Saturday 17th September 2016

T H I S D AY SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

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SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

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T H I S D AY, th e sat u r day n e w s pa p e r •SATURDAY, september 17, 2016

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Buhari to Shop for Investors While in US for UN General Assembly Tobi Soniyi in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari will participate in the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from September 19-23, 2016 in New York, United States.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement said the president would shop for investors to invest in Nigeria's critical sectors.

Adesina said Buhari will deliver Nigeria’s statement at the

opening of the General Debate of the Assembly, on the theme: The Sustainable Development Goals: a Universal Push to Transform our World.”

He also said the president would also attend a high-level summit, hosted by the UN, on ``Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants’’.

The summit, which is the first of its kind organised by the General Assembly at the Heads of State and Government level, is expected to come up with a blueprint for a better international response to

enhance protection of migrants and refugees.

Adesina said while in New York for the annual gathering of world leaders, Buhari would attend series of meetings as well as side events, which are of significant interest to Nigeria.

According to him, Buhari will deliver a keynote address on 'Taking Climate Action Towards Sustainable Development in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.'

The statement reads: "Leaders of member countries of the Lake Chad Basin will attend this

important side event organised by the Nigerian government to highlight the urgent need to mobilise international response to the distressing situation in the Lake Chad Basin, where over nine million people need humanitarian assistance.

"The president will equally participate in an event hosted by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on ``Ending Need in the Lake Chad.’’

"On the margins of the 71st UNGA, President Buhari will sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and participate

in activities commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Declaration of the Right to Development."

Adesina said Buhari would also attend the Clinton Global Initiative as well as the United Nations Private Sector Forum on Business and Global Goals organised by the Secretary General.

He is also expected to lead discussions at the United StatesAfrica Business Forum devoted to investing in Nigeria.

Before returning to Nigeria, Buhari will hold bilateral

meetings with some world leaders in furtherance of his administration’s commitment in ameliorating the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.

The discussions, the statement said, would also focus on the president’s long standing commitment to returning peace and security in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, restoring calm to the Niger Delta and attracting more investments to develop critical infrastructure and revamp the Nigerian economy.

Wike Inaugurates Amnesty Programme Committee for Cultists Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike yesterday inaugurated the State Amnesty Programme and reiterated his warning that the state would not pay for arms surrendered by cultists and militants.

The governor said the in-

auguration of the committee was a major move to restore peace across all communities in the state.

The committee has as members, representatives of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Amnesty, Sir Ken Chinda

was appointed chairman.

In his inauguration speech, Wike charged the committee to interface with different cult groups for the purpose of retrieving arms from them.

The governor also charged the committee to work out modalities for ensuring the proper integration of cultists and militants who willingly subscribe

to the amnesty programme.

He warned the committee members against promising repentant cultists and militants that the state government would pay for arms surrendered in the course of the programme.

He declared: "Anyone who has surrendered his arms and has followed through the process laid out for the amnesty will be

pardoned. Such a person will not be prosecuted.

"This committee has 60 days to complete its assignment. After the 60 days, any cultist or militant who fails to subscribe to the amnesty programme will face the full weight of the law."

The governor reiterated that the amnesty programme was

not politically motivated, pointing out that it was designed to promote the security of all communities in the state.

Responding on behalf of the committee members, Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Ken Chinda, assured the governor that members of the committee would work in line with the terms of reference outlined.

doesn’t actually provide the opportunity for Nigerians.”

“If a ministry has to award contracts and no one knows, then they can only award it to people they know; to their friends and families and we are trying in this administration to get away from that to be transparent. That has caused some delays but we are working with the BPP (Bureau of Public Procurement) to see how we can fast-track the process so that the money can trickle down into the pockets of Nigerians.

“Already, there are activities on roads, on power and health solid minerals, water resources and work is ongoing. We have a strategic plan that will take us out of the recession that we found ourselves in. We want to make sure the recession is as short as possible. We don’t think that it would be a long recession because some of the initiatives that we have will now begin to bear fruits,” Adeosun said.

The minister lamented that meeting the Cash Calls obligation also has far-reaching implications on government’s funds, noting that, for example, only N41 billion was realised from oil sales while N110 billion was expended to fund Cash Calls.

“If we had that money, we could have pumped it into the economy. We are working with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC to get out of the Cash Calls; that is the long-term plan, to allow those Joint Venture operators to borrow money that they need rather than taking money from the

Federation Account and that will improve the money in circulation.

There are also initiatives to get out of funding cash calls from the federation account.

On Budget Support funds, she said: We have also done a lot of work with the Subnational governments around the Budget Support plan. Many of them have not been paying salaries for months. We have now been able to support them with additional monies every month from the FAAC account and many of them have now resumed paying salaries.

“We are monitoring, because the loan facilities were conditional. We have sent the monitoring and evaluation committee out to go and check that they are actually doing what they undertook to do and we are pleased to report that many are paying salaries and that will also have a huge effect on demand and help to get the economy moving,” she disclosed.

According to her, since the commencement of the Budget Support Plan, N50 billion had been set aside for interested states to draw from in the past three months, with each of them getting the same amount of money.

The minister noted that with the prudent management of resources and the different ways things are being done by the current administration, in addition to the various measures in place, the current recession in the economy would be shortlived.

She stated that apart from

overcoming the recession, “a long-term plan to reposition the economy and make sure that we don’t go through this boom and burst cycles that are driven by the oil prices does not rear its head in the future.

“The economy has to be more resilient than that so that we don’t find ourselves back to where we are now,” she added.

On personnel cost, the Head of the Continuous Audit Team of Mr. Mohammed Dikwa, said through the concerted efforts of his team in weeding out ghost workers from the system, personnel cost had reduced by 20 per cent.

He said about 30,000 names found on the payroll were discovered not to be on the employ of the federal government.

Governors back measures to rescue economy…

State Governors have expressed support for the economic measures being introduced by the Buhari’s administration to bring the country out of recession.

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF)

and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari told State House Correspondents yesterday that this was one of the resolutions reached at the extraordinary meeting of the NGF held at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

Yari said: “Also the governors resolved with a commitment to encourage the federal government to continue along the line to bring the country out of recession.”

On the issue of insurgents, he said that members resolved that it must be treated as a matter of national emergency According to him, the forum also agreed to activate the states' task force on polio or the primary health care, which is to be led by the deputy governors.

The governors, he said, also expressed their commitment to paying their counterpart funding towards polio eradication.

He said that the governors would engage the Minister of Health in order to give urgent attention to eradication of Lassa fever in the country.

and a return to higher growth of four per cent only from 2018.

“We believe that since passing the fiscal budget, government spending together with liberalization of the interbank foreign exchange market, may boost the economy and spur positive GDP growth next year. Oil production in the third quarter has remained weak but may improve in the fourth quarter and next year as the government negotiates with militants and sabotaged pipelines are repaired, mainly Shell's Forcados export pipeline with a capacity of around 300 thousand barrels per day.

“Due to the naira's devaluation in mid-2016, we now expect Nigeria's wealth, measured by GDP per capita, will average $2,000 in 2016. Nevertheless, we think that medium term, prospects could brighten with a rebound in the oil price, as

well as government reforms across the economy.

“Although the country is a sizable producer of crude, the oil sector's share of Nigeria's GDP is small relative to those of other oil economies, at about 10 per cent.

Consequently, in the next few years, the economy may be able to adjust to a subdued oil price or production shocks. Although NNPC is considering alternative funding models over the next few years, we understand it plans to clear its arrears this year--about US$6 billion (1.5% of GDP) accumulated in 2015--with its international oil companies' joint venture partners.

“This financing strategy, if passed by parliament, involves charging the federal escrow account as part of cost of production to clear the arrears to international oil companies,” it added.

FG to Release Another N350bn Capital Vote as States Get N150bn Support year ago; we said this economy needed to be reflated. Growth was slowing consecutively for a number of quarters and there was always the remote risk of recession. We planned for that scenario that if that happens this is what we need to do.

“Now, the general thrust has not changed. We need to reflate the economy; we need to switch the economy from a consumption-driven economy to an investment-driven economy.”

According to her, one of the sectors that received the largest chunk is Power, Works and Housing, adding that quite a lot had also gone into defence because of the necessity “to rebuild the credibility of the army to continue in their efforts in the new phase.”

Adeosun listed other sectors that have been major beneficiaries of the capital releases as Interior and Transportation.

“Of course, you see activities have resumed on the abandoned four international airport projects.

We have funded those. Agriculture received significant funding because of the time-sensitivity of the sector and because food price was rising and we needed to intervene to make sure that production is increased so that we can get food prices down.

“We are releasing another N350 billion. The focus is going to be similar. There will also be the funding of about N60 billion in the Social Intervention Programme and that’s very important in terms of putting money into people’s pockets.

Those are the programmes that we really cash-backed She stated that because of the resolve of the federal government to use infrastructure and some key sectors as the fulcrum to stimulate economic growth, a move to raise $1 billion Eurobond had commenced.

“We are about to appoint our advisers. We are raising additional $1billion. Two weeks ago, we approved the external borrowing plan. That was very important because we said we will be borrowing the cheapest money first. We have approved that plan from the World Bank, the ADB, from GCAP, with interest rates as low as 1.5 per cent, with tenor as long as 40 years to intervene in some specific areas, which include agriculture, education, health, rebuilding of the North-east and railway projects which are very key to what we are doing,” Adeosun said.

Explaining some of the technicalities that impinge on government’s efforts to make appreciable impact on the economy and the people at large, she said: “There is always a time difference between when you release money and when it takes effect. What we are trying to do is to shorten that lag.”

According to the minister, some of the delays arise from the procurement process, adding that a way out was being worked out with the ministries “to try and speed things up.

“If we don’t go through the open procurement process, it

S&P Lowers Nigeria’s Rating to 'B/B' on Weak Growth long-term ratings is stable.”

At the same time, the agency also revised down Transfer and Convertibility (T&C) Assessment on Nigeria to 'B' from 'B+'.

Furthermore, it explained that since its last review in March 2016, when it expected Nigeria's economy would grow by at least three per cent between 2016 and 2019, the economy has weakened significantly.

“Both the oil and non-oil sectors contracted markedly in the first two quarters of 2016. The oil sector narrowed the most in the second quarter, falling by close to 20 per cent year-on-year following intensified pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta.

“Although oil price assumptions have remained unchanged since our last review, oil production levels have declined from an average of 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first quarter

to an average of 1.7 million bpd in the second quarter.

“The non-oil sector, which has traditionally been a driver of economic growth, also dropped in both quarters, as industry and financial sectors continued to experience foreign currency shortages under the restrictive foreign exchange regime in the first six months of the year.

“The 2016 budget, which the authorities designed as a stimulus budget, was delayed for a number of months in the legislative process and only passed in the middle of the second quarter. Lower electricity output and overall rising prices have also contributed to the faltering economy,” it added.

Based on these, S&P stated that it is now expecting a one per cent contraction in Nigeria's real GDP growth in 2016, feeble growth of two per cent next year,

Chibok Girls: Boko Haram Making Fresh Demands, Says Lai Mohammed ment of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies first opened negotiations with Boko Haram in June 2015 shortly after the election of the current administration.

He said that after his election, President Buhari assented for further negotiations on the girls in the third week of July 2015, after it was established that the girls were indeed alive.

The minister admitted that the security agencies could not then broker the release of the girls because of several encumbering factors.

According to him, the security agencies had discovered that many of the groups marauding as negotiators actually had neither veritable intelligence nor the reach to facilitate the release of the Chibok girls.

He also said the efforts were clouded by persons with very partisan interests and whose main objective was solely to score cheap political points. ''It was obvious their approach had no relevance to the release of the girls. Some informants or persons volunteering to be negotiators or facilitators saw the girls’ plight and indeed the situation as a conduit to enrich themselves; thus making the

whole thing a pecuniary venture. ''As a result of the conflicting and partisan interests, issues were muddled up to the extent that reasonable and fruitful leads either failed or simply came too late for any useful action.''

Mohammed conceded that making contact with the group holding the girls through relevant intelligence had not been an easy task because of high level of mistrust between the group that abducted the girls, while government also found many approaches or contacts claiming to be in touch with them as false or unreliable.

Mohammed, who said government remained committed to ensuring that the Chibok girls are safely released, added that establishing the genuity of the contact group was an Herculean task as ''hostage taking and releasing is not like a foootball match involving Chelsea and Arsenal''.

He also said that though the law of the country allowed the citizens to protest within the ambit of the law, the recent order by the Inspector General of Police, preventing the Bring Back Our Girls protesters was made out of concern for public security.

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THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

NEWS

News Editor Ahamefula Ogbu 08116759810 (sms only) Email ahamefula.ogbu@thisdaylive.com

Shettima: 'We Care for Families of Boko Haram Fighters to Break Culture of Violence' Receives 355 babies, 149 nursing mothers, 62 kids from Army Micheal Olugbode in Maiduguri

Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima has explained the basis for his administration's continued care for families of Boko Haram insurgents, noting that the aim was to break the Boko Haram cycle of violence and secure the future of Borno State.

Shettima gave the explanation on Friday while receiving 355 breastfeeding babies, 149 breastfeeding mothers and 62 under-aged evacuated by the Army from camps operated

by Boko Haram insurgents in different parts of Borno State.

Majority of the 566 persons are believed to be families of the insurgents saved after the military took over the camps during operations. It was the fourth time he received such families and detained suspects freed by the military.

The General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu handed over the 566 children and adults to Governor Kashim Shettima at a rehabilitation and reintegration center newly opened by the state Government in Maiduguri to give medical care, education and cater for the welfare of the families. The Government is working in partnership with the UNICEF, NEMA, security agencies and other stakeholders in the rehabilitation and reintegration program.

Shettima said at the event: "What is of importance we should all know, is that an average male member of the

Boko Haram has one great wish and that wish is for his son or daughter to inherit his doctrine of violence. The insurgents seriously take to child bearing as a strategy of not only multiplying their numbers but also producing children they hope, will continue from where their fathers stopped in violent killings as their own form of worship. The goal of Boko Haram fathers is that even if they are killed by our armed forces, they want to bequeath to us, a future of violence in Borno State, a future of violence in the northeast and a violent future for our country. “Our ultimate aim in taking custody of families of insurgents is to cut the cycle of violence so as to secure the future of Borno State. Our aim is to give education to the children of the insurgents so that these children will grow to despise the values and doctrines their parents lived and preached. The children will not be trained with any element of hate for their parents, they won't even be told about the ways of their parents so that they don't grow with deflated self-esteem. “These children will be raised like every other child, they will be raised to love and not to hate like their parents wished for them. They will be trained to save lives and contribute to building and growing communities, not to take lives and destroy communities like their parents would wish. This is why we are determined to take care of these children. I am speaking in English knowing that they

Raising talents...

L-R: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook; Yemi Osibanjo, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communication; and Chris Ogbechie, Chairman, Diamond Bank Plc, at the Aso Villa Demo Day Event held in Aso Villa , Abuja recently

don't hear what I am saying because we don't want them to have low self-esteem.

We will train them to have big dreams and to pursue their dreams of becoming productive citizens. Some of these children will be future leaders, many will be doctors, Engineers, lawyers and some may even grow to join the military if they choose to. They will insha Allah, contribute to nation building and part of the future of Borno State. We must love and care for each

other. We have witnessed so much hatred and violence.

Our hearts have been too consumed by agony. We must use the remaining space in our hearts to love and to share love and brotherhood".

The Governor also explained that majority of the family members had been found to be innocent of the violence of the Boko Haram insurgents contrary to the wish of some members of the public who want the sins of insurgents meted on their families.

"There are some part of our citizens that may be raising eye brows whenever we are seen taking custody, loving and caring for families of members of the Boko Haram insurgents whether their widows or their children. I have seen some people criticise us on the social media but I think whoever criticises what we are doing should be forgiven for making expression out of ignorance on the basis of what we are doing.

“In our societies, a lot of women neither know what

their husbands do nor do they have control over their husbands. Our security forces do thorough investigation in ensuring that anyone freed was proven innocent of violent activities. As for the children, there are innocent little souls who have got absolutely nothing to do with the sins of their fathers.

They didn't determine their parents, they were brought to life without any prior knowledge of the violence their parents perpetuate" Shettima said.

Ekiti Tops Best Performance Court Justifies Buhari’s List as NECO Releases Appointment of Hameed Results Ali as Customs Boss Laleye Dipo in Minna

The National Examination Council NECO on Friday released the results of the Senior School Certificate Examination it conducted in and outside the country between June and July this year which showed a remarkable improvement in the performance of candidates that sat for the examination.

The new Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO Professor Charles Uwakwe who released the result for the first time in Minna, Niger State said of the 1,022,474 candidates that sat for the examination 905,011 recorded credit and above in five subjects.

Professor Uwakwe also said that no fewer than 857,699 candidates had credit and above in Eng-

lish language and 812,846 candidates recorded the same performance in General Mathematics.

The general performance of the candidates in the examination this year according to the Registrar was one per cent better than that of last year when 87.51 per cent of the candidates passed as against the 88.51per cent this year.

19 overseas students sat for the examination this year with 15 of them recording credit and above in 5 subjects and above.

An analysis of the result across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT indicated that Ekiti State topped all others with 96,485 of its candidates that sat for the examination coming out successful while Edo State was second with 96.31 per

cent while Abia and Kogi were joint third.

Professor Uwakwe disclosed that 43,905 cases of malpractices were recorded during the examination in which 194 schools were involved, adding that 14 schools had been deregistered as a result of the cheating by some of the candidates that sat for the examination.

The Registrar attributed the improved performance on the part of candidates to seriousness by the students, adding that parents were now more interested in the studies of their wards.

Uwakwe commended the former chief executive officers of the Council and the entire staff for laying a solid foundation for the institution which had made it one of the best examination bodies in the world.

Akinwale Akintunde

Justice Hassan Muslim Sule of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has declined jurisdiction to entertain the case challenging the appointment of Col Hameed Ali, Rtd, as the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Delivering judgment on the matter yesterday, the judge held that the President was empowered under section 5 of the 1999 Constitution, to exercise all executive powers, either by himself directly or through officers delegated for that purpose.

The court held further that under section 171 of the same Constitution, the President was empowered to appoint public officers and thus, the appointment of Col Hameed Ali, was validly made and same would stand in law, notwithstanding any non-compliance with any existing gazette to the contrary.

The case was instituted by human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, in November 2015,

to challenge the appointment of Col Ali as the comptroller general of the Nigeria Customs Service,

by Gen Muhammadu Buhari Rtd. The case sought the interpretation of the court as to whether the President could appoint anyone as comptroller general of customs without complying with section 3 of the Official Gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria made on 25th March 2002, wherein it was stipulated that only those within the rank of Deputy Comptroller General of Customs can be elevated as substantive Comptroller General.

Adegboruwa then asked the court to nullify the appointment.

In response to the case, the Nigeria Customs Service filed a preliminary objection dated 29th April, 2016, challenging the locus standi of the applicant to file and maintain the suit. The customs service contended further that Adegboruwa’s suit was a mere academic exercise raising hypothetical questions that the court should

not entertain.

It was the view of the court that although it was satisfied that Mr. Adegboruwa merited the qualities narrated in his affidavit to qualify him to institute the action in court, but he had not shown sufficient or special interest that robed him with the requisite locus standi to maintain the action, not being a customs officer himself and having not shown any way in which he has been or would be affected by the appointment.

The Court stated that the case of Senator Abraham Adesanya v President, FRN, was still the locus classicus on issue of locus standi and that it would not agree with Mr. Adegboruwa that the latter case of Chief Gani Fawehinmi v President, FRN, has opened the floodgate for citizens to challenge all government actions.

The court then upheld the preliminary objection of the respondents and struck out the case without any order as to costs.

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 • THISDAY, The SATURDAY Newspaper

insight

The rage of nature...

Addressing Problems Of Malnutrition In Nigeria

E

ducation and awareness are the first steps to understanding and solving any issue – and the problem of malnutrition is no different.

Alarm over the ranking of Nigeria among countries with highest numbers of malnourished people is reverberating across the

nation.

The economic recession paints a gloomier picture. Nigeria is in full economic recession with prices of essential commodities rising on a daily basis whereas the income of the average Nigerian is shrinking.

The worsening unemployment situation condemns people to the reality of an increasingly unhealthy diet. Now, people think of what to eat; not the luxury of adequate nutrition.

Naturally, when prices rise, consumers shift to cheaper and less nutritious foods, thus heightening the risks of micronutrient deficiencies and other forms of malnutrition, which can have long-term adverse effects on people’s health, development and productivity.

Malnutrition accounts for 11 per cent of the global burden of disease and is considered the number one risk to health worldwide. From economic perspective, available statistics indicate that countries may lose two to three per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a result of iron, iodine, and zinc deficiencies. Iodine deficiency has also been identified as the greatest single cause of mental retardation and brain damage.

Pathetically, ignorance of what is adequate diet, poverty and lip service to strategic plan of action on nutrition by Nigeria government has made inadequacies of nutritional intake high in the country.

A review of trends in economic growth, health and nutrition in Nigeria indicates that the country is undergoing rapid socioeconomic, demographic, nutritional and health transitions. Under-nutrition continues to be persistently high and remains a challenge. Lately, hardly do we have any mass media in the country left out of reporting statistics about how Nigeria is home to the highest number of stunted children in the continent, percentage of wasted and under-weight children.

Unfortunately, the statistics are not resulting into adoption of essential family practices. It is not bringing about changes in ill-chosen and badly cooked food being served in private homes, restaurants, hotels and boarding houses.

Churning out of statistics is not solving the problem of inadequate attention to health of adolescent girls.

Neither is it addressing low awareness regarding nutrition and use of local nutritious food including sources of nutrients.

It may be asked: whose fault is it that Nigerians eat so badly with attention on eating quantities at the expense of adequate nutrition?

Some might want to blame women because they are the ones who order the foodstuff and cook the meals for the family. But this is a simplistic view.

Another possibility is to fault government. But then,

Goodbye, Isidore Okpewho

I

sidore Okpewho was one of the brightest students who went through University of Ibadan’s portals in its serious and glorious days of worldclass fame. As a professional, Okpewho picked up folklore and oral traditions of scholarship and made them responsible and acceptable genres in African literary studies. He became a world figure in these areas of scholarship.

Let me say some thing about Isidore’s Urhobo ancestry. I will introduce the subject this way: At the University of Ibadan, from its colonial times well up to the independence era, the Classics Department was well regarded for hosting topmost scholarship. It required much to become a student of Classics. And it took a great deal of intellect to make a Second Class Upper or First Class in final undergraduate examinations in Classics. It was quite sometime before anyone secured a Second Class Upper in Ibadan’s Department of Classics. As it happened it was an Urhoboman who finally made it.

Gamaliel Onosode made history when he secured Second Class Upper for the first time in Ibadan’s Department of Classics. It took almost a decade after that before Ibadan’s Department of Classics offered a First Class degree to any of its students. It was to another Urhoboman, Isidore Okpewho, in 1964.

Isidore Okpewho’s father was from Oria, Avwraka. His mother was from Asaba. He was quite close to his father. The bond between them was strong. In 1964 Urhobo people were happy with the results from the premier University of Ibadan. While Isidore Okpewho led in the undergraduate results in the Faculty of Arts, I led in the undergraduate results in the Faculty of the Social Sciences in 1964. It was a time when performances in examinations were well regarded and rewarded. We had scholarships from multiple sources. I remember the conversation TH E S AT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R I had with Isidore in August 1964 about our plans editor SHAKA MOMODU Deputy Editor YEMI ADEBOWALE for the future. Mine was to return to Ibadan for Managing Director Eniola Bello postgraduate work immediately. Isidore told me Deputy Managing Director Kayode Komolafe that his father had struggled to put him through CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI secondary school and the university. He wanted to EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN work and help his father and his family.

Isidore helped his father in a dedicated way. He built a house for him at Sapele. He also built another family house in Oria-Avwraka. I recall from our conversations, when both of us returned to teach at THIS DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M IT E D the University of Ibadan, that in one way or another Editor-in-Chief/Chairman Nduka Obaigbena he was engaged in family matters. One of his closest Group Executive Directors Eniola Bello, Kayode Komolafe, Israel Iwegbu, Emmanuel Efeni, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU friends from home was Luke Ejohwemu who Group FINANCE DIRECTOR oLUFEMI ABOROWA became the Ovie of Avwraka. Isidore was a great Divisional Directors PETER IWEGBU, FIDELIS ELEMA, family man. His dedication to his hometown of Oria MBAYILAN ANDOAKA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE was fulsome. And he was a sensitive Urhoboman.

DEPUTY Divisional Director OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI Isidore Okpewho achieved a lot as a publisher, SNR. Associate Director ERIC OJEH working with Longmans. He later returned to Associate Directors HENRY NWACHOKOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO cONTROLLERs ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI academia and became a towering and renowned General Manager Patrick Eimiuhi figure. Obviously, that is how he will be remembered Group Head Femi Tolufashe

by Nigerians and the larger community of scholars Art Director Ochi Ogbuaku II in Africa and beyond. Beneath all of these glorious DIRECTOR, printing production CHUKS ONWUDINJO remembrances, I want us to celebrate him as a man TO SEND Email: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com who made Urhobo people proud in various ways.

Peter Ekeh, Buffalo, New York

could the government also be responsible for the ignorance of the rich who feed their children with expensive but non-beneficial food?

Gone are the days when malnutrition merely meant lack of food.

Gross emaciation due to lack of food is no longer the sole meaning of the word. In Nigeria, it is indisputable that we do not eat food of the right type. Poor food choices (‘poor’ from a nutritional standpoint) are a major cause of malnutrition. No builder would construct a building without nails, yet so many Nigerians try to build bodies without minerals and vitamins. Too often we choose our food for reasons of convenience, taste, availability and social acceptance. We learned to love sugar and fat as kids. Many eat rice consistently for as much as thrice a day.

Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Nutrition has a powerful influence on growth, development, and the productive life of every individual. Optimal nutrition at each stage of the lifecycle is therefore a fundamental human right.

Furthermore, nutrition is linked to most of, if not all, the Strategic Development Goals (SDGs) and the right to food, adequate nutrition, and healthcare are fundamental to achieving the SDGs. Malnutrition is the lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat. Over nutrition is also malnutrition.

Rasak Musbau, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Lagos

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THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

news

In Brief

PoliceWarn against Breakdown of Law, Order

AsSupremeCourtissettodeliveritsjudgementontheKogiStategovernorship election next week, the Kogi State Police Command has warned that anybodywhotooklawsintohisorherhandswouldbedealtwithaccording to the law. The state Police Commissioner, CP Abdullahi Chafe gave the warningyesterdaywhileaddressingnewsmeninhisofficeontheforth-coming Supreme Court judgement. He stressed that intelligence report reaching thecommandshowedthatsomemiscreantswereplanningtocreatecrisis before, during and after the Supreme Court judgment next weekTuesday.

According to the Commissioner of Police, his command was fully ready to dealwithwhoeverdisobeyedthelaw,stressingthattherewouldnotbeany kindofpubliccelebrationbyanybodyorgroupsaftertheCourtjudgement.He alsowarnedeachpoliticalpartytocautiontheirsupporterstoguideagainst anything inimical to the growth and development of the state, stressing that Kogi State was greater than anybody. "Police will not waste any time indealingwithlawbreakerswithintheConstitutionalrequirement"hesaid.

NNPC Outlet Pledges Commitment

Contributing our quota...

L-R: Founder, House on the Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin and wife/Co. Pastor, Mrs. Ifeanyi Adefarsin; U.S. Ambassador (ret.)

Charge' d' Affaires a.i., Mr. Martin Brennan and Lagos State Special Adviser on Overseas Affairs and Investment, Prof. Ademola Abass at the Premiere of 93 Days Movie sponsored by House on the Rock Church at the Church Venue in Lekki, Lagos

Masters Energy has no Case with EFCC, Says Ogah Ejiofor Alike

The President of Masters Energy Group, Mr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah has described the allegation that his company was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he refunded monies to the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as concoction of lies aimed at tarnishing his impeccable track record and hard-earned reputation.

In a clarification made at the weekend, Ogah stated that what transpired between his company and the PPMC was strictly normal

product allocation to major and independent marketers, which had no relationship with fraud.

According to him, as a member of the independent marketers, Masters Energy oil and Gas was a beneficiary of an interventionist allocation to major and independent oil marketers, who were meant to remit back to the PPMC the proceeds from the sales at no-time-bar agreement.

Ogah identified the other companies involved in the interventionist allocation to include members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the NNPC Retail (mega filling stations), which account for about 85 per cent of

the debt, while the independent marketers owed the balance.

The major marketers involved the normal product allocation from the PPMC include: NNPC Retail, Oando, Forte Oil, Nigerian Independent Petroleum Company (NIPCO), Total Oil, Conoil and Mobil Oil. The independent marketers include Masters Energy Oil and Gas Ltd, MRS Oil & Gas, Heyden Petroleum, Danium Petroleum, A&E Petroleum, Rahamaniyya Petroleum, Càpital Oil, and Amicable Petroleum. Other include: Aiteo Petroleum, Honeywell Oil, DM Kurfi, Ascon Petroleum, Azman Oil, Felande Petroleum, Sharon Oil and Zamson Petroleum.

Ogah noted that in line with the

sales agreement with the PPMC and the oil marketing companies, Masters Energy Group and the major and independent petroleum marketers had made substantial remittances back to PPMC. Ogah described the purported EFCC invitation as a figment of the imagination of his detractors, stressing that his company’s legal department or himself did not receive any invitation either by the EFCC or any other anti-corruption agency.

He said it was malicious and ill-intentioned for anyone to peddle falsehood and lies against his person and Masters Energy Group just to score cheap political points.

2016 Admissions Won't be Done World Peace Day: IPCR Urges Militants, Arbitrarily, Jamb Insists Boko Haram to Observe 24hr Ceasefire Paul Obi in Abuja

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday said admissions into all tertiary education institutions for the 2016 academic Year would not be carried out arbitrarily.

JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede stated this in Abuja during the Extra Ordinary Technical committee Meeting on 2016 Admissions.

Prof. Oloyede disclosed that the meeting was for the placement of suitably qualified candidates into tertiary institutions called on tertiary institutions to follow due process in the Admission Processes.

"We will not accept whatever is done arbitrarily .I hope those that are here will make adjustment they must be able to explain why somebody with high score was not given admissions.

"What we are saying is that people should follow due process, universities have the right to have criteria for admission but the criteria must be reasonable, the criteria must be explicit”, he explained.

Oloyede stressed that the board would not initiate or insert any

candidates but will ensure that no candidate was unjustly treated by any institutions.

"I therefore restate my earlier submission that the Senate and academic boards of the institutions have the primary responsibility of recommending candidates to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for admissions", he insisted.

Oloyede added that the only difference between the 2016 admissions process and what had always been the practice, was the policy that there should be no written post UTME test.

The JAMB registrar maintained that the first batch of the 2016 admissions would be out before third week of September.

"What we said was that some of the recommendations the institutions brought earlier were not explicit in terms of criteria, and we have asked our colleagues in the universities to send better criteria.

"I have a particular school where the person who score the highest was not taken and the reason was because the university changed it rules. That will not be accepted.

Alex Enumah in Abuja

As Nigeria prepares to join the rest of the world in commemorating the 2016 United Nations (UN) International Day of Peace, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), has said it would use the occasion to appeal to militants in the Niger Delta, Boko Haram insurgents in the North East and all other aggrieved persons in the country to observe a twenty-four cease-fire, thereby given peace a chance.

IPCR Director-General, Oshita Oshita, who disclosed this in Abuja during a chat with newsmen on the level of preparedness for the 2016 UN International Day of Peace, said the call formed part of the message of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon in observance of the day.

“The message is to all aggrieved persons and all conflict actors to cease-fire for at least 24 hours and allow peace to prevail so that they can rethink the part they have taken. We want to draw attention of all conflict actors to say, let us come back to our senses.

I think Nigeria should be at the forefront because we are currently been threatened by violence at all fronts”.

The IPCR boss added that part of activities lined up to create awareness for peace include a novelty match, peace walk and lecture. He explained that the UN in realising the crucial role peace played in the socio-economic development of any nation chose the theme, “Sustainable Development Goals: Building Block for Peace”.

“The 17 SDGs of the UN cannot be achieved without peace. It is a cutting edge issue, you cannot eradicate poverty without peace, neither can you provide quality education outside a peaceful atmosphere”, he said.

While attributing the recent resurgence of polio in parts of the country to the prevalence of conflicts, which he noted prevented aid workers from getting across to children caught up in the cross-fire, the DG however harped on the need for good governance which he believed was an antidote to many of the conflicts in the country.

TheNNPCRetailLimitedhaspledgedcommitmenttohelpinginchartinga course for the knowledge industry by training fresh graduates of Nigerian higherinstitutionsviaadedicatedinternshipprogram.TheManagingDirector of the NNPC Retail Limited, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi Ogbue, speaking during a courtesy call on her by the Centre for Students Development of NANS led bythestudentsgroup’sformerSenatePresident,ComradeKazeemDauda.

She pledged the company's support for the Centre's workshop themed: 17 Years of Democracy, The Dilemma on Nigerian Education, Prospects andChallengesby2025.ShehoweverdecriedasituationwheretheNNPC importedallthepetroleumproductsusedinthecountryasagainstthe40% projected.

Delta Council Inaugurates Mobile Court

DeltaStateCommissionerforEnvironment,Mr.JohnNani,hasinaugurated theMobileCourtandEnvironmentalTaskForceonWasteManagementfor Oshimili South Local Government Area with a charge for them to operate within the ambit of the enabling laws and bylaws under the State, LGA and WasteManagementBoardlaws.OshimiliSouthisastrategiclocalgovernment area in the state because it includes much of Asaba metropolis, the DeltaStatecapital,whichconstitutesagatewayintothestate.Inaugurating the task force, which will ensure the effective management of waste and disposal in the local government area, Nani charged them to work within the enabling laws and bylaws as contained in State’s, LGA’s and Waste Management Board’s existing laws. The commissioner warned the task forceagainstabuseoftheirpowersbycreatingtheirownorindividuallaws butworkwithintheambitoftheStateWasteManagementLaws.Onlythose who contravene the laws should be arrested by law enforcement agents and duly charged to court, adding however that only the magistrates have the final say on whether the persons arrested had contravened the state waste management law or not.

Female Genital Mutilation

WifeoftheImoStategovernorandchairpersonofSouthernGovernors’wives forum,NneomaNkechiOkorochahasexpressedworriesovertherampant practiceofFemaleGenitalMutilationandcutting(FGM/C)amongparentsin thestate.Mrs.Okorochawhileraisingthealarmovertheinhumantreatment metedtoyoungfemaleslamentedthatsuchunhealthyentrenchedculture hadcontinuedtodenywomentherighttosexualhealth,complicationsduring childbirthinadditiontoahostofothermedicalcomplicationsincludingdeath in some cases. She dismissed the practice as a form of violence against women which was predicated on myth and superstition, stating that Imo had been discovered to have one of the highest prevalence of the practice which was 60 percent. According to her, the intervention by the United Nations Population Fund Agency (UNFPA) through the state ministry of womenaffairsandsocialdevelopmenthadfocusedonfourlocalgovernment areasintheStateincludingIkeduru,Ohaji/Egbema,Ngor-OkpalaandOguta.

“In spite of this intervention, it is noted that this practice is undertaken in ourcommunitiesthroughoutthestateandhadbeencontinuingunabated, parents especially mothers have been secretly indulging in the act leaving the victims in perpetual agony and regrets”, she stated.

Carnange on Nigerian Roads

A Professor of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Babatunde Solagberu has said dreams died on the Nigerian roads, and Trauma Surgery should include a new branch that can be referred to as Public Health Surgery.This statementwasrecentlymadeduringthe53rdinaugurallectureoftheLagos State University, LASU entitled: “Of Broken Bones and Broken Dreams; a Bone Carpenter to the Rescue.” Solagberu blamed this on the way road travels were articulated, adding that government should prevail on such transportersplyingtheroadstosavelives,adding “Ourroadtravelsinclude using articulated vehicles that lump humans, animals and farm produce togetherinopenLorriesortruck.Twentypercentofspinalcordinjuriesare from avoidable means of transport.” Solagberu charged the government toprevailonsuchtransportersandbanthemfromplyingtheroadstosave lives.HealsourgedtheFederalandStateGovernmentstofacilitatemassive funding of the healthcare system to save more lives. Solagberu, also the Provost of LASU College of Medicine, Ikeja, said patients who patronised TraditionalBoneSetterswereatriskofboneinfections,tetanusandother fracture complications.

Former ANLCA President Loses Mother

TheformerNationalPresident,AssociationofNigerianLicensedCustoms Agents(ANLCA),ChiefErnestElochukwuhaslosthismother.SheisMadam SusanOmunwaElochukwuofEzeobiaghavillage,Ichitown,EkwusigoLocal GovernmentAreaofAnambraState.ShediedlastThursdayattheageof85 years. A renowned trader, community leader, and a devout catholic, Susan wasastaunchmemberoftheCharismatics,motherofPerpetualHelpand otherpiousorganisationsofSt.Patrick'sParísh,Ichi. Elochukwuwhoisthe ChairmanNestelloGatewaysGroupandamemberoftheBoardofTrustees (BOT)ofANLCAtoldTHISDAYattheweekendthathismotherwouldbeburied atIchionOctober13,2016accordingtoCatholicrites. BesidesElochukwu, Susan is survived by many other children, grandchildren and relations.

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September 17, 2016 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

Interview Yusuf Tugga

Gov. Abubakar Must Retrace His Steps

Hon. Yusuf Tugga is a former member of the House of Representatives, and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bauchi State Chapter. He speaks with Damilola Oyedele on why some leaders of the party including Speaker Yakubu Dogara, have disagreements with the Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar

S

ome leaders of the party in Bauchi state, including the Speaker and yourself, recently drew attention of the party and President Buhari to issues of alleged impropriety against Gov. Abubakar. What are some of the issues?

I must say that it is really an unfortunate development, as we are all members of the same party as Governor Abubakar: that is myself, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, the three senators representing the state, the 12 members of the House, and the Minister for Education. We had to speak up against the policies, or lack of, of Governor Abubakar; the divisive politics that he has been practicing and the threat posed by his style of governance to Bauchi. We cannot, as leaders, stakeholders and indigenes, just look the other way while our state is being destroyed by one individual and his praise singers. That is why we decided to come together and take these steps.

Did you all make any efforts to reach out to the governor before going public?

It is not personal, it is based on issues and several attempts that have failed to make him see the light, to make him change his ways.

We all come from the APC. Some of us, like me were in the ANPP, we created the CPC together with President Muhammadu Buhari before we merged with the other parties to form the APC. Governor Abubakar joined us after the merger. Before then, he was a member of the PDP and before that, he was an INEC resident commissioner in Rivers State. We all accepted the flawed result of the APC primaries at the time simply because we wanted to win, we felt that it was not in the best interest of the state for PDP to continue, that is why we all decided to come together.

You were a candidate in the primaries, and did not raise any objections then, and now you are saying the results were flawed…

There was over-voting in the primaries. I could have easily petitioned but I chose not to do so at the time simply because I did not want to appear selfish. It was not all about me, it was not about my ambition or becoming Governor, no. It was about bringing about constructive change in the state. And that is why I refused, in spite of all the pressures and overtures by supporters, by colleagues, by friends, to try and appeal against the results that declared him governorship candidate. I did not do that. We all rolled our sleeves up, and campaigned for him, down to the polling units.

He won and the first thing he did was perceive us to be threats, to fight and to begin to systematically alienate all sections of the society in the state. And that is why he has ended up this way: as a governor who does not get along with all his senators and all his members of the House of Representatives?

But some of the Governor’s supporters have described your group as Abuja politicians who are not in touch with the people at the grassroots. What would you say to that?

It is not enough to just try and label people Abuja politicians. What defines an Abuja politician? Pray tell! Because if you are elected as the Speaker of the House of Representatives or as a senator or a member of the House, where are you supposed to reside for most of the year? Are you not supposed to be serving in Abuja? So, is it not laughable for you to be labelled an Abuja politician? Yes, I used to be a legislator, but at the moment I am not holding any public office. Bauchi has been ruined, there are no opportunities, I am a businessman, am I expected to go and just sit in Bauchi and just and simply watch the state unravel right before my eyes? So there are no opportunities that have been created. It they want us to become Bauchi based politicians, then the governor should make sure he puts Bauchi in order. He should create opportunities because saying most educated people that are either in business or in the federal civil service are not indigenes of the state.

The bail-out funds was one of the basis

Tugga

of your petition against the Governor, who has since said he has provided explanations to the president. Are you satisfied with his explanations?

I am very sure of my facts. We know how much Bauchi is earning, and we know how much Bauchi was also getting from the bailout.

Like I said, when the premise itself is wrong, when you are not able to tell us how much exactly the state is owing, then it gives you wiggle room to play with figures. If you have some clever accountants that can juggle figures, you can print anything and present it as what has been done.

If he says everything was used for the payment of salaries, then what is the sense of this money he is using for this flamboyant lifestyle, or for the N80 million for the monthly upkeep of the Government House. Where is the money coming from, because money doesn’t fall from the sky?

What are some of the other allegations that your group levelled against the governor?

The allegations are simple and straightforward. There is a saying in Hausa to the effect that one can tell a Friday that is going to be good from Wednesday. Things started going wrong immediately. Even during the campaigning, we could tell that there were issues but I am not going to go on to that for now. We will save that for another day.

Immediately after the elections, there was a transition committee that was constituted, and handling of the funds for the committee was not transparent. For instance, there were allegations that the committee collected N565 million from the outgoing governor, Isa Yuguda, before swearing in and there is still no clarity as to what exactly the money was disbursed for.

Apart from that, there was a lot of uncertainty as to what the agenda for M. A Abubakar was going to be in Bauchi because there was none was specified. He did not appear to have a blueprint. It is difficult enough governing a state like Bauchi with an agenda, with a clear, succinct, policy programme, let alone coming in without a clue of what you want to do. And it is only after you assume the position that you start running around to find something to present as what you intend to achieve. This is precisely what transpired.

Now, shortly after he became governor, there were some contracts that were awarded for 4.5 km of road from the CBN in Bauchi metropolis towards the railway, for N2.3 billion. Doing the arithmetic, that amounts to N517 million per km. For crying out loud, how is that possible? Can one construct road for N517 million per km even in Delta State where they have perpetual rainy season? Not even in the Niger Delta. This contract was awarded to a company called “Qumex”, with a Kaduna registered address. Okay, the huge contract has been awarded; one would have expected that equipment would be rolled out to commence the work, but no, they are using manual concrete mixers for all the people of Bauchi to see. This is not just us, it is the whole of the people of Bauchi that are seeing it and are putting pressure on us to do something about it because they consider us leaders. They believe that we should be able to do something

about it because it is our party, because we are the ones that came and campaigned and sold the party to them and said vote for this man.

And that is why it is important to us, that is why it is incumbent upon us to get up and do something and when you talk to someone privately and he does not listen, then you have no choice but to make it public so that the whole world knows what is going on.

There is another road in Fadama Mada, which, coincidentally, is being built at a place where he has a house. Now, Bauchi is one of the states in Nigeria that has domesticated the Public Procurement Act. There is a public procurement law that was passed many years ago by the state house of assembly. I was Chairman, House Committee on Public Procurement so I know exactly what public procurement entails. There are certain criteria, the certain steps that must be followed before a contract is passed, and I can confidently say there has not been a single contract that has complied with that law because there have been no adverts or invitation to tender. The only invitation we have had the recent one for SUBEB (State Universal Basic Education Board) contracts. So the manner of award of the contracts are a violation of the laws of Bauchi State.

Now, I mentioned SUBEB to you. I am sure you are conversant with the requirements of UBEC (Universal Basic Education Commission) and the fact that states have to come up with counterpart funding. Lat year, the governor sought for a N1 billion loan from GT Bank in the name of UBEC counterpart funding. But it was a case of putting the cart before the horse because you have to prepare and ensure that the counterpart funding is ready and you have done your paper work with UBEC, before you go out and take such a loan. That was not done and it is only now that Bauchi is chasing after UBEC to perfect its documents. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on that N1 billion loan and what I am hearing is that we are likely to have lost about N600 million of that loan in deductions. When you take a loan from a bank, the clock starts ticking the moment you walk out of the bank. They are not going to wait for you to go and do your paper work, that is your business.

Apart from that, you have the issue of Bauchi debt profile itself. It is very important to establish how much Bauchi is owing because it gives room for venality, for corrupt practices, for shady deals, if you are not able to ascertain exactly how much you are owing. Anybody that runs a household knows that it is important to know how much exactly is being owed, otherwise, you are likely to get hoodwinked by people, let alone when you are running a state and awarding contracts.

The governor claimed that Isa Yuguda left a debt of N125 billion, then the transition committee came and said he left a debt of N96 billion. Isa Yuguda himself claims he left a debt of N86 billion. So, it is very important that for us to even establish that. Now, this administration in Bauchi has not been able to do that, which is quite dangerous. I don’t know why it should be so difficult to establish that.

Beyond all of these, you have the issue of the perception of the general public itself.

When M.A Abubakar was campaigning in Bauchi, when we were all also campaigning for him and for the APC, they could see him, he was visible, they could see the clothes he was wearing, they could see the watch he was wearing, they could see the car he was driving, and if you know, within a very short period of time of becoming governor, they notice a huge change in lifestyle and a level of ostentation that was hitherto not there, people are going to start complaining, and this is what is happening in Bauchi. It is understandable, it is normal, everyone knows that Nigeria has economic problem at the moment, there is a recession going on, there are challenges to pay salaries, not just in Bauchi State, but in other states, which is what the governor continues to echo. But the point he is missing is that in other states you don’t have a governor sending for a plane from Abuja to come to Bauchi empty to pick him up and take him to Sokoto to go and console the family of the late Marafa of Sokoto, Umar Shinkafi. And from Sokoto, take him to Maiduguri to console the family of Shettima Ali Mongunu and from there, bring him to Bauchi,

spent the night, and then, take him to Abuja.

At a time when there are pensioners and workers that have not been paid salaries.

This what the people of Bauchi State consider an affront, it is an insane system because they know that prior to winning the elections, they had never seen M.A Abubakar in a private jet.But he is doing this with millions of Naira and then telling workers there is no money to pay their salaries.

Does this not look like a gang-up of elites against the governor?

Why would we gang against him? Why did we not gang up before to reject him? This is the crucial question. It is easy to just play the victim and say there is a gang up against me but there is a need for self examination. Before we visited the national secretariat of the party, some of us, (I was not a part of them) had met with him privately, and appealed to him to change his ways, to be more conciliatory towards people in the state and to address certain issues. There were certain actions he was taking that was alienating him from not just us that you referred to as elite, but also civil servant in the state that were not being paid their salaries. Teachers, traditional rulers from ward level up, all of a sudden he decided he was going to dethrone and scrap. Mind you, it is not a good excuse to just say you are going to scrap because the state can no longer afford them, because when you were campaigning and making promises you should have known that you are not going to be able to do that. You should have done your home work. It is deceitful to lead people on. On top of that, he unilaterally sits down and decides that he is going to appoint local government caretaker chairmen. In fact, as a litmus test, this was one of the requests of those who sat down with him, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives and some of the senators. They tabled that and he gave them his word that he was not going to swear them in and he walked out of that place and the next morning, they were sworn in. People that were chosen without any consultation with the key stakeholders in the state. I know that the state house of assembly member from my constituency was not consulted, I know that House of Representatives members were not consulted, I know that the senator from my constituency was not consulted. So who did he sit down with to come up with this decision?

But the governor said he met with your group and the meeting was supposed to continue on another date but the group was not patient enough. Is that true?

Put yourself in ours shoes. You approach someone and tell him there are problems, that yes, we want to work with you, but things you are doing right now would have terrible consequences for the state. He gives you his word, then turns around the next day, and does what he promised not to do. So do we just fold our hands and continue to hope against hope?

Many of the caretaker Chairmen are appointed are PDP members. They are not card carrying members of the APC. can confidently say that I am very familiar with those who are members of the APC in Bauchi and majority of the membership came from my party, the CPC, that went into the merger. Clearly, the governor is empowering the opposition, so we do not know what his actual intentions are.

What do you suggest the governor should do differently?

M.A Abubakar has to bear in mind that Bauchi is actually historically the epicentre of opposition in Nigeria. Hiring thugs to protect you and follow you everywhere with a bus is not going to work. Trying to shut people up from talking, either by cracking down on media and all sorts of authoritarian tactics do not work. The only thing that works in Bauchi is for you to go back to the people that voted you in, apologise to them and make sure you start working positively for the development of Bauchi. This is a period of austerity, it is not a period of flamboyance, for ostentation. It is a period that if you decide you want to occupy an elective position, you have to be austere, you have to be ascetic, you have to project that image.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

INSIGHT

‘The Change Agenda’: Misdirection and Compounding Anomalies in NIMASA Appointments Kabiru Issah

A

t the dawn of the 2015 presidential election campaign, the APC-led campaign team along with President Muhammadu Buhari, unequivocally promised Nigerians a new order as far as how things will be done in the polity, if they succeeded in unseating the 16 years reign of the PDP in the presidential election. They dubbed their campaign slogan, THE CHANGE AGENDA! Sixteen months after their electoral success, the euphoria has finally waned and the actual business of governance expected to be in top gear. As a stakeholder with special interest in the maritime sector, I want to make a cursory assessment of the ongoing change being witnessed at the nation’s leading maritime agency, NIMASA and the Federal Ministry of Transport, as a whole.

The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), was created on August 1st 2006 when the National Maritime Authority merged with Maritime Labour Industrial Council. Its mandate was to ensure shipping development, protection and manpower training and safety regulations in the shipping industry. It is worthy of note that since NIMASA was created, the agency has been led by incompetent Director Generals; Beginning with Mr. Raymond Omatseye to the erstwhile, Mr. Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi. The duo failed to make any significant improvement in the agency, largely due to their ineptitude and lack of capacity to lead such an agency. For instance under the Cabotage, fees are being collected but has never been used for what it is supposed for which is to promote indigenous ship ownership. In 2013, Engr Vincent Udoye, a director of NIMASA claimed seafarers documents can be verified through an e portal and postulated that NIMASA was one of leading agencies to have achieved this feat and recognised by International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

They provided www.nimasaseafarers.com as the portal. To date, this portal is not functional.

With 10% of the Agency’s budget going to the Nigerian maritime academy, Oron, the erstwhile inept leadership of NIMASA was busy wasting tax payers money in training Nigerians at various maritime Academies overseas. The irony was that the Nigerian Maritime Academy graduates are still struggling to gain employment, not to mention the foreign graduate trainees. These clueless and visionless leaders, instead of investing and creating enabling environment for indigenous ship ownership, which in turn will create jobs for these graduates, rather invested first in human capacity development without any employment opportunities to absorb the created capacities, This is a classic example of putting the cart ahead of the horse.

According to the act that established this agency, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act. 2007 Merchant Shipping Act. 2007 Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 NIMASA is supposed to be a technical regulator in our maritime space but the past leaderships, due to lack of understanding and personal greed failed woefully to implement these acts. Rather, they saw the agency as a revenue generating monster and source of slush funds for their personal and political interest. Mr. R.Omatseye was recently convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for fraud related charges while Mr. Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi is still awaiting his day at the court.

Now, looking at the current NIMASA leadership, even in this perceived era of change, we are still witnessing the same mistake that the past governments have made in appointing the leadership of the Agency and that is why this article is airing.

Following the new NIMASA leadership coupled with the change mantra, Industry stakeholders were expectant albeit hopefully for a competent helmsman that will reposition the agency. These expectations were short-lived as the Federal government appointed a career politician to navigate the agency Mr. Dakuku Peterside, was former APC gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State in the last election. He was appointed as the Director General by the Federal Government and on March 15, 2016, he arrived at the Burma Road Head Office of the Agency amidst mixed feelings to say the least from stakeholders and interest groups. It is pertinent to state that NIMASA, itching, for a rebrand and repositioning needed a seasoned technocrat with tested and proven abilities in the maritime industry to get it going.

In appointing a Director General for NIMASA, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ACT, 2007 states: 6. (I)The President on recommendation of the Minister shall appoint to the Board only persons with relevant experience and capacity applicable to maritime administration, recognised expert knowledge, qualification and experience in one or more of the following fields: Maritime

Peterside Dakuku

Safety; Maritime Security; Maritime Pollution; Nautical Sciences and Hydrography; Marine Engineering; Finance; Marine Laws; Transport Logistics; Maritime Administration; and Marine Labour.

For the purposes of clarity, prior to being elected to the House of Representatives, Dakuku served twice as Rivers State Commissioner for works (2007-2011) He was also, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State on Works (2003-2005), the current supervising Minister for NIMASA. Dakuku holds a Bsc in Medical Laboratory Technology from Rivers state University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, and a Post Graduate degree in Management University of Port Harcourt. If his profile is anything to go by, Mr. Dakuku is not professionally and technically compliant to lead the Maritime Regulatory Agency NIMASA, according to the ACT that established this esteemed agency. Dakuku’s appointment was no doubt a compensatory appointment by his former boss Rotimi Amaechi, after his failed bid for the governorship of Rivers State. This appointment was only to cater for personal and party interest at the expense of national interest.

There will be loyal stakeholders and interest, pandering for favor and succor that may posit that his Management degree aligns with one or two tenet of this ACT but that will be totally absurd as he is yet to work anywhere under such

Forthepurposesofclarity,prior tobeingelectedtotheHouseof Representatives,Dakukuserved twiceasRiversStateCommissioner forworks(2007-2011)Hewasalso, SeniorSpecialAssistanttoGovernor RotimiAmaechiofRiversStateon Works(2003-2005),thecurrent supervisingMinisterforNIMASA. DakukuholdsaBscinMedical LaboratoryTechnologyfromRivers stateUniversityofScienceand Technology,PortHarcourt,andaPost GraduatedegreeinManagement UniversityofPortHarcourt.Ifhisprofile isanythingtogoby,Mr.Dakukuisnot professionallyandtechnicallycompliant toleadtheMaritimeRegulatoryAgency NIMASA,accordingtotheACTthat establishedthisesteemedagency

management capacity, let alone manage and administer a robust agency as NIMASA begging for professional know-how and daunting repositioning. The obvious fact is, the new helmsman has no requisite capacity and ability to drive the agency to the promise land. To enable him achieve any meaningful stride and results, there were expectations that the appointment of competent Executive Directors will address these lapses. However, this held opinion as at press time has woefully failed to address this concern. The Executive Directors are supposed to be the catalyst that drives the agency and a fortnight ago, precisely on the eve of a presidential trip to Kenya, a list of governing board members was hurriedly presented for approval. This clandestine process was orchestrated to avert and douse any would be pressure or tension from stakeholders who have been waiting for the Executive Directors’ appointments. It is not traditional to have Executive Director Appointees embedded in the governing council even though the Executive Directors serve as governing board members as well. The usual process, appoints the executive Directors which is released with an official camaraderie.

The Federal Government on recommendation by the Minister of Transport appointed the following Executive Directors; Mr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh is the Executive Director Finance and Administration, Mr. Joseph Oluwarotimi Fashakin is the Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development while Mr. Gambo Ahmed is the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services.

The Executive Director Finance and Administration, Mr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh is the son-inlaw to President Mohammadu Buhari. Until his appointment, he was an Assistant Director in NIMASA in charge of Training and Development. He had served in the Kaduna State government before transferring his services to the then National Maritime Authority (NMA) in 1994. Jamoh also holds a Master’s degree in Management from the Korea Maritime and Ocean University, with a Diploma in Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

Mr. Jamoh an Assistant Director is being elevated to an Executive Director, ahead of his superiors, which goes contrary to Nigerian civil services guidelines. Some may say that this was a political appointment but Mr Jamoh never resigned from NIMASA before being elevated to his new position. Based on fairness to official hierarchy which was applied to oust a former Executive Director, Mr. Callistus Nwabueze Obi in favour of Mr. Haruna Jauro who was a NIMASA acting DG for 72 hours after his former boss (DG) was sacked, Mr Jamoh should not have been elevated to this position.

His appointment above his superiors is a major disregard to due process. Obviously you don’t expect a director to take directives from a one time subordinate. This type of appointment breeds bad blood and puts a clog in the wheels of operations and administrative duties. In fact I am compelled to believe he was appointed because he is a son- inlaw to President Mohammadu Buhari, being married to his daughter. This is a deceitful and improper appointment.

Another ED appointee, Mr. Joseph Oluwarotimi Fashakin, is a well-known APC mouthpiece as they sought for this change agenda and quite vocal to say the least.

He is the Executive Director in charge of Maritime Safety and Shipping Development. He is a Telecommunication Engineer having graduated from the University of Ife with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

Mr. Fashakin is a career telecommunication engineer and his appointment gratifies the saying that states ‘putting a square peg in a round hole’! He is versed in his qualifications cum experience albeit in the communication sector and one wonders why he was not appointed into the Nigerian Communication Commission, (NCC) or even the Nigerian broadcasting Commission (NBC) where his experience will be brought to bear and well appreciated. What does Mr. Fashakin bring to the table as far as Maritime Safety and Shipping Development are concerned?

Finally, the third appointee, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, the Executive Director of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services holds a Bachelor’s degree in (Business Administration) Actuarial Science from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Masters in Banking and Finance from the Bayero University, Kano. Mr. Gambo has spent a number of years of his career in the financial sector. If common sense had prevailed in this process, he should have been assigned to Mr. Jamoh’s portfolio of finance and administration or better still sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) where his wealth of experience in the sector would be well appreciated. At a time when our economy is in dire straits, he should have been able to introduce innovative concepts and ideas to the nation’s stock exchange market and by so doing set a pathway to revamping our ailing economy.

These appointments are truly lopsided and unthoughtful for NIMASA’s progress.

–Kabiru Issah, a Merchant Mariner Email; kabiruissah2001@yahoo.com Read full article online: www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper September 17, 2016

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Plus

After God, I Owe My Life to Olorogun Felix Ibru

She is what you would call ‘ebony beauty;’ regal, resplendent, classy and convivial. An astonishing beauty and brain during her younger years – and at old age beauty fits her well like the ornate ring on her finger.

Do you still remember her? Well, for those who grew up in the 60s, they would probably know Ms. Edna Park – she was Miss Nigeria in 1964. The title equally afforded her the opportunity to represent Nigeria at Miss World held in United States that same year. That was 52 years ago when she was barely 19. At 71, her beauty has not faded. Ms. Park left Nigeria 49 years ago for the United Kingdom, where she carved a niche for herself, first in the beauty therapy business, before working as a social care officer in elderly people’s home. Blessed with two accomplished children, Paul and Sheri Felix Ibru, Ms. Park was in Nigeria recently for the burial of the father of her children, the late Olorogun Felix Ibru. In this downto-earth, expressive interview, Ms. Park speaks with Funke Olaode glowingly about the man who meant the world to her, about her past, her present beautiful life and a glorious future

A

t over 71 you still look elegant. What is the secret?

I have to look good because age is in the mind. I am still ‘in market’ you know. But seriously, I try to relax my head. I am also particular about things that I do. I sleep well, rest well and when I want to eat, I eat proper food. I think positively and I try to have a good life.

You have been around for some time now after living abroad for 49 years. Are you planning to relocate?

I have lived abroad for 49 years and it has really helped me and my approach to life as I have mixed with people who have had experiences in life. This has helped me to see life as very simple. I am a very jovial person, friendly and this has helped as well. I am not planning to relocate though. I come home often and the beauty of it is that I adjust very quickly when I am in Nigeria.

How would you say life has treated you in the last 71 years?

Life has been good to me. When I was much younger I was a rocker.

I enjoyed life to its fullest. Although people had different views about me, from my experience through life, you don’t judge the book by its cover. I can be nice but people

call me a troubleshooter because I can die for what I believe. I don’t care about what people say. The only person I am scared of is God. And one thing I have learnt is that you have to struggle hard to make it in life. I came from a polygamous home and I went into a polygamous home. These experiences actually taught me a lot of lessons to be able to correct my children. The experience has helped me to inculcate good values into my children and it has helped them in their endeavours. It is not by my power but the Almighty God and their late father, Olorogun Felix Ibru, who I hold in high esteem.

Honestly every success I am today was made possible by this wonderful man.

How would you describe your childhood?

I come from a noble and strong home in Itsekiri, but I was brought up in Sapele by one of my aunties who always reminded me that ‘life is not as easy as I think; that I have to learn by working hard, reading my books, do a lot of things and have to be positive about what I do.’ All these helped me because when I am doing something right, I always believe I will get there no matter what it takes. I always encourage people to strive and work hard and believe in God. If you could turn back the

Life has been good to me. When I was much younger I was a rocker. I enjoyed life to its fullest.

Although people had different views about me, from my experience through life, you don’t judge the book by its cover. I can be nice but people call me a troubleshooter because I can die for what I believe. I don’t care about what people say. The only person I am scared of is God Park

19

September 17, 2016 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

Plus After 49 Years Living Abroad I’m Not Planning to Return to Nigeria hand of the clock, were there things you would have done differently?

Not really; I didn’t regret anything. I have done a lot in my life for my age and this is why I am a bit quiet at the moment. But if you step on my toes I will rise up because I like to prove a point. And if you think I am quiet you can push me around I would not take it. I am a friendly person I wouldn’t allow myself to be pushed around by anyone. You know I have left Nigeria for a very long time and I have not done badly. I think I am proud of myself and my children.

So, at my age, I don’t have any regret.

What was it like becoming Miss Nigeria in 1964/65? What benefit did that title give you or was it a burden?

I have been exposed from childhood. I am somebody who sees life in a different way. I think I am just blessed and my background really helped. I had a lot of civilised people in my household. I also lived in the midst of civilised cousins, aunties and uncles. I was brought up by the parents of the wife of the late Justice Kayode Eso, Mr. and Mrs. Agidi, because we are related. They were the first councillors they had in Warri, who went abroad in those days. So we were raised in a refined way. Mrs. Kayode Eso is a very beautiful and fashionable woman and she had a lot of influence on me. So becoming Miss Nigeria wasn’t a big deal.

Again, right from childhood I loved fashion. I was around some good friends when the issue of Miss Nigeria beauty pageant came up and they encouraged me to go for it. A lot of us contested for it and I won it. This was in 1964. I represented Nigeria, at the Miss World in United States, the same year. I came back to Nigeria and began life. The pageant was beneficial because it made me to know a lot of important people; I was made an ambassador and I enjoyed all the perks that came with that office. I had a lot of suitors then but along the line I met Olorogun Felix Ibru, got pregnant and had a child. I left Nigeria for the United Kingdom in 1967.

What did you do after your reign as Miss Nigeria?

I had my early education in Warri, Delta State, after which I came to Lagos and enrolled at City College for my secondary education. After my reign I became a beautician. I went for training as a fashion designer and hair-dresser.

I had a shop which was one of the best shops in England called, Sherina Hair Care. I ran it for eight years before I closed it down and went into fashion designing.

I dabbled into so many things as a businesswoman. They wanted me back in Nigeria and I actually came back. But for one year I didn’t know what to do. So I went back to England where I was involved in social care of elderly people. Today, I am retired and a pensioner. They still call me once in a while because of my good job when I was in active service.

You have two children (a boy and a girl) for Olorogun Felix Ibru (now late). Why was that relationship not consummated

Olorogun Felix Ibru with Park during his 80th birthday bash

We were never married but when my father died he went to pay my dowry (without the dowry he couldn’t participate in the burial). I had a lot of suitors back then. He was from my area and my mother liked him too much. Again, my mother wanted me to settle down. Eventually he was the winner among all the suitors.

We also had some things in common into marriage?

We were never married but when my father died he went to pay my dowry (without the dowry he couldn’t participate in the burial).

I had a lot of suitors back then.

He was from my area and my mother liked him a lot. Again, my mother wanted me to settle down.

Eventually he was the winner among all the suitors. We also had some things in common. As soon as I had my first child in 1968, he just took me out of the country. I had my second child in 1969. The arrangement was to settle down as husband and wife. By the time he started marrying women, I decided to stay on my own. Nobody wants her husband to go to other women.

We were still good friends till he breathed his last.

What fond memories of him do have?

Olorogun Felix Ibru was a good man. He contributed greatly to my well-being. He did so much for me.

Most of the things I have achieved today were made possible by Olorogun, after God. I remember his words in those days: ‘Edna, I am sending you abroad to learn.

Face what I asked you to learn because nobody knows tomorrow.’

I learnt a lot from this great man.

He was a good man to me and my children.

How well have you played the role motherhood towards your two children?

I am proud of my children for responding to training. My first child joined me in England at age 16. I taught him values about life and what life is about. He did all kinds of jobs (after school), which wasn’t due to lack of money but just to put him through life. He attended all the schools his father attended. He went to Nottingham University, Imperial College, Oxford University, and Cambridge and from there to Harvard. Today, he has a doctorate degree. He is a successful consultant. He is also a pastor. My daughter is a lawyer and works as a civil servant in England. Both of them are successful by the grace of God. I always tell my children not to believe in their father’s wealth but that they should work. They should believe that whatever their father bequeaths to them is a top-up. I remember the first salary my son, Paul earned, I asked him to take it to his father for blessing. And he did.

Was your participation in his burial a payback time for his good deeds?

I am so happy that during the burial of Olorogun Felix Ibru, God gave me the strength to be involved and I participated. During his 80th birthday I was with him and didn’t know it was going to be the last time I would see him alive. Yes, of course. He was the father of my two children and he was a good man. I remember when I lost my father he did so much. He was in Paris when my father died in 1989.

As soon as I told him he prepared to pay my dowry because tradition-

ally, if he didn’t pay the dowry he would not participate in the burial.

He sent his family to pay the dowry before he was welcomed.

And my son being the first, he had to bring salutation gun to the village before he could come in.

He did a lot and my people were impressed. I did the same thing when he was buried. I brought Itsekiri Cultural Troupe for his burial to celebrate him. I was even going to do more but we were only given a limited space. I went to greet the Ovie of Agbara-Otor for receiving us with open arms.

After the burial, what is next?

Well, I learnt after the burial they are already talking about the will which I think is a bit disturbing.

The way I see things, will is not important now. They should allow the man to settle (down in the grave) before bringing such matter to the table. I am not worried about any property because you came to this world with nothing and you go with nothing.

Generally, how do you relax?

I relax by pampering myself. I do my massage twice in a week.

I do my pedicure and manicure; I fix my eyelashes three times in a week. I love jewelry and adorn my fingers with rings because it is my identity right from childhood.

If there were to be another world would you still live your life the same way?

Oh yes! I will live my life the same way and even add more because I love life. What are we living for? We die once. So I have no regret. I just pray nobody offends me when I going to heaven.

I am a fighter and I don’t fight to lose but to win.

How religious are you?

I am very religious and it is not by going to church. Christianity is in the heart.

If you die today where do you think you will go?

I am not quite sure but I know I am going somewhere and I know I will come back (on the day of resurrection). But when I die, what

22

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • September 17, 2016

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg

07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

Minjin

I ‘II Love to Work with 2face, Psquare, Asa Minjin Adewale Lawanson jnr., was born September 1990 and the name ‘Minjin’ was given to him by his mother. He started out dancing and got into music in 2010 after winning a music contest. In this interview with Tosin Clegg, he talks about his music, leaving Kennis Music, his arts and more I was born and raised in Lagos was born and raised in Lagos. I started my career as a model in 2007 before delving into my first love, music.

I participated in various competitions and, then, I won two High School musicals and Kennis Centage Superstar contest in 2010. After my contract ended with Kennis Music, I stayed low-key, because I was exploring new sounds, and finding new rhythms. I did some acting during the time I starred in a TV series, Newman Street, which featured the likes of Bimbo Akintola, Bimbo Manuel, Keppy Ekpeyung, Fred Amata, among others. I have also been building my brand as a producer too, and I must say it was a good idea; I have over 50 songs recorded.

I

On my new song, ‘Jare’ It was from my experiences in life. I have been through a lot, and I basically connected with my environment; things happening around me.

People are going through their own storms, and I thought it would be nice to be their voice. So, I can safely say that ‘Jare’ is a song of hope, to lift people from their pessimism into a more optimistic perspective.

I’m signed to a Malaysia-based label It’s called Swaga Records. They got interested in me after hearing my ‘Jare’ song. Though the label and I had affiliation for a while, but we finally thought we should do business together.

So far, I’m very optimistic about everything and I’m dropping another single very soon and I believe it will be a hit.

Also, I’ve got a new song coming soon with its video as well. But I won’t let the cat out of the bag yet.

Minjin, outside music, is a prolific painter My works have graced

the walls of veterans like Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi. I have participated in group exhibitions but I haven’t really done mine.

I’m planning my exhibition to hold this year and everyone would be invited.

I started my journey into the arts when I was in primary school Back then, I used to draw images; super heroes precisely. As for my journey into music, I started as a dancer.

After secondary school, I still craved for the arts because it was sad that we had no arts teacher at the time. So, I decided to seek knowledge elsewhere by enrolling as an apprentice somewhere in Lagos and by the time the one-year training was almost up, I took off fully on my own to harness my strength in art works.

I am a triple artiste Take for instance I paint, I sing and I act. I’m also a music producer and, so, I’m an all-round entertainer. If I wasn’t doing music I would be modeling, painting and acting. My music has been widely accepted in Nigeria, and across the African continent, especially francophone countries and in the UK. I love to work with 2face, Psquare and Asa From onset, they have been my inspiration and model. It is worth emulating their musical growth and genius. Doing music with them will be a plus to my career and I can only but imagine the energy we will all put into a song.

I have won a couple of awards. Not the big ones, but I would like to win BET, Mtv and Mobo.

My genre of music My music is africano.

That’s what I call it. It’s the music that soothes the soul, and it’s melodious with beautiful African percussions. It is music from Nigeria to Africa and to the world.

Minjin

23

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • September 17, 2016

SHOWBIZFLAIR

My Story ‘93 Days’ World Screening Sells out at Toronto Film Festival After its successful screening at The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the world premiere of 93 Days took place on Friday, 9th September 2016 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

The event, which started with the arrival of the cast, producers and director had the movie introduced

by Cameron Bailey, Creative Director of TIFF. The premiere was attended by the cast, Danny Glover, Bimbo Akinkola, Keppy Ekpenyong, Somkele Iyamah-Idlahama, Sola Oyebode, Film Score Composer, George Kallis, Associate Producer, Kemi DaSilva-Ibru, Producers/ Executive Producers, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Dotun Olakunri and Steve Gukas.

The movie screening, which took place at the Isabel Bader Theatre, was filled to capacity. Guests’ line up went as far as two streets, with everyone eager to watch 93 Days.

The movie ended with a standing ovation from the audience and a Q&A session.

“The key was Collaboration and to see how much we can achieve

Aisha Odey

Some Artistes Actually Act Rude

with collaboration really changed me.

It was important for me to be in this film because of the message.

Nigeria is a dynamic great country; it’s a country where the people are challenging themselves.

This is an example of how they challenged themselves and suc-

ceeded. I’m so proud to be a part of it,” said Hollywood actor, Danny Glover (Played Dr. Ohiaeri).

93 Days, directed by Steve Gukas, premiere in Nigeria last Tuesday, at The Rock Cathedral, Lekki Lagos.

The movie, officials said would be showing in cinemas nationwide from yesterday, September 16, 2016.

Beautiful and energetic, Aisha Odey sees her skin as her sex appeal. She is well-known as African White Chic and has been a major player in the industry since 2010. She has worked with YQ, Lil Kesh, Reekado Banks, Ycee, Sugarboy, Henry Knight, Bukky Wright, Ojayy Wright, Reminisce, and a lot more.

She is also a PR consultant and artiste manager. In this chat with Tosin Clegg, she talks about her career

KSDT Show Host Left Bemused by a 3-year-old Guest

Nigeria’s leading Children Television series, ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things’, (KSDT) by Cliqlite from Etisalat Nigeria

has commenced nationwide,t. The theme of the show is “Let Your Little To know the other side of intelligence is to hear

kids speak. The words of their mouths are not just intriguing and full of suspense, but also have the ability to make genius out of the seemingly unintelligent and provoke the thinking of respected intellectuals. Tony Okungbowa, host of the family-oriented children TV series, Kids Say the Darndest Things, sponsored

by Etisalat Nigeria, was recently at the receiving end of a mix of all that the mind of a three-year old could produce.

Watching three-year-old Corbin Ogunseye, who came to the show in company of two of his doll friends, gave a clue to how a child could acquire intelligence through observation. For his age, the level of intelligence on display could not be ignored. He was apt, and sometimes, thoughtful before responding to some questions. He could easily tell which mood his mother was in through her facial expression. His confident attempt to spell the word ‘Attitude’ ended with him pronouncing the word as ‘Atotu’ and drew a long laughter from the audience.

WAPTV Debuts Exciting New Show, ‘Love Battle’ WAPTV, the family entertainment channel, has debuted yet another fresh, exhilarating show, an addition to its already robust enjoyable content.

After months of research, preparation and anticipation, ‘Love Battle’ finally made its debut on Friday, August 12, and has received outstanding acceptance from viewers nationwide.

In each episode of Love Battle, one male and one female, average Nigerians, engage in a fun debate centred on love, relationships, marriage, among others.

The show is broadcast live, thus giving viewers

all over the world an opportunity to interact with the comical Akunna (the host of the show) and the two panelists of the day, as they air their own views on the topic via phone calls and social media.

According to Wale Adenuga, Managing Director of wapTV, “We are always coming up with fresh ideas to give our diverse viewers top-notch quality entertainment that they deserve.

Love Battle is a hilarious and enlightening concept; to be enjoyed in the company of your friends and family members while discussing the topics playfully among yourselves.”

W

hen did you begin your career?

It started six years ago; you know it was like a joke. I never saw myself in the music industry doing what I do now, but I’ve enjoyed it so far.

Who have you worked with so far?

Let’s say I have worked for a couple of brands and worked with them as well; you know there are two different things.

I handle artiste bookings and also handle their promotions.

So, that’s where the working with and working for come to play. I’ll mention a few that I have been involved with, one way or another: YQ, Lil Kesh, Reekado Banks, Ycee, Sugarboy, Henry Knight, Bukky Wright, Ojayy Wright, Reminisce, Moblow, Vector, Boj, Francis Odega and more.

I’m currently Minjin’s manager.

What have been your challenges?

The challenges have been crazy so far, you know, especially when some artistes try to prove tough, and some actually act rude, and because I have to be professional, I have to swallow my pride and smile through. But, I’ve enjoyed every bit of the ups and downs, because that’s what makes me better in my field and I don’t see it as challenges, rather I see it as an avenue to better my craft and learn new techniques, because no job is easy.

24

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

SPECIAL REPORT

Deep Craters Threaten Human, Vehicular Movement at Airways, Flour Mills in Apapa Residents express anger, frustration Apapa, a cash cow of both the Federal and Lagos State Government, is being bled and left to rot, along with the investments of its residents andbusinessowners.Thestructural integrity of thelink bridgesisthreatened and most of the connecting roads are eroding from stagnant storm water and from heavy duty vehicular movement. Apapa needs urgent intervention, writes Bennett Oghifo

Bad section at Airways/Flour Mills Bus Stop, Apapa, Lagos

D

eep gullies have surfaced on most of the roads leading into Apapa from the Ijora axis, impeding human and vehicular movement.

The holes are deep enough to conceal small-size vehicles like the Kia Picanto or MG or Mini and the military can successfully conduct maneuvers in the tranches on the roads.

People who live and do business in Apapa wonder why the federal and Lagos state government have decided to neglect the network of roads, which are the main arterial for the evacuation of goods worth billions of Naira from the Ports.

The bad stretches are from the foot of the bridge descending to Apapa from Ijora up to Eliganza, with the most horrible sport at Airways Roundabout in front of Flour Mills Company. Several pot holes dot Point Road, which used to be an alternative route through Liverpool Roundabout to Olorogun Michael Ibru Boulevard (former Creek Road).

Part of this road was resurfaced recently but may deteriorate if the movement of trucks and trailers on the road is not controlled.

Besides, trailers/trucks and tankers laden with goods and petroleum products add dead weight on the bridges that are not designed to carry such load.

According to the Chairman, Apapa GRA Residents Association, BrigadierGeneral Sola Ayo-vaughan (Rtd), “Apapa Port is the busiest in West Africa. The revenue from the Port ranks second, after revenue from NNPC. The bridges and roads leading to the Port carry highest tonnage of load daily.

Unfortunately, the bridges and the roads are uncared for. The roads leading to the Port have virtually collapsed and have become almost impassable.

“A month ago, Julius Berger was drafted to shore-up the bridge end that became unmotorable. This was to give a semblance of road repair. It was totally negligible and ineffective. This only shows that the federal ministry of works does not understand the problem and magnitude of the chaos which will emanate from the collapse of the road. Tin can Island axis is yet to be opened. “The collapse of the roads leading to Apapa will only worsen the economic situation of the Nation. I’m not sure people in Abuja can see beyond the confines of their posh offices or they are pretending all is well. A stitch in time saves nine.”

A motorist on the road yesterday, who identified himself as Abimbola, expressed disbelief that Apapa roads can be so terrible. “This is a disgrace to both the Federal and Lagos State Government and their senseless slogan of change.”

Last month, when the federal government carried out emergency repair of the hole on the bed of the Ijora Bridge, THISDAY suggested that the government should cease the opportunity to rehabilitate some critical sections of the road, including the Flour Mills stretch, but the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola said the focus then was on the bridge repair.

He also said that there was a pact with the Dangote Group to reconstruct the stretch from the Ijora Bridge at Leventis to Wharf Road and the Port, using concrete but that there were some paperwork that needed to be done to enable them begin work.

Airways Bus Stop, Apapa, Lagos

Deep holes at Airways Bus Stop, Apapa, Lagos

PHOTOS: Etop Ukutt

26

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

auto

Rolls Royce Phantom Rides to Apex of Expensive Cars Stories by Bennett Oghifo

T

he President of Coscharis Motors, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, whose company represents the auto company in Nigeria, once said the Rolls Royce is not for everybody and it sure cannot be with the Phantom having a heavy price tag of $417,825.

Regardless, some people who can afford it actually collect the various models: Wraith, Ghost, and Phantom.

A reviewer said, “When you’re looking for the most exclusive vehicles in the world, the list narrows dramatically—to a point where even Mercedes-Benz and BMW are strictly for commoners.

“It could be argued that the Rolls-Royce Phantom represents the pinnacle of the auto world, the sole occupant of some very rarefied air. Shy of the latest Maybach revival and the Bentley Mulsanne, there’s no production vehicle that comes close to its levels of opulence—or to its price tag.”

The Phantom is unchanged for 2016. As a Phantom Coupe, a Drophead Coupe (convertible), or a four-door sedan, the Phantom is the definitive statement of what Rolls-Royce is. It’s substantial, and substantially expensive. It’s lavish in its design flourishes and trims, and even has rear-hinged doors—all the better to call out the importance of the rear-seat occupants when they arrive in style. Those doors are even operated by push-button, in case you’d like to go stealth-wealthy and exit on your own, without the assistance of your driver or doorman.

The Phantom line was introduced in 2003, but the looks remain timelessly elegant. Aclassicallystyled, upright grille dominates the front, with slab-sided proportions and hideaway Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament harkening back to the company’s past. Revisions over the years have kept it fresh, however. Inside, the Phantom continues to set the bar for opulence in a car. Full-grain woods, hand-stitched, high-quality leathers,

2016 Rolls Royce Phantom

real metal trim and immaculate craftsmanship and attention to detail flood the cabin.

Detailing is the Phantom’s strong suit, with deco-like lighting and old-world looks to the dials and buttons, despite the electronics offered onboard as standard. The headliner can be fitted with lots of LEDs to make it look as though your passengers are gazing into the sky at night. The Drophead Coupe model can even be optioned with teak decking around the back that would make most yachts jealous. As you’d expect, all Phantoms provide a very comfortable place to ride, front seats or rear. Everything about it says, “flagship.”

Motivation for the Phantom comes from the massive 6.75-liter V-12 engine rated at 453 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. It

may not be as potent as the engine in the smaller Ghost, but it’s still enough to get the Phantom to 60 mph in less than six seconds. Outright speed is not the mission of the Phantom, anyway, it’s providing an effortless and serene atmosphere.

An 8-speed automatic transmission handles the gear shifts, imperceptibly so, sending power to the rear wheels.

The Phantom sedan isn’t a driver’s car. It’s meant to be ridden in, with a driver at the helm.

Accordingly, handling and agility aren’t among its strengths; at least not without considering its size. At nearly 6,000 pounds and almost 20 feet long, the Phantom is Chevrolet Suburbansized. It lords over pretty much everything that isn’t an SUV or truck. Independent suspension, self-leveling air springs, electronic damping,

and feather-light steering give the Phantom more maneuvering aplomb than you’d expect, however. Fuel economy is also in line with its size, at 11 mpg city, 19 highway, 14 combined for all models.

While the Phantom hasn’t been crash-tested by the official agencies, it is a substantial piece of machinery, made largely of steel, and outfitted with nearly all of the modern technologies fitted to cars, including traction and stability control, a suite of airbags, parking sensors, and optional front and rear cameras. Some of the latest in computerized safety features aren’t available, however, including lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot detection.

Here’s where the Phantom could use some more modernization.

Toyota Expands Rav4 Safety, Style

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oyota has expanded the availability of advanced safety features including autonomous braking to eight of its 10 RAV4 models.

Mid-range GXL variants have also been upgraded with the addition of satellite navigation# as standard, along with Toyota Link connected mobility* and digital (DAB+) radio^.

The safety technology is available as an option for the first time on automatic GX variants while remaining optional on GXL and standard on top-of-the-line Cruiser.

Buyers of automatic petrol GXL variants who select the safety pack can also specify dual-tone paint that adds a contrasting silver accent to the bumpers, wheel arches, door sills and side mirrors##.

As part of the RAV4 changes, Cruiser all-wheeldrive (AWD) petrol and diesel variants gain the convenience of ambient lighting in the foot well and a two-position memory function for the leather-accented driver’s seat.

RAV4’s latest changes follow a substantial update late last year that included sleeker and more dynamic exterior styling, refreshed interiors, Euro 5 engines and the adoption of trailer sway control.

The suite of high-tech safety features includes a forward collision warning system” that can automatically apply the car’s brakes, even if

the driver takes no action.

It also comes with active cruise control, automatic high beam, lane departure alert with steering assist, rain-sensing wipers, front parking sensors and a sway warning system to aid when towing.

When applied to automatic GX variants, the safety equipment is combined with upmarket features from the GXL. These include satellite navigation#, 4.2-inch colour multi-information display, upgraded instrument cluster, digital (DAB+) radio^, dusk-sensing headlights, fog lights and revised front bumper. The option price is $3,800 for the GX. For GXL grades, standard fitment of satellite navigation results in an option price of $2,500 which also includes blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert. The contrasting silver paint, available on petrol variants from $1,000, is accompanied by black trim for the headliner and pillars.

Price rises for the latest upgrade range from $560 for the 2WD GX 2.0-litre manual to $1,560 for the AWD GXL diesel automatic - the latter taking into account the additional standard features including satellite navigation.

RAV4 features Toyota’s advanced AWD technology, Dynamic Torque Control AWD. It uses information from speed, steering-angle and yaw-rate sensors to control torque transfer between the front and rear wheels.

The range includes three four-cylinder engines,

2017 Toyota Rav4

starting with a 107kW 2.0-litre petrol for 2WD variants. AWD versions can be specified with a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine that develops 340Nm of torque, or a 2.5-litre petrol engine that develops 132kW. The 2WD 2.0-litre GX is offered with a six-speed manual gearbox or the option of Toyota’s Multidrive S continuously variable transmission (CVT). This automatic transmission, which is standard on the 2WD GXL, also provides a

sporty, sequential seven-speed mode.

Petrol AWD variants are all fitted with a sixspeed multi-mode sequential-shift automatic transmission. Diesel AWD RAV4 is offered with manual or automatic transmissions for the GX and is automatic-only for GXL and Cruiser.

Toyota has deleted two low-volume manual GXL grades, retaining the six-speed manual solely for the 2.0-litre petrol two-wheel drive (2WD) and the 2.2-litre diesel AWD.

Nissan Spied Testing Pickup Truck-Based SUV

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issan has been spied testing a Navara-based SUV, but little information is available on what new model it could be.

The Nissan Navara is the global version of the Nissan Frontier pickup sold in the U.S., and the Japanese automaker is preparing an SUV model based on that platform. In the past,

the Nissan Xterra SUV shared a platform with the Frontier, but the model was axed after the 2015 model year.

So in a way, this Navara-based SUV prototype spy photographers have caught testing shows what the Xterra could have been if it lived on in the U.S. The problem is, the Frontier is a bit different than the Navara because the truck

segment is much more competitive in the U.S. Even Nissan has said although both trucks share components, the Frontier is specifically engineered for the U.S. market.

There is no word on when the nextgeneration Nissan Frontier will arrive, but there is a small possibility this Navarabased SUV could be sold in the U.S. Based on its size, it would slot nicely between

the existing Murano and Pathfinder, essentially filling the void left behind by the Xterra, which was popular as a rugged off-roader.

It’s unclear whether Nissan will add another SUV to its lineup in the U.S., but it makes sense for the Japanese automaker to bolster its lineup with SUVs, which are typically huge moneymakers.

27

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

auto Safe driving

Jonas Agwu

with

(Asst Corps Marshal) Zonal Commanding Officer Zone RS7 Abua phone 08077690700 FRSC TOLL FREE NO 122 Email:j.agwu@frsc.gov.ng

The Ember Months Rhyme

D

Ford Ranger 2.2 XLS Automatic in action

Ford Ranger 2.2 Automatic Takes on Sand Dunes at George Launch Stories by Bennett Oghifo

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riving instructors usually recommend lesser air pressure for tyres when driving over loose sand because it gives better grip.

This was done during a launch of the All-new Ford Ranger 2.2 Automatic before the drive on the beach of the Indian Ocean in George, South Africa. The sight of all that sand ahead and

the steady rise in topography was simply challenging to the mind, but it became reassuring when reassured about the strength/toughness of the Ford Ranger 2.2 Automatic on and off road. It has the cool feel of a family car on-road and is excitingly tough off-road.

So, the ride over sand was exciting with the Ranger holding its side of the bargain, leaving the rest to the judgement and attitude of the driver.

The interesting thing was that

the Ford Ranger 2.2 Automatic won the challenge.

The Ranger 2.2 Automatic is coming to the sub-Saharan African market both right hand and left hand versions.

In Nigeria, the left hand drives are expected to be on display at the showroom of Coscharis Motors soon.

The new Ford Ranger remains one of the most capable pick-ups in its class. With an exceptional 800mm water wading depth, and with

230mm of ground clearance, it is designed and engineered to handle the most extreme terrains with ease. Thanks to a 28-degree approach angle and 25-degree departure angle, drivers in the new Ranger can feel confident when taking on steep obstacles.

A robust electronically controlled transfer case allows drivers in 4x4 models to shift on the fly from 4x2 to 4x4 high via a knob on the centre console.

Nissan Recalls 134,000 Maxima, Murano Models

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issan is calling back about 134,000 vehicles over a fire risk and is instructingsomeownersto keep their vehicles parked until they can be fixed.

The issue stems from Nissan’s Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system, which features an antilock brake actuator pump that may end up leaking brake fluid onto an internal circuit board, possibly leading to a fire. Only versions of the 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2015-2017 Murano and 2015-2016 Murano Hybrid fitted with ICC are affected by this recall.

Nissan says no injuries or fatalities have been reported as a result of this problem, though there have been some reports of “thermal damage.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has instructed owners to park their vehicles and not drive them if the ABS light stays illuminated for more than 10 seconds after the engine has been started.

Nissan Murano

Nissan dealers will replace the ABS actuators free of charge on the affected vehicles.

Meanwhile, 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo finally debuts. The Nissan Sentra has been a mainstay of the compact-car segment for

35 years and seven generations.

Unfortunately, today’s model is not really one of the class leaders.

Massively upping the fun factor, Nissan just revealed its new Sentra SR Turbo model here at the MiamiAutoShow.Thispint-sized

bruiser is powered by a pumpedup 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.

With a turbocharger, direct fuel injection and variable valve timing onboard, it delivers an impressive 188 horses along with 177 lb-ft of peak torque.

2018 Volvo V90 Cross Country Teased

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olvo is teasing the new V90 Cross Country before it makes its official debut at the end of September at the Paris Motor Show.

While its styling will largely stay the same as its V90 counterpart, the Cross Country model will no doubt feature

plastic cladding around the wheel arches and rocker panels, a brushed aluminum roof rack, model-specific alloy wheels and a taller ride height. Underbody protection will also be part of the package. Under the hood will be a choice of outputs from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

When just turbocharged, the engine puts out 250 horse-

power, while a supercharged and turbocharged version of the powerplant will offer 316 hp. A T8 hybrid version will also be available while all-wheel drive will likely be standard.

The new V90 Cross Country is the spiritual successor to the Volvo XC70 and is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in 2017 as a 2018 model year vehicle.

Also, Volvo’s self-driving car project has begun using real people on public roads.

Self-driving Volvo XC90 SUVs are heading to public roads in Gothenburg.

The company has officially kicked off its Drive Me project, what it calls the “world’s most ambitious and advanced public autonomous driving experiment.”

idyoureadthefirstpart last week? Did you enjoy the song which I strongly believe is a must sing for all the speed freaks. Like my friend told me, this Yoruba rhyme about life anddeathshouldsoberthoseofus who drive as if we have a spare life tuckedsomewhereinsidethefreezer.

Thesameisapplicabletothosewho holdthebeliefthattheEmbermonths aretragedyproned;somedescribe itasdangerous.Otherssayitisevil.

Truth is that the Ember months are likeothermonthsbutwithincreased activity and associated risks due to irresponsibledrivingtomeetrealistic and unrealistic targets LastweekIcitedtheWHOGlobal StatusreportonroadSafety2013.The reportfurtherstatesthatanother20 to50millionsustainnon-fatalinjuries throughcrashes.Theseinjuriesand deathshaveanimmeasurableimpact on the families affected and their communities. Road traffic injuries are estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death globally, with an impact similar to that caused by diseases, such as malaria and remain the leading cause of death foryoungpeopleaged15–29years, and as a result take a heavy toll on thoseenteringtheirmostproductive years.Yearly,400,000peopleunder theagesof25yearsdieatanaverage ofmorethan1000aday.Thesedeaths aremoreinlowandmiddleincome countries among vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclist, motorcyclistandthoseusingpublic transport. Speeding remains the single most common traffic violationsandexplainswhytheFederal RoadSafetyCorpshasfixed1stOct 2016asdeadlineforenforcementof speedlimitersinvehiclesbeginning with commercial vehicles. The use ofphonewhiledriving,dangerous driving,unlicensedandunderaged drivingarealsoprevalentviolations, inadditiontolaneindisciplineamong others. WHO identifies three risks factors; Speed, drink driving, seat belt, distracted driving and wearing of motorcycle helmet correctly which can reduce the risk of death byalmost40%andtheriskofsevere injurybyover70%.Ihopetodwellon thisthreeasaguidetothechoiceyou make each time you drive- choice toliveordie.Iknowthatthesuicide drivenmotoristsdon’tcareaboutthe speedlimitof100km/ph.Theythink government through the FRSC is nutstopostspeedlimitsandrestrict theirfreedom.Theyreason,thatsince car manufactures fix maximum speedofvehiclesatalmost280km/h and since the car belongs to them, thereforetheyareatlibertytodrive at whatever speed they choose to.

Wearehowevercautionedandtold thatexcessivespeedkills.Research has it that an increase in average speed is directly related both to the likelihoodofacrashoccurringand to the severity of the consequences of the crash. So if you love life, you should at every time keep to the speedlimitof100km/hwhichisthe maximumspeedontheexpressway forprivatecarsand90km/hfortaxis andbuses.Thesameappliestodriving within build up areas such as schools,markets,commercial and busy areas; the speed limit here

is further reduced to between 2050km/h .You must at every time be guided by this rules and not by thesupposedprogrammedevents fortheday.Someotherfactsonspeed statesthatpedestrianshaveagreater chance of surviving a car crash at 30km/horbelow.30km/h.speed zones can reduce the risk of a crash and are recommended in areas where vulnerable road users are common such as residential areas and around schools OneofthehallmarksoftheEmber seasonistheincreaseinmerriment suchasweddings,housewarming and chieftaincy title ceremonies among others. You will be correct ifyoudescribetheEmberseasonas chop-chopseason;aseasonwhere driving under the influence is a vogue especially among the male motorists-forsomethisdrivinghabit istothem,anegotrippingtendency.

Truthhoweveristhatdrivingunder theinfluencekillsfasterthanyoucan imagine. Drinking and driving increases both the risk of a crash and the likelihood that death or serious injury will result. The risk ofbeinginvolvedinacrashincreases significantlyaboveabloodalcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04 g/dl.

Enforcing sobriety checkpoints and random breath testing, like we do, can lead to reductions in alcohol-related crashes of about 20% and have been shown to be very cost-effective.

Iknowtheseatbeltculturehasbeen quitecommendableespeciallywhen dealingwithfrontseatpassengerand driver,IamhoweverpiquedwhenI seesuchoccupantsinavehiclewhere thebackseatoccupantsrefusestobe beltedonthegrounds thatseatbelt enforcementforrearseatpassengers isnotyetaninfraction.Seat-beltsand child restraints wearing a seat-belt reduce the risk of a fatality among front-seatpassengersby40–50%and ofrear-seatpassengersbybetween 25–75%.The mandatory seat-belt laws r enforcement has been very effectiveatincreasingseat-beltwearingratesandreducingdeathsinthe country. It then follows that if total compliance is achieved through enforcement and enlightenment, our crash record could improve better; if correctly installed and used. Child restraints on the other handreducedeathsamonginfants byapproximately70%anddeaths among small children by between 54% and 80%.

The distracted driving bug has since caught up with us.Although therearemanytypesofdistractions thatcanleadtoimpaireddriving,the useofmobilephonesbydriversranks high and has become a road safety concerninNigeria.Thedistraction caused by mobile phones impairs drivingperformancethroughlonger reactiontimes(notablybrakingreaction time, but also reaction to traffic signals).Italsoimpairsabilitytokeep in the correct lane, and shorter followingdistances.Textmessagingor on the wheel browsing also results in considerably reduced driving performance.Driversusingamobile phoneareapproximatelyfourtimes morelikelytobeinvolvedinacrash thandriverswhodonotuseaphone.

Hands-freephonesandhand-held phone sets poses same risk.

30

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

GLOBAL SOCCER

Winning Atlanta Olympics Gold Remains Nigeria’s Greatest Feat Today, many Nigerians recall the Clemence Westerhof era with nostalgia, especially the feat achieved in 1994 World Cup with the Super Eagles. The team, under his management, won the Africa Nations Cup and was voted the most entertaining team at the World Cup hosted by the United States.

Notwithstanding these achievements, former Super Eagles Dosu Joseph, believes winning the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics is the greatest moment in Nigeria’s football history.

Kunle Adewale reports

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ost of his contemporaries chose to play in Belgium which was then the Mecca for Nigerian footballers. He, however, elected to ply his own trade in the Italian Serie A, a league that is not only noted for its defensive tactics but boasts of great goalkeepers. Yet, Dosu Joseph was able to command a regular shirt with his club, Regina.

Unfortunately, however, an automobile accident on Ikorodu Road shortly after the Atlanta Olympics football victory cut short his career.

Joseph would not forget the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in a hurry.

He described the Dream Team gold medal feat in the football event of the games as the golden moment of Nigerian sport.

Asked if qualifying for the second round of the USA `94 and being voted the second most entertaining team after Brazil was not Nigeria’s greatest moment in football as opposed to winning the Olympic gold medal in the soccer event in Atlanta `96, the former Regina goalkeeper said.

“There is no doubting the fact that Nigeria could boast of a lot of talented players during the 1994 Mundial but I don’t really see what the team achieved. I believe our feat in Atlanta was the best achievement ever by any of our national teams in the country. The Olympics is the next competition to the World Cup in FIFA`s calendar and Nigeria is the first African country to win the competition. That’s not a small achievement by any standard. Maybe if you ask some of the players that played in 1994 and were not part of

the Olympics they might have a different view. I’m sure those of them that participated in both competitions will tow the line of my reasoning.”

“We did not only win the Olympics gold, we also played entertaining football. All the countries; everybody that came to watch our games, accepted the fact that Nigerian team was the best.

Before we left for Atlanta, people doubted our ability after losing to Togo by 3-0 in a friendly game. We did not only go to the Olympics as dreamers but we turned the dream to reality.”

The Olympian said he would always recall the moment Nigeria defeated the Argentines in the final with nostalgia. “I was proud to be an African; we wanted to be champions forever and when we arrived the country the atmosphere was unforgettable. People came out in their thousands to welcome us at the airport and it was as if that moment should last forever. But then, celebration must end one day,” an elated Dosu added.

On why most Super Eagles players are not playing for top European teams unlike in the past when Nigerians could boast of players in big teams in Europe, Dosu said, “Generations differ; our own generation is different from this generation and we have different mentality to the game.

If you look at this generation of players, they may not be playing in the best clubs but they are still playing regularly in their clubs.

Some of them are playing in the English Premiership, which is the toughest league in the world. We

Bonfere Jo carried shoulder high after Nigeria's victory in Atlanta '96

have the best legs that can play for this country, but the most important thing is the individual character and determination of the players. It does not really matter where they are playing. A player may be a reserve in his team but when called upon to play for his national team, you will marvel at his performance and start asking yourself why he is not playing regularly for his team. It all depends on the players’ attitude towards the national team. If players have the right attitude towards the green-white-green shirt they will surely do well not minding where they plying their trade.”

The former Julius Berger goal tender is of the opinion that Nigeria should stop crying over the fact that the country is in a difficult group for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, noting that any country that wanted to win a championship must be ready to face any opposition.

He said, “To be the best, you have to beat the best. So, Nigeria cannot expect to be in Niger Republic’s group and expect to be called the best, being drawn in the same group with Zambia, Cameroon and Algeria should bring out the best in us.

“If you want to win the World Cup, you must be ready to beat the likes of Brazil and Argentina at

any stage. But if you are lucky to play them at the beginning, why don’t you oust them from the championship.

During the Atlanta `96 Olympics, we had the opportunity of eliminating

There is no doubting the fact that Nigeria could boast of a lot of talented players during the 1994 Mundial but I don’t really see what the team achieved. I believe our feat in Atlanta was the best achievement ever by any of our national teams in the country.The Olympics is the next competition to the World Cup in FIFA`s calendar and Nigeria is the first African country to win the competition.That’s not a small achievement by any standard.

Maybe if you ask some of the players that played in 1994 and were not part of the Olympics they might have a different view. I’m sure those of them that participated in both competitions will tow the line of reasoning.”

32

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

GLOBAL SOCCER

Alexis Sanches celebrating a goal last season

Arsenal Face Tricky Hull City Test After starting the season on a horrible note, Arsenal finally found some momentum with two back to back wins to move up the table and against newly promoted Hull City; the Gunners are in for a tricky test

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ewly-promoted side Hull City are set to take on the challenge of perennial contenders Arsenal at the KC Stadium today having enjoyed a great start to their English top flight campaign with two

straight wins.

However, they are now beginning to feel the quality of opponents in the Premier League as they had been winless in their last two outings. Their most recent match was a 1-1 draw with fellow newly-promoted squad Burnley on the road at the Turf Moor last Saturday.

The draw put Hull City at the eighth spot of the current league table, tied on points and goal difference with Arsenal, but the Gunners are just ahead in goals scored to snag the seventh spot.

Meanwhile, Arsenal is the exact opposite of Hull as they gained their second straight win after a 2-1 nipping of Southampton at the Emirates Stadium also last Saturday.

An own goal by legendary shot stopper Petr Cech opened the scoring for the

Saints at the 18th minute, but it was all the visitors could do in the match as manager Arsene Wenger's side netted the next two goals to come away with the victory.

French defender Laurent Koscielny scored at the 29th minute to equalize before Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla netted the winner in stoppage time to hand the Gunners another three points in the overall standings.

The inclusion of Skhodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez is expected to slowly improve things at the Gunners camp.

Last weekend, Manchester United were blitzed in the opening half-hour of the Manchester derby, going 2-0 down to an inspired City side and never managing to get back on level terms to earn a point.

United will have faced Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa League only three days earlier, but they cannot afford to be anything but their best away to an excellent Watford side.

Walter Mazzarri's men were ruthless coming back from two goals down to beat West Ham United 4-2 away last time out, with their key men from last season— Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney, both back

on the scoresheet.

Given his immense experience in the Premier League, Mourinho will understand the importance of getting three points on Sunday against a perceived weaker side and getting back on track after the City defeat.

United beat Watford in both Premier League clashes last term and have looked a much better side already under Mourinho than under former boss Louis van Gaal, and they should pick up three points at Vicarage Road given the quality now in their squad.

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City take on AFC Bournemouth. The Citizens will be high on confidence after winning the Manchester derby last week.

Meanwhile, Everton will look to continue their unbeaten run to start the season as they square off with newly-promoted team Middlesbrough at the Goodison Park.

Everton opened the season with a 1-1 draw on the road with last season's third-place squad Tottenham

Hotspur. Since then, the team is on a three-game winning streak and it seems like new head coach Ronald Koeman's side is just beginning to show their best form this term.

Their most recent match was a 3-0 thrashing of lowly squad Sunderland AFC at the Stadium of Light.

Highly sought-after Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku was the man of the match as he went berserk in the second half and unleashed a hat trick.

The hosts just had no answer for the Chelsea and Manchester United target as he found the back of 22-yearold goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's net three times in a span of about 11 minutes.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough was nipped by middling team Crystal Palace, 1-2, in their game last Saturday at the Riverside Stadium.

The defeat snapped the three-game unbeaten run of head coach Aitor Karanka's boys as they are now at risk of losing two straight games as they face a highly-motivated Toffees side this weekend.

September 17, 2016 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

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43

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER •SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

WITH

MARKET PLACE

OMOLABAKE FASHOGBON 08033621009

L-R: Representative of Managing Director of ARM Pensions, Mr. Tunji Olabode; Head Third Party, Integrated Personnel Payroll Instruction System, (IPPIS) Hajiya Asama’au Mustapha; Head, Research Unit, National Pension Commission Abuja,Dr. Farouk Aminu; and Representative of Compliance Department ,ARM Pensions ,Mr. Shola Akiola, during ARM Pensions desk officers forum in Abuja. recently

L-R: Snr. VP, Vendor Development at Jumia,Mr. Shobhit Pandey; Managing Director, Kolia Angel, Mrs. Nkoli Unachuwku; and Alcatel Sales Manager, Mr. Adeola Awesola at the Alcatel Partners Forum held in Lagos recently

Lagos Strikes $75m German Deal Nigeria’s commercial nerve center, Lagos, has defied economy recession as it is set to house a $75million German manufacturing firm which will commence operations soonest.

The company, Knauf Group, which produces building and construction tools, is expected to generate 25,000 direct employments upon completion and automatically boost the economy

of Lagos State.

According to a member of the Knauf Group Management Committee, Isabel Knauf, the firm which presently has about 23 training centres globally where it imparts new skills and knowledge to no fewer than14,000 people annually was interested in doing same in Lagos with the plan to train at least 800 Nigerians in the first phase.

The proposed training centre in Lagos Knauf said would cost about two million Euros to establish and would focus on drilling, architecture, civil engineering and craftsmanship and how to technically install their products.

Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode who supported the business with land space for the training centre expressed delight and optimism

More Entrepreneurs Turn Air Peace Commences Flights to Benin to MMM for Respite Although there has been series of warnings from concerned bodies and more recently from the Securities Exchange Commission, SEC, on the suspected illusiveness of a Russian Ponzi Scheme, MMM, which was introduced to the country recently, Nigerians seem not to be discouraged.

Market Place observed that many entrepreneurs, especially the youth have resorted to the virtual investment scheme described as pyramid scheme by financial analysts to gain financial edge as well as building their businesses.

The MMM according to information on its website, is a mutual aid programme which provide financial help on the principle of gratuitousness, reciprocity and benevolence.

Registered members help each other by providing a certain sum of money (as ordered by the operator) and such paid amount is expected to yield a 30 per cent increase at the end of the month.

In a chat with a registered member who simply identified himself as Ezekiel, he hinted that he had made quite a lot of fortune from the arrangement and urged many others to follow suit considering the present economy situation .He added that he was not discouraged and not surprised by the rising antagonising write-ups and media hypes against the scheme as he believed that they were being sponsored by financial institutions in the country who may not have been favoured and threatened by the programme.

However, the SEC had through its website issued a warning to Nigerians to distance themselves from the scheme which it said was fraudulent.

“The commission hereby notifies the investing public that the operation of this investment scheme has no tangible business model hence it’s a Ponzi scheme, where returns are paid from other people’s invested sum. Also, its operation is not registered by the commission.

“We therefore advise the general public to distance themselves from the online scheme. Please note that anyone that subscribes to this illegal activity does so at his or her own risk”, SEC warned in a statement.

Privately-owned indigenous airline, Air Peace, has extended its business to Benin, in Edo State to cater for travelers on that route.

The latest move by the airline will break long-time monopoly on the route, thus availing air travelers more options.

At the maiden trip of the airline to Benin Airport, passengers were treated to a wow experience even as they pledged their continued loyalty to the brand.

Speaking on behalf of the passengers, Mrs. Elizabeth Ohonba said that her acquaintance with the airline allayed her fear of flying locally and commended the company on the development which she said would put an end to the monopoly enjoyed by the

few operators on the route.

According to Air Peace Chairman, Chief Allen Onyema, the airline would continue to thrive even when the business appeared to be unattractive, adding that he was committed to ensuring that the brand sustained its exceptional service delivery it was known for.

It would be recalled that the airline made an entry into the nation’s aviation industry in 2014 with a strong presence in Enugu, Calabar, Owerri, Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and now Benin.

Another feather was added to its cap recently when it was granted permit by the Federal government to fly international destinations including China and West Africa Sub region.

Alcatel to Dominate Smartphone Market Chinese phone maker, Alcatel, is set to call the shots in the mobile phone market having launched a new technology to usher in its second year of operating in the Nigeria market.

The Information Communication Technology, ICT Company that hosted its partners in the country recently, for the purpose of appraising its market performance in the last one year and to strategise for the coming year announced that its innovations coming on board would drive more sales and interest in the brand.

According to the company’s Regional Director in Nigeria and Central Africa, Nick Imudia, the firm had decided to meet with its partners and distributors as a way of appreciating them and also, reinforce its relationship with them as well as the market at large.

Imudia added, “We are proud to inform you that one year down the line, Alcatel is growing to be the smartphone brand of choice in Nigeria and we are continually delivering on our promise to make premium experience affordable to our customers.

“We strive to innovate and differentiate ourselves from our competitors by giving consumers extra features that not only set them apart in terms of design and style but also helps to achieve more. Some of these features include the DJ feature on the Alcatel Pop Star and the finger print recognition on the Alcatel Pop 4s which allows for locking of individual applications with the finger.

At every price point, we offer a lot more for less.”

Alcatel Nigeria Sales Manager, Adeola Awesola said Nigeria took the partners through a product demonstration session where special features of the devices currently in the market were highlighted. He also provided them an insight into the company’s technological and product direction for the coming year.

Partners represented at the forum included operators such as Airtel, MTN and Smile Networks, while distributors and retailers included TD Mobile, Midcom and Slot. Others included Dallas, Kolia Angel, Something Else, JJ Phones as well as McDorsey Limited, Alcatel Nigeria’s official care and after-sales partner.

at the initiative which to him was a positive indicator for the state in the face of economic woes.

The Knauf Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of modern insulation materials, dry lining systems, plasters and accessories, thermal insulation composite systems, paints, floor screed, floor systems, as well as construction equipment and tools.

La Casera Fetes Partners Indian-owned beverage firm, La Casera Company Plc, has expressed gratitude to its loyal partners as it treated them to a boat cruise forum recently.

The beverage company which is gradually warming its way back into the heart of consumers said its action was informed by the roles played by the dealers at ensuring that its products remained relevant and favoured in the market.

Managing Director of the company, Mr. Roland Ebelt said, “This is our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to our dealers. Their support and continuous patronage over the years has elevated the brand’s visibility and presence, putting us in hands and homes we possibly could not have reached; and by this, have ensured that our brand remains a leader in the carbonated soft drink market.

“Better days are ahead for all our dealers, as the company would be rolling out several incentives and product discount schemes which would help make their partnership more rewarding.”

Speaking on behalf of the dealers, Mr. Dipo Disu commended the organisation for its continuous support and endearing attitude.

“This partnership is definitely a promising one, as the brand keeps getting better each year,” he said.

Dealers also went home with fantastic prizes such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, refrigerators, smart television sets among others.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

PERSPECTIVE

Transport and Maritime Appointments: When Will the South-west be Considered?

Olusegun George

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f there is one area the government of President Mohammadu Buhari has been criticised, it is in the area of appointments which many people think, either rightly or wrongly, to be unfairly tilted in favour of the North and Muslims. Many have listed appointments, especially in the security sector as well as the economic sector, which have favoured the North, especially the North-east, since the inception of this government. They usually point to such appointments like that of the director-general of the Department of State Security, DSS, that of the chief of army staff as well as that of the National Security Adviser, NSA. Now, are these appointments skewed, truly, in favour of the North-east? May be. But that is as far as the argument goes because that is equally neither here nor there. The argument has been that each geo-political zone in the country has enough and capable hands that could be called upon to serve there fatherland. Perhaps, the North-east is having preponderance in the estimation of the president.

However, there are particular areas which many are of the opinion that a particular zone, the South-west, has not had a fair deal as far as appointments are concerned.

And those sectors are the transport sector and the maritime sector. Strategically, these are sectors which have the bulk of the operations in the South-west, Lagos to be precise. But the zone, either by accident or design, has not been fairly represented in the management of these critical sectors in terms of appointments. Another sector that could be pointed to is the financial sector. For instance, the sector has its major

operations in Lagos but a parastatal like the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, which regulates the sector, does not have a single person in its management from the South-west. And when we are talking of management staff, we are talking of executive directors that draw salaries every month. What the zone has been able to have in the last ten years were probably commissioners who only earn sitting allowances.

That is a digression, anyway. The crux of this article is the composition of the management of the transport and maritime sectors. Will the South-west ever get a fair deal as far as these sectors are concerned?

Perhaps, someone close to the top echelons of power might have to answer that question. Let it be known that the aim of this article is not to whip up any ethnic sentiment or question the integrity, either professional or personal, of those who have been appointed to these positions. It is just to highlight the need for those in authority to balance the act and ensure that the zone has a fair deal in the running of these sectors.

Let us look at the Shippers’ Council. They are the body responsible for fixing freight rates. That is not all. Part of their roles is also to help bring down our freight rates to compete with other ports. It is a known fact that ports of neighbouring countries like Togo and Benin Republic are reaping billions of dollars off Nigeria due to the fact that many Nigerians prefer to route their import, especially cars, through these ports. Government has also made them the economic regulator of the maritime sector.

The current executive secretary of the Council, Freeborn Okhiria, was acting for one year and was made substantive in 2013 and has spent four years. The implication of this is that the position if up for ‘grabs’.

Rotimi Amaechi Ironically, the former boss there was one Engr. Sijuade, who was relieved of his position. To have a better appreciation of how the South-west has not been represented, perhaps, it is important to look at these positions and those manning them. This becomes even instructive because the head of NIMASA, Peterside, is from Rivers State, just like Okhiria.

The Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, is headed by Hadiza Bala Usman from Kano State and none of the executive directors is from the South-west. Mohammed Bello is the Executive Director for finance while Prof. Idris Abubakar is the Executive Director in charge engineering and Dr. Sekonte Davies is the Executive Director for marine operations.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Security Agency, NIMASA, is headed by the former All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside, while the Nigerian Inland Waterways, NIWA, Boss Mustapha, a northerner and for the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, it is Hassan Bello. The Nigerian Maritime Academy, NMA, in Oron, used to have Joshua Okpo who died December 8, 2015. The new Rector is Anthony Anayo Ishiodu. For the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, is headed by Engr. Saleh Dunoma, another northerner while the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, is headed by Captain Mukhtar Usman, another northerner.

In all these positions, none is headed by a South-westerner and these are agencies whose operations are being carried out majorly in the zone. Some concerned leaders of thought had met a national leader from the zone recently who seems to have the ears of those in authority. Their concern was that the economic opportunities of having some indigenes of the zone in controlling positions in any of these places cannot be over-emphasised. The leader was said to have listened to them and has reported made contacts with the minister of transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

Now, the onus is on the minister, known for his belief that the zone contributed immensely to the emergence of the president and should be adequately represented in the government. More so, these positions are not subject to Senate approval. They are filled via presidential fiat.

Will Amaechi right these wrongs? History is watching and Nigerians are waiting.

–George wrote in from Lagos

Edo Guber: The Option Before Edo People Osadolor Omoregie

D

eliberately, the APC governorship candidate in the Edo State election, Mr.Godwin Obaseki, is being positioned as a ‘’technocrat’’ by some political elite, who had consistently made attempts to sell him to the electorate for the coming election.

By the tag ‘’technocrat’’, they assume that Obaseki is cerebrate, hard-head, determined, deep, detail-oriented, uncompromising and no-nonsense in approach.

And because technocrat intellectualises and focuses on finding the facts and the right way of doing things, these seeming political jobbers believe Obaseki could without difficulty find solutions to the present socio-political and economic crises that the out-going governor, Adams Oshiomhole, is about to leave behind----even when it is known to everybody that Obaseki had played a huge role in the present sorry state of Edo State, as the Head of the Economic Team for nearly eight years.

Even Obaseki himself bragged with the technocrat’s tag recently. ‘’As an investment banker of 30 years standing, I have helped create wealth and jobs for many organisations, and with the experience I have garnered in the last eight years of working with the governor, I believe that I have all it takes to be the driver of Edo’s economic revolution’’, Obaseki stated recently.

But, what really qualifies Obaseki as a technocrat? In spite of the fact that his academic qualification is still doubtful, Obaseki had claimed he graduated from University of Ibadan with a Bachelor Degree in Classic Studies; served as Managing Director of

Gov. Oshiomhole Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited, and served as its Chairman of the Board until June 2016.

Mr. Obaseki also claimed he founded SecTrust, the predecessor company to Afrinvest; and a Fellow of the Nigerian Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers.

But, the question is not about whether he served in those companies or not, but how successfully did he manage those companies.

Information recently released by the apex regulatory agency of the capital market, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), show that the Afrinvest became insolvent under the management of Obaseki---as Chief

executive officer.

In fact, Afrinvest had acknowledged that the firm’s trading privileges were suspended at the opening of business on January 18, 2011 by the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) due to non-compliance with the minimum capital requirements. And as a result of the suspension, the firm had been unable to execute any trades instructed to it by clients since January 18, 2011. Many investors were said to have lost billions of naira as a result of the poor management of the firm, which later led to the sack of Obaseki as CEO of Afrinvest.

Many aggrieved investors, who suffered huge lose had described Afrinvest under the leadership of Obaseki as clueless about how to offer their clients legitimate services.

As Head of Economic Team of Edo State Government for over seven and a half years, Obaseki was seen as the brainbox of Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole-led government. The governor himself had admitted that many times. When the government was sworn in nearly eight years ago, the hope of the average Edo people was justifiably raised to the zenith. As former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, many had believed that one of their own----Oshiomhole, who knows exactly how things should work, had been thrown up by providence as governor.

But, today, those high hopes have far dimmed----as depression and hunger have been the lot of many Edo people. The local debt profile of Edo State under Oshiomholeled APC government, has galloped from N4 Billion in 2007 to over N700 billion in 2016, plus $242million foreign debt.

Insiders in the government had said that the road and school rehabilitation, which would have been to the credit of the Oshiomhole administration, had been turned to channels for looting the state blind.

For example, they said the Airport Road, a

non-coastal road, was constructed at N1.5 billion per kilometre—a road without a single bridge.

What more? They said that the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) had been turned into a cesspool of fraud and corruption where mere rehabilitation of a classroom block costs as much as N500 million; and Local government Councils and pensioners are currently being owed 12 to 18 months salaries.

Obaseki has been bragging that his role as the Head of Economic Team under Oshiomhole-led administration had repositioned the state for economic growth; but experts have always agreed that some characteristics, which are typically associated with economic development include, low levels of poverty, of hunger and malnutrition, of serious infectious diseases, of homelessness, of crime, of corruption and high levels of income, of consumption, of saving and investment, of employment universal access to social safety nets for the unemployed and people on low incomes, to primary and secondary education, to healthcare services, to good public services etc. So, what informs Obaseki’s bragging?

In fact, a recent report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said that more than 3.6 million Nigerians had been rendered unemployed since APC assumed office over a year ago, with Edo State occupying a very high position. When Governor Oshiomhole assumed office in 2008 --- with APC governorship candidate, Obaseki as the Head of Economic Team, he promised to create 100,000 jobs in each year of his administration, meaning that 800,000 new jobs would have been created over eight years.

–Omoregie writes from Upper Sakpoba, Benin-City

Read full article online: www.thisdaylive.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

47

PERSPECTIVE

Buhari’s Statement on PDP/Biafra Curious, Misleading Femi Fani-kayode

T

here are two statements that President Buhari made in the last few days that I find curious and misleading. I have read them over and over again and I am left with no other conclusion than the fact that we have a President that has no recollection of history.

Firstly he said that the PDP governments that were in power for 16 years before him had achieved nothing and had “left nothing” for him in terms of development.

Secondly he said that the Igbo people of south eastern Nigeria that are agitating for the sovereign state of Biafra should “forget it”.

Permit me to begin with the latter and my response is as follows: Mr. President, you are right when you say that a war was fought in which two million people were killed just to keep Nigeria one.

Yet the cause of that war and the reasons that it had to be fought in the first place are still very much with us and have not been resolved or even addressed.

Worst still, the barbaric acts of savagery that provoked it still occur on a daily basis in our country.

You seem to have forgotten that the catalyst for the war was the fact that over 100,000 innocent and defenceless Igbo civilians, including women and children, were murdered in cold blood in a series of well-planned and well-executed pogroms in the north.

If you want the Igbo or any other southerner to stay and if you want Nigeria to remain one then you must treat us all as equals, offer our children and our people equal opportunities.

In addition to that, you must defeat, destroy and dismantle Boko Haram, decommission Fulani militias whom you call

President Buhari herdsmen and put a stop to the marginalisation, intimidation, threats, genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass murder of our people.

You must also desist from implementing a contrived and ill-motivated economic policy whose primary objective is to pauperise and impoverish the Nigerian people and bring them to their knees and whose purpose is to ensure that no individual or group of people has the resources and means to fight you and to stop you from coming back in 2019.

It is after you have done all these things that you can make a passionate appeal to us for the continued unity of Nigeria. And please bear in mind that it must be an appeal and not a demand. There must not even be a whiff of the usual threats or intimidating words.

To President Buhari’s assertion that

sixteen years of PDP-rule “left him with nothing”, I say it is manifestly dishonest and by saying this he has inflicted what William Shakespeare describes as “the unkindest cut of all”.

I say this because if one considers the state of the country in 1999 when President Olusegun Obasanjo took over and compare it to what it was in 2007 when he left office, one will have no choice but to concede the fact that this was not just development but a miraculous transformation in every single sector. That is what Obasanjo managed to achieve and I am very proud to have been part of that government and part of that legacy.

After Obasanjo left President Umaru Yar’ Adua took over and after his passing came President Goodluck Jonathan.

As far as I am concerned Jonathan built on Obasanjo’s legacies and foundation and he took us to yet another level.

If you compare Nigeria in 2015 by the time Jonathan left to 1999 before Obasanjo came in, you will have to thank the PDP for lifting this nation up and taking us from strength to strength.

By the time Jonathan left office in 2015, Nigeria had the largest economy on the African continent, the 24th largest economy on earth and the third fastest growing economy in the world, among many other things. And Jonathan managed to achieve all that whilst fighting a civil war in the north east against a relentless enemy.

Sadly, in one year, and three months all of those gains have been destroyed by President Buhari and his APC and we are now back in the dark ages.

Every sector in the country has been destroyed whilst poverty, misery, tears and suffering stalk the land.

All hope appears to have been lost and virtually everyone, including many of those that supported Buhari and helped to bring him to power, are murmuring and complaining.

The truth is that President Buhari has brought nothing but poverty, incompetence, fascism, ethnic cleansing, recession, abuse of power, persecution, genocide, chaos, destruction, division, fear, death, shame and the gnashing of teeth to Nigeria.

Finally the President would do well to remember that a large number of people that supported him in his quest to become President in last year’s election were all originally from the PDP. This is whether they were PDP Governors, PDP Ministers or PDP legislators who decamped to the APC. No less than 70 percent of the people that helped to put Buhari in power used to be in the PDP including President Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, former Speakers of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, Aminu Masari and Umar Ghali Na’aba, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Governor of Kaduna State Nasir El- Rufai, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Minister of Transport and former Governor of Rivers state Rotimi Amaechi, former Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Segun Oni, Danjuma Goje, Aliyu Wammakko, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Murtala Nyako, George Akume, Senate Leader Ali, former PDP National Chairmen Barnabas Gemade and Audu Ogbeh and many others.

When Buhari insults the PDP legacy and says that nothing was ever done by the PDP in 16 years, he is insulting the 70 per cent of his support base and people that put him in power starting from Obasanjo. I think that this is most unfair and very ungrateful of him.

We leave it to Obasanjo and Buhari’s other new-found friends, political associates and allies to take up the challenge, to rise up to the occasion, to educate the President and to defend their own history, legacy and record in public office.

WorldPensionSummit:RallyingPlatformforanEconomyinRecession?

Usman El-Amin

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or an economy in recession, the World Pension Summit ‘Africa Special’ (WPS-AS), which kicks off in Abuja for in a matter of days, is a veritable platform to strengthen African pensions industries, but an opportunity to strengthen the faith of investors in our economy and build partnerships to stimulate the economy. Themes “Pension Innovations: The African Perspective”, is an opportunity that must be grabbed with both hands.

The WPS-AS, an annual specialized summit, was hosted by Nigeria and indeed Africa for the first time in July 2014 on the fringes of the 10th anniversary of Pension Reforms in Nigeria, thanks to the innovative and proactive leadership of the National Pension Commission.

Meanwhile, this year’s Africa Special Summit also heralds the 7th World Pension Summit on managing rising risks, which holds in the Netherlands in November this year. A statement by the WPS Chairman, Harry Smorenberg, says “Key risks are on the rise; along with new economic realities and a rapid investment climate, Pension Funds and insurers have to rethink their strategies to secure adequacy, sustainability and integrity for their participants”. He could not have put it better.

For Nigeria, the official pronouncement by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that Nigeria’s economy has gone into recession, for the first time in over 25 years is bad news and risk. Experts warn that the country could slide into full depression if urgent steps are not taken to address this situation. President Muhammadu Buhari has lifted the spirit of the nation in his Eid-el Kabir message by assuring that his administration was to re-launch the nation on the path to economic recovery.

Chinelo Anohu-Amazu Therefore, the Africa Pension Summit could not have come at a better time. The 2016 Pension Summit, like the 2014 and 2015 editions, will bring together more 500 professionals, government functionaries, and policy makers, pension fund administrators, and investors, among others, from more than 45 countries across continents.

It is cheering that foreign professionals and investors are coming into Nigeria on this platform at a time those on ground are said to be leaving the country. It, therefore, presents an opportunity for the government to inspire the confidence of Nigerians and foreign investors in our economy so as to attract more partnerships and investments towards infrastructural development.

The WPS-AS provides a great platform for exchange of ideas, especially for Nigeria, on how to further secure pension assets, tighten compliance, and move the country forward through the investment of pension funds in

infrastructure and other critical sectors of the economy as we.

Following the recession, government needs to urgently spend more on infrastructure to bridge the infrastructural gap, forestall a full-blown depression, and push for economic recovery. PENCOM has said it plans to invest 40 percent (about 2.32 trillion) of the pension funds in infrastructure and sustainable investments such as railways, power, agriculture and real estate,by 2019 as part of its five-year strategy to enhance inclusive growth and generate better value for contributors. This will help stimulate the nation’s economic development, job creation, and economic sustenance.

PENCOM’s stringent regulation has ensured a robust growth of the pension funds from about 2 trillion deficits over the years to about N5.8 trillion as at July, 2016 such that both local and foreign PFA’s are scrambling to either invest in or buy over the Pension Fund Administrators (PFA’s). Thus, in spite of the recession, pension funds are growing in geometric progression and foreign investor’s interests in our pension system is expanding.

Non-remittance of pension funds is another problem that needs to be addressed to ensure that more pension funds are injected into the economy. Employers who deduct pension funds, but do no remit are not only engaging in financial crime and stealing, but are also doing harm to our economy by withholding funds that are meant to be deployed to stimulate economic growth; hence the current partnership between the EFCC and the PENCOM to clampdown on non-remitters of pension funds is a good initiative. And with the strong political will shown by President Muhammadu Buhari to war against corruption, PENCOM and the EFCC has no reason to fail in this renewed effort to ensure compliance with Pension Laws and that defaulters are brought to book.

This way, we can ensure that more funds will be available for infrastructural development

and economic investments.

Experts agree that strict adherence to the rule of law will help engineer investment inflow into the country. Pension funds management and investment is one of the best-regulated sectors of our economy.

What the principled and tough stance of the PENCOM leadership has done through effective regulation is to restrain corruption in the pension industry. This has greatly inspired investors’ confidence and ensured that pension funds meant for investments and the payment of pensioners retirement benefits are not frittered away. Other government bodies must embrace the PENCOM regulatory model in order to help our nation chart a new trajectory to economic growth and development.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, recently admitted that Nigeria is in her worst possible time and that government cannot deceive itself that all is well.

She acknowledged that one of the ways the country could get out of recession is diversification of the economy and investment in capital projects. According to her, “What’s happening in the Niger Delta has dragged down the GDP of the entire country. We are too dependent on oil, whereas 87 percent of our GDP is non-oil. So let us drive other areas”.

I agree with the Minister on the need to drive other areas of the economy and PENCOM’S “Africa Special” Summit provides a unique opportunity to leverage Nigeria’s fast growing pension funds for real sector development. Presently, out of the 10 countries with the world’s best pension systems, there is no African country on the list.

While the 7th Pension Summit is holding in Europe, we are just having the 3rd in Africa.

It tells a lot about our underdevelopment.

But today, Nigeria is leading the change in Africa through PENCOM.

Read full article online: www.thisdaylive.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 WITH

MARITIME BITS

JOHN IWORI 08057763164

L-R: President of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) and Chief Executive Officer of the STARZS Group, Mr. Greg Utomwen Ogbeifun and his wife, Christy shortly he received the African Leadership Award presented to him

by All Africa Students Union (AASU) in Port Harcourt…recently

L-R: Executive Director, Human Resources and Administration, SIFAX Group, Dr. Fola Rogers-Saliu; Acting Managing Director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, Alhaji Mohammed Bulangu; Deputy Managing Director/Chief Risk Officer, Diamond Bank Plc, Caroline Anyanwu; Sales Executive, DHL Global Forwarding, Adeyemi Olusegun, during the Diamond Bank/DHL global forwarding business and investment assessment tour of the facilities of Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited in Lagos...recently

Terminal Operators Fret over FG Insistence to Collect Levies in Dollar Terminal operators in the country are fretful over the insistence of the Federal Government to collect all its dues, levies and debts in the United States of American dollars.

The terminal operators under the auspices of the Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) asked the Federal Government to consider them paying all the dues, levies and pending debts in Naira instead of the USA dollars as it has been the practice over the years.

Citing the downturn in the economy, scarcity of foreign exchange, low cargo throughput and vessels traffic in Nigerian ports as result of the low price of crude oil in the international

market in the last two years, the terminal operators who are the concessionaires in the nation’s seaports argued that payment of their dues, levies and debts in Naira rather than the USA dollars would help them to break even.

To ensure that they succeed in their plans, the concessionaires who took over the day-to-day running of the nation’s seaports following the conclusion of the port concession programme in 2006 by the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) lobbied those who have the listening ears of the President Mohammadu’s administration.

The sudden change in the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) which led to the removal of its Managing Director,

FG Dashes Hope of Regional Maritime Bank Promoters The Federal Government has dashed the hope of the promoters of the Regional Maritime Development Bank (RMDB) as it said it was not ready to put a kobo investment into the financial institution.

The RMDB was being promoted under the auspices of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) in order to address the peculiar funding needs in the maritime industry of member countries, especially in the West and Central Africa Sub-Regions.

The approval for Nigeria to host RMDB headquarters was taken came at the 13th General Assembly of MOWCA in Dakar, Senegal in July 2008. The late President Umaru Yardua also gave it approval in February 2009. As if this was not enough, RMDB also got further backing through a resolution of the 14th General Assembly of MOWCA in August 2011 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The bank project is a sub-regional initiative supported by multilateral agencies as the European Bank, World Bank and ADB. With its headquarters slated for Abuja, Nigeria, the Federal Government was expected to play a major role in the provision of the take-off grant for its establishment.

Over the years, however, successive administrations in Nigeria have not gone beyond the rhetoric in the take-off of the financial institution, making not a few to wonder what has become the dream of the founding fathers of the regional international organisation.

There are insinuations in some quarters that since Nigeria is no longer ready to fund the establishment of the RMDB headquarters which conceded to Nigeria should be relinquish to another member country in MOWCA. It was against this backdrop that Nigeria stated that it is no longer keen in the establishment of RMDB as her economy cannot bear the cost its funding.

Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Right Hon. Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi stated Nigeria’s position on the establishment of the RMDB in Accra, Ghana, at the just concluded two days African Ports Evolution(APE) Conference with theme: “ West Africa’s Port Development : A Key Driver To Unlocking The Regions’ Economic Potentials And Global Competitiveness”.

Alhaji Habib Abdullahi, among other factors however put a spanner in the works.

Already, Abdullahi’s successor, Ms. Hadiza Usman who is regarded as an outsider in the murky politics in the Nigeria’s maritime industry is toeing a different line as she has continued to insist that since the concessionaires collect the money for their services in USA dollars they must also pay in USA dollars.

The Federal Government insistence to collect its dues, levies and debts in USA dollars is already taking its toll on the concessionaires, with the hardest hit being the operator of Africa’s largest container port in Apapa, Lagos, APM Terminal Limited.

NCS Rakes in Highest Revenue in 10 Months The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated the highest revenue in the last 10 months as it rake in N95, 760, 763, 642.04 alone in August 2016.

Apparently excited by the development, the Customs High Command Public Relations Unit which has Alhaji Adewale Adeniyi, an Assistant Comptroller (AC) as its head said that the amount generated by the service in August remains the highest the government agency has recorded in the last ten months.

“Last month, August 2016, the service recorded the highest revenue in 10 years despite the forex difficulty, low imports and general economic downturn. The service generated N95, 760,763, 642.04, a feat that points to the efficacy of the Comptroller General’s policy thrust”, the unit said in the website accessed by THISDAY. It stated that the strong stance of the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Colonel Ibrahim Hammed Ali (retired) on issues of discipline, integrity and strict adherence to Customs Codes and Clearance procedures is

yielding positive results in the areas of suppression of smuggling and revenue collection. Continuing, the unit said: “Col. Hammed Ibrahim Ali (retired) on assumption of office as the Comptroller General of Customs August last year arrived with a three prone presidential mandate, namely reform, restructure and raise revenue. To achieve these, he drew his policy thrust, which harped, on honesty, integrity and transparency as bases for achieving the mandate.

Starting from the headquarters and then to all Customs formations across the country.

“Knowing that reform and restructuring are activities within the Nigeria Customs Service, while raising the much needed revenue requires cooperation and compliance on the part of stakeholders, the CGC embarked on stakeholders visitations to secure their buy into the new way of doing business with the service.

After one year at the helm of affairs, the Nigeria Customs Service, revenue generation profile has continued to be on the rise”.

More Woes for Lekki Port as FG Unveils Plans to Sell 20% Equity The decision of the Federal Government to divest from the multibillion naira Lekki deep seaport project has thrown the promoters off balance just as they fret over its future.

The completion date of the project which had experienced several setbacks before it reached the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) stage has been shifted more than once.

The Federal Government had recently announced its plans to sell off its 20 per cent equity holding in the project which is aimed at developing Lagos Free Trade Zone, Lekki, Lagos.

While the Federal Government holds 20 per cent equity in the project, representing, $118 million; the Lagos State Government holds 18.5 per cent; and the Tolaram Group which has its headquarters in Singapore

has 61.5 per cent.

The Minister of Transportation, Right Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi who spoke on behalf of the Federal Government disclosed this on the side line of a two day conference of the African Ports Evolution (APE) exhibition which took place recently in Accra, Ghana.

Giving an insight into the decision of the President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration, he stated that while other deep seaports are being developed independent of the Federal Government, it will be wrong for the government to take up equity interest in the Lekki Free Trade Zone. He cited the Badagry deep seaport development, where the promoters have earmarked $2.2 billion for its development without the involvement of the Federal Government.

The operator which is one of the numerous subsidiaries of Danish port operator and logistics giant, AP Moeller Maersk Group is said to be at loggerhead with NPA on its debt running into several millions of USA dollars.

APM Terminal Limited was said to owe NPA about $265,584,069.68 as lease fees and about $30,069.94 as throughput fees. As at press time, no one in NPA House, the corporate Headquarters of the authority , Marina, Lagos or at SOAN was willing to make any public statement on the war of attrition on who gets what, where, when and how in the Nigeria’s maritime industry.

MAN, Oron and the Quest for a new Rector The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State is in dire need of a rector. Two successive rectors of the academy which remains Nigeria’s only International Maritime Organization (IMO) recognized maritime training institution in the country had died in mysterious circumstances which has created a leadership vacuum that has left the school like a ship without a captain for almost a year now.

The rector of the academy, Dr. Joshua Enun Okpo died in an hospital in Abuja on December 8, 2015 after a brief illness that sent tongues wagging as it was not to public knowledge that he was sick prior to ill-fated trip to Abuja.

As if that was not bad enough, his successor, Dr. Anthony Anayo Isiodu who was appointed in acting capacity died a few months after his appointment by the Minister of Transportation, Right Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. Isiodu was asked to oversee the affairs of the institution pending the appointment of a new rector.

Okpo whose appointment as the acting rector of the academy was confirmed by the late President Musa Yar’adua had his tenure renewed for another four years by President Muhammadu Buhari. This was in July, 2015, but he died a five months after. Subsequently, Mr. Ante Mkpandiok was appointed the substantive registrar of MAN, Oron by Amaechi.

A week after Mkpandiok’s appointment, Amaechi assigned Isiodu, a Chief Lecturer in the academy as acting rector.

Unfortunately, Ishiodu died in July 2016 after a protracted illness in an Abuja hospital, after returning from a medical trip abroad. The fact that two successive rectors of the academy died in Abuja in quick succession has made not a few persons to read meanings to their death.

To say the least, the leadership vacuum in the academy has plunged the institution into a crisis that is gradually eroding the primary purpose for the establishment of the school over three decades ago.

For the past two months, the school is without a rector whether in acting or substantive capacity. This development is not good for the premier maritime training institution. The absent of substantive rector is causing bickering and instability in the academy. It is imperative for Amaechi to act fast by appointing a substantive rector to resume work at the school before the total breakdown of law and order.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

POLITY

Edo 2016: Why Edo Central May Reject APC As the 2016 governorship election in Edo State draws close, Solomon Ibharuneafe x-rays factors that may shape the choice of voters from Edo Central zone

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he Esan ethnic nationality in the Edo Central Senatorial district may not vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 28 governorship election in the state. The simple reason is a perceived marginalisation of the people by the Adams Oshiomhole government in terms of political appointments, and infrastructural development. For instance, out of 40 board appointments the administration made, only one was given to Edo Central. Of 215 special advisers, only 15 are from the zone. The position of Head of Service occupied by an Essan person was declared vacant when Oshiomhole removed the then occupant.

A cursory look at the appointments below indicates the alleged marginalisation: 1. Governor - Edo North 2. Deputy Governor - Edo South 3. Speaker EDHA - Edo South 4. Chief Judge - Edo South 5. SSG - Edo North 6. Head of Service - Edo North 7. Chief of Staff - Edo North 8. Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue - Edo North 9. NNDC Commissioner - Edo South 10. National Commissioner RMAFC - Edo North 11. Accountant General - Edo South 12. Executive Director, MDG - Edo South 13. MD, Rapid Response Agency - Edo North 14. MD, Edo City Transport Service - Edo South 15. Auditor General - Edo South 16. Executive General, ICT - Edo North 17. Director, Edo Liaison Office, Lagos - Edo South 18. Director, Edo Liaison Office, Abuja - Edo North 19. Security Adviser - Edo North 20. Government House Accountant - Edo North 21. Attorney General - Edo South 22. The Only Consultant in the State - Edo North 23. Solicitor General - Edo South 24. Chairman, House of Assembly Commission - Edo South 25. Chairman, State Civil Service Commission - Edo South 26. Chairman, Neighborhood Watch - Edo South 27. Chairman, Local Govt. Service Commission - Edo North 28. Chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education - Edo North 29. Chairman, Judicial Service Commission - Edo North 30. Chairman Oil and Gas Commission - Edo South 31. Chief press Secretary - Edo North 32. Chairman, Economic Team - Edo South 33. Principal Security Officer - Edo North 34. Chief Medical Officer - Edo North 35. MD Govt. House - Edo North

sities Commission (NUC There is also Chief Tony Anenih, a former Minister of Works, Chief Tom Ikimi, a one-time Minister of Foreign Affairs, Architect Mike Onolememen, a former Minister of Works. The list is unending and little wonder why the cry of marginalisation of the Esan nation is deafening under the government of Oshiomhole, which they worked so hard to bring to power.

At the flag-off of the PDP campaign in Uromi, the headquarters of Esan North East recently, Anenih, a former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP told the bewildered people that his presence at the rally in spite of his failing health underscored the direction Esan people were going. He said Esanland could not be extinguished

by Oshiomhole and his like. He accused Oshiomhole of denying Esan people of water when he (Anenih) personally sought and got approval from the Federal Government of former President Goodluck Jonathan to finance the water project in Ugbalo. According to him, the government committed N1.2 billion to the project but Oshiomhole has refused to release the N300 million counterpart funding.

Similarly, Ikimi, a chieftain of the PDP accused Oshiomhole of betraying Esan people, saying that Esanland must be rescued from his grip. According to the former minister of foreign affairs, Esanland was being threatened, adding that it was a threat to their heritage which must be collectively fought to triumph. Ikimi noted that an ethnic nationality with over 350,000 voters in the last INEC registration exercise was not a population that could be trampled upon by anybody. He called on all Esan sons and Pastor Ize-Iyamu daughters to vote out the APC in the coming election.

36. Chairman Post Pry Education Board - Edo Central Dan Orbih, the state chairman of the PDP also pointed 37. Recently, Governor Adams Oshiomhole out that the total neglect of Esanland by Oshiomhole was appointed the Vice Chancellor of Ambrose enough reason for the people to vote for the PDP. While Alli University, Ekpoma - Edo North presenting Pastor Ize-Iyamu as the PDP gubernatorial 38. Edo University, Iyamho - Edo North candidate, Orbih said Osagie would right the wrongs done 39. Tayo Akpata University of Education - Edo South to the Esan people.

As the clamour for the rejection of the APC and its Although Edo Central has the lowest population of candidate rages on, no fewer than 30 traditional rulers voters, it has produced great men and women who have from Esaland endorsed Ize-Iyamu at the palace of Ojuromi contributed in no small measure in reshaping the political of Uromi, His Royal Majesty, Anslem Eidenojie. The structure of the state and the nation at large. Of specific traditional rulers unanimously said Esan people had been mention are; Chief Tony Enahoro, a former Information made second-class citizens in a state they belong to. They Minister, who moved the motion for the independence of appealed to Ize-Iyamu to correct the imbalances once he Nigeria in the 1950s. Others are, late Admiral Augustus gets to office as the next executive governor of Edo State.

Aikhomu, who was a former Vice President of Nigeria in ––Ibharuneafe, a journalist and public affairs analyst the General Babaginda administration, Prof. Ambrose Alli, wrote from Lagos a former governor of defunct Bendel State: Tony Okpere, erstwhile Minister of Aviation, and Prof. Julius Okojie, the immeditae-past Executive Secretary of the National UniverRead full article online: www.thisdaylive.com

TRIBUTE

Bankole: Still Quintessential at 75 Shola Oyeyipo

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hough he talks little about his political pedigree, but Chief Alani Olayiwola Bankole, the father of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, has no doubt made significant impacts in the Nigerian political development in last 75 years of his life As a veteran politician and one of the foremost political figures in Yoruba land, Chief Alani Olayiwola Bankole, easily goes by the appellation, “father of the former Speaker’. He remains an iconic figure, who has paid his dues, made indelible impacts and written his name on the sands of time, as far as the Nigerian politics is concerned.

Certainly, he enjoys a rich history in the annals of Nigerian politics and reached the zenith at the point that his son, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole became the Speaker of the House of Representatives. But it would not be out of place to conclude that the former Speaker simply benefitted from his father’s political goodwill, savvy and sagacity.

He was a major player in the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and was the party’s governorship candidate in the 1979 and 1983 elections in Ogun State, but in 1983, he was later substituted with Chief Soji Odunjo, who defected from the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) after failing to win

UPN’s ticket. Still resolute on governing his state, Bankole took another unsuccessful shot at it in 1992 on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). He had joined the NRC in 1989.

He was among the 14 people that formed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later joined some other political elements from within and outside the PDP to form the All Peoples Party (APP) and became the national vice-chairman and subsequently, the acting national chairman of the party. He was also among the 12 people that formed the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He was a former national vice chairman and later former national chairman of the party.

In his political career, he was a bosom friend of late Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, the recently deceased lawyer, former Federal Commissioner for Internal Affairs who was later appointed as the Director General of the National Security Organisation (NSO) – the precursor to the Department of State Services (DSS) – under the Shehu Shagari administration.

Holder of prestigious titles of the Oluwo of Iporo Ake and Seriki Jagunmolu of Egbaland, Bankole is a strong pillar of support to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo. As one of the Egba kingmakers himself, he supported the emergence of the traditional ruler.

By every measure, the Egba chieftain is a successful businessman. He is reputed as

first person to start a freight company in the West African sub-region, Freight Agencies Nigeria Ltd. He is also the chairman of West African Aluminum Products (WAAP) and he has his business interests spread across many other business strata.

Those who are close to him will always recall that he is a very blunt individual who says it as it is without caring whose ox is gored. For instance, Bankole, joined forces with President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari and Senator Bode Olajumoke and 17 other leading members of the PDP to form the G21, which spearheaded the call for the removal of Obasanjo as the Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman of the PDP on the grounds that the amendments carried out in the party’s constitution in 2006 were not in the party’s interest.

It was indeed a position he took that rubbed off on the junior Bankole (Dimeji) when he was Speaker. The politics of how his son emerged as the Speaker is actually very instructive and it goes to show his relevance within the nation’s body polity.

Though not many saw the intrigue that led to the emergence of Hon Bankole as Speaker, but Bankole, a veteran politician, made some very important moves that assisted in no small measure. He moved around the entire country in a matter of days, pressed the right buttons and sealed the deal that gave his son the desired victory.

He has made many interventions in the Nigerian political landscape and some of his positions are already vindicated. In 2004, he predicted that there would be a re-organisation of Nigerian politics in which the ANPP, PDP, and Alliance for Democracy (AD) would break apart and the relics would regroup as two parties and that had already happened.

He has always been a die-hard advocate of democratic principles and strong proponent of good leadership, and his utterances on these issues are still relevant, even today.

Talking about the problem confronting Nigeria and how to get around it, he once said in an interview that: “What we need most in Nigeria in my opinion is good leadership, because, people would rather do what they see you doing than do what you ask them to do. We are in the era of asking questions.

If you ask someone to eat twice a day, you would be asked as a leader, how many times do you eat? If you preach against corruption, can you justify that preaching by your actions and inactions and because of what the person of President Buhari is; people are more disciplined. It does not mean we have got there, but we are seeing the self-discipline in the change the people wanted as well as reduction in corruption.

The problem of Nigeria since we found oil has been laziness; people don’t work hard anymore because there is cheap money coming from the government.”

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September 17, 2016 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

Interview

‘Padding Saga Offers Unique Opportunity to Reform Budgetary Process’ The drama surrounding allegations of budget padding rocking the National Assembly appears to have retreated from the front pages for now but will be most likely resurrected when the lawmakers resume from their recess shortly. Beyond the allegations and counter-allegations however, the scandal provides a chance to reform the process of budget-making in the country. This is the crux of the views expressed by Oke Epia, Founder/Chief Executive of OrderPaper.ng, Nigeria’s premier independent parliamentary multi-media company. He spoke recently with journalists in Abuja

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s someone who operates in the National Assembly and having worked very closely with its leadership what do you make of the budget padding scandal in the House of Reps?

It is very disappointing. The budget padding saga has not only scandalized the entire National Assembly but also reduces citizens’ trust in government especially elected representatives in parliament. Even though the controversies surrounding the budget is not limited to the National Assembly – recall that the padding of the 2016 budget was initially associated with the executive when we heard of so-called budget cabals in the Presidency and Budget Office of the Federation- the shame situates more with the lawmakers. As far as this padding issue is concerned, members of the National Assembly have brought disrepute upon the institution and whatever may be the outcomes of investigations on the matter, the public perception quotient of the federal legislature has gone further south as far as Nigerians are concerned. So for me, I feel personally pained that this has happened and to the extent that the integrity of the entire arm of government is now in question over a most critical function as budget-making, then there is really much cause for concern.

Who do you blame for the budget padding mess: the Executive, National Assembly or just the key actors like Speaker Dogara and his accuser-in-chief, Abdulmumuni Jibrin?

Look, this is not much about sharing of blames as it is about the urgent need to redeem the budgetary process from the overload of corruption, personalization and deprivation of the collective interest of Nigerians. And like I just told you, the entire mess spreads from one arm of government to the other and even beyond. The other day I was on a live radio discussion programme when a caller made the point that even contractors are part of the problem! Contractors- both big corporate and small suppliers would cut deals with lawmakers and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) ahead of the budget passage and insert figures into the budget which are removed under the guise of executing projects. So the issue of budget padding is an intricate web of malfeasance and corruption that spreads across board from the political class to the private sector and not just the lawmakers. We must understand it from this perspective otherwise, we will just end up demonizing only the thief that has been caught while leaving out the smart alecs who are yet to be busted. In all of these drama and sad stories of padding and what have you, my position is that we must make some value and seize the opportunity to reform the budgetary process. Otherwise after this padding saga dies down, we will simply go back to business-as-usual until the next scandal happens and we get entertained all over again. So blame-sharing is not the ultimate for me. Good enough anti-corruption agencies are said to be investigating the allegations and we earnestly await the outcomes but what is very imperative for me is how do we prevent this from recurring.

So let me ask you the question you just raised. How do we prevent this from repeating itself in the 2017 budget and even subsequently?

Good. This is where we come in with

to consolidate these verdicts so that their Governor can finally put his full focus on governance undistracted by traducers.

APC’S CIVIL WAR IN KOGI AND THE BEGINNINGS OF AN ACHILLES HEEL It is pertinent to sound a call to action to the The All Progressives Congress (APC) before the actions of a few become the parameters by which Nigerians judge the party.

Nigeria’s Governing Party needs to get her house back in order, and quickly. Before the 2015 Presidential Elections she was a disciplined army, marshaling with military precision nationwide and executing strategy with a unity of purpose that was matchless. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the former Ruling Party, was a sitting duck before the APC’s very mobile, hard-hitting campaigns and was totally outclassed in every theatre. It is no mean feat to wrest power from a ruling party in Africa but the APC did it at first try. Some opposition parties on the continent have been trying for 3-4 decades.

Now in Government, it appears success has compromised discipline, and party cohesion appears to be the first victim. Watchers of current affairs have noticed a troubling penchant for specific party bigwigs to appear above the law, and act in brazen violation of party unity, without the least repercussion from any quarter, never mind internal party control systems. The most glaring example of this insidious canker is to be found in Kogi State where forces allied to one of the most prominent power blocs in the APC are hellbent on unseating Governor Yahaya Bello even if it means losing the state to the PDP. Twice now successive judicial hierarchies, namely the Kogi State Gubernatorial Elections Petitions Tribunal and the nation’s Court of Appeal, have affirmed Governor Bello’s election in very clear terms, and twice now members of his own party led by James Abiodun Faleke have led the charge to disavow it. They have now appealed to the Supreme Court before whom they have again rehashed their previously and twice-dismissed claims. Claims which can be summarized thus: If Yahaya Bello remains Governor in Kogi, then the APC as a party, along with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the nation’s Judiciary, have perverted justice.

All the same, it is not the Kogi opposition’s recourse to the Judiciary that is so irksome. Au contraire, that aspect of their wahala is commendable. The judicial option is always best when free men dispute for their rights. What is dangerous, and the conduct which APC National has failed to curb is the sponsored false portrayal, in dozens of media platforms, of the APC Administration in Kogi State as a rampantly rapacious looting machine. The preponderance, monopoly actually, of these libelous publications in the Lagos Axis of the Nigerian Press practically geo-locates their source, and sponsors.

This campaign of malice and calumny, while directly targeted at de-branding the current occupant of Lugard House, Kogi’s Government House, is having the (intended?) effect of slowly, but steadily, de-marketing the APC at all levels. Initially, these adverse publications and media appearances were minor irritations which left a bad taste in the mouth of anyone abreast of the facts. In recent times though, they have mushroomed into a serious image problem for the APC as a whole.

Epia

our intervention at OrderPaper.ng. We are hosting a colloquium on the budget- a multi-stakeholder assemblage to dissect the budgetary process, identify lapses and loopholes that allow for ‘padding’ and all such distortions and then proffer solutions on the way forward. As the country’s premier parliamentary reporting portal, we feel a sense of obligation to contribute towards solutions instead of just reporting the dirty allegations and counter-allegations about budget padding. After all the drama what next? So the colloquium is tailored to go beyond padding and take a holistic look at the budget-making and implementation process and arrive at ways of making the budget work for the mass majority of Nigerians and not just a few privileged members of society not just in the political class but the conniving contractors and the rest of the ring.

Tells us more about the colloquium?

Who are the key speakers and participants and what exactly do you intend to achieve?

Good. The ultimate goal like I have told you earlier is to make the budget deliver maximum benefits for the majority of citizens.

Don’t forget that the annual budget is perhaps the single most important roadmap of implementing the social contract between leaders and the led. And if it is enmeshed in corruption then what is called the dividends of democracy continues to be a mirage to a large extent and that is why we keep moving around in circles in this country. And we have taken care to bring all stakeholders on board from the Executive, National and State Assemblies across partisan divides, the private sector, media, civil society and others to engage the challenge of reforming the budgetary process. The colloquium is an attempt to deepen the debate about which arm of government plays what roles in the appropriation process and to exactly what extent. Where does the National Assembly’s power of appropriation begins and ends?

Is the executive vested with unquestionable powers regarding the estimates it sends to the legislature as annual budgets? Or on the reverse, is the legislature conferred with such far-reaching powers as to be able to substantially alter the estimates so received from Mr. President or a State Governor? What about the disturbing lexicon of ‘Padding’ that has dogged the 2016 budget like a leech?

Read full article on thisdaylive.com

Anyone who looks at the figures being bandied about and approaches the available evidence with frankness will not require a soothsayer to deduce the truth. Of course, there is no such looting going on in Kogi State. The allegations are figments of the fevered imaginations of their proprietors. In Kogi the New Direction Agenda is firmly on course, rebuilding the battered state it inherited and renewing the shattered psyche of her people. Nonetheless, the APC hierarchy must realize that image is crucial currency in governance and perception is key to image.

What these enemies within have failed to grasp is that in their bid to hurt Yahaya Bello with their lies, they are hurting the whole Governing Party.

The message Nigerians are getting from these false publications, if one goes by the trending discourses on social media, is that these allegations must be true if they are coming from such influential party insiders. And what’s more, if they are true of the APC in Kogi, then they must be true of the APC everywhere. It is this perception problem, and its allied image implications for the APC in general that necessitates an urgent and decisive intervention by party leaders.

Kogi State is not the first where members of the same party struggle in court over who the rightful occupant of a post which has been won at the polls should be. Abia State is embroiled in a similar tussle at the moment but parties therein have limited their hostilities to the courtroom, and to the issues. They have not turned it into a referendum on the capacity of their party to rule that state.

Surely the APC can do better and the lowest hanging fruit right now is to rein in her members who engage in these anti-party activities in Kogi.

Governor Yahaya Bello’s New Direction Agenda in Kogi State is resonating with the people. The tangible efforts of the Administration at addressing the developmental challenges confronting the state are well received. When the Governor visited Okene days after his election and was received by a mammoth crowd, some uncharitably averred it was because he hails from the town. When he visited Ankpa last week for a private engagement and was received by a mammoth crowd celebrating his result-based, purposeful governance, detractors were struck speechless.

Kogi State is poised to become leading light among the APC states under Yahaya Bello, but she needs the party machinery at all levels to prevent enemies within from strewing obstacles along the path. This is not to say that such enemies can stop the New Direction Agenda from actualization. It is to say that proactive action by the party to contain them will amount to much less obstacles to surmount, and better speed in succeeding. Failure to do this could well amount to a chink in the armour and the beginning of an Achilles’ Heel. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Signed Barr. Segun Senibi

Barr. Adeiza Ojo

Barr. Idakwo Andrew

Kogi West

Kogi Central

Kogi East

52

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

POLITY

Stakeholders Berate CPA over False Allegations against PenCom Olaoluwakitan Babatunde

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takeholders in the nation’s Pension sector, have raised alarm over plot by vested interests to destroy the gains of the d the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, and its regulator, National Pension Commission, PenCom, urging workers and pensioners to be wary of the antics of such vested interest.

Speaking through the Centre for Humanity, CFH, the stakeholders specifically faulted recent allegations of corruption against the Commission

by Centre for Public Accountability, CPA, describing it as “fallacious and self-serving”.

CFH in a statement in Asaba, Delta State, while urging President Mohammadu Buhari to ignore the frivolous allegations, called on PenCom not to be distracted in its efforts to reposition the pension industry and host the World Pension Summit- Africa Special.

It said the Pension Summit which was critical to Nigeria’s efforts to attract foreign investors to reboot the economy in this time of recession.

It accused the CPA, which it described as an unregistered and illegal organisation unknown to the Nigerian

law, of crass ignorance of the pension industry and serving the interest of persons who have been indicted by PenCom for monumental fraud and currently being hunted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to CFH, “the allegations of fraud and irregularities were false alarm and unpatriotic act aimed at discrediting and watering down the ongoing collaborative efforts of PenCom and EFCC to bring pension law offenders to book.

The wrong facts, narratives, figures, and law citations dished out by the CPA on the pension industry and PenCom, clearly portray them as an ignorant group dabbling into an unfamiliar terrain and one that is out to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

“The CPA lied that pension assets stand at N5.4 billion, whereas indeed it stood at over N5.8 Trillion as at July 2016. Instructively, the DirectorGeneral of PenCom, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, who is the target of the CPA’s smear campaign, met the pension assets at N3.2 trillion as an Acting DG in December 2012, but under her leadership and strict regulatory stance, pension fund has grown to N5.8 trillion as at July 2016. It is also

PHOTO NEWS

noteworthy that the labour, which is a key stakeholder in the pension industry recognised her disciplined management of PenCom and pension resources by conferring on her the Trade Union Congress, TUC, “Excellent, Visionary, and Emphatic Leader” Award at the Union’s 2016 Triennial Congress.

“It should worry well meaning Nigerians that these baseless accusations

and false alarms are coming on the heels of the renewed crackdown on pension law offenders by the combined efforts of the EFCC and PenCom”.

CFH, while describing the pension industry as a very critical sector, called on Nigerians and those in authority to pursue only purposes that serve the interest of the nation and humanity in general, not those of a few cabals.

L-R: Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule; Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Divisional Head, Human Resources and Strategy, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Felicia Obozuwa; and Regional Head, Lagos and South West, FCMB, Bukola Smith at the graduation ceremony of the pioneer class 2016 of the Ready.Set.Work programme initiative in Lagos...recently

PHOTO: Sunday Adigun

L-R: Executive Director, Manufacturing, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Dr. Nino Ozara; National Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Dr. Boniface Okezie; President, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu and Executive Director, Supply Chain, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Mr. Rotimi Fadipe at the shareholders facility tour of the Honeywell Flour Mills new multi-billion naira factory in Shagamu, Ogun State...recently

L-R: Director, Musical Society of Nigerian (MUSON), Mrs. Marion Akpata; Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma; Deputy Director, Musical Society of Nigerian (MUSON), Mrs. Edna Soyannwo; Directors, MTN Foundation, Mr. Dennis Okoro and Mrs. Aisha Pamela Sadauki, during the 9th graduation ceremony concert of the MTN Foundation MUSON Scholars, in Lagos…recently PHOTO: Kola Olasupo

Head Enterprise Business Team /IT Business, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr .Anu Rotimi Agboola; Chairman BRACED Commission, Ambassador Joseph Keshi; Deputy Governor Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Moses Ekpo; Commissioner for Education, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Aniekan Akpan, and Managing Director, Etiam Global (Samsung Partner) Mr. MarkAnthony Eze, at the recently launched Samsung SMART School Project in Uyo...recently

R-L: National Cordinator, Activists for Good Governance, Mr. Declan Ihekaire; Member, Mr. David Adodo; Human Rights League of Nigeria, Mr. Emelife Onwu and Mr. Mark Adebayo of Nigerian Federation of HumanRights Activists fielding questions from journalists, during the news briefing on the criss in the country in Lagos....recently PHOTO: Kolawole Alli

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September 17, 2015 • THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper

Business Encounter Victor Dimka

I Have No Social Life

Comptroller Victor David Dimka is not an ordinary Customs officer. As the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Seme Border, he has enormous roles and responsibilities on his shoulders. He is also the chairman of all the security agencies operating in the border. Seme Border is not just any other border station in the country or Customs formation in the NCS. It is not only the busiest border station in Nigeria but also in the West and Central Africa Sub-regions. It is Dimka’s lot to ensure that the three statutory roles of NCS, namely anti-smuggling, revenue generation and trade facilitation are efectively handled. He seemed prepared for the task at hand with his training in several schools including the Nigeria Policies and Strategic Institute, Kuru, Jos, as well as his experience and exposure as the CAC, Federal Operation Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos and FOU, Zone C, Owerri, Imo State. He told John Iwori in an exclusive interview in his office that his quest to fulfil his mandate has cost him his social life. Excerpts

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t is over six months you were posted to Seme Border, how is the experience compared with your previous stations in the Federal Operation Unit (FOU), Lagos and Owerri?

In looking at this, we should understand that Seme border is not only about revenue generation but also an enforcement station.

In the Nigeria Customs Service, we are doing the two together. However, we have it at the back of our mind that we must be very careful in how we carry out our statutory roles and responsibilities. This is due to the fact that trade facilitation leads to good business. When I came in, I found so many things wrong. Nevertheless, that did not stop me from doing the needful.

I settled down and working together with my colleagues and other stakeholders, tried to proffer solutions. You and I know you cannot make any meaningful progress where there is no peace. Therefore, I set up a team to ensure that there is peace in the area. We went for the community leaders, youth leaders, and all other stakeholders. We made it clear on why we are in their communities. This is very vital so that our mission or objectives are not misconstrued by the border communities. Our interface with stakeholders including other government agencies is to ensure that we are on the same page in the task ahead. It is also meant to avoid us working at cross purposes. We want to avert a situation where Customs will release and eventually another sister agency will say, do not release thereby delaying the release of the goods and causing a clog in the cargo clearance chain in the process. To ensure the speedy clearance of goods, all these things need to be tackled.

We must ensure that all the imports that are coming into this country go through due process, including scanning. This means that the question of arms and ammunitions coming in can be tackled head-on. Sometimes, these things have to do with the job of other government agencies such as Quarantine, the National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), as well as the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON). However, all these depend on the kind of cargo involved.

They carry out all the scanning and once it is done, they are put under one umbrella for examination. With that, we are able to bring everybody together and once we scan them and there is no problem, they can carry on. This is one of the reasons why we will continue to hold periodic meetings with all the stakeholders and find solutions to whatever problems we are having along the lines. This has worked. So far so good! When any goods is coming in, even though there are challenges that are obvious such as the exchange rates and the uncooperative attitude in the Republic of Benin, we work round the clock and ensure that what is supposed to come to Nigeria comes while the ones that ought not to come in are disallowed.

Officers and men of Customs have been sensitised on the need to suppress smuggling to the barest minimum and work in line with the dictates of their job, keeping in mind that they must collect revenue no matter how small, suppress smuggling to the maximum level and also be trade facilitators to genuine businesses.

You are known as somebody that is ruthless with smugglers in your previous postings. Why is it that any smuggler who dares you always has a sour story to tell?

I have principles and try by the grace of God to adhere strictly to them. Yes, it is one thing to stand for the truth always and work for your fatherland. It is a known fact that smuggling has done a very big blow to the economy of this country. For instance, allowing smuggled items to come into the country means that smugglers will not allow factories, industries and other local businesses to function well.

Most of these local businesses and industries will go moribund if importers or smugglers have flooded the market with what they are trying to produce here in Nigeria. They won’t be able to compete with their foreign

paying the penalty. Our advice to the public is that you should not buy any vehicle without verifying the papers they gave you. This is because a lot of people are into fake documentation business. It is not about Custom alone.

A lot people are desperate. They are ready to do anything as long as they will make money.

These are the deviants that are bent on beating every blockade to their nefarious activities.

Dimka

counterparts and when that happens, there will be mass unemployment since any industry not doing well will not be able to employ. In many cases, they even lay off their existing workers thereby worsening unemployment situation in the country. With that at the back of my mind, I try to ensure that whoever is smuggling, wherever you come from, whether I know you or not, I ensure that you are subjected to the same checks and treatment. This is very important due to the fact that if I were doing it with bias, people will say this man is favouring this person and that person. The same punishment prescribed in the laws of the land will go to everyone involved. That makes everybody to be so afraid of breaking the law because they know the consequences that will follow. Besides, as a person, I do not want to take no for an answer. Whenever anyone comes before me, I ask questions. Did you commit the offence for which you were arrested and once the answer is yes, that is the end of the matter. No stories or tales by the moonlight.

Telling lies that ‘I do not know the importer or licensed customs agent of this vehicle did not pay the appropriate customs duties or I did not know the papers were fake or the vehicle was smuggled into Nigeria’ does not hold water as far as I am concerned. The pertinent question is, did you go to any Customs office to get authentic information or verify the papers the importer or licensed customs agent gave to you.

Did you go to any Customs formation to find out the authenticity of the vehicle by using the serial number? Did you to find out if the duty on the vehicle was actually paid for? Simple things like that which is supposed to be done by citizens who are buying cars is enough to keep you from unnecessary hassles and trouble.

We always advise those who buy vehicles to go to Customs Help Desk to find out. There is no way you will walk into any Customs Help Desk with your documents asking Customs to help you find out if the documents are genuine and you will not get help. If you fail to carry out this simple task and you are arrested, you face the consequences. Sometimes, you may be innocent and we will give you the leverage of

How is your half-year report? How many seizures have you made? How many persons have you arrested, how many are in court and how many have been successfully prosecuted?

As at today, we are almost N5billion in terms of revenue generated. I cannot give you the exact figure because the month is ending today.

We have to collate the figures. However, as at June, 2016, the revenue is over N4 billion and along the line, we made a lot of seizures. In January, we made over N40 billion. In February, we made over N55 billion. In March, we collected N60 billion; April N66 billion; May N98 billion; June N64 billion, and July N80 billion so far. On the number of persons arrested by my command, from January to June, we have 25 suspects. As a result of the fact that the offences they allegedly committed are within the bail category, most of them are on bail. Some of them have been charged to court. And you are aware that the court processes are long and cumbersome but we are following them up as the various cases continue. The situation is not helped by the fact that it is rare to find a smuggler goes to court to say, yes I am guilty.

That will mean an immediate sentence to jail.

So even when everyone knows that this person is a confirmed smuggler, he will hire a lawyer and go to court to say he is not guilty. Our seizures within the same period include clothes, second hand goods, drugs, ammunition, used tyres, vehicles, and poultry products. As at today, I think we have 398 seizures. As far as this command under my watch is concerned, it is not easy for any smuggler because we are always on top the game. However, there is always room for improvement and we will record more successes if the citizenry willingly join hands with Customs to fight smuggling.

Remember, smugglers are not ghost or spirits.

Where is the smuggling taking place? Who are the smugglers? Where are the routes they follow with heir smuggled goods? Are the residents of the border communities not living in the same apartment, house, building or area with the smugglers? Why are the citizens or people resident in the border communities or elsewhere not patriotic enough to say this person is doing illegal business? You know Customs has the right to go into any place and search for any contraband, even without a search warrant. I have not seen anywhere someone will come up boldly and say I gave custom information and smugglers came to attack me. It has not happened and it will not happen because we are very professional in the discharge of our duties. Intelligence gathering is not magic. We need information from the people. It is one of the reasons why we have Intelligence Unit in Customs. So I’m calling on all Nigerians to come out and join hands with Customs and bring down smuggling to the barest level. The moment that is done, we will be better for it. Nigeria companies will begin to thrive very well and we will begin to be proud of Nigeria made goods. We will also no longer see the need to rush to the Republic of Benin for goods. This is due to the fact that we can produce original items if there is an enabling environment and government begins to plan dramatically for specific goods not to come for a specific period of time. That will be better than the present situation where we are gradually becoming a dumping ground for virtually everything that is substandard.

In typical day, how is it like in Seme Border said to be one of the busiest in Africa?

It is the busiest border in the West and Central Africa Sub Region. There is no doubt about that. A typical day in my office in Seme Border is like work, work, and work. You do not have time for yourself. You do have time to close. You have to ensure that you do not allow foreigners to come into the country with any cargo without proper documentations.

The men and officers are always on their toes.

They live for today not for tomorrow. Their lives are always at risk. Smugglers and other criminals can strike at any time. You can never say what is happening everywhere in the Republic of Benin end of the border not to talk of the Nigeria end. This is due to the fact that whatever happens at the Republic of Benin end of the border will always have a ripple effect on what happens in the Nigeria end and vice versa. For you to deliver, your eyes and ears must be open. We must ensure people on the wanted list of government do not pass through the border. We are always up and doing. We cannot find arms and ammunition coming into this place and fold our hands. All consignments must go through strict scrutiny, no matter what it takes.

In other words, as you look out for contrabands, you are also looking out for people who are on the government wanted list?

Yes! We do that because we are not only dealing with Nigerians alone. We are also dealing with the nationals of other countries. That is the reason for the synergy among the security agencies and the government agencies as well as the existing cordial relationship between the ones in Nigeria and their counterparts in the Republic of Benin. We share information. This is because when you have the Republic of Benin very peaceful and crime free, you won’t have to deal with issues in Nigeria and vice versa. I strongly believe that if both sides are peaceful, we will not have problems. Remember, we are all member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) so if I’m happy here, they should also be happy there.

Does it mean that you do not have time to relax?

That is the truth. I have no time to relax.

In fact, I have no social life. I come in here to work. I hardly sleep. If I go to bed by 2 am and that does not mean I will be sleeping because I know I could be watching through cameras.

The phones are always open in case I have an important issue to call officers to move in and the lead agencies at the border as the chairman of all security agencies in border, I may also have to reach out to other security agencies. All these do not give me the privilege of having a social life. But I enjoy the job. So it is not a problem at all. My men and officers have also taken a cue. Everybody is working together as a team. This has helped tremendously in achieving our objectives.

What informed the recent collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Army?

When we have problem, we cannot just fold our hands and watch helplessly. That’s why sometimes, we decide to call in the Army as one of the sister agencies to give us backing.

You know with the training of the Army, they know what they are supposed to do when they see people carrying dangerous weapons.

In our own case and the Police, if they are not carrying dangerous weapons we treat them with civility and ease. This is because we do not want to waste lives. At times, we just blow whistle to scare them away. However, sometimes criminals believe that when they bring in dangerous weapons, they can just bring in anything they like and that is when we have to prove to them that it is not so by collaborating with the Nigerian Army when occasions demand.

Read full interview on www.thisdaylive.com

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Konduga, Boko Haram First Convict Laurmann Charges FCT Residents on Cleanliness, Beauty Arrested at Ndume's Residence Michael Olugbode

The first member of the Boko Haram to be convicted by the court, Ali Sandar Umar Konduga, known to the sect as Al-Zawahiri has been arrested by the police at the resident of the Senate Major Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, in Maiduguri.

Konduga who had alleged that the senator was one of the major financiers of the terrorist sect, was sent to prison over five years ago.

Though Konduga was sent to prison for act of terrorism, the case against Ndume had dragged till he rose to become the majority leader of the Senate.

Konduga was however freed

last week after serving his sentence.

He made his way to Maiduguri and was seen at the residence of Ndume, representing Borno South at the Senate.

He was arrested by the police after they were tipped off by fearful residents of Maiduguri who felt that he might be loitering around the residence of the lawmaker to harm him.

Though the majority leader is said to be away to Saudi Arabia where he is on holy pilgrimage, sources said Konduga was identified, beaten and arrested on Wednesday after he sneaked into the Senator's House.

He was said to have made an appearance at the residence thrice since Sunday 11th September 2016.

Konduga according to Ndume's family source, "kept on coming to the Senator's house and had continuously apologised to the immediate family of the lawmaker for indicting their patriarch."

The father of Konduga had earlier warned that his son was mentally unstable and could be dangerous.

Some of those that notice Konduga sneaking into Ndume's house a day to Sallah at about 8pm, said he had insisted that he wanted to see and apologise to the Senator.

The security at the gate had accosted Konduga, informing him that the senator was not in the house, but he requested to see Justice Aisha Ndume, one of the

senator's wives.

He was asked to come back the following day.

When he made a re-appearance, the police were called to arrest him.

A source said: "Policemen in charge of G.R.A police station were alerted and swung into action by arresting Konduga. He is now in police custody, while Senator Ndume has been informed".

It was gathered that efforts had already commenced to ascertain the father’s assertion of his being mentally unstable.

Konduga was said to have been taken to Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri at about 10am on Friday to ascertain his mental health.

The management of Laurmann and Company Ltd has called on residents of the Federal Capital Territory to join the Minister, Muhammad Bello in entrenching the clean and green initiative of the administration so as to enhance the beauty of the nation's capital.

Chairman/ CEO of Laurmann, Mr. Laurie Manayin, stated this at the weekend in Abuja ‎when he led other staff of his organisation on a tree planting campaign in some parts of Abuja.

Laurmann has been responsible for the provision of city cleaning services to the Central Business District of the Federal Capital City (FCC) for a period of about 11years.

"We recognise and appreciate the Management and Staff of the Federal Capital Territory

Administration (FCTA) and the Department and Parks and Recreation for the deliberate efforts being undertaken to ensure the promotion and provision of adequate park resources, recreational site development/management, tree planting, reclamation of green areas, vegetation control amongst other services aimed at creating a humane environment in the Garden City Setting of Abuja.

"As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to this premiere district LAURMANN AND COMPANY LTD identified a number of streets where trees and flowery shrubs were introduced essentially to either gap fill existent plants or as fresh plantings, as part of the road furniture to further enhance the aesthetics of our capital city.

Momoh: Foreign Ideologies, Laziness, Bane of Our Economy

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L-R: Marketing Executive , NTA -Star TV Network Ltd, Odemene Ada; Director, Human Resources , Thisday Newspapers Group, Mr. Emmanuel Efeni; and Head, Public Relations Manager, NTA-StarTV Network Ltd, Mr. Isreal Bolaji, when the StarTimes Visited Thisday corporate headquarters in Apapa Lagos yesterday PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

IPOB to Buhari: Don't Preach Unity to us from North,Visit Biafraland David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari's speech to Igbo corpers who visited him in his home town earlier in the week, where he called on them to ask their brothers to perish the thought of attaining an independent state, Biafra.

The group in a press release sent to journalists in Awka and signed by the spokespersons of the group Mr. Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya said President Buhari could not be 'running to the north' each time he wanted to speak to Igbos, and questioned why he was not coming to Biafraland to preach unity to them.

IPOB also faulted Buhari's claim that the reason for the 30 months war between Nigeria and Biafran forces was not oil or money, but the quest to remain a united country.

In the release titled: The Muhammadu Buhari speech to youth corpers: setting the records straight stated that, "The first question is: why can't Buhari come to Biafraland to lecture Biafrans on unity rather than mouthing it every time he visits Daura or someplace in Northern Nigeria?

Is Northern Nigeria the only place that a President travels to?

"Can anyone point us to a single visit that Buhari has made to Biafraland from May 29, 2015 till date? Buhari has made 30 foreign trips as at the end of May 2016 as well as countless trips to the

Northern part of Nigeria including Boko Haram controlled regions but he has not set his feet on Biafran soil since he was sworn in on the 29th of May 2015".

IPOB insisted that the reason for the war was not unity as stated by the president, saying, "Because Buhari was a junior officer in the Nigerian Army, it is understandable that he was not privy to the motive behind the war of genocide on Biafra which had the backing of our colonial masters.

"It may interest Buhari to know that in August 1967, the British Commonwealth Minister George Thomas informed the British Parliament that: 'The sole immediate British interest in Nigeria is that the Nigerian economy should be brought back to a condition

in which our substantial trade and investment in the country can be further developed, and particularly so we can regain access to important oil installations'. Buhari should now understand that oil is the main reason why they got the support of Britain."

The group added that it was because of the control of oil in Biafraland that Britain in 1968 alone supplied hundreds of armoured personnel carriers (APCs), 10,000 machine guns, 20 million rounds of ammunition, 3,000 bayonets, 10,000 rifles with grenade launchers, 15,000 pounds of explosives, 21,000 mortar bombs, 42,500 Howitzer rounds, 5,000 submachine guns and other weapons of mass destruction deployed which aided the Nigeria side during the war.

Recession: Group Calls on Buhari to Sell Off Presidential Jets

Paul Obi in Abuja

A coalition of Civil Society Organisation (CSO), under the aegis Say No Campaign Nigeria, has called on President Muhammad Buhari to sell off his fleet of presidential jets as an exemplary measure to assure Nigerians that government was ready and willing to sacrifice in order to rescue the country from the current economic brink.

The coalition made up of Partners for Electoral Reform (PEF), Protest to Power Movement (PPM) and Civil Society Legislative

Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) said it was disingenuous for public officers to continue to live their extravagant lifestyles in the midst of the biting economic hardship.

Speaking to journalists yesterday in Abuja on the state of the nation, the Chairman of the group, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, explained that considering the worsening economic hardship in the country, there was need for the President Buhari to make some urgent adjustments and show clear commitments towards restoring the dwindling economic recession.

Nwagwu argued that the prevail-

ing economic hardship compels rethinking of how government officials encourage waste in the system.

"We are greatly concerned about the unprecedented levels of economic hardship bedeviling the nation which has resulted in hunger, deprivation, unemployment, sky rocketing cost of essential commodities, unmitigated corruption in public and private institutions.

"The worsening security situation in our country, the flagrant abuse of democratic processes and the accompanying failure or refusal by government to effectively address

these issues," Nwagwu stressed.

He contended that "the situation in Nigeria was grim and therefore required urgent response. While we hold that the Buhari administration deserves commendation for its social intervention initiative aimed to reducing unemployment, we maintain that a lot more needs to be done, and urgently too to avert the looming economic disaster.

"We demand practical solutions for ameliorating the economic hardship, sale off the Presidential jets which the president promised to do, 50% slash in salaries of public officers."

Akinwale Akintunde

Director General of the Electoral Institute of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Abubakar Momoh has attributed Nigeria’s economic crisis to some foreign ideologies being imbibed by the leaders.

Momoh disclosed this in Lagos yesterday at the 2nd edition of the Tunji Braithwaite Symposium organised by The Tunji Braithwaite Foundation in honour of the late Elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite who passed on March 28, this year.

The Symposium was first held in September 2013 as part of events celebrating the 80th birthday of Dr. Braithwaite.

Speaking on the theme: ‘Nigeria Crisis: The Imperative of a New Socio-Economic Order’, Momoh said the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) introduced by the Babangida regime was the beginning of Nigeria’s economic

failure.

The professor of Political Science condemned policies such as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) SURE-P, You Win and other foreign ideological polies as fallacy because they were based on western views.

Momoh said the ideology and the direction of the economy had not changed from 1986 because our leaders were lazy and not thinking.

He warned that no foreigner or foreign ideology would help to develop our economy and urged leaders to start thinking of home based solution to the country’s economic crisis.

Discussants at the event which include Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Mrs. Annkio Briggs and Professor Pat Utomi, who moderated the discussion, restated calls for restructuring of Nigeria.

According to Utomi, Nigerians were more divided now than even during the civil war.

Diamond Bank Partners with FG on Entrepreneurship Programme Diamond Bank has expressed support for the Federal Government’s entrepreneurship development programme tagged the ‘Aso Villa Demo Day”.

The event intended to encourage economic diversification, celebrate creativity and innovation by young Nigerians took place at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.

Diamond Bank alongside other companies was one of the key supporters of the event which was graced by a host of eminent personalities including the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Chairman of Diamond Bank, Dr. Chris Ogbechie and the Founder of Facebook, Mr. Mark Zuckerberg.

The Vice President in his address, Prof Osinbajo said the Federal Government was discussing the possibility of a partnership with Facebook in a bid to improve the Information Communication Technology connectivity in Africa and expressed the Government’s resolve to anchor the Country’s development around energy, innovation and creativity of its young people.

Three of the 30 start-up businesses earlier shortlisted in Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Abuja were

eventually selected and given a cash prize of N3 million each.

Addressing the select start-ups, the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg said it was inspiring to see what Nigerian youths had been able to do with technology.

He said “This has really blown me away by the talent of the entrepreneurs and young developers in this country, particularly by the focus to build something that’s going to make a difference and bring change. This is not going to be better for Nigeria and Africa alone, but the whole world. I am blown away by what you are doing. I believe in you.

I’m looking forward to seeing what you do”.

The Presidency created the platform of the “Aso Villa Demo Day” in order to boost technology and encourage innovative ideas and had previously selected the top 30 Nigerians among the hundreds that pitched at three different events in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt in June.

The events were held in Lagos – June 23rd, Abuja – June 25, and Port-Harcourt – June 29.

The 30 selected Nigerians were finally hosted at the Presidency, Aso Rock at the weekend, where three emerged finalists.

THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper • SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

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Budget Scandal: Abdulmumini Appeals for Fair Hearing

Last Respects...

Family of late Director of Information State House, Mr Justin Abuah, Mrs Nonyem with the Children and family members during the funeral service at our Lady Queen of Nigeria burial at the Gudu Cementary in Abuja.

PHOTO: SUNDAYAGHAEZE

Presidency Regrets Insertion of Obama's Paragraph in Buhari's Speech Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

The Presidency has admitted that a sentence lifted from United States' President, Barack Obama was contained in ‎the speech read by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 8, the day he launched the 'Change Begins With Me' campaign.

A statement issued yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu said President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that prompt and appropriate

disciplinary action be taken against those responsible for the wrongful insertion of the sentence.

Shehu said it was observed that the similarities between a paragraph in President Obama’s 2008 Victory Speech and what Buhari read in paragraph nine of the sixteen-paragraph address while inaugurating the Campaign on Thursday, September 8, 2016 were too close to be passed as coincidence.

The statement said: "There was a mistake by an overzealous staff and we regret that this has happened.

"Already, a Deputy Director in the Presidency has accepted responsibility for the insertion of the contentious paragraph.

“This serious oversight will be investigated thoroughly and appropriate sanction meted.

"The presidency wishes to state in the clearest possible terms that it regrets this unfortunate incident and will ensure that this does not happen again.

"Buhari urges Nigerians to look beyond this incident and focus on the message of change which the country needs in order to restore

our cherished value systems."

Obama had on November 4, 2008, in his victory speech said: “Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our politics for so long.

“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

“Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

More Exports Expected Osun Looks to Tourism Under AGOA, Says NEPC for Economic Rebound Bennett Oghifo

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has said it was optimistic that more exports would soon be done by manufacturers and others under the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA).

AGOA is a United States Law that was established in 2000 to provide a duty-free platform for African countries to export into the US. In 2015, the platform was extended by 10 more years to enable more exporters benefit from the opportunity. Experts observe that more African countries like Ghana, South Africa and Angola were exporting more volumes of specialty foods and agricultural commodities under AGOA platforms than Nigeria.

Speaking at an interactive session with non-oil exporters, the Lagos Zonal Coordinator, NEPC, Mr. Babatunde Faleke said the best way to generate revenue and foreign exchange, revenue and grow the naira was to improve on the volume of non-oil exports.

Faleke said a growing number of exporters were already receptive to exporting under AGOA, more than before when they knew little or nothing about it.

According to him, the platform would give Nigerians more opportunity to explore, look inwards,

and build competitiveness in promotion and pricing of their goods, since AGOA was duty-free.

“Exporters that are not exporting through AGOA are cheating themselves. We urge more exporters to stop complaining and seek for assistance on how to go about it. “We admit that during the first tenure of AGOA, Nigeria did not do well at all in exporting under the platform, but now the difference is getting better.

“This is why the NEPC has been engaging exporters and stakeholders themselves on the major challenges they have been facing in exporting both within and outside AGOA. “Today we have been able to see that lack of information, lack of adequate warehousing abroad, and the inability of Nigerians to meet up with the quantity demanded from foreign buyers as some of the major challenges,” Faleke said.

He expressed optimism that more exporters were being trained by the council on ways to export under the AGOA platform in order to boost the volume of non-oil exports and generate revenue and create jobs.

A renowned exporter of food commodities and equipment, Mr. Sylvia Umejirika said exporters usually faced the challenges of warehousing their products before selling them completely.

Omolabake Fasogbon

Osun State which is listed to be among the 10 poorest states in Nigeria may soon be competing economically with other strong economies as it embarks on a determined journey to harness the potentials in tourism.

The governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola declared that tourism, beyond its application as an instrument of cultural projection, would be fully explored to reposition and strengthen the state's economy and the country at large.

Aregbesola made this declaration recently, through the Osun state's Director General ,Office of Economic and Partnership, Dr. Charles Akinola, at the official unveiling of the Olojo Festival logo which was done amidst much glamour and glitz at the Ooni of Ife's Palace in Ile Ife, Osun State.

The historical Olojo Festival will be given a facelift this year as plans and arrangements are on ground to make its attract global attention and to promote and enhance the richness in Yoruba culture and tradition.

According to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II who strongly believed that Osun State and Nigeria could make a huge fortune and earn global recognition through tourism, lamented the inadequate attention given the sector.

He said , "especially now that the economy of the country is suffering

some set back, it is important that government at all levels invest massively in our heritage to save the country.

Speaking more on the festival, the Ooni noted that celebrating Olojo feast was beyond merry making as it was an authority being mandated

by Oduduwa which would bring about positive changes in the state and Yoruba land in general.

"To make this year's event more impactful and glamorous, we have partnered with Infogem, a marketing company, who will work with us to drive home our mission at rebranding and reverberating the festival such that it will be a talk of the world and compel the state to be a global tourist site. This is indeed a new dawn for Osun State and the entire Yorubas."

Shedding more light on the importance of the festival, Chairman, Olojo Festival Advisory Committee who is also the Obalufe of Iremo Quarters, Ile-Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura, said that the rebranding process of the Olojo festival was basically to conceptualise a new dawn in the history of Ile-Ife especially as it relates to the beginning of human existence.

He said "Olojo is a festival that commemorates the descent of Oduduwa to Ile-Ife, Osun State. It is the celebration of the first dawn, the first afternoon and first night in creation; celebrated only in land of expansion, Ile-Ife".

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

Ahead of the resumption of lawmakers from their annual recess, the sacked Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumin has written a letter to his colleagues detailing the circumstances which led to his sack, and appealed to them for fair hearing.

In the 17 paged letter made available to THISDAY on Friday, Abdulmumin again reiterated his call for the resignation of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun, Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor, to allow for independent investigations into the allegations of fraud and corruption he levelled against the four men.

The House has been embroiled in crises since the removal of Abdulmumin, who the House leadership accused of abuse of the budgetary process and misconduct.

Abdulmumin, employing a scorched earth policy, embarked on a whistle blowing spree, accusing the four principal officers and chairmen of

nine standing committees, of making senseless insertions into the 2016 budget.

He also petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACC) and the Nigeria Police, demanding investigation into allegations he raised against the principal officers and others.

In his letter to his colleagues, the embattled lawmaker explained that he had no choice than to present his case through the media, including social media, as he observed a campaign of falsehood against his person, allegedly sponsored by Dogara.

The letter read in part : “I write to you my Hon Colleagues, as a representatives of the people of your constituency and Nigeria as a whole for four very important reasons; (I crave your indulgence to give me fair hearing and place yourself in my situation while you read this letter)… to explain to you why I had to release several statements and grant interviews to the media on the allegations I raised against Speaker Dogara and others during our recess,” he said.

Clergy Urges Buhari to Reintroduce History in Secondary Schools John Iwori

A clergy, His Grace, Archbishop Goddowell Avwomakpa has enjoined President Mohammadu Buhari to kick the process of reintroducing the study of History as a subject in post primary institutions across the country.

Avwomakpa who is Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South-south Zone and President of Niger Delta Bishops Forum said the way and manner youths were losing grip of History as a very vital part of any nation and her people was alarming and needed to be tackled headlong.

The cleric called on Buhari, to direct the Federal Ministry of Education to take a critical look at the curriculum of secondary education with a view

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to introducing History into secondary and tertiary institutions.

He argued that if on the other hand, the Buhari's administration that has come with its change mantra could not use its political will to introduce History into our school curriculum, then the government should stop marking Nigerian Army Remembrance Day celebration as we as all the historical events in our nation's history/national calendar.

The clergy who is also the President, Christ Missionaries Crusaders International worldwide wondered why the nation named some institutions, streets and buildings as well used the faces of some prominent Nigerians who in time past contributed immensely to our fatherland in the nation's currency yet nothing is done to document for posterity, written records that generations yet unborn can fall back on.

He also wondered why History teachers were going into extinction in Nigeria while the rest of the world was teaching school children history of their country and leaders.

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