Osun defender june 4, 2016 edition

www.osundefender.org Saturday, june 04, 2016 “Intensely selfish people are always very

decided as to what they wish. They do not waste their energies in considering the good of others”. Ouida Wanda.

This opening quote is apt in describng our legislatorsat the National Assembly

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VOL. 11. NO.56

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Death sentence for kidnappers; what about corrupt public officials? especially the Senate - now being widely referred to as ‘legislooters’ - due to their selfishness and corrupt tendencies.

While we frown at her silence on what punishment should be appropriate

for corrupt leaders especially as it affects the members of the National Assembly.

The silence is bothersome since it smacks of hypocrisy and double standards.

Why on earth should the Senate okay death penalty for kidnappers only to keep mum about corruption of which she (the National Assembly) is the worst culprit? After all it is the corrupt behaviour of our political

leaders that have given

of infrastructure

rise to kidnapping and all that could have led other criminalities that have to the realisation of found abode in our society dreams as monies that were meant for the youth, have to provide employment for been criminally siyouths, provide enabling phoned by the elite. environment through the building on page 6 ...Continued Continued on pg5

Osun Remains The Safest State In Nigeria - IGP

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Nigeria Is Facing Economic War - Aregbesola Political Class Must Sustain Democracy - Senator Ayo Fasanmi

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•State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd left); his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd left); Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (left); Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (3rd right); President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Kayode Okunoren (4th right); Vice-President Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Dr. (Mrs) Bola Onigbogi (2nd right); Executive Secretary, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr Fatai Adegbenro (right) and others during a courtesy visit to the governor by the Board of Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers at the Governor’s Office Exco Lounge, Abere, State of Osun, last Wednesday.

Buhari On Course To Rescue Nigeria - Adebayo We’ve Concentrated On Revenue-driven Bills, Resolutions - Osun Assembly

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osun Defender Saturday, June 4, 2016

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Nigeria Is Facing Economic War - Aregbesola We’ve Concentrated On Revenue-driven Bills, Resolutions Osun Assembly S T not have suffered from facing challenges in the nation is fighting By kehinde ayantunji the payment of their economic war, stressed tate of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf the present economic workers’ salary arrears. that the present economic calamity.

Aregbesola, has said that Nigeria is facing According to him, situation was even worse He reiterated that the serious economic crisis that requires the the economy of the support and cooperation of professional bodies, nation is going through a n a t i o n w o u l d h a v e than the civil war being experienced some years tough economic situation financial institutions to salvage the economy. and therefore called on grown, if the successive back in Nigeria.

The governor said the he regarded as over- the leadership of (NCRIB) a d m i n i s t r a t i o n s d i d He called on the body economic situation in reliance on crude oil, to come to the aid of not lack productive- to urgently intensify Nigeria is worse than saying if the successive the nation, especially, economic direction and plans that are capable the civil war experienced g o v e r n m e n t s h a d in res cuing ov er 27 vision over the years. of strengthening its some years ago, as most brilliantly diversified the states of the federation, The governor who said r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h o f t h e s t a t e s o f t h e economy, Nigeria would which are currently federation could not pay their workers’ salaries and run government.

The governor blamed past leaders for the country’s economy woes while playing host to the leadership of Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) at the Government Secretariat, Abere.

He stated that all stakeholders in the Nigerian economy must support government at all levels by deploying their resources to facilitate quick economic recovery of the country.

Aregbesola suggested that one of the ways to liberate Nigerians from the scourge of the present economic disaster is for the professional bodies to institutionalize strategies and map out economic policies to mitigate the situation.

•State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) in a handshake with the new Commandant of Nigeria He attributed some Security and Civil Defence Corps, State of Osun, Mr Ayodele Olusola, during a courtesy visit to the governor in his of the challenges facing office at State Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, last Tuesday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI. the country to what

Osun Remains The Safest State In Nigeria - IGP “It is the least crimeinfested states but it is just that we cannot do without pockets of resistance. The State of Osun is safe, and secure. The State of Osun is peaceful.”

Commending the cooperation of the people of the state, the police commissioner sought

By ismaeel uthman he Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, has described the State of Osun as the safest state in Nigeria, saying that the state is peaceful. had that of 2015, the State A r a s e c o m m e n d e d of Osun is at the lowest t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n point of the graph. of Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the indigenes and residents of the state for making it safe and impenetrable for criminals.

The police IG stated Second Republic Senator, Pa Ayo Fasanmi, this on Thursday at the has urged politicians to work towards Frontliners, an interactive sustaining the nation’s current democratic forum of the Association experience in Nigeria by holding tight to principles of Veteran Journalists, economic slowdown and State of Osun chapter, of good governance. infrastructure deficits.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e where he was given an “My appeal to Nigerians elder statesman, who Award of Excellence.

A r a s e , w h o w a s was honoured by the is to exercise patience, as r e p r e s e n t e d b y t h e O s u n G o v e r n m e n t a new administration, C o m m i s s i o n e r o f H o u s e C h a p e l a s a the first progressive Police in the state, Mr Pillar of Democracy, all administration at federal Femi Oyeleye, said the level in nearly fiftyachievement was not Nigerians hold the credit six years of history of for the sustained civil without the cooperation of the patriotic citizens rule since 1999, adding independence, begins the and varying vigilance that their tenacity since task of reconstructing the groups that have had the advent of the Fourth Nigerian state.

“I appeal to Nigerians excellent relationships Republic, despite the with the police. numerous challenges, to support the agenda He said: “I have had was commendable. of federal and state the privilege of serving “It is to the credit of government, that are in the Force CID, where Nigerians that we have ruled by progressives, you have the opportunity so that all Nigerians can o f k n o w i n g w h a t i s sustained democracy be employed, be fed, be since 1999 despite several happening across the paid and be secure in daunting challenges of states. If you look at the graph; the report of 2012, insecurity, crippling and their homes and on the 2013 and 2014; I have not debilitating corruption, streets,” he maintained.

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for more support in the aspect of volunteering information.

He said, people must not nurse fears about their safety, saying the notion of policemen leaking information to criminals only existed in the past.

The police boss

assured the public that the Police Complaints Unit (PCU), and other emergency numbers, where anonymity of the complainant is guaranteed are now available.

Political Class Must Sustain Democracy - Senator Ayo Fasanmi

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By shina abubakar He said, although, and indiscipline within citizens have right to and between parties and criticise political leaders, avoidance of thuggery,” but such criticism should he said.

Pa Fasanmi stressed be done responsibly that for democracy to be without heating up the sustained, the political polity.

“In a democratic state, c l a s s a n d N i g e r i a n s citizens have the right generally must uphold to criticise their leaders, the tenets of civil rule, but this should be done which include rule of responsibly. Abusive l a w , a c c o u n t a b i l i t y , and vituperative that transparency, freedom smacks of thuggery and of speech, freedom of indiscipline have no association, political place in a democracy. I tolerance, freedom of encourage this generation religion and equality of to read the hansards of all citizens.

The octogenarian, First Republic Parliament to learn the civil language who disclosed that he in which politics was was part of the three phases of the struggle for conducted. “ F o r s u r v i v a l o f self-governance, urged d e m o c r a c y a n d i t s Nigerians to ensure that consolidation, there must the present democratic be civility and fairness governance is sustained in the process, open at all cost. participation, restraint

government and as well facilitating better economic condition for Nigerians.

According to him, “one of the ways your professional body can really be of help, is to urgently intervening in the present economic situation.

“I am worried about the present economic situation in Nigeria because the professional bodies, whose expertise would have been intellectually deployed to rescue the nation, are shying away from such responsibility.

“Though, the present economic situation is no more a news, but one of the realistic ways to rescue the nation is for your council to go back to the drawing board and formulate workable policies to liberate the nation.

“The backlog of workers’ salaries being owed by some states could have been better relieved by your council, if you have worked out a way of providing a longterm bond to the states.

“In assisting our economy on quick recovery, your council can, for instance, prepare a bond that would go a long way in rescuing some states, which are presently being tormented with cash crunch in the payment of workers’ salary arrears and pensions,” Aregbesola said.

Earlier, the President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Emmanuel Kayode Okunoren, commended Governor Aregbesola for living up to expectation in both human and infrastructural developments.

He lauded the state government on its giant strides in all sectors of the economy, stressing that Osun government has proven its weights as a model by all ramifications.

Okunoren noted that the choice of Osun for the council’s retreat was a clear manifestation to the peaceful nature of the state, adding that the national leadership of the body has had several programmes in the state over the times.

By kazeem mohammed

poverty; the Omoluabi Conservation Fund (repeal) bill, was aimed at allowing the government have access to the conserved fund to carry out infrastructural development. “ T h e 2 0 1 6 Appropriation Bill, which is the budget, was also passed with focus on the completion of ongoing projects across the state and make it revenuedriven, such that the largest percentage of it has been arranged in a way that it will be financed by IGR. “In considering this bill, experts and other stakeholders were carried along through public hearing on some of the bills and their inputs were put into consideration before

their passage,” he said.

Oyintiloye also stressed that the Assembly has passed several resolutions, which include amendment of State of Osun Signage, Hoarding, and Advertisement Law; and resolution on the petition by a sitting judge of the State High Court against the governor over alleged mismanagement of funds.

Among others, he also said, was the reinstatement of the sacked lecturers in the four state-owner tertiary institutions and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.

The parliament also noted that there were other interventions

made, which include land dispute between parties; and the issue of demand for compensation by those whose properties were separated, due to one development or the other among others.

It also averred that the 6th Assembly has been able to strengthen its oversight machinery through standing committees, especially to ensure the blockage of loopholes in the revenue of the state, towards increasing its IGR without putting unnecessary burden on the people, and ensuring that the ongoing projects across the state were completed.

It specifically mentioned the audit carried out on the management of IGR

by the management of the four state-owned tertiary institutions, saying, the audit showed that there were leakages.

The Assembly noted that it has subsequently passed a resolution to automate the payment of all fees in their campuses, which it said, would block leakages and make the institutions selfsustainable.

It then assured that the 6th Assembly has resolved to improve on its legislative activities and do more of oversight without abandoning the passage of laws that will benefit the people of the state.

he State of Osun sixth House of Assembly has said that within the last one year, it has concentrated its legislative activities on the passage of bills that would boost the revenue and block leakages in the finances of the state. through enhancement It stated that the of efficient monitoring Assembly has also paid of healthcare system specific attention to at the state and local oversight functions, government levels especially to ensure among others. the completion of “Also, Osun Street ongoing projects across Trading and Illegal the state, in line with Market (Prohibition) the state government Bill would enhance commitment. free-flow of traffic The parliament stated a n d p e d e s t r i a n s ; this in a statement ensure clean and tidy b y t h e C h a i r m a n , environment; prevent House Committee road side traders on Information and from falling victims Strategy, Olatunbosun of roadside accident, Oyintiloye, to mark the as well as discourage first year anniversary child abuse. of the Osun 6th “While Osun Assembly.

Micro-credit Agency R o l l i n g o u t t h e (Establishment) bill, achievements of the was aimed at using state parliament since it as effective tool its inauguration on t o l i b e r a t e p e o p l e June 2, 2015, Oyintiloye from the bondage of said a total number of seven bills have been passed by the Assembly, while others of the quagmire and from the various crises “How can we explain By shina abubakar were at different stages sweep away all three bedevilling the country that oil sold for more of consideration before he Legislator representing Ifedaayo State anti-democratic and antithe House.

Constituency in the State of Osun House development elements, today, adding that a than three years above country that sold crude $100 level and yet we are The bills, he of Assembly, Honourable Olanrewaju Azeez, s a i d , w e r e P u b l i c has reminded Nigerians that the country needs w h o h a v e b r o u g h t oil above $100 for more faced with this calamity P r o c u r e m e n t B i l l , President Muhammadu Buhari at this critical time, Nigeria to this deplorable than three years must be without any redemption Land Use Charge Bill, when the country has been driven to a precipice of state. asked what it has done in sight? How can we “The PDP and their with the huge resources explain it?”

Primary Healthcare “If we love ourselves, Development Board corruption and economic meltdown. wicked allies have been that accrued to it.

(Establishment) He said Nigerians government has done known over the decades o u r towns and our Azeez said: “The Bill, Street Trading m u s t r e c o l l e c t t h a t worst damage in 16 years for misery. If you have country, we must all responsibility for the and Illegal Market the economy, security to the country. them around you for economic tragedy that we promote Buhari and The legislator disclosed whatever reason, you ( P r o h i b i t i o n ) B i l l , and social welfare of support the war against Micro-credit Agency the citizens had been t h i s w h i l e s p e a k i n g would realise that they are witnessing in Nigeria corruption vigorously,” today rests permanently B i l l , C o n s e r v a t i o n completely destroyed with members of his represent nothing but and absolutely on the the lawmaker stressed.

Fund (repeal) Bill and constituency during 2016 Appropriation after the defunct NPN’s a n e m p o w e r m e n t misery. They represent PDP and the previous rule from 1979 to 1983, the worst of wickedness, g o v e r n m e n t a t t h e Bill.

According to him, when the military took programme in Ifedayo misery and misfortune. federal level. There is each of the bills passed over and gave Buhari the L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t Only the misguided no way that party and has connection with platform to restore the Council Area of the state would claim to belong its government can be last Thursday. revenue generation, hope of Nigerians. to the PDP in Nigeria. excused. As a first step “Buhari has come blockage of loopholes He said the Peoples He further said the to salvage our nation, a n d s u s t a i n i n g Democratic Party (PDP) again to lead us out PDP cannot be excused we must support the war transparency in the against corruption. governance of the state.

It said: “Osun Public Procurement Agency Bill would enhance due process in the bidding and procurement procedure through probity, accountability and transparency; just as will check undue influence and interference in the procurement process.

“Also, Osun Land Use Charge Bill is aimed at improving the IGR of the state through enhanced payment of rate and levies on property to the coffers of the government.

“Osun Primary H e a l t h c a r e Development Board (Establishment) Bill, on its part, was targeted at helping to take care of the health needs of the people, in line with the cardinal points of the government’s six-point •(L-R) One of the APC leaders in Ayedaade Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun, Chief (Mrs) Nike Oyejide, in a discussion with integral action plan, Honourable Yemi Taiwo at the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun-West Senatorial Leadership Meeting, organised by Ayedaade LGA And one of which is “to LCDA, at St. Paul School, Gbongan, State of Osun, last Sunday. restore healthy living”,

Buhari On Course To Rescue Nigeria - Adebayo

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Aregbesola Warns Against Environmental Degradation T By kehinde ayantunji he Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has called on government at various levels to invest hugely on adequate protection of their environment against the adverse effects of natural disasters.

Aregbesola also warned country for socio-political against indiscriminate and economic reasons, d e f o r e s t a t i o n i n t h e saying all hands must be on deck to protect

the nation against undeserved infliction of natural disasters.

The governor made the call in his keynote address while declaring open, the maiden edition of Osun Architects’ Sustainable Information Synthesis (OASIS) Forum 2016 to Herald World Environment Day and the 20th Anniversary

of Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Osun Chapter, at the Government Secretariat, Osogbo.

Governor Aregbesola, who attributed the incessant incidence of natural disaster to what he described as “deliberate negligence” on every individual, said for the nation to avoid the challenges

being experienced environmentally, the ruled and the rulers must buckle-up to protect the environment from further degradation.

He stressed that the environment is already in danger as a result of the windy and stormy rainfall being experienced virtually all over the country, saying governments must go

Osun Assembly Scores Aregbesola High On Infrastructural Development By kazeem mohammed he State of Osun House of Assembly has expressed confidence in the ability of Governor Rauf Aregbesola to deliver on his promises for infrastructural development across Chairman, House the state.

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Committee on Public Works, Honourable Abiodun Awolola and Leader of the House, Honourable Timothy Owoeye, stated this during the committee’s

oversight visit to the ongoing Ola-Iya/Odi Olowo/Ita Olokan road rehabilitation.

The road is named ‘Osun Workers’ Drive’ in honour of the workers’

•President Muhammadu Buhari (middle) in a discussion with some ministers during the visit of Minister of Niger Basin Authority to the President at the State House, Abuja, recently.

2 Injured, One Killed As Mini-bus Los-

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ragedy struck at the Capital Hotel area of Osogbo, the State of Osun capital, on Sunday evening, when a mini-bus lost control and killed a ten-year-old boy and injured two others.

Tinumola streets. with OSUN DEFENDAccording to an eye witness account in a chat Residents in the area ER, the mini-bus was heading towards Dada therefore, advised that Estate when it lost con- to forestall future occurtrol and rammed into rence, the state governsome road-side shops ment should discourage at the ever-busy Capital street trading and as well Hotel junction, killing demolish roadside kiosks the ten-year-old boy sell- around the area.

Investigation further ing apples and injuring other two women, who revealed that the matter were also standing by was reported at Dada Estate Police Station, while the road-side.

He stated further that the victims of the acciaccident has become a dent were taken to the regular occurrence at hospital and the corpse the junction because of of the ten-year-old boy, the sloppy nature of the killed in the mishap, had area, as the state gov- been released to his parernment had taken a ents for burial. precautionary step by The medium’s visit building bumps in the to the accident scene rearea, as well as closing vealed that kiosks situatentrance to Awosuru/ ed at the roadside where

By sola jacobs the accident occurred on It however, advised Sunday evening were that citizens should counder lock and key, as operate with state govthe owners refused to ernment and comply open to commiserate with the ban on street with their colleague, who trading. lost his son to the unfortunate incident A source at the police station confirmed the incident, stressing that the driver of the vehicle had been arrested and will be charged to court, while the two other victims are responding to treatment. information

Change of Name

I, formerly known and addressed as OJO GRACE O L U W AYE M I S I , now wish to be known and addressed as FASAKIN GRACE OLUWAYEMISI. All documents with former name remain valid. The General Public should please take note.

I, A d e t oro O lufun m ila y o B e n e d ic t a w i s h to state that I operate business names, Adetoro Benrol Enterprises and Laydep.

The correct writing of my name is Adetoro O lufun m ila y o B e n e dict a wh i l e Adetoro Benrol and Laydep are my business names.

Skye Bank, take note.

sacrifice made during the period of economic downturn.

Awolola said the level of work done on the project and many others have shown the state government’s commitment to the completion of developmental projects in spite of the poor economic situation.

He charged the contractor handling the road not to derail from the original plan of the project, saying the Assembly would not condone any action or inaction that would frustrate the efforts of the government.

The lawmaker then condemned the indiscriminate dumping of refuse inside the drainage, even when the project was still on, saying such act could complicate the ongoing works on the project.

Also, Owoeye said while the state government would continue to pursue its developmental agenda with the support of the House, the welfare of workers would not be abandoned.

He commended the understanding and sacrifice of workers during the hard time, which, according to him, would eventually payoff.

Owoeye however called for the support of the workforce of the state government and the entire people of the state to continue to support the government’s quest for development.

Other members of the committee, Honourables Bello Osuolale and Wasiu Adebayo expressed satisfaction of the House on the level of work done on the project.

They said the fact that the state government was still carrying out developmental projects during this period of economic downturn deserves commendations.

back to the drawing board and come up with friendly-environmental policies to address the situation.

Aregbesola, who regretted that the nation’s demographical composition had already been devastated based on political-negligence and poor leadership, said that the leadership of the country over the years had also forgotten the negative impact of deforestation to human existence.

He condemned the indiscriminate act of cutting trees for construction of buildings, adding that the quest for geographical and territorial infrastructural development and expansion shouldn’t be the basis for exposing the society to danger of natural disasters.

Aregbesola lamented that the continued act in recent times had contributed regrettably by exposing the society and the people to untold environmental hardship.

He explained that it is cheap to prevent the anger of nature, while very expensive and painful than being faced with the same anger of nature.

“I am using this forum to call on Nigerians to see to the greening of our environment as a duty that must be taken seriously because preventing the anger of nature is cheap, while on the other hand, facing the anger of nature is very painful and much more expensive,” Aregbesola stated.

Earlier, the National President of NIA, Tonye Oliver Braide, who was represented by his deputy, Eyinbeng Ebong, commended Governor Aregbesola for prioritizing the role of architects in the state since his assumption of office.

He said: “What we are having here today will metamorphose into something big that will assist in proffering solutions to the many challenges we have in the building sector in Nigeria.

“This forum is put in place to address and showcase what architects are supposed to do, so as to have a beautiful and conducive environment to live.

“Though great damage is being done to our environment through arbitrary practice by builders in the country, but this forum will address all the issues involved,” he added.

If you have a story or advert for us, contact 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897, 08023191891.

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Death sentence for kidnappers; what about corrupt public officials?

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he pportunity cost of stealing by the elite has resulted in the rise of deviant b e h av i o u r i n c lu d i n g kidnapping. Corruption is a heinous crime which has destabilised the whole of the society. Kidnapping is an offshoot of the denial of opportunities wrought by corruption. From this perception what is sauce for the goose must be sauce for the gander. The penalty for both criminal infractions should be the same. The malfeasance of the people in the National Assembly has cost the country a lot, not least in terms of perception.

This is reflected in the now infamous comments of the British prime minister David Cameron recently. It shows that due to the actions and inactions of the National Assembly all Nigerians are now tarred with the same brush as criminals.

What this means is that we must now like China make corruption a capital offence with death penalty attached.

A drastic remedy is clearly required before corruption destroys the country. As clearly stated by PMB “we must destroy corruption before corruption destroys us”. Thus we must all key in to the President’s vision

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as the debilitating effect of corruption has already torn aside the social fabric leading to all manner of criminal behaviour. The detterence must therefore be punitive. The Chinese had to take this step because they know that corruption would halt the magnificent advance they have already made. The need is actually more imperative here because we have not realised the hopes of independence; no thanks to corruption. Let us be absolutely clear about it; this country is not going anywhere unless it launches a no-holds barred assault on corruption.

Let us be absolutely clear about it; this country

The capital punishment must be brought into play to counteract this scourge.

Therefore it’s high time the Senate broke its silence on the issue of corruption and urgently and in the most earnest manner come up with a legislation that will not spare corrupt public officials of the same punishment they have okayed for kidnappers. To endorse capital punishment for kidnappers and keep silent on the critical issue of corruption which has brought us to this sorr pass and which directly concerns them, is most hypocritical and selfish.

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Obasanjo’s Govt Picked May 29 To Spite Celebrators Of June 12 - Falana

Human rights lawyer and one of the pro-democracy activists in the post-June 12, 1993, political struggle, Mr. Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, tells LEKE BAIYEWU about the political events between the infamous annulGlory Kilanko and many other young ment of the election and now. men and women, who made the

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here do you stand on the debate on whether May 29 or June 12 is the appropriate date to celebrate democracy in Nigeria?

No one has ever made a case for the celebration of May 29 as Democracy Day. It was meant to spite those who celebrate June 12 by the Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration. No serious person ever celebrates the day that he was attacked by armed robbers; you always want to put it behind you.

Military rulers behaved like armed robbers; they raped and robbed the country. One cannot account for $12bn.

His comrade-in-arms made away with $5bn. No serious democratic country in the world ever sets aside a day to mark the exit of military dictators. Holidays are declared to mark significant events and individuals who have contributed positively to the development of societies. When Martin Luther King was assassinated, it was unthinkable to honour him with a public holiday. But several years later, a public holiday was set aside to honour him by the United States’ government, which appreciated his audacity to challenge racism and contribution to political plurality.

Do you think Nigeria would have been better than its current state if the late Chief MKO Abiola had been allowed to be president in 1993?

For sure, the ‘June 12’ crisis would have been averted. By now, we would have largely consolidated the fragile democratic process. We would have been celebrating 23 years of uninterrupted civil rule. M.K.O Abiola’s programme of ‘Welfare of Poverty,’ which was a bold welfare package for the country, would have been implemented in the overall interest of the masses. With his campaign for reparation for slave trade and colonialism in Africa, an Abiola-led government would have been forced to lead Africa to confront imperialism.

Some conspiracy theorists believe the death of Abiola and the late Gen. Sani Abacha was to ‘settle’ both sides when the polity had become tensed?

I was busier at the Oputa Commission than any lawyer in Nigeria. I represented numerous victims of human rights abuse at what was supposed to be our equivalent of the truth and reconciliation commission. During the proceedings of the commission, it was proved beyond any shadow of doubt that both Gen. Sani Abacha and Chief M.K.O. Abiola were eliminated by poison to pave way for the resolution of the political crisis caused by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida after he annulled the June 12, 1993, presidential election won by Abiola.

The elimination was planned and executed by the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar junta with the aid of the socalled international community, which needed a peaceful Nigeria to facilitate their continued exploitation.

Seventeen years after the return of democracy, do you think the ‘injury’ caused by the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election has been healed?

Until justice is done to the victims of the political crisis, one cannot talk of healing the wounds. The Oputa Panel was meant to achieve that purpose but the report and the recommendations were ignored by the Obasanjo-led administration which set it up. Of course, the judiciary assisted the government in rubbishing that aspect of our history when the Supreme Court ruled that the trio of Generals Mohammadu Buhari, Babangida and Abubakar could not be forced by subpoena ad testificandum to appear before the panel to defend the gross human rights abuse perpetrated by the military regimes headed by them.

Will Nigerians, especially those in the South-West, ever forgive IBB on the annulment of the much revered election?

•Falana The annulment of June 12, 1993, presidential election was pan-Nigerian, mandate; it was not a South-West affair.

That is why the entire people of Nigeria have refused to forgive IBB. Unlike Gen. Buhari whose personal integrity eventually won him the presidency (in 2015), Gen. Babangida was forced to withdraw from the presidential race when he found to his eternal regret that the Nigerian people would never forgive him for the subversion of democracy, egregious human rights abuse and the adoption of corruption as a directive principle of state policy.

Several politicians in the country today often openly make claims of their participation in the struggle for democracy in the post-June 12 era. Can you recollect the names of those at the forefront of the battle against the military and the roles they played?

When the authentic history of the struggle for the restoration of democracy is chronicled, everyone would be put in their place. Mind you, the struggle for democracy did not start and end with the annulment of the June 12 election. As soon as the military adventurers returned to power on December 31, 1983, the tribe of genuine progressive forces began to mobilise the people to chase them out of power. The Nigerian Medical Association and the Nigerian Resident Doctors Association were proscribed; the Nigerian Labour Congress, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum and Gas Senior Staff Association were proscribed; the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the National Association of Nigerian Students were proscribed. Dele Giwa and Bagauda Kaltho were bombed out of existence.

A number of journalists were detained without trial, while newspaper houses were proscribed. Even the Nigeria Bar Association was taken over because of the Alao Aka-Bashorun challenge, when he led the lawyers’ body.

The late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, the late Chima Ubani, Shehu Sanni (now a senator) and leading journalists were

jailed. The late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and some of us were regularly detained and charged to court. There was a time that Gen. Babangida charged five of us with conspiracy and treasonable felony.

Without any scintilla of evidence, he alleged that we were planning to overthrow him. Gani (as Fawehinmi was fondly called) never smoked but he died of cancer of the lungs. The strange death was traceable to his travails under the murderous military regimes. Prof.

Wole Soyinka and others were driven into exile. In my own case, Gen. Buhari detained me and left me in prison in 1985; IBB released me and left me in prison in 1993. It was the Interim National Government of Chief Ernest Shonekan that released me from IBB’s custody. The struggle for democracy has a record of many other unsung heroes. Some of us are only lucky to be alive. hoever remembers that (the then Secretary-General of NUPENG) Frank Kokori was detained without trial for four years?

What of Julius Ihonvbere who was a leading broadcaster in the Radio Kudirat? Was it not Chief Tony Enahoro who led NADECO abroad? When Gani, Beko and I were held in Kuje Prison in 1992 and 1993, Olisa Agbakoba and Clement Nwankwo led the human rights community to keep up the struggle. Some of the details are well documented in Kayode Fayemi’s book entitled, ‘Out of the Shadows: Exile and the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Nigeria.’ The role played by Comrades Balarabe Musa, the late Bala Usman, the late Emma Ezeazu, Ralph Obioha, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Ndubuisi Kanu and others from outside the South-West region is deliberately downplayed to give the misleading impression that it was a struggle of the Yoruba people.

Even in the South-West, it was our comrade lecturers in the campuses, together with the late Bamidele Aturu, the late Chima Ubani, Abiodun Aremu, Olaitan Oyerinde, Femi Aborisade, Abdul Oroh, Joe Okei-Odumakin,

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country ungovernable for the dictators.

The guerilla journalists were Dapo Olorunyomi, Kunle Ajibade, Babafemi Ojudu, while Bayo Onanuga and Nosa Igiebor were forced to go on exile. But the ruling class has a way of twisting the history of the struggle. The National Democratic Coalition, which was established on May 31, 1994, is given all the credit of the collective struggle of the Nigerian people which began in January 1984. I am not saying this to insult the NADECO people because I have my profound admiration for those of them who later joined us in the battlefront. I am only trying to correct certain historical inaccuracies.

What significant roles did you play in the battle, which have remained unforgettable for you?

There was nothing personal in my role in the struggle. Essentially, I teamed up with other comrades to retrieve the soul of our country from the soiled hands of military dictators of the most reactionary genre. In the process, I sacrificed my liberty and put my life at great risk. Indeed, I am only lucky to be alive as others were killed during the struggle. My young family was subjected to denials and deprivations.

The most unforgettable episode for me was when, upon my release from a detention that had kept me away from home for over nine months, my son, Folarin Falz (now popular artiste known as FalzThaBadGuy) asked his mother if I was a criminal because the teacher had taught him in the elementary school that only criminals were put in prison by the government. As he was barely six years old at the time, I was not sure if his mother was able to convince him that the prison was also peopled by political activists and revolutionary politicians.

Some Nigerians believe the case of June 12 is dead and buried and should be forgotten. Do you share this belief? ike many other aspects of the struggle, June 12 cannot be forgotten. President Goodluck Jonathan described it as a watershed in the history of democracy in Nigeria.

He attempted to name the University of Lagos after Abiola but it was rejected by the students, the alumni and alumnae of the school for pure sentimental reasons.

The June 12 phenomenon transcends the individuality of Abiola. Although he was a symbol of the struggle, the election itself was a clear demonstration of the resolve of the people to shake off the yoke of unending military dictatorship. The IBB regime engaged in the reckless manipulation and sabotage of its own political transition agenda.

Politicians were banned and unbanned.

Political parties were proscribed, while official ones were set up like parastatals.

A court order was procured by the junta through a shadowy body called Association for Better Nigeria to stop the election. There were counter orders that the election should proceed as scheduled. So, the Nigerian people trooped out to vote. The junta could not disrupt the democratic process.

There were no allegations of electoral malpractice. In desperation, another order was secured to stop further announcement of the results. As the Court of Appeal, then led by Justice Mustapha Akanbi, could not be manipulated to affirm the illegal orders of the FCT High Court, the junta announced a decree which ousted the jurisdiction of the (appellate) court to hear any suit pertaining to the criminal annulment of the election. From that moment, we took the struggle to the streets. It was a crisis which chased IBB out of power.

The ING hurriedly installed by •Continued on page 7

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•Continued from page 6

him was declared illegal by the Lagos High Court. That was the moment Abiola ought to have declared himself elected President. He could not have been charged with treason because Shonekan’s had been declared illegal.

But he was tricked by Generals Abacha and Oladipo Diya to give them time to purge the military of all anti-June 12 elements. Of course, they consolidated their hold on the military and proceeded to sack the Shonekan-led regime and installed themselves in power. Betrayed by the duo of the military power mongers, Abiola belatedly declared himself President six months later and was arrested and charged with treason.

When he stood his ground and refused to renounce his claim to the mandate, he was killed in a military custody four years later.

Is it true that the majority of those who really fought for democracy have been sidelined by those referred to as opportunists in the running of the affairs of the country? don’t share the view. It is a reductionist view of political power.

It is not the opportunists but the dangerously corrupt political system that has sidelined activists from accessing power. If we had wanted to be opportunistic, we would have compromised our principles to be made ministers and legislators. In 1998, the pro-democracy and human right activists decided not to participate in the manipulated political transition programme, as it was not programmed to lead the country to genuine and stable democracy. There was no constitution.

For us, it was like traveling without a compass. We wanted a Sovereign National Conference to prepare the country for popular democracy, as opposed to a rickety civil rule.

President Nelson Mandela wanted us to participate. He asked his deputy, Thambo Mbeki, to meet with us. He met us at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos. We were not persuaded to change our position, as the military wing of the ruling class had designed a programme that would turn the people into mere onlookers in the democratic process and consolidate Nigeria as a satellite of imperialism. Painfully, we have been proved right. Because there was no solid foundation, Nigeria is today a leading nation in the areas of illiteracy, infant and maternal mortality, corruption, unemployment, insecurity and infrastructural decay.

At what time did the democrats and political activists who fought for democracy lose it to the so-called opportunists running the affairs of the country today?

The people you refer to as opportunists grabbed power from the military dictators and have largely retained it for members of their class. The progressive forces never contested the elections in 1998 (and 1999). But they have to step forward to mobilise the people to free our people from the shackles of imperialism and its local lackeys. It is not about being sidelined. You don’t form a government with your class enemies or those who may chase you out of power.

Does Nigeria still have true democrats?

For sure, there are a few seriousminded democrats in the system who believe in popular democracy, transparent elections, rule of law, human rights and accountability. Such people have to join other progressive forces to form new political parties with manifestoes, programmes and vision that will question the politics of exclusion and the economic system that promotes poverty in the midst of plenty.

It is not true that the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have no ideologies; the basic ideology of both parties is to sustain

who killed over 5,000 people in Chad from 1982 to 1990. Upon the issuance of a warrant for his arrest by a Belgian magistrate, the African Union resisted his deportation but decided to have him tried in Dakar, Senegal. The trial has been concluded in Dakar, Senegal, and judgment will be delivered on May 31, 2016. If he loses the case, he may end up in prison even though he is well over 70 now. With the successful prosecution of Charles Taylor of Liberia and Hasne Habre of Chad, other dictators are worried that nemesis may catch up with them. Hence, they are threatening to pull Africa out of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. But the human right community in Africa is seriously mobilising against the dangerous move, as it is designed to promote impunity in the continent.

Several socio-cultural and political leaders often consult with Obasanjo on public affairs. Do you think the retired general still has anything to offer the country? hose who consult the former military ruler and former elected president are perfectly in order.

History has recorded him as the longest serving ruler in Nigeria. He is also the greatest defender of the status quo. His latest call is that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Authority, the Nigeria Port Authority, etc, be sold to members of the ruling class. That is a conscious ideological stand. He speaks for both military and civilian wings of the bourgeoisie. He is not happy with President Muhammadu Buhari for opposing the outright sale of the country’s common assets through dubious privatisation. Hence, he has condemned Buhari’s economic and foreign policies.

If you were to advise Buhari, what mistakes do you think his predecessors made that he should correct or avoid?

In the fight against corruption, President Buhari should carry the Nigerian people along. He should consult with mass-based organisations with respect to policy formulation and implementation. In the area of the economy, he should shun and resist the pressure to privatise public assets and devalue the currency. Higher duties should be imposed on all the goods which are produced in the country. On the weekly sale of dollars to banks for the importation of electricity metres, suitcases, textile materials and shoes, why should the economy collapse due to non-availability of dollars to import consumer goods for the elite?

Notwithstanding the opposition of Western financial institutions, the Buhari-led administration should urgently conclude the currency swap with China. Some of the Western countries, including the United Kingdom, have a similar arrangement with China.

Do you think Buhari has changed from a military dictator into a true democrat, especially when he is under criticism for the unconditional detention of some Nigerians despite that courts have ordered their release?

From the information at my disposal, President Buhari is making conscious efforts to metamorphose from a military dictator into a civilian President. Having undertaken to end impunity and operate under the rule of law, the President ought to call overzealous security personnel to order.

In particular, he has to sanction those who engage in disobedience to court orders, illegal arrests and detention of innocent citizens, extra judicial killing of unarmed people and other violations of human rights. Right now, the United States’ Congress is under pressure not to sell 12 war planes to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram insurgents on the ground that President Buhari has failed to stop human rights abuse in the country.

•Culled from The Punch

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•Falana the policies of private-sector-driven economy, a dolarised financial system, a deregulated economy of currency devaluation, trade liberalisation, privatisation and commercilaisation without any economic planning. A political party that subscribes to such neo-liberal, neo-colonial, peripheral capitalism cannot be said to lack ideological commitment.

With the high spate of impunity, large-scale corruption and human rights abuse in the polity, do you think Nigerians have learnt from their sufferings under the successive military dictators who ruled the country?

Once a war is concluded in any country, the soldiers have to be disarmed and demobilised. Otherwise, they will continue to breach the peace of a society. If some of them contest and win elections, they will want to administer a country with military tendencies; that has been our experience since 1999 because there was no honest transition from military dictatorship to democracy. Many of the politicians are not better because they are products of military rule. In one of the states in the South-East geopolitical zone, a governor usually led armed policemen, soldiers and thugs to demolish the houses of suspected kidnappers. I challenged him when we met at a conference in Abuja.

He said he embraced jungle justice because the judicial system was too slow. Another governor in the SouthWest region has just directed people to kill herdsmen instead of ensuring that those who attacked and killed unarmed farmers are arrested and prosecuted.

That is his barbaric way of protecting farmers from reckless attacks. The other day, the secretary to the government of one of the states in the North-West zone disclosed before a judicial commission of inquiry that the dead bodies of 347 people who were massacred by soldiers had been buried secretly in a mass grave provided by the state government.

Unfortunately, these security forces have failed to call these highly-placed public officers to order.

Do you agree with those who believe that there are still military tendencies in the polity, especially on the side of political officer holders and security agents?

It is not correct to say that a large number of ex-military officers have

dominated the political scene since 1999. The number is negligible but their influence has been overwhelming. The saddest aspect of it is that a number of the civilian politicians are much more undemocratic than the retired military officers in politics. Instead of isolating military officers in politics, we should ensure the deepening of the democratic process and ensure that the society is fully democratised.

The late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite once posited that ex-coup plotters should not be allowed to run the affairs of the state or regarded as elder statesmen.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Muhammadu Buhari and several others fall in this category. Do you agree with him?

With respect to the late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, it is undemocratic to ban coup plotters from political participation. Unlike in some Latin American countries where they were put on trial at the end of military rule, the former military dictators in Nigeria have been exceptionally lucky. Even though the military in Africa produced the likes of Mobotu Sese Seko of the DRC, Idi Amin of Uganda, Sani Abacha of Nigeria and Jean Bokassa of Central Africa Republic, it also produced the likes of Thomas Sankara and Murtala Mohammed.

Can those who plotted coups in this country still be tried?

No, they cannot be tried under the penal statutes. The law says that if a charge of treason is not filed within three years, it is statute barred. However, the victims of human rights abuse can take advantage of the doctrine of universal jurisdiction to file cases against them abroad for crimes against humanity committed while they were in power.

That was what happened to the late Augusto Pinochet of Chile. An order was issued by a Spanish magistrate for his arrest. He was to be arrested in the United Kingdom but the (Margaret) Thatcher regime frustrated the arrest.

Since the fellow had lost his case up to the House of Lords, he had to be deported. But he was made to face trial in Santiago and the trial was in progress when he died. He was a nonagenarian but the victims of his murderous dictatorship insisted that justice be done. The same fate has befallen Hasne Habre, a brutal dictator

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20th Anniversary Of Nigeria Institute Of Architects, State Of Osun Chapter, At The Local Government Service Commission, Abere, Last Tuesday. Photo: GBENGA AD-

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All Progressives Congress (APC) Osun-West Senatorial Leadership Meeting Organised By Ayedaade LGA And LCDA At St. Pauls’ School, Gbongan, State of Osun, Last Sunday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI

•(R-L) State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori; Third Vice President, Architect Enyi Ben Eboh and President, Architect Registration Council of Nigeria, Arch. Usman Aliyu at the programme.

•(L-R) Mr Ayo Afolabi; Elder Adedeji Tunde and Honourable Soji Ajayi at the event.

•Some of the members of Nigeria Institute of Architects during the visit.

•A cross section of dignitaries at the event.

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•(L-R) Elder Peter Babalola; Honourable Biodun Awolola; Honourable Yemi Taiwo and Honourable Leke Ogunsola.

•A cross section of APC members at the programme.

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Past Govt Wasted Forex On Importation Of Toothpicks - Buhari Past Govt Wasted Forex On Importation Of Toothpicks - Buhari It is exactly one year since Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ahead of the official commemoration of his ascension to power, Buhari spoke with some journalists on the issues that have dominated his reign. Excerpts:

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ooking at the last one year, how would you assess what has happened in terms of your expectations when you took office, the challenges you met and the progress made or lack of it?

I am sure you will recall that during our campaign, we identified three problems for our country. First was security — the situation especially in the North-East then. Second was the economy — unemployment; and third was corruption. I am sure you can recall that these were what we identified.

In the North-East, when we came in, Boko Haram occupied 14 local governments and they had hoisted their flags and called the areas their caliphate. But I can assure you that Boko Haram is not holding any local government presently, but they have progressed to using IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and by taking on softer targets — people in mosques, churches, marketplaces, motor parks, killing them in tens, twenties and fifties that you all know about, and killing schoolchildren. So, I think we have made substantial progress in that area. If you know anybody living in Maiduguri or Yobe, he or she will tell that people are going back to their homes; those who moved to Kano, Kaduna or even here in Abuja are now moving back and they are trying to continue with their lives. On the economy, again we were unlucky.

We are now a mono-economy and everybody is dependent on oil revenue.

The oil price collapsed and we were exposed. From 1999 to 2014, the average price of Nigerian crude that was sold was $100 per barrel, but when we came in, it plummeted to about $30 per barrel and now it is between $40 and $50 per barrel. At some stage, I got the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to give me a list of the things we have been spending our foreign exchange on and it showed food items such as tomato puree, grains, rice, wheat and even toothpicks. I didn’t believe it and I still don’t believe it because if he said we were building so many factories, buying essential raw materials and spare parts machinery, I would have believed it. But to show me that what we were consuming majorly was just food items? I believe that Nigerians from the eastern part of this country, from the west and north, about 60 per cent of them, eat what they produce because they cannot afford to buy foreign food. So, what was happening was that people who had plenty of naira, they just filled the papers that they were importing food and were given foreign exchange; they invested the money outside in whatever form.

My belief was strengthened when we got into trouble about the import of petroleum products. We conducted a survey and we found out that one-third of what Nigerian marketers claimed to be bringing in, they were not bringing it in. They were just signing the papers and taking the money out. So, people were doing the same thing with food products. But I think subsequently, when we get to the court with some people, you will hear more about it.

The third one was on corruption, I would speak about that in two days’ time (Sunday) and also on subsequent attempts to prosecute where we have found evidence; about where the monies have gone and the

South: when we came in, I got one of the senior officers [in the army], a major-general, and asked him to revisit the agreement the late Yar’Adua signed with them. I said he should get a copy of the gazette so that we could see the agreement to know what stage we were in. I haven’t received a comprehensive report on that yet, but I believe the officer is working hard. I saw him responding to some of your colleagues [journalists] a couple of days ago in the papers. Meanwhile, I have told the military and law enforcement agencies that the promise this government took was that this country had to be secure before it could be effectively managed.

So we can’t wait for that report before the military re-organises itself and secures the Niger Delta area. o I think very soon they would do some serious operations there. But for Biafra, those looking for Biafra have a tough job. A lot of them that have participated in the demonstrations were not born and didn’t know what people like us went through (fighting Biafra) by walking from the northern border to initially Abakiliki, then coming back and starting from Awka to Abagana and to Onitsha.We lost our friends and relatives; about two million Nigerians were killed. They thought it was a joke, so I think they have a problem. Kidnapping is a very serious thing because like the operations of the militants where they are destroying installations (in the Niger Delta) — I was going round the world telling people that we are going to secure was asked, on the herdsmen, note Nigeria and by our performance in the that Gaddafi ruled Libya for 43 years. North-East, they believe us and people During his 43 years, Libya was a small are prepared to come and invest in country in terms of population, but very Nigeria. But nobody would invest in an big in terms of resources. They have insecure environment. Those who had oil reserves, light crude like Nigeria’s been in Nigeria for so many years can crude. But he was quite generous to conduct feasibility studies. But why do some of the countries in the Sahel. He they put money into paying militants took their young men and trained them. or paying for corruption? This means But unfortunately, he didn’t train them with all the goodwill we are winning, to become electricians or plumbers, we may not be able to benefit in the bricklayers or mechanics. They were long run because of the kidnapping trained to shoot and kill. When that and the actions of the militants. So, it administration was removed, of course, is a top priority for this government to those who removed it knew that he address. Once we settle down to make stabilised his country by using these sure that we deal with militants, we will people from the Sahel, so they pursued deal with kidnappers also.

There have been so many them and they went back home. You know what happened in Burkina Faso, pronouncements by your government Mali, and a few of them we believe are that once the budget is passed and around the North-East. I am sure you assented by you, that we would see know that here in Nigeria, our border progress in the economy. But even with our northern neighbour, Niger, the budget assumptions today are is at least 1,500km-long; it is such an threatened; from where do you expect open country that you cannot stop to get your revenue to implement your donkeys from crossing; you cannot projects and even the N500m needed stop camels neither can you stop people for the palliatives? For instance, oil from crossing the borders. Only God production has dropped to almost can effectively guide these borders. So, half due to militancy; even revenue some of them found their way here. coming from taxes is declining. How Even on the recent herdsmen [killings], are you going to assure Nigerians that I asked one of the governors if the this budget, which the government is herdsmen were fighting perennially hinging its programmes on, is going to with the farmers and he said there was be implemented in such a way that it a difference, which means that these trickles down to the masses?

That is a major challenge for us. It people were either hired to come and fight and worsen the ethnic relationship is not going to be easy to complement in Nigeria or they have no profession the revenue as we promised in the other than fighting for a fee. But these budget. I think I mentioned initially are just reports that still have to be that the market plummeted from an confirmed later. So that is what I can average of $100 per barrel for crude oil answer about the herdsmen and I from 1999 to 2014, and suddenly went think the law enforcement agencies are down to $30 per barrel and now it is working very hard to identify them. between $40 and $50 per barrel. I was Now about the militants in the South- •Continued on page 11

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•buhari different banks either here or outside the country, we would let you know.

We know that your party did not support the idea of a national conference when it was held, but one year after, it is like the clamour is rising again, given some of the challenges such as security and the economy, and people say all these issues were addressed by the National Conference report. Would you have a rethink by going back to see what is good in that report? o, I don’t want to tell different stories. I advised against the issue of national conference.

You would recall that ASUU was on strike then for almost nine months.

The teachers in tertiary institutions were on strike for more than a year, yet that government had about N9bn to organise that meeting [National Conference] and some [members] were complaining that they hadn’t even been paid. I never liked the priority of that government on that particular issue, because what it meant is that the discussions on what the National Assembly ought to do was more important than keeping our children in schools. That is why I haven’t even bothered to read it or ask for a briefing on it and I want it to go into the socalled archives.

The progress that has been made in the fight against Boko Haram is widely acknowledged not only in Nigeria but outside the country. But as we have made progress with Boko Haram, other serious security challenges have arisen.

You have the issue of the herdsmen and the killings; you have the Niger Delta Avengers; the Biafra agitation; and incessant kidnapping. Can Nigeria’s security infrastructure deal with these multiple fronts that are opening up?

To speak in the order the question

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•Continued from page 10 constrained to approach the Governor of the Central Bank to find out how we spend our foreign exchange. When he went and checked the records, he found out mostly that it was spent on food bills such as wheat, rice, flour, bread and toothpicks — Nigerians are so sophisticated that they only use Chinese toothpicks. I was shocked.

Looking at the anti-corruption fight by the EFCC and how the probe of the arms funds has shown that some of the funds were allocated to the PDP campaign. But your critics have accused you of probing the PDP campaign funds while not probing your own campaign funds and that you have people in your government that allegedly used state resources to sponsor your campaign.

How will you explain this?

I don’t know whether I have some official protection. If I don’t have it, why haven’t you started the investigation? …because the constitution gives you immunity? see, very good. But then, it doesn’t extend to all the executives and party leaders and the party leaders are there. If anybody has received $100m to give to the party, I think he should be asked to tell us where he got the $100m.

I know those we would eventually successfully prosecute; they wouldn’t leave it, neither will they let their friends leave it. We do not believe if we were so reckless, we would get away with it. I don’t believe it. Do you remember the three and half years when I was in charge of the petroleum ministry, have you forgotten the $2.8bn (issue)? If you have forgotten, I haven’t.

Have you forgotten the PTF [Petroleum Trust Fund]? In the PTF, at one stage, we had more than N53bn at a time, we planned and spent it. It was investigated subsequently. So I assure you that I feel perfectly safe. But nobody is perfect, only God is perfect. But let me tell you, from being governor of the six states (the old North-Eastern State), which was only for seven months, to the petroleum ministry, to Head of State, and to PTF, I tried not to expose myself, and I hope God will continue to help me.

You were a military Head of State; you contested elections several times, and became president last year.

What are your thoughts on your administration in the last one year?

We came into power at a very difficult time. We discovered too late that we had put ourselves as a nation in a mono-economy, depending only on petroleum. From 1999 to 2013, the average cost of Nigeria crude oil per barrel was $100. Unfortunately, when we came in, it had reduced to an average of about only $30. We suddenly discovered that we are depending on petroleum; we import virtually everything, including food.

On the issue of insecurity, it was there during our campaign and we knew about it; we knew about the saboteurs in the South-South, and then the unemployment. We have a huge number of unemployed persons. I’m told the population of the unemployed youths is about 65 per cent. And for a country of our size, this is something for which we must be concerned. We campaigned on insecurity, unemployment, bribery and corruption, which have done much damage to this economy.

Nigeria is said to be difficult to govern. Did you find it to be so?

There are a lot of problems in the

earned from the devaluation so far.

How many factories have we built by killing the naira? I had to reluctantly give up because the so-called Nigerian economists come and talk things to me, and when I raise issues, they talk over my head instead of inside my head.

For us to lose over N300 (every year, we’re losing the value of the currency

by N100), what for? Let them tell me how many factories they’ve built. I find myself in a very difficult state because the economists cannot tell me why we should continue to devalue our naira.

People say import, and we find out that we are just importing food! We’re now planning to stop importation of rice, wheat, maize in three years’ time. On the value of the naira, I’m still agonising over it, that the naira should be reduced to such a disgraceful level over the last 30 years. I need to be educated on this.

But I’m not ruling this country alone.

I’m under pressure and we’ll see how we can accommodate the economists. hat are you thinking about privatisation of refineries?

I believe in privatisation, but I believe before you do it you have to look at your state of development as a nation. The first refinery in Port Harcourt was built to refine 60,000 barrels per day. It was upgraded to refine 100,000 barrels per day.

Another one was in Port Harcourt to refine 150,000 barrels per day. So Port Harcourt alone has the capacity to refine 250,000 per day of Nigerian crude. So, you’re not importing anything. As Commissioner for Petroleum, I signed the contract for Warri to refine 100,000 barrels per day; Kaduna, 100,000 barrels per day. We laid pipelines up to Maiduguri, Gusau, all over the country.

We took tankers off the road, and then some greedy people in this country took over and now all the refineries are not working. Nigeria has to go cap in hand, like a non-oil-producing country, and buy fuel and bring into Nigeria. With this background in mind, do you want us to privatise our infrastructure as scrap? So, we’re just starting to get them repaired. We want to make them work so that we don’t sell them as scrap. We can’t spend so much money to put up the refineries, just to sell them as scrap. I think that will be disservice to the country. Let’s repair them and negotiate to sell them at good prices. We don’t want them to dictate how much we sell fuel in this country after we’ve sold the refineries to private investors.

Are you satisfied with the performance of your team and do we expect changes?

I expect to hear from you. But look at what has been happening: after the election, I went to thank Jonathan for what he did — conceding defeat.

A former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), told me he had an experience in handover and asked if he should advise me. I said, yes.

He said committees in the ministries met and wrote handover notes and Obasanjo set up transition committees to work with each ministry and at the end, Obasanjo took whatever he wanted from the reports. I agreed. Jonathan agreed. When I came to sit down, Jonathan’s ministers complained, saying, ‘Why would Jonathan allow Buhari to take over government before he is sworn in’. They refused to cooperate. So I took over without knowing what Jonathan’s government contained.

After we were sworn in, I began •Culled from The Punch

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•buhari country. You have insurgency in the North-East. But how did Boko Haram start? If you could recall, it was like a group of political thugs, and along the line, a young charismatic leader called Mohammed Yusuf emerged. That young man assumed that reputation in the North-East because of the way he preached.

One afternoon, the group wanted to go and bury one of their own. Most of them were on motorcycles; some wore helmets and some did not. Then, there were the military patrol vehicles. The normal thing was for them to wear helmets, but the group had a way of wearing their headgears, which made it difficult to wear helmets. Instead of arresting them and taking them to court to pay a fine of some N250, the patrol team just shot six of them, hell was let loose. The situation went out of control for the police, and the military took over. Mohammed Yusuf went into hiding; the military looked for him, arrested and handed him over to the police, and he was murdered.

That’s why we now have Boko Haram. I know all these because I was once a governor in the North-East and I follow the political developments there closely. For unemployment, things became clearer and compounded when we became a mono-economy.

We abandoned agriculture, left solid minerals, and everybody rushed to the town to get oil money. Now, we’ve found out that that oil money is not available. Then, corruption is what we are going through now. How can you take $2.1bn meant to fight insurgency and share among yourselves and think that nothing should happen? Not to talk of when political money is being raised for elections and the Central Bank, NNPC, Customs funds where the funds were collected from. We’ve made some progress in recovering this money. We’re giving the people the opportunity of fair trial. They take the money and pay into some persons’ accounts, and there are signatures of some persons who admit that they had taken the money. Somebody comes and calls another, saying, ‘you’re

a member of this party?’ The other person responds by saying ‘Yes’. Then, he’s told, ‘take a N100m to go and keep,’ and the other person doesn’t ask any questions. You take N100m and disappear, and subsequently you complain that you have received money for doing nothing?

Considering the hike in the price of fuel and the devaluation of the Nigeria, which have led to hardship, what would you tell Nigerians to give them the hope that things will be better? n 1984, we were advised to devalue the naira and withdraw subsidy, whatever their perception of subsidy was in Nigeria. We even had subsidy on flour. The IMF and World Bank talked about subsidy removal. My argument has been that those who devalue their currencies have developed economies, where there is local production and they export the excess. They have good infrastructure. So, they devalue their currencies to sell their products outside their shores, and employ their people.

We claim to import food, but this is a lie. People just take the money out of the country. How many factories have we built? So I refused to devalue the naira.

They talk about petroleum subsidy. I say what do they mean by subsidy?

They say Nigeria’s petroleum is so cheap that it encourages smuggling into our neighbouring countries: Cameroon, Chad, Niger. But I know the four refineries we built can produce 450,000 barrels, we have 20 depots… we didn’t borrow a kobo. So even if we put something on top and pay the cost of refining and travels to filling stations and small overhead, we’ll still be selling at a good price. But they say there’s a lot of smuggling. I said these countries where they claim petrol is being smuggled to, they can’t consume more than what one city in Nigeria does. I was asked how I knew, and I said, for three and a half years, I was Commissioner for Petroleum under Obasanjo. At the time I was removed, naira exchanged for $3.

Now you need N350 to get a dollar!

I challenged Nigerian economists to tell me what benefits Nigeria has

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health

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Health Benefits Of Avocados Nutritional Value of Avocados vocados are considered a “Super Food” and have a special position in the food calorie pyramid. Avocados are rich in various nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Avocados are also a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids, and they have a low sugar content. They are a good source of energy and contain a number of essential vitamins and minerals. Avocados contain calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. They also contain minerals such as vitamin C, B6, B-12, A, D, K, E, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. Furthermore, they are a great source of dietary fiber, and a single serving can provide more than 40% of the daily requirement!

Avocados are rich in potassium and successfully balances the potassium to sodium ratio which is vitally important to overall health. According to CAC (California Avocado commission), a medium-sized Hass avocado contains almost 22.5 grams fat. Two-thirds of this fat is of the monounsaturated variety, and they are also very low in fructose. Perhaps most importantly, avocados have a unique collection of organic compounds like phytosterols, carotenoids, flavonoids, Health Benefits of Avocados Avocados have many health benefits.

They are packed with nutrients and are therefore considered as one of the best foods you can eat. Avocados are most beneficial when eaten raw. Many of the most well-researched and important health benefits of avocados are as follows: Good Digestion: It is believed that avocados are soothing for the intestine and therefore aid in digestion. They contain soluble and insoluble fibers that help to keep digestive system running smoothly. These two types of fiber are very important for digestion, because they bulk up stools and help to ensure the smooth passage of food through the intestinal tract. Furthermore, they stimulate gastric and digestive juices so nutrients are absorbed in the most efficient and rapid way. Finally, they reduce the symptoms from conditions like constipation and diarrhea. All in all, the huge amount of fiber found in avocados (40% of daily requirement per serving) makes this a very important food for optimizing your digestive health.

Dental Care: Consumption of avocados also helps in preventing bad breath, which is primarily caused due to indigestion or an upset stomach. Halitosis can be eliminated by improving digestive health, and the antibacterial and antioxidant flavonoids found in avocados also kill the bacteria in your mouth that can result in bad breath as well. Avocados have also been connected with preventing oral cancers!

Skin and Hair Care: Avocados are packed with nutrients that are beneficial for maintaining healthy skin.

It enriches skin that is dry, chapped or damaged. Avocados are added to a variety of cosmetics due to their ability to nourish the skin with essential vitamins and make it glow. It is also used for nourishing dry and damaged hair.

Many people use avocados to prepare skin and hair masks. Above all, avocado oil helps in treating plaque psoriasis.

Beta-carotene and lycopene are two of the organic compounds found in large quantities within avocados. Both of these have been connected to improving the health and tone of your skin and eliminating signs of premature aging.

Liver care: Avocados are very good at reducing liver damage. It has certain organic compounds that help in improving liver health. Liver damage is normally caused due to Hepatitis C. Findings of a recent research study suggest that avocados may play a major role in toning up and protecting your

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liver from a wide variety of conditions.

Healthy Eyes: Avocados help to keep your eyes healthy. They contain carot enoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which help to protect your eyes against cataracts, eye diseases related to age, and macular degeneration. Those conditions are often caused by free radicals that accumulate in the tissues of the eyes.

The antioxidant activity of those special carotenoids neutralize the effects of those dangerous free radicals.

Healthy Heart: The health benefits of avocados include a healthier heart.

Beta-sitosterol, which is found in avocados, helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Research studies suggest that the intake of avocado may enhance antiatherogenic properties of HDL cholesterol, which helps in protecting your heart from atherosclerosis, also known as arteriosclerotic vascular disease. The significant levels of potassium also make avocados a powerful fruit in the fight against hypertension. Potassium is a vasodilator, which relaxes the tension of blood vessels and arteries, thereby reducing the chances of clotting, heart attacks, and strokes. idney Health: Your diet plays a very important role in maintaining the balance of minerals and fluids in those who suffer from chronic kidney disorders.

Potassium is one of the minerals that helps in maintaining a normal heart rate. Avocados are a good source of potassium and their inclusion in your diet may provide other benefits as well. It is important to make sure that potassium levels are not too high as that can also be dangerous for the heart.

Potassium is a key aspect of maintaining fluid balance through chemical channels for cells and organs. This balance of fluid is also vital for the functioning of the kidney, which handles the movement of fluid and toxins through the body.

Vitamin K Deficiency: A Vitamin K deficiency is not very common, but is frequently seen in neonatal care. It may lead to a bleeding disorder known as Vitamin K deficiency-related bleeding (VKDB). This occurs mostly due to an insufficient intake of vitamin K during pregnancy. Inclusion of avocado in the diet of a pregnant woman may help in lowering risk of VKDB in the newborn child, since avocados are one of the rare fruits that have a very high amount of vitamin K (almost 40% of the daily requirement in a single serving!)

Morning Sickness: During pregnancy, morning sickness is very common. Avocados help to overcome nausea and queasiness during

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pregnancy since it contains vitamin B6, which is commonly connected to reducing nausea and vomiting.

Arthritis: The anti-inflammatory properties of avocados are perhaps its most valuable attribute, and between the wide range of phytochemicals, flavonoids, carotenoids, phytosterols, fatty alcohols, and omega-3 fatty acids, avocados are one of the best foods for reducing the inflammation in tissues, joints, and muscles. Arthritis affects tens of millions of people around the world, and by consuming a proper amount of avocados, studies have frequently shown the symptoms and associated pain of arthritis can be efficiently reduced!

Anti-Cancer Properties: Health benefits of avocados include a lower risk of cancers, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. Avocados contain carotenoids and monounsaturated fat, which both contribute to the significant reduction of cancer. Avocados also contain Glutathione, an antioxidant that protects the cells from cancer and the dangerous effects of free radicals. The list of antioxidant and antiinflammatory compounds in avocados is impressive, and it is almost difficult to determine which one has the largest impact. Studies have been widely done on oral, skin, and prostate cancers, and the results show that instead of metastasizing, the organic compounds in avocados cause cancerous cells to undergo apoptosis (automatic cell death). Research is ongoing in terms of avocados and cancer.

Antioxidant Properties: Avocados contain both vitamin C and E, which help to enhance antioxidant properties of the human body. Vitamin C recycles vitamin E and helps to reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Avocados also contain antioxidants like epicatechin, violaxanthin, neochrome, and about a dozen others. Antioxidants neutralize the effects of free radicals, which are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism. They are responsible for dozens of serious conditions in the body, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, vision problems, premature aging, cognitive disorders, and many more.

Healthy Skin: Avocados contain many vitamins and minerals that help in maintaining healthy skin. Carotenoids found in avocados are associated with reducing UV-induced inflammation of the skin due to exposure to sun. Oil made from avocados helps in protecting the skin against sunburn damage.

The high levels of beta carotene in avocados can be enzymatically split into provitamin A, which has long been connected to protecting the skin from a

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variety of conditions and the damaging effects of the sun.

Weight Management: Regular exercise, along with a healthy diet, is very important in weight management.

Avocados are fruits that provide nutritional value to the body and support weight control. Findings of a recent study suggest a number of beneficial effects of avocado on weight management.

Anti-Aging: Consuming avocados is also associated with healthy aging.

It contains compounds such as xanthophyll, which have antioxidant properties. Research studies suggest that an intake of xanthophyll may decrease signs of the aging process on various parts of your body.

Bone Health: Avocados contain carotenoids such as zeaxanthin and lutein, which are associated with a reduced risk of cartilage defects (symptom of osteoarthritis). Intake of foods such as avocado and soy may help in reducing the risk of osteoarthritis.

Furthermore, the levels of essential minerals in avocados are significant, including zinc, phosphorous, copper, and trace amounts of calcium and selenium. All of these are connected to lowered risks of osteoporosis and improvements in bone mineral density.

Nutrient Absorption: Avocados are best eaten along with other fruits and vegetables. This is due to the fact that nutrients present in fruits and vegetables get enhanced when eaten along with avocados. The absorption of carotenoid antioxidant molecules, which helps to protect the body against free radical damage, increases three to five times when a salad is eaten along with avocado. Therefore, adding sliced avocado to mixed salad is a good way to make a healthy meal even better.

This makes avocados a great element as an appetizer, since it prepares the digestive tract to function at its highest level during the meal to come! lood Glucose Levels: Apart from the fruit, the leaf extracts of avocados also provide health benefits. A study conducted on nondiabetic and diabetic rats suggest that the leaf extracts may help in lowering blood glucose levels. For diabetic patients, the metabolism of starch-based foods into simple sugars like glucose can cause the spikes and plunges that are so dangerous for diabetics. Fiber helps to slow the breakdown of food into usable sugars, so it is absorbed by the body in a more balanced way. Furthermore, the majority of carbohydrates in avocados are made up of 7-carbon sugars, a relatively rare form of sugar that actually inhibit the enzyme hexokinase.

This helps avocados control the way that glucose is metabolized by the body, thereby protecting the overall health of diabetic patients.

Useful for Athletes: Athletes require a lot of energy and must maintain optimal nutrition to fuel their body.

Avocados provide vital nutrients to athletes to maintain required energy levels and good health. Moreover, they contain phytochemicals that are a natural fuel source for your body.

Avocado – Health Concerns Avocados may cause migraines, a common type of headache. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light are generally the symptoms of a migraine. Care must be taken and consumption of avocado should be avoided if these symptoms are experienced.

Avocado – How to Select and Store Avocados are readily available in stores all over the world. Fresh, ripe avocados with no dark spots should be chosen. Do not refrigerate avocados unless they are ripe. If a portion of the fruit has been used then the remainder may be stored in refrigerator for future use. Unripe avocados can be stored at room temperature.

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Sports

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi In Tax Court: I Played Football And Trusted My Father

Barcelona star Lionel Messi denied having knowledge of the tax issues that led to fraud charges against him, saying on Thursday that he signed documents without reading them because he trusted his father and the advisers responsible for managing his finances.

Witnesses called to tax burden in Spain. testify on the second day “The only thing I knew of his trial said that Messi is that we signed deals had little knowledge of with different sponsors the corporate structures and they paid for me that authorities say were to do advertisements, created to lower the photos and things like player’s tax burden in that,” Messi said. “But Spain. They said that I didn’t know how this a l t h o u g h h e s i g n e d money arrived or where documents, it was his it was going.” father who was actually Messi’s father had r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e reiterated in his testimony player’s businesses off that his son didn’t know the field. the details of his contracts Messi’s lawyer had or the structures created previously said that in other countries to his strategy will be to handle his income from “counterattack” in the image rights.

Barcelona and Argentina “I didn’t think it was forward’s trial. necessary to inform him Messi and his father, of everything,” Messi’s Jorge Horacio Messi, father said. have been charged with The Argentina striker three counts of tax fraud. said he did not know They could be sentenced whether he had been to nearly two years in part of an image-rights prison if found guilty of company called Jenbril defrauding Spain’s tax that was formed in 2007 authority of €4.1 million in Uruguay. ($4.5 million) from 2007“I didn’t know about 09. it. I never asked my It is unlikely they will dad about these things. actually receive any I signed the contract jail time, although they because I trusted my dad could be fined and have and because the lawyers to forfeit any possible said that we should do it tax benefits in the near this way.” future.

He added that he “I just played football,” never sat down with his Messi told the judge on lawyers so they could Thursday. “I signed explain to him how they the contracts because were handling his image I trusted my dad and rights, nor did he get the lawyers and we had any briefings about his decided that they would financial obligations. He take charge of those also denied sitting down things.” with Angel Juarez, the Wearing a dark suit and head of the legal firm the tie, Messi sat alongside family had retained. his father in front of “If I saw him twice in the judge and listened my life, that was a lot, to other testimony for I think I saw him once nearly four hours before when there was a contract being called to testify in I was required to sign.” the third day of the trial.

Because of the trial, Speaking for less than the Barcelona player has 15 minutes, Messi said missed part of Argentina’s he never suspected any preparations for the Copa wrongdoing when his America Centenario, father asked him to sign which starts on Friday contracts or documents. in the United States. He Messi’s lawyers have is only expected to join tried to show that he was his teammates in the not familiar with the tax U.S. after the trial ends, issues that led to fraud with their opener against charges against him. tournament holders Chile He said he didn’t know on June 7 in Santa Clara. that part of his income was However, it has been going through companies r e p o r t e d t h a t h e i s created in countries such doubtful for the Chile as Uruguay, Switzerland game due to a rib injury a n d B e l i z e , w h i c h he picked up in a friendly authorities alleged was a g a i n s t H o n d u r a s . done to lower the player’s Argentina’s second game is against Panama on

•ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti responds to the rumour that Diego Simeone is pondering his future at Atletico Madrid.

Friday, June 10.

The defence’s case is centred on Messi’s alleged lack of knowledge of his father’s transactions involving contracts and tax issues.

“The player wasn’t involved in any of the decisions,” Juarez, a partner at the law office that represented Messi at the time, testified. “He would show up only to sign the documents.”

The person responsible for handling the player’s tax declarations was also brought to the witness stand and said that only Messi’s father would review the document before it was submitted.

“Leo didn’t see them,” said Eva Blazquez, who also said she prepared the declaration with information obtained from Messi’s father. “The final supervision was done by the client, in this case, Jorge Messi.”

An expert called by the defence said that some of the signatures on Messi’s contracts appeared to be falsified, supporting the player’s argument that he didn’t closely take part in off-the-field dealings.

Spanish prosecutors said that even though Messi was mostly unfamiliar with tax issues, there was enough evidence to believe that he could have known and consented to the fictitious structure created to avoid paying taxes on income from his image rights.

Juarez said that Messi’s father was aware that his

son wouldn’t have to pay taxes if his image rights went through a company based in Uruguay, but claimed that such a practice was legal.

The trial is expected to end on Friday, and the

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Comiled By Lukman Ussein

verdict and sentencing are expected next week.

Hundreds of journalists and a few onlookers were waiting in front of the Barcelona courthouse when Messi and his father arrived.

Authorities had prepared a special operation to control the crowd and

protect the player.

Some people showed their support to Argentina star, while a few yelled words against him, including asking him to “give the money back” and telling him to “go play in Panama.”

Diego Simeone Should Stay On At Atletico Madrid •Lionel Messi sat next to his father in court as they stood trial on tax fraud charges.

Fernando Torres:

Atletico Madrid’s Fernando Torres has said there is no reason that Diego Simeone should not stay on as manager of the club, despite their second Champions League final loss to Real Madrid in three years.

Simeone was downbeat in Milan after his side had been beaten 5-3 on penalties by comments regarding the Real Madrid, just two years Argentine coach’s future after they had suffered at this point were all similar heartbreak when speculation.

“It is a hypothesis that losing the Champions League decider 4-1 in extra is not reality right now.

We all want him to stay, time to their city rivals.

The Argentine coach we would love for him to told reporters then that he stay,” Torres said during “needed to think” about a public appearance. “He what had happened and has asked for time to think refused to confirm that he and reflect and he has would stay for next season. earned that. The rest [of Torres on Thursday said the talk] is all hypotheses.”

The 32-year-old that he wanted Simeone to stay on and that any

Roy Hodgson Deserves Credit For Revamping England - Gary Neville

England assistant manager Gary Neville says Roy Hodgson deserves to extend his stay as coach of the national team but admits he must have a successful Euro 2016.

Hodgson guided England to thebequarterfinals of would that he would Euro 2012 after taking go on beyond the summer over just weeks before the tournament following Fabio because at this moment in Capello’s resignation, but time he’s doing the right they then finished bottom things and making the of their group at the World right decisions, not just for Cup in Brazil two years ago. himself, but for the team A m a j o r r e v a m p o f long-term.

“People will judge it the squad throughout Hodgson’s tenure sees based upon tournaments.

England go to France with I think Roy can be proud of the youngest squad at an excellent piece of work.

“Roy’s brought calmness.

Euro 2016, but he will be expected to oversee a more Players respect him. They successful tournament this say: ‘Yes, I like him.’ There’s nobody looking at Roy and time around.

Neville has been part thinking: ‘He’s a bad man, of the England coaching he’s arrogant.’ Actually they team for the four years say: ‘I’ve got a lot of time of Hodgson’s reign, and for him.’

“I’ve seen young players says big strides have been made to make England continually promoted over a three-year period. I’ve seen competitive again.

“This summer is a big Luke Shaw taken to a World moment in terms of how the Cup over Ashley Cole. I’ve four years will be viewed seen Ross Barkley taken to in terms of the four-year a World Cup over Michael contract we were all given,” Carrick. What Roy’s been Neville is quoted as saying over the last four years is in the book “Fifty Years of bold. He’s taken the average Hurt: The Story of England age down from 28/29 to and How We Never Stop 23/24 from Euro 2012 to Believing,” as published in Euro 2016.

“I think of 2010 in South The Times.

“It needs a good finish Africa and old players in the summer. My view called back out of retirement

[Jamie Carragher] and panic calls on the last day to players to come and play [Ledley King]. Roy went the other way.

“He went with Barkley, Sterling, Welbeck, [Phil] Jones and [Chris] Smalling.

[Jon] Flanagan and Stones were brought in pretournament [World Cup warmup games in the United States].

“He’s made a series of really good decisions for the English team, but also for future tournaments for the next two to four years and hopefully he, we, can see that through.”

•Roy Hodgson

Spaniard found a new lease of life at his boyhood club under Simeone, having been written off by many when he left Stamford Bridge after four frustrating years.

He added that losing a final such as Champions League with Atletico is different than any match loss he has felt with the national team or with any other club.

“What is great about life and football is to have the feeling for what you are doing, to enjoy the ride.

And I have done that here each day. We eliminated six champions, not just three. So it is not right and you can’t compare what has happened to me at this club to what has happened in others.

What I have gone through here has been bigger. The disappointment has also been bigger. The sadness is bigger because all those emotions go with it.”

Torres also said he thinks his contract renewal is imminent.

“Right now we are going over the final details,” he said. “Everyone knows what I want to do and I hope it can be announced soon. I hope very to soon that I can say it is a reality instead of a wish.”

Finally, he reiterated his support for the Spanish national team despite his exclusion.

“I wish them only the best, the coach and the players,” he said. “There is plenty of quality there and enough of a team to win [Euro 2016]. The team spirit has been fundamental.

14

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Job Vacancies In Nigeria

Sales Manager · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Business Management, Sales, Management, Graduate · Posted on Thursday, June 2, 2016 · Reference: 170992 Job Details We are a dedicated team of professional consultants offering top of the line executive recruitment and selection services.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position: Responsibilities: · Determines annual unit and gross-profit plans by implementing marketing strategies; analyzing trends and results. · Establishes sales objectives by forecasting and developing annual sales quotas for regions and territories; projecting expected sales volume and profit for existing and new products. · Implements national sales programs by developing field sales action plans. · Maintains sales volume, product mix, and selling price by keeping current with supply and demand, changing trends, economic indicators, and competitors. · Establishes and adjusts selling prices by monitoring costs, competition, and supply and demand. · Completes national sales operational requirements by scheduling and assigning employees; following up on work results. · Maintains national sales staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees. · Maintains national sales staff job results by counseling and disciplining employees; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results. · Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies. · Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

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Project Manager · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Admin, Logistics, Management, Graduate · Posted on Thursday, June 2, 2016 · Reference: 170991 Job Details We are a dedicated team of professional consultants offering top of the line executive recruitment and selection services.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position: Responsibilities: · PM will be responsible for the following key project activities: · Ensuring all physical files are digitized. · PM will be co-ordinating and supporting all project activities.

Candidate Requirements · Interested candidates should possess relevant qualifications. · Minimum 5 Years Experience in Project Management Apply before Sunday, July 31, 2016 - 60 Days left ……………………end……………………..

Tourism Executive / Manager · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Admin, Business Management, Logistics, Management, Consulting · Posted on Thursday, June 2, 2016 · Reference: 170990 Job Details We are a dedicated team of professional consultants offering top of the line executive recruitment and selection services.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position: Responsibilities: · producing and commissioning tourist information, including art work, and writing press releases and copy for tourism guides/newsletters; · setting up and attending exhibitions and holiday shows; · organising special and seasonal events and festivals; · devising and planning tours, and arranging itineraries; · liaising with local operators, the media, designers and printers; · managing staff, budgets and staff training needs; · ordering products and services; · providing funding and business advice and sending e-newsletters to local businesses; · developing e-tourism platforms, including websites, and constructing business databases; · writing and presenting reports for committees; · planning and writing funding applications; · product development; · giving talks to local parties, community groups and schools, and handling media enquiries.

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Medical Laboratory Technician · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Medical, Consulting, Technical, Graduate · Posted on Thursday, June 2, 2016 · Reference: 170989 Job Details A reputable Hospitality firm in major states is urgently recruiting qualified candidates to fill the vacant positions: Responsibilities: · Organizes work by matching computer orders with specimen labeling; sorting specimens; checking labeling; logging specimens; arranging reports for delivery; keeping work surfaces clean and orderly. · Maintains quality results by running standards and controls, verifying equipment function through routine equipment maintenance and advanced trouble shooting; calibrating equipment utilizing approved testing procedures; monitoring quality control measures and protocols. · Serves as technical resource by participating in staff training; answering questions of other professionals; participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations. · Identifies and communicates abnormal patient conditions by alerting supervisory personnel, the pathologist, the patient physician, or nurse; reporting mandated information to the public health department or other designated officials. · (toxicology) identifies the presence or quantity of drugs of abuse, therapeutic drugs, and toxic substances by operating toxicology instrumentation and performing manual methods for the performance of drug screens, blood alcohol levels, and carbon monoxide levels. · (chemistry) provides test results for patient diagnosis and treatment by operating chemistry equipment; performing hand chemistries. · (hematology) provides test results for patient diagnosis and treatment by operating hematology, urinalysis, and coagulation equipment; performing manual methods of differentials. · (immunology) provides test results for patient diagnosis and treatment by operating equipment such as the gamma counter, spectrophotometer, densitometer, and through methods such as radioimmunoassay, enzyme immunossay, and serological testing. · (microbiology) provides physician with information for treatment of patient infection by performing technical procedures for the identification or susceptibility of bacteria, parasites, fungi, and mycobacteria. · (blood bank) ensures the patient of receiving compatible blood/blood components by completing blood typing, antibody screening, compatibility testing, and antibody identification procedures. · (blood bank) assures future retrieval of patient transfusion information by preparing patient packets and maintaining blood bank database. · Contributes to a safe and secure environment for patients, visitors, physicians and co-workers by following established standards and procedures; complying with legal regulations. · Maintains patientconfidence by keeping laboratory information confidential. · Serves and protects the hospital community by adhering to professional standards, hospital policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements, and jcaho standards. · Enhances laboratory services and hospital reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

Candidate Requirements · Interested candidates should possess relevant qualifications.

Apply before Sunday, July 31, 2016 - 60 Days left ………………..end………………..

Midwife/Nurse · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Medical, Consulting, Technical, Graduate · Posted on Thursday, June 2, 2016 · Reference: 170987 Job Details A reputable Hospitality firm in major states is urgently recruiting qualified candidates to fill the vacant positions: Responsibilities: · monitoring and examining women during pregnancy; · developing, assessing and evaluating individual programmes of care; · providing full antenatal care, including screening tests in the hospital, community and the home; · identifying high risk pregnancies and making referrals to doctors and other medical specialists; · arranging and providing parenting and health education; · providing counselling and advice before and after screening and tests; · offering support and advice following events such as miscarriage, termination, stillbirth, neonatal abnormality and neonatal death; · supervising and assisting mothers in labour, monitoring the condition of the foetus and using knowledge of drugs and pain management; · giving support and advice on the daily care of the baby, including breastfeeding, bathing and making up feeds; · liaising with agencies and other health and social care professionals to ensure continuity of care; · participating in the training and supervision of junior colleagues.

Candidate Requirements · Interested candidates should possess relevant qualifications. · ability to communicate with a diverse range of women and to explain things clearly to them; · a caring and calm manner for dealing with women and their families in emotional situations; · the ability to react quickly and effectively in times of stress or when immediate decisions need to be made during labour; · strong teamworking skills to liaise with different medical professionals; · strength, stamina and physical fitness; · a commitment to equal treatment for all women, irrespective of their background or circumstances.

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opinion

osun Defender Saturday, June 4, 2016

Osun PDP And The Rudderless Ship

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he State of Osun PDP’s daily entertainment is get ting so funny and absurd.

The comic relief they bring to our homes is enough soothing balm to the excruciating economic pains we are going through, due to the 16-year misrule foisted on the Nigerian people by the PDPled Federal Government.

The PDP secretariat is majorly divided into two; one headed by a hand-picked chairman in the person of Faforiji, whose only qualification for being a factional chairman is the tag that was supplied to him by his Godfather at the inconclusive Port Harcourt convention, which produced Makarfi as the Caretaker Committee Chairman.

The other faction is headed

by Soji Adagunodo, who was elected by some factions of the PDP members across the state, at a congress supervised by the National Secretariat of their party.

The interesting aspect of the comic relief was the show of shame of the dramatis personae that represents the two factions of the troubled party in the state.

While the hand-picked chairman

By ibrahim lawal

•FAFORIJI

•ADAGUNODO

of the Omisore’s camp was busy recently dancing his head out at their Ogo Oluwa secretariat, peopled by the majority of the tag-hijackers at the Port Harcourt Convention, the Olasoji Adagunodo-led faction was busy giving their own Ota Efun secretariat a new coat of paints.

The Faforiji faction of the Osun

PDP, in a Gestapo manner, announced the coming back of Omisore as the governorship aspirant under their banner, thereby shutting the door against any other person that might be nursing the ambition of becoming the governor in the state. This was done without recourse to any party guidelines, after all,

which guidelines gave them the mandate in the first place.

Soji Adagunodo on the other hand has gone to take a deserved rest in far away America, thereby leaving his teeming supporters in the lurch. To make matters worse, the Ota-Efun end of Osogbo, where they have gone to book an accommodation, might not be the best of place for them because of its obscurity, thereby relegating their activities to the background.

Both sides claimed majority by virtue of the number of people they can muster. Let the drama continue, but please, do not introduce hooliganism to your supremacy struggle, as the new sheriff will not condone any form of hooliganism at this period of our existence as a people.

Our state abhors any form of thuggery and hooliganism. We are enjoying the comedy of the absurd being sponsored by Osun PDP. Let the beat goes on, for indeed it is a season film that will take a while before conclusion.

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country is said to be republic when the President of the country is elected, either directly or indirectly by the people. Nigeria’s first republic was in 1963, when Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was indirectly elected by the people. He was a ceremonial, titular or a figure head. This simply means that the executive powers of the state resided with the Head of Government, otherwise called the Prime Minister.

Alhaji (Sir) Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the then Prime Minister, was the head of the Council of Ministers, who acted the powers of the state.

Azikiwe, who until 1963 represented the British monarch, performed only ceremonial functions.

By the first republican constitution, Zik, as he was fondy called by his admirers, assented to bills (which he could not refuse) received Ambassadors and High Commissioners and performed other ceremonial functions.

The country then practised the West Minister or parliamentary system inherited from the colonial master, Britain.

The parliamentary system created schisms between the ceremonial President, Dr Azikiwe and the Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, hence the General Murtala Mohammed’s government opted for the presidential system in 1975.

Murtala constituted the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) headed by the late legal luminary, Chief Frederick Rotimi Williams.

They drafted a Constitution tailored along the presidential system of American variation. The powers of the Head of State and Head of government were fused in one person known as the Executive President, who is not only popularly elected by the people but had a fixed period. He could also be reelected, subject to good performance.

Unfortunately, Mohammed did not live to see to fruition the transition to civil rule, as his life was cut short by the bandits led by Buka Suka Dimka. General Olusegun Obasanjo accomplished the task by handing over to Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari as the first Executive President of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, the second republic was short-lived, as the government was terminated by the coupists led by the current President, then Major-General Muhammad Buhari on December 31st 1983.

A palace coup within the government ousted Buhari, supplanting him with the toothy-General, Ibrahim Babangida. His endless transition programme came to an end, when he was compelled by forces beyond him to leave office and he handed over power to Chief Ernest Shonakan.

While the Babangida’s government lasted, he dribbled Nigerians with his “Maradonic” skills till a point when he had to score himself out of government.

His transition saw the election of governors and members of the state and national parliaments but because the President was not elected, it is referred to as aborted third republic.

Whereas, all the other elective posts were carried out, Babangida still remained the Military President, which is an anathema, hence it is not qualified to be a republic. General Sani Abacha, the most senior military officer left behind by Babangida just shoved aside Shonekan in less than 90 days

Audacious Exploit with Murtala Agboola Tel: 0806-119-7897 E-mail: murtalamuag@yahoo.com

By the time I got to Jos in 1982, Buhari was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Third Armoured Division (Rukuba Barrack) Jos. He was a Patron of the Area Unit of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) of which I was the Vice-Chairman.

Buhari had earlier served under the Obasanjo regime as a Petroleum Minister. He had every opportunity to enrich himself and we all know what it takes to be an oil minister in Nigeria, given the reports available in public space about the immediatepast minister, Mrs Diezani AllisonMadueke. uhari served the in Abacha regime as the Chairman of the intervention project, Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), which engaged in public projects as a result of the withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products.

At the political level, he succeeded at the fourth attempt contesting the presidential election. He started in 2003, when he contested against Obasanjo under the ticket of the All Peoples Party (APP), then in 2007, on All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), in 2011, under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and ultimately the All Progressives Congress, an amalgam of some political parties.

The personality of Buari symbolises integrity and frugality. He means well for the ordinary people and has good plans for them. The upward review of the price of petrol is interpreted in some quarters to mean lack of genuine intentions and plans for the people.

However, the fact that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) induced strike failed shows that the people are on the side of the government.

Yes, the cost of living has increased, jobs are being lost on daily basis and the value of disposable income has reduced drastically, yet, we need to know that plans are afoot to turn things round in the positive way.

Is it the making of Buhari that the price of our major foreign exchange earner has reduced in terms of price and quantity?

Are the activities of the new militant group, Niger Delta Avengers bombing pipelines to reduce the volume of our output the making of Buhari?

Unknown to the militants, the pollution will affect their environment.

The kidnapping which started in the Niger Delta area against the expatriates has now turned to locals.

My understanding of the Nigerian situation is that Buhari’s coming to power is divinely inspired. I may be naive, but I think we should assist him to succeed.

The man who became President after the fourth attempt in the fourth republic is not by sheer coincidence but by divine intervention.

The 4th President B In The 4th Republic

•buhari and installed himself as Head of State with the plans to transmute himself into a civilian President before divine intervention swept him from office.

General AbdulSalami Abubakar, who took over after the demise of Abacha, returned Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to power after winning the election. He spent two terms in office and handed over to the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

To Obasanjo’s credit, he was able to stabilize the polity by showing the overambitious military men the way out, especially, those who had tasted political powers.

Death took away Yar’Adua and good luck smiled on Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the man who rose through the position of deputy to substantive posts. First, he was a Deputy Governor later, Governor, then Vice-President and later the President, who spent six years in office before he was voted out of office last year.

Jonathan got the sympathy of Nigerians in 2011 for two major reasons. First, he was the first minority to be elected the President of Nigeria.

Also, the circumstances by which he came into power after the death of his boss, with the shenanigans of the powerful clique in the core North, bent on preventing him from succeeding Yar’Adua. Aside the State of Osun in the South-West geo-political zone, Jonathan won in all other areas. The massive electoral victory however did not translate to a superlative

performance. The expectations from the people were not met. Even though the erstwhile President may seem and look good, it did not reflect in his performance. s the first doctorate degree holder to rule the country, many Nigerians expected the government to perform brilliantly but rather, it was a woeful performance, characterised by a weak leadership, unable to control his public appointees, including his foot soldiers.

It was therefore a big relief when he conceded defeat, even when the final collation of the election was yet to be done. President Muhammad Buhari continued to appreciate that patriotic gesture from his immediate predecessor.

One can argue that if he wanted, he could have plunged the country into chaos after his defeat. Plausible as that may be, Jonathan would have found himself in the position of Mr Laurent Gbagbo of Cote’d Ivoire, who hanged unto power after his defeat, only to see himself being tried, after being forced out of power.

To start with, I must admit that it is a great disservice to the country’s youthful population, having a septuagenarian President, where the younger population is very high.

But one thing that goes for Buhari is his integrity and his distaste for corruption. Unlike most public office holders, no Nigerian can attribute any corruption act to him.

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OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the Managing Editor, Kola Olabisi, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail:

osundefender@yahoo.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.