Leadership epaper 29th march 2018

29.03.18

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

No. 3,033

THURSDAY

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States Target N1.9trn Internally Generated Revenue In 2018

BY MARK ITSIBOR, Abuja

No fewer than 28 states of the federation have proposed to generate over N1.9 trillion internally to fund their 2018 budgets.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the budgeted amount is independent of the statutory monthly allocation of the federal government and aids or grants from external bodies

Findings by our correspondent show that the amount is higher than the N931.23 billion realised as Internationally Generated Revenue (IGR) by the 36 states of the federation in the 2017 fiscal year.

Expectedly, Lagos State leads the chart with a target of N897 billions of IGR in the 2018 fiscal year, while its N1.4 trillion budget is the second largest in the country and the first budget of the state to cross N1 trillion.

The budget has been passed since February. The state, which prides itself as Nigeria’s centre of commerce is followed by neighbouring Ogun State with N149.258 billion expected internal revenue, representing 43.21

Court Orders Abaribe To Produce Kanu June 26 Pg. 8

per cent of the total budget.

In Rivers State the figure is N132 billion excluding other sources of funding for the budget.

Oyo state puts its expected IGR figure in 2018 at N112.1 billion at a time the State of Osun has expressed strong determination to raise up its IGR to N4.1 billion

➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Ajaokuta Steel Mill Gets N360bn ECA Lifeline 6 House of Representatives halts concessioning

IGP Fires Kogi CP Over Suspects‘ Escape

BY EJIKE EJIKE, Abuja AND SAM EGWU, Lokoja The inspector-general of police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, yesterday, ordered the immediate removal of the Kogi commissioner of police, CP Ali Janga, following the escape of six suspects, including the two principal suspects‎ who indicted Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu in a case of conspiracy and unlawful possession of Prohibited Firearms already filed at the Federal High Court, Lokoja, which came up in court on March 28, 2018.

CP Ali Janga was replaced by commissioner of police, Federal Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CP Esa Sunday Ogbu.

Force spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, in a statement, said “the Commander, FSARS in the state, the Divisional Police Officer ‘A’ Division, Lokoja, and other police officers implicated in the escape for negligence, dereliction of duty and gross miscon➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

L-R: Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations, Habila Joshak; Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Kpotum-Idris and chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, during the IGP’s visit to INEC Headquarters in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN

Senate, RMAFC Bicker Over N13.5m Monthly Running Cost 34

FAAC: FG, States, LGs Share N647.39bn 34

PIGB Ready For Presidential Assent As NASS Adopts Report 18

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

our stand

LEADERSHIP Thursday, March 29, 2018

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Drugs And Substance Abuse Among Youths

arly this month, Northern Governors Forum, NGF had cause to implore the federal government to declare a state of emergency on drug abuse in the country. This came out of their worry over the increasing incidences of indulgence in psychotropic substances by youths in the North in particular and the country in general. Rising from a meeting in Kaduna, the governors disclosed that they were particularly worried that the abuse among youths was escalating in the face of the attendant physical and psychological tolls it takes on them, in spite of the various measures initiated by governments at various levels to stem the tide.

Given the speed with which the contagion of drug and substance abuse is spreading across the youth demography in the country, there is, indeed, an immense cause for worry. Abuse of psychotropic drugs such as amphetamine and narcotic drugs like codeine, tramadol and all other ethical drugs is a highway to impaired kidney, hypertension, cancer, neurological disorder, destitution and sudden death.

Cases abound this year alone of youths’ sudden death as a result of tramadol abuse. It claimed a youngman’s life in Abraka Ethiopeeast local government area of Delta State. In the same Delta, a student of Army Day Secondary School, Effurun, Uvwie local government area slumped in class and died.

Autopsy revealed tramodol abuse.

In Ohafia local government area of Abia State, a junior secondary school student died after popping 10 tablets of tramadol. As revealed by Abia State commandant of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Akindele Akingbade, the teenager took it to enhance his performance in his school’s inter-house sports.

Tramadol is classified as a narcotic pain reliever for treating or moderating severe pain but youths have found a way of getting high on it through popping of excessive dosage. It also serves them as performance enhancer especially for sex. There are laws guiding the use of controlled drugs like tramadol and

amphetamine in the country, what has been lacking is the enforcement of the laws. Due to high demand, dealership in psychotropic and narcotic drugs has today, become big business in the country. Just this week, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed that it seized 159 million tablets of tramadol in Apapa Port, Lagos. Director, Technical Services, NDLEA, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, in a public hearing, organised by the

Senate Joint Committee on Drugs and Narcotics and Health in Abuja further disclosed that 50 tonnes of tramadol was recently destroyed in Kano alone. He noted that about 31 different substances are being abused in the country since 2016.

The problem of Nigeria’s porous borders and the extant rule which forbids National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from operating in the seaports share part of the

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LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the nation’s capital.

We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.

We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of our coming into being:

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blames for increased unlawful circulation of psychotropic and narcotic drugs in the country.

The key findings from drugs and substance poll conducted in July 1, 2013 by NOI Polls Limited is that the rise in drug and substance abuses in the country anchor strongly on poverty and unemployment.

Senate president, Bukola Saraki at the Senate event on drug abuse, observed that drug and substance abuses “has led to incidences of armed robbery, kidnapping, militancy and other vices which have become a challenge to internal security.”

Unfortunately, he said, “some of our youths who could become the leaders of tomorrow are caught in the quagmire of substance-abuse. This is a threat to their health and wellbeing and a threat to their families so we must stem this tide.”

The abuse of substances among our youths today, include the inhalation of adhesives, which is pandemic in the North and the smoking of all manners of things that range from marijuana to human and animal waste.

Experts have found out that parental monitoring have a huge role to play in checking youth drug abuse. It is recommended that parents should monitor their adolescent children by examining their eyes, breath and body smell as well as closely keep an eye on how they react, talk, feel and their mood changes.

Changes noted from any if these could serve as a red flag.

In the area of policy framework, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) mulls the idea of a prescription policy in the country, which would enable PSN know who is doing what in the area of ethical drugs sales and administration.

To also stem the tide, northern governors suggest that all state governments should set up high powered enforcement committees under the chairmanship of either the deputy governor or secretary to the state government. The committee they say, would ensure at all times the effective implemention of the relevant laws and statutory provisions in respect of drug abuse. They also enjoined state ministries of women and youth to intensify sensitization and enlightenment programmes on the dangers of drug abuse.

Within the North, the governors resolved to come up with appropriate legislation through the various houses of assembly to combat drug and substances abuse in the region.

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Group News Editor: Ekele Peter Agbo

R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, and Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, during the Federal Executive Council meeting, at the Presidential Villa Abuja yesterday PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN

Tinubu At 66: He Has Built Bridges Across Divides –APC

BY ANDREW ESSIEN, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has attested to the political sagacity of its national leader and head of the presidential committee on reconciliation, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying that his patriotic contributions has “built lasting political bridges and alliances

across divides in the country.”

In a statement signed by the APC national publicity secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi to celebrate the Jagaban Borgu as he marks his 66th birthday, the party recalled his contributions to its electoral fortunes at the 2015 general elections even as it prayed for his continued sound health in the ser-

vice of the party and country.

The statement reads in part: “We attest to Tinubu’s progressive and patriotic contributions towards efforts to deepen democracy and ensure good governance in the country. As a frontline politician, he has built lasting political bridges and alliances across divides in the country.

“As a national Leader of our great Party, APC, we particularly reference his contributions to the growth and our electoral successes. As he carries out the presidential task of reconciling members of our great Party, we once more assure him of our support in ensuring the success of this important task.

Again, Reps Halt Sale Of 9mobile ...as NCC raises concerns over Teleology’s competence

BY ADEBIYI ADEDAPO, Abuja

The House of Representatives yesterday directed that ongoing sale of 9mobile to Teleology should be put on hold.

This is sequel to fresh concerns raised by regulatory agencies and other stakeholders on the competence of Teleology, the preferred bidder.

Chairman, House Committee on Telecommunications, Hon Saheed Akinade-Fijabi issued the directive during an investigative hearing on various petitions and concerns raised by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and some of the vendors owed by 9mobile, among others.

The Committee had expressed concerns over the non-appearance of representatives of Barclay’s Africa, financial advisor, appointed

by Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and Syndicate Owners of 9mobile (consortium of banks) at the Wednesday’s meeting.

The 13 consortium of Banks had N130 billion exposure to the troubled Etisalat, hence the resolve for the apex bank’s intervention.

However, representative of 9mobile who spoke at the meeting informed the Committee that the $50 million paid by Teleology,adding that the sales agreement between the parties has been signed with the new investor.

But Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Dambatta, denied knowledge of the account where the money was paid into.

Representative of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also denied knowledge of the account where the $50 million was paid

into.

While stating the Commissions position on the processes, Dambatta disclosed plans to conduct the competence of Teleology ahead of the handing over of the license.

The Committee is expected to reconvene within the next 14 days with the view to sort all grey areas in the bid to expedite the transition process.

The Committee however resolved to ensure transparency and adherence to international best practice, as well as protect the interests of over 20 million subscribers as well as thousands of existing employment.

“Since the Committee has commenced investigation into the sales of 9mobile, all the parties are under obligation to keep the Committee abreast of the processes.

“The allegations on ground bordered on non transparency

of the entire processes including the bid process and the choice of Teleology. We also have issues of the vendors before us, so that necessitated us to ask all the parties to appear at the next hearing.

“As you know, we’ll be embarking on Easter recess tomorrow, but the Committee has resolved to cut short its recess as far as the parties are ready to converge. We are sacrificing the recess in the nation’s interest and to ensure that the process is not delayed further.

“Once we can reconcile all the parties and resolve all the grey areas, then the regulators can conclude the process.

But as it is, we must do all within our reach to avoid encumbrances like litigation or take over by Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON),” Akinade-Fijabi noted.

FG Raises The Alarm Over Youth Unemployment

BY JONATHAN NDA- ISAIAH, Abuja

The federal government has raised the alarm over the rising cases of youth unemployment in the country, saying it has been growing like a tsunami.

Minister of youths and sports, Solomon Dalung stated this yesterday after the federal executive council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at

the Presidential Villa.

He said “We also tried to draw the attention of the Council on the need for an effective synergy between the MDAs to be able to address the youth question which is more or less growing like a tsunami and if due attention is not given to it, we will likely have problems.

Dalung also explained that while presenting his scorecard to the council, his ministry reviewed the national youth policy which was re-

viewed last in 2009.

According to him, it was presented to council for approval and they looked at youths empowerment programmes of the Ministry which trained 400 young people in 2015 adding that 500 have been trained in 2018 in agro allied services including physical and leadership training.

He noted that the beneficiaries are usually given take off grants which enable them to establish

themselves.

“We also brought to council the progress recorded in National Youth Parliament youth training program where 109 young people are selected from the 109 senatorial districts in the country and are constituted into a parliament to discuss the issue of young people.

Before coming onboard, the programme has been abandoned for a very long time and we resuscitated it,” he added.

FFS Promotes 231 Officers, Task Them On Professionalism

BY CHRISTINA NWAOGU, Abuja

The Federal Fire Service (FFS), on Tuesday announced the promotion of over 231 junior officers in recognition of their commitment to efficient service delivery and as part of efforts to boost the morale of the rank and file.

Controller General of the Service, Engr. Joseph Garba Anebi, made the announcement amidst jubilation by officers at the national headquarters.

The fire boss congratulated the newly promoted officers and charged them to employ professionalism, diligence, dedication and loyalty in the discharge of their duties, as government tackles insecurity and fire outbreaks decisively.

He pledged government’s improved welfare and support to them, and urged the officers to see their promotion as government’s recognition of their efficiency in the discharge of their duties Anebi revealed that with the active support of the Minister of Interior, Abdurahman Dambazau, the federal government approved the release of fund for the outright purchase of fire fighting equipments to further help them address the myriads of challenges bedevilling the service.

According to him, this singular approach coupled with prudent management of resources had changed the face of the Federal Fire Service to the admiration of all and sundry.

NASS To Give Stringent Penalty For Flouting Federal Character Law

BY NZOR ERNEST, Abuja

The National Assembly is set to provide stringent penalty for any government agency that flouts federal character law during recruitment and employment in the country.

The deputy chairman, House Committee on Federal Character, Darlington Nwokocha who gave the hint at the workshop seminar organized by the Committee on Financial Services of the Federal Character Commission, held in Abuja, stressed that the existence penalty for the flouting of Federal character principle is not stringent enough.

According to him, ‘’We are working to amend necessary act to ensure stringent penalty for those that flout federal character.’’

Earlier in his keynote address, acting chairman of FCC, Dr. Shettima Bukar Abba assured that the alleged lopsided recruitment and appointment across the federal government agencies in Nigeria will be investigated by the commission.

Dr. Abba said that the application of Federal character principle is an unavoidable product procured for Nigerian to cement cleavages and wide differences that have threatened the very basis of nation’s existence.

“When principle of federal character is applied for their engagement at the entry point so that everyone is given a sense of belonging, they will in due course of time have different performance levels and effectiveness under equally fair rating judgement.

“Generally, the inner values of people tend to influence their contribution to whatever endeavor they find themselves.

“It is therefore, certain that application of Federal character is an unavoidable product procured for Nigerian people to cement cleavages and wide differences that have threatened the very basis of nation’s existence.’’

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Ajaokuta Steel Mill Gets N360bn ECA Lifeline

BY KAUTHAR ANUMBA-KHALEEL, Abuja

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill to provide for the withdrawal of $1 billion (N360bn) from the excess crude account for the completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Mill project.

The House also put a stop to federal government’s plan to sell or concession the company.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the bill for an act to provide for the Ajaokuta Steel Company completion fund was sponsored by Hon. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta and 300 other lawmakers.

The minister of mines and steel development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, had recently revealed federal government’s plan to concession the age-old steel project, saying government was no longer ready to ‘waste’ public funds on the project after spending about $10billion without a sheet of steel produced in over 30 years.

The House also passed “a bill for an act to amend the Public Enterprises (privatisation and commercialisation) Act, Cap. p. 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to review the list of enterprises to be privatised, and for related matters”.

When finally passed, the bill will be sent to the Senate for concurrence and forwarded to the president. If signed, the executive would be empowered to withdraw $1 billion (360bn) from the excess crude account to complete the steel project.

Also, the amendment of the Privatisation Act removed the steel plant from the list of public assets which the federal government has powers to privatise or concession.

The House has by this amendment stripped the National Council on Privati-

Dogara

sation its exclusive power to decide which firms should be on the schedule.

In his explanation, Hon. Abonta said that removing the plant from the privatisation Act became necessary to “protect the steel

Fayemi

comapny, a highly valued national asset. It is necessary to delete it because if we let it remain in the market, overzealous persons will sell it either by omission or commission.”

States Target N1.9trn Internally Generated Revenue In 2018 FROM COVER

monthly, taking the expected figure of IGR in 2018 to N49.2 billion.

Across the Niger, LEADERSHIP learnt that Kaduna State plans to raise N40.9 billion in 2018 aside from the expected N32 billion from the Federation Account to the state.

On the other hand, Akwa Ibom State will generate N35.496 billion as IGR within the 2018 financial year, while Anambra State plans to raise its IGR this year to N30 billion.

In Delta and Kano States, the expected internal revenue to support their budgets are N71 billion and N53.7 billion respectively, just as Kwara State is hoping to generate N38.34 billion, and Bauchi State N13,126,384,230 in the year under review.

Aside Ebonyi State which plans to generate N13.96 billion internally in the 2018 fiscal year, Samuel Benue State is set to rake in a N23.2 billion in the same year.

Kogi State government’s estimated internal revenue for 2018 is pegged at N33.6 billion ahead of Bayelsa andEnugu States’ N24 billion and N30 billion respectively.

Next to the trio is Sokoto State, which is targeting N32.16 billion IGR in 2018, while Plateau State is targeting N21 billion in the same period.

In Katsina State, the estimated internal rev-

enue for 2018 is N10.2 billion, while in Niger and Gombe States, the expected revenue is N11billion and N8.5billion.

Jigawa State is planning to raise N10.5 billion above Nasarawa State’s proposed N8.92 billion.

There is hope that Borno State’s ‘Budget of ‘Resettlement and Empowerment’ would be partly funded with N16, 075,548 billion expected IGR, a figure that is higher than Taraba State’s N5.3 billion and Yobe State’s N4.5 billion expected IGR for the 2018 fiscal year.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) at the weekend released data that showed that Internally Generated Revenue of all the states of the federation in the 2017 fiscal year stood at N931.23bn. The figure is higher than the N831.19bn recorded in year 2016. It represents a growth of 12.03 per cent year on year.

The NBS had revealed that the 36 states in Nigeria in 2017 recorded a joint Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N931.23 billion, with Lagos accounting for 35.8 per cent of the total figure, while Ebonyi State recorded the highest year on year growth in IGR. According to the Internally Generated Revenue at state level 2017 report released by the NBS, Ebonyi State grew its IGR in 2017 by 117.88 per cent when compared to what it generated in 2016. Total IGR of the state had grown to N5.1 billion from N2.34

billion made in 2016.

Sokoto State also increased its IGR in 2017 by 98.4 per cent, as it generated N9.01 billion in 2017 as against N4.54 billion which it generated in 2016.

Although most states recorded increased IGR in 2017, five states were unfortunate with a declining IGR. Bauchi State’s IGR regressed the most as what the state generated in 2017 stood at N4.36 billion, which is 49.65 per cent lower than N8.67 it made in the corresponding period of 2016. The IGR of Akwa Ibom State had also dropped by 31.43 per cent to N15.95 billion from N23.26 billion.

The IGR of Osun, Anambra and Taraba States declined by 26.99, 25.37 and 2.23 per cents in 2017 to N6.48 billion, N17.36 billion and N5.76 billion from N8.88 billion, N23.26 billion and N5.89 billion respectively.

As in the past, Lagos State accounted for the largest chunk of the total IGR generated by states in the country, with N333.96 billion, a 10.43 per cent improvement over the N302.42 billion which it generated in 2016.

It was followed by Rivers State, which generated N89.48 billion in 2017, a 4.92 per cent increase compared to N85.28 billion it generated in 2016. Total IGR of the states increased by 12 per cent in 2017 to N931.23 billion as against N831.19 billion generated by the states in 2016.

Also at yesterday’s plenary, the House considered and passed the report of the conference committee on a bill for an act to provide for the Governance and Institutional Framework for the Petroleum Industry (PIGB) and for related matters and approve the recommendations therein.”

The House had passed the PIGB, which is one of the four segments of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), in January 2018 When the bill is finally passed, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) would be unbundled into the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated, Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Petroleum Assets Management Company and National Petroleum Company and Petroleum Equalisation Fund,.

CHANGE HOW YOU FRAME YOUR FACE Our faces appear to lengthen as we age. One way to forestall looking like an old codger is to foreshorten your look and make your face appear more rounded (read: youthful). Crewnecks make the face look more rounded than V-necks.

For the same reason, when you’re dressing casually, wear buttoncollared shirts rather than a widespread collar. They narrow the face.

– Culled from look young in your 50s

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IGP Fires Kogi CP Over Suspects‘ Escape FROM COVER

duct in the escape of the six suspects have also been transferred out of the state and are facing serious disciplinary action.”

Moshood revealed that 13 other police officers are currently being detained and investigated for their roles in the escape.

He further disclosed that the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad and other personnel of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department had already arrived in Kogi State to work with the police personnel in the state for immediate re-arrest of the escaped suspects.

According to him, the team will also carry out detailed investigation into the escape and bring all those involved to justice.

Meanwhile, S‎ enator Dino Melaye, Mohammed Audu and six other suspects involved in the gun running allegation against Melaye have been put on the watch list of INTERPOL by the Kogi State Police Command.

Consequently, they would be arrested anywhere they are seen. Senator Melaye and Audu, son of the former governor of the state, the late Prince Abubakar Audu, had been declared wanted in Nigeria for allegedly failing to appear in court to answer charges of gun running.

LEADERSHIP also learnt that six suspects, including the two who had indicted Melaye and Audu, have escaped from jail.

A statement signed by the former Kogi State commissioner of police, Ali Janga, said: “Six suspected criminal elements, namely, Kabiru Seidu (a.k.a Osama), Nuhu Salisu (a.k.a Small), Aliyu Isa, Adams Suleiman, Emman-

uel Audu and Musa Mohammed, who were in detention at the ‘A’ Division, Lokoja, escaped from lawful custody.

“Four of the suspects are on court remand, including the two that indicted Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu.

“Consequently, all the six suspects, Senator Dino Melaye and Mohammed Audu were sent for watch listing and red notice by the INTERPOL for immediate arrest anywhere we see them.”

T ‎ he command appealed to the members of the public to assist the police with useful information on the whereabouts of the suspects by reporting to the nearest police station.

However, Melaye, yesterday decried the purported disappearance of the suspects in his gun-running allegation.

He asked the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to produce them within 48 hours.

The police had declared Melaye wanted but the Senator said he would seek legal redress on the matter.

Melaye asserted that the escape of the suspects prior to his arraignment was a deliberate ploy to scuttle the matter and damage his reputation, saying he would seek legal redress.

Raising a motion on order 43 of Senate rules, Melaye informed the Senate that he was ready to respond to the allegations levelled against him, but that the suspects had escaped from the custody of the police ahead of his (Melaye) arraignment before a court in Kogi State yesterday.

According to him, his lawyers had appeared in court but his accusers were said to have escaped from jail, adding that he would seek legal redress if the police boss failed to re-arrest the suspects.

FG Approves N20b For Ikorodu, Shagamu Road

BY JONATHAN NDA- ISAIAH,

Abuja

The federal government yesterday approved the sum of N20 billion for the rehabilitation of Ikorodu - Shagamu road in Lagos State.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, disclosed after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential Villa.

Mohammed listed the significance of the award of the contract to include reduction of road accidents, reduced travel time, operating costs, enhanced movement of petroleum and agricultural produce, among others.

He said, "On behalf of Minister of Power, Works and Housing, l will also brief you that FEC approved the rehabilitation of Ikorodu - Shagamu road in Lagos State at the sum of N20, 845,336.

214.

"The significance of the award of this contract is that it will reduce road accidents and loss of lives. Of course, it will reduce travel time and operating cost for transporters and commuters.

"More importantly, it will enhance the movement of petroleum and agricultural products and also facilitate other commercial activities. If you remember, Mosinmi, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot is along that line.

During his briefing, Minister of Avi-

ation, Hadi Sirika, also disclosed that Council approved N4 billion for the design, manufacture and installation of fully automated fire and smoke aircraft training simulator.

Noting that the fire fighting equipment is very important to aviation safety, Sirika added that the federal fire service and state governments can leverage on the equipment to help enhance their work.

He stated: "Today, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) considered a memo from the Ministry of Transportation (Aviation). The purpose of that memo was to award a contract for the design, manufacture and installation of fully automated fire and smoke aircraft training simulator. The total contract sum is N4,233.756bn.

“The council graciously considered and approved the contract. This fire fighting equipment is extremely very important because when we came into government in 2015, l found myself approving several hundreds of thousands of dollars for our fire fighters to go to Cameroun to get trained for proficiency in fire fighting and come back to fight fire in Nigeria with 30 airports.

"We cannot continue to depend on a neighbouring country to learn how to fight fire. So, we conceptualised and developed the project. Federal fire service, state governments and anybody can leverage on the equipment that we will bring to fight fire".

IGP, Idris

Melaye

Election sequence: Reps Threaten Legal Action Over $30,000 Bribery Allegation The House of Representatives yesterday drew a battle line against the media over allegation that the lawmakers collected $30,000 bribe each to withdraw their support for the electoral amendment bill that altered the sequence of elections in the country.

The lawmakers subsequently described the publication as a slap on the faces of members of Legislature, even as they referred the matter to its Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate the allegation.

The decision followed a motion

by Hon. Danburam Nuhu who described the allegation as an attempt to discredit the House as an institution.

He said, "I'm beginning to worry that my constituents now doubt my integrity. I want the House to support this matter so that the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges can investigate this matter, which is alleged to tarnish our image as members of Parliament."

The lawmakers who spoke on the motion chided the media for such

publications, and threatened to sue any media organisation that published the story for defamation.

Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, insisted on taking the matter to court to determine the truth behind the report, noting that such report is injurious to the reputation of members.

Gbajabiamila, who denied knowledge of money changing hands, said: “It is time for the House to nail the issue. There is need for reaccreditation of journalists covering the National Assembly.

"Let me make it abundantly clear that bribery and corruption is a criminal case. You don't speculate on a matter that can be so injurious and damaging to someone's character. This is fake news. If anyone has received any money, I am not aware of this. This is a matter that is ripe for litigation."

Similarly, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf lamented that the publication was not done by a particular medium and traditional media but was also on various

social media platforms hence the need to investigate the allegation.

On his part, Hon. Hassan Saleh described the publication as "irresponsible journalism" and stressed the need to sensitise the public about the falsity of the report.

Hon. Aliyu Madaki chided the journalists for not being sure about the veracity of the story before publishing it.

“I am worried the way journalists write and publish stories without confirmation. We are not corrupt. We did not collect any money. No amount of allegation will stop us from performing our duties as legislators," he said.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara, however, advised that the matter be referred to the House Committee on Ethnics and Privileges whose duty it is to investigate and advise the House on the next line of action.

"It is the Ethics and Privileges Committee that will look into the matter to know whether the House’s privilege has been breached. I don't think it is right to go to court," he said.

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Senate Tasks FG On Rail Lines Standardization

BY SOLOMON AYADO AND AHURAKA ISAH, Abuja

R-L: Minister of Women Affairs, Jummai Alhassan, Perm Sec, Mrs Ifeoma Anagbogu and Director, Women and Gender Affairs, Mrs Anetu-Anne Aliu, during the General Assembly in New York, yesterday .

Court Orders Abaribe To Produce Kanu June 26

BY KUNLE OLASANMI, Abuja

Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and other sureties to produce the leader of the proscribed indigenous people of biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, in court on June 26.

Also, the court ordered the federal government to serve an enrollment order to sureties to enable them come before it and show cause why their bail bond should not be forfeited.

The judge, on October 10, 2017 gave the sureties option of forfeiture of the N100million bail bond or be committed to prison, if they do not produce Kanu in court.

The court, again, on February 20 validated the order.

Senator Abaribe, a Jewish High Priest, Emmanu El-Shalom Oka BenMadu, and an accountant, To-

chukwu Uchendu, stood surety that secured Kanu’s bail.

During yesterday’s trial, prosecution counsel, Slyvanus Labaran, informed the court that the business of the day was for the sureties of the first defendant, (Kanu) to show cause why their bail bond should not be forfeited.

In his response, counsel to Abaribe, Ume Chukwuma (SAN), told the court that an enrollment order of the court made on February 20, have not been served on the sureties.

The Senator representing Abia South Sanetorial district, through his counsel, premised his argument on Section 179 of the ACJA. “The prosecution should have made an enrollment order to the sureties to come and show cause before the court.

“An order is not binding if it is not served on the sureties. I submit that an order should be properly served

on the sureties.

“The court cannot take plea with out arraignment, so until the order is properly served to the sureties, my client cannot come before the court to show cause.”

Counsel to 2nd and 3rd sureties, Franklin Chude and Alloy Ejimakor respectively aligned with the submissions of Chukwuka, insisting that neither him or his client have been served.

On his part, counsel to Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who aligned with the arguments of the learned silk, said that the issue before the court is whether the order have been served on the sureties.

“The prosecution has not responded if the enroll order of February 20, had been served on the sureties.”

Opposing the defence line of argument, the prosecution urged the court to discountenance the line of objection by the defence and call on

the applicants to show cause.

“Justice should not be sacrificed on the altar of technicality. Abaribe’s counsel has been in this matter since 2017, pursuant to which the court categorically ordered the three sureties to come and show cause as why the first applicant was not able to produce the first defendant(Kanu) for trial.

“I submit that the u-turn the silk has taken is rather belated. It is grossly unfair of this court and the prosecution. “ I urge the court to discountenance their prayers and proceed with the business of the day.

After listening to the arguments of the parties, Justice Nyako said though it is trite for the prosecution to serve an enrollment order to the sureties, she is of the opinion that parties are not ready for the matter.

“My understanding is that you all are not ready for this matter.

No Worthy Politician Should Remain In APC –Wike

BY ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has eclared that no worthy politician should remain in the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the party cannot conduct primaries, congresses and convention.

This is even as he stated that no rational person in the state will contradict the major transformation taking place across the state.

Wike spoke yesterday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, when he received the lawmaker representing Tai Constituency in the Rivers State House

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of a Federal Court sitting in Abuja has fixed April 16, 2018 for definite hearing of a suit challenging the tenure elongation of the National Working Committee (NWC),of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by it National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun.

Some members of the party led by Ademorin Aliu Kioye, approached the court after the par-

Election Sequence: Reps Threaten Legal Action Over $30,000 Bribery Allegation

BY KHALEEL KAUTHAR, Abuja

of Assembly, Mr Mathew Dike.

Dike had on Tuesday, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the APC and was received into the party fold by the Chairman of PDP in the state, Chief Felix Obuah.

The governor, who lauded the former APC lawmaker for ‘seeing the light’, stated that Dike will enjoy the full benefits of his membership of the party.

He said, “They came here to flag off the Ogoni clean up, but instead of cleaning up Ogoni, they are planning to build a maximum security prison. They have made the two seaports in the state re-

dundant.

“What Rivers State has suffered in the hands of the APC federal government is horrible. They have not executed a single project in the state. The APC federal government works daily to sabotage Rivers State, but we are still making remarkable progress.

“No rational person in the state will say that we are not massively developing Rivers State in line with our campaign promises.

“Everywhere in the state, we are rolling out projects for the benefit of the people and to enhance the quality of

their lives”.

Presenting the new PDP lawmaker to the governor, PDP Chairman in the state, Obuah said Dike’s defection has moved with the last set of APC members to the PDP in Tai local government area.

Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani said the works of the Rivers State Governor are attracting more people to the PDP. In his speech, the member representing Tai Constituency, Mr Mathew Dike said that his defection was engineered

by Tai people who asked him to move to the PDP.

Court Fixes April 16 For Suit Challenging APC NEC Tenure Elongation

BY KUNLE OLASANMI, Abuja

The Senate yesterday urged the federal government to include the Eastern and North Western rail lines in the ongoing Railway Standardization Programme.

The Upper Chamber said the Makurdi-Wukari-Jalingo-Yola rail lines should also be standardised and be reflected in the 2018 Appropriation Bill for implementation.

According to the Senate,it is utterly worried that in spite of the federal government’s rekindled determination to resuscitate the nation’s rail transport system, the rail lines are still in a deplorable condition and not operational.

To mitigate the situation, Senate said the federal government should restore services on the Eastern and western rail lines which is currently out of use.

The resolution of the Upper Chamber followed a motion on urgent need to include the Eastern rail lines, sponsored by Senator Victor C. Umeh (Anambra Central).

According to Umeh, the inclusiveness of the rail lines is the essence of governance in a democracy which is further buttressed by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which categorically states in Section 15 Subsections 3(a) and 4.

ty extended the tenure of NWC by one year.

At the last adjourned date, the plaintiffs secured an order ex- parte directing the defendants to show cause why the members of the National Executive Council of the APC should not be barred from parading themselves as national officials of the party.

The defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), All Progressives Congress (APC), the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oye-

gun and the National organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso.

During the proceedings yesterday, plaintiffs’ counsel Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), told the court that all the defendants have been duly served with the court order of March 15, 2015 that set down the matter for hearing today.

Counsel to INEC , Idris Yakubu said that the commission had filed a preliminary objection to the suit this morning.

But the counsel to All Progressives Congress , Joseph Daudu

(SAN), said the party was served with the clear court order and it was clear that the court did not abridge the time within which the respondents were to file their processes.

He said the suit raised serious constitutional issues and it will be fair they file their processes as allowed by the rule because they are within time .

“For the interest of fair hearing, we are still within time to file our processes.we have a preliminary objection to the jurisdiction of this court”, he said.

The House of Representatives yesterday drew a battle line against the media over allegation of $30,000 bribe collected by members to withdraw their support from the electoral amendment bill that altered the sequence of elections in the country.

This is as they frowned at the publication they described as a slap on the face of members of Legislature, referring the matter to its Committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate the allegation.

The decision was contained in a motion of privilege raised by Hon Danburam Nuhu, who described the allegation as an attempt to discredit the House as an institution, adding, “I’m beginning to worry that my constituents are now doubting my integrity.

“I want the House to support this matter so that the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges can investigate this matter, which is capable of tarnishing our images as members of Parliament.”

The lawmakers while chiding the media on such publications, also threatened legal action against media Houses that published the story for defamation.

Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila insisted on taking the matter to court to determine the truth behind the report, noting that such report was injurious to the reputation of members.

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9

10 NEWS NORTH-EAST, NORTH-WEST Celestial Church Debunks Allegation Of Using Mason For Rituals

Thursday, March 29, 2018

BY ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna

Leaders of Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) in Kaduna, have denied rumours that they indulge in ritual activities, while expressing concerns over the safety of their parishes In Bayan Dutse and environs over threats from mobs, following the death of a mason working for the church.

The Provincial Leader of CCC Kaduna Province, Superior Evangelist Sam Atolagbe expressed this while making clarifications at the Provincial headquarters in Kabala Doki, Kaduna.

“We reiterate that what happened on that day was an accident and by no means a ritual. The church separates itself wholly from any kind of diabolical activity based on the church’s doctrine and tenets.

“We express concern over the plight of our parishes located around the vicinity of the incident as the mob has vowed to carry out more damages,” he said.

The Provincial Leader commended the Nigeria Police, other authorities and concerned persons for their prompt and appropriate steps to curb the incident that could have led to further death and destruction of property.

“We further call on the police and other relevant authorities to keep up the good works and enjoin all parishioners to remain calm and law abiding,” he added.

He explained that the shepherd of the affected parish, Steven Shittu has served in the vineyard of the Lord for over two decades being a role model and a spiritual leader having raised faithful disciples for Jesus Christ and still serving.

“Over the past four years, part of the church land has been lost due to water erosion and efforts have been made to recover the eroded land which normally involves the Shepherd engaging some of the youths of the community to carry out mini construction work to barricade portions where the erosion is less severe.

Sokoto Residents Appeal For More CVR Centres

BY ONUMINYA YUSUF, Sokoto

The residents of Wamakko local government in Sokoto State have called on Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to create additional continuous voters registration centres to carter for large number of people who walk long distances to get registered.

They made the appeal when this correspondent visited Government Day Secondary School, Arkila one of the registration centres at Wamakko local government.

One of the candidates who spoke on the condition of anonymity stated that he had spent four days coming to the centre to get registered.

He added that the process was cumbersome as one has to write his name then wait till it reaches his turn before he could get registered.

“At times before it will reach your turn it is already 3 o’clock and the registration officials will tell you they are closing for that day”,he lamented.

On his part, one of the registration officials who did not want his name to be mentioned said they were facing serious problems daily as some candidates are impatient as they cannot register the number of people that patronize them daily.

He equally explained that the centre had only one laptop which is grossly inadequate considering the number of people that come for registration daily.

The official called INEC to provide more laptops and also create more registration centres in the area to ameliorate the difficulties faced by the candidates.

L-R: Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-rufai; Emir of Birni Gwari, Alhaji Zubair Jibril Mai Gwari and Chairman, Pinnacle Communication, Sir Lucky B. Omoluwa, at the opening ceremony of first Kadinvest pro- am 2018 golf tournament, in Kaduna yesterday. PHOTO GBENGA FOLORUNSHO ABIOLA.

Forum Throws Weight Behind TY’s Call For Self-defence

BY ANDREW OJIH, Jalingo

Members of the Concerned Middle Belt Forum of Nigeria has thrown support behind the former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma for calling on Nigerians to rise and defend themselves against any attack by the Fulani militia.

In a press statement jointly signed by the national chairman of the forum, Chief John A. Mamman, and its secretary, Barr. Oumar M. Shittien and a copy made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Jalingo, it said the forum has watched with great dismay the rapid

drift of the nation into the state of anarchy and chaos as a result of the failure of the federal government to arrest this dangerous trend.

“Nigeria has become a country plagued by numerous crisis including increased armed robberies, rampant kidnappings, cattle rustling, separatist agitations, Fulani herdsmen massacres and revitalized Boko Haram insurgency” ,the press statement said.

The statement added that the primary responsibility of any responsible government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens, adding that the constitution guarantees

every Nigerian the right to life, property and privacy.

“The hope that the present administration would provide the needed direction and guidance in stemming this ugly development has since diminished to the extent that most all the states of the federation are theatres of these conflicts”,the statement added.

The statement noted that the armed forces, the police, and other security agencies appear to be incapable and incapacitated in performance of their constitutional duties of securing the lives and property of Nigerians.

“The worst hit areas are

those in the middle belt of Nigeria which include Taraba, Adamawa, Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara and Niger States.

This zone has been under persistent attacks by the most dangerous terrorist group in the world, the Fulani herdsmen,the statement said.

Further,the statement noted that over three hundred thousand (300,000) people including women and children have been killed or maimed for life while over a million have been displaced and turned into internally displaced persons living with relatives or in IDPs camps across the nation.

el-Rufai Tasks Fulani Leaders On Peace, Education

BY AZA MSUE,Kaduna

As part of government’s engagement with communities across the state, Kaduna State governor,Malam Nasir el-Rufai, yesterday, asked Fulani leaders in the state to uphold peace and ensure that their children are educated.

The governor, who was

speaking at a meeting with Fulani leaders from the 32 emirates and chiefdoms in the state, urged them to do their best to uphold peace in the state.

Addressing the meeting which was also attended by the officials of the Kaduna State Peace Commission, led by Ms. Priscilla Ankut, the executive vicechairman, el-Rufai, said that the

purpose was to discuss how to deepen peace in the state.

According to the governor, “We called this meeting because we need to deepen peace in our state. Peace is important and it is something we cannot compromise. We will continue to work assiduously for the security and peace of our communities. Everyone must reject

violence because it is a destructive tool that tears communities apart and retards all human development.” el-Rufai told the flFulani elders to ensure that their communities embrace education: “Sound education is the foundation for purposeful development. There is no society that will progress without education.

Reforms In Yobe Successful Through DFID Partnership –Gaidam

BY HUSSAINI JIRGI, DAMATURU

Yobe State governor Ibrahim Gaidam, has said that the ongoing partnership with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) has “impacted positively” on the governance system in Yobe State and has led to the adoption of a ResultBased Management (RBM) system which now guides the state’s

socio-economic reform agenda.

The governor spoke yesterday at the opening of a two-day workshop organised by the Bureau for Public Procurement in collaboration with DFID to sensitise officials in the executive, legislative and judiciary branches of the state government on Yobe’s Procurement Law. He said that the successes the administration had recorded in-

clude the institutionalisation of comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation system (M&E) to track budget performance and the development of Medium-Term Sector Strategies (MTSS), MediumTerm Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) for financing various sector plans, adoption of budget classification and chart of accounts.

“As part of the effort to internalise the lessons learnt through collaboration with DFID”, the governor added, “our administration has made it mandatory for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to conduct their activities in a transparent manner. This has checked the diversion of funds, misappropriation, revenue leakages, and misuse of public funds”.

Katsina Police Mop Up Illegal Arms

BY ANDY ASEMOTA, Katsina

In line with 21-day ultimatum of the Inspector General Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris for the simultaneous mopping up and recovery of all illegally acquired arms nationwide, no fewer than 30 illegally acquired arms have been surrendered to the police in Katsina State.

The Katsina Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Wakili, who confirmed this at a press conference yesterday, said the command recovered a total of 198 fire arms from suspected criminals and persons that voluntarily turned in their guns since the exercise began.

According to him, the Katsina police recovered 20 AK47 ri-

fles, 10 pistols, 70 locally made pistols, 80 locally made Dane guns, 840 ammunitions and 50 magazines among others.

“The command will not rest on its oars until it recovers all illegally acquired arms in the pocession of men of the underworld. This is also calling on those who have not returned their illegally acquired fire

arms to do before the expiration of the deadline,” he said.

Recall that the IGP, on February 21, 2018, directed all Commissioners of Police and their supervising Assistant Inspector General of Police in the 12 zonal commands to immediately commence a 21 day arms mop-up operation.

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2019: NOA Commences Sensitisation Workshop In Benue

NORTH CENTRAL 11

BY HEMBADOON ORSAR, Makurdi

As 2019 general elections draws near, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in partnership with Makurdi LGA has organised a one-day sensitization workshop to create awareness on political laws and guidelines to make the exercise a success.

The state director NOA, Anthony Aduku in an address explained that the objective of the workshop tagged, “Security Sensitisation and Re-orientation and interactive forum against Political Thuggery, Kidnapping and Drug Addiction” was to make the people aware of all electoral offences before, during and after elections.

According to him, the workshop will create awareness and educate people especially the youths on the dangers of drugs addiction which usually led to political thuggery and other electoral offences.

He frowned at a situation where parents, guidance and traditional rulers who do not play their roles very well turn around to blame security personnel for arrest of their wards.

“It is drug addiction that enhances some of the atrocities carried out by the youths. If the youth did not take anything like cannabis and tramadol to enhance his or her operation, he or she will not be able to carry arms and kill another person and there is no way that you will arrest a youth and search him or his apartment and you will not discover cannabis or tramadol,” he said.

APC Chieftain Lauds PMB On Move Against Tenure Elongation

BY ABU NMODU, Minna

Former spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa has hailed the move against tenure extension

by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement, the former commissioner for Information and Strategy said politics of godfatherism would not augur well for the APC. “As far as I am concerned, it is a very good thing for the APC. But we are more concerned about godfatherism. They should allow popular people to emerge, because anything that will thwart the people’s choice will lead to party crisis.”

It should be recalled that President Buhari recently kicked against the tenure extension of the APC national chairman and other elected officials describing it as illegal.

“The truth remains that the decision by President Buhari against elongated tenure of the APC national chairman and other elected state officials has saved the APC from legal actions from some quarters.

“We must begin to show to Nigerians that we are capable of conducting national, state and even wards conventions. If not, the party may be thrown into crisis.

L R : Speaker,Niger State House of Assembly, Hon. Marafa Ahmed; Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago; deputy governor, Niger State, Mohammed Ahmed Ketso; national coordinator, Buhari Campaign Organization,Alhaji Danladi Pasali and chairman,BOT,Engr. Marcus Gundiri,during the commissioning of President Muhammadu Buhari, Abubakar Sani Bello and Hon. Mohammed Bago campaign office in Chanchaga, Minna, Niger State, recently.

Judge Returns Case File Involving Herdsmen, Benue Govt To CJ

Easter: FRSC Deploys 1,200 Personnel Across Nasarawa

BY KUNLE OLASANMI, Abuja

BY DANJUMA JOSEPH, Lafia

A crisis of confidence is allegedly brewing at a federal high court in Abuja between Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako of the court and some of the staff who are from Benue State.

Our correspondent gathered that some of her staff who are indigenes of Benue State have already been redeployed.

According to investigation, the redeployment may not be unconnected with a case involving the leadership of

Fulani herdsmen and the Benue State government.

But the court in its reaction said the redeployment was a routine exercise. ‎According to the finding of LEADERSHIP Justice Murtala- Nyako’s decision was based on the fact that her safety was no longer guaranteed with the embattled staffers.

A staff of the court who confided in our correspondent said the drama started when a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who appeared before her in a suit involving Fulani

herdsmen and the Benue State government, requested that the case file be transferred to the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Abdul Kafarati, for reassignment to another judge.

The plaintiffs in the suit, Engr. Saleh Alhassan, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, members of Miyatti Allah Kautal Hore Socio-Cultural Association, sued Benue State government over the antiopen grazing law it enacted in May, 2017.

Defendants in the suit are the Inspector-General

of Police, Ibrahim Idris, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Benue State government, Benue State House of Assembly and the commissioner of Police, Benue State.

The applicants in the motion on notice prayed the court to declare that the publication calling for the arrest of members of Miyatti Allah for peace to reign in Benue State was sponsored by the state government through a body known as Benue Youth Movement.

Gambari, Ali Proffer Solutions To Herders/ Farmers Crisis

BY ABDULLAHI OLESIN,

Ilorin

Nigeria’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has suggested the revival of the 1965 Grazing Reserve Law as a solution to the incessant herdsmen/ farmers clashes.

He said the Law can be revived based on section 315 of the 1999 constitution in the 19 northern states.

This is just as a legal icon, Mal. Yusuf Ali (SAN) asked Nigerians to stop classifying the killer herdsmen as Fulani.

He said unless Nigerians stop classifying the killer herdsmen Fulani, the herdsmen/farmers classes and the attendant wanton destruction of lives and property will continue unabated.

Gambari and Ali spoke at a symposium titled, “Pastoralists and crop farmers’ crisis: A discourse on proactive measures to prevent conflict in Nigeria”, organised by the College of Agriculture, Kwara State University, Malete (KWASU) yesterday.

The former Nigerian UN ambassador noted that out of the estimated 40 million hectares of grazing land in the country only three million hectares are specifically tagged as grazing reserves.

“The Nigerian livestock industry is largely dependent on natural vegetation. Although, there is a vast hectares of natural vegetation in the country they are not maximally utilized due to poor planning and conflicting government policies”, he added.

Gambari also called for

harmonization of relevant laws and policies that govern grazing reserves and a national review and protection of traditional stock routes.

He added, “Regional instruments governing pastoralism should be protected and above all domesticated. In addition to the laws, consultative process between farming and pastoral communities are required to review the effect of statutes and regulations on routine practices of animal husbandry”.

Etsu Nupe, Niger Gov, Others Receive Bida Poly Fellowship Awards

BY ABU NMODU, Minna

The Federal Polytechnic Bida has conferred the fellowship of the institution on the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and APC national chairman, John Oyegun.

The fellowship award was

conferred on them yesterday at the 15th Combined Convocation Ceremony of Federal Polytechnic Bida but the governors of Kogi and Kano neither came nor sent representative.

The Niger State governor was represented by the deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmad Mohammed Ketso.

Oyegun was represented by the party’s officials in Niger State while the Etsu Nupe

was present.

The Etsu Nupe who is also chairman Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar congratulated the students, parents, guidance and school management for their successes.

The royal father applauded the management’s efforts in maintaining the standard of the school amidst paucity of fund and other challenges

facing the education sector in the country.

Meanwhile the minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu represented by the Executive Secretary of National Board for Technical Education, Dr Musa Adamu Kazaure directed the technical and vocational institutions in the country to refocus on training graduates who will help in economic development.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said that it has deployed about 1, 200 of its personnel across Nasarawa State to ensure safety on the highways during the Easter break.

FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mrs Faustina Alegbe, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen yesterday, in Lafia.

Faustina said the deployment and patrol of the officers on highways across the state commenced yesterday and would end on the 3rd of April, to ensure that motorists travelling to their various destinations for the Easter celebrations get there safely.

“So far so good, the operations starts today (yesterday) and will end on the 3rd of April. We have already dispatched our officers to various spots. Apart from that, on Sunday, we will visit the church to speak to Christian faithful on how to use the roads during the period.

“Our public enlightenment officers will be very busy as they too will be engaging travellers and commercial drivers on preventive measures on our highways because the essence of FRSC is to ensure that users of the road arrive their destination safely,” she said.

She said FRSC is totally against corrupt practices on the highway. “That is why we do not take it lightly with anyone caught in such tendencies. If found guilty, that person’s appointment may be terminated,” she said.

The Sector Commander thanked the Nasarawa State government for giving the command a new office complex and appealed for more support.

12 SOUTH SOUTH Total Donates Drugs To Host Communities In Rivers

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

Panel On Edo Clash Submits Report

BY PATRICK OCHOGA, Benin City

BY ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt

A multinational oil company, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, has donated essential drugs worth millions of naira, to no fewer than 10 primary health centres in its host communities in Rivers State.

The benefitting primary health centres are located in Port Harcourt, the state capital and the offshore communities hosting facilities of the oil company.

Speaking at the official handover of the drugs to the communities, the deputy general manager, Community Affairs and Development, TEPNG, Mr. James Urho, said the gesture was in furtherance of the company’s commitment to partnering with government in delivering free health care services to the citizens’ of its host and neighbouring communities.

Urho, who was represented by the manager, Community Affairs, Mr. Okechukwu Okpara, said other programmes planned by TEPNG, in collaboration with the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB), include, annual healthy living awareness, safe motherhood and lassa fever, amongst others.

He said, “Other programmes planned in collaboration with the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board include; our annual healthy living awareness, safe motherhood, lassa fever, roll back malaria, prostate/breast/cervical cancer awareness and HIV awareness and preventive campaigns.

“It is our hope that the residents of our host communities as well as personnel in the health institutions will avail themselves of the opportunities these programmes present in order to justify the essence and huge investments in this efforts.”

In his speech, the permanent secretary, Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB), Dr. Agiriye Harry, applauded TEPNG for partnering with the state government to achieve curative health care services.

Harry, who was represented by the director of Pharmaceutical Services in RSPHCMB, Pharmacist Atonye Cookey-Gam, said the benefitting communities would be the envy of other communities in the state.

She said, “This event is bigger than the previous ones and we thank Total for this gesture. We cherish the

Former Vice President and chieftain of PDP, Atiku Abubakar addressing students of two primary schools on excursion to the Port Harcourt International Airport shortly before his departure to Abuja at the end of his two-day visit to Rivers State.

‘Imo Lawmakers Compelled To Endorse OKorocha’s Son-In-Law’

BY EMMANUEL MGBEAHURUIKE, Owerri

Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha in his quest to foist his sonin-law and chief of staff, Hon. Uche Nwosu, as his successor, has concluded arrangement to arm twist Imo lawmakers into endorsing his son-in-law, believing that their endorsement could give his daughter’s husband some political mileage.

According to a source from Imo Government House, Okorocha was furious that the 20 lawmakers who had purportedly

endorsed Nwosu for governor, come 2019 turned round to deny the claim.

Our source revealed that the exercise of recording the endorsements of the said lawmakers will take place today at a hotel, known as ‘Kelvic Suites’ located in New Owerri.

The hotel said to be owned by the deputy speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, who is also from the same federal constituency with Hon. Nwosu, has reportedly become a beehive of activities for mobilising support for the governor’s son-in-law.

It was further revealed that Governor Okorocha had threatened to deny any lawmaker who fails to endorse his son-in-law ticket to return to the House in 2019.

It would be recalled that Hon. Henry Ezediaro, member of Imo State House of Assembly, last week addressed the press, alleging that 20 law makers had endorsed the governorship ambition of Nwosu.

Angered by Hon. Ezediaro’s revelation, the lawmakers, in a twist, accused the lawmaker of telling lies against them,

with some of them backing down on the said endorsement of Nwosu.

“If we wanted to tell the public about the endorsement of Nwosu as the outcome of our meeting, the press would have been invited for briefing than allowing one of us to speak on our behalf”.

But our source disclosed that Governor Okorocha’s insistence of foisting Nwosu on Imo people might not be unconnected with fear of prosecution over some of his administrative misdeeds, which may land him in jail.

Ugwuanyi Okays Salary Arrears For Enugu Workers

BY NNAMDI MBAWIKE, Enugu

The administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state has approved the payment of arrears of salaries to 731 former staff of some parastatals in the state, who were absorbed into the state’s civil service.

The state government also gave approval for the regularization of 42 casual staff of the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUT), Parklane, Enugu as permanent staff of the establishment.

The above approvals were part of the decisions taken at the meeting of the State Executive Council (EXCO) held at the Government House, Enugu.

Addressing newsmen after the council’s meeting, the commissioner for Information, Mr. Ogbuagu Anikwe disclosed that a total of 731 workers, who are former staff of Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), Sports Council and the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS), will benefit in the arrears’

Obaseki Appoints 6 New Perm Secs

BY PATRICK OCHOGA, Benin City

Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has approved the appointment of six permanent secretaries in the state civil service.

A statement signed by the Head of Service (HoS), Mrs Gladys Idahor, said the state governor approved the

appointment of Mrs Oboh Akongie Usiriedo, Mrs. Imasuen S. I, and Ms Enakhimion D. O. as permanent secretaries.

Others are Engr. Enabulele Ferguson, Mr Oigboke B. O., and Mr Ogbebor R. O. Mrs Idahor said the date for their swearing-in will be announced later.

payment.

The commissioner explained that “sometime in 2016, it was brought to the attention of government that there were some staff of parastatals who were absorbed into the mainstream of civil service, but were not properly captured, with the result that they now have arrears of salaries that were not paid and these parastatals include Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), Sports Council and the ESBS totaling 731 workers”.

Mr. Anikwe further explained that a committee was set up in 2016 to tackle the issue, adding that most of the affected workers failed to show up for verification, which he said, necessitated another committee in 2017 that submitted the report, which the council considered and approved.

He disclosed that more than 10 per cent of the affected staff have not been verified “and the council was of the opinion that a

lot more work needed to be done, so that we can capture everybody and pay everybody at once”.

Informing newsmen that the total amount needed to liquidate the arrears was N284.96 million, the commissioner said: “Now what the council decided is that commitment to pay them, but for the meantime, just to help them cushion the effects of what they may be suffering at this moment, that 10 per cent of what is owed would be paid while all efforts are made within a reasonable time to verify all the others and pay them.

So there is a commitment by the government to pay this sum of N284.96 million”.

On the 42 casual staff of the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Mr. Anikwe noted that “it was agreed by council unanimously that the 42 casual staff should be employed now on a permanent basis”, adding that “their employment should be regularized from the date of their appointment.

Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said that a white paper on the report of the Investigative Panel on the Youths/Police Clash in Upper Igun Area, in Benin City, will be issued in 30 days’ time.

Obaseki disclosed this when he received report of the panel led by Retired Justice Joseph Olubor, at the Government House in Benin City, Edo State.

He said, “Within the next 30 days, we will go through the report and issue a white paper on the issue. We are committed to the well-being and safety of our people. We will get to the bottom of this report and take the necessary action to ensure justice is done in the matter. I assure you that this report will not be left in the shelf.”

Obaseki added, “Sometimes, it is not easy to get to the truth of issues of this magnitude, but we have no choice but to select credible and intelligent people to help us get the truth out.”

Chairman of the panel, retired President of Customary Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Joseph Olubor, said, “26 witnesses appeared before the panel to give evidence on the incident. The numbers reveal how members of the public are ready to assist the panel in its work to get the truth of what happened on that day.”

Meanwhile, the Investigative Panel on Ugbor Gas explosion has revealed that the incident was caused by negligence and illegal siphoning of gas at the gas station.

Chairman, Administrative Panel of Inquiry on the Incident of Gas Explosion at Ugbor, Justice Peter Isibor, made the revelation when the panel submitted its report to Governor Obaseki, at the Government House in Benin City.

Justice Isibor said, “Findings of the panel revealed that the three victims who died due to the gas explosion were staff of the gas station whose proprietor is one Mr. Idemudia Osagie, while a trainee with the station was admitted for 23-degree burns.”

“The panel also gathered that the three staff members who died from the explosion did not heed to the station manager’s instruction not to tamper with the gas installation within the premises.

They went ahead to siphon gas from the plant for their personal use. The explosion was triggered when a generator set was switched on to enable them siphon the gas,” he said.

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AN APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE 11-year-old Jamila Needs N5m For Stem Cell Transplant

A

t the tender age of 11, pretty Jamila Umar Mohammed is battling with sickle cell anaemia and more than ever before needs the assistance of kind hearted members of the public.

Born with sickle cell anemia and her parents getting to know about it when she was about six months old, Jamila suffers severe body pains and organs disorder anytime the ailment begins.

This entails that she has to be admitted to the hospital a couple of times in a year to be treated for hand-foot syndrome occasioned by swollen hands and feet.

Miss Jamila who is currently undergoing treatment at Celltek Healtcare Limited in Benin City, needs N5 million as hospital bills for transplantation and one year drugs post transplantation.

According to her father, Umar Mohammed, while Jamila needs N10 million to be treated, he has been able to raise the sum of N5 million through the benevolence of some members of the public, with which she has successfully undergone stem cell transplant at Celltek Healtcare Limited in Benin City while the results are awaited from Basel University, technical partners to Celltek Healthcare.

“We are seeking the help of public spirited individuals to help us raise the balance of N5 million to cover for the cost of transplantation and one year drugs post transplantation”, Mohammed noted in a letter he sent to LEADERSHIP. He further noted that the family has expended all its funds; hence, the appeal to the public to further assist.

He said willing donors could support by contributing their widow’s mite.

Donations could be sent to the following bank account: Account name: Umar Mohammed.

Bank: Zenith Account number: 1003926359 For further enquiries, please contact Mohammed on: 08035888894

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Thursday March 29, 2018

BRINGING THE SOUTH-WEST TO YOU

SMARTNEWS Bishop Okonkwo Opens National Essay Competition In Lagos

L-R: Deputy Governor, Ogun State, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga; Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi; Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode; Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu and Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Odu'a Investment Company, Mr. Adewale Raji at the quarterly meetingof the Nigeria Western Governors forum held at Lagos House, Ikeja in Lagos,yesterday. PHOTO BY KOLAWOLE ALIU

BY TAIWO OMILANI, LAGOS

wW

The presiding Bishop, Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Mike Okonkwo has declared his National Essay Competition for Secondary School Students in Nigeria open in Lagos.

This was contained in a statement issued by the management of the church.

The competition which commenced from March 26th to June 1st, 2018 is one of Dr. Mike Okonkwo’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities, aimed at raising the standard in the educational sector in the country.

The topic for this year’s competition is designed to mark his 73 birthday is, “Nigeria’s Unity: Matters Arising.

According to the statement, over the years the competition has been very successful in reshaping the thought pattern of the students to develop problemsolving skills.

The Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition spans over a decade of developing and rewarding the writing skills of Nigerian youths towards national development.

Like previous years, the star winner school gets three sets of desktop computers and a printer, while the student goes home with a trophy, Laptop, plaque and a cash gift of N100,000.00. The first runner up school gets two sets of desktop computers and a printer and the student goes home with a cash prize of N75,000.00 and a plaque. The second runner up school gets a desktop computer, while the student gets a plaque and a cash prize of N50,000.00.

"For participation in the 15th Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for Secondary School Students, the entry requirements include: Essay of maximum of 2000 words, a Passport Photograph of the Student, Full Name, Address, Contact Telephone Number, Class, School and Name and Telephone contact of the Principal.

South West Governors Bid For MM Airport Concession

BY GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos

The Governors in South West region yesterday said they will bid for the concession of Murtala Muhammed International Airport and turn it to a world class infrastructure.

The six governors who rose from a quarterly Western Nigeria Governor’s Forum hosted by Lagos State Government with the theme, ‘Consolidating The Legacy of Regional Integration’, agreed that Lagos State is formally a member of the O’dua Investment Group.”

The governors in the nine agenda communique said,”That the states in the region will embark on a Rice Accelerated

Program for Integrated Development (Western RAPID) to further consolidate actions on food security and job creation in the Region.

“That a Regional Agriculture Summit be held in Ibadan, Oyo State in May 2018 and sponsored

by Lagos State: That DAWN Commission, Focal Representatives and Agriculture Commissioners hold a technical session with Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and develop a state by state roadmap in four weeks before the Regional Agriculture Summit scheduled for May 2018.

“That DAWN Commission should work on reviving Regional InterSchool Football Competition “That DAWN Commission should conduct a study on the successes in Education in Ekiti State for peer learning adoption among the Western Nigeria states.

“That DAWN Commission, and the Focal representatives should structure a programme on the Omoluabi Ethos of the Yoruba people.

“That the States of the Regions as a bloc will be monitoring the process for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Concession into a world class infrastructure.

Lagos Assembly Warns Against Signing MoU Without Recourse To House

BY FIDELIS UGBOMEH, Lagos

The Lagos State House of Assembly has said that any contract or Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Executive arm of government without recourse to the House is not binding on the Legislature.

The Speaker of the House Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa made this known after the remarks of Hon Gbolahan Yishawu on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Lagos State government and a United Kingdom based firm for the latter

to maintain 1,000 Street lights in Lagos without knowledge of the House.

He therefore ordered that the Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources Mr. Olowu Olawale Wasiu General Manager Lagos State Electricity Board Engr (Mrs) Ibilola Kasunmu and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy and Water Resources Olujimu Hotonu and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the State Mr. Adeniji Kazeem to appear before the Ad-Hoc Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources to give an

insight into the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the United Kingdom based firm.

The Speaker stated further that the Committee has one week to submit its report Hon Bisi Yusuf noted that members of the House should have first hand information about such an important MOU on maintenance of Street light instead of reading about it in a Newspaper.

Hon Gbolahan Yishawu wondered why the House was not carried along for proper appropriation of fund.

‘Adherence To Rule Of Law Necessary For Nation Building’

BY ZAKA KHALIQ, Lagos

The Chief Imam, Lekki Central Mosque, Ustaz Ridwan Jamiu, has charged Nigerians to have respect for their individual rights for peaceful and mutual co-existence in the country, saying adherence to rule of law is key to nation building.

He spoke at the 21st Annual Symposium/Launch of Al-Qalam Magazine of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria(MSSN),

Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus Branch, in Lagos noting that mutual respect for one another is very important between Muslims and Christians for a peaceful society.

Jamiu, charged Muslims not to be incited to violence, even if their rights are trampled upon, advising Muslims to fight for their rights in a peaceful and coordinated manner, just as, Islam preaches peace.

On adherence to the rules of

law, he called on Nigerians to understand their fundamental rights and know when it is violated so that they can legally defend themselves.

He said each religion has its unique practice that distinguishes it from the other religion, but that mutual respect and understanding would allow people to respect these practices and not be offended when somebody is exercising his religious rights.

Court Restrains Osun From Arresting, Prosecuting NBA Chairman

BY JOSHUA DADA, Osogbo

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa yesterday restrained the Osun State government and its agents from arresting or prosecuting the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Chairman, Ilesa branch, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola.

Members of the NBA, Ilesa branch had approached the court asking for an ex-parte order restraining Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the state agents from victimizing Ajibola over the issue of tax or any other related matter pending the determination of suit filed challenging the constitutionality of the State Tax Law. Leading other lawyers, Barrister Nathaniel Folorunso argued that granting the injunctive application should be considered necessary based on the situation at hand with the affidavits and exhibits attached to it.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Kola Adegoke ordered the governor any of his officials from victimizing, persecuting, causing the arrest, arraignment, prosecution of Ajibola in his court or any other court, on a tax or other related matters pending the hearing and determination of a substantive case before him.

Justice Adegoke ordered that all necessary papers be served to the defendant as he thereafter adjourned the matter to April 16 for further hearing.

Meanwhile the NBA, Ilesa Branch has petitioned the Inspector General of Police IGP, the Director-General of State Security Service (SSS) and the NBA at the national level over the alleged threat to life of Barrister Ajibola.

The lawyers stated that based on the information through a Press Conference held recently by a Cleric and Human Right Crusader, Bishop Seun Adeoye and the information presented by Ajibola to them, they can no longer keep quiet over the matter.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

‘Women-InSurveying’ Seek Synergy On Environmental

BY ABAH ADAH, Abuja

The national coordinator of the women wing of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, known as ‘Women-InSurveying’, Mrs Funke Adekunle has stressed the need to create sustainable synergy between surveyors and other environmental professionals against environmental disasters.

Adekunle who made the appeal during the recently held 14th Annual National Conference of the Nigerian Institution of Surveying in Port Harcourt, Rivers State said in view of the magnitude of human loss associated with environmental hazards and other disasters, and the ineffectiveness of emergency management agencies in handling them satisfactorily around the country, there is need for immediate review of policy guidelines by the government so as to make the country safe and secured for living without the worries of uncertainties.

“It is our heartfelt cry that the policy makers will see the need to make relevant and viable policies that will create synergy between surveyors and other environmental professionals in order to yield its prospective result and save our environment from imminent disasters.

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NATIONAL NEWS 15

Stakeholders Hail Reintroduction Of History In School Curriculum

BY CHIKA MEFOR, Abuja

Stakeholders in the education sector have commended the reintroduction of History as an independent subject in the curriculum of primary and junior secondary schools in the country.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, had on Tuesday, ordered the reintroduction of History as an independent subject into the basic and junior secondary schools in the country.

Adamu who was speaking at the launch of History curriculum and teacher’s guide in Abuja, said such would allow students know the history of the country.

Reacting to the reintroduction, a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Department of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Abuja, Dr. Usman Manu, stated that it was welcome development and one that will help in the development of the country.

“It is welcome development.

It should be made as one of the

requirement for all students.

People taking the subject is minimal. In my University, they added Diplomatic studies, so that it will attract people, so it is History and Diplomatic Studies. It helped to bring in students to do that course. “ History is an important subject which should not be played with. It helped to talk about the past and his we can move on to the future,” he said Manu however noted that the curriculum should also be

N138m Fraud: Court Orders Interim Forfeiture Of Naval Officers’ Properties, Money

BY OLUGBENGA SOYELE, Lagos

Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the temporary forfeiture of two properties located in the Lekki area of the state, belonging to two Naval officers, Captain Olotu Olumuyiwa Morakinyo and Captain Ebony Emmanuel Aneke to the federal government.

Justice Hassan also granted another order, temporarily forfeiting to the government the sum of N11, 040,000 found in the account of a limited liability company, Lakewood Garden Ventures Limited suspected to be a proceed of unlawful activity.

The judge granted the order after entertaining an ex-parte application argued before him by a lawyer from the office of the

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Idris Abdullahi Mohammed.

The anti-graft agency had in an affidavit attached to the application and disposed to by one of its operatives, Idris Adamu, claimed that the EFCC received intelligence report for the case of conspiracy, stealing and money laundering against the two Naval officers, who were posted to Nigerian Maritime

We’ll Use Ekiti Guber To Launch Takeover Of Nigeria – SDP

Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as Maritime Guard Commanders from September 2011 to September 2015.

The EFCC claimed that Lakewood Garden Ventures is a Company jointly owned by Captain Aneke and his sister Jimmie Aneke while the Committee of Antipiracy Logistics account was opened and maintain by the Maritime Guard Command of NIMASA.

L-R: FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem; chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Gwagwalada, Abuja branch, Abubakar Atiku and unit commander, Gwagwalada Unit during Easter mega rally in Gwagwalada, yesterday.

BY TUNDE OGUNTOLA, Abuja

Ahead of the Ekiti State gubernatorial elections, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has disclosed that the election would serve as a launch pad for the party’s bid to take over government at the federal level.

The national vice chairman (South West), SDP, Chief Supo Shonibare, who said this at inauguration of the party’s Interim, Contact and Mobilisation Committees in Ado Ekiti yesterday, charged the committee members to attract quality members to the party.

Shonibare noted that with hard work, “SDP will win the Ekiti State governorship election.”

He also described the July election in the state as “a national election.”

Shonibare called on the committee members to enlighten the electorate in the state that the party’s vision is to liberate them from the claws of poverty, deprivation and economic recession.

upgraded adding that curriculum that does not solve the problem of Nigeria should be scrapped.

Also speaking, a civil servant and a parent of three, David Igor expressed happiness over the reintroduction of the subject in the curriculum.

Igor who said he was angry when History was relegated at the background, stated that the teaching will bring back the youth to the basis, as he was scared some of them have been carried away by western ways and custom.

PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

Stop Electoral Impunity By Punishing Offenders, NHRC Tells FG

BY BIDON MIBZAR, Abuja

The acting executive secretary National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mrs. Oti Ovrawah has said that unless people who commit electoral infractions are held accountable for their actions, impunity in elections will continue to thrive.

Ovrawah who say this

yesterday, at her office in Abuja, during the launch and presentation of Phase II, “End Electoral Impunity “ Report, also said that unless steps are taken to deal with electoral impunity, the right to vote and be voted for and other related rights will continually be infringed upon with adverse consequences on democratic governance and

institutional accountability.

The NHRC boss also called on the judiciary to take proactive steps in ensuring that cases of electoral infractions by persons and organisations are properly dealt with as provided by section 149 of the Electoral Act, 2010.

“Courts should stand up to their responsibilities of curbing electoral impunity by proactively

referring cases of crimes committed during elections to appropriate agencies for investigation and prosecution.

Currently, section 149 of the Electoral Act which deals with this issue is not being enforced, hence creating a gap and seemingly encouraging impunity in the context of elections in Nigeria”, she said.

Priority Should Be Given To Girl Child Education – Uja

BY JULIANA AGBO, Abuja

The executive secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Rev Tor Uja has urged parents and guardians to give more attention to girl child education as educated women play pivotal role in educating the society.

Uja made the remark in Abuja while playing host to Wailing Women Word Wide Intercessors’ for the Church led by its national coordinator, Mrs Oluronke

Nath-Uto and the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) Pro-Cathedral Garki, led by its president, Mrs Justina Onwe, during a separate courtesy visits to NCPC. Uja assured the wailing women of NCPC’s support to ensure that they achieve their desired goals.

He also assured the CWO president of his readiness to support Catholic faithful who are widows to embark on pilgrimage to Israel next year.

“I respect women, and I recognise your labours and contributions towards repositioning Nigeria for greater heights.

Women have not been recognised for their roles in our lives, over the years, they have been playing peculiar roles in the development of church and promotion of health in Nigeria.

“As a nation, we should all stand up and protect women and girls.

One of the reasons we introduced women pilgrimage is that we

believe in the capacity of women to transform this nation,” he said.

He added that the focus of the pilgrimage is to enable women from different churches; tribes and location embark on the spiritual journey to Israel to pray for the progress of Nigeria.

“I urge all Nigerian Churches to come out massively to sponsor at least 10 women to pilgrimage in Israel,” he averred.

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18 NATIONAL NEWS PIGB Ready For Presidential Assent

BY AHURAKA ISAH, Abuja

The National Assembly has said that the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) is now ready for Presidential assent.

This followed consideration and adoption of the conference committee report on the PIGB at yesterday’s plenary.

Presenting the report, the chairman, Senate Com-

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Wife of Late A.D. Williams King,Dr. Naomi King, has commended the DirectorGeneral National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) for his sterling leadership qualities and commitment to excellence wherever he serves.

Dr. Naomi made the commendation during a reception held in her honour at the headquarters of NCAC in Abuja along with Mr. Isaac NewtonFarris, a nephew of American civil right activist, Martin Luther King Junior among other notable personalities.

Speaking during the grand reception, the influential American civil right activist said Runsewe makes positive impact anywhere he goes stressing that he will surely deliver as the helmsman at the NCAC. Narrating her own personal experience, Dr. Naomi intimated that God had always been on her side and even at 86 she

was still waxing stronger and pursuing the core values that make America a great nation.

Furthermore, she advised Nigerians to always put God and love for country first before any other consideration just as she asked Nigerians to ensure a peaceful election process come 2019.

She said, “I want you to take the responsibility and vote when the time comes for the candidate of your choice because you have a voice and your vote is your voice. Remember that if you love God, you love your neighbour and have in mind what the almighty God has done, He will give you the desire of your heart.”

On her part the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora,Mrs. Abike DabiriErewa, who accompanied the Americans on the visit to the council said the Luther family was in Nigeria to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jnr.

Police Parade 40 Suspected Car Thieves, Recover 78 Guns

BY EJIKE EJIKE, Abuja

Nigeria Police have paraded 40 suspected car thieves, fraudsters and phone snatchers, who have been terrorising the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and neighbouring states.

Speaking at the parade, the commissioner of Police FCT, CP Sadiq Bello said a total of 78 guns (38 English Pump Actions, 13 Dane Guns, 25 Fabricated Modified Pump Actions, one Fabricated Revolver Pump Actions‎, one Double Barrel) and 222 Cartridges were recognised.

According to ‎him, “In compliance with IGP’s directive, I would like to seize this opportunity and inform residents of FCT about the activities/operation of the Command’s Enforcement Team for the mopup, seizure and recovery of illegal and prohibited firearms and ammunition from unauthorised persons. So far, the taskforce has recovered a total of 78 guns and 222 live cartridges that were voluntarily submitted. Most of

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

mittee on Petroleum (Upstream), Tayo Alasoadura, discloseded that out of the 12 contentious areas in the bill, nine were resolved in favour of the Senate, as against three for the House of Representatives.

Recall that while the Senate passed the bill on May 25, 2017, while the House of Representatives passed its version on January 25, 2018.

Martin Luther King’s Family Hails NCAC Boss

BY STELLAMARIES AMUWA, Abuja

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the firearms were voluntarily surrendered to the Command Headquarters following robust media campaign and meetings with stakeholders in the five Police Area Commands of the FCT. “ He further noted that one of the suspects, Destiny Jacob was arrested during stop-andsearch at Gwarinpa.

He was arrested while in possession of a Toyota Corolla which he and his gang members robbed from the owner at gunpoint on March 15, 2018 at about 2230hrs at Kado Expressway while posing as passengers in the vehicle.

“On February 20, 2018 at about 2000hrs, police operatives on stop-and-search arrested three armed robbery suspects that were in a taxi, two locally made pistols were recovered from them. The three suspects, Tersor Moga, Usama Tijjani and Samuel Ezra were arrested on their way to Wuse for a robbery operation. The revelation by these suspects led to the arrested of Musa Mohammed Sani and Abdulkadir Muktar as the receivers.

L-R: Member, House of Representatives, Hon Peter Apkatason, welcoming Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, during the APC National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

Peace Corps Daily Times’ N2bn Suit: Court Orders Substituted Service Against Sen Obiora Will Tackle

BY KUNLE OLASANMI, Abuja

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Jabi has ordered that a substituted service be served on a former lawmaker Senator Ikechukwu Obiora over a N2billion suit filed against him by the Chairman of Folio Communications Limited (Publishers of Daily Times of Nigeria) Mr. Fidelis Anosike and the Group Managing Director of the company, Barr. Noel Anosike.

Justice Halilu gave the order after hearing the application contained in SUIT NO: CV/1030/18 and Motion No: M/4102/18 instituted by the Anosike brothers against Ikechukwu Obiorah following their illegal detention.

Also joined in the suit are the Inspector General of Police and Deputy Inspector General of Police Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Division (FCIID) Hyacinth M. Dagala.

The motion exparte which was dated and filed on March 20, 2018 together with the affidavit in support was duly deposed by Joy Zachary, a Litigation Secretary at the Law Partners, the Law Firm where V.O.Odjenu of Counsel to the Applicants in this suit praying seek-

ing the prayers.

The judge after taking submissions from counsel to the Applicants, Egbet Nathaniel held, “Leave is hereby granted to the Applicants to serve the Originating Motion and all other court processes in this suit on the 1st Respondent via substituted means; by pasting same on his last known address; No.3 William Tolbert Close, Asokoro, Abuja”.

The substantive matter WA subsequently adjourned to April 26,2018 for hearing.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Police had at the instance of Sen. Ikechukwu Obiorah in January this year invaded the Abuja office of Folio Communications Limited where they arrested and detained top management Officers of the company and went away with files and vital documents.

The Anosikes where subsequently detained for many days at the Kuje Prison before an Abuja High Court ruled for their bail.

The Anosike brothers thereafter filed a N2billion fundamental human rigors enforcement suit, following their illegal detention by the police at the instance of Sen Obiora.

CSOs Want Salaries Of Public Office Holders Reviewed

BYNKECHI ISAAC, Abuja

As Nigeria prepares for the 2019 general elections, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have urged the voting public to hold public office holders accountable by pushing for the review of extant laws that allow for enormous remunerations for politicians.

Speaking during a one-day workshop on salaries and emoluments of National Assembly members organised by the Africa Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (CENTRE LSD) with support from DFID and in partnership with Christian Aid under her Voice to the People (V2P) Project in Abuja, the programme director of the centre, Mr Monday Osasah, decried a situation where 21 serving senators are presently receiving salaries from their states as former governors and deputy governors (as pension), and at the same time collecting salaries and allowances as members of the National Assembly.

He said: “Antithetically, these are happening at a time when workers are owed arrears of salaries and the mass-

es groaning under a recession caused by the wastefulness and mismanagement of national economy by the ruling class.

Interestingly, the members of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) empowered by the constitution to approve the salaries and allowances of the legislators have remained mute over the issue. The budget office of the federation also could not raise its voice to interrogate the anomaly.”

According to him, “There is no way the economy can make the desired progress in a situation where the political leadership is arguably more interested in salaries and overheads than in capital expenditure. Monies that naturally should be channeled into infrastructural development are now used to service the personal interest of political leaders.”

In his presentation, titled, “Fiscal transparency of annual payments of salaries and pensions for members of the National Assembly and the way forward”, Mohammed Attah, called for an amendment of the existing laws to develop legal framework to reverse the trend.

Challenges Confronting Youths – Akoh

BY JULIANA AGBO and FREDRICK AGAGA, Abuja

The national commandant, Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC), Amb. Dickson Akoh has disclosed that the overwhelming challenges confronting Nigerian youths and the need to come up with a platform to meet their needs and aspirations necessitated the urgency for the establishment of the Nigerian Peace Corps.

Amb Akoh, who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday, during the launch of Glamour International Magazine in Abuja, reiterated the need for pragmatic synergy between federal and state governments, private sector and individuals to tackle the high rate of youth unemployment in the country.

He also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider signing the NPC bill saying, it will tackle numerous challenges confronting Nigerian youths.

The national commandant who was represented by the deputy national commandant, Dr Edet Ekpeyong lamented lack of vibrant industries to absorb competent graduates.

He, however, urged federal government to encourage massive private investment in the petroleum sector to ultimately create millions of jobs.

“The deficiency in school curricula and poor teacher training have contributed to the failure of educational institutions to impart in their students the appropriate skills to make them employable,” he averred.

“Happenings around the world have continued to show that security cannot be divorced from developmental issues. Joblessness, diseases and exploitation are the real causes of insecurity, and not the fear of external aggression. ‘’This trend if not tackled, there is likelihood that we may soon begin to agonize over spilt milk as the wave of sundry crimes take over our directionless youth,” he said.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

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INTERVIEW 19

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‘How NMC Is Addressing Poor Performance In Mathematics’

Prof. Stephen Onah is the Chief Executive of National Mathematical Centre (NMC). He spoke to CHIKA MEFOR on the poor performance of students in Mathematics and what the Center is doing about it.

What is responsible for the poor performance of students in Mathematics?

When the Center was established, it went into a research on what was responsible for the poor performance of students in the subject. One of them is the teaching method and teaching aids. The second is the attitude of students to the subject, then the third is the low motivation for teachers and the inadequate qualified teachers for the subject.

Having identified all of these issues that were responsible for the poor performance in the subject, the NMC sets up a mechanism for addressing them. The Center went into writing of textbooks that are more or less, teach yourself approach in the most simplify form with a lot of illustrations.

The textbooks were made available, free of charge to schools, teaching modules, workbooks, and so on were developed in addition to other means of making the learning of mathematics, interesting. There are lots of games that have been developed towards the learning of the subject.

The center has been partnering with a number of partners, one of such partnerships resulted to what we call the Digital Mathematics Network project or the DIMANET project. The project is aimed at transforming the learning of Mathematics from the familiar traditional way of doing it in the class to an electronic form and even beyond. The project is able to transform the teaching and learning of Mathematics using animated videos. The project is available in three platforms; you have the hard copy form available in CDs and DVDs. You also have the DIMANET web portal, there is also the mobile app which a student can access by downloading the DIMANET app from Google playstore. The videos cover all the topics in the current Nigerian mathematics curriculum from JSS1 to SS3.

The project targets secondary schools because the current challenge in the sector is majorly at the secondary level. If the learning of Mathematics is not grounded at that level, there is a problem.

What the center decided to do is to migrate from the traditional approach of teaching to where students are interested in learning from.

That is why we said if we produce this thing in the platforms where they are interested in, they will go there and learn. There are so many advantages. Once you have it from the DIMANET web portal, mobile app or from the DVD, you can access it as many times as you wish. So if a topic is taught to you, you can learn it

again from any of the DIMANET platforms. If you are not clear you can go through it all over again, unlike in the classroom where a teacher can get angry with you for asking a question two or three times. An impatient teacher might tell you if you don’t understand, go home and read.

We have not launched the project officially. But it has been completed and it is fully ready for use by any interested person. It also provides opportunity for interaction as test questions are there for you to access yourself on the level of improvement you are having on any topic in mathematics from JSS1 to SS3. There is an interactive platform where you can access the staff of the center to ask questions on any mathematics issue you may encounter. To us, it is like a break through, using new technologies for learning Mathematics.

They Centre also established the Mathematics Improvement project. The project is aimed at improving the learning of Mathematics through workshops. It is supposed to be a project that is collaborative. Interested stakeholders, state governments and proprietors of schools are expected to collaborate with the Center in the funding.

The states that keyed into it, saw that it was productive. The project normally span a period of two year and those schools were able to score in WAEC up to 60, 70 and above. That is from the performance of less than 20 per cent they came with. Unfortunately, the down turn of the economy affected it and the states and proprietors of schools were not forth coming again.

You mention the down turn of the economy as one of the challenges the Center is facing. What other challenges have prevented the Center

from carrying out its mandate?

We are battling with inadequate budget proposal and provision for the Center. If we were well funded, some of this collaboration we are talking about, we would have taken it upon itself to handle the projects. Unfortunately, it is not possible for now.

How important in Mathematics in our everyday life?

Mathematics is an everyday life subject. There is nothing you can do from morning till evening that Mathematics is not involved. Our daily lives, we count, even right from the kitchen to the sitting room, we are doing one sort of Mathematics or the other. Mathematics is a subject that develop logical thinking. It is important for technological advancement.

In all of the technology we see today, Mathematics, is the foundation. Everybody uses handset, we watch television, high level technology, all of that, the foundation to their production is Mathematics. When you look at it from our educational advancement, the government of our country, and almost all the countries I know of, specify that for you to advance, from secondary level to higher education level, you must have a credit pass in the subject. If you don’t pass it, you don’t advance.

Mathematic is a challenge to many students to the extent that some say that they don’t like it.

Some say that they hate it, and that it is only those who are gifted that can do it. Now, this things that we hear in our country is the same thing we hear everywhere. It is the surprising thing in the issue of Mathematic. Anywhere you go, both in the advance and developing countries, you hear the same statement that Mathematics is very hard so much that it has now become a recognised

In those good old days, when it was just secondary one of such partnerships resulted to what we call the Digital Mathematics Network project or the DIMANET project

challenge. The United Na tions Educational Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) deemed it fit to set aside a day for Mathematics. That is how important it is.

It is aimed at publicizing Mathematics to the grassroots.

To use the day to ruminate over issues that border on the learning of Mathematics. March 14 of every year is now set aside as the International Day of Mathematics. To that extent, it means that on a yearly basis, there is a day that every human being on this planet is to think Mathematics.

What is the NMC doing beyond the secondary level of education?

The Center has as its mandate the improvement of Mathematics in the area of research, teaching and learning. We are involve in high level research of Mathematics and Mathematical sciences. What we mean by Mathematical sciences from the point of view of the Center is the discipline of statistics, compute science, theoretical physics, and Mathematical science education.

This are the areas that the Center covers. We have a number of research groups in various disciplines and the Center has collaborative research with other organisations, both within and outside the country. We retrain lecturers in the colleges of education, polytechnic and universities in the act of teaching Mathematics at that level. Regular workshops are organised for this type of people.

The center also organises foundation post graduates schools or courses. We target lecturers at the universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, those who are preparing for their PHD certificate. The Center prepares and organises courses for them to enhance their research capability.

Sometimes, research lectures are organised where experts come to talk about the current stage of research in the area. The center is an inter university center, not a paraltatals. We collaborate with different universities in certain areas. We have a collaboration with a university to help in some post graduate programmes. The center has the resources and the university does not have that so they are mounting the courses the center is helping to execute.

Where we don’t have the expertise, the center is permitted to seek expertise from anywhere in the world. We are not limited in terms of seeking experts to carry out any of our action.

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

NUC Okays 20 Courses For FUDMA

BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI, Abuja

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved full accreditation of 20 academic programmes for the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, (FUDMA), in Katsina State.

A statement signed by the chief public relations officer (CPRO) of the university, Habibu Garba Matazu, which was made available to LEADERSHIP, said results of the accreditation were contained in a technical report L-R: PTA Chairman Dr Garba Safiyanu; public diplomacy officer, US embassy Mr. Lawrence Socha; director of schools, Pace Setters Academy, Mrs Kate Imansuagbon; chairman Pace Setters academy Barr. Kenneth Imansuagbon and head of cultures and information, Japan Embassy Mr. Hideki Sakamoto appreciating the perforforwarded to the unimance of pace setters students, during the school’s 2018 cultural Festival in Abuja. PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO versity.

Matazu listed the accredited courses to include, Business ManBY CHIKA MEFOR , Abuja cy. You should be courageous ,innovative agement, Agriculture, He expressed regret that the present and responsive.

Fisheries and AquaculThe federal government has urged mem- administration inherited mess from the “You are expected to provide the govern- ture, Forestry , Food bers of the governing boards of Paraltatals

FG Tasks Governing Board Members On Education Strategic Plan under the ministry of education to key into the Ministerial Strategic Plan 2016-2019, which was already being implemented.

The minister of education, Mallam Adamu Adamu who gave the charge also task them to shy away from corruption and impunity so as to move the sector forward.

The minister spoke during the inauguration of the Governing Boards of 19 Parastatals and two universities under the Ministry of Education in Abuja.

Goodluck Jonathan-led adminstration, adding that in almost all agencies of government, impunity was the order of the day in the past administration.

Adamu however urged the members not to lose sight of the of the fact that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is opposed to impunity, arbitrariness, and recklessness to the rule of law.

“With your appointments, I expect you to play your roles with skill and efficien-

ance and type of leadership that engender transparency, accountability, as well as support the mandates of the agencies,” he added.

Among the inaugurated were the former governor of Bayelsa, Timipre Silva, who was the chairman of the board for Nigeria Maritime University, Dr Emmanuel Ndukwe for JAMB, Prof Ayo Banjo for NUC, Chukwuemeka Nwajuba for TETFUND and Prof Peter Okebukola for NOUN.

Educationist Warns Against Sending Children To Foreign Varsities

BY ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, PORT HARCOURT

An educationist, Mrs. Ekama Akpan, has warned Nigerian parents against being in a hurry to send their children and wards to foreign universities.

Akpan, who gave the warning in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said three-quarter of children sent overseas at very tender age end up joining cult groups while others end up in jail.

She said, “Parents should not be in a hurry to send their children to universities overseas; the cult boys are waiting for them there. Parents should know that it is not just bringing out money to train these children; there are other things involved.

“Children should be allowed to have at least their first degrees in Nigeria before travelling overseas for further studies. If you send them overseas early, they won’t know their left from their right and they also suffer racial discrimination.

“We should know that three-quarter of children sent abroad from Nigeria at a tender age never realise their goals.

Some end up joining cult groups while others find theirselves in various jails.”

Akpan, who stated that the future of the nation depends the quality of the education sector, urged parents not to leave the sector for government and politicians alone.

“The future of this great country depends on the quality of our education and the children we train. We must make

the children know that their parents will not be there forever. Also, parents must start talking because most of our youths are now drug addicts, who engage in all forms of criminality.

“We need to see how we can encourage parents to look into the education sector. If you leave the sector for government and politicians, they will reduce the quality of education in the country.

The more private schools we have, the better for us.

“To have quality education, we must pay teachers, buy books and pay more attention on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The policies of both federal and state governments on the education sector must be transparent.”

Unizik Alumni Inaugurates Abuja Branch

BY NKECHI ISAAC, Abuja

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) has inaugurated officials of the Abuja chapter of the varsity’s Alumni Association.

Addressing the newly inaugurated excos, national president, Barr.

Nwafili Okwuosa, urged them to reclaim the glory of the Abuja branch by running an all-inclusive union where old and new members feel welcome, urging them to be open minded and assiduous in their activities.

“I’ll advise you to avoid the pitfalls of the past, by this I mean, the idea of trying to clique in the association.

This is not the kind of association that a clique works” In her inaugural address, the branch chairman, Laura Madu promised to foster the ideals of the alma mater, pledging to make the branch association a reference point to other associations.

Madu sought the support of the officials and members, saying the alumni can only achieve great feats through team work.

“I will strive to foster the ideals of the university while here in Abuja. As the current chairman, I will strive also to make sure that Abuja becomes a reference

point at any time an alumnus is mention. I also look forward to the full support of the house. I believe so much in team work because I know that together we can achieve so much. So, if everybody be on board we’ll surely get to our destination. We’re going to be united and will come out stronger and better than we used to be,” she added.

The newly inaugurated officials include the chairman, Laura Ede Madu; vice chairman, David Obi; secretary, Ogbuagu Obinna; asst. secretary, Okonkwo; financial secretary, Felix Agu; treasurer, Helen Attah Nneka; public relations officer, Timothy Okoli and social secretary, Ifeanyi Okoye.

Science, English and History.

Also listed as having met the accreditation requirment and hence given approval are, Education Biology, Education Chemistry, Education Mathematics and Education English.

Other programmes with full accreditation are, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Computer Science, Microbiology, Physics, Physics with Electronic and Sociology.

Matazu said according to the NUC accreditation result, only three academic Programmes, “ Mathematics, Accounting and Physics Education are on interim accreditation”.

Senate Summons Minister, WAEC Head Over Mass Failure

BY SOLOMON AYADO AND AHURAKA ISAH, Abuja

Senate yesterday, decried the mass failure of candidates in West African Examination Council Examination (WAEC).

The Red Chamber noted that since 2009, there are established recurring cases of mass failure of examination in the country noting that the situation is prejudicial to the interest of Nigerian secondary school students and parents.

It therefore, directed the Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) to summon the minister of education, the head of Nigerian office of WAEC and any relevant stakeholder connected with the problem, to appear before it.

The Committee is mandated to interface with the officers and submit a comprehensive report within one month.

Our correspondents report that the summon was part of the resolutions taken after the lawmakers deliberated on a motion seeking to address recurring mass failure in WAEC examinations.

Sponsored by Senator Umaru Kurfi (Katsina Central), the motion seeks to identify the causes of recurring mass failure and to proffer appropriate measures to overcome it.

Kurfi said in 2009 and 2010, only 25.99 and 24.94 percent respectively, passed with 5 credits including Mathematics and English.

“In 2012 May/ June WAEC, only 649,159 out of 1,672,224 candidates that wrote the examinations which represents just 38.81 percent got 5 credits and above including in the core subjects of Mathematics and English language; “Disturbed that in 2013 WAEC, only 29.17 percent candidates actually passed the Nov/Dec WAEC examinations while 70 percent failed.

In both 2017 and 2018 recent January/ February private examinations, only 26.01 percent and 17.13 percent candidates have passed with 5 credits including Mathematics and English language respectively , while the remaining over ‘70 percent candidates have failed,” he added.

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politics today Thursday, March 29 , 2018

REPORTS ANALYSES REVIEWS INTERVIEWS

GROUP POLITICS EDITOR: MUYIWA OYINLOLA 08054701492 (SMS ONLY )

Electoral Act Amendment: NASS And The Move To Override PMB’s Veto President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2018 is generating controversy in the National Assembly. While the Senate prepare to override the President’s veto, the House of Representatives wants to handle it differently, writes ADEBIYI ADEDAPO

A

But the National Assembly has vowed to override the President’s veto.

lthough, Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara have denied any disagreement over President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal endorse the Electoral Act Amendment Bill as passed by the National Assembly, indication has emerged the two legislative chambers may not vote in the same direction.

While the majority of the senators are likely to easily vote overwhelmingly in support of the override, the situation may be different in the House of Representatives.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently vetoed the Electoral Amendment Bill on the grounds that the section that is proposing to alter the election sequence for the presidential elections to hold last would infringe on the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise and supervise elections in the country.

The President in a letter dated March 8, 2018, stated that the amendments made by the lawmakers were in conflict with the existing laws.

But the National Assembly has vowed to override the President’s veto.

It is however unclear, whether the reconciliatory meeting by the leadership of the APC with its Senate Caucus to avert the planned override vote of the president’s veto has will achieve a positive result, as senators have started to append their signatures in register to vote in favour of the passage of the bill.

While the tempo to override the President’s veto gathers in the Senate, there are concerns that the House of Representatives would handle he matter differently.

One of the Senators champion the override recently claimed that at least 67 of his colleagues had already signed the register to override the veto, saying at least 15 are from the Southsouth geo-political zone, 13 from the South-east, 10 from the South-west, 10 from the North-

Saraki

east, and seven from the Northwest.

He disclosed that the register is in the custody of a senator from the North-east, and about 20 senators were still undecided on whether to override the veto or support pro-Buhari senators who are said to be just 15 in number.

At least, 72 senators and 240 members of the House of Representatives must vote to override the President.

The procedure for overriding the President’s veto on a bill is spelt out in Section 58 of the constitution, particularly 58 (5).

Section 58 (5) reads, “Where a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within thirty days thereof signify that he assents or that he withholds assent. “(5) Where the President withholds his assent and the bill is again passed by each House by two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the President shall not be required.”

Position of the the House of Representatives is somewhat similar, but the House agreed with the second and third reasons given by the President.

However, the Green Chamber

Buhari

believe that the override should come after two of the three reasons Buhari gave for withholding his assent would have been deleted from the bill and passed afresh.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Abdulrazak Namdas, who spoke on the latest decision of the legislature, explained that the lawmakers had accepted two of the reasons advanced by Buhari for rejecting the bill.

“We agreed with the first one that the amendment of Section 138 of the Principal Act (Electoral Act) to delay crucial grounds upon which an election may be challenged by a candidate, unduly limits the right of candidates in election to a free and fair electoral review process. This, we have agreed with the President.

“We have also agreed with the reason advanced that the amendment of Section 152 of the Principal Act raises constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over local government elections.

“This too, we have agreed with the President. So, it is true that we don’t have powers on

the two.”

But, on the first reason, which was on the reordering of the elections, Namdas said the legislature insisted that it retained the power under the 1999 Constitution to decide the order of elections and not INEC. He noted that Section 4 of the constitution empowered the National Assembly to legislate over elections, particularly item 22 of the provision.

“It means that we have the power to work on the order of elections as it is stated. INEC has the power to fix electoral dates in accordance with the Electoral Act. The entire Electoral Act talks about organising elections. If we do not have powers on how to organise elections, that means we do not even have the power to even pass the Electoral Act itself. That means it’s an illegal thing (Act) because it was passed by the National Assembly.”

He insisted that the National Assembly stood by the new bill that the presidential poll would be held last, but excluding the two reasons it was in agreement ➔ CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

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NASS And The Move To Override PMB’s Veto ➔ FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

of them realise that their return to the House may depend on the bill, they would not hesitate to override the president’s veto.”

Meanwhile, the Special Advisers to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Yussuf Olaniyonu and Turaki Hassan in a joint statement denied that there was disagreement between the principals over the matter.

The duo explained that those peddling the rumour are agents of distraction, who are committed to creating division in the federal legislature.

“Our attention has been drawn to reports in a national daily insinuating that there was a disagreement between Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara over how both chambers of the National Assembly will react to the withholding of assent by President Muhammadu Buhari on the Electoral

Act Amendment Bill.

“We wish to inform the public that there is no such disagreement between the two leaders, and indeed the two chambers of the National Assembly,” the statement reads.

It reads further: “The Senate President and the Speaker, as heads of the two chambers of the National Assembly and representing the views of their colleagues, will want everybody to know that they are on the same page on what is the appropriate reaction to the President’s withholding of assent on the Electoral Act amendment bill.

“There is no disagreement between the two chambers as well as their presiding officers. The leadership of the two chambers constantly hold discussions and are in agreement on what to do, how to do it, when to do it and why it must be done.

“The issue at stake is not personal. It is about deepening democracy. It is about improving

our democracy and the National Assembly is on firm constitutional and legal grounds to amend the law as well as take decisions in the manner they have been responding. “ We see that story and the insinuations contained in it as mere distraction and unnecessary misrepresentation aimed at creating division in the Federal Legislature. The Senate President, Speaker and their colleagues urge members of the public to discountenance the report.”

Consequent upon the speculation, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reportedly ordered its members in the National Assembly to give a bloc vote in support of the override.

Leadership of the PDP in the National Assembly are expected to coordinate their colleagues from the same party, and ensure that this directive is obeyed.

Though at the moment, the PDP has 44 senators and about 121 members in the House.

Yakubu

As Bamidele Raises The Bar For Ekiti Guber

Less than four months to the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, the atmosphere is getting charged. Among the 29 politicians jostling for the ticket is the former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, who submitted his letter of intent to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State. in this report, BLESSING BATURE writes that Opeyemi’s entrance has changed the political equation.

Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele was a member of the seventh House of Representatives representing Ekiti State. Recently, at the party secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ekiti where he met with the party’s leadership and submitted a letter to declare his plans to contest for the governorship of the state come July 14.

Bamidele, popularly known as MOB, who was accompanied by some chieftains of the APC, including Chief Akin Olayisade, Hon. Ropo Ige, Femi Akinyemi, among others, waa received by members of the party’s executive, led by the State deputy chairman, Chief (Mrs.) Kemi Olaleye.

Hundreds of his supporters, who had earlier gathered at Okeyinmi, the event’s takeoff point, in a carnival like manner, moved through Old Garage and Ijigbo, towards Ajilosun, where the party secretariat was quartered. The party faithful sang all the way, assuring Ekiti people that if Bamidele emerges as APC’s governorship candidate, he would dislodge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.

The atmosphere was boisterous and scores of security personnel kept guard at strategic points along the road and at the party’s secretariat to forestall a breakdown of law and order. This was the situation, when Bamidele joined the expectant crowd at the secretariat, gesturing intermittently in acknowledgement of endless greetings of both familiar and unfamiliar faces.

All smiles, the former lawmaker spoke of the possibilities of progress and development, and implementation of peoples oriented programmes if APC picks a candidate loved and valued by the people. He urged party’s leadership to ensure a level playing ground during the primaries as according to him, democracy must not just be preached, it must be seen in the way affairs of parties are conducted. He said any act that will create conditions for the loss of the election should be avoided.

He disclosed is interactions with former

Bamidele

Governor Kayode Fayemi on how APC can win the July 14 election, Bamidele said he decided to settle his rift with former governor as they need to work to ensure success for the party.

“The pact between me and Fayemi is not for personal gain, but for the benefit to the party and overall progress of the state,” he said. He added: “Yes, the minister visited my office in Abuja and the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, Mr. Babafemi Ojudu, also wrote a goodwill message to me as I declare my intention today.

To me, this is a sign of good development.

“All these shouldn’t give room for speculation that someone was trying to persuade the other to shelve ambition for the other. All the party leaders must work together. So, our working together and their visits to my office was not for selfish interest or about our ambitions alone.

“What this signaled was that it is no longer the old story. It showed that the APC is no longer in war. It shows the party is be-

coming more united and stronger. It showed also that we are giving each other mutual respect. “I have made it clear at every political gathering I attended that I have settled the rift with Fayemi.

The two of us are frontline party men and we have to work together to rescue our party. We are doing same with Engr. Segun Oni, all in the interest of our party.” The governorship hopeful described as legitimate, agitations by aspirants from Ekiti South senatorial district for power shift to the zone, noting however, that such must not preclude contestants from other districts from exercising their rights to as well contest in line with the provisions of the constitution.

“I want to say that zoning is a legitimate issue. It is also legitimate for every district of the state to aspire in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The constitution of our party doesn’t respect zoning and even the constitution. So, we are free to contest irrespective of the legitimacy of the agitations,” he said. On his vision for the state, Bamidele assured of his readiness to effect change in the political and economic system in the state, when he comes on board as governor.

The former Lagos commissioner said he is contesting for the governor ship of Ekiti State because of his passion for the people and the fact that he has the requisite political experience for the position. His words: ”Some people are worried about the number of aspirants that are jostling for the governorship position. It is a welcome development; even more aspirants will still come out.

But, I have the scientific understanding of governance. I have the experience. Any governor that wants to bring about positive changes must hit the ground running. ”As a member of the House of Representatives, I donated all my salaries and allowances, they were transferred into escrow account, managed by certain individuals, who initiated 88 constituency projects, which include class-

rooms, street light, motorized bore holes and others.” He noted that governance requires sincerity, focus, candour and genuine love for the people, as according to him, only through these qualities can any leader avail well enough.

He further explained he had always been a progressive and did not defect from APC to another party, as APC had not even been formed when he joined Labour Party (LP) in 2013. Bamidele contested the 2014 governorship election on the platform of LP. His words: “I was part of the legal team that returned the Certificate of Registration of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for APC to be consummated. I stood with the ACN till when the certificate was returned.

The progressives then were not unaware of the need for us to merge with other parties to be able to win at the centre and that led to the death of ACN. “But, because of the misunderstanding among the leaders of our party, I then quit even before the registration of the new party. This is not even a basis for argument. Senator Ayo Arise left the Action Congress for the PDP in 2007, when he thought the primary that produced Fayemi was not fair enough and today, he is back, ditto Engr Oni. “We must realise that politicians must have bus stops before getting to the destination.

So, whatever happens to us on the way should be taken as issues now, getting to the destination, I mean winning the next election, must be our ultimate target.” The Ekiti APC deputy chairman, Olaleye, in her remarks said the party holds Bamidele in high regard. She added that the former lawmaker’s declaration for the forthcoming governorship election in the state will spur increased action in the party. She assured that the party will conduct a free, fair and credible primary election to pick its candidate for the poll, so that it will go into the election as a united front.

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

Protecting Banking Consumers

BY ARIZE NWOBU

The financial system is the axle on which the wheel of the economy revolves, of which the banking industry is a key component, and of prime importance especially in developing countries, for funds channelization, for entrepreneurship and job creation, thus the need to ensure a sound and high ethical standard in the industry.

Accordingly, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is not sparring effort to protect banking consumers and ensure best practices towards improving the value perception and fortifying public confidence in the banking industry to enhance financial inclusion for the overall benefit of the economy.

Consumer protection and enlightenment is a major aspect of CBN’s mandate to promote a sound financial system and advocate good banking habits that promote efficiency, sincerity and transparency between banks and consumers in the delivery of financial services.

The apex bank upholds that, ‘’It is only when the welfare of consumers is given proper attention that we can restore investor confidence and also promote a strong and stable economy’’.

Globally, consumer protection is a main-stream topic on the front burner of many prominent organizations. The World Bank has been

consistent on the topical issue and had in the past collaborated with the Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD) and supported a conference on ‘’Empowering Consumers of Financial Services through Improved Financial Literacy and Effective Consumer Protection Systems’’, organized under Russia’s G-20 Presidency.

The parley focused on financial education and protection strategies, measuring financial literacy/capability and evaluating financial education programme, promoting young people’s financial competencies and developing innovative communication channels; and global initiatives and trends in financial consumer protection policy and regulation.

Finance ministers and Central Bank governors had also met in Moscow in 2013 to deliberate on effective approaches and priority principles of promoting financial consumer protection, and identified responsible business conduct as an arrowhead principle as it ensures that banks act honestly and professionally with due skill, care and diligence, incorporating best interest, assessing consumer needs, staff training, remuneration, remuneration structure, complaints handling and redress.

Experts believe that consumer protection works best when it is supported by financial inclusion and finance education. And, in her capacity as UN Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for

Development (UNSGSA), Her Majesty, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands who visited CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele late last year, had emphasized at a different forum that financial education must go hand in hand with the growth of inclusive financial system.

In line with global best practices, CBN released a Consumer Protection Framework (CPF) in 2016. The Framework was guided by the G-20 High Level Principles, the World Bank Good Practices and the Four Pillars of Consumer Protection. It also took cognizance of the peculiarities of the Nigerian financial services industry. According to CBN, ‘’the G-20 principles were developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and other international organizations in response to the request by the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, to develop principles to guide consumer protection in the field of financial service.’’

The objectives of the CPF are , ‘’to guarantee high standards for efficient customer service delivery, market discipline and ensure that consumers are treated fairly by financial institutions regulated by the CBN’’.

And, ‘’it shall form the bedrock for the establishment of a virile consumer protection regime in the industry, thereby enhancing financial inclusion and ultimately a stable fi-

nancial system’’.

The CPF encompasses legal, regulatory and supervisory structures, responsible business conduct, disclosure and transparency and consumer financial education. Other components include fair treatment, protection of consumer assets and privacy, complaints handling and redress, competition, enforcements and consumer rights and responsibilities.

With the CPF , the era of corporate rascality or inappropriate banking practices perpetuated by some banks may have come to an end going by the provisions to sanction banks and other financial institutions that violates the framework. Some of the stipulated sanctions include, refund to customers in line with relevant regulations issued by CBN, letter of apology, suspension/withdrawal of Foreign exchange dealership licence, publication of infractions and sanctions and supervision/removal of Board/ Management Staff/ Employee. Others are, revocation of banking licence, monetary penalties and others deemed appropriate.

The Consumer Protection Department of CBN has embarked on several consumer enlightenment campaigns using different communication platforms including seminars, workshops TV appearances and radio phone in programmes to create awareness among consumers, who in turn, have been responsive. Reportedly, within 21 months

No Leadership Without Followership

BY TONY AMADI

The last time I had a meeting with former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Dr Bamanga Tukur, we were enjoying a dinner at his now famous theme park and zoo in the posh Abuja neighbourhood of Wuse II with his lifelong friend Otunba Eddie Aderinokun and others. This time around it was conversations with the octogenarian on the state of the nation in the dining room of his residence.

The basis for the discourse was the front page piece mischievously titled “PDP Now Party Of Shame” in the SUN newspaper of 20th March, 2018. The paper reported that the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Godsday Orubebe said that the “PDP had crossed from pride to shame” in an open letter to new PDP chairman, Mr Uche Secondus.

Mr Orubebe who wielded enormous power during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan added that the party was “suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder and would need sustainable ideas to bounce back to reckoning”.

The former PDP chairman had forewarned Orubebe and fellow chieftains of the PDP at the height of their power about the dangers of the party drifting from the sanctum of party supremacy to the embers of party leadership preferring selection rather than election and imposition of candidates for primaries and other elections rather than imbibing democratisation processes in all its affairs. The former minister of Niger Delta was very worried that the PDP was exhibiting “dangerous levels of undemocratic behaviours…and still

lost in depression and suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder” Dr Tukur’s main concern was that he had warned severally members of the PDP national executive committee which happens to be the highest decision making body in the party when he was the National Chairman. Everyone in the party’s leadership especially the governors hated the doctrine of supremacy and no one took any notice of his warnings and postulations about the situation being the basis of party strength and future success. He had produced at the time, a powerful address to the national executive committee of the party on Thursday 20th June, 2013 at its national secretariat, Abuja titled ‘My Stewardship And The Way Forward,’ a document which he handed a copy to me during our conversations.

He had started by saying that it was “very significant for me to make a presentation on various issues affecting the party, leadership and also suggest the way forward”.

He said that “from 1999 to date, we have maintained a solid leadership position and control of Nigerian politics and this is a testimony of our deeper understanding of the political terrain as we can always resolve issues amicably”. But all that fell on deaf ears and today the prophecy has come home to roost.

The former governor of the shortlived Gongola state added that “political parties all over the world serve as vehicle for democracies. How do we then make sense out of this tradition and make our internal democracy workable, achievable and believable?

“In responding to the above, democracy serves as a function for

political reasoning and impresses on the political parties to be more focused in developing objectives, choosing alternatives, establishing collaborations and selecting goals for the organs to operate efficiently”; Tukur, who once chaired the African Business Roundtable added in his well-ordered speech to his party leaders.

“In our efforts to achieve success, we must rededicate our genuine political beliefs, change our attitudes and identify our political needs.

These good values cannot be realized without accepting the supremacy of the party constitution as key instrument that ensures progress, stability and internal discipline.

“We must strengthen our democracy through determination not personalization, correction not manipulation, collectivism not individualism and sacrifice not disservice. If these pronouncements are substantial, then, the party should quickly take urgent steps to achieve higher levels at least by coming to terms with democratic norms and practices.

“Glaring apathy to party funding by members is rife, I hope it is not a deliberate attempt to weaken the party leadership. Open confrontation with political administration exposes our political weaknesses.

Fighting the party from within is unhealthy and dangerous for our image and aspirations. Overheating the polity because of inordinate ambition contradicts our perception for democratic orderliness”. It is clear that what Tukur was saying four of five years ago is relevant to all the political parties around today and if we heed his advice, the Nigerian people are bound to gain a lot from his wise sayings.

“As good leaders, let us not forget that, we have an obligation to serve and serve the people very well. Those who resort to thread the path of dismal performance should never underestimate the political awareness of Nigerians who keep track of every single political development in today’s Nigeria”.

Bamanga’s words to his national executive committee if heeded would have saved his party the disastrous performance two years later in the 2015 general elections when it was blown apart by the amalgam of opposition parties called the All Progressive Congress, APC. The ruling party under President Muhammadu Buhari found the weak points of the former ruling party and pulled the trigger which was to send the party to an early grave from where it is now struggling to re-emerge for another crack in 2019.

The likes of Orubebe now crying shame on the PDP would have avoided the mess the party now found itself. Before the Bamanga Tukur episode in 2013 while addressing the national executive committee, five governors where on the brink of leaving the party because they felt that Tukur was talking bollocks and would not surrender to the important matter of party supremacy. They felt that as Governors who incidentally were the pay masters of the party, their authority was supreme and not party chairman would come to lecture them about party supremacy.

The APC also has failed to learn lessons from the disaster that befell the PDP. They have mastered the art of impunity and disobey court orders with careless abandon and treat Nigerians as if their views don’t matter.

In some of the pointers he made

of its establishment, the Department received not less than 3,000 complaints a gainst banks and other financial institutions in the process of settling disputes.

Also, no less than 5,000 mails, telephone calls and email correspondences were exchanged between CBN, complainants and financial institutions. In resolving problems, CBN mandated banks to act as the first point of complaint for aggrieved customers and also resolve such complaints within 14 days of receipt.

Complaints not resolved within the time frame were to be forwarded to the apex bank. About N9billion was refunded as excess charges deducted from customers’ accounts in August 2013.

In 2016, 2,656 complaints were lodged by the public which bordered on Automated Electronic Payment related issues, excess charges, dishonoured cheques, fraudulent withdrawals and deposit irregularities.

A total of N21.27 billion was recovered, being excess charges illegally deducted from customers accounts.

Also, £19,263.62 and $3.35million were recovered and refunded. The leakages have been attributed to the lack of customer sophistication due to a prevalence of financial illiteracy and customers’ ignorance of their rights and obligations in their relationship with banks.

–Nwobu, a chartered stockbroker, wrote from Lagos.

in his thesis for the way forward, the former Chairman included a “resolve that internal democracy should triumph over the current practices of imposition of candidates during the party congresses thus collectively we sustain the political hopes and aspirations of Nigerians and; “Enhance the financial position of the party by graduating to e-membership system”.

The issue of financing political parties must come only from party membership and not governors or moneybags.It has ruined the future of not only the PDP but virtually all other parties in Nigeria and the number of parties in Nigeria now is about 68 political parties in the country at the moment and still counting.

As a way of concluding his address to the party leadership, The Tafida of Adamawa concluded his vitally important paper by adding that “the PDP platform has supported many of us to the limelight of recognition, class value and distinctions, economic strength, political relevance, influence, power, prestige, fame and glory. We should resolve not to allow our actions to wreck this platform of golden opportunities for all Nigerians.

Then prophetically, he added that “there are two faces of democracy; one is success, the other is failure. Today we are successful but should be wary of the signals of resistance and aggression that are gradually dominating the Nigerian political landscape. We should avoid pushing ourselves into a corner and become targets of humiliation.

–Amadi wrote in from Abuja

law

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HEAD, JUDICIARY DESK: AHURAKA ISAH

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email: ahurakaisah@gmail.com Tel: 08071609155 (text only)

A Fact Neither Challanged Nor Rebutted Is Correct

T

he appellant and 5 others were arraigned at the ‘High Court of the Federal Capital Territory {hereinafter called "the trial court ') on an information alleging various allegations of criminal breach of trust, fraud dishonest misappropriation of monies belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria etc. In all, the appellant and the co-accused are being prosecuted on 19 Charges.

Upon arraignment the trial court, on 18th December, 2015, granted the appellant bail on terms. The terms on which the order releasing the appellant on bail was predicated were further reproduced in the Enrolled Order dated 21st December, 2015.

The appellant met the bail terms, and was consequently released from the Federal Prison, Kuje, where he was held on remand on 29th December, 2015. The order releasing the appellant from the prison custody was carried out by the Controller of the Kuje Prison. The appellant was immediately re-arrested and taken away by officers of the Directorate of State Services (DSS).

When the trial court granted bail on 18th December, 2015, it also directed the fixture of the trial of the appellant and the other 5 co-accused persons to 2nd & 3rd days of February, 2016. The hearing has been frustrated since because of the interlocutory application and appeals.

On 12th January, 2016, in reaction to his re-arrest, the appellant filed the motion, the subject of this appeal.

Issues for Determination 1. Whether by hearing the appeal and adjourning judgment to 4 pm of the same day, the Court of Appeal did not by that action of undue haste to deliver judgment breach the Appellant's right to fair hearing, particularly the hallowed principle that "Justice hurried is Justice denied" and in the circumstances thereof could it be said that there was no miscarriage of Justice?

[Ground 1].

2. Whether the adoption by the Court of Appeal of the sole issue formulated by Respondent before it as opposed to the Appellant's 3 Is-

sues tied to the 4 grounds of appeal did not amount to both a non-consideration and misapprehension of the issues put forth by him for adjudication and determination and in consequence therefore breached Appellant's right to fair hearing and occasioned a miscarriage of Justice? [Ground 2].

3, Whether in the resolution of the sole issue adopted by the court below was right, when it affirmed the decision of Hon. Hussaini Baba J of the High Court of the FCT where he refused to give effect to his order releasing the Appellant on bail when it was apparent that it was the Respondent acting through one of its agencies the Directorate of State Services in conjunction with the EFCC that was responsible for the flouting of the court‘s order? [Grounds 3 and 41.

4. Where, as established in this case and contrary to the conclusion of the court below, the Appellant is unable to prepare for his defence due to the interference with his liberty by the Respondent, whether the reliefs sought herein is the best remedy for (i) for the restoration of the dignity and efficacy of the court‘s adjudicative powers and (ii) for ensuring a fair trial for the Appellant before an independent and impartial Tribunal [Ground 5].

5. Was the Court of Appeal not in error when it affirmed the decision of the High Court of the FCT that the Complainant (FGN) was not in disobedience of lawful orders) and whether the courts below were right in indulging such a contemptnor who was seeking further indulgences before it, while still in contempt and indeed whether the Complainant can be granted audience in this matter while it is still in contempt? [Ground 6 & 7].

The entire superstructure of the appellant's appeal rests on Issue 5. That is, whether the Court of Appeal was not in error when it affirmed the decision of the trial court that lst respondent, the complainant, or the FGN was not in disobedience of any lawful order of any court of law? The learned trial Judge (H.B. Yusuf, J) had stated emphatically, as a fact at page 910 of the Record, that he ”did not make any order against the

Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko, SC

In The Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja on Friday, The 2nd Day Of March, 2018

Before Their Lordships Musa Dattijo Muhammed John Inyang Okoro Chima Centus Nweze Amina Adamu Augie Ejembi Eko

Justices, Supreme Court SC.617/2016 & SC.618/2016

Between

Col.Muhammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd)

….. Appellant

And

1 Federal Republic of Nigeria …................1st Respondent 2. Shuaibu Salisu ……................................2nd Respondent 3. Aminu Baba Kusa …..............................3rd Respondent 4. Acacia Holdings Ltd …….......................4th Respondent 5. Reliance Referral Hospital Limited …....5th Respondent

And

Sc.618/2016 Col.Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd)

….....Appellant

And

1. Federal Republic of Nigeria…………....1st Respondent 2. Bashir Yuguda………….........................2nd Respondent 3. Shuaibu Salisu………….........................3rd Respondent 4. Dalhatu Investment Limited………........4th Respondent 5. Sagir Attahiru…………...........................5th Respondent 6. Attahiru Dlhatu Bafarawa ………….......6th Respondent Judgement Delivered By Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko

re-arrest" of the appellant after the due execution of his order admitting the appellant to bail. The Court of Appeal affirmed this finding of fact. Either at the Court of Appeal or before us in this appeal, there is no specific ground of appeal challenging this finding of fact. There is a settled presumption that a specific finding of fact neither challenged nor rebutted is correct: REGISTERED TRUSTEES, APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION v. JAMES (1987) 3 NWLR (pt.6) 566; BAKARE v.

THE STATE (1987); NWLR (pt.52) 579. This Court in DARIYE v. FRN (2015) 61 NSCQR 1457 at 1496-1497, re-stating its earlier stance in ONIBUDO V. AKIBU (1982) 2 SC 60 at 63, held that the appellant who does not appeal a specific finding of fact is deemed to have accepted and conceded it. Facts not disputed are always taken as established.

I have perused the appellants three issues formulated for the determination of his appeal at the court of appeal, as well as the 1st respondents sole issue. I cannot fault the Court of Appeal decision preferring the lst respondent's sole issue to the 3 issues formulated by the appellant. The respondent's sole issue was more apt and in it all the 3 issue formulated by the appellant were subsumed.

Appellant's Issues 1 and 3 at the Court of Appeal complained that the lst respondent disobeyed the order admitting him.to bail and that the trial court should not have indulged the lst respondent as a contemptnor. The substance of Issue 2 is that in, consequence of the lst respondent's disobedience of the trial court's lawful order the appellant was unable to prepare his defence.

The sole issue formulated by the lst respondent, which summed up the 3 issues formulated by the appellant, is ‘’Whether the learned trial judge was not right in dismissing the appellant's application seeking to stop the prosecution from further prosecuting the charge against the appellant before the (trial) court on the ground that the prosecution was in breach of the order admitting the Appellant to bail pending his trial’’.

The learned senior counsel for the appellant submits that

it is only in the most unusual circumstances, such as when the appellant's issues are hopelessly inelegant and incomprehensible, that the court hearing the appeal can prefer the respondent's issue(s) to the appellant's issue(s). Citing the cases of HON. E.A. ARAKA v. AMBROSE N. EJEAGWU (2000) 15 NWLR (pt.692) 684 at 718 and ISHAYA BAMAIYI v. THE STATE & 4 ORS. (pt.715) 220 at 283; (2001) 4 SCN] 103 at 116 117 (if ever these weird reports exist), the learned Senior counsel submits correctly that the Court of Appeal, being an intermediate court must consider all issues properly raised and formulated by the parties and pronounce on them; and that failure to do so would result in breach of the right to fair hearing. The appellant has not shown what injustice, in actuality, he has suffered from the Court of Appeal adopting the lst respondent's sole issue in preference to his 3 issues, which in my view are subsumed in the lst respondent's sole issue.

An appellate court, in the interest of justice can, and it is permitted to, prefer an issue or issues formulated by any of the parties to all or any other issues formulated by any of the parties to all or any other issues formulated by another party. It can, even on its own, formulate an issue or issues which it considers germane to and pertinent in the determination of the matter in controversy: AGBAREH v. MIMRA (2008) 2 NWLR (pt.1071) 410; MUSA SHA (JNR) & ANOR. V. DA RAP KWAN & ORS. (2000) 8 NWLR (pt.

670) 685. So long as it does not lead to injustice, an appellate court is free to adopt the issue(s) formulated by the respondent in preference to those formulated by the appellant if the issue(s) formulated by the respondent are more elaborate, succinct and apt to the issues in controversy than those of the appellant.

After all, the purpose of framing issue(s) is to attain a more judicious and proper determination of the appeal by bringing out clearly and accurately the point or question in dispute in order that it may be correctly isolated and addressed. The most important thing, as submitted by the senior counsel CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

28 LAW & SOCIETY

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The Cost Of Conflicting Judgements To INEC, Candidates (Part 1)

BY AHURAKA YUSUF ISAH

By and large, conflicting judgement is a situation in which one has two opposite feeling or is at variance with an opinion one forms in final determination of the rights and obligations of the parties in a case.

On March 16, 2016, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, berated the Judiciary, even as he described as worrisome, the level of conflicting judgments emanating from various divisions of the Court of Appeal in respect of the 2015 general elections.

Professor Yakubu who raised the alarms during the opening ceremony of the National Conference on Election Petitions Tribunals and Appeals, held at the Abuja Court of Appeal said the development has the potential to negatively impact upon the credibility of the Judiciary and by extension, the electoral system and conduct of elections in Nigeria.

Yakubu said there was need for certainty in the laws governing the resolution of electoral conflicts, noting that some of the reasons given by courts on why some elections were annulled and re-run ordered, were highly disturbing.

INEC boss gave an instance where a particular division of the appellate court ordered INEC to conduct fresh election, “in which only the duly qualified candidates participated”, only for another division of the court, under similar circumstance, to nullify the election, disqualified the candidate and allowed the political party to submit the name of another candidate for a re-run poll. “Yet in another division, the Court of Appeal nullified the election, ordered INEC to conduct fresh election, but remained silent about the status of the disqualified candidates, thereby giving room for endless commentary and new rounds of litigation on the eligibility of the disqualified candidate to participate in re-run elections.”

The INEC boss decried that conducting re-run elections places a heavy financial burden on the commission. He said there were instances where elections were nullified and INEC was ordered to conduct a rerun simply for the sake of conducting elections in a specific polling unit. He said after wastage of time and resources, the outcome of such elections do not make any material difference to the original result that was declared by INEC in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act. This is just as Yakubu led members of the commission to pay courtesy visit to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen on January 18 this year ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Yakubu again asked the CJN to help address the spate of conflicting judgments on electoral cases in the country; saying the recurring decimal among courts of coordinate jurisdiction on the same subject-matter, especially in cases related to pre-election, post-election and leadership crises in political parties is nerve-wracking.

By the doctrine of judicial precedent, also called stare decisis, a situation under which a court must follow its earlier judicial decisions when same point arise again in litigation. The decisions of the Supreme Court are binding on all courts in Nigeria including the Supreme Court itself which can only depart from its earlier decisions if certain

Onnoghen

Yakubu

conditions are satisfied. This is the provision in Order 8 Rule 6 of the Supreme Court Rules 1985 (as amended).

The principle of stare decisis has helped the courts to streamline their decisions such as to avoid conflicting decisions on the same matter. Recent decisions by the judiciary in Nigeria seem to create the impression that the time honoured principle of law has been in the breach to some extent, because it is observed that there are departures from the principle especially on election matters.

Of course, a candidate who is disqualified by law from participating in a re-run election cannot do same, nor can his political party validly nominate another candidate to replace him. The Supreme Court aptly held same in Labour Party Vs INEC (2009) 6 NWLR (Part1137) 315, to the effect that where an election is nullified and fresh or re-run election ordered, no political party shall be allowed to substitute its candidates for the fresh or re-run election, the said judgement is binding on all courts in Nigeria with no exception.

The Court of Appeal applied the above decision in the case of Isiaq Vs Soniyi (2009) All FWLR (Part 498) 347 at 384. The Court of Appeal in the earlier laid it bare in ALWA’U AND ORS. V. YAKUBU AND ORS. (CA/K/EP/SHA/30/2003) where the Justices (per Isa Salami JCA, as he then was), ipsissima verba, held at page 31 of the lead judgment, as follows: “I therefore order that the Independent National Electoral Commission conducts a fresh election to the Kaduna State House of Assembly Zaria Kewaye Constituency with all the candidates who sought election to the

house from the Zaria Kewaye Constituency excluding I repeat excluding first respondent who was not qualified to stand the election at the close of nominations for the election of 3rd of May 2003”.

The rationale behind these decisions in Labour Party is because election is a process which starts with the issuance of time table to the declaration of winner which means is time bound. Curiously, the Court of Appeal decisions, arising from the 2015 general elections considered similar provisions with those considered in Labour Party Vs INEC but arrived at different conclusions.

In the case of Michael Kuforo Zidon Vs Kwamoti Bitrus La’ore & Ors (unreported) Appeal No. CA/A/EPT/577/2015 delivered on November 27, 2015, the appellate court nullified the election of the Respondent and ordered INEC to conduct fresh election within 90 days from the date of the judgement between the appellant and other qualified candidates of the political parties that contested the election held on March 28, 2015. Similar decision was arrived at by the Court of Appeal in the case of PDP & Anor Vs Barambu Umaru Kawuwa & Ors (unreported) Appeal No. CA/YL/ EPT/GMB/HR/76/2015 delivered on October 29, 2015 where the court stated thus, ‘’I shall make an order for the conduct of fresh election by the 3rd Respondent, INEC, in which only duly qualified candidates shall participate within 90 days from the date of this judgement’’.

In the case of Muhammed Kabir Ibrahim & Anor Vs Hon. Matoh Dary Dogara & 2 Ors (unreported) Appeal No. CA/K/

EPT/SHA/7/2015 delivered on December 4, 2015, the appeal court nullified the election, disqualified the candidate whose election was nullified and ordered INEC to conduct fresh election with the political party that sponsored the disqualified candidate.

In the case of Ibrahim Abdulmumini Alhaji & APC Vs Ahmed Mohammed, PDP & INEC (CA/A/EPT/632A/2015), the Court of Appeal, having found that a Candidate was lawfully disqualified by a Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, then proceeded as follows” According to Justice James Shehu Abiriyi of the Court of Appeal; “On issue 3, I do not hesitate to disagree with the learned counsel for the 1st and 2nd Respondents that the Tribunal was right when it ordered the return of the 1st Respondent as winner of the election. This is because the Tribunal nullified the election. See page 474 of the record of appeal paragraph 1. After nullifying the election there was nothing on which it would declare the 1st Respondent winner; this issue is therefore resolved in favour of the Appellants. (With) issues 1 and 2 having been resolved in favour of the Respondent the appeal is dismissed. The decision of the tribunal nullifying the election is hereby affirmed. The Independent National Electoral Commission is however hereby ordered to conduct fresh elections for the ANKPA I constituency within 90 days”. The final Judgment of the Court was unfortunately bereft of the necessary consequential orders, which should have expressly precluded the 2nd Appellant Party from the contest, its candidate having been disqualified.

It is also strange that various Panels and Divisions of the Court of Appeal repeated the practice of not making a consequential order excluding a disqualified candidate from an election.

This is the case in Hon. Yusuf Ahmed Tijani Damisa & Anor V. Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Bello, APC & Anor (CA/A/EPT/648/2015): here, the Court was asked to consider whether the Tribunal at first instance, was right in dismissing the Petition of the Appellants challenging the election of the 1st Respondent, inter alia, on the grounds that no valid Primaries were held wherein the 1st Respondent was elected. Thus, they contended that the 1st Respondent was unqualified to stand for elections to any office as stipulated by Section 138 (1) (a) of the Electoral Act, 2010. Sequel to the provisions of Section 140 (2) of the Electoral Act, they prayed for the election to be nullified. Justice J.S Aribiyi of the Court of Appeal who read the lead judgment, in allowing the appeal, held that: “as the 2nd Respondent held no primary election the 1st Respondent was not qualified to contest the election. The appeal is allowed on this ground. The Judgment of the Tribunal is hereby set aside. In the circumstances, the election should in my view be nullified and a fresh election ordered…the Independent National Electoral Commission is ordered to conduct fresh election within ninety days from today for the Okene/Ogori Magongo Federal Constituency of Kogi State.” This decision, though on the face of it appears correct, however, no consequential order was made as to the status of the 1st Respondent or whether the 2nd Respondent was permitted to hold Primaries in order to substitute or legitimize its disqualified candidate, thus leading to confusion.

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Party Registration: INEC Can’t Go Against The Law – SAN

A senior advocate, Chief Emeka Ngige, bares his mind in this interview with KUNLE OLASANMI, on electoral issues and expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct credible elections in 2019.

There has been controversy over the new amendments to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) by the National Assembly, but how would you assess the Electoral Laws as a whole? lot of things are still not right. For instance, there was an amendment which President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law, two days into the last presidential election in 2015 and here we are, as lawyers to some of the petitioners at the election petition tribunal, we did not know that there was such an amendment to the Electoral Act. We did not see the gazette. It was after we had concluded the litigation that we now saw that indeed former President Jonathan signed into law amendment to the Electoral Act, which even, permitted INEC to decide the manner of conducting election, whether by use of card reader or electronic device. But by then, the Supreme Court had already ruled that the use of card reader is not known to law. But the Justices of the Supreme Court did not even know about the amendment. So, I agree with INEC that the legislature should be very tidy, if they want to do the amendment. At least, let us have clear nine months to implement that law. Otherwise, if we amend the law over night, and if there are litigation, the lawyers and judges will be in the dark.

A

From the preparations so far made, do you think the INEC will improve on the sucesses recorded at the last general election in 2019?

There is nothing that makes me to feel otherwise. We believe that, if INEC had done it right in Anambra state and that if after the election, none of the serious political parties went to election tribunal, they can repeat that feat in 2019.

It is only some individuals that got 30 and 45 votes that went to tribunal. Those who came second and third did not go to tribunal. That shows you that, if we can conduct free and fair election, Nigerians will not go to court. Nigerians are good losers.‎ Once you conduct an election that is neither free nor fair, that is where you see litigations. I believe INEC should be encouraged because what they did in Anambra was substantially free and fair. But there are rooms for improvement in the sense that on the use of ad-hoc staff they should ensure that the ad-hoc staff they deploy for election are people of integrity. They should not be using the same adhoc staff consistently in the same area. For instance, the adhoc staff they used in university of Calabar in 2013 were the same staff they brought in 2017. I don’t think that it was right. They should have gone to another university, even, if it university of Uyo or university of Benin. Get the adhoc staff there and let them come. But all the same they did well. There are still rooms for improvement in the conduct of election, particularly as it regards the law. There are still some grey areas about the issue of law on substantial compliance.

The argument on the issue of substantial compliance has been very controversial. It should be stated clearly in the laws whether substantial compliance means, if the entire election is affected by irregularities, the votes should be void-

ed. I think the amendment should go deeper into improving the conduct of elections in the country.

Recently, President Mohammadu Buhari once again commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat in the 2015 election, how would you react to this?

It is a bold statement, given commendation once again to former President Jonathan for the spirit of sportsmanship. He is advising other politicians in the country to change their attitude to election results. So, what the President said is well taken and I pray politicians will adhere to his admonition.

What’s your take on the proceedures for party registration Yes, it okay! INEC is reacting

“

We believe that, if INEC had done it right in Anambra state and that if after the election, none of the serious political parties went to election tribunal, they can repeat that feat in 2019

Ngige

to Supreme Court decision. INEC wanted to streamline the procedure for registration‎ of political parties. Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Balarabe Musa went to Supreme Court and got the court to pronounce that once you meet up with the requirement in the constitution, it should be recognized.

The 1999 Constitution is so liberal that anyone in a suit case can register a political party once you have an office in the Federal Capital Territory. Whereas, INEC proposed that you should have an of-

fice in atleast, two thirds of the state of the Federation. But the Supreme Court struck it down.

This is the right time to include that provision that for you to register a political party, you must have an office in at least two third of the states of the Federation. But as it is now, any NGO can transform into a political party; any brief case company can transform into a political party. So, you won’t blame INEC for registering them, they are complying with Supreme Court judgement.

A Fact Neither Challanged Nor Rebutted Is Correct CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 for the lst respondent, is that the issue is traceable to the ground(s) of appeal.

At the risk of repetition, it is my firm view that the central issue, both at the trial court and the Court of Appeal, is whether the lst respondent did, in fact, disobey the order made on the 18th December, 2015 admitting the appellant to bail pending his trial. That central issue was the substance of the 3 issues formulated by the appellant and the sole issue formulated by the lst respondent at the Court of Appeal. That central or core issue was not missed by the Court of

Appeal. It was in fact fairly considered. The appellant, in this interlocutory appeal, has merely made fair hearing a whipping principle to filibuster all the way to this Court.

The appellant's vitriolic diatribe at the Court of Appeal for the expeditious determination of his own appeal is clearly symptomic of the mala fide or the ulterior purpose of his appeal.

An appeal brought, not bona fide, but merely to delay a pending action or to gag other prospective actions is clearly an abuse of court process: RBENKAY NIG. LTD. V. CADBURY NIG. LTD. (2012) LPELR-7820 (SC); CBN v. SAIDU (2001) 12 SC (pt.II) 146; EDJERODE v. IKHIME (2001) 12 SC (pt. 11) 125;

AGWASIM v. OJICHIE (2004) 10 NWLR (pt.882) 613 at 624-625 (SC) SARAKI v. KOTOYE (1992) 9 NWLR (pt.624) 156 at 188 (SC).

A gagging suit is clearly an abuse of court process: MOBIL PRODUCING NIG. UNLIMITED v. SUFFOLK PETROLEUM SERVICES LTD. (2012) LPELR-40054 (CA The appeal lacking in merit and being clearly an abuse of court process, is hereby dismissed in its entirety. The case is remitted to the trial Judge (Hon. H. B. Yusuf, J) of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory for hearing, with the further directive that it shall be given accelerated hearing.

At the hearing of the appeals, it was

the consensus of all counsel that the appeal No. SC. 618/2016 shall abide the outcome of the appeal No. SC. 617/2016. It is so ordered accordingly.

Representation Chief J. B. Daudu, SAN, leads Ahmed Raji, SAN, with Adeola Adedipe, Esq; C. E. Ogbozor, Esq; and M.Y. Sula, Esq., for the Appellant (in appeals Nos. SC. 617/2016 & SC 618/2016).

Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, with A. O. Atolagbe, Esq, and H. O.P Ejiga, Esq. for the 1st Respondent (in appeals No. SC. 617/2016 & SC. 618/2016).

Olumide Olujinmi, Esq, with

Richard Ebitade, Esq; Ademola Owolabi, Esq; and Balogun, Esq, for the 2nd Respondent (in appeals Nos. SC. 617/2016 & SC. 618/2016).

Solomon Umeh, SAN, with S.O. Enejah, Esq; U.U. Fingesi, Esq; and E. M. Uyo, Esq, for the 3rd Respondent (in appeals Nos. SC. 617/2016 & SC. 618/2016) A. P. Aderemi, Esq, for the 4th Respondent (in appeals No.. SC. 617/2016 & SC. 618/2016).

A. O. Ayodele, Esq; with M. D. Ayodele, Esq, for the 5th Respondent (in appeal No. SC. 617/2016).

Olushola Dare, Esq; with E.A. Dare, Esq, for the 4th & 5th Respondents in appeal No. SC. 618/2016.

30

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

Over 14,000 cervical cancer cases recorded in Nigeria annually

F E AT U R E S N E W S T I P S I N T E R V I E W

40

40 percent of cancer cases is treatable

health@leadership.ng, 08116706845

Improved Case Finding, Funding As Recipe For TB Free Nigeria Tuberculosis, one of the most deadly diseases, has remained a burden globally. PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA takes a look at Nigeria’s place in the collective struggle to eliminate the disease by 2030.

A

s nations strive to meet the sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on TB elimination by 2030, Nigeria is not left out, giving its present status in global disease prevalence fact sheets.

According to the 2017 Global TB Report, Nigeria is among the 14 high burden countries for TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB. The country is also ranked 7th among the 30 high TB burden countries and 2nd in Africa.

Nigeria is also among the 10 countries that account for 64 percent of the global gap in TB case finding. India, Indonesia and Nigeria account for almost half of the total gap.

WHO estimates that 210,000 new cases of all forms of TB occurred in the country in 2010, equivalent to 133/100,000 population.

As the world marked the 2018 Tuberculosis Day, Nigeria and other African nations were once

again reminded of the need for increased health financing in the continent.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) used the occasion to stress the need for African Leaders to renew efforts towards TB treatment and control in the region.

The organisation, through its Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said although the region has made good progress in controlling TB, it still has the world’s highest levels of the disease, and only half of existing TB cases are being found by its health systems.

“We have the most patients infected with both HIV and TB, and are seeing alarming increases in the forms of TB that resist treatment with common medicines. Finally, governments are contributing only a quarter of the resources needed to provide adequate TB services, and 40% of needs remain unfunded.

“A TB-free world will only be

achieved through leaders who champion efforts to end TB at local level”, he stressed.

According to him, leaders have tremendous influence to build strong partnerships and commitment to end the TB epidemic at every level while calling on governments, parliamentarians and policy-makers to drive ambitious plans that will accelerate TB control at national level.

Moeti also called on health workers, nongovernmental organisations and technicians to maximize the use of proven methods to diagnose and successfully treat all types of TB, and for researchers to do the scientific studies needed to inform policies to help improve and monitor TB services.

He urged community leaders, patient advocacy groups and people affected by TB to partner with government to ensure access to treatment for all.

Also calling on governments to push for universal coverage

with proven high quality services, Moeti urged it to scale up domestic funding for TB control and take responsibility for essential medicines and laboratory supplies.

He said since TB is found in communities where human rights and dignity are often overlooked, governments should lead actions beyond the health sector to address environmental, economic and other factors which increase the risk of TB. “The implementation of these actions requires strong leadership. We want leaders for a TBfree world”, he stated.

According to him, the WHO in the African Region and the African Union Commission are setting up ways to monitor progress towards ending the TB epidemic by 2030 as called for in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and End TB Strategy.

Nigerian government, however, has identified low case finding in both adults and children as a

STAY VIGILANT FOR LASSA ➊ Fever keep food(cooked and uncooked ➊ Headache covered Keep your surroundings clean and clear Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly Dispose of waste materials properly, away from your living quarters

19

NEWS /HEALTH 31

Thursday, March 29, 2018

FG Inaugurates Committee For Basic Healthcare Provision Fund

BY PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA, Abuja

As part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage, the federal government has inaugurated a National Steering Committee on Basic Health Care Provision Fund.

Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said that the committee was expected to advocate for

more resources and to ensure smooth operation of the Basic Health Healthcare Provision Fund.

Adewole, who is also the Chairman of the Committee informed that three states had been selected (Niger, Abia and Osun ) to serve as the first set of states for commencement of the implementation of the Programme

scheduled to begin by the second quarter of 2018.

He also stated that baseline survey of the facilities to be used in each selected states has also commenced while stating that Global Financing Facility through World Bank and Bill and Melinda Foundation provided initial resources to implement section 11 of National Health

APIN Unveils New Corporate Identity, Expands Scope

Act 204 on provision of the basic minimum package of healthcare services for all Nigerians.

According to him, terms of reference for the committee include Promoting true collaboration in the development and implementation of basic healthcare provision fund and being fully transparent.

L-R: NACA Head Public Relations and Protocol Mrs Toyin Aderibigbe, director, resource mobilization department Mrs Josephine Kalu and chief matron, Lagos State General Hospital Mrs Adegenro Olabisi during the advocacy visit of NACA to Lagos State.

19

BY PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA, Abuja

An international non-governmental organisation, (NGO), APIN Public Health Initiatives, has unveiled its new corporate identity in Abuja at an event attended by dignitaries, partners, funders and other stakeholders.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Executive Director of the APIN, Dr. Prosper Okonkwo, said the operating experience in Nigeria dates back to 2000, when it commenced operations as a project of the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), working on HIV/AIDS research and prevention initiatives, with a five-year funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

“In 2004, we began implementing comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs with support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). These projects culminated in the establishment of APIN as a registered independent NGO in 2007 with the aim of building local capacity and sustainability of HIV/ AIDS and other diseases in Nigeria.

With approval for a name change to APIN Public Health Initiatives by our board of directors in early 2015, and ratification of same by CAC in September 2015, this change was successfully effected on the United States government and other contracting systems beginning September 2016,” Okonkwo explained.

As one of the leading indigenous organisations in the provision of comprehensive HIV services in Nigeria, APIN has built and strengthened hman and infrastructural capacities, particularly laboratory and strategic management systems in Oyo, Lagos, Plateau and Borno States.

Improved Case Finding, Funding As Recipe For TB Free Nigeria

major drawback in the country’s TB program.

The minister of Heath, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this is as a result of so many missing TB cases that were either not diagnosed or diagnosed but not reported.

Adewole also said the TB burden is further compounded by drug resistance TB (DR-TB) and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

According to him, “in 2017, the country notified only 109,904 out of the estimated 407,000, all forms of TB cases (with treatment coverage of 25.8%), leaving a gap of 302,096 comprising undetected or detected but not notified cases especially in nonDOTS sites.

“In the same year, the proportion of childhood TB was 7 per cent of all forms of TB cases compared to 10 per cent recommended by WHO. In addition, a total of 1783 DR-TB cases were notified out of the estimated 5200 DR-TB cases”.

Adewole however expressed delight over the TB/HIV collaborative activities, describing it as one of the key areas that the country was performing well in TB control activities.

“Currently, 96per cent TB and 82 per cent presumptive TB cases know their HIV

status and 84 per cent co-infected clients receive ART and CPT. “In our response to the burden of TB, the Federal Ministry of Health developed a robust National Strategic plan (NSP) for TB (2015 - 2020) as well as a framework to support the declaration of 2017 as a year of accelerating TB case finding and treatment in Nigeria.

“The implementation of the NSP for TB (2015 - 2020) though not without its limitations has brought noticeable improvements in TB control activities,” he stated.

Speaking further, the minister informed that to accelerate TB case finding, the country has now moved from passive to active case-finding in key affected populations, including PLHIV, children, urban slum dwellers, prisoners, migrants, internally displaced people and facility-based health care workers, to target those most at risk for TB. He added that over 11,500 TB cases were detected through active house to house case search in 2017.

“Nigeria currently has 6,753 DOTS centres compared to 3931 in 2010. The total number of microscopy centres has risen from 1,148 in 2010 to 2,650 in 2017. Gen-

eXpert machines installed in the country have increased from 32 in 2012 to 390 in 2017.

“Treatment centres for patients with DRTB have expanded from 10 in 2013 to 27 in 2017. The number of TB reference laboratories has also increased from 9 in 2013 to 10 in 2018. Over 90% of the TB patients notified in 2016 have documented HIV test results compared to 79% in 2010,” he stated.

Adewole said in addition to this, shorter drug regimen for the treatment of DR-TB was introduced in the country in 2017 to reduce the treatment duration for patients with DR-TB and ensure better treatment outcomes.

According to him, the engagement of key professional bodies like the Thoracic Society of Nigeria, Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) and Nigerian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (NISPID) is being prioritized as paediatricians are the ones piloting the affairs of the National Childhood TB Steering Committee (NCTSC).

He also stated that the National electronic TB Information Management System (NETIMS) was recently developed to improve real time reporting and monitor-

ing of TB cases, adding that all States actors have been trained and are reporting using this platform.

“The Private Sector Engagement for TB is also being vigorously looked into as there is a robust Public-Private Mix (PPM) engagement plan for TB. Similarly, during the last National Council on Health (NCH) meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun state, a resolution was passed mandating all private health facilities in the country to compulsorily notify TB cases.

“To further strengthen TB notification in some challenged states, TB Surveillance officers have been recruited in 12 states (Rivers, Delta, Imo, Anambra, Lagos, Oyo, Benue, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi and Taraba) to work with non-NTP facilities (private Health facilities, Patent medicine vendors, community Pharmacist), disease surveillance and notification officers, state epidemiologist and state TB programme officers to improve TB case notification, he explained.

The minister further stated that in furtherance of the desire of the ministry to improve access of all presumptive TB cases to Xpert MTB/RIF assay, specimen transport was being fashioned in a hub and spoke model.

business

Thursday, March 29, 2018

NEWS

MONEY

CAPITAL MARKET

INSURANCE

INFLATION RATE (%) 2016

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

18.3 18.48 18.55

INTERVIEW

2017

15.91 15.9 15.37

ANALYSIS

Leadership Newspapers

INTER BANK LENDING RATE (AS AT MARCH 27) RATE CHANGE (%)

ON 1M 3M 6M

25.5500 15.0806 16.2930 18.2725

-20.66 -0.22 -0.09 -0.03

FG Unveils Transaction Advisers For Aviation Projects Today

Group Business Editor Bayo Amodu 08118672002 Business Editor (Lagos) Chima Akwaja Assistant Business Editors Kingsley Alu Tony Awunor Correspondent Chika Izuora Reporters Ruth Tene Natsa Bukola Idowu Olushola Bello Suzan Nwachukwu Abah Adah George Okojie Chika Okeke

Business 101 with MBAKAAN KWEN

Tips For Effective Human Resource Management

BY EJIKE EJIKE, Abuja

The federal government is set to unveil Transaction Advisers recently appointed for some major projects in the Aviation sector, in pursuance of its resolve to carry along all critical players in the aviation industry.

The unveiling ceremony, which is scheduled for today, will be presided over by the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika.

The spokesperson of the Ministry, James Odaudu, in a statement, said among the major projects in the sector for which the Transaction Advisers will be unveiled are; the Establishment of a National Carrier, Establishment of a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, Concession of the four International Airports, Agro-allied and Cargo Terminals, Development of Aerotropolis (Airport Cities) and Establishment of an Aviation Leasing Company.

The Forum which will be the 4th in the series since Senator Hadi Sirika became the Aviation Minister, will also be an opportunity for him to update stakeholders on other developments within the sector while receiving inputs from them on the way forward.

It would be recalled that the minister had earlier said that the outline business case as defined the earlier appointed transaction advisers will be ready this March.

@leadershipNGA

From left: Managing director/chief executive officer, Jaiz Bank Plc., Hassan Usman and Regional Office director of ICD, Mr. Okan Altasil after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) financing in Lagos.

NERC Gives DisCos Deadline To Engage Meter Providers

BY FESTUS OKOROMADU, Abuja

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued a deadline of August 1, 2018 to the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos) to engage the services of Meter Asset Providers (MAP), stressing that the move is aimed at achieving the 3-year metering target prescribed by the Commission.

NERC had earlier announced the introduction of the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) Regulation (Regulation No. NERC/R/112), which it said would become effective on April 3, 2018, stressing that the initiative is designed to ensure that electricity customers only pay for what they actually consume.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the head of Public Affairs Department, NERC, Dr. Usman Arabi, the Commission the approval the new regulation provides for the supply, installation and maintenance of end-user meters by other parties approved by the Commission.

The regulation is expected to fast track a closure of the metering gap and encourages the development of

independent and competitive meter services in the electricity industry, the statement added.

As part of effort to ensure the urgent implementation of the regulation NERC, said the Discos are expected to engage the service of MAP within 120 days from the date of commencement of the regulation.

“The eleven (11) electricity distribution companies are expected to, within 120 days from the effective date of the regulation; engage the services of MAPs towards the achievement of their 3-year metering targets prescribed by the Commission,” the statement read in part.

NERC charged the Discos in line with their licencing terms and conditions, obliged to regulation in order to achieve their metering targets as set by the Commission under the new regulation.

The statement further explained that contracting of Meter Asset Providers shall be through an open, transparent and competitive bid process thus ensuring that meters are provided at a least cost to electricity customers.

While emphasising that customers have been cheated by Discos even without providing the meters, NERC said, “It is to be noted that there are no free meters even under the current tariff regime as all customers, including those on estimated billing, currently pay for a return on the investment made by electricity distribution companies on meters in their networks.

“Under the new MAP regulation, customer classes shall be amended to ensure that customers only pay for meters when a meter is physically installed in their premises. The electricity bill of customers provided with a meter under the new regulatory framework shall comprise of two (2) parts – energy charge and metering service charge.

“The payment of metering service charge will be removed from the customer electricity bill upon the full amortisation of the meter asset over its useful life. All faulty meters are expected to be repaired or replaced free of charge within two working days, except in instances where it is established that the customer is responsible for the damaged meter.”

The key to effective leadership and human resource management is motivating your team to consistently perform well and instilling in them a desire to constantly improve. Staff should be managed in a manner that encourages their output and makes them feel satisfied and comfortable as a member of your team. Tamlyn Lambert highlights some tips for what you can do to foster an effective body of staff.

•COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY: Communication is essential to effective human resource management. Take the time to learn how to communicate effectively with all of your employees, and make sure that they feel comfortable communicating with you. Open communication is a major factor of employee satisfaction. Some employees may require firm but respectful directions, while other will respond best to a soft tone and a congenial attitude. Barking orders at your staff and instilling them with fear will only antagonise and not motivate your employees. When it comes to communication with your staff, honesty is key.

•BUILD RELATIONSHIPS: Great employee relationships are driven by respect, trust, honesty, support and attention.

The more supportive the environment, the more motivated and comfortable your employees will feel when it comes to their output.

QUOTE OF THE DAY Except we key into the modern day technology, the zero-oil initiative ambition may not be realisable.”

Director-general of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo said.

Awolowo

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FG To Pay Pension Arrears To Retirees STORIES BY ZAKA KHALIQ, Lagos The federal government is making plans to pay pensioners who retired in January and February 2017 under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) soon, LEADERSHIP can now reveal.

Federal government retirees, especially those who retired from January 2017 till February 2018, are yet to get any pension entitlement, as the federal government now owes 14 months unpaid pension.

However, findings revealed that the payment for the two months has been concluded, but the National Pension Commission (PenCom) is awaiting the release of the fund from the Federal Ministry of Finance before it commences the payment of the concerned retirees.

This will, therefore, leave the government with 12 months’ pension

… Releases N54bn to Pencom arrears owed to pensioners under the CPS. Meanwhile, those who retired from March 2017 till now would have to wait longer to get their pension arrears paid by the federal government.

Confirming this development in an interview with LEADERSHIP, the head, corporate communication, PenCom, Mr. Peter Aghahowa, affirmed that some 2017 retirees had not been paid.

He stated that the federal government has, however, released money for pension payment to retirees up to February 2017, noting that they are yet to release money for retirees who retired from March 2017 till date. He said the commission would pay the retirees as soon as the federal government released the money.

Earlier, the federal pensioners, who

are under the CPS, were demanding for the payment of pension entitlements of federal government retirees who retired from January 2017 till date. They said the commission alongside the government has always promised them prompt payment of pension immediately after retirement or at most, three months after, stating that they have stopped keeping to the promise.

The pensioners, who spoke under the auspices of the Association of Federal Contributory Scheme Pensioners (AFCSP), Oyo State chapter, in a letter written to the commission, stated that this promise ought to be kept in order to preserve the life of pensioners and those of their family members and dependents.

According to the pensioners’ body, “We wish to demand further that

some of our members have not even received any or none of their retirement benefits especially those who retired from January 2017 to date, their retirement benefits have not been paid to them and this is causing serious problems in the life of our members who are affected.”

In a related development, the federal government has released N54 billion to National Pension Commission (PenCom) for the payment of the 33 per cent pension arrears to pensioners. Chairman, House Committee on Pension, Hassana Shekarau, has said.

He disclosed this at the official inauguration of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners House in Abuja, recently. He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had constituted a presidential committee to reconcile the pension figures and that the job had been concluded.

According to him, the president

also sent a bill seeking for a loan to the national assembly, which had been approved and part of the approval was to pay pensioners’ arrears.

“We don’t know what is delaying it that is why I took it upon myself to make sure that I charge the chief executives, who are handing pension matters that within two weeks they should report back to me on it.

“Any of them that delay I assure pensioners that we will still move another motion to ensure it payment. I have engaged stakeholders to make sure that the needful is done. I am happy to tell you that some progress have been made on the challenges of the 33 per cent arrears.

“I have given the relevant stakeholders on pension two weeks to sit and resolve matters on the pending issues of the payment of 33per cent pension arrears since the money had been disbursed,” he said.

‘Insurance Future Lies In Retail Business’ The head, Retail Business, Leadway Assurance Company Limited, Mr. Tunji Amokade, said the future of insurance industry lies in the retail market, noting that, the commercial market was saturated.

Amokade, while speaking on ‘Micro Insurance Business in Nigeria’ at a media training organised by Leadway Assurance for insurance correspondents, in Lagos State recently, added that despite the huge population the country is blessed with, low insurance penetration was still a major issue.

“The problem of penetration is because we are cash-based economy unlike other countries that are credit-based,” he said.

The success story of insurance in South Africa, Kenya, Morroco, and so on, he said, was as a result of their credit-based economy, stating that until Nigeria borrow a leaf from these countries, low penetration would continue.

While calling for institutional structure that allows credit to thrive, through this, he said, insurance can be incorporated into some credit-based services, thereby, increasing its adoption and contribution to the nation’s economy.

Charging insurance companies to offer good value for money for their clients, he urged underwriters to increase their visibility through effective use of technology as well as building more offices where there are none.

“The industry has been targeting the upper class, but the market now resides in the middle and the lower classes,” he pointed out.

L-R: AGM/Head, Corporate Communications and Brand Management, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Segun Bankole; Executive Director, Retail & Branch Operations, STI Plc, Niyi Odusi; Captain, Ibadan Golf Club, Barrister S.I Salami, and Chairman, Boff & Co. Insurance Brokers, Chief Babajide Olatunde-Agbeja, at the Tee-Off Ceremony of the 6th edition of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc Open Golf Tournament in Ibadan, Oyo State at the weekend.

Brokers Charge FG On Proper Utilisation Of Taxes Insurance brokers, under the auspices of Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers(NCRIB) have charged government at all levels to deploy taxes paid by Nigerians to effective use so that people can continue to pay taxes without being forced to do so.President, NCRIB, Mr. Shola Tinubu, while speaking at the quarterly media briefing at the council’s secretariat in Sabo, Yaba, Lagos, last week, commended the motive of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), saying, no nation could attain economic buoyancy with-

out exploring taxation as a key revenue option of government.

Most modern economies, according to him,were buoyed on effective taxation and that Nigeria cannot be an exception.

To this end, he said, it behoves on government to live more to its fiscal responsibility when adequate compliance was received from the people and institutions.

“When the confidence level is enhanced, payment of taxes would no longer be seen as a burden but a cardinal responsibility to be discharged by the citizenry,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, he disclosed that the council was having a positive collaboration with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

“It is worthy of note that this administration started on a positive note in its quest for a better relationship with NAICOM through visitation to the commission.

“In the last three months, we have visited the commission twice. It will interest you that some past president of the council volunteered to be in attendance to ensure a very smooth relationship with the leadership of the commission,” he stated.

The meetings, he said,

were remarkably successful as the Commission gave assurance of support to the council and used the opportunity to raise crucial matters bordering on contemporary issues on regulation of brokers, fines and penalties, among others.

“The Commission expressed support and showed positive inclination to cooperate with the regime for the benefit of brokers.

The promise of the Commission has started manifesting in their subsequent dealings with the Council as the commissioner and a team of top management of NAICOM have found time

to attend some of our events to shed light on torchy regulatory issues to the delight of members,” he stated.

Stating that insurance industry possesses greater opportunity for grow, he added that the sector’s contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP) can still be better. The industry, according to him, has potential for employment generation as well as protection of individual and national wealth, noting that the responsibility to grow it for the betterment of the future generation lies on all critical stakeholders, including the brokers.

34 NEWS

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Senate, RMAFC Bicker Over N13.5m Running Cost

BY AHURAKA ISAH, Abuja And MARK ITSIBOR, Abuja

The Senate and the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) yesterday differ on the position of the law on the N13.5 million running cost allegedly being enjoyed by each Senator, which has continued to occupy the front burner of national discourse.

In a press statement by the RMAFC sent to LEADERSHIP yesterday, it clarified its position on the salaries and allowances payable to Senators.

According to the Commission, the Law on Salaries and Allowances of Public Office Holders is very clear and as such “it is only the management of the National Assembly Service Commission that can explain the N13.5 million running cost allegedly being enjoyed by each Senator as the Act only covers Salary and Allowances but not Running Cost,” it stated.

The statement which was issued by the Commission’s spokesman, Ibrahim Mohammed said a closer look at the monthly entitlement of Senators reveals that each Senator collects salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860:00 consisting of the

following basic-N168,866:70, motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance N126,650:00, Personal Assistant N42,216:66, Domestic Staff-126,650:00, Entertainment-N50,660:00, Utilities=N50,660:00, Newspapers/Periodicals -N25,330:00, Wardrobe N42,216, House Maintenance N8,443.33:00 and Constituency - N422,166:66 respectively.”

“It is instructive to note that some allowances are regular while others are non-regular.

Regular allowances are paid regularly with Basic Salaries while Non-Regular allowances are paid as at when due. For instance, Furniture allowance (N6,079,200:00); and Severance Gratuity (N6,079,200:00) are paid once in every tenure while Motor Vehicle Loan(N8,105,600:00) is optional which the beneficiary has to offset before leaving office,” Mr. Mohammed said.

“The payment of Running Cost is not part of RMAFC mandate, therefore only the NASS can explain it,” he added.

The Statement adds that auditing does not fall within the purview of the Commission.

Thus, RMAFC also wishes to use this opportunity to state that any other payments enjoyed by any political, or public office

holders outside those provided in the Remuneration Act of 2008 is not known to the Commission and the Chief Accounting Officer of the Agencies concerned should explain it.

The RMAFC said to avoid misinformation and misrepresentation of facts, the Commission considers it most appropriate and necessary to request Nigerians and any other interested party to avail themselves of the opportunity to access the actual details of the present remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders in Nigeria published on its website: www. rmafc.gov.ng.

It pointed out that the clarification has become imperative in view of the recent revelation by Mr. Shehu Sani, a Senator of the Federal Republic who was reported to have disclosed to the public that each Senator collects monthly running cost of N13.5 M in addition to the monthly Salary of N750,000.00 prescribed by the “Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders(Salaries and Allowances, etc.)

(Amendments) Act, 2008”.

However, the Senate through its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, yesterday insisted that the N13.5 million

monthly running costs for each Senator was legal and provided for in the Appropriations Act. Speaking with LEADERSHIP, he said the statements made by his colleague from Kaduna State, Senator Shehu Sani, on the salaries and funds for running of offices of Senators did not disclose anything new as the figure he gave out about running cost of the offices of Senators were contained in various line items and expenditure heads of the budget of the National Assembly which has been made public.

Abdullahi said if people had looked critically at the budget of the National Assembly which has since been made public, they would have seen that various line items like traveling, medicals, consultancy and the rest were captured in the budget and they were the funds divided for each Senator’s use.

“Almost all holders of elective and appointive offices have running costs allocated to their offices and that cannot be said to be part of their salaries”, Abdullahi stated.

This is just as the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) said both Senate and House of

L-R: Director, Monetary Policy Department, CBN, Mr. Moses Tule; MPC members, Dr. Aliyu Rafindadi Sanusi; Dr. Robert Asogwa, Deputy Governor, CBN, Mr. Lametek Edward Adamu; Deputy Governor (Operations), Mr. Adebayo Adelabu; CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Deputy Governor (Financial System Stability), Dr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna; Deputy Governor, Mrs. Aisha Ahmad; MPC Member, Prof. Adeola Festus Adenikinju and Ag. Director, Corporate Secretariat, Mrs. Alice Karau at the CBN headquarters, Abuja, yesterday.

Representatives leadership should be held for serial monumental fraud.

He said there is no need asking the National Assembly Service Commission to justify or explain modus operandi of the fraud.

Sagay who reacted over telephone with LEADERSHIP on the development said the National Assembly leadership

simply allocate huge amount in the budget to cover the fraud.

“You see, Nigerians are made to buy clothes, fuel their fleet of cars and so on as if the rest of us don’t bear out daily running costs. We must hold the National Assembly leadership to account for this serial monumental fraud.

They must be made to account for this fraud against Nigeria treasury.”

New CBN Deputy Govs, MPC Members Assume Office Ahead Of April Meeting

BY BUKOLA IDOWU, Lagos

Following the approval of their appointments by the National Assembly last week, the new deputy governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Aishah Ahmad and Mr. Edward Lametek Adamu have formally assumed duty.

Likewise, the newly appointed members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), Professor Adeola Festus Adenikinju; Dr. Robert Asogwa and Dr. Aliyu Rafindadi Sanusi were also at the head office of the CBN to formally commence their tenure ahead of the MPC meeting scheduled for next week, April 3-4, 2018.

Welcoming the new Deputy Governors and members of the MPC to the bank, the Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, congratulated them on their respective appointments by the President and subsequent confirmation by the Senate.

He expressed his pleasure in the fact that the apex bank now has a full complement of Deputy Governors to enable it operate optimally as well as the required quorum to enable the MPC hold its statutory meetings for formulating monetary and credit policy.

The apex bank had not been

able to hold its bimonthly MPC meeting in January as it could not form a quorum and had shifted its March meeting till April to allow ample time for the newly appointed members to resume office.

Emefiele charged the Deputy Governors and MPC members to bring their experience to bear in the discharge of their new responsibilities, stressing that much was expected of them.

Mrs. Ahmad, Mr. Adamu and the three new MPC members subsequently subscribed to their Oaths of Office, administered by the Acting Director, Corporate Secretariat at the CBN, Mrs. Alice Karau. Thereafter, the Director, Monetary Policy Department (MPD), Mr. Moses Tule, read out the Charter of the MPC to new members before they retired into their maiden MPC retreat preparatory to the first MPC meeting for 2018 scheduled to hold on Tuesday, April 3 and Wednesday, April 4, 2018.

It will be recalled that the Nigerian Senate on Thursday, March 22, 2018, confirmed the appointment of Mrs. Aisha Ahmad and Mr. Edward Adamu as substantive Deputy Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) along with three members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

FAAC: FG, States, LGAs Share N647.390bn

BY MARK ITSIBOR, Abuja

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), on Wednesday agreed to share N647.39 billion to federal, states and local governments as revenue generated in the month of February.

The FAAC meeting that was declared inconclusive on Tuesday, was reconvened and concluded yesterday.

Revenue figures presented by the Accountant General of the Federation were finally adopted and shared among the three tiers of Government.

The acceptance of the figures by the members of FAAC followed consultations made by the Minister of

Finance and AccountantGeneral of the Federation with some State Governors and representatives of State Commissioners of Finance of the federation.

Accordingly, a total sum of N647.390 billion was shared as FAAC allocation among the Federal, States and Local Government Councils as revenue for the month of February 2018.

LEADERSHIP had reported that documents obtained by our reporter showed that the same sum of N647.390billion was brought on the table for sharing.

The communiqué issued by the Sub-Committee of FAAC Office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation,

indicated that the gross statutory revenue received for the month is N557.943 billion and is higher than N538.908 billion received in the previous month by N19.035 billion. The shared amount comprise the Month’s Statutory distributable revenue of N557.943 billion and the Value Added Tax (VAT) of N89.447billion making up the sum of N647.390 billion.

Accordingly, from Net Statutory Allocation, the Federal Government received N257.927 billion representing (52.68%); States received N130.824 billion (26.72%); Local Government Councils received N100.860 billion representing (20.60%); while the Oil Producing States

received N57.357 billion as 13% derivation revenue.

Meanwhile, FIRS, Nigeria Custom Service and DPR received the sum of N14.554 billion as their cost of collection and FIRS refund.

Furthermore, from the Revenue available from the Net VAT, Federal Government received N12.880 billion (15%); States received N42.935 billion (50%) while the Local Government Councils received N30.054 billion (35%).

The Communique further explained that there was an increase in the average price of crude oil from $57.71 to $63.08 per barrel and an increase in export sales of 2.8 million barrels

which resulted in increased revenue from Export sales of $194.39 billion .It further stated that other issues which negatively affected the Crude oil production and resulted to shut-ins and shut-downs are pipelines maintenance and repairs. Furthermore, significant increases were recorded in Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) while revenues from Import Duty, Companies Income Tax(CIT) and Value Added Tax (VAT) decreased considerably in the month under review.

Chairman of Finance Commissioners’ Forum, Mahmoud Yenusa, explained that the reconvening of the meeting had become necessary to enable States pay workers

their salaries before the Easter break.

“The account submitted by the NNPC is not acceptable to the States but we are willing to jointly reconcile the revenue figure with the leadership of NNPC. “We agreed last night to reconvene the meeting for the benefits of Nigerian workers at all tiers of government, to enable them receive their salaries,” the Adamawa State Commissioner of Finance said.

Meanwhile, the Accountant General of Federation on Wednesday signed the mandates for the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay the approved revenue allocation into the accounts of the Federal, State and Local Governments.

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Showcasing FG’s Commitment To Increasing Power Generation As part of efforts to keep the public aware of the true state of developments in the nation’s power sector, the ministry of power, housing and works organised a guided tour of three key hydro power generating plants in Niger State recently.

FESTUS OKOROMADU, writes on the prospect of the sector as investors strategise to take advantage of turning water to electricity.

L-R: Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever, Toluwaleke Salu; Director/Head of Dentistry, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Bola Alonge; Unilever Marketing Director Ghana Nigeria, Bunmi Adeniba; President, Nigerian Dental Association,Dr. Bode Ijarogbe and Communication Director Unilever, Ghana Nigeria, Soromidayo George, at the Pepsodent World Oral Health Day 2018 celebration in Lagos, recently.

Taskforce Cautioned Against Compromise On Illegal Mining

BY ABAH ADAH, Abuja

Members of the Special Mines Surveillance Taskforce (SMSTF) on illegal mining have been urged not to compromise the objectives of their assignment by way of connivance with or cover up of those who indulge in illicit business around the country.

The SMSTF comprise of the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Customs (NCS), Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the zonal

mines officers in the States.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Abdulkadir Mu’azu disclosed this recently at the opening session of the second phase of training of members of the Special Mines Surveillance Taskforce (SMSTF) on illegal mining organised by the Ministry in Jos, Pleateau State.

According to a statement issued by the director, Press in the ministry, Dr. Mu’azu in his address at the opening session, the training was aimed at enlightening and educating the Taskforce on what constitutes illegal mining as contained

in the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, its ancillary Regulations 2011, Explosives of 1964 and Regulations of 1967 respectively.

Speaking through his representative, the Director of Mines Inspectorate, Engineer Karnap Wuyep, the Permanent Secretary stated that the Taskforce was established in 2012 with membership drawn from relevant Ministries and Security Agencies.

The Taskforce is charged with the responsibility of curbing illegal mining, reducing environmental degradation and plugging of revenue leakages amongst others.

CSOs Urge NASS To Fast-track Enabling Laws For Excess Crude

BY NKECHI ISAAC, Abuja

Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) have urged the National Assembly (NASS) to fast track the creation of enabling laws for excess crude oil sales and reserve management in Nigeria.

Speaking during the launch of research document on a review of crude sales and reserve management by the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) in partnership with the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (CENTRE LSD) in Abuja, the NNRC’s

programme coordinator, Tengi George-Ikoli, said the review comes on the heels of the harmonization of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) by the National Assembly and its eventual presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

She noted that the role of crude oil to the Nigerian economy cannot be overstated, saying 60 years after crude oil was discovered in Nigeria, oil activities continue to dominate the economy and revenues, accounting for about 90 per cent and 80 per cent of the country’s gross earnings

and budgetary revenues, respectively.

George-Ikoli said, unfortunately, very little is known about how much oil is actually produced in Nigeria, saying this is a highly secretive issue, which has given rise to corrupt practices and or resource capture, especially in the offshore operation of the oil and gas sector.

She stressed the need for greater transparency in the Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, noting that existing oversight institutions are weak and inefficient and, in some cases, compromised.

NEPC Tasks Entrepreneurs On e-Commerce To Boost Trade

BY OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos

The director-general of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo, has urged entrepreneurs to acquire appropriate skills to take advantage of technology advancement in commerce.

The DG, at an exhibition themed ‘Leveraging e-commerce for international’, organised by NEPC SouthWest regional office in Lagos said that market access was one of the greatest constraints to

smallholder producers around the third world countries, as the dynamism and sophistication of technology has affected all the facets of human endeavours today, including trade and how business activities are conducted around the world.

Awolowo, who was represented by the deputy director, NEPC, Mrs. Oriere Veronica, explained that the workshop is coming up at this time when Nigeria is aiming at diversifying her economy.

He pointed out that the strategic importance of SMEs

in the economic development of nations cannot be overemphasised.

He noted that “Nigeria according to National Bureau of Statistics has about 40 million SMEs and by implication this sector provides means of livelihood to about half of the Nigeria population.”

He said that in no distance time, e-commerce could upstage physical market place, saying that the urgent need for Nigeria business concerns to acquire appropriate skills that would make them to be visible globally.

T

he Nigerian power sector has been described by various stakeholders as one that is critical to the economic growth and development of the nation.

Various initiatives such as privatisation of some sections of the sector as well as government’s entry into new contracts geared at improving the power situation have not yielded the expected results.

But in the face of the numerous challenges facing the sector, government is optimistic that there is a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel.

Basically, the sector stands on a threefold cord of generation, transmission and distribution.

In the Nigeria’s situation each of these sub sectors has their peculiar challenges.

Unfortunately, the end user is concerned with product delivery.

The ministry of power, housing and works, the executive arm of government charged with the responsibility of directing the affairs of the sector, in a move designed to unveil recent developments in the generating subsector took a trip of the hydro power plants in Niger State.

healthcare facilities in the company’s camp site.

He added that over 200 glasses had been given to inhabitants of the host communities with sight impairments, while students were offered books to facilitate their educational careers.

A visit to one of such resettlement site under construction showed that a block of classroom, health centre, and tap water were among the facilities the natives would enjoy when completed.

On payment of compensation to the affected communities by the federal government, Mustapha said the federal and Niger State governments has put in place a committee to interface with the contractor and the host communities with a view to resolving any differences that may arise in the course of the construction.

As noted by Owoeye, the Zungeru Hydro Power project when completed would not only add 700MW to the national grid, it would also create thousands of jobs for Nigerian engineers, technicians and artisans during the construction phase as well as boost the economy.

The Zungeru Hydro Power Plant Back in 2013, the federal government in collaboration with China’s Exim Bank entered into a partnership agreement to build a 700 MegaWatts (MW) hydro – electricity generating plant in Zungeru, Wushishi local government area of Niger State.

The Zungeru dam project was said to have been first conceived in 1982, but was abandoned due to lack of funds. But with the Chinese bank offering to fund 75 per cent of the $1.3 billion deal, while the federal government takes responsibility for the balance 25 per cent, China National Electrical Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) and Sinohydro Consortium, commenced building activities at the plant site in September 2013.

According to the contract documents, the project comprises a 700 MW hydropower station, a river dam, a 2,400m RCC (roller compartment concrete) gravity dam and a clay core rockfill dam, a power house behind the dam, a tailrace channel, and two switchyards on both banks.

The project was conceptualised with a duration period of 57 months, with less than 20 months to the targeted completion period, the wisdom of verifying what was on ground can be said to be apt.

At the site, the project supervisor, deputy director, Energy Resources, Ministry of Power, Works & Housing, Engr. Olatubosun Owoeye, told the visitors that the project was 45 per cent complete.

According to him, the dam excavation project was complete. He confirmed that the first turbine of the six turbines expected to be installed at the power plant would be fired by December 2019.

He noted that the perimeter fencing which covers an area of over 5 kilometer was cast in concrete to ensure security and safety of the workers.

According to him, the project when completed, would not only increase power generation, but equally improve the agriculture activities around the dam thus improving the economic well-being of the host communities.

Speaking on relationship with the host community, the project’s local content representative, Mustapha Yerima, said while plans have reach advanced stage to build 36 settlements for the 93 communities identified to be affected by the project, the inhabitants of these communities currently have access to the

Jabba, Kainji Hydro Power Plant Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL) is the concessionaire of Kainji and Jebba hydropower plants in located in Niger State.

Managing director of MESL Engr. Lamu Audu, spoke on his company’s investment since it took over the plants to bring them nameplate capacity.

According to him, the Jabba powerhouse is equipped with six turbines and six turbinealternator groups, however, one of the turbines was currently out of operation due to a major fire incident that occurred in April 2009.

He noted that prior to taking over the plants, the failure of previous management to carry-out overhauling when due affected the machines but insisted that since Mainstream Energy Solutions came on board, the plants have been overhauled and were working to full capacity except for the challenge of load rejection by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) Limited.

Speaking of the uniqueness of the hydro power generating system, Audu said it was cheaper when compared to electricity even though the cost of machines may be high at inception.

He however regretted that despite all the efforts the company has put in place to resuscitate the system, the issue of stranded electricity due to inability of transmission and distribution to take the power generated by their machines had not allowed them to run at full capacity.

“On several occasions we have been asked to shut down our production, unfortunately, when we do, we are not paid for capacity lost,” he stated.

According to him, his company has an unsettled N81billion receivable outstanding with NBET. “We want the government to address the issue if we want to get out of the woods. If we want this country to move forward power has to be provided,” he stated.

Nevertheless, Audu applauded government for taking some intervention steps including the privatisation of the sector and the approval of the eligible customer.

Acting director, Press, Ministry of Power, Housing and Works, Mrs. Etore Thomas, who led the delegation charged the companies to continue to do their best in supporting government’s efforts at ensuring that Nigerians were provided with electricity.

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Rising US Inventories Drags Oil Prices Below $70bp

BY CHIKA IZUORA, Lagos

L-R: Directors, Afriland Properties, Mrs. Uzoamaka Oshogwe; Chairman, Erelu Angela Adebayo; Company Secretary, Mr. Obong Idiong; Directors, Mr. Sam Nwanze and Mrs. Olayinka Ogunsulire during the company’s Annual General Meeting, held in Lagos, yesterday.

Nigeria’s $2bn Oil Block Assets Attract Global Financiers

BY CHIKA IZUORA, Lagos with agency report

Global oil traders Vitol and Glencore are currently in talks to financially back Nigerian firms racing to buy assets owned by Brazil’s Petrobras valued at up to $2 billion, several sources familiar with the matter said.

Report said cash is being lined up for purchases of stakes in two major oilfields in the country according to the banking and industry sources.

The potential consortiums including Glencore and Vitol offer the local bidders financial backing that would otherwise be hard to secure directly through international banks.

For the traders, a deal would

guarantee access to high-quality crude oil for many years. They would then be able to syndicate out the debt to banks. Signing up to long-term financing deals to increase volumes and gain exclusive access is one of the traders’ strategies to compensate for increasingly thin profit margins.

Last November, state-controlled Petroleo Brasileiro SA, known as Petrobras, launched the sale of 100 percent of Petrobras Oil & Gas BV, or Petrobras Africa, as part of the heavily-indebted company’s plan to offload $21 billion in assets through 2018 as it also faces a massive corruption scandal.

Petrobras holds half the shares in the company while 40 percent are

held by a subsidiary of Grupo BTG Pactual SA and 10 percent by Helios Investment Partners. Scotiabank is running the process with Evercore, according to the sale launch document.

The venture has stakes in two offshore blocks that contain two producing fields, the major Agbami field in OML 127, operated by a local Chevron affiliate and the Akpo field in OML 130 operated by Total SA. The assets could fetch as much as $2 billion, according to bankers involved in the process.

Trading and mining giant Glencore was looking to back Nigerian producer Seplat in bidding for the assets.

West African Countries Lobby LADOL On FPSO Fabrication

BY YUSUF BABALOLA, Lagos

The Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL), has disclosed that government of African countries are engaging them on building of Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO), facility following the successful fabrication and integration of the Egina FPSO in Nigeria.

LEADERSHIP recall that LADOL in January received the Egina FPSO, the largest vessel to ever berth in West Africa, and the first FPSO to be fabricated and integrated in Nigeria.

Speaking when the deputy

comptroller-general of Customs on Excise, Industrial, Incentives and Free Trade Zone, Patience Iferi paid a visit on the base, the Chairman of LADOL, Chief Ladi Jadesimi said the Countries in the region also want their citizens to be trained.

He said, “Government in the region are engaging s to see how we can assist them to see how their FPSO will be done in Nigeria such that they will be able to bring their people to work and train them.

“We are going to generate billions of naira in terms of duty and this FPSO when it eventually leaves,

because it is going to remain in the Nigerian territory, the customs will assessed the duty and this duty I am sure will be in the billions of naira.

So it is a win-win situation. In the immediate future all we have in our programme we are going to unfold, they will not only add significant value to the economy, in terms of employment and so on, it is going to generate a very substantial amount of customs revenue.”

He added that the ongoing FPSO integration is the only type in Africa stressing that the FPSO is the largest in the fleet of Total Nigeria Plc.

Women Still Facing Challenges Despite 87 Reforms By Countries – World Bank Report

BY BUKOLA IDOWU, Lagos

As governments in 65 economies took steps to improve women’s economic inclusion, enacting 87 legal reforms, the World Bank has said women still face barriers that keep them out of jobs and restrict their access to credit.

World Bank Group’s Women, Business and Law 2018 report released on Wednesday showed that despite the 87 legal reforms done by governments in the past two years, “Women continue to face widespread barriers, entrenched in laws, that keep them out of jobs and prevent them

from owning a business.”

The report noted that women owned businesses are being restricted by the lack of access to credit and control over marital property.

The biennial report, which now monitors 189 economies said it finds that in 104 economies women are barred from working at night or in certain jobs in many areas, including manufacturing, construction, energy, agriculture, water and transportation.

This negatively affects the choices of more than 2.7 billion women.

“No economy can grow to its full potential unless women and men participate fully,” said World Bank

chief executive officer Kristalina Georgieva. “Yet in more than half the world women are still prevented from working in certain jobs simply because of their gender.

The report finds that where there is gender equality in labor laws, more women work and earn more relative to men. Women should have the same equality of opportunity as men to provide for themselves, and to give their children the best start in life possible.”

Now in its 5th edition, the report introduces, for the first time, a scoring system of 0 to 100, to better inform the reform agenda.

Oil prices fell yesterday with Brent falling back below $70 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crudes dipping below $65, pulled down by a report of increasing U.S. crude inventories that surprised many traders.

U.S. WTI crude futures were at $64.86 a barrel down 39 cents, or 0.6 percent, from their previous settlement, while Brent crude futures were at $69.75 per barrel, down 36 cents, or 0.5 percent. Traders said the dips came after the American Petroleum Institute, API, late on Tuesday reported a surprise 5.3 million barrels rise in crude sticks in the week to March 23, to 430.6 million barrels.

“We’ll see how the inventory data looks and whether these recent highs

can be challenged again. For the moment it is looking like both WTI and Brent are stalling,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at futures brokerage AxiTrader.

Yesterday’s price falls came despite top exporter Saudi Arabia saying it was working with top producer Russia on a historic long-term pact that could extend controls over world crude supplies by major exporters for many years.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Reuters that Riyadh and Moscow were considering greatly extending a short-term alliance on oil curbs that began in January 2017 after a crash in crude prices. “We are working to shift from a year-toyear agreement to a 10 to 20 year agreement,” the crown prince told Reuters in an interview in New York late on Monday.

NNPC Bags More Awards At Enugu International Trade Fair The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), says it won awards at the just concluded 29th Enugu International Trade fair.

The NNPC Spokesman, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to him, apart from clinching the award for the overall best exhibitor and participant, NNPC also received accolades for the most reputation-conscious participating organisation and the most valued and outstanding participating company.

Ughamadu said Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu thanked NNPC for its support to various Chambers of Commerce in the country, especially the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, ECCIMA. The statement also quoted the governor as saying “he has learnt a

lot at the corporation’s pavilion, and that the NNPC honour was welldeserved,”.

Ughamadu said the President of ECCIMA, Mr Emeka Udeze, presented a special recognition award to the NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru.

“Dr Baru was awarded for NNPC helmsman’s unwavering support and commitment to the development of Commerce and Industry in the country.

“Udeze also expressed optimism that the next edition of the fair would surpass this year’s feat,’’ he said.

The 29th Enugu International Trade Fair, which held from March 16 to March 27, was organised by ECCIMA. The NNPC had won the overall best award at the 30th Kaduna International Trade Fair in February.

Flutterwave, Flywire To Provide Nigerians Digital Payment Solutions In 22O Countries

BY CHIMA AKWAJA, Lagos

Nigeria top digital payment platform, Flutterwave has partnered with Flywire, an international payment medium, that will enable students, patients, and businesses from Nigeria to pay their fees and bills abroad using their local cards and bank accounts across 220 countries globally.

Flutterwave is a payments technology company that provides seamless and secure payment solutions to banks and businesses across Africa. While Flywire, on the other hand, is a provider of global payment and receivables solutions for education and healthcare sectors, connecting over 1,400 businesses and institutions with its customers on six continents.

Flywire processes billions in payments per year from 220 countries and territories, bank transfer, credit card and e-wallet

solutions, in over 120 different local currencies.

Flutterwave aims at making payments by Nigerians and Africans much easier, considering the payment process have been complex and slow, with too much paperwork and costly information gaps, bearing in mind that billions of dollars are being invested in international education, healthcare and business goods and services by Africans every year.

Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, the Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer of Flutterwave, said‎ “our partnership with Flywire makes it possible for people in Nigeria and all across Africa to make these investments more confidently and hassle-free.

We are very proud to partner Flywire to enable more Africans to become citizens of the world.”

Nigeria is the number one source of international students and patients in universities and hospitals from Africa.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

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STOCK INDEX (AS AT MARCH 28) Gainers

Symbols CP Glaxosmith 34.00 Wemabank 0.93 Eterna 6.65 Unilever 55.00 PZ 23.00

% change 10.03 9.41 5.56 4.86 4.55

Losers

Symbols Japauloil MBenefit Fidson Capoil Champion

CP 0.65 0.35 5.70 0.38 2.58

% change -8.45 -5.41 -5.00 -5.00 -4.80

STOCK INDEX (AS AT MARCH 28) ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

(Points) (Numbers) (Numbers million) (Nbillion) (Ntrn)

40,802.08 4,717 535.19 3.66 N14.740

NSE-ASI Dips Further By 1.07% On Sustained Profit Taking

BY OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos

The bears continued to dominate the equities market, against expectations of a positive close, following broadly positive corporate releases, as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) plunged 0.51 per cent on sustained profit taking in high capitalised stocks.

In summary, the All Share Index (ASI) shed 441.16 absolute points, representing a decline of 1.07 per cent to close at 40,802.08 points. Similarly, the market capitalisation shed N159 billion, to close at N14.740 trillion.

The downturn was impacted

by losses recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Wapco, Dangote Cement, Total Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank and Dangote Sugar.

Analysts at Cordros Capital said “despite continued selloffs, we reiterate our positive outlook for the equities market, as strengthening macroeconomic fundamentals continue to support likelihood of gains.”

Similarly, market breadth closed negative, recording 18 gainers against 29 losers.

Glaxosmith led the gainers table by 10.03 per cent to close at N34 per share. Wema Bank followed with a gain of 9.41 per cent to close at 93 kobo, while

Eterna went up by 5.56 per cent to close at N6.65 per share.

Also, Unilever Nigeria rose by 4.86 per cent to close at N55 and PZ Industries appreciated by 4.55 per cent to close at N23 per share.

On the other hand, Japaul Oil led the laggards’ table by 8.45 per cent to close at 65 kobo per share, while Mutual Benefit Assurance trailed with a loss of 5.41 per cent to close at 35 kobo per share.

Fidson Healthcare and Capital Oil dipped by five per cent each to close at N5.70 and 38 kobo per share, respectively, while Champion Breweries went down by 4.80 per cent, to close at N2.58 per share.

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NEWS/BUSINESS 37

Aggrieved Shareholders Call For Sack Of Oando Management

BY FESTUS OKOROMADU, Abuja

A group of aggrieved shareholders of Oando Nigeria Plc, yesterday staged a peaceful protest to the National Assembly requesting that the management of the company led by Mr. Wale Tinubu should step aside.

According to the shareholders, such a step will allow for the forensic audit initiated by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun to go on without any hindrance.

The protesters, which consist of members of Trusted Shareholders Association, Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, among others, while expressing fears that the audit initiated by the minister may not come out with any meaningful outcome, call for the sack of the management of the company to pave way for thorough investigation.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman, House Committee on Capital Market and other

Institutions, the associations demanded that, “The management of Oando Nigeria Plc led by Mr. wale Tinubu should step aside until the forensic audit is released to the public so as to pave way for an unhindered forensic audit.’’

While alleging that the audit set-up by the minister is a ploy to protect her friends in Oando, the shareholders also charged the House Committee to urgently invite the acting director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to ascertain the authenticity of the forensic audit set-up to investigate the company.

Also speaking to journalists during the protest, yesterday, the National coordinator, Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Oderinde Taiwo said, “We believe the minister is clearly working to protect her friends in Oando Plc from the impending embarrassment that findings from the forensic audit may cause them.

Referring to the suspension of the former director-general of SEC, Dr. Munir Gwarzo as a ground design to pave way

for the said protection bid, he said, “We also fear that the suspension of the directorgeneral is a clear attempt to frustrate the forensic audit.’’

Similarly, the chairman, Trusted Shareholders Association, Alhaji Mukhtar Mukhtar, said the group was convinced that SEC, under the acting DG, Dr. Abdul Zubair is only buying time by instituting a new forensic audit.

He expressed anger that while shareholders of the company are dying without getting returns from their investments, the company’s management members are acquiring new expensive automobiles and private jets.

“Many of our members have become victims of hypertension watching their investments tumble without any hope to salvage same in sight,” he said.

He stated that the global practice is that when forensic audit is being carried out on a company, the management of the company will step-aside to give room for thorough investigation without any interference.

Afriland Properties Distribute N137m Dividend In 2017

BY OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos

Afriland Properties Plc has proposed the sum of N137.39 million as dividend payment for the financial year ended December 31, 2017.

According to the company, this translate to 10 kobo per share, which the shareholders approved at the annual general meeting held in Lagos.

The company’s revenue in 2017 stood at N1.3 billion a growth of 11 [per cent from N1.1 billion in 2016. Operating profit for the period went up marginally by two per cent to N997 million against N925 million in 2016.

The company also achieved a profit before tax of N1.1 billion

in 2017 from N0.54 billion, an increase of 95.5 per cent. Profit after tax appreciated by 233 per cent from N306 million in 2016.

The company said that the significant increase in both profit before tax and profit after tax as achieved in 2017 over prior year is attributable to gains of N335 million from valuable of financial assets in current period treated in other comprehensive income as against impairments of N123 million and N286 million recorded on financial assets and goodwill in 2016.

Total assets as at December 2017 stood at N19.8 billion, which represents a 17.9 per cent increase over the N16.8 billion recorded in 2016, while

shareholders’ funds rose from N5.9 billion in 2016 to N7.2 billion in 2017.

Speaking to shareholders at the AGM, the chairman of the company, Erelu Angela Adebayo said “we faced challenges in the operating environment, the company commenced and completed a number of projects in 2017.

Our flagship project for the development and disposal of residential building was a success.”

She pointed out that the recovery recorded in Nigerian economy in 2017 is expected to be solidified in 2018, saying this will be driven the spillover effect of the upsurge in oil output as observed in 2017.

FMDQ Lists Lapo Microfinance Bank N3.15bn Bonds

BY OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos And MARK ITSIBOR, Abuja

FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange Plc has admitted Lapo Microfinance Bank Plc N3.15 billion bonds for trading on its platform.

In a release statement by the bank, the Series-1 bond, under its N20 billion bond issuance programme, marked the first micro-finance bank bonds to be listed on the Exchange. The bond has five years tenor and is priced at 17.75 per cent per annual.

Speaking at the listing in Lagos, managing director, LAPO Microfinance Bank

Limited, Dr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe noted that the demand for capital from micro, small and medium businesses is high, saying that as a pro-poor financial institution, LAPO Microfinance is committed to the social and economic empowerment of low income households through provision of access to responsive financial services on a sustainable basis.

“With excellent corporate governance, experienced management, committed staff and extensive footprints across Nigeria, LAPO Microfinance is poised to deliver its core mandate of enhancing financial inclusion by continuously tapping the

Nigerian debt capital market to raise capital to improve lives of the underprivileged,” he said.

Also, the associate vice president, Market Architecture Division, FMDQ, Ms. Jumoke Olaniyan applauded the issuer for having successfully raised N3.15 billion from the domestic capital market and for setting the pace for other micro-finance banks planning to raise capital in the debt capital market space.

She further commended the issuer for joining the league of corporate entities whose debt profiles have been raised via the value-packed listings and quotations service offered by FMDQ.

L-R: Chairman, Trusted Shareholders Association, Alhaji Mukhtar Mukhtar; National Coordinator Proactive Shareholders of Nigeria, Mr Oderinde Taiwo and a legal practitioner of the association, Barr.

Nnodu Okeke during a peaceful protest demanding for the immediate resignation of the management team of Oando Plc., at the National Assembly gate in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO.

UBA Rewards High Performance, Promotes 2,000 Staff Across Africa

BY MBAKAAN KWEN, Abuja

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced the promotion and elevation of about 2000 of its work force, representing about 17% of total staff strength across the group.

According to a statement by the bank, this is in recognition of the remarkable contribution the staff members have made to the bank’s business growth as

highlighted by the impressive performance recorded in its recently released 2017 financial year end results. ‘‘It is important to note that about a year ago, the bank had promoted 3,000 staff members, 25% of its workforce, while also doling out cash rewards to deserving staff for exemplary conduct and performance that year.

This year’s promotion, as with

others, have been commended by human resources analysts who have noted that UBA, which was mentioned in a recent survey as one of the “Best 100 Companies To Work For in Nigeria” has become synonymous with rewarding excellence. The announcement has also been greeted with joy and enthusiasm by the workforce of the bank,’’ the statement read in part.

Diamond Bank Holds Business Workshop For Female Entrepreneurs

BY MBAKAAN KWEN, Abuja

Diamond Bank has organised a Micro Small and Medium scale Enterprise business workshop to support women who are in business with practical guide to successful business management.

In an interview with the bank’s Head of Business for the North Safianu Garba, he

said the exercise, which is part of initiatives to commemorate the month of March designated to celebrate women is aimed at helping inculcate business ideas to women as well as help them overcome the startup challenges faced by many emerging businesses.

According to him, “Diamond bank as a retail bank has strong support for

MSME, our customers are very important to us and women particularly are very important for the development of the world. This seminar is part of what we do to encourage them in businesses, if they have good business and bankable ideas, they can come to us, we look at it and if it’s okay, we give them loan for such businesses.”

38 ENERGY/BUSINESS

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Oil Spill: How Effective Is Amnesty Int’l Campaign On Curbing Sabotage?

The Amnesty International recently released a new report accusing some oil companies of hiding facts on oil spills in Nigeria prompting fresh debate on actual causes of the incident and responsiveness of operators, CHIKA IZUORA, writes.

I

n November 2013, a report by Amnesty International said energy companies operating in the oil-rich Niger Delta region were not doing enough to ascertain what is causing the hundreds of spills reported every year in the region.

In a 66-page report, the rights group said oil companies, in particular Royal Dutch Shell, have made numerous claims about sabotage and oil theft that raise a series of questions.

However, in response to the unabating situation, the National Assembly are mulling legislation that would tighten penalties for oil companies responsible for the spill, and the law, if passed, would make operators pay a $1,300 per barrel fine for spills.

Amnesty, in its report said the hundreds of oil spills reported in Nigeria every year were ruining the environment and putting human lives at risk, claiming that spills in the Niger Delta were the result of pipeline corrosion, maintenance issues, equipment failure, sabotage and theft.

“For the last decade oil companies in Nigeria, in particular Shell, have defended the scale of pollution by claiming that the vast majority of oil spills are caused by sabotage and theft of oil. There is no legitimate basis for this claim,”it said.

Even if Shell was right, Amnesty’s report said, it hasn’t done much to ensure its infrastructure in the Niger Delta was protected from vandals.

But the problem extends beyond just Shell, the organisation said.

A Nigerian subsidiary of Italian energy company, Eni reported 471 spills in the Niger Delta, compared to the 138 from Shell from January to September.

Eni’s subsidiary also blames saboteurs, but Amnesty said there’s absolutely no information to support their claims.

Problems in Nigeria have cost Shell about 65,000 barrels per day in production. Shell in mid-October 2013, lifted force majeure on exports of Nigerian crude oil after repairs were made to a pipeline in the Niger Delta region.

Shell said about 2,200 barrels spilled from the Trans Niger Pipeline in October, a spill partially blamed on a hole in the pipeline drilled by unknown persons. The situation was not much better for ENI, which has also cut its production outlook in part because of problems in Nigeria.

Amnesty said Eni’s subsidiary, Aqip, was responsible for 4,014 barrels of oil spilled between January and September of that year. For Shell, it was 16,000 barrels during the same period.

Amnesty said there were “systemic flaws” in the way in which oil spills were investigated in Nigeria. The organisation said it took serious issues with what oil companies like Shell

Oil rig

Details of the alleged spills said to have occurred from 2011, in the case of Shell, and from 2014 for Eni, have been given to the Nigerian government, which is being urged to reopen investigations into the incidents

said about their operations in Nigeria.

Regulations, it said, were futile, and “there is no meaningful check on the oil companies’ operations in Nigeria.”

Again, last week, the Rights Group, claimed that oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Eni SpA may have misled regulators in Nigeria by wrongly attributing oil spills to theft and sabotage in order to avoid paying compensation to affected communities.

“Amnesty International researchers have identified that at least 89 spills may have been wrongly labeled as theft or sabotage when in fact they were caused by ‘operational’ faults,” the London-based group said in the report released on Thursday.

“Of these, 46 are from Shell and 43 are from Eni. If confirmed, this would mean that dozens of affected communities have not received the compensation that they deserve,” it added.

Shell and Eni, along with ExxonMobil Corp, Chevron Corp and Total SA operate joint ventures with state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp that pump most of the oil of Africa’s biggest producer.

In the southern Niger River delta, which is home to the country’s oil and gas industry, local communities are frequently in conflict with energy companies over allegations of pollution and environmental degradation linked with oil operations.

Details of the alleged spills said to have occurred from 2011, in the case of Shell, and from 2014 for Eni, have been given to the Nigerian government, which is being urged to reopen investigations into the incidents, Amnesty said.

However, Shell said it operates in a much responsible way observing all regulatory procedures.

A spokesperson for the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC), in response to LEADERSHIP enquiries on the allegations said, “The allegations levelled by Amnesty International are false, without merit and fail to

recognise the complex environment in which the company operates where security, a sole prerogative of government, remains a major concern with persisting incidents of criminality, kidnapping, vandalism, threats from self-described militant groups.

“As operator of a joint venture, where the government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has a majority interest, SPDC continues to work with federal and state government agencies, communities and civil society to create a safe operating environment.

“SPDC, in collaboration with government regulators, responds to spill incidents as quickly as it can and cleans up spills from its facilities regardless of the cause. We regularly test our emergency spill response procedures and capability to ensure staff and contractors can respond rapidly to an incident.

“However, response to spills, cleanup and remediation depend on access to the spill site and ultimately on the security of personnel and equipment while work is ongoing.

“SPDC reiterates its commitment to carrying out operations in line with best practice in a responsible and environment-friendly manner.”

How Shell Responds To Spills When a leak is identified, production is suspended and efforts made to contain any spilled oil. The company said it regularly test its emergency spill response procedures and capability to ensure staff and contractors can respond rapidly to an incident.

In line with government’s regulations, a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) team visits the spill site to establish the cause and volume of oil spilled and the team is led by the SPDC staff and includes representatives of the regulatory bodies, police, the state government and impacted communities.

The SPDC JV cleans and remediates the area impacted by spills from its facilities, irrespective of cause and in

the case of operational spills, it also pays compensation to people and communities impacted by the spill.

Once clean-up and remediation are completed, the work is inspected, and once satisfactory, approved and certified by Federal Government of Nigeria regulators, the Department of Petroleum Resources and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency.

SPDC’s remediation practices the response claimed are compliant with the Environmental Guidelines and Standards for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria (EGASPIN), Revised Edition 2002 as well as other relevant international standards. EGASPIN provides for the management and remediation of contaminated land.

To this end, SPDC has researched and adopted techniques for cleaning up oil spills that we believe to be the most effective for the soil and climate conditions in the equatorial heat of the Niger Delta.

The SPDC JV also works with communities and civil society across the Niger Delta to build greater trust in spill response and cleanup processes. Wherever possible, local communities take part in the remedial work. SPDC is also the only oil and gas company in Nigeria to publish data on all spills in its areas of operation online. The oil spills website went live 2011.

Oil Spill Statistics In Nigeria Attempts by LEADERSHIP to obtain accurate statistics of oil spill in Nigeria was scanty as reports on the extent of the oil spills vary.

The Department of Petroleum Resources, (DPR), estimated 1.89 million barrels of petroleum were spilled into the Niger Delta between 1976 and 1996 out of a total of 2.4 million barrels spilled in 4,835 incidents. approximately 220 thousand cubic metres.

Also, UNDP, report states that there have been a total of 6,817 oil spills between 1976 and 2001, which account for a loss of three million barrels of oil, of which more than 70 per cent was not recovered and 69 per cent of these spills occurred off-shore, a quarter was in swamps and 6 per cent spilled on land.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), also placed the quantity of petroleum jettisoned into the environment yearly at 2,300 cubic metres with an average of 300 individual spills annually.

However, because this amount does not take into account “minor” spills, the World Bank argues that the true quantity of petroleum spilled into the environment could be as much as ten times the officially claimed amount.

In 2010 Baird reported that between 9 million and 13 million barrels have been spilled in the Niger Delta since 1958. One source even calculates that the total amount of petroleum in barrels spilled between 1960 and 1997 is upwards of 100 million barrels.

Thursday March 29, 2018

Re: The Media, NIA And The ‘Truth’

BY NAJATU MUHAMMAD Let’s start by asking, what are the issues at stake? A committee was set up by the president to investigate the allegations against Ambassador Oke the former DG of the NIA headed by the Vice President, the report of the committee has long been swept under the carpet and another committee was inaugurated and presided over by Baba Gana Kingibe, while the incumbent D-G of the NIA, Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar was appointed as the secretary.

The same Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar, was kingibe’s personal assistant for several years while serving in Dafur.

The committee recommended in part that for an officer to qualify as Director General of the Agency he has to be a serving officer not below the rank of a Director. Currently in the NIA there are five Directors who must be retired from service following the appointment of Ahmed Rufa’i who retired five years ago as a deputy director.

The question that every discerning Nigerian would ask here is why was AMB Dauda dismissed from service? What has he done to warrant out right dismissal? Was the $44M in question stolen or pilfered? The answer is NO. The funds were in fact evacuated to the office of the NSA for protection and safe custody against the preying eyes of those individuals hell bent on looting it. This President was adequately briefed on this development by the NSA. The height of persecution, victimization and injustice was unfortunately exercised with the dismissal of AMB Dauda who was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, while Amb.Oke who was found guilty of embezzlement of public funds only got his job terminated and he is still occupying the official residence of the DG, moving about freely, and enjoying state protection with all paraphernalia of the office as if nothing had happened. Indeed due process, rule of law was not followed in the way the two matters were handled. One was found guilty and retired, while the other who exposed corruption was summarily and unlawfully dismissed from service on a baseless allegation of leaking state secret, without giving him any opportunity to be heard in a fair and transparent manner.

Let’s us also look at the article with the above captioned from the Politico Magazine who went online to launder the image of their pay masters by manufacturing falsehood that when added up do not make any meaningful sense. The outfit only succeeded in ridiculing their organization for the unprofessional and unethical conduct of media prostitution, treachery and blackmail which can only appeal to gullible

readers or those that are intertwined with them in the same game.

I cannot join issues with them, let them go ahead with the game of deception and frustration, it is my belief that Amb. Dauda would never be blackmailed to submission by jesters and fraudsters. Its really unfortunate that its becoming a pattern in this regime to shield corruption and punish those that refuse to be roped into it. Finally, what I expect from Mr Kingibe is to deny these allegations long before the invitation from the house committee or the EFCC, in the very same way he denied ever wanting to contest against Gen Buhari when his posters flooded streets of Kaduna.

The attempt to make the victim a culprit cannot hold, its too little too late. I want to advise those close to the President to all tell him the truth and correct him whenever he erred so that he succeeds, for every wrong decision taken that affects the country as a whole like in this situation.

Khalifa Abubakar Siddiq once said, “Those that love me will tell me the truth that I may succeed, but my enemies will hover around me as sycophants, so that they get an opportunity to laugh at me when I fail. I have NEVER been a leech nor will I ever be one. What I expect from some of you beneficiaries of this failure is to go beyond this platform and make your cases in defence of the issues I have raised, or that anyone had raised.

Nigeria is a country unfortunately run by individuals who by share luck happened to be within the corridors of power always appearing to be fighting corruption while they have stolen millions of public funds, others with God Fathers are simply shielded from trial or prosecution, while the innocent are chased, haunted and persecuted. This attitude must change if our dear country is to move forward.

I have been with President Muhammadu Buhari politically for quite a long time, and I want those close to him to tell him I would continue to say the truth and maintain my stance on national issues whenever the need arises.

It is my inalienable right to speak the truth. When I was imprisoned, beaten, poisoned by previous governments for criticizing them most of you eating from the crumps of those governments were against me, so I still don’t expect you to be with me on this one. You can keep your choice, but never interfere with mine. When I was in the political trenches fighting to make this government a reality where were you? In Kano we call people like you “yan munga ta fadi gayyar tsiya” that’s what you are.

– Muhammad sent in this piece from Kano

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

FCT SWAN Elections Hold April 26

BY SALIFU USMAN, Abuja

The elections into the executive council of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria(SWAN), the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter will hold on April 26, 2018.

According to a statement jointly signed by the Electoral Committee Chairman, Jide Fashekun and Secretary, Mike Oboh in Abuja, the committee stated that the sale and return of nomination forms by candidates will close on Friday, March 30, 2018.

The committee also fixed April 3-14 for the Screening of the candidates.

April 15 and 16 is fixed for the publication of the list of cleared or not cleared candidates and list of members (electorates) respectively.

April 17 to 22, is for claims and objections of membership/candidates, April 23,will be for consideration on the claims and objections.

Publication of final list of candidates and members will be April 24, while manifesto day was fixed for April 25. Congress, elections and swearing of new elected executive is slated to hold April 26 between 10am to 12noon.

The committee also advised members to renew their membership of the association for this year as the list that will be used, will be drawn for the register from the National SWAN on or before 10th April, 2018.

KSSC Lauds Ganduje’s Appointment Of SA On Sports

BY ABDULGAFAR OLADIMEJI, Kano

The appointment of a Special Adviser on sports by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje should strengthen sports development and should not serve contrary motives, executive board member of the Kano State Sports Commission (KSSC), Alhaji Ado Abba Tudun Wada has cautioned.

The seasoned youths administrator applauded Governor Ganduje for the appointment, describing it as is a wise decision, which should not be hijacked to invoke division among sports stakeholders, a move, he said will spell doom against the interest of youths development in the state.

According to him, Ganduje’s administration has invested huge resources in developing the youths through sports and warned that the investment should not be submerge under personal interest.

Ado, who doubles as the director general, Kano State Directorate of Youths Development and Economic Empowerment, said all interests should be vested in sustaining the successes recorded in curbing youth menace through sports.

He noted that it is imperative to eschew any act that will derail the achievements of the Ganduje’s administration in the sporting sector.

Gov el-Rufai Tees Off KADINVEST Pinnacle Pro-Am Golf Tourney

BY ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna

Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai yesterday performed the ceremonial tee-off to officially declare open the maiden edition of the KADINVEST Pinnacle Communications Pro-Am Golf Tourna-

ment holding at the Kaduna Golf Club.

The event is featuring no fewer than 520 professional and amateur golfers comprising of both from within Nigeria and neighbouring African countries.

Speaking shortly after teeoff the event, el-Rufai commended Pinnacle communications for sponsoring the tournament as part of efforts to compliments governments efforts.

While assuring of government’s support, he said his administration attracted about five million dollars ($5m) to the state in the last three years in investment.

“We need investors and we

‘Golf Attracts $500m Investment In Kaduna’

Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasri El.Rufai, has revealed that the game of golf has helped grow over $500 million investment in the state. He stated this while teeing of the 1st Kadinvest ProAm golf event at the Kaduna Golf Club, yesterday. Gov el-Rufai, equally an ardent golfer, did not hide his joyful feelings that such huge number of golfers, close to 600, from across Nigeria and some West African countries, could besiege Kaduna for a golf tourney.

He said he would ensure total

Why Uzoho Beat Ezenwa To Starting Spot Against Serbia The decision of Coach Gernot Rohr to stick with goalkeeper Francis Odinaka Uzoho for Tuesday’s friendly game against Serbia ahead of Ikechukwu Ezenwa has stirred up some debates among Nigerian football fans and analysts alike.

Ezenwa was widely expected to return between the sticks for Nigeria after missing the 1-0 win against Poland on Friday, but coach Rohr has once again picked the young Uzoho ahead of him.

safety of the golfers and that the event would grow larger during every month of April.

“When we said we were going to make Kaduna great again, we were looking at the number of investors we could bring to our state. We introduced the Kadinvest golf tourney to attract investors. This is paying off and I personally thank our sponsor Sir Lucky Omoluwa of Pinnacle Communications, a man I usually refer to as our son, even though he is from Delta State,” he said.

Before performing the Teeing

Uzoho impressed in the second half of Nigeria’s 1-0 win o v e r Poland on Friday after a not too comfortable start to the game, but many still expected Ezenwa to be picked for today’s game.

According to a source in the camp team ahead

A good deed is never lost.

Off ceremony, Governor El-Rufai entered into a closed session with the management of the Club headed by its Captain, Col. Ibrahim Biu, where he promised he would help achieve great dreams of the Club.

The Clubs Board of Trustees Chairman and indeed the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Mallam Maigwari, was equally in the closed session.

Thereafter, the Governor inspected the total refurbishment of the Club mainly financed by Sir Lucky Omoluwa of Pinnacle Co mmunications.

of the match, Rohr decided to stick with the Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper due to his performance in training, and also the need to develop his confidence further‎ ahead of the World Cup. Insiders still believe that Ezenwa is Rohr’s anointed as first choice for the World Cup in Russia, with Uzoho firmly established as his preferred second choice, meaning Daniel Akpeyi who was made first choice after the unfortunate cancer diagnosis of numbers one Carl Ikeme is now third choice.

are determined to pursue it,” he declared.

He assured that adequate security arrangement in place to ensure a hitch free tournament.

Speaking also, the Chairman of Pinnacle communications, Sir Lucky Omoluwa, said the sponsorship of the tournament is a promised kept and also to compliment the state government’s effort under the able leadership of Malam elRufai.

“The tournament is having about 520 golfers comprising 156 professionals and the rest are amateurs from both Nigeria and neigbhouring African countries.

ITF/CAT Tourney: Edwards Crushes Opponent, Kushimo Out

Nigerian tennis sensation, Marylove Edwards continued her quest for the 2018 ITF/CAT 14 and Under Championship title in Pretoria, South Africa, with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Malika Ramasawmy of Mauritius. However, it was a forgetful day for her compatriot, Usman Kushimo, who bowed 1-6, 3-6 to South Africa’s Devin Badenhorst in the first round.

The US-based Edward reached the quarterfinal last year but is tipped as one of the players to go all the way this time around.

The win against her Mauritian opponent came in less than an hour as the 12-year-old Nigerian starlet hits series of winners to subdue Ramasawmy with her ferocious play.

Although, Edwards, the 2017 Central Bank of Nigeria Open women singles finalist still has some years left at the IMG Tennis Academy in Brandenton, Florida courtesy of the Temple Management Company, she is on the verge of getting a scholarship to the ITF High Performance Centre in Morocco.

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THURSDAY

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General John Nanzip Shagaya, 1942-2018

Abba Mahmood

here was the shocking news of the demise of General John Nanzip Shagaya which occurred as a result of a ghastly road accident along Langtang-Pankshin road in his home state of Plateau on February 12, 2018. He was buried on Friday March 16, 2018 in Langtang, his ancestral home. It was a national loss being one of the longest serving Internal Affairs ministers in Nigeria’s history whose tenure had witnessed monumental achievements. It was also a personal loss having known Gen. Shagaya since I was in school when he was already a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) under President Babangida.

Born on September 2, 1942 to Mallam Sikji Miri Wazhi and Mrs Maryamu Zwancit Shagaya, late John Shagaya attended Junior Primary School, Nyer and SUM Primary School, Langtang from 1952-1959. He then attended Nigerian Military School, NMS, Zaria, 1960-64.

Upon graduation he joined the Nigerian Army where he was subsequently commissioned as Second Lieutenant. He

— JOSEPH ADDISON

08052407030 (SMS only) abba@leadership.ng fought the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-70 with the 3rd Marine Commando under General Benjamin Adekunle, the Black Scorpion. He had earlier participated in the counter-coup of July 1966 while serving in Abeokuta.

Being a first class patriot, he chose for career the most national of institutions – the military. In his eventful military career he had served in the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji; Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna; Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji; Commander, 9 Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Lagos; Military Secretary, Army Headquarters and General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Mechanized Infantry Division, Kaduna. He was a courageous soldier who never failed in any task he was assigned. He once said that every soldier must remember that his first mistake could be his last.

According to Chinese Premier Chun Enlai, “Enemies at home and abroad all understand that the easiest way to capture a fortress is from within”. No wonder Nigeria’s security threats have always been internal. As a trusted

Shagaya

officer with great efficiency, it did not come as a surprise that President Ibrahim Babangida, on coming to power in August 1985, appointed Shagaya as Internal Affairs Minister and Member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, to ensure that those social and political changes which were needful for political stability were not blocked by vested interests.

His time as minister saw him involved in drafting the main protocols for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and also helped in resolving boundary disputes with Benin and Chad republics. Nigerians watched with admiration as then Col. Shagaya coped with all the problems, pressures and challenges that the country faced during the Babangida regime. And Shagaya was one of the first ministers to move to Abuja, the new federal capital.

The takeover of power by a rebel movement led by Yoweri Museveni in Uganda in 1986 marked the entry of rebel movements as platform of taking over power rather than the conventional military coups or the traditional democratic means in Africa. It inspired the formation of some rebel movements in Liberia, here in West Africa, the largest being Charles Taylor’s National

Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). The NPFL itself was not an independent actor but a microcosm of Liberian politics, representing the different ideological trends as well as the interests of the states who supported the different factions within it.

The conflicts within the African countries had weakened the Africans, diverting their attention and economic resources from the more important objective of development. To compound matters, the Liberian civil war erupted at a time the attention of major global powers was focused on developments in the former communist countries.

And as Efraim Halevy once wrote: “In order to triumph we shall have to understand that diplomacy is the art of the possible, that intelligence is the craft of the impossible”.

In the true spirit of African brotherhood and to stem the tide of Liberian disintegration the ECOWAS member countries set up the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) which was the first sub-regional military peace support operation in Africa. The risks of military intervention were great, but the dangers of inactions were considered to be even greater. It represented the last

stand of authority against the advancing forces of disorder.

The formation of ECOMOG also dovetailed with Nigeria’s regional interests and more specifically with its desire to counter the advancing danger of the proliferation of rebel movements in Nigeria’s immediate sub-region.

ECOMOG certainly served Nigeria’s interests. It restored the respect of the superpowers as the UN Security Council eventually endorsed it; it revived the strategic understanding with the Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries of West Africa; and it underpinned the centrality of Nigeria in regional politics. It was a dynamic move of momentous importance by the Babangida regime.

What President Babangida sought to achieve with the ECOMOG initiative was, to paraphrase the former Israeli Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, to create a new Africa which “would be dominated by banks, not tanks ballots, not bullets; and where the only generals would be General Motors and General Electrics”. To underscore the importance IBB attached to the ECOMOG initiative, some of Nigeria’s finest Generals were posted there to command: Malu, Olurin, Dogonyaro, among others. Late General Shagaya’s last military posting before retiring was as Field Commander of ECOMOG in Liberia.

Most people sink into insignificance when they quit office. It was not so with General Shagaya. He had a simplicity which very few other public people of the highest distinction possess. He never considered an adversary or an opponent an enemy. He was serious, painstaking and methodical. With maturity he became calm, cautious and calculating. It was not difficult for his people to see the good in him and to vote for him as Senator representing Plateau

South Senatorial District.

He was respectful of his elders, loyal to his superiors and inspiring to the younger generation. General Shagaya was proud of his Tarok, Plateau heritage, in fact he was Danburam Langtang; proud of being a northerner in fact he was vice chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Board of Trustees; and proud of being a Nigerian and an African. As a true gentleman, he would accept many things but not dishonour.

Just last year, General Shagaya lost his beloved wife, Philomena after a brief illness.

What she did was to provide her husband and family with a domestic anchor that helped him cope with the strains and stresses of his public life.

President Buhari recently appointed him Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos. He combined humility with humanity and exceptionally gracious manners. My special condolences to his eight children, especially Col. John Shagaya Jnr and his 13 grandchildren, Plateau state and Nigeria. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

Adieu General Shagaya- a man among men and a leader among leaders.

GHANA MUST GO FG re-introduces History in school curriculum

— News

At least our kids will now know which president attempted third term!

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