has not.

“Pretending to carry an imaginary cross is mere obfuscation, if, indeed, a criminal act has been committed, but we leave the courts to judge.

“To claim that President Buhari is anybody’s stooge is not only ridiculous, but also preposterous. It is not in the character of our president.”

...Senate President, deputy docked, granted bail Sunday Ejike -Abuja SENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki; his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu; immediate past Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and the acting Clerk, Benedict Efeturi, were on Monday, arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Jabi, Abuja, on a two-count charge of forgery, of which they pleaded not guilty.

The Federal Government is prosecuting the four defendants for allegedly forging the Senate Standing Rules used on June 9, 2015 to conduct the election that brought Saraki and Ekweremadu in as Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively.

Shortly after pleading not guilty to the two-count charge slammed against them by the Federal Government, the defendants’ counsel, Ikechukwu Eze-

chukwu for Maikasuwa, Mahmud Magaji for Efeturi, Paul Erokoro for Saraki and Joseph Daudu for Ekweremadu moved application for the bail of their clients.

The trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, after taking arguments from counsels on the bail application, admitted all of them to bail with two sureties each.

The sureties, the judge held must be Nigerians, male or female, who must have landed property in either Apo Legislative Quarters, Maitama, Asokoro, Garki or Wuse District of Abuja.

Justice Halilu, who took judicial notice of the position of the defendants, said there was nothing by way of affidavit evidence that the defendants would jump bail if allowed to go home and added that the essence of bail for the defendants is to ensure their attendance in court through out the trial.

RAMADAN MESSAGE O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship. He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah . But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him.

Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Indeed, they who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price - those consume not into their bellies except the Fire. And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And they will have a painful punishment.

—Surat Al-Baqarah verses 172-174

The judge, in his ruling, held that Section 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, presumed the defendants’ innocent of the charges against them and that it was normal and natural for them to be allowed on bail, so as to prepare for their defense.

Justice Halilu further said the essence of bail was for the defendants, who were presumed innocent by law, was to ensure their attendance in court throughout the trial and that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, also lends support for bail for any Nigerian accused of bailable offences as in the instant case.

The judge, however, said in the event that the defendants were unable to meet up with the bail conditions, they shall be remanded in Kuje prison pending the

time they would meet up with the conditions.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Mohammed Shaibu Diri, had told the court that he had no opposition to Saraki’s bail application on the ground that he was the Senate President and that the Federal Government did not want to cripple the activities of the Senate.

Diri, however, opposed the bail application brought before the court by Ekweremadu, Maikasuwa and Efeturi on the ground that they were likely to evade trial, having allegedly evaded the service of the charge against them.

The prosecution told the court that if convicted, the three defendants were likely to be imprisoned for 14 Continues pg4

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35 states apply for N510bn FG guaranteed loan, Adeosun clarifies Says N109bn capital vote released Sanya Adejokun -Abuja

M

INISTER of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has clarified that the proposed loan guaranteed by the Federal Government to states is a total of N510 billion and not N90 billion as earlier reported.

Adeosun, who spoke during a television interview programme on Monday, also disclosed that N109 billion had already been released as part of the N350 billion first quarter capital vote.

Speaking on the loans facility to which stringent conditions had been attached, the minister said: “Facility size is not N 90 billion; rather N 50 billion per month first three months and N40 billion per month for following nine months.

“Monthly disbursements

to each state will be conditional on compliance with pre-agreed Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) milestones.”

She said 35 states had applied as against erroneous claims in some newspapers that “only seven or five states have met Federal Government’s conditions.

This is factually wrong. FSP reforms will take 18 months to fully implement” and are in the process of submitting the required documentation, which are being reviewed.

Adeosun gave the assurance that diversification of the economy would increase when each state starts to increase their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), as it would create local jobs and expand wealth within the states.

“Kebbi State, for example,

had taken the initiative to increase their production of rice, it had gone as far as coining IGR as ‘I Grow Rice’.

“Basically, Kebbi State is undertaking large scale rice growing, with the aim of producing one million out of the six million tonnes of rice Nigeria consumes annually. Ultimately, when we collectively expand IGR, we generate more jobs and create more wealth. Other states have different resources that can be developed to generate IGR within the state,” she stated.

According to Adeosun, the economic blueprint was about putting in place the financial pillars to enable states to work effectively and to work effectively with the Federal Government, including as recipients of infrastructure investment and added “getting this right will

enable states to be critical economic drivers for prosperity and pillars of professional probity.”

Elaborating on the FSP, Adeosun said the objectives included to improve accountability and transparency; to increase public revenue; to rationalise public expenditure; to improve public financial management and enhance sustainable debt management.

She said: “The objective is to ensure that states are set on a path towards fiscal sustainability with a clear link between Federal Government funding and necessary reform. Monthly disbursements to each state will be conditional on compliance with pre-agreed FSP milestones.

“FSP reforms will take 18 months to fully implement, but there are key milestones

within the period to measure compliance. The states have agreed and endorsed this approach. It is also a path to supporting and increasing productivity and diversification of states economies, such as in agriculture increasing food security and opportunities for exports.”

On the N 350 billion disbursement planned for this quarter, Adeosun said “N109 billion out of the

N350 billion has already been disbursed.”

Insisting the N350 billion meant to fund the first quarter release was ready “however, there are procedural delays, due to the required public procurement processes.

“The selection process, however, allows for many new capable companies to participate in the process and getting involved in the FG projects.”

Terrorists now disguise as vigilantes, hunters, Military warns Chris Agbambu -Abuja THE military, on Monday, warned that following the coordinated military offensive against the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest, the fleeing terrorists now disguise as vigilantes or hunters to evade detection.

It said the terrorists, after been smoked out of Sambisa forest, in their desperation to wreak havoc on innocent Nigerians and to remain relevant, devised a new tactics of dressing like vigilantes or hunters to deceive unsuspecting members of the public of their true identity.

A statement issued by the army, cited case of Kuda-

Kaya village in Madadali community of Adamawa State, where a group of Boko Haram terrorists, dressed like vigilantes, opened fire on elated people during a ceremony.

It said the general public was advised to be wary of unsubscribed services or presence of vigilantes or hunters in their neighbourhood, in order not to ignorantly harbour killer gang in their midst.

“Members of the public are also advised to be securityconscious, at all times and report promptly to security agencies of any suspicious person or group of persons in their community or raise the alarm, where necessary,” the statement read.

...Senate President, deputy docked, granted bail Continued from pg2

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI.

Suicide bombers die during Ramadan prayers at Maiduguri mosque TWO suicide bombers blew themselves up around a mosque in Maiduguri during midnight Ramadan prayers.

The mosque was said to have been cordoned-off by soldiers and policemen.

Borno State police command spokesman, Victor Isuku, said on Monday, that they were strapped with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

“A team of the police Explosives Ordinance Department (EOD) has been deployed to the scene this morning near Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot.

“The people in the mosque took to their heels, while we challenged the explosivesstrapped suspects of their mission to the mosque, before these explosive exploded near the mosque and under this tree,” he reportedly said.

“It was God that saved us

here; we would have been killed in the dawn suicide bombings. One of our mem-

bers was injured by the shrapnel of explosives, including a woman with a leg

injury. She has been taken to a nearby clinic for treatment this morning,” he said.

Heads to roll over Kuje prisoners’ escape Clement Idoko -Abuja INDICATIONS emerged on Monday, in Abuja, heads are to roll in the Nigerian Prisons Service over the observable lapses that led to the last Friday Kuje Prison jailbreak and escape of two inmates.

Minister of Interior of Interior, Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Dambazau, who visited the Kuje Medium Security Prison over the incident was visibly angry that his earlier warning when he visited the prison was ignored.

He disclosed that a panel of investigation had already been set up to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the escape of the two inmates and that

those found guilty would be punished.

He attributed the recent jailbreak at Medium Prison in Kuje to security lapses which he once noticed the last time he visited the place.

Two inmates standing trial over murder at the weekend, escaped and were still at large following a jailbreak incident at the prison.

The minister, who said he was aware of the lapses in Kuje Prison and brought it to the attention of the immediate past Controller-General of Prisons, but nothing was done about it.

Higher profile inmates like the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and the Peo-

ples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, who are standing trial for various corruption allegations among others, are held in the prison.

One of the challenges of the prison, Nigerian Tribune gathered was overcrowding of inmates.

It was gathered that Kuje Prison, which has the capacity to accommodate 560 inmates, is housing a total of 841 inmates, while only 185 are convicted prisoners a total of 631 are awaiting trial.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, shortly after inspection of the facility, Dambazzau said investigation into the matter would be taken to a logical conclusion.

years and because of the gravity of the punishment, the court should be cautious in granting them bail.

Erokoro, while moving Saraki’s bail application, told the court that apart from the charge, Saraki’s name was not mentioned either in the proof of evidence or in the police report, adding that he (Saraki) had not in anyway been linked with the alleged offence.

He further argued that no attempt was made by the prosecution to serve Saraki with the charge in question as required by law and that Saraki had been standing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on other charges for almost a year and had not absented himself once from the Tribunal.

Erokoro then pleaded that Saraki be granted bail on self recognition or on liberal terms, adding that with his position as the Senate President, he would not run away from trial.

However, Daudu, who represented Ekweremadu, urged the court to agree that the DPP had no objection to the bail of the other three defendants on the ground

that they were charged with same offence with Saraki.

Daudu told the court that he understood the political language on Ekweremadu, but that “what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”

He also dismissed the insinuation that the three other defendants evaded service of charge, adding that there was no affidavit proof of evidence to that effect before the court and that it should be regarded as mere speculation.

Other defence lawyers argued alongside Daudu in their submission for the bail of their clients.

The court adjourned the matter till July 11 for trial.

Meanwhile, the court room, as well as the premises of the court was full with supporters of the principal officers of the Senate, who were arraigned on Monday.

The supporters, mostly from the Eastern part of the country, burst into solidarity songs after Ekweremadu and Saraki perfected their bail conditions and were coming out of the court room.

Some of the supporters carried placards with various inscriptions like: “We stand by Saraki and Ekweremadu,” among others.

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Lagosmetro Threat: Police begin 24-hour marine, motorised patrol of Third Mainland bridge Olalekan Olabulo

From left, Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adedayo Adeneye; Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, the Olu of Imushin, Oba Taiwo Bamgbose; the deputy governor of Ogun State, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga, and others, during a visit to Imushin community, on Monday.

THE police in Lagos State are not taking the threat by some militants that they would bomb the Third Mainland Bridge with kid gloves, as motorised and marine patrol has been intensified around the bridge.

Lagos Metro gathered that the state police boss, Fatai Owoseni, reportedly directed a 24-hour surveillance around the bridge.

The spokesperson of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, also confirmed to Lagos Metro that the state police command was not treating the threat with kids gloves.

Ogun community: Police, military, militants in gun battle

•We need joint military taskforce to combat criminals —Ogun govt •Dep gov meets traditional ruler Olayinka Olukoya and Opeyemi Owoaseye

F

OR about 20 minutes on Monday afternoon, the police and military personnel engaged miscreants suspected to be militants in a shootout at Ebute-Ibafo, in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, over attack on the community.

The hoodlums, who were aware of heavy security presence in the area, launched attack from their hideouts on security agents led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Bello Makwashi; the Brigade Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Mohammed Danwalis and the State Director of Department of State Service, Kabiru Sanni.

The joint task force did not spare the hoodlums, as they fired back to register their presence.

The state deputy governor, Mrs Yetunde Onannuga, with other top state government functionaries, including the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, had paid

an on-the-spot assessment to the affected communities.

The team, which included journalists, had earlier visited other affected communities namely Elepete, Magbon, Igbo-Olomu and Imuti, all in Sagamu Local Government Area.

The visit became frightening when the team were ordered by security operatives not to proceed further, based on security report at their disposal.

The service chiefs with their lieutenants trekked towards the creeks, despite gunshots from the militants.

Addressing newsmen at Ebute-Ibafo, Adeoluwa called on President Muhammadu Buhari to come to the assistance of the state at this critical period, submitting that the situation had gone beyond the capacity of the police.

The SSG said the deployment of a joint military task force from the government at the centre would help in salvaging the situation.

“It is a thing of regret that things have gone bad in this country. It is unfortunate that at this level, a team led by the deputy governor of the state cannot access a part

of our state. It means without mincing words that the Federal Government needs to get involved in this.

“This is clearly beyond the capacity of the police. This is something that we believe in Ogun State that a major task force, military operations taskforce like the one we have in the Niger Delta is necessary and desirable now,” he said.

All the affected communi-

ties visited by the team had been deserted, as schools, shops and religious centres were locked up.

Chief (Mrs) Onanuga, however, promised an all-inclusive probe into the killings in communities on its borderline with Lagos State.

At a meeting with traditional ruler of Imushin, she also called for calm, promising that security would be beefed in the communities.

Lagos Metro gathered that fleeing residents were still making good their promise not to return to the troubled communities.

Speaking at the palace of Olu of Imushin community, the deputy governor sympathised with the community leader and the Imushin community, adding that the government was not relenting on the situation of the community.

Poor economy reduces our loot from N150,000 to N20,000 daily —Arrested robber •Says one-chance is hustling not crime Olalekan Olabulo A member of a one-chance robbery gang that operated on the Lagos Abeokuta Expressway, Adeleke Rasak, has decried the low income for many of the gang members as a result of the economic situation in the country.

Twenty-four-year-old Rasak also described onechance robbery as “hustling,” saying it is a normal thing and not a crime.

The suspect and another member of his two-man

gang, Lucky John and four others were, a few days ago, arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

Adeleke, who resigned as a factory worker to join one-chance robbery gang, said “we don’t make much money like before. The present economic condition in the country has greatly affected our business. We have not been able to make much money, everywhere is dry.”

The suspect added that

“frankly, we have not made much money since Monday. We have been sharing N20,000, N30,000 and N40,000. Unlike before, when I operate alone, I could make close to N150,000 daily. Now, business is so difficult.”

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest of the suspects, adding that they had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti, for onward investigation.

Badmos told Lagos Metro that “we are beefing up security. The command is not treating the threat with kid gloves.”

She added that “the command has put strategies in place to ensure the continuous safety of the entire Lagos State.”

A senior police officer, who spoke with Lagos Metro under condition of anonymity, also said the police were on their toes.

“Yes, we have increased motorised patrol on the Third Mainland Bridge and some adjoining bridges on the instruction of the CP,” the police source said.

The police chief also added that “the marine police has also been mandated to ensure that officers from the unit maintain a 24-hour control of the waterway around the Third Mainland Bridge.”

Bank official changes customer’s PIN to steal N952,000 Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin A former transaction officer with Skye Bank has been accused by the police of reactivating a customer’s dormant account and stealing N952,857 from it.

Jolayemi Olawale, 35, whose address was not given, was arraigned before an Igbosere magistrates’ court for the alleged crime.

He is standing trial on a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.

Prosecuting Inspector, Ingobo Emby, said the defendant committed the alleged offence between December 29, 2015 and January 4, 2016 at Syke Bank Plc, Alaba branch.

He alleged that Olawale used his position at the bank to reactivate a dormant account belonging to one Adebayo Akeem.

The court also heard that the defendant fraudulently changed Akeem’s phone and pin numbers and requested for an ATM card for that account, through which the money was withdrawn.

The magistrate, B.A Sonuga, granted Olawale N1 million bail, with two sureties in the like sum.

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I don’t believe in naira devaluation —Buhari Leon Usigbe -Abuja

NOTWITHSTANDING the floatation of the naira, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday night, said he did not believe in devaluation of the currency.

After a long period of hesitation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently began the implemention of a flexible foreign exchange policy that will see the naira finding its true value.

But speaking at a breaking of fast dinner with the business community at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buhari wondered how much value was gained in previous devaluation of the naira.

He said: “How much benefit have we derived from

Edited By Lanre Adewole

08037863902 | olanreade@yahoo.com

naira devaluation in the past?

“I don’t like the returns I get from the CBN, because that coupled with the demand that let us devalue the naira.

“In August 1985, the naria was N1.3 to a dollar but now you need N300 or N350 to a dollar. What do we derive from that?

“How much benefit can we derive from this ruthless devaluation of the naira.

“I’m not an economist neither a businessman. I fail to appreciate what is the economic explanation.

“What has happened to us now is that we have maneuvered ourselves into mono economy which led to the collapse we are seeing now.”

He told the business community that the responsibility was on their shoulders to help get the economy out of the woods.

“A lot of responsibilities fall on your shoulders now. You have a lot of investments, a lot of people you employ,” he said.

The president added that as part of plans to diversify the economy, 13 states had been identified that could produce rice which would feed the nation in 18 months.

Giving a vote of thanks on behalf of the group, Chairman of Unilever, Kola Jamodu, pledged the support of the group to Buhari’s administration as it strives to take the Nigerian economy out of the woods.

EFCC arrests Agbele, Fayose’s man LanreAdewoleandSamNwaoko

A mechanic garage on top of a waste dump site along the Lagos Lagoon coastal line, at Ebutte Metta. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

Pipeline vandals abduct landlord in Arepo Opeyemi Owoaseye SAMSON Olufemi, a landlord, has been abducted by some suspected pipeline vandals in Voera Estate, Arepo area of Ogun State.

The vandals are said to have entered the estate by scaling the fence into the victim’s house on Michael Ajao Street.

They were said to have switched off the man’s generator to perform their operation.

Lagos Metro was told that the landlord sent his son to

actually look at the generator and re-start the engine.

The vandals were said to have come from their hiding place, followed the boy inside the house and abducted the father.

Lagos Metro gathered that the victim had only spent four month in the estate before the attack.

However, a resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the vandals looted the family’s property and also kidnapped the victim.

“The incident happened

3 killed, 100 cult members arrested in Sango Olalekan Olabulo THE police at Sango area command and Sango divisional police station have arrested no fewer than 100 suspected cult members.

Cult members have, in recent times, been on the rampage around Joju, Araromi, Idiorogbo, Osmak, Temidire and Johnson Market, killing three people in the process.

Lagos Metro gathered that 40 of the arrested cult members had been remanded in prison custody, while about five of them had been convicted.

Residents of the Lagos border communities had, in the last two weeks, been thrown into confusion, following the constant clashes between Eiye and Aiye confraternities.

A resident of Johnson Market, Jide, told Lagos Metro that “about three people have been killed in the last two weeks by the cultists.”

He added that “almost on

alternate days, members of the Eiye and Aiye groups fight and use that opportunity to rob and harass law abiding residents of the area.”

Jide also said “they are fighting at Dalemo, Joju and other places but what is happening at Johnson market is worse.”

A police source at Sango area command, who pleaded anonimity, told Lagos Metro that “we have been arresting them on a daily basis in the last three weeks.

“We have arrested over 100 of them from different places and we have arraigned them in court.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the image maker in charge of the state police command, Muyiwa Adejobi, were futile, as calls put through to his mobile phone lines were not answered, while a text message to the same line was yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report.

on Friday night. The vandals jumped the fence into the man’s house and switched off his generator.

“When the man observed that the generator went off, he sent his son to check what happened to it. While the boy was about to put on the generator, the vandals laid hold of him and asked him to lead them inside.

“When they got in, they looted the building and took jewellery, I-pad, mobile phones, laptops and money.

They took all the valuables they could lay their hands on. After they finished, they kidnapped the man,” he said.

Another resident called on the government to beef up security in the area, adding that people had been leaving the estate since the place was no longer safe.

“They have always been in the creek, though they did not disturb us. But when there is no more pipeline to burst, they have become terror to the estate.

“The first time they came, they told one of the landlords that ‘since you have stopped them from pumping fuel, you will have to provide food for us to eat.’

We want the government to send them out of the creek so we can enjoy our lives,” he said.

A landlord, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said efforts by residents to increase security in the area had failed.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached while filing this report.

He had also yet to reply to a text message sent to him on the incident.

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, confirmed the arrest of a personal aide to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Mr Abiodun Agbele, in connection with the probe into the financing of Fayose’s election.

Spokesperson of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, told the Nigerian Tribune that he was arrested in Lagos, on Monday, after failing to honour the commission’s invite.

Abiodun is alleged to be involved in the distribution of campaign fund from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Dasuki Sambo (retd), to finance Fayose’s election.

The campaign fund was allegedly from the fund appropriated for arms to fight insurgency in the North-East.

Sources close to the suspect had claimed that Abiodun was in Lagos preparatory to his appearance at the commission today, before his arrest on Monday.

The source, who is a lawyer, told the Nigerian Tribune that Abiodun had nothing to fear, hence his decision to honour the commission’s invite.

According to him, Abiodun moved to Lagos from Ekiti

State mainly to appear at the commission today.

Uwujaren, however, debunked the claim of the suspect planning to honour the summon issued on him.

He claimed that Abiodun spurned the summon issued on him to appear for questioning, which made his arrest inevitable.

He was reportedly picked up by operatives of the commission and being detained at the Lagos facility of the commission as of press time.

He is likely to be moved to Abuja today for the commencement of his interrogation.

Reacting to the development, Ekiti State government, in a statement entitled: “Arrest of Mr Abiodun Agbele by the EFCC” charged the commission to be apolitical in its operations and in the handling of the matter.

In the statement signed by Lere Olayinka, Special Assistant, Public Communications and New Media to the Governor, the government said “we encourage the EFCC to carry out its investigations without politics as it is being done now.”

According to the statement, “as already pointed out, Governor Ayodele Fayose does not have anything to do with any fund from the Office of the National Security Adviser

Oyo govt/Labour impasse: SSG, HOS, NLC dep national president in 14-man committee

By Wale Akinselure

A 14-man committee has been composed to look into the knotty issue of payment of salaries and pensions in Oyo State.

The committee is scheduled to be inaugurated by the state government soon.

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, disclosed this at the end of Monday’s inaugural executive council meeting.

The government representatives are Secretary to the State Government, Mr Olalekan Alli; Commissioner

for Finance and Budget, Mr Bimbo Adekanmbi; Head of Service, Mr Soji Eniade; State Accountant General; Permanent Secretaries of Finance, Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and Director, Establishment and Service Matters, who is to serve as secretary of the committee.

The Labour movement is represented by deputy national president, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Peters Adeyemi; Mr Titilola Sodo; Mr Kofo Ogundeji; Mr Olusegun Abatan; Mr A. O. Akinfenwa; Mr Remi Adepoju and Mrs Nafisat Balogun.

(ONSA). He has stated how his election was funded.

“Also, the person said to have been arrested is an adult and will defend himself when the time comes. Subjecting him to media trial as EFCC has been doing since the inception of this government will only give our adversaries momentary sense of joy.”

Defence minister defends Buratai on Dubai property Chris Agbambu - Abuja

MINISTER of Defence, Mallam Masur Dan Alli, on Monday, rose in defence of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, against ongoing allegations that he acquired two properties in Dubai with public funds.

This came barely 24 hours after the Nigerian Army also described the allegation as “another round of campaign of calumny against the Buratai and his family by some unscrupulous elements.”

Addressing defence correspondents on the matter, Principal General Staff Officer to Dan Alli, Muhammed Ahmed, who spoke on behalf of his principal, said “there have been series of concerted efforts in the past by the same medium and its cohorts to tarnish the image of the person of Lieutenant-General Buratai for reasons best known to them, which failed to achieve their ulterior motives.

“The Ministry of Defence view this as an attempt by some unpatriotic elements to distract the leadership of the Nigerian Armed Forces from the successes of war against terror, particularly in the North-East.”

Alli said Buratai had declared his assets as commander, Multinational Joint Task Force and as Chief of Army Staff to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“These facts are verifiable with the Bureau,” the minister asserted.

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Voters registration ends in Edo •Many would-be voters unable to register •Assembly calls for extension Banji Aluko - Benin City

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HE Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise embarked upon by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the September 10 governorship election in Edo State has ended with many would-be voters unable to register.

It was observed that the exercise, which started on June 23 and ended on June 26, witnessed hitches such as malfunctioning of Data Capturing Machine (DDM), inadequate DDM, inadequate manpower and power problem.

As at the time the exercise ended on Sunday night, the Nigerian Tribune observed that many people were left stranded and unable to register, making the INEC officials and corps members handling the exercise to announce that the exercise had been extended.

However, those, who

went to the registration centres Monday morning were shocked that officials of the INEC were nowhere to be found.

Those who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune regretted what they called shoddy arrangement put in place for the exercise, adding that they waited endlessly for days to get registered without success.

They called on INEC not to wait for election periods before embarking on the registration of wouldbe voters.

Meanwhile, the Edo State House of Assembly has called for the extension of the continuous

voters’ registration in the state for one week to capture more voters.

The call was contained in a resolution adopted following matters of urgent public importance raised by the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Justin Okonoboh.

The House members observed that there were widespread complaints by eligible voters who could not be registered while the exercise lasted.

They also called for necessary modalities to distribute the uncollected over 400,000 voters’ cards from previous registration exercise.

Nigerian Tribune

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

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news

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Court sacks Abia gov

Ikpeazu to appeal judgement, says I’m still gov

By Sunday Ejike and Celestine Ihejirika

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USTICE Okon Abang of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, annulled the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State for allegedly submitting false information to his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the party’s governorship primaries in December 2014.

Justice Abang also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to a member of the PDP, Uche Ogah, who contested the governorship ticket with Ikpeazu.

The judge asked the electoral body to cease the Cer-

tificate of Return it issued to Governor Ikpeazu as he was never qualified to run for the party’s primaries as a governorship candidate.

Abang also asked the Chief Judge of Abia State to swear in Ogah, Ikpeazu’s opponent in the PDP primaries for the December 2014 gubernatorial election in the state, as the substantive governor.

The court held that Ikpeazu was guilty of tax evasion and was therefore unqualified to have contested the 2015 governorship election in Abia State.

The court also ordered the governor to vacate office immediately, and hand over to Ogah, who came second in the PDP governorship primaries in Abia State.

It will be recalled that two

members of the PDP had accused governor Ikpeazu of failing to pay personal income tax promptly as and when due for 2010 and 2011 in line with Section 24(f) of the 1999 Constitution.

They contended the provision that, “It shall be the duty of every citizen to declare his income honestly to appropriate and lawful agencies and pay his tax promptly.”

In suit No FHC/ABJ/ CS/1086/2014, dated December 22, 2014, and instituted at the Federal High Court, Abuja, two individuals, Obasi Eke and Chukwuemeka Mba, had asked the PDP and INEC to disqualify Ikpeazu from contesting the Abia State governorship election.

Ikpeazu’s opponents said the taxes he (Ikpeazu) alleg-

edly paid for the three years were paid on the same day and faulted the authenticity of Ikpeazu’s tax clearance certificate and the information contained in his INEC “Form CF100.

Ikpeazu had, however, challenged the competence of the Federal High Court in Abuja to hear the case but the court overruled his objection. The Court of Appeal, however, ruled that the case ought to have been filed at the Abia State High Court.

Determined to get justice, Ikpeazu’s opponents went ahead to seek redress at the Supreme Court following the Court of Appeal ruling.

In a judgment by five Supreme Court justices led

by Justice Mohammed Muntaka-Coomassie, the apex court faulted the decision of the Court of Appeal

From left, Dr Christiana Acho; her husband and founder of Living Hope Ministry, Dr Sunny Acho; Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu; member representing Isukwuato/Umunochi federal constituency, Honourable Nkiruka Onyejiocha; Commissioner for Health, Dr John Chikezie and the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Eme Okoro, when Dr Sunny Acho led the ministry’s medical team from the United States on a courtesy visit to the governor, in Umuahia, on Monday. PHOTO: Celestine Ihejirika.

300,000 Nigerians currently living in US —Envoy THE outgoing Deputy Consul-General of the United States in Lagos, Ms Dehab Ghebreab, on Monday, said that about 300,000 Nigerians were currently living in different parts of the U.S. Ghebreab, who told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the number of Nigerians in America was increasing, also said that about 30,000 Americans were living in Nigeria.

“It has been estimated that there are currently about 300,000 Nigerians working, studying or doing businesses in different states of America.

“We also have about 30,000 Americans living in different parts of Nigeria today.

“There is a growing increase in the people-to-people relationship between Nigeria and the United States today,’’ she said.

Ghebreab noted that after

decades of mutual partnership between Nigeria and the U.S., their relationship had grown favourably within the last five years.

According to her, both countries will continue to have closer ties in the near

future.

Ghebreab said that the U.S. government would continue to promote people-to-people relationships between Nigerians and the Americans, to further enhance areas of partnerships

between the two countries.

The deputy consul-general expressed her government’s commitment to strengthening its partnership, as well as facilitating trade and investment with Nigeria in the years ahead.

Displaced persons can live anywhere in Nigeria –UNHCR THE Deputy Representative on Protection, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ms Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, on Monday, said that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have the right to live anywhere in Nigeria.

Mukanga-Eno told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that since the situation in the North-East had forced them from their communities, they could move to safer communities.

“The situation in the North-East, due to the activities of Boko Haram terrorists, has resulted in about 2.2 million internally displaced Nigerians.

“We need to know that these internally displaced persons are in vulnerable situation and do need support to survive.

“So, these internally displaced persons have the right to live in any part of Nigeria, because they are also Nigerians.

“We need to know that these IDPs are also citizens

of Nigeria, and have the right to move to and settle wherever they wish in Nigeria,” she said.

The UNHCR official said that about 15,000 displaced persons had relocated from camps in the North-East to Abuja, while some others had moved to the SouthWest for survival.

She said that many of the IDPs were already leaving their camps voluntarily, in search of means of livelihood and support from their friends and family members.

and affirmed the competence of the Federal High Court in Abuja to try the case.

The justices ordered the Federal High Court in Abuja to begin a fresh hearing of the suit challenging the qualification of Ikpeazu, adding that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria should ensure that the case is heard.

Following the Supreme Court judgment, the Federal High Court in Abuja re-opened the case against Ikpeazu after which, the governor was ordered to immediately vacate his office yesterday.

Meanwhile, Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia State, has urged his supporters not to panic because he “remains the governor of the state according to the law.”

Ikpeazu was reacting to Monday’s judgement of a federal high court sitting in Abuja, which declared him unqualified to have been elected governor, and declared that Uche Ogar, who came second at the PDP primaries, be declared winner instead.

But responding via a statement by Enyinnaya Appolos, his chief press secretary, Ikpeazu vowed to appeal the judgement.

“The governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has called on Abians not to panic, but remain clam over the judgment of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered today in favour of Mr Uche Oga against him, in the case of alleged falsification of tax receipts.

“Governor Ikpeazu, who said that he has faith in the judiciary and rule of law, will appeal the ruling as he has instructed his lawyers to file an appeal immediately against the said judgment.”

Security has been beefed up in major cities of Umuahia, Aba and environs to checkmate possible break down of law and order following an order from a federal high court in Abuja which ordered Governor Ikpeazu to immediately vacate office.

When the news filtered into Aba and Umuahia, there was palpable calm though with the heavy presence of detachment of security personnel including the Nigeria Police, military and other security agencies.

However, at Ariaria International Market, traders were seen in groups discussing the matter in whispers while at the State Polytechnic, staff and students were seen wearing long and gloomy faces over the judgment.

Nigerian Tribune

Abia gov introduces free school meal Celestine Ihejirika - Umuahia GOVERNOR Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has said that the free school meal scheme introduced in the state was designed to help in nurturing healthy pupils in public primary schools.

Speaking at the inauguration of the scheme, tagged “Abia free school meal initiative,” at Ntigha in Isialangwa North Local Government Area of the state recently, Ikpeazu said that it would further reduce the pressure on household budget for food.

He said that government would fund the programme in collaboration with major stakeholders as well as private donors, including farmers.

He described the scheme as one unique way publicspirited individuals and companies could partner with the government to guarantee better health and learning environment for pupils.

He said, “This generation owes it a duty to safeguard the next generation and provide them with atmosphere for them to grow and contribute positively to the society.”

Eko Disco installs 96,200 prepaid meters in 3 years IN compliance with the directive of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) says it has installed 96,200 prepaid meters in residential and business premises in the last three years.

Mr Sam Uwaire, the company’s Chief Operating Officer told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, on Monday that the installation of the meters would put an end to estimated billing by the company.

“We have distributed and installed 96,200 prepaid meters since we took over in November 2013 in residential and business premises in the zone.

“Before we took over, the company had installed 72,000 prepaid meters, totalling 168,200,” he said.

According to Uwaire, EKEDC was faced with the problem of non-functional meters before it was privatised.

“When it was privatised in 2013, we told the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) that all our meters were having accuracy challenges.”

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Conduct post-UTME, face sanction, FG warns varsities, others •Directs NUC to enforce ban immediately From Clement Idoko and Biola Azeez with agency report

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HE Federal Government has warned that any university or other tertiary institutions caught conducting the post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (post-UTME) in violation of its earlier directive will face appropriate sanctions.

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, issued the threat on Monday, against the backdrop of reports that some institutions had defied the government’s ban on the post-UTME and have gone ahead to conduct the test.

It was gathered that some institutions had also advertised in the media in preparation for the conduct of the exercise.

But Adamu said those who had already advertised for the conduct of the post-UTME under any guise should stop the exercise immediately, as “any university caught conducting post-UTME will face appropriate sanctions.”

He added that if any tertiary institution had already conducted postUTME, ‘‘such an exercise stands annulled and money taken from such candidates must be refunded immediately.’’

He has accordingly directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) and appropriate departments in the ministry to communicate this directive to relevant agencies and institutions to ensure strict compliance.

Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr Ben Bem Goong, in a statement, confirmed that the minister reiterated the ban on post-UTME conducted by tertiary institutions for admission into universities and other higher institutions of learning in the country.

Adamu said the ban was with immediate effect and that under no circumstance should any institution violate the directive.

He explained that although he had made this known earlier, the emphasis had become necessary in order to ensure that no stakeholder was left in doubt as to government’s position on the matter.

Affirming his position on the ban, the minister said the responsibility for admission into public tertiary institutions lied solely with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and under no circumstance whatsoever should anybody or institution take over that respon-

sibility by proxy.

He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, any educational institution after secondary education is regarded as a tertiary institution.

“Therefore, all tertiary institutions, polytechnics, colleges of education, universities or by whatever name it is called after secondary education must be subjected to admission through the JAMB. “At the end of probationary admission by JAMB, the candidates can be cleared (screened) for final admission. For any institution with a shortfall in admission, such institution can revert to JAMB for supplementary admission.

“Clearing in this case (screening) entails only the verification of certificates of the candidates, JAMB scores and any other physical examination to ensure that such candidates are not cultists.

“After this, the candidates are qualified for matriculation. Such screening should be at no cost to the parents or students and should be done upon resumption in order to avoid unnecessary travels in search of admission.

Mallam Adamu decried the situation where final year students in secondary

schools were subjected to too many examinations all in one year, describing it as traumatic, exploitative and absolutely unnecessary.

According to him, “mere admission into the university does not guarantee any student the award of a degree until such a student successfully goes through a minimum of eight examinations (for four-year courses) or 10 and 12 examinations (for five and six year courses), among other requirements.”

The minister wondered why any university would not be satisfied with examining a student for eight, 10 or 12 times for the award of a degree, but would rather sort to conducting entry examinations, adding that the universities were at liberty to expel any student who failed to meet up with the requirements of the award of any degree enrolled for.

He also said there had been no empirical evidence to show that since the inception of post-UTME, universities had been having better quality students, adding that students were still being expelled on a yearly basis for low performance, even as they gained admission through postUTME.

A car submerged by flood on Benin-Lagos Highway, as a result of heavy rain on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

•VCs to meet minister today

Furthermore, Mallam Adamu said he was deeply concerned about the plight of parents/guardians who spend fortunes on transportation, hotel accommodation, examination fees and sundry costs, just for their wards to gain admission into our universities, adding that such practice negated the Muhammadu Buhariled administration’s resolve to make education affordable for Nigerians.

The minister said he was also mindful of reported cases where some staff of tertiary institutions take undue advantage of the female students in their quest to gain admission into the system.

Adamu also acknowledged that in some cases, parents die in the process of travelling to secure admission for their wards, and never live to see those children through, a situation he described as painful and avoidable.

Meanwhile, there are indications that new decisions may be taken this week over the resolution of the Federal Government to discontinue with the post UTME tests being conducted by tertiary institutions for candidates seeking admission in the

schools.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that heads of the universities in the country were scheduled to meet with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu over the matter during the week.

The meeting, according to the Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Abdulganiyu Ambali, who spoke with newsmen in Ilorin, at the weekend, would separately involve heads of federal, state and private universities.

He said the vice chancellor of federal universities would meet with the minister today while those of the state and private ones would have their meetings tomorrow and Thursday respectively.

“The directive for the abolition of post-UTME was an executive directive. Since then, different universities have been thinking on how best to admit prospective candidates, what protocol to observe, what to do in order to screen candidates that would come in.

“As God would have it, we got a letter or a notice about two days ago that we should be in Abuja, on Tuesday, that the minister wants to meet all the

Houses and a car submerged by the flood.

NYSC debunks speculation on scrapping of scheme BRIGADIER-GENERAL Suleiman Kazaure, Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has debunked rumours doing the rounds that the one year national youth service scheme has been scrapped.

Kazaure disclosed this during a visit to the NYSC orientation camp in Mangu Local Government Area of ,Plateau State.

He explained that the purpose of the scheme was

for national integration, a key in building a better Nigeria and urged the people to desist from peddling such rumours.

The Director General, who described the rumours as fabrications, called on the Batch ``A’’ stream of the scheme to embrace the NYSC skill acquisition programme.

He said the skill acquisition programme would enable the corps members to become employers of labour rather than searching

for non-existing white collar jobs.

He said the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme would prepare them with relevant vocations and skills for selfactualisation after the service year.

Kazaure appealed to the corps members to obey, respect the culture and customs of their host communities, urging them to add

value to their host communities by identifying a need to be met.

The Director-General commended the state coordinator and staff of the NYSC for making the orientation exercise conducive for the corps members.

Mr Abdul-Razak Salawu, the state coordinator, NYSC Plateau, commended the Director-General for his visit.

vice chancellors. The main agenda is on this issue.

Ambali also said it was untrue that Unilorin had decided on any date or modality for post-UTME or had asked prospective applicants to pay for any fee into any bank for post-UTME.

We will improve on voter education ahead 2019 elections —INEC THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, said it would adopt strategic measures that would boost voter education in the country, ahead 2019 general election.

INEC’s Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, stated this in Abuja, in an interview with newsmen at the sidelines of opening of a three-day workshop for Heads of Voter Education and Publicity units.

Osaze-Uzzi said the workshop was part of the INEC’s preparations for the 2019 general election.

“We know the importance of communicating our policies and programmes to the stakeholders and that is why we are working to ensure that we communicate in an effective manner to increase the voter awareness.

“We want to ensure that there is an increase in voters’ awareness and their participation in our activities and future elections,’’ he said.

On the commission’s preparation for suspended rerun elections in Rivers, Imo and other states, Osaze-Uzzi said INEC was ready to conclude the elections given conducive environment in those states.

He said INEC’s consultation with security agencies, political parties and their candidates, and other stakeholders, was ongoing.

“On our own part, INEC is prepared and ready in the areas of logistics, administrative and operational deployment to conduct the elections.

“But, there are factors outside INEC’s control such as conducive environment, that will determine whether INEC will go back to the states,’’ he said.

On his part, Mr Nick Dazang, Deputy Director, Voter Education and Publicity of INEC, said the workshop was to review the communication strategies deployed during the 2015 general election and improve on them ahead 2019.

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businessnews

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Stock market loses N278bn Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

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QUITIES trading on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) begin the week on bearish pull as investor’s value dipped by per cent 2.63 per cent to record two-day loss after Brexit.

Specifically, market capitalisation shed N278 billion to close at N10.3 trillion naira as All Share Index also closed red at 29,840.23 basis points to leave it’s Year-to-Date (YTD) returns at +4.18 per cent.

Also market turnover closed negative as volume declined by 15.59 per cent against 1.33 per cent decline recorded in the previous session.

Market breathe closed negatively ad Fidson Plc led 16 gainers against 41 losers topped by United Capital Plc at the end of trading session.

Further analyses showed that Fidson Pharmaceuticals Plc led the gainers chart as it added 22 kobo or 9.91 per cent to its share value to close at N2.44 kobo per share Julius Berger Plc also gained N2.20 kobo or five per cent to N44 it traded to close at N46.20 kobo, while Glaxo Smithkline Plc increased its share value to N23.22 kobo from N22.12 kobo as it added N1.10 kobo or 4.97 per cent.

PZ Plc’s stocks appreciated by 4.96 per cent having closed at N 22.65 kobo as against N21.58 kobo.

On the other hand, United Capital Plc’s investors lost 20 kobo each share as it stocks dipped to N2.32 from N2.52 kobo as Zenith Bank Plc shaved N1.04

kobo 6.12 per cent to close at N15.96 kobo. Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc closed at N16.15 kobo as it lost 85 kobo representing five per cent.

Forte Oil Plc also depre-

ciated in share value from N200 to N190 per share as it lost N10.00 or five per cent, while Seplat Plc closed at N311.60 kobo having shaved N17.37 kobo or 4.98 per cent.

LAFARGE Africa Plc, despite economic headwinds has declare 300k per share dividend for shareholders approval.

The company’s revenue grew by 2.5 per cent against previous year’s, reaching N267 billion in a challenging market.

Strong cash flow amounting to N57.9 billion was also generated for the 12 months period ended 31st December 2015.

In the report presented at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos on Monday, South West operations grew by eight per cent behind a number of initiatives such as the Key Distribution Scheme, a strong route to market and solid capacity utilization. ReadyMix Nigeria also contin-

top market value list.

At the end of stock trading, investors traded 375,221,838 volume of shares worth N4.03 billion in 4,229 deals.

From left: Company Secretary, Uzoma Uja; Chairman, Mobolaji Balogun and Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Michel Puchercos, all of Lafarge Africa Plc during the Company’s 57th Annual General Meeting held at Eko Hotel on Monday in Lagos. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

CBN launches naira settlement system •As currency eases to N282 to dollar Chima Nwokojji-Lagos

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has formally flagged off the Naira Settlement Foreign Exchange Market on Monday, June 27, 2016 in Lagos.

This is even as nairadollar exchange rate on Monday ended at N282 to the dollar, slightly weaker than Friday’s close of N281 after the central bank’s intervention, A Bureau De Change (BDC) operator Harrison of H.J investment BDC confirmed that the lo-

cal currency firmed from N335/$ rate to N330/$ on the black market as more buyers prefer to purchase from authorised dealers rather than the black marketers.

Also, the British Pounds he said, exchanged for N445 to a pound as against N500 the previous week and Naira exchanged for N370 to a Euro at the paralel market.

Nigeria’s central bank asked for bid-offer quotes from currency traders on Monday as the apex bank sold dollars on the inter-

Lafarge declares 300 kobo share dividend Kehinde Akinseinde-JayeobaLagos

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, NEM Plc and First Bank of Nigeria Holding Plc were the most active to boost market turnover, while Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Nigerian Breweries Plc

ued its strong growth with a 29.3 per cent growth in its turnover over prior year.

Shareholders approved the sum of N248, 403, 876 to be capitalised from the Share Premium into 496,807,752 Ordinary Shares of 50 kobo each as proposed by the Board of Directors at the 57th AGM of the Company. Lafarge Africa announced that Shareholders are to receive a dividend of 300 kobo per share and in addition to the dividend, a bonus issue of one new share for every 10 shares previously held.

Lafarge Africa Plc strengthened its foundation further by increasing its shareholding in Mfamosing operations from 35 per cent to 50 per cent, with full management control and consolidation, even as an approval to in-

crease this to 100 per cent has been secured from the Security Exchange Commission. Similarly, the shareholding in Ashakacem Plc. also increased from 58.61 per cent to 82.46 per cent in the year.

bank market to boost liquidity, traders said.

It sold an undisclosed amount of dollars on Monday. However, the interbank market traded a total volume of $32 million just before the market closed which traders attributed to central bank’s intervention.

Currency traders on Monday said they had tightened the differential between bids and offers to N0.5 from one naira set when the currency was floated last week, to try to boost trading and attract liquidity.

Prior to old exchange rate peg, the currency market traded on N0.5 spreads, they said.

Speaking at the historic Naira Settlement launch, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, expressed delight that the foreign ex-

change market in Nigeria has attained the this position where participants in Nigeria can settle foreign exchange futures transactions in naira.

According to Emefiele, who was represented by the Special Adviser, Financial Market, Emmanuel Ukeje, “this product is novel in Nigeria and it gives comfort regardless of the price at which you have quoted to buy foreign exchange in Nigeria.” In the same vein, the product is also expected to provide relief to Nigerians seeking Dollars to import critical machinery and raw materials from abroad as they can now lock-in their foreign exchange deals in earnest against their future demands.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the apex Bank to ensure the success of the news foreign exchange

Brexit will affect Diaspora remittance to Nigeria —Don BRITAIN’S exit from the European Union (EU) will cause a contraction of the Diaspora remittances from Britain, a don, Prof. Isaac Albert, said on Monday.

Albert, the Director, Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, made the assertion while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on the impact of Brexit.

Brexit is the exit of Britain from the EU on June

23 through a referendum.

He noted that Britain hosted many Nigerians and a contraction of its economy would discourage Nigerians from travelling there.

“We have a very large Diaspora population in the U.K; with Brexit, I see the British economy contracting.

“As the British economy becomes affected negatively by their exit from the EU, fewer Nigerians will be

willing to travel to Britain,” Albert said.

The don expressed optimism that Britain would get over the present challenges sooner than later, but noted that it might exploit countries with close ties to it on its way to recovery.

On the political dimension to the Brexit, Albert said that Britain opted out from the EU because it felt it did not have much to gain from it.

Court strikes out Ecobank’s petition to wind-up Honeywell THE Federal High Court sitting in Lagos and presided over by Justice Jude K. Dagat, on Monday, struck out the application by Ecobank Nigeria Plc seeking to wind-up Honeywell and its sister company, Anchorage Leisures Limited, for abuse of court process.

The court, on Monday, heard the pending applications in suits: FHC/L/ CS/1571/15 Ecobank v. Honeywell Group Limited and FHC/L/CS/1570/15 Ecobank v Anchorage Leisures Limited which were the petitions for winding–up filed by Ecobank against Honeywell and Anchorage Leisures on October 16, 2015.

Addressing the court, Justice Dagat noted that a court faced with winding up application must first determine if the petition was brought in good faith.

According to him, Ecobank knew that Honeywell was challenging the alleged debt and had instituted a matter before Justice Idris, who had ruled that parties maintain status quo ante bellum.

He added that despite the orders, Ecobank started its forum shopping by filing winding up petitions instead of recovery of the alleged debt, pointing out that the fact of the case showed that Honeywell had made payments to the tune of N3.5 billion as full and final payment pursuant to the agreement of July 22, 2014 by the parties.

Justice Dagat stated that since the matter pending before Justice Idris was premised on the same facts as this petition, there was an established abuse of the orders of Justice Idris regarding maintenance of status quo ante bellum.

He further held that the matter before Justice Idris is first in time, therefore the subsequent petition

by Ecobank constitutes an abuse of court process. The court held that Ecobank’s petition is aimed at overreaching the powers of the Federal High court in the suit before Justice Idris.

According to Justice Dagat, “the Supreme Court has made it clear that it would amount to a travesty of justice for any court to hear a matter that is already before another court of coordinate jurisdiction.”

He, therefore, ruled that if the court should proceed with Ecobank’s petition, it would create a conflict of decisions by different courts, which will not augur well within the judiciary.

13

editorial

A

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

An agenda for the new IGP

S Mr Solomon Arase, the immediate past Inspector General of Police turned 60 recently, President Muhammadu Buhari immediately named Mr Ibrahim Idris as his successor, to avoid a vacuum in the command chain. Idris will be in office, first in acting capacity, pending his confirmation, a mere formality, by the Police Service Commission (PSC) and further ratification by the Council of State.

The new IGP is clearly coming to head an improved force that has become digitally compliant since the tenure of the immediate past IGP who had been minded to open the force to the vast possibilities offered by internet services in order to improve service delivery. It was during his tenure that certain procedures like recruitment and approval for tinted glasses for vehicles became available online.

Arguably, these digital procedures have improved the efficiency of the force in service delivery to the public and also reduced their frequent unnecessary but corruptive contacts with them. The police have since been on the Whatsapp platform through which the public can pass information to them anonymously, trusting that their complaints will get appropriate attention at no risk of compromise of confidentiality, on a non-stop basis. It is therefore possible now to report an erring policeman or officer to the authorities for appropriate sanction. These are steps taken to birth a modern force that also has integrity and credibility, equipped to professionally rid society of all forms of criminalities and keep in form with modern policing in other parts of the world.

Arase also had a programme to rehabilitate the police barracks which he embarked upon before leaving. If he did not accomplish much in that direction, it must have been due to the dire straits in which the force found itself. But the fact that only a force with a comprehensive welfare package could be relied upon by the society for security was never lost on him.

It can therefore be said that Mr Ibrahim Idris has inherited an improved force from his predecessor and he must strive to keep up the tempo in terms of professionalism, welfare and discipline in the force. He should also not relax in using technology to drive the force’s aspiration to modernity and integrity. As issues of security become more complicated

and sophisticated, the police are expected to be ahead of criminals in order to have a relatively safe society.

Apart from equipping the force with updated weapons, it will also be imperative to retrain the personnel so that they can apprehend crime effectively. In addition, the police force should make a conscious drive to recruit the very best, in terms of intellect, from the tertiary institutions. If security is important, the very best graduates from tertiary institutions can no longer be the exclusive preserve of banks and blue chip companies. There is definitely something entirely absurd about handing over the security of the country to those who are just desperate for jobs at the federal level without the natural zeal and inclination for policing. It is expected that police jobs should attract the best of the bunch in the class. This is because the job requires skills and high intellect beyond physical fitness, although that, too, is important.

An enduring issue with the police is the police/civilian ratio which shows that the country’s police are critically understaffed. This has become controversial, as the police still approve a number of their thin human resources for certain rich and influential members of the society at the detriment of the larger society, especially because these rich individuals can afford to pay for their services. Mr Ibrahim Idris will thus be expected to resolve this ethical issue of whether the Nigerian state can afford to subsidise security for the opulent members of the society while the others are exposed, or make these rich class pay enough to keep the highly trained, elite, “blue berets” corps in the employ of the state and also maintain another substitute.

Sounding confident and motivated already, the new IGP told State House correspondents after officially meeting the president along with his predecessor that the Nigeria Police would be governed by internationally recognised core values of policing. According to him, these core values of integrity, accountability, respect for diversity and compassion would hold during his tenure.

We believe that if he walks his talk, the country will experience a safe environment and the issues of police brutality and extra judicial killings will be history. Over to you, IGP Idris.

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14 LETTERS TO THE

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

editor

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

Buhari’s winning strategy against insurgency

T

HE economy is biting hard and there are other things of concern as well. Militants are running riot down south and their activities further undermine the economy. If we think critically and with the benefits of what we see unfolding in Venezuela and other economies that were dependent on crude oil revenue the realisation will dawn that there are a lot of things to be grateful for.

Security is the greatest thing we should be appreciative of, while acknowledging the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping a date with his electoral promises. Anyone familiar with the lightning speed with which Boko Haram was advancing and capturing territories prior to Mr President’s assumption of office will remember that the projection was

for the terror group to have overrun the larger part of the country one year from the referenced period. Cities as far south as Lagos and Port Harcourt were already bracing for the possibility of attacks.

Those preparations turned out to be nothing more than drills as Mr President brought on board officers who have displayed unrivalled loyalty and coordination that has helped Nigeria tame what was its worst demon.

The confidence the Commander in Chief has in his military aides is exhibited by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who have thoroughly seen the warfare as the first line proof of their loyalty to their boss who is leading the charge to end the war.

These are the men helping

President Buhari to stage a repeat of the crushing of the Maitasine insurgency.

The destruction the terrorists left in their wake is being addressed with rebuilding efforts to which the international community, international and local NGOs, the other two tiers of government and others have pledged support and life could return to normal in these places in the shortest time possible.

A lot remains to be done however. Some of the terrorists merely fled cross border into neigbouring countries and still attempt to stage dramatic attacks from these places, if only to create the impression that they still have some sting.

This is an aspect that requires constant attention so that they do not continue to instil fear in people of the North East especially displaced persons who are

eager to return to their communities. The motorcycle brigade established

by General Buratai should prove useful in countering the terrorists’ ‘hit and run’ attack strategy due to the ease of rapid deployment and versatility in difficult terrains.

On the perception of the overall security situation, Mr President must also be

scored high as troops have been able to act decisively and civilly so in the face of provocations that were contrived solely for political reasons. Had these provocative actions of separatists and militants taken place in the height of Boko Haram’s campaign of terror, they would have still taken second seat owing to their politically-instigated

origin. As regards security in the country, President Buhari has demonstrated wisdom that could only come with high intellect and experience. One must hail his judgement for seeing through the ploy to make him get rid of his strongest assets in the anti-terror war.

•Nkechi Odoma, Abuja.

Re: Osun Hijab brouhaha I have read many opinion publications in your newspaper on the abovementioned matter, and I feel that the matter should be put straight and to rest.

The Muslim organisations ought not to have gone to court at all on the matter, and since they went to court and the court had decided their

case on the evidence put forward by the parties, nobody should complain on what has happened on the action taken by Christians in public schools.

The reason for arriving at this point is that it is the state government that prescribed uniforms for schools, and it was unable to defend itself on the matter in court.

Once a uniform is prescribed for a school and a person decide to go to that school, he must abide by its rules. If he thinks that the rule is against his religious belief or practice, then he needs not go to that school. That is the simple answer to the issue being discussed.

However, if a person, in the end, decides to go to

that school, he is not permitted to complain that the rules are against the tenets of his faith and the law will not permit him to complain. There are many legal authorities on the issue, which the lawyers failed to bring to the attention of the judge. The issue is not one of constitutional rights; it is a rule of practice.

Today, if you decide to be a member of an organisation with prescribed rules, you will not be allowed to complain that the rules of the organisation are against the rules of your religion, or against your rights under the constitution.

•JOA Ajakaiye, Iwo Road, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Of Nigeria and her deportees IT is so unfortunate that foreign countries have continued to deport Nigerians who commit immigration offences back into the country.

While not blaming these foreign countries, I think it is the responsibility of the Nigerian government to make the country conducive for habitation.

It is the lack of opportunities that made many Nigerian youths opt to leave the country in the first place in search of a better future. What do we tell a graduate of over five years who could not get paid employment, and he got the opportunity to travel to Europe, even through the desert?

It is not as if these foreign countries are better than Nigeria, but they have social services/infrastruc-

tures that can sustain their citizens. First, the roads are good, and there is uninterrupted power supply.

Unemployed citizens are also paid stipends to keep body and soul together, but in the case of Nigeria, our leaders have ‘eaten’ the future of the country’s unborn generations through corruption.

Even if Nigerians are not doing well financially in these foreign countries, they prefer to stay put because those things that make life more meaningful like electricity, water, good roads, among others, are there.

It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Nigerian government to also look at ways through which it can also make Nigeria better.

•Nelson Ekwale, Benin.

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opinion

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Towards overhauling Oyo public schools

By Gbade Ojo

O

NE of the challenges of governance in Africa, especially Nigeria, is that some leaders do not exhibit passionate concern about issues of their time. They do not see current tasks of governance and bureaucracy as the foetus of the future. A selfcentered government will be engrossed with meeting only the demands of the day. They do not spot the presence of tomorrow. This is perhaps the reason why not much planning is done, coupled with dearth of critical data for good governance.

Yet, being able to prudently discern the future really starts in the present and is the key to planning for both success of today and tomorrow.

On the misconception connected with the planned management of some public secondary schools in the state out of the total 631 public secondary schools, the opposition has over- exploited the gullible population of the state, using their lack of access to adequate information, data and empirical evidences from other climes to hold them captive.

They sold lies about Governor Abiola Ajimobi to the people and concluded that he was planning to sell schools to the missionaries, which is far from the truth.

Ajimobi’s visibility in the last few weeks on the media has helped to collapse the lies spun by the opposition against him to rubbish his initiative to partner interested stakeholders in giving facelift to secondary education in the state.

No doubt, each public policy has its own pros and cons. The beauty of any policy is that the larger members of the society targeted by it should be satisfied. This is in line with Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian theory which states that public policy should be targeted at the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people.

A public policy, no matter how robust, may not be wholly acceptable to all but large chunk should heave a sigh of relief with the public policy aimed at achieving public good.

It is within that context that this piece explicates Oyo State’s policy thrust on education.

There are two major rubrics in the policy as enunciated by the state government and the two are very contentious by the irreverent critics of the Ajimobi administration cum the opposition elements in the state. They are the introduction of N1,000 development levy in public secondary schools and the plan to partner stakeholders in the management of some of the public secondary schools in the state.

These two elements appear like a policy shock to the down-trodden more so in a state which is reputed to be the intellectual capital of Nigeria.

The fundamental question is why the need for partnership? It is an open secret so to say, that the sector is nothing to write home about. It takes a courageous and patriotic governor to attempt a general overhaul. This is what the Senator Ajimobi-led administration seeks to do.

The empirical analysis below suffices to explain why the planned partnership is imperative.

It is instructive to note that between 2007 till date, the state government expended a total sum of N3.2 billion on public examinations. With that, the highest pass rate ever was in 2011 with 20.55%. In 2007, 52,551 registered for WASCE with entry fee of N3,250.00 per candidate.

Government paid a total sum of N170,790,150.00. Only 3,706 could manage to get five credits and above.

Percentage pass was 7.05%.

Government lost N158,745,650.00. In 2008, 55,878 candidates registered with entry fee of N3,500.00. Just 5,608 could get five credits and above with 10.04% pass rate. Government forfeited N175,945,000 on the failures. In 2009, the bad trend continued. Out of 52,484 that registered, the pass rate was 14.11%. In 2010, 52,448 candidates registered and only 7,357 could manage to pass, that is, 14.03% pass rate. By 2011 when this administration came on board, 60,000 candidates registered, 12,327 passed with five credits and above which translated to 20.55% pass rate which was to be the highest ever!

With population explosion and desire for education, more candidates registered in 2012, with as many as 67,786, the highest figure since 2007 which is under our purview, but 9,973 only too could pass WASCE at 14.71% pass rate. In 2013, 55,432 registered with 10,285 securing

five credits and above, i.e. 18.55% pass rate. The story was not really different in 2014 and 2015 with 54,862 and 59,945 respectively registered with WAEC. Nevertheless, if between 2007 till date, Oyo State WASCE candidates have not recorded 25% pass rate, talk less of 50%, automatically, the sector requires general overhaul. To do this, the state government took a holistic view of the situation. This is done by targeting students/ pupils, parents, teachers and infrastructure.

Long before the 2015 elections, a total of 5,300 teaching and non-teaching staff were recruited to redress the anomaly. But the sector requires wellthought out policy beyond mere recruitment of teachers.

In its quest to reposition and further enhance quality education through concerted efforts of all stakeholders in Oyo State, the administration of Governor Ajimobi, in his second term, took some bold measures. Few of them include enforcement of 80% attendance for all students to ensure good performance in external and internal examinations. Students who fail to make 80% attendance may not be eligible for promotion examinations. Still targeting students and pupils, automatic promotions in all public secondary schools was cancelled forthwith. Promotion is, henceforth, based on merit. This is to ensuring that quality products are graduated from public schools.

Not only that, extra-mural classes were re-invigorated for JSS3 and SS3 students in all public secondary schools to add quality time to the teaching period.

Nevertheless, the state government, having properly carried along all the stakeholders in education sector, most especially Parents/Teachers Association (PTA), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPS) and Association of Heads of Primary Schools, among others, decided to involve the parents effectively in the care of their children and wards. Hence, a sum of N3,000 education levy was agreed upon by all which could be paid per term on a thousand naira installment basis, to compliment government efforts vis-à-vis provision of teaching aids and infrastructural facilities.

Parents and guardians too are to equally bear the burden of payment of WAEC registration fees. With the involvement of parents, they are more passionate about what the future of their siblings is in their educational pursuit.

•Dr Ojo, Chief of Staff to the Oyo State Governor, sent in this piece via eojo12000@yahoo. com

Gender equality: In support of Olori Wuraola

By Ute Okon

Physical and sexual abuse on women carries far more punishment than abuse on men.The minute America achieves 100 per cent gender equality, the women should get ready to forfeit these protective treatments because there would be nothing to protect anymore. In most cultures in Nigeria, men pay through their noses and/ or are asked to perform many daunting tasks to get married. If a man and a woman fight in public, people will by reflex, try to protect the woman while the man gets bashed for fighting a woman. To cap it up, respect is the key ingredient to ensuring as much sanity as possible in a society. When both men and women respect each other, things move a lot smoothly. A husband will not beat up a wife he respects, a widow will not be made to go through agony by her in-laws, a man will send his daughters to good schools, perverts will stop raping helpless females, the management of a company will promote women to any rank if they respect women, and so on.

Let me go back to what the Olori said; she mentioned that women should be women and men should be men.

She also said that people should play their own roles in the society and that women were powerful enough on their own because the most powerful king can tremble/ melt in the presence of his mother/wife. This, to me, is fair coming from any angle. So many women these days don’t realise that the way humanity has been designed.

,

LAST week, the cyber space erupted with outbursts and outrage because of the Olori of Ife’s speech on gender equality. Oh well, I did not want to say anything but the writer in me just had to put this down and yes, I’m going to be my usual blunt self. I understand if you do not like or appreciate the Olori’s speech but insulting and demeaning the royal stool of the Olori and even bringing up the “she was a runs girl” gist into it is totally uncalled for and shows lack of respect for culture.

What do I think about her speech? First, she’s not even in the position to discuss gender equality issues as a Queen consort, not to talk of an African Queen consort!

She’s not an Oprah Winfrey or a Chimamanda Adichie.

Her position means she can only be as powerful as her King permits and any attempt by her to act ‘I know it all’ will send her out of the royal palace faster than she can put her makeup on! So you really expect her to face the world and tell them that women are equal to men? Wake up please! Not even Kate Middleton can try nonsense with Prince William.

Now back to the gender quality topic. Gender equality, if you really want to follow the meaning of those words in their real senses, is just something that can be fully achieved in the ideal world and not in reality. There is no, and there will never be gender equality anywhere in the world. Even here in the US, there are some jobs where men get paid more for doing exactly the same thing as women, and I am sorry, this is not going to end anytime soon. Just as Obama didn’t do much to solve racism, Hilary Clinton will not do much for gender inequality either. I hate to go spiritual but the truth is, God designed this man/woman thing a particular way. This is where equity comes in. In the USA, and I think in the UK, when a couple is divorced, the man pays a whooping amount of money to his ex-wife, even if they didn’t have children.

You get things much better as a woman when you stoop to conquer. But this new-found pride caused by this faux sense of feminist awareness makes you miss that opportunity. I don’t believe the Olori meant that women should be foot mats, punching bags, or mute dolls. From what I could gather, she had a source of income before she married the Ooni. By all means, women should chase their dreams, live their lives and all, but when dealing with men, you should accord them that respect if you want to achieve very much. When you start proving too hard that your role is that of a business partner instead of his biggest cheerleader, supporter, nurturer, when roles are mixed, the result is that we now have a bunch of lazy men who are more interested in what a woman can bring to the table than her personality in the choice of a wife.

Modern day feminists would attack you like wounded lions, or treat you like a plague if you dare say anything against their unrealistic beliefs. I keep saying that most don’t even realise what true feminism is.

A true feminist is not one who keeps barking at every instance that she’s in control, or at anyone who disputes her feminist ideals. Rather, she is content and at peace with herself, whether she’s a housewife, a teacher, a pastor, a ‘runs’ girl, or an executive. She takes pride in who she is and what she has to offer to whoever comes in contact with her. The only female empowerment icons I respect or see as models are Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey (there are a few other not-so-popular ones though); the rest are trying too hard.

So for all those ‘wannabe’ feminists out there who blasted the Olori, you cannot expect your man to foot most of the bills when you go out on dates or vacations. You cannot be screaming gender equality when your bride price is hitting the roof. You cannot be telling your husband to be the man of the house and still be telling him you are equal. You cannot eat your cake and still have it. Simple!

•Okon, a socio-political analyst, is based in the United States.

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Nigerian Tribune

agriculture OORBDA: South West farmers to benefit from 2016 budget

Farming, most viable tool to resuscitate Nigeria’s economy

By Adewale Oshodi

FARMERS in the South Western part of the country will benefit immensely from the 2016 federal budget as soon as funds are released for the commencement of agricultural projects across the region.

The Assistant Director of Ogun/Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA), Taiwo Oyederu, stated this when he received the team from the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan at the authority’s headquarters in Abeokuta, recently.

Speaking on the 16 projects under the OORBDA, which are incorporated in the 2016 budget, Oyederu said the agricultural equipment mentioned in the budget would be made available to farmers at subsidised rates.

“As a result, individual farmers, cooperative and other stakeholders in the agricultural sectors can come forward to access the equipment at their various offices within the catchment area.

“The Okere Gorge Irrigation project has been completed, and what is left for the Oyo State government to also play its part so that farmers can benefit from the irrigation, while other agricultural projects mentioned the the project will be implemented to the latter, and this will be to the benefit of farmers,” he said.

—De Bronx CEO

Olumide Alli, the Chief Executive Officer of De-Bronx Global Farms, Atan in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State speaks on farming as the lifeline of the nation’s economy, challenges of managing a large farm, government policies on farming and why more youths should embrace farming, among other issues. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE writes.

I

N this era when crude oil cannot sustain the country’s economy, a farmer and agricultural consultant, Olumide Alli, has joined other stakeholders in the agricultural industry, to call on the government to look inwards and also advocate that people and government should embrace farming as the only way to revive the nation’s economy, adding that agriculture remains the most viable lifeline that can bring the country back from the brink of financial crisis it has found itself.

He stated that the government needs to take agriculture seriously as a sure means of combating imminent food crisis, ensure food security and take the nation forward economically.

“Agriculture is a viable tool to drive the nation’s economy. In fact, it is a tool that has been tested and is fool proof because once the challenge of hunger is resolved; the weight of poverty is lightened. Farming is not only equivalent to food security, it is a means of generating employment and creating wealth,” he stated.

Speaking on why as a graduate, he went into farming, Alli stated that for him, the first reason was that he had a passion for nature and animals and he had always been interested in this since his childhood.

“I discovered quite early that I have a passion for nature and animals, so when I grew up, I decided to make money from my passion. And with the population that we have in Nigeria, especially here in my state, Oyo, food has a large market and as a business man, I cashed into farming because there is a lot of potential.

“The risk is low and if you follow laid down procedure and best practice, you cannot go wrong. This is because the chain value of agriculture is large and employment opportunity is vast; not just the workers on the farm but also those that sell seedlings, the people that sell foodstuffs, the middlemen and so many retailers,” he added.

According to him, farming is also not a job for illiterates as many believe, except one just wants to stay at the sustenance farming level. He stated that education rather than be a hindrance is of great advantage to any farmer.

“Gone are the days when a farmer just plants, weeds and goes to rest, waiting for harvests. These days, a farmer needs to continually upgrade his knowledge and learn about latest developments and practice in the agricultural sector.

“One must learn what each particular plant needs to thrive and in what quantity. Fir this education is important because it makes it easier to research and experiment,” he said.

On the challenges of managing a farm that

has a first phase spanning over 100 acres of land, he said it is hard work and it requires determination as the challenges are enormous and can sometimes look overwhelming.

“A farmer just needs to be focused and determined. There are many challenges; the most major one is lack of experienced workforce as few farm workers can work without supervision, bad attitude of workers and lack of commitment, invasion of pests and diseases, challenge of getting seedlings, availability of land for planting, harsh government policies and irrigation during the dry season.

“However, with adequate planning, one will be equipped to face these challenges and effectively make a success of the venture. Then, when one considers that there is no venture or profession without risks and challenges, he won’t be discouraged,” he stated.

Speaking on why he is passionate about farming, Alli said it makes more sense for him to be a farmer because it is something he enjoys and it is also his means of making the society better.

“Aside doing what I enjoy, I create employment opportunities for people and help to guarantee food security in my own way. We all need to go back to farming, if every household engages in sustenance farming, the skyrocketing prices of food items will be a thing of the past” How did his passion develop? He believes it is hereditary. “My mum was into livestock farming so I grew up already in love with animal farming. She was also into sustenance farming so I was exposed early to this and I found out that it is what I am at home with.

For me, farming is a natural thing,” Alli also believes that farming is not a poor man’s job as he said, it is one of the few ventures that will not only double your investment but can give you triple of what you invest.

“Farming is a lucrative business, the only problem is that many people shy away from hard work and do not want to get their hands dirty. But the truth is that, you make so much from your investment in farming and you are sure that what you put in will yield more than you anticipated. Also, there is always a ready market for farm produce,” the De Bronx boss stated.

According to him, government is not doing enough to help farmers while many farmers suffer from some policies made by government agencies. “Often, farmers get a lot of challenges from government agencies due to lack of continuity in governance. For example this government can allocate farmland to you today and another one comes tomorrow to revoke it, not minding the fact that you have put so much into the land.

Ogbeh receives cattle rearers’ support for ranch Collins Nnabuife - Abuja

TO address the lingering crisis posed by the clashes between Fulani herdsmen and crop farmers in Nigeria, the Federal Government has designed a plan involving building of ranches with facilities to feed the animals, as well as settle their keepers and their families into a comfortable lifestyle.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this earlier in the week at the Government House in Yola, during a sensitisation forum with stakeholders in Adamawa State on the Federal Government’s plan to establish the cattle ranches in some parts of the country.

He said this would stop the indiscriminate movement of cows in search of grass and water causing clashes which have led to loss of lives and destruction of crops.

Ogbeh lamented the long neglect and meat supply for the nation.

“We want to find a common solution where the herdsmen will be involved, and the solution which will bring joy to all Nigerians without any exception,” he said.

According to him, “the conflicts have generated a great deal of tension and very strong reactions. Some of the violence has been extremely regrettable but all that has happened because, over the years, we really haven’t done much to support the

herdsman. There has been a tendency to forget that the herdsmen are farmers. And while we have done a lot to support the cassava framer, the corn farmer, the rice farmer, the wheat farmer; not to mention the groundnut farmer, the soya beans farmer, we have tended to carry on as if the people rearing cattle are really not part of agriculture.

To ensure the availability of high quality grass to feed the animals in the ranches, the minister maintained that the plans have begun with the importation of high quality grass seeds to be planted and multiplied on Nigerian soil.

He pointed out that settling the current Fulani herdsmen through the proposed ranch-

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Nigerian Tribune

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How to tackle Tuta Absoluta

We are blessed in this country with world class brains. As a Nigerian, I won the best oral presentation at The 2nd All African Horticulture Congress (AAHC) ‘Horticulture for humanity’, Shukuza, South-Africa. January 2012 (Awarded the Best Student Presenter) we had participants from all over the world. So why should a foreigner import his country technology that has zero percent of my environmental component. It can’t work.

I think we should look at the post management of these crops, study the physiology of the crops and know when it is mature, our own culture here is that we eat ripened products but in our country.

The right practice is to harvest the crop is physiologically matured and subsequently transferred to a cold room with a specific temperature suitable for the crop.

—Dr Animashaun

Mufutau Animashaun holds a doctorate degree in horticulture with emphasis on post-harvest pathology from Writtle College University of Essex in England, United Kingdom. He is a consultant post-harvest horticulturist, and has been studying and teaching the preservation, disease control of fruits and vegetables, for 40 years. A onetime Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Animashaun is also a former deputy Rector, Lagos State Polytechnic among many others. He speaks on Tuta-Absoluta and many other agricultural issues in this interview with BODE ADEWUMI.

CURRENTLY, fruits and vegetable farms in Nigeria are having a holocaust of tuta-absoluta locally known as tomato Ebola, from your profile, you are an experienced consultant on post-harvest pathology on fruits and vegetables. Can you explain in a simple language what tuta absoluta is, how it attacks vegetables and precaution needed to stop its spread before the solution arrives?

Tuta-absoluta is an intelligent insect that has a distinctive survival instinct, it’s a pest that destroys tomato crops and it has been prevalent in this country for 50 years, but just discovered few years back. The attention is just coming up now because of the intensity of the attack that is being experienced. It is a soil born pest, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), is a micro lepidopteran moth belonging to the Gelechiidae family and is considered as one of the most devastating pest that feeds on tomatoes , garden egg, aubergine, potatoes, and tobacco plants.

ing ing system would help secure the nation’s source of meat, improve milk production, help save foreign exchange and stop the importation of milk.

“We spend 1.3billion dollars a year importing milk,” Ogbeh lamented. “The quality of beef we eat is not the best. The yield of lactation per cow in this country is about 1 litre.

We can do 25 litres or 30 litres of milk per cow per day. We are here to discuss with you and the herdsmen as part of a sensitisation programme, to introduce to them what we want to do and to make them a part of it and to solicit the support of your government.

“We are going to grow grass,” he affirmed, stressing that this will be a “special kind of grass. Some with a protein content of at least 18 per cent. We are going to give them boreholes and water and establish larger ranches and improve the grazing reserves in such a way that the cows don’t need to move and the families can settle. We can give some good education to their children and health facilities.”

Tuta absoluta pest spreads very quickly, it has a high reproductive potential and a life cycle that can take between 24 to 76 days, depending on the environmental conditions.

Adults are silvery gray with black spots on the forewings. Their activity is concentrated in the early morning and dusk; during the rest of the day they remain hidden among the leaves.

Adult lifespan ranges between 10 and 15 days for females and 6–7 days for males. The female lays the eggs mainly on the leaves, although they can also be found on stems and sepals. Eggs are laid isolated, thus facilitating their distribution on the crop. The number of eggs per female is usually between 40 and 50 and may reach 260.

This is just a nominal description of Tuta absoluta and I think we need to deploy different approaches to solving the problem.

First is the approach of attacking the insects itself at the reproduction stages from the egg to adult. It’s not about attacking at the point of attack, but killing the egg before hatching, that is completely wiping it off from our farm land nationwide. We need an Entomologist’s report to identify the specie of the pest, because it’s possible that the specie that can survive in Kano and Kaduna might not survive in Jos and Yola because of the varied temperature. That means we have to develop many strategies and approaches.

Another approach is to identify which stage of the lifecycle that attacks and infects the fruits either the larva, pupa or the adult state, because I know that it’s a moth that reproduces twelve times a year and it can be terminated before it matures to age that attacks the fruit. The third is the pesticide method: though some experts have suggested the use of pesticides, we have to be very careful, some pesticides are systemic, you intend to control the insects but the tomatoes can take it up and when eaten fresh can be carcinogenic and cause harm to the human body.

What is the meaning of carcinogenic?

That means cancer; it causes cancer in the body so we have to be very careful. An ex-

pert from the ministry of agriculture suggested that they use the protocol of insecticide which means once you use one insecticide today, tomorrow you use another one, and it’s dangerous which means the insect is developing a resistance to that protocol. Another approach is the biological approach that is finding parasites that feeds on the insects; tuta-absoluta, we have to have a different approach to this rather than the normal insecticide approach.

If you are getting the parasites to feed on them, how then do you bring a contact?

You have to study the lifecycle of that insect and know the stage it uses to attack the fruits, and send the parasite during this stage to kill it completely and study the parasites so that it would not be injurious to the plant, so you know it’s a two way approach so as not to bring about another problem to the plant itself.

What should the government do to have an all encompassing proactive approach to protecting our food and crops?

The most lacking thing in crop harvest in this country is post-harvest technology, management and packaging, these are very essential and important in any nation’s agricultural growth. This is what gives the developed economy edge over us, they believe in technology a lot and they spend money on research. You can’t import a technology that was made for a country with different climate to a country that has a very strong climate. I am an ardent preacher of environmental reality. Any problem in this country has its own solution here and not a borrowed solution it might solve the problem temporarily.

How do you mean sir?

I am unequivocally saying that I can solve this Ebola tomatoes outbreak locally in synergy with other indigenous plant protection experts. I did my Doctorate degree thesis on this Post harvest pathology. I spent every day of my life for six years researching on different fruits and vegetables pathology. I don’t need to go to heaven with dollars or pounds to solve this outbreak.

At what stage?

For example, the tomato has six stages, it is harvested in the second stage which is the green crop stage then it is put in the cold room at a temperature not more than 13 degrees centigrade or else the crop would have chilling damage. Every fruit contains a gas called endogenous ethylene, (ethanol) it can be injected too: it hastens ripeness in tomatoes and gives you a very good fresh tomato. Ethylene is a hydro carbon compound obtained from butane and, or propane.

Doesn’t ethylene have health effects?

No. It doesn’t, it’s a gas, it is used for ripening process and it increases the shelf life of fruits.

You said that your grand mission is to develop a value chain system for horticultural crops, fruits and vegetables in Nigeria, I believe it is important for our local food security, how do you intend to achieve this in this system?

We are having a collaborative arrangement with a sister institution in the UK. We have a post-harvest unit that is very involved in researches and test for most fruits and vegetables for supermarkets in the UK such as Tessco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and other major big supermarkets. We carry out the palatability test, aroma, flavour and acceptability by consumers of all these products that come to UK and we send our analyses and results to them.

However, I am back to establish a similar thing in Nigeria where we have post harvest unit in some of our institutions especially in Lagos State where we have land constraint.

How do you think the peasant farmers who are the major producers of tomatoes in Nigeria can afford the cold room facility?

They can form a co-operative society and have a common cold room where companies can buy from there and do all the marketing and other necessary things like post harvest treatment on their own. The farmers would bring their products; at that stage we call them contract farmers.

You give specifications, at this stage you plant and harvest and you bring them to the warehouse not far from the farm.

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

Makarfi

Sheriff

PDP crisis: Makarfi, Sheriff fighting dirty

LEON USIGBE writes on the altercation between Senators Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff as the leadership struggle in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensifies.

T

HE power struggle between Senator Ahmed Makarfi, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, claimant of the office of the national chairman of the party, descended to a new low last week, when they found themselves in heated exchange and one trying his best to tar the other with a dark brush.

Sheriff drew the first blood, accusing Makarfi of recruiting Fulani herdsmen to assassinate members of the dissolved PDP National Working Committee (NWC) who still reported for work at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, despite their ouster by the highest organ of the party, the national convention. Sheriff, erstwhile national secretary and national auditor of the party, Professor Olawale Oladipo and Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, respectively, have never accepted the decision of the May 21, 2016 Port Harcourt national convention to terminate the tenure of the NWC even though most members had exhausted their mandates.

The incident the former Borno State governor referred to was the invasion of the Wadata Plaza Wuse Zone 5, Abuja edifice housing the national headquarters of the opposition party by local hunters sympathetic to Makarfi who said they were at the building to prevent it from being taken over by Sheriff after his removal as the national chairman of the party. This followed earlier mobilisation of tens of suspected thugs loyal to Sheriff, who had ushered him back to the secretariat in defiance of the national convention. They chased

out Oladipo and Adeyanju from the secretariat and watched over it for two days until the police intervened.

Sheriff, who was not at the secretariat at the time of the invasion, alleged that the Fulani herdsmen were sent by Makarfi to kill his factional party leaders. “We decided to stay away from the office because my national secretary and national auditor were almost killed by Fulani herdsmen,

The altercation between the two men is likely to intensify until at least, the judgment on the legality of the May 21 national convention which produced the PDP National Caretaker Committee expected to be delivered by the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

who were brought to the secretariat by Senator Makarfi.

It was only God that brought them out alive. I was not around. They sent Fulani herdsmen to kill him. But thank God they came out alive,” Sheriff allegedly during a press conference in his private office in Abuja.

Without mentioning former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by name, Sheriff also inferred that Makarfi was working for “a serial presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC)” hence the former Kaduna State governor’s desperation to retain the office of the national chairman of the party. He also blamed Makarfi for lack of progress in the reconciliation being midwifed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) by refusing to send him (Sheriff) his four nominees for the eight-man committee set up by the IGP. Sheriff insisted that Makarfi must first send him the names so that he as “the national chairman of the party” would pass it on to the IGP along with the four persons himself would nominate.

Makarfi did not take Sheriff’s allegations lying low. He fired back, accusing the former Borno State governor of being the founder of Boko Haram. His words: “He is the one known to have created Boko Haram. Therefore, he is continuing in a similar direction. I am never known to be associated with violence. He made same malicious allegation before the former IG and DG SS which was disregarded as baseless. On the contrary, I was there and then given official additional security.” Makarfi pointed out that Sheriff was the one in breach of the agreement with the IGP by refusing to name his own four nominees and also seeking more court orders in violation of what was decided with the police. “So, you (media) should know who thrives in violence.” Makarfi declared.

The spokesman of the National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, expatiated on this through a statement in response to Sheriff’s allegation. He sought to extricate Makarfi from the allegation of hiring Fulani herdsmen by recalling Makarfi’s antecedent as a governor who transformed Kaduna, a hitherto hotbed of ethnic-religious crises, into a peaceful state compared to what became of Borno State with Sheriff as its governor.

“Senator Makarfi was governor of Kaduna State for eight years (1999-2007), during which period the entire country rose to salute his numerous achievements, one of which was orchestrating the return of peace to the state, which had hitherto assumed the position of a hotbed of ethno-religious and other crises. Juxtapose this with the reputation built by others that still have, hanging on their necks, allegation of midwifing of, and sponsoring deadly outfits that the nation is still grappling with, and the difference becomes clear.

“Between Senators Makarfi and Sheriff, both had been governor and senator; they have antecedents and pedigrees.

And each one of them is known for, what he believed in and stood for as well as what methods were used and to what extent each went to actualise his philosophy of governance.

Even the most diehard opponents of Senator Makarfi have been charitable and decent enough not to identify him with violence of any hue; it is thus amazing that the first time an attempt is being made to so paint him, it is coming from quarters that are clearly coming to equity with very soiled hands.”

The National Caretaker Committee was keen to stress that it was Sheriff that allegedly introduced violence into PDP leadership struggle. It allegedly : “It is also necessary to remind Nigerians of the fact that it was Sheriff who introduced violence to what is essentially a family misunderstanding that was being resolved by the same family. Virtually all the nation’s media outfits reported especially in their edition of Tuesday June 14, 2016, the ‘storming’ of the PDP national secretariat, by Sheriff, with thugs brandishing all sorts of weapons, all in the name taking over as chairman.

The ‘herdsmen’ he claimed were on assassination mission could well be the thugs he hired, perhaps protesting not being adequately settled(?).”

With Sheriff mobilising to his side, aggrieved party members around the country and setting up structures, the altercation between the two men is likely to intensify until at least, the judgment on the legality of the May 21 national convention which produced the PDP National Caretaker Committee expected to be delivered by the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, on July 4, 2016.

19

politics&policy

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

How to end workers’ strike —Ondo commissioner Ondo State Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Special Duties, Honourable Femi Adekanmbi, speaks with ABIODUN AWOLAJA on workers’ strike in the state and other issues. Excerpts:

W

HAT’s your government doing about the ongoing workers’ strike?

It’s quite unfortunate that we have found ourselves where we are. Let me start by commending His Excellency, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, for the way he is handling the matter. The state government has tried as much as possible to explain to the workers, the financial position of the government. This is a government that’s been very friendly and favourable with the workers, for the past seven years. Instead of paying workers N18,500, this government has been paying N22,000 minimum wage. This is a government that was paying workers the 13th month salary before, and this is a government that has been paying leave bonuses every time.

Even till January this year, this government paid pensioners. So, if you look at the details, you will discover that this government has been very friendly with the workers. Promotions have been going on consistently, up till this moment. Not just promoting, but promoting with benefits, so when you look at all these, nobody will expect that the workers will embark on this strike, knowing full well what is happening in Nigeria, and knowing also the allocations that the government is now collecting. This is a state that was collecting N4billion, N5 billion some four of five years ago. Suddenly, the allocation fell to less than N1billion with salaries of workers per month going as high as N3.9billion.

How do you now get N3.9billion from the addition of both Federal Allocations and IGR which now total about N1.3billion? We need to add up three to four months allocations, to pay workers’ one month’s salary. And that is if you are paying workers alone, forgetting any other thing in the government. Workers are not the only people that government has to cater for in the society. The government is responsible to all. Workers in this state are just about 60,000 and we have quite a lot of sectors that the government has to cater for, so it’s quite unfortunate that workers are embarking on this strike.

Adekanmbi

What solution do you propose?

It’s sad that the Federal Government is not even helping matters. We have pending payments that the Federal Government has refused to honour. Take, for instance, the Paris club debt, the then Federal Government over deducted monies from the states to the tune of over $100 million.

What we are asking for now is simple: give us this money, let us use the money to pay these workers. $100 million can successfully pay four or five months’ salary, and that’s exactly what we are appealing to the Federal Government to please pay us the money, even if it is half of the $100 million. Apart from that, we talk about the N9 billion refund on federal roads that we did. If the Federal Government pays us all the money, we will be able to pay salaries. The way forward is for the workers to understand the conditions of the government, call off the strike, and go back to regular activities. We are losing a lot in the state at the moment. The internally generated revenue in the state is less than N700 million. For the past period that this strike has continued,

that’s what we have lost, which should have formed part of workers’ salaries.

Apart from the Paris club debt, in what other ways can the Federal Government help out?

It may interest you to know, that in about 22 states in Nigeria today, workers are on strike. In another 10 states, workers are just on the edge of commencing their own strike. It is a serious issue that cuts across all the states in Nigeria.

And the majority of the states that claim that they are paying salaries, if not all of them, are only paying some percentage of the salaries. Some are paying 25 per cent, some even as low as 15 per cent.

The highest is 50 per cent, and that’s the exact situation in Nigeria, so Federal Government must understand that there is a problem with the states. Take it or leave it, the majority of the developments in Nigeria comes from the states, not from Abuja. The Federal Government must, as a matter of urgency, sit down with states and the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocations Commission (RMAFC) and come out with a more workable revenue plan. How can it be taking close to 60 per cent of all allocations and expect the 36 states and 774 local governments which meet with the people directly, to be sharing just about 40 per cent? That’s very unjust. And then, there must be restructuring of this country.

We also understand that your party is not considering zoning, in picking a candidate for the election...

Yeah, because this is a party that looks at the capability and capacity of the candidate. One of the reasons we are where we are now in Nigeria, is because of this zoning. Zoning can be appreciated at the national level, because of the multidimensional ethnicity that we have in this country. But in the state, you need to critically look at the position of development, and the issue of capacity and capability, so now we have contestants from all the senatorial districts: North, Central, and South. Let us now pick among all these aspirants, the best candidate that can move this state forward; one that has the ability, capacity and intelligence to sustain what Dr. Mimiko has done so far.

‘Why PDP will win Ondo gov election’ Honourable Abayomi Akinruntan, the first son of the Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, is a member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, representing Ilaje Constituency 1. He speaks with HAKEEM GBADAMOSI on the development of the state and the chances of the PDP in the next governorship election. Excerpts: I came home to visit him, I saw the situation of things around. I thought I should join hands with my father to contribute to the development of the community. That actually prompted me to join politics and I decided to come back home fully to support him and help my people.

Akinruntan YOU are from a very rich background, what motivated you to join politics?

I can remember that in 2008 or 2009, I was actively involved in the business activities of my dad. I was managing one of his outfits in Lagos and I was later transferred to Abuja to manage his Five Star Hotel. Of course, I was comfortable when I finished school because I got a very big job in my father’s company. But immediately he was enthroned as the Olugbo of Ugbo and got the staff of office, I came back from an overseas trip and decided to pay him homage. When

As a member of the state House of Assembly, what have been your achievements so far in your constituency?

Aside from the state responsibilities, I am the chairman, House Committee on Works, and I want to say that some of what we see today in terms of road infrastructure were the efforts of the committee. Recently, we passed a bill to ensure that emergency road repairs were carried out. The Bill ensures that roads constructions must take place within a short period of time without delay.

The economic situation of the country has seriously hindered the government from giving us constituency allowance to be able to carry our constituency projects but through the ABA Foundation, I have been able to do a lot of things for my people. One of the major projects in the foundation is capacity building. Through the foundation, I have been able to embark on a lot of projects. In the area of capacity building, we have been able to send an average of 300 youths on vocational training, and the last one we did had to do with skills acquisition.

Some of them have been sent to learn different kinds of trade like carpentry, welding and others, and this has actually helped the youths a lot because they are being trained locally on the job.

Recently, we embarked on vocational training where we specifically trained people on making of soap, insecticides, disinfectants and others. We are sure that this will engage the youths and while they are engaged, they will not be available to be used for any form of social vices. To celebrate my one year in office, the foundation will be empowering the widows with cash donation and empowerment.

Will you say that the recent tussle in the House of Assembly has truly been resolved?

We truly had an issue with the Speaker and we shifted ground when the leadership of the party waded in. As far as I know, the crisis has been resolved.

Some believed that the attempted impeachment of the Speaker was politically motivated?

No, I disagree with that. There was no external influence in what we did then. I can tell you categorically that money didn’t exchange hands during the process. We were convinced about what we were going to do and we did it, and we were also convinced that we had reasons to reverse it and we did.

It was purely the business of the House, and we have resolved it because the party is supreme.

Do you think your party, PDP, will be able to win the forthcoming governorship election in the state considering the threat of the opposition?

What transpired during the last presidential election and what transpired during the State House of Assembly election were clear indications that the state is still for the PDP. That shows that the popularity of our party is still intact. You saw how we were able to make a turnaround during the House of Assembly election. We have 21 PDP members in the House as against the five for APC. Most of the PDP members in the House are grass-roots men who always go to meet their people from time to time, and that is a boost for the PDP. If we all go back home sincerely and work, I am very sure that PDP will beat APC hands down in the November 26 governorship election But people still refer to the House of Assembly election as “see and buy”?

I don’t know about any see and buy because in my own election, I led with over 6,000 votes. I believe hard work pays. Your people will surely support you if you start giving them the dividends of democracy. During my campaigns, many people opted to vote for me because of the good things I had done for them in the past, even before I decided to join politics. So, what actually worked for us during the House of Assembly election was that the party fielded the right candidates. Fielding the right candidates is a major key to winning an election.

20

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016 Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 0811 184 5048

features

Nigerian Maritime University:

The outrage, controversies

EBENEZER ADUROKIYA reviews issues around the controversial Nigerian Maritime University (NMU), Okerenkoko and the need for all stakeholders to objectively re-evaluate the essence of the institution and make a final informed decision.

Structures at the university’s site.

O

N May 10, 2014 when former President Goodluck Jonathan performed the ground-breaking of the now controversial Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkoko, in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, little did the people of Gbaramatu kingdom know that their joy of having a tertiary institution in their domain would go through the eye of the storm.

To underscore the seriousness the previous government attached to the project, Jonathan, 12 days after the much-publicised ground-breaking, appointed for the institution, Professor (Mrs) Ongoebi Maureen Etebu and Mr Anho Nathaniel Esoghene Lucky as vice chancellor and registrar respectively.

The university is 41 on the list of approved universities released by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in May 2015.

Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), opened an account for the university to be domiciled with its Asaba branch.

It will be recalled that the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibeh Kachikwu, disagreed at a government town meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on the establishment of the university, proposed for Okerenkoko.

Amaechi defended the decision of the Buhari administration to scrap the project.

He argued that the previous administration had paid too much to acquire a site for the university.

The minister said the new government lacked the funds to continue with the university project.

“Okerenkoko (Maritime University), I

am not against,” he said. “My argument about Okerenkoko is that land alone is 13 billion(naira). If you give me 13 billion, I will buy the half of Lagos. That 13 billion has built the university already.”

But Mr. Kachikwu disagreed with Mr. Amaechi, arguing that he was in support of the project.

“First, let me say on Okerenkoko University, I disagree with the Minister of Transport,” he said.

“Any facility that is located in the SouthSouth we should work close to developing it. I don’t care the circumstances under which you are placed. It’s not in my position to determine whether land was valued at 3 billion or 10 billion. The appropriate institution which is at the cost system will determine that. That has nothing to do with development of infrastructure. And as far as I know, so much has already gone into the university. So much physical of assets are being developed. We are not going to throw away the baby with bath water. We deal with the issues but the university will be developed. If he (Amaechi) does not want it in Maritime, I will take it in petroleum,” he said.

The uproar A former Federal Commissioner for Information and Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, was the first to throw the salvo.

“It is unfortunate that the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has come to lie and deceive the Federal Government and indeed, Nigerians.

“Mr. Amaechi carefully avoided mention-

ing the take-off campus of the university at Kurutie, which boasts of competitive and acceptable standard facilities that meet NUC’s standard for university campus, as part of the property of NMU, Okerenkoko and for which NIMASA paid the sum of about N13 billion,” Clark disclosed.

In a similar fashion, former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Power Ziakede Aginighan, described Amaechi’s statement as an error of judgment.

“Setting the records straight, the idea of siting a tertiary educational institution in the crude oil and gas-rich Gbaramatu King-

It is unfortunate that the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has come to lie and deceive the Federal Government and indeed, Nigerians.

“Mr. Amaechi carefully avoided mentioning the take-off campus of the university at Kurutie, which boasts of competitive and acceptable standard facilities that meet NUC’s standard for university campus, as part of the property of NMU, Okerenkoko and for which NIMASA paid the sum of about N13 billion.

dom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State was first proposed and adopted under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo as a critical component in the roadmap to peace and sustainable development of the Niger Delta.

“For the Niger Delta and the nation in general, the advantages of having the university far outweigh every argument to the contrary. Apart from capacity building for Nigerians in the maritime industry, bringing in direct foreign investment and arresting capital flight, NMU will play a key role in the re-integration phase of the Amnesty Programme,” he said.

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), umbrella body of Ijaw youths in the Niger Delta, in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari jointly signed by its President and spokesperson, Messrs. Udengs Eradiri and Eric Omare, said, “Mr. President, the reasons advanced by your Minister of Transportation are not only weak, mischievous and misleading, but also highly provocative and inciting.”

While addressing Ijaw and Itsekiri youths in Warri, Mr Daniel Reyenieju, member of the House of Representatives representing Warri Federal Constituency, said the statement credited to Amaechi regarding the cancellation of the university was “provocative, vexing, insensitive and, consequently, unacceptable.”

Another Itsekiri scholar, Professor Tosan Harriman, said, “The only way out of the present looming violence is for the Maritime University to take off. It will reduce crimiContinues on pg21

21

features

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

NMU: In whose interest?

Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu.

Continues from pg20

nality, stem agitation and create jobs for the people of the region,” the don averred.

A visit to the sites But a trip to both the temporary and permanent sites at Kurutie and Okerenkoko communities, both in Gbaramatu Kingdom, creates an alluring elixir. At Okerenkoko, where construction work had already commenced, the area, which is about 15 minutes ride to Esravos on speedboat, covers about 100 hectares of land. It was donated by the community.

At one of the sites, foundations of about 12 buildings were seen to have been done, while construction work at the main gate and two other structures were already at an advanced stage.

About 20 make-shift buildings, which used to house site workers, are not unoccupied with heavy duty construction equipment all over the vicinity of the permanent site.

Speaking on the development, SecretaryGeneral of the Federated Okerenkoko Community, Comrade Ernest Bebenimibo, said, “Our position has already been stated and made known to the world. As a community, we wrote several letters to Mr Amaechi on the need for the university to take off. As far as we are concerned, there is no fraud on the issue of land as is widely speculated.

“Sometime in 2012, NIMASA approached the community on the need for land for the institution. The land, which is more than 100 hectares, was acquired through due process and the community was issued a certificate of occupancy by the then governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.

“What we need is the reversal of the cancellation because our children are ready to be educated and are prepared to acquire technical knowledge concerning the maritime industry. This is a clarion call and the government has a duty to show that it has the people of the Niger Delta at heart. Again, we are prepared to protect the workers of the university against any form of criminality.”

At the Mieka International Diving Insti-

Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi. tute, Kurutie, which serves as the temporary site of the Maritime University, the architect, who designed the project, Mr Piniki Azaiye, who conducted reporters round the site, said he conceptualised the project and built it to its present status.

According to him, the institute, which was originally owned by Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, before it was taken over by the Federal Government, had planned to train divers of international standard.

“At the inception, Mieka Dives Limited, had a plan to train world class divers who will be useful to both the maritime and oil sectors. But when the idea of the Maritime University came up, and the Federal Government approached us to take over the school, we entered into all necessary deeds and we handed over to the FG. “You have seen the structures on ground and it is left for you to judge whether the N13 billion the transportation minister is talking about is just for land. How possible is it for anybody to build these high-rise structures on this swampy area without first reclaiming the land?” Azaiye disclosed.

Managing director of Mieka Dives Limited, Mr Keston Pondi, while also speaking on the fate of the university, said the company had a partnership with the Nigerian Navy to set up an international diving outfit.

According to him, “But NIMASA had approached us for the use of the place and in

How do you expect parents and guardians to send their wards to a school in an environment that has, over the years, been associated with violent attacks, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism, traits that are associated with people who are terrorists?

Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark. the process, NIMASA, Ministry of Transport and Mieka Dives all did their valuations separately and the Federal Government sent us a letter that it will pay the sum of N13 billion.

So, why should I be called a criminal for selling my own property?”

The structures in the expansive yard include a storey building that houses the VC’s office and its supporting staff.

Other structures include classrooms, ceremonial pavilion, a nine-bed medical centre with a digital laboratory, a workshop block and a lecture auditorium for 200 students are fully furnished.

Also at the site are two well-furnished hostel blocks, and library buildings. There is a furnished guest house, and accommodation for the university’s senior staff, and a separate three bedroom duplex for the VC. Apart from an olympic size swimming pool, there are two separate diving tanks ready for use.

Bait for terrorism?

The intrigues threw up some ethnic coloration when former Delta Waterways Security chairman and Niger Delta activist, Chief Ayiri Emami, chided people calling for the immediate take-off of the university.

Obviously toeing the path of Mr Amaechi, Emami said: “How do you expect parents and guardians to send their wards to a school in an environment that has, over the years, been associated with violent attacks, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism, traits that are associated with people who are terrorists?

“I am not against the Nigerian Maritime University coming on stream, but I can’t imagine innocent Nigerian citizens across the country and beyond, becoming endangered species, surrounded by people who easily take up arms without provocation.”

“I am tempted to ask, the day these militants do not get access to vandalised pipelines, won’t they resort to kidnapping of staff and students of the NMU? After all, the kidnap of 14 media practitioners and six Ugborodo indigenes by these militants several months ago is still fresh in our minds.”

Battle at the Senate The proposal for the establishment of the

Maritime University suffered a setback as the bill supporting it which was brought

by Senator James Manager (PDP), Delta Central Senatorial District, failed on the floor of the Senate.

James Manager explained that the establishment of the Maritime University would produce manpower in the maritime industry, a situation that past administration cashed on in order to come up with the said proposal.

After his presentation, Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial District was the first to shoot down the proposal by maintaining that it would have been proper for the existing Nigeria Maritime Academy, Oron in Akwa Ibom to be upgraded instead establishing new one so as to save cost.

In the same vein, Binta Mashi posited that the terrain of the proposed university was unsuitable, noting that it was improper to take a boat and travel on water for 30 minutes before reaching the place.

However, Nelson Effiong, Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District in his contribution, reminded the Senate that the Maritime Academy at Oron which is situated in his Senatorial District that has trained seafarers in the last 30 years of its existence, was approved to assume a university status by former President Goodluck Jonathan and it has since been with the National Universities Commission (NUC) Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, on his part, also envisaged security challenges because of isolation of the environment, stressing that Oron should be upgraded.

Former governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minority Leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio revealed that his administration did relocate land owners with compensation following government’s willingness to upgrade Maritime Academy at Oron.

When it became obvious that the bill had suffered a setback, James Manager, withdrew the bill, promising that it will be represented at the appropriate time.

While the arguments go back and forth, what should be paramount is the overall interest of the public. Perhaps soon the pendulum would oscillate to a favourable point for all.

22

commentary

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Osun: Collateral damage of hijab judgment

By Amiel M. Fagbulu

A

BOUT 30 months ago in January of 2014, there were skirmishes in some schools in the State of Osun when children belonging to different religious denominations went confrontational and in defiance of the laid down rules came to school wearing their cassocks, hijab and religious traditional wears of sorts. According to reports, the peace of the school was disturbed and gross irresponsibility took over while the school authorities and parents who apparently instigated the rebellious act looked on in glee.

Various interpretations were given to that event, each skewed to promote the favoured political or religious agenda of the reporter. In turning that breach of peace into political soap opera the jaundiced views of those reporting, irrespective of whatever coloration they gave to it, missed the greatest import of that tragi-comical display. In their attempt to discredit the governor of the state, some were led to propagate moronically that the hijab was an attempt to Islamise schools in the state.

They are back at it again, claiming that the governor had by proclamation made it compulsory for the hijab to be won in schools.

The Muslim community felt its rights were infringed and headed for the courts and in June 2016, a court judgment was delivered that the hijab could legitimately be adorned and worn to school. The non-Muslim students in the school had a field day coming to school in all sorts of dresses turning the school once more into a carnival of clowns. The only ‘religious’ dress genre absent at school that day was the blood and cowry-covered tunic of Sango worshippers complete with the diminutive double-edged axe. The outfits of the masquerades that accompany Sango were also fortunately missing.

The seeming endorsement of the acts of the students by the principal of the school was patent by his unprofessional pronouncement that because the children clad in robes were in class working peacefully together, all was well. One can guess from a distance that he is ignorant of what the education laws say about anything. The competence of the school board also was put in doubt by its failure to pronounce firmly that impunity and defiance were gross acts of indiscipline in schools that were damaging to the proper upbringing of the children.

A competent court had given its ruling, right or wrong, and all that an educated body had to do was to challenge that decision legally in court if it felt dissatisfied. Rather than do what is right, parents allowed their children to don all sorts of dress to school in clear defiance and disregard of the rule stipulating what dress children could wear to school. Not a word of admonition has been heard from CAN about the behaviour of a so-called Christian school and the tele-guided children being used as puns.

The state government on its side has not taken the firm and needed action of suspending the erring children and enforcing what the laid down rules are. While some may see as wisdom the reticence of the state government in not coming down hard on the misbehaviour of the children as condoned by the head teacher and school authorities, others will take further advantage of this matured approach and be emboldened to encourage the children to wear more garish and horrid dresses to school next time they feel like ruffling the feathers of the government and causing mayhem in the state.

In spite of the cautious inaction of the government that, in fact, owns the school, the rumor mill is churning out the propaganda that the state is at it again, wanting to Islamise the schools. Maybe the governor should do the right thing which is to uphold discipline and not bother about political correctness which is to condone irresponsibility and the breeding of impunity in our schools.

Schools in the state should not be allowed to turn into breeding grounds for thugs, brazen law-breakers and future cultists.

Schools are sanctuaries where children are supposed to be cocooned for a few hours every day to enable teachers to expose them to carefully selected experiences calculated to negate some of the undesirable acts that bombard learners daily in the community from which they derive.

By focusing on the politics and the blame-game and failing to analyse and condemn the unacceptable lawlessness of a few children turned clowns, the sanctity of the sanc-

Students of Baptist High School, Iwo, in choir robes. tuaries has been violated and dealt a very grave blow.

Addressing first things first, therefore, the strong presence of miscreants in any of our schools should be a serious matter of great concern to us all, especially at the primary and secondary education levels. Turning the traditional school assembly into a carnival is a desecration of the time-honoured ritual of sober reflections and belonging that all students share at morning assembly.

To look the other way or brush that violation aside is a depiction of both the ignorance and dishonesty of the pontiffs who fiddle while our future is in flames. That is how law-makers learn at school to become law-breakers.

School governance provides clear guidelines for dealing with such ugly situations and any principal that does not know what to do must kiss his job goodbye, at least for sometime so as to get retrained and be better prepared for the thunder next time. Also, the school management board by whatever name that schools are expected to have must be held accountable for failing to act promptly either to quell the rebellion or advise the governmental agency responsible to douse the fire. Instant suspension is the least punishment for this act of insolence, defiance, non-conformity and recklessness.

Governments no doubt have rules if not laws that guide what can be worn to school. Once that is the case, those children who out of mischief or misdirection turn their schools to fun-parks should be dealt with very firmly, according to existing rules. Children like the rest of us have no rights to take the laws into their hands and disrupt the learning days of those that are not radicalised and only go to school to benefit from the costly provisions made for their benefit by their parents and governments. The thugs no doubt have the democratic option of respectful and reasoned presentation of their grievances to the school authorities for consideration. The tragedy here is that there is no grievance to attend to; only the goading of the students to be disorderly and disruptive, in order

The hijab is the subject of dissent in educational institutions around the world and there does not seem to be a definitive end in view.

to negate the good works of the government in making excellent provisions for learning and development.

The climate of a school is very important to learning.

An unsettled school in which the children are very busy planning how to outrage and ridicule the authorities or confront other children of other faith cannot be effective in promoting learning. A teacher merely standing in front of a class to teach is just one of the many things that need to be done for learning to take place. The children being in the proper mental frame to benefit from the teacher’s instruction is another. Being in a confrontational or mischievous frame of mind is not a proper frame of mind for learning.

The hijab is the subject of dissent in educational institutions around the world and there does not seem to be a definitive end in view. It has been banned rightly or wrongly in some school systems including in seemingly Islamic countries like Turkey. The central issue is whether the wearing of the hijab is a cultural Muslim requirement or an Islamic imperative. The correct path in any state or country is that laid down by the courts.

The hijab itself is not a controversial ‘dress’; the clash is between secularity and the limits to which the absolute rights of individuals can be pushed. The hijab is not in my view something prescribed by the Holy Quran just as the wearing of an ornamental cross is merely the product of the thinking of man and not a stipulation of the Holy Bible.Irrespective of what I think, however, what needs to be determined when there is doubt is whether the cross and the hijab, to take only a few, are fundamental to being a true Christian or Moslem respectively or a good student. Whether they are or not, it makes sense to permit those who choose to wear them to do so. It is the fundamental right of every child to be allowed to choose his religion and worship accordingly.

The caveat in favour of the hijab is that it is not another ‘dress’ but a headgear that can be worn in addition to whatever uniform is prescribed, just like a cap can.

These robes and other attires being infused into the debate are dresses that are worn to obscure or replace the prescribed school uniform. These are therefore, two different issues any of which can be instated by the courts if called upon to adjudicate. There was, therefore, no need for the theatrics that followed the court pronouncement on the hijab. Those who claim the right to wear the hijab, mitre or even the turban to school should be challenged in court and whatever the courts say should either be accepted or taken to the highest court in the land for adjudication. A school uniform cannot be replaced by any of the dresses worn by these children since they replace or are not worn to complement the approved dress.

In all these, what schools stand for is the dishing out of good education. Governance should use that as the guiding light in solving day-to-day problems that should not take over the central focus of schooling which is to educate.

•Fagbulu is a public affairs analyst.

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

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

The

South-West Editor Wole Efunnuga 08111813056

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

Obasanjo

Tinubu

Akande

Falae

17 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY:

Which way Yoruba nation?

The campaign used to be that the South-West must be in mainstream politics to derive maximum benefits from democracy. How far has it been for the Yoruba nation since 1999, when Nigeria restored civil rule? KUNLE ODEREMI examines the issue in this report.

T

HERE was a time the issue of employment was taken for granted in Yoruba Land. Virtually all children that had formal education, which was free, had one form of collar job waiting for him without compromising standard. Then, blue-chip companies besieged university campuses and scrambled to offer employment to graduating students, dangling brand new cars and other alluring offers before the leaders of tomorrow of the Yoruba nation Then, traders could display an article of trade in con-

Inside

spicuous places, indicate the unit cost of each item and step out for another means to complement their gains without the fear of theft or being shortchanged by prospective customers. Then, the political leadership in Yoruba land valued the veritable template of honesty, transparency and piety encapsulated in the word omoluabi inherited from the progenitors of the Yoruba nation.

Then, the political leadership in Yoruba land was what a highly cerebral constitution lawyer. Dr Olatuji Abayomi, described as “a bright colour hung on a pole in a public

place.”

Then, it was a stigma for any family who a policeman came to arrest for any offence against regardless of the gravity of the offence. Then, the sight of a soldier in a community evoked a mixed feeling of pride and fear, pride out of respect and honour for the military uniform, as it was considered a privilege for anyone to don the military uniform. Ditto the clerics of the dominant religions in the South-West.

Continues on pg24

As South-West Teaching Hospitals embark on open heart surgeries...

—p28

24 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

S/West: A mainstream player?

Omole

Continues from pg23

First Republic All these virtues exalted the Yoruba nation, as Nigeria prepared for self-governance on October 1, 1960. The political leadership concentrated on building institutions, empowering the vast majority of the population and creating a conducive environment for industrial takeoff. In his account of the synergy among the conscientious political leaders in Yoruba land, a top military then, Major General Olufemi Olutoye, said the leadership “chose a well-knit, highly disciplined and fanatically loyal team,” drive its vision of a prosperous Yoruba race. He said team proved the confidence reposed in them, when given the opportunity to serve as they acquitted themselves creditably. Huge network of infrastructure, establishment of manufacturing industries relying on local contents, massive cash crop cultivation and harvest, free quality education, rural development and provision of potable became a common denominator among the Yoruba.

These feats were achieved only from February 6, 1952 and 1959, when the Action Group formed by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the premier of the defunct Western Region. Thus, challenges of unemployment, unskilled manpower, heinous crimes and other major societal vices were minimal and controllable.

Second Republic The period of military interregnum inflicted a degree of blow to the heroic strides of the modern architect of the Yoruba nation. Those institutions that were products of the political will, visionary leadership and sagacity began to show symptoms of ineptitude, impropriety and neglect until the advent of the Second Republic. The institutions were given fillip by the then Unity of Party of Nigeria (UPN), a scion of the AG. Its five cardinal programmes, which centered on the welfare of the majority in the South-West, rekindled the hope of better days now and tomorrow. The policy of free and qualitative education at all levels afforded all school-age children to enroll in schools with the states in the SouthWest establishing their own universities and other tertiary institutions to absorb the products of those schools in the nearest future. The gains of the foresight of the political leadership of that time are manifest in the vast opportunities those higher students provide for the increasing number

Falae

Amure

of Yoruba sons and daughters with rapacious appetite for university education, coupled with the abundance of skilled manpower that span across many professional disciplines.

these instances, the Yoruba were left alone to sulk over their predicament.

The drafting of Olusegun Obasanjo, who had been sentenced to death over the phantom coup, to assume office as an elected president after the 1999 general election, was seen as a ploy by the Establishment to atone for the political sins committed against the South-West. Through an aggressive propaganda campaign, the Yoruba wanly bought into the project, though with the majority detaching their political loyalty to the popular Alliance for Democracy (AD), which comprised essentially leaders, allies and associates of leaders of the NADECO, the coalition that sustained the June 12 struggle. The relative vote of confidence by the Yoruba for the Obasanjo as president was premised that he could use the opportunity to right the wrongs of the past administrations against the South-west. This included marginalisation in the scheme of things, abysmal neglect of infrastructure in the South-West, lopsided distribution of local governments, unfair sharing formula for Value Added Tax (VAT) and revenue sharing formula. There was also the expectation that his presidency would assist Yoruba land in regaining its past glory as the leading producer of cash crops like cocoa, as well was complement the quest by the South-West to tap into the benefit of rail system towards easing the current hardship in the transport sector in the South-West. With the vagaries inherent in the oil industry and threatening the revenue of the country from oil export, it was believed that Obasanjo would facilitate the process that would enable states in the South-West to explore the huge mineral resources and maritime sector in the zone.

While all these issues still begged for attention at the time he left office in 2007, his loyalists said Obasanjo and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) succeeded in taking the Yoruba to the next level. One of those leaders that belong to that school of thought is Senator Olayink Omilani, a former PDP national vice chairman for South-West. He had declared: “We are proud to say that our governments in the PDP south-west zone have been leading lights in the larger PDP family and have been national examples on how best to serve the citizens…Our governors have been very creative and innovative in implementing our party manifesto and programmes. They have made the difference to be

Fourth Republic The abracadabra of the military oligarchy caused the premature death (collapse) of the Third Republic. But suffice to say events that characterised the militocracy (diarchy) of the third Republic marked a watershed in the annals of the country. It is controvertible that the Yoruba nation made enormous sacrifices in the struggle that led to the restoration of civilian administration in Nigeria on May 29, 1999.

Eminent sons and daughters from the South-West laid down their lives in the cause of championing the demand for the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, won by the late Chief Moshood Abiola. At the time Yoruba land was turned into a theatre of war by the military establishment behind the annulment and in power, assassinating, maiming, incarcerating and forcing many Yoruba leaders into exile in the United States and Europe, just as another set became victims of a phantom coup plot. Most industrial concerns owned by Yoruba became objects of violent armed attack and liquidation by the establishment. All

While all these issues still begged for attention at the time he left office in 2007, his loyalists said Obasanjo and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) succeeded in taking the Yoruba to the next level.

Continues on pg25

25 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

‘S/W leaders need political will to engender integration’ Continues from pg24

crystal clear to our people and never again will our people allow name-droppers to deceive them.”

“Under the PDP government in the South-West, some of the legacies for which the Yoruba were known were not only sustained but were superbly surpassed by our governors.

Programmes on education and health that endeared our people to the late sage, Pa Obafemi Awolowo have been better implemented under the PDP governments in our zone, than their predecessors. Those who thought they had the sole copyright to those programmes now know that the people know the game is up. Never again would they use such political gimmicks and name-dropping to win cheap votes.”

In the past 17 years or so, one issue that has dominated the political space is about constituency projects. Of recent, stomach infrastructure has found its way into the lexicon of the Nigerian political class. But none enjoys much controversy than the constituency projects, which come in several weird ways and manner. Commercial motorcycles and grounding machines, distribution of grains in very small quantities top the items that are offered to constituents as democratic gains from politicians after securing the mandate of the people to serve for four years with sacrilegious pecks of office and salaries.

In most cases, the events where those items are distributed are not just celebrated but orchestrated as the greatest thing that has ever happened to the beneficiaries. But there are a few exception, as highlighted by a former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin in his record of stewardship while in the Senate, He said: “I thank God for the opportunity to serve and for the little additions to my constituency and as a welfarist politician which I have continued to do where the opportunity present itself….It is not also in my nature to celebrate what should be my duty to my constituent as some do by rolling out drums even to dedicate a borehole.”

In the opinion of an observer, most elected public officials from the zone since 1999 have not done appreciably in consolidating the foundation laid by the past leaders of the South-West in terms of physical structures that have continued to generate much internal revenues and constitute a source of pride to the Yoruba nation. Critical sectors like education, civil service and local government administration are riddled with challenges, including unpaid workers’ salaries and pensions. Rather than enriching the commonwealth inherited from the past, most of the leaders have been preoccupied with establishing personal business empires and living a life of profligacy almost in disdain the counsel of a former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, who once said: “The glory of a politician is not in the offices or positions he held but always in history’s recognition of the path he strode.” The import of his message was not too long ago, accentuated by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who once stated that the legacies of the past heroes and heroines of the race should be the guiding principle for the political leadership in the South-West. Coupled with this what she said was the fact that “The fate of coming generations of Nigerians depends upon how firmly we stand today.” noteing that, “ Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a foremost federalist, united the Western Region and was responsible for many of the progressive social legislations that made Nigeria a modern nation.”

Value Added Tax (VAT) generation table. SOURCE: VISION 20:2020 MAGAZINE

Election is just one stage of a democratic process. Monitoring by way of trying to bring elected public officers to give account of their stewardship is another stage of the process.

Governor Ambode, Lagos

Lethargy of the citizens Election is just one stage of a democratic process. Mon- Governor Ajimobi, Oyo itoring by way of trying to bring elected public officers to give account of their stewardship is another stage of the process. While the constitution provides for recall of erring lawmaker, or removal of governor or local government chairman, the lethargy on the part of the citizens fosters impunity among those in power, and ultimately bad governance. All these have called to question the cost and benefits of the South-West becoming a major player in mainstream politics in Nigeria. From 1999 to date, AD, AC, ACN, APC, Labour Party and PDP have had a stint in power in different states in the region, with the gladiators changing platforms sometimes to remain politically relevant.

Way forward There was once the Oodua development Council that was inaugurated in 2002 by the late leader of Afenifere, Chief Abraham Adesanya, as well as the Yoruba Assembly under

Governor Mimiko, Ondo

Governor Amosun, Ogun

Governor Aregbesola, Osun

Governor Fayose, Ekiti

the leadership of Lt. General Alani Akinrinade, which was launched in Ibadan a couple of years ago for the purpose of making sure that the South-West get its due as a vital integral part of the Nigerian federation under democracy.

Other groups like the South West Professionals Forum (SOWPROF) was established in 1999 and which comprises Yoruba professionals in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, propagating the need to initiate a social security system for the millions of people in the South West to take care of the needs of the aged, children and the unemployed. The president of the body, Mr Segun Akinjubulu said: “We need a system that will take care of those without the economic means to survive. .No state can do it alone. All the willing South-West states need to work together. This is the best way to minimise violence and tame the tide of instability in the South West region for the overall peace and well-being of Nigerians.”

The founder of a pan-Yoruba organisation, Atayese, Chief Tokunboh Ajasin, also believes there is the need for the political will among the leaders in the South-West to engender integration, given the not too impressive gains of the zone since 1999. “That (integration) has always been what we wanted. We have set up the dawn, but governors are slow about it; we want a more active system. It is obvious that we are still sitting on the goldmine. We must deploy our comparative advantage to reposition the South-West.

We should maximise the vast opportunity that exist on the coastal areas of Yoruba land,” he said.

With a population of more than 60 million, the Yoruba land is believed to surpass the combined human population of seven major countries in ECOWAS countries. Such countries include Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Gabon, Gambia, Liberia and Togo. Coupled with the huge human endowment are natural resources spread across the six-Yorubaspeaking states, with each immensely endowed in agriculture and solid minerals.

26 thesouth-west

Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

LG poll: Suspense over new LASIEC chairman

By Bola Badmus

A

whiff of suspense is prevalent in the political circle in Lagos State as the new leadership of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) is yet to assume office more than a month after it was constituted.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had replaced Justice A.F Adeyinka (retd) with Justice Ayotunde Philips (retd), fueling speculation that the government was set to fast track the process for local government elections in the state. Philips is the immediate past Chief Judge of the state.

The House had earlier confirmed Governor Ambode’s nominees for appointment as members of the Board of LASIEC. They include Dr Bunmi Omosehinde; Mr Lateef Raji; Mrs Toyin Ibrahim-Famakinwa and Mr Olusegun Ayedun The development had triggered horse trading in the leading political parties in the state, including the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), with some aspirants for local government chairmanship and councillorship reaching out to power brokers at different levels.

Apart from the appointment of the new LAISEC chairman, the decision of the governor to dissolve the hitherto council leadership and replaced them with new set of officials had elicited excitement among prospective contestants in the local council polls.

It was learnt that the dissolution was party necessitated by the need to create a level-playing field for contestant, including some of the erstwhile officials who were said to be interested in contesting.

“The chairman has not been sworn in and without the leadership, nobody can tell you when the election will hold,” a source said.

He said it was the prerogative of the governor to determine when the new chairman would be sworn in order for her to officially resume duty.

When contacted on the issue, the image maker for LASIEC, Mr Olatunde Oladapo, did not reply to a text message sent to his cell phone; neither did he pick calls made to him thereafter.

The Lagos State chapter of PDP had urged Governor Ambode to allow the LASIEC announce the date for the local government election in the state the very week the governor was celebrating his recent birthday to “serve as his birthday cake to Lagosians.”

The party made the call in a statement by its publicity secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, even as it described as commendable his choice to use the celebration to raise funds for cancer treatment in the state.

The PDP, while acknowledging that Governor Ambode came to office in a well-contested election, claimed: “More disturbing to us is that the governor’s lowest point at this time is his neglect to conduct elections into the local government councils. This is long overdue.

“He should allow LASIEC to announce the election date this week to serve as his birthday cake to Lago-

sians.”

Also, Otunba Segun Adewale, who is the factional chairman of PDP in the state, while calling on Governor Ambode to announce a date for local government election, threatened a legal action if the governor failed to do so.

But speaking with newsmen, the Chief Whip, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Rotimi Abiru, dismissed insinuations that APC was scared to hold local government poll in the state because of possible defeat.

His words: “I wonder where this speculation is coming from because I don’t think we have any vi-

able opposition in Nigeria, especially in Lagos State.

Although, we have eight PDP members in the state House of Assembly now as against what obtained in the last Assembly, it is not enough to conclude that we will lose some local governments if election is conducted today.

“As a matter of fact, the wise ones among them should use the opportunity of the crisis rocking their party to defect to APC now and I want to believe that some of them should be considering that now,” he said.

Deputy Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Muy-

iwa Jimoh, who also spoke on the issue, said the caretaker committees were asked by the House to take over from the former executive secretaries in the 20 Local Governments (LGs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state because the latter were appointed for a very brief period and they had exceeded the period.

“The second is that some of them are aspiring to become substantive council chairmen-elect. So, the House, in its wisdom, asked the governor to relieve them and let them go and face their campaign and leave the field of governance for those who are not inter-

—Urges self reliance

the list to avert dire consequences on the entire party’s structure and general peace in the party.

The group urged the APC national secretariat not to entertain any fresh adjustment in the delegates’ list.

“Since the Congress Committee did not allow inconclusive positions to take place in the election that elected the state chairman and the Appeal Committee cleverly never annulled successfully concluded congresses, the APC National

Headquarters should not allow anybody to tamper with the list submitted to it by the Congress Committee,” the group stated.

But, the APC state chairman, Honourable Isaac Kekemeke, said there was no iota of truth in the allegation.

He restated that nothing would be done to undermine the constitution of the APC. He stated: “The list of the delegates shall be as produced by the Congress Committee and amended by the

Congress Appeal Committee of the National executive Committee.

“Apart from the fact that these, by my training and pedigree such insinuations are impossible acts, such would amount to breaches of the constitution of our party.”

Kekemeke reassured all the contestants that the party would provide a level-playing field by conducting a free, fair and credible governorship primary election.

Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

is on the last lap of his two terms of four years each.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that Jegede has decided to resign in earnest to enable him prepare for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election coming up any time from August.

Our correspondent gathered that he planned to immediately embark on intensive mobilization to drum support for his ambition

across the three Senatorial district of the state.

Though, Jegede who hails from Akure, in the Ondo Central senatorial district with the incumbent governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has kept many guessing about his intention to contest for the governorship seat, various pressure groups in the state have led subtle campaigns to back him once he throws his hat in the ring.

Some of the groups premised their support for him on the ground that Akure has never produced the number one citizen of the state since the creation of the state in 1976.

Jegede, who has been part of Mimiko’s administration since 2009, became the Commissioner for Justice and the state Attorney General more than seven years ago.

Ondo guber primaries: Anxiety in APC over

delegates’ list

ANXIETY has gripped some major stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State over the party’s governorship primaries coming up in August this year.

The development followed the allegation by a section of the party that the APC leadership plans to manipulate the delegates register for the primary election.

No fewer than 40 aspirants have indicated interest in the ticket of the party for the governorship poll slated for November.

A group within the opposition party in the state, Sunshine Crusaders, led

by Honourable Bola Ilori, made the allegation, claiming that the APC leadership had concluded arrangements to tinker with the list to favour a particular aspirant.

In a communique after a meeting held in Ondo town, the group cautioned against any attempt to tamper with

Adeleke empowers constituents SENATOR Isiaka Adeleke, representing Osun West Senatorial District, has urged members of the district to be self-reliant and embrace entrepreneurship in order to make living easier for them, particularly at this time, when the nation’s economy is nose-diving.

Senator Adeleke, in a release by his media adviser, Olumide Lawal, stated this in the course of an empowerment programme for his district, which took place at his Ede Country Home on Sunday.

The Senator vowed to continue to identify with the yearnings and aspiration of the down-trodden people, who feels more, the pinch of the harsh-economic downturn in the country.

He appealed to APC members in the district in particular and Osun State in general, to guard their loins and make the party prosper in leaps and bounds, as by so doing, APC will continue to record landslide victory in future elections.

Senator Isiaka Adeleke called on politicians to avoid divide and rule postures in their wards, as the opposition party may want to infiltrate their rank and file, adding that efforts are on to upgrade the Comprehensive Health Centre at Awo, which he facilitated during his first senate tenure (2007 to 2011) to a full-fledged hospital and also improve on the conditions of roads within Osun West Senatorial District, through Zonal intervention funds available to the district.

Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and Ekiti State governor, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose at the 21st convocation ceremony of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, on Saturday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Hakeem Gbadamosi

ested in running for elective positions so that there can be concentration on administration and governance in the local government,” the lawmaker stated.

He also buttressed that the House had given approval to budget required by the LASIEC to hold a successful poll before the end of the year.

Ondo AG to resign for guber race THERE are indications that the Ondo State Commissioner for Justice and the State Attorney General, Honourable Eyitayo Jegede may resign from office any moment from now to join the governorship race.

The governorship election in the state is slated for November this year as incumbent Governor Olusegun Mimiko

27 thesouth-west

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

Ondo gov: Mimiko has no anointed candidate —Commissioner

By Abiodun Awolaja

A

GAINST the backdrop of speculations in the political circles that the Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, is intent on handpicking a successor ahead of the governorship election in the state, the Ondo State Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Special Duties, Honourable Femi Adekanmbi, has stated that the race is open to all aspirants on the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) platform in the state.

Speaking in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune at the weekend, Adekanmbi stated that the governor had mandated all the aspirants to go to the nooks and crannies of the state and sell themselves and their programmes to the people, and that he (Mimiko) would not impose any aspirant on the party’s delegates.

Adekanmbi, while predicting that the forthcoming governorship primary in the Ondo PDP would be crisis-free, noted that all other aspirants will join hands together with candidate that emerges and work towards the success of the party in the elections.

He added: “I am saying this based on the fact that, when you look at our aspirants, they are not up to 15, but in the other party, they are like “Dugbe” market.

“There are about 52 and that is exactly what happened to them in the last election, they have not only repeated what happened to them in the last election, they have almost doubled the number of the candidates compared to then.

“But in our party, all of them understand one another, they are like a family, they are people that relate together everyday, and the point I want you to know is that they will come together at the end of the primary election and work as a team for the good of the party.”

The commissioner added that the state government was making strenuous efforts to ensure a free and fair governorship election in

the state, adding that Governor Mimiko had impressed on all stakeholders, the need to sustain his clean political record.

“The election in Ondo State is going to be free and fair. Recently, our amiable governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, held a stakehold-

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osun State chapter has begun moves to reconcile aggrieved members over the last state congress held to elect a new set of leaders to pilot the affairs of the party.

Sources in Osun PDP said some leaders have made peace overtures to the disenchanted members to sheathe their sword in the overall interest of the PDP. The build-up to the con-

other means is gone, and that he did not win his own elections with violence or by rigging, he won it hands down.

“He said he wanted to maintain that standard, so, I can assure you that the election will be very free and fair,” he said.?

LG election: Aspirants, caretaker boss set for APC party nomination

By Tunde Ogunesan

Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola acknowledging cheers from his teeming supporters in Osogbo, at the weekend.

PDP, APC trade accusations over Ekiti anti-corruption rally Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti THE governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) have traded accusations over the real people behind the recent anti-corruption rally held in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

During the rally, accusations of corruption and insensitivity to workers were piled on both the person and government of Governor Ayodele Fayose and the organisers of the rally also alleged that he received money from the alleged $2.1 billion arms cash for which retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki is being detained.

At the rally, the speakers who described themselves as also alleged that the governor had refused to pay workers while he allegedly

kept N4billion in his various private bank accounts.

At the rally, organised

by Be the Change Organisation (BCO) headed by Mrs. Omotunde Fajuyi, Mr. Adeoye Aribasoye also spoke and described themselves as “civil society groups and concerned Ekiti citizens.”

But the PDP in reaction to the rally had described the organisers as “APC chieftains and cronies” and accused them of “hiding under the veil of NGOs and civil society organisations as they normally immorally do to cause confusion in the state and peddle lies.”

Publicity secretary of PDP in the state, Mr. Jackson Adebayo, had lambasted the Mrs Fajuyi and Mr. Aribasoye, describing them as “birds of a feather because they were both caretaker committee chair-

men in two of the illicit local government areas their leader, ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi, created to cause crisi in the state after he was defeated in an election and he was bound to vacate office.”

Adebayo said: “Ekiti people and discerning Nigerians have seen and come to know that APC is full of deceitful people. They would cause trouble and blame it on others. They would gather themselves, pose for photos and claim that there was a ‘mass rally’ by the people.

“The people, especially Ekiti workers they claim to have bee fighting for and defending know who really cause trouble in the state and they also know what the debt burden hanging on the neck of the state has caused its economy just after four years of the APC administration in the state.

able Soji Adagunodo had emerged as the new state chairman of the PDP, in a congress supervised by the party’s committee, headed

by Justice Emmanuel Dodo (rtd) and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Osogbo Township Stadium.

Confirming the reconciliatory moves to our correspondent, the state secretary of the PDP, Prince Bola Ajao said: “reconciliation is the appropriate

thing to do after any intra party contest. After the conduct of any election particularly within a political party, reconciliation is the next thing.

“I can tell you categorically that reconciliation within the PDP in Osun is on full course. We are doing all the needful. We are all loyal and faithful members of the party and we are happy that the reconciliatory moves are already yielding positive results,” Ajao stated.

Osun PDP moves to reconcile aggrieved members Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

ers’ meeting with all of us in our party, and stated emphatically that the elections must be peaceful, that the era of winning election by

gress had caused a sharp division among the party members, culminating in the factionalisation of the PDP in the state.

One of the chairmanship aspirants, Dr Bayo Faforiji, who was supported by Senator Iyiola Omisore, had alleged disenfranchisement because the former state chairman failed to make available forms for delegates sympathetic to his cause, after making necessary payment.

However, Honour-

“The fact that Ekiti workers suspended their strike even in the face of all the incitement and confusion by the APC speaks volumes but you would hardly hear that in their various media or read them from their goons. But the Lord is on the throne.”

The spokesperson of APC in the state, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun denied that his party was behind the rally, saying Governor Ayodele Fayose will soon hear from the party in reaction “to the fraud charge by the EFCC of how arms cash was fraudulently diverted to illegally fund his election.”

Reacting to Fayose’s allegation that the party funded the protest rally against him Olatunbosun, said “the governor was confused on how to react to a clearly criminal expose by the anti-graft agency on how he fraudulently diverted arms cash to win his election.”

He said the governor should be counselled “to stop being paranoid about the fate that awaits him having “intentionally and fraudulently” engaged himself in criminal acts that have no place under the current President Muhammadiu Buhari’s administration.”

He denied the party’s involvement in the civil society groups’ rally, assuring the governor that very soon, the party will react through street actions to draw the world’s attention that the governor allegedly represented evil in Ekiti State.

FEELERS across the 33 Local Government Council Areas in Oyo State indicate that the current caretaker chairmen are set to battle some party members who are also showing interest in the local government election scheduled for September 2016.

Nigerian Tribune authoritatively gathered that some members of the party are already meeting with party leaders and political office holders to help in their course.

While this lasted, the caretaker chairmen are also? not leaving any stone unturned to have the ticket of the party.

Such of their moves is by putting pressure on the party hierarchy to give them wild card by declaring them the candidate of the party.

Meanwhile, in some local governments, it was also gathered that some local government chapters have been factionalised because new entrants into the party have been able to walk their ways into the leadership of the party, citing various complaints of some members of the party against some caretaker chairmen.

A source who pleaded anonymity confided in Nigerian Tribune that “some of the caretaker chairmen ? believed that the ticket is automatic to them. No, that might not work this time round. In the case of our chairman, he believes the ticket has been signed and sealed for him.

“Our chairman grew wings when he was made the caretaker chairmen and started pleasing few individuals. By now, he is not aware that we now have other two aspirants who have been moving round the party to contest the ticket with him. These people are bonafide members of the party, so they have equal opportunity to test their popularity during the primary.?”

28 thesouth-west

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T was an emotional period for some families recently when the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH),restored the hope by successfully carrying out open heart surgeries on them, not minding the harsh economic realities of this period. For these families, the care they got at LUTH was beyond what they expected in NIgeria.

The story of each family and patient is quite different but all had the same trait of a long tortuous journey. Lawas Owoso, a primary five pupil who was diagnosed of having a heart defect in 2013, was busy playing a game on the cell phone a week after he had an open heart surgery. The three years journey before succour came at LUTH was not an easy one as his mother was told then that she had to raise N3milion for the surgery to be carried out in India.

Before this period, the family had known that something was wrong with Lawas medically at birth as he was said to have a very fast heart beat, which doctors at the Ikeja General Hospital had assured that he would outgrow.

“Although, everything was normal with his growth, my sister’s family doctor was the first to suspect he had issues with his heart at age eight,” recounted Falilatu, Lawas’mother.

And when they got to LUTH, the reality that Lawas had a heart problem sounded vague and unreal until he went for ECHO which found a large hole in his heart and explained his fast breathing rate.

For Mrs Mayowa Oluwafemi, the crisis started early as she started suspecting that something was wrong with Mobifoluwa, her 10-month-old baby girl when, despite feeding and care, she failed to grow like a normal child.

“At 14 weeks of age, she weighed 3.5 kilogrammes, so we suspected that something was wrong with her. But we did not think it could be her heart. Even after HIV was ruled out as the cause of Mobifoluwa’s poor growth and I had taken pieces of advice and tips from nutritionists because she was malnourished, the situation did not improve.

“It was a doctor at the General Hospital, Ifako Ijaye that called my attention to a murmuring in her heart when she was six months old and by then, she was weighing 3.7 kilogrammes. I was always afraid when I had to take her for immunisation because the nurses used to scold me that I was not taking good care of her.”

Although Mobifoluwa was diagnosed with having congenital heart problem in February, 2016, she was so small that she was first admitted for 10 days at LUTH to fatten her up before the corrective surgery on her defective heart could be done. Her weight picked from 3.9 kilogrammes to 4.35 kilogrammes within 10 days.

Another cases is that of Olawatomisin William, a threeyear-old girl whose diagnosis was not early like that of others. Her problem started as a cough and later fast breathing which was diagnosed initially as pneumonia when she was three months of age. The cough and fast breathing which initially subsided, was confirmed at FMC, Ebute Meta by an ECHO scan to be heart related.

The mother, Mrs Olwakemi Williams, a mother of three, was adamant that nobody in her family or that of her husband had any heart related problem. “Doctors at the hospital said she had a hole in her heart which may resolve on its own or require surgical operation later on. Overtime, she was placed on drugs and later referred to LUTH for operation,” she said.

Like other parents at LUTH that benefited from its second open heart surgery which gave succour to seven Nigerians with heart defects, one thing was obvious, it was a big relief to have healthy children that can achieve their full potentials in life especially without the huge expense of travelling beyond their immediate environment to get cure.

For doctors at LUTH, it was a big relief that they don’t have to refer patients to India like before but now carry out operations in Lagos while people come from other regions in NIgeria to the South-west to get treatment for heart diseases. This, to them, is a big deal as congenital heart defect is the most common major birth defect which can kill a baby even at birth. The condition that is usually called hole in the heart affects between eight and 10 babies of every 100,000 live births. And with Nigeria’s huge population of 170 million, this is a very huge burden.

Dr Ekaneme Ekure, a consultant paediatrician and member of the LUTH cardiology team said the interplay of genetic and environmental factors as well as diseases like rubella and diabetes bring about the heart problem in children.

“About half of children with Down syndrome will have a hole in the heart. Alcohol during pregnancy contributes to this problem. Similarly, mothers who smoke or take illicit drugs are exposing their babies to developing holes in their heart,” she said.

According to Professor Christy Okoroma, Head of LUTH’s Paediatric cardiology Unit, unfortunately, more babies born to younger mothers now have congenital birth defects such as hole in the heart, though some of these defects could have been prevented.

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

As South-West Teaching Hospitals embark on open heart surgeries...

Until very recently, patients with heart problems could not get any form of relief in hospitals in Nigeria, as there was dearth of needed equipment and manpower. The situation now appears to be a thing of the past as Teaching Hospitals in the South-West, especially Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and the University College Hospital (UCH), now successfully carry out open heart surgeries. SADE OGUNTOLA writes.

The team of experts during one of the open heartsurgeries.

“Place of prevention starts with knowing about the things that predispose unborn babies to congenital heart problems. But the most important part of preventing congenital heart problem and other birth defects is to make sure pregnancies are planned. It is not that when you plan a pregnancy, you do not have the problem, but at least, it reduces the chances of having the problems.

“Nowadays, people get pregnant without knowing that they are pregnant. The heart is formed between three and eight weeks following conception, even before the woman knows that she is pregnant. Even some antibiotics and

Mobifoluwa with her mum after surgery.

Oluwatomisin with her mum, Mrs Oluwakemi Williams.

Mrs Dayo Owolabi with her two and a half years old after surgery.

pain relievers can cause congenital heart problem.”

“Obese mothers, for instance, are more likely to deliver children who are big. If a baby is abnormally big, say weighing 4kg and above, the child is at risk of having congenital heart problem.”

LUTH’s Cardiac Project, which was established in 2014, had carried out three open heart surgeries thus far had recorded 100 per cent success rate in all its open heart surgeries, its unit head, Professor Jane Ajuluchukwu had said, adding that the surgeries were done in collaboration with the hospitals’ international collaborators.

“We did seven open heart surgical cases in three days and by the third day of operation, had discharged four patients to go home,” Professor Ajuluchukwu said.

Dr Olugbenga Olusoji, the coordinator of the programme said efforts like the LUTH’s Cardiac Project would help to put a stop to medical tourism, help Nigeria to acquire required machinery and expertise for cardiac surgery services and ensure before long that LUTH becomes a cardiac surgery referral centre that will bring glory to the SouthWest.

While speaking on the development, LUTH’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Chris Bode assured that in the next one year, open heart surgery would be a routine exercise in the hospital as the hospital’s goal was to have done 100 open heart surgeries. Professor Bode urged that the team spirit exhibited by LUTH’s Cardiac Project should be emulated by all health workers especially in the South-West to move the health sector forward, “When we had the open heart surgery fiesta, the hospital was on strike but they did not go on strike, the cost of the surgeries was heavily subsidised as the money we used to treat the seven patients will not sponsor two patients abroad for open heart surgery.

“Moreover, for us, it is not about profit making but to help Nigerians and build our capacity. Of course, the more of it that is done, the cheaper it will get. Having the surgery here is also more convenient and unlike hospitals abroad, will not throw our patients out in case there is complication. Let us believe in ourselves; good things are happening in LUTH, good things are happening in the South-West and Nigeria, home is still the best.”

He added “We are happy that Nigeria is beginning to rebuild this capacity.The capacity was not lost in a day and so it would not be built in a day. It will be gradual. It is heart warming, for instance, that they are now doing open heart surgery in many tertiary hospitals in Ilorin, Ibadan and at even Babcook University.

There is no need for anyone to travel to foreign countries for open heart surgeries and such malaise as what they seek in India can be found in the South-Western part of Nigeria.’’

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Nigerian Tribune

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

Child labour: ILO charges FG to strengthen implementation of National Action Plan Nigerian child not shielded from menace —Ngige

Leadership of NULGE, led by the president during their visit to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo

THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) has charged Nigerian Government to strengthen the implementation of the National Plan of Action Against Child Labour and called on the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) to support the government in elimination child labour as their global counterparts.

The ILO gave this position as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, painted a gloomy picture of child labour in the country, saying that “realistically, children in Nigeria have not been effectively shielded from this menace.”

LG autonomy: Why we took case to Obasanjo — NULGE President

Schedules meetings with Gowon, IBB, Atiku, Ekwueme, Tinubu Stories by Soji-Eze Fagbemi

T

HE President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ibrahim Khaleel has explained why the union took their case and battle for local government autonomy to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The NULGE president has also revealed that the union would also visit the former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, former military President Ibrahim Babangida, the former Vice Presidents, Alex Ekwueme and Atiku Abubakar, as well as the All Progressive Congress (APC) leader, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to seek their support on local government autonomy.

Khaleel pointed out that NULGE had decided to take the case to Chief Obasanjo first because of his sincerity and vision for local government in Nigeria, being the only man as a military head of state and also a democratically elected president, who reformed the local government in 1976 and also instituted a high level technical committee on the review of local government in Nigeria.

Besides, Khaleel said the former president’s view on political issues is well respected in the country, even as the union wanted to explore and take to advantage his closeness to President Muhammadu Buhari and the current government to achieve their dream for the local government autonomy.

The NULGE president said: “We decided to visit former President Obasanjo because of his vision as an elder statesman and as a former military Head of State and eight years democratic elected president

in Nigeria. You remember that the 1976 Local Government Reform was done under him as a military Head of State and that was the first time the local government in Nigeria was recognised as a full tier of government; with defined responsibilities, functions and structure.

“When he was a civilian president, he appointed a high power technical committee under the chairmanship of the late Etsu-Nupe which went round all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, and they held an articulate and transparent interaction with all stakeholders in local governments.

They came up with some beautiful and articulate positions which reflected the opinions and views of Nigerian people regarding the kind of local government system they want.”

Khaleel added: “Because of these reasons, we decided that he should be consulted at this critical time when the local governments are sinking and suffering from huge encroachment from the state governments to the extent that local government is no longer under democratically elected representatives of the people. The local government system is now completely disconnected from the people.

“Our visit also avail us the opportunity to share from his vision of the kind of local government system they designed for the country, particularly in 1976 when they had the local government reform and the subsequent reforms especially in the reports of late Etsu-Nupe technical committee. We believe equally that he is one of the critical elder statesmen in Nigerian politics, whom a lot of Nigerians respect his views and opinions on nation building.

“Another reason is that we believe he is close to President Buhari and the present government.

We, therefore, also look at his closeness with the current government. Apart from Chief Obasanjo, we have intention of meeting people of his calibre and even beyond.

Those we are scheduled to meet on the issue of local government include: Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, Atiku Abubakar, Alex Ekueme and Chief Bola Tinubu.”

The leadership of NULGE, headed by Khaleel, had visited the

former president at his Hilltop residence, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to seek his support on their battle to achieve local government autonomy.

Obasanjo agreed with the union that some state governors had rendered local governments impotent, and described such governors as “usurpers and hijackers.”

According to the former president, the vision and mission of creating the third-tier of government had been encroached upon by the state governments.

The ILO Director, Denis Zulu and the labour minister spoke at a ceremony to mark the 2016 World Day Against Child Labour, with a theme: “End Child Labour in Supply Chains: It is everyone’s business,” in Abuja.

In his speech, the ILO director said the implementation of the National Plan of Action Against Child Labour must be strengthened to ensure eradication of child labour and the protection of vulnerable children in Nigeria.

He called for a renewed commitment and unity of efforts from all actors in the supply chains which includes the government, workers’ and employers’ organisations, international organisations, enterprise and civil society and youth organisations.

Specifically, Zulu charged NECA to assist government in this fight, saying, “while recognising the efforts of the partners, let me at this juncture call on our partners, especially the employers association to be supportive of the Nigerian Government in eliminating child labour as their global counterparts.”

The ILO director, who was represented by Agatha Kolawole, acknowledged the efforts of Nigerian Government, and pointed out that there are encouraging signs of a will to act and to prevent child labour.

He said the Nigerian Government is responding to the fight against child labour through the implementation of the child labour policy and its plan of action.

NDE’s new employment creation schemes take off July IN line with its statutory mandate for mass employment creation through skills acquisition, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) is set to take off with some new employment creation schemes.

The Acting Director of NDE, Kunle Obayan said while unveiling the new schemes that the directorate has concluded all arrangements for the take off of several new employment creation schemes.

Four different schemes has been has been concluded to take off, and these include School-ToWork Scheme; NDE Agricultural Park; Anchor Borrowers Programme and Rural Employment Management Information System.

According to Obayan, the School-To-Work Scheme will be pilot tested in six states from each of the six geo-political zones of the country. The states include Anambra, Ondo, Kogi, Cross River, Katsina and Bauchi.

The new scheme is targeted at secondary school students in JSS

3 and SS2 in the first instance and the training will be carried out during the forthcoming long vacation period.

The School-To-Work initiative is aimed at meaningfully engaging the students while on long vacation with a view to ensuring that they stay away from anti social conducts due to idleness.

Obayan said the scheme is envisaged to establish the culture of skills acquisition among the young in Nigeria under the regular school system and environment thereby incorporating skills acquisition into the national educational system.

Besides, it is to equip participants with right training in the skills set of their choice; and to harness the latent talents in the participants.

It is also to enable participants acquire income generating capacity and to earn income while still living with their parents; while it is targeted at preparing them well ahead of time for the world of work.

The NDE acting director gen-

eral explained that a centralized venue (a secondary school or NDE Skills centre) in the capital of each of the benefitting states will be used for the training where theoretical and practical classes will be delivered to the trainees.

“Proficient and well-established master trainers as well as instructors from some NDE established skills centers will be engaged for the period of two months the training exercise is expected to last.

“The skills set must be demand driven, environment specific, marketable as well as having immediate and future income generating potentials towards self employment,” he said.

A total of 150 students shall be trained per state making a total of 900 students nationwide drawn from the six states under the pilot phase of the scheme.

He pointed out that the students will be motivated through the payment of stipends throughout the two months duration of the training.

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Nigerian Tribune

MyPCsofts Vfx 3D animation with Bode Adewumi m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

Glo leads in data ‘war’ with overload tariff structure

From right: Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Mamman Tsafe; Glo Business Director Northwest, Kazeem Kaka, presenting a cheque of N500,000 to Corporal Abiodun Mudashiru, a winner in the Police Cooperative Close user Group (CUG) Promo by Globacom. With them is the newly-decorated Police AIG, DorothyDongna’an,duringthepresentationceremonyheldattheInspectorGeneral’sconferenceroom,ForceHeadquarters,Abuja,recently.

By Bode Adewumi

I

N 2003, telecoms firm, Globacom came into the market with the mantra of innovation. It positioned itself as the most innovative telecoms company in the market. The company had enough grounds to lay claim to that positioning as it came into the market with a 2.5G, GPRS network, while others were running on the legacy 2G infrastructure.

With this, Globacom could provide value added services like M-banking, text2email, Magic Plus, Multimedia Messaging Service, vehicle tracking among other avant-garde and revolutionary services that others could not of-

fer. Instantly, it imbued Nigerians with a sense of immense pride. A home-grown company had risen to liberate its people.

The emergence of Globacom tickled and added fun to subscribers’ daily network experience.

The launch of the Blackberry in 2006 was a game-changing move that gave the network a golden gilt edge.

The network continued to blaze the trail and went on to launch the 3G network. The other networks eventually followed suit as they also launched both the Blackberry and 3G services. The era of 3G communication saw the explosion of data-based telecommunication and mobile internet services.

FG to commercialise ICT for youth empowerment —Minister THE intention of the Federal Government to engage millions of Nigerian youths in gainful employment is on course, the Minister of Communication, Mr Adebayo Shittu has said.

Shittu made this disclosure last week at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, during the youth empowerment programme, where over 100 Nigerian Computer graduates were trained to be web designers and employers of labour by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

He said that work is at advanced stage towards establishing innovation hubs across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to incubate, mentor and commercialise Information and Communications Technology (ICT) related ideas and innovations and Ibadan is one of such centres.

Part of such moves, he said, informed why NITDA has embarked on the training of unemployed graduates in the country, to equip them with skills needed to provide web design services to clients on a continuous basis.

The training, which is aimed at developing youth and helping them realise their full potentials

in ICT and be self reliant, was formally launched at the University of Ibadan IT resource center yesterday.

Shittu, who was represented by the Acting Director General of NITDA, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said: “Recent statistics from the NBS shows that 19.7 per cent of the labour force and 71 per cent of students who graduate from tertiary institutions do not find work. This may virtually be the cause of the various vices we experience among the youth and it is in the light of this that the federal government in a bid to address the challenge is approaching the employment generation issues headlong.

“Nigeria faces a number of challenges that can be tackled with innovative, well educated, patriotic and optimistic citizens who have the courage and inquisitivesness to think in new ways. With youth comes energy, innovation and optimism if given the opportunity; unfortunately, the youth in the country encounter a lot of hardship in the society.

“Empowerment programmes such as this would allow the youths to exercise their inquisitivesness and bring innovation to bear on solutions to man’s challenges.”

Nigeria had entered the league of online nations where business and social communication was done virtually on-the-go.

However, one barrier existed between the subscriber and this modern and vast resource, cost.

While the bandwidth was available, customers often could not afford the cost of many services over the World Wide Web. Audio streaming, not to mention video streaming or heavy data usage for most internet data users was out of the question.

Not many data customers could afford to buy up to 1 Gigabyte of data bundle. Many depended on small plans that gave 100 or 200 Megabyte and at most 500 megabytes.

Then Globacom stepped in with Glo-1 in 2010. The infrastructure addressed the inadequacy of SAT3 that could not guarantee the required speed and capacity for the

emerging bandwidth demands of Africa. The landing of Glo1 translated into much faster and more robust connectivity for voice, data and video. This development and the launch of other submarine cables like Main One made bandwidth available and facilitated a drastic fall in the cost of doing data/Internet services.

Globacom led the way to liberalise access to data, thereby making not only fast internet connection available, but also making such services pocket-friendly.

As a New Year gift in January 2016, Globacom gave subscribers the Bumper Data Offer which increased the value of its data.

It gave subscribers 6GB data for the N3, 000 data plan instead of 4.5GB while a N4000 data plan was introduced with 9GB of data.

In May 2016, Globacom came out with a-two pronged offer that gave free voice airtime to data subscribers. One of the products, Talk Special, gives free data to voice subscribers, while Twin Bash gives free talk time to data subscribers.

Then, the telecom firm took the bull by the horn again and redefined the data market with new and difficult-to-beat data plans, offering mouth-watering, recordbreaking data volumes for little sums in an aggressive pricing plan called Data Overload.

In the new plan, subscribers to the network now receive up to double the data volume previously available on every plan.

An examination of the new tariff regime shows that the N1, 000 plan, which used to give the subscriber 1.5GB of data now gives 2GB, while the N2, 000 plan which hitherto came with 3GB of data now has 6GB data.

company debut in Ibadan THE Chief Executive Officer of MyPCsofts Vfx Services Ltd, Mr Adebisi Boluwape has said that skill acquisition in computer animation is the most effective, simple and interesting means of communicating to prospective consumers.

Boluwape disclosed at a press briefing held at Coca House, Ibadan, while speaking on the advantages of 3D animation in global business as MyPCsofts Vfx debut in Ibadan Oyo State.

“3D animation is no longer the sole province of big-budget movies like ‘Avatar’ or ‘Toy Story.’ A select few marketing companies are harnessing the power of 3D animation to raise the bar for their clients’ online presence.

“Our team of professional animators has extensive experience incorporating state-of-the-art 3D graphics into all kinds of marketing campaigns.

“From breathing dynamic life into otherwise static logos, to turning bland promotional videos into stunningly rendered 3D movies, we have the skills and the expertise to improve the look and feel of your visuals.

“Not only can effective 3D animation engage viewers in an unforgettable way, but it also is yet another manner in which we can portray your business as cutting edge.

“When you offer something your viewers that they have never seen before, it enhances the image of business and services.”

He also said this would help a long way in reducing high rate of unemployment in enhancing business messages through visuals. The company is the foremost animation company in Nigeria is organising skill acquisition programme for youth.

The programme packages include animations ranging from whiteboard explainer videos, to highly complex animation that can be used to explain very complex procedures and systems.

These could be used to effectively communicate complex or boring ideas into easy, fun to learn and educative concepts.

As part of the benefits of the programme, the CEO further stated that the 3D animation studio in Nigeria produces fun and informative animations. We give the best 3D Animation Services in Nigeria. We create musical animations, explainer videos, storyboard (whiteboard/ scribbling) animations and TV Ads. Our animated videos will engage, explain, train and convert your targeted viewers. Animated videos are tools that can be used in promoting your businesses.

“Animated videos deliver your business’s messages quickly and in an entertaining way, converting the viewers and making them become your clients and customers in no time.

“We specialised in the designing and production of storyboard; whiteboard and scribbling animation can be used for educating purposes, for entertainments, for raising awareness,” Boluwape added.

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

with Chukwuma Okparaocha

m:08038984495 e: chukscop2005@gmail.com

Poor patronage by govt killing indigenous construction companies —Expert StoriesbyChukwumaOkparaochaLagos

I

NDIGENOUS construction companies are dying because the government as well as private developers are failing to patronise them in Nigeria.

This was the view of a construction expert and Managing Director of Bolyn Construction Company, Mr Rufus Bola Akinrolabu, in a chat with Tribune Property, recently.

Mr Akinrolabu insisted that in developed countries of the world, the backbone of the economy was small scale and indigenous companies, including construction companies. These, he said, served as the drivers of the economy and helped to reduce dependence on foreign companies or products, thereby improving nations’ Gross

Domestic Products.

“Small scale businesses have the ability to employ over 50 per cent of the economic workforce. This has really helped the growth of the economy of most of the developed countries of the world. But in Nigeria, more than 90 per cent of local industries are dead, while many are struggling to survive,” Akinrolabu disclosed.

He also lamented the neglect of indigenous construction companies in the scheme of things by corporate bodies as well as the government, which he accused of patronising foreign construction companies in building structures and providing basic amenities at

the expense of the indigenous ones.

“There is a general belief that the cost of building materials account for about 70 per cent of the total cost of building, but it has also been revealed that for the cost of building to be reduced, indigenous companies must be patronised.

However, the government, as well as corporate companies, has not been patronising indigenous construction companies. Their excuse is often that indigenous companies are not good enough,” Mr Akinrolabu disclosed.

But the veteran construction expert was quick to dismiss this notion, while insisting that there were many good indigenous com-

panies in the country, stressing that the government and other bodies were rather not ready to look inwards to make use of such companies.

He opined that as the way forward, indigenous companies, including construction companies must be encouraged to form associations with a view to standardizing their products so as to attract government and corporate bodies’ patronage, a development he said was prevalent during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime.

“But after Obasanjo’s regime and up till now, nothing meaningful has happened in this regard,” he lamented.

FG set to unveil affordable housing plans THE Federal Government says it has set ball in motion to unveil its plans of providing affordable housing for Nigerians, which will be done through the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing nation’s first National Summit on Affordable Housing.

This was disclosed in a statement, by Mrs Eno Olotu, Assistant Director of Information of the ministry, in Abuja last week, saying the two-day which would end on June 28, 2016, was organised in collaboration with German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and other private development partners.

It noted that the summit was in line with the change mantra of the present administration to vigorously pursue infrastructural development and address housing needs of Nigerians.

Among other key objectives, the summit would seek to proffer a “clear, sustainable, realistic and strategic blueprint for affordable housing delivery in Nigeria,’’ she said.

“It will provide opportunity for property developers and other service providers in the industry to showcase existing housing stock, building materials and new construction technologies.

“This is aimed at reducing costs and enhancing affordability of housing units in Nigeria,’’ she further noted.

She also noted that the summit was also aimed at deliberating on key constraints and challenges militating against the provision of affordable housing, in the bid to examine and proffer solutions to them.

Newly rehabilitated Berlett Bus Stop on Apapa- Oshodi Expressway, Lagos by the Lagos State Government

17 million housing deficit can’t be met in 10 years —Expert A seasoned property consultant has indicated that Nigeria’s 17 million housing deficits cannot be met in the next 10 years, because of the slow pace of housing production in the country which is less than 400,000 annually.

This was made known by the Managing Director and CEO of UACN Property Development Company of Nigeria Plc, Mr Hakeem Ogunniran, in Lagos, recently.

According to him, the magnitude of the nation’s housing deficit means that even if a large proportion is made for it in the annual budgets, the problem will still remain largely unresolved.

“It is common knowledge that housing deficit in this country is around 17 million units and the number of housing all of us produce annually is less than 400,000, you can therefore imagine how long it will take us to solve the problem.

“It will take the annual budget of Nigeria a period of about 10 years and that is if we do nothing else to get close to covering that deficit,” said Mr Ogunniran, who also added that the nation’s transformation agenda stressed

the critical importance of this area to national development.

When making remarks about the poor state of many road rehabilitation projects in the country including the Lagos-Ibadan

Expressway, which he said were worth over N950 billion, the UACN Property boss opined that lack of project management techniques was hugely responsible for the unwholesome trend.

LASG releases 108 housing units at Oko Oba, Agege FURTHER to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode’s promise to Lagosians of continuity with improvement and his administration’s commitment to ensure continued access to decent and affordable housing, the State Government has released 108 housing units for sale at Oko Oba, Agege.

According to the General Manager, Lagos State Mortgage Board, Mr Dehinde Tunwashe, “54 units will be on a 10-year mortgage at 9.5 per cent interest rate and the remaining 54 units on outright sale. “The Oko Oba scheme which was recently commissioned has spacious two and three bedrooms in a beautiful gated community.

“It is a way of alleviating the housing problems being faced by Lagosians and meeting up with the resident’s demand for decent and affordable housing in the state,” he added.

He stressed that the Oko Oba scheme which is about 15 minutes drive from Ikeja the heartbeat of the State boasts of state of the art amenities such as; water treatment plant, external gas cylinder cage, electricity pre-paid meters, laundromat, utility generator, adequate parking space, community hall, estate management office, street lights and security post.

He noted that the state government has not relented in its efforts of reducing housing deficit in the State while it will continue to give housing priority. He said aside the completed Oko Oba scheme, construction is ongoing at different sites across the state and as soon as they are completed, they will be put up for sale hence residents can apply and ultimately become home owners.

Only 400,000 out of 2 million properties in Lagos generate revenue —Ambode THE Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has disclosed that though Lagos has about two million properties in its domain, only about 400,000 of these generates revenue into the coffers of the government in form of Land Use Charge.

The governor said that last week, when receiving a delegation from Thomson Reuters, led by its Managing Director-Africa, Sneha Shah.

But the governor however added that his administration was working towards ensuring effective land administration that would go a long way to secure the future prosperity of the State.

Alluding to the fact that Lagos was fast becoming a leading City -State in Africa, Governor Ambode said that efforts are currently being made to improve on revenue generation from landed proper-

ties, expressing optimism that the project would help to achieve the set objective.

“We know that there are about two million landed properties in Lagos, but right now what we generate revenue on is less than 400, 000.

“What this project means for us is that Thomson Reuters brings its expertise alongside other partners in this same project to ensure that at the press of a button, we would be able to see all the landed properties in Lagos, and that also secures the future revenues of Lagos.

So it is of paramount importance that we carry on and make sure that we execute this project,” the governor said.

Disclosing that the state government had decided to partner with Thomson Reuters to improve land administration in the state, Mr

Ambode said the State Executive Council had already given its nod to the project that would bring about an effective Geographical Information System (GIS) to generate credible data on land administration in the state, which according to him will aid planning in the state.

“I am happy to let you know that with the approval of the Lagos State Executive Council, we have a partnership that is going to work for the benefit of all Lagosians and Nigerians in general.

“This relationship is beyond a business relationship, it is about the development of Lagos and that is the way I have seen it and that is the way we want to carry out this vision. We know that land administration issues in Lagos are of paramount importance to this government.”

32

South-west news

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Osun hijab crisis: Don’t enforce court orders, MUSWEN tells Muslims

By Tunde Ogunesan

T

HE Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) has called on Muslim parents and cler-

ics in Osun State to tread softly on the enforcement of court ruling on the use of hijab following the crisis that emanated from the court ruling on usage of hijab in public primary

and secondary schools in the state.

The Executive Secretary/ CEO, MUSWEN, Professor Dawud Noibi, stated this while addressing journalists during a press confer-

ence over the issue at the Bodija Central mosque, Bodija Estate, Ibadan, on Monday.

According to Professor Noibi, “we learnt of the attempt by some Muslim

From left: Secretary-General, Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Professor Dawud Noibi; representative of MUSWEN in Osun, Mr Kamal Dairo and the national chairman, National Council of Muslim Youths Organisations, Alhaji Kamaldeen Akintunde, at a news conference on the ‘’Crisis over Hijab in Osun State: Our Stand,” in Ibadan, on Monday. PHOTO:NAN

Strike suspension: Confusion over workers’ resumption in Ekiti Sam Nwaoko, Ado Ekiti

THERE was confusion at government offices in Ekiti State on Monday as workers in the state did not fully comply with the resumption announced by the various labour unions after they suspended their four-week strike.

Following the directive

by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state chapter that civil servants should resume duties on Monday, only a few of the workers were seen at their duty posts at the state secretariat and students were sent back home as their teachers failed to resume.

The resumption of workers after four weeks indus-

trial action took another dimension, as public primary school pupils were seen returning to their various homes barely one and half hours of getting to school.

Some of the workers said the students and pupils were sent back home because the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) had earlier circulated a circular which mandated

Ondo guber: Money politics threat to good governance —Alade Hakeem Gbadamos -Akure

AN All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Honourable Dele Alade, has warned that excessive use of money by some politicians posed a big threat to good governance and quality leadership in Nigeria.

Accordingly, he has called on prospective voters in Ondo State to resist any means designed to compromise them as preparations heighten towards the November poll in the state.

He noted that inducing voters with money or levying candidates with astronomical nomination fees is antithetical to democracy and good governance.

“We will be laying the foundation for bad governance if we allow the candidates to induce us with money to vote for them or if our parties believe that charging the candidates

high fees before they can contest is the right thing to do,” he stressed.

According to the United States-based lawyer, any candidate that induces voters with money is not only a fraud, but does not mean well for the people.

He warned that charging candidates millions of Naira to run for offices would continue to discourage competent, honest, sincere and patriotic Nigerians from running for offices as the challenge of bad governance would persist.

He explained that there were “many acceptable and decent ways a political party can raise money to finance its activities rather than relying mainly on the quickest and lazy way of charging candidates high nomination fees or other fees, which I believe, are counterproductive and a negation of the war on corruption.”

Alade said that with

the right candidate, APC would win the governorship election in Ondo in November because the state “needs a fresh start, a new voice, a new vision and a new leadership,’ promising to “kill corruption in the state and run a transparent and fiscally responsible government.”

its members not to resume duties on Monday, contrary to NLC directive “until sizeable amount of the salaries arrears are paid by the government.”

The source said: “NUT sent circular directing their members to resume duties if only their accounts are credited. Even members of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, (NULGE) are expected to meet today Monday, where a decision on whether to resume or not would be taken.”

However, a number of workers resumed at the old Governor’s Office as well as at the ministries and the workers were seen in groups conducting prayer sessions at the secretariat headquarters.

parents and clerics to enforce the court order on hijab at St Charles High School and Ife Oluwa Middle School, both in Osogbo, Osun State.

“We wish to use this medium to state clearly that the action of those Muslims does not enjoy the support of the leadership of MUSWEN. No citizen has the right to take the law into his hands. We believe that, barring any attempt to frustrate the enforcement of the court order, the government has adequate machinery to enforce the order. Indeed, only the government possesses the power to enforce all laws. To this end, we will be glad to see the Osun State government do the needful on the court order.

Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done.”

The Executive Secretary said the primary obligations of MUSWEN was not only to propagate Islam and defend the interests of Muslims, but also to promote the cause of peace and peaceful co-existence among the people, irrespective of their faith and ethnicity, in the region.

Professor Noibi, who also made it known clearly to the public that “hijab is not just a religious symbol but indeed a religious requirement, for the nonfulfillment of which the

Crisis looms in Ondo OPC Hakeem Gbadamos -Akure

THE factional Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) led by Dr Fredrick Faseun has been engulfed in crisis over the appointment of a leader of the group in Ondo State.

While the founder and leader of the OPC appointed Michael Oladun as the new leader of the chapter of the pan Yoruba organisation in the state, the former occupier of the office, Mr Olutayo Alao, was still laying claim to the

Students, youth groups stage anti-Buhari protest in Ekiti Sam Nwaoko -Ado Ekiti

STUDENTS of Ekiti State tertiary institutions along with other youth groups on Monday took to the streets of Ado Ekiti in protest against what they described as the “persecution of Governor Ayodele Fayose” allegedly by the Federal Government and one of its agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At the rally, which commenced from the Fajuyi Square in the state capital, they lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari and

the EFCC for allegedly victimising Governor Ayodele Fayose and distracting him from performing his duties.

Addressing the rally, the students’ leaders from the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti; Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti; College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti; College of Health Technology, Ijero-Ekiti, described Fayose as “the voice of opposition” and claimed that that was why the Federal Government was using its agencies to distract the governor and his government.

The president of stu-

individual or her parent is accountable before Allah,” wondered why the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Osun State rejected the ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction.

He said what was worrisome in the whole scenario was that Osun CAN “encouraged Christian pupils/ students to disobey the court order by instigating them to go to school in their variety of full church attires!”

Professor Noibi, who also chided some sections of the media for pitting their tents with the Christians, however revealed that when a similar circumstances played out in Lagos in 2013, and “High Court judge ruled that female Muslim students in the state had no right to wear hijab over their school uniform, the Muslim community in Lagos state did not raise hell.”

He added that the Muslim Community “did not incite the students to take law into their hands and disrupt school activities and public peace. Neither did they influence the press against the governor at the time as is currently against Governor Aregbesola, who did not make the ruling. As law abiding and peace-loving citizens, they did the needful by appealing the decision at a higher court which is yet to decide the case.’’

dents’ Union of EKSU, Mr Oladimeji Ibrahim, said it was wrong to allegedly orchestrate moves to scuttle the government of Fayose, saying anti-graft war must be fought holistically, rather than singling out individuals for persecution.

He alleged that the fight has been selective considering the personalities that had been arrested by the commission and facing charges in courts.

While chanting anti-Buhari songs, they called on Ekiti people to support the government of Fayose to fast-track development in the state.

position.

Speaking on the power tussle, the state secretary of the organisation, Olayemi Egbeola explained that the national leader of the group, Faseun had removed Alao even before the expiration of Alao’s tenure over alleged gross abuse of office.

Egbeola said that the former OPC leader in the state, however, refused to vacate the position and refused to hand over the instruments of office to his successor and still parading himself as the governor.

According to him, the organisation would not want to result into violence in stripping Alao of instrument of office but appealed to members of the public to call him to order.

Hie said “we want the general public to know that we as law abiding citizens will not want to result into violence, but that we want members of the public to be aware of the change of guard and that whoever relates with him does so at his own risk.”

He said that Alao decided to hold on to power in order to remain relevant, and alleged Alao, popularly called Modakeke, of appointing himself as an ambassador of OPC, an office that is not known to the OPC’s constitution.

33

south-westnews

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Lagos/Ogun killings: Yoruba, Ijaw leaders convene emergency summit Bola Badmus-Lagos

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OLLOWING the recent killings of over 60 innocent people in some Ogun and Lagos communities, including Ogijo, Igbo Olomu and Imushin by some bandits believed to be Ijaw militants, Afenifere Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti and Ijaw Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, have scheduled an emergency summit of the two nations to hold in Lagos, on Friday, July 1, 2016.

National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin, made this known in a statement issued on Monday, saying the parley was necessitated by the recent spate of mindless killings of innocent people in the affected communities which had “created worries in the Yoruba and Ijaw nations because of the shared respect of the right to life and given the insinuations

about the identity of these killers.”

According to the Afenifere spokesperson,

the allegation that the killers were from Niger Delta without proper investigation and apprehension of

any suspects by the country’s security, was capable of creating conflicts between the peoples of the

two nations if responsible leaders do not quickly step in to ensure that justice was done for the victims

From left, Senator Robert Borrofice, Chief Feyi Soyewo, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Olori Wuraola and Oba James Buremoh, Onidera of Idera, at the celebration of African Kings, held at at the African Union Building, New York, United States, last weekend.

Gunmen abduct chief accountant of FMC Owo Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure

GUNMEN suspected to be kidnappers, on Sunday evening, abducted the Chief Accountant of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owo, Ondo State, Mr Kayode Asaju, while travelling out of Ondo State at the weekend.

It was gathered that Asaju, who was on his way to Abuja, to attend a meeting scheduled to hold on Monday morning, was abducted along Lokoja/Abuja Expressway on Sunday.

The gunmen, numbering about five, were said to have stopped Asaju around Lokoja and immediately whisked him away into the bush.

According to the source,

the suspected kidnappers have contacted the family of Asaju, whose wife is also a nurse at FMC, demanding for a sum of five million naira as ransom to secure

the freedom of the Accountant.

Speaking on the development, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Femi Joseph,

who confirmed the incident, said the incident occurred outside the jurisdiction of the Ondo State Command.

Joseph, however, gave

Lowo Oyediran’s murder: Wife’s ill health stalls trial

By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

THE trial of 28-year-old Yewande Oyediran (nee Fatoki), a lawyer with the Oyo State Ministry of Justice, who was alleged of unlawfully causing the death of Lowo Oyediran, her 38 years old husband, was stalled before the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Muktar Abimbola, on Monday, due to reports that the defendant was ill.

The case was adjourned

on Thursday for the defence to study the motion filed by the appointed private prosecutor to file two documents that were not included in the file handed over to him by the Ministry of Justice; the report of the medical practitioner and the statement of Mr Onipede Olubunmi, the co-tenant of the defendant.

But at the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, the private Pros-

ecutor, S.S. Akinyele, had informed the court that he was ready to move his motion and commence trial, but the lead defence counsel, Bioye Oloyede Asanike, had objected to the case going on, citing the defendant’s ill health as the reason for his objection.

“My Lord, the case cannot go on because the defendant is sick and cannot come to court. We cannot go on behind her because this is a criminal trial,”

Ondo CVR: Group appeals to INEC to extend exercise Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure

THE Coalition of Accredited Observers for the just concluded Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in Ondo State has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the period for registration in the state to accommodate all willing prospective voters.

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the leader of the team, Victor Kalu, on Monday, in Akure, Ondo State capital, appealing to the electoral umpire to deploy more data capture

an assurance that the command would work with the Kogi State police command to ensure the man was rescued unhurt and united with his family.

and measures evolved to ensure that such a situation never re occur.

Odumakin said leaders across the two nations of Yoruba and Ijaw had, out of serious concern for precious lives lost in these cold-blooded murders, launched investigations into what happened in those communities.

He said this was with the aim of nudging the state to apprehend the perpetrators and put a stop to such callousness.

“Arising from such efforts and high level contacts, Ijaw Leader, Chief E.K. Clark and Afenifere Leader, Chief R.F. Fasoranti, have agreed that a joint consultative meeting of Ijaw and Yoruba nations must hold quickly to nip this crisis in the bud and reaffirm the joint humanity of both nations against wanton destruction of human lives symbolised by the atrocious carnage,” the Afenifere chieftain said.

“In the meantime, the Leaders appeal to peoples of the two nations to sustain their existing peace, be vigilant of their environment and await the outcome of the consultations,” he added.

machines across the state to fast track the entire process because the people waiting for the exercise seem overwhelming.

According to the group, the exercise, which commenced on Wednesday, June 22 to Sunday, June 26, recorded a large turnout of voters across the state, but lamented the slow pace and ineffectiveness of the data capture machine.

The statement read, “The registration was marred by very slow and ineffective machines, especially on the first and second day of the exercise. The daily late commencement of this ex-

ercise across the state is yet another worrisome case affecting the registration of people.

“There was an obvious concentration and deployment of machines in low populated areas with the very high populated areas suffering shortage of machines and manpower.

The exercise was not without rancour and violence in some places as a result of various parties’ agents insisting and struggling to ensure that only their party members and supporters registered first.

There was also a malfunction of the capturing machines and printers in most

of the registration centres visited by our team.”

The group, however, called for the extension of the exercise in order not to disenfranchise young adults who have come of age to register and become eligible voters, while they also urged politicians and political parties and all stakeholders to mobilise their supporters to participate in the exercise.

“The voter card is the only legitimacy they have to participate during the coming governorship election. They should also endeavour to sensitise their members with our relevant enabling electoral laws.”

Asanike stated.

Justice Abimbola had, however, opposed the manner in which the information was given and had asked the defence to speak like a lawyer and place strong facts before the court.

The defence had then informed the court that, “The Deputy Comptroller of Prisons in charge of the Agodi Prisons called me as her lawyer to inform me that she is sick and cannot be brought to court. I was informed that she had been unwell since last week and only managed to come on Thursday. I will be seeking an adjournment for her to get well and be able to be in court for trial.”

In his reply however, Akinyele, though admitted that as human beings, anyone can get sick, opposed the manner in which the matter was handled.

“We are all human beings and only the living can stand trial. But I will be objecting to the patently wrong procedure embarked upon by the defence. They cannot have monopoly of information concerning the health of the defendant. The court and I should be informed of her health status.

“The DCP needs to write

formally to the court. I need to corroborate the evidence. I urge the court to stand down the matter and call the DCP to come and tell us officially the state and condition of the defendant,” Akinyele concluded.

When asked, the lawyers holding brief for the deceased family and Women Arise Initiative, Kehinde Adesida and Femi Aborishade, also agreed that except it becomes a pattern, they have no objections to an adjournment being granted by court.

Justice Abimbola, however, stated that though the wrong procedure was applied, it would stand no use than the purpose of information to give a stand down and invite the DCP, but also informed the defence team that adjournment was not a matter of course.

After the lawyers met, the court adjourned the matter. “I take the statement of the lead defence counsel as admissible information and not heresy since he said he was informed by the DCP. We rely on same and based on evidence of ill health of defendant and agreement by counsels, the matter is adjourned till October 24, 2016 for trial,” Justice Abimbola held.

34

news

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

24 state chairmen pledge allegiance to Makarfi •As Umahi submits Edo primaries report Leon Usigbe and Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja

S

TATE chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have disowned claimant of the office of the national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, telling him that he could no longer be the party boss since he has been removed by the decision of a validly convened national convention.

They have, therefore, pledged their loyalty to the national caretaker committee led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Twenty four of the 36 state chairmen met with Makarfi in Abuja, on Monday, where the chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, Yunus Suleiman, who spoke on behalf of others, said they were worried about the crisis in the party.

They recalled that Sheriff was the national chairman of the party, who presided over a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC), that authorised the May 21, 2106 national convention of the party held in Port Harcourt.

The chairmen said that the convention adhered to a court order which barred it from conducting election into three national offices and therefore, wondered why Sheriff would turn around to dispute the outcome of the convention.

They argued that the tenure of national officers ended on May 21, 2016 and in order not to create a vacuum in leadership, the convention relied on its constitutional powers to set up the national caretaker committee.

He said: “As state chairmen of our political parties, we are not comfortable with what is ongoing with our party, particularly, at the national level.

“We attended the last NEC which was held on May 17, which was presided by Senator Ali Sheriff and which approved the last national convention held in Rivers State on May21 “The convention, having regards to the pronouncements of the court order on the election of national officers which the party obeyed.

“It is note worthy that there was no court order whatsoever from any court of competent jurisdiction restraining the party convention “The tenure of our national officers terminated on May 21, 2016. Just like nature abhors vacuum, the party invoked the power vested on it under Section 33 (5) of the constitution and dissolved the then executive, led by Sheriff and set up a national caretaker committee headed

by Senator Ahmed Makarfi ,to drive the affairs of the

party forward.”

Suleiman added: “And we all voted unanimously and endorsed the caretaker committee. This is our product.

There is no any other constitutional body to be in this party other than the caretaker committee.

Noting that the national caretaker committee was charged with the responsibility of organising a new convention to choose new national officers, Suleiman said seven states could not attend the Abuja meeting because they were yet to conduct congresses to elect leaders.

Present at the Monday’s

meeting were the chairmen of Nasarawa; Plateau; Enugu; Abia; kaduna; Ebonyi; Ekiti; Kogi; FCT; Akwa Ibom; Delta; Bayelsa; Kwara; Benue; Bauchi; Niger; Katsina; Jigawa; Ondo; Adamawa; and Osun.

Responding to the chairmen, Markarfi, said while the leadership tussle in the party is unfortunate, it was also good because “It shows that this is a party that people love and cherish and like government in waiting. If PDP is not worth anything, nobody will struggle over it.

He added that party stakeholders must be mindful of how long the tussle drags on

because it has the potential of denying PDP the capacity to recapture states “we lost and returning to the centre in 2019.”

The party boss assured that his committee was not put in place to witch-hunt anybody, adding “our key mandate is to bring everybody along.”

He appealed to Sheriff to seek dialogue, adding that while the courts could make pronouncements which will swing in any direction, legitimacy of any leadership truly lies with the people.

Meanwhile, the PDP governorship primaries committee for Edo State, under

the chairmanship of Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, submitted its report on Monday to Markarfi’s caretaker committee.

Umahi dismissed claims that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ,did not monitor the party’s primaries The governor, also appealed to Sheriff to concede to the position of the party organs and seek dialogue, adding that he cannot be bigger than the party.

Umahi observed that if the former chairman feels unjustly treated, he will always be remembered as a national chairman of PDP.

From left, acting Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Abubakar Magaji; Managing Director, American Building Systems International, Mr Emmanuel Iwuoha and the Head of Sedin Programme-Giz (German Development Corporation), Mr Torsten Schlink, at the ministry’s 2016 summit, in Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: nan

Nasarawa assembly okays N14.1bn FG loan for govt Godwin Agwam- Lafia

Nasarawa State government has got an approval from the State House of Assembly to access a loan of N14.1billion from the Federal Government loan package under the fiscal budget implementation support plan, to augment its 2016 budget.

Speaking on the floor of the House, the majority leader, Alhaji Tanko Tunga (APC-Awe North), who moved the motion for approval, said that the fund, if accessed from the Federal Government, would help in providing the much needed dividend of democracy to the people of the state.

He said that previous initiatives by the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN ),which provided bailout funds to the state, could not yield meaningful result due to the chunk of challenges bedevilling the state.

He, therefore, urged the assembly to give express approval and appropriate legislative consent to the loan request to enable the state government have access to the loan facilities so as to cushion the effect of hard-

ship in the state.

The motion was seconded

by Honourable Mohammed Alkali (PDP-Lafia North), the minority leader of the house and unanimously approved by the assembly.

Speaking after the approval, the speaker of the House, Alhaji Ibrahim BalarabeAbdullahi ,commended members of the house for their maturity and understanding in approving the

loan request and called for its sustenance.

He directed the clerk of the house to communicate the resolution of the house to the state governor for further necessary action.

Neo-liberal development policies has failed Nigeria —Don

By Tunde Ogunesan

THE use of neo-liberal economic paradigm in Nigeria has eroded both the contents and impact of the policy on our socio-economic lives, saying it is high time Nigeria abandoned them.

These were the words and suggestions of Dr Nathaniel Adebayo, while delivering the ninth inaugural lecture series of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, tagged “Rethink Nigeria’s development paradigm; The entrepreneurship-poverty nexus, held at the Assembly Hall of the institution, last Wednesday.

Adebayo, a senior principal lecturer, at the Department of Business Administration and Management Studies, of the institution, said he drew motivation from Albert Einstein’s age-long maxim of not expecting different results if we keep doing the same thing over and over

again.

He further noted that the development paradigm in use in Nigeria “has failed the efficacy test and has impoverish Nigerians for decades.”

In his lecture, Adebayo said he “interrogated the past and existing development paradigms in Nigeria, especially, neo-liberalism.”

He added that ‘doing this, creates an atmosphere for proper reflection and enables us to explore a rethink for a functional and pragmatic development paradigm for the country.

“Development paradigms are roads to nowhere. Subsisting justification for their continuity is wrapped in specious arguments and empirical evidence of their ‘merchants’ are visceral.

Neo-liberal policies are quixotic in nature and are counterproductive in implementation.

“It is high time Nigeria abandoned the use of neo-liberal development paradigm. The product of our rethink is an alternative development strategy. I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that it is capable of taking the masses of the unemployed off our streets and put balanced diets on our tables. It has the capacity to guarantee uninterrupted payments of salaries to serving employees and pensions to retired senior citizens. It has the ability to give us economic turnaround from recession to boom and place Nigeria in the front row of great countries.”

The lecturer ,who also listed catalyst for development in Nigeria, further stated that “over the years, politicisation and personalisation of development strategies has been noted as a barrier to Nigeria’s quest for development.”

Kwara assures on salary arrears of institutions Biola Azeez - Ilorin

Following agitation by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Commitee in Kwara State, over non-payment of workers’ salaries, the state government has reiterated its determination to ensure that the issue of salary arrears in state-owned institutions is resolved soon.

Speaking while meeting with officials of NANS in Ilorin, the Special Adviser (SA),on Labour and Students Matters, who represented Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Mr Bisi Fakayode, said that the state government was working to improve on the current situation of education sector in the state.

The governor’s aide, who said the government had approved immediate disbursement of fund for payment of salary of the staff of the state College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies, Ilorin, added that salary of staff of other colleges and the State Universal Education Board( SUBEB), would soon be paid.

He also said that the state government had approved the provision of transport scheme for students of Kwara State University, Malete and University of Ilorin, adding that development of infrastructural facilities in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state would soon be embarked upon.

Organisation to partner Kano govt on maternal, child mortality reduction Kola Oyelere - Kano

MATERNAL Newborn and Child Health Service (MNCH2), has reaffirmed its willingness to partner Kano State government towards reducing the rate of maternal and child mortality in the state by applying the new Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) tool The MNCH2 team leader ,Dayyabu Mohammad Yusuf, said this on Monday, during a workshop held in the state capital, adding that there is the need for concerted efforts in addressing the high rate of maternal and child mortality According to him, the reduction of maternal and child mortality rate needed joint efforts of all and sundry in the state. Speaking on the occasion, the state Commissioner for Health, DrKabiru Getso, stressed the need for health workers in the state to brace up .According to him, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, has been giving utmost attention to healthcare delivery service in the state.

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

IGP warns CPs against roadblocks

EFCC arrests another impostor

Appoints Awunah new police spokesman Chris Agbambu – Abuja

A

GAINST the backdrop of roadblocks that have sprung up overnight in the South West area, the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris on Monday, reiterated a warning that the ban on roadblocks in the country is still in force.

The IGP, who gave the warning during his maiden conference that drew AIGs and CPs, in Abuja, said the order banning roadblocks was a Federal Government’s decision, saying no officer should flout it.

Towards this end, the IGP

disclosed that the x-squad in all the commands would be strengthen to check illegal roadblocks, adding that anyone caught in the act would be severely dealt with.

On the purported retirement of 30 AIGs who are his seniors, Idris dispelled the rumour as mere speculations.

While responding to questions on the rampant kidnapping of passengers plying on the Lokoja-OkeneKabba Road, the IGP noted that the issue in Kogi has become worrisome. He asserted that the SARS in all the commands would be

strengthen to fight kidnapping head-on, adding that it was embarrassing to the government.

The IGP announced that all mobile policemen and counter terrorism officers would be withdrawn from individuals, saying the police have serious issues to tackle all over the country.

“We will use them to face the kidnapping terrorism and robbery challenges with the special protection Unit (SPU) will be attached to individuals who the law recognises, as PMF will no longer be used as special guards” Answering questions on

the kidnapped Catholic Reverend father who was later found dead in the forest, the IGP disclosed that some members of the Church were suspects, adding that one of them had been arrested.

He assured that when investigation into the incident was concluded members of the public would be fully briefed.

Meanwhile, the IGP, Mr Idris on Monday, appointed DCP Don Awunah as the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) to replace the acting ACP Olabisi Kolawole.

The outgoing spokesper-

son and first female FPRO, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja, said the appointment was in line with the Force’s tradition.

Kolawole thanked the media for the support given to her , and urged them to extend same maximum cooperation to the new spokesman.

Responding, Awunah promised to increase the good relationship between the Police and the public in line with the policy thrust of the Force.

He also urged the media to give him all the necessary support to effectively discharge his duty.

Follow rule of law on El-Zakzaky, CD tells FG THE Campaign for Democracy (CD) has called on the Federal Government to release Sheik Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife, who have been in ‘protective custody’ for the past five months.

In a press release signed by the CD President, Ifeanyi Odili, the group said if Zakzaky had committed any offence, he ought to have been prosecuted in a competent court of jurisdiction, “but keeping him perpetually alongside his wife in prison custody is a blatant violation of their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.”

On the issue of religious and ethnic crises ravaging the country, Odili stated that the National Administrative Council has occupied itself on the way out of the logjam. He stated that it has been reaching out to the aggrieved ethnic and religious groups, with a view to finding a lasting solution to ethno-religious crises in the country and educating them on the need to allow peace to reign supreme in Nigeria.

Odili stated further that the group has begun to reach out to some Islamic groups and comrades in the Niger-Delta region, adding that solutions to challenges facing the country do not rest on government alone but a collective responsibility.

He called on all ethnic and religious groups engaging in militancy to drop the idea “as it is does not only negates a civilized way of agitation, but also brutally negates the doctrines of the Bible and Quran which forbid the shedding of innocent blood.”

Odili added that the CD was poised to work with like-minded groups and individuals to work towards entrenching democracy in the country.

THE long arm of the law has again caught up with a suspected fraudster, Olu Adebanjo, who heads a syndicate that extorts money from people in the guise of clearing them of non-existent petition purportedly brought against them at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The 45-year-old businessman was arrested on June 17, 2016 in a failed attempt to swindle Professor Julius A. Okojie, Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) of N3 million to clear him of a purported corruption allegation.

The complainant (Okojie), who also alerted the Commission of the activities of fraudsters impersonating him to defraud vice chancellors of various universities, was advised to play along.

Consequently, the suspect (Adebanjo) was arrested while trying to cash ‘the money’ from one of the new generation banks.

He will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

Oyo BODAN commends CP on prevailing peace

By Tunde Adegbola

From left, outgoing Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Kolawole Olabisi; her successor, Don Awunah and the outgoing deputy FPRO, Sogbeba West, during the introduction of the new FPRO, at the police headquarters, Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

Electricity tarriff: Court to give judgment in suit against NERC Ayomide Owonibi OdekanyinLagos

JUSTICE Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Monday, fixed July 7 to deliver judgment in a suit filed by a lawyer, Toluwabumi Adebiyi against the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC) on is-

sues bordering on the proposed increase of electriciry tarriff.

Adebiyi, in the substantive suit, is seeking an order restraining NERC from implementing any upward review of electricity tariff without a meaningful and significant improvement in power supply, at least, for 18 hours in a

day in most communities in Nigeria.

He also wants an order restraining NERC from foisting compulsory service charge on pre-paid meters not until the meters are designed to read charges per second of consumption and not a flat rate of service not rendered or power not used.

Flavour releases hot single for Glo new TV series, Prof Johnbull GLO ambassador Flavour, has composed a scintillating sound track for a new TV social satire series, Professor Johnbull, bankrolled by the grand-masters of data, Globacom.

The rich and melodious sound track highlights the key messages in the TV series, and focuses on the central character in the series, Prof John Bull, played by Nollywood legend, Kanayo O. Kanayo.

The sound track summarises the plot and storyline of the series. It repeatedly eulogises the erudite scholar who has traversed the globe in the quest for knowledge and enlarged his vocabulary in the process.

Both the rhythm and lyrics of the sound track, rendered

largely in Igbo, are in tandem with Flavour’s urban high-life music genre and style.

The sonorous, four-minute song is currently dominating playtime across the country, particularly in the South East and South South.

The TV series feature notable stars such as Kanayo O. Kanayo, Patience Ozokwor (Mama G), Bimbo Akintola, Mercy Johnson, Yomi Fash Lanso, Ime Bishop, Queen Nwokoye, Chiwetalu Agu and other notable Nollywood stars and Glo Ambassadors.

It is produced by enterprising Nollywood producer, Tchidi Chikere and has respected Nollywood icon, Richard Mofe-Damijo as consultant.

Several radio stations across the South East and South South states such as Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Abia, Imo, Cross Rivers, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, have started playng the song massively on their stations.

Kanayo O. Kanayo, rated the song as excellent, saying “the sound track for this TV series is just apt and awesome. In fact, I marvelled when I listened to it. It just summarises what the drama series is about. It encapsulates the storyline.”

In the same vein, producer/director of the new TV series, Mr Tchidi Chikere, noted that Flavour was appropriately selected to compose the song because of his style and genre of music.

He also wants the service charge on pre-paid meters not to be enforced until there is visible efficient and reliable power supply like those of foreign countries where the idea of service charge was borrowed.

Adebiyi is further asking for an order of court mandating the NERC to do the needful and generate more power to meet the electricity use of Nigerians, adding that the needful should include and not limited to a multiple long-term financing approach, sourced from the banks, capital market, insurance and other sectors of finance to power the sector.

Finally, the lawyer is asking the court to mandate the NERC to make available to all Nigerians within a reasonable time of maximum of two years, prepaid meters as a way to stop the throat-cutting indiscriminate estimated bill, and which must be devoid of the arbitrary service charge, but only chargeable on power consumed.

Hearing of the appeal was subsequently adjourned till November 22.

THE Oyo State Police Command, under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, has been commended by the Chairman of Borehole Drillers Association of Nigeria (BODAN), Oyo State Chapter, Mr Samuel Afolabi, for their efforts at curbing the activities of criminals and crime across the state.

Afolabi made the commendation at the weekend, while responding to questions from newsmen, shortly after some members of his association were rescued from the hands of suspected kidnappers, who had claimed to be members of the Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners in Ibadan.

According to him, “One of our members was contacted by one of his clients to drill a borehole for him at Elebu Area in Ido Local Government Area of the State, and that it was in the process of doing so that some people stormed the location in several buses and attempted to bundle them into their vehicles.

“It was in the process that I called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Orita Challenge Police Station to rescue our people from the unknown gang and the timely intervention of the police rescued them from those suspected kidnappers.”

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Handle Saki tremor professionally, AWDROP advises FG

By Tunde Ogunesan

F

OLLOWING the recent report released by experts from Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics and Geodesy (CGG), the National President, Association of Water-well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners

(AWDROP) Mr Micheal Ale has called on the Federal Government to approach the current tremor experienced by some residents of Saki town, Saki-West Local government professionally to avoid earthquake within the vicinity.

Ale, who stated this while addressing a press confer-

ence on Sunday, on the state of water resources in Nigeria, called for professional handling of the case.

He stated, “AWDROP is informed of the salt water intrusion affecting underground water usage and subsidence along the landocean boundaries in shoreline areas like Lagos, Port

Harcourt, Warri, Bayelsa, Cross River State of Nigeria.

AWDROP is ready to execute the power vested on the association by the National Council of Water Resources, this will in turn help government and responsible stakeholders manage expenditure on the provision of portable drinking water.”

World Drug Day: Dalung, Akiolu, others call for support for NDLEA From Oluwatoyin Malik and Shola Adekola MINISTER of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, Obi of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and other stakeholders have called for intensified efforts in the fight against drug trafficking in the country.

Dalung said all over the world, governments were committing billions of dollars to fight the menace of drug abuse.

According to the minister, “investing in social programmes that discourage young people from going into drugs will yield fruitful results in the longrun.

The Youth and Sports Ministry will collaborate with the NDLEA in minimising the abuse of drugs and other substances, especially among the youths.”

Oba Akiolu also called for improved funding of the agency and provision of logistics for enhanced performance, urging members of the public to volunteer useful information on the activities of drug trafficking organisations in their neighbourhood for the NDLEA to serve them better.

“I want the government to improve the funding of the NDLEA. Drug control cannot be fought without logistic support. Members of the public also have a responsibility to report the illegal activities of drug traffickers in their neighbourhood to law enforcement agents,” the Oba stated.

The chairman of the anti-narcotic agency, Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd), on the occasion, said Nigeria remained committed to the dislodgement of criminal drug syndicates targeting the country and West African sub-region as a hub for illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse.

The 26th of June was set aside as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by resolution 42/112 of the United Nations General Assembly on December 7, 1987.

Abdallah, who was represented by the DirectorGeneral of the Agency, Mrs Roli Bode-George, stressed that the country had main-

tained a rising drug control profile through capacity building and unwavering sense of obligation.

He promised to work with stakeholders in ensuring a healthy and drugfree society.

According to Abdallah, “Nigeria will continue to dislodge criminal drug syndicates seeking to turn our country and West Africa sub-region to a hub for illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse. We have maintained a rising drug control profile through capacity building and unwavering sense of obligation. The Agency will continue to work with stakeholders in ensuring a healthy drug-free society.”

Speaking on the global theme for this year’s campaign, which is ‘Listen First’, the NDLEA chairman called on parents to strengthen the bond between them and their children.

Meanwhile, a clarion call has gone to parents in Oyo State to always listen to their children and establish intimate relationship with them so as to help them make right decisions in life and be able to say no to illicit use and abuse of drugs.

The call, was made by the Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Oyo State, Mrs Omolade Faboyede, on Monday at a programme organised by the Oyo State Drug Abuse Control Committee in collaboration with the agency and held at the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Eleyele, Ibadan.

The programme was held in commemoration of the 2016 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking with the theme: “Listen First.”

Addressing the audiences, comprising of heads of all security agencies in the state, government officials, , members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and all stakeholders, the Commander said “parents are the strongest influence on children and are the first line of defence in drug abuse prevention In his opening remarks, the chairman of Oyo State Drug Abuse Control Committee, Mr Baba-

tunde Akinwande, who is a pharmacist, described this year’s theme as appropriate, especially in a situation where majority of youths between the ages of 18 and 30 depended on drugs to perform one activity or the other.

Akinwande, pointied out that the Drug Abuse Control Committee was set up

in Oyo State to eradicate its menace on youths.

The guest speaker, a consultant psychiatrist with the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Dr Olatunde Ayinde, pointed out that youths were mainly affected by drug addiction, which in turn tampers with their dreams and aspirations.

He, called on state chapters of the association across the country, to partner with their respective state governments in ensuring safety by implementing the association’s code of conduct in practising their profession within the ambit of the ethics of the profession.

This implies that all Borehole Drilling Contractors should be registered by their states agencies, pay their registration fees and obtain a drilling permit before any drilling operation. Borehole projects are required to be strictly supervised by a Comeg registered Geologist or Hydro geologist.”

He further advised the Federal Ministry of Water Resources at the national level to

shop for qualified companies that meet up with the professional standard of bidding, especially human capacity, equipment and experience in a particular terrain, so as to record success in this year project execution within the Ministry of Water Resources.

He said AWDROP had observed the persistent indiscriminate practice in the industry turning it to an all comers affairs.

AWDROP, is set to enforce the power vested on the Association by the National Council of Water Resources, to partner with state governments on the rejuvenation and revitalisation of abandoned boreholes and the application and enforcement of Code of Practice on borehole drilling among drilling practitioners.

JTF gets new commander, as Okunlola returns to defence headquarters Austin Ebipade -Yenagoa THE Joint Military Taskforce has replaced its operation’s acronyms, Operation Pulo Shield (OPS) with Operation Delta Safe (ODS) in response to combat the upsurge of new militants groups that had continued to threaten the nation’s economic mainstay and national integration.

The launch of ‘Operation Delta Safe’, took place simultaneously as the commander, Major General Jafar Okunlola in an epoch ceremony officially handed over to the new JTF Commander, Rear Admiral, Joseph Osa Okojie at their permanent site located at Igbogene, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The men of the JTF, mounted a guard of honour for the outgoing Com-

US Embassy mourns death of Nigerian in America Christian Okeke -Abuja THE United States (US) Mission to Nigeria, on Monday, said that it was deeply saddened to learn of the death of John Paul Ojaojogwu Usman, in America.

Usman, died due to an accident, while hiking near Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he was studying civic leadership as a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow.

In a statement, the embassy extended its deepest condolences to John Paul’s family and friends over the tragic loss.

“John Paul was a rising star, devoted to the causes of sustainable development, children’s rights, and peacebuilding in Nigeria,” the statement noted.

mander and also received the new Commander, after which the old flag was lowered and a new flag was hoisted which symbolises the change of leadership.

Prior to his assumption of duty, Rear Admiral Okojie, was the flag officer of the training command, Apapa in Lagos State. The outgoing Commander, Okunlola, who spoke to journalists, said the terrain of the region is a challenge, but that they

were able to make inroad and recorded major success while in office.

He itemised their achievements to include arrest of hoodlums, sea pirates and militias, whose trade in stock were to vandalise oil pipelines.

The ex-commander,who would be returning to Defense headquarters, Abuja to resume administrative duties, thanked the men of the JTF for the support and

cooperation he enjoyed; and urged them to extend same to the new Commander of the outfit.

Also, the new Commander of the Joint Taskforce Operation Delta Safe told journalists that he would build upon the achievements of his predecessor towards the safeguarding oil installations, curbing crude theft and to ensure security of lives and properties, as well as national security.

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Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

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08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

other NEWS EgyptAir crash: Paris prosecutor open manslaughter inquiry

Angela Merkel, pictured with Francois Hollande (left) and Matteo Renzi (right), announced there would be no informal talks on Brexit before an Article 50 notification, on Monday. PHOTO: REUTERS.

Brexit vote sends new shocks, political, economic chaos deepen

B

r i ta i n ’ s decision to leave the European Union sent new shockwaves through financial markets on Monday, with the pound falling despite the country’s leaders’ attempts to ease political and economic turmoil unleashed by the move, Reuters reported.

Finance minister, George Osborne, said the British economy was strong enough to cope with the volatility caused by Thursday’s referendum, the biggest blow since

World War Two to the European goal of forging greater unity.

But his words failed to halt the fall of sterling, which later sank to its lowest level against the United States currency for 31 years, continuing the slide that began last week when Britons confounded investors’ expectations by voting to end 43 years of European Union membership.

European bank shares had their worst two-day fall on record and world stocks, as measured by MSCI

.MIWD00000PUS were on track for worst two-day fall since the aftermath of the Lehman Bros collapse in late 2008. With the ruling Conservatives looking for a new leader after Prime Minister David Cameron’s resignation on Friday and lawmakers from the opposition Labour party stepping up a rebellion against their leader, Britain sank deeper into political and economic chaos.

“There’s no political leadership in the UK right when markets need the

We must bring the country together, Cameron says The government has a “fundamental responsibility to bring our country together” in the aftermath of the EU referendum, David Cameron has told MPs. The PM, according to BBC, addressed MPs for two hours in the Commons on Thursday’s vote to leave the European Union.

He said negotiating an exit would be the civil service’s most complex and important task for decades.

Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn warned his own party - and the Tories - against “internal factional manoeuvring.”

The Labour leader is currently facing MPs who have put forward a motion of no confidence in him following the Brexit vote.

He is then expected to speak

David Cameron

to supporters of his from the Momentum campaign group and trade unions who have gathered outside Parliament.

Meanwhile, Germany, France and Italy have said they will not hold informal talks with the UK until it triggers the official Article 50 mechanism notifying the rest of EU of its intention to leave.

After a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi emphasised the need to process the UK’s exit as quickly as possible and focus on the challenges facing the remaining 27 states.

reassurance of direction,” said Luke Hickmore Aberdeen Asset of Management, expressing the view of many in the City of London financial centre.

Cameron has promised to stay on until October as a caretaker.

Germany rules out informal negotiations The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has said there can be no talks on Brexit before the United Kingdom formally begins the process of leaving the European Union.

While accepting the UK needed time, she added it should not be a “long time.”

Mrs Merkel is due to meet French and Italian leaders later in Berlin, with the speed of negotiations for the UK’s exit high on the agenda.

Obama heads to last summit with Canada, Mexico President Barack Obama will meet with leaders of Canada and Mexico on Wednesday for his final “Three Amigos” summit, a meeting that may signal how keen the North American partners are to tout trade at a time of rising protectionist sentiment.

The Ottawa summit, Reuters, according to comes on the heels of Britain voting to leave the European Union after more than 40 years. It also falls ahead of a U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8 where presumptive Republican candidate Donald Trump has made stagnant wages and U.S. manufacturing

job losses focal points of his insurgent campaign.

The Brexit vote is bound to be an important theme for Obama’s meetings with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canada had negotiated a trade deal with the EU that is slated to take effect next year. The Brexit could delay ratification, Canada’s and hurt commodity-driven economy.

The referendum results are also a setback to talks on a U.S.-EU trade deal. Mexico, which has a trade deal with the EU, has

already prepared a draft proposal for one with the United Kingdom.

At the summit, leaders will also look at how best to foster trade with each other, said Mexico’s Finance Minister Luis Videgaray.

Barack Obama

French prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the EgyptAir plane crash last month.

Flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo came down in the Mediterranean Sea on 19 May, killing all 66 people on board, BBC said.

The cause of the crash remains unknown, but

the Paris prosecutor’s office said it had no evidence so far of terrorism.

Egyptian investigators earlier said the damaged memory chips from the plane’s cockpit voice and data recorders had been flown to France for repair.

The investigators were unable to download information from the chips.

Erdogan ‘sorry’ for downing of Russian jet Protesters kick against the abortion law with placards. PHOTO: GETTYIMAGE

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has apologised for the downing of a Russian military jet near the country’s border with Syria, saying there was no deliberate intention in carrying out the attack, a Kremlin spokesman said.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin received a message from Erdogan expressing his “sympathy and deep condolences” to the family of the killed pilot, and “asked to be

forgiven.”

Erdogan also reportedly promised that he would do “everything possible” to restore relations with Russia.

The Kremlin then released a statement citing Erdogan as saying Ankara “never had the desire and the intention” to down the Russian jet.

Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogan’s spokesman, confirmed that the Turkish leader sent the letter saying he was “sorry” for the incident, Hurriyet newspaper reported.

Israel, Turkey end rift over Gaza flotilla killings

Israel and Turkey have normalised relations, ending a six-year rift over the killing by Israeli troops of 10 Turkish activists on a Gaza-bound ship.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said a deal reached on Sunday would see Israel pay $20million (£15million) in compensation.

It will also allow Turkey to send aid to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects in the Palestinian territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement would help bring “stability” to the Middle East.

Turkey was once Israel’s

Benjamin Netanyahu

closest ally in the region, and the two countries share many strategic interests, BBC stated.

The Turkish and Israeli prime ministers announced the deal to restore diplomatic ties at simultaneous news conferences in Ankara and Rome.

communitynews IBEDC staff not immune to paying electricity bills, landlords told

38

by ronke sanya

I

BADAN Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has, in an interactive meeting with communities in Ogun region, dispelled insinuation that IBEDC members of staff are immune from paying electricity bills, even as tenants.

Branding and Communications Officer, IBEDC, Ogun Region, Mrs Regina Adelokun, gave this clarification during a town hall meeting with Ota

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

residents and customers.

Responding to questions from residents at the town hall meeting, she said: “The issue of immunity for IBEDC staff not to pay for electricity is false and landlords should please report any staff found to be claiming such right.”

Customers present at the town hall meeting harped on the need for more prepaid meters and the refund of the funds expended by the various Community Develop-

ment Associations (CDA) on self-help electricity project.

They also claimed that some of them paid for Credit Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) but have not had their meters installed for over three months, while some complained of non reflection of payment.

Also responding to questions, the Business Hub Commercial Manager, Ota, Mr Paul Peters, urged electricity consumers with complaints

of wrong tariffs and non reflection of payments to write the Customer Care Unit and present support documentsfor rectification.”

He added: “IBEDC will love to meter all its customers but the financial implication is huge so, we are doing it in piecemeal. Customers are encouraged to embrace Credit Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAMPI) which will be refunded in short plan with 12 per cent interest via energy purchase.”

A bad section of a road at Arapaja area, Odo-Ona Kekere, in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State. PHOTO: OYEBANJI PETER

Royal father wants residents to be committed to sanitation exercise A traditional ruler in Imo State, Eze Joe Oleka, has called on residents in the state to show more commitment to the monthly sanitation exercise.

Oleka, who is the traditional ruler of Oru-Ahiara community in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area, spoke during June sanitation on Saturday.

He decried the low level of participation among his subjects, adding that they leave their homes to Afor Oru Market Square as early as 5 a.m.

The community leader also expressed regrets that youths use the time to play football.

According to him, playing football when the roads to most towns and villages are bushy is not the best thing to do.

Also, Mr Ozor Okorie, a youth leader in Izombe in Oguta Local Government Area, applauded the state government for the monthly exercise.

Okorie urged communities to take advantage of the exercise to clean-up their communities during the three hours sanitation.

At the town hall meeting were officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Police and State Security Services in Ado-Odo and Ota Local Government Areas.

The security agents urged residents to be vigilant and report suspected activities of vandals.

In their speeches, they noted that persistent power outage was due to increased vandalism.

Residents were also informed on the need to take permission before embarking on any protest or rally and should desist from infriging in the duties of their staff in and around their vicinities.

The palace representative from Ota, Mr Dada, charged IBEDC staff to be courteous in their approach and should stop giving outrageous and crazy bills to customers.

In a related development, the Olomu of Omu-Aran in Kwara State, , Charles Ibitoye, has commended IBEDC for the distribution of free prepaid meters to its customers in Omu-Aran district.

He gave the commendation while addressing members of the Artisan Congress of Nigeria, Omu-Aran chapter, at his palace, on Sunday.

It was gathered that IBEDC

Oba of Badagry restrained from taking rent on family land yedjide gbenga-ogundare

JUSTICE Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court, has given an order restraining His Royal Highness, Oba Abideen Akanbi Durosimi, from selling or collecting rents or harassing the entire Osolu family in Irewe land, Ojo Local Government area

of Lagos state over any of their properties.

Justice Dada made the order of Interlocutory Injunction pending the determination of a suit delineated BD/76/2012 filed by Prince Bolaji Oyefolu and seven other claimants/applicants through their counsel, Mr. O. Adenekan for the

Osolu family.

Other claimants in the suit are Mr. Timothy Ajiboye, Chief Rasaki Odunewu, Mr. Shefiu Olatunde, Prince Akeem Oyefolu, Chief Afolabi Giwa, Princes Abu Oyefolu and Shamsideen Durosimi.

The court granted the plaintiff’s prayer after

Court bars spiritual head from conducting election for youths in Delta ebenezer adurokiya-warri

A Delta State High Court sitting in Warri, has granted an interim injunction order restraining the spiritual head of oil-rich Ugborodo community in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Benson Dube Omadeli, and eight others, from conducting any election/swearing-in into executive positions of Ugborodo community youths body.

The court said this was to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

Justice P. O. OnajiteKuejubola gave the order in suit no. W203/2016 between Messrs Julius Atete, Victor Igban and Peter

Omoabenyi for themselves and on behalf of Ugborodo Community Youth Body as claimants/applicants and Mr. Benson Dube Omadeli (Olaojori of Ugborodo community) and eight others on behalf of a purported electoral committee and Mr. Emmanuel Onuwaje and two others for themselves and on behalf of constitution review committee members appointed by the Ugborodo community youth body as defendants.

Justice Onajite-Kuejubola ruled that having heard A.K Ibini, counsel for the claimants/applicants, “I hereby grant the application for interim injunction order to be made to forestall breakdown of law

and order.

“I also grant the order for substituted service and an order restraining the 1-9 defendants, by themselves, privies, agents, cohorts or any person or persons whatsoever from conducting any election/swearing –in into the executive positions of Ugborodo community youths body pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice”.

Justice Onajite-Kuejubola, however, stated that the order of interim injunction shall cease and abate after seven days and ordered the claimants/applicants to enter a bond in the sum of N1 million as surety for costs in the event that the order was frivolously sought.

hearing a Motion on Notice dated February 27, 2015, supported by an affidavit in support on March 2, 2015, deposed

by Mr. Ajiboye and the claimants’ counsel’s application of February 27, 2015 which was not opposed by defence counsel, Mr. Abdul-Azeez Jimoh.

The court ruled that the defendant or his agents and privies were restrained from further dissipating, selling, leasing the properties “and from further collecting royalties and rents from tenants in respect of Coconut Farm Beach, huts and houses.”

The order also covers leases, dredging sites, sand excavation sites, debtors and “any other monies payable to the Osolu family in respect of the Osolu properties.”

Justice Dada further directed the registrar of the court or any neutral person(s) to enter the properties and collect royalties, rents and other monies payable to the Osolu family in respect of the properties at Irewe land and pay same into an Escrow account for the family “till the determination of this suit.”

The court adjourned the case till October 10, 2016

had, a few days ago, begun free installation of 517 meters under its Free Prepaid Meters Roll-out Scheme.

Omu-Aran district comprises Offa, Ajase-Ipo, Oro, Oke-Onigbin, Oko, Osi and Egbe, among others.

The project, according to IBEDC Omu-Aran District Manager, Mr Waliu Sanni, was aimed at curbing energy wastage and enhanced efficient service delivery.

The traditional ruler said by the gesture, the company had demonstrated its commitment to ensure the socioeconomic well-being of the people of the community.

FRSC advocates safety education in schools Delta alphonsus agborh-asaba

THE need to teach safety education as a subject in schools, as approved by the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC) in 2007, has been stressed.

This, according to the Delta State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Rindom Kumven, is to make youths to be properly educated on safety rules.

At a stakeholders’ meeting on road safety education for youths attended by school teachers in Asaba, Delta State, Mr Kumven noted that many young people had lost their lives in road crashes due to their abysmal knowledge of safety codes.

The sector commander lamented that many state governments were yet to introduce safety education as a subject in the school curriculum.

According to him, FRSC believes in catching them young enough to educate them, adding that the rate at which youths and children perish in road crashes propelled the corps to push for safety education from primary to junior secondary school level.

He narrated an incident in which over 42 children died in an unmarked school bus that plunged into a river.

In the lecture he delivered, the state Commissioner for Basic Education, Chiedu Ebie, said Delta State had infused safety education into carrier subjects in schools.

Ebie, who was represented

by Mr. Ziregbe Onos, however, explained that introducing safety education as a subject was unattainable because of numerous challenges, including funding.

Earlier, the Deputy Route Commander of the corps in the state, Mark Abili educated stakeholders on the importance of the speed limiter which, he stated, had commenced since 2012.

Mr. Abili said 16 companies had been mandated to provide speed limiter machines that are fitted to vehicles to control.

39

Tuesday, 28 June, 2016

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Arsenal stops Iwobi from Rio Olympics?

N

IGERIAN international, Alex Iwobi is “devastated” after Arsenal finally blocked him from the Rio Olympics, AfricanFootball.com can exclusively report.

2018 W/Cup qualifiers:

Glo drums up support for Eagles GLOBACOM has urged the Super Eagles to make Nigeria proud as they prepare for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, just as it rallies support for the team.

Nigeria is drawn in group B alongside Cameroon, Zambia and Algeria.

In a press statement in Lagos on Monday, Globacom said: “The draw has been concluded and preparation towards a successful campaign in group B must begin in earnest.”

Glo also called for total support for the three-time African champions to enable them to deliver the Russia 2018 ticket.

“All Nigerians must come together to support the Super Eagles to triumph over their opponents in group B in order to ensure the nation’s qualification for its sixth World Cup. “Apart from winning all home matches and amassing the nine points available, the Eagles’ technical crew must work assiduously towards picking points on the road to ensure that Nigeria tops the group that has generally been referred to as ‘ group of death,” it added.

Glo stated that the Super Eagles could not afford to disappoint Nigerians again after the pain of missing out in the 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon.

This latest decision thus overrides an earlier position by the London club that Iwobi will be allowed to break pre-season training with them to join the Nigeria Olympic team at their training camp base in the United States of America ahead of the Rio games in August.

A source close to Iwobi told AfricanFootball. com: “Arsenal have taken a decision on Alex, he will not be going to the Olympics with Nigeria.

“The boy himself is very disappointed because he wanted to be in Rio, but Arsenal have the final say on this matter because the competition is not on the FIFA calen-

Amuneke, others owed 7 months’ salary

—Investigation

dar. They w a n t him the

to start new season with them.”

Iwobi’s absence adds to the growing list of problems confronting coach Samson Siasia, who is far from happy with the form of his team and has admitted he cannot confirm the availability of several of the top stars he has penciled down for the summer games like Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi. The Dream Team is slated to face another Rio Olympics-bound team, Mexico, in a warm-up game on Sunday.

Iwobi

2018 W/Cup: Nigeria’s ticket is non-negotiable —Pinnick

By Olawale Olaniyan THE President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Pinnick has said that the 2018 World Cup qualification is non-negotiable after Nigeria was drawn with Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia in group B. Pinnick who was in Ibadan last Sunday to watch the Nigeria Premier League match day 24 clash between Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) and FC IfeanyiUbah, said he’s very optimistic that Nigeria will top group B.

“Each of the groups can be described as ‘group of death’.

All the groups are tough. We have a crop of hungry, exceptionally-talented, enterprising young players. We have the parade of the youngest players in the world right now that can make things happen for us.

“When the draw came out, I talked to most of the players and they were all excited.

Some of them even said they preferred to play Algeria to Egypt again. So I believe we don’t have any choice, we didn’t qualify for the 2017

Pinnick

AFCON, so this one (2018 World Cup) is non-negotiable.

“On the part of the federation, we would do everything within our power in making sure that they get the best in terms of preparation for the World Cup. “We are working to get a new coach and we have reached 90 per cent stage. So within the next two weeks by God’s grace, we are going to name a substantive coach for

the Super Eagels,” Pinnick said.

He also expressed confidence that the Dream Team will make Nigeria proud in the forthcoming Rio Olympics.

“Everything they requested for, we have been able to do. They’ve just secured their visas and they are playing against Mexico in a friendly. I truly believe we can make a difference,” Pinnick said.

Coaches of Nigeria’s U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, have not been paid their salaries for seven months.

AfricanFootball.com can also confirm that neither have they been paid their bonuses and allowances, same also with the players despite progressing to the final round of qualifiers for the 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.

A top management staff of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) told AfricanFootball.com: “It has been a tough period for us (NFF) because even the Flying Eagles coaches have not been paid for about seven months now.”

The NFF top-shot was responding to a question about whether they have started paying the monies owed the late former technical director, Shuaibu Amodu.

While refusing to confirm if they had fulfilled their financial obligations to the late former Nigeria coach, he however admitted that they ‘still owe’ some coaches.

“The truth of the matter is we still owe some coaches but I cannot confirm what you’re asking right now,” he added.

Further investigations have also revealed that the Flying Eagles are yet to be paid bonuses for the wins over Burundi in the second round of the U20 AFCON qualifiers and neither have they been given their camp allowances.

...Zambia good for slot —Kalusha Kalusha Bwalya believes that Zambia could surprise in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and make their debut in Russia 2018 after all.

The 2012 African champions are begin their qualifying campaign against Nigeria before taking on Cameroon and Algeria in group B. Nevertheless, the Chipolopolo legend fancies his country’s chances against the heavyweights insisting

anything is possible.

“Zambia always plays better against big teams.

World Cup draw is always difficult. [Friday’s] draw no exception for every team and every group,” Bwalya told Football Association of Zambia website.

“As for group B, Chipolopolo has had the better of Cameroon and Nigeria in the past. Algeria has always given us some sleepless nights.

“Prepare early, put every-

thing in place and get ‘good’ results and set the pace in first two games then you are up and running. The bigger the names of the opposition, the better Zambia plays.

“Have confidence in this group of players and you can see what happens. Anything can happen in this group.

“Teams will get points off each other and that can be good for Zambia. Believe in yourselves. It’s tough but it can be done.”

SIDELINES

NO 16,533

TUESDAY, 28 JUNE, 2016

A suspected cross-border fraudster, Taiwo Lawal Egbebi, now in custody confessed that he returned to defrauding innocent people one year after he stopped the illicit business because, survival became difficult for him. For the first time, a suspect did not blame devil for his involvement in crime. What a changing world!

N150

We might as well take Flying Eagles to Olympics —Siasia

A

hugely disappointed Nigeria’s U-23 coach, Samson Siasia has suggested the country may be better represented at the forthcoming Rio Olympics by the U-20 team.

The Flying Eagles beat the Rio Olympics-bound team 4-3 in a friendly last weekend to make it a second win over their senior counterparts.

In the first friendly, the U20s had won 2-1.

“We might as well take the Flying Eagles to the Olympics,” lamented a dejected Siasia, who had personally pushed for a rematch so that he could

Siasia

avenge the first loss to the Flying Eagles.

“We have been training and teaching them what to do, but we could not do the simple things tactically.”

He acknowledged that his defence is in a shambles following the long-term injury of Segun Oduduwa.

“We need help in defence, we have a lot of problems there. Hopefully (Wilfred) Ndidi will be released by his club and he will join us (in USA training camp).”

The former Super Eagles handler said he will push for another test game before the squad start departing the country on Tuesday (today).

2018 W-Cup: Eagles need media support to qualify —Ideye FORMER West Brom striker, Brown Ideye insists the media have a “huge” role to play in Nigeria’s quest to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Super Eagles have been handed a tough pairing enroute to Russia 2018 and they will have to negotiate their way past Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia in group B. The Olympiakos of Greece forward who returned to the national team in May having been locked out of the squad since he missed out in the 2014 World Cup believes everyone must work as a team to ensure the team earns a World Cup place.

“At this stage of football, tough groups like the type we have found ourselves are to be expected,” Ideye told thenff.com.

“To get to the World Cup, we cannot cut corners or relax or take things for granted. The World Cup is the biggest football stage where you meet the best of the best, so getting there will be tough.

“Now, we have to be pre-

pared to work hard. If we work hard together as a team we will win matches and if we win our games we will qualify.

“The media have to be involved in this as well. They (media) have a huge role to play in motivating and psyching our team to do well.

“Everything is in our hands; we must plan well and ensure our house is in order. I believe we will qualify,” Ideye stated.

Ideye

Messi quits international football FIVE-TIME World Footballer of the Year, Lionel Messi has retired from international duty.

He announced his retirement shortly after he missed his spot kick when Argentina lost 2-4 via penalties to Chile, in the final of the Copa America last Sunday.

It was Messi’s fourth major final in nine years and the

FC Barcelona star felt the ill-fated final at the MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, US should be his last game for his country.

“For me, the national team is over,” he said after defeat by Chile in the Copa America final. “I’ve done all I can. It hurts not to be a champion.”

Messi, 29, has won eight La Liga titles and four

Messi

Champions Leagues with Spanish side, Barcelona.

But his only major international honour is Olympic gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

As well as losing two Copa America finals on penalties to Chile, Messi was in the Argentina side beaten 1-0 by Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.

The forward, who was

been awarded the Ballon d’Or five times, was also on the losing side against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final.

“It’s been four finals, I tried,” added Messi, who made his debut for Argentina in 2005 and has played 113 times for his country.

“It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over.”

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: editornigeriantribune@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: DEBO ABDULAI. All Correspondence to P.O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 28/6/2016.