29th December 2015 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 16,402

TUESDAY, 29 DECEMBER, 2015

200 illegal refineries destroyed in N/Delta —NSCDC —P7

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Ketu tragedy: Navy takes over twins' bodies —P8

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Kaduna APC suspends Shehu Sani

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N150

Saudi Arabia to raise petrol prices by 40% —P10

—P4

61 killed in Adamawa, Borno Boko Haram attacks —P5

40 shops, 150 stalls razed in another Ibadan plank market fire

•It's arson —Market chairman —P6 •We will investigate —Oyo govt

Scene of the fire incident at Sango Isopako, Alaro area, Ibadan, on Monday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

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Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

2016 inspires hope for better Nigeria —Anyaoku THE new year 2016 inspires hope of a real change for the better in Nigeria’s national circumstances, former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has said. Anyaoku made the remark in a signed statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, on Monday. He expressed hope that the pervading insecurity in Nigeria would be brought under control. The former Commonwealth chieftain also expressed hope that corruption, which had remained the greatest bane to national development, would be effectively tackled. “The infrastructural deficit in power supply, transportation, including roads, education and health, will receive attention. “Youth unemployment together with the widespread poverty of the masses will be productively addressed,” the statement quoted Anyaoku as saying. The elder statesman described 2015 as a year of historic events which began with insecurity and devastation in the North-Eastern part of the country. He said the outgoing year also witnessed growing threat of destructive violence to the national electoral process with potential unacceptable consequences for the integrity of the nation. “But thanks to the initiative by some elder statesmen, which led to signing of the Abuja Accord of violence-free campaigns by the 14 presidential candidates and their political parties.

“The elections were peaceful, which enabled the country to progress its evolving democracy by having, for the first time, a peaceful change of government from a ruling to an opposition party,” he said. Anyoku said the challenge facing the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is to work with all the regions of the country for the realisation of these hopes. He added that the challenge also called for collaborative response from all the citizens.

Ribadu in secret talks with Bisi Akande Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

IONEER chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Sunday, met behind closed doors with former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande. Though details of the meeting could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, a credible source, informed the Nigerian Tribune that it might not be unconnected with prepa-

rations of Ribadu to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It will be recalled that Mallam Ribadu vied for the last governorship election in Adamawa State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and lost to the APC candidate. The source further hinted that the meeting, which spanned several hours, was held behind closed doors at the College Road, Ila Orangun country home of Chief Akande. According to the source,

“Ribadu, before meeting Chief Akande, had held meeting with members of the APC in the former governor’s lodge.” At the meeting, Ribadu was said to have hinted of his readiness to return to APC, observing that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on which platform he contested 2011 presidential poll had become a strong factor in today’s ruling mega party. When contacted over the development, the Osun State chapter of the PDP said it was unaware of the visit of Ribadu to Osun.

Speaking during a telephone interview with the Nigerian Tribune, the spokesperson of the party in the state, Mr Diran Odeyemi, said: “we are unaware of his visit. He didn’t inform us and we don’t expect him to come to Ila to declare he was leaving light for darkness. “When did Ila become his constituency that he chose to declare he was crossing to APC in the town? We won’t be surprised if, in the next few months, he jumps to another party. But if he leaves, no one will miss him.”

Give them a gift that shines this season

Aisha Buhari distributes foodstuff to women WIFE of the president, Mrs Aisha Buhari, on Monday, distributed foodstuff to Christian Women Association, Kubwa chapter, Abuja, as part of activities to mark this year’s Christmas. Hajia Buhari was represented by former deputy governor of Plateau State, Mrs Paullen Tallen. She urged women to give their children good upbringing according to the norms and values of the society. The coordinator of the association, Mrs Elizabeth Oyedele, in her speech, thanked the present administration for making the Christmas hitch-free.

Better for You. Better for Your Family. For a list of LIGHTING AFRICA QUALITY VERIFIED SOLAR PRODUCTS, text LA, your town to 38321, eg. LA IBADAN to 38321

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Kaduna APC suspends Shehu Sani Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna

he All Progressives Congress (APC), Tudun Wada North ward 6 of Kaduna State has suspended Senator Shehu Sani from the party, accusing him of being disloyal to the party and the state Governor Nasir ElRufai. The letter of suspension dated December 27, 2015, was made available to newsmen on Monday and it was signed by the ward Secretary of the APC, Ahmed Abudulhamid. The letter also accused Senator Sani of factionalising the party in the state. The letter also added that the anti-party activities are so pronounced especially criticising the Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. “A week hardly passes by without his group going on the air, criticising and challenging the enduring legacies of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. “That his statement on national issues is not in

conformity with that of the state governor and Government of Kaduna State. “That he has remained consistently in confrontation with the good policies of the Government of Kaduna State and considering it anti people’s policy. “In view of the foregoing, we have unanimously agreed that Senator Sani, representing ward six, should be suspended for the period of 11 months and that henceforth, he is disengaged in partaking or attending party activities in Kaduna State subject to other punitive measures respectively,” the letter stressed. However, Senator Sani’s

Banji Aluko-Benin City

A member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has been killed by police in Edo State, after killing about six people over al-

have been budgeted for that purpose. Let me announce it here that we do not plan to retrench any teacher working with the state government. “In fact we need qualified teachers to address shortfall in numbers. What we will not condone in our schools are unqualified teachers, who have nothing to offer our children. “If after giving you the necessary training, we discovered that you do not have the capacity or enthusiasm to teach, we will reassign you to where your expertise if most needed.” While commending the executive of the association for its diligence in the face of mounting challenges, Tambuwal solicited its support in government’s efforts to take Sokoto State to greater heights.

leged food poisoning. The incident occurred in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of the state. The man, whose name was given as Onana Osua, was said to have escaped death after being reportedly poisoned by friends and was rushed to a hospital. In an act of revenge, Osua embarked on killing of the people he suspected to have poisoned him or their wives. The police in Edo State said Osua had killed three of his targets before they shot him, but sources in Uromi said that the man had killed about six people before he fled to a community called Ahia in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State. Edo Police spokesman, DSP Abiodun Osifo, who confirmed the report, said three people were confirmed killed by Osua and that some other persons are in critical conditions in different hospitals. DSP Osifo explained that Osua engaged a police patrol team before he was gunned down.

Man, 60, arrested for defiling 12-year-old girl in Ogun Olayinka Olukoya-Abeokuta

The Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 60 year-old-man, Adewale Enoch, for allegedly defiling a 12 year-old-girl on Boxing Day in Abigi area of Ogun State. The case, Nigerian Tribune learnt was reported to the police by the father of the victim, which led to Enoch’s arrest.

FEMI FOURSCORE OSIBONA ORGANISED THE END OF THE YEAR PARTY FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED

From left, Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Prince Emmanuel Osibona and the host, Mr Femi Fourscore Osibona (middle), during the celebration with the less privileged held at Owolana/Onajole area, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, on Monday.

Man murders 6 in Edo over alleged poisoning

Tambuwal promises not to sack teachers Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has promised that his administration will not sack any teacher from the state civil service. The governor made this promise in his address at the annual national congress of the old Boys’ association of his alma mater, Government Secondary School, Dogon Daji. The governor, who noted that, “We will not fail to reassign any teacher that does not have the requisite qualifications to be in the classroom,” added that, “Beginning from the next budget, the government will ensure continuous training and retraining of teachers to update their knowledge and make them conform to modern teaching techniques. “Huge sums of money

spokesman on politics, Suleiman Ahmed said, “The writers of the letter are ignorant of the constitution of the party. The letter will not deter Senator Sani from challenging governor El-Rufai over any policy that is antipeople.” It will be recalled that Senator Sani and Governor El-Rufai had engaged each other in war of words over what Sani described as El-Rufai’s anti-people policies, particularly the demolition of alleged illegal houses in the state, while the state governor had viewed his attacks as personal and not in conformity with the party’s position and the state government.

PHOTOS: D’TOYIN

It was gathered that the state Commissioner of Police, Ogun State, Abdulmajid Ali, had directed that the case be transferred to the Department of Criminal iInvestigation and Intelligence, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation and prosecution for the command has credible evidence to arraign the suspect. The Police boss also ap-

pealed to parents and guardians to monitor their children or wards as all hands must be on deck to eradicate criminal and inhuman acts in our society. Ali, however, vowed to leave no stone unturned to continue the fight against child abuse, gender violence and other social vices that can expose children to moral dangers.

Right Reverend (Dr) Micheal Olusina Fape (left) praying for Mr Osibona.

From left, Chief Mercy Owolana, Mr Osibona and Olori Yemisi Adeyinka Onakade.

From left, Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu, Prince Osibona and Venerable Samuel Enike.

Cross section of beneficiaries.

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Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Multiple explosions kill 31 in Borno By Chris Agbambu and James Bwala

OLLOWING failed attempts to attack Maiduguri, Borno State capital, by the Boko Haram insurgents, suicide bombers detonated three Improvise Explosive Devices (IEDs) in three different areas of the metropolis, killing 31 people. Residents of the area told the Nigerian Tribune that the explosion that rocked Bakassi area killed five people, while the IED that exploded at Bullumkuttu killed 20 people and the one at Damboa Road, behind Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) quarters, killed six people while several others were injured. According to Kabiru Tijjani, a member of the Civilian JTF at Bullumkuttu, many of the suicide bombers got into Maiduguri during the failed attempt by Boko Haram members to take over the city. The sect members engaged in gunshots with the military for close to four hours. “The street of Maiduguri is empty as everybody is indoors except for us Civilian JTF and soldiers,” he said. Residents who also spoke on the attacks said: “After several failed attempts to take over Maiduguri, these people are still coming to attack again. This is not good, most especially now that we are seeing the effort of the military. If not for the interception of the fighters yesterday, Maiduguri would have been worst this morning,” Sidi Auwal told the Nigerian Tribune. Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole said they killed 10 suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers at the outskirts of Maiduguri city on Sunday. Meanwhile, troops said contrary to earlier media reports and rumours flying around, two suspected suicide bombers earlier intercepted by vigilant troops disclosed their colleagues’ intent to enter the city with the aim of detonating bombs in selected public places, prompting the army to lay ambush on the terrorists’ suspected routes on Damboa Road. According to information made available to the Nigerian Tribune, the suicide bombers were in-

tercepted in three different locations: Ajiri area towards Damboa Road, High Court axis and the Eye Hospital Area. The information had it that Explosive Ordinance Device team were mobilised to comb the area. The Nigerian Tribune gathered that normalcy had been restored to the area while the public were advised to go about their normal businesses and to be security conscious. Meanwhile, the army said it would not sit back and allow some mischievous elements in the society to further create unnecessary tension and disaffection in the society. In a statement, the army warned one Dr Abdullahi Danladi and like minded individuals to desist from telling lies and misrepresentation of facts capable of misleading the general public, especially regarding the recent clash between troops and members of Shiite sect. Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Sulaimon Lasun-Yussuff, on Monday, consoled the government of Borno State and the families of those who lost their loved ones to the attack on a mosque in Maiduguri. In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Wole Oladimeji, the deputy speaker lamented that “It is unfortunate that even at a season like this, men of the underworld would still look for soft targets to perpetrate their evil acts, especially when such attacks took place at worship centres.” While stating that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestation, is a despicable and unjustifiable threat to our society, Honourable Lasun-Yussuff declared “We must, however, appreciate the unflinching determination and efforts of the government to continue to take every step to put an end to the reprehensible acts of all groups and persons involved in acts of terrorism.” He called on all Nigerians not to despair at this moment of great trial in the nation’s history but to remain united to confront the common enemy, assuring the people that no terrorist act against fellow citizens would destroy the

Nigerian spirit to remain positive, resolute and united in the quest for lasting peace and security in the country. The deputy speaker, however, urged all the security operatives to be more circumspect in intelligence gathering and

management while the relief agencies and medical personnel should show pro-activeness in deploying every possible effort to assist the injured. In the same vein, the deputy speaker commiserated with Osun State House of Assembly over the death

of its Minority Leader and Chairman, House Committee on Regional Integration and Special Duties, Honourable Samson Oladejo Makinde, representing Ife Central Constituency. He described the late Oladejo, who just clocked 48 years, as unassuming,

generous and cultured politician, who contributed immensely to the development of his people, lamenting that his death was a big loss to Osun State and the state assembly. The deputy speaker consoled with his aged mother, wife and children.

Travellers returning from Christmas and Maulud Nabiyy holidays, at Jabi Motor Park, Abuja, on Monday. PHOTO: NAN.

30 killed in Adamawa suicide attack

Military confirms attack SCORES of people were feared killed on Monday when two female suicide bombers attacked a busy motor park in Madagali town of Adamawa State. A witness, Danladi Buba, said the two suicide bomb-

ers detonated bombs at a mini market near a motor park around 9:00a.m., killing many people. “About 30 people were killed with 16 others injured,” Mr Buba said. When contacted, the

Osinbajo for Burkina Faso president’s inauguration PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will be represented today by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the inauguration of a new and democratically elected president of Burkina Faso, Mr Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. Kaboré emerged president last month after general elections. Earlier in September this year, President Buhari had presided over an extra-ordinary session of ECOWAS leaders in Abuja regarding a military coup that took place that month in Burkina Faso. The meeting called for the restoration of civil rule and supported the progress of the political transi-

tion. This culminated in the November presidential and parliamentary elections in the country. The vice president represented President Buhari at the follow-up meeting of select ECOWAS leaders in the nation’s capital city, Ouagadougou. The meeting contributed to the termination of the military coup and restoration of Burkina Faso’s democratic transition. The vice president is expected in Ouagadougou today for the one-day visit, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity), Laolu Akande, on Monday.

Brigade Commander of 28 Task Force Brigade, Mubi, Victor Ezugwu, confirmed the incident, saying the casualty figure was yet to be established. “Two female suicide bombers struck at a garage in Madagali and detonated their devices, and we lost some beloved country men,” Mr Ezug-

wu, a Brigadier-General, said. He said the injured had been taken to the hospital while the military had cordoned off the area. The brigade commander said the situation had been brought under control. He urged the people to be vigilant and security conscious.

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Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Again, fire razes Sango plank market •It is arson —Market chairman

ByTundeOgunesanandWale Akinselure

or the second time and within 72 hours, about 150 stalls, 40 shops and four houses were razed in another fire incident at Igbajo plank market, Ibadan, on Monday morning. The fire incident, which occurred just after about 200 shops were razed on Friday afternoon, consumed 37 plain machines, eight truckload of planks, circular sawing machines, band sawing machines mortise machines, spindles, generating sets, readymade doors and planks. When Nigerian Tribune visited, it was tale of woes and regret, while debris of the burnt stalls were seen everywhere. Though the source of the inferno is yet to be ascertained, Chairman, Igbajo plank market, Mr Oladipo Faseyitan, alleged that the stalls were torched by suspected arsonists. Speaking further, Faseyitan quoted a dispute over the land and an attendant court order instituted by some persons mandating the traders to vacate within seven days. He added that these persons alleged that the traders had encroached upon their land. Faseyitan regarded those claims as unfounded while noting that the traders association also sought the court’s adjudication on the raging issue of land ownership. “We believe that this was arson because the stalls were selectively set on fire. This did not just happen. Some people torched these stalls. There were no food sellers, or people who make fire, because traders were at home to celebrate the holidays. “For the past four months, there has been some disagreement with some land owners who have asked us to leave. We received a court letter from these people who gave us seven days ultimatum to vacate their land. “We purchased this land and we have approached the court to adjudicate on this matter. But we think that these people are forcing us to leave this land. Some also told us that we had encroached upon their land. We had asked that the so called land owners demarcate appropriately, we found out that their claims were unfounded.” Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Sango Division, Mrs Joyce Maiyaki assured that investigations had commenced to ascertain the cause of the fire disaster. While assuring that men of the police were on

ground to guarantee security of the area, she called for calm till the findings of investigations are revealed. On a visit to the scene of the incident, state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, represented by select government officials assured that investigations had commenced, while noting that anyone found wanting would be brought to book. Sympathising with the

•We will investigate —Oyo govt

victims, Governor Ajimobi, who was represented by a team of officials which include Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr Yomi Layinka; Head of Service, Mr Soji Eniade, among other former government officials like Mr Ismail OlalekanAlli, Dr Gbade Ojo, Mr Segun Abolarinwa, noted that the status of markets was being visited. “We appeal to the traders to be calm while investi-

gation commences immediately. We warn that nobody should engage in any untoward activity in this community. We will make a statement on the status of this market, which is a private market in this community. Development has caught up with the market and you wonder if it should still be within this kind of environment. We have to remodel things in the state. Market must not exist within communities

inhabited by people.” Ajimobi decried the incessant fire incidents in the market, adding that the need for redesigning and relocation of markets had become expedient in the face of modernity and environmental changes. “When a similar event occurred in February, we provided compensation. But giving money is solving the problem temporarily. The bigger solution is to redesign, perhaps re-

From left, Deputy National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Segun Oni; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; former Governor of Ondo State, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua; and the first civilian governor of Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo; during the former governors’ visit to Olumilua at his home town, Ikere- Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Saturday.

locate and find them a better place. This is not the only market being considered for relocation. These markets cannot remain the way they are 20 or 40 years ago, with the new challenges. We must accept change. Until investigations are concluded and recommendations are made based on the findings, it is best to limit reconstruction works in this market.” Meanwhile, many of the traders affected by the inferno are still ruing their losses while others who were not affected were seen making alternatives to pack their goods to more secured locations. Anonymous sources disclosed that, “there is a letter in circulation threatening to torch other parts of the markets.” Confirming the initial incident, one of the elders of the Ibadan Timber Dealers Association, Sango branch, Ibadan, Olayinka Ojo informed Nigerian Tribune that the first incident was as a result of a burning gas cooker thrown into the market from a neighbouring house. He then noted that the second incident was however suspicious from information available to them. He, however, ruled out a crisis situation, noting that the elders and executive committee of the association are working round the clock to ensure things did not go out of hand.

I didn’t perpetually stop EFCC from probing Odili, judge tells NJC Lanre Adewole-Lagos

The sustained controversy over the alleged corruption probe of former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili, is deepening with the denial by Justice Ibrahim Buba that he granted a perpetual injunction restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from probing, arresting and prosecuting him. Justice Buba, it was, who granted certain contentious injunctive reliefs in a suit brought by Odili after his exit from office, seeking to restrain the anticorruption agency from arresting him over alleged corruption while in office for eight years. Buba’s order generated a lot of controversy, culminating in a petition against him by a United Kingdombased lawyer, Osita Mba and consequently a query to the judge by the National Judicial Council (NJC). Nigerian Tribune has exclusively obtained the query, Buba’s response, NJC’s response to his query, the two judgements in the Odili’s case, among other documents, relating

to the said probe. In Buba’s response to the query from NJC, the judge claimed that what he simply did was restraining the commission from using the report it generated from a probe into Rivers’ finances in the dying days of Odili governorship, in probing him. He also noted that he granted the reliefs in 2008 because he had nullified the said investigative report in another ruling in 2007. Buba contended that since the commission didn’t appeal the nullification of the investigative report, the judgement would deem subsisting which meant nothing could be built on it. He wondered in his response why the anti-graft agency had not deemed it fit to appeal any of the two judgements. The commission had claimed on many occasions that Buba’s judgements had made the resumption of the stalled Odili’s probe, almost impossible. It is now faced with a choice of either appealing the judgements or commencing a fresh probe

into the Odili’s years in the state. In the nullified investigative report, the commission had claimed it was also investigating the then Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Honourable Rotimi Amaechi for an alleged N10 billion fraud. Amaechi later became a two-term governor of the state and he is currently the Minister of Transport. Buba was nominated as a judge of the Court of Appeal in 2009 but the nomination fell through. Quoting his response dated December 16, 2009, Buba said “The case of AG Rivers State V EFCC No FHC/PH/CS/78/07 was

not fast-tracked and was not decided ex-party on 23/3/97. The matter was decided on 20/3/07 after a full trial. All parties filed process and advanced arguments on for reaching constitutional issues before the court, by learned counsel. “From the available evidence before the court, as deposed to by Ajumogobia, AG Rivers, it was clear to the court that an agency of the Federal Government, the EFCC, in the name of investigation, attempted to take over a state, in a federal set-up, with a view to causing the impeachment of the governor. NJC in its response dated 29/3/2010, signed by sec-

retary, Danladi Halilu, said Buba was cleared because the claims of granting perpetual injunction could not be established. Absolving Buba, the council wrote the petitioner thus; “Your petition of 20th November, 2009 on the above subject matter and the response to same by Ibrahim Nyaure Buba of Federal High Court were considered by the National Judicial Council at its meeting which was held on February 24 and 25, 2010. After deliberation, council found that your petition was unmeritorious and consequently had absolved Justice Buba of the allegations therein, please.”

PDP members urged to stand by party’s position By Victor Ogunyinka

The Social Media Director of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Adeyanju Adedeji, has urged politicians elected on the platform of the PDP to always stand by the position of the party. Adeyanju said it is important for the party to

stand united as the face of opposition and alternative to the All Progressives Congress, noting that it is indiscipline and lack of respect for members to express different view from the official position of the party. “No elected member of the PDP should publicly go against the official position of the party because

this is the worst form of indiscipline a politician can demonstrate. Since independent candidacy is not recognised in our constitution, political parties are the vehicles by which many aspirants ride to power and as such, these politicians cannot continue to deride the platform on which they got to power.”

news 200 illegal refineries destroyed in N/Delta —NSCDC 7

Clement Idoko - Abuja

HE Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Muhammadu Gana, has disclosed that the corps identified and destroyed over 200 illegal refineries in some states of the federation between January and December. He listed some of the states involved to include Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Kogi,

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Ondo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom states among others. Gana, also disclosed that over 120 suspects involved in the act of vandalism and other associated crimes, who were apprehended by the corps during the year under review, have been prosecuted and sentenced to various prisons terms by the High Courts in their respective states. In a further effort to stem the tide of vandalism, illegal refineries, oil theft, and ille-

gal bunkering, the NSCDC Commandant General has set up a Special Task to clampdown on saboteurs. The Corps Public Relations Officer, Mr Emmanuel Okeh, in a statement, on Monday, in Abuja, said this was in line with the Corps mandate in the protection of critical infrastructure and national assets. Gana charged the Special Task Force to crack down vandals and operatives of illegal refineries.

He also directed the state commandants to cooperate and work in synergy with the task team assigned to their states for the special operation in clamping down on illegal dealers on petroleum products, vandals, illegal refineries, illegal bunkering, and marketers involved in diversion of petroleum products. The operation also extends to filling stations selling above approved government pump price,

Akinyemi, 22, emerges Miss Oyo hoarding of products, those involved in black marketing and racketeering, as well as other related crimes for prosecution in line with the Law of the Federation. He revealed that 250 suspects were still undergoing prosecution in various states High Courts, with over 80 trucks containing petroleum products impounded and several operational equipment belonging to suspected vandals recovered. He urged the task force and other operational officers to live up to expectations by justifying the confidence the government and the people reposed on the corps by ensuring that vandalism was reduced to the barest minimum by deploying all necessary mechanisms to checkmate the illicit act.

Yuletide patrol: Road crashes reduced by 33% —FRSC Clement Idoko - Abuja

From left, former Commissioner for Information and Strategies, Osun State, Mr Sunday Akere; Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola and the chairman, Osun State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend (Dr) Elisha Ogundiya, during the 2015 Christmas Carol organised by the state government in conjunction with the state CAN, at the Government House, Osogbo, on Sunday.

One feared dead as rival cult groups clash in Ilorin Biola Azeez - Ilorin ONE person was reportedly killed and property destroyed when members of two rival cult groups engaged in a renewed bloody clash in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, at the weekend. Nigerian Tribune gathered that many people got wounded during the melee that ensued in the interior part of the state capital. The incident, which occurred at Agaka area of Ilorin, was said to be between a confraternity group from Ita-Kure/Oja-Iya and another group in Agaka. It was also gathered that the victim of the violence, identified as Muyi, was coming out from his house without any knowledge of the crisis when some gunwielding cultists shot him at a close range. A source said the victim, who hailed from Agaka, died on the spot. Another source said that the deceased was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention, before he gave up the ghost. The cause of the latest clash could not be imme-

diately ascertained, but a source said it might not be unconnected with battle for supremacy between members of rival cult groups. An eyewitness said, “Initially, we didn’t know what had happened. Suddenly, we saw some miscreants

armed with guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons using them on each other. While this was going on, some of them were also trailing each other. “This was characterised by sporadic gunshots. At that time, an innocent Muyi was coming out from his

house when stray bullets hit him. Unfortunately, he died on the spot. But he had been buried.” When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state police command, Okasanmi Ajayi, said he was yet to be briefed about the incident.

Ondo promises employment as chocolate factory takes off THE Ondo State government has promised more employment for its unemployed youth in the New Year, especially through agriculture. The state Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, while speaking with newsmen in Akure, on Monday, said the government’s revolution in the agricultural sector, intended to reduce the rate of youth employment in the state, would become more manifest in the new year. For instance, he said in the government’s cocoa revolution drive, a modern factory that would utilise and process premium quality cocoa beans pro-

duced in the state would begin production of chocolate bars by April, adding that the factory would utilise the facilities of the Cocoa Catalytic Factory in Idanre. He said the factory would be run by the state’s Cocoa project’ foreign technical partner, Spagnvola Chocolatier of Spain, and would have the capacity to produce enough for local consumption and for export. He mentioned the government’s desire to strengthen relationship with the European Union (EU) with a view to providing international market for the commodities produced in the state.

“Government intends to take advantage of the state as agriculturally endowed, farmers in the state would be encouraged more with their produce exported to earn them more income, government would also synergise with the EU in the area of investment and technical know-how as Ondo State is blessed with abundant human and natural resources that have competitive advantage which can be exported to Europe.” According to him, plans were almost concluded to ensure cocoa products in the state gain commodity pricing and value at the Stock Exchange Market.

Nigerian Tribune

THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reduced road crashes by 33 per cent within one week of the 2015 special Yuletide nationwide patrol. Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Mr Bisi Kazeem, who made this known in a statement on Monday, in Abuja, also disclosed that the corps recorded 113 Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) during the period. According to him, 25 per cent improvement was as well recorded in the area of live savings on the roads. Kazeem disclosed that about 86 lives were lost in the last one week of the operation, compared with 109 lost within same period last year, which shows improvement of 21 per cent in FRSC’s efforts to save lives on the roads. He said: “113 RTC was recorded on the roads between December19 and 26, compared with 169 RTC recorded same time last year, which shows reduction by 33 per cent. “422 people were injured within the period this year which amounts to 30 per cent improvement in operation when compared with 606 people that were injured last year. “Also, 934 people were involved in crashes within the period under review, compared with 1,284 involved last year within same period, while 426 people were rescued this year unlike 570 last year,” he said.

Miss Foyeke Akinyemi from Iseyin Local Government of Oyo State has emerged the new Miss Oyo for 2015, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Akinyemi, 22, emerged winner in a beauty contest with 13 others selected across the 14 federal constituencies in the state, held at the Premier Hotel in Ibadan, on Sunday evening. Speaking at the event, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the state said that the contest was to encourage the youth, saying the state would produce Miss Nigeria in future. Represented by Mr Michael Adeyemo, the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, the governor commended the organisers of the contest, urging them not to relent in promoting such events. Similarly, some members of the House of Representatives from the state, who attended the occasion, described the occasion as “wonderful.’’ Representatives like Sunday Adepoju (APC-Ibarapa East/Ido), Abiodun Awoloye (APC-Ibadan North), Saheed Fijabi(APC-IbadanSouth West/NorthWest), Temitope Olatoye (APCAkinyele/Lagelu) and Gbenga Ojoawo (APC-Ibarapa Central/North) were at the occasion.

Ganduje wants legislature to tackle film piracy Kola Oyelere - Kano KANO State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has called on the national legislature to tackle the menace of piracy in the film industry. Ganduje, however, pledged to build a film market within the Hausa film segment in Nigeria, popularly known as Kannywood, so as to curb piracy in Kano State and environs. He lamented the scourge of piracy in the film industry, promising that only genuine movie products would be sold in the proposed market. The state governor made the pledge on Monday, when the management of the National Film and Censor Board paid him a courtesy visit. Earlier, the National Film Video Censorship Board Director-General, Miss Patricia Bala, explained how Kano Films in Hausa language has remained very relevant in the society. She bemoaned the rise in assimilation of Indian Film culture by Kannywood film production, promising that the board is working toward moderating the trend.

Nigerian Tribune

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Lagosmetro Patients get free household items AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin In the spirit of the yuletide season, the Rotary Club of Gbagada donated some household items to patients at the Gbagada General Hospital. In a show of togetherness, the club’s president, Lanre Akintilo, former president and district governor, Yomi Adewunmi and over 50 members danced from ward to ward during the donation. Commenting on the initiative, Akintilo said they embarked on the trip to show their joy at Christmas. He said the lessons of the day, which involved sacrificial giving and sharing, were part of what the club preaches. He praised the hospital for its cleanliness, noting that it was possible through the exceptional leadership provided by its medical director, Tayo Lawal and the hospital’s 530 members of staff. He traced the relationship between the club and the hospital to 28 years ago, when the club laid the foundation, built and inaugurated the children’s ward. Over the years, he said the club donated various items worth millions of naira to the hospital. Representative of the Commissioner for Health, Dr Atinuke Onaiyiga, who is the Director, Medical Services, thanked the club for the gesture and for adopting the hospital as a recipient of its corporate social responsibilities (CSR). She praised the government for its health delivery service, noting that it is doing a phenomenal thing. She, however, called for strategic planning for health services for all citizens. At the event, awards were given to some staff and wards. The female ward won the first prize, followed by maternity and male wards. Dr. Popoola Olalekan won the Best Worker Award while the Best Junior Worker Award went to Muyili Ramoni, the hospital’s Chief driver.

Ketu tragedy: Navy takes over

twins’ bodies

Olalekan Olabulo

esidents of Anibaba in Ketu area of Lagos State where the Oyesolu twins and their friend, Jejelola were killed by a policeman, have described the killer policeman as a terror. The body of the deceased Jejelola, a friend to the slain twins, was on Sunday evening buried in Ikorodu

area of the state, while the remains of Taiwo and Kehinde had been taken away by authorities of the Nigerian Navy. A resident of the area, who simply identified himself as Supo, while speaking with Lagos Metro, stated that the killer officer had always threatened some of them in the past. Supo, who claimed to be a regular visitor at the hotel, added that he resolved

to bribe the policeman to “stay away from his trouble”. He stated that he made it habitual to give the deceased officer five hundred naira, every time he had anything to do at the hotel. The resident, who claimed to have lodged at the hotel on several occasions, stated that the killer policeman once accosted him and demanded to know his source of income,

just as the deceased policeman threatened to kill him when he was not satisfied with his explanation of where he got his money from. “To prevent his trouble, I usually gave him five hundred naira since he threatened to shoot me,” he said. Another resident, who simply identified himself as Eba also stated that he encountered the killer policeman on many occasions.

Meanwhile the remains of the friend of the twins, Jejelola, who was also shot dead by the policeman was on Sunday evening buried in Ikorodu area of the state. Lagos Metro also gathered that the remains of Taiwo and Kehinde were taken away to a naval facility by officials of the Nigerian Navy. One of the deceased, Taiwo, was until his death, an officer of the Nigerian Navy.

Personnel of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) picking up waste at Lagos tollgate. Photo: Sylvester Okoruwa

Lawmakers, NURTW confer over gridlock, robbery Bola Badmus Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, has been urged to declare state of emergency on gridlock and robbery-in-traffic in the state. Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State chapter, Tajudeen Agbede, made the call while speaking after a recent interaction with the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Transportation headed by Hon. Fatai Mojeed. Agbede said traffic jam was not new to the state,

but noted that the current experience was alarming as it was now associated with traffic robbery and a matter of great concern to residents and visitors to the state. According to Agbede, the areas mostly affected include Ikorodu road, Apongbon, Onikan, Festac Town, Mile 2, Mushin, Oshodi, Maryland, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Apapa, among other areas. The NURTW boss, however, pledged his union’s assistance to the state government, saying he had given directive to members in all branches and units to

always come out to assist the law enforcement agents to curb this worrisome menace. He said to this end, the traffic management officers, put together by his office, would always be on the road from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. managing traffic situations to complement the efforts of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) and other agencies saddled wıth the responsibility of ensuring sanity on Lagos roads. He added that he had also mandated drivers under the union to always ensure they

obeyed laws to ease the traffic situation in the state. This was just as he promised that the union under his leadership would continue to regularly train commercial drivers and educate them on the negative consequences of being impatient while driving. He equally promised that the union would be carrying out regular checks and impose sanctions on erring members found in acts of indiscipline. Chairman, Committee on Transportation, Hon. Mojeed, earlier said the Lagos State House of As-

sembly was resolved to partner with the NURTW to effectively address the worsening gridlock in the state and also checkmate the robberies occurring in the process. He said effective transportation system is key to the agenda of the present administration in the state, urging the leadership of the union to continue to educate their members to be more disciplined on the road and decent in appearance. He, however, sought the union’s cooperation in achieving government objectives in the transportation sector.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Edited By Lanre Adewole

08037863902 | olanreade@yahoo.com

Lagos, Ogun bank robberies: Police arrest soldier, 7 others Olalekan Olabulo The Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team has arrested eight people, including a serving lance corporal in the Nigerian Army for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to bank armed robbers.

The arrested suspects allegedly supplied parts of the arms and ammunition used by the gangs that attacked banks in Ikorodu, FESTAC, Lekki in Lagos State and Agbara in Ogun State. The suspects include Bayo Olaoye, Ayodeji Femileye, Opeyemi Balogun, Michael Adebayo, Edward

Paul, Ahmed Yussuf, Olamilekan Omopeji and Emmanuel Ebo. Lagos Metro gathered that operatives of the team led by the officer-incharge, Abba Kyari, a chief superintendent of police, arrested the suspects in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Borno States.

Six automatic pump action riffles, a pistol and hundreds of cartridges were recovered from the arrested suspects. Sources within the IGP team told Lagos Metro that the army official was arrested at his duty post in Maiduguri with the assistance of operatives of the

Defence Intelligence. The arrested army official was handed over to the Nigerian Army and is currently undergoing investigations at the Defence Headquarters. It was gathered that the arrest of the suspects was a follow-up to the confession by a member of the gang,

Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (second left), Speaker, state House of Assembly, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa; artiste, Dapo Oyebanji popularly known as Dbanj and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during the kick-off of the One Lagos Fiesta, at the Agege Mini Stadium, Agege, Lagos, on Sunday.

Secretary allegedly steals employer’s N650,000 AyomideOwonibiOdekanyin A 26-year-old office assistant, Queen Boniface, has been accused by her employer of stealing N650,000. Boniface, who lives at No. 11, Ayinde St., Ijegun, was a staff of Ever Bright Industries Ltd, situated at No. 37, Town Planning Way, Ilupeju. It was gathered that Queen was driven to the bank by the company’s driver to deposit N650, 000 into the company’s account. The driver left after

leaving her and later in the day, she got to the office and said that she did not know how the money was taken away from her. She also said that she met herself at Iyana-I-

paja, and found her way to the office. The offence, according to the police, contravened Sections 313 and 410 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge preferred against her when she was docked before an Ikeja Magistrate Court. The magistrate, Mrs

Taiwo Akanni, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100,000.00, with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till Jan. 26, for mention.

LASU authorities urge peace In the spirit of the season, authorities of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo, have urged the entire university community to embrace peace and re-dedicate themselves to better service delivery. According to the uni-

versity’s official bulletin made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the staff, students and the entire community are charged to continue to keep faith in the ? LASU project. “With special wishes of peace and prosperity, the

LASU management hereby celebrates with its staff, students and the entire university community on the yuletide season. “The yuletide season brings in its wake glad tidings, peace and a sense of unity to all and sundry,

particularly, the Christian world,” it said. The authorities also prayed that the season would usher in, for the university community, a cheerful end of year 2015 and a great beginning in the New Year.

that they were responsible for the supply of arms and ammunition to the gang. Femileye, who was described as the link between the robbers and the arms dealers confessed to the crime and added that he sold each automatic rifle to the gang at N230,000. The suspect also added that he collected an extra N30,000 for each of the firearm’ licences that he procurred for members of the gang. According to him, “I am not an arms dealer, but I have a friend in Oyo State known as Mr. Mike who sells arms. I also don’t know if he is a licensed dealer or not but I have known him for a long time. In 2012, during the fuel subsidy protest in Lagos, I went to Ikorodu to buy fuel and I met one Opeyemi Balogun who sold fuel to me and during our conversation, he told me that he was into security and he needed where to procure arms. I told him that I knew someone who could get it done for him with licence. So, last year, he called me and said he wanted to buy two pump action guns, adding that it was needed for pipeline security. I called my friend, Mr. Mike and told him about it and he insisted that the people must get a licence for the gun. I told him that they were going to do it.” He added that “He sold a rifle to me for N170,000, excluding the license and I sold it forN260,000. On our first supply, Mr. Mike and his people brought the rifle to Ikorodu and met me, Opeyemi and Olamilekan. He handed over the rifles to us and we took into the creek to meet the general of the camp whom they called OC. I saw several people carrying big guns and the general told us that they were using the guns for pipeline security. He also paid me to procure the licence for him. They bought two rifles on that first deal and they also demanded for two more rifles, and payment was made the way they did the others.”

businessnews

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Oil falls to $37, nears 11-year low

il fell to around $37 a barrel on Monday, trading within sight of an 11-year low, pressured by excess supply that has led to prices more than halving since the downturn began in mid-2014. Reuters reported that Brent crude was down 88 cents at $37.01 a barrel at 1429 GMT. It fell to $35.98, an 11-year low, on Tuesday. U.S. crude was down 97 cents at $37.13. Trading volume was lighter than normal due to a British public holiday. “We expect both prices to rise next year,” said Eugen Weinberg, an analyst at Commerzbank. “A short-term slide can’t be excluded, due to persisting over-supplies, negative sentiment and stronger downside momentum.”

Figures from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries imply a glut of more than 2 million barrels per day, equal to over 2 percent of world demand. Oversupply is expected to persist into the earlier part of next year. “The global supply and demand tables are still showing a heavy picture for the first half of 2016,” said Olivier Jakob, oil analyst at Petromatrix.

Signs on Monday that a further demand stimulus from low crude prices may be limited also added pressure. In Japan, total oil product sales in November fell to a 46-year low. In Europe, demand growth for oil products turned negative in October, analysts at JBC Energy said in a report, citing figures from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative - the first year-on-year

decline this year, JBC said. The drop in prices gained impetus after OPEC, led by top exporter Saudi Arabia, a year ago dropped its longstanding policy of cutting output to support prices in favor of defending market share. While the price collapse has partly achieved OPEC’s goals by curbing growth of competing supplies, it has put finances in producing nations under more strain,

even in the relatively wealthy Gulf states. Saudi Arabia on Monday announced plans to shrink a record state budget deficit with spending cuts and a drive to raise revenues from sources other than oil. The government of the world’s top oil exporter ran a deficit of 367 billion riyals ($97.9 billion) in 2015. Its 2016 budget plan aims to cut that to 326 billion riyals.

Saudi Arabia raises petrol prices by 40% Saudi Arabia said on Monday it was raising petrol prices by more than 50 per cent for some products from today as it cuts a range of subsidies after posting a record budget deficit. Prices will also increase for electricity, water, diesel and kerosene under the cuts decided by the council of ministers headed by King Salman, the official SPA news agency reported. The council decided to raise the price of highergrade unleaded petrol to 0.90 riyals ($0.24) per litre from 0.60 riyals, a hike of 50 per cent, and for lowergrade petrol to 0.75 riyals ($0.20) from 0.45 riyals per litre, a 67 percent rise. Petrol prices in the kingdom have been the cheapest in the Gulf and some of the lowest in the world. National oil conglomerate, Aramco, said on Twitter it was immediately closing petrol stations until midnight on Monday, when it will resume sales at new prices. The cabinet said the increase was in line with international energy prices. Prices will also rise for other fuels including natural gas, diesel and kerosene and for heavily subsidised electricity and water, but details were not immediately available. Saudi Arabia is following in the footsteps of the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, which became the first Gulf state to liberalise fuel prices earlier this year. Kuwait lifted subsidies on diesel and kerosene at the start of 2015 and plans other cuts early next year, especially on electricity and petrol.

From left, Managing Director, New Height Pharmacy, Omaruye Ochuko; Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Mrs Abiola Paul Ozieh; Managing Director, Pharmacy Plus, Emeka Obi; Lolo 1 of Wazobia FM, Omotunde David; Country Sales Manager, Reload Multivitamins, Joseph James, during Reload Multivitamins Raffle Draw held at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday.

Glo pulls crowds at One Lagos Fiesta locations Ambode kicks off event at Agege Nigeria’s leading telecoms company, Globacom, has kicked off “first class entertainment” in five locations across Lagos. The Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Sunday, declared open “One Lagos Fiesta” with a promise to make the event an annual programme that would be held in all the five divisions of the state, in Agege. The One Lagos Fiesta (OLF) is a five-day endof-year celebration put together by the Lagos State Government and sponsored by Globacom. The celebration is happening simultaneously at Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe.

At the kick off of the fiesta in Ikorodu Town Hall on Sunday, the Globacom pavilion at the venue drew a huge crowd of Glo subscribers and would-be subscribers, who wanted to be part of the fun and entertainment provided by the foremost telecommunications outfit. Speaking, Ambode recalled that during his electioneering campaign, he pledged to run an all inclusive government that will involve every Lagosians as well as bring governance closer to the people, hence the “One Fiesta programme” is in fulfillment of that promise. “You mean a lot to me, this event is all about you

and the rest of Lagos,” Ambode said. While thanking the people of Agege for identifying with the State Government as manifested in the massive turnout and in a peaceful and orderly manner, the Governor urged all residents to participate fully in the five day programme packaged to make every Lagosian enter the new year in joyful mood. A statement from Globacom revealed that the crowd enjoyed the event with different games such as “mock-on-the spotkick,” to snookers, play stations, table soccer and other in-door games. “The biggest point of at-

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the world’s top smartphone maker, plans an initial production run of about 5 million of its upcoming Galaxy S7 smartphones, South Korea’s Electronic Times reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

The paper said Samsung was planning to launch two different versions of its new flagship smartphone: a 5.2-inch flat-screen version, and a 5.5-inch, curved-screen version that will be called the ‘Galaxy S7 edge’. Samsung plans to ini-

tially make 3.3 million of the flat-screen devices and around 1.6 million of the curved-screen version, the report said, with plans to launch the handset in February. A Samsung Electronics spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

‘Samsung plans initial production of 5m Galaxy S7 phones’

traction to the fun seekers was the Glo Man U point, where soccer lovers and enthusiasts were given the chance to play six shots at the “mock-on-the spot-kick” and score three goals to win some valuable prizes. The soccer spot-kick game became the main attraction as both the old and the young from both sexes took turn to play and their “misses” attracted hilarious laughter from the spectators,” the statement read. The first to win a prize was 54-year old Oluwasomi Ajayi, who scored three holes in the mock goalpost in six attempts. He was followed by an American returnee, Mr. Julius Obelana, whose sense of perseverance saw him winning a prize. The story is the same at Badagry location of the OLF. Globacom’s Pavilion at Badagry was full of fun seekers who participated in different games. Winners were presented with valuable prizes. Activities continue in all the Globacom stands in all the five locations till 31 December, 2015.

AWARD fellow harps on female role in horticultural value chain By Femi Ibirogba

A fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), Dr (Mrs) Oluyemisi Adebisi-Adelani, has harped on the importance of women in horticultural value chain development in Nigeria. AWARD is a career-development programme that equips women agricultural scientists across sub-Saharan Africa to accelerate agricultural gains by strengthening their research and leadership skills through tailored fellowships, At a role modelling event to sensitise students of her Alma Mata, Isabatudeen Girls Grammar School, Orita Bashorun, Ibadan, to advantages of taking up careers in agricultural sciences and related disciplines, entitled ‘The female role in horticultural value chain for sustainable development in Nigeria,’ Dr Adebisi-Adelani encouraged the students to see agriculture as a tool for wealth creation and solution to unemployment and hunger. The main aim of the event was to sensitise female students on the choice of agriculture as a career and its role in food and nutritional security to feed the projected over N9 billion world population by 2050. She emphasised areas of opportunities and careers for young girls in agriculture; the female roles in horticultural value chain for sustainable development in Nigeria; production of horticultural crops; processing and entrepreneurship in horticultural crops; marketing and economics of horticultural crops; integrated pest control of horticultural crops and health and nutritional importance of horticultural crops. Dr Adebisi-Adelani also presented plantain suckers by the AWARD fellow to the school for demonstration. AWARD is a catalyst for innovations with high potential to contribute to the prosperity and well-being of African smallholder farmers, most of whom are women. Established in 2008, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) was launched following a successful three-year pilot programme in East Africa supported by the Rockefeller Foundation from 2005-2008.

businessnews

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Oil plunge: Foreign reserves down by $574m in 3 weeks Chima Nwokoji-lagos

S the price of crude oil continues to take a plunge, Nigeria’s gross reserves which slipped to $29.916billion on November 30, have again declined by $574 million to $29.341 billion as at December 22, 2015 (barely 3 weeks). Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the November and December figures were the first periods they fell below $30 billion since July 13. The foreign exchange reserves fell to $30.04 billion by November 26 from $30.10 billion the month before . According to figures released by the CBN, the reserves were down 18.6 per cent on the year from $36.9 billion in the same period in 2014. They have fallen by 20 per cent since the end of June 2014, when Brent crude prices began a more than 60 per cent plunge, hammering Nigerian finances. According to the bank, the price of crude oil at the international market stood at $44.27 per barrel as at November 30, and $35. 56 as at today, putting more pressure on the Central Bank’s bid to defend the naira and avoid a devaluation. CBN had already implemented restrictions on

the import of non-essential products. The apex bank’s decision to defend the naira through selling dollar to the parallel market on a weekly basis made the reserves fall to $30.69 billion in September – a short fall from $31.63 billion on the figures from August – and 22.42 percent less than it was in September 2014. In October however, the CBN shifted the naira peg from N197.96 to N197, following a fall of over a billion dol-

lars in reserves within the month. Meanwhile, the apex bank will henceforth allocate foreign exchange to endusers, with priority given to matured Letters of Credit, importation of petroleum products, raw materials and machinery. The Director of Monetary Policy of the CBN, Mr. Moses Tule, disclosed this in Abuja, at the weekend, noting that under the new regime, those who take pleasure in wasting the nation’s

foreign exchange in shopping abroad would find it increasingly difficult. “Our priority as a nation for the allocation or use of foreign exchange is for the settlement of matured Letters of Credit, LCs, that have been opened for importation; for the importation of petroleum products until such a time when we have our refineries fully operational and we are not in a position to import fuel again to ensure that the wheels of economic development con-

tinue turning and running and for the importation of raw materials. “By the time we meet these three priority areas, you will discover that people who are using their debit cards overseas for shopping can never be on the priority list,” Tule said. According to Tule, currency speculators were determined to put severe pressure on the monetary authorities in order to ensure that the CBN further devalued the naira.

Ibe Kachikwu, NNPC GMD

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor

Buhari is resolute to diversify economy —Adamu SENATOR Abdullahi Adamu, former Nasarawa State govenor, says President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to diversify the country’s economy. He spoke with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday, noting that the present administration had said it on many occasions that Nigeria could no longer depend on oil and gas based economy. “Oil and gas have tended, over time, to spoil us; peo-

ple have got used to easy money but now the wells are drying, even if they are not, the market is becoming very hostile. “The price has gone down and the demand for our oil is very low, even though previous administrations sang the idea of diversifying the economy, they did not do it. “Buhari has said that he would make deliberate efforts to diversify the economy and bring on board new attitude toward agri-

Petrol will soon be available —NUPENG The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, on Monday, said petrol will soon be available in filling stations across the country. Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos there had been improvement on loading of petroleum at the depots in Lagos. He observed that Nigerians would appreciate the present regime if it could reduce the price of petro-

leum. NAN reports that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, had earlier said that a price modulation in petrol would begin by January 2016. Kachikwu disclosed this during his inspection of the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) on Christmas day. The NUPENG chairman said that the government meant well for all and sundry, in spite of the few greedy that worked to frustrate genuine intentions.

cultural production. “He believes as much as we do that agriculture holds the greatest potential for job creation if we enhance,’’ he said. Adamu said that with agriculture, the nation would have excess food crops as well as industrial crops that would be exported to boost foreign exchange. Apart from agriculture, he observed that the country had solid minerals that could turn its economy around. “Buhari has assured Nigerians that he would also

address the issue of solid minerals and he is taking a look at the entire policy, operations and the investments in that sector. “We have information that every one of the 774 local governments in Nigeria has one or more mineral deposits. “If we can mine, process and add some value to them, you can only imagine the kind of multiplier effects we will enjoy. “Once you can give agricultural and solid mineral sector a boost, sharpen the processes for revenue gen-

eration and block the leakages that we know, our economy will take a leap,’’ he said. NAN reports that Buhari, while presenting the 2016 Budget to the National Assembly, reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to job creation and economic diversification. He specifically laid emphasis on developing the agriculture and solid mineral sectors with increased funding, investment in agriculture and solid minerals, among others.

Jumia appoints new CEO Online E-commerce platform Jumia has revealed that Juliet Anammah has been named as the new CEO for Jumia Nigeria. According to the company, Anammah is taking over from former Co-CEOs Jeremy Doutte and Nicolas Martin, who are taking the reins of Jumia Global across the 11 African countries in which the group operates. “Juliet brings strong leadership capacity and a consumer driven mindset

honed from her experience in consumer goods and services,” said Jeremy Hodara, Co-CEO Africa Internet Group. “As Jumia moves into a new phase of growth, consolidating on the gains so far, while driving for more relevance to our customers, Juliet’s ability to focus sharply on the strategic levers of success is invaluable.” Prior to joining Jumia, Juliet Anammah was a Partner in Accenture and the Managing Director of the firm’s Consumer

Goods Practice in Nigeria. She focused during her later years in Accenture on the digital consumer and route to market for consumer goods companies. She brings to Jumia over 24 years of professional experience with six years at senior executive level. Passionate about “Africa rising” and women advancement, Juliet serves on the board of many non-profit organizations involved in women development and trade expansion.

Nigerian Tribune

PENGASSAN kicks against subsidy removal OlatundeDodondawa-Lagos

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has kicked against sudden removal of fuel subsidy. Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, The Ag. General Secretary, PENGASSAN, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa stated that his union does not oppose subsidy removal but the refineries must work to prevent Nigerians from the effect of crude price volatility at the international crude market. According to him, “PENGASSAN will not support sudden removal of subsidy. We are keen on concentrating on improving local refining capacity and we believe that subsidy will go automatically. We are not sure of position of Federal Government. Who are those benefitting from the subsidy? “In the long run, when the refineries are fixed and we depend less on importation of refined petroleum for domestic consumptuon, we won’t be exposed to crude price volatility.” Furthermore, Comrade Okugbawa argued that if the government remove subsidy suddenly, while we still rely on importation of refined petroleum products, “someone will definitely pay for the price volatility and foreign exchange di fferentials. Such burden must not be passed to the common man. So government must do everything in its powers to promote local refining capacity.” Another source within the union who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to do so explained that currently, there is no subsidy because the landing cost is over priced. “That’s why Kachikwu said he has ordered the PPPRA to review the pricing template and come up with realistic figures,” he said. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has stated that the government has stopped subsidy payment since December 27, 2015. He argued that crude price has fallen to the extent that landing cost cannot be up to N87 per litre. He has also ordered the PPPRA to review its pricing template to accommodate the newly introduced price mechanism whereby the market forces will play major role in determining the pump price of petrol.

12 news

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

FG to offer free health services to 60 million poor Nigerians —Health minister Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti

he Federal Government will offer free healthcare delivery to 60 million poor, indigent Nigerians in the coming two years. The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, who made the declaration while speaking in Ido-Ekiti, headquarters of Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, said the poor Nigerians would enjoy unfettered medical care. Professor Adewole also announced that 10,000 primary health facilities would be built in the 774 local government areas in the country for effective service delivery to the people and to decongest the tertiary institutions. Professor Adewole was at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI), to inaugurate 12 projects initiated and completed by the administration of Dr Majekodunmi Ayodele, the Chief Medical Director (CMD). He said President Muhannadu Buhari was determined to alleviate the sufferings of all Nigerians, who contributed to his victory at the poll in the area of healthcare delivery by fortifying both the primary and sec-

ondary health institutions. “The tertiary institutions are not meant to treat malaria or skin rashes but to attend to critical issues. We are determined to take away over 70 per cent of patients from the teaching hospitals, but the heads of tertiary institutions must find a way to relate freely with these cadres for effective healthcare delivery. We won’t abandon that cadres, so that the sequence of referral could be

protected,” he said. The minister expressed displeasure at the incessant strikes in the federal health institutions in the country and warned that the medical personnel should desist as the act was killing the health sector and reducing its quality. “Commending Dr Majekodunmi for what he described as “his giant strides in the hospital,” Professor Adewole said “what is sym-

bolic about today is that we are commissioning 12 projects through the partnership and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)this hospital signed with Afe Babalola University. “I want to thank Aare Afe Babalola for his investment not only in education, but also in this hospital.” Dr Ayodele, who assured the agitated workers that all their dues will be paid, appealed to the Ministry of

Health to grant the request for the payment of take off grants to the hospital as a former medical centre and for its new status as a teaching hospital. Governor Ayodele Fayose, who was represented by the speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Kola Oluwawole and Chief Babalola, urged the hospital’s management to find ways of ensuring industrial harmony in the hospital.

General Manager, National Theatre, Mr Kabir Yusuf (right), explaining a point to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (left), during an inspection tour of the National Theatre by the minister, in Lagos, on Monday. PHOTO: NAN

National Theatre will not be sold —Lai Mohammed

THE Federal Government has given an assurance that the National Theatre will always remain a national monument and will not be sold for whatever reason. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave this assurance on Monday during a visit to the complex as part of the tour of the parastatals under his ministry. The minister was conducted round the facilities at the complex by the General Manager of the National Theatre, Mallam Kabir Yusuf Yar’Adua. The minister, however, said the Muhammadu Buhari- led Federal Government, was not aversed to a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement that would add value to the National Theatre complex. “But we are not aversed to a PPP arrangement that will add value to the Na-

tional Theatre complex,” the minister said, disclosing that the process of selecting a preferred bidder under the PPP arrangement was currently underway. “The National Theatre is a national monument and a tourist attraction. We will

not allow it to go derelict or become a magnet for hoodlums. This monument is the pride of the nation and it has always served as the point of convergence for Nigerians seeking fun and relaxation, especially during festive periods and a centre for the promotion

of arts and culture,” he said. The minister assured that the security around the complex would be beefed up to prevent a recurrence of the molestation by hoodlums of fun seekers and also ensure the safety of the priceless

NDLEA boss condemns death sentence on Nigerian in Malaysia Shola Adekola - Lagos The acting chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mrs Roli BodeGeorge, has decried the reported death sentence passed on a Nigerian, Ekene Collins Isaac, by a Malaysian high court. This is just as she promised that diplomatic efforts shall be explored to save the convict and assured Nigerians that the

agency will maintain total alertness in drug detection operation all through the year. Ekene was found guilty of smuggling 915.6 grammes of methamphetamine, commonly known as ecstasy, into Malaysia three years ago. High court judge Datuk Wan Afrah Wan Ibrahim, said the prosecution had proved Isaac’s guilt beyond doubt as she passed down the death sentence. She gave the assurance

while speaking on the discovery of drugs in tin packs and arrest of a suspected drug trafficker on Boxing Day at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos ,with substances that tested positive for cocaine on his way from Brazil. The drug packed in six wraps weighing 120 grammes was inserted into his anus. The second suspect wanted to export a consignment containing 1.860 kilo-

Retirement benefits: Pensioners lament over biometric exercise Biola Azeez - Ilorin The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), has appealed to federal and state governments to address problems being encountered by pensioners on biometric exercise, which is meant for the release of 42 months retirement benefits. Also, the union appealed to government at all levels

artifacts within the complex. “It is totally unacceptable that fun-seeking individuals who throng the National Theatre for relaxation during festive periods or at any time, will become the victims of attacks by hoodlums.”

to pay balance of 20.4 per cent increase to pensioners in the country. Speaking at the 2015 Pensioners’ Day in Ilorin, the NUP President, Abel Afolayan, appealed to the Federal Government to direct state governments to pay arrears of retirement benefits to pensioners, saying that many state governments were yet to pay many years of pension ar-

rears, gratuities and death benefits due for families of deceased pensioners. NUP president condemned non-implementation of every five-year pension increase to all pensioners in accordance with Sections 173 and 210 of the 1999 Constitution. He also urged President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to create ministry of pensioners and

senior citizens affairs just like the Ministry of Women Affairs, adding that such ministry if created, would cater adequately for the welfare of pensioners, old people and senior citizens across the country. Afolayan enjoined the Federal Government “to pay regularly its five per cent counterpart funds into the local government pension fund.

grammes of methamphetamine sealed in tinned tomato paste to South Africa when he was arrested. According to Bode George: “The Nigerian government will work to protect every citizen from untimely death resulting from drug trafficking and drug abuse. We shall remain vigilant at all times and prevent drug trafficking syndicate from smuggling narcotic drugs in and out of the country. While respecting the laws of other countries, the Federal Government will explore diplomatic means to prevent capital punishment on citizens. Special arrangement has been made for officers to sustain intense surveillance all through the festive period and in the New Year. This covers the land borders, seaports, airports as well as all villages, towns and cities. The agency is working very hard to uncover other members of the cartel”.

Nigerian Tribune

Ooni, Aregbesola, PDP mourn Osun minority leader Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, described the death of the minority leader of Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Samson Oladejo Makinde as shocking and pathetic. Makinde died on Sunday afternoon in an unnamed hospital located in Ekiti State after battling with undisclosed ailment. In a condolence message signed by his director of media and public affairs, Moses Olafare, the Ooni of Ife described the late minority leader as a gentleman endowed with virtuous attributes, saying “his positive impacts will remain indelible on the minds of not only inhabitants of Ile-Ife but the entire state. Also, in a condolence message by his Director of Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, Governor Aregbesola described the death of the House of Assembly member as sudden and shocking. He urged the speaker, members of the state House of Assembly and family of Makinde to take with equanimity the loss of the lawmaker, describing death as an inevitable end for everybody. Similarly, Osun State chapter of the PDP, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Diran Odeyemi, in Osogbo, on Monday, described the deceased as “courageous and thorough breed party man”, who has proven over the years, unmatched attributes of a responsible and responsive leader.

350 self-sponsored Christian pilgrims arrive in Nigeria The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), has said that the last batch of the self-sponsored pilgrims has arrived in Nigeria on Sunday night via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Mrs Charlotte Ajuya, Assistant Director, Human Resources in the commission, told newsmen in Abuja, that the commission had a successful pilgrimage through 2015. She said that the last batch had 350 self-sponsored Christian pilgrims from different states, mostly from the northern part of the country, observing that none of the pilgrims absconded.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Femi Ibirogba adefemi2007@yahoo.com 0811 695 4646

Falling oil price, 41-item forex restriction, others as agric game-changers Femi Ibirogba takes a look at policies and events seen as game changers in the agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy in 2015.

hough the agricultural sector in Nigeria started unparalleled transformation with the Agricultural Transformation Goodluck Agenda of ex-President Jonathan, articulately and effectively driven by the former Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who is now the Group President of African Development Bank (AfDB), there have emerged some dramatic and table-turning decisions, policies and attention in favour of the agricultural the sector.

Background It will be recalled that the focus of ATA was to assure food security, reduce expenditure of foreign exchange on food imports, diversify the economy, generate foreign exchange and create jobs. In a major departure from past approaches, agriculture was treated as a business, not a development programme. The transformation agenda set out to create over 3.5 million jobs in the agricultural sector, from rice, cassava, sorghum, cocoa and cotton value chains, with many more jobs to come from other value chains under implementation. The agenda aimed to provide over N300 billion (US$ 2 billion) of additional income in the hands of Nigerian farmers. Over N60 billion (US$ 380 million) was to be injected into the economy from the substitution of 20% of bread wheat flour with cassava flour. In total, the agricultural transformation agenda was expected to add 20 million metric tonnes to domestic food supply by 2015 (which was surpassed, according to Dr Adesina), including rice (2 million metric tonnes), cassava (17 million metric tonnes) and Sorghum (1 million metric tonnes). Major accomplishments of ATA include ending corruption in the fertilizer sector in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture within 90 days of appointment as minister;

development of database of over 4.5 million farmers; launching of Growth Enhancement Scheme; introduction of Electronic Wallet System; development of 40% substitution of cassava flour for wheat flour and inflow of investments from foreign processors. And new fiscal measures was announced, raising tariff for brown rice, and levy on imported finished rice, to encourage local rice production. However, certain events and policies have also emerged as game changers. Some of these started before the former President Jonathan’s exit while others followed after the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as the president. Falling crude oil price This was the straw that broke the camel’s back, exposing the weak foundation of the Nigerian economy. From $105 per barrel in 2013 and 2014, crude oil price at the international market is still tumbling, pulling Nigeria and other mono-cultural economies around the world to the ground. Today, crude oil price, put at around $37, cannot sustain a country that produces a barrel at $30 and imports everything, including those it can conveniently manufacture. Former Country Manager of Solidaridad Nigeria, Mr Alex Akinbo, said the rapidly falling oil price had been a blessing to Nigeria in that it had diverted attention to the urgency of the need to diversify the economy from oil, calling it a catalyst Nigeria desperately needed to shift attention away from oil-dominated economy. Mr Ayinla Olumide, South-West Regional Chairman of the All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune recently, said though the falling crude oil price had negatively affected government spending on infrastructure and recurrent expenditure, as reflected in the inability of

state governments to pay salaries of civil servants, it had some positive impacts on efforts to revive agriculture as one of the major pillars of the Nigerian economy. He said the sector would attract investments from within and without and experience great transformation if the crude oil price continued to fall in the next two years, describing the situation as a turning point for the agricultural sector. Exchange rate and 41 forexrestricted items The pressure on the naira as a result of high demand for dollars for imports and overseas spending has consistently led to wide exchange rate between naira and the dollar, forcing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in May, to issue a directive stopping some imported goods and services from the list of items valid for access in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Markets. This policy implies that those who import these items can no longer buy foreign currency from the official window to pay the overseas suppliers. Rather, they will have to source forex from the parallel market or Bureau De Change to pay for their imports. This is a technical ban or a strong restriction

Agriculture is going to be driven by the educated youths, utilising technologies, innovations and research solutions emanating from agricultural institutes and universities around the globe.

on the items, among which agricultural products are in the majority. The agricultural items include rice; palm kernel/palm oil products/vegetables oils; meat and processed meat products; vegetables and processed vegetable products; poultry chicken, eggs, turkey; tinned fish in sauce (Geisha)/sardines and wood particle boards and panels, among others. This is considered a game changer in the agricultural sector if it is sustained. The policy has forced net importers of agricultural raw materials into the country to make provision for backward integration by investing in the local production of the raw materials, such as palm oil, kernel and maize. On this, Mr Aderemi Ladotun, a palm plantation/cultivation consultant, during a lecture at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, recently, said, “End users of such commodities will now have to source funds from the open currency market to meet their needs. I am talking directly of oil palm products for example, being one of such commodities. Sourcing for the importation of tomato paste is another. The policy is a clear example of using agriculture as a game changer in the overall economic health of the country.” He added that, “Suddenly, end users are setting up more oil palm plantations with a real value chain that could create significant employment opportunities along the value chain.” CBN’s MSMSE 9% interest rate scheme Recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria issued reviewed guidelines for its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF). The fund, according to the CBN, would help channel low interest funds to the MSME subsector of the Nigerian economy through Continues on pg17

agriculture

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

2015 game-changing policies, events in agriculture Continues on pg17

Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs). Most of these MSME, experts said, would revolve around agriculture and agro-allied industries. A major aspect of the guidelines covers startups, which are looking to access funds from the scheme. Highlights of the policy indicate that Deposit Money Banks & Deposit Financial Institutions (DMBs/ DFIs) playing in this space shall access MSMEDF facility at 0% interest for onlending at 9% (all-inclusive) to start-ups; meaning banks will borrow at 0% from the CBN and on lend to startups at 9%. “This is a game changer in the agricultural sector, for several commercial farmers and agro-allied investors have consistently asked for one-digit interest rate. Now they have it. This will shape the future of agriculture in Nigeria,” a farmer, Akanji Owolabi, told the Nigerian Tribune. Also, collateral requirement from start-ups by PFIs (DMBs and DFIs) shall be educational certificates, such as SSCE, National Diploma (ND), National Certificate of Education (NCE), National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), Higher National Diploma (HND), university degree (NYSC Certificate where applicable) and a guarantor. The start-ups to access the MSMEDF must present their Bank Verification Number (BVN). This suggests collateral such as land, houses or other physical assets will not be needed, removing the most challenging obstacle to business loan applications. Under this scheme, enterprises that are classified as micro can borrow not more than N500,ooo while those classified as SMEs but financed by MFBs & FCs can borrow up to N5 million. SME’s financed by DMBs & DFIs can access up to N50 million only. National President of the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), Mr

Segun Adewunmi, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune recently, said the policy could trigger mass employment generation in the root and tuber crop production if more cassava farmers and groups have access to cheaper funds for production. He said: “Cassava has five major industrial products, namely ethanol, industrial starch, cassava flour, glucose syrup and sweetener. Each of the above is a raw material to numerous utility products with limitless domestic export market potential. This is to say that cassava can trigger massive industrial revolution that will employ millions of Nigerians in farming and industry.” He added that Nigeria had over 84 million hectares of arable land, out of which, if only additional 5 million was devoted to the cultivation of cassava, “we shall have additional 200 million metric tonnes yearly. This will give us 50 million metric tonnes of industrial starch, which is currently sold for N180,000 per tonne. This translates to N9 trillion in one year. The above can be achieved in four years.” Effects of these on efforts at economic diversification Increasing calls to and pressure on the government to develop agriculture are some of the effects emanating from these game-changing policies and events in 2015. Canvassing a way forward for Nigeria, for instance, Professor Adeola Adenikinju, Director, Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law (CPEEL), University of Ibadan, on the occasion of the 2015 NUJ week on December 7, 2015, said though Nigeria would continue to get oil in large quantity for the next 50 to 100 years, it should develop the economy horizontally and vertically, harping particularly on petro-chemical and agricultural sectors of the economy. “Finally, we ignored our first love. Agriculture in particular, and to a lesser extent manufacturing sector, provided

the foundation of the modern Nigerian economy. Ignoring the first love is now a major albatross on the country. We neither could feed ourselves, nor keep our industry working to employ our children,” the energy professor said this while delivering a lecture on ‘Nigeria: Beyond Oil,’ concluding that agriculture, as well as other sectors, must be developed. Regional Representative and Coordinator of Nigeria Station of Africa Rice Centre, Dr Francis Nwilene, also said the forex restrictions for some products, especially rice, would force the stakeholders – farmers, importers, processors and government agencies and institutions -- to think out of the box, find ways of producing and processing rice locally, if the loopholes of smuggling are plugged. Dr Nwilene said sourcing forex from the parallel market or Bureau De Change to pay for their imports would be more

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Nigerian Tribune

expensive and costly for rice and other products importers, implying that rice imported would be more expensive and would give local processors the upper hand with competitive prices in the long run, if smuggling is reduced. He said high exchange rate at the parallel market would reduce the purchasing power of rice importers, and hence, the tonnage of rice the importers could import per annum. A Lagos-based financial expert and small business financing consultant, Mr Samuel Ajileye, said 9% interest rate regime of the CBN would revolutionise the small scale industry, business start-ups and industry financing would become easier, especially as the collateral hurdled has been effectively tackled. He said though there might be challenges for many small and medium scale businesses initially, those that would survive the gestation period would create employment opportunities for millions and would take the burden off the government a bit. The situations and policies have also helped the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to intensify efforts on export promotion and training for exports of industrial raw material and finished products. Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Mr Olusegun Awolowo, at an introductory workshop in collaboration with Multimix Academy, an indigenous export consulting firm, maintained recently that the council, in collaboration with other stakeholders, was engaging all practicable strategies to reposition the non-oil export sector for diversification of the country’s economy, especially with the recent uncertainties in oil fortune globally. According to the CEO, the approach -to mentor Nigerians on how to become successful exporters -- was premised on the need to create inclusive growth from the sector by engaging more hands in producing made-in-Nigeria goods for export. Director-General of IITA, Dr Nterenga Sanginga, said recently that agriculture, which is the only hope of the world to revive crumbling economies, is going to be driven by the educated youths, utilising technologies, innovations and research solutions emanating from agricultural institutes and universities around the globe. Deputy Director General of IITA, Dr Kenton Dashiell also expressed confidence in the African youths, saying given the right environment and education, they could perform excellently in any given tasks, including agriculture and agroenterprises.

18 LETTERS TO THE

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

editor

Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@tribune.com.ng or by sms to 08078891826. It MUST be accompanied by the full name and address of the writer.

Still on army, Shiite clash

ERMIT me to use this opportunity to commend the Nigerian military for the manner it is tackling the war against terror. With what we have seen so far, the end of the Boko Haram sect is in sight. However, having said this, I think that it is important that the military works to gain the trust of people in

Pro-Biafra protests: Allow Buhari to concentrate I was shocked when I read about the pro-Biafra protests in Lagos; until now, it had been staged in cities across the South East and South South, and bringing it to Lagos is adding another dimension to it. However, this is capable of causing a wider ethnic crisis, as the Yoruba sociocultural groups have not taken it lightly. When the protests started, I asked myself why they are doing this at this point in time, although this is a question that I may not get an answer for. President Muhammadu Buhari has just resumed as the leader of the country, and I wonder if the protests are to distract him. This is not the time for such protests, rather, they should allow President Buhari to focus on his task of rebuilding this country. This task is not limited to the North or South alone, but across all the states. I believe that the next president will come from the South East, and it is important that those instigating the protests behind the curtain should have a change of heart. It is also time for the president to call the leaders of the agitators for a dialogue; he should let them know that he is president for the whole of Nigeria. With this, the Igbo people will be reassured that they are part of the Nigerian project. •Jimoh Mumin, jimohmumin@yahoo.com

the North East. The people should be free with the military, and it is through this that they can get intelligence report.

In the past, when I heard the United States issuing statements of potential terrorist attack, I use to wonder how they got the

A look back at 2015 THIS year is almost gone, and I want to say that it is not gloom for the country despite experiencing some challenges. The fact that we conducted a general election and an opposition party won for the first time in the nation’s history is something we should all be proud of. We should not forget that some Western nations had predicted that Nigeria was likely to break up this year, and that this did not happen is cause for celebrations. I want to make former President Goodluck Jonathan my man of the year. Dr Jonathan allowed the

people’s will to prevail at the polls. As a sitting president, he had all the institutions of state at his disposal, and he could have thwarted the hand-over of power, but he did not do that. I also want to commend the patience of President Muhammadu Buhari. After contesting on three previous occasions, he was not deterred, and it was at the fourth try that he won the election. We should, therefore, celebrate 2015, while hoping for a better 2016. •Uguru Henry, Anyigba, Kogi State.

information; it is now that I discover that the US has spies and other people who give them intelligence report from several parts of the world. I could remember when the political crisis started in Yemen, US informants who had been tracking suspected terrorists no longer felt safe in that country, and they had to leave. The US intelligence then lamented the loss of several leads it had been working on. The Nigerian military also needs to build people’s confidence in it, particularly those in the North East. If the military is able to gain the trust of the people, then it is just a matter of time before the cell that is responsible for the frequent bomb attacks, using underage girls, is destroyed. Unfortunately, the incident between the El-Za-

kzaky’s Shiite group and the military is capable of fostering unity between the public and military. We should not forget this was how the Boko Haram insurgency also started. I

trust that the leadership of the Nigerian military will quickly move to settle this as soon as possible, while also releasing the leader of the Shiites. •Nelson Ekwale,

2016 budget: Nigerians should expect a new dawn How humble was it seeing President Muhammadu Buhari presenting the 2016 budget to the National Assembly last week. It’s been long I saw something like this, and it will definitely build a mutual relationship between the presidency and the National Assembly. With a huge chunk of the budget earmarked for capital projects, then Nigeria will start experiencing real growth. The president has also been able to budget for

some of his campaign promises, like the school feeding programme. If this is well-implemented, it will really assist our children to develop. The situation of the country has made it impossible for many families to follow a balanced diet regime at home. This particular project will also boost the income of farmers, and the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Audu Ogbeh, should liaise with his education counterpart on how Nigerian farmers can benefit by supplying the produce for the feeding project. The Ministry of Labour and Productivity should also be incorporated into this project so that jobs can be created in the agriculture sector. Nigerians should expect exponential growth in the next couple of years; all the ongoing capital projects across the country will be completed. I also know that the president, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, are working round the clock towards addressing the ongoing fuel scarcity in the country, and once this has been sorted out, we will no longer experience recurring fuel scarcity in the country. What we should be doing now is that we should be patient as the benefits of all these policies start to materialise. It is not something that will be visible in a couple of months, but the truth is that Nigeria is moving in the right direction. We should, therefore, give this government all the support it needs in order for it to achieve its policies for a better Nigeria for all. •Festus Ogor, Asaba, Delta State.

editorial

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

CBN’s soft loan for graduates

overnor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, recently announced that a low interest loan scheme for one million young graduates would commence next year. Obviously, the low interest loan to be managed by the apex bank and the commercial banks is part of the Federal Government’s strategy to boost the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sub sector (MSMEs) and curtail unemployment among the youth. The disclosure was made during the opening ceremony of the seventh Annual Bankers’ Committee Retreat. Stressing the need to get more people employed, the CBN Governor sought the support of the banks to lower the level of risk acceptance criteria in order to support young graduates such that in his words, “we will be unfolding a plan of support of the CBN to create employment for at least one million young graduates in Nigeria in 2016. That will entail support from Nigerian banks and our development institutions to see how we will channel these concessionary loans to companies that are MSMEs.” It is easy to understand and sympathise with the desperation of the federal government over its problem with youth unemployment. Apart from the economic woes of underproduction, it has also been fingered in the undercurrents of the security challenges which the country faces in all ramifications, from insurgency to armed robbery because arguably it is the major source of manpower for crime and terror. The plan to give the young graduates soft loans may be the government’s hurried response to an aged scourge but it had better be an enduring cure than just a flash in the pan or a social prophylaxis that may leave worse symptoms than the ailment it was meant to cure. Or worse still, turn out to be a politician’s glib talk meant either as a distraction or a speech to give their expectations the wings to fly from the realm of reality. But Mr Emefiele cannot be reckoned with as a politician, except in the extremely ridiculous sense if his office as the Governor of Central Bank is seen as political. His announcement would have been dismissed as incredible by cynics if the issue of unemployment he touched upon has not been so tragically sensitive. That the programme will be channelled through registered MSMEs is laudable since performance will be easy to

measure and the commercial banks must be prepared to supervise the beneficiaries of the concessionary soft loans and ensure that the overall objective of employment is not lost on them and replaced with both the profit motive and the imperative of returns on investment. The experiences of most MSMEs in the labour market have been unsavoury because of the quality of many young graduates who have not been able to justify their qualifications. Many entrepreneurs and employers are of the unfortunate opinion that these young graduates are unemployable and it will be foolhardy to expect them to employ young graduates that may not add value to their operations and products. It is even better to help nongraduates with skills and good business ideas financially than to put money in the hands of an unskilled graduate without a business plan. While the idea of giving the MSMEs concessionary soft loans is commendable, we foresee a situation in which it may be difficult to compel them to employ those young graduates who may not be able to add value. The MSMEs therefore may not be the focus for solving the problem of youth unemployment in the main although they can help alleviate the situation especially because the MSMEs are to defray the loans whether concessionary or not. However, the various skills acquisition centres can help in reducing youth unemployment if the young graduates avail themselves with their services. If these young graduates are encouraged to learn some trades or acquire skills that can enhance their opportunities they too can register MSMEs to be able to access the soft and concessionary loans and bear the risk without burdening the fledgling ones with their incompetence. We think the way to tackle the problem of youth unemployment is to start from the scratch by making the youth employable through skills acquisition and empowerment. Many of these youths still need to shed the garb of dependency and the craze for quick and easy money which is always ill-gotten. We commend the plan to empower the MSMEs through the soft concessionary loans and even wonder why such a programme had not been embarked upon earlier but the plan to make them responsible for the employment of young graduates needs fine-tuning. The risks may be too high for them to bear as they are still financially vulnerable.

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opinion

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

2016: Who knows?

n this column, at about this time last year, I had written a letter to 2015 and at this very moment, as I write these words, nostalgia strikes my core as a minstrel strikes the cords of a harp. If you read my letter to 2015, subsequent words in this piece will evoke a déjà vu, but if you didn’t, they will resurrect fresh epiphanies, I hope… Fervently, I had beseeched 2015 for so many things, not for me but for our nation, Nigeria. I had begged, entreated and as a matter of fact groveled at his feet, not for my sake, but for posterity for we had long fallen into dark times and terror lurked in every capital of the nation. So, like an unsullied maiden, burdened with the sacrifice fit to cleanse the land, I had entered into a conversation with my beloved 2015. This I did in a frantic effort to negotiate for a better year, devoid of the myriad of multifarious epidemics ailing the spirit of Africa’s giant and this I did for my country, your country and my countrymen. In about 48 hours, we will unanimously kiss 2015 goodbye, but a nagging migraine has since taken me over and like wraiths that have found no resting place in Hades, these questions haunt and taunt me… how magnanimous was 2015 to my cries? Did my shrieks bring about a national volte face? Did my incessant complaints dry up the ocean of national woes, terrorism, dissension and economic decay? I remember the words vividly, like they were spoken yesterday, though it’s been about 365 days. Like fresh paint smells in a new building, my nostrils fill up with the aroma of the soft sweet words I whispered into 2015’s ears like a woman sitting under the tree in the moonlight, speaking listlessly into her lover’s ears…. I had told him, “I beseech thee dear 2015 that you come to Nigeria, my nation with a balm to soothe the colossal national lacerations that disfigure the nation’s corium. 2015, I hope that you will be for our nation an auspicious year of strategic planning and deliberate actions that could herald our deliverance.” But was he? In 2015, we tossed transformation onto the side walk to free up the express way for change. The change we so clamoured for, believing desperately that it would

bring about a colossal transmogrification, has since been on the slow lane, yet to manifest what we envisaged. The corium of the nation still bears an open sore that festers and oozes inexplicable stench… Our very own, who swore to act as aegis to civilians, doomed our brothers in the North East to genocide and our young soldiers were condemned to suicide after kowtowing to the superior fire of terrorists. How on God’s green earth did this happen, you might ask? Our national leaders have been accused of conscienceless scheming, dipping tainted hands into boxes of public funds meant for purchasing arms to fortify the military and protect the lives of innocent civilians. All of these have allegedly culminated into this malodorous national stench. I begged 2015, to bring with him, deliberate actions that could herald our deliverance, but he gave me cans filled with fat worms, eating away our national integrity. That was not all we talked about for the conversation progressed and these, I remember, were my last words to 2015 “ I know it is a mammoth task but if you can do this, maybe an end will come to the aimless roaming of graduates on the streets with shoes bearing severe resemblance to boats my grandfather carved. Maybe, a master’s degree holder

veracity with Vera Onana

veraonana@gmail.com 08054680688 will not be working a job with a school certificate holder pay grade. Maybe, dear 2015, parents will cease to haul their children, the country’s future, out of its shores. Maybe, our naira will again hold some value in the international market and perhaps, we will someday cease to be a nation which has become an aberration of the creator’s design.” Oh, only if wishes were horses…! In 2015, our naira plummeted steadily and like humpty dumpty crashed while fuel pump price skyrocketed at the pace with which the Niel Armstrong’s space ship hit the outer parts of our planet. We did not only have Boko Haram to deal with, but there was planted in the South East, a seed of sedition growing like grass in the rainy season in the guise of Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and another horned demon steadily arose in the North West. As 2015 prepares to roll over, our land is fraught with tension as parents scamper under pressure-how do we pay the bills, send the children to school or feed them if salaries are delayed or not even paid at all and businesses buckle under the fallen weight of the naira? I won’t negotiate with 2016 like I did its predecessor, though I have a million more reasons to do so. As a matter of fact, I will shed no more tears entreating or groveling and no letter will be written this year. Au contraire, in the midst of this national higgledy piggledy, I have resolved to wear the flashiest smile the world will ever see and simply give thanks. Fellow countrymen, let us be thankful for the simplest things- the unwavering seasons, the swaying of the forest to boisterous winds, the caressing of our skin by the morning sun, a beautiful full moon in the dark sky, the unlimited air we breathe and if you don’t live in the capitals, the crowing of the cock at dawn. Let us show gratitude for our leaders and not castigate them at the slightest goof, let us express appreciation for policies though they fall short, let us be genuinely grateful that we still are one nation though we are different people with diverse tongues and let us bless our Nation, Nigeria. If we sincerely do these without murmuring and grumbling, who knows what 2016 will bring?

For the success of the Islamic military alliance By David Leffler

RECENTLY, the state-run Saudi Press Agency announced that 34 nations are forming a new “Islamic military alliance” to fight terrorism. But will this new alliance really be able to prevent future terrorist attacks and create lasting peace? There is no statistically validated guarantee that the military strategy of fighting violence with violence will work. It certainly has not in the past. Why should it now? History shows that using violence to quell violence ultimately just ratchets up the level of violence. There is hope, however, if the new alliance honours its stated goal that terrorism “should be fought by all means and collaboration should be made to eliminate it.” Today a scientifically validated means exists to prevent terrorism and war, and all countries involved in the alliance could collaboratively deploy it. This scientific approach is known in military circles as Invincible Defence Technology (IDT). This field-tested approach to reducing stress and violence is already part of the training of Brazil’s Elite Police force, and has been field-tested by other militaries. It has been validated by 23 peer-reviewed studies carried out in both developed and developing nations, including the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Independent scientists and scholars endorse it, based on 25 years of ongoing research. As a specially trained military unit, an “IDT Prevention Wing of the Military” uses IDT to neutralise the buildup of stress in the national collective consciousness that ultimately fuels terrorism, war and crime. As collective stress and frustration subside, government leaders and citizens alike are more capable of finding orderly and constructive solutions to the issues that have separated them for generations. Experience with IDT in highly stressed areas of the globe have demonstrated increased economic incentive and growth of prosperity. Individual creativity and entrepreneurship increase as well. With greater civic calm, citizens’ aspirations rise and a more productive and balanced soci-

ety emerges. Such a society naturally disallows violence as a means for change, or as an expression of discontent. With this, the ground for terrorism is eliminated. Moreover, this positive change in social trends takes place within a few days or weeks after IDT is introduced. The changes are measurable from such statistics as reduced terrorism, crime rates, accidents, hospital admissions, infant mortality, etc. The IDT warrior’s daily routine includes the non-religious practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique and the advanced TM-Sidhi programme. Military personnel, functioning as a societal coherence-creating military unit, practice these techniques together in a group twice a day, seven days a week, preferably near the targeted population in a secure location. Their presence need not be disclosed to achieve the effect of conflict resolution and violence reduction. Such coherence-creating groups have achieved positive benefits to society, shown experientially, in just 48 hours. Modern statistical methods demonstrate a consistent causal influence of the IDT group on reducing conflict, precluding chance or coincidence. The IDT approach has been used during wartime, resulting in reduction of fighting, reduced war deaths and casualties, and improved progress towards resolving the conflict through peaceful means. Its coherence-creating effect has also been documented on a global scale in a study published in the Journal of Offender Re-

habilitation. When large assemblies of civilian IDT experts gathered during the years 1983-1985, terrorism-related casualties decreased 72 percent, international conflict decreased 32 percent, and overall violence was reduced in nations without intrusion by other governments. A civilian IDT group in Israel decreased the intensity of war in Lebanon in 1983 in a dramatic way in 48 hours, to name only one of 50 successful demonstrations. (See a summary of the study, published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution and summaries of follow-up studies in the Journal of Social Behaviuor and Personality and the Journal of Scientific Exploration). IDT is totally unlike any other defence technology because it does not use violence in an attempt to quell violence. It is a more civilised approach, yet the IDT defence technology supersedes all other known defence technologies (which are based on electronic, chemical, and/or nuclear forces). Therefore, militaries that deploy it gain the ultimate strategic advantage. If the Islamic military alliance defence forces establish Prevention Wings of the Military, they will ease the current high tensions, reverse centuries of mistrust and hatred and permanently prevent future unrest. These IDT units will create genuine and lasting reconciliation and friendship where there was once only hatred and conflict. The powerful IDT human-resource-based defence technology disallows negative trends and prevents enemies from arising. No enemies means no terrorism and full security, as well as a normal, happy, productive life for everyone. By eliminating terrorism and ending decades-old cycles of violence, the Islamic military alliance IDT units will create lasting peace and prosperity. Their powerful demonstration of this non-violent peace technology will gain worldwide attention. They will be honoured and respected as great warriors who served honourably in their militaries for the betterment of all humanity. •Leffler is a global affairs analyst.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Femi Olukunle Coordinating Editor 0806 516 7178,

How residents survive in Shishimpe without basic amenities

Residents fetching water from the stream that serves as the only source of water for them. delivery. Protection of infants against diseases also posses a challenge. To bridge the gap, Abuja Xtra observed that some elderly women in the community volunteered to be midwives, although operating under unhygienic environment and without delivery tools. One of the volunteers, Mrs Grace Dandi, who spoke with Abuja Xtra, narrated an experience when her daughter in-law went into labour, saying the only experienced medical practitioner around was a chemist who could not help the situation. She said: “That day, I had to ask her to bend down on the mat and the baby came out so I used razor to cut the umbilical cord before I washed the baby.”

By Adetola Bademosi - Abuja

hishimpe is a community in the outskirts of Mpape town in Abuja. It is a small community under Bwari Area Council with agrarian population estimated to be between 200 and 500, comprising children of various ages. One striking thing about Shishimpe is how community members strive to live their normal life without basic social amenities such as adequate health care facilities, potable water, good roads and power supply. Apparently, the Federal Government has, under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), constructed a primary health care facility and staff quarters in the community with the aim of delivering adequate health care to the residents. However, the facility is far from functioning as expected. In Shishimpe, residents, especially pregnant women, complain that the facility had not really served its purpose. According to them, it is better not to have such facilities. While on an investigative visit to Shishimpe, Abuja Xtra observed that women, in their numbers, some with babies strapped to their backs and others pregnant, got water from the only source of water in the community which was a dirty stream. The stream is located down a bushy path and is about two kilometres from the main village. This is where the wom-

Children returning after fetching water from the stream. en get water to drink, cook and wash. Asked if there are any health effects arising from consumption of the rather brownish water, the simple response was “we are used to it.” Abuja Xtra gathered that there used

to be other water sources which had shut down. Be that as it may, greater concern is that owing to the lack of effective healthcare system, expectant mothers find it difficult undergoing ante-natal care to ensure safe

Boko Haram: 50 displaced persons graduate in skills training

There is no crisis in Yoruba community —Oba Salau

—Pg.22

Continues on pg22

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

abujaxtra

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Boko Haram: 50 displaced persons graduate in skills training Sunday Ejike-Abuja

ifty internally-displaced persons camped at Pegi, Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have graduated from skills acquisition programmes organised by TY Danjuma Foundation in conjunction with

All Children Charity International Foundation. The training, which lasted three months, was in bead-making, shoes-making and clothing, among others. Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Dr Sunday Udoh, in his speech at the occasion, commended the trainees for successfully completing the course.

He stated that the foundation was happy to contribute its quota towards empowerment of the internally-displaced persons through skills acquisition training and urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the skills acquired during the programme. Also speaking, the founder of ACCIF,

How residents survive in Shishimpe without basic amenities Continued from pg21

When Abuja Xtra visited the clinic, there was no sign of activities going on. No nurse was in sight while the various offices including the laboratory, file room, wards and the doctor’s office were accessed at will. The entire facility was literally covered in dust as the floor was littered with used syringes and obviously expired drugs. A walk round the staff quarters also revealed lack of activities as weeds already outgrew the surroundings. All through the time that Abuja Xtra was at the facility, there was no one who could pass for a medical practitioner around the

clinic. A resident, who simply gave his name as Jonathan, lamented the situation at the clinic. He said: “Sometimes when our people come down with sickness, they don’t meet any doctor. Government should send doctors to us. “This hospital is fine, but we don’t have doctors and we don’t have nurses. The doctor here comes once in a week, which is not good. The only time he tells us he is coming is during immunisation day so that our children can come out,” he said. Also speaking with Abuja Xtra, the village head, Chief Daniel Gmagma, said

government had been less responsive to the plights of the residents. He said that many infants had lost their lives over inadequate healthcare service. He said: “We advise government to come to our aid. As you can see, here is closer to town, yet we don’t have good roads and facilities. “If you go to our river, even to fetch the water to wash your leg is a serious risk. So we need clean water. “We have not lost a pregnant woman here, but we have lost so many children. If somebody is sick, it is difficult for us to take him to town because there is no good road.”

Barrister Ronte Daudu, urged the public to patronise the goods produced by the trainees, describing them as being high in qualities. He said that there was no need importing goods which could be produced locally. According to him, “one of the ways to encourage this is patronage and rebranding. The displaced persons came into this camp depressed, but today they have acquired skills that will make them self-reliant.” A beneficiary of the training, Pastor Jacob Ndirmbula, said he would embark on free training of people to reciprocate the gesture and advised other displaced persons to strive to be self-reliant. Highlights of the events included presentation of work tools to the trainees, fashion parade, exhibition of the products made in the camp as well as presentation of certificates to the trainees.

Consumers groan as fuel scarcity bites harder Christian Okeke-Abuja Frustrations and groaning have continued in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as fuel scarcity lingers. Many residents lamented that the current situation has never been witnessed before, with queues stretching kilometres. It was a situation that had created confusion and hardship among the residents. Abuja Xtra witnessed many petrol stations without the products, with some complaining that they ran out of stock almost in a twinkle. It was also observed that black market petrol business continued and was much more than ever before. Many residents, who spoke with Abuja Xtra, could not tell what had caused the prolonged scarcity.

The clinic for the residents.

There is no crisis in Yoruba community —Salau Oba Yoruba of FCT, Oba Olusegun Salau, who spoke with COLLINS NNABUIFE on the recent leadership tussle within the Yoruba community in Abuja, insists that he remains the Oba Yoruba of Federal Capital Territory (FCT.) A group of Obas addressed the press recently, saying that you are not the Oba Yoruba of FCT but Oba Kado. What do you have to say about that? As I am talking to you now, I am still the Oba Yoruba of FCT. I live in Kado, I established Yoruba community in Abuja in 1994. In 1995, the Yoruba community in Abuja came together and wanted me to be the oba, which I rejected bluntly. I told them that I am the only son of my parents, but when I informed my wife, she convinced me to take the title. That was in 1995. So in 1996, I was turbaned. I was not aware that there was another oba somewhere. It was when I was already turbaned that they later told me that there was one Baale at Garki and I went there, saw him and recognised his office. I told him I was turbaned the Oba Yoruba of FCT and he said I should carry on because he was not educated. So we became friends. That same 1996, I was fully turbaned, the occasion which all the Yoruba elders in Abuja attended. So, I started parading myself as the

Oba Yoruba of FCT. If you get to Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the first Yoruba dance in Abuja was in my palace. So, in a short while, they started appointing other obas. I crowned most of them, but they kept on fighting themselves. Who gave you certificate of chieftaincy? Ona of Abaji HRM Adamu Yunusa, who is the Chairman of Abuja Council of Traditional Rulers gave me the Certificate, I told the Ona of Abaji if he doesn’t want me to bear the name oba, he should give me the name he wants me to bear. So, recently, I told them that this obas that we are calling ourselves, the proliferation of obaship in Abuja is becoming too much, but the problem we are having is that whenever new government comes on board, the so-called obas will start problems. I don’t know what to do. For the past 20 years, the Yoruba community in Abuja has not gained anything from the government due to the leadership problems we are having.

What do you think is the cause of this outcry by these groups?

ernment? You know Rome was not built in a day. Nigerians should be patient; we should support the government. We need intelligence gathering. Gun alone cannot do the job. We need more prayers and patience.

What steps are you taking to unite your subjects? I have been uniting them, but they are just adamant. I don’t know why. It has to do with something spiritual which is not recognised by our Constitution. They have been doing that for up to 20 years now. But I am still the Oba Yoruba of Abuja, duly recognised. Efforts are being made with relevant bodies to bring them back to the fold. Rome was not built in a day. There is no crisis in the Yoruba community. It is only disgruntled groups that are causing these problems. We are united and we are ready to support the government in power. We should be good ambassadors of the Yoruba race and not to be miscreants. I am appealing to them to bring their grievances to the palace so that we can settle them. What is your advice for the present gov-

Oba Salau

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

leadership &

management with Sulaimon Olanrewaju

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

Femi Otedola, Chairman, Forte Oil

Leadership paradoxes By Sulaimon Olanrewaju

EADERSHIP is a venture in paradoxes; a journey in contradictions. Very often leaders are in a dilemma because they find themselves torn between two contradictory options. It is for this reason that some of them

Quote

“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.”

sometimes appear confused because they are faced with a situation in which they have to choose between two contradictory but equally compelling and appealing options. To excel, the leader needs to know which of the contradictory alternatives is the appropriate one at any given time.

— Kenneth Blanchard

Continues on pg24

Leaders’

The 60-second

—P26

business coach —P24

—P25

forum

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

leadership&management Paradoxes of leadership Continued from pg23

Let us have a look at some leadership paradoxes. Confidence vs humility Leaders are expected to exude confidence and humility at the same time. Confidence A leader cannot afford to be without confidence because it is the foundation of leadership. As

said by Francisco Dao, a leadership consultant, “Self-confidence is the basis from which leadership grows. Trying to build leadership without first building confidence is like building a house on a foundation of sand. It may have a nice coat of paint, but it is ultimately shaky at best.” A leader must know the way and must be assertive in showing it. Without confidence every other competence a leader possesses pales into insignificance because it is the leader’s confidence that

THE 60-SECOND business coach

7 Ways to be a better leader in 2016 THE past couple of weeks, I’ve received a lot of newsletter emails about resolutions – I guess the beginning of the year is a good time for that! Most of these newsletters have an article or two about improving your leadership skills in 2016. Rather than send you to all the web site to sift through loads of content, I thought I might summarize for you some of the tips on being a better leader in 2016. 1. Take time to reflect By being reflective, you give yourself time to think about what is going well and what needs to be changed – this time gives you a chance to learn from your experiences. Some questions you might ask (both for yourself and for your team) are: •What are you most proud of in 2015? •What are you most looking forward to in 2016? •What are the goals/steps that you are dedicated to moving toward in 2016? 2. Re-focus your team Everyone is more excited about the job that they’re doing when they understand how their work ties into business goals. Take time in a team meeting to ask questions like: Where are we going? What do we believe in? Why do we exist? Don’t have those team meeting? Start scheduling them. 3. Ban “To Do” lists Yes, getting things done is important, but I also have things on a “todo” list that don’t really matter if they get done or not. Instead, start tracking an “Accomplishments” list to differentiate between the mundane (checking Facebook) and the

truly important. 4. Paint your legacy What do you want to look like in 10 or 20 years? What do you want your team members to say about you when they talk about the manager they had in 2016? Imagine what you want this future to look like and make the choices today that will get you there tomorrow. 5. Be social “Social” is here to stay. Learn how you can use social media/activity to your advantage. You can use it to build your brand, engage team members, interact with peers, etc. The old advice was to “manage by walking around” – social activity is how you do this in the digital age. 6. Work your network This does not mean “use people to your advantage;” this means being conscientious of your relationships. Work at building relationships and making them better. Don’t forget that part of networking is giving back to the other person – make sure that when you’re requesting help, you can offer help in return. 7. Engage your people Engagement doesn’t equate to money (don’t get me wrong, money is nice, too). Engagement is your ability to get your team excited about the work they’re doing; it’s the level of motivation one has for his or her job; it’s the team’s ability to solve problems with you removing roadblocks. If your team is engaged, chances are pretty good that you’re excited about going to work as well. Probably most important in these seven tips is how you’re going to change.

births confidence in those who follow him and motivates them to go the extra mile to achieve set goals. People trust leaders who are confident and are sure of what they want and demonstrate knowledge of how to get it. It is the confidence of the leader that attracts people to him and earns him their trust. Without the followers’ trust and belief in the leader, not much gets done. A confident leader is not threatened by the outstanding performance of those who work with him. Rather, he is challenged by it and he gets motivated to also up his game. So, instead of working against the interest of others, he encourages them to be their best. As a result, he is able to build a great network that does not only work for his own good but also for the good of those who cooperate with him. Humility At the other end of the spectrum is humility. Without humility a leader cannot go far. A leader may attract good hands through his competence but without humility he cannot retain them. Defining humility, Amy Y. Ou et al, in Humble Chief Executive Officers’ Connections to Top Management Team Integration and Middle Managers’ Responses, say “humility is manifested in self-awareness, openness to feedback, appreciation of others, low self-focus, and pursuit of self-transcendence. Humble people willingly seek accurate self-knowledge and accept their imperfections while remaining fully aware of their talents and abilities. They appreciate others’ positive worth, strengths, and contributions and thus have no need for entitlement or dominance over others.” Rick Warren puts it this way: “Humility is not denying your strengths. Humility is being honest about your weaknesses.” Success has its downside which is the tendency to believe that one is better than the rest. Harbouring this belief is the beginning of an imminent descent. But humility saves the leader from such slide by helping him to take attention away from himself to others. It enables the leader to accommodate the views of others and makes adjustment where necessary. Humility saves the leader from losing focus and helps him to concentrate on what is essential. Without humility, the leader will operate alone and may find out to his consternation when it is too late that the road he took is not the right one. Hence, the appropriateness of the counsel of John Wooden, an American basket ball coach, to his players that “Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be thankful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” Optimism Vs reality Leaders are advised to be optimistic and realistic simultaneously. Optimism Leaders are dealers in hope, according to Napoleon Bonaparte. This means, as explained by John Maxwell, that a leader

BOOK By Bob Morris

Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, Group CEO &President, Arik Air Ltd

Leo Stanley, Chairman & CEO, Zinox Group

must be able to make others believe that the impossible is possible. For a leader to ignite hope in others, he himself must be full of optimism. Leadership has to do with creating the picture of a great future to which people can aspire. To create such a picture, the leader must be upbeat about the future. An optimist sees things from the bright side. A leader, even when things are not going right, is expected to be optimistic because everyone takes a cue from him. When things are wrong everybody looks up to the leader to assure them that things will still turn right. If they get this assurance from him, they continue with hope for a better turn out of events. But if he exhibits any sign that things have gone awry and are likely to remain so, he dampens the spirit of the people and they lose the ability to forge ahead. They lose hope. It is for this reason that leaders are dealers of hope. A leader must learn to hope against hope. No leader is complete without an ample dose of optimism.

Courage Vs compassion A leader is looked upon to exhibit courage and compassion with equal measure.

Reality Many leadership experts are agreed that one of the basic responsibilities of a leader is to face reality. They posit that until the leader sees the reality as it is and comes to terms with it, there is not much he can do to change it. Hence, they argue that until a leader is able to face reality, he has not started leading. That is why Max DuPree, former CEO of Herman Miller, says the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. But Jack Welch, former Chairman of General Electric, drives home the point better. He says, “The art of managing and leading comes down to a simple thing. Determining and facing reality about people, situations, products, and then acting decisively and quickly on that reality. Think how many times we have procrastinated, hoped it would get better. Most of the mistakes you’ve made have been through not being willing to face into it, straight in the mirror that reality you find, then taking action on it. That’s all managing is, defining and acting. Not hoping, not waiting for the next plan. Not rethinking it. Getting on with it. Doing it. Defining and doing it.”

Courage One of the major characteristics of great leadership is courage. A leader needs courage to blaze a trail; he needs courage to champion a change; he needs courage to take risks. Without blazing a trail, leading a change and taking risks the leader will not make an impact. Leaders are agents of change. Change is impossible without courage. Therefore, leadership is a sham without courage because the leader will just do what is convenient, only to find out at the end of his time that not only has he frittered the opportunity that leadership thrusts on him but that he has also wasted the time of the people he is meant to lead. Aristotle says courage is the most important virtue in leadership because it is the one that makes all other virtues possible. So, a leader who is deficient in courage is most likely to be deficient in all other leadership attributes. Even if he is not deficient in them, he will not have the ability to display such virtues in the face of opposition because of the absence of courage.

When leaders are compassionate they build cohesive and powerful teams. A compassionate leader is more interested in the wellbeing of his team members than he is in the execution of the task or himself.

Dupe Olusola, CEO, Teragro Commodities Ltd Compassion Tibetan scholar, Thupten Jinpa, defines compassion as a mental state endowed with a sense of concern for the suffering of others and aspiration to see that suffering relieved. According to him, compassion has three components: cognitive, which connotes, “I understand you”; affective, which says, “I feel for you” and motivational, which tells the other person, “I want to help you.” Leaders are expected to show understanding for others, feel what they feel and strive to help them. When leaders are compassionate they build cohesive and powerful teams. A compassionate leader is more interested in the wellbeing of his team members than he is in the execution of the task or himself. This is the strength of compassionate leadership because when the leader shows that a team member is more important than the assignment, the action elicits reciprocity from the team member. With that, he becomes more committed and loyal to the team because he does not want to betray the trust reposed in him by the leader. Hence, as observed by Google team, great companies have compassionate leaders. Being decisive Vs building consensus Leaders are expected to demonstrate decisiveness and also build consensus. Being decisive Team members respect leaders who are decisive, those who are able to think on their feet and arrive at a decision without much ado. Being decisive is very critical because ideas are not localized. An idea usually occurs to a number of individuals in different parts of the world at the same time but the one who is able to swing into action immediately is the one who profits from such idea. Therefore, a leader who has the ability to move at the speed of light with respect to decision making has an edge over those who are slow to decide. Often in leadership it is said that making a wrong decision is better than not making any at all. Building consensus Leaders are encouraged to build consensus in decision making so that everyone

Austin Avuru, MD, Seplat feels involved. The leader alone cannot run the show; he needs the involvement of others. It is for that reason that leaders are encouraged to involve others in the decision-making process. It is said that when everyone contributes to the making of a decision, the idea is not seen as that of the leader alone but that of the whole team. With that, the decision is owned by all and everyone involved works towards the realization of the decision. The bottom line A leader is made by the decisions he makes and when he makes such. What is right in a moment may be wrong the next one. A leader must know when to be confident or humble; dictatorial or democratic; optimistic or realistic. The challenge is; how does a leader become this versatile? How does he know which of the alternatives he is daily faced with is appropriate at a particular time? A leader gets to this point by being unflaggingly committed to continuous learning. A leader must saturate his mind with so much information that he is able to make the right decision even unconsciously. Jack Welch, in his book, Straight from the Gut, says that most of the decisions he made as the CEO in General Electric were from his gut. According to him, many times he had to go against the grain, acting contrary to professional advice and relying on his instincts. But he was often right. How did he get to the point that when confronted with contradictory options he intuitively knew what was right? He got to that point through his total commitment to self development in line with what he was doing. People become what they constantly do. Welch devoted himself to the consumption of information about what he was doing to the extent that even when he took a decision unconsciously, he was sure it would be the right one. Leaders cannot wish away paradoxes. But to avoid being confused and ending on the wrong route, they have to develop their sixth sense. This is done by building themselves up to the point that taking the right step, albeit unconsciously, comes to them naturally.

MARCIA Reynolds has a keen interest in interactive relationships between and among people who are struggling to cope with a world in which change is the only constant, especially now when change happens more often and faster than at any prior time that I can remember. She has an insatiable curiosity to understand what works, what doesn’t, and (especially) why. Over the years, she has helped leaders in countless companies to create and then sustain a workplace culture within which personal growth and professional development are most likely to thrive. In The Discomfort Zone, she shares her thoughts about how to thrive during moments of uncertainty when people are most receptive to learn. As Reynolds explains, “In order to define who we are and make sense of the world around us, our brains develop [or embrace] constructs and rules we strongly protect without much thought. This is what James O’Toole has in mind when suggesting, in Leading Change, that the strongest resistance to change tends to be cultural in nature, the result of what he so aptly characterizes as “the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom.” What to do? Reynolds: “To help people think differently, you have to disturb the automatic processing. This is best done by challenging the beliefs that caused the frames and surfacing the underlying fears, needs, and desires that are keeping the constructs in place.” My other rather extensive experience which change initiatives convinced me that those who lead them must take into full account a powerful but unspoken question that most people have: “What’s in it for me?” These are among the major subjects and issues that Reynolds addresses: What a discomfort zone is and why it can be beneficial. The best circumstances in which to have a discomfort zone conversation. What differentiates a discomfort zone conversation from others. Five myths about a workplace and what in fact is true. Keys to effective listening. How what you hear can help to guide and inform your response. How to use discomfort conversations to avoid or overcome communication barriers. How to use discomfort conversations to “embrace what’s next”. How to leverage what is learned from interactions within the discomfort zone. The approach that Reynolds recommends is research-driven, one that takes into full account the realities that now exist in a global marketplace but also the basics of human nature that have remained true since an incident long ago when a serpent engaged a woman in conversation about apples in a garden. Toxic leaders create and sustain discomfort zones that depress, discourage, and demoralize those within them. Obviously, that’s not what Marcia Reynolds has in mind. The leaders she most admires are those who create and then sustain a workplace environment within which personal growth and professional development are most likely to thrive. In fact, all organizations need leadership at all levels and in all areas throughout the given enterprise. There are almost unlimited opportunities every day for everyone to convert interactive encounters — conversations that are uncomfortable for them as well as for others — into breakthroughs that improve communication, cooperation, and — especially — collaboration.

leadership&management

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

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

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

Purposology as the springboard of success - 1 IN a few days time, the year 2015 will enter the books of history. I want to wish all readers of this column a prosperous 2016. As the year 2015 runs out, it is not time to start moaning about the losses and the failures of the year. It is time to pick up the pieces of your life, re-strategize, reinvent and relaunch yourself in the coming year. If God spares your life to see 2016, you need to be full of gratitude. A very close friend of mine made a very profound post on his Facebook page on Christmas Day. He had sent me a birthday greeting on my birthday on Tuesday last week and I only got to reply him on Christmas Day. As soon as I sent him a reply, I visited his page, read his post on that day, only to see comments talking about his demise which had happened that very day! I find it difficult to believe even as I write. Egheomare Eyieyen was a gentleman to the core. A solid Christian who loved God and Nigeria with passion, he pitched his camp with PDP and tried to run for Senate but the hawks in the system made sure he did not get the ticket. Never one to compromise his convictions, he was also never afraid of admitting it whenever he was in error. Our last telephone conversation was a lengthy one in which we expressed our hope for a better fatherland where leadership would be more about service than domination, patronage, demagoguery or ethnicity and our economy would move from its current rent-seeking proclivity towards a productive bent where merit becomes the plank of reward. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. I have no doubt that as another year approaches, many individuals and organizations would have been involved in retreats in order to plan and strategize for the year. Several ideas would have been hatched, along with resolutions and goals for execution. For a long time, I subscribed to the school of thought that a business or enterprise begins with an idea, not finance. I still agree with the notion that finance is never the starting point of any endeavour. I have proven that over and over again. Most people who bandy the excuse of lack of finance to start something actually have no clue what they need the money for! That is a story for another day. Having said that, I am now convinced that the

starting point of any enterprise that intends to be around for a long time is not even the idea. It is in the answer to the question ‘WHY?’. To succeed significantly in any endeavour, you must first ask yourself why you are involved in it. Same goes for any organization that desires to be on the cutting edge of socio-economic relevance. This goes beyond arriving at a surface answer that addresses only ephemeral considerations. It is the definition of a raison d’etre that finds definition from the core of one’s heart and connects one with a quest bigger than oneself, manifesting itself in an advocacy-inspired desire to solve a human problem. I call it purposology. It is the driving essence of a person or an organization that keeps the person or organization going even when there seem to be enough reasons to throw in the towel. Motivation can only be supplied by a motive. In the late seventies, Apple introduced the personal computer. Apple became an instant wonder and smiled its way to the bank! However, there were several gaffes in the product line of the Apple brand. The products had an aura of exclusivity that saw the Apple computers priced beyond the reach of the average computer user. Besides, the Operating System was far from user-friendly. Moreover, after the introduction of its Apple II, there was a seven-year lapse before the introduction of an upgraded version, the Apple III! Unfortunately, the Apple III had to be withdrawn from the market because of several engineering flaws. Apple followed with the Apple Lisa. Priced at $9,995, it was too expensive for the average consumer, further locking Apple deeper in the exclusivity myth. Enter Microsoft. Seeing the market’s desire for personal computers, it rolled out its line of computers with a more liberal access to its Operating System, a strategy that helped it sell more computers, thus sweeping a significant chunk of market share from under Apple’s feet. There was no strong follow-up from Apple until 1984 when it came out with the Mackintosh. By then, it was too late to stop Microsoft! People don’t just love a brand. The market’s love for any brand is directly traceable to the why of the brand. For this

reason, whenever people have fallen in love with a brand, they are willing to excuse the deficiencies of the brand. But for this, Apple would have become history. Suffice it to say that in spite of the stiff run for the money given to Apple by Microsoft, Apple had been able to garner a reasonable cult followership that was willing to overlook its errors and give it another chance when it came out with the iPod, a musical storage device that took the entire world by storm by its portability and convenience. At the launch of the iPod in 2001, Steve Jobs, the turnaround whiz kid who had shortly before then taken over the leadership of the ailing Apple brand, had this to say “...the choice we made was music. Now, why music? Well, we love music. And it’s always good to do something you love. More importantly, music is a part of everyone’s life. Everyone. Music has been around forever. it will always be around. This is not a speculative market. And because it’s a part of everyone’s life, it’s a very large market...It knows no boundaries” Apple brought this purposology to bear on the design of the device. Portable enough to carry in your front pocket, the initial iPod could contain 1000 songs playable in all known formats at the time. To make downloading of songs easy, it came equipped with Firewire capacity and its trademark white earphones that easily distinguished an iPod user from everyone else! With a well-defined purposology that resonated with the core needs of the market, the iPod was guaranteed to succeed even before it came into the market! The iPod brought Apple back to its pride of place in the market almost overnight. And that was just the beginning! Today, when you meet a member of the Apple users’ clan, the brand seems infallible! They are simply blind to its flaws! Apple’s success story is a template that can be replicated when an individual or an organization has found the essence of its existence and can clearly communicate and connect same to his/its audience, team or clientele... continued. Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!

Answering the greatest question ever asked BEFORE the wife of Martin Luther King Jnr. passed on, she was asked why she refused to get married after the passing away of her husband. To which she responded that her purpose was to be the wife of Dr. King. She believed her purpose was to be beside him! She could have been anything she wanted—from university president to industrialist—yet she chose to support her late husband. Even after the home-going of her husband, she kept the dream of her martyred husband alive till she too passed on. Mrs. King lived a fulfilled life! Buddy, to live a fulfilled life, you will need to answer the greatest question ever asked: why are you on earth? In 2016 and beyond, you will need to discover and be stanchly dedicated to your purpose for coming to the face of the earth. Many people have died without discovering why they were sent to earth. You will live a meaningless life in 2016, if you do not live your life on purpose. Over the years, I have met with more than a few Africans who were born to be great, but are living pedestrian and second-rate life, because they are not living their lives on purpose. Do you desire and crave to live your life differently in the coming year? Then pay a close attention to what I am sharing with you today. Nothing gives direction, strength and speed to the feet of either a man or woman than purpose. Your purpose will determine who you will marry. Your purpose will determine what you will go to school to study. Your purpose will determine who to relate with and who not to relate with. Your purpose will determine where to go and where not to go. Remember, it is lack of purpose that makes people go everywhere and relate to everyone. When you are found everywhere in the coming year, it means you are not living your life on purpose. Purpose gives direction and helps to get rid of distractions from your life. Your purpose will determine what you listen to on radio

and what you watch on television. If you listen to everything around you and you watch everything you see on television, it is a sign that you are living a purposeless life. Men and women of purpose do not listen to everything and they do not watch everything that is available on television. Many people are busy, active, dedicated, faithful and famous, but deep inside; they are tired, frustrated, bored, disillusioned, confused, empty, and depressed. Their lives are aimless. Day after day, they go on smiling, pretending, and living up to an identity and a reputation that is different from their true selves. Do not forget this as long as you breathe: until purpose is discovered, life remains meaningless. The only source of fulfillment I do know is purpose. You can be successful and still feel like a failure on the inside of you, when you are not living on purpose. You can have cars, homes, and other material things and your life will still be empty. Material things cannot replace purpose! Human beings, no matter who they are or where they live on earth, all want to be “successful.” This success is usually defined by the superficial rewards that are so glorified by the media: wealth, power, fame, luxury, and prestige. The goal of material achievement is drilled into us from an early age, and this relentless pursuit of “success” has produced some unglamorous and low-key results. Divorce and suicide rates continually climb and clamber. Also, violence and environmental destruction plague virtually every community. Emotional depression has increased. There is an ongoing poverty and paucity of satisfaction and meaningful existence that only purpose gives. A professional career and a large bank account cannot provide these absent ingredients. No amount of accomplishments can replace the power and motivation

of finding your own special niche and working towards your dreams. Inner emptiness is always the lot of those who lack a clarity of purpose or those who struggle to live up to someone else’s definition of success, be it that of a parent, a spouse, a boss, or society in general. Reaching the top of the professional or social ladder is meaningless on the condition that it sacrifices your personal gratification and well being. What then is the definition of purpose? Purpose is the original goal and basis for the creation or existence of a thing, the end for which the means exist, and the desired result that initiates production. The question is: what is the basis for your own existence? Until you find this, life will continue to be meaningless though you may have money and what money can buy. And it is purpose that will help you to discover the problem that you have been sent on earth to solve. Every man and woman of purpose is a problem solver. And it is when you are solving the problem that you are on earth to solve that you will feel a sense of fulfillment that money cannot buy. A beggaring description of joy will feel your heart, when you are leading a life of purpose. This is what makes men and women of purpose happy, even when they are faced with many challenges of life. Lastly, many years ago, a young man came to me after a conference I organized in the city of Lagos. He was working in a bank, but each morning, he felt as a fish outside of water. He had money and what money could buy, but he felt as a failure within him. He felt his purpose is to add value to humanity in the field of human capital development. I encouraged him to step inside water, because a fish can only live a happy and fulfilled life inside water. Today, he is enjoying his life! In 2016, I encourage you to step inside water and start leading a life of purpose.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

brands& marketing

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Akin Adewakun

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

2015 and some events that shaped the marketing communication industry Stories BY Akin Adewakun-Lagos

ITH the Year 2015 gradually winding down, not a few within the nation’s Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) space, have hinged the uniqueness of the outgoing year on some of the events it has thrown up and which have gone a long way in determining the course of the IMC industry in the year. For instance, being an election year, many practitioners had looked forward to the year as one that would keep them engaged and, to a large extent come with its financial benefits. Unfortunately, while the general elections had come and gone, a huge number of practitioners in the industry have argued that only a negligible number from the advertising really benefitted, in terms of business, from the elections, as earlier predicted by pundits. “Those that really benefitted were not even from the nation’s advertising industry. They were non-professionals. The politicians saw it as that opportunity to sort out their cronies, and that is exactly what they did. Contrary to stakeholders’ expectations, only very few practitioners in the industry, actually benefitted at the end of the day, most of those advertising campaigns were carried out by non-professionals,” argued a marketing communications practitioner. Interestingly, not a few would readily attribute the flagrant flouting of the basic rules guiding advertising as seen in some of the campaign materials to this development. Besides, the eventual resolution of who occupies the Chairmanship seat of the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON) was not without its positive effects for the industry too. For instance, the industry had been embroiled in crisis over the appropriateness or otherwise of the appointment of Price Ngozi Emioma, a non-practitioner, as the nation’s number one advertising practitioner, contrary to the Act setting up the regulatory body. The coming on board of Udeme Ufot, the Chief Executive Officer of S.O&U, after months of impasse, was no doubt seen as a welcome development by practitioners who believed that the leadership crisis at APCON was having far-reaching effects on the industry generally. Unfortunately, the coming on board of a new government at the centre and the blanket dissolution of the boards of federal government’s parastatals and agencies, was however, seen by stakeholders as another huge setback for the industry. A new Information Minister Another event considered by many as critical to the industry in the last few months, is the appointment of a new Information Minister. Besides heeding stakeholders’ call for a professional on that seat, the appointment of Alhaji Lai Mohammed was also seen by many as a development that would see to the quick resolution of the crisis the current

dissolution of the APCON council seems to be generating in the industry. “We believe since the new man is a professional, he will definitely know where the shoe pinches and would therefore not delay in sorting out some of those problems plaguing the industry,” argued a practitioner, while reacting to the appointment. Fines and infractions Of note, in recent times, is the renewed spirit with which the regulatory bodies are discharging their statutory duties, a development that had seen some notable brands incurring the wrath of these agencies for infractions. For instance, not too long ago, a foremost telecommunication service provider, MTN, was fined $5.2billion for infractions, by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). While some analysts were of the view that this might scare off foreign investors from the country, and defeat the much touted search for foreign direct investments (FDIs), others would however see this as a positive development since this simply implies that it is no longer business as usual in the nation’s business environment, especially for those who are not ready to play by the rule. Interestingly, the question on stakeholders’ lips is whether the latest development will shrink the brand’s advertising spend in the coming year. “While I believe other alternative routes could explored and exploited, I however, don’t think those heavy fine would shrink the advertising spend of the affected brands. If not for anything, this is the time they need to spend more for them to be able ward off whatever negative implications such fines might have on the brands. The interesting thing is that the affected brands are big brands and they know the benefits of adver-

Udeme Ufot tising,” argued Chuddy Uduenyi of Compact Communications. New LASAA boss Quite expectedly, the coming in of a new administration in Lagos, brought with it some changes at the helms of affairs of the state’s ministries, agencies and parastatals, a development that saw the appointment of Mr Mobolaji Sanusi, a columnist at the The Nation Newspaper as the Chief Executive of the Lagos Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA). Nothing would have been unusual about the appointment, but for the drama witnessed in the first few days of his resumption at the Alausa Office of the agency. For instance, his first day in office saw a sizable number of the agency’s workers locked out for coming late to work. While staff of the agency are still trying to adapt to

StarTimes connects African, Chinese media

THE media and communication sector in Africa received a boost recently as Pay Tv brand, StarTimes Group, joined forces with the state council information office of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), to design a blueprint for media practitioners in China and Africa. The event, which held recently at the Sino-Africa Media Leadership Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, was designed to bridge the gap between the two communities, whose cooperation can boost the welfare of over 2 billion people. President Xi Jinping of PRC, who was represented by the Chinese Ambassador to Cape Town, Jiang Jianguo noted that it had become imperative for the media to deepen the content of cooperation in order to integrate the people into the desired expansion of the communication industry. While arguing that the root of friendship between China and Africa lies in the people and communication, the Chinese President added that the media represents an important tie for boosting the friendship between Africans and Chinese.

“In recent years, the cooperation between media has got abundant development, and there are more and more visits between the senior media management and articles exchanges, co-interviews, and cooperative filming are now rampant,” he said. While agreeing with his counterpart’s views, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, described the media as a very important resource where the public can get information and have opportunities for better development. “For the media to report correctly, access and openness is crucial. In this regard, we need also to seek ways that media and Government can do to develop meaningful partnerships for the benefit our people. It is hoped that this media summit can open up a new area of cooperation between Africa and China, for communication of ideas to seek for common development,” he stated. Reassuring its increasing subscribers of its commitment towards developing Africa, President of StarTimes Group, Pang Xinxing, explained that the company is dedicated to the growth of the continent.

the new style of Mr Sanusi, members of the outdoor advertisers are however looking at the possibility of revisiting some of the policies of his predecessors which they believe are inimical to the business in the state. LAIF and the emerging creative trend The recently-held Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF), no doubt provided the opportunity for stakeholders in the industry to have an idea of where the pendulum of creativity is likely to swing in the next few years. For instance, against the all odds, a relatively new creative agency, Noah’s Ark emerged the winner of the Grand Pix at the Award, organized by the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN) to reward creativity in the industry, a development that has since keeps tongues wagging in the industry. For instance, while reacting to the development, a practitioner in the industry, who would not want his name in print, believes the recent feats achieved by Noah’s Ark and the X3M Ideas, two relatively young agencies, are signs of the paradigm shift the industry presently taking place in the industry. “It is an indication that it is no longer business as usual. It simply means that all these relatively new agencies are not disguising the fact their intention of giving the established ones a run for their money,” stated the practitioner in a chat with Brands & Marketing. Conclusion Besides shaping the industry in the outgoing year, stakeholders are of the firm belief that some of the events may have far-reaching effects beyond the year. “Effects of some of these events would definitely go beyond Year 2015. They will go a long way in dictating the pace of the industry in the coming year. That is why stakeholders believe they are very unique and of serious significance to the industry,” argued Yemi Selong, a practitioner, while stressing the uniqueness of the events.

brands&marketing

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Giant Beverages emerges finalist at 2015 Global Water Congress

Medical Director, Gbagada General Hospital, Dr Lateef Tayo Lawal; Apex Nurse, Gbagada General Hospital, Mrs Oluwabuyide Abosede, Santa Claus carrying a patient, Chidima Uchnna; Public Relations and Event Manager, Dufil Prima Food Plc., Mr Tope Ashiwaju and Mrs Edith Uchnna, mother of the baby, at the Indomie Santa Surprise Visit to Gbagada General Hospital Lagos, recently.

IKORODU-BASED beverage company, Giant Beverages Limited, was named amongst the top three finalists at the 2015 Global Bottled Water Congress and Awards held in Lisbon, Portugal. The awards formed the highlight of the 12th Global Bottled Water Congress, organised by Zenith International, a world leading food and drinks consultancy in conjunction with media partners BeverageDaily.com, Beverfood and the International Bottled Water Association. The feat is coming on the heels of the recent unveiling and introduction of Valmont, a super-premium water brand,

Anambra to commission first shopping mall in Q1 of 2016 Stories BY Akin Adewakun-Lagos

NITSHA, the largest commercial and trading centre in South East Nigeria, is set to witness increased tempo of activities as the first shopping mall in the area opens for business in the first quarter of 2016. Onitsha Mall, a joint venture project by African Capital Alliance and the Anambra State

Government, is located off Awka Road in the GRA part of the city. The mall, which boasts of over 60 shops and easy access from all parts of Onitsha and surrounding towns, is about 95 completed and is expected to open to business by February 2016. According to the developers, African Capital Alliance (ACA), Shoprite and a number of big retailers offering fashion accessories, sports equipment, bank-

ing services, telecom and ICT software and hardware services had already secured space in the mall. ACA believes the new mall facility would signal a new dawn in the life of the city that had grappled with a dearth of quality recreational and modern lifestyle-enhancing amenities in the last few years. ACA’s real estate fund manager, Obiora Nwogugu, noted that the

mall would provide ample social, life-style and entertainment facilities for all categories of people. “It boasts of adequate security and parking space, thereby making it an ideal place to shop, entertain and meet up with friends and family. We have also placed a premium on the use of modern equipment and methods to ensure the safety of our shoppers,” Nwogugu stated.

unique in both content and packaging by Giant Beverages into the Nigerian market. The awards attracted over 100 entries from 22 countries in 11 categories, demonstrating creativity, innovation, marketing, community initiative and environmental best practice. Speaking on the feat, Marketing Manager of the company, Mrs Bose Ogunyemi described as an honour to have a new product from Nigeria compete at the highest global level and come out tops. “We believe it is testimony to the attention to detail, quality and packaging of our product. We will not rest on our oars as we strive to ensure that Valmont and our other products make the needed impact in the Nigerian market,” she stated. She pointed out that Zenith international is a commercial and technical consultancy with 20 years market intelligence and conference services that have helped shape the global food and drinks industry. “For our brand to have made a strong showing with more established global brands shows that we started on a strong footing. I can assure Nigerians that Giant Beverages, as a responsible corporate citizen, will contribute its quota towards the production of quality products,” she added.

Winners emerge in Three Crowns cooking competition LOW cholesterol milk brand, Three Crowns Milk, has recently rewarded its esteemed consumers who participated in the just concluded Three Crowns ‘Cook Like Mine’ competition. The Grand Finale of the

competition witnessed the five shortlisted participants preparing 2 meals - the original recipe they had entered the competition with and a surprise recipe selected by the judges. Also the audience was treated

to a cooking masterclass by celebrity chefs, Tolu Erogbogbo (Chef Eros) and Uzo Orimalade who prepared a Chicken Potpie and gave several tips on making the perfect meal using Three Crowns Milk as well as some vital

Cussons Baby launches first Toddler Talent Contest AFTER successfully completing two editions of Cussons Baby Moments, a flagship platform of Cussons Baby brand, the brand has launched yet another novel project that would give toddlers between ages 2 and 5 the opportunity to exhibit their talents in singing, dancing and poetry. The first ever toddler talent contest in Nigeria tagged ‘Cussons Baby Toddler Grow and Shine,’ will have sensational and contemporary music stars such as Jude Abaga popularly known as MI, Waje Iruobe and Chidinma as judges of the toddlers. Present at the unveiling ceremony of the judges of the programme at PZ Cussons in Lagos were Head of Category and Channel Manager, Jimi Taiwo,

Category Marketing, Family Care, Mildred Bagshaw, Category Manager, Family Care, Faith Okoli, Brand Manager, Oluwaseun Ayeni, Assistant Brand Manger-Cussons Baby, Tobi Adetunji and MI, and Waje. According to the Category Manager, Family Care, Mrs Mildred Bagshaw, the initiative is as a result of a direct response from the consumers-basically parents, who have said through their feedbacks that the brand should move a notch higher by introducing a talent contest for the toddlers. “The motivation for the brand came from the consumers. They are the ones that we are here for and this is a direct response to the feedbacks that we have

got from the two editions of the Cussons Baby Moments, where some parents wanted us to take it a notch higher and include children that were older than the target audience, which we are looking for in the photo competition,” she stated. An elated MI who spoke on behalf of other judges said that the team is passionate about the new assignment and will put in everything to ensure that the kids are properly judged. “We are going to use that experience to sit down and look for something exceptional, somebody that is very talented. That would not be so difficult but managing the parents’ emotion could pose a bit of challenge,” he added.

kitchen ingredients. After several hours of cooking, Onome Uriemu from Lagos State emerged the winner of the Three Crowns Milk Cook Like Mine, Season 1, and was rewarded with a Side-by-Side Double Door Refrigerator and lots of Three Crowns Milk. While the first runner- up, Faith Igberase from Sagamu, Ogun State was rewarded with a Chest Freezer, the second runner up, Gloria Ogbonnaya from Kaduna State won a Washing Machine. Speaking at the grand finale of the event, the Senior Brand Manager, Three Crowns Milk, Mrs Maureen Ifada expressed the company’s sincere gratitude to the numerous consumers who participated in the competition stating that this platform has helped showcase to Nigerians that there is so much more that can be done with milk. “We are extremely happy with the responses we received throughout the five weeks period of the competition, thousands of entries were sent in during the first phase (online competition) and it took quite a task getting the judges to shortlist the top 5 finalists that exhibited a high standard of professionalism through their presentation,

creativity and passion today,” she said. Ifada revealed that the grand prize winner of this maiden edition, Miss Onome Uriemu has the bragging right for one year as she would be providing Three Crowns Milk lovers with more of her amazing and healthy recipes which would be available on the brand’s various social media platforms. Also speaking at the event, one of the panels of judges, Tolu Erogbogbo popularly known as Chef Eros commended the organisers of the ‘Cook Like Mine’ competition, Three Crowns milk, for coming up with the unique platform to uncover real talents across the country. Commenting on the award, the grand prize winner, Uriemu on behalf of other participants, expressed her gratitude to the brand for providing participants such platform to exhibit their talents and creativity to the Nigerian public. “I hope with the ‘Cook Like Mine’ competition, we have been able to demonstrate to Nigerians that there is so much more cooking that can be done with Three Crowns Milk, other than the traditional tea, coffee and cereal,” she said.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

property

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Gbemi Solaja

m:07065220616 e:gbemisolaja@gmail.com

STRUCTURACASA unveils Ibadan homes

Ogun moves to tackle housing deficit in 2016 Stories By Gbemi Solaja - Lagos

N a bid to reduce the challenge of housing deficit in the country, the Ogun State Housing Corporation has signified its readiness to construct more housing units across the state at a reasonable cost. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing Development, Mrs Jumoke Akinwunmi, made this known at a budget defence of the agency before the House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation at the Assembly Chamber in Abeokuta, the state capital. Mrs Akinwunmi noted that a total amount of N3,556 billion would be spent in the 2016 fiscal year with the recurrent expenditure of N415,000,000 and Capital Expenditure of N3.141bn respectively, against N906,961,050 spent in the outgoing year. She added that the state would witness massive turnaround in housing development, explaining that arrangements were in top gear to partner with Shelter Afrique Company and the Federal Mortgage Bank on public/private collaboration. According to Akinwunmi, “it is noteworthy to say that the corporation is confident in making houses available to the residents of the state as the proposed budget estimate for 2016 is all encompassing to make it a reality.” She added that more professionals such as land surveyors, electri-

cal engineers and quantity surveyors, would be engaged in the core areas of building construction, in order to deliver quality housing units with essential facilities that would make them withstand the test of time. She, however, noted that the

agency would vigorously pursue the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) target for 2016 so as to enable the state government meet up with the aspiration of the people. In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Honourable

Akanbi Bankole, commended the corporation for its efforts geared towards making housing available for the people in spite of dwindling resources, encouraging the agency to always consider the low and middle class residents in its projects.

STRUCTURACASA Nigeria Limited, an Ibadan based real estate company has unveiled its new range of homes. In a press release made available by the company, it said ‘Ibadan Homes’ is a new platform to bring alive the dream of simple but good quality and housing in Ibadan. “This is a stage from which springs inspiring designs and thoughtful construction of modern homes for discerning buyers. It is a new platform through which we deliver simple sophistication and quality home designs and construction for discerning clients.” According to the company, Ibadan, one of the largest cities in Nigeria, is fast becoming a haven of rest for many families who currently live and work elsewhere. The city does not only have relatively affordable accommodation, good schools and a serene lifestyle but also, modern amenities such as parks, shopping malls and entertainment. “It is a platform that provides high quality homes at lower cost than could be found in higher cost cities such as Lagos, Port-Harcourt, and Abuja,” the release stated. The homes offer detached residences, semi-detached duplexes and urban town houses in well planned estate developments within high-brow government reservation areas in Ibadan.

Expert identifies govt intervention as solution to housing deficit A real estate professional, and an executive at MV Professional Solutions, Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja has said that a well targeted government assistance programme would solve the housing challenge in the country. Joining other stakeholders at a real estate forum organised by 3Invest recently, she maintained that the most effective tool for affordable housing was a targeted government assistance programme for certain home buyers

and development projects. She also added that standardising operating systems, training on international industry standard and developing compliant programmes accommodated to Nigeria’s unique culture would facilitate real estate growth. According to her, creation of functional database systems like credit, appraisals, deeds and mortgages would erase the challenge of accessibility to databases which posed a serious threat to real es-

tate growth in the country. Similarly, Tola Akinhanmi, an executive of Stanbic IBTC Bank plc, while speaking on trends and opportunities in the Nigerian real estate space, stated that outlook for real estate development remains positive, however, decrying that issues of land, financing, management, construction, had limited real estate assets with increased interest rates and restricted ability to leverage on cheaper USD funding due to new CBN regulations.

Ogun commissioner urges prompt processing of building documents THE Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Ogun State, Basorun Adebola Adeife, has urged the Zonal Planning Officers to make good use of Public Relations strategies to satisfy the desires of the people of the state in processing their title documents. He made this known during a visit to Ayetoro, Ilaro, Ifo, Mowe-Ofada, Ogijo and Sagamu Zonal Planning Offices. Basorun Adeife said the Zonal Planning Officers are the ambas-

sadors of the state government in their respective zones across the state, advising them to treat their clients with utmost respect to establish good relationship between them and the state government. The commissioner said his visit to these zones was to familiarise himself with the officers, while also acquainting them with the expected roles to play in the discharge of their duties. “I am out to sanitise you, know one another better, encourage you to do more, see to your pains

and challenges and see what can be done to alleviate the pains if there is any, but most importantly to acquaint you with your expected roles in the mission to rebuild embarked upon by his Excellency, Governor Ibikunle Amosun for a better state,” Basorun Adeife said. The commissioner, however, encouraged the officers to be punctual at their duty posts, shun corruption and join hands in keeping the fire of good governance burning in the state.

She pointed out that emerging trends and opportunities would include a shift from luxury to middle income housing, affordable housing schemes through PPP arrangement, increase in influx of international brands and retailers from Middle East, America and Europe, convenience centres and regional malls in excess of 30,000sqm, dynamic tenant mix with entry of new international anchors and evolution of local retailers among others. Managing Director, FHA Mortgage Bank Limited, Roland Igbinoba, said that Nigeria’s real estate market would be driven by demographic trends and urbanization, adding that unprecedented shifts in population would drive changes in demand for real estate. According to him, Africa is becoming much more populated, creating more demands for assets; and real estate assets constitute 54 per cent of the world’s wealth, Africa’s population is rising rapidly at a time when population growth is slowing in other global regions and this will drive the demand for real estate.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

infotech

Nigerian Tribune

anchor Bode Adewumi

m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com

Broadband’ll become cheaper in Nigeria with time — Coker, Data Centre boss Mr Ayotunde Coker is the Managing Director of Rack Centre, a leading data centre company in Nigeria and in this interview with Bode Adewumi, he speaks on the country’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the role of his company, among others.

an you tell us your area of core business? Our core business is providing technology collocation for ICT platforms. Any industrial economy has to have a decent collocation capability and must be enabling by ICT. By this, you need a reliable internet and therefore you need a reliable data centre. We were the first in Nigeria to get a tier three gold certification of sustainability from the Uptime Institute. To get that certification, you have to be concurrently maintainable such that if you take a component out at different levels of the data centre, you can service them, and not bring the data centre down, so that the services can continue. To achieve that, there are sets of design criteria that have to be met. The Uptime Institute comes in, looks at the systems and structures and makes sure that the centre meets the minimum requirements for standard concurrent maintenance across board. Our maximum level of downtime here is eight minutes, but we haven’t had a second of downtime since we begun. We have top notch security here. Your assets are secure here at Rack centre. Those are skill sets you don’t really need to build because we focus on providing the best. How are you faring in the industry? We are the recognised leader in the country as we are creating the new industry in the country and making progress. Also, the development we have with respect to the demand for IT in the industry clearly drives people’s understanding of the need for proper boosting of the IT system and that plays into what we deliver in the industry. We are growing, as we have grown 100 per cent from last year to this year and we see that growth continuing and we are very optimistic about the take up that is happening with technology and also of our services in the country. What would you say about ICT industry in Nigeria? Would you say it is developing at the rate it is expected to develop? It’s developing in some instances quite remarkably well and needs to speed up in some cases in the way it develops. I hope the new ICT Minister would drive the agenda for enabling broadband penetration. It is proven that significant broadband and internet penetration drives GDP growth, not only in terms of the GDP contribution, but the ICT industry can make to the economy much better, but ICT also helps all the other sectors of the economy. Nigeria is very well located in Africa from the latitude and longitude points of view in relation to the rest of the world; the United States, Europe and Asia. We also speak English, which is our official language and that puts us in the best position not only from

pricing issue, it is a value issue in terms of reliability and capability that we offer. We keep working on creating the awareness with all the stakeholders in the industry and we also need to have efficient capital availability because it is capital intensive. We have to invest in that capital as well as get the return on investment for shareholders because we have to create an economic environment that makes it efficient. A few challenges, but by and large, we see significant opportunity and a growing industry in that space. Rack Centre is the heart of the internet in Nigeria and with the growth and internet we see it as really enabling transformation in the country. What are the things that are expected to be done to increase penetration? Having mentioned teledensity, which is the percentage of penetration that you get, in absolute terms it is quite high in that about 96.3 million users are here, but what you notice is that not a lot of that is actually on high speed connection, which are 3 G or 4 G connection of broadband. A lot is still dependent on connectivity, but looking at what some companies like Main one, Glo 1 and others are doing will broaden broadband. People still complain about the high tariff of internet in Nigeria; what do you have to say about that? What we find is, with penetration, adoption and hauling, the unit cost will start to come down, looking at the pricing related to consumption of the volume, data and penetration as we get much broader base of penetration in the country, the unit cost will come down and you then find access to the information age hopefully would be much higher.

Coker operational point of view but also in terms of the skill we can deliver; develop applications, creativity and innovations that can come from ICT. Although, we need to push very quickly to get broadband penetration

In absolute terms, 96.3 million internet users we have in Nigeria is actually more than any country in Europe, which has now superseded United Kingdom and Germany.

and the convergence in technology which would allow us realise some of the opportunities through ICT. Teledensity is not that high as you would expect. In absolute terms, 96.3 million internet users we have in Nigeria is actually more than any country in Europe, which has now superseded United Kingdom and Germany. Russia has got the highest number of internet users in Europe now but I believe we would pass that, although the absolute numbers and opportunities are significant but there is still a lot more for us to do and that is a great opportunity for the new minister. What are the challenges your company is facing in the industry? We need to drive awareness and we are making some progress. It is also a realisation that if you are going to experience the highest quality of what is available in the industry and the value we deliver is not the

How do you see regulation in the industry? At a recent conference, speakers spoke about some of the upgrade that needs to be done with respect to regulation in convergence of technology and information; I think what needs to be considered is how to work out the right solution for Nigeria’s maturity from a regulatory point of view. We have seen the impact of the right regulatory framework in transforming mobile telecommunications in the way it is growing significantly in the country in the last ten to fifteen years. I think we could make the right decisions with respect to the regulatory framework and with the new government in place, we would see the positive impact, although, I cannot be specific, but I really do hope that we could make the right ones that would have a positive impact, not just on technology, but on the delivery of the contents and information to the end users.

infotech

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

ICT stakeholders urge retailers to upgrade Computer Village Stories By Bode Adewumi

he Computer Village Expo 2015 has raised the need for the Africa’s biggest technology market as speakers have urged the retailers to embrace the internet and other technological apparatuses to reinvent the market. The three-day maiden #CVExpo15 tagged #OtigbaRising and organised by the Technology Times in Lagos, attracted the attention of technology users, mobile consumers, business professionals, the media, entertainment stars and other delegates, who were unanimous in their views that technology retailers in the market must innovate to leverage the online space and remain relevant in the present era. Mr. Godfrey Nwosu, president of Phone and Allied Products Dealers Association (PAPDAN), said that statistics show that over 20 million phones are sold in the Computer Village monthly. He recalled that the present location of the market was a residential area until late 1999 or early 2000 when internet technology became a household name in corporate Nigeria. He said knowing that a major industry was about to spring forth, savvy businessmen took position in the most vantage location of Ikeja – Otigba Street to commence trading in IT equipments and devices. By 2003 a year after GSM services were introduced to Nigeria, computer village had become a household name among telecommunication users, especially small businesses and end users. Mr. Femi Awoyemi, president, Online Publishers Association of Nigeria and Chief Executive Officer of Proshare Limited said that several business dynamics are currently impacting the market as it is losing grounds to other African markets. According to him, to retain the relevance of the market which the National Bureau of Statistics said contributes two per cent o the national GDP, government ought to make deliberate policies to protect local investors and OEMs. Mrs. Adenike Shittu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mojoy Computers, said that, before now Computer Village was a toast of other West African markets, but that the evolution of online retailers has led to the decline of patronage by customers, coupled with neglect by local authorities. But, Ojikutu Adeniyi, principal partner, Pacific Network Solutions Limited, said that solutions to Computer Village revolve around operators in the market creating values to lure customers. Adeniyi argued that instead of seeking help from either the government or other market segments, operators at the market must embrace technology, close ranks among themselves and engage techni-

cal partners to update to improve their skill sets in line with technological advancements. “We need to embrace the internet. Today, Yudala is taking charge because we do not even have anything like Computervillage.com, where people can search and obtain first-hand information about the market. How do we measure our successes and failures? The ultimate

thing is to close ranks and maintain standards. By the time people visit computer village and are satisfied, they will try to visit again,” Adeniyi said. Earlier, Shina Badaru, Chief Executive Officer of Technology Times, said that the exhibition was converged to showcase the Computer village (Lagos) Nigeria as the computers and computer accessories

market with incredible potentials. He said: “This is the biggest technology market in Africa where you can find a wide array of branded computers and cloned PCs here. The market is also host to a multitude of digital cameras and camera accessories, and mobile phones and accessories. This is market awash with computer technical gurus.”

From left, Tim Akano, Managing Director, New Horizons Systems Solutions Ltd; Dr Olumide Kehinde, Chairman, Nigerian Baptist Convention; Professor Mathews A. Ojo, Vice Chancellor, Bowen University and Dr Supo Ayokunle, President, Nigerian Baptist Convention during the presentation of Electronic Interactive Boards by New Horizons Computer Learning Centres to Bowen University, in Iwo, Osun State.

Samsung Smart School set to train 10, 000 teachers In furtherance of its commitment towards sharing innovation to build a better society, Samsung Electronics West Africa has launched the Samsung Smart School for Teachers at the Federal Government Boys College in Apo, Abuja, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education Abuja. The Samsung Smart School for Teachers in Apo will be the first of five to be launched in Nigeria, with others planned for Ogun, Rivers, Delta and Imo states. This will result in a collective 10, 000 teachers receiving training as primary beneficiaries, and a further 5, 000 students impacted as secondary beneficiaries, over a five year period. “The Samsung Smart School concept is implemented in urban schools with the infrastructure, but not the skills needed to use IT for teaching and learning,” explains Mr. Brovo Kim, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa. “In line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal to improve education, we believe it is essential to equip teachers with basic computer literacy, as well as the tools they need to use ICTs for curriculum development and more impactful teaching; and the Samsung Smart School for Teachers is an important step in achieving this,” he added. With the launch of the Samsung Smart School for Teachers at the Federal Government Boys College, teachers will receive training to empower them to access digital content, share it with students, monitor students’ progress and conduct assessments. The initia-

tive is part of Samsung’s global efforts to use technology to increase the quantity of students who have access quality learning materials and facilities, as well as to improve the quality of education given out by tutors. Representing the Minister of Education, Mr. Adamu Adamu, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan expressed her excitement about the impact this will have on education in Abuja. She recognised and applauded Samsung’s effort and contribution towards ICT development within the country. “We are indeed grateful to Samsung for tapping into the goal of the ministry of education to train quality teachers. We encourage all beneficiaries of this project to take full ownership of the project and let the improved quality of teaching reflect in our students’ results,” she said. Mrs. Yemi-Esan urged all stakeholders in the education sector to

partner with the ministry of education to salvage the country’s educational system. Concluding her remark, she added, “As ICT becomes more and more entrenched in our lives, it is essential that our students are exposed to it, guided by teachers who can use technology to add real value to the learning experience.” Expressing his gratitude, the principal, Federal Government Boys College, Apo, Mr. Jonathan Mbaakaa added that for relevance in the digital age, teachers must do a lot in the area of ICT knowledge and application, if the teaching profession is to transform to global level of relevance and competitiveness. “With the help of this Samsung Smart School, I believe we will be well on our way to ensuring just that even as our teachers will not have the opportunity to easily access quality teaching resources and in return impact our students with quality knowledge,” he said.

Nigerian Tribune

Mobile internet users to reach 3.2 billion worldwide in 2016 —IDC The International Data Corporation (IDC ) estimates that 3.2 billion people, or 44 per cent of the world’s population, will have access to the Internet in 2016. Of this number, more than two billion will be using mobile devices to do so. Growth in internet access is taking place around the world, but some countries are seeing particularly rapid growth. China, India, and Indonesia lead the way and will account for almost half of the gains in access globally over the course of the next five years. The combination of lower-cost devices and inexpensive wireless networks are making accessibility easier in countries with populations that could not previously afford them. The total number of mobile Internet users is forecast to rise at a pace of 2 per cent annually through 2020 unless significant new methods of accessing the Internet are introduced. Efforts by Google, SpaceX, and Facebook among others to make the Internet available to the remaining 4 billion people via high altitude planes, balloons, and satellites are underway. “Over the next five years global growth in the number of people accessing the Internet exclusively through mobile devices will grow by more than 25 per cent per year while the amount of time we spend on them continues to grow. This change in the way we access the internet is fueling explosive growth in mobile commerce and mobile advertising,” said Mr Scott Strawn, Programme Director, Strategic Advisory Service at IDC. Measuring what Internet users are doing online shows that many activities are enjoyed by billions of people. For example, more than a billion people use the internet to bank online, to stream music, and to find a job. More than two billion use email and read news online. And more people than ever before are making purchases online. In 2015, more than $100 billion will be spent online on each of the following categories: travel, books, CDs and DVDs, downloading apps, and online classes. These purchases are enabled by online payment platforms that are making payments, online and off, easier and more secure.

EMC offerings to deliver cloud integration across data centres EMC Corporation has announced the immediate availability of a broad range of products and solutions designed to seamlessly connect primary storage and data protection systems to private and public clouds. As a result, organisations will be better equipped to take advantage of both the agility and unlimited scalability of public cloud services and the control and security of a private cloud infrastructure. As IT departments rush to keep pace with the demands of the rapidly changing business, they often

rely on both the private cloud, because it is trusted, controlled and reliable – and the public cloud – because of its low cost and near limitless capacity. Cloud-enabled storage and data protection solutions, like those being announced by EMC today, empower customers to deploy a trusted storage environment where data can be automatically tiered to both public and private clouds. EMC is also launching a number of new data protection features that provide customers with the tools

they need to ensure their data is protected wherever it resides, regardless of what might happen. According to Mr Guy Churchward, President, Core Technologies, EMC, “Many businesses have seen huge benefits from strategically moving data and workloads to the cloud. However, this often means sacrificing some control over the data. Only EMC has the breadth and depth of portfolio to empower customers to take control of their data and achieve the greatest efficiencies.”

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015 Taiwo Adisa - 08072000046 Group Politics Editor taiadis@yahoo.com

Buhari’s Presidency:

The journey so far LEON USIGBE looks back at some significant moments at the Presidential Villa in 2015 under President Muhammadu Buhari.

FTER declaring himself as belonging to everybody and belonging to nobody and directing the military command centre to relocate to the North-East on his first day in office, President Muhammad Buhari soon found himself having to check overzealous security officials who apparently guessed his body language and tried to arrest officials of previous administration travelling out through the airports after the handover. His second directive in office was therefore for them to desist from harassment of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s officials as they were entitled to their full rights and privileges. “We have not banned anyone from travelling,” the Presidency said in the first statement released after Buhari’s inauguration. The president wasted no time launching into his mission to end the Boko Haram insurgency, which he had promised to do. A few days into his tenure, he began his effort to mobilise neighbouring countries towards tackling the terrorists by travelling first to Niger Republic. There, he made a vow not to disappoint Nigerians who voted him into office as he had pledged to do all that was possible to meet their aspirations. The following week, he was in Elmau, Germany for a meeting with G-7 leaders’ Outreach Programme during which he asked for greater support and cooperation from France and other friendly nations for Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to overcome Boko Haram and restore full security and normalcy to areas affected by the group’s atrocities. He was also supposed to submit a wish list of Nigeria’s areas of need to the group. On his return from Germany, he met with two women from Chibok, Borno State whose daughters are among those still being held in captivity by Boko Haram. It was all tears as they emerged from the meeting in his temporary office at Defence House, Abuja led by his wife, Hajia Aisha and wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo. Same day, he received the report from the Mallam Ahmed Joda-led transition committee set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to interface with Jonathan’s transition committee. Still in the first few weeks in office, the President was in Johannesburg, South

Buhari came back from South Africa to meet with state governors over the crippling financial situation in the country, telling them that he would recover money that may have been stolen by officials of the immediate past administration and block systemic leakages. Africa where he diffused the very high expectation of his government by announcing that there was a limit to what he could

do at the age of 72. He expressed regrets that he did not become the president at a younger age but declared his intention to

probe the $9.7million botched Jonathan’s arms purchase deal with South Africa. Buhari came back from South Africa to meet with governors of the states of the federation over the crippling financial situation in the country, telling them that he would recover money that may have been stolen by officials of the immediate past administration and block systemic leakages. He also pledged early on that he would have a robust relationship with the media when he met with State House corespondents. Aware of the pressure on him to deliver tangibles in his first 100 days in office, he declared that he did not believe in such contraption, especially where there were little resources to work with. Buhari also sought to remove the discomfort his presence in National Mosque every Friday would cause commuters and resolved to hold his Jumat prayers inside Aso Rock mosque rather than praying at the National Mosque. In line with his intention to run an austere government, Buhari took a 50 per cent pay cut from the N14,058,820.00 annual remuneration his predecessors received. Into the second month of his tenure, he dissolved the Governing Boards of Federal parastatals, agencies and institutions and terminated the appointment of Mr Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi as Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA before departing for Washington, United States on the invitation of President Barack Obama. He rationalise his delay in forming his cabinet by saying that he would not appoint as ministers individuals who have been compromised in their personal and professional integrity, in the course of their previous public offices. He thought many public office holders had been more interested in helping themselves rather than the country. He therefore told Nigerians that he would continue his search for decent people that could take effective charge of ministries. As he was searching for his patriotic ministers, leadership crises raged within the membership of the APC in both chambers of the National Assembly. His scheduled meeting with APC senators to resolve the crisis did not materialise before Bukola Saraki’s loyalists installed him as the Senate President, to the consternation of the president and the APC. His first Villa meeting with the APC members of the House of Representatives over who became the House Leader was deadlocked before further consultations led to a resoContinues on pg33

politics&policy

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

The challenge of new structures Continues on pg32

lution of the contending issues. The President’s war against corruption led to the arrest and detention of some former officials of government by the Department of State Services (DSS), notably former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, leading to outcry about his perceived partisanship in the fight. After the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senate Caucus cried out, the Presidency was forced to deny that Buhari was targeting just opposition elements. The National Peace Committee, led by former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, was concerned about the way Buhari had gone on in prosecuting his war against corruption and had consequently advised him to tread with caution when the committee met him at the Presidential Villa. But the president told them that his administration was irrevocably committed to doing all within its powers to break the vicious cycle of corruption, unemployment and insecurity in Nigeria. He said those who had stolen the wealth of the nation “will be in court in a matter of weeks, and Nigerians will know those who have short-changed them.” The president soon fired the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, terminated the appointment of the Managing Director (MD) of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero, the eldest son of the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero. Bayero was ordered to hand over all government property in his possession to Mr Habibu Abdullahi earlier sacked from the post by the Jonathan administration. One of the important personalities Buhari received in Abuja in the first few months of his administration was the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, who assured him of the world body’s support for his agenda for change, as well as his administration’s effort to deal with insurgency in the North-East. After a three-month delay, he made his first wave of appointments, finally naming the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) and his Chief of Staff (CoS), Engineer Babachir David Lawal and Alhaji Abba Kyari, respectively. Also appointed at this time were Colonel Hammed Ali (retd.) as the Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service; Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi, Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service; Senator Ita S.J. Enang, Senior a Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) and Honounable Suleiman A. Kawu,SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives). In October, Buhari gave his nod for the sharing of the sum of $150million among the different tiers of government out of the $400million dividends paid by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) which had been approved by the National Economic Council (NEC) which also directed that the sum of $250million from the dividend be invested in the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). He presided over his first meeting of the National Council of State (NCS). The meeting was attended by former Nigerian leaders, including General Yakubu Gowon, General Ibrahim Badamasi Baba-

Fashola

Amaechi

Udoma

Prof Mahmood

Ogbeh

Mohammed

ngida, Chief Ernest Shonekan and General Abdusalami Abubakar. Former presidents Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo and Jonathan were however absent. The NCS approved his appointment of Professor Mahmud Yakubu as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Five national commissioners were similarly appointed for the electoral body. Former President Jonathan who was out of the country when the NCS took place, later visited Buhari at the Presidential Villa for a meeting that lasted no longer than 10 minutes. Also in November, Buhari ordered the removal of Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde from his post as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In his place, he appointed Ibrahim Mustafa Magu as the Acting Chairman. Similarly,

he retired no less than 18 federal permanent secretaries in one fell swoop. He replaced them with new ones later and merged some ministries. Six months into his inauguration, President Buhari swore in his ministers but the anxiety which followed his stated intention not to assign portfolios to many of them because of its cost implication, evaporated as he pushed back from that position and gave everyone an office. Twenty four were named as substantive ministers and 13, ministers of state with portfolios assigned to all. At the international level, the president approved Nigeria’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) or the country’s plan to tackle the issue of climate change while promoting sustainable development and delivering on gov-

ernment priorities. He gave the approval just before leaving for Paris, France to attend the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-UNFCC) at the end of November. In December, Buhari presided over an emergency session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to approve the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the 2016 fiscal year. The council projected N6trillion budget estimate for 2016 with 30 per cent of it earmarked for capital expenditure. He presented the budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, December 22, 2015, a departure from the recent development where the incumbent president submitted the document through proxy.

politics

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

I have no reason to dump PDP —Odebunmi

Honourable Segun Odebunmi is the only Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member of the House of Representatives. In this interview with TUNDE BUSARI, he shares his view on 2016 federal budget and why he will not abandon PDP.

HAT is your take on the N6 trillion 2016 federal budget? It is a welcome development and most especially a budget of about 30 per cent capital expenditure. I even see it as a budget of foundation because this is the beginning of the change (government) Nigerians voted for. I see it as a budget of foundation budgetthrough which we want to have a solid foundation for the administration for the next four years. Does this position suggest that PDP has destroyed everything before President Muhammadu Buhari took over? That is not what I mean. It’s a new administration and there is a mark already, if the government of the day refuses to acknowledge what we have done and where we stopped, we in PDP know what we have done in the last 16 years of effective administration. So Buhari is starting his own administration by continuing from where we stopped. What I mean is that the president is laying his administration’s foundation and not for the country. So, it is that foundation that he will base his government on for the next four year even if it is continuity as you may view it, but no one can erase the achievements of the PDP while in power. For instance, the rail projects being talked about by the government was started by the Jonathan administration and there was a mark where we stopped, and Nigerians knows that as well. Don’t you think President Buhari’s achievements would dwarf all PDP claims to have achieved in 16 years? I don’t know what you mean. Have you forgotten how Nigeria was in 1999? Don’t forget that it was the commercialisation of the telecommunication sector that brought about the development we are having in ICT and GSM now. What will you say about the federal institutions built and sustained by PDP administrations? What about the international airport and others? But the picture APC is painting is that PDP is an embodiment of corruption looking at the issue relating to the office of a former National Security Adviser, Colonel Dasuki and others? I totally disagree with your view on PDP and corruption. On the issue of the trial of a former National security adviser, I think we should exercise more patience untill a competent court of law give its ruling on the matter. The office of the NSA is not to function on security alone. There are a lot of things associated with the office and those who have ruled the nation can testify to that. I am sure that won’t affect the chances of the PDP in subsequent elections. Can you update the public on the proposed purchase of SUVs for the National Assembly members? We are serving Nigerians and we are entitled to the vehicles because they don’t expect us to be moving with private cars while discharging our duties. Companies do give official cars to their workers. It is not much and there is nothing wrong in that. How is the relationship between the executive and the legislative arm of government at the centre, in view of some controversies issuesa that emerged at inception? You know the legislative arm of the government is to create a kind of checks and balances with the executive. So far so good the present administration is having a very robust relationship with the legislature even with the judiciary. You note that President Buhari personally came to present the budget to the joint National Assembly session. It is part of the respect and harmonious relationship with the lawmakers. We have also visited him at the Villa for familiarisation, and we have been relating very well. But is the PDP caucus at the National Assembly disposed to President Buhari’s style of governance in reshaping Nigeria Why not? When we are talking about the development of this nation, nobody goes on party line. The aspect

Honourable Odebunmi where we can go on party line is different at the beginning, was just for recognition so that everybody can be seen as a stakeholder in moving the nation forward. How do you see the 2014 National Conference? Before the Confab was organised, there were predictions about possible break up of Nigeria. Jonathan was applauded for the Confab because everybody saw it as a solution to Nigeria’s problem. We saw it as a platform where ethnic problem and other issues could be discussed and resolved. Do you see President Buhari disposed to the report? There is no way he won’t come back to it. This is the document of the nation, and this is the document the former administration spent a lot of resources, including money to get. So, he won’t discard it. He has the right to review, exclude or include or even bring another idea that is yet to be discussed. He can even go ahead to establish another conference to review the one available now, because that is the only way Nigeria can move forward. As the chairman, House Committee on Information and National Orientation, how will you ensure effectiveness of the agencies under your office? There is a laid-down rule for everything. All the agencies under my office are all being supervised by the Minister and any information needed by our office can easily be got through the office of the minister. We will be working together to make sure that all the agencies under the ministry get enough fund to perform their functions so that they will be able to deliver the dividends of Democ-

We are in the opposition with a very good strength. Very soon you will see that Nigerians will return to PDP

racy Nigerians need through information. The Information Ministry is needs to do a lot because it’s a ministry that will disseminate information to the citizen. Any policy of the Federal Government will be got through this ministrys and during my engagement with the minister, I discovered that he has a lot of plans for effective running of the ministry, and we will ensure people are properly educated in all sectors through different channels. Your victory at the Election Petition Tribunal and Appeal Court is an affirmation of your constituency confidence in you. What plans do you have to compensate their trust? As a federal lawmaker, I don’t need to promise my people social amenities, electricity and others. But because of the way and dimension with which we play politics, there is need for me to do such. And I promised them I will be there for them in those areas as well. My constituency is rural. More than half of the communities in my constituency are yet to be connected to the national grid. I have a lot of challenges, and I have been taking steps to ensure they are connected. Also, we are working on making water available for the people , I am one of the people clamouring for the increment of the fund given to us as constituency allowance. The reason behind my demands is that since I was born, I have never seen any direct projects from the presidency in my constituency. So, it is those little things that we were being given that make my people to feel the impact of the government. Therefore, I will appreciate it if president muhammadu Buhari can increase the money? Have you any plan to join APC? My philosophy about politics and political parties is a bit different, and I don’t see any other thing compelling me to be in politics if not for the calling and support of my people. I have not seen any reason for me to leave my political party, which is PDP But from the look of things, it seems there is no chance for PDP in the country any more? Really, we are the minority but a minority with a very good strength, a minority with about 200 lawmakers, about 14 governors and others. So, we are in the opposition with a very good strength. Very soon, you will see that Nigerians will return to PDP.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

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For enquiries, Lanre Adewole - 0811 695 4647 olanreade@yahoo.com

Administration of juvenile criminal justice in Nigeria; a stunted growth? The administration of juvenile justice in Nigeria is as old as the Nigerian legal system but till date, it is almost non-existent in terms of recognition and application and those who know the rules also find it difficult to implement. Can it then be described as a failed system, what is the way forward? YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports.

ver congestion is not foreign to the prison system in Nigeria. In fact, it has been established over the years that prisons across Nigeria are over bloated with inmates. The situation of Nigerian prisons is compounded by the holding charge system which encourages indiscriminate remand of people while they are awaiting trial. The awaiting trial inmates (ATM) in custody at every given period always supersedes the figure of convicted inmates serving term and the continual presence of ATMs in prison custody with no time limit leads to overpopulation in prison facilities. It has also been established over time that a huge percentage of ATMs are juveniles, that is children and people that are not old enough to stand trial. The Nigerian constitution made clear indications of who a juvenile is to avoid doubt. Section 35(1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution describes a juvenile as a person that has not attained the age of 18 years. Also, Section 2 of Children and Young Persons Law of Lagos State (CYPL) describe a juvenile as either a child or a young person, under the law a child refers to a person under the age of 14 and a ‘young person’ means a person who has attained the age of 14 years but is under the age of 18 years. The law clearly indicates that juveniles cannot stand trial and this is the root of the juvenile justice administration. Juveniles are under the law not expected to be kept in cells like the adults neither are they expected to face trial in a court where an adult will stand trial or be kept with criminals in a police cell. But in spite of laid down rules, this is not the situation in Nigeria. Law officers do not take the necessary steps to inquire by judicial process, the age of arrested suspects. As a result, the administration of juvenile justice in Nigeria is very poor, ineffective and almost nonexistent. Many law enforcement agents even have a poor knowledge base and are bereft of information about how to treat a minor nor do they know that it is unconstitutional to keep a minor in prison. Where does the law dictate that a minor that has erred be kept considering the fact that the 1999 constitution forbids the detention of juveniles for any purpose other than their education and welfare because of the impressionable nature of juveniles and their vulnerability to outside influences. To ensure there is a sound juvenile justice administration, the Borstal Institutions and Remand Centers Act (BIRCA) of 1962 was enacted to respond to the reformative needs of juvenile offenders and several States in Nigeria have passed Children and Young Persons Laws to complement the BIRCA. In fact, decades back, it is common to see children sent to remand homes to rehabilitate them and parents do not wait for government before they enroll their ‘beyond control’ wards into remand homes. Section 4 of the BIRCA provides that the objects of Borstal training shall be to bring to bear every good influence, which may establish in the inmates, the will to lead a good and useful life on release and equip them to do so by the fullest possible development of their character, capacities and sense of personal responsibility. This is however not the situation now. And in spite of government’s legislative efforts, the Nigerian criminal justice system still face

serious challenges of poor juvenile criminal justice administration as huge number of juveniles now easily find themselves in the various squalid prisons spread across the country. This forces them to be treated like adults and they are deprived of reformative and rehabilitative custodial environments. The squalid condition of the few existing juvenile homes in Nigeria also makes it not conducive as a remand home for children and out of the three that can be said to exist; Ilorin, Abeokuta and Kaduna, only the one in Kaduna can be said to be operational. If the three performs at optimum level, it is dubious that it can be enough to house the teeming errant children that Nigeria has today as daily; there is said to be an increase in juvenile delinquency in Nigeria. Also, Lagos has but little can be said about the one in Ibadan. Young offenders are harshly punished for even petty offences they commit and rather than restrain them as is expected of juvenile homes, they are punished in prisons and rehabilitation is not of importance. Juveniles are believed to be immature and the law does not expect them to be treated as adult offenders but this isn’t the case as they are majorly treated as adults and many stand trial for criminal offences in magistrate courts. Consequently, the plan of putting them on the right track without treating them like criminals has not been feasible and juveniles cannot be said to be getting justice. The lack of operational Borstal facilities and remand homes is a major factor for juveniles being remanded in prison custody and this situation is further aggravated by law enforcement agents who in order to charge minors to regular courts for criminal offences arbitrarily inflate their age. The fall out of keeping juveniles in prison custody with adults is that most of the remanded young ones end up living in trauma; psychological,

emotional and physical due to the terrible situation they live with. Many suffer sexual and physical abuse from the elderly inmates and some are used as servants and maltreated by them. The adults also help in turning the impressionable young ones into hardened criminals who become worse than they were before being remanded in prison and the figure that falls within this bracket is on the rise as juvenile crime form a great percentage of the overall figure in the society today. The law believes that juveniles who commit crime needs to be handled with care and in a sensitive manner since the fact that they are delinquent does not necessarily mean, they cannot change and will follow the path of crime into adulthood. The administration of juvenile justice provides for the protection of such children in some sections of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child. Articles 19, 37 and 40 are very explicit while 40 in particular deal with the rights of a juvenile under the law. Article 37 & 40 states that, “No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below 18 years of age. No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time; “Every child deprived of his or her liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into account the needs of the persons of their age. In particular every child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered

As to whether the Juvenile System is working? My answer is a NO! It could be better

in the child best interest not to do so and shall have the right to maintain contact with his or her family through correspondence and visits, save in exceptional circumstances. Every child deprived of his or her liberty shall have right to prompt access to legal and other appropriate assistance as well as the right to challenge legality of deprivation of his or her liberty before a court or other competent, independent and impartial authority and to a prompt decision on any such action.” That the Nigerian system fails to put into consideration the rights of juvenile is not in doubt and the system of juvenile justice administration seems to have failed. But away from the theories and the debates, how can the average Nigerian child secure justice and how can a system of making juveniles a priority in the criminal justice system be made feasible? Though some states like Lagos take the issue of juvenile justice as very important, the activities of law enforcement agents make it difficult to make serious headway and establish the system. Even lawyers admit that there is a need for stakeholders to put more conscious efforts in making the system a success. According to a human rights lawyer, Barrister Ikechukwu Ikeji, the system is really defective. “The administration of criminal justice act is a new law which came into effect in May 2015. It may need time to prove its effectiveness. For now, the present system of support for juvenile offenders is defective because of poor facilities and infrastructure” Barrister Dave ajetomobi was more optimistic. He said, “I cant talk about other states but Lagos state is trying. We have had occasions to visit the juvenile home at Oregun and it is commendable. Lagos also has family courts that is not open to publicto protect the identity of juveniles as it is done internationally and the press is not allowed in such courts. But there is plenty of room for improvement. I can confirm that the ministry of justice in Lagos has an arrangement with the teaching hospital to report cases of rape to stop cover up or intimidation of victim and family” Barrister Gbenga Makinde was very explicit in his view. “Just like any other country in the world particularly since we, as a nation, got independence from the British, our judicial administrative system is fashioned after theirs. Hence the provisions for the juvenile system to correct, control, safeguard, protect & provide for these children. Not all the children in juvenile homes are delinquents. Some are victims of circumstances beyond their control. “Although there are laws in place that establish the juvenile system, there’s even the Juvenile Court set up for them since they are deemed to be within a particular age range, but their administration is, in my view, not as effective as it should be. The people/officials employed are not well trained for the job. Most of them don’t even understand children’s psychology and the sociological influence/behavioral tendencies so. As to handle these children as they are not the same nor are they from the same background taking into consideration the multi cultural facet of our nationhood. “Secondly, the facilities in place for these children can be said to be non-existent. The condition of the places these kids live needs to be Continues pg36

law

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Failed juvenile justice system continued pg35

improved. The food they eat, the clothes they wear, the schools they attend, the dilapidating structures etc. Some of them even co-exist with bed-bugs in their dormitories. Hygiene needs to be improved fast. “Thirdly, the system, as a correctional facility, doesn’t actually correct these kids, save for a very few that the good Lord Almighty delivers from the shackles of negative behavioral attitudes and tendencies. Government needs to provide all that is needed in this regard to these institutions since it is the law that established it in the first place. Adequate and well trained personnel should be put in place to handle, monitor and train these children. The personnel needed to handles these kids are specially trained to do so. These are not the usual personnel in usual establishments. “Enforcement of law is vital. This is in the sense that the law should take its course in protecting, providing & to also enforce discipline on these children & the stake holders inclusive. It goes a long way in reducing crime. The government can’t do everything. So I’ll suggest that interested individuals, religious bodies and corporate organizations be encouraged to delve into this and to assist the government in carrying it is already heavy load. The government may be the overseer or have a certain degree of influence/hold since it makes the laws but I strongly believe that outsiders should be invited to play a role or two in this regard. “And as to whether the Juvenile System is working? My answer is a NO! It could be better” Makinde said.

The laws are there with many clear provisions but there is a need for a system of enforcement and a reorientation for all stakeholders so that deviant kids and youths that commit crime in Nigeria will be treated in a constitutional manner as dictated by law. Also, there is an urgent need to bring to light the

Propagating the gospel of ADR in Oyo state Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare and John Umoh Over the years, the use of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has been consistently introduced and encouraged in the judiciary. Stakeholders are constantly reminded to embrace the ADR as a viable tool of arbitration that yields quick results. This was the message last week at the final edition of professional lecture and meeting for the year 2015 by the ADR society, Ibadan. The Ibadan ADR society, a not for profit organization that promotes resolution of disputes by means of appropriate dispute resolution methods including arbitration, mediation, adjudication and reconciliation and it is a body that aims to educate and inform its members on the law, ethics and opportunities open to them in ADR. The main message of the ADR is that most civil and business cases need not go to litigation as there are other means that are faster and more cost effective. The guest lecturer at the final lecture, Barrister Adebayo Ojo, the former Attorney General of Oyo state gave vivid examples of the efficacy of ADR, adding that it is always better than going to court.

legal clinic

By Olatunde Femi Abegunde Esq.ACOArb

m: +234-0803 967 7683; +234-0809 401 7911 e: pinnacle.chambers@yahoo.com, femabed2007@gmail.com f: Olatunde Abegunde & Associates-Pinnacle Chambers

The social media bill debate: Striking a balance

between the rights of all citizens

The media was awash with a story from the National Assembly some weeks ago. It was about a Bill said to be before the National Assembly to prohibit the use of the social media for abusive purposes. Many people, mainly the youths, have staged peaceful protests in order to ensure that the Bill does not see the light of the day. I take the liberty to assume that our readers understand the sector of the media referred to as the ‘social media’. We have all keyed into the benefits offered by the inventions of the social media as a means of disseminating information.I, like millions of people all over the world, had the privilege of experiencing what life was in terms of information dissemination, before the coming of these technologydrive social media and what it is like having access to information these days. The world has indeed become a global village where distance is no longer a barrier. As it is with every invention, people have abused the use of social media for ignoble, destructive and dangerous ends. The death in a Lagos hotel room of Cynthia in the hands of her supposed male friend whom she met through one of the social media, is still very fresh in our memories. Earlier in 2015,I experienced the real pains of having one’s face book account hacked. These hackers had my account compromised and started sending pornographic materials to all my contacts as if I was the one sending them. Those who understood what happened sympathized with me. Some who have not experienced it simply insulted me. It was so painful. I had no choice than to close the account. They hacked into the new accounts I subsequently opened until I was able (perhaps temporarily!) to stop the ‘menace’. Marriages have been ruined, relationships and age-long friendships have been badly affected by the negative use to which the social media have been subjected. Politicians and other professionals have been unfairly attacked in the social media. Distorted facts and outright lies have been peddled against people of good will. The experience can be really traumatizing. The advantages of the advent of social media in all spheres of human endeavours are indeed countless. Governments the world over make use of the social media to reach out to the people. Hitherto dark secrets and shady deals too are known these days to the people. For us in this part of the world where corruption has become the biggest monster chasing development away from us, the social media

reformative process in dealing with young offenders and create a healthy environment that is conducive to the management of juvenile justice so that juvenile offenders can be redirected from the path of crime to become responsible adults that the nation needs

have become a rallying point for galvanizing our thoughts about government activities. Any government that ignores the social media does so at its own peril. No wonder, the President’s men quickly distanced the Presidency from the Bill. Law is often described as the instrument of social engineering. It is the law that regulates human conducts. The Yorubas have a saying which goes thus: ilutikoniofin ese kosinibe (meaning, ‘where there is no law which prohibits the doing of an act, nobody can be held liable for the act’).We must therefore not reject the Bill totally without considering the mischief it seeks to cure if passed into an Act. Nonetheless, what becomes of the fundamental rights of the citizens must be of great concern for all of us.The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and right to freedom of expression and the press as guaranteed all citizens by Sections 38 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) must not be allowed to be trampled upon. In the same vein, the right to private and family life of citizens must not be jettisoned by those who exercise their rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. It was in realization of this that the same Constitution in Section 45 any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society- “in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons”. The law must strike a balance between the rights of some citizens and the rights of others. The concerns of those who oppose the Bill are not unfounded. They are deeply rooted in the struggle between the ‘strong’ which our representatives in the Parliament represent and the rest of us. The freedom to express ourselves is one of the few benefits we enjoy in a society like ours. Nigerians are now more actively interested in what is happening among our leaders who, seeing the docility of the people. The proponents of the Bill must be reminded that there are already laws in place to check the excesses of the use the social media. They should not surreptitiously gauge the people’ right to freely express themselves. This is of course room for improvement. The citizens are equally advised to use the social media responsibly. Ignorance of the law is never an excuse!

The former Attorney General in his lecture stated that there is no way litigation can beat ADR in terms of effectiveness, adding that ADR is better described as practical mediation that eradicates the frustrating aspect of litigation. “ADR is practical mediation. The frustrating aspect of litigation can be eradicated with ADR. When I was appointed as the Attorney General, we had 62 ongoing matters in my chambers and when I came back after four years, my partner told me that only 11 has been disposed of. This to me is a dismal failure though with the small pace of litigation, it is not a bad record. “It is better to avoid litigation in resolving issues. This is because it is less cumbersome and you can achieve your goals within a short period. Also, you conclude a case in ADR with minimal cost; it is so very effective and the time frame is very short. Within three months, cases are usually resolved in ADR,” Ojo said. The Former AG concluded by advising that before anybody would file cases in court, he needs to first explore all avenues of resolution through ADR. A retired judge also spoke on the efficacy of ADR at the lecture. Justice L.O Arasi, who described himself as an old testament in relation to the AG stated that as a judge on the bench, he had always embraced ADR, even when it was not popular, adding that he had found it efficient as rather than destroy friendships like court cases, it resolves issues without giving a victor or a vanquished. According to Justice Arasi (Rtd.), ADR is the pole that is upholding the judiciary at this period and its effectiveness cannot be overemphasized. “ADR is the answer to the apparent failure of the court system. I had applied ADR techniques while on the bench and it worked; we resolved the issues without any lingering bitterness. “The first is a divorce filed by a 24 years old woman to dissolve her two and a half years old marriage, I used ADR, it worked and the couple went back and the wife withdrew the divorce from court, the second was the case of two neighbors in my area, they had dragged themselves to court before I was informed. “I came in and we could resolve the issues, I drew a settlement which their lawyers filed in court and today, they are good friends. The court case was also withdrawn. That is the beauty of ADR; parties can continue their friendship without any lingering issue but in court cases, the parties can never relate like before, it destroys friendship. “ADR is the best, so my candid advice is that lawyers should embrace it and make it the first option in any matter,” Justice Arasi concluded The matron of the Ibadan ADR society, Mrs. Funmi Roberts also spoke at the event. She explained that it is time for people to see ADR as the Appropriate Dispute Resolution method and not an alternative since it has been established that it is more efficient and time saving. According to her, the number of concluded cases of litigation in her chambers for the year is too low as only six cases got to its conclusion but she had concluded successfully through ADR over 30 cases. The lecture concluded with an award ceremony to celebrate people that had helped the society using ADR and those that had touched lives in their various fields. The awardees include Mr. Henry Temitayo Adewuyi, Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Management for his efforts on development in the society, Mrs. Funmi Roberts for her contributions to ADR in Nigeria, Mr. Seun Abimbola of Primus Solicitors for excellence in law and mediation, Engr Olumuyiwa Ajibola for his technical contributions to ADR, Mr. Kazeem Gbadamosi, the NBA Chairman, Ibadan and retired Justice L.O. Arasi for being a signpost to justice. Others Miss Olajumoke Ojo, Mrs Yetunde Adegboye, the FIDA Chairperson for her pro bono efforts in corporate and commercial litigation and practice, Dr John Oluwole Akintayo for his efforts in bringing up competent lawyers and imparting knowledge and Bukola Ajadi. A young lady was also singled out for her unprecedented efforts in making life better for women especially the downtrodden ones. Abiade Olanwale Abiola is a lawyer and an activist; she is the founder of the Human of Substance Empowerment Initiative, a non-profit organization that sees to the welfare and empowerment of women and youths. She was given an award of excellence for her outstanding efforts in youth empowerment and for being a voice of women in the society. The lecture ended on a light note with calls by the convener, Mr. David Kole Ojo, calling for more hands in spreading the ADR gospel in Oyo state.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

features

Editor: Kehinde Oyetimi featuresdesk@yahoo.com 081 118 450 48

Scene of a fire disaster, which occurred at Sango Plank market, Ibadan. INSET: A man receives treatment at Jazan General Hospital following a pre-dawn fire in the port city of Jazan, Saudi Arabia, on December 24.

A festive season not to remember... he festive period, which naturally should have been a stretch of thrill and reunion, turned out to many, both within Nigeria and outside, to be fiery catastrophes and unthinkable damage. Between December 19 and 27, 2015, explosions and fire outbreaks have wasted lives and laid waste properties.

consumed passersby including those who were refilling. The ensuing inferno hindered rescue workers from gaining access into the factory where those affected were trapped. It was gathered that burnt remains of the dead and those who barely survived were taken to the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH). The affected are still counting their losses.

The Nnewi gas explosion Residents and business concerns in Nnewi, an industrial town in Anambra State, are yet to fully recover from the destruction that came calling following a gas explosion that ended lives and destroyed possessions on December 24, 2015, Christmas Eve. Reports had it that the explosion, which started at about noon, was the resultant effect of an explosion. A truck was said to have attempted to discharge its content. Unfortunately, the driver had not waited for the mandatory cooling period before discharging. It was gathered that customers were refilling their gas cylinders. This occurred simultaneously and the explosion occurred. Of course the resulting inferno

Victims of Ibadan Xmas fire disaster recount ordeal The traders and operators at the popular Sango Oju Irin Plank Market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, are still gnashing their teeth following a Christmas Day inferno which reportedly lasted over nine hours. The conflagration, Nigerian Tribune gathered, destroyed planks and machines worth millions of naira. Though no life was reportedly lost, it was gathered that the fire started around 1.30 p.m. on Friday when traders and operators at the market were not around as a result of the Christmas celebration. While no life was lost, those affected are yet to recover from the damage. Sharing his grief, one of the operators,

By Kehinde Oyetimi

Benjamin Abimbola, stated that some of those who were around when the fire broke out could not put out the fire, adding that the equipment and materials lost to the disaster ran into billions of naira. Xmas fire destroys buildings, property in Edo While the tragedy lasted in Ibadan on Christmas Day, Edo had a share of the destruction when disaster struck same day as fire razed four buildings on First East Circular Road in Benin. It was reported that a furniture showroom, two residential buildings and a workshop. The fire reportedly started around noon when many Christian faithful were in churches attending special Christmas services. It was gathered that the fire occurred at about 12:00pm, when many Christians were still attending the Christmas service in their respective places of worship. An eyewitness, it was gathered, stated that “I suspect that somebody stored fuel or chemical. Otherwise, the fire would not have had such an impact.” While no life was lost, one of the victims who was simply identified as Vincent, reportedly stated that “As I talk to you, no

single thing, not even a plank was spared. The things burnt are not less than N3m. I am so surprised; I don’t really know the cause of the fire.” 25 dead, scores injured in Saudi hospital fire Christmas Eve witnessed a most disturbing occurrence in the intensive care unit and maternity ward of a Saudi Hospital which resulted in the killing of about 25 people and injuring scores of others. It was gathered that the fire broke out at the general hospitalin the southwestern port city of Jazan, one of the country’s poorest suburbs. According to the civil defense agency, 25 people died but a later statement by Health Minister Khalid al-Falih put the death toll at 24. Government-controlled al-Ekhbariya television which interviewed a witness said the cause of the fire seemed to be electrical, and that it took only three minutes to sweep through the hospital. Fire consumes mother, 3 children in California Continues on pg38

features

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Prioritise your health, Fayose’s wife, experts tell women Sam Nwaoko -Ado-Ekiti

ecently, the wife of Ekiti State governor, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose, rounded off a one-week tour of the 16 local government areas of the state at Ado Local Government. Mrs Fayose had visited the womenfolk in all the council areas of the state for a special purpose: To support, educate, enlighten and encourage them especially in the area of their health. The governor’s wife had charged the women at each point of the visit to look inward and step up to own their health by taking steps that would lead them to healthier living. Among other things, she had sensitised them on the need for them to embrace family planning; the need to discourage teenage pregnancy, the imperative of registering for ante-natal service at government health institutions and had also distributed Mama Kits and special milk to those of them who were pregnant. During the tour, there were also specialised lectures for pregnant women by trained nutritionists drawn from the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH). Also, she seized the opportunity to reach out to indigent pupils in rural communities. The selected ones among them, from primary and secondary schools, were given school uniforms, bags and sandals to further encourage them as well as their parents. Some stakeholders told the Nigerian Tribune in Ado Ekiti that the tour might have been necessitated by Mrs. Fayose’s worry about what they said was “the rampant teenage pregnancy she had learnt about from across the state.” It was also gathered that she was worried that a lot of women in the state were unwary of the number and frequency of pregnancies they get to carry within relatively short periods. Some others also suggested that she embarked on the trip round the state to educate the womenfolk, especially those of them still bearing children, on the importance of registering in government hospitals, clinics or health centres for care during pregnancy by trained health workers, rather than sticking solely to visitng faith-based houses when they’re pregnant. In order to keep the tour within one week’s time, the planners of Her Excellency’s itinerary took advantage of the proximity of the local governments in the state. She was able to cover three council areas on each day of the visit, which she rounded off with Ado Ekiti Local Government. At Efon

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Feyisetan Fayose displaying the Mama’s Kit to the expectant mothers who are the beneficiaries of the package during her visit to Oye Local Government Area, recently.

Mrs Fayose (left) presenting Mama’s Kit and some beverages to one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Aminatu Wahab at OtunEkiti in Moba Local Government Area during Her Excellency’s visit to area Local Government Area where she kicked off the tour, for instance, she touched on the major issues that have been of concern to her. She expressed worry at the high rate of teenage pregnancies reported in parts of the state and charged the parents at the gathering that apart from telling on their economy, they should also be up and doing in monitoring their children and

wards as diligent parents. Mrs. Fayose said: “Parents and guardians must monitor their girl child or wards considering the rate at which young girls are getting pregnant on daily basis. This bad habit has to stop in our locality. The young girls must be discouraged from running after men, it is not good for their future, it may ruin their future.

In the process of engaging in unguarded sexual act, they may contract a dangerous disease.” She wondered why a parent would not ask questions when his or her child brings home some items which they knew did not come from them or which they didn’t buy for them, saying such acts encouraged all forms of bad behaviour. She charged pregnant women not to fail to register promptly at government hospitals or clinics for the sake of their overall health. On this point, Mrs Fayose reasoned that while she does not condemn the women for enlisting at faithbased homes and with traditional birth attendants, they must also ensure that they are under the care of trained health workers in the hospitals, pointing out that pregnancy as a delicate condition for the woman needed all necessary careful, professional handling. She also explained that one of the dangers in sticking with only mission homes, especially those with no trained health workers, is that “it will be a little bit difficult for health officials at the hospitals to promptly attend to them if they go to the hospital in the case of complications during the period of delivery of new born babies.” Interestingly, many of the things she told the women were also contained in the lectures delivered by experts who were part of her entourage. Nutritionists and dietitians from the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) were on hand to guide the women on healthy diets during and after pregnancy as well as at other times. For instance, pregnant women were dissuaded from eating liver because of its high content of Vitamin A. This advice ran counter to what many of the listeners were used to as liver was among the food rich in vitamins that were recommended for pregnant women in the not too distant past. The new teaching, the experts told the audience, was as a result of the high content of Vitamin A in liver, which they said was capable of deforming the unborn child in the womb. The pregnant women did not just hear expert talks. Apart from receiving lectures, they also received “Mama Kits” from the wife of the governor. The Mama kit is a hold-all that contains some vital accessories needed by the pregnant women, and which many of them might not take cognizance of in the course of their pregnancies. The pregnant women also freely received specialised milk from the Ekiti first lady, whic is rich in vitamins, iron and minerals as part of the efforts of the state government to ensure healthy nutrition for them.

Christmas Day bushfire consumes 98 homes in Australia Continued from pg37

On Christmas Day, the home of a mother and three children went up in flames leading to their deaths. The victims who until their deaths lived in Claifornia. It was reported that San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a residential structure fire in the 500 block of Alden Road around 5:45 a.m. Friday and found the mobile home fully involved in the blaze. It was gathered that soon after, Big Bear Lake fire personnel responded and attempted to go in and rescue the victims, identified as 34-year-old Maria De Los Angeles, 8-year-old Citlali Carlos, 3-year-

old Andres Carlos and 6-month-old Pearla Carlos, but were unable to due to an imminent roof collapse, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

return on Saturday. It was reported that many of those forced to leave their homes had to spend Christmas night in hastily-arranged shelters.

Christmas Day bushfire consumes 98 homes in Australia It was equally a sad Christmas celebration for many in Australia as a bushfire consumed about 98 homes. Though no injuries were reported, it was gathered that some 1,600 residents and tourists from the popular tourist spot of Lorne were evacuated on Friday amid fears that a wind change would push the fire towards the town, but were allowed to

Lagos witnesses multiple fire incidents A bubbly Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre had its share of the ravaging fire incidents a few days to Christmas when the Lagos State Fire Service reportedly stated that there was fire outbreak at the popular Westminster Market, Apapa Lagos. It was gathered that goods worth millions of naira were consumed by the inferno. The fire wasted about 12 contain-

ers of products. The sad incident occurred at the early hours of Saturday, a day after Christmas. The media equally reported another fire outbreak at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu campus just as Jakande Estate, Gate Bus Stop, Alimosho Area of Lagos also witnessed another fire episode. Another fire outbreak reportedly occurred at No.23 Marina, Lagos Island as the popular Bank of Industry was gutted. In all, no life was lost. For many, the repeated fire tragedies are sad occurrences attributable to the dry season. But in all, they are in themselves horrendous.

news

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Change in Kogi Assembly leadership not influenced by outside forces —Factional speaker

Kwara speaker condoles with Osun Assembly

HE crisis rocking the Kogi State Assembly continued on Monday as its factional Speaker, Godwin Osiyi said recent change in the leadership of the assembly was not influenced by forces outside the assembly. He said the legislators were ready to work with anybody who become the governor of the state without party affiliation. The Speaker explained that the impeachment of the embattled Speaker, Honourable Momoh Jimoh, was an internal development within the lawmakers without outsiders’ input. Osiyi, who spoke with newsmen at the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lokoja, said it was a baseless accusation that the impeachment was sponsored, adding that the action of the lawmakers was provided for by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which was followed while carrying out the impeachment. Osiyi, who is representing Ogori/Mangogo state constituency in the assembly, also said the impeachment was a concluded issue that could not be revisited. “We have heard many stories that our action (impeachment) was manipulated by some outside forces. We will like to reiterate that nobody or anybody from the outside is engineering our action. Our fight is an in-house fight and not influenced by anybody. “We are here to re-enact that Momoh Jimoh Lawal, former speaker of the State House of Assembly remained impeached as carried out on the 10th of December, 2015 in the Assembly Hallow Chamber by resolution of

SPEAKER of the Kwara State Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, has described the sudden death of the Minority Leader of the Osun State Assembly, Honourable Oladejo Makinde as shocking and colossal loss to the people of Osun State and political class in general. In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Shuaib Abdulkadir, Ahmad said the legislator who represented Ife Central Constituency was a parliamentarian par excellence, whose robust contributions on the floor of the House, would be missed his by colleagues. He lamented that Makinde’s death on the day he attained the prime age of 48, was shocking, noting that the Almighty God knows best why he took him away at such particular time. The Speaker urged the state Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, the Speaker of Osun State Assembly, Honourable Najim Salam and other members of the House, his immediate family and the people of Ife Central to take solace in the fact that he lived a life worthy of emulation.

Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

seventeen members on the following grounds. “Gross incompetence; insensitive to members’ interest and plights; misrepresentation between the Assembly and the executive, betrayal of trust

repose on him by members and high handedness in administration of Assembly as he operates like sole administration. “There is no country where democracy is practise; even America that remains the

KOGI State governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has been charged to make youth empowerment a cardinal programme, when he assumes office on January 27, 2016. A political group in the state under the auspices of Friends Of Dalhatu Sherif (FODS), tasked Alhaji Bello to form an all-embracing government to move the state forward, just as it also enjoined him to be steadfast, as well as carry everyone along as he assumed the political leadership of the state. The group also resolved to endorse Dalhatu Sherif for the rescheduled Kogi Central senatorial district re-run.

to be governor; we say categorically that we will work with anybody that God chooses as the governor. Our role is to legislate and we will not interfere with the executive or judiciary function,” Osuyi stated.

From right, Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; Delta State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, during the thanksgiving and reception in honour of Ekweremadu by the people of Mpu, Enugu State, on Sunday.

‘Why work stopped on Olubadan’s palace’ By Tunde Ogunesan

THE current economic downturn in the country has been described as the reason why work on the construction of the new

palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan is still under construction. This was disclosed by the President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII),

the umbrella body of all the socio-cultural groups of the Oyo State capital, Chief Wole Akinwande, while fielding questions from reporters, during the unveiling ceremony of the logo and

We’ll keep paying N18,000 minimum wage —Gov Gaidam James Bwala - Maiduguri

YOBE State government will continue to pay workers in its employ the N18,000 minimum wage, as well as sustain its effort in the provision of infrastructure and services to the people of the state, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has said. The governor, who spoke with newsmen, on Monday,

said his administration perceived payment of salary as a ‘primary responsibility’ which the state government considered a priority. “I am surprised that some people are talking about reducing the minimum wage of N18, 000. Paying workers their salaries at the end of every month is a primary responsibility that we must take seriously.

Group charges Kogi gov-elect on programmes, youth empowerment Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja

mother of democracy; that a Speaker will be impeached and such process will be upturned. “If anybody is now entertaining fear that the impeachment will affect them in their pursuit

Speaking with newsmen in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, on Monday, the Secretary-General of the group, Abdulkareem sani, stated that Bello’s mandate was divine and a clear opportunity for the youth to be entrusted with political representation, responsibility and leadership roles. Sani, however, charged the governor-elect to vigorously invest in the youth, with a view to deal with youth restiveness in the state. According to him, “The youth are leaders of tomorrow, and there is every need to invest leadership roles in them, while the elders should be entrusted with fatherly roles.”

He added that to achieve harmony between leaders, elders and followers, there must be synergy to move the state toward the threshold of development. He noted that the choice of Dalhatu for the Senate seat of Kogi central senatorial district, was borne out of their conviction that if the youth are given the opportunity to serve, they would transform the state. “Arising from our meeting, we have decided to endorse Dalhatu Sherif for the rescheduled Kogi central senatorial re-run. Our support for Sherif is to bring youth on board to contribute their quota to the development of the state,” Sani said.

“It is also a constitutional matter. We do not have any intentions to cut down the minimum wage. We will continue to pay them and meet all our other obligations to the entire people of our state,” he said. Governor Gaidam said like other states across the country, Yobe is experiencing fiscal challenges, adding that the challenges had not stopped his administration from working to improve the people’s living conditions. Asked how the Yobe State government is coping with regular salary payments and the execution of road projects, being capital intensive, the governor said ‘it’s about prioritising and planning.’ “It is true that our resources are limited. However, we always tried to plan very well and strike a balance between our receipts from the Federation Account allocations and our spending. It is this financial discipline that has enabled us to keep afloat, meet our obligations and maintain our effort at serving the people of our state,” Gaidam said.

lighting of torch for Ibadan cultural festival 2015/2016, held at the Civic Centre, IdiApe, Ibadan, recently. The Nigerian Tribune learnt that when the sod of the project behind the Ibadan House, at OkeAremo in hinterland of the ancient city was turned last year by the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, it was stated that the first phase of the project would be completed by last April, but until now the project is still under construction. Chief Akinwande disclosed that though work had reached appreciable level on the project, which he said, had been roofed and plastered within and outside, he maintained that the CCII had been working round the clock to ensure that work did not stop on the site. Lamenting that economic crunch had badly hit everybody and which had invariably affected the project, the CCII boss said some persons who had pledged to make donation for the project, were finding it difficult to actualise their promises. He said the CCII had been visiting critical stakeholders in Ibadanland to sensitise them on the need to know that the Olubadan Palace project “is our joint project and the response has been encouraging with all those visited showing enthusiasm and commitment towards the successful completion of the project.”

Biola Azeez-Ilorin

Kwara GIS scheme graduates interns PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to sustain beyond 2015 the Federal Government’s Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), a career development and entrepreneurship training programme of the Federal Ministry of Finance. This appeal was made by the GIS project director, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr P.M. Papka, in Ilorin, just as a total of 282 interns selected under the scheme in Kwara State, successfully completed their oneyear career development programme. The programme was entitled: “Development and Entrepreneurship Skills Training for Interns in kwara State”. In his address at the exit training programme for the participants in Ilorin, on Monday, Mr P.M Papka and participants at the programme, urged the Federal Government to sustain the programme beyond 2015. He said the essence of the exit training was to review participants experiences, assess their progress and plan for entry into their planned businesses or careers. He tasked the successful participants to ensure that their internship added value not just to their immediate employers but also to the nation as a whole.

communitynews

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Ijaw youths demand adequate budgetary allocation for amnesty programme

A staff of Benin Electricity Distribution Company fixing a faulty cable at Ginuwa Junction, Warri/Sapele Road, Warri, Delta State. PHOTO: EBENEZER ADUROKIYA

The President of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Mr Udengs Eradiri, has called on the Federal Government to make adequate allocation for the amnesty programme in the 2016 budget. Eradiri told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Sunday that such provision was necessary to ensure stability in the region. He said that the speculation that the 2016 budget for the amnesty programme was slashed from N50 billion to N20 billion had caused apprehension among beneficiaries of the programme. The youth leader said that if the budget was so heavily slashed as believed in some quarters, it could be a recipe for resurgence

users. Earlier in his address, the Speaker said the briefing was initiated to feel the pulse of the people on the proposed bond before the assembly takes a final decision on it. He said power, in a democracy, rests with the people. The Speaker, represented by the deputy Majority Leader, Hajia Segilola AbdulKadir, assured that the eighth assembly in the state would always consult the people on key policy

decisions and regularly embark on feedback mechanism to ensure that the people are actively involved in the task of governing the state to further make democratic governance in the state all-inclusive. The member representing Ilorin North-West constituency had earlier listed the projects intended to be executed by the state government under the proposed bond as forwarded by the state governor to the state House of Assembly.

‘Consult us before executing projects in our areas’ Biola Azeez-Ilorin

he people of Ilorin South, East, Central and North-West have urged the Kwara State government to give attention to the yearnings of the people of the state through consultation whenever it is proposing to embark on projects in the area. The people also enjoined the state government to pay all the salary arrears of all categories of workers in the state to alleviate their sufferings. This formed part of the communique issued after a constituency briefing by the Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad and three other members of the House of Assembly representing Ilorin East Central, South and North-West constituencies, Hajia Segilola Abdul Kadir, Hajia Bodunrin Ibrahim and Alhaji Abdul Rafiu Abdul Rahman, on the N20 billion proposed bond by the state government. The communique read by the spokesmen of each of the constituencies stated that instead of the state government expending the N20 billion bond on the construction of a flyover at Geri Alimi and dualisation of Ajase-Ipo Road, it should embark on opening more access roads like Egbejila-Asa Dam road, Tanke- Agbabiaka-Amoyo road and Oke-Oyi-Maya Ile -Apa Road to reduce traffic gridlock at the entry

points of the state capital. The people of the constituencies noted that many wards were not captured in the projects slated for execution through the proposed bond and called for even distribution of projects in the spirit of equity and justice. They also advised the government to give priority to employment and wealth creation to check idleness among youths and women, which, according to them, had aggravated social vices in the society.

While calling on the lawmakers to ensure proper monitoring of the execution of projects under the bond, the people praised them for the initiative to consult them before taking a final decision on the bond. Various speakers ranging from politicians, religious and opinion leaders, representatives of youths and women also enjoined the state government to always consult widely to ensure that proposed projects meet the yearnings of end

Residents commend Amosun as work resumes on Ijoko Road Tola Adenubi-Lagos

Residents of Ijoko have commended the Ogun State governor for ensuring that work resumes on the 32km Sango-IjokoAkute-Ojodu road which hitherto had been abandoned due to paucity of funds. When Community News visited the area, it was observed that the contractor handling the project, China South Construction Company (CSCC) has returned its earthmoving tractors to site. Workers of the construction firm could be seen pouring water on the road from a mobile tank in order to reduce the dusty haze being caused by the ongoing work on the road. According to Alhaji B. Adesina, a Nigerian Air-

ways retiree, the resumption of work on the road is a welcome development given the fact that the rainy season is a few months away. “We are very grateful to Governor Ibikunle Amosun for releasing funds for this all-important road. We all know what we go through on this road when the rainy season is here. It is the major road linking Ijoko, Agbado and many other adjoining towns from Sango axis. “We were initially scared that the project had been abandoned when work stopped on it immediately after the elections. We all thought the governor had forgotten us so soon after we voted for him massively in the governorship elections. “But he has proved

doubting Thomases wrong by releasing funds for the project. We hope they complete a significant portion of the road before the rains arrive again,” he stated. Another resident, Segun Olatilo, said: “We appreciate the governor for giving

consideration to this road. It is, indeed, heartwarming.” The strategic highway, which cuts across Ota, Ijoko, Agbado as well as Abule Ekun, Akute and Ojodu, would include two bridges and three flyovers.

of crisis in the region. He noted that there was the need to sustain the amnesty programme and ensure that the stipends for beneficiaries were paid regularly. He said that the stability witnessed in the region since the commencement of the programme increased the country’s oil production from 600,000 to more than two million barrels per day. Eradiri said the repentant militants in the Niger Delta, who benefited from the scheme, were now making meaningful contributions to the economy with the skills they acquired through the programme. “We appeal to the Federal Government to sustain the amnesty programme which has improved and stabilised oil production; the benefits outweigh its cost in every respect. “The Federal Government should also provide the necessary infrastructure to serve as catalyst for economic activities and development of the Niger Delta region while taking steps to diversify the economy. “If the region is stable, it will be possible to increase oil production to address the shortfall from dwindling crude oil prices,” he said. He said that the N6 trillion budget for 2016 was to be funded largely from oil revenue. Eradiri called on the Federal Government to take deliberate steps to ensure that oil production was not disrupted. The youth leader said there was a compelling need for sustained oil revenue to meet the expectations of Nigerians in the coming year. He also called for adequate budgetary provision for the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to ensure adequate development in the area.

Partnership with communities improved security —Enugu police Enugu State Police Command, on Sunday, said that its partnership with communities had improved security in the state, especially during the Christmas period. Its Public Relations Officer, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the partnership had made the state safer and more secure. He urged residents of the state to be security conscious before, during

and after the New Year celebration. “The command calls on members of the public to reflect on the message of the New Year anchored on peace, love and tolerance, among others. “They should be able to radiate same to one another to engender security, peace, unity and progress in Enugu State. “So, let us continue to partner in order to make our various communities

safe and secure in the rest of 2016,’’ he appealed. Amaraizu expressed the command’s gratitude to corporate bodies and the government for their assistance to ensure adequate security in the outgoing year. “The command is assuring residents of the state that we will re-double our efforts to prevent and control crime and criminality, especially in the years ahead,” he added.

communitynews

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Share community begs for assistance for displaced residents biola azeez-ilorin

ollowing the recent communal clash between the people of Share community and their Tsaragi neighbours, Share community, under the aegis of Share Descendants’ Union (SDU), in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and other wellmeaning Nigerians to assist the displaced residents of the community. The people, who said the assistance could be in cash or kind, added that the donations would ameliorate the sufferings of victims. Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, the National Secretary of SDU, Comrade Sunday Ajayi, said over 35 houses in nine large compounds in the community, namely: Agodo, Ana, Sango, Sunjami, Oluawo, Olujide, Ajiga, Orogan and parts of Baale were destroyed, adding that cars and lorries were also burnt. The people, who also called for immediate investigation of the crisis by

the Federal Government, said that the perpetrators, financiers and suppliers of ammunition should be brought to book. Comrade Ajayi said not

less than 20 persons have been confirmed dead, adding that those injured were still being counted. This is just as the state commissioner of Police, Mr.

Esosa Amadasun, said that the clash only recorded destruction of property. Meanwhile, the Kwara State government has set up a factfinding committee on the re-

mote and immediate causes of the clash. The committee, headed by the state deputy governor, Elder Peter Kisra, comprises members of the state ex-

IN fulfillment of its mandate to oil-bearing communities, the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has empowered over 200 indigenes of Ndokwa ethnic nationality in the state. The presentation of empowerment packages two days to Christmas Day to beneficiaries from Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwani Local Government areas was supervised by the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Friday Osanebi, at a colourful event witnessed by traditional rulers and community leaders in the area. The beneficiaries, who had earlier been nominated by political leaders and traditional rulers, included women, youths, persons with disabilities and special needs, as well as the underprivileged. They were grouped into different categories and given empowerment items like tricycles, motorcycles while others received hair drying machines and generators. Another category got grinding machines and generating sets. It was an empowerment galore at Ashaka, Ndokwa East venue of the occasion as cash was also offered to some of

Philanthropist constructs water project in OgwashiUku school AlphonsusAgborh-Asaba

Pupils of Vincy Froebel Model School, Apata, Ibadan, during their visit to the Congregation of the Servants of Charity, House of Province, Alaadorin, Yemetu, Ibadan, Oyo State, recently.

200 get empowerment package in Ndokwa AlphonsusAgborh-Asaba

ecutive council and security outfits. They have since visited the communities with a view to finding a lasting solution to the crisis.

the beneficiaries, including traditional rulers, Community Development Committee chairmen and clan/community youth leaders. Widows, in addition to cash gifts, were also given wrappers while the physically challenged received wheelchairs through the state chairman of Persons with Disabilities, Comrade Omor Isaac obruche. Representatives of DESOPADEC from Ndok-

wa ethnic nationality who hosted the event, were the Executive Director, Social Services, Honourable Ocho Chris Ocho and the two commissioners from Ndokwa on the board, Comrade Nnamdi Ezechi and Honourable Flenjo Oputa. In an address, Comrade Ezechi commended the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for initiating the 2015 DESOPADEC Amendment Law

which, he said, had rebranded and transformed the interventionist agency to become more productive. According to him, the new DESOPADEC has been very proactive in its mandate area, citing the recent distribution of relief materials to about 66 oil-producing communities in Ndokwa nation. Those who spoke in reaction to the exercise included Comrade Obruche, on

behalf of people with disabilities; Chief Felix Alumonah, Chairman of Aboh Community Development Committee; Elder Edwin Oputa of Abuator; Prince Richard Obi; Sir Chiekem Daphey of Ukwani; Elder Ochonogor Ossai, first, NLC chairman in Delta state and Comrade Emmanuel Chukwuma, President-General of Ndokwa Clan/Community, youth leaders, traditional rulers, among others.

Association urges Nigerians to respect constituted authorities The President, Eggon Cultural and Development Association (ECDA), Mr James Manza, on Monday, advised Nigerians to be lawabiding and respect constituted authorities. Manza, who gave the advice at the 2015 Eggon annual carnival in Nassarawa Eggon, also urged Nigerians to shun negative tendencies capable of threatening the existing peace in parts of the country. He said no nation or society can develop in an atmosphere of rancour and confusion, adding that the security challenges in parts of the country had affected the nation’s socio-economic development. “Without peace, no meaningful development can be achieved in any society. Peace is priceless and

non-negotiable; there is the need for people of diverse ethnic, political and religious groups to embrace peace and unity,’’ he said. Manza reminded those involved in antisocial activities to change for the nation to achieve peace, harmony and progress. The president also appealed to the Federal Government to address youth unemployment as part of efforts to tackle insecurity and other social vices. He commended organisers of the event for bringing together people of Eggon from within and outside the country to promote unity and peace. Earlier, the chairman of the organising committee of the carnival, Mr Titus Haruna, said the occasion had further enhanced unity between people of Eggon

and their neighbours. He appealed to the government to give agriculture priority to encourage

youths to go back to farm, ensure food security, fight poverty and check unemployment.

Pupils and teachers of Ani-Nshi Primary School in Ogwashi Uku, Delta State were in a joyful mood recently following the inauguration of a water project in the school. Water is scarce in the town as there is no functional borehole. The project, executed by a philanthropist, Dr. Celestine Iwendi, involved the construction of a ground reservoir, an overhead tank and taps around the school fence. The pupils, the Chief Inspector of Education, Aniocha South Local Government Area, Mr. Kentoa Kelly; the Secretary to the Local Education Authority, Mr Jude Elue and the head teacher of the school, Mr. Francis Iduh, who were present at the inauguration of the project, lauded Dr. Iwendi’s effort, saying that he has attracted development to the area. The Iyasei of OgwashiUku kingdom, Chief Collins Afuwah, who also witnessed the ceremony, said he was not surprised with the project because according to him, Dr. Iwendi has been engaged in bringing life-changing projects to the area. He said one of such is the electronic library and computer school. Dr. Iwendi, who spoke through a representative, Mr. Ohai Izeuegbunem, thanked God for giving him the opportunity to execute the project.

Lawmaker donates N7m worth of items to constituents biola azeez-ilorin A member of the House of Representatives from Kwara State, Honourable Funke Adedoyin, has distributed N7 million worth of food items and clothing materials to the people of her constituency. Community News gathered that beneficiaries of the donation included artisans, market women, union officials and community leaders. The lawmaker, who represents Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin and Irepodun Federal Con-

stituency, at the distribution of items in Omu-Aran, said that it was part of her efforts to improve the well-being of the people of the constituency. She said the donation was also aimed at bringing succour to the people as they celebrate Yuletide, in line with her election promise to serve the people within her capabilities. “This is just the beginning of many of the dividends of democracy being packaged to ensure the well-being of the people of the constituency. “We cannot shy away

from the challenges affecting the purchasing power of low income earners and the underprivileged. “We shall, therefore, continue to be alive to our responsibility by bringing the dividends of democracy right at the doorsteps of ourpeople,” she said. Honourable Adedoyin, who expressed optimism that the New Year would bring unprecedented economic turnaround for the nation, promised to continue to execute programmes that would add value to the living standard of the people of the constituency.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

foreig naffairs with seyi gesinde

08116954632 foreignnewseditor@gmail.com

Al Shabaab Islamists claim deadly ambush in Kenya

he Somali Islamist group, al Shabaab, said it ambushed a Kenyan security vehicle in remote northeastern Kenya on Sunday, killing four members of the security forces, Reuters reported. The Kenyan Red Cross said in a post on Twitter that two police officers had been killed and two others injured, while a Kenyan police spokesman said he was unaware of the attack. “Security has been beefed up in the region. Tension remains high,” the Red Cross said. Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military spokesman, told Reuters the militants had ambushed the car on the main road in Mandera County, on the Somali border, killing four Kenyan soldiers, and seizing their weapons. The statement made no

Al-Shaabab militants.

mention of police. Al Shabaab and officials often given conflicting details and death tolls. Al Shabaab, which seeks to overthrow Somalia’s Western-backed government and impose a strict version of Sharia law, has carried out regular assaults in neighbouring Kenya in

retaliation for Kenya contributing troops to an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia. The attack in Mandera County came two days after al Shabaab, which has links to al Qaeda, targeted two Kenyan security vehicles in Lamu County, killing at least one police officer.

2 female Boko Haram suicide bombers blow themselves up in Cameroon Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up on Monday in the Far North region of Cameroon while trying to carry out attacks for Islamist militant group Boko Haram, local officials said, but there were no other deaths. “The suicide bombing took place at the entrance of Bodo. Two women bombers wanted to get to the market place but they were stopped by vigilantes,” said Abgassi Adoum, mayor of Makary district of which Bodo is a part. He said one member of the watch committee was lightly wounded. Reuters said another bomber died and two people were wounded in a separate incident on Saturday in Tolkomari village in the Kolofata neighbourhood, a local official said.

Cameroon protests TI’s ranking with Nigeria, S/Africa, Ghana as most corrupt African nations Cameroon has protested against Transparency International’s report ranking it alongside South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia and most corrupt African nations. In its report, Transparency International said corruption creates and increases poverty and exclusion.

It also said whisteblowing is key to fighting graft, but that many people are afraid to come forward as they feel it is too dangerous or ineffective. However, there was mixed reaction in Cameroon following a Transparency International report placing the central African state,

Cameroon, as one of the most corrupt African nations, VOA said. In a new report, the nongovernmental organisation Transparency International found that Cameroon was among the most corrupt states in sub-Saharan Africa. The survey included

43,000 respondents from 28 countries who were interviewed between March and September 2015. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a Cameroon government spokeperson, describes the report as biased and said Transparency International is trying to soil Cameroon’s image.

Burundi sides split on peacekeepers at start of talks Burundi’s government negotiator and the opposition came out of the first session of peace talks in Uganda divided over the question of international peacekeepers. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni gave the opening remarks, saying that while he recognised the sovereignty of Burundi, it could not be a reason for inaction on the part of the international community. “One million people dead just here in Rwanda. And we watched, what could we do. Because if we come in we are invading a sovereign country... in Kenya here people died. Here in Ugan-

da Idi Amin killed 800,000 people. Nobody could come in. We were dying under sovereignty,” he said. According to VOA, the Burundi government delegates said they are fighting insurgents who had attempted a coup. They also say the government is within its rights to look for those perpetrating violence. Violence erupted in Burundi last April after President Pierre Nkurunziza made a bid for a third term, despite the constitution limiting presidents to two terms. Nkurunziza was able to run on a technicality and won. Since then, waves of violence have grown increasingly troubling.

otherNEWS 2 killed, 3 wounded in Kenya shooting Two people were killed and three others wounded when Kenyan military officers opened a fire on a car travelling in Mandera County on Monday. Mandera County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia told VOA’s Somali service that security forces suspected the car of carrying explosives before shooting the two occupants. But eyewitness say those killed were civilians and

that no weapons were found in the car. They say those injured were passersby. Meanwhile, residents in the town said that a major security operation was underway Monday in Mandera County following an attack that left two police officers dead at Lafey area on Sunday. Somali militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the assault.

Zimbabwe delays paying December salaries as cash crunch bites Zimbabwe has delayed paying December salaries for most of its public sector workers to early next month and has not paid annual bonuses, in a sign of a cash crunch that brought threats of strikes from doctors and teachers on Monday, Reuters reported. Doctors working at state hospitals and the main teachers’ union demanded the payment of salaries and bonuses before Dec. 31, warning of possible strikes next year. Zimbabwe spends more than 80 percent of its budget on salaries, mainly for the army, police, teachers

and nurses, but only managed to pay soldiers earlier this month. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said in a statement on Monday that December wages for teachers and other education sector workers would be paid on Tuesday.

Robert Mugabe

Ivory Coast harmattan wind raises concern

A strong harmattan wind blowing last week across most of Ivory Coast’s main cocoa growing regions raised concern over damage to the crop amid a tightness of supply elsewhere, farmers said on Monday. The Harmattan is a dusty, dry wind from the Sahara that usually prevails from December to March. When severe it can kill small cocoa pods and sap soil moisture, reducing the size of beans.

In the centre-west region of Daloa, which produces one quarter of Ivory Coast’s output, farmers reported no rain and a strong Harmattan wind. “The weather is very dry with too much dust. Lots of leaves are starting to fall from the trees,” said Raphael Kouadio, who farms on the outskirts of Daloa. “If the wind continues this strong the harvest season could be shortened.”

Uganda VP Edward Sekandi (second left), front row, Uganda PM Ruhakana Rugunda (right), and East African Community Secretary-General Dr Sezibwera (second right), pose with others, during Burundi peace talks, at Entebbe State House, on Monday. PHOTO: AP.

The African Union has authorised sending 5,000 peacekeepers to Burundi. Francois Nyamoya, the secretary-general of the MSD opposition party says the peacekeepers are needed to go forward. Nyamoya said the African

Union forces need to arrive to secure the population’s well being. He says this will be a condition if dialogue has a chance to continue. Government negotiator Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Nyamitwe said no to peacekeepers.

A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara stands near farmers breaking open cocoa pods in Duekoue last month. PHOTO: REUTERS.

foreig naffairs

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Iraqi troops retake city of Ramadi from ISIS, military says

raqi troops have retaken the city of Ramadi from ISIS, CNN quoted the country’s military as saying. Troops have raised the Iraqi flag on top of the government compound in central Ramadi, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul said Monday. Ramadi, in Anbar province, about 68 miles (110 kilometers) outside Baghdad, fell to ISIS in May, a major setback in the country’s effort to contain the terror group. Iraqi TV showed Iraqi soldiers celebrating what the government is calling the “liberation” of the city. During the live coverage, explosions and gunfire could be heard in the background. Ramadi is a predominantly Sunni Arab city,

An Iraqi soldier raising flag after taking Ramadi town from ISIS. PHOTO: AFP.

and the Iraqi military forces are mostly Shiites. The U.S.-led coalition that has been launching airstrikes on ISIS targets addressed the positive development Monday. “The clearance of the government center is a significant accomplishment and is the result of many months of

hard work by the Iraqi Army, the Counter Terrorism Service, the Iraqi Air Force, local and federal police and tribal fighters,” coalition spokesman Col. Steve Warren said. CNN’s Becky Anderson, reporting from the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu

Dhabi, noted that the United States-led coalition spokesman used careful wording in the statement that pointed out the city government center had been retaken. “Reports suggest that it is likely that ISIS has moved from the government compound to the north of the city, and there’s every chance they could regroup,” Anderson said. It’s possible that the Iraqi military’s achievement is a symbolic victory, she said, and what happens next is critical. The city in western Iraq has strategic importance. It has roads into Jordan and Syria, and Anbar province is the heartland of Iraq’s Sunni Muslim population.

China passes first-ever anti-domestic violence law Detains 12 in connection with landslide disaster

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang China’s first-ever law against domestic violence fails to cover some potential victims and has taken too long to pass, campaigners said on Monday after it was approved at the weekend. The standing committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp legislature, according to AFP adopted Sunday the AntiDomestic Violence Law, which defines family abuse and streamlines the process for obtaining restraining or-

Floods displace 150,000 in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil

South Korea, Japan settle deal on Korean wartime sex slaves The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan said on Monday they had reached a deal meant to resolve a decades-long impasse over Korean women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during World War II, a potentially dramatic breakthrough between the Northeast Asian neighbours and rivals. The deal, which, according to The Associated Press included an apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) aid fund from Tokyo for the elderly former sex slaves, could reverse decades of animosity and mistrust between the thriving democracies, trade partners and staunch United Atates

allies. The issue of former Korean sex slaves, euphemistically known as “comfort women,” has been the biggest source of friction in ties between Seoul and Tokyo, with animosity rising precipitously since the hawkish Abe’s 2012 inauguration. Japan appeared emboldened to make the overture after the first formal leaders’ meeting between the neighbors in 3 ½ years, in November, and after South Korean courts recently acquitted a Japanese reporter charged with defaming South Korea’s president and refused to review a complaint by a South Korean seeking individual compensation for Japan’s forceful mobilization of workers during colonial days.

ders - measures long advocated by campaigners. Previously the issue was only referred to in separate laws and regulations addressing other matters such as marriage and protection of children, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Nearly a quarter of Chinese women who are married have experienced domestic violence, figures from the Communist Party-linked All-China Women’s Federation showed, according to Xinhua. Meanwhile, police in China have detained 12 people in connection with a deadly landslide last week, including at least one executive from a company that ran a dump for construction waste that swept through an industrial park, state media said on Monday.

A woman sits next to a makeshift shelter with her son in Asuncion. PHOTO: REUTERS. More than 150,000 people in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil have been forced to flee their homes as the region’s worst flooding in 50 years showed no signs of abating over the weekend.

Officials said the floods, exacerbated by the “El Nino” weather phenomenon that generates extreme climactic conditions, have killed at least six people, the BBC reports. Paraguay has been the

worst-affected by the incessant summer rains where four people have been killed by falling trees and 130,000 people have been evacuated, writes Agence FrancePresse. About 90,000 people

are living in temporary shelters in parks, public spaces, schools and military buildings across the city, and the Paraguayan government has declared a state of emergency. The River Paraguay, which flows through the country’s capital Asuncion, has risen to its highest level since 1992 at more than 25 feet, reports Reuters. Local authorities in Uruguay told Reuters on Sunday that river levels there were stabilizing, although water levels were expected to rise in Paraguay and Argentina.

otherNEWS Political feuding imperils Ukraine’s future, Obama’s record

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (right) shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, during his recent visit to Kiev. PHOTO: REUTERS.

On his most recent visit to Kiev, United States Vice-President Joe Biden said he spends more time speaking to Ukrainian officials than to his own wife. He may not be exaggerating: senior U.S. officials, including Biden, are

deeply embroiled in trying to persuade Ukraine’s leadership to hold the line and implement the reforms they have promised to carry out, Reuters said. But despite these efforts, divisions inside the ruling coalition are

growing and many of the reforms are stalled. If the leaders fail, it will be a deep embarrassment to Washington, the EU, and the IMF which sacrificed relations with Russia to support these people. “I think we may have logged close to 1,000

hours on the telephone,” Biden told reporters during his visit this month, referring to his calls with Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, before adding the quip that it was more time than he spends talking to Mrs Biden.

The Obama administration, with the EU, has invested deeply in making a success of Ukraine’s Feb. 2014 revolution, when protesters forced a Russian-backed leader to flee and proWestern opposition figures took over.

Families demand apology on AirAsia crash anniversary Families of those killed in an AirAsia plane crash in Indonesia, on Monday, demanded the airline apologise for negligence after a probe showed faulty equipment contributed to the accident, a year on from the tragedy that left 162 dead, the AFP reported.

Flight QZ8501 plunged into the Java Sea in stormy weather on December 28 last year during what was supposed to be a routine flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. Relatives of some of the passengers, AirAsia officials and the head of Indonesia’s search and

rescue agency gathered Monday in Surabaya, the country’s second-biggest city, for a private ceremony to remember those killed in the crash. It came just weeks after Indonesian investigators’ final report showed a chronically faulty component in a rudder control

system, poor maintenance and the pilots’ inadequate response were major factors in the crash. Ahead of the ceremony, an association set up by victims’ relatives to push for reform of Indonesia’s beleaguered aviation sector demanded an apology from AirAsia.

Indonesian, Agung Darmono, holds photos of his mother and niece, victims of the Air Asia Flight QZ8501 crash in protest, on Monday. PHOTO: AFP.

foreig naffairs

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

UK floods: Angry residents demand

action to stop disaster happening again

David Cameron visited some of the worst flood-hit areas in York, on Monday, to offer his sympathy. PHOTO: REUTERS.

ritish Prime Minister David Cameron was heckled during a visit to floodhit communities in northern England on Monday, Mail Online reported. One woman shouted ‘no more cuts to public services’ as he spoke to a team from the Scarborough mountain rescue, who had deployed with a dinghy on a submerged street in York city centre. As he visited a sandbag filling station on the outskirts of the city after meeting with officials coordinating the response, Mr Cameron hailed the ‘amazing’ response of the emergency services and volunteers. He said it was untrue that funding for flood defences had seen a 20 per cent cut but insisted a major review of policy would look at whether more needed to be done and whether the strategy should be changed. It came as an Army helicopter delivered additional sup-

plies and repair equipment to a flood-hit area of York as troops continue to work around-the-clock to help those stricken by the deluge. The Chinook helicopter was seen delivering supplies to a flood gate in the historic city in a bid to help

repair the defence system which was besieged by floodwater from the rivers Ouse and Foss. Workers are desperately trying to repair the flood barriers to help pump floodwater out of homes after thousands had to be

evacuated. More than 500 Army troops have already been scrambled to help emergency services deal with the major incident, and another 1,000 soldiers remain on standby today should the situation worsen.

Taliban bomber stages attack close to Kabul airport At least one Afghan civilian was killed and thirteen wounded, after a suicide car bomb exploded close to an entrance to Kabul’s airport, Afghan officials have said. The attack happened early on Monday morning near the airport’s military entrance, which is used by NATO and coalition forces, the Afghan interior ministry said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Reporting from Kabul, Al Jazeera’s Abdullah Shahood, said: “We have witnessed an increase in Taliban attacks

this year, although it’s winter here and normally Taliban attacks decrease during the winter. “But we have seen quite a number of attacks by the Taliban, in the south of the country and north of the country, even in Kabul.” Zia ul Islam, who witnessed the blast, told Al Jazeera that the “explosion was so loud it shook the ground and broke all the windows of the nearby buildings”. “I am in a state of shock right now. I don’t know how am I even alive. I saw many injured civilians crying for help,” he said.

The attack comes a day after Pakistan’s army chief, General Raheel Sharif, visited Kabul to discuss peace talks with the Taliban. “Both sides agreed that the first round of dialogue between Afghanistan, Pakistan, US and China will be held in January to lay out a comprehensive roadmap for peace,” the Afghan presidential palace said in a statement. Earlier this month, a suicide bomber attacked a joint Afghan-NATO convoy near Bagram airbase outside Kabul, killing six US soldiers and wounding three others.

Iran threatens response to new US visa restrictions Iran will take reciprocal measures in response to any breach of this year’s nuclear deal, the Foreign Ministry warned on Monday, after Tehran said new United States visa restrictions contravened the historic agreement, Reuters reported. Iran has started to restrict its nuclear programme under the terms of the July 14 deal with six world powers, including the United States. When the restrictions are completed, international sanctions on Tehran will be lifted. But decades-old mistrust between Tehran and Washington is as high as ever,

and each side has accused the other of undermining the pact, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Earlier this month, the U.S. Congress passed a law restricting visa-free travel rights for people who have visited Iran or hold dual Iranian nationality, a measure that Iran’s foreign minister called a breach of the deal. The measure, which affects citizens of the 38 mostly European countries that have visa waiver arrangements with the United States, is framed as a counterterrorism measure and also targets Iraq, Syria and Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announces $224 billion 2016 budget Saudi Arabia unveiled its 2016 budget on Monday which predicted a deficit of 326 billion riyals ($87 billion) in the new year, Al Arabiya News Channel reported. The budget puts spending at 840 billion riyals ($224 billion) and revenue at 513 billion ($137 billion), officials revealed at a press conference in Riyadh. As for 2015, revenues came in at 608 billion riyals, 73 percent of which came from oil revenues, Al Arabiya reported. This is the first budget announcement since King

Salman’s ascension to the throne and is expected to reflect reforms he announced last week. “Our vision for economic reform is to increase the efficiency of public spending, utilize economic resources and boost returns from state investment,” he told the kingdom’s Shura Council on Wednesday. Dr. Fahd bin Jumaa, vice president of the economy and energy committee of the Shura Council had predicted the budget was drafted based on the speculated price of $45 pb, he told Al Arabiya.Net.

Saudi’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud

otherNEWS Myanmar activist jailed for Facebook post mocking army

Chaw Sandi Tun speaks with a Buddhist monk after her hearing at court in Maubin, Myanmar. PHOTO: AP.

A Myanmar court has jailed a woman for six months for a Facebook post “ridiculing” the country’s army chief and the colour of a new uniform. Chaw Sandi Tun, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s election-winning

National League for Democracy (NLD) party, Al Jazeera said was found guilty under a new telecommunications law prohibiting the use of the telecoms network to “extort, threaten, obstruct, defame, disturb, inappropriately influ-

ence or intimidate.” “My daughter was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Ma U Bin township court this morning under Section 66(d) of the telecoms law. We will appeal as we are not satisfied,”

her mother Ei San told the AFP news agency. Chaw Sandi Tun’s post compared the light green new uniform for army officers with that of a “longyi”, a traditional Myanmar skirt worn by opposition icon Suu Kyi.

“If you love mother that much, why don’t you wrap mother’s longyi on your head?” the post said. The maximum penalty she faced was three years in jail. Her lawyer confirmed the sentence but said his client denied making the post.

Trump changes tune on wages after Bernie Sanders broadside Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has appeared to take a new position on United States wages, Business Insider said. After previously saying wages were “too high,” Trump instead stressed Monday that they were actually “too low.”

In the Monday-morning tweet, Trump also said that good jobs were “too few” and that people had “lost faith in our leaders.” The apparent shift came after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), a Democratic presidential candidate, said in a Sun-

day interview that his message would resonate among Trump’s working-class supporters. “Look, many of Trump’s supporters are a working-class people, and they’re angry,” Sanders said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” according to the show’s transcript. “And they’re angry be-

cause they’re working longer hours for lower wages. They’re angry because their jobs have left this country and gone to China or other low-wage countries.” Sanders added: “In fact, he has said that he thinks wages in America are too high.”

Donald Trump

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Defining moments of 2015 sports

With a few hours left in 2015, there is no denying the fact that lovers of sports had a fun-filled year given the spate of activities witnessed across the globe. Group Sports Editor, GANIYU SALMAN, here recaptures some of the unforgettable moments in sports in the outgoing year.

igeria wins fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets on November 8 won the FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Chile for a record fifth time. Nigeria coached by exinternational, Emmanuel Amuneke, at the Estadio Sausalito in Vina del Mar, Chile, defeated fellow African side, Mali 2-0 with goals from Victor Osimhen and Bamgboye. Osimhen also clinched home the adidas Golden Shoe with 10 goals, the first time ever by any player since the cadet championship began in 1985, while the captain of the Eaglets, Kelechi Nwakali, won the adidas Golden Ball for being the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Jighere turns world scrabble king Nigeria’s Wellington Jighere also on November 8 in Perth, Australia, became the world scrabble king. Coincidentally, Jighere made it double celebration for Nigeria following the Golden Eaglets victory in Chile the same day. Jighere tamed 129 competitors at the World English-language Scrabble Players’ Association championship to win the star prize of $10,000 cash. The 32-year-old Nigerian defeated Englishman Lewis MacKay with four straight wins in the best-of-seven final round to also become the first African to rule the world in the sport. Jighere who had previously featured in two other world championships, placing third at Mumbai 2007 and 11th at Malaysia 2009 enroute to his triumph also conquered Nigel Richards, the highest-scoring scrabble player of all time. Adesokan, Oyema, world records

Obiji

set

Yakubu Adesokan on September 15 this year made the headlines again when he lifted 182.5kg to set a new world record in the men’s para-powerlifting 49kg, to also win the gold for Nigeria at the 11th All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville. The Oyo State-born athlete who had

Blatter

created a world record at the London 2012 Paralympics with 180kg lift, had his record erased in July this year by Vietnam’s van Cong Le who lifted 181kg at the IPC Powerlifting Asian Open in Kazakhstan. Esther Oyema: The 55kg powerlifter first set the world record at the London 2012 Paralympics where she lifted 135kg. Interestingly, for the first time in her career, she was beaten to the gold at the IPC championship in Kazakhstan in July, before the Edo State-born powerlifter erased her own world record on September 16 at the 11th All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville. Oyema, who is also the 2011 and 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, lifted 139.32kg to retain the gold she won at the 10th AAG in Mozambique. Loveline Obiji: The reigning Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth champion in the 86kg also won the gold at 11th AAG as she lifted 164kg. Obiji broke the world record twice on her way to the victory at Brazzaville 2015. The Imo State-born powerlifter conquered Egypt’s world champion, Randa Mahmoud (121.04kg) as well as the women’s over 86kg world champion, Nigerian Precious Orji who placed third with 117.25kg lift. Bose Omolayo: She was also one of the heroines of Brazzaville 2015 having set a new world record in the women’s up to 79kg. Omolayo finished with a lift 137.5kg to also clinch the gold for Nigeria. Flying Eagles rule Africa Nigeria’s Flying Eagles handled by Manu Garba on March 22 defeated hosts Senegal 1-0 courtesy of Bernard Bulbwa’s 20th minute goal to lift the 2015 African Junior Nations Cup. It was the seventh victory recorded by Nigeria on the continent at the U-20 level. Also, captain of the team, Musa Muhammed clinched the top scorer’s award of the tournament with four goals which all came from the penalty continues pg47

Serena

Osimhem

Oyema

47 tribunesport

Tuesday, 29 December, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

Mayweather retires with 49-0

spot.

continued pg46

Nigeria loses at FIFA U-20 World Cup Nigeria’s Flying Eagles on June 11 crashed out of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand following a 0-1 loss to a German side which was captained by Nigerian-born Kevin Akpoguma. Dream Team wins African U-23 title Nigeria’s Dream Team early this month grabbed one of Africa’s three slots to the 2016 Olympics when it defeated hosts, Senegal 1-0 in the semi-final of the African U-23 Nations Cup courtesy of Etebo Oghenekaro’s spot kick. The Samson Siasia boys capped the outing in Senegal on December 12, when they dumped Les Fennecs of Algeria 2-1 in the final. Oghenekaro also emerged the goal king of Senegal 2015 with five goals, while his team-mate, captain Okechukwu Azubuike was adjudged the best player of the tournament. Vinci stuns Serena Williams Number one seed, Serena Williams on September 11 lost to unseded Italian Roberta Vinci in what turned out to be the greatest upset in tennis in recent times. Vinci, ranked 43rd in the world, beat Williams 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the US Open. Williams with 22 major Grand Slams had won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon in the outgoing year before her defeat in the US Open. Klitscko dethroned after 9yrs Tyson Fury on November 28 became the world heavyweight champion, when he ended the nine-year reign of Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko. Britain’s Fury, earned 115-112, 115-112, 116-111 on the judges’ scorecards to claim the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) titles. Fury loses IBF title Barely two weeks after becoming the world champion, Tyson Fury was stripped of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) title on December 8. Reason: The Briton had agreed to face the IBF’s mandatory challenger, Vyacheslav Glazkov, before he signed a a rematch

clause with Wladimir Klitschko. Blatter wins fifth term Sepp Blatter was on May 29 re-elected as president of FIFA for a fifth term after his only challenger, Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein had conceded defeat in an election overshadowed by allegations of rampant corruption in world soccer. Prior to the 65th FIFA congress on May 27, no fewer than seven executives of the football governing body were arrested by the Swiss police on the orders of the United States Justice Department including FIFA vice president, Jeffrey Webb on corruption charges. Blatter steps aside Amid the loss of credibility suffered by FIFA during his tenure, Sepp Blatter on June 2 announced his resolve to step aside ahead of the February 2016 extraordinary congress. Blatter was also accussed of bribery scandal.

Mayweather

Jighere

Blatter, Platini, Valcke suspended The adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee of FIFA on October 8 provisionally banned FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, UEFA president and FIFA vice-president Michel Platini, and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke for 90 days,

Ighalo

Blatter, Platini banned for 8yrs Embattled FIFA president, Sepp Blatter and the president of UEFA, Michel Platini, were on December 21 banned for eight years for disloyal payment. Earlier in October, former FIFA vice-president, Chung Mong-joon was banned for six years and fined 100,000 (Swiss Francs) (£71,000). Adekuoroye wins gold Nigeria’s sensational wrestler, Odunayo Adekuoroye on December 27 clinched the gold for her team, Mumbai Garuda at the maiden India Pro League Wrestling. The two-time African champion and reigning Commonwealth champion, who remains the only Nigerian to have secured the 2016 Rio Olympics ticket after winning the bronze at the world championship held in the United States, defeated Tatyana Kit of Haryana Hammers by nine points to zero in the women’s 53kg final. The Ondo State-born Adekuoroye had claimed a bronze medal as well, at

Adekuoroye

the World Grand Prix held in Azerbaijan also held early this year. Ighalo nets 14th EPL goal Nigeria international on December 28 scored his 14th goal of the season in the English Premier League. Ighalo had equalised for the Hornets in the 1-2 home loss to Tottenham at Vicarage Road. It was his 34th goal in 2015, to remain the best striker in English’s all top four divisions. Ighalo also set the record of becoming the first player to score for Watford in six consecutive EPL games.

Mayweather retires with 49-0 Flamboyant boxer, Floyd Mayweather on September 13 retired from boxing following his 49th straight win over Andre Berto in Las Vegas. Mayweather who defended his WBC and WBA welterweight titles, had on May 3 also defeated Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision in what was dubbed ‘the fight of the century. Mayweather announced his retirement after equalling Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0.

SIDELINES

no 16,402

n150

Tuesday, 29 DECEMBER, 2015

Embattled Sepp Blatter, banned from football for eight years has said "I am not ashamed; I regret, but I am not ashamed." Despite all accusations, he insisted that he is a principled man. Well, the truth is that men of principle who find themselves in similar situations often leave the stage early and not wait to be shamed.

The merchandise seller at Old Trafford

CHAN: Salami, Akas fail to beat Eagles deadline

Mourinho-Man U branded scarves on sale at Old Trafford As Van Gaal settles for draw with Chelsea By Olaoluwa Olowoyeye

ANS of Manchester United are fed up with the era of Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford and they did not hide their feelings. This was clearly demonstrated during the English Premier League clash with Chelsea on Monday night at Old Trafford, as they continue to mount pressure on the Dutch manager to throw in the towel. A fan was sighted on the terrace with a placard with an inscription 'Louis Van Gaal Out, Mourinho in' during the match'. Also, Van Gaal was given a reminder before the game which ended in a goalless draw. Outside of Old Trafford, one merchandise seller has already planned for the Dutchman's exit by selling United scarves with Jose Mourinho on them! The embattled manager's (Van Gaal) effort to clinch his first win after a run of four straight defeats in all competitions also ended in futility on Monday night

as the Blues escaped with a point. Mourinho, meanwhile, has been heavily tipped to

replace the Dutchman, although his agent claimed that no talks have taken place.

"Right now he’s in Brazil, we'll see what happens when he gets back," Jorge Mendes told Sky Sport.

"At the moment we haven't been talking about England, Spain or Italy."

Warri Wolves striker, Gbolahan Salami and Chima Akas from Sharks are the only players yet to rejoin the Super Eagles CHAN training camp. Twenty four players trained twice on Sunday with officials disclosing that Salami and Akas did not beat the Saturday night deadline issued by the coaches because of travel difficulties. “We had 24 players in our first training on Sunday with only Salami and Chima Akas still being expected after they encountered some difficulties coming down,” said top team official Patrick Pascal. Salami, a former Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan striker, however, in a telephone chat with Tribunesport failed to speak on the development. The Super Eagles are expected to fly out to Pretoria, South Africa, for a training camp on Saturday, where they are scheduled to play two warm-up matches against CHAN-bound Angola and Cote d’Ivoire.

Ighalo scores 14th EPL goal, ends 2015 with 34 goals By Ganiyu Salman

RED-HOT Nigerian international, Odion Ighalo on Monday scored his 14th goal in the English Premier League for Watford FC, but the strike could not stop his team from 1-2 home defeat at Vicarage Road at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur. Erik Lamela had shot

the visitors into the lead in the 17th minute before Ighalo equalised in the 41st minute to end the outgoing year as the best striker in England with 34 goals. Ighalo, who had earlier in the 27th minute wasted a gilt-edged this time, deployed sheer brilliance and athleticism to outwit Eric Dier befoe he rolled

the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to end the half in a stalemate. Ighalo, however, watched helplessly as the Spurs grabbed the winner through substitute South Korea forward, Son Heung-min, who connected Kieran Trippier's cross in the 89th minute. The Hornets hitman

Player banned for life shot dead in El Salvador A former New York soccer star who was banned from the game for life for his involvement in match

Pacheo

fixing has been shot dead in El Salvador. Alfredo Pacheco, 33, was chatting with a group of friends in a petrol station when an unknown assailant shot at the group various times, authorities said. Pacheco - who spent a season at New York Red Bulls and is the most-capped Salvadorian soccer player in history - was murdered, the country's attorney general's office said.

He leaves behind his wife and five children, who he lived with in the United States. Pacheco was one of two people taken to a nearby hospital in the city of Santa Ana, west of the capital San Salvador, before he was pronounced dead. "The attorney general's office in Santa Ana processed the crime scene of the murder of Alfredo Pacheco at 3.30am in a petrol station," it said.

was earlier booked by the centre referee in the 65th minute for dissent after he felt he was cheated off an encounter with Thomas Carroll. Watford finished the last 27 minutes of the game with 10 men after Nathan Ake, was sent off for a bad foul on Trippier. The former Udinese of Italy forward, Ighalo, also with the goal became the first player to score in six consecutive EPL games for Watford. He is also trailing the record of becoming the best Nigerian striker in England held by Yakubu Ayegbeni who scored 16

goals for Portsmouth in 2003/04 season, while he is one goal short of Osaze Odemwingie's 15-goal mark in the English Premiership.

Ighalo

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